204 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 16,1894. 
- Bulbs at ths Grassendale Show. —On Saturday last, the 
10th inst., the fourth spring Show of the Grassendale and Aigburth 
Horticultural Society was held in the Parish Room of the former place. 
The Liverpool spring Show having been abandoned this year, many of 
the exhibitors came to Grassendale. The bulbous-rooted plants were 
of the highest order, more especially the Hyacinths and Tulips. The 
former were magnificently shown, the examples of three bulbs in a 
6-inch pot being extraordinary, rivalling those shown of one bulb in an 
equal-sized pot, and leading one to suppose too large pots are often used 
for Hyacinths. Messrs. Kelly, Agnew, Grant, Leadbetter, Madeley, 
Lewis, Bounds, Bryan, Ankers, Harrison, and Field were amongst the 
chief prizewinners.—R. P. R. 
- The Quince Rust.—I t is important to know that the Quince 
rust grows in one form upon another plant, for it is possible to check its 
ravages by diminishing the chances of its being able to find a Cedar 
upon which to live. So far as we know it seems likely that if the 
Cedars were absent the rust of the Quinces would not be present. The 
Quince stage of the rust is not confined to the Quince, but thrives upon 
the Apple and Hawthorn, the latter serving as a breeder for the trouble¬ 
some parasite in the hedgerow and wood lot. The rust that is now 
under consideration is quite different from the many moulds, 
mildews, and blights that prey upon our crop plants, and may be held in 
check with fungicides. The rusts proper, of which there are many 
hundred kinds, are deeply seated gross-feeding fungi, and usually have 
done a large portion of their mischief before observed. There is but 
little doubt, however, that spraying might be effective if the time was 
known when to do it. This would mean the application of the fungicide 
to the Quince trees at the time, or just before, the spores are mature 
upon the Cedar nodules. A better way, however, seems to be found in 
the removal of Cedars from the vicinity of Quince trees. As another 
Cedar gall fungus is associated with the rust of the Apple, it is all the 
more important to separate the Cedars from our orchard fruits, to 
prevent these diseases.—(“ American Agriculturist.”) 
- Foreign Vegetables in American Markets.—A mong 
the vegetables in American markets now are Cabbages from Denmark, 
which sell wholesale for 10 dollars a hundred heads. These heads are 
much more firm and heavy than any home-grown Cabbage, although 
the native product is said to be sweeter. Beautiful new Potatoes have 
been coming from Havana for a week, and bring 6 dollars a barrel ; 
old Potatoes from Bermuda bring the same price. Scotch Magnums 
still sell at higher prices than our native Potatoes, being of larger size, 
more regular in form, and more evenly selected. They are considered 
better than the Potatoes from either England or Ireland, but not so 
good as those from Germany. At present prices, which are one-third 
less than they were last year, after the cost of sacking, transportation, 
and duty is deducted, the returns to the Scotch dealer can be hardly 
more than 50 cents a barrel. Last month 40,000 sacks of these Potatoes 
arrived, but the market is so dull that many of them are still kept in 
storage. From France we are receiving Brussels Sprouts at 25 cents 
a pound, and Cauliflowers at 40 to 50 cents a head. Corn salad and 
Chives from the south make the markets green. Florida is sending 
Beans and Peas, the last of which command as much as 8 to 9 dollars a 
bushel crate when of the first quality. Apples still remain scarce, 
although they are held in considerable quantity in the interior. 
Northern Spies, Baldwin, and Greenings bring 6 dollars a barrel, while 
it is hard to get Kings even at 8 dollars a barrel. 
- New Potatoes. — The well-known French horticulturist, 
Mons. de Vilmorin, has recently made to the Soci4t4 Nationale d’Agricul- 
ture de France a very interesting communication upon some recent 
Potato-growing experiments. The exceptional dryness of the summer 
of 1893 made itself felt upon the Potato yields as well as upon most of 
the other crops. He mentions, says a contemporary, in connection with 
his experiments a new Potato—the Czarine—which is believed to be a 
French variety. This Potato, presented for the first time under a 
circumstantial name, has been tried for two or three years in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Paris. In two localities at least it made a certain local 
reputation, and was known as the Parisienne and the Belle de Wissons. 
It ia a very vigorous plant, with high and strong stalks, late, and giving 
large square-shaped tubers, more flattened than round, having the eyes 
hidden at the bottom of the cavities, which are rather deep, a dark 
yellow skin, with red spots round the shoots. The flesh is yellow, close, 
floury, and very eatable, without being delicate. The cultural experi¬ 
ments made in 1893 upon this new variety show it to be exempt from 
two great failings of the Imperator—viz., irregular growth and difificulty 
of keeping. The first place taken in the trials is taken by the G4ante 
Sans Pareille, the yield of which was 12 tons 9 cwt. to the acre, the 
amount of fecula being 15-8 per cent., while the Imperator, witfl 
9 tons 15 cwts. to the acre, reached 20 per cent, of fecula. Mons. de 
Vilmorin indicates three new varieties of German origin, which have 
succeeded well—viz., Sirius, Fortuna, and Caesar, which gave between 
9 tons 4 cwt. and 9 tons 12 cwt. to the acre. 
-Bougainvillea spectabilis.—I can fully endorse the remarks 
of your correspondent respecting the above on page 184. There is a large 
specimen planted out in the intermediate house at Sandbeck Park, 
Rotherham. It is given ordinary treatment, and never fails to flower 
abundantly during the summer mouths. It is a pity it is not more 
generally grown.—B. 
- Polygonum complexum. —What a grand climber this is>: 
either for the stove or intermediate house I It will succeed in almost 
any situation, its long, graceful. Fern-like foliage looking very attrac¬ 
tive when the growths are allowed to hang in a natural manner. It is 
also very useful for table decoration. Planted in a mixture of loam', 
peat, and charcoal, a young plant covered a wall 12 feet by 5 last season, 
and is admired by all who see it.— Bramley. 
- Apples as Medicine. —Chemically, we are reminded in 
“ Science Siftings,” the Apple is composed of vegetable fibre, albumen, 
sugar, gum chlorophyll, malic acid, gallic acid, lime, and much water. 
Furthermore, the German analysts say that the Apple contains a larger 
percentage of phosphorus than any other fruit or vegetable. The 
phosphorus is admirably adapted for renewing the essential nervous 
matter—lecithin—of the brain and spinal cord. The acids of the Apple 
are of singular use for men of sedentary habits, whose livers are 
sluggish in action, those acids serving to eliminate from the body 
noxious matters which, if retained, would make the brain heavy and 
dull, or bring about jaundice or skin eruptions or other allied troubles. 
The malic acid of ripe Apples, either raw or cooked, will neutralise any 
excess of chalky matter engendered by eating too much meat. It is also 
the fact that such ripe fruits as the Apple, the Pear and the Plum, 
when taken ripe and without sugar, diminish acidity in the stomach 
rather than provoke it. Their vegetable sauces and juices are converted 
into alkaline carbonates, which tend to counteract acidity. 
lEIS K^MPFERI AND VARIETIES. 
The cultivation of these grand Irises is, I fear, very little understood 
in this country, and I refer to them because I recently had an oppor¬ 
tunity of inspecting a large number of hand-painted illustrations of the 
Kmmpferi varieties made by Japanese artists. Mr. John Pope of the 
King’s Norton Nurseries, Birmingham, is an enthusiast with these 
plants, and his large book of Japanese coloured drawings of native 
plants is of very great interest. He also imports and cultivates many 
of the Kmmpferi Irises. Some fifteen years since Mr. Pope attempted 
their culture in the ordinary way of planting them out in the nursery, 
but it ended in failure, and on getting information from Japan as to 
their requirements, he found that a wet situation was essential. In his 
private garden a few years since and subsequently I saw a trench 
prepared for some plants, where a supply of water could be kept up, in 
the drier weather especially. I called recently to see Mr. Pope, but as 
he was unwell failed to see him. He has, however, sent me the following 
particulars as to his mode of cultivation. 
“ My first experience with these Irises was about fifteen years ago 
when I was in London, and was advised to buy a few at Stevens’ Sale 
Rooms. Although told by authorities on herbaceous and hardy plants 
that I should fail in growing them, I bought a dozen clumps and 
planted them in moist soil, but they did not succeed. I then made a 
ditch, and the overflow from the pump and washhouse was conveyed 
to it, and their growth was very strong, for I had also dressed them 
with a fertiliser. The second year they grew 5 feet high, and one sort, 
which Mr. Peter Barr called Mary Anderson, a white variety, produced 
flowers 10 inches in diameter. I divided this into twenty plants, and I 
find that when even covered with water during the winter it is in no 
way injured, thus proving it to be hardy in any winter. They are very 
partial to ‘ sock ’ and manure water, and thorough moisture is an 
absolute necessity. I have made a number of deep ditches in a low- 
lying meadow close to my garden, with the intention of considerably 
extending the culture of these Irises, and have received from Japan two 
cases of plants for my own growing, selected from drawings sent to me. 
