562 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December 22, 1881. 
cn the subject. The tree was on a south wall in a village in 
Dorset.” 
- We have on several occasions referred to the new dwarf 
Tropjeolum Empress op India, and a coloured plate sent us 
by Messrs. J. Carter & Co. represents a plant of this variety in 
very good condition. The compact habit of the variety, the dark- 
coloured foliage and the richly coloured flowers, are very fairly 
pourtrayed ; and if the flowers are as well borne above the foliage 
the variety is unquestionably a valuable one, and will soon be a 
favourite for bedding purposes. 
- We are informed that, in accordance with the wishes of 
the late Mr. Joad of Oakfield, Wimbledon, his herbarium and a 
large portion of the fine collection of hardy and cool house plants 
grown in the garden and houses there, are to be presented to the 
Eoyal Gardens, Kew. These additions to the national collections 
will undoubtedly be highly valued. 
- The locusts are committing such ravages in the Island 
op Cyprus that a plan for the extirpation has recently been 
sanctioned by Lord Kimberley, which it is estimated will cost 
£23,000. 
- Considerable success, we are informed, has attended 
the experiments of M. Thiolliere de l’Isle at Tain, in France, to 
check the ravages op phylloxera by planting his Vines in 
a soil specially prepared with sulphide of carbon. 
- The annual dinner of the Birmingham Chrysan¬ 
themum Society was held on the 14th inst., after which a com¬ 
bined business and sociable meeting took place. Several special 
prizes were liberally offered by 'gentlemen present, the highly 
satisfactory balance of £30 being announced as the result the 
past year. Great interest continues to be manifested in the 
progress of the Society. 
- Cassell’s Illustrated Almanack for 1882 is quite 
up to its usual high standard, being most profusely illustrated, 
and containing a great variety of useful and interesting matter. 
- The lessees of the Alexandra Palace announce a Christ¬ 
mas Show of Fruits, Plants, and Flowers, to be held from 
December 24th to January 7th. Liberal prizes are offered in 
twelve classes, varying in value from £5 to 10$. In addition to 
classes for Grapes," Apples, Pears, and a general collection of 
fruits, provision is made for hardy berried plants, hardy ornamental 
shrubs, Rhododendrons in flower, Everlasting Flowers, Limes, 
Lemons, Citrons, Oranges, &c. For the year 1882 a liberal pro¬ 
gramme is announced, comprising a permanent exhibition of 
appliances used in horticulture, with numerousjspecial and monthly 
exhibitions devoted to Hyacinths, hardy Azaleas, Clematises, pot 
Roses, Rhododendrons, Gladioli, Gourds, and Fruits. Particulars 
will be supplied by the Horticultural Director, Mr. J. Forsyth 
Johnson. 
- Mr. Edward Luckhurst writes—“We have pleasant 
evidence of the genial influence of the mild winter in the catkins 
of Garrya elliptica, which are now in full beauty and are very fine. 
It is planted here in the shrubbery borders and also among the 
climbing plants upon the house, answering well in both places ; 
but the catkins are not freely produced till the plants have become 
well established in the soil and growing into large sightly speci¬ 
mens. Lonicera odoratissima is giving us plenty of its pretty 
little sweet-scented flowers, and the curious blossom of Chimonan- 
thus fragrans is opening in unusual abundance, and is highly 
valued, a handful or two put in saucers filling a room of consider¬ 
able size with rich perfume. Russian Violets, too, are almost a 3 
plentiful out of doors as under glass. Globe Artichokes in Decem¬ 
ber are so great a rarity as to be worthy of notice. The remark¬ 
able mildness of the weather has caused several plants to put 
forth flower stems—not mere abortive growth, but stout vigorous 
stems worthy of the finest summer weather, crowned, too, with 
such fine ‘ globes,’ that I was able to cut a dish for table to-day 
(December 17th). Nor is this a solitary instance, for I have just 
been told of a similar case in the garden of J. W. Larking, Esq., 
at Lee.” 
- A correspondent in the south of Perthshire sends the 
following respecting Trop^eolum speciosum —“ So far from any 
difficulty being experienced in inducing this climber to grow here, 
it thrives so luxuriantly that precaution would rather appear 
necessary to prevent its becoming a nuisance. If planted near a 
cottage it soon bears a profusion of beautiful flowers, and it would 
seem advisable to confine the roots in boxes or by insertion of 
stones or slates to prevent detriment to other plants near it. 
This autumn I saw a case in point. It had been employed with 
other climbers to cover the retaining wall of an extensive terrace. 
It had not only fulfilled its purpose, but the Roses and other 
contiguous plants were being enveloped in its masses. Beautiful 
as it is, no one could wish it to become master of the situation to 
such an extent. Another graceful and beautiful flower, Dielytra 
spectabilis, grows rampant in the same locality.” 
- A correspondent informs us that “ Mr. G. Harris, gar¬ 
dener to H. W. Tugwell, Esq., Crowe Hall, Bath, and previously 
foreman at Syon House, has been appointed successor to the late 
Mr. A. Ingram as gardener to the Duke of Northumberland at 
Alnwick Castle. Judging by the satisfaction Mr. Harris has given 
in his previous positions, and the energy he has displayed in hia 
profession, he is likely to well maintain the credit of the establish¬ 
ment now under his management.” Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea, inform us that Mr. E. George Yeatman has been ap¬ 
pointed gardener to Mrs. Miles, West End House, West End, 
Kilburn, N.W. 
- Several good examples of that beautiful bulbous plant 
Freesia refracta alba are now flowering in an intermediate 
house at Orsett Hall, Essex. Six or eight bulbs are grown in a 
32-size pot, moderately light turfy loam being employed as soil 
with plenty of drainage, as water is required rather freely during 
the growth of the plants. One specimen has a dozen scapes of 
white deliciously fragrant flowers, some quite expanded and 
others fast advancing. Mr. R. Castle, the gardener, finds that a 
moderate degree of heat suits the plant better than a cool house, 
and a light position is very important to obtain it in the best con¬ 
dition. The flowers are particularly valuable for cutting owing 
to their pleasant fragrance, which is somewhat suggestive of a 
Primrose perfume. This Freesia undoubtedly deserves to be 
better known than is the case at present. The woodcut on page 
171 of the last volume of this Journal well represents the scape 
and flowers. 
- Fragrant flowers are general favourites, and any im¬ 
provement upon those we already possess must be welcome to all. 
This Mr. H. Cannell has unquestionably provided in the new 
Heliotrope White Lady, which was shown in excellent 
condition at Kensington last week and awarded a first-class cer¬ 
tificate. The chief characteristics distinguishing it from other 
varieties of the well-known plant are the great size of the 
corymbs, the large individual flowers which are quite white, and 
the fragrance is powerful even for Heliotrope. The habit, too, is 
compact, and the plant appears to be sturdy and floriferous in no 
mean degree. 
- Amongst the abundance of seasonable fruits in Covent 
Garden Market at the present time some examples of the Apple- 
fruited Granadilla, or Sweet Calabash, are especially 
notable. They are the fruits of Passiflora maliformis, a native 
of the West Indies, and are very distinct in form from the 
