May 31, 1877. J 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



399 



were there, I found five others all dead, and emelling most 

 offensively. These were all within 4 feet of the Antharinm 

 seeds, and I think there can be no doubt now as to the cause 

 of their death. — T. M. Shuttlewoeth, F.R.H S. 



TRIFLES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 



" The very law which moulds a tear 

 And bids it trickle from its source. 

 That law preserver this earth a sphere, 

 And guides the planets iu their course." 



That law was suggested to its discoverer by observing the 

 fall of an Apple. Botany became the study of a life from the 

 discovery of a Wood Anemone in flower. A greenhouse was 

 robbed and the thief was revealed by the pane of window 

 glass being broken from the within side. The Fuchsia was 

 introduced by the casual observation that a strange flower had 

 been seen at Wapping. The story will bear re-telling. Mr. 

 Lee, nurseryman, Hammersmith, was told of a flower coloured 

 crimson with a fold like purple ribbon in its centre. He 

 hastened to Wapping, found the plant, and for eight guineas 

 induced the owner to sell it, though the wi.^^hed to keep it be- 

 cause " brought from the West Indies " by her husband. Mr. 

 Lee propagated it rapidly from cuttings, and in the following 

 year sold three hundred rooted plants for as many guineas. 

 A heavy flagstone that became loose despite repeated resetting 

 was found to be dieplaced by a fungus beneath it. The Dutch 

 Rush (Equisetum hyemale) is largely imported because thcs 

 flint in its bark polishes brass and ivory efficiently. We know 

 an instance where ague was cured by the use of the bark of 

 the White Willow (Salix alba). Quinine was not obtainable, 

 but one of the party knew suffijieutly of vegetable chemistry to 

 tell that the Willow contains salicine, which closely resembles 

 quinine as a tonic and astringent. — G. 



THE EFFECT OF FROST ON FRUIT BLOSSOM. 



Whes visiting a garden recently, in which were many fruit 

 trees, the gardener was deploring the state of the Peaches, 

 Apricots, and Plums, nearly all the blossoms of which appeared 

 to be killed ; but the Apple blossom was expanding freely after 

 having been exposed, previously to its opening, to three nights 

 of frost, on which 9', 10', and 11' were respectively registered. 

 The late Pear blossom was also expanding, and much of the 

 recently set fruit was apparently uninjured. A fair crop of 

 Pears was therefore being relied on, and a full crop of Apples. 

 Having paid some attention to the effects of frost on fruit 

 blossom in previous years I urged closer examination of the 

 blossoms in question, which were so beautiful to the eye but 

 yet so deceptive. Oa dissecting quite a hundred of the more 

 promising, only one was found to be sound at the core, and 

 instead of the large crops of fruit anticipated there will be 

 scarcely any fruit to gather from the trees which we examined. 



A few years ago the effect of frost on fruit blossoms was made 

 very plain in the columns of the Journal of HorticultiirL' by 

 one whom all who know him admit to be one of the most 

 experienced and practical of cultivators. The remarks and 

 figures submitted by " AacHAMBiDD " are particularly appro- 

 priate to the present season, and will afford aid to many who 

 are desirous of ascertaining the real position of their fruit 

 trees. They are as follows : — 



The effects of frost are in many instances very plainly pre- 

 sented to us, when, as with the Potatoes and the young shoots 

 of the Walnut, the leaves, ttc, are blackened and destroyed, 

 or, as with the Gooseberries, when the berries are seen to be 

 blistered and discoloured, and within a day or so fall from 

 the tree. And, again, its effects upon stone fruit — Apricots, 

 Peaches, Cherries, and Plums, are also plainly shown and 

 pretty generally understood. The injury may be committed 

 first on the style or pistil, yet it soon descends to the ovary, 

 and the whole fruit is rapidly blackened and seen to be dead. 

 One second's observation will show this — just merely opening 

 the scales of the calyx, splitting the flower, or what covers the 

 yonng fruit, when it is at once Been. 



In the case of the .\pple and Pear the injury which is effected 

 through frost is not so very apparent, and very eonfused ideas 

 seem to be held by many regarding it. I have found, indeed, 

 that many gardeners, otherwise well informed, have no idea 

 whatever as to its immediate effect, or whether their blossoms 

 or young fruits are injured or not until they can be pulled off 

 easily, or they fall from the tree. As this does not happen 

 frequently until some weeks after the injury, all traces of the 



true cause, and there are several others which would cause 

 them to fall, are therefore lost sight of. 



The flowers of the Apple whilst they are in their full beauty, 

 as shown by fig. 53, indeed, sometimes whilst yet unexpanded, 

 may be killed, and yet show no outward signs to the general 

 observer. 



The accompanying fig. 53 represents a healthy and perfect 



example of the blossom of the Apple, showing it in its perfect 

 and uninjured state. The style, as will be observed, is in this 

 example in its natural healthy pale green colour. 



Fig. 5i represents Apple blossom at the same stage, and in 



Fig. 54. 



the same condition in every part but one. The style, it is to 

 be observed, is in this instance black, and the thin black threads 

 extend from its point right to the ovary or embryo fruit at the 

 bottom. That flower is killed by frost, and yet the flower 

 itself, the beautiful petals and the little stamens in the centre, 

 are as lovely as ever. The fruit, however, which was to have 

 been, is gone. It is dead. 



By examining the blossoms as suggested above a tolerably 

 correct estimate may be formed as to the real injury that the 

 frost has committed on Apples. The examination it is to be 

 feared will in very many instances reveal what is not pleasant 

 to anticipate — namely, prospective barrenness on trees laden 

 with beautiful blossoms — outwardly healthy yet deceptive — 

 sterile. — W. 



OUR GARDEN FRIENDS AND FOES.— No. 2. 



On returning to this subject I observe that " A Maeeet 

 Gakdener" says the greentinch is one of the birds which 

 denude fruit trees and bushes of their buds. I never before 

 knew this bird to be accused of this delinquency, neither do I 

 believe it to be guilty. In common with the chaffinch and the 



