June 8, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
457 
- Sunflowers in Hospitals. — A correspondent writes to a 
Cornwall paper :—“ If there were large numbers of Sunflowers in pots 
in all hospitals, they would do great good, absorb the impure air, and 
give out what would be beneflcial, and it would be a great improve¬ 
ment if plants instead of cut blooms were sent to them. If the water 
is often changed the flowers will last fresh much longer.” 
- Destroying Crickets.— I successfully capture crickets by 
placing jam jars half filled with beer near where I know the pests 
abound. I simply sink the jars to the rim, and examine and take out 
the dead crickets every morning. Woodlice, too, are caught very easily 
in this way. It is no uncommon occurrence for a cluster of Grapes 
to form at the extreme point of a shoot ; I always take them off.— 
J. Hinton. 
- Early Potatoes in Scotland.—A northern correspondent, 
writing under date. May 30th, says ;—“ Bute Potatoes will be in the 
market about three weeks earlier this year than usual. Those grown 
on the farm of Langalchorad, Kingarth (Mr. Hugh Duncan’s), are gene¬ 
rally first, and yesterday (29th ult.) several parcels, the first lifted in 
the island this year, were brought into Rothesay. They are quite ready 
for use, and are remarkable for size and appearance at such an early 
period of the season.” 
- The Total Rainfall at Abbots Leigh, Haywards 
Heath, Sussex, for May was 0'67 inch, 1‘28 inch below the average. 
The heaviest fall was 0'30 inch, on the 17th. Rain fell on seven days. 
The maximum temperature was 80°, on the 15th; the minimum 37°, 
on the 1st and 31st. Mean maximum, 68‘4°; mean minimum, 45-2°. 
Mean temperature, 56'8°, about the average. The rain here has not 
been sufficient to do much real good, followed, as it has been, with 
bright sunshine and drying northerly winds.—R. I. 
- Echeveria Peacocki.—T his succulent, one of the most 
striking for carpet bedding, is very largely employed at Hampton 
Court. It seems to be a very difficult variety to winter, as it is so 
susceptible to damp. For that reason it is found best to keep all the 
plants in small pots singly, keeping the soil somewhat dry, and standing 
them on upper shelves in the greenhouses. Once damp seizes upon the 
plants it is difficult to save them. It does not seem possible to obtain 
seed, but propagation is carried on by pulling off the lower and partially 
decayed leaves from the older plants, and laying them upon sand, where 
being gently damped and shaded they presently make root and growth. 
When the plants reach some four to five years old they are beheaded, 
the crowns rooted as cuttings, and if the stems break into growth the 
side shoots are also utilised as cuttings. It is only by the exercise of 
constant care and attention in the direction of propagation that a good 
stock is maintained.—A. D. 
- Birmingham Amateur Gardeners’ Association.—A large 
party of members and friends made up an excursion party on the 
3rd inst. to Stoneleigh Abbey and Kenilworth, first visiting Mr. 
Henry Whateley’s extensive market-growing establishment. The party 
then visited Stoneleigh Abbey Gardens, under the guidance of Mr. 
Biddard, the crops of Grapes, including two houses of Muscats ; 
a large quantity of forced Strawberries, the old variety Lucas 
especially fine and high flavoured ; and the extent and well- 
kept and cropped gardens being greatly admired. Hardy fruits are 
extensively cultivated here, and there are many well managed wall 
trees. There are fair crops, but the caterpillar is a trouble in the 
kitchen gardens, and in the woods a large number of trees and the Hazel 
bushes are almost stripped of foliage. 
- Cucumbers, TomxVtoes, and Mushrooms.—K enilworth has 
a great reputation for Strawberries, many tons being sent avay to the 
different markets, and it is also gaining a celebrity for other market 
crops. Mr. Henry Whateley, Spring Gardens, had for a few years twenty 
houses in two blocks of ten each, each house 120 feet long, in use for 
Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Mushrooms, and a twelvemonth since he 
completed another block of ten houses, each 210 feet long, and these are 
all, with one exception,, cropped with Cucumbers and Tomatoes, the 
latter a selected Old Red chiefly. There are grand crops in the various 
houses, an average of two tons being sent away weekly. The one house 
alluded to was planted with young Vines in May, 1892, and are making 
great headway, being very strong and many of them bearing fruit. Mush¬ 
room beds out of doors as laid down in Mr. Wright’s book on Mushroom 
culture, are plentiful and cropping heavily, with only some straw litter 
thrown over them, showing how easy a thing outdoor culture is under 
proper conditions.—W. D. 
- Insects and Fruit Trees. —Red spider has appeared, but 
I overcame it with a timely application of black soap and hellebore in 
two applications, but fear its effect was lost on caterpillars, which are 
a plague. The sparrows have, however, taken them in great numbers. 
The black aphis has invaded many bushes. Spraying with insecticides, 
and nipping the points off the growths are the best methods to prevent 
a loss of crop.—W. T. 
- Popular Bedding. —In spite of the efforts made to minimise 
carpet bedding yet does it seem to be as popular as ever with the masses, 
who are loud in their expressions of admiration for the beauty of many 
of the designs and the skill with which they are worked out. There 
seem to be three forms of bedding just now competing for popularity, 
but perhaps all the more pleasing when seen in juxtaposition for contrast 
—carpet beds, mixed beds, where a score of diverse plants are somewhat, 
close together, forming a pleasing irregular mass, and Begonia beds, 
which are filled thinly, each plant standing well apart, the soil 
being surfaced with some spreading carpet plants. It is well that we 
have these styles and each one has admirers. Few, however, seem 
to be more attractive as well as simple than are the Begonia beds. 
—A. D. 
- A Variegated Oak Sport. — When 1 was recently in the 
Royal Gardens, Kew, I observed high up on one of the branches of a 
large Turkey Oak a remarkable outbreak of small shoots from one 
place only, all clothed with leafage of a pale creamy tint. As the 
growth for so abnormal a form of leafage is fairly robust it seems as if 
the sport could be worked on to young stems, and in that way be 
perpetuated. I do not know whether any such experiment has been 
tried at Kew, but it seems to be worth attempting. It is not that 
creamy foliage of hardy trees is specially beautiful or effective, but 
at least the perpetuation of a sport of that description might have 
some value from a purely scientific aspect. How interesting it would 
be were a post-mortem examination of the branch possible, and the 
cause of this abnormal absence of green colouration in the leafage fully 
demonstrated.— Visitor. 
- The Late Mr. Samuel Barlow. —Not mentioned in your 
notes respecting this excellent and deeply regretted florist, most certainly 
not intentionally, was his famous act in growing the finest dish of Apples 
ever seen, and which formed so striking an object in the Guildhall Fruit 
Show and afterwards in the fruit present made to the Queen from the 
Exhibition by the Fruiterers’ Company. Mr. Barlow’s superb Peasgood’s 
Nonesuch excited the wonder and admiration of all who saw them. 
Yet were they but illustrative of all horticulturally that he did, for he 
would have all things done well, and shown well. It was not very often 
we saw him south ; he occasionally attended the Shows of the Auricula 
Society, and those not lately. When he did come he rarely failed to 
bring something good with him. It was far less his ambition to take 
prizes than to have the best things, because he believed in quality, and 
that of the finest cultivation could produce.—A. 
- Summer Beverages. —Mr. A. W. Duncan, F.C.S , writes as 
follows in “ The Vegetarian Messenger : ”—“ Fruit flavourings, such as 
Pear, Apple, Pine Apple, Strawberry, and Raspberry, have rarely had 
their origin in fruits. They are preparations of various ethers and 
alcohols. When used in very small quantities, so as to give only a 
slight flavour, the best of them are probably of no sensible injury; 
but aerated drinks, and even sweets, often contain a very objection¬ 
able amount. Some of the cheap temperance drinks sold at wayside 
houses are injurious ; they sometimes produce a fulness and throbbing 
in the head. Fruit cordials consist nearly always of solutions of 
sugar, with artificial fruit essence, and a little citric or other acid. 
The best drink for quenching thirst, other than pure water, is Lime 
or Lemon juice. Simple aiirated waters, containing nothing but a 
little sugar, citric acid, and a small quantity of Ginger or Lemon 
essence, are not to be condemned if they are of good manufacture. 
We are compelled to pay a high price for these at most hotels, and 
ought to receive a pure article ; but it is a very common thing for 
hotel keepers to pay a very low price to the manufacturers. Many 
manufacturers, for the sake of a slight saving in cost, substitute 
hydrochloric acid for some of the proper fruit acid (citric or tartaric) 
in their drinks, and they give as a reason for the deterioration the 
competition and cutting of prices. Some of the so-called ‘ unfermented 
Grape juices,’ as sold in bottles, are not as innocent as they profess 
to be. The temperance drinks, as they are generally termed—the fruit 
cordials and non-intoxicating beers—are but little used by vegetarians 
and teetotalers.” 
