December 27, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



497 



connection with its former habitation. Great complaints were 

 made by members of the Club with the arrangements that 

 were made for their accommodation, and this was the cause of 

 many resignations. We hope now that these inconveniences 

 are at an end we shall see the return of the old, and a large 

 accession of new, members. 



Mb. John Wardle, gardener, Newton Hall, informs us 



that his relative, Mr. William Wardle, who was formerly an 

 amateur gardener at Newcastle, was the raiser of Allamanda 

 Wardleana. It is one of the finest of the Allamandas, flowers 

 having been produced at Newton Hall 8 inches in diameter : 

 •ihe plants flower freely in quite a small state and are very 

 "valuable for decorative purposes. 



We have received from Mr. George Duffield of Bramp- 

 ton Lodge a fasciated stem of Duchesse de Morny Rose. 

 The stem was quite flat, about three-sixteenths of an inch in 

 thickness, and was nearly 2 inches wide. The summit was 

 covered with foliage, and almost resembled a fan. We never 

 saw a more striking instance of Rose fasoiation. The exuberant 

 .growth suggests that the soil at Brampton is very rich and 

 suitable for Rose cultivation. 



I do not understand, writes an experienced gardener 



to us, after thirty years of practice, the definition of a Cauli- 

 flower ok Beoccoli. Which is which? My ideas were that 

 a Cauliflower referred to such as if sown in spring would head 

 the same summer or autumn, and a Broccoli if sown in spring 

 would not " flower " the same season. Will some of your 

 ■correspondents tell me how to know a Cauliflower from a 

 Broccoli (not Cape) ? If Snow's Winter and Veitch's Autumn 

 Broocolis are only distinguishable from Cauliflowers by " flower- 

 ing " later, why designate them as Broccoli ? Walcheren Cauli- 

 flower is also Waloheren Broccoli, but it is as much a Cauli- 

 flower as Early London, Asiatic, Stadtholder, Autumn Giant, 

 and others boasting the name of Cauliflower. Either some 

 Broocolis are Cauliflowers or all Cauliflowers are Broccoli. 



We have received the schedule of the Pelargonium 



Society's Show which is to be held next year at South Een- 

 sington on June 18th. Every seotion of the Zonal Pelargonium 

 is provided for, and liberal prizes are offered in thirty-three 

 classes. In order to meet the increased expenditure incident 

 to the expansion of the operations of the Society, members are 

 invited to exert their influence in obtaining an augmentation 

 of the subscription list. We are pleased to observe that the 

 finances of the Society are in a healthy state, and that a 

 balance in the hands of the Treasurer of £42 6s. Sd, is re- 

 corded. The Zonal Pelargonium is so popular and useful, is 

 in faot an "everybody's flower," that the Society which is 

 established to promote its improvement is highly worthy of 

 support. Since many of the varieties are proving so valuable 

 for winter decoration it is worthy of consideration as to 

 whether prizes should not be offered to be competed for during 

 the winter monthB, say at the December and January meetings 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society. Healthy and well-bloomed 

 .plants are fully more valuable in winter than in summer, and 

 their successful cultivation during the " dark days" is worthy 

 of the encouragement of this patron Society. Mr. Cannell 

 has shown what splendid flowers some of the varieties produce 

 in winter ; but we should like to see plants as well as cut 

 blooms exhibited. 



It is with muoh regret that we have to record the 



outbreak of a calamitous fire which occurred on the morning 

 of the 23rd inst. at the works of the eminent horticultural 

 builders, Messrs. John Weeks & Co. of Chelsea. The branch 

 establishment destroyed is the one adjoining Mr. Bull's nur- 

 sery, which also, we regret to hear, sustained injury, one 

 of the houses being burnt, but most of the plants were 

 fortunately preserved. Notwithstanding the efforts of the fire- 

 men, engines, and hydrants, Messrs. Weeks's large building 

 and much valuable machinery were totally destroyed. The 

 origin of the fire is unknown ; and the loss amounts to £10,000, 

 of which about £2500 is covered by insurance. A firm so ex- 

 tensive as the Messrs. Weeks do not, however, " put all their 

 eggs in one basket :" they have yet three other establish- 

 ments for carrying on their business, which we are authorised 

 to announce will be conducted in the UBual way. They have 

 received much kindness and sympathy from their neighbours, 

 several engineers and builders having placed their plant, &a., 

 at the disposal of the firm. 



We have received a selection of those useful annuals 



IiEiis's Diabies. They are in various sizes, from the small J 



miniature for the vest pocket to a considerable-sized scrap 

 book. They are conveniently arranged, and contain much 

 useful information on a variety of topics. We have experi- 

 enced the value of these familiar diaries, almanacs, and pocket 

 books during previous years, and can recommend them as 

 being as good as ever — excellent of their kind. 



It is gratifying to know that living plants of the 



remarkable Welwitschia mirabilis are now in the Kew 

 Botanic Garden, several attempts to introduce this curious 

 plant in a living state having failed. Even imported seeds 

 have failed to germinate. 



■ A visitor to Mr. Base's fine garden at Rangemore 



informs us that extensive alterations are being conducted by 

 Mr. Bennett. An additional twelve acres are being taken iu 

 to the pleasure ground. The lake is being enlarged, and much 

 levelling and planting is being done. The mild weather ia 

 an immense advantage to the prosecution of the alterations. 



Our correspondent, " A Kitchen Gardener," writes 



to us as follows on the value of the Arbutus :— " At this 

 time of year when there is such a demand for berried ever- 

 greens it may interest some of your readers to know that the 

 Arbutus far excels every other shrub for the beauty of its 

 fruitful sprays. We have over a dozen trees of it, some of 

 them between 20 and 30 feet high, with clusters of ripe Straw- 

 berry-like fruit hanging from every branch. The fruit is just 

 about the size, shape, and colour of ripe Black Prince Straw- 

 berries. The shrub grows freely amongst other evergreens, 

 and although it is generally considered to succeed best near 

 the sea, it is well worth trying in iuland gardens." We may 

 remark that this beautiful evergreen flourishes well in the 

 southern counties of England, but we doubt if it is sufficiently 

 hardy for exposed gardens in northern districts. What does 

 Mr. Abbey say of its endurance in Yorkshire ? 



The great desideratum in fruit is something very lat e 



or early ; it is not always that one sort possesses both proper- 

 ties. Having been induced to try Sutton's Royal Horti- 

 cultural Prize Melon we cut the earliest on the 1st of May 

 and sent in the last on Christmas day, my employer saying the 

 last was as good-flavoured as the first ; it ia also a good setter 

 and free grower. — Eromegnar. 



Respecting the Weather in South Wales, a reader 



of the Journal there writes — " The weather here is very mild 

 and humid. Since the middle of October it has rained half 

 the time. Previous to that we had capital weather, and fruit- 

 tree wood is fairly well ripened. We have had a cold night or 

 two, but a few Potatoes growing on a south border are as green 

 in the haulm as in June. Young Cauliflowers and Lettuces 

 for the earliest crops in spring are strong and healthy out in 

 the open border. They have never had any protection. Violets 

 are abundant in the open air. Primroses may be gathered in 

 handfnls. Last year we could hardly find a single Holly berry : 

 this year every tree both green and variegated is literally 

 loaded with them. Last year at Christmas we had armfals of 

 Lauruetinus flowers : this year we have not handfnls. A sharp 

 frost would do much good, but we do not have much of that 

 here; and as for snow, we have very rarely the pleasure of 

 seeing it." 



MM. Lechabtier and Bellamy give an account in the 



Comptes Rendus, lxxxiv., 1035, of some experiments they made 

 on the fermentation of Apples when enclosed in vapours such 

 as carbolic acid, camphor, and potassium cyanide. From their 

 results it appears that no fermenting action took place in the 

 Apples surrounded by vapour of carbolic or hydrocyanic acids, 

 and a slight action only in the one surrounded by camphor 

 vapour. The camphor vapour, in fact, diminishes without 

 entirely destroying the vitality of the cells. In this journal, 

 also, there is an account of experiments performed in the 

 same direction by M. Gayon. He enclosed the Apples in 

 vapours of chloroform, ether, and carbon disulphide, and his 

 results agree with those of the first observers. The chloroform 

 and ether act in the same manner as the carbolic and hydro- 

 cyanic acids ; the carbon disulphide in the same way as cam- 

 phor, permitting partial fermentation only.— [Nature.) 



A Welsh correspondent sends us the following extract 



from the ancient laws of Wales to show the value of Yew in 

 long bygone days, especially when it had been consecrated by 

 the priests : it then exceeded in price the sacred Mistletoe of 

 the Druids : — " A consecrated Yew, its value is a pound ; not 

 oonsecrated, fifteen pence. A Mistletoe branch, threescore 

 pence. An Oak, sixsoore pence. A sweet Apple, threescore 



