18 



THE GABDENEBS' CHBONICLE. 



[July 7, 1888. 



I shall look with interest for the result of the voting, 

 and hope that by ignoring canvassing subscribers 

 will help in the case of this Fund to give a costly and 

 very undesirable proceeding its deathblow. A. D. 



VERONICA FORMOSA.— In reference to the plant 

 mentioned by " B. D." in last week's issue, I have 

 been wondering whether it is in any way identical with 

 the one called V. Blue Gem , sent out by Messrs. Cripps 

 & Son about the year 1870, and which seems to cor- 

 respond with "B. D.'s " description of V. formosum. 

 It was raised by me about 1868, and sold to Messrs. 

 Cripps & Son, of Tunbridge "Wells. I have had V. 

 Blue Gem in flower when only 3 inches high, and I 

 can send " E. D." small plants or cuttings if he will 

 send me full address. Head Gardener, The Hollins, 

 Marple, Cheshire. 



TRANSPLANTING A PEACH TREE IN JUNE — 

 On June 25 last I saw a young flourishing Peach 

 tree in one of the Peach-houses at Knightshayes Court, 

 Tiverton, the seat of Sir J. H. H. Amory, Bart., 

 which Mr. James Peebles, the gardener, transplanted 

 from the open wall the previous week, he having 

 rooted out a weakly tree which it was thought at the 

 regular time of planting fruit trees might " come 

 round." There was nothing in the appearance of 

 tais healthy young tree of Noblesse to show that it 

 had been recently transplanted. Let it be dis- 

 tinctly understood that I do not recommend the 

 planting of fruit trees when in full leaf, but simply 

 mention it to show that it may safely be done if 

 care be exercised. I need hardly say that the tree 

 bore no fruit. H. W. Ward. 



HEUCHERA SANGUINEA — I lately saw a nice 

 plant in flower in Mr. Burroughe's garden, Ketton 

 Cottage, and was favourably impressed with its 

 beauty. It was certainly one of the best things in a 

 choice collection of hardy plants. It appears to be 

 quite as hardy as H. Eichardsoni, having well stood 

 the late severe winter, the same plant having flowered 

 last year out-of-doors. W. H. Divers. 



WHITE AND DOUBLE STOCKS.— I think the fol- 

 lowing is a curious instance of bee-fertilisation. 

 For three years I had in my garden six dark red 

 Brompton Stocks, flowering well. This year on each 

 plant a part of the blossoms has opened pure white 

 and double ; so on each Stock part of the flowers are 

 red and single, and half white and double. The plants 

 have never been disturbed from this border where 

 they are now growing. The plants were brought 

 with me from Wiltshire, where, for many years, they 

 bloomed red. I can only attribute the white blooms 

 to the action of bees. J. Scaden, Gardener, The 

 Boost, Bournmouth. [Our corresnondent does not give 

 any reasons for his suggestion. Ed.] 



STRAWBERRY PLANTS FOR FORCING.— As SOOn 



as the last lot of fruiting plants has been transferred 

 to their fruing quarters it is time to commence pre- 

 paring for next season. Our plan of securing a 

 strong healthy stock is layering first in 60-size pots, 

 and subsequently repotting, while some gardeners 

 use for layering the runners squares of turf, pre- 

 ferring it to pots. Our soil is a moderately heavy 

 loam which we enriched with a little half-decayed 

 cow-dung or horse-droppings. About the beginning 

 of July we usually commence layering, and in order 

 to obtain a stout single well-matured crown we must 

 from the very first give them every attention, and in 

 no wise allow them to receive a check. In the first 

 place we make all the pots clean, fill them very firmly 

 with a good compost to within half an inch of the 

 pot'srim, allowingplentifulsupplies ofwater. Thepots 

 aie placed evenly around the plant, and the runners 

 slightly inserted in the soil and tightly secured with 

 a hooked peg. In about three weeks the young plants 

 will have become sufficiently rooted to betaken from 

 their parents, and may be removed to the north side 

 of a wall. During hot weather we syringe several 

 times daily. Potting into their fruiting pots is the 

 next consideration, and is immediately commenced. 

 The most serviceable size is 32's. In potting the 

 plants we always use clean dry and well-drained 

 pots. Over the drainage is placed are few knobs 

 of loam, with an additional handful of soot. 

 The young plants after receiving a thorough drench- 

 ing with water are turned out of the small pots, and 

 before placing them into the fruiting ones have their 

 roots carefully loosened if they have become some- 

 what bound. We pot very firmly. They are again 

 stood behind a north wall and syringed for a few 

 days till they have sufficiently recovered to with- 

 stand the rays of the sun, when they are removed to 



an open position, where they can enjoy the fall 

 amount of sunshine, and have a free circulation of 

 air passing among them. During their growing 

 season I make it a rule to have the plants gone 

 over twice weekly, removing all weeds, runners, and 

 side shoots which may appear, leaving only the one 

 crown. The varieties with which we succeed best 

 for principal supplies are Sir C. Napier and La 

 Grosse Sucree. Viscountess also does well here, 

 but it is not so large as the La Grosse Sucree. 

 H. Markham, Mereworth Castle. 



CUP-SHAPED FOXGLOVES. — The flower enclosed 

 is a synanthic proliferous Digitalis — or rather two 

 such — I have just received from the Eev. T. A. 

 Preston, of Thurcaston, Leicester. Though good 

 specimens, they present few, if any, novel features. 

 The ovary in the smaller specimen is largely filled 

 with stamens, and there is evidence of axial pro- 

 lification extending to several internodes. I do not 

 remember to have previously noticed the occurrence 

 of coloured spots on the anthers like those on the 

 corolla. The large specimen shows the common 

 leafy central axis, and in both bracts and sepals are 

 practically indistinguishable. G. S. Boulger. [Simi- 

 lar changes are unusually common this season. Ed.] 



OUTDOOR STRAWBERRIES BARREN. — There are 

 many complaints about here of Strawberry plants 

 being blind, which I have no doubt is chiefly owing 

 to the exceptionally dry weather last year, when as 

 the plants did not make their growth till late in the 

 season the crowns did not get ripened. A border of 

 Laxton's King of Earlies at Burghley Gardens has 

 not a plant which has not flowered well, and there is 

 a good crop. It is instructive to learn that these 

 plants were well watered several times during last 

 summer and mulched, Mr. Gilbert requiring an extra 

 number of runners from them, with the result that 

 he has a good crop of fruit whilst many growers have 

 partially failed. As an early variety it should be 

 noted that this variety is a long way ahead of all 

 others in this neighbourhood. W. H. Divers. 



REPOTTING LILIES. — I assure Mr. Jenkins that I 

 am not one of those gardeners who find it " extremely 

 difficult to attempt a departure from the stereotyped 

 laws of plant and fruit culture as practised years 

 ago." A reference to back numbers of the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle will afford him sufficient evidence of this. 

 Indeed, those who have read Mr. Jenkins' remarks 

 on this subject could not have failed to notice the 

 unfavourable light in which he viewed cultivators 

 having the temerity to depart from the beaten path. 

 Mr. Jenkins persists in misconstruing my remarks. 

 He well knows that if the soil were loose enough to 

 be shaken off the roots the new soil could and should 

 be worked well among them without there being 

 necessity to shift the plants into larger pots — a pro- 

 ceeding which would then be quite undesirable and 

 bad in practice. It was quite unnecessary for me to 

 recommend, at p. 558, the shifting of pot-bound 

 plants into larger pots, knowing that it was the only 

 course to be followed, my object being (as stated at 

 p. 754) to point out to those readers of the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle who were not quite so well up in Lily 

 culture as your correspondent evidently is, and who 

 had not then attended to the matter, that they might 

 with advantage repot their Lilies in the manner 

 indicated in my note on the subject. Mr. 

 Jenkins is altogether wrong in saying that 

 my statement at p. 754 in any way goes to 

 support the conclusions he had previously 

 arrived at. It was simply to show that Mr. Jenkins 

 had over-stated his case, in saying that " it would be 

 difficult to select a more critical time in the whole 

 year for repotting Lilies, than when they had made a 

 few inches of growth," that I suggested for his 

 benefit the time when the " flower-buds were first 

 visible " as a more critical time. Your correspondent 

 is again wrong in suggesting that I am content to 

 forego any cultural detail which experience has 

 taught me to be beneficial to plants, fruit trees, &c. 

 The advantage which your correspondent claims for 

 his method of procedure over that which he takes so 

 much pains to condemn is more imaginary than real. 

 I allow the " new stem-roots" to push into the new 

 soil, and in due time give a surface- dressing of 

 Beeson's manure once or twice a week before giving 

 water at the roots. This being the case, I do 

 not see the justice of Mr. Jenkins' remarks that 

 I am content for the " new stem-roots to feed on the 

 exhausted soil." How can the new stem-roots 

 " feed " on the " exhausted soil " ? If your corre- 

 spondent will show me logically that I do not give my 

 plants " proper food at the right moment " I will 



thank him for so doing. I may, however, remind 

 him that all " good cultivators " shade plants — 

 including Melons, Cucumbers, Pines, and young 

 Vines — from sunshine, more or less according to the 

 weather, immediately after repotting or planting, for 

 the obvious reason of preventing the plants from 

 experiencing the slight check which they otherwise 

 would undoubtedly receive. And because judicious 

 treatment has been accorded, are we to arrive at the 

 illogical conclusion that they have been " unneces- 

 sarily disturbed at the roots, hence checked, and so 

 forth " ? I may here remind Mr. Jenkins that 

 equally satisfactory results are achieved by different 

 modes of culture. H. W. Ward. [Enough has now 

 been said on this head. Ed.] 



Societies. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL. 



Scientific Committee. 



June 26.— E. McLachlan, Esq., E.E.S., in the 

 chair. Present : Messrs. Boulger, O'Brien, Church, 

 Murray, D. Morris, Dr. Masters, and Mr. Eidley. 



Mr. Eidley reported that the Odontoglossum re- 

 ferred to him for a name at the previous meeting was 

 a form of 0. oblongatum. 



Aluminium, in the Ashes of Plants. — Professor 

 Church contributed a summary of his highly inter- 

 esting and important researches upon the presence 

 of aluminium in the ashes of plants. This substance, 

 instead of being peculiar to the species of Lyco- 

 podium, as once supposed, is found in minute traces 

 in the ashes of very many others, a circumstance not 

 to be wondered at, considering the abundant distri- 

 bution of the element in many soils. It occurs in 

 all the species of Lycopodium examined, except 

 those which are of epiphytic habit, and which, conse- 

 quently, do not directly derive their food from the 

 soil. It does not occur in the allied genus Selagi- 

 nella. It occurs in the ashes of some Tree Ferns in 

 large proportions, sometimes forming as much as 

 20 per cent, of the ash, as in Alsophila australis and 

 Cyathea medullaris ; while from others it is all but 

 absent. In the British species of Ferns little or no 

 alumina has been found. 



Weevil Attacking Rhododendrons. — Mr. McLachlan 

 exhibited specimens of a beetle destructive to Ehodo- 

 dendrons at Sunningdale, and which he identified as 

 Strophisomus limbatus. 



Beetle Injurious to Tobacco. — Mr. McLachlan showed 

 specimens sent from Trinidad of beetles injurious to 

 Tobacco and Egg plants in that island, and which he 

 found to be a species of Epitrix, allied to that which 

 feeds on Atropa belladonna in this country. 



The Plague of Caterpillars. — Mr. McLachlan called 

 attention to the notion that cold winters are injurious 

 to insects — a notion he stated to be erroneous 

 although, no doubt, severe alternations of cold, heat, 

 drought, or moisture, were prejudicial to insect life. 

 Daring the present season it was noticed generally that 

 great destruction of foliage occurred from caterpillars 

 which destroyed the succulent portions of the leaf 

 and tied the frame-work and fragments together by 

 a web of fine threads comparable with spiders' webs. 

 These caterpillars were different in different cases. 

 In the Oak they were species of Tortrix ; in the 

 Apple the winter moth was destructive ; while in 

 other cases the larva of the Ermine moth was 

 exceedingly hurtful to leaves. 



Heteroicous Fungi. — Mr. Plowright contributed 

 specimens illustrative of the following notes: — 



Mcidinm on Pea and on the Bean. — This was pro- 

 duced on both plants by infecting them with the 

 same infecting material, viz., Uromyces fabte. The 

 yEcidium on the Pea differs in appearance from that 

 on the Bean, the pseudoperidia in the former being 

 few, and scattered over pale yellowish spots, while on 

 the Bean they are crowded in thickened white 

 spots. 



Puccinia cxtcnsicola. — This produces a very hand- 

 some -Ecidium on Aster tripolium. Mr. Plowright 

 found the Puccinia last year at Wells-next-the-Sea, 

 Norfolk, and produced the ^Ecidium this year on the 

 leaf now exhibited. 



Gymnosporangium confusum (Plowright). — This 

 species has hitherto been confounded with G. tuscum. 

 It occurs on Savins, but does not produce TEcidia on 

 the Pear as G. fuscum does, but on the Hawthorn, 

 Quince, and Medlar, specimens of which were ex- 

 hibited. Professor Sorauer of Proskau had sent 

 leaves of Hawthorn on which he had produced the 

 iccidiospores of G. confusum from teleutospores sent 



