30 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 11, 1883. 
have been housed previously and covered with clay or, better, 
sand in any open shed or corner. A French cook once said to me 
the Parsnip can be made much more digestible by thorough boil¬ 
ing, previous peeling, mashing, and removal of any fibres, but 
always using or serving up with gravy, or in its absence “ drawn 
butter.” The poorer classes, he said, during winter might advisedly 
use rendered and purified lard. He challenged competition from 
any other possible or probable vegetable during the months of 
December, January, and February, and felt inclined to add March. 
Everything considered, I did not feel disposed to dispute the point, 
and would like to hear the opinion of any of your correspondents 
as to its relative merits during those months for the artisan and 
labouring classes. That the extended use of vegetables is desirable, 
and especially during the early spring months, medical men are 
unanimous; and that to those classes Cauliflower and Broccoli, 
or even good Cabbages, during those four months are, as a rule, 
an almost unattainable luxury seems equally unquestionable. 
Indeed, to my own knowledge in the thickly populated districts 
of the north of England out of gentlemen’s gardens at any time 
those crops are much more difficult to grow than the Parsnip. 
In the old and constantly cropped soil of our vegetable garden 
this crop fails to do well. Both the hollow-crowned and Jersey 
became diseased around the crown. I examined them very closely, 
but failed to find any insects in the rusty brown half-putrified 
portions affected, but this may have been owing to the injurious 
agent, if the larvae of some insect, having taken another form, 
which it would be likely to do, before November. The same varie¬ 
ties grown on our farm in new soil escaped altogether; and 
though the ground was not so heavily manured nor so rich, the 
crop was much finer. But the field variety here that gave the 
finest—a magnificent-^crop was The Student Parsnip. This we 
sold by auction, and realised the sum of £50 per Irish acre, which, 
after paying all expenses, including good manure at 4s. per ton, 
would still leave a good profit. This variety, though very large 
and a heavy cropper, has two disadvantages with me—it is liable 
to “ fork,” or divide the main stem, and for general table use 
much inferior in quality to the Maltese. Personally I did not like 
Parsnips until I commenced using the last-named variety, and 
would with some confidence commend it, cooked French fashion, 
as indicated already, to the most fastidious of your readers, espe¬ 
cially from this time forward, when other vegetables are scarce. 
I have heard some gardeners complain of the Parsnip being sub¬ 
ject to a disease somewhat similar to that affecting the Potato, 
but here it is not known. A commoner source of injury to the 
Carrot as well as the Parsnip are the larvae of the click beetle and 
of the negro fly, and I regret to say I am unacquainted with 
any remedy. I would, however, hope that the recent severe 
frost and heavy snow, in addition to thorough cultivation, may be 
efficacious.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
COVERING HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
Borders of herbaceous plants are now very bare, and growers 
of these plants have in many instances cleared away the withered 
leaves and stems. In large public establishments such a course 
is really necessary, but in private gardens they may be left on 
the plants with advantage until spring. By this course we might 
preserve many of the plants we are continually losing ; because, 
by cutting away their natural protection, we expose the tender 
crowns to the many changes of an English winter, so detrimental 
at least to South European plants. Where the dead stems cannot 
be left I would advise that a few Spruce or Pine branches be 
placed neatly round them ; they are not at all unsightly, generally 
keeping their dark green colour until spring, and enlivening 
the otherwise rather dull monotony of bare rocks and emntv 
borders. 
In the north of Scotland branches are used to great advantage 
on parapet and other walls for covering climbers. They are tied 
round the plants with tar twine at the first approach of winter 
and left untouched until late in April, when the plants are found 
to be not only alive but quite healthy. By this means I have 
preserved plants which were killed at another place four miles 
distant and much less exposed.— Herbatia. 
Oldest Tree in the World— The oldest tree in the world, so 
far as anyone knows, is the Bo tree of the sacred city of Amarapoora 
in Burmah. It was planted 288 B.c., and is therefore now 2170 years 
old. Sir James Emerson Tennent gives reasons for believing that 
the tree is really of this wonderful age, and refers to historic docu¬ 
ments in which it is mentioned at different dates, as 182 A.D., 223 A.D., 
and so on to the present day. “ To it,” says Sir James, “ kings have 
even dedicated their dominions, in testimony of a belief that it is a 
branch of the identical Fig tree under which Buddha reclined at 
Urumelaya when he underwent his apotheosis.” Its leaves are 
carried away as streamers by pilgrims, but it is too sacred to touch 
with a knife, and therefore they are only gathered when they fall. 
The king Oak in Windsor Forest, England, is 1000 years old.—• 
(Journal of Forestry.) 
NEW AND CERTIFICATED PLANTS OF 1882. 
MR. B. S. WILLIAMS, UPPER HOLLOWAY. 
The Victoria and Paradise Nurseries have, as usual, contributed 
largely to the new plants of the past year, many distinct and 
handsome novelties having been recorded in these pages as justly 
honoured with certificates by the Royal Horticultural, Royal 
Botanic, and other Societies. A brief review of the plants under 
their respective classes will, however, convey a better idea of the 
extent to which the horticultural world is annually indebted to 
Mr. Williams for improvements and introductions. Commencing 
with the great feature of the nurseries, the 
Orchids.— The large collections of these grown at Holloway 
have a deservedly extensive fame amongst orchidists, and it is 
equally well known that no care is spared to secure the best varie¬ 
ties and the most beautiful or distinct species possible. As a 
necessary result the collection is constantly increasing in interest 
and value. During the past year eight Orchids have been cer¬ 
tificated, comprising the following :—Cattleya gigas grandiflora, 
a superb variety of a handsome species, the flowers being, as the 
name implies, of great size, the broad sepals and petals deep rose, 
^he lip white tipped with crimson. Coelogyne Massangeana, a 
distinct species with long spikes of yellow flowers, the brownish 
lip contrasting curiously with the sepals and petals. Lycaste 
Deppei punctatissima, a variety with flowers very thickly dotted, 
which is the chief distinguishing character, except that the lip is 
a lighter tint of yellow than the species. Odontoglossum Alex¬ 
andras virginale.—Varieties of this favourite Orchid are now be¬ 
coming quite numerous, but that named above deserves a place 
amongst the best. The flowers are finely formed ; the sepals and 
petals broad, pure crystalline white ; the lip also being white with 
a deep red spot, which renders the purity of Ihe other portion of 
the flower more noteworthy. Pescatorea Klabochorum.—Like the 
Bolleas and the Batemannias, some of the Pescatoreas are very 
attractive, and that now mentioned would form a fine contrast to 
Bollea coelestis. The flowers are large ; the sepals, petals, and lip 
of wax-like texture, pure white tipped with purple. Phalasnopsis 
Esmeralda.—Though without any pretensions to sharing the im¬ 
posing characters of such species as P. Schilleriana or P. grandi¬ 
flora, this is a distinct and pretty form of the small-flowered type, 
the crimson-purple flowers being borne on long slender spikes. 
Pleione prsecox.—This might at first glance be taken for P. Wal- 
lichiana, which it much resembles ; with the rosy sepals and 
petals, however, is associated a white lip spotted with yellow. 
Last, but by no means least, the handsome Zvgopetalum Clayi 
merits a word of praise. This is unquestionably the finest hybrid 
in the genus, and will probably in the future prove a close rival 
to Z. Mackayi, as it is a really useful and beautiful Orchid, free 
and vigorous in habit. The sepals and petals are barred with 
deep purplish brown, and large lip mottled with rich violet blue. 
An engraving well showing the markings of the flower and general 
habit of the plant was given in this Journal, page 319, vol. iv., 
April 20th, 1882. We recently saw a still darker and more beauti¬ 
ful form in the Holloway Nurseries, of which, doubtlessly, more 
will yet be heard. 
Amaryllises. —These plants have for many years been one of 
the leading features at Holloway, and the best of the varieties 
sent out thence are, it can be confidently said, unsurpassed in 
brightness of colour. Especial attention has been paid to improv¬ 
ing the colour, and the success attained is considerable ; the 
flowers also, though of moderate size, are of good form, very neat 
in outline, and are borne in fine heads. Two handsome varieties 
were honoured with certificates in 1882—namely, Dr. Masters, of 
brilliant searlet colour and superb form ; Mrs. B. S. Williams, a 
variety with pure white flowers, a fine companion for the preced¬ 
ing. Mrs. Garfield, which was certificated in 1881, deserves notice 
here, as it is still a novelty of great merit. It may be remembered 
that this is a hybrid between A. reticulata and A. Defiance, one 
of the Hippeastrum type, resembling the first in the foliage, which 
has a white band down the centre, and the flowers are of a rosy 
tint netted with a deeper hue, and like the other parent in size 
and shape. It is specially valuable, as it flowers in autumn, and 
is therefore doubtlessly a step towards a distinct type. 
Fine-foliage Plants. —Though the number of novelties in 
this class of plants is steadily decreasing, a few are still being 
added yearly, and as more difficulty is experienced in gaining 
certificates for such plants, the value of that recognition is pro- 
