Mar 12, mo. ] 



JOUBNAIj of hobtigulture and cottage gaedeneb. 



337 



with a powder of the richest yellow, and a noble plant of Cibo- 

 tium princeps. 



On quitting the stove fernery we pass into the hardy fernery, 

 a moat charming piece of rockwork, delightful by its coolness 

 and the beautiful tints of green which prevail ; relieved, how- 

 ever, by the variegation of Farfagium grande, Selaginella Mar- 

 tensii variegata, and other plants giving diversity of hue, and 

 farther, from one end a glimpse is gained of the bright-coloured 

 Cattleyas and other Orchids in the next house. 



In this house there is a fine bank of Cattleyas and other 

 Orchids in flower, snch as Oncidium sarcodes and Marshall- 

 ianum, Yanda cristata, Dendrobium Dalhousianum, &e. In a 

 continuation of the same house were Cypripedinm caudatum, 

 with two fine flowers, and the beautiful Cattleya Dowiana, 

 besides a large stock of plants not in flower. The next house 

 is filled with Dendrobiums, Ac rides, Cattleyas, and Vandas; the 

 Foxbrush Aerides, Vunda gigantea, and some others being in 

 flower ; and in the Vanda house adjoining, Veitch's variety of 

 Vanda snavis was in fiue bloom. The East Indian house con- 

 tained fine specimens of various Dendrobiums, notably D. 

 McCarthiae and crassinjde, the latter of which has recently been 

 exhibited by Messrs. Veitch in such beautiful bloom, attracting 

 much attention, not only on that account, bnt by its singular 

 knotted stems. Cypripedinm lrevigatum, Oncidium Krameri, and 

 the well-known 0. Papilio, were also fine. The Cypripedium 

 house comes next ; in this we noticed C. Harrisianum, one of 

 Mr. Domlny's hybrids, raised by him between C. barbatum and 

 C villosum, and a very beautiful variety. Trichopilia cri3pa 

 will also be shortly in fine bloom, having fifteen flowering spikes 

 on it now. Iu the next three houses, Odontoglossum niveum, 

 0. cordatum, 0. hystrix, the old bnt pretty Epidendrum Stam- 

 fordianum, the beautiful Masdevallia Veitchii, one of the most 

 brilliant Orchids ever introduced, Odontoglossum Cervantesii, 

 and several Lycastes are in bloom. But there are yet other 

 houses containing Orchids even more beautiful tban those 

 already named, and which, with numerous other subjects, must 

 be left to a second notice. 



(To be continued.) 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF BOTANY. 



Johiis'on's Illustrations of Botany. Sheet 1. Organs of Plantst 

 Tissues, Root, Stem. "Edinburgh and London: W. & A. K- 

 Johnston. 



These are original drawings selected by Professor Balfour, of 

 Edinburgh, and executed in chromo-lithography by Messrs. W. 

 and A. K. Johnston, on a large sheet, roller-mounted. The 

 sheet is accompanied by a handbook explanatory of the various 

 figures, also by Professor Balfour. At this time, when strenuous 

 efforts are being made to introduce to primary schools instruc- 

 tion in Natural Seience, the publication of this sheet is most 

 opportune, and we welcome it as being produced under the 

 direction of one who is eminently qualified for such a work by 

 a long period of class tuition in one of the largest-attended 

 botanical classes of perhaps any existing university. Those who 

 have had the privilege of attending Dr. Balfour's lectures, and 

 listened to them with the earnestness of students imbued with 

 a love of the science, cannot but have been impressed with the 

 clearness and minuteness with which he unfolded his subject, 

 leading up from the simple cell to the perfect plant develop- 

 ment. The same clearness and minuteness has Dr. Balfour 

 transferred to this sheet of illustrations, so that the most 

 ignorant of learners can, if he is so minded, acquire a knowledge 

 of elementary botany with an ease which older botanists in 

 their youth would have greatly coveted. The leading figure on 

 the sheet is that of an ideal plant, representing all the external 

 organs from the root and its fibres to the matured seed. Then 

 there are no less than thirty-five other figures of large dimen- 

 sions, chiefly of the internal organs, so drawn as to leave no 

 doubt as to the structure of these organs, and enabling the 

 student to.comprehend at a glance the various parts of which a 

 plant is built up. We commend this sheet as a valuable 

 acquisition to the attainment of a sound knowledge of elementary 

 botany. 



GARDENERS' ASSISTANTS.— No. 3. 



POOLEY'S TOBACCO POWDER. 



This is an article which has only recently come into general 



notice, but having proved so exceedingly useful, it already seems 



as if it would be impossible to get on without it or some similar 



article. Tobacco powder or tobacco snuff has long been known 



as very efficacious for the destruction of all sorts of aphis ; the 

 price, however, precluded its general use. In some places, 

 also, it was customary to grow a few plants of the common 

 tobacco, and to dry the leaves and grind them into powder. 

 This, however, necessitated a good deal of labour, and was very 

 often forgotten until the Tobacco was actually wanted. For 

 many years I have been in the habit of growing and using the 

 dry powdered leaves of the Tobacco in this way. Now, however, 

 as the powder is supplied so plentifully and so cheaply, I have 

 given over the cultivation of the plant. 



For the destruction of green fly, &c, on Peach trees on the 

 open wall the tobacco powder is all that is necessary ; and in 

 every case where tobacco smoke cannot be used the powder is 

 the next be3t remedy, and its effects are equally certain if it is 

 applied properly. After syringing the trees is the time to use 

 it, and the best mode of doing so is simply with a common 

 penny pepper-box to dust the powder all over the insects, and 

 indeed every part of the tree. The leaves, See., being wet, the 

 powder adheres, its bitter acrid taste is brought out, and the 

 insects effectually destroyed. By dusting the powder over 

 every part the insects find no food suitable for their taste ; but 

 if this is not done many of them leave the powdered part and 

 proceed to fresh fields. In the orchard house, if a tree happens 

 to become infested with aphis five minutes will suffice to duBt 

 it all over. It is thns exceedingly handy for cleansing any 

 little plant which may be infested, without going to the expense 

 of fumigating the entire house. On the open wall, if the 

 powder is applied while the dew is yet on the trees the powder 

 will adhere, and require no further attention until it and the 

 dead insects are washed off with the syringe. With trees under 

 glass, however, the leaves, &c, have to be gently dewed over 

 onoe or twice to make it have the proper effect, and then about 

 the end of the second day the trees should be freely syringed 

 and made again clean. It is the cheapest and be?t article that 

 can be used for the destruction of all sorts of aphis, the green 

 and the black fly, on Peach and other trees. — Akchambaud. 



WELLINGTONIAS IN CALIFORNIA. 



ArrER riding about five miles, our guide inquired if we noticed 

 anything strange in the appearance of the forest, when suddenly 

 our attention was attracted to the tall spires of the Sequoia, 

 extending far above the surrounding vegetation, and soon we 

 were riding amidst immense specimens of this lordly tree. This 

 collection of Wellingtonias, or Washingtonias, is known as the 

 "Mariposa Group," and embraced in former times 612 trees, 

 but owing to occasional accidents the number has been reduced 

 to about six hundred. The collection is divided into two well- 

 defined groups, with a few scattering trees of this species between, 

 and are entitled the Lower Grove and the Upper Grove, respec- 

 tively. Among the very many erroneous statements published 

 in regard to these trees, is that there are no young plants coming 

 on to perpetuate the species. I may say in refuting this absurd 

 theory, that I saw large quantities of seedlings, of every con- 

 ceivable size, and that they appeared in as flourishing a condition 

 as any Conifer in the whole range of the Sierra Nevada. After 

 passing several immense specimens, we stop at the Fallen Mon- 

 arch, a trunk lying on the ground, and possibly uprooted many 

 years ago. We clamber up on the top, and standing on what 

 was its base, measure with our tape line to the ground, 22 feet. 

 We then step along its length 150 feet, and at this point the first 

 branch was placed. Beyond this the many fires ignited by Indians 

 have burned the entire top, but evidence is shown by numerous 

 remains that it was over 300 feet high. At the smaller end of 

 the trunk the diameter was 10 feet, and the wood throughout 

 solid and undecayed. 



To give an idea of its immense size, I may say that the sur- 

 face is worn level, and a carriage can readily be driven its entire 

 length, turned at the base and return with ease. One of the 

 smallest trees in this Lower Grove, measured 17 feet in diameter, 

 5 feet from the ground. A large one close by was 50 feet 

 round ; and numbers of others in the near vicinity quite as 

 large. 



I ride my mule inside a hollow tree, turn round with ease, 

 and out again to wonder at its immensity. Leaving this Lower 

 Grove with its enormous specimens in every direction unmeasured, 

 we pass on and take the mountain trail towards the Upper Grove. 

 Midway we stop at the greatest wonder to be seen — the Grizzly 

 Giant. It is truly marvellous in size. We step carefully round 

 the base, and count just 31 paces. Measured as high as we could 

 possibly reach by standing on the projecting base, 12 feet above 

 the ground, it was 66J- feet in circumference ; 60 feet high the 



