iU 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. 



[June 29, 1912. 



William Fyfe.— The many friends of this 

 well-known and skilful gardener will hear with 

 deep regret of his death, which took place at 

 Lockinge Gardens, Berkshire, on the 24th inst., 

 from appendicitis. Mr. Fyfe was a frequent and 

 valued contributor to these pages. His contribu- 

 tions extended over a very long period, but 

 amongst his later work were weekly articles on 

 the management of the kitchen garden (in 1905) 

 and the flower garden (in 1908). The excellence of 

 the gardens at Lockinge, where Sir. Fyfe had 

 served Lord and Lady Wantage for a period of 

 19 years, testifies to his great abilities (see Gard. 

 Chron, February 3, 1906). Mr. Fyfe was a 

 member of the Fruit and Vegetable Committee of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society, and so was pro- 

 bably best known to the gardening public as a 

 successful grower of fruits, but he also excelled 

 in the other departments of gardening. The 

 flower gardening at Lockinge, for instance, was 

 equal to anything of the kind we have seen at a 

 private establishment. Mr. Fyfe was possessed 

 of a most genial personality, and was highly re- 

 spected by all who knew him. He leaves a 

 widow and one daughter, the wife of Mr. 

 Edward Harriss, fruit foreman at the Royal 

 Gardens, Windsor. Mr. Harriss contributes the 

 articles on fl Fruits Under Glass " now appear- 

 ing in these pages. 



Qmwn 



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* # # The Editors 

 consideration, large 



subjects, suitable 



Journal. 



will be glad to receive, for 

 photographs of horticultural 

 for reproduction in this 



Address : Cloris. The John Groom's Flower 

 Girls' Mission, Sekforde Street, Clerkenwell. 



Apple Tkees : G. B. (Catford). From your de- 

 scription, we suspect that the Apple trees are 

 affected with American blight. The best sum- 

 mer treatment is to spray the parts with a 

 weak solution of Calvert's carbolic soap, not 

 exceeding 1 ounce of soap to a gallon of wat 

 at a temperature of 90°. During the winter, 

 you should spray the trees with the following : 

 1 lb. caustic soda, $ lb. carbonate of potash, 

 10 ounces of soft soap, and 10 galls, of water, 

 adding the soft soap last. The operator should 

 wear leather gloves. If only a few trees are 

 affected, it is a good plan to apply a strong 

 solution of Calvert's carbolic soap with a stiff 

 brush, well working it into the crevices of the 

 bark. 



Abalia Leaves : T . B. There is no disease pre- 

 sent; the leaves have been injured by some 

 external influence such as a too low tempera- 

 ture. 



Chrysanthemums Diseased : S. & Co. The 

 damage is caused by the Chrysanthemum leaf- 

 miner ; see reply to S. G. R. in the issue for 

 April 27, p. 290. 



Correction. In the list of awards on p. 417 

 of the last issue, the name of the exhibitor of 

 the Rose Pink Pearl should, as reference to 

 the previous page will show, read as Messrs. 

 Hobbies, Ltd. Messrs. V. Lemoine & Sons, 

 Nancy, inform us that the two varieties of 

 Philadelphus (P. Bouquet Blanc and P. Voie 

 Lactee), which received Aw r ards of Merit at 

 the last R.H.S. meeting (see p. 417) are 

 hybrids raised by them. P. Bouquet Blanc is 

 a cross between P. coronarius and P. micro- 

 phyllus, whilst P. Voie Lactee, which was also 

 shown by Messrs. Paul & Sons, Cheshunt, who 

 participated in the award, is the result of 

 crossing P. nepalensis with P. microphyllus. 



Cucumber Mildew : L. 0. J . Dust the affected 

 leaves with flowers of sulphur, maintain a drier 

 atmosphere, and prevent cold draughts. 



Failure of Pot Plants: A. H. B. We can 

 find no trace of disease on any of the plants, 

 and the trouble must be looked for in some 

 wrong cultural treatment. 



Fig Splitting: J. M. y Ireland. The cause of 

 the splitting in the Fig fruits is most pro- 

 bably caused by too much atmospheric mois- 

 ture. Maintain drier conditions in the house, 

 and always free circulation of air. The name 

 of the variety is Eeculver. 



Figs Diseased: A. C. The black spots are the 

 spores of a minute fungus that grows on 

 manure ; the spores are shot into the air. Your 

 best plan is to cover the mulching with a thin 

 layer of soil. 



Fruits Diseased : T. M. The fruits are in- 

 jured by mildew. It is too late to adopt 

 remedial measures, but next season spray 

 the trees with the Bordeaux mixture at half 

 the usual strength when the blossom has just 

 fallen. 



Grapes : E. W. and G. B. The berries on the 

 bunch of Lady Downe's Grape are affected 

 with the spot disease (Gloeosporium ampelo- 

 phagum). The bunches should be sprayed with 

 liver of sulphur, at the strength of ^ ounce in 

 2 gallons of water. As the sulphur w r ill cause 

 white paint to turn black care should be taken 

 to prevent the specific wetting the woodwork of 

 the vinery. 



Grapes Unhealthy : Foliage. There is no 

 disease present ; the trouble is due to some 

 wrong condition at the roots. 



Insects in Pond: A. J. (Totties). The insects 

 to which you refer are probably the larvae of 

 the caddis-worm. Probably the best and safest 

 way to get rid of them would be to introduce 

 some water-fowl. 



Ivy-leaved Pelargonium : H . P. The seed- 

 ling shows no improvement on varieties already 

 in cultivation. 



Name of Tree : C. E. W. The branch you send 

 is of Catalpa bignonioides, a North American 



THE LATE WILLIAM FYFE. 



tree fairly common in gardens. In favourable 

 seasons it develops its interesting flowers, 

 which are followed by hanging fruits. 



Names of Plants : W. P. Erinus alpinus. — 

 Foliage. Medicago maculata. — A. B. H. 

 Geranium striatum. — J. E. 1, Rosa polyantha 

 var. ; 2, Habenaria bifolia ; 3, Orchis maculata j 

 4, Sanicula europoea ; 5, specimen not found , 

 6. Irk squalens var. ; 7, Erica tetralix alba ; 8, 

 Erica cinerea alba. — H. S. 1, 2, and 3, forms 

 of Centranthus ruber; 4, probably ^gopo- 

 dium Podagraria (it is difficult to name cor- 

 rectly a single leaf). — F. A. } Br ought y Ferry. 

 Magnolia acuminata (the Cucumber tree). — 

 Annual. Hyoscyamus niger, one of the 

 poisonous Solanums allied to Atropa Bella- 

 donna (Deadly Nightshade). — Humea, York- 

 shire. Muscari comosum monstrosum. — G. B. 

 1, Cupressus species ; 2, Abies Nordmanniana ; 

 3, Cladrastis tinctoria; 4, Polygonum Sacha- 

 linense ; 5, Cupressus Lawsoniana ; 6, Jasmi- 

 nuin humile ; 7, Thuya plicata ; 8, probably 

 Grevillea rosmarinifolia (send when in flower) ; 

 9, Retinospora squarrosa (of gardens) ; 10, 

 Cupressus thuyoides ; 11, Cotoneaster Simonsii. 

 Library Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla. 

 . L. Lathyrus Nissolia. — A. B. H. The 

 specimen forwarded had suffered in transit. 

 Please send a fresher portion. — H. A. 1, Phila- 

 delphus purpureo-maculatus ; 2, P. Lemoinei. 

 — H. R. 1, Olearia macrodonta ; 2, Valeriana 

 so. — Old Reader. Rose too shattered and 

 dried for recognition. The perfume resembles 



that of Souvenir d'un Ami. The Carnation ia 

 apparently a border variety. You should have 

 forwarded a shoot bearing foliage. — Jj. & 

 W. C . 1, Senecio articulatus ; 2, Othonna 

 carnosa. — Dublin. 1, Sedum sarmentosum 

 variegatum ; 2, Lirope spicata variegata ; 3, 

 Acalypha sp., specimen too small and poor to 

 determine; 4, Strobilanthes Dyerianus ; 5, 

 Peperonia argentea ; 6, Ruellia Portelhe. — 

 W. G. D. The shrub is Philadelphus micro- 

 phyllus and the border flower Asperula 

 odorata. — W. J. 1, Muscari comosum; 2, 

 Spiraea aruncus ; 3, Spiraea filipendula fl. pi. ; 

 4, Campanula gloanerata; 5, Erigeron specio- 

 sum; 6, not recognised. 



NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA : R. A. You will 



find the information you seek in the library of 

 your institution. The best general account of 

 nitrogen -fixing bacteria is in Jost's Physiology. 

 Records of recent progress in our knowledge of 

 the subject are to be found in the pages of this 

 journal, particularly in the issues for Janu- 

 ary 9, 16, 23, and 30, and September 23, 1911, 

 February 6, 20, and 27, March 13 and 20, and 

 . May 22, June 12 and 19, 1909. 



Peach Leaves and Fruit : J. C. The leaves are 

 attacked by the Shot-hole fungus (see reply to 

 A. S. R. and H. A. T . in last week's issue). 

 The fruits which show gummosis are affected 

 with mildew, which is probably caused by 

 dryness at the roots ; dust ^ the fruits with 

 flowers of sulphur and copiously water the 

 border. 



Strawberries Littered with Grass : G. 

 Crowther. It is not advisable to place the 

 mowings of grassland beneath ripe Straw- 

 berries, as during wet weather it might cause 

 numbers of the fruits to rot. You cannot do 

 better than employ clean straw. 



Sweet Pea Unhealthy : R. E. W. There is no 

 disease present on the plants. The injury is 

 due to a chill, caused probably by watering the 

 plants late in the day. 



Syringing Grapes : G. D. S. C. Vines are not 



generally syringed after the buds have com- 

 menced to grow freely, unless the leaves are 

 infested with red spider, in which case rain 

 water only must be used, and the bunches 

 should not be wetted more than is necessary, as 

 they are likely to become marked. The syring- 

 ing should be done late in the afternoon. It is 

 sometimes necessary to wash bunches which are 

 infested with mealy-bug, but this should not be 

 done till they are ripe, and then only when they 

 are required for immediate use. 



Tea and Rubber Growing: Arboretum. Vacant 



situations on Tea and Rubber plantations are 



occasionally advertised in the Gardeners' 



Chronicle and in those journals solely devoted 



to the Tea and Rubber industries. You should 



insert an advertisement, stating your require- 

 ments. 



Variation in Gladiolus and Pink : F. L. 



Flowers of Gladiolus nanus The Bride fre- 

 quently have streaks of colour on some of their 

 petals. The Pinks which you send as a sport 

 from Mrs. Sinkins are quite distinct from the 

 flowers of that variety, and are very similar to 

 several of the old-fashioned Pinks ; many of the 

 more recent varieties are of greater merit. 



Vines Unhealthy: P. L. Spray the vines 

 twice a week with liver of sulphur, using 1 

 ounce in 3 gallons of water. 



Violas Diseased: H. S. E. The plants are 

 badly attacked by Puccinia violae, a fungus. 

 Burn the diseased leaves and plants, and re- 

 plant the remainder of the stock in fresh soil, 



as that in which they are growing will be in- 

 fected. 



Weed in Pond: Mrs. M. T. S., Birkenhead. 

 The plant is one of the Algae, and is known 

 as Blanket Weed. Place 2 lbs. of the copper 

 sulphate in a coarse sack, which should be 

 dragged quickly through the water at dis- 

 tances of 3 yards apart. See Gard. Chron., 

 April 13 last, p. 242. 



--Humea, Yorkshire_Greatbridge__W. E E. V. A— 



J. G., Burton.on-Trent_Anrerton_A. H. P.— W. B— 

 L. W W. W.__E. L., Nancy— C. R.-P- & Co.— M. »— 



J- M-t Ireland— A. F. T.__W. K._J. H. M A.. J.,Totnes 



M. M. t Rothesay J. M. H J. B. W Y. f Leicester— 



«; ^- < £. R ~- JL H —A. P.-R- P. B._ A. P. R.-R; p 



w - K.-_Visitor_G. B L. M. B.-_Foreman_ J. H. M« 



