416 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 23, 1876. 



appears to be a diminutive species of Veronica speciosa, and 

 is bardy in some places in the north. It is deserving a place 

 in all collections. Too much cannot be said in its favour for 

 either in or out door decoration. It is now in fall bloom 

 both in and out doors ; its sma'l bright foliage and lovely 

 flowers are beautiful in the frost and snow that now surrounds 

 the plants. It thrives well in any ordinary garden soil ; it is 

 readily increased by cuttings or division. — Northman. 



NOTES AND GLEANING8. 

 We understand that a conference of Rose exhibitors and 

 Rose growers will be held on Thursday, December 7th, at 

 the Horticultural Clubhouse, 3 and 4, Adelphi Terrace, at 2 p.m., 

 for the purpose of devising some satisfactory arrangement as 

 to the future of Rofe shows, etc. Amongst the subjects to be 

 discussed will be the formation of a National Rose Society or 

 Club, an idea which was started at the last Hereford Rose 

 Show ; the abolition of two- day Rose shows ; and the revival 

 of the National Rose Show, which was merged some years ago 

 in that of the Royal Horticultural Society, and has fallen 

 through. Already many of the leadiDg rosarians, both ama- 

 teurs and professional, have signified their intention of being 

 present, and we are requested to state that circulars will be 

 sent to all Rose exhibitors as far as known ; but should any 

 be inadvertently passed over, it is hoped that they will consider 

 this notice as sufficient. There will be a dinner after the con- 

 ference is over. 



In another column will be found a report of the Brixton 



Chrysanthemum Show, in which a noted ex-pugilist proved a 

 veritable champion. Other Chrysanthemum Bhows have re- 

 cently been held — at Woolwich, Hackney, Lambeth, Stratford, 

 &e. — proving that the Chrysanthemum is a great favourite 

 with Londoners, and deservedly so, for no flower gives better 

 returns to the cultivator. None braves metropolitan smoke 

 so well, and penetrates November fogs with flowers of equal 

 purity and beauty. Excellent plants and superior blooms 

 have been staged at all the exhibitions, and young growers 

 are vieing with the " old hands " as earnest and skilful culti- 

 vators. 



A correspondent, "J. P.," informs us that Williams' 



Silver Ball Turnip is a variety of the greatest excellence. 

 He states that he sowed seed of it, also of three other sorts, at 

 the same time, and Silver Ball was not only the earliest, but 

 it continued in use loDg after the others had run to seed. He 

 says also that the cook prefers it to all other sorts, and he 

 intends to grow it exclusively in the future. 



Mr. D. Lumsden, Bloxholm, writes to us that on look- 

 ing over his Potatoes the late sorts, such as Paterson's Victoria, 

 Dunbar Regents, &c, are found to be extensively diseased; 

 indeed they are as bad as ever they have been seen in that 

 neighbourhood ; but that all the early garden varieties have 

 escaped the disease. 



" Observer," writing further on Grape-growing, states 



that all the four Vines mentioned on page 423 were stocks, 

 and that he ought to have written " The influence of one stock 

 on another," instead of " The influence of the stock upon the 

 scion." 



In reference to Strawberries in November Mr. Frisby 



of Blankney writes that he has had plants sent to him under 

 the name of Viscomtesse Hericart de Thury which proved 

 identical with the sort he grows as Garibaldi. He considers 

 this the best forcing Strawberry, and grows from twelve to 

 thirteen hundred potB of it. In April the early-forced plants 

 are planted in rich soil, and alwajB produce good crops of fruit 

 in the autumn, and he has now plants in full flower and fruit. 

 A correspondent in Lincolnshire also alludes to the valuable 

 autumn crops of Strawberries which he has seen at Blankney, 

 and states that Garibaldi and ViecomtesBe Hericart de Thury 

 are considered in that district as being synonymous. Mr. 

 Lumsden of Bloxholm is also of that opinion. 



Mr. Hallldat, late gardener to Admiral Popeham, 



Carden, Forfarehire, has been appointed head gardener to 

 Mrs. Wemyse, WemyBB CaBtle, Fifeshire. Mr. .Tudd, who has 

 recently been appointed gardener at Warwick Castle, was gar- 

 dener at Hawkstone, not Oxton, as previously announced. 



We learn that a National Auricula Snow will be held 



at the Crystal Palace on April 24th. The Crystal Palace Com- 

 pany have offered £10, and other contributions of £5 besides 

 small sums are already promised towards the prize list. The 



northern growers are willing to co-operate with their southern 

 friends, and an exhibition of more than ordinary magnitude 

 is anticipated. F. Whitbourne, Esq., Loxford Hall, is ap- 

 pointed President ; Mr. Turner, Slough, Treasurer ; and Mr. 

 E. S. Dodwell, Larkhall Rise, Clapham, Honorary Secretary 

 of the Society. 



There is now flowering in the CryBtal Palace for the 



second time this season an old but useful greenhouse plant 

 which is not nowin general cultivation — Cestrum aurantiacum. 

 This plant, which is allied to Habrothamnns, is not only suit- 

 able for walls and pillars, but flowers freely in quite a dwarf 

 state — that is, cuttings struck in the spring and grown through 

 the summer in the open air, having their pots plunged in aBhes, 

 become useful decorative plants in the autumn. We have re- 

 cently seen plants in 5-inch pots flowering freely, and their 

 drooping raoemea of orange-coloured flowers were muoh prized. 

 In the Alhambra Court at the Crystal Palace a fine plant of 

 Aralia papyrifera is flowering. The leaves of this plant are 

 fully 3 feet in diameter. In the same Court the Dragon's- 

 blood Tree and other DracamaB are in superior condition, and 

 this part of the Palace is worthy of a visit. The cleanliness 

 and general good health of the plants and trees in the immense 

 structure afford evidence that they are well cultivated and 

 cared for. 



We have received from Mr. Bennett of Rangemore a 



sample of Gros Colman Grapes. The berries were closely set, 

 and not one of them measured less than 3| inches in circum- 

 ference ; they were also tolerably well coloured, but not per- 

 fectly black. Although this Grape is not esteemed by Mr. 

 Bass, and is being supplanted at Rangemore with other varie- 

 ties of better flavour, yet the Grapes sent were juicy and re- 

 freshing, and were, we think, superior to any of the same kind 

 which we have previously tasted. This is a noble-looking 

 Grape, and some cultivators find that when it is grown in a 

 tolerably high temperature and is ripened early, that its quality 

 is much better than when the Vine is grown in a cool tempe- 

 rature. Mr. Wildsmith speaks well of Gros Colman, and has 

 recently exhibited it excellently well at South Kensington. 



A " Durham Amateur " states that he has preserved 



Tea and other tender Roses annually by digging them up in 

 November and laying them in by their heels in a part of the 

 garden where he could cover their tops with litter in severe 

 weather. He does not recommend a south border for thus 

 storing them, as in such a position the buds are apt to com- 

 mence growth too early in the spring. A few dozens of Roses 

 can be laid in a small plot of ground with a little expenditure 

 of labour. Before adopting this plan be annually lost some 

 much-valued Roses, but now he has buEhes which he has thus 

 preserved for several years, and such Roses flower freely during 

 the summer and autumn months. He states that the frequent 

 removals have induced the trees to form buehy fibrous roots 

 very different to the ordinary rootB of Roses which are left to 

 grow year after year without being removed. 



The Coloeado Potato Beetle. — Information has beers 



received from the German authorities, conveyed to Her 

 Majesty's Minister at Berlin, on the capture of the insect on 

 board ships at Bremen, and also with regard to their intro- 

 duction into Sweden. The insect not only moves by flyiDg, 

 and by navigating, so to epeak, smooth water, but also travels 

 on common vehicles, railway carriages, and platforms, on decks 

 of vessels, &c, especially during the months of August and 

 September. In localities fully invaded, the beetles may be 

 seen creeping on side walks, bridges, and wharves, crawling up 

 buildings, penetrating houses and dwellings, finding their way 

 into boats and vessels, and being found alive after a long 

 sojourn in situations where there would seem to exist no chance 

 for them to find any subsistence. If, however, the absolute 

 repelling of the invader is unfortunately beyond reach, the 

 extent of the disaster is fortunately in a very great measure 

 under control, involving, of course, care and expense. The 

 remedies are — 1, Searching for and crushing every Potato 

 beetle wherever found. 2, Frequent visits to the Potato fields, 

 and searching for the eggs deposited on the under side of the 

 leaves of the Potato vine; and 3, Watching for the presence 

 of the larva? on the buds and on the leaves of the plant, in 

 order to destroy them by means of Paris green, the only sub- 

 Btance yet discovered to be effectually operative. — [Daihj 

 Telegraph.) 



Ancient Toughened, Glass.- — In a " Book of Curiosi- 

 ties " we read — "There was an artificer in Rome who made 

 vessels of glass of so tenacious a temper that they were as 



