August 2, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



95 



he thought it alike honourable to himself and creditable to 

 his brother horticulturists that his exertions should be thus 

 publicly acknowledged. He had the greatest pleasure in making 

 the presentation. The plate upon the timepiece bore the 

 following inscription : — " Presented to Mr. James Service, nur- 

 seryman, Maxwelltown, Dumfries, as a mark of respect by a 

 few friends. Kirkcudbright, 20th July, 1877." This pleasing 

 mark of recognition was appropriately acknowledged by Mr. 

 Service. 



In alluding to the Vineyaed at Castle Coch, " The 



Gardener " Btates, the Vines planted in the spring of 1875 in 

 the Marquis of Bate's vineyard are looking remarkably well, 

 and there is every appearance of their carrying a good crop. 

 Eaoh plant has from three to four strong shoots, and each 

 shoot showed two bunches of Grapes. The experiment 

 which Lord Bute determined on making two years ago will 

 probably be tested in some degree this year, as it is intended 

 io allow the plants to mature three or four bunches of Grapes 

 each. Judging from present appearance they will do this 

 easily. M. Chauvenet, a vineyard proprietor from the Cote 

 •d'Or, France, has been on a visit to Castle Cooh, and expresses 

 a very favourable opinion. He thinks the site and Boil all 

 •that could be desired, and Btates that the Vines are looking as 

 well, and are quite as forward as those in Mb own vineyard 

 at Naits ; and he believes, from what he has seen, that the 

 experiment will turn out satisfactory. We understand that 

 M. Chauvenet will visit Cardiff again in the autumn to give 

 the benefit of hia experience in wine-making : and we sincerely 

 hope that before many years have elapsed we shall have the 

 opportunity of tasting wines of home growth. 



Liliuh longieloeuh var. exihium we observe in fine 



■condition on entering the temperate house at Kew, and believe 

 it to be one of the best for pot culture. Its large white flowers 

 are scarcely to be surpassed for beauty, and the sweet perfume 

 has not the overpowering strength of L. auratum. The Vic- 

 toria regia commenced flowering some days ago, and on the 

 roof of the house is a splendid yellow-flowered climber growing 

 with great vigour and profusion of bloom. This is Adeno- 

 calymna nitidum ; it is allied to Bignonia, and the flowers are 

 of large size. Cyrtodeira fulgida is one of the most striking 

 of all plants in flower ; its leaves are of dark metallic hue, 

 relieved with white along the midrib and principal veins, and 

 the flowers are deep soarlet. This plant is growing in the stove, 

 and, though doing well with pot culture, would evidently be 

 very fine as a basket plant. Bomarea Carderi is blooming with 

 fine effect in the succulent house. It was introduced at the 

 Royal Gardens and also by Mr. W. Bull, whose plants have 

 this summer been exhibited in flower. One of the umbels has 

 about thirty-two flowers, the majority expanded, while the 

 others remain as pretty pink buds. The perianth or coloured 

 portion here measures in length nearly 2J inches, the outer 

 segments pink, and the inner green, with blaok-purple spots. 

 The Bomareas are sometimes grown in pots, but appear to 

 reach a much better development if planted out. 



Amongst hardy flowering shrubs Hydeangea panicu- 



iata gbandifloba is one of the most effective. We first saw 

 this Hydrangea flowering in the nurseries of Mr. Charles Van 

 Geert at Antwerp. We have since seen it in several nurseries 

 and in some private gardens ia England, and in every instance 

 it was generally admired. It appears to be perfectly hardy, 

 grows freely in good soil, and flowers with the greatest pro- 

 fusion. It is particularly suitable for planting amongst shrubs 

 near the margin of the borders, and in such a position it is 

 highly effective. It is a little surprising that this Hydrangea 

 is not more extensively cultivated, since plants of it are now 

 plentiful and can be purchased at a cheap rate. 



OUE BOEDER FLOWERS— DAT LILT. 



Day Lilies are quite at home with us in our borders : they 

 are capital plants for filling-up waste places, for they are not 

 particular as to soil or situation provided they have a moderate 

 share of light and air, yet they enjoy partial Bhade. Many 

 years have passed away since they first found their way to our 

 -shores, and I venture to say that had they been an expensive 

 delicate race of plants they would have found favour and in 

 all probability been extensively cultivated, but bearing any 

 amount of rough usage they are thrust into corners often 

 nearly out of Bight. 



To see them in perfection they must have space afforded 

 item, and the better they are treated the greater is their 



beauty. "They are rapid-growing plants, and should have a 

 good depth of soil for their roots ; they are moisture-loving 

 plants, but the water must not be stagnant. A compost of 

 two parts good sandy loam, one part peat, one part well- 

 decomposed vegetable matter, and a little coarse sand will meet 

 their requirements. They are useful in pots for any purpose. 

 When well done a plant in a good-sized pot having twenty or 

 more flower scapes, plunged and in the centre of a large bed 

 or other conspicuous place on the lawn, is a grand object when 

 in full bloom. They are effective too for indoor decoration, 

 and for cut flowers also. 



Beautiful as are Hemerocallis flava.fulva, graminea, japonica, 

 disticha, and Dumortieri, they are far surpassed by the double 

 and variegated kinds. They are best increased by division 

 when growth has commenced in spring. — Veeitas. 



PARAFFIN OIL versus THE PARSLET GRUB. 

 About a month ago a long row of Parsley in the kitchen 

 garden here became quite yellow in the leaves, and showed 

 every sign of being badly attacked with worms at the root. I 

 mixed a wine-glassful of paraffin to every six gallons of water, 

 and gave the row a thorough watering. The result is that 

 the plants are growing vigorously, and to see them now no 

 one would ever think they had heen so nearly killed a month 

 ago. There is no vegetable Buffers more from inseota at the 

 root than Parsley. I could name many good gardens where 

 it fails every year through the same cause. Wherever it is 

 failing now I would advise an immediate application of paraffin. 

 — A Kitchen Gaedeneb. 



THE NETTLE. 



The Nettle is not a popular plant. Most persons, indeed, 

 cherish for it a deep-seated dislike, declaring that it adds 

 dreariness to the waBte places which it frequents, and that it 

 repels every advance to friendship by its sharp Bting and acrid 

 juices. These allegations are partially true, yet it has some- 

 what to say in its own behalf. In the first place it is extremely 

 well connected. It belonga to the same family aB the Hop, the 

 Hemp, and the Mulberry, claims kindred with the whole Fig 

 tribe, so rich in fruit and rubbers, and is allied to the Banyan, 

 most wonderful of reproducing growths, and to the Upas of 

 Java, though, perhaps, the less said about that the better. It 

 dwells in desolate places because others are denied it, but it 

 olothes them with life and colour and the graces of poetic 

 association. More than a score of insects are nourished solely 

 by it, among them some of the most gorgeous butterflies that 

 ever played in the summer Bun; and, although its leaves are 

 somewhat coarse, it brings to mind Chaucer and Waller and 

 the gentle Ophelia, wreathed with 



" Corn Flowers, Nettles, Daisies, and long Purples." 



Though not prepossessing to the unassisted eye, it bears, 

 and, indeed, courts minute inspection, its dense and slender 

 hairs when seen through the microscope exciting admiration 

 aud amazement by their wonderfully curious mechanism. 

 Though this delicate and yielding armour, lightly touched and 

 languidly toyed with, is venomous, it loses its power to harm 

 when firmly grasped, and the plant, rich in soothing as in 

 irritating properties, allays the burning of its wounds by its 

 own healing juices. In many localities, also, it grows in com- 

 pany with, or not far from, the Dock (Rumex), which is an 

 antidote to its poison. Children increase, as they think, the 

 potency of the latter by repeating during its application the 

 antique charm : — 



" Nettle in, Dock oat, 



Dock in, Nettle oat, 



Nettle in, Dock out, 



Dock rub Nettle oat." 



That the Nettle may be UEeful as a pot-herb is proved by the 

 old Scotch song:— 



" Gin ye be for lanp kail, 

 Cow [pluck] the Nettle early; 

 Gin ye be for lang kail, 

 Cow the Nettle early." 



11 Cow it laigh, cowe it Bane, 

 Cow it in the month of Jons, 

 Just when it is in the blame, 

 Cow the Nettle early." 



From the fibres of this plant the French manufacture good 

 paper, the Kamtchatkans fishing-lines, and the HindoataneeB 

 a delicate and famous cloth. Its roots boiled with alum 



