December 1, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
477 
here from established bulb”. ix is larger than the other white 
species here and longer flowers of good substance and colour. 
The OBtsr segments are prettily streaked with deep purple, and the 
beauty of the flower when open is greatly enhanced by its black 
anthers, and the fine wire-like, deep coloured stigmas. The leaves 
appear before the flowers. I regret that I have no record of 
this species, and it is unfortunate that we seem to have no 
full synopsis of the genus with the exception of Mr. Maw’s 
Monograph, which is so expensive as to place it beyond the reach 
of the majority. 
Several other species and varieties of various colours would 
claim notice, but I must conclude with an allusion to the yellow 
autumn-flowering species. A good hardy yellow autumn Crocus is 
much to be desired, as it would be a welcome contrast to the other 
varieties and to the Colchicums, which have the drawback of being 
deficient in range of colouring. We have, it is true, the yellow 
C. Scharojani, introduced from the Caucasus in 1869. I have 
this Crocus, which is only in bud at present. Besides its first cod, 
which is still rather considerable, it is to be feared that it is an 
unsatisfactory grower and floweret’. This is the general report, 
and I cannot controvert it, as I have had mine too short a time to 
venture an opinion of my own. I observe, however, that Herr 
Max Leichtlin of Baden-Baden has a new yellow autumn Crocus, 
which he says is a much better one than C. Scharojani. If so, it 
will be worth its weight in gold, not only metaphorically but 
literally, for these new Croci, such as C. Aitchisoni, are introduced 
at high prices as the supply is at first limited. 
I have before now called attention to these autumn Crocuses, 
and do so again, feeling assured that they are of the utmost value 
in the hardy flower garden. They have a greater range of colour, 
are more refined in their appearance, and are more attractive than 
the Colchicums or Meadow Saffrons, and should find a place in 
every rockery or border of hardy flowers. Given a place and 
sheltered from storms of wind and rain by handlights or cloches 
they will give much real pleasure to the growers.—S. Arnott. 
NOTES FROM WORCESTERSHIRE. 
Fruit Drying. 
I am always pleased to read anything in reference to fruit 
preservation in the Journal of Horticulture, and hope it will be 
kept to the front, as it is sure to be a great feature before many 
years have passed. I suggested it as a subject for the technical 
education grant, but it has not been carried out. Great loss is 
sustained by not having a proper market in country places to dis¬ 
pose of surplus fruit. It is hard to see fine fruit, even Green 
'Gage Plums from wall trees, rotting for want of a near market. 
It is over thirty years since I saw the dried Apples being sold in 
Canada at most grocers’ shops, so that we are altogether behind 
America in taking up this evaporating process, which must come to 
the front ere long. 
The Winter Moth. 
These made their first appearance with me on October 30th, the 
males a few nights before the females. They may now be seen in 
pairs on the trunks of trees by the aid of a lantern. There is a 
point in their life history that I have hitherto been unable to 
prove to my satisfaction—viz., their flying in pairs, and thus 
escaping the grease bands. For three or four seasons I have 
watched for this generally accepted idea, and although I have tried 
my utmost I cannot prove it by noticing thousands of pairs at rest. 
On being disturbed at this stage they invariably fall to the ground ; 
but in no case does a male fall if alone, provided the wings are 
properly developed, which is not always the case. 
I have also examined, as far as sight is capable, thousands of 
males on the wing in the dusk, and after dark, without being able 
to find a female being carried in flight. I am not prejudiced 
against the idea, but cannot prove it. There appears to be a slight 
increase of moths compared with last winter. 
Bullfinches. 
It would be interesting, if it could be ascertained on reliable 
authority, to know whether we get a quantity of these birds some 
seasons by migration from the Continent. Last year was an exception¬ 
ally scarce year, and no damage worth mention was done to my fruit 
buds in spring. This autumn there appears to be an unusual 
number come from somewhere. Last week about a dozen were 
taken in trap cages in my garden. A gentleman well known 
throughout Worcestershire writes me :—“We have suffered much 
from bullfinches here, and are likely to suffer more if we do not 
take action, for they are very plentiful this year.” 
For the next six weeks these birds are as easily caught as robins. 
I have so often, in the Journal , advocated catching, instead of 
shooting the birds and damaging fruit trees, that it is scarcely 
worth repeating and giving instructions ; but there are always some 
fresh readers, which must be my excuse for referring to this 
matter this season. —J. Hiam. 
A NEW SILVER-LEAVED ELDER. 
Variegated foliaged shrubs form a striking feature in pleasure 
grounds when judiciously planted, but to insure the best results 
discretion must be brought to bear upon their use. Still, they afford 
relief to the sombre appearance of evergreens during the summer 
months, and none more so than the golden and silver-leaved Elders 
Among the latter that shown in the accompanying illustration (fig. 63) 
will perhaps take a leading place. This was exhibited at a meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society on September 20th of this year by Mr. 
E. Gibbs, gardener to Miss Alice de Rothschild, Eythrope, Aylesbury, 
and was accorded an award of merit. The leaves are comparatively 
small, those matured spotted with green, the young foliage being almost 
white. It is said to be a sport, and judging from the shoots shown at 
the meeting alluded to a well grown bush would form a pleasing con¬ 
trast to dark-leaved or evergreen shrubs. 
TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS. 
We have close on 40,000 square feet of glass devoted to Toma¬ 
toes, and by adopting the advice frequently given in the Journal — 
viz., giving fresh air with a dry warm atmosphere, we have no 
disease worth mentioning, and not a single white fly is to be seen. 
We have had particularly good crops from soil that has previously 
grown two and three crops of Tomatoes. Our soil, though rather 
poor and shallow, is of good quality. Too many still attempt to 
grow Tomatoes in rich and loose soil, digging in quantities of 
farmyard manure. This we never do, and we use it only as a 
mulch on the border. We fork in, and give several times throughout 
