158 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[February 19. 1885. 
shows (and I have repeated the test over and over again) that the stained 
substance is outside the oxalate of lime, and the natural interpretation is, 
that it is but the remains of the original cell contents of the Potato leaf¬ 
cell in which the oxalate of lime body was formed—adhering to it over the 
surface. A deal of trouble might, therefore, have been saved but for the 
assertion that the oxalate of lime contained a central mass of protoplasm. 
“ In addition to this part of the inquiry, I have looked into the matter 
from another point of view, and evidence has been obtained which, I venture 
to think, will prove to be of interest. A week or two ago Mr. Carruthers 
placed in my hands a letter from Dean Buckland (dated July 19, 1847) to 
Robert Brown, enclosing leaves, &c., of a Potato plant, and asking, ‘ Is the 
enclosed the same affection of the Potato leaves as that of the two last 
years ? ’—meaning the Potato disease. I examined the leaves, and found no 
sign of Potato disease, but, abundantly p resent, Mr. Wilson’s sclerotioids. 
Thus we see that Mr. Wilson was anticipated even in his mistake. 
“ Mr. Carruthers then suggested to me that I should examine Potato 
plants preserved in Sir Hans Sloane’s herbarium. We found four plants 
which had evidently been healthy and vigorous when collected. From each 
I removed a very minute fragment for examination. The first one was 
from the King’s garden at Montpellier, collected by Dr. Charleton (Charleton 
was born 1619, and died 1707). It contains Mr. Wilson’s ‘sclerotioids’ as 
abundantly as Mr. Wilson’s own specimens. The next was a plant collected 
by Boerhaave (Bcerhaave was born 1668, and died 1738), and it also proved 
as fertile in the matter of ‘ slerotioids.’ The next was one of Plukenet’s 
plants (Plukenet was born in 1642, and died 1706?) : it contains them too, 
but the fragment selected shows only a few. Finally a fragment was taken 
from a plant ‘ collected about 16C0,’ as labelled in Sir Hans Sloane’s hand¬ 
writing ; and it, like the last named, contained these bodies which Mr. 
Wilson wishes to connect with the Potato disease. The four fragments of 
antiquity could all be placed under an ordinary coverglass—they were 
selected from the plants at random, and none of them disappointed me. 
Unfortunately, I cannot remove the slides from the Museum, but the 
specimens hare been examined by Mr. Carruthers, Mr. Bower, Mr. Ridley, 
Mr. Geddes, and Dr. Masters. Mr. Carruthers and Mr. Bower have also 
kindly witnessed the tests described above, and I need not add I shall be 
happy to exhibit the whole matter to Mr. Wilson, or to anyone whom he 
may appoint.— George Murray.” 
Buds on Orchid Boots. —Major Lendy exhibited a plant of Phalasnopsis 
bearing small buds on the aerial roots ; a very unusual phenomenon, though 
not unknowu. They, however, are too minute to be of use as a practical 
source of propagation. The plant was figured in the Gardening World, 
vol. i., p. 364. 
Pinus Massoniana. —Sir J. D. Hooker exhibited a branch bearing a large 
cluster of cones. He remarked that they were usually borne singly on the 
young trees, but the normal character appeared to be in clusters when they 
grew older, as figured by the Japanese. 
Masdevallia leontoglossa. —This Orchid was exhibited by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, and the Committee awarded it a botanical certificate. 
Decay of Cedrus Deodara. —Mr. Murray reported upon the mycelial 
growth found under the bark of the trees which had died, and which were 
exhibited at the last meeting. He found it to be in all probability a species 
of Polyporus, and which was parasitic upon the cambium layers. It was 
bis opinion that the fungus was quite competent to cause the destruction of 
the trees. 
Narcissus pachyhulbos. —Mr. Loder exhibited [a truss of this' Algierian 
plant. The flowers are white and fragrant. 
Chinese Wax. —Mr. MacLachlan exhibited specimens of Fraxinus edin- 
ensis and Ligustrum lucidum (?) attacked by Coccus Pela. He remarked 
that it appeared to be an agglomeration of male insects, and not a secretion 
from the female scale, as is usual. The wax was an important commercial 
product, and Sir J. D. Hooker observed that our information on thir subject 
was derived through the great facilities offered by the Foreign Office in 
inquiring into the sources of various native productions of foreign 
countries. Mr. MacLachlan observed that there was another source of a 
similar wax from a female coccus from South India. 
Mormodes Diseased. —Mr. Smee exhibited specimens of leaves apparently 
attacked by some insect. They were referred to Mr. Michael for examina¬ 
tion and report. 
Castor Oil Fruits. —He also exhibited some fruits and ‘seeds which had 
ripened in the open air. The latter were rather small, but apparently quite 
sound. 
Boots of Bhododendron Diseased. —Hon. and Rev. Mr. Boscawen~sent 
some roots which appeared to have decayed through wet; no fungoid 
growths could be detected in it. 
PLUMBAGO CAPENSIS OUT OF DOORS. 
In reply to “ A. E., North Devon," I am pleased to give him the 
information he desires. I would advise him not to turn his plants out 
into the flower garden this season, but to grow them on by every 
encouragement during the summer, and let them flower if they will. I 
will state how my plants have been treated. They were taken up from 
the flower garden before any frost touched them and potted carefully in 
loam and leaf mould. They were then well watered and placed against 
the back wall of a vinery, where they have had all the light possible. In 
January the smallest shoots were shortened to half their length and the 
ethers to about two-thirds. The plants are now breaking into growth, 
and will be brought into the greenhouse and encouraged to grow for 
some time, as it is from the extremities of these shoots that the flower 
comes. A shoit time before planting out they will be hardened, but they 
must not be so early exposed as many of the ordinary bedding plants, 
as they are more tender. About the last week in May they can be planted 
and at once watered and their branches tied out. If done carefully they 
will not flag, and they will begin to show their trusses of flower. On the 
evenings of hot days a syringing with clean water will help them, and no 
doubt the plants will show a few suckers ; if so, these should be 
encouraged, as they will be wanted for another year. My plants are 
already doing so. The plants appear to thrive in a good proportion of 
leaf mould mixed with the border soil when planted out. 
My plants are, as “ A. E.” assumes, three years old, and when planted 
out were nearly 5 feet high, and as much in width when tied out. I would 
advise “A. E.” to raise enough plants to have one lot under the other in age 
coming on, so as to ensure having good plants to put out, for, as a rule 
and to be safe, most of the growth of the plants must be made before 
they go into the garden. —Thomas Record. 
LiELIA ANCEPS. 
While reading the article in the Journal on page 68 on winter-flower¬ 
ing Lmlias, I noticed that the length of the flow r er spikes of Loslia anceps 
w'as stated to be frequently 18 inches in length. This is short in compa¬ 
rison with what are grown here. We have several spikes exceeding the 
length named. One large plant about 2 feet 6 inches through has borne 
twenty-one spikes, the longest of which measured 4 feet, while the shortest 
was 2 feet loDg, some of the spikes bearing four bloom«. Other plants in 
10-inch pots had similar spikes. Perhaps it would be interesting to state 
that the length of several of the leaves are 10J inches and 3 inches broad, 
the bulbs measuring inches long and 4 inches round. I do not know 
if these figures are anything above the average, but state them to get 
the experience of others, and to gain information. I send a spike (the 
last we have), which is just over 4 feet long. Perhaps there are other 
varieties with shorter spikes.—J. S. Upex, Foreman, Milton. 
[Lmlia anceps varies in the length of the spikes, but that you sent is 
an uncommonly long one, and the plant must be very strong.] 
COVENT GARDEN FLOWER MARKET 
The business in flowers is just at this season of the year at its lowes? 
ebb, and advantage is being taken of the fact to push on with all speed 
the extension of Covent Garden Flower Market. We gave some account of 
this work in the summer, and we then referred to the remarkable develop¬ 
ment there had been in the London flower trade during the past few years. 
Further evidence on this point has since been given by the remarkable fact 
that, although the new portion of the market is not yet built, every staH 
provided for in the plans is already let. Only some ten or fifteen years ago 
a few ricketty old sheds in an out-of-the-way corner of the market served 
for the wholesale flower trade ; and when the commodious new structure 
was erected on the site of the old sheds, it was rather in excess of the 
requirements of the trade, and it was expected that it would be amply suf¬ 
ficient for many years to come. Yarious forces have been combining, how¬ 
ever, to render the expansion of this interesting business very rapid. 
Among other things the floral fancies of Ritualism are the first to tell upon 
the year’s business, which may be said to begin with the week before Easter. 
Preparatory to the great feast of the Church, the clergy and the sisterhoods 
swarm down upon the market in such numbers that the trade of the week 
before Easter is said of late years to have become the heaviest of the whole 
season. The flower trade, which has been up till that time in a condition 
of comparative torpor, starts at once into full activity, and from Easter 
right on through the summer it is at high pressure. And this pressure 
seems every year to be becoming greater. Among other causes is the very 
great improvement which has so generally transferred the dishes from the 
dinner-table to the sideboard, and substituted for them tasteful arrange¬ 
ments of fruit and flowers. In addition to this, the growing intelligence 
and improving taste of the people at large, the examples of floriculture ex¬ 
hibited in the parks, the multiplication of flower shows, and the publica¬ 
tion of cheap serials and gardening guides, all combine to constitute one of 
the healthiest tendencies of our times, and one which there is every reason 
to believe is as yet quite in its early stages. 
The preparations that are now being pushed on for the summer trade 
seem likely to be barely adequate to its requirements, and will certainly 
have to be extended very shortly. Hitherto there have been some 300 
stands in the market; when the extension is complete there will be some¬ 
where about 400, and we understand that the demand for space has been so 
great that already it is apparent that a still greater extension might safely 
have been ventured on. At the same time the general market is under¬ 
going a considerable enlargement of its borders, houses being demolished as 
leases fall in or can be bought on reasonable terms. This opening-out of 
the market is likely to go on for the next few years, so that Covent Garden, 
instead of being swept away, as was the general expectation a few years 
ago, is really striking its roots deeper. Within one quadrangular plot, 
bounded by Southampton Street on the west, Tavistock Court on the east, 
Tavistock Row on the north, and Tavistock Street on the south, some forty 
or fifty houses have been or will be demolished before long. The whole of 
this ground will be thrown into the market, though its definite disposal is 
not yet quite determined on. A great amount of property, too, is being 
pulled down on the southern side of the great square with the view of 
widening roadways and facilitating approach, and all this is being done and 
a great deal is contemplated in the expectation that an enlarged market 
will make this demolition of property a paying enterprise. As in the case 
of the Flower Market, several tendencies of the time seem to be conspiring 
to make this famous emporium of fruit, flowers, and vegetables more and 
more important, while thus far nothing in the shape of competition—such 
as exists to some extent at Farringdon Street and in the Borough—seems 
to have the slightest effect on it. A good deal is every now and then said 
about the unw'holesome state of the market, notwithstanding that the 
scavengering alone Costs £1300 a year. While, however, Covent Garderers 
attracting every year more and more trade, and is busily preparing to re¬ 
ceive a larger influx of laden waggons, it seems very doubtful whether the 
slightest improvement is this respect is at all practicable .—(Daily News.) 
