278 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t April 9, 18f8. 



foliage only when it withers. By adopting this plan bloom is 

 secured to a certainty, and the bulbs do not degenerate under 

 such treatment. I have bulbs now which have bloomed here 

 for sixteen years. I commenced with about a dozen different 

 varieties, fertilised them, and raised hundreds of seedlings. 

 I like the old Aulica for this purpose, and think that the seed- 

 lings from it are particularly strongly coustitutioued — so much 

 so, that they will grow and bloom in an ordinary greenhouse. 

 Their defect consists in a tendency to produce but two 

 blooms like the parent, while it is most desirable to secure those 

 capable of bearing a larger number of blooms on a spike. It 

 takes three or four years to make blooming bulbs from seed. — 

 William Payne, Fir Vale, Sheffield. 



FLOWERS TOO MUCH NEGLECTED. 

 I CANNOT refrain from noticing a few that deserve a little 

 more attention than they are receiving. What can be more 

 attractive at this season than pyramids G or 8 feet high of 

 Eibes sanguineum and sanguineum album, clothed from 

 bottom to top in their distinct colours ? or they may be grown 

 not as pyramids, but as bushes. Then, what splendid pillar 

 plants are the two varieties of Cydonia japonica, the one white 

 the other scarlet, almost too bright for the eye to rest upon in 

 the full sunshine, such as we have been enjoying of late. They 

 are likewise suitable for training agaiust a wall or fence. Let us 

 next look at those fine old sorts of double Wallflowers, of various 

 colours, but the bright yellow outshines them all. What can 

 be more pleasing than a bed or edging of Erythronium deus- 

 canis with its white and purple flowers and its spotted leaves? 

 and bright-coloured Hepatica triloba, single and double, of 

 various hues? There is also Bellisaucubafolia, an acquisition 

 either in-doors or out. .Another of our little stars that is creep- 

 ing into favour is Aubrietia deltoidea variegata ; for either rock- 

 work, edging, or patchwork, it deserves a place in every col- 

 lection. Last, but least, let us admire Saxifraga oppositifolia, 

 with alba and major in contrast. They are really gems of the 

 first water when taken care of, forming splendid edgings, or, 

 shall I say, carpets of pink and white blossoms, well repaying 

 any amount of care bestowed upon them. 



LIST OF PLANTS IN BLOOM. 



March 2. Crocus veinus (blue, 

 white, striped, aud 

 purple). 

 Cloth of Gold 

 Ulmus moutana 

 campestris 

 Populus treniula 

 „ 6. Aubrietia deltoidea 

 Kilies sanguineum 

 Viola odorata plena 

 Primula valsaris 

 Erythronium dens-eanis 

 Pulmonaria officinalis 

 „ 10. Apricots 



Veronica hedericfoUa 

 Anemone hortensis 

 Tussilago farfara 

 Asarum europa}a 

 ■ Aubrietia deltoidea va- 

 riegata 

 Malcolmia marltima 

 „ 16. Larix europjEa 

 Prunus spinosa 

 Potentilla fragaria 

 Cydonia japonica alba 

 Pulmonaria paniculata 

 „ 18. Ruacus aculeatus 



Buxus sempervireug 

 Anemone nemorosa 



plena 

 Gentiana acnulis 

 Corydalis bulbosa' 

 aaxifraga oppositifolia 

 allia 

 major 

 Scilla bitolia 

 Tussilago alpiua 

 Viola odorata i)lena 



canina alba 

 Acer dasycarpum 



March 18. .4cer rubrum 



Abius glutinoaa laciniata 

 Audromeda tetragoua 

 „ 20. Berberis empetrifolia 

 Comptonia asplenifolia 

 Kerria japonica 

 Polyanthus Fire King 

 Populus alba 

 argentea 

 canescens 

 Salix helix 



Lambertiana 

 prinoides 

 triandra 

 Vinca major 

 minor 

 „ 24. Hyacinthus orientalis 

 botryoides 

 Narcissus pseudo-nar- 

 cissus 

 biflorus 

 odorus 

 Van Thol Tulips 

 Primula cortusoides 



vulgaris, varieties 

 Daisies 

 „ 28. Amygdalus communis 

 dulcis 

 incana 

 Wallflower, double yel- 

 low, dark crimson 

 „ 30. Berberis aquitolium 

 Peaches 

 Nectarines 

 Plums 

 Pears 

 Cherries 

 Ficaria ranunculoides 



alba 



-M. H., Acldam Hall, MlMleshorourih-on-Tees. 



SCALE DESTROYED BY PARAFFIN OIL. 



I HAVE been trying experiments on the best way of destroy- 

 ing scale, using a great many different applications with various 

 results ; but a short time ago I met with something by accident 

 which I do not think has been tried before. I have a large 



Fern case heated by hot water, and I use a paraffin lamp under 

 the boiler. After filling the lamp one morning I happened to 

 find a scale on a Fern frond, and in taking him off I used my 

 finger which had come in contact with the oil; he came off 

 mitch quicker than usual, and it immediately struck me that 

 the oil had something to do with it. I therefore took some oil, 

 and going into one of the hothouses used it on a young Orange 

 tree with scale on it. The scale all came off with the slightest 

 touch of parafEn, and the plant does not look any the worse 

 of the oil. I am going to try it on one or two Ferns. Our 

 gardener says that he never saw scale come off so quickly. I 

 think I will try the vapour from paraffin on some young Ferns 

 when I can find any with scale on them. — Thomas Clay. 



[We shall be obUged by a statement of the results of your 

 experiments.] 



BAG-HOLDER AND TUNNEL COMBINED. 

 The engraving represents the simplest, most convenient, and 

 altogether the best arrangement for holding bags while filling 

 with grain, meal, or anything else put into bags. It consists of 



a metallic tunnel, to which are attached four steel hooks, which 

 hold the mouth of the bag distended in such form as readily to 

 receive the grain from the measure or shovel without the in- 

 convenience of ClUng the bag alone. — (Prairie Farmer.) 



GREEN FLY ON FRUIT TREES IN BLOOM. 



Our orchard-house Peach and Nectarine trees have been, and 

 still continue to be, much infested with green fly, and the 

 insects, in spite of all that we have been able to do to destroy 

 them, seem to be as numerous as ever. Having already 

 destroyed nearly all the blossoms, they now seem to threaten 

 the young shoots with the same fate. 



We have an old vinery 40 feet long by 1.5 wide, and the 

 Vines being worthless, we cleared them away. The idea of 

 experimenting with a few orchard-house trees having occurred 

 to us, we commenced with ten Peach and Nectarine trees, and 

 by following up Mr. Pearsou's directious as closely as our cir- 

 cumstances would permit, we succeeded in ripening a tolerably 

 fair crop of fruit last year, which circumstance induced my 

 employer to increase the number this year to thirty-two, in- 

 cluding Apricot, Plum, Cherry, Apple, and Pear trees. 



The trees which fruited with us last year ripened their wood 

 well, and having been carefully stopped, were in point of ap- 

 pearance all that we could desire in respect to fruit and wood 

 buds ; indeed, a month ago they looked the very picture of 

 health, but within the last three weeks the green fly attacked 

 them, and by its ravages has given us great uneasiness, and 

 caused us to entertain grave doubts as to whether it is possible 

 to keep Peach trees free from green fly under certain circum- 

 stances. Mr. Pearson says, " The green smother fly must begot 



