September 27, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
209 
the Grapes at Edinburgh, I conclude with the hope that I may not only 
see the grand city next year, but that I may be again placed in the list 
of successful exhibitors.— Stephen Castle, West Lynn. 
MILDEW ON CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
In your notes to correspondents, page 262, in giving “ A Grower ” 
information you refer to the solution used by me for mildew on Roses and 
Peach trees, and also wish me to state if I have used it on Chrj T santhemums. 
I have not done so, as I discontinue the use of the syringe on these plants 
altogether after the approach of heavy dews at night, which commence 
very early and are continuous in this neighbourhood. When mildew has 
been allowed to thoroughly establish itself either on Roses, Peaches, or 
Chrysanthemums the solution advised to be used by me is not sufficiently 
strong to destroy it, neither are many of the “ infallible compositions ” 
recommended for the purpose, unless it is very strong, and not unfre- 
quently then they prove injurious to the foliage of the plants or trees 
operated upon. If “ A Grower” lives in a locality where mildew abounds 
at this season of the year I feel confident that if he will commence early 
enough with the softsoap solution, and follow it up regularly, his plants 
will not be troubled with mildew. If any of my Chrysanthemums are 
attacked I follow the excellent advice given by you to “ A Grower ” of 
mixing a little sulphur in water in which soft soap has been dissolved. 
The plants are laid upon their sides and thoroughly drenched with it, 
which is again repeated in a few days if necessary. If the weather 
prove showery when the operation is performed the plants are placed 
under cover, so that the sulphur is not washed off them. The soft soap 
must not be used too strong. After the mildew has been destroyed wash 
the plants thoroughly with clean water to remove the sulphur. A weak 
solution of Fir tree oil and a little sulphur will be found useful in 
destroying mildew.— W. Bardney. 
THE DESTRUCTION OF PEARS BY WASPS. 
Your correspondent, “ Saxoring ” (page 259), in last week’s Journal 
is not alone in his suffering from the wasps. They have attacked the 
following varieties of Pears here on the walls, espaliers, and bush trees :— 
Duchesse d’Angouleme, Vicar of Winkfield, Williams’ Bon Chretien, 
Beuird Clairgeau, and an Easter Beurre. I am of opinion that the small 
birds, which prefer hard gritty Pears to soft ripe ones, are the beginners 
of the mischief. The skin of the fruit being pecked by the birds the 
wasps at once commence operations, which, of course, in a short time 
cause the complete destruction of the fruit. 
In our vineries as well the wasps are giving us much trouble, especially 
among Black Hamburghs where not protected. Last year we employed 
muslin bags with very poor results. The Grapes went mouldy, and the 
wasps made their way through the bags with the greatest ease. We are 
now using white paper bags, which can be had from the grocer any size 
and at a low price. We bore a few small holes at the bottom of the bags, 
the bag to be slipped upwards over the bunch, but not tied round the 
mouth, or the Grapes will not keep very long. Strange to say not a 
wasp has entered any of the bags, though thus quite open at the top. 
Late Pears intended for exhibition or other particular purposes may be 
protected in the same way if the material used was waterproof. An 
invention for the protection of this valuable fruit from the ravages of 
these troublesome insects would indeed be a boon to the gardening 
community.— Wm. Chisholm, Oxon Ileatli , Tunbridge. 
In reply to “ Saxoring” as to wasps devouring unripe Pears, I may 
say that with me, when wasps are numerous, they have done so for 
several seasons. This season some dozens of the hardest fruits both for 
stewing and dessert are completely spoiled. But in my case there is 
another enemy far more destructive, and which precedes the wasp—viz., 
the tomtit. Many of them can be seen pecking at the Pears on the 
upper or sunny side and eating the flesh, which makes a hole large enough 
for half a dozen wasps to enter, as I think the wasp has not the power 
to break the skin of such hard fruit were it not for that mischievous bird. 
But all my forward Pears have been more or less eaten.— Thomas 
Record, Belmont , Barnet. 
SABBATIAS. 
A small genus of North American plants, chiefly biennials or annuals, 
bearing showy brightly coloured flowers, especially the two described 
below. They can he readily raised from seeds either sown out of doors 
in a sheltered border or in pots under glass. 
Sabbatia campestris (Nutt.); S. formosa (Brickley) in “ Prod. Acad. 
Phil.,” 1862.—This is one of the very showiest of our hardy outdoor 
annuals, and is a native of the open prairies of Arkansas and Red River, 
where, although not very plentiful, the effect of its deep rose lilac- 
coloured flowers is quite dazzling when seen through the long grass. It 
grows from 6 inches to a foot high, with slightly winged stem, branching 
habit; leaves ovate, amplexicaule, acute, nerved ; flowers nearly 2 inches 
in diameter, each of the variable segments being marked with a five- 
rayed greenish-yellow star, having an irregular white margin; calyx 
segments linear-lmceolate, and a trifle shorter than the corolla. It 
grows veil in ordinary garden soil, and, judging from the time the 
flowers keep fresh after cutting, is likely to prove useful for purposes of 
decoration. It was, I believe, first introduced to this country by Mr. 
James Carter, but was lost until reintroduced by Mr. Thompson of 
Ipswich through a German correspondent in 1855. S. campestris has 
often been confounded with the Chironia trinerva of Ceylon, and, 
although agreeing in artificial character, the colour of the flower and 
the ovate leaves distinguish it clearly enough for all practical purposes. 
There is also a pure white variety, extremely pretty, but unfortunately 
it is not in cultivation. The species flowers from June to September. 
The woodcut (fig. 51) represents a spray with several flowers. 
Sabbalia cliloroides (Pursh.).—According to Dr. A. Gray’s second 
edition of the “Flora of the United States” this is one of the hand¬ 
somest species, but it was probably described before the above was 
introduced. It has a round stem from 1 to 2 feet high, loosely panicled. 
<11 
Fig. 51.—Sabbatia campestris. 
The corolla, which is of a beautiful rose colour, is over an inch broad; 
leaves oblong-lanceolate; segments of calyx linear, and only half the 
length of the corolla. It grows round the edges of ponds from Massa¬ 
chusetts to Virginia, and flowers from July to September.—D. D. 
Avenues and Boulevards in America. — The municipalities 
accept it as part of their duties to adorn and beautify the thoroughfares 
of the localities over which they have control. The result is that avenues 
and boulevards are everywhere constructed out of the public funds. 
Even Brooklyn and New York, which are probably the most ill-governed 
cities in the American Union, are supplied with abundant trees. When 
a new city is laid out attention is at once bestowed on those features of 
urban life which will make it an agreeable abode for all who settle in it. 
It is a practice in some communities, as in Rochester, to remit part of 
the taxes if owners of property plant trees along the front of their 
premises. So much has been done, and is yet being done, towards 
beautifying the outlying parts of Chicago, that many miles of the 
loveliest boulevards in the world have already been constructed, while 
plans have been formed for connecting the whole of the public parks 
surrounding the city in such a manner that no fewer than forty-eight 
miles of magnificent drives will eventually come into the possession of 
