458 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 8, 1893. 
- Gabdening and Local Industries in Ireland. — Dr. 
Boeddicker sends us the schedule of a Show to be held at Parsonstown 
on August 17th, which indicates that considerable interest is taken in 
the furtherance of gardening, bee-keeping, and other useful occupations 
in the district. The Earl of Eosse is President of the Parsonstown 
Society, and Dr. Boeddicker one of the Honorary Secretaries. 
- Kingston and District Gardeners’ Association.— This 
young Society continues to meet monthly during the summer, as it 
was feared that entire cessation would be harmful. On Tuesday last 
Mr. Tibbie, a member, read an interesting paper on “ The Tomato,’’ 
descriptive of his method of culture. The free use of the syringe by 
him elicited some surprise amongst the members, and this point, with 
several others, was freely discussed by Messrs. Hawkes (Chairman), 
Cushon, Henbest, Peed, Martin, Dean, and others. With respect to 
flavour in varieties, much difference of opinion cropping up, it was 
agreed that somewhen towards the autumn an opportunity to taste the 
numerous sorts grown by the members should be offered, as likely to 
create much interest. 
- Variegated Pelargoniums. —It was recently remarked that 
the various golden tricolor Pelargoniums are once more coming into 
favour for bedding purposes. That is equally true of the golden and 
bronze Zonal forms, the very best of which seems still to be Marshal 
McMahon ; no doubt the finest zoned yellow leaf variety ever raised. 
Next that comes Black Douglas. It will not be a matter for surprise to 
find raisers once more devoting their attention to these forms. Then 
there is always a demand for the very effective old Crystal Palace 
Gem, the best of the golden zoneless section. No variety of its colour 
has ever excelled it, perhaps never will. As to the silver variegated 
forms, Flower of Spring continues to be the best perhaps, but should 
not be allowed to flower if the foliage be especially needed to produce a 
pleasing effect.—D. 
-An Excellent Forcing Strawberry. —Lucas, an old 
and comparatively little known variety as adapted for forcing, was 
recommended to Mr. Beddard, head gardener at Stoneleigh Abbey, by 
another gardener as a first-class forcer, and he has grown a good number 
this season. The fruit is of large size compared with forced kinds 
generally, firm, not at all subject to mildew, of good colour, and of a 
sweet rich flavour. Compared with other sorts under the same treat¬ 
ment the flavour is very superior to that of Sir Joseph Paxton, which 
at Stoneleigh is subject to mildew. La Gros Sucr6e, Waterloo, and others 
forced here. It stands so high in Mr. Beddard’s estimation as to be used 
largely another season, and out of doors it is a very good cropper. 
Large consignments of fruit are sent from Stoneleigh Abbey to Lord 
Leigh’s London house, so that a Strawberry with the good travelling 
qualities of Lucas is a boon, and its most pleasant flavour when forced 
considerably enhances its merits. Out of doors the Strawberry crop is 
good. Noble is the earliest, and Waterloo and Eleanor will be the latest. 
The Eiver Avon has a broad stretch at the foot of the sloping pleasure 
grounds close to the kitchen gardens.—W, D. 
- Protection op Plants. —It is known that certain plant stuffs 
(alkaloids, tannin, oxalic acid, &c.) protect plants from attack by 
animals. This function, in the case of oxalic acid, says Nature, has been 
recently studied by Herr,Giessler (Je«awu7te Zuits), taking species of 
Rumex, Oxalis, and Begonia. The acid mostly occurs in the epidermis 
and peripheral tissues of the vegetative organs ; parts underground have 
little or none. The leaves show most, but the acid may be found in the 
stem and the leaf and flower stalks. Curiously, it does not, like other 
protective matters, appear in young organs. The older and more sappy 
the tissues the more oxalic acid do they contain. Snails, which avoided 
those plants in the natural state, ate them when the oxalic acid had 
been precipitated. The substitution of various means of protection for 
one another was elucidated by Stahl; plants not protected mechanically 
have chemical protection and vice versa. In the plants studied by Herr 
Giessler mechanical protection is deficient. Further, in organs that have 
little or no oxalic acid is found tannin. These two “ vicariate ” with 
each other also in different species of a genus. In many tissues both 
occur together. The protective function of a secretion, lastly, does not 
exclude other functions. Thus, regarding the epidermis as a water 
reservoir, the osmotically very active organic acids doubtless play an 
important part in the filling of the cells with water. The occurrence of 
Begonia and Oxalis species in very dry places, as also the deficiency in 
means of protection against transpiration, more pronounced the higher 
the quantity of acid, put this function of oxalic acid in a still clearer 
light. 
- Application of Artificial Manures, — Messrs. H. and 
E. Albert, 17, Gracechurch Street, E C., send us Professor Paul 
Wagner’s pamphlet on the above subject. It contains much valuable 
information, and is illustrated by striking photographic illustrations. 
The Professor bears effective testimony to Albert’s concentrated horti¬ 
cultural manure, now being advertised, as he may well do, seeing that 
it is guaranteed to contain 14 to 16 per cent, of phosphoric acid, 20 per 
cent, potash, and 17 per cent, nitrogen, which are undoubtedly the most 
potent elements in the food of plants and crops. 
- Weather at Swanmore, —Writing from Swanmore Gardens,. 
Mr. E. Molyneux observes :—" Since my last note on the weather 
appeared in the Journal (May 11th), we have had agreeable rains, a 
total of 0 73 inch falling in five days, beginning May 16th. Since that 
we have experienced fifteen consecutive dry days, the spell being broken 
by a slight shower (0'12 inch) to-day (5th), making a total for the year 
of 6 97 inches—a small quantity. I never saw the soil in so dry a state 
as at the present time ; not a particle of moisture is to be found for at 
least 2 feet deep. In the valleys around here a sharp frost was experienced 
on the morning of June 1st. The Potatoes suffered considerably in 
nearly all low-lying gardens. Here the thermometer did not descend 
below 40°.” 
- The Weather Last Month. —May was very dry, with the 
exception of six days (15th to 20th), the total rainfall being 167 inch 
below the average for the month. It was not so hot as April. The wind 
was in a northerly direction twenty-one days ; we had thunder on four 
days, but no heavy storms. Barometer : highest, 30 50 at 9 A.M, on 6th ; 
lowest, 29'52 at 10 30 P.M. on 17th. Total rainfall 0’76 inch, which fell 
on ten days, the greatest daily fall being 0 46 inch on 17th. Tempera¬ 
ture ; highest in shade, 75° on 4th ; lowest, 33° on 7th ; lowest on grass, 
23° on 7th. Mean daily maximum, 66‘38°; mean daily minimum, 44'13°; 
mean temperature of the month, 55 25°; mean grass minimum, 37'96°, 
The garden spring ran 20 gallons per minute on 3l3t. Grass and corn 
are wanting rain very much, but Wheat looks well in many places 
where the land is in good order. We hoped the drought was at an end 
with the shower on the 17th ; but it has since been as bad as before.— 
W. H, Divers, The Gardens, Ketton Hall, Stamford. 
- The Weather in Hertfordshire. —Mr, E. Wallis, The 
Gardens, Hamels Park, Buntingford, Herts, writes :—The weather during 
the past month has been exceptionally bright ; not one full dull day. 
Some sharp frosts have been registered, but fortunately they have not 
done much damage, owing to the very dry atmosphere. Rain fell on 
seven days during the month. Maximum in any twenty-four hours was 
0 55, on the 29th ; minimum in any twenty-four hours was 0’02, on 
the 19th. Total during the month, 1'21, against 1'37 of 1892. In 
spite of the dry spring, the rainfall has been higher this spring than 
that of 1892. By the end of May last year I had registered 6-15 of 
rainfall; by end of May, 1893, I have registered 6'24. Red spider 
and caterpillar threatened to become very prevalent, but by using 
London purple the caterpillar was easily destroyed, and employing 
petroleum and softsoap red spider has been held in check. 
- Strawberry Trains in America. —In this country, during 
the fruit season, it is no uncommon thing to see truckloads of hampers 
of Strawberries, but we do not appear to have such facilities for transit 
as they have “ on the other side.” It is stated that it is possible, “ by 
means of rapid transit, to extend the fruit season of any particular 
centre to four or six times the normal length. Strawberries first make 
their appearance in large quantities at Chicago in January, brought 
in fast express trains from Florida. Then as the Florida beds become 
exhausted, Louisiana fruit comes into the market, bringing the year up 
to the first part of March ; Alabama next, a little nearer north, follows ; 
while Mississippi brings the supply which carries the people over to 
the opening of the Illinois Strawberry season. Towards the end of May 
over twenty carloads of Strawberries, or 420,000 quarts, arrived in 
Chicago every day, and now the supply is doubled. In the height of the 
season, exclusive Strawberry trains are run from Cairo in the southern 
part of the State, stopping only to pick up loaded cars. Often these 
‘ specials ’ will oonsis: of thirty railway carriages, each carriage loaded 
with 450 crates of Strawberries, the entire train bringing into Chicago 
when fully loaded, 324,000 quarts. The scene presented at the Union 
Railway Station on the arrival of a ‘ Strawberry express ’ is unique and 
very interesting. Two hundred and fifty express waggons are drawn up 
on both sides of the railway line, while five minutes after the train has 
come to a standstill a small army of 800 or 1000 men are busy unloading 
the fruit, only gathered a few hours before.” 
