October 12, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
327 
plants o£ the same character bearing the name of graecum and 
differing from all of a large number of C. hederaefolium or 
neapolitanum, I did not feel at liberty at the time to reject the 
name, especially in a genus so confused in nomenclature as the 
Cyclamens. It appears, however, that the true C. graecum is not 
known to be quite hardy in this country, and I am glad to have 
the opportunity of correcting an error easily made in connection 
with this difficult genus.—S. Arnott. 
WINTER TREATMENT OF CANKER. 
Improving Old Fruit Trees. 
Would Mr. Abbey kindly give some advice respecting the 
above ? 
I have recently succeeded to a garden where the fruit trees are 
all more or less cankered, and am very anxious to deal with the 
pest as promptly as possible. What means would he advise me to 
adopt between now and next spring? Obviously, these old trees 
cannot be cut down and thrown away, as young ones take time 
coming into bearing. Consequently it is of pressing necessity to 
attempt to deal with the canker, and if possible exterminate it. Of 
course I shall immediately cut out and burn all diseased branches that 
can be spared, but as many of the main srems and large limbs are 
affected remedial measures must be attempted. 
Would, therefore, Mr. Abbey recommend paring and cutting 
away all diseased bark and wood, afterwards painting the wounds 
with neat petroleum, or, if that fungicide be too potent, with warm 
gas tar ? So far as my experience goes, canker has a great dislike to 
an application of hot gas tar.— Inquirer. 
[Although it is hardly possible to cure old trees of canker, much 
may be efEected towards rendering them more satisfactory in their 
growth and crops by judiciously operating on their heads and supply¬ 
ing nourishment to their roots. The results in many cases exceed the 
expectations, so that trees that were doomed to be destroyed as soon 
as others could be grown to afford an adequate supply of fruit have 
become so profitable that their uprooting has been postponed indefi¬ 
nitely. Besides, the retention of old trees is in some cases an 
absolute necessity in order to have a supply of fruit, which, if not so 
good in quality or large in quantitj'^ as desired, is yet useful, and saves 
buying. The resolve, therefore, of ‘‘Inquirer'’ to make the most of 
his old frees, afflicted though they be with canker, until young ones 
planted in properly prepared ground arrive at a productive age, is a 
wise one, and worthy of adoption by others similarly circumstanced. 
The mode of procedure suggested by “Inquirer’' is the correct 
one—that is, cut away all the dead and as much of the cankered 
parts as can be spared consistently with the prospects of [iroductive- 
ness. All such parts must be burned, not on ground occupied by the 
roots of the trees, but where the tire will do no harm, and the ashes 
resulting should be at once spread on the ground beneath the trees, 
and a foot further from the stem than the branches extend. This is 
one of the best possible manures for fruit trees, and restores to the 
soil, a small part it may be, yet some portion of the elements 
abstracted from it by the roots. Leached ashes—those washed by 
rain—have little manurial value ; fresh ashes are a powerful 
fertiliser. 
“ Inquirer ’' may then, as he proposes, cut away all the diseased 
bark, or such portions of it that is brown and dead, but it is not 
advisable to cut the wounds of old trees into the quick or live bark 
with the object of removing the mycelium of the fungus, if any, for 
the swellings in some cases almost encircle the limbs, and to cut these 
away entirely would be tantamount to ringing and killing the parts 
above them. The wood must not be interfered with, for it is un¬ 
affected by the fungus, and is necessary for the stability of the limb. 
After cutting away the diseased and dead bark, or so much of it 
as can be removed without damage to the live bark, dress the wounds 
with a solution of sulphate of copper, 4 ozs. dissolved in 6;f gallons of 
water, applying with a brush, and well washing out the wounds, but 
without the liquid running down the stem. '1 he wounds should be 
dry, and if fine weather follows, so much the better, as more copper 
will be absorbed by the bark and wood than if rains prevail. 
This will do much to arrest the growth of the mycelium of the fungus, 
and the tree will take advantage of it in the coming season to throw 
out more callus around the wounds, striving its utmost to cover them 
with new bark, which may be further accelerated by plastering the 
wounds with a mixture of clay and fresh cow manure. 
In addition to the pruning, trimming, and dressing the wounds 
and cankerous parts, “Inquirer’' may uproot perennial weeds and 
burn them, turn the ground over without disturtuug the roots more 
than can be helped, yet burying soft weeds that will decay. This 
should be done as soon as the leaves fall, and the pruning, trimming, 
and dressing of the trees completed. Then apply the following 
mixture ;—ISteamed bonemeal and kainit in equal parts, mixed, 
spreading it evenly from the stem outwards to a foot beyond the 
spread of the branches, at the rate of 3^ lbs. per rod, and as the 
surface is loose it may be left for the rains to wash in. But if the 
soil and subsoil be dry, make holes with a crowbar, and fill them 
with water time after time, following with liquid manure, then fill 
the holes with fresh soil pressed firmly down. 
Before the buds commence swelling in the spring, spray the trees 
when they are dry with a solution of sulphate of copper, 1 lb. to 
25 gallons of water, using the knapsack pump “Eclair.” This 
should be followed by a dressing of nitrate of soda to the soil 
when the trees are starting into growth, using IJ lb. per rod if the 
ground be naturally moist, or 2 lbs. if inclined towards dryness, 
applying it from the stems to a foot beyond the spread of the 
branches. 
This is the whole of the prescriptions i advise “ Inquirer ” to- 
follow, except if the soil requires draining it must be attended to 
first thing, for no fruit tree can thrive in a badly sanitated soil. 
7 he prescriptions will be as useful in subsequent years as at present, 
only they must be used according to circumstances, and in a less 
drastic manner. 
I strongly advise “Inquirer” to have nothing to do with petroleum, 
and still more so as regards gas tar. Both are strong, yet dangerous 
medicines, for though they destroy many insectal and fungal germs 
and pests, they may also kill the patients, if n- t cripple them for life. 
I have a strong objection to all oils and fats for applying to the 
stems and branches of fruit trees on account of their slow but 
certain reactions, and even when saponified, as in soft and hard 
soap, there is danger in using them at great strength, say 8 ozs.^ of 
softsoap to a gallon of water, as is often recommended for dressing 
Vines, and the result is they break badly in consequence. Gas tar is 
si ill worse, and often enters into the composition of cart grease to 
such an extent as to kill the stems of trees to which it is a()plied to 
prevent the ascent of wingless moths and beetles.—G. Abbey ] 
When exhibited on the occasion of the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society at the Drill Hall, Westminster, on September 
26th, by Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, this prettv Orchid attracted 
attention. It is the result of a cross between Cattleya Loddigesi 
and Laelia pumila. The flowers are of a mauve shade, but the lip 
is richly coloured with purplish magenta. Judging by the plant 
exhibited the pseudo-bulbs are of a slender growth, nearly a foot 
in length, and each bears two bright green leaves. As already, 
reported in this Journal an award of merit was adjudged for this 
interesting hybrid.—C. 
Stenoglottis longifolia. 
This is a comparatively recent introduction, and as yet is scarcely 
known in gardens. It was sent to Kew by Mr. Medley Wood, 
Curator of the Durban Botanic Gardens, Natal, and flowered for 
the first time in England in 1889. Previous to this Stenoglottis 
was regarded as a monotypic genus consisting solely of S. fimbriata, 
a pretty little terrestrial Orchid not uncommon in gardens. S. longi¬ 
folia does not differ very materially from S. fimbriata in general* 
appearance, but is a much larger and finer plant. The chief dis¬ 
tinction between them, apart from the difference in size, is in the- 
leavea. S. fimbriata has short oblong leaves, freely blotched with 
black, while the leaves of S. longifolia are longer, ensiform, and 
lack the blotches. The flower-scape is erect, about 15 to 18 inches 
high, and the upper half is densely clothed with small, deep mauve 
flowers with fimbriated lip. 
S. longifolia and S. fimbriata are both natives of S. Africa. 
They require a cool or intermediate temperature, and should be 
potted in a mixture of loam, leaf soil, and sand. Abundance of 
water during the growing season is essential.—A. B. 
Cypripedium Euryandrum. 
This is a handsome and distinct hybrid Orchid that has 
been in cultivation for many years. It was raised by Mr. 
Seden, of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, I believe, from crossing the 
free-flowering and useful species Cypripedium barbatum with 
pollen from the beautiful C. Stonei. The result was a foim quite 
intermediate in character between the two species, and possessing a 
large share of the attractions of each. The hybridity is especially 
