September 5, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
183 
other hand if planted on heavy soils it is usually spoilt by disease, 
this season being unfortunately no exception to the rule. If 
limited to eight varieties I should select Mona’s Pride, Bad- 
' saye’s Kidney, Snowflake, Model, Carter’s Main Crop, Prince 
Arthur, Schoolmaster, and Magnum Bonum.—W. IGGULDEN, 
Orsett Hall. 
THE AURICULA APHIS. 
I AM in despair, and am almost tempted to say 1 must give 
up my favourite flower, for I find this abominable pest as 
rampant amongst my plants as ever. When I repotted them 
I took every precaution. ATI the plants were well cleaned, the 
loam I used came from Hampshire, and the leaf mould from 
a distance, and I am sure there was nothing in the soil. . The 
plants throve well, the pots soon became full of roots, and 
I thought I was rid of the plague ; but on my return from 
Scotland in July I was told it was on one of my plants at the 
crown. I then turned out some others, and in one form or 
another it was, Iam sure, in nine out of ten plants ; but, strange 
to say, they exhibited no outward trace of suffering. The 
foliage was healthy, and where it was otherwise they were 
evidently out of sorts from some other cause. In my trouble 
I wrote to my friend Mr. Llewelyn, who told me that he had 
found some of it at the time of repotting, but that by using a 
solution of soft soap and tobacco powder, and plunging the 
pot, plant and all, into it, he had got rid of it. This was good 
news tome, I adopted his formula, dipped my plants, but to 
my disgust I find the aphis alive and prospering under the 
treatment. 
The question now arises, From whence has come this fresh 
invasion? Is it the result of some nidus left on the plants, or 
does the same cause exist to produce the infliction as that 
which caused it at first? I am afraid the latter is the true 
state of the case, for I have found the same aphis (at least so 
far as I can judge) on the roots of the Lettuce and even the 
Sowthistle. Hence I am afraid the place is full of it, and do 
what I can I shall not be able to keep the plants free from it ; 
for if it can fasten itself on the roots of a plant which has only 
a few weeks of life, how much more likely is it to effect a 
lodgment on a perennial like the Auricula ? 
But then comes another question, What is its effect on the 
plant? Ihave said as yet I see no marked change in mine. 
I have examined the roots, and find that where the aphis is 
clustered on one of the long fleshy roots that still it seems to 
grow on, and I do not find any of that set appearance which 
Mr. Horner speaks of and which I found on some of my plants 
last year. Some weeks ago when I first rediscovered it. and 
before I knew that so many of my plants were affected, I 
placed a plant of General Neil on which I found it apart, and 
haye watched it from day to day. The plant grows and looks 
vigorous and healthy. I have therefore determined not to 
repot my plants, to try some other remedy, and if it fails to 
let them remain until the spring. As soft soap has failed I 
shall try Gishurst. By the way, the plants did not seem to 
dislike the soft soap at all. 
I haye mentioned the name of my friend Mr. Llewelyn, and 
I am sure all who know him will deeply feel for him in the 
great domestic sorrow he is suffering by the loss of one of his 
sons, accidentally drowned while bathing on Caswell sands 
near Swansea on Tuesday last.—D., Deal. 
THE WARS OF THE ROSES. 
I Must decline to accept the position assigned to me by 
“WYLD SAVAGE” among exhibitors of Roses when he says, 
“Tt is almost a certainty that these two (Messrs. Baker and 
Jowitt) are first and second at any show ; then comes Canon 
Hole.” At the last Exhibition of the National Rose Society, 
~ held at Manchester, I took the first prize offered to amateurs 
(£10 for forty-eight varieties), Mr. Jowitt the second; Mr. 
Baker telegraphing that his bloom was over. 
I cannot, as a rule, exhibit my Roses in their integrity before 
the 6th or 8th of July ; but when they are at their best, and not 
injured by vernal frosts, to which I am much exposed, I fear 
neither “Gog” nor “Magog” (not happy titles for amiable 
rosarians !), and hope to be where I found myself not many 
weeks ago—at Manchester and Spalding. The Rev. H. N. 
Pochin, placed fourth on the list, has shown Roses unsurpassed 
for symmetry and size, and may possibly repeat the performance 
when he has removed from the disadvantages of a change of 
residence ; and I know some other rosarians who, not possessing 
} 
at present the extensive collections of my friends at Exeter and 
Hereford, would produce Roses of equal, if not superior, merit 
in smaller quantities. I may mention, for instance, the Roses 
exhibited by Mr. Soames of lrnham Park at the Crystal Palace, 
Maidstone, and Manchester.—S. REYNOLDS HOLE. \ 
LOOK TO THE FRUIT TREES. 
THE reason why the failure of the fruit crop has been so 
general has been asked repeatedly. ‘Two reasons have been given 
—cold and wet in the autumn of last year, cold and wet in the 
spring of this year; the first preventing the ripening of the 
wood, the second the development of the fruit. HEyverywhere 
blossom was abundant, but in most cases when the fruit came 
to be looked for it was not to be found, and we were invited 
to consider and show cause for its so-called mysterious dis- 
appearance. Well, I suppose nobody is prepared to gainsay 
the reason why as I have explained it, and if that is granted 
let us then inquire if we have no remedy for such a lamentable 
state of things. I for one think we have no perfect remedy, 
but am, convinced that much may be done to ameliorate the 
present state of things. A few weeks ago, when driving through 
the Weald of Sussex near the foot of the South Downs, I saw 
several Apple trees heavily laden with fruit in many of the 
snug cottage enclosures and orchards which I passed, afford- 
ing proof that the trees derived important benefit from the 
sheltering belts of trees and hedgerows by which they were 
enclosed. Driving with Dr. Hoge about a year ago through 
another part of the same district, we went past a small garden 
open to the road, but completely shut in by trees on the north 
and east, in which the fruit trees were literaliy bending beneath 
their load of fruit. ‘ There,” said our Doctor, “see the value 
of shelter.” I might adduce other examples, but the fact of 
the value of shelter is so well established that my object is 
rather to urge the application of such knowledge in actual 
practice than to convey information about that part of my 
subject. 
For the present moment let me advise care and caution in 
pruning, for I much fear that the immature condition of the 
wood in spring is often traceable to late sammer pruning. To 
prune a tree hard now is to induce buds that would otherwise 
remain dormant till spring to start into growth, and, however 
fine the weather may be throughout autumn, such growth 
cannot possibly become mature. If, then, the growth is so 
much crowded as to darken the interior of the trees prune the 
shoots, but leave them 5 or 6 inches long, so that when growth 
ceases you may shorten them to full plump buds near the base 
and upon firm well-ripened wood. When an undue amount 
of shade is not thrown upon the centre of the tree, then I 
prefer giving the shoots a twist about 3 or 4 inches from the 
base and turning the tips downwards, thus imparting a check 
in the flow of sap to such a nicety that the bottom buds swell 
almost to bursting, but do not burst until next spring, the 
mutilated “twist” being pruned away in winter— EDWARD 
LUCKHURST. 
BATTERSEA PARK. 
Mucw as Battersea Park has been admired during past 
years, and numerous as have been the visitors, it has never 
been more attractive than during the present summer, nor so 
largely patronised. The park has been brighter in brighter 
years, but this year the intense greenness of the lawns and the 
exuberant growth of trees, shrubs, and ormmamental-foliaged 
plants have abundantly compensated for the absence of 
glowing masses of Geraniums which could not be produced, 
or at any rate could not long continue, during such dripping 
weather as has recently been experienced. I lowers earlier in 
the season were numerous enough—spring flowers and early 
summer flowers, flowering shrubs, herbaceous flowers, and 
bedding plants ; but the season for many of these has passed, 
and foliage tall and stately as in the subtropical plants, and 
bright and lowly as in the carpet beds, is now in the ascendant. 
Yet there are flowers now. The bushes of Althea frutex in 
the shrubberies richly laden with fine Hollyhock-like blooms 
are very beautiful. Masses of Dahlias, glowing “ Pokers” 
(Lritoma Uvaria), charming groups of that fine autumn herb- 
aceous plant Anemone japonica alba, Liliums, rows of Chrys- 
anthemum frutescens, Salvia patens, and Pentstemons, also 
Calceolarias, Ageratums, and a remnant of Geraniums and 
Lobelias are represented, so that there is no lack of cheerful- 
ness. But the foliage plants constitute the chief charm, and 
