Jlarcb 18, 18?5. ] 



JOtENAL OF HOBTIOtLTtJEa AND COTTAGE QABDENEB. 



217 



at all. Alluvial soils are the most fertile of all natural 

 deposits. They contain portions of everything that is washed 

 by the waters by which they are formed. Clay, silica, lime, 

 humus, and a variety of fine gritty substances are intimately 

 blended toRether, abounding in nutriment, and admirably 

 adapted for Potato culture. If the disease was really caused 

 by the use of rich farmyard manure, surely those prowa in 

 such a soil as the above would be perfectly sound. The fact 

 that they are not so affords conclusive evidence that " Beta's " 

 deductions are worthless. It is true that rich manure induces 

 a rank plethoric habit in the haulm, and it is then liable to 

 suffer from disease in a much greater degree than in its normal 

 state. The farmers hereabouts manure their land for Pota- 

 toes at the rate of forty cartloads per acre. I have used double 

 the quantity, and had no blight till the August rain set in. 

 Let " Beta" Iceep to his poor soil and small Potatoes if they 

 content him. I, too, have to deal with a poor soil — so poor 

 that the very weeds will hardly grow upon some portions of it ; 

 but I will use all the manure I ctiu, and care nothing for the 

 blight if I can have the crop housed before the late summer 

 rains begin. 



Your correspondent is by no means singular in his impression 

 that manure is the cause of disease. It is an old idea to 

 which some persons cling with surprising persistency. It was 

 only a few months ago that I received a copy of an essay, the 

 special object of which was to prove this, and the writer's 

 remedy was actually to burn the manure and apply the ashes 

 to the land ! 



Three or four years ago some land was taken in hand for 

 Potato culture, which for many years had been so neglected 

 that it was quite innocent of manure. It was a light sandy 

 soil, and so miserably poor that there were very few weeds 

 upon it, although it had been stirred by a plough a few months 

 previously. I was unable to manure the whole of it, and so 

 by way of experimsnt a few perches of the unmanured portion 

 was trenched and planted with Potatoes. The stock was pro- 

 cured from a leading wholesale firm, who stated that the seed 

 was not only untainted, but that it was absoUxtely blightproof. 

 Now mark the result. The crop from these Potatoes was very 

 much diseased, while those in the land which was manured at 

 the rate of half a cartload to the perch were almost free from 

 blight ! — Edward Luckhurst. 



MEALY BUG. 



I CAN confirm what Mr. Pearson says on the impossibility of 

 thoroughly eradicating this king of pests. I have recently 

 attempted to clean two plants much infested with it. Gishurst 

 was applied 2 ozs. to the gallon, then 4, and lastly 6 ozs. ; 

 but though apparently got rid of, the pest appeared again, of 

 course from the eggs in the wood, which the compound did 

 not destroy. The injury done to the foliage of one Ixora by 

 so strong a dose is most apparent, and the appearance of the 

 specimen is bad and unpleasant. 



I am glad, of course, to say that I have very little mealy 

 bug, though in a large collection of plants like mine I believe 

 it would he impossible to be absolutely without it, and the 

 rapidity with which it increases makes it a most formidable 

 foe. I hate the sight of it. I am equally careful with Mr. 

 Pearson in examining plants from nurseries, but it not unfre- 

 quently happens that they are superficially cleaned before 

 being sent away, and thus the eye is deceived. In a few days — 

 almost hours I might say — out comes the pest, and you wonder 

 where it could possibly have lurked. I daily pick all oft with 

 the hand that I can see, using a fine but blunt instrument ; and 

 one of my gardeners used to say he believed I could smell 

 them, as they never escaped my notice. If I received a plant 

 badly infested I should either destroy it immediately or return 

 it to the sender. To keep the insect down daily vigilance is 

 absolutely necessary ; no occasional measures will suffice, and 

 now is the time to be specially active and watchful. — T. M. 

 Shuttlewokth, F.E.H.S. 



A VERY cheap and effective remedy for the destruction of the 

 mealy bug is petroleum. I have used it with success on Gar- 

 denias, Stephanotis, and other softwooded plants, and have 

 found it instantaneous in its effect, producing sudden death. 

 It has the advantages of being cheap, easy of application, 

 and clean, for being almost colourless and of a volatile nature 

 no traces remain of its application. I have never found any 

 plant on which it has been used any the worse for its applica- 

 tion. 



Will you let me know it it is an unusual circumstance for 

 a pink Primula to have a white flower on the same stem as 

 the pink ones ? I have one now in bloom in my greenhouse. 

 Charles Hart. 



[The diverse colours of the flowers on your Primula are un- 

 usual. You will have seen onr note on the flower you exhibited 

 at the Royal Horticultural Society's Floral Committee. — Eds.] 



TBADESCANTIA VIRGINICA. 

 Tnis is one of the Spiderwort family of plants, and belongs 

 to the natural order of Commelynaceai. The genus was named 

 in honour of Tradescant, who was gardener to Charles I. The 

 variety figured belongs to the hardy herbaceous section, and 

 was introduced from North America in l(;21l. It is not only 

 one of the best of its class, but in colour is one of the richest of 

 all flowers. The colour is a bright intense blue, worthy to be 

 compared to that of the beautiful stove plant Tillandsia Lin- 



Fig. 63. — TtadcRcantia vii-ginica. 



deni, and is set off to advantage by its small bright yellow 

 stamens. The plant grows to a height of 1,} foot, and is 

 compact and dense, requiring no sticks to support it. It 

 delights in a deep rich soil, and enjoys copious supplies of 

 water in the growing season, but a stagnant soil is injurious 

 to the root during winter. It is an excellent border flower, and 

 should have a place in all collections of hardy plants. It 

 commences to bloom in July, and continues until late in the 

 autumn. In mild winters it is evergreen, but severe frost 

 kills the foliage. This, however, does no harm, as it is certain 

 to push up as vigorously as ever in the early days of spring. 

 It is admirable for cutting from the blooms lasting well in 

 water, and its charming colour is always admired. It is in- 

 creased by root-division, and than the present month no time 

 is more suitable for increasing the stock or procuring a supply 

 of roots. These must be kept moist during the procees of 

 removal. — W. 



HEALING WOUNDED LEAVES. 

 The following facts may be interesting to some of your 

 readers. I have a fine plant of Amaryllis, some of the leaves 

 of which were accidentally split nearly across the whole width. 

 Knowing the importance of leaves to the development of the 

 bulb I was unwilling to cut the wounded leaves off, and I 

 applied some Friar's balsam on both sides of them, held the 

 broken edges firmly together by means of little bits of cotton 

 wool and slips of paper, and supported the leaves with tticks 



