126 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 10, 1898» 
- Wasps.—A wasp plague continues to cause great inconvenience 
in the neighbourhood of Dover. A curious incident, says a daily con¬ 
temporary, happened on Saturday in a village near Sandwich. A 
labourer discovered a wasp’s nest, and struck with the beauty of its 
formation instantly took it home and carelessly put it aside, with the 
object of taking it to a naturalist. The nest proved to be full of eggs, 
which the warmth of the house developed during the night into 
hundreds of wasps. When the family awoke in the morning the house 
was swarming with wasps, and the family had to make their escape as 
best they could. Some of them were severely stung. We do not think 
this man will take home another wasp’s nest. 
-Gardening at the World’s Fair. —The picturesque dwarf 
trees of Japan interested me greatly. One old Cypress, 300 years old, 
perished during the winter, but there were some ancient crooked Maples, 
about a foot high, and a Pine tree with gnarled branches and massive 
roots that would have adorned a forest in Lilliput, for they were not 
more than 18 inches high. Every leaf had been carefully trained on the 
Maple, and the pine-needles were held imperceptibly in place to 
produce that fine cushiony effect that is so highly prized. It seemed 
like looking at some venerable monarch of the forest through the 
reverse end of an opera-glass, so perfectly did the Lilliputian tree 
reproduce all the storm-wrought eccentricities of the great one. 
Among other curious objects says a writer in “ Garden and Forest” was 
the exact model of a Japanese garden, quaintly rendered, with little 
figures crossing its toy bridges or lingering by its tiny lake. Here were 
the hillocks, the cascades, the stone lamps, the sheet of water, the 
smooth stones, the summer houses hidden in the clumps of trees, the 
flowering shrubs, the groups of Irises by the water’s edge—a complete 
and fanciful little pleasure ground within the circumference of a large 
round table. 
- Ewell Horticultural Society. —The twenty-ninth annual 
Exhibition of this Surrey Society was held on a nice fine day on the 
beautiful grounds of The Grove, the residence of the ex-Lord Mayor, 
Sir D. Evans. The grounds were thrown open to the public, and their 
entire keep, which is really first-rate, reflects on the gardener, Mr. Quin¬ 
ton, the highest credit. Of plant groups there was a very fine one sent 
by Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, of Begonias, Gloxinias, Cala- 
diums. Foliage plants— i.e., of the competing groups—the largest and 
best was set up by Mr. Whiteman, gardener to A. W. Gadesden, Esq. 
Mr. Worsfold, gardener to Lady Glyn, coming second with a charming 
arrangement ; and Mr. Quinton was third. Mr. Whiteman had the best 
six foliage and flowering plants ; also the best six Begonias, excellent 
specimens, and the best six Fuchsias. Mr. Quinton had six superbly 
flowered Zonal Pelargoniums, some 3 feet through, and well grown. 
Several noble Palms sent by Mr. Whiteman helped to decorate the 
flower tent. Hardy flowers were in capital form, the best twelve bunches 
coming from Mr. Worsfold, whose selection and setting up were ex¬ 
cellent. Mr. Elsey, gardener to Miss Carlisle, was second. Mr. Worsfold 
had the best twelve bunches of annuals, a capital lot of flowers, Mr. 
Elsey again being second. Mr. Quinton was a good first with four 
dishes of fruit, having finely finished Alicante Grapes, Eoyal George 
Peaches, Elruge Nectarines, and Jargonelle Pears ; Mr. Worsfold was 
second. Vegetables all round were excellent, and one class is men¬ 
tioned elsewhere. An odd class was that for head gardeners’ bouquets, 
the best coming from Mr. Whiteman, whilst in the class for under 
gardeners’ bouquets Mr. Simmonds, from the same place, was first, both 
being admirably arranged. After the usual presentation of prizes, 
kindly performed by Lady Evans on the lawn, Mr. A. Dean, for the 
Surrey County Council, gave a short address relating to gardening, for 
which, on the proposal of Mr. David Evans, a cordial vote of thanks 
was awarded. 
- Exhibiting Vegetables. — For a pretty, neat, compact 
method of showing vegetables I have seen none better than was found 
last week at the Ewell Show, where five lots of six kinds were set up 
in large punnets, or rather shallow white baskets, 12 inches over. It is 
a requirement of the schedule that the exhibits shall be so displayed, 
hence the result is uniformity in appearance, if not in quality. Again, 
the size of the,punnets used checks the exhibiting of products of undue 
dimensions, which is an excellent result. The class being for gardeners 
capital exhibits were staged. Mr. H. Pedrick, gardener to Col. Norbury 
Pott, had for the season good Cauliflowers, Scarlet Kunners, G. F. 
Wilson Peas, Perfection Tomatoes, Ashleaf Potatoes, and pretty white 
Marrows. Mr. Ay ling, gardener to W. M. Waiters, Esq., who came 
second, had capital Satisfaction Potatoes, Canadian Wonder Dwarf 
Beans and white Turnips.—A. D. 
- Ailantus glandulosa in America. — Superintendent 
W. E. Smith of the Washington Botanic Garden says that Ailantus- 
glandulosa is of all trees the one for narrow streets. Its large foliaceous 
development keeps it vigorous and healthy. The only objection to it 
is the unpleasant fragrance of the flowers. This can be entirely 
avoided by treating the tree as a pollard, as is the custom in Paris. It 
never flowers because of the pruning. The law made by Congress 
against its being planted in Washington was owing to the influence, we 
believe, of a well written article by Mr. Downing. Don Piatt was, 
perhaps, the last to dare the law and plant one of these trees in the 
aristocratic quarter of Washington. His keen sarcasm, which found 
expression in his paper known as “ The Capitol,” prevented the 
authorities from interfering with him.—(“ Garden and Forest.”) 
- Sweet Lavender. —The cry of “Sweet Lavender” heralds 
the close of the summer season, and old-fashioned housewives will be 
garnering their store of scented blossom to perfume linen presses and. 
wardrobes, and for the more prosaic routing of the destructive moth. 
Lavender derived from the English plant, whose scientific name is 
Lavandula vera, has many medicinal properties, which make it valuable 
as a corrective adjunct to other medicines, while alone it is aromatic 
carminative, and stimulative. The oil distilled from the Lavender 
plant is valuable in hair lotions, and the following recipe, says the 
“ Lady,” will be found admirable to stimulate the growth of thin or 
weakly hair ;—Oil of Lavender, 6 dr.; lard, melted with twenty drops 
oil of Nutmeg, 1 oz.; Cocoa butter, 5 dr. Lavender is highly antiseptic, 
and therefore invaluable in the sick room ; but it must be the pure 
extract, and not the artificial product which now figures largely in, 
perfumery, and is obtained from petroleum and other sources. Artificial 
perfumes have a heavier and less agreeable odour than the natural ones, 
however skilfully manipulated, and excessive use causes headache and 
dizziness; while the natural odour obtained from Lavender is most 
soothing in headache and lassitude. Very few people are aware of the 
virtues of Lavender as a skin lotion and cosmetic. A little strong, 
good Lavender water, diluted with about an equal quantity of water, 
forms a valuable wash for the skin where the pores are enlarged or 
after exposure to the sun. The skin may also be bathed with a solution 
of Lavender water when heated or inflamed, and during severe bilious 
headaches, or in the agonies of mal de mer, much relief is obtained by 
bathing the throat, forehead, and temples with good Lavender water, 
while a spray is most refreshing to travellers by land and sea. 
- Starch Formation. —When a leaf is exposed to sunlight it 
is well known that among the earliest changes noticeable is the forma¬ 
tion of starch ,• and, further, that this starch production is stopped by 
placing the leaf in the dark, so that if half of the surface of the leaf be 
exposed to the sun, and the other half be covered with opaque paper, 
the uncovered half will contain starch, while none will be formed in the 
covered portion, and that which it had previously will disappear. It 
had come almost to be an article of faith, says the “Gardeners 
Chronicle,” that this starch formation was the primary and universal 
result in the process of “ assimilation,” which is consequent upon the 
exposure of the green material (chlorophyll) to light, and the elimination 
of oxygen. Working physiologists, indeed, were more cautious in their 
utterances than text-book writers and teachers. It now appears from 
the recent researches of Messrs. H. T. Brown and G. H. Morris, as 
presented to the Chemical Society in April last, that cane sugar is the 
first product (and not glucose, as had been by many supposed), and aa 
this sugar is formed faster than it can be utilised, the excess is deposited 
in the form of starch. This reserve of starch is drawn upon when the 
light fails, the starch being then dissolved by a ferment, or “enzyme,” 
known as diastase, which is secreted by the protoplasm of the cell in 
amount proportionate to the needs of the case, so that the formation of 
diastase is looked on as an effort to remedy the consequences of defective 
nutrition. The course of events in the process of assimilation appears 
to be, first, formation of soluble cane-sugar, then deposition of insoluble 
starch, followed by formation of diastase-ferment, which dissolves the 
starch and allows of its transmission in a fluid state, or as sugar, from 
the place at which it is stored to the place where it is used up in the 
processes of growth and activity, which demand supplies of nourishment 
for their fulfilment. 
DIANTHUS CALLIZONUS. 
Though this beautiful alpine Pink was discovered nearly half a 
century ago it is still new and rare in gardens. It is a native of 
Transylvania, where it is found at an elevation of 6000 to 7500 feet. 
It has a certain resemblance to D. alpinus, but the flowers are half 
as large again, and altogether it is a finer and more robust plant. 
