692 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



October 22 , 1898. 



New Books. 



Bulletin of the French Horticultural Society of London. (20, Bedford Street, 

 Strand, W.C.)— If any evidence were needed of the vitality and continued pros- 

 perity of this young but flourishing society we ^ could do no better than point to 

 its annual Bulletin recently published. Bulletin scarcely conveys to the English 

 mind the kind of publication which our French friends resident in England publish 

 year by year, for it is a large sized volume of one hundred and forty-two pages, that 

 would seem to merit a more dignified name. The issue now under notice has 

 several illustrations to accompany the text, and offers to the reader as a frontispiece 

 an excellent phototype portrait of Mr. Harman Payne, whose connection with the 

 society dates back to a time when very few English horticulturists had testified to 

 their appreciation of the society's aims. A short biographical notice by the genial 

 president, Mr. George Schneider, is given explanatory of Mr. Payne's position in 

 regard to French horticulture. The contents are, as usual, varied and numerous, 

 for we find the annual report, showing that the society now counts four hundred 

 and twenty-four members, and has a satisfactory balance in hand, the rules of 

 the society and long lists of officers and various grades of members next appear, 

 together with a list of what we might in English define as affiliated societies. The 

 library, which is an interesting and instructive feature of the society, contains a 

 representative collection of horticultural books, both in English and French, a list 

 of which appears on page 57. Then the Btdletin contains concise reports of each 

 monthly meeting held during the past year, together with a special account of the 

 annual dinner held in January, a most enjoyable and successful function, and one 

 that is fast increasing in popularity. The purely literary portion of this publication 

 consists of a series of papers by the members on such subjects as anthuriums, 

 pelargoniums, lilies, adiantums, fuchsias, bouvardias, orchids at Kew, caladiums, 

 &c, some of which indicate considerable pains being taken by the young authors, 

 one of the most notable being the article on the National Chrysanthemum Society's 

 exhibitions of 1897. 



Altogether the society is deserving of great credit for the style and get up 

 generally of the Bulletin, which, as will be seen from the few remarks already 

 made, contains interesting matters to others than merely members cf the society. 

 The president, Mr. Schneider, deserves the warmest thanks of horticulturists on 

 both sides of the Channel for the earnest enthusiasm he displays in the manage- 

 ment of the society, whose prosperity so largely depends on his tact and sympa- 

 thetic appreciation of the needs of the young foreigners who come to our shores. 



Editorial communications should be addressed to the Editor of the Gap™*^ i 

 Magazine, 148 and 149, Aldersgate Street, E.C. ^rdbnhis 



Specimens of plants, flowers, and fruits for naming or opinion should be ^ fA 

 the Editor of the Gardeners' Magazine, " Endsleigh," Priorv Park K 



n the week as possible. All parcels r ' ' 5 ew > 



prepaid 



early m toe weeK as possible. All parcels must be sufficiently 



le Editor will be glad to receive photographs of gardens, plants, flowers trees 

 fruits, &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. 7 



icretaries of horticultural societies are invited to send early notification of forth, 

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

 change of dates 5 



Dendrobiu 



chrysanthum. 



W. 



Obituary. 



Brigade-Surgeon J. E. T. Aitcuison, F.k.S., late of the Bengal Army, 



whose death occurred the other day at the age of 61, was distinguished as a 

 botanical explorer, and during the last thirty years added much to our knowledge 

 of Oriental floras. In 1878, Lord Roberts, then in command of the Kuram 

 held force, applied to the Indian Government for his services as botanist with 

 the army. There afterwards appeared in the journal of the Linnean Society, 

 in 1880 and 1881, two papers detailing his discoveries ard observations in the 

 valleys of the Kuram and Keraia rivers. In 1884, Dr. Aitchison was appointed 

 scientific officer with the Afghan Delimitation Commission, and spent two years 

 m Northern Beluchistan, the Helmund Valley, and the other districts in Central 

 Asia traversed by the Commission. The results of these exploration were em- 

 bodied in a paper printed by the Linnean Society in their transactions for 1887. 

 Dr. Aitchison was an indefatigable collector. His Afghan and Central Asian 

 collections amounted to more than twenty thousand specimens of plants, which 

 were distributed to Kew and the other principal herbaria of the civilised world. 



1 le was accustomed to add to them valuable original observations regarding their 

 economic value. & & 



Mr. Georgk Taylor, who for so many years was associated, as foreman, with 

 Messrs. f. Veitch and Sons at their Chelsea Nursery, died, we regret to hear, a 

 weeK or so ago at Deal. Since retiring from active service Mr. Taylor has 

 resiaea at Deal, and there a large number of his old acquaintances gathered to 

 pay their last respects on Tuesday last. 



A., Newcastle- on -Tyne : This 

 fine orchid flowers at various times of the year, but mostly during autumn or 

 winter. It grows best if placed in a well-crocked teak basket, using fibrous peat 

 and sphagnum moss as compost ; suspend the basket in a stove where plenty of 

 light can be afforded at this season ot the year. New compost should be afforded 

 or the plant re-basketed as soon as the new growths are an inch or so in length. 

 While growing freely, plenty of heat and moisture are necessary, but when the 

 pseudo-bulbs cease to elongate, and no more leaves form, water must be given 

 sparingly ; do not absolutely dry the plant off, however, but -place] it at the cool 

 end of the stove or in an intermediate house while at rest. 



Disqualification at Flower Shows.— Enquirer, Kent : Thanks for 



schedule. Provided your statements are correct, and we have no reason for dis- 

 believing them, the judging at the show in question was most unfair. The 

 exhibitor who was awarded the second prize could have legally claimed the first, 

 provided he showed according to schedule, while the exhibit gaining first prize 

 contained eleven instead of six sorts of vegetables. We are inclined to think, 

 however, that some mistake has been made, though we cannot suggest where, 

 especially as in other classes the judge rightly disqualified competitors who did 

 not conform to the schedule. It would be interesting to know the judge's opinion 

 in connexion with the vegetable class, and also to whom he awarded the first 

 prize. With regard to cucumbers you were wrong ; the schedule asked for three, 

 not for two, though only a brace was needed in the cottagers' division. 



Paraffin Wash.— S.T. : Paraffin'should invariably be used in the form of an 



emulsion because of the difficulty of mixing the oil with the water. The following 

 instructions given by the Maryland Experiment Station for the preparation of a 

 paraffin emulsion for the destruction of aphids on peach and other trees will afford 

 you the desired information. Take half a pound of soft soap, one gallon of water 

 (rain water if convenient), and two gallons of paraffin. Put the water in a vessel 

 holding four or five gallons, add the soap, place on a stove, and bring to the 

 boiling point, occasionally stirring it to thoroughly dissolve the soap ; then re- 

 move to the yard, or some convenient place away from the fire, and pour the 

 paraffin directly into the water. This should then be pumped in and out of the 

 vessel with a good force pump for from five to ten minutes, or until the emulsion 

 is formed. If properly rhade, it will haVe the appearance of buttermilk, and will 

 readily mix with water without any oil coming to the surface. It will keep an 

 indefinite length of time, becoming a semi-solid when cold. If used when fresh 



- — v^x.v. av.h£lu vi uuic, Decoming a beuu-buuu wucu 



Sutton's Chamnion c r .ri A * - n tu- s u lt can fce di,u *ed with cold water 'to the strength desired ; but if cold and nam, 



improved Sock o ? ™?SlvN«f« T \ Carrot -This is a very much warm water should be used E llon of t | e emulsion used should be diluted 



m * , r . K ?: ine -E-ariy .Nantes, and has been grown by me in a trial of w [fh f rnrn TO trk T ~ r *. a \:*a ™uu n mn A enrav numD 



several var.eUes this year. So far as everyone knows we have had an exceptionally Wlth ff ° m 10 t0 13 galIons of water > anda PP hed wlth a S ood s P ray pUmp " 

 nan carrot season, indeed it has twn ^ na ,o 



Diseased Tomatos. 



.everai varieties this year. So far as everyone knows we have had an exceptionally 

 oaa carrot season, indeed it has been generally the worst I have ever known. 

 ?t I a through no fault of stocks but entirely of weather. But on the exceed- 



ingly dry, porous soil at Richmond, where the trial took place, Champion Scarlet 

 noin has proved to be the very best. The roots are not large, being within about 

 s x inches long, of medium breadth, cylindrical in form, abrupt ended, of rich scarlet 

 nue, and the flesh when cooked exceedingly succulent and delicious. It is such a 



to sew in frLmU ^ compared with this one for table excellence. It is good he may use for fumigating. For some years past the most successful growers of 



winter pumne n lulv Wai A ^° rs ' in *e open quarters in April, and not least for plants and fiuits ha^e fumigated wS Tsome degree of regularity, believing m the 



M . J. D., Carnai von : Your tomatos seem to be attacked 



by several di seases, and are in such a bad way generally that there appears to he 

 little hope of those not yet showing distress doing much good. Fungoid pests are 

 so easily distributed that the damage is done ere the grower notices anything 

 wrong. Some day— and the time is not far distant— every gardener of importance 

 will keep Bordeaux mixture and sulphide of potassium in bis store-room, just as now 



a di * \ml {" ' jT sccl P^" rather than tne raaicai cure ui a ~ 



w * tf 0r the Owl.— Owls' feathers have lately been very prevalent in fungoid diseases ; where certain plants are grown, which by reason ot ,. tne,r "'^ 



nat trimmings, and attempts have been made to justify their use on the ground cultivation, excessive propagation, and weak tissues, become P red!S P ose t a h ^ 



.Sff r e f f** 1 harm t0 P'geons, poultry, and small birds. The following fungoid attack, then fungicides of known value should be used upon tne 



statistics, quoted by the Massachusetts Audubon Society for the Protection of occasionally in thm ft*-. 3 - =™r*« mav be destroyed and pre 



fj • '» ,t Ve been J P repared t0 ex °nerate owls in general from the charges brought 

 against them, and to enlist in their defence the sympathy of all lovers of interest- 

 ing, harmless, and helpful wild life. There are five species of owls, which 

 may be termed mmm™ ;„ tu^ < n ... , ~ _r A.— .i u , • 



termed common in the eastern 



>«/ »v,- uc casern united states ; or i 



Th ? ™? commonest, and probably outnumbers all the - 

 m inl* • following record : Out of 255 stomachs examined, none con- 



rem tw COn r S °- P 0 "}^, 16 per cent, contained the remains of birds, and 80 per 

 -nmrnon c C • miC \ 1DSect5 > aQ d English sparrows. The figures for four of the 

 — f P u CleS_t ^r C SCreech owI ' the barred owl, the long and short-eared owls 

 or slZ hirH° s WS n ° 572 slomach s examined, 1 i- 5 th per cent, contained poultry 

 ?nS T& » 9 r,^l Cen V ma11 wi,d bi ' d * 52 P« cent, mice, and 26 per cent. 



23 per cent those S ^ the remains of pou,tr y or 6 ame » and on, y about 



SS species and 2 iTS? T"* This owI ' ^ OWeVer * is beC ° miDg ° De ° f the 

 account of one Mark *h ' £ Say the least ' to condemn the whole family on 



injury which would ini!^, r * Fisher g° es farther and P oints out lhe i rave 



were permuted Th ? 7 ^ 10 the farmer and t0 lhe g arden " if owls 



portion of good whirhrSi"? glVen above do not » of course » 8 iv « t he e xac t pro- 

 some had other i l^otne individuals had nothing in their stomachs, 



possible way the fmTTr* • ! ? lders ; but 5t » certainly safe to befriend in every 

 Z. wa y. l . n ? 'our species whose Mil „r JU*****mA th*t f™„ J 



fungoid attack, then fungicides of known value should be used upon them 

 occasionally in the form of spray, so that stray spores may be destroyed 

 vented from germinating. Remove all affected leaves and burn them, togem 

 with all badly affected plants, and then spray the remaining plants, 

 walls, &c, with the fungicide, following this with other sprayings at _ inter* . ^ 

 W e presume that as regards airing, watering, and feeding, the plan is 

 carefully tended. We should be inclined to make a fresh start, if strong piano 

 are obtainable, after an effectual clearance. 



Raising Gladioli from Seed.-S. M„ Banbury : The seed should be 

 kept ia a dry, cool place during the winter. As the sample sent is not very 

 we suggest that previous to storing it the opening pods should be laid on 

 of paper on a stage in a greenhouse, where they can be kept from damp, ana 

 *» the sunshine possible to assist in the proper ripening of the seed Is. 1 rf 

 time to sow gladiolus seed is early in March ; use large and fairly deep ■ pw ^ 

 good sandy soil, [crock these carefully, and sow the seed thinly. 

 seed pans in a gentle heat until the seedlings appear, then move to cooler q 

 reducing the temperature gradually, and keeping the seedlings as near t 

 as safety permits ; this gradual hardening off should continue until, in the s ^ 

 the pans may be stood out of doors. If care is taken to keep the : you ^ V 



every 



insects 



^uuy unm autumn, and 11 tne piams u»>c ^ ■ ~~j „ n ,i stored, use 

 I should be formed, and these may be carefully ripened and sto 

 older bu bs, for the winter. In the ordinary way quite a number of the ^ 

 should flower the second season. The middle of March « ill ™>»?& ilicb es 

 enough to plant the corms. selecting a warm border and rich son , » 



