October 28, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 399 
botanists. A tuft of Asplenium Trichomanes gathered last autumn 
in the mountains of Virginia is growing in his house in a glass 
dish. About two months ago he noticed that one of the fronds— 
a rather short and erect one, which is now showing fructification 
—made quick movements alternately back and forth in the plane 
of the frond through from 20° to 40° whenever the vessel was 
brought from its shaded situation into sunlight or bright daylight. 
The movement was more extensive and rapid when the frond was 
younger. When I saw it on the 23rd of January its compass was 
within 15°, and was about as rapid as that of the leaflets of Des- 
modium gyrans. It was more rapid than the second hand of a 
watch, but with occasional stops in the course of each half vibra¬ 
tion. This was in full daylight, next a window, but not in sun¬ 
shine. No movement had been observed in the other fronds, 
which were all sterile and reclining, with the exception of a 
single one which was just unfolding, in which Mr. Loomis thinks 
he has detected incipient motion of the same kind.—( Science 
Gossip.) 
FUNGI A RESULT, NOT A CAUSE OF DISEASE. 
“ S.” appears to object to my positive statements. Have I 
not ample reason for being positive 1 Had I propounded a 
serins of fanciful theories, and endeavoured to bolster them up 
by quoting the opinions of others, an apology would have been 
due to yourselves and your readers; but every statement of 
moment was supported by examples or facts derived from actual 
experience, and advanced, not merely for getting the best of an 
argument, but for the benefit of “ gardeners and gardening.” 
My “ long and close observation about legitimate growth and 
legitimate functions having ceased before the disease attacks the 
Potato plant ” not only will establish my case, but has already 
done so for fully fifteen years, for during all that time has it 
enabled me to save the crop with the exception of last year and 
one or two other seasons of untimely heavy rain. All who have 
adoped this invaluable method of avoiding loss from disease are 
aware of the difficulty of knowing to a day when the legitimate 
growth has ceased, and how easily a superficial observer may be 
deceived. “But,” he will say, “how can I be deceived? Have I 
not had the clearest evidence before my eyes ? Was not the 
haulm quite green and in full vigour when the plague spot 
appeared and spread over it with such rapidity ? ” Yes ; but 
there was a cessation of growth, it may be of one or several days’ 
duration, and it is then that I and “A Northern Gardener ” 
and many more throw aside our pens and our coats and set to 
with a will to save the crop. This year once more all the Potatoes 
—early, intermediate, and late sorts—were lifted while the haulm 
was quite green, fresh, and unblemished, and no argument of “ S.” 
can upset the fact of my store sheds being full to overflowing with 
dry sound tubers. Talk of positive statements, what does “ S. ’ 
think of “A Northern Gardener’s” acquaintance who has 
adopted early lifting for forty years without a failure ? 
“ S.” wisely avoids any attempt to explain away the remark¬ 
able cure of blister in the Dr. Hogg Peach tree which I cited in 
my last note on this subject. That fine tree, and its abundant 
crops of excellent fruit since it has had no blister, is another of 
my facts which enables me to be positive. No doubt Peach 
blister has repeatedly occurred upon trees in houses, but it is 
invariably owing to faulty glazing or careless manipulation of 
ventilators. If anyone doubts this let them throw open a venti¬ 
lator next spring when the foliage is young and tender and a 
strong wind is blowing from the north-east, and they will soon 
have positive evidence of its scathing power, as I had before dearly 
bought experience taught me better. Some twelve or thirteen 
years ago a remarkable example of the baneful effects of cold 
wind upon tender vegetation came under my notice. In a vinery 
all along the top of the house immediately under the ventilators 
the Grapes were badly affected by rust, while lower down they 
were almost free of it. I was consulted about the matter, and 
upon asking about the ventilators was told they had been opened 
daily, notwithstanding the prevalence of cold wind. My advice 
as to the exercise of caution about opening the ventilators was 
acted upon in the following spring, and there was no more rust, 
—Edward Luckhurst. 
PORTRAITS OF NEW AND NOTABLE PLANTS. 
SALVIA hians. — Nat. ord., Labiatm. “ A very handsome per¬ 
ennial, of which seeds collected in Kashmir were sent to Kew by 
Dr. Aitchison in 1877. He describes it as growing profusely in 
grassy marshes, at elevations of from 8,500 to 11,000 feet, and 
flowering in July and August. It was first found by Royle’s 
collectors, sent from the Saharunpore Gardens to Kashmir, and 
flowered at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens in 1840, 
whence the figure in the ‘Botanical Register’ was made ; but 
neither this figure nor Royle’s gives any idea of the intense 
sapphire-blue of the corolla. It has also been collected in Kash¬ 
mir by Jacquemont and Falconer, and, as one of the most beau¬ 
tiful plants of that botanically rich valley, it can hardly escape 
the notice of future collectors. Dr. Lindley describes it as “ one 
of the gayest of our perennials, in consequence of the striking con¬ 
trast between the white and blue of its large flowers.” The plant 
flowered in the herbaceous grounds at Kew in June of the present 
year.”—( Bot. Mag. t. 6517.) 
Tulipa biflora, Tulipa iliensis.— “ T. biflora ha3 been 
long known, but is very seldom seen in cultivation. It is spread 
from the Yolga through the western half of Siberia. It is notable 
in the genus for producing normally more than a single flower. 
It has a woolly bulb, like montana, but otherwise its affinity is 
with svlvestris and australis. The drawing was made from a 
plant sent by Mr. George Maw from his garden at Broseley. 
T. iliensis is one of the numerous new species that have lately 
been discovered by the Russian explorers in Central Asia. Its 
alliance is close with T. triphylla, ‘ Bot. Mag.’ tab. 6549. In their 
flowers and leaves these two resemble australis, but the stamens 
are like those of Gesnerianae. The drawing was made from a 
plant sent by Mr. F. \V. Burbidge, which flowered in the garden 
of Trinity College, Dublin, last February.”—( Ibid ., t. 651S.) 
Aloe Greenii.— “ This is a well-marked new species of Aloe 
of the group Pictae, which we have for some time cultivated at 
Kew. It was received under the name from Mr. Wilson Saunders, 
and this name was given to it by Mr. T. Cooper, but that it is not 
one of the plants which the latter collected in his travels in Cape 
Colony, which yielded so many interesting discoveries in this set 
of plants.”— (Ibid., t. 6520.) 
Stelis Bruckmulleri. —Probably a native of the Mexican 
Andes. “ This singular little Orchid resembles the green-flowered 
Stelis ophioglossoides of Swartz, a West Indian plant, figured in 
the ‘ Botanical Register ’ (tab. 935), but has smaller leaves and 
flowers, and the latter arc of a purple colour and hairy inside ; 
the bracts too are different, those of the species here figured 
resembling funnel-shaped cups with very oblique mouths. Like 
all the other species of the genus, it is of botanical interest rather 
than horticultural.”— (Ibid., t. 6521.) 
Lathyrds rotundifolius. —“ This very beautiful plant has 
been long cultivated in England, though when and how introduced 
is not certain. It is not described in Aiton’s ‘ Hortus Kewensis,’ 
nor, up to this time, cultivated at Kew ; it is not included in 
Le Maout and Decaisne’s * Flore Elementaire des Jardins et des 
Champs,’ which is the fullest work of the kind known to me, nor 
do I find it in the more accessible works devoted to English out- 
of-door gardening ; yet I observed it last summer growing in the 
gardener’s cottage at Lytchett, and it probably occurs elsewhere, 
though overlooked as too like an Everlasting Pea to be worth 
notice. Nevertheless it is one of the most charming plants of its 
kind, perfectly hardy, a free flowerer, and for the brilliancy and 
delicacy of its rose-coloured flowers it ought to be a favourite. 
Like its near ally, the Everlasting Pea, it is scentless. L. rotundi¬ 
folius has a wide range ; we have examined specimens in the 
herbarium from Roumelia, the Crimea, Asia Minor, and the 
Caucasus, and according to Boissier it extends eastwards to 
Northern Persia.”— (Ibid., t. 6522.) 
WORK.foi\the WEEK.. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
The weather is now such that it is unwise to postpone protecting 
or lifting plants that require it. Lettuce and Endive should be 
lifted at once, as the keeping qualities are much deteriorated when 
the midribs are injured by frost. The plants must be lifted with a 
small ball of earth attached to each, and be placed in moist soil in 
frames, pits, or houses, and with ordinary attention to ventilation 
they will keep in good condition a long time. Too much ventilation 
cannot be given in mild weather, and in case of frost the coverings 
must be sufficiently thick to exclude it. Endive will require to be 
tied up or covered with some material to ensure its blanching. Celery 
if left too much exposed will be damaged by frost, and must not 
only be well earthed up but have some dry litter placed over the plants 
