March 16, 1912 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



223 



Silver Leaf. 



It is unfortunate tliat no effective renietly 



has been discovered for this disease 



(Stereum purpureum), which :s causing 



wholesale loss of plum trees^ and the 



variety that is worst affectetl is the fine 



old Victoria, though others of a sott- 



woodetl nature are liable to infection. In 



some cases^ when a few branches are 



affected, the disease may be checked by 



cutting these off, hut badly affected tree's 



should l)e burnt, and when silver leaf once 



appears the attack generally ends in the 



death of the victim. Speaking of plum 



trees, I am reminded that a good manv 



trees die anniudly through being attacked 



by the shot-l>orer (Xyleborus dispar), and 



growers are often at a loss to know what is 



wrong. In case^ of ba<l attacks there is no 



remedy, but the trouble may be prevente<l 



either by lime spraying the stems and lower 



branches two or three times annually, or 



smearing with some grea^sy mixture that 



udl make the bark distasteful to the 

 bwtles. 



In conclusion, it may be added that there 

 iiro numerous insects and some diseases 



lii'sides those mentioned 



in this article 



which fruit growers liave to wage 

 iigainst, but the worst and most destructive 

 h.ive been dealt with, with the exception of 

 tlie HIack Currant (Jail Mite, and the 

 l'ciir-(;nat midge, for both of which a really 

 reliable remedy is very much wante<l. 

 Taken collectively they are a formidable 

 liost, these enemies of the fruit-grower, and 

 the trouble is that while one anxious man 

 tr es his best to eradicate common foes by 

 sjiraying, and so forth, his neighbour is just 

 as careless about it, and breeds the very 

 I'csts that the other is trying to destroy. 

 In consequence of this the keen figliter of 

 fruit pests, both insects and diseases is 

 iiampered by the apathy of his ne ghbour, 

 and no permanent victory can ever be pos- 

 sible as long as there is no spirit of either 

 'oahtion or co-opeiatirm existing amongst 

 people who grow fruit, and whose interests 

 i'le identical. G. H H 



LIBONIA FLORIBUNDI. 



This grand <,|,| autumn-flowering plant 

 ^vas some years ago. a general favourite, 

 'I'l touiid a very prouiinent place in our 



'iservatories during the autumn and 

 • 'v winter months. Tlie scarlet and 

 .■•■How flowers have a warm bright ap- 

 l ''"an(e at a season when su:h flowers 

 needed, but scarce 



Autumn-rooted plants require very care- 

 ts treatment from now onwards, else they 

 will |o,se the iKittom leaves, and leave the 

 stems bare. The temperature must be kept 



the potting carefully (ir,„e. and the 

 "iiaire t,,.ed from insects. e,spe;ially re<l 

 -i"lci . Sp, ing-rcK)ted plants may not grow 

 V'"- bnge. hut they will be beautiful 



•iip.Ht s|M.,iniens. and most useful for 

 "ii"ig vaM.s. as well as for the warm gieen- 

 ''"'isi' an.! conservatory .stage 



nexperienced cultnators shouhl insert 

 'ttings i„ a hght <.o„>post uu.ier a hand- 



.WV"' l"';i'"Katii.g frame. I);rectlv 



have rooted pot them singly in small 

 - ii^e a mixture of fibrous loam and 

 "'I"'*' <l"=«»tities. a<lrling freely some 



- ; . ..at-so,] and coarse sand. At ^ach of 

 . s, ,s,.q„pnt repottings a similar compost 



T ; I id'T condition. 

 ; 1-uhng . shoot should be pinched when 



u- f' K-'^"'-^ ^^^1- -shoots will 



- V ! ■ "p' t''^ foundation of 



- •e n ' :- /''"'V:^^-- 10 to the first 



SAVOYS. 



GAZANIAS IN THE GARDEN. 



The crinkly-leaved cabbages so poi)U- 

 larly known as savoys are among the most 

 serviceable of w:nter greenstuffs. and thev 

 aie extensively cultivated both in private 



and market gaixlens. One mistake fre- plaoe (iazania" ripens 

 quently made is that of sowing the seeds 

 too early and planting the seedlings on very 

 rich land. The result of such practice is 

 that the savoy heads In^come excessively 

 large, and if sharp frosts follow wet weather 

 there is wholesale bursting, and so a large 

 amount of usefxd material is wastetl. (iowl 



These jicliiy-ioloured flowers are not 

 giown in the flower garden as extensivelv 

 as they were 2o or 30 years ago. I do 

 not know of any other flower tJiat can re- 



as regards the 

 colour. The ri<h, orange-coloured j^etals, 

 with the black eye or cvntie, combine to 

 make a flower of great distinction. It has 

 ahvays been a great favourite of mine, and 

 I have grown it exti'iisivelv and in various 



■ « 



posit.ims. 



To swure tlie veiy best efl'e:t, the culti^ 



vator should avoid the use ot a very rich 

 :l, asa too luxuriant j)]ant does not flower 



soil is essential, but savoys should not he 

 planted on excessively rich land 



Instead of sowing savoy setxls in March, freely. Furtliermore. wlu-n grown in larce 



as is so frequently done, it is far better to masses, <m- forming bn.a<l edgu.-s i„ beds 



wait until the first week in April, ami then the general effect is mm h mor" i. b asing 



sow in the same manner as for cabbagi>«, than that obt^iined from thin plant in. r 



sproutmg broccoli, kales, etc. Another Cuttings mav be n,ote<l in autumn and in 



sowing towards the end, of April is also sj)ring. The autumn-st ru< k plants ar<. the 



- H L 



DWAKF GKKKX CURLED SAVOY 



desirable wlicr<' a tairly larg*' supply lias to 

 be maintained. Planting shoul<l taki' place 

 as soon as the seedlings are tit to tnmsplant. 

 and a site that has btn^n occupied by jx'as 

 will be an admirable one. Whatever <'ro])s 

 the savoys have to follow .*^lloul^l be merely 

 cleared ofi^, the land being < I*'aiH»d at tin' 



time; but no digging sliouhl be <lon<\ 

 as firm soil is quite half the battle in 

 securing hardy ])lants and good, ust^ful 

 beads. It mav be necessarv to use an iro!i 

 bar to bore the holes with tor tlie recep- 

 tion of the plantxs, and if tliis is thr cum' it 

 is all so much to the gfxxl. Watei- tlie 



most sat sfactorv as r<'^ar<Is friM-dun] of 



llowi'ring. S])ring-st/ii(k jthint s llower 

 more spai'M^ly unless the roots a ro rest i i(*t*'<l 

 (■onsi<leral)Iv. Some fild nufrtar lulihic 



* 



sbonhl be mixod \vith the ronijtosl m w lii: h 

 the plants aro t:ro\\?i. Itotli in ])ot>. hn\t >, 



;;!nl bfud<'i>. Att*T thi'V arr w oil rstal>- 

 lisli*'<] a rat hrr d i \ ( oniln ion of tlio soil 

 in<hice> lirt i lloworint^. but. of <'oui'v<>. x\\^ 

 phints must not bo aUowrd to suffer in this 

 way, and n bon <lry s[)olls of w^'athor oon:e 

 watorinir can bo n r<My rogulatcd. For 

 ]>]anting on <lry banks. hot . sunny 

 l»or<hMs. and for furr}isl)in^ liaskots. boxos. 



plants, and make them firm in the lioles, ami vax-^, ^azania^ aro v<'ry suita^h'. 



and then little beyond surface hoeing will 

 be needed to ensure a moderate and con- 

 tinuous growth. 



Good varieties are Dwarf Green Curle<l, 

 Perfection, the small Tom Thumb, Early 

 Dwarf rim, anrl Drumliead, the latter a 

 very large variety, arul on that account 

 gi own (^xtensivelv for market where sizo 

 is important. 



There aro sr\oral wix hoamitul \-iriotn-s. 

 but I think .sph'ndons. with iis riob oraniio, 

 black and white Hourr>. is tho in'st iui tln^ 



garden . 



DAHLIA- ri) v\-:\n \ 



in thi* j^iK-cM- r-fiil oultur- 

 " l>ab]i:v jou] tltoir Cit ' 



H 



: i i 



l-is, A]<lt rsgato strt-rt, I»niIon. 



