February 12, 1898. 



THE GARDENERS' MA CAZIN1 



95 



Dr. Bernard Dyer has been and is stil 



Manure for Cabbage Crops.- 



ductine a series of experiments in Kent in connection with the Manuring of 

 Market Garden Crops, and in some details given in the Agricultural Gazette one 

 of the points raised is as to whether the common plan of manuring land to be 

 planted with cabbages in the autumn is advantageous. The point can hardly be 

 regarded as settled by the experience of the last two seasons ; but, so far as that 

 goes it indicates that the result of feeding the plants early is to force them unde- 

 sirably forward, only to be injured and to some extent killed during the winter. 

 This experience is opposed to the common impression that farm or stable manure 

 « keeps the plants warm " during severe weather, and helps to preserve them. Of 

 course, any stimulating chemical manure would force the plants even more than 

 farm or stable manure in the autumn ; but phosphates can be applied before plant- 

 ing with advantage. The case of spring-planted cabbages is different, as the effect 

 of any manure put on for them takes place during a period of growth not inter- 

 rupted, as that of autumn-planted cabbages is, by a long spell of frost, when the 

 winter is severe. But such extremely mild autumns as those of 1896 and 1897 are 

 exceptional, and it is still a question whether, in an ordinary season, dunged 

 cabbage crops are in any danger of becoming too forward before winter sets in 



regularly. 



" The Botanical Magazine " for the current month contains a double- Cookson, \\ ylam-on-Tyne. 



New Plants, Flowers, and Fruits. 



Anthurium Dr. Lawrence. 



A bold and handsome anthurium, with large foliage and salmon-pink spathes. 

 The latter measure eight inches by seven and a half inches, so that they are most 

 effective, especially when staged in tall v»3es with a few of their deep green sagit- 

 tate leaves. A large specimen plant of this variety would always prove attractive 

 in a stove, whether in flower or not. The spadix is large, pale pink, with a 

 yellowish apex. F.C.C. Mr. Bain, gardener to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, 

 Burford Lodge, Dorking. 



Calanthe splendens. 



An exceptionally fine calanthe, with rich rosy-red flowers shaded with crimson. 

 The parentage was not recorded. The sepals and petals are whole, of a rich 

 rosy-red colour, while the lip has the addition of a distinct crimson or cherry red 

 shade down the centre. Five flowers were on the small plant staged. A.M., 

 R.H.S., February 8. Mr. Norman Cookson, Oakwood, Wylam-on-Tyne. 



PHAIO-CALANTHE GRANDE. 



A very pretty anc interesting hybrid, with creamy sepals and petals of 

 moderate size, streaked with rose-red, lip large and broad, sides lightly turned up, 

 deep red with a crimson throat, and a few mottlings of creamy white. This is a 

 hybrid, produced between Calanthe Bryan and Phaius grandifolius ; the foliage of 

 the latter has been much reduced. A.M., R.H.S., February 8. Mr. Norman 



page illustration of Richardia Elliottiana, the finest of the richardias ; this has a 

 golden yellow spathe, and is a native of South Africa. A curious error has crept 

 into the letterpress accompanying the illustration, for it is stated that the plant was 

 raised from seed in 1896 and exhibited in London in 1 892. Cypripedium 

 Chamberlainianum is figured under the generic title of Paphiopelum ; it is now a 

 well-known orchid ; Daphne Blagayana, a sweet-scented, white-flowered species 

 known since 1837, but not long in cultivation ; Dasystachys Drimiopsis, an African 

 plant from the Zambesi valley, and with spikes of white flowers akin to the 

 asphodel ; and Anemone vernalis, with white and violet-purple flowers, a species 

 clotely allied to the British A. Pulsatilla, are all figured in the same issue. 



Apple Lord Hindlip. 



The Rontgen Rays and Vegetable Life. — The results of the action 



of Rontgen rays upon vegetable life have hitherto been negative, but now, accord- 

 ing to Nature % Signor G. Tolomei has been led to the conclusion that their action 

 is identical with that of light. On exposing to the action of Rontgen rays 

 branches of Elodea canadensis immersed in water charged with carbonic anhydride, 

 evolution of bubbles took place as in the presence of sunshine or electric or 

 magnesium light. The same similarity was observed in the effects on the lower 

 \rgetable forms, both Rontgen rays and light causing retardation in the absorption 

 ot oxygen by Mycoderma aceti, and in the evolution of carbonic anhydride by 

 Saccharomyces. Again, in their action on Bacillus anthracis the Rontgen rays 

 behave in the same way as sunshine, but in a minor degree ; when a gelatine film 

 was exposed for twenty-four hours to the radiations from a Crookes' tube, with 

 the interposition of a zinc screen having an X -shaped aperture, the letter appeared 

 transparent on an opaque background. That the action was due to destruction of 

 the germs, and not to the generation of any toxic quality in the agar, was proved 

 thus : When a sterilised film was partially exposed to the rays, and subsequently 

 brought into contact with a stratum of dried spores the spores began to germinate 

 all over the film ; but when the stratum of spores was exposed to the rays, the 

 screen with the letter X being interposed, and the film subsequently brought into 

 contact with them, only those spores which had been protected from the Rontgen 

 rays developed, and the letter X was distinctly seen. Signor Tolomei attributes 

 the previous failure to obtain such effects to the short duration of the exposures. 



The Gardeners' Company held a most pleasing function at the Royal 

 Institute of Painters in Water Colours, Piccadilly, on the evening of Friday last. 

 The Master, Mr. N. N. | Sherwood, on this occusion gave a reception and enter- 

 tainment to a large and fashionable company. Ladies were invited, and the pro- 

 ceedings were consequently among the most successful ever held in connection 

 with the company. Mr. and Miss Sherwood received the guests, the latter 

 carrying a splendid bouquet presented by the Livery, and wearing the handsome 

 diamond brooch recently presented to her by the Court. Following the inspection 

 ot the collection of pictures now in the galleries, the company gathered in the 

 ast Oallery, where a varied programme of music, juggling, animated photo- 

 graphs, fix.; was provided. Subsequently dancing took place in the Central 

 ^auery, the music being discoursed by Ashton's band. Supper was served in the 



themselv^hugely ^ ^ alt ° gether the c °mpany enjoyed 



i&J! 16 B ° a , rd ° f A 2 r «culture distributed the Parliamentary grant made in 

 QMeL "V Q A 8 ricukural Education in Great Britain as follows : Durham 

 Wales P ?o Newcastl e-on-Tyne, ^1,000; University College of North 



Wales' A. nROr ' 5 Yorkshire College, Leeds, £800 ; University College of 

 Nottingham f r '. 5 Readin S Universit y Extension College, £800 ; 



Education C LmVerslt y Colle ge, ^600; Cambridge and Counties Agricultural 

 Eastern (SS.^' South- Eastern Agricultural College, Wye, ^400; 

 Reading p !" ry Institute » Ipswich,. ^300; British Dairy Institute, 



Botanic Garden' F? V"* WeSt and Southem Counti <* Society, ^300 j Royal 

 Agricultural Res k gh ' ^ I5 ° ; Hl 'g hland and Agricultural Society, £100 ; 

 thus shared the tTi ssociation » Aberdeen, ^"ioo. Fourteen institutions have 



taken to inspect th am ° Unt ° f ^ 6 ' 95 °' and the Board has > in addition, under- 

 *nd also thai- n r a8ncultura l work done under the instruction of these bodies, 



Dr. D. MoiT" Ven C ° Unty C ° UnCils - 

 before the'snrii^'r 7* Al,Q '» wil1 deliver at an early date two Canton Lectures 



•-'w.ieiy ot Arts imnr, *i s_* A ; v • _^ . r 



Water una " P ° n the interestin S subject of india-rubber. 



Mpa «... " er Rent's Park.— The Zoological Sorierv w 



gent's Park Gard 



Zoological Society have, at their 

 experiments thl \ g WUhed f ° r an inde P endent water supply, and, after 

 — water is now Jr* T bee " SCCUred by the ^""S of an Etesian well. 



6f 'y feet now vi^M.* the cha,k » and the ^""g of four hundred and 



°w yields 240,000 gallons per day. 



■>me 

 Pure 



This is a fine late dessert apple of conical shape. The colour is dark yellow 

 with scarlet shading and crimson markings. Eye small and closed, set in rather a 

 shallow and plaited basin. The thick short stalk is deeply inserted. Two years 

 ago »his variety gained an award of merit, and on that occasion we considered it 

 a valuable apple and figured it ii the Gardeners' Magazine of February 29, 



3 j 



Apple Lord Hindlip. 



1896. We reproduce the illustration so as to call our readers attention once 

 again to first-rate a fruit that has now gained the highest award. F.C.C, R.H.S., 

 February 8. Mr. J. Watkins, Pomona Farm, Hereford. 



L/ELIA ANCEPS WaDDONIENSIS. 



A splendid form of L.-anceps, and very distinct. It has very large and 

 substantial flowers, with white sepals and petals, and a large white Iabellum that 

 has a broad and thick golden crest and a few lines of pale purple on the side 

 lobes The fully-developed flowers measure four and a quarter inches across, and 

 four inches from the tip of the dorsal sepal to the apex of the hp Two spikes, 

 each carrying two flowers, were shown on the plant staged. F.C.C., k.U.b., 

 February s. Mr. Harris, gardener to Philip Crowley, Esq., Waddon House, 



Croydon. 



Cucumber Every Day. 



This is a medium-sized variety producing even fruits that have scarcely any 

 tail They are deep green and indeed very handsome and useful. The specimens 

 shown were cut from plants that have been fruiting since Augjji 1897. 

 A.M., R.H.S., February 8. Mr. Owen Thomas, gardener to Her Majesty the 

 Queen, Windsor. . 



• pear Passe Crassanne. 



A splendid late pear. Obovate in shape ; brownish russet over a deep yellow 

 wound colour. Size rather large, segments stiff and erect, set in a deep depres- 

 sion surrounded by several ridges, stalk three-quarters of an inch long. Flesh 

 melting, though slightly gritty towards the centre, very pleasant and rich. 

 F.C.C., R.H.S , February 8. Mr. S. Woodward, Barham Court Gardens, 



Maidstone. 



Lathyrus splendens. 



A handsome species with long growths and racemes of seven to ten intense 

 crimson flowers. This is a native of Southern California, and was discovered in 

 the San Bernardino Valley by Mr. Pringle in 1872. Seeds sent to Kew in 1894 

 germinated, and a specimen planted in a house devoted to Cape bulbs flowered for 

 the first time in 1897. It is not hardy at Kew, succumbing to the winter cold, 

 though growing freely out of doors during summer. Bat. Mag. 7>575- 



