166 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 19, 1886. 
sulphur, turpentine, and softsoap, the preparation being made of a 
creamy consistence, and then well worked into cracks and crevices. 
The known occurrence of American blight amongst Apple roots 
requires us not to limit precautions to the trunk and branches. 
It has been advised in orchards, and where the article is attainable, to 
apply spent tan to the foot of the trees after the dead leaves or other 
rubbish have been removed ; about Christmas is suitable. Previous 
to its distribution the tan ought to be laid in a heap, so that it may be 
actively decomposing when used, or ammoniacal liquor diluted with 
from ten to fourteen parts of water may be poured round the trunks, 
and strong soapsuds operates almost as effectively. The application 
of soap in any form is good, and probably of all the belauded 
remedies none excel the simple one of a 
solution of softsoap thrown upon the trees 
with some amount of force. A friend much 
recommends as a good and cheap destroyer 
the following :—Put a peck of soot into a 
coarse sack, and hang this in a vessel hold¬ 
ing 30 or 40 gallons of water, to which 
some lumps of quicklime have been added. 
Let this remain a week or so, clear the 
surface of its scum, and you have a clear 
sherry-coloured liquid very deadly to this 
blight. Syringing with some of these 
washes in early spring will also remove an 
allied species, the Chermes of the Apple 
Fig. 24 . (Psylla Mali), which, as a larva, infests the 
buds, and is popularly ranked amongst the 
scale insects, with which it is indeed closely connected, but it re¬ 
sembles the unpleasant grub of the frog-hopper in its habit of 
clothing itself in a frothy mass, which may be pulled out as fine 
threads. This is a minute, plump, yellowish creature, which, having 
feasted on the buds, crawls along to a crack in the branch, and there 
becomes a pupa, producing a green and yellow fly during the summer. 
Like many trees, the Apple may have examples of various aphides, 
but its special foe is the green fly called A. Mali—that is to say, the 
spring broods are green or greenish grey, but the later ones (winged 
and wingless) are often brownish or red. It is one of the smaller 
species of aphis. The eggs laid in the autumn remain unhatched till 
spring. The first brood is not numerous ; the heaviest one is about 
July, when in many orchards numerous leaves are curled and 
shrivelled through this pest.— Entomologist. 
SUMMER AND AUTUMN EXHIBITIONS. 
In the following list are given the dates of the principal shows to be 
held up to the end of October this year, and we shall be obliged if the 
Secretaries of Societies holding shows during the season named will 
forward us their schedules. 
AUGUST. 
19th, Thursday.—Maidenhead. 
20th, Friday.—Exeter. 
21st, Saturday.—Cheadle (Cheshire). 
24th, Tuesday.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees and Cottagers’ 
Show. 
25th, Wednesday.—Reading. 
25th, Wednesday.—Ludlow. 
25th, Wednesday.—Brighton. 
2(ith, Thursday.—Stoke-on-Trent. 
27th, Friday.—Sandy (Beds). 
27th, Friday.—Hinckley. 
SEPTEMBER. 
1st, Wednesday.—Bath. 
1st, Wednesday.—Oxford. 
3rd, Friday.—Crystal Palace, Fruit and Dahlias. 
7th. Tuesdav.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees; Fruit and 
Dahlia Show. 
8th, Wednesday.—Glasgow. 
8th, Wednesday.—Edinburgh. 
9th, Thursday. — National Chrysanthemum Society, Early Chrysan¬ 
themums, Westminster Aquarium. 
21st, Tuesday.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees. 
OCTOBER. 
6th, Wednesday.—Crystal Palace, Fruit Show. 
12th, Tuesday.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees and Hardy 
Fruits. 
13th, Wednesday. — National Chrysanthemum Society, Floral Com¬ 
mittee. 
2 : ltb, Tuesdav.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees, aDd Chrysan¬ 
themum Show. 
27tb, Wednesday.—National Chrysanthemum Society,Floral Committee, 
Westminster Aquarium. 
YUCCAS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
As the fashion of the day is favourable to the cultivation of plants 
presenting great dissimilarity in character and outline, the Yuccas now 
receive a share of that attention to which they are entitled, but which 
has not in all cases been accorded to them, perhaps in some instances 
owing to their being less rapidly increased than most plants, as well as 
from an idea that their hardiness is questionable. Although they cannot 
be propagated so rapidly as many of the softwooded summer occupants 
of our flower gardens, still the process is more easy than many suppose. 
The small amount of care required in their cultivation also gives them an 
additional claim to be more generally grown than they now are. 
Of the Yuccas in most general estimation, those with which I am 
best acquainted are Y. gloriosa, aloifolia, and recurva, which, either in 
themselves or in some of their intermediate varieties, seem to run into 
each other in a way that makes it difficult to determine to which of those 
species certain plants are to be referred—at least, such is the case with 
those here, and their number is very considerable. Yucca filamentosa is, 
however, widely different, while its variegated form is not sufficiently 
plentiful to be planted out of doors in such numbers as to make that 
show which no doubt it will do in course of time. 
At the base of a terrace wall, about 10 feet high and facing the south, 
a border, 10 feet wide and some 200 feet long, was planted many years 
ago with the varieties of Yucca mentioned in the beginning of this article, 
intermixed with a few Irises, more especially towards the front of the 
border. The wall itself, I may state, is covered with such plants as 
Ceanothus, Eugenias, Myrtles, New Zealand Veronicas, Escallonia 
macrantha, and several kinds of climbers not unusually met with on con¬ 
servatory walls, although no protection is given. The border is planted 
irregularly with Yuccas, some of the plants being upwards of twenty 
years old, but the greater portion much less, as by various mishaps, as 
well as by occasionally heading down, the number and size of the old 
plants has been limited. The border, however, is tolerably well covered, 
and where a cluster is formed by plants growing near each other the in¬ 
truder will find that the sharp points of the leaves penetrate ordinary 
clothing more than is agreeable. 
The position is one facing the south, and this circumstance has done 
no harm beyond inducing a larger number of plants to push forth 
their flower-spikes later in the autumn than there is mild open weather 
to complete their opening. This, however, was no doubt also in a measure 
due to the character of the soil they grow in, which, instead of being a 
rich loam, is one that would be considered of very inferior quality for 
kitchen-garden purposes. It may be roughly described as consisting 
of three-fourths stones, the remainder being a yellow sandy loam, not of 
itself so porous as an ordinary sandy or gravelly soil; but in conjunction 
with the stones it is open enough for any plant requiring a porous soil. 
Most of the material composing this border was the subsoil obtained from 
an excavation, and some alterations rendering it necessary to raise the 
border about a foot ten years ago, this soil was used for the purpose, and 
has answered well. The plants which seem to thrive in it are most of 
the Cypresses, Arbor Vital, and common Laurels. Rhododendrons and 
kindred plants will barely live, and Lily of the Valley drags out a miser¬ 
able existence. Not having had experience with Yuccas in soil of a 
contrary description, I cannot be positive they will not succeed in such, but 
I have proved the necessity of deep soil ; for in that where the plantation 
referred to is growing the roots of some Pinuses have been found several 
feet below the surface, although the ground had never been disturbed 
beyond the usual spade’s depth. The presence of so many stones allows 
a more ready passage of the roots downwards than the hard obstinate 
clay bottom of many soils, and plants whose roots penetrate to so great 
a depth rarely suffer for want of moisture. 
Amongst the positions suitable for Yuccas I can hardly advise their 
being planted on rock work, unless the latter is on rather an extensive 
Beale, as they attain too large a size for those tiny imitations so often met 
with ; but where natural rock, or artificial roekwork on a sufficiently 
extensive scale exists, there the Yuccas may have a place. 
There are, however, so many positions in which Yuccas maybe planted 
that it is not difficult to find a suitable one. As corner plants in a geo¬ 
metrical garden they are always acceptable, their outline and symmetry 
giving them a decided advantage over most other plants. Dotted about 
on the turf they look well, more especially if the plants are large. One 
which is thus planted here has astern 7 feet high to the first tier of leaves, 
but the head has latterly become much injured. Other positions might 
be cited as suitable to Yuccas, but do not plant too close to walks on 
ccount of the sharp-pointed leaves. Perhaps the best mode of planting 
is in a border by themselves, or along with kindred plants, for their 
tropical aspect commands more attention when they are in number ; and 
when such a border is well chosen, and its occupants appear to be at 
home in it, few will be found to find fault with them or recommend a 
change. 
The Yuccas increase but slowly, but where an old plant exists it may 
be multiplied to a greater extent than may be supposed. Where a number 
of plants of various sizes exist, it sometimes happens that a leggy one is 
broken by a heavy load of snow in winter, or in some other way ; in this 
ca c e it is best to leave the stump in the ground, remove the head, and if 
the latter is put in as a cutting it will very probably grow, while a nume¬ 
rous tuft of young shoots will be formed on the short stem that is left in 
the ground. In general, these should remain till the following spring, 
when a considerable number of them may be cut off along with a little 
heel of the old stem, and put in as cuttings in some place not too much 
shaded, as they will have to stand a year or more, perhaps, without beffig 
removed. Of course, plenty of sand is necessary, and if extremely hoc 
weather follow afford shade accordingly ; but I have put such cuttmgs in 
about August without any attention, and they have made good plants. 
The aid of glass will expedite the rooting process, but I question much if 
heat is wanted in any way. The Yuccas are at all times slow-growing, 
and their propagation cannot be so quick as that of many other plants ; 
but as they require very little attention, and a Cut-down old plant affords 
