January 



1898. 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



3 



\ 



Select Cactus Dahlias. 



honorary secretary, we have received the select list of cactus d ahlias for 1898 

 nreoared by the National Dahlia Society. The varieties enumerated are Alfred 

 Vase? Annie Tones, Annie Turner, Arachne, Beatrice,' Bertha Mawley, Britannia, 

 Capstan Chas. Woodbridge, Cinderella, Countess of Gosford, Cycle, Daffodil, 

 Delicata Earl of Pembroke, E. J. Deal, Fantasy, Fusitier, Gloriosa, Harmony, 

 Harry Stredwick, Iona, Island Queen, J. F, Frewer, Juarezi, Keyne's White, 

 Lady Penzance, Mary Hillier, Mary Service, Matchless, May Pictor, Miss A. 

 Nightingale, Mrs. A. Beck, Mrs. A. Peart, Mrs. Barnes, Mrs. Gordon Sloane, 

 Mrs. IL Cannell, Mrs. John Goddard, Mrs. Leopold Seymour, Mrs. Montefiore, 

 Mrs. Wilson Noble, Night, Regulus, Robert Cannell, Starfish, Tillie, and Violet 



Mistletoe and Holly have been sold in enormous 



„ — vjuaiiiitica UUb SCilSOn, 



together with other evergreens suitable for Christmas and New Year's decorations 

 The greater part of the mistletoe comes from Brittany, Cherbourg, and St. Malo- a 

 considerable quantity coming from the Channel Islands, and a good supply 'of 

 v,™-.,™,™ f,™ Worcestershire and Gloucestershire The holly that finds its 



„ _ ^» v **v,n,^w^v^^ a »v,. me iivuy mat unus us 



way to Covent Garden comes chiefly from Sussex, Bedfordshire, and Surrey. 

 Christmas trees, that cause so much enjoyment to the young, come from various 

 centres ; Belgium supplies enormous quantities, as does the Woking district of 

 Surrey, In the North of England and Scotland the tops of pines large enough 

 for timber are cut and distributed widely to supply the large demand for Christmas 

 trees. 



The scale insects with which cultivators in the 



Morgan. 



Useful Scale Insects 



United Kingdom are familiar are so injurious to fruit trees and ornamental plants 

 growing under artificial conditions that all the members of the group have come 

 to be regarded as pests. This, however, is not the case, for, as pointed out by 

 Dr. Howard, several possess considerable economical value. For many years the 

 cochineal or cactus scale insect {Coccus cacti) was used as the basis of an im- 

 portant red dye, until superseded by the introduction of aniline dyes. In the 

 same way the European Porphyrophora was used in the production of a purple 

 dye. In addition to the dye insects, we have the Lac Insect {Tachardia hicca), 

 which produces nearly all of the shell-lac, stick lac, and button lac of com- 

 merce. This species is Asiatic in its distribution ; but in the south-west States of ^ ^ ^ ^ 



America, upon the very abundant creosote bush, a lac insect occurs in an enor- Huoining apple that he planted sixty years ago. Mr. H. Cannell, sen., in makin- 

 mous quantity, the commercial possibilities of which have not been developed. the presentation, congratulated the recipient, and expressed a hope that so 

 This is Tachardia larreie, which has been known to science only since 1881, but excellent an example would not be lost on those present. There was a first-rate 

 was long prior to that time known to the Indians, who for many years have been exhibition of vegetables, fruit, including some of Howard's Winter Quoining 

 in the habit of collecting the scale insects and forming them into more or less apples, honey, and preserves from the hundred allotments Eynsford now possesses, 

 elastic balls, which their runners were in the habit of kicking before them as Mr. Cannell distributed the prizes, and a pleasant gathering concluded with a vote 



.« * 1 r » » . 1 ft • 1 .11 m m V«« ft fl mm mm _ _ 



The Allotment Holders of Eynsford had a busy evening recently on 



the occasion of an exhibition of produce, the distribution of prizes, and the con- 

 clusion of a series of lectures on horticulture by Mr. W. P. Wright. Mr. Henry 

 Cannell occupied the chair, and presided over an attendance of more than a 

 hundred. Mr. Wright alluded to the admirable movement initiated by Sir 

 Percival Hart-Dyke about seventy years ago in the terms of his first agreement 

 with the allotment holders of Eynsford, viz., that the ground must be kept clean, 

 regularly manured, and well tilled. The great interest of the evening was the 

 presentation of a silver cup, given by Mr. II. M. Pollett, to Mr. William Howard, 

 aged 81, who can probably show a longer tenure of an allotment than any other 

 man in the kingdom. The cup records the jubilee period of sixty years, but 

 Howard has held his allotment for sixty-six years, and has in it a fine Winter 



* — >. ■ • _ a m 



they journeyed from one point to another. Ag 



ifc 



Wrigh 



is of considerable commercial importance, and is much used in the Eastern 

 countries, both in the making of wax candles and in medicine. The Chinese 

 wax has high illuminating power, and resembles beeswax in its chemical com- 

 position. Dr. Howard also calls attention to the fact that in the far south-west 

 of the United States there is a wax insect {Cci-ococcus quercus) which apparently 



energetic local secretary of the technical education classes. 



A New 



Chrysanth 



Cannell and Sons, Swanley. It is a late-fiowering and pure white sport from the 

 elegant vaiiety named Mrs. Filkins, and is an improvement upon the parent in size 

 and substance. The tubular florets are much divided towards the apex, and thus 



needs careful investigation from the commercial point of view. Three species of the ^ C ^1?°™ ? ^ renM J f^l ™\ ^\ a ™ !aWe alike f ° r b ° U( l uets ' 

 oak are recorded as offering food for this insect, and Dr. Howard recently re- 

 ceived specimens of the insect from Californiar They were not sent in position 

 on the twigs, but had been compressed together into a more or less pliable lump, 

 somewhat resembling a lump of india-rubber, but not possessing the same elas- 

 ticity. The substance, it is remarked, makes an admirable chewing material, as 

 it readily takes and long retains flavours. 



Holly with Red and Yellow Berries,— Mr. C. Turner, Slough, sent 



some sprays of holly to R.H.S. Scientific Committee, on which he remarks, 



wreaths, buttonholes, or table decoration during the Christmas season, for the 

 flowers appeal not alone to lovers of the curious. The blooms sent us by Mr. II. 

 Cannell reminded us of a particularly fine form of the pure white Sweet Sultan, 

 and they certainly were as suitable in a cut state, with the advantage of being in 

 season in December. We have every confidence that spidery chrysanthemums 

 have a great future, and are sure that the white Mrs. Filkins will give the necessary 

 impetus to their cultivation. 



Flowers and Insects.— A short time since we directed attention to 



" They are cut from a large tree which retains its berries for two years. The Professor Plateau's observations of the way in which flowers attract insects, from 

 l>erries are yellow in the first year, but change to red in the second year." As no which he inferred that the presence or absence of brightly-coloured corollas pc 



seasonal break was distinguishable between the group of yellow and that of the " 

 red berries below it on the same stem, some doubt was expressed, and some 

 further information desired. This Mr. Turner has kindly promised to furnish. 



Public Gardens in Jamaica.— A history of the public gardens and 



plantations in Jamaica is contributed to the " Proceedings P of the Botanical 

 bociety of America by Mr. W. Fawcett, the director. From this we learn that 



sessed little or no influence on their insect visitors. These researches are now 

 conclud ed, and he states that repeated experiments on seventeen species of plants, 

 all anemophilous, prove that it is sufficient to place on the greenish or brownish 

 inconspicuous flowers some artificial nectar, represented by honey, in order to 

 attract numerous insects. Moreover, it appears from Professor Plateau's personal 

 observations that insect visits, often frequent, have been observed on ninety-one 



the first botanic garden in Jamaica was formed about one hundred and fifty years forms of entomophilous plants having flowers devoid of conspicuous colour, viz 

 ago by a private individual, Mr. Hinton East, on his property near the present forty-one with green, thirty-eight with greenish, and twelve with brown or brownish 

 village of Gordon Town, nine miles from Kingston. It was shortly afterwards " ~ 

 taken over by the Government, and two gardens established. But it was only 

 wunin about the last thirty years that a serious attempt was made, under Sir J. B. 

 ' , : t0 ™ ake , the S ardens of economic value to the Colony, during which time 

 much has been done to determine what foreign importations are most suitable to 



kL\ H ^ Cre T- D0 * Sk krger ° r SnuIler S ardens > viz " The Parad e, 

 climata ZJ, PC ' 2*"* Castleton > and Bath Ga 'dens, varying greatly in their 



cTude Z T^u FaWCe " CStimateS that the native fl0 ' a of island 



a 7d7he«^^ 



flowers. The^ author has verified the coloration for seventy-two of these plants, 

 and has himself observed the visits of insects to sixty-three, or more than two- 

 thirds of them. Professor Plateau concludes that insects are little affected by the 

 presence or absence of brilliantly-coloured floral organs ; what they seek is the 

 pollen or nectar, and in finding these their sense of vision is merely accessory ; 

 while, on the other hand, they are guided with certainty by some other sense, 

 which can only be that of smell. 



The Cultivation of the Strawberry was the subject of an instructive 



paper by Mr. H. Dunkin, read at the monthly meeting of the Birmingham 

 Gardeners' Association. A brisk discussion followed the reading of the paper, 



StKS*^ *? h ° nour exa <% ^ty years ago. 



was given m our recent plate of medallists, was 



In 1845 th e Royal Cale- 



presided. 



Jonian Sonet* „<r a 1 ^^"J y ears ago. in 1845 the Royal Cale- * . . A 



collection of * meda1 ' to be com P^ for in 1847, for the b^st A Hybrid Blackberry is figured and described by an American contem- 



coliect 



r 



Wist, « eTd Z V l^T, ^ M '' **** then a P romisin S J™ 1 * 



v^tigat n J "t' aM fr ° m FebrUary t0AugUSt ' l8 47. he carried on his h? 

 -r.d gathered a TZvM "S*?"^ ***** * *f Edinburgh, 



Mr 7f ah,e C ° llectir ' n > «<*rftog many me specie* This compto 



demy octavo volmJ"™?"'' in i,s °"ginal form, hound in a thick 



*cir.i,y «f EdinSl f e ; U " ,ed " A I^ciculus °f Mosses, collected in .he 



warded the 2Sd «25 * X ° lS * 7 " ^ 7°™* botani * was 



* U«* recently co^td Va^aLt! 'T ^ ^ P 6 ™^' 



-pevH ^oun^i i f u nw ,7 a,th ™gh, acting under the influence of the 



hoinv ? endS ' he deVel °P ed into a nurseryman, his 



field has fuii v ]u ,J' ? otv ™ h standing which, however, his success in the 



fc»U and KSttSTt ° tion ° f hls maturer ^ ears 



r >«cks, will petition for a k^i^ pr0bable the S ood foIk of Langley 

 four-footed f riends may ^} "Nation ot the dog-muzzling order, so that their 



"•any gardens ■ 

 at Langley has 



rirst love 



was 



Green crops in 



the 



rats as 



a fine 



master 



porary under the name of the Mammoth Blackberry. It is said to be a hybrid 

 between Rubus ursinus, the common wild Blackberry of California, and the Texas 

 Early, a form of Rubus villosus, recently obtained by Judge J. H. Logan, of Santa 

 Cruz, the originator of the Loganberry. The Mammoth, which is a cross between 

 two plants, which produce medium-sized fruit, curiously bears berries of immense 

 size, fruits two and three-eighths of an inch in length being common. The canes 

 of the Mammoth are large and thickly covered with small short spines ; starting 

 early in March, they grow thick and stout until about five feet high, and then 

 becoming pendulous or semiprostrate, grow from twenty-five to thirty feet more 

 during the season; late in the autumn the tips of these shoots take root* 

 Producing no adventitious root-buds, this variety cannot be propagated by root- 

 cuttings, and the only way to multiply it is by means of stolons. The Mammoth 

 begins to grow and flower early in the spring and ripens its fruit at Santa Cruz 

 the last of May, or some weeks earlier than the Lawton. The flavour of the fruit 

 is described as more acid than that of the Lawton, but when perfectly ripe is said 

 to be sweet ; when cooked or canned the flavour is identical with that of the fruit 

 of the wild California Blackberry, which is excellent, although, owin^ to its poor 

 bearing qualities, it is rarely cultivated. 



