Hay 16,189i. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
435 
begging the question. Mr. Abbey has made a definite statement that 
“ argon is found in plants.” Professor Ramsey says that up to the 
present time it has not been found, and he has carried out experiments 
to prove the fact. Mr. Abbey says, “ Surely we ought to be satisfied 
with .... Professor Ramsey’s statement.” Quite so, for we shall then 
accept the fact as true that “ argon has not been found in plants or 
animals." Mr. Abbey says, “ Surely I had authority for my negative 
statement.” Yes, I had the words of Professor Ramsey’s statement 
“ that argon was not yet found in plants,” and I considered 1 ought 
to accept that as true until it could be proved by experiments to be 
not so. 
I asked Mr. Abbey on page 388 if he would tell us something more 
about this newly discovered element, doubting not he would be able to 
do so, but on reading his reply I must own that I failed to find anything 
which proved that argon was present in plants. Mr. G. Abbey says, 
“ All chemists acknowledge that there is some unrecognised element 
present in the nitrogen as derived from air, plant, and animal analysis, 
and that element as regards air has been shown by Professor Ramsey to 
be argon.” Then why could not Professor Ramsey get argon from the 
nitrogen derived from plants and animals by the same means that he got 
it from the air ? In conclusion, I wish to say when reading the article 
on “ Plant-forming Elements,” I was, no doubt, like many other readers 
of your paper, interested to find that the element argon entered into the 
composition of plants, for there is always something interesting about a 
new thing, but I was very disappointed to find nothing further mentioned 
in the article named, hence my inquiry in the reply to which I cannot 
find any facts to uphold the statement that “argon enters into the 
composition of plants.” 
Mr. G. Abbey quotes that “ plants in the first instance lived in an 
atmosphere of nitrogen,” and yet he stated on page 332, “ plants cannot 
live if confined in an atmosphere of pure nitrogen.” Which is correct ? 
I should like to say more in connection with the primary atmosphere, 
but I am afraid it would be going outside the question.—W. Dyke, 
Turnford, Herta, 
LEPTOSPERMUM BULLATUM. 
The correspondent who inquires after this plant will find it very 
charming. It is hardwooded, and will grow freely in any ordinary glass 
structure and bloom most profusely. The flowers (fig. 73) are pure 
white, and so abundantly are they produced that in some instances the 
narrow dark green leaves can scarcely be seen. This Leptospermum 
grows quickly in a compost of peat, sand, and light turfy soil, the only 
special care it needs being good drainage and judicious watering. 
LIVERPOOL NOTES. 
New Park foe Waverteee. 
Foe many months past a large army of workmen has been 
employed in draining and levelling the large piece of land adjoining tiie 
L. and N.W. Railway embankment at Wavertree, in all over 100 acres. 
The work has been done in no stinted manner, every precaution being 
used to set it out to the best advantage. This part of the work being 
completed, new roads were cut, forest trees planted, handsome stone 
entrances erected, such as we had not in Liverpool, and all cottage pro¬ 
perty in the immedate neighbourhood put in thorough repair. 
Speculation was rife as to what use the ground was to be put, also 
the name or names of those who were paying for the work, but all to 
no purpose, and so for months what was known as “The Wavertree 
Mystery,” was kept a profound secret until the last meeting of the Liver¬ 
pool Council, when Mr. Rhind, the Surveyor in charge of the ground, 
offered on behalf of an anonymous donor, the whole of the 108 acres to 
be used as a public park and playground for the people of Wavertree, with 
cottage property likely to bring a yearly income of over £400, the 
latter to be given towards the maintenance of the park. 
Needless to say the magnificent gift was unanimously accepted by 
the Lord Mayor and the Council. A meeting of the Parks and Gardens 
Committee was held on Wednesday 8th, when much gratitude was 
expressed for the liberality displayed by the generous donor, whose gift 
to the city by the presentation amounts to between £80,000 and £90,000, 
Of the park itself, the one aim seems to have been to provide the greatest 
amount of space for the people without sacrificing it in any way to 
useless ornamentation. 
This, with the handsome gift of the new conservatory in Sefton Park 
by Mr. Yates Thompson is sufficient proof that public spirit is not yet 
dead as regards Liverpool. The work of erection of the conservatory 
is being rapidly pushed forward by Messrs. Mackenzie & Moncur of 
Edinburgh, and the Committee felt that in consideration of two such 
splendid gifts in one season that there ought to be more than a formal 
opening. And so the name of the donor of the Wavertree Park remains 
a mystery still; but he can rest assured that, although his name may be 
hidden, he has conferred a countless treasure to hundreds of poor people 
who think of the true spirit in which it is given. 
Strawberries axd Amaryllis at Knowsley Hall. 
Never at any time has it been my good fortune to see such a splendid 
crop of Strawberries in pots as I saw at Knowsley Hall recently. La 
Grosse Sucrde, Keen’s Seedling, and Royal Sovereign were the varieties 
grown, the former showing at a glance how useful it is for early work, 
whilst the latter is one of the greatest gains we have had for years. 
These two are to be grown for early work alone, and Mr. Doe has good 
reason to be satisfied with the choice he has made. Before leaving them 
I may remark that they were from runners laid in from the previous 
season, potted in 4J-inch, and transferred to 6-inch pots. The thought 
strikes one of the time and trouble that could be saved if wheir. 
cleaning the beds, after the fruit is gathered, a few runners of each kind 
were laid in, how much easier would be the work of potting, instead of 
having to trample between rows already laden with fruit to layer the 
season’s stock. 
Amaryllis, too, are a great feature, the late respected head gardener, 
Mr. F. Harrison, who is now enjoying honourable retirement, having for 
years made them a special study. Mr. Doe is fully alive to their merits 
for many purposes of decoration, and is carrying on the good system of 
culture which has made Amaryllis at Knowsley famous in the past, and 
which will maintain the standard in the future. There were about 
800 in bloom at the time of my visit. 
Two Useful Spib.eas. 
Perhaps amongst the numerous flowers that have helped to adorn 
our conservatory for many weeks past none has come in for a greater 
FIG. 73.— leptospermum BULLATUM. 
share of attention than Spiraeas astilboides and compacta multifiora. 
The former with its long slender feathery spikes of purest white blooms 
is invaluable either for conservatory work, cutting, or house decoration, 
its foliage being so distinct. Compacta multiflora I grew for the first 
time last season, a second trial convincing me that it is indispensable in 
every way. We have had several plants which looked almost like dwarf 
Celosias, so beautiful were the spikes. Though not so pure as japonica, 
many of the single spikes will yield almost as much flower as could be 
got from a medium-sized clump of japonica. For forcing, too, they are 
everything to be desired. 
A Pretty Combination. 
Too often, I fear, we overlook the beauty derived from some of the 
easier grown flowers and their adaptability for harmonious blending 
from a decorative point of view. In looking over my notebook I 
came across the followingBouquet in a florist’s shop in town, 
Michaelmas Da’sy var. amellus bessarabicus and Marguerite Rfeve d’Or 
—a pretty combination.” Yes, as I write, I fancy I can see it before 
me; the rich lilac purple of the Aster adding more lustre to the 
golden Marguerite, with tiny bits of Asparagus plumosus peeping here 
and there. It was all so simple, yet how beautiful, with no hothouse 
