January 8, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
27 
its roots are in water at least for half a year, and probably all the year 
round. When I remember how much enfeebled fruit trees have been 
improved by saturating the ground with liquid manure, that suggests 
their former condition was due to poverty and drought at the roots. 
Ornamental, deciduous, and evergreen trees that appeared to be wearing 
out have been made as if young again by enriching the soil in that and 
other ways. While I think it very likely the Antwerp boulevard Planes 
may have sustained injury by frost, I cannot refrain from expressing my 
conviction that they are also suffering from semi-starvation. I should 
like to have an opportunity of experimenting with a few of them by 
driving holes 2 feet deep and 1 foot asunder from near the stems, out¬ 
wards as far as practical, flooding these time after time with liquid 
manure, then filling up wdth a rich, free, root-inciting compost, com¬ 
pressed as firmly as possible. This done during the first favourable 
weather in spring would probably double the root-foraging power of 
the trees during the summer, and the following year better growth 
might be expected. 
In a similar way Mr. William Paul of Waltham Cross transformed a 
sickly and apparently dying tree of a Golden Queen Holly on his lawn 
into one of the finest and most richly coloured specimens to be seen 
anywhere, and the improvement was permanent ; as when I examined 
the tree some years after it had been treated as described it was in the 
best of health. Mr. Paul’s account of his method of tree restoration, 
published in the Journal of Horticulture to the restoration to health 
of some old Pyracanthas that covered the front of a mansion from the 
ground to the roof. For years they were admired for their size and 
beauty, the deep green of their leaves and rich colour of their fruit; 
but a change set in, the leaves becoming paler each year, and eventually 
most of them fell, and the once beautiful surface of green and coral red 
became unsightly. An experiment was made as above suggested with 
liquid manure and rich soil. The effect was quickly seen, and in two 
years the front of the mansion was as green as ever with healthy 
growths of the once nearly dead and condemned Pyracanthas. They 
were dying through starvation, and an abundant supply of nourishment 
effected their restoration. Many unhealthy trees have been improved 
in the same way, and more may be when their degeneration is the 
result of soil impoverishment and not frost. I have wandered from 
Belgium to England, and now wander back again to the Avenue des 
Arts, I think it is, in Antwerp, where the condition of the Planes was 
sad to see by one who had seen them before in luxuriance. Thus 1 
began with a puzzle trivial and end with a puzzle serious—the real 
cause of trees degenerating on lawns or in streets, and where this, as is 
often the case, is traceable to dry and impoverished soil, the remedy 
proposed, if not deferred too long and thoroughly applied, may have the 
most satisfactory results. 
We have yet to pass in memory up and down different avenues of 
different trees with my guide, philosopher, and friend Mr. Van Geert, 
and through the extensive, diversified, and enjoyable garden of the 
great Belgian amateur Mr. E veraets, the “ we ” in the case being the 
old song characters or typical English rustics “ thoroughly domesti¬ 
cated.”— DARBST and JOxlN. 
Events of the Week. —The principal meetings of the current 
week are as follows :—January 8th, Royal Society at 1.30 p.m. ; 
-January 10th, Royal Botanic Society at I p.m. ; January 13th, Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Fruit, Floral, and Orchid Committees at 
12 noon ; January 14th, Society cf Arts at 8 P.M. ; January 1.5th 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, annual meeting, at 3 p.m. at 
" Simpson’s,” 101, Strand, and dinner at 0 p.m., when presentations 
will be made to H. J. Veitch, Esq., and Mr. E. R. Cutler. The usual 
monthly dinner and conversazione of the Horticultural Club will take 
place at the Hotel Windsor on Tuesday, January 13th, at 6 p.m. The 
•su’oject for discussion will be “ The Germination of Seeds, their Vitality 
and Distribution,” to be opened by Mr. G. Bunyard. 
‘ - The Season’s Greetings. —Although emanating from what 
may be called the cloisters of gardening—viz , the nursery, the hard 
fare of which only enables me feebly to raise my pen, I would like to 
respond to the cheering words so kindly written by Mr, Pownall in the 
concluding number of last year. Doubtless they were intended more 
for those in harness than for the unfortunates who, through force of 
circumstances, are undergoing the privacy and seclusion of nursery life. 
But even there the eagerness with which the clubbed-for Journal is 
read, and its merits discussed, is evident proof that although the “ Work 
for the Week ” columns are, under the circumstances, passed with a 
sigh, there is no lack of interest in the general affairs of gardening. 
and when anything hopeful is written it strikes home with greater force 
than in better times. Words of counsel and advice from those grown 
grey in gardening are revered by the younger members of the craft, 
who, although they have the benefit and guidance of aged experience, 
and a long legacy of useful results, they have also the disadvantages 
which are only too well known to require repetition. As we strive to 
be useful in our day and generation, it is with no desire to supplant our 
honoured pioneers, and we hope the day is yet distant w'uen their pens 
shall bo laid aside, and if “cribbed age and youth cannot live 
together,” yet pleasant age and youth can, and my experience of 
gardeners is that far more belong to the latter category than to the 
former.—.J. M. D. 
- The weather in the London district gave indications 
of a decided change on Saturday and Sunday last. A sudden thaw com¬ 
menced, and it appeared that the winterly period was coming to an end. 
The thaw was, however, only partial; it was followed on Monday and 
Tuesday by sharp frosts, and except that the snow was slightly 
diminished there was little result from the change. Fortunately, how¬ 
ever, the days have been clearer, and, after such dense fogs as prevailed 
last week, this was most welcome. Signs are already visible of the 
damage the frost has caused to tender trees and shrubs, and when the 
thaw really does come it is feared the injury will be found to have been 
unusually severe. 
- The Weather in the North. —During the last two weeks 
the weather has been quite seasonable without extremes of any kind. 
Towards the close of the year alternate thaw and frost rendered the 
roads difficult to drive or walk on. The beginning of the year—the 
1st was a beautiful winter day—saw the snow disappear from the low 
grounds, but the last two nights with frosts of 5° and 1'^ promise a 
return of severer weather.—B. D. 
- A PECULIAR and very distinct Amaryllidaceous plant— 
Callipsyche miradilis— is now flowering in the T. range at Kew. 
It has a long fleshy scape like the Hippeastrums, and is crowned 
with an umbel of about twenty small yellowish flowers, the segments 
tipped with green. But the peculiarity consists first in the long droop¬ 
ing stamens, and secondly in the long polished white styles radiating 
equally round the umbel ; these are over 4 inches long, regularly 
curved downwards, and just as evenly turned upwards at the apex, 
presenting a unique floral appearance. Mr. J. G. Baker says the plant 
is a native of the Peruvian Andes, and that it was first described from a 
specimen which flowered in Mr. Wilson Saunders’ garden at Reigate 
about 1870, received from M. Linden. Specimens were also subse¬ 
quently sent to Kew by Sir C. W. Strickland and Messrs. Sander and 
Horsman. It is recorded as flowering in July and August, so that its 
present midwinter flowering may be regarded as an accidental 
occurrence, 
- The deepest symp.athy and regret is experienced in Rock 
Ferry and the neighbourhood, and will no doubt be shared by many 
readers of the Journal, at the great bereavement with which Mr. T. B. 
Hall, the celebrated Rose exhibitor, and Mrs. Hall have been plunged 
through the death of their eldest son, Mr. Henry Sproston Hall. The 
deceased gentleman was engaged on December 27th cleaning a revolver, 
when it accidentally exploded. Deceased, who was only thirty-five 
years of age, was interred at Higher Bebington Church last Tuesday 
afternoon. 
- Eucalyptus. —Perhaps it may interest some of your readers 
to know that at Westhill, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, there are eleven 
Eucalyptus trees, varying from 30 to 40 feet in height, with large 
spreading branche.s. The girth of the largest (one foot from the 
ground) is 2 feM 7 inches. I brought the seed from San Remo in 
1871). Many of the trees flower freely and have seed pods, though 
I have never been able to save any seed. They never appear to have 
been affected by the cold till this winter, but the first hard frost after 
such very mild weather seriously damaged them, the bark in many 
cases having been split right down to, and away from the wood, and 
I fear they will not recover.—R. P. C. 
- Deutzia gracilis in the Shrubbery.—I can corroborate 
all that “ W. B.” says in favour of this deciduous shrub for outdoor 
cultivation. It grows freely and flowers in profusion. Nothing could 
surpass the masses of blossom which our plant produces every year. 
Our specimen is now from 3 feet to 4 feet in diameter and of uniform 
shape, being a round bush. It cannot be said that the plant occupies a 
