THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



217 



, the India Office, who refused them, not knowing that they were of any 

 Ud&f t0 , A ' or that they differed from varieties of calisaya already m India, 

 special "tajj^e divided between a Madras private planter, for his plantation 



Dl^fj^^d the Dutch Government, for their plantations in Java. I art 



<* the lSilginf. an afterwards exc hanged with the Madras Government for 



°? e £fof cinchSa seed, and, through an old friend, I got a very small packet 

 other sorts > atone** ^ plants . These were the parents of most of 



from T ^ nkntf since grown in India and Ceylon, for the species did not thrive 

 "'SJ but speedily died out, and the Dutch were careful to reserve the 

 oa the W"* f £ e better var i et ies for their own use for many years. But 

 •TfffiS-erown bark was analysed, neither the Dutch nor English had any 

 ? nf the value of the prize they possessed, and till the trees flowered the species 

 S was uncertain. The first flowering specimens were submitted to the late 

 f^FHot Howard, the famous London manufacturer of the purest sulphate of 

 Ene ever put on the market. Mr. Howard had made a special study of the 

 X cinchona, and published extensively on both its botany and chemistry, and 

 ge ° A r many years a trusted adviser of Government on the introduction of the 

 dnehonas to India, in which he took the keenest interest. So, altogether, he was 

 in the best position to determine the species. He pronounced it to be a variety of 

 Jalisava and named it Cinchona calisaya var. Ledgeriana. A few years later 

 Moens the superintendent of the Java plantations, who was a most excellent ana • 

 jrtical chemist, but made no pretence to any knowledge of botany, raised it to 

 specific rank under the name Ledgeriana ; and Dr. Trimen, of Ceylon, agreed with 



But there can be no doubt, I think, that] Howard was right, and his name 

 ought to stand. At any rate, the Government of Bengal adhere to it. It is a 

 most variable plant in foliage and habit of growth, as well as in the colour of its 

 fbwers, which vary from pure white to bright pink. After the general flower- 

 ing of the trees, chemical analyses showed that those with white, nodding flowers, 

 and small seed-capsules, were rich in quinine, whilst those with pinkish flowers, 

 however slightly tinged, or with straight flower-stalks or large seed-capsules, were 

 poor ; but as there is rarely a rule without an exception, it turned out that the 

 very richest of all in Java had pink flowers. But with this notable exception, so 

 far as I know, the rule holds good that the white-flowered varieties are rich in 

 quinine, and the coloured poor. For instance, a mixed sample of bark collected 

 under my own personal supervision from twenty trees bearing white flowers, but 

 differing more or less from each other in foliage and habit of growth, yielded eight 

 per cent, of crystallised sulphate of quinine ; whilst a corresponding sample, 

 collected at the same time and place from twenty trees, with flowers tinged pink, 

 welded but 2-93 per cent., or nearly two-thirds less ; so the formation of planta- 



The Hardy Fernery. 



As hardy ferns are now preparing themselves for the summer campaign 

 by generally reawakened root activity, and a swelling and pushing of the 

 crowns prior to send.ng up their annual crop of plumes, it behovi their 

 owners wtthout further delay to overhaul them, and see that when they 

 do arise m all their glory they may do so under the most favourable con- 

 ditions. Undoubtedly their vital energies are so invigorated by the lone 

 rest they have had that they will now stand almost anything in the way 

 of division and d.sturbance with impunity ; and as there are no delicate 

 fronds to damage, such operations as repotting and dividing leave no 

 lasting mark throughout the season, as they are very likely to do later 

 on. With the deciduous species the ragged stumps of last 'year's fronds 

 can be neatly trimmed away, but with the evergreens, such as shield 

 ferns hartstongues, and blechnums, it is certainly better to leave those 

 fronds which are still healthily green until the new growth has well 

 risen ; the old fronds will then speedily lose their vigour, the vital forces 

 ot the plant being then directed to the new ones ; but there is little doubt 

 that ere this stage is reached the cutting off of green foliage impoverishes 

 the plants All brown portions, however, can be cut away with impunity. 

 J ots which have been sunk in the ground to obviate risk of winter 

 drought through forgetfulness can now be lifted, washed, and reinstated, 

 intrusive worms or other vermin being removed, and a little mulching of 

 fresh soil introduced if needed. 



When numerous crowns have developed division is beneficial, since 

 the frondage of isolated crowns is always much more finely developed 

 than where several are fighting for root-room with each other! quite apart 

 from the fact that the fronds when mixed up cannot possibly show to 

 advantage. 1 he best way to perform this dividing operation is to shake 

 the plants out, and, carefully avoiding any pressure on the growing 

 centres, force the crowns apart with a blunt wedge, unless, as often 

 happens, they can be pulled asunder with the fingers. Sometimes the 

 attachment is so strong as to yield to neither method. Then, if the 

 growing centres show a decided indentation between them, a sharp knife 

 may even be used to part them, though it is not advisable to pursue the 

 cut beyond the actual fleshy connexion, but, this severed, to pull the crowns 

 apart, the individual roots often interlacing, and the fewer of these which 



tions, consisting of the rich varieties only, became a matter of the first importance, are cut the better. Young plants produced as bulbil offsets are almost in- 

 for .' /e st no mo , re t0 &™ a nch sort than 11 dld a P<**, and the yield of quinine variably wedeed off. and come awav with their lit! hntXll „ Si 



would be more than doubled. 



Artificial Propagation. 



To ensure this increased yield with any degree of certainty some plan of arl i icial 

 propagation was necessary, as the seedlings often came untrue to type, and some- 

 nmes were a very mixed and inferior lot indeed. Attempts at propagation by 

 cuttings had ended in failure everywhere, and layering was a slow and unsatisfactory 



£^.1 0t • " obvious P lan was gifting, but that in the ordinary way was 

 .low and expensive, as it had to be done under glass-roofs; so in the end, in 

 fc-Kkini, we had to do the best possible with selected seed, and give up artificial 



B^J^Ue reg r BUt * WhCre th « d-ate an P d soil are 



«rd }■ »u cmchona g rowth > P lan <s gifted under glass, and after- 



^et pend S n 0pen ' madC g ° od S rOWth ' and > ie,ded Potable returns 



me TfiZZ^he^ a H P " Vate Pl3nt ? r fr T- Java > a Mr - Weinschenk, told 

 «counf, kStSJLS I?' m r 0p / n - ai, u gra f 1 ^' ^ which > according o his 

 C ^ n d g ve r? mtle exne^; n * e T claimed > It to have almost no 



«Jour, when he cut it off anH K51* a * 1 • f S became of an unhealthy 

 discovery lav in miLSL I* ■ , V°? the Stock in the usua l way. His whole 



pr<Si: S .ffli^? ^ hand > ^h to me, appeared a ve^ 

 *>me one will be good enough °T reas ? n , able foundation. Perhapi 



V he proper seafon o ' the^J? S L pI t" t t,laI with fruit and °*er trees 

 *»» the plants are in acfive Trowr£ M • « lt should be d °ne 



^ries one of them being thatTe b^k iftiS WaS a man of m ™V 

 J**«, had the predomi^tin? f nn S, ° * cmchoQ a, and not the roots or 



rL ° nt th e /ilgiri cinchona plantations he asked thX ^ l J** A W T Uh him ° n a of white ^ and similar P eStS ' but U is wel1 t0 bear in mind that the e ZS* 

 ^ntendent of t he Madra's Gov^t^u^bS 1 ^,^™' then , are no w on the fronds if 7"**° have had a chance of ^siting them 



variably wedged off, and come away with their little bunches of roots all 

 ready for planting. Some ferns, the shield ferns especially, produce 

 bulbils on the fronds, and many varieties which are not called proli- 

 ferous, occasionally have one or two near the base. These, if the variety 

 be a desirable one, can easily be reared into plants by cutting the frond 

 into small sections bearing the bulbils, and inserting these in good soil or 

 cocoa-nut fibre, and keeping them close and moist. 1 1 is always worth while 

 when cutting off the old fronds to lookout for these, since even when stack 

 round the edges of the pots, they will usually root and form acceptable 

 little gifts later on to admiring visitors. Ferns with running roots or 

 rhizomes, such as the polypodies and bladder ferns, are best left alone 

 if good specimens are wanted, the P. vulgare varieties especially taking 

 a long time to form established plants. If necessary, however, they 

 may now be divided up into as many plants as there are growing eyes, 

 care only being taken to see that a portion of rhizomes are attached to 

 give a fair start. The oak and beech and limestone ferns grow and 

 spread very rapidly, and a pan of leafy compost dotted over with divi- 

 sions of these just buried in the soil, become a thing of beauty and a joy 

 for the summer in a very short time. 



Out ot doors it is not wise to be over neat as regards old fronds and 

 leafy debris which may have collected about the crowns until March s 

 drying winds have spent their fury. These afford great protection, and 

 their premature removal may lead to a sudden check and do much harm. 

 Under glass, where all choice varieties should be, even of hardy ferns, 

 everything may be made as neat as possible, and, for the reasons given, 

 the sooner the better, handling now doing no damage. Spores of good 

 things may now be sown with advantage, and if there be a warm corner 

 available, they will come on all the quicker there. It is early yet to talk 

 of white fly and similar pests, but it is well to bear in mind that the eggs 



or 

 of 



Botany 



•here he""u^^h t u t , i 1 " n f . a frequently well acquainte 



■ ^ rooti o? 1 ;tr^ tr M: ng r CbCmiSt WaS " ocated -wnethe?T;7heTaver 

 £oars e." " Hn» ! L Mr. Lawson answered, off-hand " Tn tu 1 



-re .uc^fca y?£ Jg : ' ^ « " 



2*» kksui and fi ,aft 1° r L 5 d «f" a n". «*■<* 1 let grow to some heiUt 

 & IM> Bernards! and hoiev^Lch'^ Jf 8 ? of the SK ». «<>"- 



^Powte »ri D ° f ar g u ment is the fact tW Sl u i ° f CO " Ise > the ohv ^us weak 

 fe^h b f dnch byThe engrSinp J £S* H festive 



aAm _ — . _ _ _ _ _ . 



igrafcing 



kind 



Unic 



(To be continued.) 



■to* nrr^r I ra ? r anti«;<5ir«-, 77 place, as so do 



fc^-i 8 ^ ^^^^^f h ° ne ^ ckle h - ^wered of light aspect. 

 IS** wort l f C flower ^ used in J 1*^1 ^ bl °° med continuously 



R&^it ln TK d> the >* have ^ been in ^l"*^™ for S P^ a ^d 



s P^cies deserves to > be^^ W \ t °^ to lovely 

 c, y ^re m gardens.-W A rlL r «! ne »»y grown, for as yet 



last season, and that the right time to fumigate and clear the house is 

 after these eggs have all hatched, and before the flying stage is reached, 

 between which two epochs there is a period of several weeks. To wait 

 until flight betrays their presence is simply to permit a second batch of 

 eggs to be laid, after which no fumigation can oe as perfectly annihila- 

 tive as with the first brood. Take a fly-bitten fern and watch it so 

 soon as the sun gets a little power in April, and presently tiny white or 

 greenish larva? will be found. Wait a bit, however, give them a fortnight 

 or three weeks at the outside, there are still unhatched eggs which smoke 

 .will not affect. Then fumigate, and quite probably the entire brood will 



be disposed of for the season. 



In arranging pot ferns in conservatories or ferneries proper, take care 

 to have every plant within easy reach. It is always those in the back- 

 ground which, from lack of inspection, form the breeding grounds of 

 vermin, or, failing this, get dry sooner or later. " Out of sight out of 

 mind " is a very solid fact as a rule, and, to avoid the risk, the nature of 

 the, as yet, unrisen plants must be considered, since pots which now 

 appear fully visible may be utterly eclipsed in a month or two by some 

 rapidly growing neighbour. Small varieties, then, to the front, and 

 robuster ones behind should be the rule, especially as, when once the 

 plants start into growth, it is not well to shift them about from place to 

 place, as so doing is very apt to result in distorted fronds due to changes 

 ' Chas. T. Dri ery, F.L.S., Y.M.H. 



The Fruit and Vegetable Canning Industry has advanced by leaps 



and bounds in the United States of America, until at the present time it employs 

 upwards of sixty thousand persons and represents an invested capital of thirty 

 million dollars, equal to six and a quarter million pounds sterling. 



