846 



HORTICULTURE 



June 27, 1908 



destroyed last year by the disease. The fungus which 

 causes the disease is e-losely related to the "leaf spot" 

 disease in strawberries, apples, pears, and chrysau- 

 themums, but is quite distinct from any of these dis- 

 ease?. It has been proved that spores of the fungi 

 causing "leaf spot" on the plants l)efore mentioned are 

 incapable of producing this particular disease on to- 

 matoes. In the same way experiments made with the 

 object of infecting potatoes and other plants with 

 spores from this tomato fungus have not resulted in 

 any injury. The tomato plants attacked show small 

 blackish green spots on the leaves. These are irregular 

 in shape at first, but soon become concentric and finally 

 confluent, and the leaves, which are rapidly killed, roll 

 up and hang loosely from the stalk. The fungus also 

 attacks the stem, the calyx, and finally the fruit itself. 

 From experiments made, it has been demonstrated that 

 plants once attacked can only be saved by spraying 

 immediately when the first signs of disease are noticed. 

 The plants should be sprayed with a 3 per cent, solu- 

 tion of Bordeaux mixture early in the morning every 

 second day for two weeks. The spray should be in the 

 form of a fine vapor falling upon the plants like a 

 natural dew. It is recommended that tomato seed 

 from infected areas should not be used, but if so 

 should be steeped for one hour in a .5 per cent, solution 

 of copper sulphate and dried before sowing. 



THE POWER OF UNITY 



A satisfactory report of progress and prospects was 

 presented at the annual meeting of the British Garden- 

 ers' Associatiqn, which has been formed to improve 

 the status of the working gardener. The chairman 

 (Mr. Chas. Foster) stated that the Association has at- 

 tained a membership of 1,300 in four years. Few 

 societies connected with horticulture had ever made so 

 rapid an advance in such a brief period. At the pre- 

 vious council meeting no fewer tlian 78 new members 

 had been elected. The Association journal was doing 

 excellent work as a monthly publication, and helping 

 materially to bring the provincial members more closely 

 in touch with one another. The improved education of 

 gardeners was receiving earnest attention, and a pro- 

 visional scheme for examinations had been set forth, 

 which it was intended to carry out in such a modified 

 form as further consideration and discussion might 

 render necessary. The Association is likely to occupy 

 a useful part in protecting the interests of the working 

 members, besides preventing employers being imposed 

 upon by men who have no claim to call themselves 

 gardeners. 



A PI.EASAXT OUTIXCt 



The members of the council and committees of the 

 Eoyal Horticultural Society recently spent an enjoy- 

 able day in visiting the Windsor ("'astle and Frogmore 

 gardens, by permission of King Edward. The visitors 

 were entertained at luncheon by the Mayor of Windsor, 

 who was suitably thanked on behalf of the guests by 

 Sir Trevor Lawrence, the president of the society. In 

 the afternoon the conservatories and gardens were 

 visited under the direction of A. MacKellar, head 

 gardener at Frogmore, and there was much to praise in 

 the well arranged and admirably kept establishment. 

 The display of roses was particularly fine. 



>^ri. ddiexr. 



About Some Peonies 



On the whole, in this vicinity (Chicago) the crop of 

 llowers is considered above the average and satisfactory. 

 Yet some varieties have not given a solitary flower. In 

 rows of four kinds, 25 of each, exposed to the same con- 

 ditions of culture establislied in their positions for four 

 years (the beau ideal of a peony plant's life is then es- 

 tablished) we note that there are many varieties with- 

 nut a bloom, or, perhaps a few that have a crippled 

 llower or two. 



The question is — are peonies becoming whimsical ? 

 Do they have their on years and their off years? In a 

 general way and without any favoritism where one 

 \ariety doesn't get any more to drink than its neighbor, 

 one would think there would be a general showing. 

 Let's think a bit. Xo doubt it is a fact that there is a 

 period in a peony plant when its plans are laid for 

 another year and that it goes through many vicissitudes 

 each season. If the rule held good that a plant bear- 

 ing a large crop of flowers one year does not bear a 

 large crop next year one could reason the matter out, 

 but this is not so. Varieties will continue in their even 

 tenor of flowering for three or four seasons; then all at 

 once there is a faihtre which is general and not attribut- 

 able to frost causes after the growth has commenced in 

 spring. One is asked, "How is your Dr. Bretoneau 

 flowering this year? I have not a single flower." 

 '"Xeither have I." "Nor a flower on M. Boucharlat 

 Aine."' It's worth considering why. 



ABOUT VAEIETIES GENERALLY 



Blood red, deep crimson, amaranth and deep maroon 

 peonies are not nearly as much appreciated as they 

 sliould be. (I leave the commercial cut flower element 

 out of this entirely and under no consideration would I 

 ask the opinion of those who only talk long stems, good 

 shippers, and about a 3-color limit.) It is for garden 

 decoration I am advocating these positively decided, 

 ett'ective colorings; they have no equals; they are in 

 proper positions wherever placed; the white spiraeas 

 ;iud the snowy philadelphus nod their plumes to all 

 ]>eonies but particularly to the deep-colored brigade. 



I have rather digressed from my original intention, 

 as I thought I would simply send a list of the very 

 finest and true to name varieties I saw at the Peter- 

 son nurseries, Chicago. Undoubtedly the Peterson col- 

 lection is one of the very best in the country, and if 

 there is a collection where more time, care, money, dis- 

 :i|>pointment, cursing and ultimate satisfaction have 

 been spent and obtained "it's next." I was show'n a 

 record of one supposed variety from twenty different 

 sources in which there were actually sixteen kinds — 

 enough for a distinct collection, and that's not so long 

 ;igo. Peterson's finest reds are : 



M. Martin fahnzac. deepest crimson velvet maroon — 



