NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 265 



NOTES AND ABSTRACTS, 



Alpine Plants, Manure for. By J. B. Farmer (Gard. Chron., 

 p. 318 ; October 26, 1912). — Advocates the use of a teaspoonful of 

 phosphate of potash to a square yard, strong and hard as well as vigorous 

 growth having resulted from such treatment, especially with plants 

 in moraine soil. — E. A. B. 



American Gooseberry Mildew. By F. Hammond [Garden, p. 575, 

 Nov. 16, 1913). — The white felt-like mycelium attacks the growing 

 tips of the shoots in May and June. This is the summer stage, vio- 

 lently infectious. Later the felted white mycelium turns a brown 

 colour and resting spores are produced. These do not spread the 

 infection at the time. It is because the resting spores fall to the ground 

 that the Board of Agriculture insist on pruning the affected bushes 

 being completed early. At first the Board recommended that the 

 tips of the shoots affected with the disease in its summer stage should 

 be removed at once. The shoots so pruned often shot again and were 

 diseased. Summer pruning is not now recommended, but it may be 

 practised when there is no danger of the pruned shoots breaking. 



Another remedy is spraying either by strong water washes of 

 6 lbs. of copper sulphate to 100 gallons of water or by dilute summer 

 sprays when growth is active ; these may be liver of sulphur J oz. to 

 1 gal. water. Bordeaux mixture (preferably as paste) 1 lb. to 10 gallons 

 and lime sulphur, which must be used with caution. At present it is 

 unsafe to spray ' Berry's Kent ' and ' Yellow Shingle ' with lime sulphur 

 at standard summer strength, but 'Warrington' and ' Whinham's 

 Industry ' were unhurt, while ' Lancashire Lad ' may be safely sprayed 

 with half strength. Another method is the application of fine ground 

 sulphate of iron round the plants, using ij oz. to the square yard. 



H. R. D. 



Andropogon. By A. S. Hitchcock (Bot. Gaz., p. 424 ; Nov. 1912). 

 — Describes a new species from Haiti. — G. F. S. E. 



Anemone blanda scythinica. By E. A. Bowles [Garden, p. 339, 

 July 6, 1912, ; fig. p. 340). — Those who cannot obtain or retain 

 Ranunculus anemonoides are advised to substitute Anemone blanda 

 scythinica. In its satiny white purity at full expansion it is very 

 much like the Ranunculus, but when closed the backs of the sepals 

 are deep blue instead of flushed with rose as in the Ranunculus. 

 Anemone blanda scythinica is most beautiful when half expanded; it 

 is a free seeder, and soon spreads in the rock garden or border. — H. R. D. 



