30 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 11,1894. 
- Buttebflies. —A northern correspondent says “ So unto¬ 
ward were the summers, 1890, 1891, and 1892, in the Leadhill district, 
that in the last named year insect life, ‘ midges ’ excepted, had almost 
disappeared, yet in 1893 saw countless multitudes of many sorts scarcely 
ever seen before in the neighbourhood. Butterflies were present in 
thousands ; and what was very remarkable, they swarmed in houses, 
new and old alike. In one of the former there were clusters of them 
hanging to the cornice of the ceiling not unlike swarms of bees, a new thing 
in my experience. So well may the question be put, Whence come they ? ” 
- A Beneficial Fungus on Grapes. —Writing to “The 
Pacific Rural Press,” Mr. Arthur P. Hayne states that while investi¬ 
gating the fungi attacking the Grapes of California, he found one which 
may prove an advantage. This is Botrytis cinera, which is essential to 
the production of the best Rhine wines of Johannisberg. Grapes which 
are covered with this mould are sold for as much as £230 a ton. The 
fungus is not altogether a blessing, for when it attacks black or red 
Grapes it robs them of their colour and destroys the tannin. Besides this, 
it concentrates the sugar until it becomes impossible to make a dry wine. 
— Grand Yorkshire Gala. —The annual meeting of guaran¬ 
tors and life members of the Grand Yorkshire Gala was he’d on the 6th 
at Barker’s Hotel, York. In the absence of Sir Joseph Terry, the 
Chairman of the Council, the chair was taken by Mr. Aid. Milward, 
who, at the commencement of the business, expressed regret that Sir 
Joseph was unable to be present. He moved the election of the Lord 
Mayor as President for 1891. Mr. G. Balmford seconded the motion, 
which was carried unanimously. Mr. Joseph Wilkinson was re-elected 
Treasurer, Mr. C. W. Simmons Secretary, and Messrs. Pearson and 
Taylor Auditors. The voting for the election of twenty-three members 
on the Council then took place, when the following were elected 
Messrs. R. Anderson, G. Balmford, J. Blenkin, S. Border, J. Biscomb, 
G. Browne, J. W. Craven, M. Cooper, H. C. Day, R. P. Dale, L. Foster, 
G. Garbutt, T. G. Hodgson, J. J. Hunt, A. Jones, G. Kirby, J. M. Lambert, 
Alderman Milward, E. W. Purnell, J. Rotherford, H. Scott, W. S. Sharp, 
and J. B. Sampson. Grants were made for the various departments of 
the Gala, as follows :—Floral Committee, £600 ; music, £120 ; fireworks, 
£100; balloons, £75 ; amusements, £150. The Secretary announced 
that he had secured several special prizes, including one of £5 from Mr. 
Alderman Close, and another of £5 53. from Messrs. Backhouse & Sons. 
- The Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association. — The following is the spring programme of this 
Association, the meetings to be held in the Council Chamber of the 
Guildhall, Exeter. 10th January, Mr. F. Anning, gardener at Ford 
House. Subject:—“ Strawberry Culture under Glass.” 24th January^ 
Mr. T. E. Bartlett, Knightleys Gardens. Subject:—“Thrift; or. How 
to become Independent.” 7th February, Mr. Albert George, lecturer 
on horticulture under the Devon County Council. Subject:—“ Experi¬ 
ences in Lecturing on Horticulture in the County of Devon.” 2l8t 
February, Mr. Alfred Tucker, Exeter (lately Assistant at the Royal 
Gardens, Kew). Subject:—“ Kew Gardens and Kew Gardeners.” 
7th March, Mr. G. Camp, Culver Gardens. Subject:—“ Exotic Ferns 
and their Culture.” 21st March, Private Hyacinth and Spring Bulb 
Show. 4th April. Subject :—“ The Papers of Last Session.” The 
members held their annual supper on January 5th. There was a 
large attendance. Mr. W. Mackay presided, and among those present were 
Messrs. Lansdale and Weeks, Vice-Chairmen ; A. Hope, Hon. Secretary ; 
A. George, Lecturer in Horticulture under the Devon County Council; 
T. Stoneman, Teacher of Botany at the Exeter Museum, and others. 
The Chairman announced letters regretting absence from the President 
(Sir Dudley Duckworth-King, Bait.), Messrs. D. C. Powell, J. Franklin, 
and T. Bartlett (Joint Hon. Secretary). The Chairman, in proposing 
“ The Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ Association,” said that the Society 
did a great deal of good in bringing gardeners in the neighbourhood 
into closer communication one with the other ; it afforded a blending of 
ideas, bringing about, he hoped, better results in the cultivation of 
different plants. The essays during the session had been listened to by 
large audiences. The reading of essays tended to give the essayists a 
desire for greater exertion to search for knowledge in connection with 
the particular branch of business. What the Committee would wish to 
see at the meetings was the presence of more young debaters. They 
could, by listening to the essays and taking part in the discussions, learn 
much which would be of considerable benefit to them in the future. Mr. 
Lansdale submitted “ The President and Vice-Presidents,” referring to 
the interest they took in the Association. The gardeners were much in¬ 
debted to these gentlemen for throwing open their spacious and 
fj 1 nd dly kept gardens for inspection. 
- Magnolia stellata.—“ J. S., Grimston," writes I would 
like to draw the attention of those of your readers who may not know 
this handsome ornamental Japanese flowering shrub, to the fact that 
it is well adapted for forcing, and at this period of the year would prove 
most useful. The flowers are white, with a slight perfume. One draw¬ 
back is that it flowers without foliage. We have here a small plant 
2 feet in height, carrying about thirty flowers. 
- The Kingston and Surbiton Gardeners’ Association. 
—The following is the programme of lectures of this Association for the 
next three months :—Jan. 16th, “The Dahlia,” Mr. A. Dean ; Jan. 30th, 
Discussion—“How Can we Make our Chrysanthemum Exhibitions more 
Attractive,” Mr. Cushon ; Feb. 13th, “ The Carnation,” Mr. G. Woodgate ; 
Feb. 27th,“ The Culture of Mushrooms,” Mr. Benson; March 13th, Discus¬ 
sion—“ How Best to Secure a Good Supply of Peas over a Long Season,” 
Mr. Cox ; March 27tb, “ Hardy Spring-flowering Bulbs,” Mr. W. Barr. 
- COSTOS IGNEUS. — I was very pleased to see in your last 
week’s Journal (page 11) an illustration and notice of this beautiful 
but little known iplant, because I so often see it in its full beauty at 
the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where Mr. Latham grows it well 
year after year, and it is always a striking plant in the early winter 
months. The colour is a rich deep orange, and the form of the 
flower brings to mind Lychnis Haageana, the entire habit of the plant 
being dense growing and sturdy. Mr. Latham grows it in a warm 
stove, and flowers it generally in the show Orchid house ; it is of easy 
culture, moisture and heat suiting it.—W. D. 
- Spir^a astilboides. — Although this Spiraea will never 
replace the old and useful S. japonica, it is, nevertheless, invaluable 
for its gracefulness. S. astilboides bears gentle forcing only, and three 
good batches may be obtained, the first by gentle warmth after the 
plants have started well into growth, the second by cool greenhouse 
treatment, and the third by keeping the plants outside, behind a north 
wall, as long as possible. Plants that have been flowered in pots will 
bloom again if they are well cared for, but they do not flower so well 
as those that have been purposely prepared for forcing. It is a good 
plan to have a stock of plants, so that they can be flowered in pots 
every other year. After flowering, the plants may be divided and 
planted out, when the weather is favourable, in deeply dug and well 
manured ground. A sunny, open spot should be selected for them.—B.O« 
- Is the Yew Poisonous 1 —This question is constantly being 
asked, and more often at this time of year, when the so-called berries of 
this tree are plentiful, and children occasionally partake of them. The 
other evening, when looking through Caesar’s “ De Bello Gallico,” I 
found it related in liber vi., par. xxxi. that a joint King of a German 
tribe “killed himself with Yew.” Se exanimavit taxo. A footnote 
explains “ taxo ” to mean the “ juice of the Yew ; ’’ but as in par. xxix. 
it is stated that the time of year was “ when the grains began to ripen,” 
it is most likely that the poison would be obtained from the Yew, not as 
an extract of the “ juice,” but as a decoction of the leaves. Birds when 
hard pressed for food devour the fruit, so far as I have seen with no bad 
effects following ; and cattle and horses can eat shoots of the Yew with 
no after bad effect, though there is no doubt of both having been 
poisoned under certain conditions. No reference is made in Veitch’s 
“ Manual of the Conifer* ” as to the fatality mentioned by Cassar. I 
have not Loudon’s work by me to refer to, but some of your many 
readers may be able to say something on the matter as to whether the 
Yew is really poisonous to man,—B. 
- Railway Gardening.—“ A Traveller ” writes :— Apropos 
of the note in the issue for December 21st, 1893, page 554, the following 
clipping from a daily paper may be worth reproducing—“ A journey 
from Birmingham to Stratford during the summer months is enlivened 
by a succession of very creditable floral displays, and many are the 
comments of the public as to the artistic effect attained by the station- 
masters, Doubtless this has been the cause of some surprise as to 
why this pleasant rivalry exists, but the Great Western Company have, 
since the year 1877, given prizes for the best gardens throughout their 
line to the extent of £250 annually. Last year (1893) the premier 
garden in the Birmingham Division was voted to be Wilmcote on the 
Stratford Branch ; Knowle, which on several previous occasions had 
won the special prize, coming second. Prizes of considerable value 
have also been awarded to Claverdon, Long Marston, Aynho, Milcote, 
Hatton, Somerton, in the out-country district of the Birmingham 
division, and, what is more gratifying, some of the stations in the 
Black Country have vied with their compeers in the country districts, 
and have been successful in gaining prizes, notably Soho, West Brom¬ 
wich, Daisy Bank, Great Bridge, Bilston, and Lye.” 
