72 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 26, 1893. 
- The New Kailway Rates. — There appears to be much 
disaffection amongst the growers and sellers of fruit and vegetables in 
regard to the new railway rates. A correspondent writes to the effect that 
recently a consignment of Mushrooms, weighing 74 lbs. gross, sent from 
Southampton, was delivered at Covent Garden, and a charge of Ts. made 
by the London and South-Western Railway Company. This is at the 
rate of £ t) lOs. per ton—truly a most exorbitant charge. 
- Tomatoes and Cancer. — On many occasions it has been 
reported in the daily and other papers that Tomatoes cause cancer, 
though there appears to have been but little truth in the assertion. 
Relative to the question, Dr. Marsden of the Cancer Hospital, Brompton, 
now writes that the Committee of the establishment wish to publish 
that, in their opinion. Tomatoes neither cause nor excite caneer 
formation, but are a wholesome article of diet, especially when 
cooked. 
- The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.—O ur 
reporter was quite elated when he found one of his paragraphs taken 
from the Journal of Horticultnre last w^eek, and embodied with verbal 
accuracy m the leading article of one of our respected contemporaries. 
The leader writer was, no doubt, under the impression that what he 
found useful was a portion of the official report, but it was not. We 
make not the slightest complaint, but only remark that if by accident 
we are “ caught tripping,” we are usually favoured with a notice, and 
now in all courtesy return the compliment. 
- Clerodendron Thomsons. — When looking through the 
houses at The Lawn Gardens, Warwick, on January 12th, I was much 
struck with the beauty of a large plant of the above in full flower. 
To see this fine stove climber in the height of beauty at such a date is 
to me a somewhat novel sight. The plant in question eovers the back 
wall of a stove, and being planted out between the flagstone walk and 
back wall the roots were apparently able to ramble freely in various 
directions. The necessary damping of the house preventing the soil 
becoming dry enough to secure perfect rest, a departure from the 
orthodox method of culture was resorted to. Some splendid long shoots 
had been produced, and the points of these were cut away, and the 
remainder trained thinly, so as to cover the whole surface of the wall, 
the result being that they flowered abundantly nearly the whole of 
their length.—D. 
- Are Weed Killers Dangerous?—A s you are at all times 
ready to lend a helping hand to the working gardener, I shall be glad 
if you will allow me to ask the above question in the Journal of Horti¬ 
culture, The enclosed cutting from a daily paper (in which it is stated 
that particles of arsenic deposited on walks are blown about with the 
dust) was handed to me by my employer, with instructions not to use 
any more weed killer. I have used several hundred gallons, but never 
felt the least injurious effect except the points of my fingers feeling a 
little tender for the first day or so after using it. Perhaps some of your 
correspondents will give their experience, and say if they have known 
a case of injury through passing over the paths, and if so, how' long 
after the weed killer was used.—T. W. [Is arsenic the.active agent in 
all weed killers ? We think not. [ 
- Brighton “ New ” Horticultural and Mutual Im¬ 
provement Society. —Your Sussex and southern county readers will 
be interested to learn the happy turn horticultural affairs have taken at 
Brighton during the past year. At the annual general meeting of 
members held at the Imperial Hotel on Thursday evening, January 
19th, under the presidency of Mr. C. W. Catt, the balance sheet for 
1892 was presented and passed. From it we gather that their spring 
show was a success, giving a balance of £42. The summer exhibition 
was undoubtedly one of the best seen in Brighton for many years, but 
owing to a rather disadvantageous compromise having been granted to 
members of another Society, their balance was turned into a deficit 
of £28 88. 4d. The amalgamation of the Chrysanthemum Society was 
now finally confirmed, and Mr. R. Miller, the Chairman of the latter 
Society, in a few remarks stated that, after paying all expenses 
and sending a donation of £10 to the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, they had 
the pleasure of handing over a balance of £112 15s. 5d. Thus the 
united Societies start 1893 with a balance of £84. Mr. C. W. Catt was 
re-elected President for the year ; Mr. W. Belchan, jun.. Chairman; Mr. 
R. Miller, Vice-Chairman ; Mr. T. Billing, Treasurer ; and Mr. Mark 
Longhurst, Secretary. A Committee of twelve gardeners and three 
amateurs were then elected by ballot from those sitting on the two Com¬ 
mittees, May success attend them.—R. I. 
- Death op Mr. William Brown.—M any readers will regret 
to hear that after a short illness Mr. William Brown of St. Mary’s 
Nursery, Richmond, died on the 13th inst. Mr. Brown, who was in 
his fifty-fifth year, was well known in horticultural circles, especially 
in and near London, and a few years ago his effective groups of plants- 
at the metropolitan shows secured him many medals. Mr. Brown also- 
gained three gold and three silver medals at the great Quinquennial 
Exhibition, Ghent, in 1888. As a member of the Richmond Town 
Council Mr. Brown was held in high esteem, and his funeral, which 
took place on the 17th inst. at Richmond Cemetery, was largely attended 
by friends of the deceased. 
- Rainfall in 1892.—The rainfall registered here for the past 
twelve months is 25-45 inches, only the merest trifle above that of 
Jubilee year. As compared with 38-52 inches for 1891 we find a 
difference of 13 inches. Where tree planting is done, such drought 
as that experienced last year is very hurtful, and in many instances 
means death to small trees as well as larger ones. We had less than 
an inch of rain monthly during February, March, April, and May. 
Up to the end of July we only registered 8-74 inches, as compared 
with 12-lG inches for 1891, a difference of 4 inches. When we consider 
that this shows a deficiency of 400 tons to every acre at such a critical 
period as the first half of the year, it can easily be seen how serious 
it is to those engaged in tree planting operations.—B. Molyneux, 
Swanmore, Hants. 
- Flowers by Telegram. —A New York florist has started a 
new and successful branch of business which is indicated by the words 
over his shop : “ Flowers by telegraph to all parts of the world.” He 
has arranged with the leading florists in every city in Europe, so that 
his customers can have their orders carried out without delay. The 
price of the cable, or telegram, is charged to the customer. A gentleman 
who wished a bouquet sent to a lady in Paris before she started to the 
theatre, called in one afternoon lately and gave the order. There were 
just two hours and a half to do it in, but the flowers were handed to the 
lady while she sat at dinner. Another gentleman, says “ Pearson’s 
Weekly,” wished a floral greeting to reach a lady who had left New York 
for Liverpool, and when she arrived a man with a basket of flowers 
awaited her as she stepped ashore from the vessel. 
- Tying Carnations.—A lmost every grower has his own way 
of tying Carnations, and while many still cling to cane stakes there are 
some later and more convenient modes. Mr. Dorner’s way is at once 
neat, simple, and convenient. His plants are put in the rows alternately,, 
so that they run in diagonal lines across the bed. At the ends of the 
beds and at intervals of about 12 feet along them a light wooden bar, 
supported at each side by an upright, crosses the bed about 10 inches 
from the surface. This supports a galvanised wire along each row of 
plants, the wire being fastened at the ends, while the cross-bars along 
the bed receive each wire in a little nick which keeps it from slipping. 
The tying material is cotton string, which is worked across the bed from 
one side to the other diagonally, making it appear in a series of triangles. 
The tying is very quickly done by two men, one at either side, passing 
the string across ; it is given a loop over at each wire. The great con¬ 
venience of this system is that while supporting the plant it is not 
crowded up together, and the string is not in the way when picking 
flowers. For very tall growers a second wire may be added above the 
first.— (^American Florist.') 
- Barometric Plants. —The “ Petit Trait4 de Meteorologie 
Agricole,” by M. Cana, contains a list of prognostics apropos of the 
aspect which certain plants present according to the state of the 
atmosphere. The following are a few examples :—If the head of 
Nitella sativa droops, it will be warm; if the head of the same plant 
stands upright, it will be cool; if the stalks of Clover and other 
leguminous plants stand upright, there will be rain ; if the leaf of the 
Sorrel turns up, it is a sign of a storm ; if the leaf of the Willow Grass 
slowly bends up, there will be a storm ; if the flower of the Convolvulus 
closes, it will rain ; if the flower of the Pimpernel closes, it will rain ; 
if the flower of the Hibiscus closes, it will rain; if the flower of the 
Sorrel opens, it will be fine weather ; if the flower of the same plant 
closes, it will rain ; if the flowers of the Carline Thistle close, there will 
be a storm ; if the flower of the Lettuce expands, it will rain ; if the 
flower of the small Bindweed closes, look out for rain ; if the flower of 
the Cinquefoil expands, there will be rain, but if it closes the weather 
will be fair ; if the flowers of the African Marigold close, it will (rain ; if 
the scales of the Teasel become close pressed against each other, it will 
rain. 
