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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 17, 186S. 



sufficient to destroy a whole generation of red spider. The 

 Vine, Melon, and Cucumber are the only plants which I have 

 found injured by it, for it stains the fruit of the first, and dis- 

 figures the foliage of the other two. 



Should it not be desirable to syringe, or if plants are attacked 

 to which the soap solution wouid be injurious, a good remedy 

 is to make the floors, walls, &c, wet by syringing them with- 

 out wetting the foliage of the plants or trees— this should be 

 done on shutting up the house— half filling pots that will hold 

 1} peck with fresh unslacked lime, and then filling up with 

 water, and scattering on this 1 oz. of sulphur vivum. Two 

 pots will be sufficient for a house 30 feet long, 18 feet wide, 

 and of an average height, but if high three will be necessary. 

 The heat of the lime will cause rapid evaporation, and the 

 fumes of the sulphur are carried along with the water, and, un- 

 less sulphur be volatilised, it is worse than useless as a de- 

 stroyer of red spider. The plants should be syringed in the 

 morning, but in the case of Grapes colouring, fruit ripening, or 

 plants being in flower, doing so would prove disastrous. An 

 application of this kind should be made once a-week, or twice 

 if the attack is severe. This remedy, it should be remembered, 

 must not be used until the leaves have attained their full size 

 and become somewhat firm, otherwise they will be disfigured. 

 It is more effectual when a good S3'ringing follows, as the 

 insects, if not stifled, are so sick as to be easily washed off. 



Another method, in which it is not absolutely necessary to 

 syringe the plants, consists in making the hot-water pipes so'hot 

 that the hand when placed on them cannot bear the heat more 

 than a minute, and, after closing the house, to coat them with 

 sulphur brought to the consistency of paint with water in which 

 soft soap has been dissolved at the rate of 4 ozs. to the gallon. 

 The paint thus formed should bo applied from end to end of 

 the pipes or flues, and be lightly syringed until the house is 

 full of steam, and unless the fumes" of the sulphur are strong 

 enough to drive the operator out of the house they will not de- 

 stroy red spider. This remedy, like the preceding, must not be 

 employed unless the foliage is somewhat mature, as in the case 

 of the fruit approaching maturity or becoming ripe. Two 

 applications will in most cases prove effectual. 



The last remedy which I have to note is sprinkling the floors, 

 walls, Arc, morning and evening, with 4 ozs. of Peruvian guano 

 dissolved in a gallon of water, and especially at the time of 

 shutting up the house. The atmosphere is thus largely im- 

 pregnated with ammonia, and in such red spider cannot live. 



Prevention is in all cases better than cure, and to this end a 

 dressing applied in winter to trees that are liable to be attacked 

 ■will be found effectual, coating not only the stems and branches 

 but the walls. This dressing may be made of soft soap at the 

 late of 4 ozs. to every gallon of water, with enough of this to 

 equal parts of flowers of sulphur and fresh lime to bring them 

 to the consistency of paint for the trees, and of whitewash for 

 the walls. The application should be repeated on the walls and 

 heated surface when the leaves attain their full size, and again 

 when the fruit commences to ripen. Its action depends on the 

 fumes of the sulphur being generated by artificial or sun heat, 

 and the soft soap causes the mixture to adhere ; the lime, too, 

 is a powerful remedy against spider, and its more formidable 

 rival mildew. By thus dressing the stems and branches the 

 eggs are destroyed. 



Lastly, daily sprinkling the floors and every available surface, 

 from the time that growth commences, with soot water, made 

 by placing in a cask a peck of dry soot, and pouring over it 

 thirty gallons of water, will produce an atmosphere in which 

 red spider will rarely appear. Soot water, with the addition 

 of a peck of sheep's dung to thirty gallons of water, is ex- 

 cellent for filling evaporation-troughs, and so, too, is guano, at 

 the rate of 4 ozs. to the gallon of water. For syringing, the 

 soot water should be clear, and it will not injure the most 

 delicate foliage ; but guano water for syringing, should not 

 only be clear but strained, and not stronger than 1 oz. to the 

 gallon. Dressing with soot borders in which are trees or plants 

 liable to be attacked, is a very good preventive ; also watering 

 overhead with guano water in the evening ; but the best of all 

 preventives and remedies is to keep the plants moist, to give 

 plenty of air, and to maintain as cool an atmosphere as is con- 

 sistent with their healthy development. — G. Abbey. 



Potato Onion.- — I have just dug up my crop of this variety. 

 The sets were small bulbs. These have now become large 

 bulbs, but, singular to say, there is but one Onion in the whole 

 crop which has divided itself, and that has separated only into 



two. _ The crop, therefore, differs from the common Onion only 

 in dying down earlier, and in not showing any flowers. The 

 soil was light and rich, the situation sheltered. I should be 

 glad to learn if any of your readers have ever found their 

 Potato Onions refuse to increase by the root. — G. S. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At the SMurday Show of the 14th instant prizes were offered for 

 the best ccMction of six Carnations, and also for sis Picotees. In 

 the former Mr. Britton, of Corston, near Bath, was first ; Mr. E. F. 

 Kingston, Militia Barracks, Bath, second ; and Mr. Henry Grant, 

 Midford, near Bath, third. For Picotees, Mr. Britton was again first ; 

 Mr. Grant, second ; and Mr. Kingston, third. For the miscellaneous 

 collection of fruit, Mr. Richard Marchanj, gardener to E. Oates, Esq., 

 of Hanwell, was first, and Mr. Young, gardener to R. Barclay, Esq., 

 Highgate, second. There was a considerable variety of miscellaneous 

 subjects exhibited. Mr. Hooper, of Vine Nursery, Widconibe Hill, 

 Bath, obtained extra prizes for a beautiful collection of twenty-four 

 Carnations, twenty-four Picotees. twenty-four Cloves, twenty-four 

 Pinks, and twenty-four yellow Picotees. Mrs. Hooke, of Morville 

 Lodge, Fulham. obtained a second-class certificate for cut blooms of 

 Verbenas, and Mr. R. Marcham a first-class certificate for twenty-four 

 cut Roses. Mrs. Hooke also received a first-class certificate for a fine 

 plant of Lilium auratum, and Mr. Young was awarded an extra prize 

 for a collection of miscellaneous plants. 



GNAPHALIUM lanatum. 



I ForND this last season to be one of the most useful white- 

 foliaged plants we possess, more especially ;for groundwork, 

 where a distinct colour is required ; and it is furthermore most 

 manageable in all respects. The way I employed it was as 

 follows : — With some circular beds at this place I formed a star 

 pattern ; this I filled with Frogmore Scarlet ; for the rest of 

 the circle I used the Gnaphalium ; at the same time I had a 

 band all round. The arrangement, simple though it is, had a 

 charming effect. Much of this effect depends upon pinching 

 and pegging down, until a dense carpet is formed ; if allowed 

 to ramble naturally it presents an untidy appearance in such 

 a position and for such a purpose as I planted it. It may not 

 be quite hardy in some'localities, but with slight protection I 

 am inclined to believe it will withstand the cold of our ordinary 

 winters. Up to this date, January 14th, it remains out-doors 

 here, and is not much injured ; but to be safe, a few store pots 

 may be struck in autumn, and wintered under glass, which, 

 with a shift in spring, and placed in moderate heat, will pro- 

 duce cuttings enough in a short time, as it strikes freely. — 

 J. E. (in Scottish Gardener). 



FIFTY CUT ROSES. 



I ah sorry to trouble you again with regard to the first-prize 

 collection of fifty cut Roses at the late Jersey Show. From 

 your answer I suspected that the point sent for your decision 

 had been misunderstood ; and my suspicion is now quite con- 

 firmed by the letter of the Rev. W. F. Radclyffo in your Number 

 of the 10th inst., which I have only just received. This mis- 

 apprehension seems to have arisen from my anxiety to be 

 concise and yet give the exact words of the objection. The 

 objector said, " There were fifty-one Roses." He should have 

 said, " There were fifty-one blooms." The collection in ques- 

 tion consisted of only fifty trusses, one of which had two fully 

 open blooms (he did not object to buds), and he meant to say 

 that one of these blooms should have been cut off, or, in other 

 words, that the prize was offered for single flowers, and not 

 for single trusses. Now, as the prize schedule did not specify 

 single flowers, the Judges decided that the class was open to 

 single trusses also, and therefore refused to disqualify the stand 

 in question. 



This, then, is the question for your decision : If a prize were 

 offered for "fifty cut Roses, distinct kinds," would you dis- 

 qualify a stand of fifty trusses ? One is almost tempted to be 

 severe, and ask why the splendid truss of Cloth of Gold (noticed 

 in the same Number, page 4), did not obtain a disqualification 

 for Mr. Hedge instead of contributing towards his victory. Of 

 course the schedule in our case was in fault ; hut the Judges 

 were called upon to award the prizes as the schedule stood,- 

 au.l riot to amend it. 



