February 19, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
147 
Hollies, Bays, Choisya ternata, and Veronica Traversi, the late frosty 
ordeal seems at present to have let them off fairly well.—R. Fenn. 
- A Note on Parsley. — I am one who has been fortunate with 
Parsley this winter, and perhaps my note may be useful to some of my 
brethren who have suffered a Parsley famine this last season and pre¬ 
sent winter. I have a range of lights which I use for early Potatoes in 
the spring and saladings in the late autumn and winter ; but as my 
kitchen chief “ goes in ” for a large amount of Parsley, which must be 
had, I sow in drills about 8 or 9 inches apart each summer, immediately 
the Potatoes are off, a few of the lights with Parsley. This will be, on 
an average, about midsummer. The lights are left off until the very 
cold weather sets in. The Parsley has grown well by that time ; some 
of the drills have been cut, and the Parsley dried, the rest is left, the 
result being that I have Parsley galore all through the winter.—N. If* 
POWNALL, Lenton Hall Gardens. 
- Canker and Frost. —Mr. J. Hiam writes :—“ I have been 
very anxious to learn what effect the late severe weather would have on 
my fruit trees, which I claim to have cured some years ago on the 
theory that insect life was the cause of the injury, and none of the 
many other remedies suggested being used. I have just made a careful 
examination of several varieties of Apple trees said to be especially 
liable to canker, and am pleased to find most of them apparently un¬ 
injured. I enclose samples of the most tender wood from the trees, so 
tender that if it were not for the discoloration of the leaves one might 
imagine it nearer midsummer than February. Dumelow’s Seedling, 
Lord Suffield, and Ilawthornden show no signs of injury. Ribston 
Pippin, hitherto quite free from canker on this tree, shows signs of 
injury from the frost, which may, or may not, develop into canker. I 
shall look after the results most carefully.” 
- Bullfinches. —Mr. lliam continues:—“I hear these birds 
are playing sad havoc with the fruit buds in many quarters. I am 
troubled less than usual, as may well be imagined when no less than 
fifty-three have been caught in trap cages in my garden this season, and 
three others shot which would not be persuaded to share the good things 
provided for their accommodation in the traps. When we consider that 
these birds will pinch off the bloom buds at the rate of over twenty in a 
minute, some idea of the fruit saved somewhere in the district may be 
imagined.” 
- French journals state that the great Grape country of 
Champagne, which as yet has been free from the phylloxera, is now 
threatened by the dreaded pest. In the commune of Trdloup in the 
Department of Aisne, and close to the borders of the Department of the 
Marne, several colonies of the phylloxera have recently been discovered, 
and although, of course, the most energetic measures of isolation and 
extermination were at once begun, there is great alarm lest the Marne 
district—the great champagne-producing lands—may be infected, as a 
brisk trade has been carried on by them in the importation of Vines 
from the now infected village of Trdloup. 
- Vegetation in Southern California.—I n his recently 
published article on Southern California, Mr. Charles Dudley Warner 
says that the new City of Riverside occupies an area some five miles by 
three, and that “ one avenue through which we drove is 125 feet wide 
and twelve miles long, planted in three rows with Palms, Magnolias, 
the Grevillea robusta, the Pepper and the Eucalyptus, and lined all 
the way by splendid Orange groves, in the midst of which are houses 
and grounds with semi-tropical attractions. Nothing could be lovelier 
than such a scene of fruits and flowers, with the background of purple 
hills and snowy peaks.” Yet in 1872 there was only a “ poor sheep 
ranch ” where this city of some GOOD inhabitants now stands. 
-Japanese Chrysanthemum Beauty of Castlehill.— 
Mr. Robert Owen of Maidenhead sends us a handsome bloom of the 
above-named variety, which is said to be the result of a cross 
between Gloriosum and Mrs. Falconer Jameson. It is somewhat of the 
Criterion type, with larger, narrower florets of a bright reddish bronze 
in the centre, fading to yellow in the outer florets. Mr. Owen says :— 
“ As you are aware, the best blooms cannot be produced at this season 
of the year. I have still a plant in bud, and will not be open before 
March. The first bloom of this variety expanded about middle of 
October last, and 1 have bad blooms of it every month since. It 
was certificated by N C.S,, and again shown by me in good form in 
January. It is a little uncertain as to its time of flowering, conse¬ 
quently several plants should be grown to secure blooms for exhibition 
at any given time.” 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. J. MacDonald, late gardener 
to J. Hamlyn Borriew, Esq., Angeston, Dursley, has taken charge of 
the gardens of Captain Marling, Clanna, Sydney, Gloucestershire. 
- A Large Tree. —A correspondent in “Notes and Gleanings" 
(page 8G) naturally asks how the 22-feet saw is to cut through the large 
tree 33 feet in diameter. It occurs to me that the teeth portion of the 
saw may be 22 feet long, but I do not see why a steel bar could not 
be used to lengthen it out at each end. A few years ago I witnessed 
three experienced timber-cutters saw through a large Oak tree at the 
bottom. It took them two days, but it was quite a small saw in pro¬ 
portion to the size of trunk. Two of the men were at one side of the 
tree and one at the other ; but there were no wooden handles, only 
strong cord at each end that was drawn through each cut. The saw 
itself did not appear to be longer than the diameter of this tree, if so 
long. As the sawing proceeded strong wedges were driven in the aper¬ 
ture to make it a little wider, and to make the saw work easier, that I 
see no reason why a 22-feet saw should not go through a trunk 33 feet 
in diameter, especially if they had a 10 or 12-foot length of wire rope 
at each end. The tree above referred to was a splendid butt of Oak 
grown within 200 yards of my house, and took eight powerful horses 
accustomed to such work to draw it up on the carriage.—A. II. 
- Reading Gardeners’ Improvement Association.—T he 
fortnightly meeting of this Association was held on Monday evening, 
when a large number of members assembled to hear a paper on 
“ Orchids,” read by Mr. J. Douglas, of Great Gearies. The subject was 
one of more than ordinary interest to the members, Orchids being 
grown to a considerable extent in the neighbourhood of Reading. 
Several of the members exhibited specimens of Dendrobium nobile and 
Wardianum, Lycaste Skinneri, Odontoglossum Pescatorei, Cymbidium 
Lowianum, Goodyera discolor, and various Cypripediums. Mr. W. 
Baskett exhibited a magnificent specimen of Coelogyne cristata, fully 
3 feet in diameter, and carrying nearly 300 flowers ; Mr. Pound, gardener 
to G. May, Esq., showed a fine plant of Phalsenopsis Schilleriana, having 
forty flowers on one spike ; and Mr. G. Stanton, of Park Place, sent a 
very fine spike of Dendrobium speciosum, altogether a very imposing 
group, which added considerably to the interest of the evening. 
- Vegetables and the Frost. — Vegetables in general 
having suffered so much from the recent severe weather it is interest¬ 
ing to find Broccoli fresh and green, giving promise of a good return 
of useful heads ; growing side by side with Drumhead Savoys, Brussels 
Sprouts, Red Cabbage, and Chou de Burghley, that are rendered abso¬ 
lutely useless. Even Curled Kale is slightly damaged. Parsley on a 
border facing south ’nas also suffered much, while that planted under 
Filbert trees, near to a north wall, has wintered well. The hardiest 
Broccoli with us is Veitch’s Model, then Edinboro’ Market and Lauder’s 
Goshen about equal. Backhouse’s Winter coming next, while Snow’s 
Winter brings up the rear with about one-half gone bad. Some of those 
left are already quite fit for use. Heeling over has undoubtedly been 
the means of preserving the Broccoli; they were thus brought quite 
close to the ground and well protected by the snow, while the check 
they thus received in early autumn rendered the growth more sturdy and 
better able to withstand the rigours of an almost arctic winter.— A. D. 
- Improving the Garden Tro’WEL. —Our American friends 
arc always trying to make improvements, and the garden trowel has 
not escaped their notice. “ Sometimes,” says the “ Agriculturist,” “ a 
slight change in the form of an implement or tool will make it more 
convenient and better adapted to the work for which it was intended. 
This is very prominently proven by simply grinding or filing away the 
end of a common garden trowel. All who have had experience in that 
line know how extremely difficult it is to cut off with the common 
garden trowel a weed that has a strong tap rcot. By using a trowel 
modified as explained the work is readily accomplished. Grind down 
until it is three-quarters of an inch from point to point, leaving the 
edge concave instead of rounded as in the ordinary form. It is plain 
that in pressing into the soil, any root coming in contact with the trowel 
between the two points is readily severed. This does not in tbe leas*" 
detract from the common use of the implement, but greatly adds to s 
usefulness. Should the concave surface be kept sharp it will rot 
more effective in every way.” 
- Horticultural Club. —The annual house dinner of th.. 
Club took place on Tuesday last at their rooms. Hotel Windsor, Victoria 
Street, Westminster. The chair was taken by the President, Mr. John 
Lee, and amongst those present were the Rev. W. Wilks, Secretary 
