JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
436 
[ November 11, 1880. 
of the bard, who had been subjected to a continual shower of 
digested insects until he was hardly recognisable; whereas, 
a piece of board as above described would have prevented such 
shameful treatment. 
Bullfinches are unusually plentiful this autumn ; so, gardeners, 
look out for them now ! And if endowed with a little patience, 
catch them instead of wasting powder and shot and spoiling your 
fruit trees in the spring when they attack the buds. Redwings 
and fieldfares are here in large flocks earlier than usual, but they 
find the hedges very short of provisions so far as haws are con¬ 
cerned, not one to be seen in a ten-mile walk, or even a berry on 
the Holly trees, for food for birds or Christmas decorations. The 
heps are not ripe, and so the birds have to betake themselves to 
pastures and pick up such food as they generally have to put up 
with after clearing off the berries.—J. Hiam, The Wren's Nest, 
Ashwood Bank, Worcestershire. 
NERIUM OLEANDER ELEGANS. 
The following few additional particulars in reference to this 
beautiful flowering plant {vide page 388) may have an interest for 
some readers, which I take by permission from a letter just received 
from the respected Curator of the Trinit 3 r College Botanic Gardens, 
Dublin, Mr. F. W. Burbidge. “ When I paid my first visit to 
Paris some ten years ago my eyes were opened as to the capa¬ 
bilities of the Oleander. In the Halles Centrales I saw them in 
5-inch pots, such as Pelargoniums are grown for Covent Garden 
Market, quite as dwarf and floriferous. Then there were so many 
shades of colour—white, blush, pink, and numberless shades of 
rose until a fiery crimson was reached ; while the salmon and buff 
shades were exquisite, single as well as double. Outside the cafes 
and restaurants, particularly in the Champs Elysses, Rue Rivoli, 
See., were large bushes of the old type, bearing gorgeous masses 
of rosy flowers. I came home with the impression that nowhere 
in the world could the Oleander be more beautiful than at Paris. 
Later, however, I saw them in Egypt with literally more flowers 
than leaves, while their fragrance rivalled that of the Roses. 
How they seemed to love the dry air and the blazing sun ! At 
Kantarah, one of the Suez Canal stations, about thirty miles from 
Port Said, they perfume the whole place, and with big Arundos 
(Reeds) and fresh green Poplars make a refreshing oasis in a sea of 
dull red sand. I wonder, and have long wondered, why our florists 
and nursery gardeners do not grow them in small pots in the 
open sunshine. I hope shortly to put in practice an old resolve 
of mine, to see what may be done with the Oleander in small pots 
for autumn decoration when such flowers are proverbially scarce. 
Mr. Wills, I have heard, is successful in this way with a pure 
white variety, which he uses for bouquet and ceremonial purposes. 
I placed some cuttings of the double Pink Oleander in bottles for 
the Colonial Surgeon of Labuan in Borneo, when out there, and 
they rooted and flowered in ten weeks ; but then this was under 
the equator, and with a temperature of 85°.”—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
FUNGI A RESULT, NOT A CAUSE OF DISEASE. 
Will my statement of results in dealing with Peach blister 
have any more weight with “ C. P. P.,” if I assure him that the 
positive cure of that disease is not confined to the Dr. Hogg tree ? 
The Peach house is 130 feet long and contains the Dr. Hogg, 
two trees of Early Beatrice, and one of each of Rivers’ Early 
York, Grosse Mignonne, Noblesse, and Barrington, all fan-trained 
upon the wall, all perfectly healthy, vigorous, aud fruitful. All 
were affected more or less with blister every spring before the 
house was erected over them, and all have since been quite free 
from blister. These are not mere toy trees, but cover the entire 
length of wall, the Barrington covering 250 square feet of space, 
so that the trial is on a sufficiently large scale to be valuable. 
The lesson clearly demonstrated here is, that an unheated glass 
structure gives immunity from blister provided due care is taken 
with the ventilators during the prevalence of cold north-eastern 
wind in spring. It has done so for me for four consecutive years 
in this particular instance, and I may very confidently recommend 
the plan to the notice of your readers. If, as “ S.” asserts, well- 
ripened wood is a remedy for blister, why is it that trees growing 
here against a south wall with very little shelter from the east are 
almost invariably badly blistered in spring, while others upon 
another south wall having the shelter of coping boards and an 
east wall are only slightly affected by blister near the east wall, 
but show more and more blistered foliage the farther they are 
away from it, the tree at the west end of this particular wall 
having been twice almost killed by it ? These are facts which 
I cannot ignore ; and if upon the face of them I Ytere to tell your 
readers that ripe wood was a remedy for disease, or that fungi 
was the cause of it, should not I then be “ propagating errors ?” 
Evidently my assertion that what I have termed plague spots 
appear upon the Potato leaf before the spores of the fungus vege¬ 
tates, is that to which my opponents take particular exception. 
After careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that 
here I am probably wrong, and may usefully so far modify my 
original statement by saying that in the Potato disease fungi is a 
result of decay. “ Hence, then,” they will say, “ you agree that 
in the Potato at any rate fungi are the cause of disease ?” Yes, I 
will concede so much. But let not “ S.” or “C. P. P.” suppose 
that I can possibly think them right when they assert that they 
have perceived the presence of disease in the foliage before 
growth in the tuber has ceased. Like them I have seen diseased 
foliage before the tubers have attained their normal growth, but 
then I have always found that growth checked by ungenial 
weather, and once checked it never goes on again. There may be, 
and too often is, a subsequent lateral growth in the foliage and 
sprouting of the tubers, but that is a mischievous and wasteful 
growth, which may be classed with disease and avoided by early 
lifting. 
What has been my motive in writing so much about the Potatd 
and its disease ? It is to induce your readers to lift the crop as 
soon as growth has ceased, and so altogether avoid the ravages of 
a disease for which there is no cure. Although I have been unsuc¬ 
cessful in persuading the slowcoaches to do this, yet I am glad to 
say many keen practical men have adopted the plan, and have 
been good enough to write me accounts of their success. My 
especial landmark that has stood me in good stead for so many 
years in this matter is the immunity of the plant from blight till 
there is a cessation of growth. It is a safe and sure guide that 
has never failed me. Let me now inquire what is the motive of 
“ S. ” in this discussion ? Granting him to be right in thinking 
fungi alone cause the disease, has he any remedy to propose ? 
or can he point to storesheds full of sound Potatoes and thus give 
us tangible proof that he is a safe leader to follow ? I may have 
blundered in my ideas about the disease, but I have saved the 
crop, and would rather have to acknowledge myself wrong in 
theory than in practice. Surely “ S.” will not attempt to deny 
that fungi is the result of decay. The common sight of fungi 
growing freely upon putrid meat, upon the bark of dead timber, 
upon rotten fruit and decaying vegetation generally, is sufficient 
proof of this; and although the Potato leaf is green, when disease 
attacks it its work is done, and it has begun to die, for that is the 
term used by the physiologist in speaking of the decay which 
ends in death.— Edwakd Luckhuest. 
[Our correspondent S. ” stated last week that a “ desire that 
doubtful statements should not go unanswered ” induced him to 
enter on this discussion.—E ds.] 
THE CONSERVATORY IN NOVEMBER. 
At no period of the year is the conservatory more enjoyable 
than during the months of November and December, consequently 
a few remarks upon the plants that may be employed in it at this 
time will be acceptable to some of your readers. Chrysanthe¬ 
mums will now be contributing largely to its brightness, and it 
is therefore advisable to ventilate night and day to prevent the 
plants being attacked by mildew ; should it appear, however, 
dust the stems and leaves with flowers of sulphur. The objection 
to the use of much water in this structure often causes the 
flowers to suffer in size and also in duration, as they really 
need abundance of moisture. Epiphyllums make an imposing 
display, and may safely be placed in the conservatory whilst 
flowering. They are exceedingly effective for brackets or sus¬ 
pended baskets lined with moss so as to hide the pots; but they 
must not be over watered or the roots will perish, nor must they 
be allowed to remain in the house too long or they will not do 
well afterwards. Primulas are very useful; and with Cyclamens 
and ether dwarf plants should be placed in the lightest positions. 
Correas, Epacrises, and winter-flowering Heaths suffer little from 
a sojourn in the conservatory during their flowering, provided 
they have plenty of space, light, and air. Salvia gesnerasflora, 
S. Heeri, and S. splendens are brilliant in colour and will do good 
service ; but do not overcrowd them, as is often done, for such 
arrangements are not more telling, whilst the duration is shortened 
and the injury to the plants is permanent. Early-flowered Cine¬ 
rarias are also bright. Schizostylis coccinea, with its Iris-like 
foliage and spikes of deep crimson flowers produced succession- 
ally over a long period, and the white Anemone japonica alba, 
are indispensable. Good specimens of Helleborus orientalis are- 
valuable, and the buds of H. niger and maximus are very 
pleasing. 
Those already enumerated may be supplemented by flowering 
plants from the stove and Orchid houses occasionally, and will 
