THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1898. 



NOTES OF THE WEEK. 



NEW 



T . p artion of the German authorities in 



H^uS, o" American apple, infested with the San J 



prohibiting the landing at 



flutter" amongst the fruit growers on the other side of the 

 and created additional interest in this terrible scourge of orchards 



\tlantic, ana cicat^ ai-****mA tV»p attention of 



kncfw, 



and nurseries 



It is now four years since we directed the attention of 

 Growers in this country to the pest, and described its life history and 

 ^1 tract te effects on fruit trees upon which it effects a lodgment, and 

 '^und a note of warning as to the risk of it being introduced to the 



Z M Kingdom. Since that time we have kept 



formed with regard to the extension of its ravages m the United Mates 

 The insect derives its popular name from San Jose, California, to which 

 district it was introduced from Chili, and there can be no doubt that it 

 had been distributed over a large area before it was known to exist in the 

 district. Since its discovery at San Jose, it has spread with remarkable 



plan to the utmost perfection until the leafy branch or brilliant flower is 

 matured, we are lost in wonder at the process. The evolution of an 

 entire plant from a tiny seed or spore, and the subsequent production of 

 other seeds and spores, each carrying within it all the potencies of the 

 race embedded in a microscopic germ, is still more astounding because 

 the scope of such development is greater. As we 

 that minute germ-cell an imperceptible dot of matter has been created by 

 the fusion of two previous ones, each containing, it may be, the 

 potentialities of two distinct plants, and in the result this is evidenced by 

 the characteristics of either, cropping up not merely in the immediate 

 progeny, but possibly in the subsequent generations that it gives rise to. 

 All this defies, to a great extent, our full comprehension, yet when we go 

 farther still we are practically told that these minute beginnings are 

 universes in little, composed entirely of atoms which are ever travelling 

 about among each other, rebounding, oscillating, and moving in all 

 directions with the utmost velocity. These atoms, moreover, diverse as 

 matter is in character, must belong to very few elementary substances, 

 and the possibility is by no means excluded that our present list of 



rnditv on all sides with the result that its ravages now extend from and the possibility is Dy no means cxciuaea max our pijcni U L 

 rapid ity on al sides w 5 5mm ense amount elements will dwindle down into one, the difference being differences of 



the Pacific seaboard to the Atlantic coast, and that an immense amount 

 of damage has been done to orchards and nursery stock. The rapidity 



association and not of material. That extreme differences may exist in 

 substances of exactly the same chemical composition is seen in the 



— 0 t * j v. • • a . l oc u OAn hi\rf> suDStances 01 exactly tne same cneniiLcu luihuusiuuh ia actu n* 



h whirh the Dest has spread, and the injury that has been done, nave , ^ * a u* 



ven £ to mud Anxiety on the part of {hose engaged in the fruit in- diamond, an intensely hard and brilliantly transparent stone, and Us 



' , • j L, " j;„„ C c;«n ;„ WHV„iH,r*l rirrlM Oninions perfect contrast with an ordinary piece of charcoal. In these the science 

 dustrv and considerable discussion in horticultural circles, opinions v * r 



, * P? c,„ c«u !,„ wn <W™in*ted of atoms teaches us that the ultimate molecules are simply differently 



rTnu^ry^t^kVb^ Zr^p^To be a arranged, and the chemist will tell us that he can rearrange both of them 

 X. agreement among those who are in a position to speak with d»ga, S^^^'ttJlXfSZ 



authority, that both fruit and nursery stock have assisted in its distribu- 



asunder still, form an invisible gas, a third form of one and the same 



tion, and this view of the case has been accepted by those responsible for thing. Everything material of which we are conscious through our 

 federal legislation for the purpose of preventing and repressing attacks. senses is formed of these rapidly moving atoms ; in the diamond it is 

 The gravity of the situation is fully appreciated in America, and no wonder, 

 when we are informed by one of the leading authorities that the San 



merely a question of shorter journeys performed by the travelling atoms, 

 whose attraction among themselves determines the limits of the stone 



jose scale " infests all kinds of vegetation ; but the chief danger is to our * the charcoal they have more liberty, and in the gas bey are tree to 

 *: . ... . . , . fi,^ c j,m C ofor anrl ^ thp aw of diffusion of eases de monstrates 



fruit trees and bushes, roses, and ornamental trees. It is so small as to 



escape observation, except by the most careful search ; it is so prolific do so most effectually. Now with these facts in mind let us gaze uoon a 

 that it soon spreads over a large area, adhering to anything with which rose and reflect that those apparently still petals are not merely 

 it comes in contact, and it is so difficult to exterminate that no effectual redundant with life, cell life, poss.bly still actively engaged m swdlmg 

 sthed has been found, except to burn the infested wood." We are also the petals yet more, while others may be already build.ng up the seed m 

 d that "neither heat nor cold, sunshine nor storm, has any effect upon the ovary below them ; but beyond all this the flower represents a milky 

 * way, a galaxy of swiftly-moving bodies, whose numbers excel our powers 



.<„■ 



.., and that " it infests all parts of the trunk and branches, from the crown . - , . , 



of the root to the highest twig." This, briefly stated, is the pest with which of comprehension, as do those of the stars themselves in the astronomic 



the fruit-growing industry of this country is threatened, and yet nothing heaven. 



has been done by Government, by agricultural or horticultural societies, 



THE MANCHESTER ORCHID SOCIETY. 



mi 



When 



or by fruit growers or nurserymen, to obtain protection from what is ad- - 



ttedly a terrible scourge. American apples and pears are allowed to Manchester has long had the reputation of being the centre of a 



be imported into this country in immense quantities without regard as to large and influential orchid cult, and this being so, it was natural an 

 whether they are infested with the scale or not Tens of thousands orchid (society should be one of the ~*" u « Wh ™ therefore, the 

 of pounds are annually devoted to the maintenance of horticultural and 

 agncultural societies in the United Kingdom, and yet not one has, so 

 »r as we are aware, lifted a finger, figuratively speaking, to protect those 

 engaged in the production of fruit and fruit trees from so formidable a 

 °c It is evident those responsible for the management of these societies 

 nsider this question as of but little concern to their members, but we 

 strongly of the opinion that this is a 



n 



ire 



Jake action, and that the leading societies ought long ere this to have 

 m y investigated the matter, and brought to the notice of the proper 

 waonties the great risk of infestation by means of the apples and 



We have no desire to limit the supplies 



Manchester and North of England Orchid Society was instituted we 

 considered a very proper step had been taken, and that it supplied a 

 want, and was necessary for the progress of horticulture. We indeed 

 felt it in tne highest degree desirable, inasmuch as its committee could 

 make awards to meritorious new and rare species, varieties, and hybrids 

 ,u w .ucmoers, our we whose owners did not feel justified in incurring the risk and inconvenience 

 case in which they should necessary to their exhibition before the Royal Horticultural i Society at 



We 



ported 



Society would rise to a position beyond the anticipations of the most 

 sanguine of its founders, by making such improvemen s upon Ac 

 practice of the London body as t me and W * 



f . * . " 11WiLa - ™c nave iiu ucsire to limit me supplies practice 01 tne luuuuu * cornA nf those 



? -> •**». « «* of protection fear, however, that our hopes w .1 no. ^"^ 'ZLut Z 



^ C*J 



utZTX underst °od, but we submit that our orchards'and fruit 

 I wi n 1 , ' n ° Uld as far as Possible be protected from insect pests, and that 

 ncur the T ? roh,bit the importations of American fruit than to 

 ndustry rUming what is now becoming a great and profitable 



tear, nowever, tnar our uu F «. r » m ->rl'Me take 



independent and far-seeing men, for which the city ^ ' s 

 steps to check the tendency which has become apparent to unduly 

 multiply award, Knowing something of the hardheaded business 



capacities of the 



Manchester horticulturists, it was with surprise 



and regret that we perused the report 



of the recent meeting, 



a, u ATOMS. mav have* induced the committee to be more tnan usuaiiy u»««m 



£^?**«* accepted as a fact by our foremost J when certificates and awards J ^ 



which appears in 



may have induced the committee 



^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^t ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^'^^ 



this issue. An extensive -and bright exhibition 



be more than usually liberal, 



™ involves such a wonderful 



with an 



approaching 



prodigality 



era«*,-i d wonaenui complexity ot construction ol on this occasion, ur wu« r • . r ^11 In a Aort time 



;etenheW? g , mathematicswhichhaveled *<> establishment, they will be regarded as of little value. " may seventeen 



™« ,Z £ V c ™ 5i d^tion of it in connection, say, with a excellent proof of the activity of the — , ,o broadcas se.entee 



» *°£Ta n y , ™ hanCe ° Ur a 1™«'ion of the creative scheme, we may first-class certificates and twenty-five awards of mem * to 



onWhavr °' e a liule time thereto. The marvels of cell construe- it may induce some cultivators to bring forms of no pa rticular _me 



S « 2» t d ded ,0 ' \ nd t en 7 r a tiny bud graduaUy ,he ^ ; but su .i. a ^'™ =s« s& v Z «9 



f P^toplasn, W k • V rem ember that all this is due to little bags 



carry 



ScuuuVTsoSy there is a great future before , the ^ Manchester 

 Orchid Society, owing to the influence tt can assert over the north 



