544 
THE 
GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
(Novexerr 9, 1895, 
gifts. Besides being associated with the 
memory of Queen Mary, the annals of Melville 
proudly record two visits of royalty within the 
century. George IV. was here in 1822, Queen 
Victoria in 1842. 
The next otject of € is the gardenr. Mel- 
ville’s fame has long roe and deservedly 
the last twenty 
of те ize-taking, 
m ous 
discontinued, attests 
achieved in competition at all the more important 
exhibition 
lo "t ‘at this year’s crop is sufficient to 
prove that the traditions of Melville in this re- 
pe 
lists. The 
entered was a late vinery, ee ley Alicante, Lady 
Downs, and Gros Colmar, The large size of both 
d d the pre з.д ; ot excellent 
colour and finish, indicated both care and intelligence 
in rearing. The same features were observable in the 
uscat of 
Alexandria, Mrs. Pier and Madresield Court. 
Golden Hamburgh w and the 
skill of Mr. McKinnon aud bis able chief — 
Mr. Black, have been particularly successful in 
bringing near to perfection the crop of Madresfield 
Court, which have a tendency to crack, and are very 
difficult to finish. 
Two other houses are devoted to the rearing of 
early crops, and from the finished appearance of the 
bunches left, give every indication of health 
vigour. Several other houses are devoted to Peaches, 
Tomatos, Figs, Plums, &c., and similarly in- 
dieative of the results obtained by able m r 
Whether ad to the size or to 
flavour 
of these fruits, it is sufficient to say that they are 
grown at Melville, Another remarkable feature of 
fruit-rearing here, and one which owes its initiation 
nd perfection t resent manager, is t 
splendid collection of fruit trees in pots, which 
crowd other two houses, e crop of 
Apples, Pears, Piume, Cherries. n 
climate, soil, and aets us marvelling at the resources 
of the gardening art here brought into play. 
from fruit grown 
d average 
There is a specially 
fine lot of Morello Cherri 
The exhibition of flowering Plants in the _conser- 
8 pe 
—.— сак One of the former, whore гоо 
mass of Tacsonias, Fuc 
ешн «айы игш of greenhouse plants, 
allin prime condition. The broad borders of the 
walk in front have long been remarkable for the col- 
lection of herbaceous flowers, embracing many rare 
specimens. A number of beds in front of the Palm- 
house, ablaze w ith B 
TE 
damp better than Pelargoniums, and e 
heavy rains of the month of J q^ m enabled t 
to recover f drought o 
order of the day, and in addition to many gems of 
their kind, we were specially struck . the ques 
effect produced by a frequently recurring 0 
posed of Begonias, Gladiolus, Lobelia FEE RE 
and Dactylis glomerata, The of devoting the 
centre beds t plants of tall ie serves admirably 
to break the monotony and artificialness of the 
poche Ie flower garden, and guion a ж create 
the impres of the presence e rather 
by a border of Rhododendron”, mixed with golden 
Elder, iggy od ai &c., and runs along the left- 
hand side, Zour 
BEGONIA DISEASE. 
СатттуАтовз of tropical herbaceous plants, such 
Gloxinias, fa; Pentas, Impatiens, NS. 
and especially Begonias, are more or less familiar 
with a “ disease " 
batches of them in a 
the young leaves and flower 
to Ade and fall off, 1 the lea 1 and 
become aborted. Whe es is bad, the 
youngest leaves are pea in growth when very 
small, and the whole plant soon presents a hope- 
ну crippled арреатапсе. The leaves аге dis- 
coloured with patches of a black or brown colour, 
as if кый + from a rust-fungus of some kin 
ral impression vey regard to the nature 
із fungoid, Attention was 
“ Taberous 8 by Mr. W. W. Sheath nm 
pp. 267, 963), who stated that Pot-plants (of Bego- 
nias) are sometimes infested with a kind of rast on 
the stems and leaves, which some growers say is a 
fungus, but I have found = more 3 when in 
too much heat in spring; also by sudden changes of 
temperatane or draughts; - imperfect siae 
in fact, by Шм that would cause a check in the 
owth." Oa p. 305 there is a note signed н W. ©,” 
Жып d wees is attributed to “ large numbers 
of white s, barely vi aad e" the naked eye.’ 
Another res ent, however, “ Н. W. C.,” wh 
says (0. 337) that he is an —— geower of Be- 
gonias, does not believe that the small white insects 
are the cause of this rust-like disease, but inclines 
to believe that it is caused by a fungus. 
A учей Ее has been going оп concur- 
rently in в of The Garden have been 
tested тэн 105 f for some years, which at 
firat I thought e kind of rust-fungus, but 
which I now ben i is pm y & very small insect 
or mite, as small as it be invisible to the naked 
eye, Itruns very quickly, and therefore often soon 
leaves a leaf or shoot if disturbed. This no doubt 
accounts for the failure of experts to fiad the insect 
when specimens of the disease have been submitted 
to them. 
By lightly fumigating once a week with tobacco 
— plants subject to the attacks of this pest, we 
w no cmm in keeping our  Begonias 
ee 
not been hopelessly crippled ге 
it is ser oy “Thi cd & batch of Acanthaceous 
plants, such asticias, Aphelandras, & e., had 
been l from тя particalar disease for some 
weeks before it was noticed, The gardener in charge 
of the plants thought а fungus was the cause of the 
curling and discoloration of the foliage By fre- 
quently dipping the affected plants in a weak solu- 
tion of tobacco, the plants were, in most Cases, saved, 
and have since quite recovered, 
Every cultivator knows how easily irregularity of 
temperátare | or ere moisture will bring on 
der glass, and “thie mite, which is peel than 
dither of the two pests named, and at least as quick- 
spreading and ore in ite effects on thé health 
of the nuns can from the same cause 
viz., bad ventilation or rio other fault in the atmo- 
sphere in the house containing the plants. 
I am quite certain that the disease, 
ав above 
ical her. 
described, апа which attacks various в tropi 
baceous planta, is the work of an insect or mite «t 
may be kept impe 2 ^ gu. use of 
either in scant: 
If furt gia is poe the followi 
su beter days ago I "me Mane h 
eminent fango bloki, to examine examples 
of plants affected with this disease, М which had 
escaped notice till recently, * reported as follows: 
—" ‘The disease is caused prim 
insecta and the disease will disapp pear," 
Certain forms of black blotching and leaf. curling 
which often disfigure Masdevallias of the Chiman 
be sought 
= carefu aby, and when discovered it requires dE 
&re and perseverance to get rid of it, Bat this, of 
— is another story. W. W., Kew 
KEW NOTES. 
Mousa Е lant bearing this name is же: 
gna in the Palm-house at o 
1.—A 
her 
ue cha We of 
M. Fehi, but whether the plant uidi notice be that 
e 6 fee hes wide, with а суш. 
irc petiolo 18 ‘inches long, we dw ith аж 
aly down. The inflon 
od 1 toot long below the 8. "iol of flowers; 
the bracts are ovate, concave, the largest 8 inches 
long by 5 inches in width, and coloured crimson- 
ow, at the base of the bracts, and 
the fruits are angular, 
it bas been bers for the Botanical Magazine, 
AGAVE ATROVIRENS, 
now pushing 
whither it has recently bee 
Suceulent-house, where т = : conspicuous object 
y leaves, the average 
long. 
nchet 
t spine 3 inches 
The spike when fally „ is about 
the flowers, which are tubular, yellow, e 
rsoid pani 
ЕСЕ 
long. 
that has flowered within twelve months. 0 
they perish with flowering. 
WALLICHIA CARYOTOIDES. 
This is the h ideis of the three known ps 
of c which are all represented i in the 
ho 
flora i W 
the third, W. disticha, i 
arrangement of its ag "со is : Ir T 
wi 
long, the leaflets 
wider and jagged at the apex, 
uppe silvery below, The male 
М. Fehi is а native of Tahiti | 
and New Caledonia, and bears edible fruits which 
sometimes ripen their seeds, aud sometimes 38 
ined from 
