JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. { Auf?ust 24) 1882 , 
the fields soaked in water. Potatoes are suffering from blight. 
It is feared that unless there is dry weather shortly a famine 
will occur this year. The mountainous parts are in a worse 
condition than the lowlands.” 
- “ E. L. R.,” referring to Mr. Wolley Dod’s article, says 
“ It is no wonder he should speak of Campanula hederacea 
as a native gem. I purchased a small plant and placed it in a 
rockery, where it died ; but the following year the Campanula 
was seen in our lawn, where it spreads yearly and is lovely. My 
only trouble is the scythe—no gardener can recollect that this 
portion of the lawn is not to be mown after June. It grew on 
a damp lawn, but this year appears plentifully in the driest part 
over a flue, and flowers in a dwarfer state. Sibthorpia europrea 
has naturalised itself on the same lawn, though only on the damp 
part. It never flowers there. I am unacquainted with the Ana- 
gallis named, but shall add it to the above. Where can seed be 
procured of the Chrysanthemum segetum as improved by Dr. 
Marsh, and named on page 146 ?” 
- Relative to our report of the brick-kiln case on 
page 150 Mr. Foster, the complainant, informs us that “the jury 
stopped the case, consequently my witnesses, Mr. Pennell, Mr. 
Barron, two from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, 
and several from this neighbourhood, were not called. The 
chemical evidence we had would have proved that 10 tons of 
sulphur was burnt out of the clay used in a year in making 
bricks in the defendant’s brickyard. It may not have had any 
influence on the verdict, but it would have been an interesting piece 
of evidence.” It would not only have been interesting but im¬ 
portant. The noxious fumes from brick-kilns are beyond question 
most injurious, and even deadly, to trees and shrubs near them, 
j ana Mr. Foster has done good service in persevering, even though 
a former verdict was against him, and winning his case. An ex¬ 
periment that we suggested of applying dilute sulphuric acid to 
the foliage produced the same results as the acid deposited on the 
leaves from the kilns. One part of acid to forty parts of water 
killed the specimens. One part acid to one hundred of water ap¬ 
plied to one specimen, and one part acid to 150 water sprinkled 
on another, produced at once effect exactly similar to those pro¬ 
duced more slowly, but not less certainly, by acid from the kilns. 
Mr. Matthews, the complainant’s counsel, stated 
“ Both the clay and the coal when burnt gave off sulphur, and the 
effect of the burning was to cause the sulphur to combine with the 
oxygen of the air, and then it formed two very virulent acid gases, 
one called sulphuric acid, and the other sulphurous acid, the differ¬ 
ence being that the sulphuric acid had one more atom of oxygen than 
the other. Sulphuric acid was commonly known as oil of vitriol 
and was highly corrosive. When the wind carried this amiable gas,’ 
particularly in damp weather, it became deposited on the plants 
which were burnt into holes, just as oil of vitriol would burn a coat 
sleeve. Repeated doses of these fumes coming from the brickkilns 
injured the plants so as ultimately to kill them. Some trees are more 
susceptible than others, and some would die while others would not. 
The Conifer®, he believed, were the most susceptible, and the Laurels 
suffered very severely. There were very large quantities of plants in 
a nursery ground, and in 1881 there were 130,000 bedded Larch, of 
•which number no less than 40,000 were so damaged as to be unsale- 
able. Red Currants, Laurel, Limes, Austrian Pines, Cherries, Roses 
and so on were injured in large numbers, and the damage amounted 
to no less than £200 in that one year.” 
We congratulate Mr. Foster on the results of the litigation. 
- We regret to have to record the death op Major Abram 
Bass, which occurred at his residence, Moat Bank, Burton-on- 
Trent, on the 15th instant. Mr. Bass was a most estimable and 
benevolent man, and the products of his garden, which were 
always of superior quality, have graced the tables of his acquaint¬ 
ances and been of benefit in humbler homes, where such delicacies 
as it was in his power and disposition to give are so welcome 
during periods of sickness. A description of Mr. Bass’s garden 
appeared in our issue of February 10th, 1876. The pride of the 
garden was the orchard house, and the pride of the house the 
Apples grown in pots, which in appearance and quality have pro¬ 
bably never been surpassed. In the condition of this house Mr. 
Bass, previous to the days of his infirmity, took active interest, 
and had a great measure of success in the production of choice 
fruit; in other respects, too, his garden was most enjoyable, and 
its pleasures were shared by many friends. He was 78 years 
of age. 
CABBAGES, AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 
The average “Britisher” is very slow at improving upon any¬ 
thing. If there is work to be done he is the man to do it; but in 
the matter of “ notions ” he is considerably behind his go-ahead 
transatlantic cousin. These thoughts occurred to me on reading 
an interesting work bearing the above title, and the further 
thought occurred that by pointing out some of the more prominent 
“notions” contained therein help might be afforded to those who 
have an opportunity of adopting some similar ideas. 
The author’s description of what constitutes a Cabbage may be 
passed over, but it may be profitable to notice and make a running 
commentary on most of the other points, and just as they are set 
down in the little work before us. 
The first thing is the selection of the soil, and our author prefers 
to follow Nature by either choosing a limy soil or making it so. 
At the same time he can grow Cabbages on any soil, but prefers 
that which is heavy. Wet undrained land, he says, produces 
“stump foot.” When a choice can be made small-growing kinds 
are planted when the soil is thin, and any deep spot is kept for 
big-growing Drumheads. As the author refers only to field culti¬ 
vation, possibly he may be better worth listening to than if he 
were dealing with the garden, especially since farmers are looking 
around for fresh openings. 
“ Should the soil be a heavy clay a deep fall ploughing is best, 
that the frosts of winter may disintegrate it; and should the plan 
be to raise an early crop, this end will be promoted by early 
ploughing in any soil, as the land will thereby be made drier in 
early spring.” It should be borne in mind that this advice is 
given to Americans, and may not be suitable for us. To plough 
or dig up heavy clay in many districts in this country would have 
exactly the opposite effect from that described by Mr. Gregory, 
the author of the book. The subject is introduced here, as it is 
one that might be debated profitably, for many are of opinion 
that very great mistakes are made just in the season of digging, 
and much loss occasioned thereby. In America, when the frost 
sets in in the “ fall ” and continues till spring, there cannot be 
any doubt about the correctness of autumn turning of the soil, 
and the same may be said of any place where the frost is con¬ 
tinuous during winter, or the rainfall little, but under different 
conditions it is a mistake. 
“Any manure but hog manure for Cabbage. Barn manure, 
rotten kelp, night soil, guano, phosphates, wood ashes, fish, salt, 
glue waste, hen manure, slaughter-house refuse—I have used all 
these, and found them all good when properly applied. If pure 
hog manure be used it is apt to produce that corpulent enlarge¬ 
ment of the roots known in different localities as ‘ stump-foot,’ 
‘ underground-head,’ and ‘ finger-and-thumb.’ ” Has the use of 
this kind of manure been succeeded by like results in this country, 
or has the fact been overlooked 1 Often club-foot is to be seen, 
greatly to the chagrin, loss, and mystification of the cultivator. 
It is quite possible that such apparently inadequate causes may 
have been entirely overlooked, and if so, readers who have been 
afflicted may hereby find a clue. Recently a writer in this Journal 
related his success in preventing this troublesome disease by using 
lime rubbish freely. Mr. Gregory mentions several instances of a 
free use of lime and also wood ashes being a preventive, and 
specially notices the fact that in cottage gardens constantly 
treated with soapsuds Cabbages have been grown for many years 
quite free from “stump-foot.” He considers that the alkalies 
present in the suds are the cause of this ; but on a large scale the 
only safeguard is to plant yearly on a fresh spot, otherwise 
clubbing almost invariably follows. Considering that Cabbages 
naturally affect calcareous soil near the sea, we should be inclined 
to think that liberal applications of lime and common salt would 
be certain to keep off the pest. Certainly such applications are of 
decided advantage to Cabbage of all kinds, and Mr. Gregory’s 
evidence inclines us to think that either or both would be found 
specifics. 
The best manure for growing the largest and best Cabbages was 
a mixture of farmyard manure and night soil. This is quite in 
accordance with my experience, and attention is drawn to this 
fact, as in many densely populated districts such is to be had 
much below its real value. For many things it is too strong and 
