230 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[August, 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Salt on Lawns. — A correspondent from St. 

 Paul, Minnesota, writes : " As a reader of the 

 Gardeners' Monthly for many years I have be- 

 come a firm believer in its teachings, but was sadly 

 disappointed by following the advice given on page 

 167 of the June number regarding the treatment 

 of lawns. My lawn, created at great e.xpense and 

 about eight years old, not doing as well as for- 

 merly, I had about concluded needed some fer- 

 tilizer, and was on the point of sending to Hender- 

 son for his lawn enricher -when your article 

 appeared. 1 applied the sgjt some two weeks ago 

 and it killed the entire grass in three days, and to 

 this date there is no sign of its reappearance. Will 

 it spring up again ? If not, I will plow up and re- 

 seed." 



[It was not an editorial suggestion, but one 

 from a correspondent who simply said that " a 

 small appHcation of salt is an excellent practice, 

 though old." He was not giving directions, but 

 referring to an old and well known practice, and 

 referring to the action of the salt air on the e.^ccel- 

 lent growth of lawn grass at Newport, in Rhode 

 Island. The trouble in our correspondent's case 

 comes from his misunderstanding of the term 

 " small application." He gave a large applica- 

 tion. Salt for lawns should be very fine salt, and 

 should be sown so thinly that one could scarcely 

 see that any had been used, except perhaps a 

 very slight grey tint to the green of the grass, and 

 it should be applied early so that the spring rains 

 might leach it a little before the growth com- 

 mences. 



What to do in the present unfortunate condi- 

 tion of affairs is not clear from this distant view. 

 The next rain will leach some of the salt away, 

 when there will not be too much for vegetation, 

 unless an extraordinary amount of salt has been 

 used. Some of the roots will probably then grow, 

 and we should in October rake the whole over 

 and sow fresh seed. It will no doubt be a first- 

 class lawn again next season. — Ed. G. M.] 



The York and Lancaster Rose. — A corres- 

 pondent desires to thank Mrs. A. G., West Vir- 

 ginia, for a plant of the old striped rose, the York 

 and Lancaster as it is called, which was kindly 

 sent to her. It may be as well to say that the 

 rose has evidently derived its name from the fact 

 of the two great houses of York and Lancaster, 

 adopting respectively the white rose and the red 

 rose as their respective cognescence. Eventually 



the wars between them ceased by an union of 

 their families. The union of the white and the 

 red in this striped flower would naturally suggest 

 the history of the great families — the union of 

 York and Lancaster. In Washington Territory, 

 as we are informed by a lady, it is called the 

 Calico Rose. 



Black Fly on Chrysanthemums. — A corres- 

 pondent complains that Paris Green placed on 

 Chrysanthemums had no effect at all in ridding 

 the plants of the black aphis. Why the complaint 

 is sent to us is not clear, as we have no knowledge 

 that the Gardeners' Monthly ever recommended 

 it. Paris Green or London Purple will kill any 

 insect that can eat it, such as beetles and cater- 

 pillars that feed on the leaves of plants, but Aph- 

 ides do not eat, but suck the juices from the in- 

 terior, and of course escape the poison. To destroy 

 these we have to give them some treatment, more 

 hypodermic than gastronomical. Oily substances 

 or poisons taken in through their breathing appar- 

 atus would be more to the point with them. Fir 

 tree oil or tobacco water will be more effective. 



Gas Killing the Roots of Trees.— Xanz & 

 Neuner, Louisville, Ky., write: "Through the 

 carelessness of the New Gas Co. (water gas) we 

 are losing a number of trees here on the principal 

 streets, some as old as twenty and thirty years. 

 Great many are completely dead, especially the 

 Ailanthus, while Silver Maples and Lindens don't 

 seem to suffer so much from the leakages in 

 the pipes. But the leaves are turning yellow, 

 and perhaps before long they will be dead also. 

 Pipes are relaid now, and there is perhaps no 

 further danger of seeing more trees killed. Can 

 any remedy be employed to save the sick trees ? 

 Will watering help, etc., to get the poisonous gas 

 out of the soil ? If anything can be done please 

 reply and oblige us. We will publish it in the 

 daily papers so it will benefit all alike." 



[We have told these gentlemen all we know ; 

 but as it is not as satisfactory as we should like, 

 insert the letter as a query here, in case others 

 may have had a more successful experience than 

 we.— Ed. G. M.] 



Magnolia cord.\ta. — In reference to our note 

 at p. 196, Professors Sargent and Gray write that 

 there is a specimen of the true species in the Bo- 

 tanic Garden at Cambridge, Mass. Dr. Gray 

 remarks that it is very distinct froin the Magnolia 

 acuminata growing near it. 



Parsons' Sons & Co. send us a genuine speci- 

 men from a plant they have. 



