Norember 20, 1884. ] 
JOURI^AL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
473 
other shows to award such prizes as the exhibits merit when there is 
only one exhibit in each class, or, in other words, no competition. We 
have many times seen first, second, or third prizes awarded under such 
•ircumstances, and this appears to us to he no more than what is fair to 
the exhibitor, as it was not his fault if no one entered against him ; hut 
we do not consider it would he right to give a first prize to each exhibit 
in an uncontested class if it were not of striking excellence. 
Insects Infesting Carnations {M. A. Bradstock). — Your plants are 
attacked by the larva or maggot of a small two-winged fly of the genus 
Chlorops. The species nearly resemble each other, so that the exact one 
can only be determined by the appearance of the fly. It is an insect 
nearly related to the ribbon-fronted Corn-fly, which damages our cereals 
during some seasons. Others of the tribe occur frequently among 
Cruciferous plants. In all probability the pupa or chrysalis state is 
passed in the earth. This would point to one mode of reducing the numbers 
of the pest. The flies deposit their eggs in or about September to produce 
the brood of maggots referred to; but it is doubtful whether any pre¬ 
cautions could be taken against them, as they, on the wing, look so similar 
to various small flies. The removal and burning of any infected plants 
is an important particular to attend to. 
Walnuts (J. n .).—The varieties about which you inquire are simply 
known as the “ Large Fruited ” in this country, and the “ Thin Shelled.” 
The former is referred to as follows in the “ Fruit Manual: ”—“ Large 
Fruited (d Bijoux; Double; French; De Jauge; a Tree Gros Fruit). — 
Nuts vei-y large, two or three times larger than the common Walnut, and 
somewhat square or oblong in shape. The kernel is small for the size of 
the nut, and does not nearly fill the shell. It requires to be eaten when 
fresh, as it very soon becomes rancid. The shell of this variety is used 
by the jewellers for jewel-cases, and is frequently fitted up with ladies’ 
embroidery instruments.” And the latter “ Thin Shelled (d Covque Tendre; 
d Mesange). —Nuts oblong, with a tender shell, and well filled. This is 
the best of all the varieties.” 
Culture of Anemones in Pots {E. S.). —The roots should be potted 
without delay, placing them about 1 inch deep in good loamy soil, with a 
fifth of well-decayed manure intermixed with a sixth of sand. They may 
be placed about 1 inch from the sides of the pot, and 2 inches apart around 
and inwards. The soil should be moist, and a good watering given after 
potting, standing the pots on and plunging in ashes in a cold frame. There 
they may remain with air on all favourable occasions, and protection from 
frost and during severe weather until they are well rooted and have made a 
little top growth, when they may be placed on shelves close to the light so 
as to prevent their drawing, and where they will have a free circulation of 
air, keeping the plants duly supplied with water, and affording weak liquid 
manure occasionally. Anemones do not stand much forcing, but the 
flowering may be accelerated by placing, after they are somewhat advanced 
in growth, in a house in a light airy position w'ith a temperature of 
45° to 50°. 
Wintering Gloxinias, Achimenes, and Begonias {L. W. S.). —It is best 
to winter the bulbs in the pots, stood on a damp bottom so that they will 
receive some moisture and prevent the soil in them becoming dust dry, 
otherwise the bulbs are liable to become farinaceous, and rot as soon as 
potted. All that is wanted is to keep the soil a little moist so as to keep 
the bulbs or corms plump. We, however, for convenience turn the plants 
out of the pots so soon as they have ripened off, and, removing the loose 
soil, pack them in sand in boxes as close as they can be crammed in single 
layers. They only want to be kept cool and not parchingly dry, or the bulbs 
will shrivel. 
Soot Water {Idem). —Your mode of making soot water is a good one, 
but wasteful, as the ammonia mingling with the water is rapidly evapo¬ 
rated. The soot does not colour the water simply because the bag is too 
fine in texture, so not mingling with the water, and until this takes place 
and decomposition or fermentation sets in the water will not assume the 
colour of “ pale ale.” There should be a thorough mixing of the soot with 
the water, stirring well up, and repeating occasionally for a few times, 
and then allow to settle. The clear liquid may be used for watering, and 
even syringing, and will not leave a sooty deposit. Mr. Abbey informs 
us that he uses the soot water fresh and without any disadvantage, although 
he admits the surface of the soil becomes coated with a sooty deposit, 
which necessitates removal occasionally; and that the plants like it is, he 
considers^ indicated by the numerous surface roots, the diflflculty in some 
plants, notably Gardenias, being how to remove the soot without injuring 
them, and is, therefore, not attempted. 
Dividing Agapanthus umbellatus (L. W. S.). —The plants may be 
divided as soon as they have flowered, which under glass is during the 
early summer months. Cocoa refuse for potting should be thoroughly 
decayed, and may then take the place of leaf soil, or about one-third of 
the compost. It is no detriment to Begonias kept through the winter in 
boxes or otherwise after being shaken out after the foliage dies down, only 
they should be potted before or immediately they begin to grow. We 
should not like to say how long the tubers are before they begin to 
deteriorate, but we should think it must be a lengthened period, as we 
have had them for many years without noticing any failure; but, on the 
contrary, they have increased in size and vigour of plant under good 
treatment, and when they have gone off it has usually been from decay 
consequent on injury. 
Asparagus Beds Thin {A. W.). —You do not state the age of the plants ; 
if they are more than four years old it would be much the best plan to make 
new plantations, planting one or two-year-old plants next spring, the close 
of March or early April being a good time to plant, or just when growth 
has pushed to the extent of about 1 inch, planting in rows 18 inches apart, 
and that distance in the rows, and leaving out every fourth row so as to 
form an alley for convenience of cutting the heads and cleaning. In the 
third year from planting you will have fine heads for cutting, much finer 
indeed than were you to plant closer. Early Purple Argenteuil and 
Conover’s Colossal soon attain a large size after planting. The ground 
should be well manured and trenched as deeply as the good soil admits 
before planting, and if the soil is heavy add some opening material, such as 
sand, the refuse of the potting bench or rubbish heap ; and it should be well 
drained, as, though Asparagus is a gross feeder, it is impatient of moisture 
lodging in the subsoil. It would not answer to transplant the old plants, as 
they would lift with poor roots, and the other plants in the beds they are to 
be transferred to would have their roots more or less injured by disturbance. 
We should make fresh beds, and do away with the old after the new come 
into bearing. 
Rhus Trees and Cattle {J. B. W .).—To your inquiry as to “whether 
any of the Bhus (Sumach) tribe are injurious to cattle” we cannot do 
better than cite the following from Hogg’s “ Vegetable Kingdom : ”— 
“E. venenata is the Swamp Sumach, or Poison Wood of America. It 
yields a white juice, which exudes between the wood and the bark when 
the tree is wounded. The whole of this shrub is in the highest degree 
poisonous, but its effects are various on different individuals, and some may 
even handle it with perfect impunity. In those who come within its 
influence the whole body is sometimes enormously swollen, and the patient 
for many days scarcely able to move; but the complaint almost always 
subsides spontaneously without destroying life. In forty-eight hours inflam¬ 
mation appears on the skin in large blotches, principally on the extremities 
and the glandulous parts of the body; soon after pustules arise in the 
inflamed parts, and fill with watery matter, attended with burning and 
itching. In two or three days the eruptions suppurate, after which the 
inflammation subsides, and the ulcers heal in a short time. R. perniciosa 
and juglandifolia possess the same poisonous properties. The seeds of 
R. coriaria are used in medicine as restringent, styptic, tonic, and cooling. 
The peasants of Podolia, the Ukraine, and other parts of Russia use it both 
internally and externally in decoction along with Genista tinctoria as a 
preventive of hydrophobia. The leaves of R. copallina are used as tobacco 
by the Indians of the Mississippi and Missouri. R. radicans is called 
Poison Vine in America, R. toxicodendron being there called Poison Oak. 
Rhus typhina (Virginian Sumach) is powerfully astringent in all its parts.” 
Names of Fruit.— It is particularly requested that fruit sent to be 
named shall be wrapped in paper, and not packed in any material such as 
moss, hay, shavings, or bran. (J. Hiam). —Beurr6 d’Aremberg. (J. Bounds). 
—1, Ecklinville ; 2, Golden Winter Pearmain; 3, Golden Pearmain ; 4, Cox’s 
Orange Pippin; 5, Red Ingestrie ; 7, not known. {J. Woodliffe). —1, 
Greenup’s Pippin ; 2, Golden Noble ; 3, Cockle’s Pippin; 4, Bringewood 
Pippin; Pear, Urbaniste. {J. C. B.). —1, Flat Nonpareil; 2, Cellini; 
3, Beauty of Kent; 4, Golden Winter Pearmain ; 5, not known ; Pear not 
known. {Bosebery). — 1, Comte de Flandres; 2, Red Doyenn5 ; 3, Napoleon ; 
4, Flat Nonpareil; 6, not known. {F. Guson). —1, rotten; 3, Huyshe’s 
Victoria ; 4, Triomphe de Jodoigne. {E. Fisher). —1, La Fameuse ; 2, 
Toker’s Incomparable ; 3, Margil; 4, Cobham ; 5, Emile d’Heyst; 6, Beurre 
Diel. (H. Coombes). —1, Triomphe de Jodoigne ; 2, Beurr6 Ranee ; 3, Colman ; 
4, Josephine de Malines ; 5, Melon ; 7, Waltham Abbey Seedling. 
(IF. IF. IF.).—1, Winter Greening; 2, Kerry Pippin; 3, London Pippin; 
4, Lewis’s Incomparable; 5, Old Golden Pippin ; 6, King of the Pippins. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— November 19th. 
We have no alteration in prices to record this week. 
FRUIT. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Apples .. .. 
J sieve 
2 
6 
to 3 
6 
Oranges. 
8 
0 to 12 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
perdoz. 
3 
0 
8 
0 
Cobs, Kent .. 
per 100 lbs. 65 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Currants, Red 
J sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
3 
0 
„ Black 
• 
5 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English., lb. 
4 
0 
0 
0 
Figs .. .. 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Plums . 
i Sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes .. .. 
.. tb. 
0 
6 
4 
0 
Strawberries.. .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons .. .. 
« . 
•. case 
15 
0 
21 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
..each 
7 
0 
10 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Artichokes .. 
dozen 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Lettuce .. .. . 
. dozen 
1 
0 
to 1 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Mushrooms .. 
punnet 
0 
0 
1 
6 
Beet, Red .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Broccoli .. .. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Onions. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Brussels Sprouts 
i sieve 
2 
6 
s 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cabbage .. .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
1 
0 
Parsnips. 
, dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Capsicums 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots .. .. 
bunch 
0 
S 
0 
4 
,, Kidney . 
. cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Rhubarb .. .. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Celery .. .. 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
6 
Coleworts dcz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Scorzonera .. . 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Cucumbers .. 
each 
0 
2 
0 
4 
Shallots. 
.. lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Bodive .. .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
2 
0 
4 
(1 
HOTbs .. .. 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. .. 
.. lb. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Leeks .. .. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
6 
IMPOETANT LITTLE MATTERS. 
Seasonable hints about what are frequently termed odd ]ob8,_but 
which are better known under the designation of important little 
things, are regularly given week by week throughout the year. But 
now while there is time to spare from the regular work of the farm to 
bring up arrears of such work we propose calling special attention ot 
it, first turning to 
Drains .—After so long a drought it will be well to watch closely 
the action of drains when wet weather sets in, and in order that there 
