March 9, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE, 



157 



ROTHAMSTED EXPERIMENTAL STATION. 



The Government has decided to contribute a sum 

 of about £2, 000 annually to this institution to 

 help the extension of new work on special lines of 

 research. 



A Rubber Pest. — Mr. Green, the ento- 

 mologist at Peradeniya, describes in a recent 

 issue of the agricultural Journal of the Roval 

 Botanic Gardens, Cevlon, a new and very un- 

 expected rubber-pest in the shape of the Rubber 

 slug. The creature makes a habit of frequenting 

 lvcently-tapped Hevea trees. Attaching itself to 

 the wounds, it laps the latex. Crude rubber 

 would not at first sight appear to be a likely 



Westfield, but the scheme was altered to the 

 present plan by the late Constance Marchioness 

 of Lothian. The principal garden (see Supple- 

 mentary Illustration) is inters d by the 

 broad pathway, leading with flights of steps at 

 intervals to a pavilion. The effect is imposing 

 viewed from either end of the pathway, belt of 

 fine trees with clumps of shrubs encroaching in 

 the sward providing a beautiful setting to the 

 scene. ^ The garden is adorned with statues and 

 fountains, and includes remarkably well trimmed 

 hedges and borderings of Yew. The photo- 

 graphs from which our illustrations are repi. 

 duced were taken last summer when the beds 



article of diet even for slugs, but experiments «T } ^ ? oweMn S P lants > "d Mr. H. G. 

 show that when slugs are provided with saucers 1 \? t* gardener at Blickling for 



more than 40 years, is to be congratulated on 

 the excellent appearance of the gardens. 



Readers will remember the Blicklins 



of latex, they take it as a cat laps milk. 



Potassium in Plants. — Beyond the fact that - 



potassium compounds are indispensable for plant- ™ lch was ™trated in Gardeners 9 Chronich 

 life, and apart from certain speculations, as, for February 22, 19C8 (fig. 49); this Pear was dis- 

 example, that potassium compounds play a part 

 in the manufacture of starch, little is known 

 either of their distribution in the plant, or of 

 the role of potassium in the economy of the 

 plant. Recent investigations carried out by Dr. 

 Weevers (Recueil des Travaux Botaniqve Nee- 

 landau, viii., p. 289), and summarised in Nature, 

 January 25, 1911, add considerably to our know- 

 By the use of very deli- 

 Dr. Weevers has 



SEASIDE SHRUBS. 



Those who have gardens in close proximity to 

 the sea-shore know the difficulty experienced in 

 getting shrubs to thrive. Cohf winds from the 

 sea and the murky dampness that prevails dur- 

 ing the autumn affect most kinds adversely, but 

 the following genera will not only withstand 

 the cold winds but actually thrive in pla s 

 where other shrubs would perish :— Escallonia, 

 Euonymus, Cytisus (Broom), Choisya, Golden 

 Privet, Viburnum Tinus, Olearia, Thuyopsis, 

 shrubby Veronicas in variety. Rhamnus (Sea 

 Buckthorn), Ril.es (Flowering Currant), Fuchsia, 



Hydrangea, Golden Alder, Buddleia, Guelder 



Rose, and Cotoneaster. Some of these shrubs 

 have coloured foliage and others produce bright 

 berries, making a continual show from early 

 spring tilflate autumn. If trees are desired a trial 

 Pear, may be made of Pinus insignis, Cupressus, Abies, 



Silver Kirs, Oak, Holly. Mountain Ash. Poplar, 

 Beech, Sycamore, and Whitethorn. W. A. .1/. 





*n 





ledge on these heads, 

 cate microchemical 



tests, 



shown that potash compounds are not found in 

 the cell-nucleus, nor in the chlorophyll grains; 

 but that they are always present in a soluble 

 form in the cytoplasm, where they occur mainly 

 in vacuoles. Potassium compounds are found 

 in the higher plants chiefly in the parenchyma, 

 and particularly in that of the growing points 

 and of reserve organs. Potassium compounds 

 occur also in considerable quantity in the living 

 elements of wood and bark, particularly in the 

 cambium and medullary rays, the latter appear- 

 ing to act as reservoirs of potash for the growth 

 of new shoots. Dr. Weevers concludes that 

 potash plays little or no part in carbon assimila- 

 tion, but that it is, in all probability, concerned 

 in the building up of new protoplasm, and in 



the synthesis and destruction of proteins in the 

 leaf. 



Charlock Spraying.— We have referred on 

 several occasions to the beneficient effect of 

 spraying with copper sulphate in keeping down 

 this pestilent weed. A long series of experi- 

 ments made by the Agricultural Department of 

 the University College of North Wales (Bangor), 

 and carried out at over 100 stations, demonstrate 

 that in North Wales a spray fluid consisting of a 

 4-5 per cent, solution of copper sulphate, applied 

 at the rate of 50 gallons per acre, destroys prac- 

 tically all the Charlock. For treating an acre 

 of ground 25 lbs. of copper sulphate are re- 

 quired. For 100 square yards use £ lb. in 1 gal- 

 lon of water. 



IP Jioto graph by H. N. King 



Fig. 67.— blickling hall : view in the flower garden. 



is 

 The 



BLICKLING HALL, NORFOLK. 



(See figs. 66, 67, and Supplementary Illustration.) 



Blickling Hall, the residence of Robert 



Kerr, tenth Marquis of Lothian, 

 about 



covered by Mr. W. Allan growing in these gar- 

 dens. It received the R.H.S. Award of Merit 



on January 8, 1907. 



The original 



tree died 



Schomberg 

 situated 



Manor 



u 



mile 



times : it 



from Aylsham. 

 from remote 



Edward 



of Blickling dates 



was held during King 



the Confessor's reign by Harold, and formed 

 one of the spoils of the Conqueror, who settled 

 the entire manor and advowson on the See of 

 Thetford. Blickling has further interest his- 

 torically in its connection with the Boleyn 

 family, for Anne Boleyn is said to have been 

 born at Blickling in the old manor house built by 

 Sir Nicholas Dagworth. This structure was 

 demolished and the present mansion completed 

 in 1628. Blickling came into the possession of 

 the Lothian family by the marriage of William, 

 sixth Marquis of Lothian, with Harriet, daugh- 

 ter of John, second Earl of Buckingham. 



The formal garden was originally designed by 



a year or two ago, but not before it had fur- 

 nished plenty of scions for purposes of pro- 

 pagation. The tree is a heavy cropper, and the 

 fruits ripen in January. 



IRELAND. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF 



IRELAND. 



At the meeting of this society, held on the 

 12th ult., it was arranged to hold the summer 

 show on Thursday, July 11, and the autumn 

 show on Tuesday, August 27. Both exhibi- 

 tions will be held in Lord Iveagh's grounds. A 

 spring show will be held in conjunction with the 

 Royal Dublin Society's spring cattle and imple- 

 ment show on Wednesday and Thursday, April 

 17 and 18. Particulars may be obtained from 

 the secretary, 5, Molesworth Street, Dublin. 



THE BACKWARD SEASON. 



Neaely 6 inches of rain fell in this district dur- 

 ing January and February. Strong gales have 

 been experienced, whilst frost, more severe than 

 usually experienced here, extended over a period 

 of nine days. Snow fell on Sunday, January 28. 

 All early-flowering plants are much later than 

 usual. During December, 1910, Wallflowers were 

 flowering freely, and continued blooming 

 throughout the winter. At the date of writing 

 this note only one plant of Wallflower is in 

 bloom, a self-sown seedling two years old. Poly- 

 anthuses are only just c<»nmencing to flower, and 

 their flower-stalks are rather stunted. The first 

 Narcissus opened its flowers on February 25. Iris 

 reticulata, which last year flowered in January, 

 has not yet shown its bud. Hepaticas at the 

 foot of a south wall are in flower, but Ane- 

 mones have not commenced to bloom, although 

 Arabis and Aubrietia have a few flowers open. 

 A few clumps of Lent Lilies have flowered freely. 

 Colin Ruse, Lambay Island, Rush, Co. Dublin. 



