JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 18, 1882. ] 
899 
plant roots as solvents and chemical agents in the soil 1 The 
fact is we are greatly in the dark in all these matters, and there 
is room for no one to dogmatise. Of this one thing we are certain, 
that potash is a necessity for some plants— e.g., Vines, Potatoes, 
Peas, and Onions, and that it is of benefit to most crops. Every 
gardener who has used fresh wood ashes knows the benefit potash 
as a carbonate is to the above crops. The chloride and nitrate, 
if not quite so soluble, are practically so, and may be used with 
every success. The nitrogen of the latter alone renders it of great 
value, while, if we judge of the effects of common salt, the chlorine 
in the former would appear of some use. 
With regard to the quotation from a pamphlet emanating from 
New York on Potato culture, I may be allowed to say that the 
quotation as it stands is of no value. Tubers of inferior quality, 
waxy and watery, are alike produced on land without manure 
and on soil manured with material from the farmyard. But that 
does not prove that farmyard manure is absolutely hurtful on all 
soils, because we know the opposite to be the case ; and we also 
know that good Potatoes can be and are produced on unmanured 
soil. If “Single-handed” has in practice found such results 
follow the use of chloride of potash, and can state what other 
constituents were applied at the same time, we could arrive at 
something definite on the point. I might cite the authority of 
Ville, and say if you do not give your Potatoes a sufficient supply 
of potash the Potato disease will attack the crop with virulence. 
If, on the other hand, your supply of potash is given in sufficient 
quantity the disease will not attack the Potatoes. That is Ville’s 
opinion. How many practical men agree with him ? Grapes con¬ 
tain a larger per-centage of sugar than any other fruit, and, ac¬ 
cording to the New York authority, chloride of potash would spoil 
the crop ; yet in France as much as 4 cwt. to the acre is used, 
and gives, with other manurial constituents added, the very best 
results. How can we tell which is right ? Alone by experiment 
on the soils we have to do with.—B. 
MR. MEIKLEJOHN'S AURICULAS. 
One day lately I had great pleasure in waiting on Mr. Alexan¬ 
der Meiklejohn, the veteran Auricula grower of the north. He is 
located in a hamlet west of the historical town of Stirling of the 
name of Raploph. Northwards, about a couple of miles, the 
Bridge of Allan nestles at the foot and along the side of some hills. 
Away in the north-west the snow-capped crest of Ben Lomond is 
seen, while all around lies a tract of rich cultivated land. Mr. 
Meiklejohn is a hale old gentleman, over fourscore I believe, but 
as fond of his favourites as ever. Some two thousand plants were 
blooming, most of them strong, and representatives of most of the 
best sorts were present. The plants are grown in the old-fashioned 
Auricula frames, the size of pots CO’s, the compost loam, cow (long, 
and leaf soil. Potting is commenced directly the bloom is past, 
and employs the owner two months to complete. Seedlings are 
raised, some of which are distributed. A very good grey-edge, 
named “John Morris,” may be heard of yet. The raiser of Topsy 
and Alexander Meiklejohn was a neighbour of Mr. Meiklejohn. 
A contributor was expressing surprise at the number of plants 
some growers had collected in a short time. Money does it. One 
grower bought up a third of the whole stock of A. Meiklejohn 
when it was distributed. It may be of interest to state that the 
number of growers is rapidly increasing in the north ; that the 
Journal is a home friend amongst the fraternity ; and that the 
most pleasant holiday one can take at this season is to visit the 
owner of a collection of Auriculas.— Grower. 
VINES MILDEWED. 
I NEVER saw my Vines look better or more promising than they 
did in the early part of this season. The weather was fine and 
bright, and I did not consider fire necessary. I had a large 
number of Pelargoniums and other plants in the house, which had 
to be watered every day. About the middle of April we had some 
rather heavy rain, and soon afterw r ards I observed a few of the 
leaves on the Vines had turned a dark colour and then brown. I 
thought ventilation had not been given early enough in the morn¬ 
ing ; but a few days afterwards I saw that the mischief was ex¬ 
tending, and on a more minute examination of the leaves dis¬ 
covered the presence of some form of mildew. I then knew what 
to do. The plants were removed under frames, the season being 
sufficiently advanced to allow of it. The border was well watered 
and fire commenced, the pipes being painted with sulphur mixture 
according to the receipt below, but only half the quantity mentioned 
was used, as it was not a bad case. The alteration in the Vines 
in a few days was surprising. They are now going on as well as 
I could wish to see them. The shoots were not stopped, as I 
wished fresh leaves to be made, but that can now be done. The 
border was watered because it was rather dry, and a dry soil below 
with a large amount of moisture overhead is favourable to mildew. 
The fire will be discontinued, or only lighted in damp weather 
after the bloom is set. Size of house 1G feet long by 12 feet 
broad. 
The mixture employed consisted of 2 ozs. of soft soap, 2 lt>3. of 
flowers of sulphur, and half a gallon of water. Dissolve in warm 
water and paint the pipes with it. —Amateur, Cirencester. 
THE VIRGINIAN AND SIBERIAN LUNGWORTS. 
The Lungworts are very numerous, and distinctly divisible into 
two groups by the characteristics of the stem and foliage, and this 
distinction has gained for them at least two distinct names em¬ 
ployed in general use which I think desirable to be retained. 
Certainly this should be so for all practical purposes. The first 
is a group of plants with coarse stems and foliage, covered more 
or less with hispid hairs, and tubular flowers without a spreading 
corolla limb, and of which we may regard our common British 
Fig. 79.—Mertensia virginica. 
species (Pulmonaria officinalis) as the type ; and related to it are 
many others found in different parts of Europe. The others are 
plants with smooth almost glaucous stems and foliage, tubular 
flowers with a spreading corolla limb more or less. Other struc¬ 
tural points are immaterial in practical floriculture. This group 
is known under the name of Mertensia, and to it the two species 
about to be described belong, known respectively as M. virginica 
and M. sibirica ; and as decorative plants those belonging to the 
Mertensia section are much superior to the Pulmonarias proper. 
The two kinds I have selected are very handsome plants, and 
there are several others many of which have never been found in 
our gardens. There is one which we rarely meet with—viz., 
M. dahurica, which is a perfect gem among alpines, the flowers 
being of a rich coerulean blue, on slender stems about 6 to 9 inches 
high, appearing in early spring. 
The Virginian Lungwort (M. virginica), which is shown in 
fig. 79, has a fleshy rhizome-like root. Flower-stems 12 to 18 inches 
high, with numerous ovate smooth leaves and terminate clusters 
of flowers, each an inch or more long, tubular, with a spreading 
basin-shaped limb. Before the flowers expand they are of a 
reddish purple colour, and afterwards change to rich porcelain 
blue, which contrasted with the still unexpanded buds is very 
pleasing. It flowers in April and May, and has been known in 
