M^rch 19, 1811. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
231 
Peach Yelloii'it. —Dr. Masters produced twigs and leaves of Peach 
drees from the Cape of Good Hope suffering from this disease. It was 
common in America, and was supposed to be bacterial. This had not 
been determined, and the specimens were referred to Professor Marshall 
AVard. 
Diseased Poot of Deacccm .—A root of Dracsena, probably swarming 
avas Tylenchus, was referred for examination to Dr. Masters. 
Hnoiodroi) Nildciv.—'The Rev. C. Wolley Dod sent decayed bulbs of 
"Snowdrop. He wrote:—“These are Snowdrop bulbs of which the 
leaves last year showed slight symptoms of the Snowdrop mildew. 
Often there is no trace left of the bulb in the following spring. I lose 
all my best Snowdrops from it. and have as yet found no remedy. 
These were dressed with solution of sulphate of copper last year when 
in leaf.” Dr. Masters said he had successfully prevented the disease 
by treating the bulbs themselves with sulphate of copper before 
planting. 
of Fog. —Dr. Masters showed panes of glass from glasshouses 
;at Gunnersbury and Feltham with a dense black deposit due to fog. 
Mr. Morris stated that 18 square yards of glass at Kew produced, when 
scraped, 41 grammes of solid matter. This could not be removed by 
mere drenching with water, and the whole of the glass in the Royal 
Oardens would require scrubbing to cleanse it. Dr. Oliver said that an 
a,nalysis of the deposit showed that 20 per cent, consisted of tarry and 
•oily matters. Dr. Masters also showed Rose leaves which had fallen 
•off under glass in consequence of the fog. Ho details had been sent. 
Abnormal Mushroom .—A Mushroom "with a very large gouty stem 
was shown. There was no history to it. The stem was much split 
longitudinally. 
Magnolia conspicua. —Dr. Masters showed a photograph taken last 
year of an unusually fine plant in bloom at Gunnersbury House. 
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 
March 18th. 
^ The first Spring Show of the season was held in the corridor and 
conservatory as usual, and a bright diversified display was secured. Com¬ 
petition was confined to few exhibitors, but the miscellaneous contribu¬ 
tions amply compensated for that deficiency. 
Premier prizes for Hyacinths and Tulips in the nurserymen’s classes 
were accorded to Messrs. H. Williams & Son for good specimens. In 
"the open classes Mr. Douglas, Great Gearies Gardens, Ilford, was suc¬ 
cessful wdth Hyacinths, Tulips and Narcissi, all of good quality. Other 
prizetakers were Messrs. Eason, Scott and Morle. With Crocuses, 
Messrs. Scott, Douglas, and Morle were the prizetakers in that order. 
Azaleas were shown by Messrs. Eason, Scott, and Nunn, but were 
mot of remarkable merit, thoirgh they furnished some bright colours. 
Deutzias came from Messrs. Douglas, Eason and Nunn in the usual 
ttyle. Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, were first with a choice collection 
of hardy herbaceous plants, Hepaticas and Megaseas predominating. 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, were awarded premier honorrrs for six 
Roses in pots. They also had a large group of well-fiowercd Roses. The 
•^me firm was first for Amaryllises, Mr. Douglas being second. 
Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Upper Holloway, contributed an 
•extensive collection of Hyacinths, Tulips, Lilies of the Valley, 
Daffodi’s, Lilacs, and Clivias. This group occupied nearly half the 
length of the corridor, and formed a very handsome exhibit. Messrs. 
Wm. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, also had a dozen boxes of Camellia 
blooms, such as we have repeatedly noticed this season. 
Messrs. Cutbush & Son, Highgate, had a beautiful bright collection 
fof Epacrises, Heaths, and a fine Mignonette named Snowdrift. Messrs. 
H. Williams & Sons, Finchley, staged large groups of Azaleas, Tulips, 
:a,:id Hyaciirths in many varieties. Messrs. Laing & Son, Forest Hill, 
had a miscellaneous and ta.steful group of fine-foliage plants. Orchids, 
Clivias, and other plants. Messrs. J. James & Son, Farnham Royal, 
Slough, showed some capital Cinerarias in good varieties. Mr. 
'G. Phippen, Reading, had a large exhibit of Hyacinths, Tulips, Lilies of 
the Valley, Scillas, and other bulbs. Messrs. .1. Odell, Hillingdcn, and 
■the St. George’s Nursery Company, had collections of Cyclamens ; and 
Messrs. H. Low & Co., Enfiehl, had a charming group of Orchids, com- 
p ising Dendrobiums, Phalaniopses, Cypripediums, Angrrecums, and 
Ferns. Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, exhibited a collection of Daffodil 
dioweTS in glasses, and he was also first with twelve pots of bulbous plants. 
Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son had a group of Orchids and new 
qilants. G. F. Wilson, Esq., Heatherbank, Weybridge, sent a plant of 
the richly coloured Primrose named Oakwood Blue, lifted from the 
lockwork March IGth, 1891, the first flower having expanded on 
February 12th. 
Mes.srs. G. Bunyard & Co., Maidstone, contributed over sixty dishes 
■of well-preserved Apples, the specimens fine, fresh, and bright ; and Mr. 
B. Philip, gardener to F. A. Beavan, Esq., Ludgrove, New Barnet, sent 
& beautiful collection of Orchid flowers. 
Mice and Aphide.s. —Looking into a conservatory last week well 
filled with flowers of the season, including numerous Cinerarias, my 
attention "was attracted by one head of blossom shaking slightly, and on 
■seeking the cause, a tiny mouse was discovered running up the stem. Its 
tail was long, and it had a small pointed snout, which it was using 
diligently as it went over the surface of the stem and the under side of 
the leaves joining it. Could this be the common shrew mouse ; and is it 
known by naturalists as a creature that would be likely to feed uiion 
aphides, which so commonly infest Cinerarias ?—E. P., Woburn Sands. 
A GARDEN WEBBER. 
A USEFUL little instrument, which is calculated to save much time 
and perform its work in a more efficient manner than can be done by 
hand, is that shown by the Stott Company at the Crystal Palace as 
“ A Webber,” and of which we are enabled to give an illustration in 
fig. 41. The base of the instrument is hollow, ami contains a kind of 
moveable shuttle, upon which is wound the thread or cotton to be u.sed. 
The thread is passed up a long tube, and emerges from the part as 
represented in the woodcut. For rapidly coverieg fruit bushes with a 
fine web orUietwork of threads as a means of protection from birds this 
Webber is well constructed, as it is light, easily passed back"wards and 
forwards over a bush, and the thread runs out continuously until the 
shuttle is exhausted. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— iVrt<LI»y.—This had to be left much 
later than usual this season owing to the severe winter, but none of our 
trees are injured by the frost as the fine bright autumn ripened the wood 
thoroughly. The trees were also roughly examined in November, fastening 
all the wood as close to the wall as possible, which has assisted them in 
withstanding the frost. Nailing has still an advantage over wires in this 
way for Peaches in cold districts, as it is impossible to have the shoots 
so close to the wall when they are tied to wires, and those who are 
intending to substitute wires for nails and shreds should not be too 
hasty in coming to a decision. Last spring a severe frost when our 
blossoms were fully expanded destroyed all except those close to the 
wall. Luckily the trees were full of bloom, and enough escaped to 
give a heavy crop, but had the trees been trained to wires we should 
have lost all. 
