336 
journal of horticulture and cottage gardener. 
April 18,1896. 
- Tons of CATEEPiLLAns. — According to a contemporary 
36 tons of caterpillars and a large number of cocoons were destroyed in 
the effort to drive the pest from the young plantations of trees on 
Hongkong Island. They appeared on the Pine trees with which the 
Government is trying to reafforest the island, and lasted for two months. 
Stations were established where the caterpillars were received and 
paid for by weight ; this method seems to have been successful. It is 
estimated that 35,000,000 insects were killed. 
- Wakefield Paxton Society.—A t the weekly meeting of 
this Society, held on April 6th, Mr, W. Tunnicliffe presided, Mr, B. 
Whiteley was in the vice-chair, and there was a good attendance. 
After the election of new members, Mr. J. W. D. McPherson, B.A., one 
of the assistant masters at the Wakefield Grammar School, delivered a 
very lengthy and most interesting lecture on “ Trees.” Mr. McPherson 
spoke for an hour and twenty minates without note or memoranda, and 
his excellent and instructive lecture was most attentively listened to 
and very warmly applauded. He dealt with his subject in a most 
exhaustive and thorough manner. After pointing out the absolute 
necessity of fresh air and sunlight in order that trees may flourish and 
be properly built up, the lecturer dwelt on the importance and value of 
trees from a sanitary point of view. The superstition which prevails 
with regard to the Ash, Oak, Maple, Sycamore, Hawthorn, Mountain Asb^ 
and other forest trees, was dilated on in humorous terms, the lecturer 
remarking that many persons believe that a sprig of Mountain Ash will 
keep witches away. At the close the lecturer was heartily thanked. 
-Medical Action op Vegetables. — The “Family Doctor,’’ 
in the course of an article on the medical value of vegetables, says, 
“ Asparagus is a strong diuretic, and forms part of the cure for rheu¬ 
matic patients at such health resorts as Aix-les-Baius. Sorrel is cooling 
and forms the staple of that sovpe mix lierles which a French lady will 
order for herself after a long and tiring journey. Carrots, as containing 
sugar, are avoided by some people, while others complain of them as 
indigestible. With regard to the latter accusation, it may be remarked 
in passing that it is the yellow core of the Carrot that is difficult of 
digestion—the outer, a red layer, is tender enough. In Savoy the 
peasants have recourse to an infusion of Carrots as a specific for 
jaundice. The large sweet Onion is very rich in those alkaline elements 
which counteract the poison of rheumatic gout. If stewed slowly in 
weak broth and eaten with a little Nepaul pepper, it will be found to be 
an admirable article of diet for patients of studious and sedentary 
habits. The stalks of Cauliflower have the same sort of value, only too 
often the stalk of a Cauliflower is so ill-boiled and unpalatable that 
few persons would thank you for proposing to them to make part of their 
meal consist of so uninviting an article. Turnips, in the same way, are 
often thought to be indigestible and better suited to cows and sheep 
than for delicate people ; but here the fault lies with the cook quite as 
much as with the root. The cook boils the Turnip badly, and then 
pours some butter over it, and the eater of such a dish is sure to be 
the worse for it. Try a better way. What shall be said about our 
Lettuces ? The plant has a slight narcotic action, of which a French 
old woman, like a French doctor, knows the value, and when properly 
cooked is really very easy of digestion.” 
- The Biemingham Gaedenees’ Mutual Impeovement 
Association. —The last of the fortnightly meetings for the spring 
session of this Society was held on the 8th inst,, when the essays on 
“ Hardy Fruit Culture,” and for which prizes in the shape of books on 
horticulture had been offered, were read by the competing young 
gardeners. The essays, of which there were eight, had been previously 
perused by the Committee to adjudicate on for the award of the four prizes 
offered. As on the last occasion, it was decided that each competitor 
should read out his own paper at the meeting, in preference to the whole 
being read by one of the Committee, an arrangement obviously preferable 
to the latter mode, and which had been adopted on one or two prior 
occasions. The first and second prize papers especially evidenced con¬ 
siderable ability on the part of their compilers, as in addition to a suitable 
preface, followed by thoroughly practical cultural details, including a 
selection of varieties of from six to eight kinds of fruit, and the 
gathering and the storing of the crops, they were further characterised 
by the very good composition and distinct sentential arrangement duly 
notified by the adjudicators. A word of praise must also be awarded to 
non-successful competitors for their fairly good compositions, excepting 
perhaps one or two who evinced a certain lack of scholastic tuition, 
which marred their otherwise fairly good efforts. The successful 
competitors were respectively Messrs. F. Milaxis, H. Wilson, F. Cox, 
and “ Fragaria,” the iiom de Flume of the fourth prize man, and whose 
name could not be ascertained at the time. At the same meeting it 
was decided that the annual summer excursion of the members, with 
their wives or other lady friends, should be to Penrhyn Castle and the 
Penrhyn Slate Quarries in North Wales.—G. 
- Vegetables foe New Yoek.—N ew York is supplied with 
vegetables from many sources outside of that produced by the local 
gardeners. Thus about 300 crates of Tomatoes arrived by steamer from 
Nassau in March, also 105 barrels Cabbage from Rotterdam. Bermuda 
Potatoes are arriving in small parcels, but the crop is of poor quality, 
lacking in size and colour. Florida Lettuces and String Beans sell 
fairly well. Virginia truck gardeners recently sent by one steamer 5000 
packages vegetables, mostly Spinach and Kale. 
- Heating Vineeies. —In Mr. Taylor’s admirable article on 
the subject of heating vineries there is one point to which I take 
exception. He says, “ If there are five pipes two should be flows and 
three returns, or vice versa," I do not take exception to this part merely 
on supposition, but from actual practice. In two of our vineries we 
have six rows of 4-inch pipes, five being flows and one a return. Nothing 
could possibly be better than the easy way in which the water circulates 
through all the pipes. The five flows are taken at a right angle from 
the main. Having such a number of outlets for the water is all in 
favour of a quick circulation, the one return pipe being continually 
and regularly fed in carrying the water back to the boiler. In our 
case the water has only to travel once through the house before 
being conveyed back again to the boiler. As Mr. Taylor rightly remarks, 
all flow and return pipes should be fitted with valves. In many 
instances that I am acquainted with valves are not put on the return 
pipes. The consequence is that during the winter, when heat in a 
particular house is not required, the water “ backs up ” through the 
return pipe, and is a source of trouble. In addition to this, if both flow 
and return are fitted with water-tight valves the water is easily main¬ 
tained in the pipes in the case of a breakdown to any part of the 
apparatus.—E. 
- Royal Commission on Ageicultuee. — The following 
evidence was given by Mr. J. K. Woodward, market gardener at 
Evesham, at the last meeting of this Commission :—He stated that 
until September, 1894, he occupied 106 acres as a tenant farmer, but 
he now occupied a market garden of 6 acres, and employed two men. 
The market gardens of Evesham and district extended to nearly 
8000 acres, and were ms inly cultivated as spade industry, all land 
planted with fruit trees and bushes and Asparagus. Most classes of 
land in his district were suitable for market gardening, and there wa» 
a great demand for small holdings for the purpose. The success of a 
market garden, like that of a farm, depended in a measure on the 
industry of the occupier ; the return from a well-cultivated garden was 
very remunerative. Market gardens were usually held on yearly 
tenancies subject to a twelve-months notice to quit by either party. 
A few leases existed for short terms of years—five to seven. There 
were exceptions where they extended to twenty-one years. Owners 
were very loth to grant leases ; they invariably asked a higher rental 
than the yearly tenant pays, and in some cases refuse them altogether. 
He had never seen any clause in an agreement enabling a tenant to 
claim compensation for improvements— ie., for planting fruit trees, 
fruit bushes. Asparagus, and other crops. Artisan gardeners were not 
generally informed on their taking a farm that if they planted fruit 
trees, they would do so at their own risk ; but they were protected to 
some extent by the custom of the country. The rents of market 
gardens had not been reduced, and there was no depression amongst 
market gardeners. Very little market garden land was let at less than 
£3 per acre, rents of £5 to £7 per acre were not uncommon, and some 
land let even higher. The universal feeling of gardeners in his district 
was that an Act should be passed to secure their tenant right, be it 
great or small, and providing compensation for disturbance. Evesham 
and district was favoured by having two large systems of railway 
service, placing it in direct communication with most of the large 
manufacturing districts both in Wales and the North, but a great hard¬ 
ship was felt in a preference rate being given to foreign produce. 
Another grievance was that the rate for small lots of 2 or 3 cwt. was in 
many instances nearly double that of a 2 ton lot ])ro rata, A custom 
prevailed in the district, and on some estates particularly, whereby a 
free sale of all tenant right is permitted, the landlord requiring that 
the incoming tenant should be sufficiently substantial. Where a tenant 
wished to leave he caused it to be known, fixing his own valuation of 
tenant right, and on finding a purchaser they both went to the landlord 
or his agent, and the name of the incoming tenant was substituted on 
the rent roll. Valuers were very seldom called in such cases. 
