4CG 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICJOLTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ Decomlier 11, 1873. 



day temperature to get the Vines on ; and although a little 

 fresh air is necessary, the quantity of this is very small until 

 they are in bloom, when, of course, fine weather may be 

 expected, air may be more liberally given, and the mode of 

 treatment frequently recommended in our columns may be 

 followed. There is, however, always something about a place 

 which influences the ripening of Grapes and other fruits, 

 certain localities being much earUer than others in the same 

 latitude, and although your garden is so far north, it may 

 nevertheless bo earlier than others two or three degrees farther 

 south. Dryness in the soil and atmosphere, shelter of situa- 

 tion, and other conditions, often make up for differences of 

 latitude.— J. E.] 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 



I ARRIVED at Onomichi on the 18th of August, and left by 

 overland again on the 20th for Okayama. Between Onomichi 

 and Okayama the country is in a very high state of cultivation, 

 and the crops were in full bloom. The Eice plant was in 

 flower, and the Cotton crop was reported excellent. The rain 

 was late in coming this year, the farmers were fearful of a very 

 bad Eice crop, and becoming disaffected, they broke out in a 

 state of rebellion in three districts. But in the result their 

 fears were groundless, for the Eice crop is turning out much 

 better than last year's, and the farmers say the price will fall 

 to 3 boo a picul. The weight of a picul is 133 lbs., so we shall 

 see Eice very cheap here, if all is well. I may add for the in- 

 formation of your readers that a boo is about Is. Id. in English 

 aoney. 



1 have been studying the method adopted by the Japanese in 

 the cultivation of the Potato root, which was first introduced 

 into this country by the Prince of Satsuma. The Japanese 

 Potato [Dioscorea] is somewhat sweet in taste, and in shape it 

 is not very dissimilar to the Dahlia root. It is an excellent 

 vegetable, and I have used nothing else for the past six weeks. 

 It has peculiar fattening qualities, and would be invaluable as 

 a food for animals, especially for the feeding of pigs ; in this 

 respect it is very supeilor to the English Potato, and on my 

 return I shall try to introduce it at home. I have seen several 

 pigs in Eobfi and Yokohama which have been fed entirely on 

 the Potato, and I have been surprised at their great weight ; 

 cattle will also fatten on it sooner than anything else._ The 

 mode of raising the crop is curious. The old Potato is first 

 set, and it throws out running shoots. After a plentiful fall of 

 rain these are carefully removed from the old root, and reset 

 in rows on ground prepared, and from them the new Potatoes 

 shoot. They are very prolific, and will, I am sure, suit the 

 English market. The farmers here will soon commence cutting 

 their Eice, and preparing their land for the winter Turnip 

 crop. 



We arrived at Okayama late on the 22nd, and remained 

 three days, and returned by the large and important town of 

 Fukuyama, at which place the Prince of Bizen has his castle, 

 which is beautifully situated close to the town. The popula- 

 tion is estimated at about 45,000, or about the same as your 

 old city (York). On the road I bought seven Ducks very 

 cheap, and sent them on by a coolie to the station at Euku- 

 yama to await our arrival. From the number of people who 

 had collected on the road at the outside of the town, I soon 

 found out that I was the first European who had ever visited 

 the town, and therefore that I was an object of much curiosity. 

 The head Yakanin (Mayor) met me, and, after passing the 

 usual civilities, he accompanied me and my officers into the 

 town ; and it is as well he did so, as the streets were narrow 

 and so crowded with people, who had come out to see me, that 

 it was with the greatest difficulty we could force our way for 

 about one mile to a European store, kept by a Japanese, 

 where we got some refreshment. We proceeded to Onomichi 

 by Jin-ri-sho, six rii distance, arriving there at 10.30 r.si. 

 Owing to it being the fast month amongst the farmers we were 

 unable to get any fish, and had to live on Eice and Pumpkin 

 Boup for three days, and I can assure you we were pleased 

 when we left once more by road for Hiroshina, where I had left 

 the cook and provisions, and where we can buy fresh beef daily 

 at 2 J cents, per pound, or a beast tongue for half a boo — Ghi. 



I am going overland again to Shimonoseki, and on my 

 arrival there I will write you another letter. — J. Tasked 

 FOSTEB. — {Yorkshire Gazette.) 



Francois Lacharme Eose. — This is in all English and foreign 

 catalogues, except that of one of our most distinguished EngUsh 



nurserymen. It came out in 1861 with the following beautiful 

 Eoses — viz., Charles Lefebvre, Francois Lacharme, Maurice 

 Bernardin, Prince CamUle do Eohan, Madame Clemence Joig- 

 neanx, Madame Boutin, Madame Julie Daran, Due de Kohan, 

 Alphonse Damaizin, Madame C. Wood, Marechal Vaillant, 

 Olivier DeUiomme, Souvenir de Comte Cavonr, Vicomte Vigier, 

 and Turenne, honeycombed in the centre. They were a 

 splendid lot. All are here except OUvier Delhomme and 

 Turenne ; but I know them all. It was the finest lot that evet 

 came out in one year. — W. F. Eadclyffe. 



FLOWERS FOR OUR BORDERS.— No. 22. 



rLUMBAGO LAKPENTS.— Lady Larpent's Leadwobt. 

 No plant has given rise to greater diversity of opinions thau 

 the Plumbago Larpent.Ts; by some it has been injudiciously 

 extolled, whilst by others, less successful in their treatment 

 of it, the plant has been as unduly depreciated. Its thiu 

 fugacious blossoms, and but partial hardiness, doubtless de- 



Plumbago Larpentffi. 



tract considerably from its merits ; but the bright colour c>f 

 its flowers, and the peculiar freshness of its ciliated foliage, 

 wUl always procure it admirers. The late period at which it 

 blossoms renders it, perhaps, more liable to injury from the 

 early frosts and autumnal rains than many plants which are 

 not one whit more robust. 



When treated as a hardy herbaceous perennial it suffers less 

 from the cold of the winter months thau from the late springs 

 so characteristic of our climate. The average temperature of 

 the winter at Shanghae (one of the localities where this plant 

 is found), scarcely exceeds that of the same season in England ; 

 but the spring frosts, so injurious to many of our shrubs and 

 perennials, are unknown in that latitude, and the summers 

 are not only considerably hotter than our own, but also of 

 longer duration ; so that the plant is, up to a late season of 

 the autumn, subjected to a degree of heat by which it is so 

 thoroughly matured that it is enabled to resist the cold of 

 the winter months with far more success than the succulent 



