Apiil 8, 1875. 1 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



•277 



for ho quotes De CandoUe aud Willdenow's desoriptiou, giving 

 Siberia with a tjuery as its habitat; and, though described by 

 Miller in 1760, is a native of Dahnria, whence it was intro- 

 duced into the St. Peterburgh Gardens. It is not inohlded in 

 Turczaninov'a Flora Baioal-Dahurica. 



" Pyrus prunifoliahas been an inhabitant of Kow for upwards 

 of a century, and flowers in April and May, fruiting in October." 

 —{Ibhl, t. 6158.) 



Masdevallia Pebistekia. Nat. ord., Orehidaeero. Litnt., 

 Gynaudria Monandria. — Flowers yellow, dotted thickly with 

 crimson. " The lip ia, as Reichenbach remarks, very singularly 

 coloured, being covered with innumerable close-set amethystine 

 papillto on a white ground. The name is given in allusion to 

 the likeness of the top of the column and petals to those of the 

 Dove Plant (Peristeria elata), where the anther case represents 

 a dove's head, aud the outstretched tips of the petals its wings, 

 as in the Church's symbol of the Holy Spirit, whence the name 

 of El Spirito Santo was given to the Peristeria by its discoverers 

 the Spaniards. Masdevallia Peristeria is a native of New 

 Grenada, whence it was imported by Messrs. Veitch. The 

 plant flowered in April." — {Ibid., t. 0159). 



FounCROYA UNDULATA. Nat. Ord., AmaryllidacetB. Linn., 

 Hexandria Mouogynia. — Flowers green. " It is a native of 

 the provinces of Chiapas and Tabasco in Mexico, where it was 

 found by the traveller Giesbrecht, who sent it to Verschaftell's 

 splendid establishment in Ghent (now incorporated with the 

 no less celebrated Brussels one of Linden). The Kew speci- 

 men flowered in the Royal Gardens in November, 1871, rather 

 later than the other species, than which it may want a warmer 

 climate, as that of Chiapas and Tabasco is described as hot, 

 damp, aud its hills as clothed with a tropical forest. It was re- 

 ceived from the rich collection of W. W. Saunders, Esq., F.R.S." 

 —{Ihhl, t. C160.) 



CvRTOPEni SANoniXEA. Nat. ord., OrchidaoesE. Linn., Gyn- 

 andria Monandria. — " The colour of the flower as shown in 

 my own sketch is a dull reddish-purple, extending over the 

 short spur, with a rose-red limb to the lip ; colours which 

 induced Dr. Lindley to name the species sanguinea, a name 

 hardly justified by those hues. 



" C. sanguinea inhabits the tropical region of Sikkim, aud 

 is found in dense forests at :i-5000 feet elevation. The Kew 

 plants flowered from tubers which have been received both 

 from the late Dr. Anderson of the Calcutta Botanical Gardens 

 aud Mr. Gammie of Darjeeling." — (Iliid., t. ClCl.) 



Pear. — Lucy Grim-c. — " This variety ia remarkable for its 

 long, narrow, willow-Hke leaves, which give the tree a peculiar 

 appearauO'5. The fruit is fall medium size, oblong pyriform, 

 broadest just above the middle, its average weight exceeding 

 7 ozs. The stalk is over half an inch in length, set in a very 

 shallow depression, the sides of which are slightly unequal ; 

 the eye is closed, and set in a shallow even cavity. The 

 colour is a clear deep lemon-yellow, thinly marked with russet 

 dots, and having a small russet patch about the eye and the 

 stalk. The flesh is moderately firm, fine-grained, tender, and 

 melting, very juicy, with a rich luscious flavour, and a slight 

 and agreeable dash of acidity, such as is occasionally met with 

 in the Glou Morc;ean. The odour of the fruit is penetrating 

 and agreeable, and its appearance something like that of an 

 elongated Glou Mor^^eau. \ first-class oerlificate was awarded 

 to this fine new Pear by the Fruit Committee of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society at its meeting of October 23rd last. 

 Ripe and in excellent condition about the middle of October." 

 — {FInrii-t and Pomologist, S s., yiii., 85.) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We are glad to hear that there is no chance of the con- 

 templated Exhibitions of Amsterdam and Bruasela interfering 

 with each other. At a meeting of delegates held at Antwerp 

 during the Exhibition just closed it was decided that Brussels 

 will celebrate its centenary next year, and that Amsterdam will 

 hold its Great Exhibition in 1877. Will London be ready by 

 1878? Let us hope so. 



TnEfollowing candidates have beendulyelected Fellows 



OF THE Royal Horticoltcral Society since the 1st of January 

 last— viz., B. Bate, Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscaweu, Mrs. A. 

 Cnmberbatch, Mrs. George Hamilton Dundas, J. Godman, 

 Captain F. H. Hamilton, Mrs. Harrison, Charles F. Haywood, 

 Mrs. C. Kemble, Mrs. E. S. Kuipe, Thomas Charles Perceval 

 Lefroy, Thomas Alfred Logan, Major-General P. L. Macdougnll, 

 R. L. Pemberton, Miss R. Pennell, E. J. Reed, C.B., M.P., 



F. Ricardo, William Scott, Thomas Shedden, James Tedder, 

 Earl of Wicklow, John A. Clarke, Major-General P. Conybeare, 

 Mrs. Dansey, J. A. FuUarton, Vice-Admiral W. W. Hornby, 

 Charles G. L. Kelso, J. L. P. Lebi^-que, Mrs. Lloyd, James 

 Murray, W. C. T. Padday, Hon. Leopold W. H. Powvs, Mrs. 

 Young, Hon. Evelyn Ashley, M.P., I. de Salles, Mrs. C. D. F. 

 Philips, Thomas William Angell, Hon. W. Lowther, M.P., Ac. 



To avoid clashing with the Manchester Show, that to 



be held at the Crystal Palace is postponed to the 29th of May. 



Our correspondent Mr. J. Wright, on retiring from 



the service of the Hon. A. Leslie-Melville, had a handsome 

 barometer presented him by the family as a tribute of the 

 esteem in which he was held by them ; also for his servicea 

 inthevilloge he was further presented with a valuable time- 

 piece. Mrs. Wright and family had also gratifying tokens of 

 goodwill from the Melville family. 



The cultivation of the Tobacco plant in Algeria has 



been carried out very successfully, the soil and climate of that 

 country being well suited to the growth of the plant. In 1874 

 no less than 9,700,000 lbs. were produced and passed through 

 the State warehouses. The value of this crop was £141,224, 

 or nearly double that of 1873. The experiment — though it is 

 no longer merely an experiment, but a practical industry — 

 has been carried on since 1847, and during the past twenty- 

 seven years about 140,000,000 lbs. weight.of Tobacco has been 

 produced and Bold. 



It is stated that the Italian Government, following 



the course it has already adopted on previous occasions, will 

 gratuitously distribute this year five titodsand plants of 

 Eucalyptus olobulus for cultivation in the Agro Romano, 

 especially in the spot infected by malaria. — {Nature.) 



Professor Vooel of Munich has lately published, says 



GaUgimni, some curious experiments on camphor and its 

 physiological action on plants. In 1798, Benj. Smith Barton 

 first announced the stimulating action of camphor on vegetable 

 organisms. He stated that a Tulip with its stalk dipping in a 

 solution of that substance withered much later than others 

 kept in common water; and that a yellow Iris that was about 

 to fade was reinvigorated for a few hours by means of camphor. 

 Barton therefore came to the conclusion that this drug acts 

 upon plants as a stimulant, much as spirits do on the animal 

 frame. These all- but-forgotten experiments have lately been 

 resumed by Professor Vogel, who has lately communicated his 

 results to the Academy of Munich. Ha first prepares a homo- 

 geneous solution of camphor by triturating it with distilled 

 water, and then shaking it up with a larger quantity of the 

 same; and into this he puti his plants. Two branches of 

 Syringa (common Lilac) in blossom, of equal tize and vigour, 

 were selected ; one of them was put into common water, the 

 other into the camphorated solution. A remarkable difference 

 was soon noticed. After the lapse of twelve hours the former 

 was already drooping and nearly faded, while the latter was 

 still erect and apparently as fresh as ever, some of its buds 

 having even opened in the interval ; and this healthy condition 

 lasted three days. In another experiment a branch of Lilac 

 which was nearly dead was put into camphorated water and 

 revived for a short time. The action of camphor is less power- 

 ful on the Vine, aud scarcely of any e-ffect on Black Elder. 

 The idea now presented itself that this drug might also have 

 some action on seeds, and accordingly some of Lepidium 

 sativum, or garden Cress, were subjected to this treatment. 

 They were chosen very old, because in that state their germi- 

 nating power is much weaker than when they are new. The 

 seeds were placed on blotting paper in porcelain plates, one 

 portion being wetted with the camphor solution and another 

 with common water, another piece of blotting paper was laid 

 over each. The germinating power of these seeds is considered 

 not to extend beyond three years, and yet, under the influence 

 of camphor, some of 18fi9 germinated in the course of twenty- 

 four hours, and others of 1871 in seven hours, while those 

 exposed to the action of pure water either did not give signs 

 of life, or, at least, very imperfectly. From these and similar 

 experiments it may be concluded that camphor is a valuable 

 agent in horticulture. 



Planting Potatoes. — Now is the time (April 4th) to plant 

 early Potatoes. The whole of our Potato borders were deeply 

 dug, and even manured in November, and now the soil is like 

 a bed of ashes. Draw the drills 2i feet apart, and plant the 

 Potatoes 18 inches. Give them a top-dressing of burnt ashes 



