436 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 1, 1893, 
- What Becomes of the Aphis in the Winter? —Regard¬ 
ing this question Mr. T. A. Sharpe writes ioNature as follows :—“I have 
spent many weeks this spring closely observing the budding trees, 
with the object of discovering in what condition of life the aphis spends 
the winter ; as the result of my observations, which were made under 
the microscope, I believe that the aphidse during the autumn (or as 
many of them as have reached the state of reproduction) attach them¬ 
selves to the stem of the tree, with their young inside them, in much 
the same way as the female members of the closely allied family 
coccidaj do. In course of time the mother aphis becomes simply a 
dried skin serving as a protection to the young. When the warm days 
of spring come these are developed and easily make their way through 
the skin and crawl on to the young leaves, there to begin their work of 
sucking and reproduction.’’ 
- Primula Sieboldi. —It is only when one comes across plants 
grown to perfection that their useful and ornamental characteristics 
can be fully appreciated, and I have never as yet in the neighbourhood 
of Liverpool seen anything in the way of outdoor flowers to approach 
two beds of the above Primula growing in the garden of Mr. Andrew 
Lawson of Knowsley. From some small roots received a few years ago 
he has now two beds containing thousands of plants. The first planted 
is so full of bloom that not a leaf can be seen, but it was a bed 
planted early last October which I admired most, for there the pretty 
pale green leaves formed a striking contrast to the deep rose flowers 
with their white eyes. To see them at their best the plants must not be 
overcrowded, or the colour becomes monotonous. Much the finer spikes 
were to be seen on plants that had been transplanted. The ordinary 
garden soil mixed with road scrapings and decayed horse manure is the 
compost they seem to revel in. When the plants are peeping through 
the ground in the spring a top-dressing of the same soil is given, and 
they are secure for the summer.—R. P. R. 
- Wakefield Paxton Society. —At the recent weekly meeting 
of the members of the above society, Mr. George Hudson, head gardener 
at Woolley Park, read a paper on “ The Rhododendron,” which he cul¬ 
tivates very extensively and most successfully. Mr. Hudson dealt with 
his subject in a thoroughly practical and deeply interesting manner, 
and his address was attentively listened to and warmly applauded. 
The essayist clearly explained how to grow the Rhododendron from 
seed, and said it likes a peaty and abhors a limestone soil, and he recom¬ 
mended growers to pick off the old seed vessels. An interesting dis¬ 
cussion followed the reading of the essay, in which Messrs. Brown> 
W. Hudson, Wilson, and others took part. The room presented an exceed¬ 
ingly bright and most attractive appearance, there being tastefully 
arranged on the large tables an extensive and very beautiful and varied 
eollection of blooms of the Rhododendron, Iris, Calceolarias, and several 
other varieties of flowers, all of which had been effectively arranged by 
Mr. W. Blackburn, the Curator, assisted by Mr. J, G. Brown. The 
flowers were subsequently disposed of and realised 9s. in aid of the 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
- The Greatest Rainfall in Twenty-four Hours. —In 
the Journal of Horticulture for May 4th, Mr. Clement Wragge of Bris¬ 
bane, asserts that Queensland has beaten the world’s record in the 
extraordinary amount recorded on February 3rd—viz., 35'7 inches. 
Commenting on this in Nature last week, Mr. E. Douglas Archibald 
says :—“ I am sorry to have to take away such an unenviable palm 
from Queensland by recalling a fact well known to every Indian 
meteorologist, that the highest record extant belongs to Chirapunji in 
the Khasia hills, where on June 14th, 187G, 40 8 inches were recorded 
in the twenty-four hours. Not only so, but on the 12th 30 inches fell, 
and in the four days, from the 12th to the 15th inclusive, as much as 
102 inches. Of course the effects were not so disastrous in this case, as 
indeed such a state of things is little removed from the normal at Chira 
in the early part of June ; but I have a very clear recollection of it as 
I was at Chirapunji on the 12th and 13th, and not far from it on the 
memorable 14th. The conditions which have occurred in Queensland 
and the North Island of New Zealand during the last six months have 
been a remarkable example of persistent abnormals, and though the 
total number of rational causes may still be wanting to explain every- 
thing, one or two were evidently in operation when I was there from 
October to January, and I am confident that from the empirical law of 
persistency, coupled with a few rational inferences, a forecast of 
impending floods could have been made and can be made for the future, 
much in the same way as the general character of the monsoon can be 
foretold in India.” 
- Testing the Fertility op Land.—A ccording to a writer 
of many years ago, a person in buying a piece of ground for horticul¬ 
tural uses, dissolved a handful of earth from the lard in question, in 
water. After leaving it to settle for several hours, if the water was taste¬ 
less the land was considered fit for use. Possibly these old fashioned 
people only know that some good came from this test, and they may 
have been laughed at as a set of agricultural “ cranks,” says “ Meehan’s 
Monthly.” Since moderns have discovered that the fertility of a soil 
depends on its power to absorb and retain nutritive matter, the old-time 
practice is seen to have been a sensible one. The purity of water showed 
that the land had properly absorbed the fertilising material in the 
water. A blind man was once laughed at for going to select a farm. 
On being helped out of the vehicle, he asked that the horse might be 
led to a bunch of Thistles. He was told there were none. Then he 
remarked that Docks would do as well. This request they were able to> 
gratify. He subsequently bought the farm. When asked the reason 
for his “ cranky ” desires, he replied that Thistles grew on poor land,. 
Docks only on rich soil. 
- Araucaria imbricata.—E very old Kewite will remember 
the large Chilian Pine which until last autumn stood on the lawn near 
the conservatory. For several years it had been rapidly deteriorating, 
every winter rendering it more gaunt and unsightly. Latterly, say& 
the “ Journal of the Kew Guild,” it became too dilapidated to be even 
picturesque, and so far as the beauty of that part of the garden is 
concerned nothing was lost when, last autumn, its death necessitated 
it removal. One cannot help regretting it, however, as a tree of 
great interest; it w’as, in fact, an old Kewite with a romantic history. 
The story of its introduction to Kew is an “ oft told tale,” which has, 
moreover, lately gone the round of the daily press, so that the follow¬ 
ing few particulars of its origin will suffice. In 1792 Archibald 
Menzies, a navy surgeon and botanist, was dining with the Viceroy of 
Chili, when at dessert some nuts were brought to table which were 
quite unknown to him. Of these he kept a few, which he afterwards 
sowed in a box of soil ; they germinated on board ship, and he finally 
succeeded in bringing five plants home to Kew, which were the first 
ever .seen in this country. Of these, the specimen under notice was 
one, so that when it died it was exactly 100 years old. It seems to 
have been much damaged by being used at a fete at Carlton House 
during the Regency of George IV., hanging lamps having been 
attached to its branches. 
NOTES ON THE BERBERIS. 
It would be difficult to over-estimate the value of these beautiful 
hardy flowering shrubs, for they are most useful for outside decoration 
during the spring. They are extensively cultivated on the pleasure 
grounds here, and the produce a splendid display. The various species 
of Berberis are adapted for planting in large beds, isolated on the lawn, 
or placed in conspicuous positions in the foreground on shrubbery 
borders or in the wild garden. They also present a very striking 
appearance when placed at intervals along the carriage drives or w'ood- 
land walks. 
When planting Berberis it is essential not to place them in too close 
proximity with other shrubs, for if sufficient space is not allowed them 
to fully develop it is impossible to see them to advantage. These shrubs 
are not, as a rule, very fastidious as regards the nature of the soil, but I 
think a good stiff loamy soil is the most suitable. The soil here is of a 
very retentive nature, and I never remember seeing them succeed so 
well as they are doing, especially B. Darwini and B. stenophylla, every 
shoot and twig of which being completely covered with bloom. 
The species above named are the best and most useful of the whole 
genus. Though equally desirable they are totally distinct in character, 
the former being of an upright or erect growing nature, whilst tbe latter 
is of a drooping or pendulous habit. B. empetrifolia is also a very 
useful species. This is of a dwarf growing nature, seldom attaining 
more than 1^ to 2 feet in height. It is adapted for planting on rock- 
work or in the alpine garden. B. aquifolium and B. repens are also 
extensively grown here, being especially valuable on account of their 
early flowering nature.—G. Parrant, Ashby Lodge Gardens, Rugby. 
A VISIT TO STUDLEY ROYAL. 
A VISIT to Yorkshire and the baronial mansions it contains is always 
interesting historically, and to all horticulturists there is something 
instructive and worthy of record. Such was the case I had the pleasure 
of experiencing recently when I was present with the members of tbe 
South Shields and Westoe Burial Board, at the invitation of the Chair¬ 
man, J. Muir Smith, Esq. 
The place selected was Studley Royal, the country residence of the 
Marquis of Ripon. We first visited Fountains Abbey, which, perhaps, 
contains some of the finest forest trees in the northern counties, and for 
