FabrtiHy 20, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



165 



the blooming ; but even when not in flower they are fine-look- 

 ing plants, almost as sturdy as the Aloe, and infinitely superior 

 to it in the beauty of the flower-spike. The principal border 

 of Yuccas here is of considerable length, and 10 feet wide; a 

 retaining wall, 7 feet high, surmounted by an ornamental 

 balustrading, forms its northern boundary, and against this 

 wall Myrtles, Ceanothus, Grislinia litoralis, Swaiusonia, and 

 other New Holland plants are trained, as well as Roses, &c. ; 

 while the only plants in the border besides the Yuccas are 

 Irises, including a good proportion of the variegated one, 

 Eeheveria now and then, and one or two plants of Cha- 

 mffirops Fortunei, which has stood several winters, and done 

 very well. The border is edged with the Califoruian Houseleek, 

 and being seen from the gravelled terrace above by simply 

 looking over the parapet, the appearance is good, and when 

 very fine spikes of Yuccas are produced they show as high as 

 the parapet. No single spike of flowers that I know is half 

 the height of a good spike of Y'ucca gloriosa or its allies, nor 

 is it wanting in grace and. dignity. To those having only 

 a few plants of this choice shrub I would say. Take care 

 of them, for some day you may be rewarded by their bloom- 

 ing. — J. EOBSON. 



EOSE MAEIE BAUMANN. 



This Rose, if I remember aright, was sent out in the autumn 

 of 1863 ; very few of the trade in this country were fortunate 

 enough to secure it the first year. I bought it, and after 

 getting-up a good stock exhibited it in my winning stands at 

 the principal Rose shows in 18G5. There was no doubt about 

 its being much admired, as very many of the largest growers 

 requested me to let them have a supply. I have ever since 

 grown it every year in very large quantities, and must say that 

 I have always found it a good free grower and quite sufficiently 

 vigorous, and what is very important, it produces plenty of 

 blooms of the very first quaUty in size, shape, and colour — in 

 fact, it never gives a bad one. I ought, perhaps, to mention 

 that mine are all maiden plants, but I have seen it equally 

 fine on older. I wish any of those who deem this Rose an in- 

 different grower could look at my stock of it next summer, I 

 am sure their opinion would undergo a change. 



By post this week I had a letter from an amateur grower at 

 Whitby, speaking in the highest terms of Marie Baumann. 

 Even so far north, it grows and flowers beautifully. — BaNjAiiiN 

 E. C-iNT, Colchester. 



NEW VINE DISEASE. 

 Having examined a further supply of excrescences upon the 

 branches of the Vine forwarded by Mr. Roberts, and noticed at 

 page 72, one of which contained the lai-va which I had sup- 

 posed might possibly be that of one of the Gall-flies (and con- 

 sequently that the excrescences were true galls caused by the 

 deposition of an egg by the parent Gall-fly in the stems or 

 buds of the Vine), I am more convinced than I was before that 

 they are vegetable tumours caused by some irregular action of 



The excrescence ou the Vine stem, natural size. 



the plant tissues, especially as the larva proves not to be that of 

 one of the Gall-flies, but is that of one of the many species of 

 weevils which are devourers of vegetable matters, of which Otio- 

 rhynchus vastator is one of the most notorious, and which is 

 often found gnawing off the young buds of the Vines, and to 

 which these excrescences would oft'er an admirable place of de- 

 posit of their eggs, affording so large a supply of food to the larvte 



when hatched. Ordinarily, the larva of Otiorhynchus is found 

 gnawing the roots of succulent or other plants in pots, and it 

 has been very long ago figured in the pages of The Cottage 



Section of excrescence with grub inside ; the black spot showing the puncture 

 made by the parent weevil when depositing the egg. 



Gardener before it altered its name to The Journal of Horti- 

 CDLTUHE. The grub is white, clothed with short stiff chestnut- 

 coloured bristles, and with a chestnut-coloured head, armed 

 with a pair of strong black horny jaws. It must not be over- 

 looked, however, (in regarding these excrescences aa not being 



i9f»S* 



The grub, natural size and magnified. 



the result of insect action), that some of the weevils do cause 

 galls upon plants, as for instance, upon the stems and roots of 

 Cabbages. But I beUeve it will be found, in the case of the 

 Vine now in question, that the parent weevil laid her egg in 

 an already-formed excrescence and not in the body of the stem, 

 which subsequently became developed to this extraordinary 

 extent. — J. 0. Westwood, Oxford. 



CULTUEAL NOTES ON PLANTS 



AT THE EOYAL HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETT'S MEETINGS. 



The Fruit and Floral Meeting of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society on the 12th inst., was again of a very interesting 

 character, and though few prizes were offered by the Society, 

 the Council-room was well filled, and very gay with flowering 

 plants. Notwithstanding the inclement weather exotic Orchids 

 were again predominant, a large proportion being composed of 

 those requiring cool treatment. As cool-house Orchids are 

 fast becoming everybody's flowers, a few cultural notes on 

 some of those exhibited may be useful. 



Odontoglossnm crispum (Alexandra;) is certainly the queen 

 not only of Odontoglots, but of all the cool section. Some of 

 the varieties exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, were 

 surpassingly beautiful. One variety in particular had pure 

 white sepals and petals, large, well formed, of great lubstance, 

 and quite waxy, the Up sparely spotted. During the winter 

 these beautiful flowers will remain in perfection for nearly three 

 months, and their culture is so simple than any amateur can 

 grow them as easily as he can Geraniums, or any other com- 

 mon plants, and the first cost is not so much as some sup- 

 pose. Of course, large established plants of selected varieties 

 would cost a great deal of money. Newly imported plants 

 bought from those nurserymen who import them, can be ob- 

 tained for a very few shillings each, and that after they are 

 fairly established. Then there is the charm of watching their 

 progress until the first young growth is nearly completed, at 

 which time the flower-spike wiU be thrown up, and to the 

 ardent cultivator there is more pleasure stiU in watching the 

 expanding flowers in the expectation of something extra fine 

 turning up amongst the batch. At all events, the grower will 

 not be disappointed, as all are good and worthy of culture. I 

 will in as few words as possible explain the cultural treatment 

 they require. 



Newly imported plants should be potted in very small pots 

 just large enough to contain the roots. The pots should be 

 filled rather more than half full of drainage ; over this place 



