286 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Fruit Snow at the Crystal Palace. — The scliodule of prizes offered for com- 

 petition at the forthcoining exhibition of fruit, on 8th, 9th, and 10th inst., has 

 recently been issued, and contains classes for Gladioli and vegetables, in addition to 

 the usual prizes for fruit. The classes for vegetables are open to cottagers only ; 

 hut, as the prizes are comparatively liberal, a good display of esculents will no doubt 

 be the result. The Honey Fair to be held in connection wich the fruit show pro- 

 mises to he a most interesting event, as something like =£100 is offered for bee- 

 furniture and honey. 



Accidental Naturaltzatiox of Plants. — -It is well known that many of our 

 most pernicious weeds are foreign plants that have been accidentally introduced 

 into this country, where they have become naturalized, and have spread in some 

 cases far more r.npidly than on their " native heath." M. Balansa relates two 

 striking cases of this kind in his account of New C dedonia, the island to which so 

 many of the French Communists have been transported. In tlie first instance, 

 about four j^ears ago, a gendarme, who was transferred to this island from Otaheite, 

 brought with him a bolster filled with the feathery seeds of Asclepias curassavica. 

 Having ocasion to wash the tick-cover, he opened the bolster at the Pont des 

 Fran9ais, when some of the seeds were carried off by the wind, and the plant has 

 since then increased to such an extent as to seriously interfere witti cultivation, 

 its roots running under ground to considerable distances, and sending up shoots 

 in all directions, so that it is difficult to eradicate it. In the second case, M. Balansa 

 relates that, a few years ago, some boxes arrived from Sydney containing various 

 articles packed in European hay. This was thrown out and left on the ground 

 where the boxes were unpacked. In the following year a new graminaceous plant 

 was observed growing plentifully where the hay-packing had been left. Tliis 

 proved to be common Couch-grass {Triticutn repens), and it has spread so rapidly 

 that M. Balansa states that it is already exterminating the native grasses. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Stellaria gramikea aukea. — An Old Subscriber^ Bathamptoii. — This golden 

 bedder cannot, so far as we are aware, be raised from seed. That, however, is a 

 matter of small importance, for it can be propagated most readily from cuttings. It 

 retains its rich colouring throughout the summer. It is now very cheap, strong 

 plants being obtainable for half a crown or so per dozen. 



Sef.dlixg Cyclamens. — Flora Macdonald, Penarth. — Pot the seedlings off 

 singly in small pots, place in a frame, keep them rather close, and supply mode- 

 rately with water. Use a light rich compost. In September remove to a warm 

 corner of the greenhouse, and with ordinary attention tiiey will bloom towards the 

 end of the winter. Seedling cyclamens must not be dried off the first year. 



H. C. — One of the principal points to insure a supply of fiowers is to place the 

 plant in a sunny position after it has made its growth, to afford the young wood 

 an oriportunity of being thoroughly matured. 



Removing Sashes from Orchaud Houses. — A Young Gardener. — As the 

 sashes are moveable, and you have gathered your crop, by all means re- 

 move them. It will save an immense amount of labour in syringing, and the trees 

 will receive the benefit of every shower and the heavy dews which we generally 

 have through this and the next month. Trees that cannot be uncovered after the 

 crop is gathered generally become so much infested with red-spider at this season 

 that the foliage falls off before it is propeiiv ripened, and consequently before it has 

 fully performed all its proper functions. When this happens, the flower-buds for 

 next season are not properly formed, and many of them fall off directly the trees 

 begin to move in the spring. Good crops of fruit can be grown on trees that are 

 never uncovered ; but it is difficult to obtain such fine wood and fruit as from 

 bouses that have moveable sashes, which are taken off yearly. In cold, wet seasons, 

 it is as well to let the lights remain on ; the wood ripens in that case better, and the 

 borders do not become saturated with heavy rains. In ordinary seasons the autum- 

 nal rains are better for the trees than artificial watering. We do not advise keep- 

 ing the lights off until a few weoks before starting the house, because exposing 

 the trees to severe frosts through the winter, after their having been kept in a high 

 artificial temperature all the summer, does tLem no good. 



