480 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 30,1895. 
mixtures, which, after all, merely mean the powder submerged — a 
houillahaisse —the nasty mess. I use the Malbec bellows, which no 
garden should be destitute of, for greenhouses and wall work, though I 
can more expeditiously go over my Potato breadths by using a horse’s 
baiting sieve, with an extra addition directly lying on the wicker¬ 
work mesh, namely, a piece of perforated zinc or coarse muslin. Fasten 
a forked stick under the sieve, allowing sufficient length to serve as a 
handle. Suspend the sieve by the aid of this handle over the Potato 
foliage, walk rapidly, or run if so inclined, and keep tapping the rim 
or side of the sieve with a short piece of stick. An impalpable even 
smother of the powder will become deposited on the surface of the 
leaves to defy all microbes, and it at once can be decided whether the 
bellows or the sieve is to win. At any rate, I never rode post for a 
patent, so there you are. 
Well, our Editors, that is my text. No doubt if I live the sermon 
will follow, which I trust may prove effective ; and so, to make a 
beginning, I will firstly say a paragraph for yourself—and the philosopher. 
It may not perhaps be an unmixed blessing that I have not been 
enabled to cause the bending ot the printers’ backs in Fleet Street till 
now, when this subject will be less likely to be cast aside, and be 
more likely to be read, as the Murphies are approaching their nervous 
state of greenery. Let your readers know also that they need not 
fear about the “sticking” properties of the anti-blight powder. It 
will do so without the aid of softsoap or other nostrums, which I see 
are theoretically, as advice, creeping in. I have undertaken the Berk- 
■shire part of the plan of experiments with manures for Potatoes for 
the University Extension College, Beading, Agricultural Department, 
80 what with this and the anti-blight experiments, which I propose to 
adhere to, I think I shall be enabled to afford you and the philosopher 
a lively quarter of an hour, should you elect to come and “ sit under 
me” by-and-by.— Kobt. Fenn. 
The American Chrysanthemum Annual. 
This work, which is far more pretentious than the N.C.S. Year 
Book, has just been published. It is edited by Mr. Michael Barker of 
the Horticultural Department, Cornell University. It is admirably 
printed, and contains excellent portraits of celebrated American 
growers of blooms and new seedlings, but the pen and ink reproductions 
do not do them justice. It also contains illustrated articles on diseases 
of Chrysanthemums. Papers on historical and cultural matters are 
included by writers of acknowledged ability from all parts of the world. 
England is represented by Mr. C. E. Shea, who discourses on the past 
season; by Mr. Shoesmith, who tells of the cultivation of American 
varieties in England; and by Mr. Harman Payne, who at some length 
acquaints the American reader with the origin, rise, and growth of 
the English National Chrysanthemum Society, from the earliest times 
to the present. A portrait of Mr. John Thorpe appears as the frontis¬ 
piece, and there are other eminent growers given, including the officers 
of the American N.C.S. The book is published by the Mayflower 
Publishing Co., Floral Park, N.Y. 
The Imperial Chrysanthemum Show. 
In the “ Pall Mall Magazine ” for the present month is an article 
entitled “The Imperial Family of Japan.” This article is illustrated 
with portraits of the reigning family, their crests, &c., and contains a 
reference to the annual Chrysanthemum show in the Emperor’s gardens, 
upon which a few remarks may be interesting to horticultural readers. 
The writer in the “Pall Mall Magazine” says:—“Every autumn 
the Emperor gives a birthday ball, and a few days later a Chrys¬ 
anthemum garden party. It was my good fortune to be present at both 
these gatherings in 1892. The invitations to the ball and garden party 
were in French, engraved on a large Chrysanthemum-bordered card.” 
As I happen to have a card of invitation to the Emperor’s Chrys¬ 
anthemum party, which was sent to me by a friend in Japan some five 
or six years ago, and who had been present on more than one occasion, 
I was rather surprised to find that the invitation was in French. Pierre 
Loti, the author of “ Madame Chrysantheme ” and “Japoneries d’Automne,” 
gives in the latter work a very full and interesting account of this 
Imperial function, but his record of the ticket of invitation corresponds 
with the one in my possession. 
The ticket is of ivory white, very thick and gilt-edged. It measures 
about 6 inches in length by 8 in width, and has a gilt border of Chrys¬ 
anthemum foliage and flowers placed at regular intervals. Intersecting 
the top of the border is a large gilt figure of the Kiku-mon or Chrys¬ 
anthemum crest, composed of a flattened sixteen-petalled single- 
flowered type. The wording of the invitation is in the Japanese 
character and in perpendicular columns, being read from top to bottom 
and from right to left. 
My friend’s description of the fSte, which was published in the 
columns of a contemporary some time since, agrees substantially with 
that in the “ Pall Mall,” so that little or no alteration in the proceedings 
appears to have taken place. 
It is—or perhaps it would be safer to say that this fSte was—one of 
the very few occasions on which the Empress was seen in public. The 
flowers are wonderful examples of cultural skill, and exhibits of huge 
single-stemmed plants with only one bloom on a plant, and monstrous 
pyramids, with 300 or 400 blooms on a plant, are on view beneath tents 
of purple silk supported by bamboo frames. Invitations are difficult to 
obtain, and the visitor’s presence is accounted equivalent to presentation 
at Court. 
Some of the continental raisers are stated to have procured seed 
from varieties grown in the Imperial gardens, and one variety, named 
M. Foukouba, who occupies the position of Director of these gardens, 
and which was raised from seed emanating from this source, is being 
put into commerce this spring. 
In California there are now Japanese nurserymen engaged in the 
importation of native novelties into the United States, and when we 
consider the commercial enterprise of the inhabitants of the Land of the 
Rising Sun we should not be surprised to find some of them settling down 
in this country, which, in spite of all competition, is the Eldorado of the 
Chrysanthemum raiser.—C. H. P. 
An April Chrysanthemum Show. 
The annual show of the Auckland (New Zealand) Chrysanthemum 
Society took place in the Choral Hall on April 18tb, 19.h, and 20th. 
The show was opened by His Excellency the Earl of Glasgow, who was 
accompanied by Lady Glasgow and a large party from Government 
House. In his opening remarks the Governor referred to the fact that 
the soil and climate of Auckland are specially favourable to the pro¬ 
duction of large and bright flowers, and this opinion was borne out by 
the testimony of one of the members of the Society, who described the 
leading stands in Japanese cut blooms as surpassing what he saw at the 
Crystal Palace and Westminster Aquarium in November last. The 
number of blooms staged was not so great as last year, but there was 
a general consensus of opinion that no such examples had previously 
been seen in Auckland. 
One of the most attractive displays was the dozen stands of six 
blooms of Japanese in one variety. Mr. Handley was first with six 
perfect Sunflowers, Miss Carnott second with Domination, and Mr. Tibbs 
third with V’iviand Morel. Mr. Jones also had a grani six of E. Molyneux. 
The greatest display of all, however, was the six stands in the amateur 
class for twenty-four Japanese. The growers had evidently put all they 
knew into this contest, and the Judges had a very difficult task to settle 
the merits of the lovely stands. Mr. Tibbs was first, Mr. Wells of 
Cambridge second ; and Mr. Tibbs had a second stand highly commended. 
Mr. Tibbs’ twenty-four were the following ;—Back row : Charles Davis, 
Viviand Morel, International, Amos Perry. Mi s D. Shea, Mies A. Harts¬ 
horn, The President, Mrs. C. H. Payne. Middle row : Mdlle. M. Hoste, 
yellow (?), Beauty of Exmouth, John Farwell. Stanstead White, 
Illuminator, The Queen, Harrv Eeay. Front row : W. Seaward, Florence 
Davis, Excelsior, Mrs. J. W. Tibbs (white L. B. Bird), Sunflower, 
L. B. Bird, Col. W. B. Smith, and Charles Sorimpton. Conspicuous 
among Mr. Wells’ flowers were Eda Prass, Duke of York, and E. G. 
Hill. 
The N.C.S. medals were awarded as follows :—Professional, thirty-six 
varieties, Japanese and incurved, T. Whiteley ; twenty-four incurved, 
T, Whiteley ; twenty-four Japanese, D. Hay & Son ; N.C.S. certificate, 
T. Whiteley. Amateur, thirty-six Japanese, incurved, W. Handley; 
twenty-four incurved, T. Wells ; twenty-four Japanese, J. W. Tibbs ; 
N. C.S. certificate, T. Wells. The championship.—Dewe’s challenge cup 
and N.C.S. silver medal were won by J. W. Tibbs, with W. Handley 
and T. Whiteley equal for second place. 
BLACK STRIPE IN TOMATOES. 
I AM exceedingly obliged to Mr. Abbey for his very clear article on 
“ Black Stripe” (page 457, May 23rd), and I hope you will convey my 
thanks to him, and also let me thank you for your remarks. There is 
one point, however, which Mr. Abbey does not touch, and it is perhaps 
the most important from the grower’s point of view, and that is 
“ infection.” Mr. Abbey assigns its origin to diseased seeds. This was 
also the conclusion I was driven to, as I could find no other to account 
for the outbreak ; but it seems also clear to me that infected plants 
infect sound plants. How is this done ? 
Every plant I have examined has had the disease all up the stem, so 
apparently it must have started under the soil. How has the infection 
been conveyed then 1 i have had two supplies ot seeds. No. 1 came 
from three sources, one French and two English. The whole is 
infected, and I have lost quite nine out of every ten plants. No. 2 
came from two sources, both English. They were brought up apart 
from No. 1, being much later. One house of No. 2 has had the 
disease very badly, caught, I believe, from the adjoining house of 
No. 1. This house of No. 2 is the one I referred to in my letter 
to you of the 16th, when I said the disease had affected one side 
but not the other. On the very next day (Friday) I found some 
affected plants on this side, however, and by Monday had turned out 
twenty-seven diseased ones. Since then I have not had another bad 
plant in this house. It really looks as if the disease took some days to 
cross the 15 feet of width, and then attacked every susceptible plant 
simultaneously. Now, how was this infection conveyed to attack the 
plant underground ? 
