MARCH 



IRISH GARDENING. 



41 



Elliott, writing: on experiments in curing plant diseases, 

 says that Mohrzecki us€d for the g-ummingf of fruit trees 

 a solution of one per cent, of salicyclic acid. An 

 injection into the stem of four litres of this solution 

 sufficed to cure them, the gumming- stopped, the wounds 

 healed up, and the trees became healthy and vigorous. 

 Mohrzecki ig also said to have cured chlorosis or 

 "yellows" in apples, pears and cherries by injecting 

 into the stem a solution containing twelve grams of iron 

 sulphate. Three weeks after the injection the leaves 

 ■were perfectly green and healthy to all appearances. 

 Unfortunately the account does not state in what 

 way nearly a gallon of fluid was injected. 



Everyone knows how the larch canker {Peziza 



In March, 1909, of the above publication, Dr. Borth- 

 wick describes and illustrates the frost canker of the 

 Menzies spruce, P. sitchensis. Frost seems to be the 

 primary cau^e, followed by some fungus not yet 

 identified. 



Picea pungens glauca is one of the most beautiful of 

 the conifers, and makes an ideal plant for a specimen 

 on a lawn, so it will not be welcome news to hear that 

 Dr. Borthwick has found a new fungus, Curcicrbitaria 

 picece, attacking P. piingefis. The fungus attacks the 

 buds and cortex. Externally it may be recognised 

 by the shoots becoming twisted or the buds not 

 growing, and becoming covered with a dense black 

 sheath. 



P/ioio by] 



Snow Effect, Weeping Beech, in Botanic Gardens, Gl; 



Wilkomtnii) has seriously interfered with profitable 

 cultivation of the larch, so two other species of larch 

 were introduced in the hope that they might be less 

 liable to attack if not immune from the disease. These 

 two species were the western larch, Larix occidentalism 

 and the Japanese larch, L. Icplolepis. These hopes as 

 to the immunity from disease are partly disappointed 

 already, for in "Notes from the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Edinburgh," Dr. Borthwick describes how he has found 

 the larch canker on both these species. The Japanese 

 larches attacked were in the Edinburgh Botanic 

 Gardens, and the western larch were seedlings raised 

 in 1904 growing at Murthly Castle from Mr, Elwes 

 seed. The common larch is there proving the quicker 

 grower. L. occidentalism discovered by Douglas in 1826 

 has never been a well-known tree, but in 1903 Mr. H. J. 

 Elwes secured a supplj* of seed and distributed it to 

 arboriculturists throughout Britain. 



A short time ago an advertisement was inserted in the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle for chief officer of the London Parks 

 Department, at a salary of ;^6oo per year. The ad- 

 vertisement stipulated that " a knowledge of surveying, 

 landscape gardening, forestry, and horticulture is de- 

 sirable." The result is that Major C. H. Enthoven, R.E., 

 has just been appointed, who confesses that survej'- 

 ing is the only subject of the four required in which he 

 has had experience. After advertising for a trained 

 man it seems very unreasonable to select one who has 

 no experience at all in the gardening line. A trained 

 and experienced horticulturist was surely best fitted 

 'for the post. Among the 97 candidates who applied 

 were men of proved ability in the management of parks, 

 and in the final three chosen there were two names well 

 known among the superintendents of parks. 



Some clue as to how the appointment was made is 

 given in the English Daily Ncnvs for February 9th. 



