ZZApril 2, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
2G5 
were steadily moving onwards, presumably to win fresb honours at the 
York Show, where only the best have a chance of being honoured by the 
jadges. 
- Many will regret to hear of the sudden death of Mr. John 
Grey, gardener to the Right Hon. Lord Willoughby d’Eresby at 
Normanton Park, near Stamford. He had only been ill a few days, and 
died while sitting in his chair on March 26th, after serving for 
thirty-six years as head gardener to Lord Willoughby and his pre¬ 
decessor. He always took great pride in the fine terrace garden, which 
was very pretty when filled with spring flowers, and was laid to rest 
only a short distance from it in Normanton churchyard on March 28th, 
aged sixty-eight years.—W. H. Divers. 
- A Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society has been 
formed in Sunderland, and the first general meeting was held on 
Thursday evening, March 26th, in the Fawcet Street Caf^, when the 
election of officers took place. Mr. T. W. Bolam, Superintendent of Sun¬ 
derland Cemetery, was unanimously elected Chairman for the ensuing 
year. The above Society is the first of its kind that has been formed in 
Sunderland ; upwards of forty members have already been enrolled, 
which speaks well for a start. 
- Gardening Appointments.—W. G. Close, Esq., late of 
Condover Hall, Shrewsbury, has taken Loxley Park, Uttoxeter, and his 
gardener, Mr. Mackenzie, has gone there with him. Mr. Wm. Smith, 
late in charge of Loxley, still retains the management of the estate for 
C. Sneyd-Kynnersley, Esq, and also the Highfields Gardens for Mrs. 
Sncyd-Kynnersley. Mr. Thomas Lucas, who had been foreman to Mr. 
Waite, Glenhurst Gardens, Esher, during the last three years, has been 
appointed gardener to C. W. Manse Lewis, Esq., Stradey Castle, Llanelly, 
Carmarthenshire. Mr. John Gilbert of Burghley, late foreman for Mr. 
Allis of Old Warden Park, Biggleswade, has been appointed head 
gardener to the Right Hon. Lord Willoughby d’Eresby at Normanton 
Park, near Stamford. 
- Grassendale and Aigburth Flower Show.—T he first 
spring Show of Hyacinths, Tulips, Azaleas, and hardy, forced, and other 
plants was held on Monday last at the Grassendale Parish Room. The 
room presented a very pleasing appearance, being filled with choice 
plants exhibited by ladies and gentlemen residing within the Garston 
Local Board district. There were foirrteen competitors and 145 exhibits, 
the sum of £25 being given in prizes. Mr. Fletcher Rogers, in opening 
the Show, congratulated the Committee upon the excellent collection of 
plants, and expressed a hope that it would be the commencement of a 
long series of similar shows. The exhibits which were inspected during 
the day by a large and fashionable body of visitors, included some 
remarkably fine specimens of Orchids from Mr. W. C. Atkinson, 
gardener to Joseph Maidley, Esq., and Mr. J. Bounds, gardener to 
A. L. Jones, Esq.. There w^as also a large number of Callas, Hyacinths, 
cut Roses, Narcissus, Azaleas, Ferns, Primulas, and other stove and 
greenhouse plants, making in all an interesting Show, though only 
on a small scale. The arrangements of the Show w^ere entrusted to 
a Committee, of which Mr. R. J. Bowers is Sec., Mr. Evans Treasurer, 
and Mr. J. Kelly Chairman. In addition to the above prizewinners the 
following w’ere most successful :—Mr. J. Kelly, gardener to R. Single¬ 
hurst, Esq., and Mr. J. Agnew, gardener to Mrs. Watts. It must be 
stated that the promoter of the Show was A. L. Jones, Esq., who found 
ready help from a number of other gentlemen. The Show was held as 
an experiment, and owing to its undoubted success is certain to be an 
annual event. 
- Phyllanthus nivosus.—A very pretty member of a large 
genus of Euphorbiaceous plants. It is a warm house plant of shrubby 
habit, and has ovate leaves that are much mottled with white, in fact 
the tips of the shoots are sometimes entirely white, thus giving the 
plant a very striking appearance. Phyllanthus nivosus is propagated 
by means of cuttings, which root quite readily when placed in a 
propagating frame, providing they are not too soft. The young plants 
require a little judicious pinching from time to time in order to keep 
them in Shape, and will grow freely in light loam that has been 
moderately enriched with some old manure. Though introduced nearly 
twenty years ago this Phyllanthus does not seem to have become very 
common, but as the use of a greater variety of foliage plants becomes 
revived this charming example will doubtless find a place. 
- Dichorisandra undata.—A comparatively old plant, and 
could be made a very useful one if employed in the same way as 
small Rex Begonias are frequently used in window boxes and ferneries. 
D. undata is a dwarf-growing species from the South Sea Islands, and 
though this locality usually gives us the idea of intense heat yet an 
extreme temperature is not absolutely essential in this case, as a satis¬ 
factory result may be obtained in a temperature of 60° to 65° with a 
moist atmosphere and moderate shading. D. undata produces broadly 
ovate leaves that are about 3 to 4 inches in length and of stout texture, 
the colour of the upper side being chiefly dark green, though marked 
with longitudinal bands of a lighter shade, while that of the under 
surface is purplish. The leaves arc also curiously waved or undulated. 
This little plant may also be propagated by cuttings, w'hich may be 
rooted as readily as those of some of the small-growing Marantas. 
- Campylobotrys refulgens. — Another of the available 
plants for small work, and is here referred to under the old name 
because it will probably be more easily recognised by that title than 
under its newer designation of Iloffmannia. This plant will attain a 
height of from 1 to 2 feet, but is not specially desirable in this size, for 
it is much more useful in small pots. The leaves are from 2 to 
4 inches in length, and dark green flushed with red on the upper side > 
while beneath they are reddish purple. C. refulgens is rather an old- 
fashioned plant also, but as many readers will doubtless remember is a 
very attractive one when well grown.—W. H. Taplin (in Aimrican 
Florid), 
- Black Currant Mite.—M r. Bardney has sent you a timely 
letter on this subject, page 222. It is nowabout fifteen years since I noticed 
its ravages in the neighbourhood of Manchester, but I did not know what 
it was, only that wherever I saw bushes with these thick ’ouds they were 
of little value for fruit production. This matter is but imperfectly 
understood, and it is not many years since I observed infected Black 
Currant bushes going out of a nursery. As fruit growing is such an 
important matter if it is possible to stamp out this insect it is worthy 
of the best attention. It is useless to think of keeping a quarter or 
border of Black Currant bushes in good condition if there is one 
infected plant amongst them. This I have proved by having ail the 
buds infected rubbed off in the spring, I have tried on a few bushes, 
which has helped to keep the insect in check, and to secure some 
fruit rather than throw them clean out. Fresh bushes obtained from 
a nursery three years ago are still quite clean though only about 
50 yards distant from those infected.—R. M. 
- Black Currant Mite. —The remarks by Mr. Wm. Bardney, 
pages 222 and 223, I have perused with much interest, as I have been 
acquainted with the disease since 1838, and have observed the same pest 
in the buds of the Hazel. One thing is not mentioned by Mr. Bardney. 
In all cases where the mite infested the buds there were also at same 
time an insect resembling aphides and of a reddish colour with a 
quantity of whitish mealy looking material about them and on the 
roots resembling those infesting Auricula roots. If the pest is to be ex¬ 
terminated every bud must be burned. I tried a number of experiments 
upon the mites, surrounding them with petroleum, and in no case would 
they cross it. Mr. Bardney mentions they assume the wingei state. Is 
this the case ? In the summer of 1869 I sent to the Editors of this 
Journal specimens of these buds, and they were submitted to Professor 
Westwood, whose account will be found in the “ Florist and Pomolo- 
gist ” for November for that year. The Professor does not mention the 
winged state, but states they have at first four and then six legs, and 
clas.-es them as true acaridse. There are highly mignificd drawings of 
the insect accompanying the article. I have picked the buds when the 
thermometer stood at zero, but that low temperature did not appear 
to affect them in the slightest, as I frequently saw the little creatures 
hatching from the eggs, and was amused to sec how they could creep 
upon a smooth surface of glass back downwards with feet placed at the 
anterior of a long body.—W. T. 
-At a recent meeting of the Woolton Gardeners’ Mutual 
Improvement Society, held in the Mechanics’ Institute, the Rev. 
G. H. Spooner presided, and the essays read were those for which prizes 
were offered by the Chairman. These had been awarded to Mr. A. 
Kime for an essay on “ Hardy Fruit Growing Suitable for Cottage 
Gardens,” and to Mr. A. Griffiths for “ Hardy Border Plants Suitable for 
Cottage Gardens.” The papers contained much useful information to 
cottagers, and a discussion followed, the Rev. Chairman remarking that 
he had been especially pleased that such excellent papers had been 
written by under gardeners. He stated he would offer two prizes of 10s_ 
each to be competed for by under gardeners (members of the Society), 
the subjects to be chosen by the Committee. The Committee submitted 
a statement as to the opening of the Society’s proceedings for next 
season, and it was decided tha.t it should take the form of a horticultural 
conversazione and exhibition of appliances and specimens connected 
with gardening, these to consist of literature, pictures, novelties, varic- 
