Angoat 9, 1804. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Ill 



trying various ineffectual means of destroying them, I placed 

 near their haunt several small saucers filled with sugar and 

 water, in which was mixed one-tenth of the weight of white 

 oxide of arsenic. I watched them for about an hour, during 

 which time many came to drink, and went away staggering, 

 taking with them one or two which were dead. In the 

 course of two hours not an ant was to be seen, and the next 

 morning the anthill was entirely deserted. 



Why was this ? The arsenic was not dissolved. Had 

 they from instinct discovered that attempts were being 

 made to destroy them ? I am unable to say. I merely state 

 the fact, and leave it to the investigation of others. — A. S., 

 Bruges. 



A WATEEESTG-BAKKOW. 

 In describing this barrow it is desired to bring into notice 

 not only a very useful apparatus, but also one that every 

 gardener may make for himself. There are plenty of excel- 

 lent machines for watering gardens, but they cost money. 

 In nine cases out of ten this one need not cost a penny. 



The arrangement, as may be seen by the cut, is very 

 simple. Having selected a good watertight barrel, put 

 through it a strong wooden bar, with the ends rounded and 

 projecting 2 or 3 inches from the sides. This bar should be 

 about a foot from the top of the barrel. A hole is then bored 

 in the bottom of the barrel, and a piece of leaden pipe, about 

 SJ feet long, inserted and secured. A valve with a leather 

 hinge is placed over this hole. A string from the valve is 

 passed over a pulley, near the top of the barrel. This being 

 done, mount the barrel on such a barrow as is shown in 

 the cut, put a rose upon the leaden pipe, fasten the valve- 

 string to the right handle of the barrow, and the machine 

 is made. If there are no unused barrow-wheels on the 

 premises, one may be made by sawing two thick pieces of 

 plank in a circular form, and nailing them together, with 

 the grain of one at right angles with the grain of the other. 

 Bore and chisel a square hole in the centre of this, and insert 

 an axle, which is of easy construction. 



The peculiar convenience of this watering-barrow is that 

 it may be wheeled along a row of vegetables or flowers, and 

 by pulling the valve-string with the fore-finger of the right 

 hand, the water will flow from the rose until the barrel is 

 empty, and the row will be watered with very little trouble 

 and much expedition. If another pipe and rose be placed so 

 as to project from the other side, both valves may be worked 

 as easily as one, and two rows may be watered at the same 

 time. The pipe being flexible, may be bent so as to suit 

 the distance between the rows, the height of plants, &c. 

 This apparatus is particularly adapted to places where there 

 is much " row-watering " to be done. — (American Gardener's 

 Monthly.) 



decayed stable-dung, mixed with rotten Oak leaves. On 

 the same day I planted an equal number of the following 

 kinds, the tubers being as far as possible of the same size — 

 viz., the old Ashleaf, Gloucestershire Kidney, and Myatt's 

 Early Prolific. 



The first two proved the earliest, their tubers being fit 

 for use on the 25th of June, when the haulm of Myatt's 

 likewise commenced to dry ; whilst the Royal Ashleaf still 

 continued growing. So far as to earliness. 



As regards the produce, the old Ashleaf, as usual, yielded 

 only a scanty crop ; the Gloucestershire Kidney about 

 twenty-five per cent, more, and the tubers more regular in 

 size and shape. Yesterday (July 30th) I had the whole 

 bulk of the four sorts taken up, and found Myatt's Prolific 

 by far the most productive ; whilst the Royal Ashleaf, upon 

 the whole, proved not more prolific than Gloucestershire 

 Kidney, and in flavour equal, though not better than Myatt's. 



The Royal Ashleaf seems to have one great drawback, 

 some of the plants being quite dead, whilst others in the 

 same row had the haulm quite green. I am satisfied that 

 I possess the true sort, having obtained my seed from one 

 of the most respectable London firms. 



Of other new Potatoes which I tried, Daintree's Seedling 

 (now ripe) is a very prolific, good-sized, round Potato, with a 

 very rough skin, white flesh, quite mealy, and delicious. 

 Epp's Glory is still growing vigorously, in spite of the pre- 

 vailing drought, and apparently a latish sort. 



I shall repeat the experiment with the four above-men- 

 tioned Kidneys next year, and plant a certain number of 

 tubers of equal weight, so as to be able to judge which of 

 them yields the greatest proportion in weight. 



I must add that the spring frosts in this part of France 

 were not of sufficient consequence to have the least influence 

 upon the growth of Potatoes. — Ferdinand Gloede, Les 

 Sablons (Seine et Marne). 



THE EOYAL ASHLEAF POTATO. 



Although we possess many really good sorts of this most 

 useful of all vegetables, and consequently are rather fas- 

 tidious in this respect, the appearance of the above new 

 kind excited a good deal of interest, and I was one of those 

 who eagerly procured a certain number of " sets" for early 

 planting. 



This was done on the 10th of April, in well-prepared 

 ground, which had previously been manured with well- 



POETEAITS OP PLANTS, PLOWEES, AND 

 PEUITS. 



Coetlopsis spicata (Spiked Corylopsis). Nat. ord., Ha- 

 mamelidacea3. Linn., Pentandria Digynia. — A Japan shrub, 

 introduced from Tokahama by Messrs. Veitch, of the Royal 

 Exotic Nursery, Chelsea. Flowers yellow, fragrant like the 

 Cowslip. Blooms in February. " Shrub deciduous, and the 

 flowers appear before the leaves, which are so much like 

 those of our nut bushes as to suggest the name of the 

 genus." — (Bot. Mag., t. 5458.) 



DENDKOBrtrai ebtjrneum (Ivory-flowered Dendrobium). 

 Nat. ord., Orchidacea^. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. — Sent 

 to Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton Nursery, from Moul- 

 mein. Flowers " have exactly the appearance of polished 

 ivory," having dark red lines on the lip and base of column. 

 —(Ibid., t. 5459.) 



Kalanchoe grandiflora (Large-flowered Kalanchoe). 

 Nat. ord., Crassulaces. Linn., Octandria Monogynia. — Native 

 of Mysore, Hindostan. Flowers yellow. Bloomed in a 

 greenhouse devoted to succulents during May. — (Ibid., t. 

 5460.) 



Delphinium Brunonianum (Mr. Brown's Musk Lark- 

 spur). Nat. ord., RanunculaceEe. Linn., Polyandria Mono- 

 gynia. — " This handsome species is a native of Western 

 Thibet, on the mountains at altitudes of from 14,090 to 

 18,000 feet, where it flowers in August and September." In 

 England it blossoms in the open border in June, and dies 

 down early in July. The flowers are pale blue, streaked 

 with purple, and black in the centre. The whole herb has 

 a strong musky scent. — (Ibid., t. 5461.) 



CffiLOGTNE odoratissima (Highest-scented Coelogyne)„ 

 Nat. ord., Orchidacea?. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. — Native 

 of Neura Ellia mountain in Ceylon, and the Neilgherry Hills 

 of Madras. Grows on trees. Flowers in this country have 

 a honey-like smell ; they are white, appearing in April. It 

 would seem to prefer shade, as in its native places it is 

 always found on the north side of the hills. — (Ibid., t. 5462.) 



Aphelandra Liboniana (Libon's Aphelandra). Nat. ord., 

 Acanthacea?. Linn., Didynamia Gymnospermia. Probably 

 a Brazilian plant. Bracts bright orange ; flowers yellow 

 tipped with red. Flowers during May in a warm stove. — 

 (Ibid., t. 5463.) 



