March 23, 1882.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
239 
crosses were two American varieties named Livingstone’s Perfec 
tion and Canada Victor. These were kindly forwarded to me by 
Mr. Cullingford, and I have also to thank Messrs. Suttons for a 
packet of the former. Both are smooth and round-fruited, Living¬ 
stone’s Perfection being the largest, and well adapted for exhibi¬ 
tion purposes. They are bright red in colour, and in many respects 
resemble Hathaway’s Excelsior. However, I believe there are 
better being selected in this country. In point of quality I must 
recant in favour of the corrugated varieties, these having more 
seed and less core, the pulpy matter enclosing the seed being the 
best part of the fruit.—W. Iggulden. 
A GOOD VERMIN KILLER. 
Lately we have been using the softsoap and paraffin mixture, 
with satisfactory results, for killing insects on Orchids, Dracamas, 
&c. While so doing the thought occurred that perhaps it might 
kill vermin at the roots without injuring the plants. Accordingly, 
some Cauliflowers in pots were supplied with it, and twenty-four 
hours after they were turned out of their pots, when the roots 
appeared quite uninjured, but the worms were already putrid. 
This fact is worth the attention of those whose Brassicas are 
attacked in summer with grubs at the root. Last year not less 
than two-thirds of the Cabbage crop of Scotland was by such 
means destroyed. If this mixture will 6ave the plants by killing 
their enemies, the community at large will owe a monument to 
the inventor of this effectual vermin killer. 
The following is our method of preparation—Take a gill—one- 
third of a pint—of paraffin oil and I ozs. of softsoap. Place these 
in an ordinary pail, and over them pour a kettle of hot water. 
Stir this till all is dissolved, and then fill the pail with pure water. 
This is about the strength we use it. This preparation is far 
Fig. 47 — Dendrobium endochabis. (See page 233.) 
better than paraffin oil alone. Mixed with the soap it dissolves, 
with pure water only it floats on the top. 
We intend trying it on Onion and Carrots this year.— SINGLE- 
HANDED. 
THE PENTSTEMON OF THE FLORIST. 
Like many others which have been “ improved,” this con¬ 
stitutes one of the best decorative flowering plants we have. 
It may be employed in the flower garden planted in lines, in 
borders, in clumps, in beds, singly amongst lower-growing plants, 
or used in the arrangement of mixed borders. From the gar¬ 
dener’s point of view it is somewhat unfortunate that these are 
not quite hardy in severe winters, though soil and position 
have an influence in determining the extent to which they may 
be termed hardy. For instance, we have a plant of the old 
variety C. P. Peach, quite a specimen plant in fact, which has 
passed the ordeal of the extra cold winters preceding the present 
one. When Pentstemons do pass the winter without injury they 
make a really grand display in early summer, a display which 
may be maintained by a judicious removal of the spikes as the 
flowers fade, mulching the roots of the plants and supplying them 
with water. When the ground becomes dry, seed-bearing combined 
with drought will not only stop the production of fresh spikes, 
