114 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 5, 1831. 
of the variety is uncertain, but the name suggests it is an American 
Easpberry. Be that as it may, the sprays referred to proved its 
adaptability to British gardens, for they were heavily laden with dark 
red fruit. 
- The Midland Counties Carnation and Picotee 
Society. —We are informed that the schedule of prizes, close upon £60, 
is now in the printer’s hands, and all classes of these popular flowers, 
including border varieties, have very liberal encouragement. The first 
exhibition will be in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and is fixed 
for August 8th. 
- Birmingham Gardeners’ Association.—A t the first meeting 
of the winter session, February 2ad, Professor Hillhouse, Professor of 
Botany at Mason’s College, gave a lecture on “ Smatterings,” quoting 
the old proverb that “ a little learning is a dangerous thing,” alluded 
to the fact that in many cases a little learning is not dangerous when 
properly applied, and that in many cases old proverbs are not what 
they seem, and quoted Lord Brougham’s saying it is best to know 
something about everything, and everything about some things. An 
unoccupied mind is like an unoccupied garden, it is soon filled with 
weeds. It was a most able lecture, words of wisdom and sound 
advice were given in rapid succession, frequently accompanied by quiet 
satire and humour. Messrs. Pope &c Son sent a specimen plant in full 
flower, and growing in water, of “ the Sacred Lily of China and Japan,” 
and it looked very much like an acquaintance of a long number of 
years, the old Grand Primo Polyanthus Narcissus. Mr. Pope stated, 
however, that it is earlier than the ordinary varieties of Polyanthus 
Narciss. Mr. Cooper brought with him from Highbury branches of 
evergreens to show the severe weather at Highbury. All the Euonymus 
of the Evergreen section were destroyed to the ground, or nearly 
so. Golden Hollies, especially the Golden Queen, have suffered there, 
and in many other places at Birmingham. In one nursery some fine 
plants are greatly injured. Cotoneaster microphylla on a south wall 
at Highbury, and fully exposed, is almost denuded of foliage, and 
Aucuba japonica, Pernettya pilosa are very much browned, so also are 
Mahonia aquifolia, Laurustinus, &c. The maximum frost at Highbury 
was 24°, but a few degrees more at the lower part of the grounds about 
the pool; but Highbury is on elevated ground. 
- At the present time Bouvardias are flowering well in 
a small span-roofed house in the gardens at Dove Park, Woolton. 
The varieties in question are the old Vreelandi, single white, and Alfred 
Neuner, a double white. Although the last named is perhaps the more 
valuable for buttonhole bouquets and sprays, the single variety is the 
favourite with Mr. Carling, who grows these plants uncommonly well, 
and considers the single flowers have a lighter appearance and better 
adapted for vases. The plants are grown in 6-inch and 7-inch pots in a 
compost mainly of loam. The profusion of flowers produced is a proof 
that the general treatment is correct.—E. M. 
-Accounts of the Locust Plague in Australia are still 
most dismal, excepting at Adelaide, where the locusts, as was reported 
just before the mails left, had been good enough to drown themselves 
in myriads. The seashore at Adelaide was lined with the drowned 
locusts. At Minyip, however, the arrival of an immense column from 
the north was seriously alarming the inhabitants. The atmosphere 
presented the appearance of a snowstorm ; the roads and fences were 
covered to a depth of 3 inches or 4 inches with a solid mass of locusts. 
The gardens were quickly denuded of vegetation, and all herbage was 
fast disappearing before the pest. The caterpillar plague is also causing 
the Australian colonists serious anxiety. Failures among agriculturists 
are attributed to these pests, and no wonder when as much as £600 is 
said to be the loss of one farmer alone through the destruction of his 
Barley crop by the caterpillar. 
A CURIOUS POTATO. 
In September, 1888, I dug six fine Potatoes for exhibition. After 
doing duty at our local show they were kept for seed, but not being 
used no further notice was taken of them until September, 1889, when 
they appeared so fresh and sound I again exhibited them as a novelty, 
when they received much attention, and were thought even better 
than young Potatoes. When cleaning up the other day these same 
Potatoes came under my notice, and although now dried up they have 
not failed to produce another novelty. You will see the young ones 
nestling in the bosom of the parent. Unfortunately some have got 
broken off. Could you produce a drawing of this novelty, 1 think it 
would be interesting to readers of your valuable Journal.— Geo. Steel 
Heatlierslam. 
[It is, as most gardeners know, quite a common occurrence for old 
Potatoes to produce young tubers without the former producing any 
growth above ground, and many “new” Potatoes have been so raised 
not for home use alone, but for market. But these are produced by one- 
year-old tubers, or tubers that have been about a year out of the ground,. 
FIG. 23.— A PROLIFEROUS POTATO. 
and adhere to them, the growths of the eyes or buds through being- 
arrested assuming the form of tubers, Mr. Steel’s tubers were 
different. They had been out of the ground more than two years 
when discovered, and the “new” Potatoes were not formed by and 
from the external eyes or buds, but formed in a cluster in the centre of 
the Potato, increased in size there, and forced their way through the- 
dried cuticle. We assume they are the produce of latent buds on the 
growing axis that proceeds through the tubers from base to apex, and 
terminates in the buds by which the growth is continued the succeeding 
year; but these buds having become effete the latent buds become 
active for perpetuating the kind. A portion of the old Potato was 
removed for showing the position of the young tubers. We have not 
seen a precisely similar case ; and though it may not be novel to the 
whole of our readers, it will be new to the majority.] 
WOKK.foi\.theWEEK.. 
FEUTT FOECING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — T^krliest Forced Home. —Unfavour¬ 
able weather since the commencement has seriously affected forcing 
operations. The maintenance of a low night temperature and a steady 
heat by day has kept the trees advancing slowly, and where extra 
attention has been given to fertilisation there is every reason to antici¬ 
pate a good crop of fruit. In the case of late varieties being still in 
flower they may have t’ne camel’s-hair brush or other means of distri¬ 
buting the pollen passed over them, keeping the house moderately dry 
with a circulation of air until the flowers commence fading, when a 
slight syringing with tepid soft water will soon bring off the remains of 
