February 5 



1898. 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



91 



NSWERST 



CORRESPON DENT S3 



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, 

 ffaits &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. m m 



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. All parcels must be sufficiently 



Secr^neslif horticultural societies are invited to send early notification of forth 

 coming exhibitions and meetings, and are requested to advise us concerning 

 change of dates 



Violas.— H. B., Timperley : There are about a hundred species of viola. 



Potatos for Heavy Land.— A. F., Oxon : Six varieties suitable for heavy 

 soils are Beauty of Hebron, Sirius, Up-to-date, Satisfaction, Early Puritan, and 



Windsor Castle. 



Cultivation.— A. G., Manchester: We thank you 



Chrysanthemu 



for the suggestion, and will see what can be done in the matter. High quality 

 blooms are as necessary for exhibition grouping as for staging, when cut, upon 

 the boards ; the general system of cultivation is the same in either case, except 

 that those varieties which require such high cultivation to produce good blooms 

 that they can cnly perfect one or two on a plant are not generally grown expressly 

 for grouping. Extremely tall and leggy varieties are also omitted, except such as 

 are amenable to the cut-back system. It is always advisable to grow a number of 

 cut-back plants as well as a number of naturally dwarf varieties where plants for 

 exhibition groups are required. We recommend a perusal of the series of articles 

 on "Chrysanthemums for Exhibition" that appeared in the Gardeners' 

 Magazine for 1896 and 1897. 



The Spanish Silver Fir. — P. C, Blackheath : The Spanish Silver Fir, 

 Abies Pinsapo or Picea Pinsapo, was introduced into England in 1839. It is a 

 native of the middle and south of Spain, being plentiful on the Sierra Nevada at 

 elevations of four to five thousand feet. It is characterised by its stout pointed 

 leaves produced on whorled branchlets. It is a fine abies for lawn specimens, and 

 is a suitable subject for cultivation on shallow soils over chalk. As it assumes a 

 large size it should be placed so that eventually it may have a clear radius of 

 twenty feet for itself. Abies Pinsapo variegata has yellow tips to leaves and 

 branchlets, and these are most effective during the growing season. Another 

 variety that does not come under general notice is A. Pinsapo Hammondi, a 

 curious form with shortened stems and excessively developed prostrate branches 

 that are clothed with branchlets and leaves, both smaller than in the type. 



Mildew on Vines. — T. F. J., Norwich : As a stagnant atmosphere is the 

 primary cause of mildew on vines or elsewheie it is obvious that the principal 

 remedy will be a buoyant atmosphere, which can be very largely ensured by due 

 care in heating and airing the varieties. Where mildew has been prevalent, as in 

 your case, it is advisable to adopt other safeguards against renewed attacks. 

 1 'erhaps the best plan is to paint the hot- water pipes with flowers of sulphur 

 mixed with milk. Another is to place a few lumps of newly-slaked lime about 

 the house, standing them in pans, and then strewing sulphur upon them ; both 

 these plans result in the giving off of slight sulphurous fumes that prove fatal to the 

 mildew fungus. Sulphur must on no account be burned in the vinery, or both 

 vines and mildew will be killed. Flowers of sulphur should always be kept in a 

 dry place ready for use at any time ; you should also obtain a distributor, so that 

 should mildew show itself, the vines, leave?, and bunches may be dusted over at 

 once. After such a dusting, say about four days after, it will be necessary to 

 remove the sulphur by syringing with clean rain water. 



To Kill Crickets.— W. S., Chelmsford: Although crickets are a great 

 nuisance m some plant houses, and occasionally do considerable damage to some 

 plants, we think you have rather overstated the case so far as their lease and 

 tenacity of life is concerned. Obtain one pint of oatmeal, two ounces of arsenic, 

 a little ground caraway seed, and some powdered aniseed ; mix all together care- 

 iuiiy, and lay small pieces on bits of broken glass, jam pots, or other glazed ware, 

 ana place about the house at night. As this is a deadly poison it must be carefully 

 H 1 an y not eaten b y *e crickets should be taken up in the morning and 



so ™ e * here ? ut of the "»ch of children or domestic animals. Another 



honlv Vf u may • USed W an alternative > is to make a paste with arsenic and 

 avaiMi n / P 01 sonous preparations are placed on glazed ware they will be 



th?lnvu\ * not eaten * for about three nights ; after that the y are to ° df y for 



flil k .fff A P^fcte 1 * use of these arsenical compounds for about a 

 he n£n! Q d u effeCt a co P siderable diminution of, if not the entire clearance of, 

 or fouSi Subsequently it will be advisable to put down some poison every third 

 chiMr/n , e . mus . t a £ ain remind y° u of need of caution, and for keeping 



children 1 1 . — . "S"*" / wu ^ uceu 01 caution, an 



ciuidren and domestic animals from the house when using the poison. 



what is^J^ii ^ alls «— J- B., Dundee : One of the easiest methods of making 

 obtain lS f r .? wn M a fern wal1 ™ a greenhouse or other structure is to 

 ^tm^^ ^^ 1 Wlr ^ trellis, but in comparatively small widths, and. 



pack ir V £i V7 IX mcheS from the WalL Between the trellis and the wall 



£xtthe trTl i r thorou g h, y g° od turf y P eat and loam, facing this with 



•bout fifteen t Commencing at the bottom of the wall, and using strips of trellis 

 to be covered w 11 i** inches ? lde ' and as Ion S as lhe extreme width of the wall 



*ork mtt«li w u ^ Sy to fiU in the Soil and moss and P lant the ferns as the 

 the Ulter hoL Wlder * in V* of treIhs U is di fficult to till in the soil firmly ; 



**come shrink ^ u S ° ne of . the chlef P oints to observers there is bound to 

 m «* will not ^ » ? ter , 1S su PP lied ' but the le *s the better. Inch and a-half 

 ^Plea at int t S , {o \ the ^rework. It will be necessary to use stout iron 

 ll * whole mJSr^f f r eep ,. f ™ re from . a nd to distribute the weight of 



tJ elUs wired to thi M CW h gkt *ron uprights can be placed at intervals, and the 

 U wed instead of ! ' the > Wl11 keep the work in position. Tiles can, of course, 



*u 01 wirework, and if these are preferred they can be obtained from 



any of the dealers in garden pottery who advertise in our columns. It will be 

 necessary to specify your want and the area to be covered ; you should also state 

 whether you wish to hang or nail the tiles to the wall or cement them on to it. 



Tree Fern.-W. S. , Chelmsford : If the soil is at all sour it will be necessary 

 to remove it and repot the specimen, using a lighter compost, and giving ample 

 drainage. Syringe the trunk two or three times each day, making the spray as 

 fine as possible, so that no great quantity of water runs down to the roots. The 

 stems may be mossed, using fresh sphagnum, and then eventually its length may 

 be reduced. 



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. 



K. B., Henley : 1, the Winter Aconite (E rani his hyemalis) ; 2, Pelargonium 

 quercifolium minor ; 3, not recognised, but probably a form of P. quercifolium ; 

 4, P. denticulata majus ; 5, P. radula major ; 6, P. radula. 



IT. A., Rugby : The plant is unquestionably Camellia reticulata. 



A. W. K., Yarmouth: Omphalodes verna. 



Names of Fruits. — We are pleased to assist our readers as far as it is 

 possible to do so in naming fruits, but it is absolutely necessary that they should 

 send us good specimens carefully packed, as it is only when characteristic examples 

 reach us in perfect condition that we are able to determine their names. We are 

 compelled to insist on the observance of this rule, as so many specimens now reach 

 us. We cannot undertake to name more than six varieties at one time ; and both 

 apples and pears should be sent when approaching maturity, but before they are 

 fully ripe, that we may have the assistance of their distinctive colours in determining 

 their identity. 



W. A. S.,Swanley: 1, Chatelay's Kernel ; 2, Withington Fillbasket ; 3, not 

 recognised, probably a seedling from Cox's Pomona. 



J. T., Putney : I, Bedfordshire Foundling ; 2, Frogmore Prolific ; 3, Lamb 

 Abbey Pearmain ; 4, Roundway Magnum Bonum. 

 R. M.. Colchester: King of the Pippins. 



L. F. F., Carnarvon : 1, Round Winter Nonsuch ; 2, French Crab ; 3, Dutch 

 Mignonne. 



B. F., Leicester : 1, Catillac ; 2, Easter Beurre ; 3, Jean de Witte ; 4, Winter 

 Nelis. 



Communications Received.— W. B. W.— A. B.— G. D.— II. T. 



W. N.-G. R.— T. F. J. S.— W. S.— A. G.— J. B.—W. A. S.— J. T.— R M 

 L. F. F.—B. F.— K. B.— H. A.— C. H — D. R. W.— C. W. D.— R. L. II. 

 G. B.— F. J. C— T. S.— H. K.— J. T.~ G. W.— W. II. L.— A. W.— II. T. 

 A. W. K.— H. F.— R. S. and Co.— G. P.-W. M. — II, M.— W. P. L. and S. 

 — A. C. and S. — J. T. — J. R. 



New Inventions. 



_._!cDoug all's Insecticide Fumer. — Much attention has of late years 

 been devoted to the methods of fumigating plant and fruit houses with a view to 



their improvement, and as the result of the 

 energy displayed, both in investigation and 

 experiment, a considerable advance has been 

 made both in simplicity and efficiency. The 

 most recent ot the inventions for the pre- 

 vention and annihilation of plant pests is 

 McDougall's Insecticide Fumer, introduced 

 by Messrs. McDougall Brothers, 10, Mark 

 Lane, and having the promise of proving of 

 immense value. In their invention Messrs. 



McDougall have made a quite new departure 

 in methods of plant fumigation, and devised 

 a means whereby the pests that usually attack 

 plants grown under glass can be destroyed in 

 a remarkably simple and inexpensive manner. 

 As shown in the accompanying illustration, 

 the P'umer consists of a cylinder of perforated 

 tin enclosing a small lamp, and surmounted by 

 a reservoir containing the fumigating material. 

 In using the invention the first point is to estimate the cubic contents of the house, 

 and then distribute the requisite number of Fumers over the floor of the structure 

 and place each one upon an inverted flower pot or a piece of brick. The next 

 step is to prise off the little cap that covers the opening of the reservoir, then lift 

 off the reservoir, light the wick of the lamp, and replace the reservoir in position. 

 In a very short time the material will give off fumes sufficiently powerful to 

 destroy the insect pests within their influence, but in no way injurious to the 

 most tender vegetation. When the Fumer* have been used they are gathered up 

 and thrown on the rubbish heap, consequently there is no trouble in refilling or 

 rewicking the lamps. We have subjected the Fumers to a careful trial, and have 

 been much impressed with their simplicity of construction and efficiency in 

 operation, and have formed a high opinion of their utility, more particularly in the 

 gardens of amateurs, who have but little time to devote to the management of 



their plants. ; 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



PAPE AND BERGMANN, QUEDLINBURG, GERMANY.-Seeds. 



R. Dean, Ranelagh Road, Ealing, W.— Hardy Plants and Seeds. 



W. Fromow and Sons, Chiswick, W.— Seeds. 



Wood and Ingram, Huntingdon.— Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 



Cooper, Taber, and Co., Southwark Street, London.— Seed Catalogue for francs 



and Germany. " T ~ , . ^ . , * 



John Sharpe and Son, Bardney, Lincoln.— Gardening Guide. 



Wm. Cutbush and Son, Highgate, N. f and Barnet, Herts.— Seeds and Chrysanthe- 

 mums. - * „ o • 



R. Sydenham, Tenby Street, Birmingham.— Seeds. 

 Michael Rains aud Co., Mansell Street, Aldgate.— Seeds. 

 F. Gef, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.— Seeds and Plants. 

 Benjamin Soddy, 243, Walworth Road, S.K.— Seeds. 

 Samuel Dobie and Son, Heathfield Gardens, Chester.— Seeds. 

 Fisher Son and Sibray (Ltd.), Handsworth, Sheff ield.-^ Seeds and Sundries. 

 Debbie' and Co., Rothesay, N.B — Seed Catalogue and Competitor ' Guide. 

 Cooper, Taber, and Co. (Ltd.), Southwark Street, S.E.— Wholesale S?eds, 

 John G::een, Norfolk Nurseries, Dereham.— Seeds and Plants. 

 J. Cocker and Sons, Aberdeen. — Seeds and Plants. 

 }\ Turner, Wetherby, Yorks. — Seeds, Chrysanthemums, and Dahlias. 

 Vilmorin. Andrieux, and Co., Quai de la Megissekie, Paris.— Seeds. 



9 . ■ V* TT-» A «-» • WW% 



John Fraser, South Woodford, Essex.— Rose?, Fruit Trees. 



