8 G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 29, 18S5. 
a brush, employing the insectie de in a liquid state, and in such 
manner that it will penetrate every crevice. The potency of 
insecticides depends greatly upon their application. The brush¬ 
ing dislodges the ins.cts, and when this is the case the destruc¬ 
tion is more certain. Care must be taken not to injure the 
buds, at the same time they must not be neglected, as the 
insects are mostly secreted as near to where they will be 
supplied with food when their active life begins as the requisite 
shelter admits; therefore brash well about the base of the buds, 
and by drawing the brush towards them upwards or outwards 
from the shoots little injury need be done. The wall, too, should 
be well washed with the insecticide, applying with a brush as 
in whitewashing, and repeating it over the wal 1 , wires, and the 
trees if they have been much infested with insects. The trees 
must be dressed before the buds have made much advance in 
swelling, and it is needless to add that trees in the open may be 
treated in a similar manner. Brushing may seem a tedious 
process, and it is, still I give it preference for reasons above 
noted; also on the score of economy, for syringing is wasteful. 
Then as to insecticides. Home made solutions of softsoap, 
tobacco water, sulphur water, &c., are good, some of them quite 
as effectual as any of the modern insecticides, and much cheaper; 
whilst the patents from Gishui’st down to nicotine soap, Fir tree 
oil, Hudson s soap, and Eureka are thoroughly efficacious for 
their purpose. . Perhaps the most popular of insecticides is 
petroleum, and it is cheap. There is no insect that it will not 
kill, and it can be applied in a ready way, or by syringing, which 
enables the cultivator to dress a number of trees in a short time. 
To administer it effectively, however, two persons are necessary. 
To apply it without thoroughly mixing is to give some parts a 
coating of the petroleum in a pure state to their injury, whilst 
others receive nothing but water. A wineglassful of petroleum 
to three gallons of water is a proper quantity, the water to be 
hot, and holding in solution half a pound of softsoap. It may be 
kept mixed by a person stirring it briskly with a broom handle, 
whilst another is applying it to the trees at a temperature of 
120 to 140 J with a syringe, or one person syringing into the 
vessel whilst the other is applying it. This should be done on 
a calm day, and if repeated it must be done before the buds have 
swelled much. The petroleum mixes more readily in hot than 
in cold water, and it adds considerably to the efficacy of the 
solution; in fact the temperature alone is sufficient to destroy 
insects and their eggs, for the sudden heat and equally sudden 
chill is more than they can endure. 
As.to the time most suitable for winter dressing fruit trees, 
there is much to be said in favour of its being done when the 
leaves have fallen in autumn, and I would advise this where the 
trees have been much infested with insects in the summer. 
The petroleum can be applied without loosening the trees from 
the wall, and it will cleanse the wall equally with the trees, there 
^is to be said in favour of autumn dressing, that it 
effectually destroys the insects existing, and prevents their seek¬ 
ing the protection of the trees and walls for the winter. But 
I consider the most desirable time to dress fruit trees is as late 
in winter as is safe, on account of the swelling buds, for with the 
return of the trees to activity there comes an awakening of 
insect life, so that they are more readily reached. In the matter 
of musse. scale on Apple or Pear trees, the best thing to employ 
is methylated spirits, applying it with a soft brush, and it is 
e l u effectual for all the coccus family. Petroleum is also 
effective applied with a brush, and equally so is fish oil. The 
three are destructive of American blight, but they must be used 
m their pure state as a winter dressing, and care be taken not 
to coat tin buds with petroleum or fish oil. 1 think petroleum 
the best for general use as it is cheap, but methylated spirit is 
the least objectionable.—Gr. Abbey. 
(To be continued.) 
ALPINE AURICULAS. 
1 have no doubt there are many gentlemen’s gardens where 
the Alpine Auriculas are grown; but if there are, I rarely go to 
the right places to find them. The show varieties are certainly 
not grown by many gardeners, neither are they likely to be, as 
good varieties are very dear and scarce, and they are so slow to 
increase, that they do not change hands quickly. They are easily 
grown; but they require special treatment and a little more care 
than many head gardeners can find time for in large gardens, and 
to leave them in the hands of young men who do not understand 
them would be death to most of the plants. Not so the Alpines, 
as they might be left in the care of any ordinary intelligent 
young man. They are so hardy that I have never known frost 
till them when planted out in a frame. I have known frost injure 
them when grown in pots and left exposed to the weather, the 
soil and plants being wet when frost occurred. We leave our 
lights propped open all weathers unless we expect more than 7° or 
8 J of frost, we then close them, but they are never covered. They „ 
make very good plants for room-decoration or for the conserva¬ 
tory, and will last a long time in llower if kept cool and well 
shaded- 
The pots should be well drained, from 1 to inch deep, 
according to the size of the pot. A good soil is a good 
light fibrous loam with one-fourth of old cow manure. A plant 
with about three crowns should be put into a 3-inch pot. A 
5-inch pot will take one with five or six crowns, and no larger 
si'e need be used. They may be potted any time during the 
summer, the best time is as soon as they have flowered. Water 
them well, and stand them on ashes the north side of a wall. If 
very heavy rains follow they should be protected with lights until 
they ai’e established. Weak liquid manure may be given once 
until they stop growiug, and should be given again as soon as 
they start growing in the spring until the flowers commence 
opening, when it should be discontinued. They should be put 
into frames in November to pimtect them from heavy rains. 
Supply water careful during winter. 
We grow them planted out in frames, and they are greatly 
admired in the spriug when in full bloom. They have a most 
pleasing fragrance, which is perceptible at several yards distance. 
We give a good drainage of broken bricks, on the top of which 
we put a layer of gravel, then 4 or 5 inches deep of light fibrous 
loam, with a few wood ashes. Sufficient drainage is given that 
the surface of the soil will be within 1 foot of the glass. They 
are then planted, and when we have plenty of pieces two or three 
crowns each are placed in ; but when we wish to make the most 
of a sort we plant each crown or sucker separately. 
Planting is done by drawing the earth back with a trowel, 
pressing the bottom firmly, cutting off what is called the tap root, 
but which is really the old stem, the roots are spread out evenly 
and covered with an inch of soil made quite firm by pressing with 
the hands. They are planted about 6 inches apart each way. A 
good supply of water is given, and they are kept close for about 
a week and shaded. Yentilation is gradually given until they 
are established, when the lights are taken off for the summer 
months until November; but the plants are shaded from midday 
sun mhot weather. As the leaves decay they should be removed; 
if not, they will sometimes cause the stems to decay. When the 
position is well drained and the soil shallow they cannot easily 
be over-watered when growing or flowering, but they should only 
be kept moist during winter. We lift the roots and replant them 
every alternate year, adding fresh soil each time. When not 
replanted they are top-dressed with a similar soil, but with 
one-third manure added. 
A few years ago we purchased the best-named sorts from Mr. 
C. Turner, from these we raise a batch of seedlings every year, 
and it is very interesting watching for something novel and good. 
We save the best, the others are either given away or planted 
outdoors. The strong-growing seedlings are very suitable for 
shaded rockeries.—J. L. B. 
ADVANCEMENT OF THE POTATO. 
The importance as well as the interest which at the present time 
attaches to any efforts to improve on or to fortify against disease our home 
food-producing plants, will render unnecessary any preface or apology 
for the following record of what I have been attempting during the past 
season in the Bedfordshire Experimental Gardens as regards the Potato, 
and much of which 1 had previously proposed to myself to carry out 
before the recent announcement of the re-introduction of some of the wild 
allies of the cultivated Potato. My zeal for the work, however, was much 
enhanced through the kindness of the authorities of the Royal Gardens at 
Kew, and of M. Blanchard of the Seamen’s Hospital, Brest, who supplied 
me early in the past year (1884), the former, with a few tubers each of 
Solanums Maglia (the Darwin Potato), Jamesii, and tuberosum ; and the 
latter with a few specimens of Commersonii (Ohrondi). These were kept 
in a cool place and planted in pots in a frame on the 29th of March and 
2nd of April. A small portion of the stocks of SS. Commersonii, Jamesii, 
and tuberosum were also, on the later date, planted in the open ground. 
Few only of the pieces or tubers of S. Commersonii and the tubers of 
S. Jamesii started in the pots, and all appeared delicate, having perhaps 
been, weakened by deferred planting. Three potted tubers of S. Maglia 
grew and sustained a fairly vigorous growth. S. tuberosum grew well 
both in pots and in the open ground, but the planted-out pieces of 
S. Commersonii never appeared at all above ground, and the plants of 
S. Jamesii were very weakly. As regards the first mentioned, I had an 
impression when I saw the tubers that they corresponded with some 
kindly sent me three years since by Messrs. Cheal of Crawley, Sussex, as 
a re-introduction from Mexico by the late Capt. Mayne Reid of the true 
wild Potato; and this impression has since been confirmed. I found 
S. tuberosum a much stronger and coarser-growing species than either of 
the others tried, and quite as vigorous a3 any of its cultivated descendants ; 
but as it was no less liable to disease than the higher cultivated types I 
