126 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Febmary 18, M92. 
protecting the Potato plant against rots and blights ; but there is an 
■unaccountable discrepancy in the preparation of the Bordeaux mixture 
as given by Professor GofE and that furnished by Mr. Hatch. These 
have been pointed out in making the extracts, so that there can 
be no mistake in preparing the mixture, or in applying it as the 
exigencies arise with cultivators through blight, disease, and rot in 
their crops. 
The spraying mode of application of the protection does not accord 
■with English notions in regard to the weather—the Potatoes infested 
getting too much water from the clouds when disease is prevalent with¬ 
out giving them more liquid. That is a common-sense view of the case, 
and like many other notions utterly devoid of reason, inasmuch as 
common acceptation affords no ground for (but rather frustrates the 
effort at ascertaining) the facts. British belief is in powder, not in 
solution, a drying, not a wetting process, and as such ignore the fact 
that water is the great solvent, hence the prevalence of dustings, which 
have the disadvantage of being washed off by the first rains, and that 
before the fungicide has effected its object. Besides being liable to 
di'placement, the powder can hardly be distributed and spread over the 
foliage, as to afford that protective coat so essential to the preservation 
of the Potato from the fungus. Still powder is a handy means of 
applying the copper sulphate, a boon to small growers—all not caring to 
make their own mixture, having the advantage of being always ready 
for use, and not losing material eflieacy by keeping dry. Many growers 
are plagued with mildew on their plants—Roses and Vines, distracted 
by sight of blackened Tomato plants and diseased Potato, and are often 
at their wit’s end through not having at hand a substance which can be 
applied promptly and safely, either as a protection or means of arresting 
the spread of the disease. Such mixture is in the market—not 
advertised, therefore it might just as well be at the bottom of the sea. 
I have been favoured with some r.ather extensive experiments with the 
powder, and am thoroughly satisfied on the point of copper sulphate 
being a complete protection to plants against their fungoid enemies. In 
the powder form the copper sulphate should be applied ■whilst the plants 
are damp with dew, or aher rain, but morning is the best time, as the 
powder falling on the dewdrops spreads over the leafage, forming a 
thin film analogous to spraying, effectively protecting the Potato from 
the attack of Phytopththora infestans or any other fungus. To protect 
the Potato plants with the powder dust them when 13 to 15 inches high, 
repeat when the plants come into flower, again directly the foliage is all 
made, and the result may be full crops of sound Potatoes. Free 
sulphate of copper, however, acts so corrosively on Potato foliage as to 
blacken it, therefore the copper sulphate must be hydrated. How that 
is effected in the Bordeaux mixture has been alluded to, therefore it 
only remains to reiterate and make clear that the compound, formed by 
lime of a metallic (copper) oxide with water, is only safe to use when 
freshly made, and is innocuous to the foliage through the slow oxidation 
of such compound on exposure to the air. 
How copper sulphate may be incorporated with lime so as to be used 
as a powder may not be stated, for the powder is (I believe) proprietary; 
but that it contains free sulphate of copper is unquestionable, for applied 
when the plants are quite dry some slight blackening occurs, or may 
occur, through flakes of the copper sulphate having escaped hydration. 
That, however, is not possible in the presence of dewdrops, for the copper 
flakes are rendered harmless by the lime-hydration in the dewdrops. 
Perhaps a 1 per cent, admixture of copper sulphate with lime in 
powder would be as efficacious in protecting the Potato plant against 
the fungus, and in preventing its spread, as a 2| per cent. Bordeaux 
mixture, for the hydration, assuming it to take place in a dewdrop, 
would make quick work of the zoospores moving about by their hairs 
(cilia), whilst the copper, spread as a film with the lime, would act as a 
most efficient protection to that part of the Potato plant, and all parts 
being similarly coated would render it invulnerable to the Potato disease. 
—G, Abbey. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Febkuaby 9th. 
Scientific Committee.— D. Morris, Esq., in the chair. Present: 
Messrs. Maclachlan, Michael, Wilks, Weiss, Dr. Scott, Dr. F. Oliver, and 
Dr. Masters. 
Excrescence from Stems of Gooseberries. —Mr. Lister reported that 
there was no slime fungus on the specimens sent, and Mr. Massie, who 
also examined the specimens, failed to find traces of fungoid growth. 
From the presence of one or more maggots in the tumor Mr. Massie 
suggested that the outgrowths were attributable to insect agency, but 
on a review of all the circumstances it seemed as if the restriction 
caused by a shred, and the accumulation of moisture, were the predis¬ 
posing causes of the growth. 
Hellebores. —Mr. Burbidge, in a letter, commented on the circum¬ 
stance that cut flowers of Helleborus niger remain unwithered much 
longer than those of H. orientalis, a circumstance probably due to a 
difference in internal structure. Dr. Scott undertook to examine and 
report. Mention was also made by Mr. Burbidge of the circumstance 
that flowers of H. niger gently forced last in good condition in water 
much longer than do flowers of the same variety in the open air. The 
flowers of H. niger last longer in water if the stalks be slit lengthwise 
from below upwards. The result is that the tension being removed the 
cut segments of the stem curl outwards away from the centre, and that 
a larger absorbent surface is exposed. 
Snowdrops .—Flowers of G. Allani, G. Elwesi, and G. nivalis var. 
Imperati, were shown from Mr. Burbidge. 
Monstrous Flowers .—A parti-coloured Tulip from Mr. Marshall 
and a curious Cypripedium Dayanum from Mr. O’Brien were 'shown, 
and will be reported on by Dr. Masters at the next meeting. 
Fisa grandiJlora.—yLessrs. Yeitch showed a plant with a thick fleshy 
creeping rootstock, bearing leaf shoots by means of which the plant 
could be propagated. 
Royae HoRTiCTJLTrRAL SOCIETY.—We have at present at Chiswick 
one of the largest (if not the largest) collections of Apple trees in 
the world. There are, however, a number of good sorts scattered 
here and there throughout the country, and but very little kno^wn. 
The Council of the Society invite the owners of such compara¬ 
tively unknown sorts to send grafts of them, with name, locality, 
age of tree (if known), and any other particulars to Chiswick for trial 
alongside of the standard collection. Grafts, Ac., should be addressed 
to the Superintendent, R.H.S. Gardens, Chiswick. — W. Wilks, 
Secretary E.H.S. 
- Fruit from South Africa. —The Peaches, Grapes, kc.r 
brought by the Union Steamship Company’s R.M.S. “ Tartar ” from 
South Africa were opened for sale at Covent Garden Market on 
February 10th, and realised fairly good prices. The “ Tartar ” was 
detained at Cape Town by order of thj Cape of Good Hope Government 
for twenty-four hours, and this detention may have somewhat affected 
the condition of the fruit. Messrs. Donald Currie & Co.’s Royal MaU 
steamer “ Hawarden Castle,” which arrived on Monday last, has 
brought the first large consignment of Cape Grapes to the London 
market. They arrived in good condition, and were on view and for 
sale at Co vent Garden on Wednesday morning. 
-Mr. T. S. Ware's Nursery, Tottenham.—W e understand 
that Mr.Thomas Ware has now retired from the above business, which will 
be carried on by Mr. Francis Fell, who has held the position of manager 
for some years. The business title will continue to be Thomas S. Ware 
as before. 
-The Weather in the South.—A fter a period of changeable 
weather, a sudden change to low temperatures and winterly severity 
has been experienced within the past few days. The wind became 
easterly on Monday, very keen and violent, with frequent falls of snow, 
which continued to some extent on Tuesday. This was followed by 
sharp frost, the thermometer standing at 16° in several metropolitan 
districts on Wednesday, but the weather, though cold, was much 
brighter. Around London the snow has only just covered the ground, 
but in some places it is several inches deep. 
- The Weather in the North.—I n South Perthshire the 
weather for the past fortnight has been open, ■with scarcely an approach 
to frost. The 14th was wet and cold, and on the morning of the loth 
the ground is white with snow. Some days of the last week were re¬ 
markably fine.—B. D. 
- Magnum Bonum Pea. — A correspondent in last week’s 
Journal inquires as to who was the raiser of the Magnum Bonum Pea, 
and where it can be procured. In this neighbourhood it is regarded as 
of local origin, and is much valued by many cottage gardeners. It was 
raised,! believe, at Beckington, near Bath. It resembles the old and 
well-known variety Ne Plus Ultra, and bears a heavy crop of unusually 
well-filled pods of delicious flavour. Its height is 5 feet.—W. S. 
- Birmingham Gardeners’ Association. —At the last meet¬ 
ing Mr. James Martin, the Manager of Messrs. Sutton A Sons’ nurseries, 
read an excellent paper on “The Gloxinia from 1739 to 1892,” tracing 
its history and improvements, and giving much valued information as 
to its culture. The Reading Nurseries is a veritable home of the 
Gloxinia, and the houses of these plants, especially at the flowering 
time, afford a beautiful display. On the following evening the second 
annual social gathering took place, when nearly 140 members and their 
wives sat down to tea in one of the largest hotels, and a most enjoyable 
evening was spent. Short terse speeches, by Mr. W. B. Latham, who 
presided, and Mr. Martin, and an excellent programme of vocal and 
instrumental music ’oy members and friends, rendered the meeting a 
very pleasant one. 
