January 15, 1898. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



43 



NSW ER S 



CORRESPONDENTS 



Editorial communications should be addressed to the Editor of the Gardeners' 

 Magazine, 148 and 149, Aldersgate Street, E.C. 



The Editor will be glad to receive photographs of gardens, plants, flowers, trees, 

 fruits, &c, for reproduction in the Gardeners' Magazine. He will also be 



greatly obliged by correspondents sending early intimation of interesting local 

 events relating to horticulture. In sending newspapers containing matter to 

 which they wish to draw attention, correspondents are requested to distinctly 

 mark the paragraph. 



Specimens of plants, flowers, and fruits for naming or opinion should be sent to 

 the Editor of the Gardeners' Magazine, " Endsleigh," Priory Park, Kew, 



Surrey, and as early in the week as possible, 

 prepaid 



parcels 



Secretaries of horticultural societies are invited to send early notification of forth 



dates 



concerning 



Weight of Bunches of Black Hamburgh Grapes.— J. F., Ponte- 



fract : So far as we are aware, the heaviest bnnch of Black Hamburgh grapes 

 known was exhibited at Belfast in 1874 by Mr. Hunter, of Lambton Castle. This 

 enormous specimen weighed 21 lb. 12 oz. The following year Mr. Hunter showed 

 a bunch at the Manchester exhibition which weighed,^ lb. 2 oz. Bunches weighing 

 Sib. or 9 lb. each have been recorded, but none approach in any way the famous 

 examples produced over twenty years ago. 



Cultivation of Erica hyemalis.— G. G., Torquay: Erica hyemalis is a 

 somewhat soft-wooded and free-growing species as compared with many others, 

 and thus, in the earlier stages of growth, more pinching is necessary if the object 

 in view is a large specimen. It does not differ materially from the majority of 

 heaths grown in gardens in its likes and dislikes, but being very robust, its growth 

 is made earlier than in most sorts, and specimens can be placed out of doors at an 

 earlier period than is recommendable for others. Growth must be thoroughly 

 finished or flowers will not be abundant. It is a bad plan to stand the plants 

 where the influence of the sun is directly upon the pots, for heaths like to have 

 their roots cool. The pots must be shaded or plunged in some cool medium, such 

 as fine ashes, where drainage is at the same time ensured. After flowering it is 

 best to cut back the growths of this species, and to do so freely, otheiwise the 

 plants will speedily become tall and leggy ; this remark applies equally to all the 

 winter-flowering heaths. 



Propagation of Isolepxs gracilis.— M. M., Maidstone : It is best to 



deler the propagation of this pretty grass until the spring, when growth commences, 

 lor if the plants are divided at present damping is very likely to set in. Any fairly 

 open soil will suit the species. Part up the old specimens, and place a little tuft 

 in a three-inch pot ; give a watering, and place in a temperature of 55 to 65 

 degrees. When well -rooted remove to the greenhouse, and as the pots will be by 

 this time almost full of roots, it will be necessary to pot on into forty-eight-sized 

 pots as soon as the plants are acclimatised. This size will be found large* enough 



™° c P ur P° u ses ' w J? ile k is g°od practice to keep some in sixties for small 

 groups, cVc. The leading nurserymen offer seed of Isolepis gracilis, so that if you 



nn ,n ai )if f ar f St ° ck k v/i11 be advisable to obtain a few packets besides parting 

 f • ° P DtS P r T ocurable - The species is widely distributed throughout 

 r^ius!^ r6gl ° nS " piS gradliS 53 but a common S arden nam e for Scirpus 



™ n A d nT?™ d ,?'~ G V E " 'Shrewsbury : Your supposition is quite correct ; the 

 C« lSr WaS f ° Unded ^ y Llnn£eus > and th « name was given because the 

 mwh nZT T.u 0 ? iany P u° mtS of com P arison between the type plant, Andro- 

 to D SSSS: a f the t lad y. w hom Neptune chained, naked, to a'rock. The story 



it is 



" Flora f Ln - y » ?° £CUS m hlS " Lachesis LW'ca," and continued in the 

 Inland S T Ca "-K , L . innae " s . first saw the P lai * growing in marshy ground in 



affiS h, H V l hed ? aS bemg moSt beautifuI on the twelfth o f June. While 

 nic eS 5 ,? ^ plicate colounng of the flower and the grace and elegance of the 



wS of \ en nn? A " dr ? m ^ da , came to h is mind. Andromeda, toappease the 



*ei moncir P «if ' C u amed " aked t0 a rock ' and ex P osed ^ be devoured by a 



her and L JL™ h °* ever ' released b ^ Perseus > who afterwards marriad 



L&S a by Sbe had ™™Y cMdrtn. The flowers of A. polifolia, says 



ike th^ ? d r er \ they CX P and ' but when f «"y-g'own are of a flesh 

 coCrine coSd 7 ° * ' landsome female complexion, and such as no artificial 

 poeS descr SBS?* he "W naturalist . sa y s th ^ as he meditated upon the 

 ^ SffiLt £1 - exquisite and unrivalled charms of Andromeda, he 



him As AndromeS D ° H"?' T 16 than , her .\ could be given to the plant before 

 so this phnt k X ± r S /^ med t0 a rOGk With the sea runnin S around her feet, 

 JSW^^JSJiSS a f sma ! 1 l hilIock in the swamps with fresh water 

 monste'r'*, so .nl a beautlfu . S lr J was surrounded by horrid and venomous 

 resembler t£ r f 5 eptlles fre( i uented the Position of her vegetable 



^ a nyofh'ercharmfS of An dr omeda under such dire affliction would destroy 



expression i n a lead ^ T th httle h°P? of resc , ue « her drooping spirits would find 

 « k . . ,n a head bent down to hiH#» h»r hh^h no- r*^ <« cl V, T • 



monsters of all WinrU » a gt , comes Perseus i the water is dried up, the 

 become the w fe nf h d ^ str °y ed or d " v en away, and Andromeda is rescued to 

 h<ad erect without * n TTL* as a han dsome mother she once more holds her 

 drying influence ; ♦ .1° f sharr,< T Perseus 15 the summer, with its warmth and 



d,ied- U p swam „' ^ ^ f • and ° ther re P tileS WOuld naturally disappear from the 

 wither away • L ?n Th Fertilisation takes place, and the flowers 



importance in thf e au ^ utn .n.the seed capsule, apparently conscious of its own 

 hiding, drooping 1!,? gmng continuity to the species, turns from its half- 

 reasons for L ^ PO ;l Ul . on ' and holds itself erect." When we understand the 



n 



plant 



*»^rcst when, thrnnofc »u V aiuI i v nuur °meaa possesses an added 



analogy between k in W r lds ° f the Swedlsh naturalist, we draw a close 

 *ndromedas will DrnvA° ne Ur P rettiest flowerin g shrubs. We trust that your 

 •pecic* vou m^.;J_ ? ^ successful as you could wish. We may add that one 



Scale on Peach Tress.— E. J. T., Isle of Wight : The best plan for 

 removing this pest is to carefully clean every branch and twig, using fir-tree oil, o 



waLr an/tT d Commeoce by moistening the tree with warm sokp^ 



water, and then with a small label gently scrape the scales away, afterwards 



ZZ^t^ g rowth k s 1 wlt 1 h the insecticide. It is a good plan to place some canvas 

 beneath the trees while the work is being performed, so as to catch any scales that 

 may fall. Beside the blunt label, it will be found useful to use a short, stiff-haired 

 brush to remove the pests from joints and round the buds. A good deal of patience 

 is necessary ere this work is brought to a successful conclusion, but on trees under 

 glass it is eminently desirable that the pest be removed ere heat is applied and 

 growth becomes vigorous. After a thorough cleansing, it will be advisable to 

 frequently examine the trees to see whether any individual has escaped. 



Bark Beetles. -S. C, Bishop's Stortford : The elms have been subjected to 

 an attack of Scolytus Geoffroyi, one of the most destructive of the numerous bark 

 beetles. It almost invariably happens that trees attacked are unhealthy, for the 

 httle pests prefers dead or dying to live and healthy trees. This being so, it will 

 be necessary to discover whether anything can be done to improve the condition of 

 the young elms, either by drainage or a good top dressing. Remove all damaged 

 parts, and wash the stems with a tobacco water solution, taking advantage of any 

 abrasions in the bark to forcibly inject some of the solution. During the summer 

 the bark of all the trees should be frequently saturated with a tobacco solution so 

 as to render the trees distasteful to the beetles. Where the holes are very apparent 

 m the bark pieces should be removed about the end of June, as, if this be done, 

 the larra will die and be eaten by birds. Pieces of dead elm bark may also be 

 used as traps during the summer, but they should be renewed at least once a 

 month, and the old ones burned. 



Names of Plants.— Under this heading we can only undertake to name 

 species and specific varieties of plants, and not florists' flowers. Specimens should 

 be packed in stout boxes with damp moss or leaves as packing material to ensure 

 their reaching us in a fresh state. It is essential that flowers must accompany 

 specimens of flowering plants, that fern fronds be fertile, and that the numbers be 

 legible and firmly attached to the specimens. We cannot promise to name more 

 than six specimens at one time from any one correspondent. 



A. S., Cheltenham: i, Pentas carnea ; 2, Erica hyemalis; 3, Pteris 

 sagittifolia. 



H. P. D., Woking: 1, Grevillea Thelymaniana ; 2, Chimonanthus fragrans ; 

 3, Dracaena rubra ; 4, Lycaste Skinneri, a poor form. 



W. B., Bristol: 1, Rhyncospermum jasminoides ; 2, Libonia Penhrosensis ; 

 3, Nephrodium denticulatum ; 4, Rhododendron jasminiflorum. 



S. F. J., Sale : 1, Jasminum nudiflorum ; 2, Hamamelis arborea ; 3, Maranta 

 zebrina ; 4, Mussxnda frondosa ; 5, Epiphyllum truncatum bicolor ; 6, Coronilla 

 glauca. 



C. L., Retford: 1, Cestrum elegans ; 2, Pelloea cordata ; 3, Cheilanthes 

 farinosa ; 4, Pteris cretica nobilis ; 5, P. scaberula. 



A. S. G., Huddersfield : r, Apparently a leaf of the Vanilla (Van ill 

 -blamfolia) ; 2, Marcgravia paradoxa. 



Communications Received.— K. and S.— F. and S.— K. W. and Co.— 

 A. B.— D. and R.— C. S. and Co. — R. V. and S.— W. P. and S.— E. W. and S. 

 —J- R. P. and S.— S. and S.— K. P.— G. H. H.— R. P.— G. R.— J. S. 

 T. W. B.-T. S. -J. L. and S.-W. W.— G. S.— C. II. P. -J. C. T.-T. J. W. 

 — M. M.— G. G.-J. F. — E. J. F.-A. S.— S. C.-H. P. D.-W. B.-S. F. J. 

 — C. L.— A. S. G.— A. B. C.-M. C. A,— P. R.— E. S. — F. M. N.— S. G R. 

 —A. G. C— S. F. C— C. W. S.— H. G. C. — R. D.— N. F. B.— R. W. M. 

 C. T. D.— C. II. 



Stoking. — The frost that commenced on Wednesday, December 22 last, was 

 very severe, and will, I expect, have done much damage, following, as it did, a 

 particularly mild time. We were thinking of having a very easy Christmas time, 

 but the reverse was the case. Where the water could be drawn out of the pipes and 

 boilers all was safe, however. Those houses for which we only planned a little 

 fire required far more than we intended even to keep the frost out. The full value 

 of good boilers and good fuel was recently tested, when fires were lighted up and 

 the heat raised in less than two hours ; after that the heat was reduced by the 

 damper. Next morning no stirring up of the fire was done, but it was fed with 

 riddhngs from the ash heap ; this says much for the lasting and heating qualities of 

 anthracite. The difficulty in this early firing for mid-season houses is in keeping 

 only just what is required to be safe. Thus for an hour or two, with sun, we could 

 do without fire ; but we dare not, as heat would subsequently be lost. I have also 

 found the utility jf piping round the north end of houses, this being the weak point 

 in many vineries. Expansion joints I believe to be the safest during sudden frosts 

 should they get froze, for india-rubber rings will burst before the pipes. A good 

 stoker is a jewel ; by good I not only mean a man to raise the heat with full regard 

 to value of fuel, &c, but one, also, who is clean in his work, and who, above all, 

 looks well after his ash-heap. All our ashes are riddled, and the proportion of 

 fine ashes is very small. This extra firing has necessitated more water about the 

 borders near the pipes One day and night of firing costs me as much as it did in 

 a whole week of late, but I had to set two extra boilers going on account of the 

 prominent vine buds, being afraid of frost ; but I did not intend doing this until 

 the new year had set in. The importance of a good stock of coal has been forcibly 

 brought home to me, for to get a supply now would be impossible. With anthra- 

 cite our fires are safely made up at tea time for lasting until next morning, though, 

 of course, a visit to the houses is made nightly to see that all is right. Oiling of 

 valves, air taps, &c, is a part of the stoker's duties, and this is important, for 

 perhaps all will work well for a week, and then from some cause or other the heat 

 will work up more one side than the other ; then by a turn of the valve the 

 alteration necessary is made. As boilers and flues are allowed to rest, and while 

 they are warm, all are thoroughly cleaned, and now those standing idle are equal 

 in appearance to new work, even after three seasons' firing. Fortunately, having 

 a full pressure and supply of water for filling the pipes and boilers, we can well afford 

 to empty our heating apparatus once a year. At the time of writing it really looks 

 as if we were to have a spell of cld-fashioned winter. The inconveniences are 

 many, I know, yet I fully believe it is better for the general health ; and if we 

 spend more in firing now less will be required later on, and, of course, if vines are 

 ready, with tomatos all right, all will be considerably earlier.— Stephen Castle, 

 F.R.H.S., Boltesford Vineries, Notts. 



Mention 



A. floribunda -is now recognised as Pieris floribunda. 



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