361 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November S, 1877. 



as aqueous for six weeks as that of a swamp, and then to sud- 

 denly transform it into the atmosphere of a desert — exhaustive 

 and dry. Some Grapes will endnre a change so violent, but 

 all will not do so ; the skins of the berries become suddenly 

 dry and lose their elasticity — their expansive power, turn 

 brittle and crack; just the counterpart, as "J. S. W." has so 

 well put it, of " chapped hands." The simile may, perhaps, 

 provoke a smile, but I believe your correspondent is not " a 

 mile off the mark," but, on the contrary, has made clearer 

 than before at least one important element in the philosophy 

 of Grapes cracking. I have more than once thought that 

 gardeners were " on the wrong track " when providing an ex- 

 tremely dry atmosphere to prevent the Grapes from splitting — 

 they were, I fear, rather opening the door to the enemy ; at 

 least if it is not so I shall be glad to see evidence to the con- 

 trary. This phase of a mysterious problem is an important 

 one, and is worthy of consideration and discussion. — A 



NoBTHEBN GaEDENEB. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



"An Old Sjbscbibeb" says that he was told by a very 

 successful market gardener, that the tubers of Jebtjsalem 

 Aetichokes are much improved after taking up by being laid 

 for a time on unslacked lime. 



Vabious causes were attributed regarding the great 



scarcity of Holly bekbies last year ; this year reasons will 

 be sought accounting for their great abundance. We have 

 rarely if ever seen such a brilliant crop as is now seen on 

 shrubs of nearly all the berry-bearing varieties. Green-leaved 

 and variegated kinds are alike laden with rich clusters. We 

 have observed this in many nurseries and private gardens in 

 widely separated districts, and doubt not that the profusion is 

 general. We have even observed closely clipped Holly hedges, 

 on which berries are seldom seen, studded with scarlet and 

 yellow fruit. In fact we believe that few varieties capable of 

 bearing fruit are this year fruitless. LaBt year the frosts of 

 spring were generally considered as having rendered fruit trees 

 and Hollies alike barren ; but this year different results are 

 forthcoming, for the crops of fruit are sparse, of Holly berries 

 prodigious. How is it ? 



We have received the annual Report of the Melbouene 



Botanic Gabden, and it is unmistakeable evidence of the capa- 

 bility of its Curator, Mr. Guilfoyle. He says — " A number of 

 plants, generally supposed to be unsuited to outdoor culture 

 in this climate were successfully placed out in the grounds. 

 Amongst them were Quisqualis indica, Beaumontia grandiflora, 

 Euphorbia splendens, Strelitzia angusta, S. regina, Allamanda 

 neriifolia, &c. These and many other tropical plants have 

 proved hardy, growing vigorously outside. The Alsophila ex- 

 celsa of Norfolk Island, a Tree Fern which attains the height 

 of 80 feet, has also grown with remarkable rapidity in the open 

 air. As a counterbalance, however, I regret to say that my 

 anticipations respecting the Cinchona (Peruvian Bark), have 

 proved correct — it is an unmitigated failure." 



OrjB correspondent " A Kitchen Gaedeneb," writes 



to us as follows on medicated Tobacco papeb : — I had some of 

 this paper sent me a short time ago by MesErs. James Dickson 

 and Sons, " Newton " Nurseries, Chester, to try, and after 

 doing so I must say it is the best fumigating material I ever 

 used. It appears to be made of Btrong brown paper saturated 

 in tobacco liquor, then rolled firmly up and cut into slices. It 

 is only necessary to place a quantity of it on red hot embers 

 and every particle of it is consumed. There is no half-burning 

 or waste whatever about it, while the smoke from it is efficient 

 in killing the insects and quite harmless to the plants. 



It is estimated that nearly 3,000,000 bushels of Pota- 

 toes are frequently consumed per year in the States of Maine, 

 New Hampshire, Vermont, and New Tork in the production of 

 Potato starch. There are about 225 factories engaged in the 

 manufacture of this starch, and the average price paid for 

 Potatoes by starch manufacturers during the past season has 

 been 25 cents per bushel. The aggregate annual production of 

 all the factories is usually from 6000 to 11,000 tons. The 

 value of the total production of Potato starch in the country 

 is from «800,000 to §1,200,000 per annum.— (Neio York Com- 

 mercial Bulletin ) 



Me. W. Paul, Nurseries, Waltham Cross, has published 



his " Rose Annual fob 1877-78." It contains coloured 

 portraits of Red Dragon, Rosy Morn, Perle des Jardins, and 

 Magna Charta ; descriptions and relative notes accompany 



them. At the end Mr. Paul dwells upon decorative and ex- 

 hibition Roses, upon Rose Bhows, and appends letters from, 

 correspondents. We add the following as Mr. Paul's selection 

 of worthy Roses : — " Of the novelties introduced in 1875-6, the 

 following have commended themselves most, to our judgment 

 — Hybrid Perpetuate : Abel Carriere, Avocat Duvivier, Due d& 

 Montpeneier, Duchesse de Vallombrosa, Gustave Revilliod, Jean 

 Liabaud, Madame Ferdinand Jamin, Madame Prosper Langier, 

 Marguerite Brassac, Monseigneur Fournier, Oscar Lamarohe, 

 Sultan of Zanzibar, and Triomphe de France. Tea-scented .- 

 Mdlle. Marie Berton, Marechal Robert, and Souvenir de 

 Madame Pernet. Of the Roses of the present year (1876-7), 

 the following seem to us the best — Hybrid Perpetuate : Mdlle. 

 Emma All, Marie Louise Pernet, and Marquise Adele de 

 Murinais. Tea-scented : Comtesse Riza da Pare, Mdlle. Laza- 

 rine Poizean, Souvenir de Georges Sand, and Triomphe de 

 Milan. We do not describe these varieties, because their full 

 descriptions may be seen in one or other of the leading Rose 

 catalogues, which all lovers of Roses will be sure to possess. 

 Of Roses not yet in commerce, but which will probably be sold 

 in the spring of 1878, May Quennell (Postans), Penelope Mayo 

 (Turner), and Mrs. Laxton (Laxton), have been shown good, 

 during the present year." 



A New Pbodtjct feom the Pine. — Vanillin exists in the 



sap of the Pine (Pinus eylveBtris) and of the Larch. For the 

 purpose of procuring it the trees are felled duriDg the period 

 when vegetation is most active, and are stripped of their bark. 

 They are then immediately scraped, and the product collected 

 in vessels of tinned iron is immediately heated on the spot to 

 prevent fermentation, filtered, concentrated, and allowed to 

 oool and settle. A substance is thus obtained which resembles 

 powdered sugar, and which is known as coniferin. This is a 

 Btable compound, and is sent in barrels to Pari*, where the 

 vanillin is extracted. The process of extracting the vanillin 

 is an expensive one, but the product is procured at a lesB cost 

 than the natural vanilla of commerce can be purchased at. — 

 (Scientific American.) 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN LONDON. 



Real city flowers are Chrysanthemums. They grow and! 

 flower on housetops and in cellar-like areas, in small cramped 

 courts and in smoky misty squares, imparting brightness 

 where it is especially required and at a time when it is 

 particularly welcome. 



The head-quarters of these city flowers have for years been 

 the gardens of the Middle and Inner Temples, where Mr. 

 Broome laboured eo long and so well, where Mr. Dale won 

 renown, and where Mr. Newton practises so worthily. In 

 previous years Chrysanthemum shows have been provided in 

 both the Temple gardens, but for some few seasons Mr. Dale 

 has been fighting hard against encroaching buildings, and 

 at last the buildiogs have conquered. The veteran retires 

 honoured and respected, and leaves the field open to his younger 

 neighbour. There is, therefore, only on9 show this year, but 

 that show is a good one, even (considering that all the plants 

 now blooming have been grown almost within a Btone's throw 

 from Fleet Street) excellent. There are about four hundred 

 plants arranged on the south border of the enclosure, tem- 

 porarily covered with glass and screened from the wind by 

 canvas. The flowers are just in beauty and will continue 

 attractive for several days ; they will commence fading, how- 

 ever, after the Lord Mayor's day, the 9th inst., and the sooner 

 they are inspected the better. 



The exhibition is not remarkable for a few sensational 

 blooms and a greater number of inferior flowers, but it is 

 meritorious by its average quality — its level excellence. That 

 sure index of good culture— rich dark foliage, shows the blooms 

 to great advantage, and renders the display alike creditable to 

 the grower and enjoyable by the visitors. There are no new 

 varieties of striking quality. Gloire de Toulouse, dark rosy 

 purple, and The Cossack, cinnamon scarlet, both Japanese, are 

 the most noticeable. The former will make a good companion 

 plant to the pure and beautiful Elaine, and the latter will be 

 grown for its bright colour. For general decorative purposes 

 the trio — Mrs. George Rundle, white ; George Glenny, sulphur ; 

 and Mr. Dixon, golden yellow, are still unsurpassed ; perhaps, 

 taking all their qualities into consideration, unequalled. Mrs. 

 Parnell may be a trifle larger than Mrs. Rundle, but it is 

 no easy matter to distinguish them. About the same diffi- 

 culty arises in the case of Plenipo and Katherine Talfourd 1 . 

 The blooms under both these names are good, rosy purple in 



