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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 15, 1S72. 



possession have been for the past month, and are still, in 

 bloom, not, however, " 2 to 3 feet in height," as one spite 

 measures 9 feet 6 inches, another 9 feet 2 inches. It has a 

 branching habit like Watsonia fulgida and rosea marginata, 

 except that it is pendulous, whereas the Watsonia is erect, but 

 I think resembles that genus. It is a most elegant plant, the 

 flower-stem being divided into from ten to thirteen thread-like 

 branches, each bearing sis to eight flowers of a beautiful rose 

 colour, and having the appearance of being suspended in the 

 air, giving the plant a most graceful character. I fully 

 endorse the opinion of your correspondent that " no words 

 can do justice to the elegance of this plant." — C. Shith, 

 Caledonia Nursery, G-uernsey. 



OEANGE FUNGUS ON BOSES. 

 Orange fungus seems to have become a serious evil, if I 

 may judge by the numerous questions I have with regard to it. 

 The Editors have forwarded me specimens of the leaves sent to 

 them by " D." of Deal. Having had but very little of it myself, 

 I have not had any practical experience in dealing with it, as 

 I take no n itice whatever of what I have, and with me a few 

 leaves com? off and the shoots start afresh, but I have hardly 

 ever had it on the wood. I see in the same Journal Mr. Rad- 

 clyfl'e recommends the use of a solution of blue vitriol. I have 

 no doubt that blue vitriol (sulphate of copper), will be a good 

 thing on account of the sulphur it contains, though 1 should 

 prefer green vitriol, sulphate of iron, as being less poisonous, 

 and the iron would do good to the plants instead of harm, as 

 the copper would. If the orange fungus is as bad as it is with 

 " D." of Deal, the spores, which are very minute, would be sure 

 to get into the ground. I should like him to try a top-dressing 

 of dissolved bones. This would not only strengthen the growth 

 of the plant, but the sulphuric acid, some of which always 

 remains in an unchanged state among the dissolved bones, 

 would kill the spores of the fungus wherever it touched. It 

 might he more efficacious still to remove an inch of top soil 

 and then apply the bones with fresh soil. Chloride of sodium 

 (common salt), is also very efficacious in the destruction of 

 fungus, but it would always be doubtful how much salt the 

 Roses could bear without injury to the roots, though salt in 

 small doses would be no doubt beneficial as a stimulating 

 manure. I hope, however, that Rose-growers who have had 

 practical experience with the disease, and have succeeded in 

 checking it, or eradicating it, may come forward, as the 

 Editors request, and state their experience. I do not think 

 situation has much to do with it. I fancy much depends upon 

 the winter treatment ; coddling to prevent frost often also 

 prevents the frost from killing the spores of different kinds of 

 fungus growth. I have seen orange fungus, black fungus, and 

 mildew on plants in pots in-doors as well as in the open air ; 

 but I fancy the constant watering of Roses in pots, especially 

 where liquid manure is used, helps to prevent the disease, and, 

 therefore,.it is less often seen in houses. — C. P. Peach. 



the spores are set free. If the weather is just favourable for 

 their development they at once germinate, but if unfavourable 

 they utterly perish by millions. We know on the authority of 

 the Rev. M. J. Berkeley that healthy Roses have been infected 

 with this fungus after being watered with water in which 

 leaves infected with orange fungus had been placed. However 

 undesirable this parasite may be in a Rose garden, one can 

 hardly imagine its killing half the plants. As to a sure pre- 

 ventive against these attacks, it is quite a different thing ; but 

 Mr. Radelyffe gives some hints at page 120. — W. G. S. 



To me it seems highly improbable that " D., Deals " Roses 

 ■were Trilled by Coleosporium pingue. I also greatly doubt 

 the correctness of your editorial remark, which states this 

 fungus to be " every year becoming more severe and destruc- 

 tive." However severely Roses may be afflicted with this para- 

 site, I have never seen anything like fatal effects following its 

 presence. I will give a case in point. Last year all the Roses 

 in Mr. Smee's garden were literally powdered and blistered over 

 in every part with this fungus ; it not only burst through the 

 cuticle of the leaves, but opened seams in the stems and 

 distorted some of the flowers out of all shape. Now Mr. Sniee, 

 according to his own words, has " tens of thousands of Roses 

 in flower at the same time," and yet as far as I have been able 

 to see, not a single plant has been injured in the slightest 

 degree, and, moreover, I have not seen a single orange fungus 

 on his Roses this year. 



Now, in your correspondents' column, your first reply from 

 Mr. Radelyffe states that his Roses were never finer, and that 

 he has but little fungus of any kind. There can be no doubt 

 but last year the orange fungus was unusually abundant on 

 Roses ; and as far as my experience goes it has been just the 

 reverse this year. About London sometimes a certain fungus 

 is extremely common, and then we never see it again ; some- 

 times it lasts a year or two, sometimes only a few weeks, 

 whilst others are almost permanent denizens. It is manifest 

 that the scarcity or abundance of any species depends upon 

 delicate atmospheric influences prevailing at the time when 



Last year my Roses were injured to a great extent by the 

 orange fungus. A border of about a hundred plants on the 

 Manetti stock was mulched with long Utter from the stable : 

 on these there was not a sign of fungus, but horse litter fell 

 short, and I had recourse to the cow yard for the rest, about 

 four hundred. Every plant was covered with fungus, and this 

 time last year they were utterly leafless. This season I saved- 

 all rny stable manure and used that alone, discarding the cow 

 yard altogether ; I have not a plant that is yet affected. Was 

 cow dung the cause ? I must add that this season I have kept 

 the surface of the ground constantly moved with the hoe. The 

 Briar Roses were not affected at all last season. 



In the spring I had my Mareehal Niel Roses planted in the 

 conservatory very much mildewed. I syringed them with half 

 a wineglassful of Condy's fluid in four gallons of water ; its 

 effect was decidedly satisfactory, the foliage rapidly regained 

 its freshness. If red fungus appears I fully intend to try 

 Condy as a remedy ; it is cheap, so that a free use of it with 

 the syringe can be made. I shall anxiously watch the ex- 

 perience of other growers in conquering this pest. — Stiff Son,. 



[As the urine of the horse contains four - times the amount 

 of ammonia that is contained in that of the cow, the above 

 facts would suggest that ammonia may be a- preventive of 

 orange fungus. Ammonia is certainly destructive of fungi.. 

 —Ens.] __ 



SPIGELIA SPLENDENS. 



This is a grand but little known stove plant, it belongs to- 

 the order Loganiacea?. It would appear that several species 

 have highly poisonous properties, but I am not acquainted 

 with a single fault in this plant. I believe it was introduced 

 to Europe by my esteemed friend Mi-. Wendland, Inspector of 

 the Royal Gardens, Hanover, from whom I received it ten 

 years ago, and it flowered with me in about twelve months- 

 Everyone who saw it was enchanted with its surpassing beauty,, 

 and I have ever since been urging all plant-growers with whom 

 I have come in contact to procure the plant. I have here and 

 there found it, but it would seem to be somewhat difficult to 

 procure. How is this ? I hope it will not slip out of cultiva- 

 tion, as so many really good plants have done, for it is well 

 worthy of a place in every stove. 



It usually grows from 18 inches to 2 feet in height, pro- 

 ducing in great abundance its dark green oblong or obovate 

 leaves. The apex of each shoot is surmounted with numerous, 

 recurved, one-sided spikes of bloom. The flowers are tubular- 

 upwards of an inch long, set in a double row, and bright 

 scarlet, except the mouth of the tube, which is white. It 

 makes a handsome plant, and with me produces its richly- 

 coloured flowers late in autumn and spring, but I have little 

 doubt that by starting it early it might be flowered sooner if 

 required. 



It succeeds admirably in a mixture of loam, rough peat, and 

 a little sand. "When growing it may be watered freely, pro- 

 viding the drainage is good, and an intermediate house suits 

 it well as regards temperature ; in fact, I have treated it in 

 every respect the same as the flowering species of Begonia. 

 It continues in bloom a long time, and after the flowers are 

 past the stems will gradually die away ; when this occurs,, 

 withhold water to a great extent, but never allow the plant to 

 become thoroughly dry. As soon as it shows signs of return- 

 ing life, carefully remove old and worn-out soil, and repot,, 

 but do not shake it quite clear of the soil. It comes from 

 Costa Rica— Experto Ckede. 



AQurLEGiA caxxLEA axd leptoceras. — I see no one has 

 taken exception to the assertion of " Experto Ckede" rn 

 vour issue of August 1st as to the identity of Aquilegia lepto- 

 ceras and A. ca?rulea. As I am interested about this tribe of 

 plants I shall be glad of his authority. I grew A. leptoceras 



