410 JOURNAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



which rapidly increases till it is almost intolerable. They become so 

 swollen that they are almost closed. The rest of the face becomes gradu- 

 ally involved, the eruption and swelling always moving from the forehead 

 downwards. Blisters form upon the surface and weep copiously like those 

 of eczema, the glands of the neck become enlarged, and there is much 

 difficulty in eating or even speaking. Last autumn we had the usual 

 harvest service in the church, and the ladies and children helped to 

 decorate it. Unfortunately they chose the Poison Ivy to adorn the pulpit, 

 from the beauty of its colouring ; one after another they all became ill, 

 some more and some less. The German governess was confined to her bed 

 for more than a week and suffered terribly. One lady consulted a specialist 

 for skin disease, and she was told she had blood poisoning, and sent to 

 Harrogate for three weeks. The specialist wrote to me to say that blood 

 poisoning often was caused by bad drains, and strongly advised that they 

 should be tested. I did not quite know what to think about it, when one 

 day three under-gardeners were laid up with it, though very slightly. That 

 settled the matter : it was Rhus Toxicodendron, and not blood poisoning at 

 all ! I heard a story of a lady living in the country who suffered from 

 eczema and blood poisoning every autumn — so bad was it that her 

 husband thought the house unhealthy and decided to leave it and take 

 another, which he did. However, his wife was so fond of a fine plant of 

 Rhus Toxicodendron which they had in the garden that she moved it to the 

 new house, and it was not till some time after that she discovered that it 

 was the cause of her illness. It is well to note that this Rhus has been 

 sent out by some nurserymen as a variety of Ampelopsis japonica under 

 the name of A. Hocjgi ; therefore any one having a plant under that name 

 should be very careful not to touch it. It is curious that some people are 

 not affected by it, but it is so terribly painful that I do not advise any one 

 to experiment much with it. I have had the only plant that people could 

 easily get access to in my garden burnt. _ Mrs. Tweedie in her travels in 

 Mexico mentions that she was confined to her bed for fifteen days from 

 Poison Ivy. She says : " The parasite in hot climates grows rank, generally 

 in damp shady barrancas, where it spreads prolifically. It is most poisonous 

 when in bloom. Then the pollen flies, and you may be poisoned without 

 touching the plant. The Indians live in constant dread of approaching 

 the creeper. The poison raises large lumps, red and swollen like bites ; 

 pas forms, and a kind of blood poisoning attended by pain and danger 

 sets in." 



IDES I A POLYCARPA. — A handsome Japanese tree with large 

 heart-shaped leaves on bright red stalks. It requires careful pruning to 

 keep it in shape, as it is rather a straggling grower. (Fig. 102.) 



RAPHIOLEPIS OVATA. — k dwarf evergreen shrub with sweet- 

 scented white flowers, something like Hawthorn, and bluish berries. It is 

 from Japan, and grows four feet high. 



RHUS VI'/RNICIFERA.—k tree growing in Japan to thirty feet in 

 height. It has leaves like the Walnut, only elongated, and is interesting, 

 as it is from it the Japanese derive their celebrated lacquer. 



EALE8IA HISPIDA, or PTER OS TYRA X THSPIDUM, has 

 large Leaves, eight inches long and four wide. The flowers are white and 



