March 14,1S85. 
• JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
227 
- Cape Fruit. —K.M.S. “Scot” arrived at Southampton with 
726 boxes of fruit, consisting of Grapes, Tomatoes, Apples, Pears, Chilies, 
aad Gooseberries. 
- Isle op Wight Horticultural Improvement Associa¬ 
tion.— Dr. Groves, J.P., presided at the last monthly meeting of this 
Society, when Mr. Barkham read a paper on “ The General Cultivation 
of the Vine,” and which proved to be most interesting and instructive. 
- The National Dahlia Society held its annual meeting at 
the Hotel Windsor on the 7th inst., B. Mawley, Esq., in the chair. 
Among other business transacted, the meeting, in consequence of the 
small balance in hand—8s. 6d.—decided to reduce the prizes in several 
classes to the extent of about £10. 
- Royal Meteorological Society.—A t the ordinary meeting 
of this Society, to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on 
Wednesday, the 20th inst., at 7.30 P.M., a lecture will be given by Mr. 
W. N. Shaw, F.R.S., on “ The Motion of Clouds Considered with Reference 
to their Mode of Formation,” which will be illustrated by experiments. 
- Cucumbers Damping.— Observations indicate that this aflEec- 
tion is caused by the fungus Pythium De Baryanum, Hesse, which is 
known to produce the same effect in Europe on the assumption that this 
fungus is the cause of the trouble. Plants affected should be at once 
removed, with the soil immediately surrounding them, and burned. If 
this is done as soon as the seedling falls the trouble can be held in check, 
since the fungus will be destroyed before its productive organs have 
developed. 
-A Locust Plague. —In about two days the Indian corn in 
the Usambara country was devastated by locusts, and a missionary at 
Magila states that there is not an undeveured corn field within thirty 
miles of his residence, and unless help is forthcoming from England 
the Boudei people will die of starvation, for the Imgiva root crop is 
exhausted and the Cassava will not be ready for several months. The 
rice at the mission stations at Magila and Hologwe has prevented the 
starvation of many, but it cannot last long, and many deaths are 
inevitable. The missions have never previously experienced such a 
scarcity of food. 
Analysis op the Tulip. —Mr. Edmund Tonks obliges with 
the following information in reply to “ W. J. P.” (page 196) Dr. Emil 
Wolff, in his Aschen Analysen (Berlin, 1871), gives us the analysis of 
Tulipa Gesneriana, which is the parent of the larger proportion of 
cultivated Tulips Potash, as KO, 34-90 ; soda, as NaO, 1 02 ; lime, as 
CaO, 20-85 ; magnesia, as MgO, 10-76 ; iron, as Fe 203 ,1-13 ; phosphorus, 
as POs, 8 06 ; sulphur, as SO 3 , 3-36 ; silicon, as Si 02 , 8-51 ; chlorine, as 
Cl, 1-17. This indicates that a soil in which Tulips are to be cultivated 
successfully should contain suflScient potash, lime, magnesia, phosphorus, 
and sand, and some of these may have to be supplied artificially. Most 
soils contain sufficient of the other ingredients. 
- The Effects op Light on Plants.—P rofessor Wollny 
states that yellow light has the greatest power of producing organic 
substances in plants ; red comes next in power, while blue has a 
remarkably prejudicial effect on the development of the reproductive 
organs. It is, therefore, clear that the rays which take the least part in 
metabolism are the most refrangible rays. As the result of another 
series of experiments, Mons. Villon has just found that the Vine pro¬ 
duces a greater weight of Grapes when grown behind glass coloured red 
violet by manganese, which absorbs the yellow and brown rays. 
Flowers are also favourably influenced by the same colour, which is, 
moreover, advantageous to the growth of bacteria, yeast, and silkworms. 
-Plants for the Back Walls of Vineries.—I have to 
thank Mr. W. J. Murphy for his timely note (page 206), in which he 
supplements my remarks concerning plants useful for the above 
purpose. I have tried neither of the three varieties of Tea Roses he 
especially recommends. Marechal Niel I have had a good deal of 
experience with on vinery walls, but never found it quite satisfactory, 
as the flowers produced under such conditions were wanting in colour 
and substance. Climbing Niphetos and Safrano succeed fairly well, 
especially if planted near the ends of a house where they receive extra 
light; but one great objection to all kinds of Roses when growing on 
vinery walls is that at certain seasons they are so subject to green fly. 
There is now such great demand for Smilax, Asparagus, and Lygodium 
scandens, that I think for home use or commercial purposes the majority 
of gardeners will find them more useful or profitable for vinery back 
walls than even Roses.—W. C. 
- Cantor Lectures. — A series of Cantor Lectures on Com¬ 
mercial Fibres will commence before the Society of Arts, John Street, 
Adelphi, W.C., by Dr. D. Morris, M.A., C.M.G., on Monday next at 8 P.M. 
The subsequent lectures will be on March 25th and April 1st. 
- We learn that Mr. William Scrymgeour of Shrubland Park, 
near Ipswich, forester to Lord de Saumarez, and late forester to Sir 
Herbert Maxwell, M.P., has been appointed a Government forester in 
the Forest of Dean, and will commence his duties there in the beginning 
of March. 
- Messrs. Wrinch & Sons, St. Lawrence Works, Ipswich, who 
are advertisers in our columns, desire to announce that the two ranges 
of greenhouses they are building for Her Majesty the Queen for the 
Royal Gardens at Osborne are now erected at their Works (Portman 
Road), and will be on view on Thursday and Friday next, the 14th and 
15th inst., between the hours of ten and one in the morning and three 
and five o’clock in the afternoon. 
- The Weather in the Scilly Islands.—G rowers in these 
islands have experienced heavy losses from the long-continued frost, 
and at the beginning of the month, when the fields should have been 
spangled by the white and golden flowers of the Narcissi, and all have 
been bustle at St. Mary’s, the fields presented a bare or blackened ap¬ 
pearance. In consequence, the steamer which runs between Scilly and 
the mainland has had very light cargoes, and in some instances farmers 
have had to reduce their staff of workmen. 
- British Lkpidoptera. —The remarkable collection of British 
Lepidoptera formed by the late Mr. William Machin, was sold recently 
by Mr. Stevens of King Street, Covent Garden. High prices were paid 
for the majority of the specimens. An Iris, with yellow under wings 
and the white stripe at a more oblique angle than usual, fetched £3 53. 
Six specimens of Dispar brought prices varying from £5 5s. to £2 each; 
Two pairs of Acis were sold for £4 lOs. ; a lot of Trifoli for £3 10s., 
while four pairs of Illicifolia made altogether £13 33. A set of speci¬ 
mens of Subrosea, seven in number, fetched as much as £18. 
- Dundee Horticultural Association.—A t the Technical 
Institute, Dundee, on the 5th inst., Mr. A. Innes, Coupar Angus, read 
an instructive paper entitled “ A Melon House and a Few Frames.” 
He gave structural details of a Melon house, and followed with the 
culture of the Melon. He also remarked on the various uses the 
house could be put to when the Melons are not occupying it. He also 
gave, in a concise manner, the culture of double and single-flowered 
Violets in cold frames. A long discussion followed, and a vote of 
thanks to the Chairman and the essayist were given. 
- Spraying Garden Trees.— In many suburban homes there 
are only a very few trees, but these need spraying just as much as the 
trees in big orchards. The question is how to do it most cheaply and 
conveniently. It may not pay to buy expensive pumps and fixings for 
these small operations. To owners of garden fruit trees who have command 
of water under pressure a writer in the “ New York Tribune ” suggests 
the following method :—Introduce the spraying mixture by means of a 
funnel into the ordinary garden hose, filling up the section or sections ; 
attach hose to the supply pipe ,- adjust the sprayer (generally in use on 
garden hose) so that the tree is reached throughout, and on turning on 
the water the spraying solution will be driven steadily out and will be 
quite under control. When the spray begins to come clear it should of 
course be turned off at once. 
- Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ Association.—“F oliage 
Plants and Their Culture ” was the title of a paper read at the meeting 
of this Society, on Wednesday, March 6th, by Mr. G. Camp, gardener 
to Mr. E. Byrom, J.P., of Culver, near Exeter. Mr. Camp treated his 
subject in an interesting and discriminating manner. Confining 
himself to exotic foliage plants, he gave particulars and hints for 
culture of a long list, including the Crotons, Dracaenas, Caladiums, 
Anthuriums, Maiautas, Ananassa, foliage Begonias, Cissus, Palms, 
Pitcher plants. Side-saddle plants, and greenhouse foliage plants. A 
very interesting discussion followed the lecture, which was illustrated 
by some finely grown specimens of the plants of which the lecturer 
treated. A vote of thanks was heartily accorded the Chairman 
(Mr. Hy. Webber), and the reader of the paper. Mr. Hope, Hon. 
Secretary, announci^d that the Spring Show would be held on the 
20th inst. On account of the backward season some Hyacinths and 
Tulips are a little late, and Mr. Hope asked members to help the Show 
Committee by sending in contributions of plants for the tables. 
