320 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 26,1894. 
- Destroying Slugs. —There are many recipes for destroying 
slugs and snails, but the “ Revue Horticole ” adds another. This is to 
place on the ground, around anything sown or planted, a thick cord 
impregnated with sulphate of copper. Simple contact with the cord so 
treated causes the death of all insects with a soft or slimy body. 
- Death op Mr. John Halliday. —Our Scottish readers will 
learn with regret of the death on the 18th inst., at Middle Claydonj 
Winslow, in his 88th year, of Mr. John Halliday, formerly gardener 
to the Earl of Mansfield, at Scone Palace, Perthshire. Mr. Halliday 
was many years at Scone, and was well known to horticulturists in 
Scotland. 
- Johnson’s Gardeners’ Dictionary, — We have received 
Part 8 of the above-mentioned book, which completes the new and 
enlarged edition, published by Messrs. G, Bell & Sons, York Street, 
Covent Garden, W.O. As previously mentioned the work has been 
thoroughly revised. A list of “words with their meanings most 
frequently used as specific names ’’ adds to the value of this desirable 
publication. 
- A Fine Oak. —A correspondent writes :—“ I was walking the 
other day with my son in Hampton Court Home Park, and we came 
upon an Oak tree of unusual size. Happening to have a ball of string 
with me we measured it, with the following result. In circumference, 
37 feet; diameter, 13 feet 5 inches and 10 feet 7 inches. The tree is 
hollow, but with plenty of vitality in its branches. The measurement 
was taken about 4 feet from the ground.” 
- Seakale Root Cuttings. — Last January Mr. Herrin of 
Dropmore kindly gave me a fine well-developed Seakale root, grown 
from a cutting. This, with the side roots attached, I used at the end of 
February for the purpose of illustrating lectures on Seakale culture. I 
planted the root after being divested of its several side roots in my 
garden temporarily for use again during the past week, and also the 
root cuttings. These, of nearly the dimensions of my little finger, being 
lifted I found had not only callused over at the top, but had formed 
crowns, while no roots had yet been formed, but were evidently on the 
point of breaking; these not so much from a callus as from the ring 
which divides the softer bark, which is about the eighth of an inch 
thick, from the centre or woody substance of the stem. The crowns, 
however, have been formed so densely that I can count from twenty to 
thirty distinct. That fact shows not only the importance of starting 
crown growth before final planting, but also of thinning the 
crowns.—A. D. 
- Broccoli and Early Potatoes in Cornwall, —We learn 
from the “ Western Morning News ’’ that the Broccoli season in Corn¬ 
wall has not been a very profitable one. The crop was very promising, 
but the sharp frost after Christmas played havoc with the plants, and 
it is estimated that nearly 50 per cent, were injured. Large numbers 
of these damaged and consequently inferior Broccoli were included 
among the crates sent to the great markets, and this fact alone, it is 
believed, has had a good deal to do with the low prices which have been 
since realised. Prices have been very low, averaging somewhere about 
48. a crate, containing roughly six dozen Broccoli, and latterly the 
figure has been as low as 3s. It is a gratification to know that there 
is every promise of an early and plentiful Potato crop for West 
Cornwall. The young plants are looking healthy, and unless a sharp 
frost sets in the gardeners will receive some compensation for a poor 
Broccoli season. 
-- Daffodils Destroyed by Hailstones in Ireland. —Mr, 
Bedford writes me from Straffan, Co. Kildare :—“ The Daffodils were 
really fine, but they were all destroyed at their very best. On the after¬ 
noon of the 3rd inst. we had a terrible thunderstorm accompanied with 
hail; it lasted nearly an hour. Large three-cornered pieces of ice, heavy 
as marbles, which did not leave a perfect bloom in the place. Many 
had their trumpets cut off, and all had their petals shot away. There 
was a glorious bed of Emperor, only open two days ; they were nearly 
3 feet high, with leaves 2 inches wide.” I sympathise with my old friend. 
This storm, which we happily escaped, was preceded by a remarkable 
celestial phenomena on the night of March the 30th. Clouds of luminous 
vapour rolled up from the north to the zenith, giving the appearance of 
a broad belt of pale, flickering fire in the heavens. The effect, which 
continued for some hours, might be described as weird. The light caused 
by this was equivalent to the full moon, but no shadow was thrown, 
giving one an uncanny feeling. The preceding and succeeding nights 
were dark.—E. K. 
- The April number of the “Botanical Magazine” contains 
illustrations of Begonia scabrida, Veronica cupressoides, Aindepbo- 
phallus Ellioti, Trichopus zelanicus, and Lowia maxillaroides, with the 
usual explanatory annotations. 
- The Cuckoo and Nightingale. —Mr. A. Alderman, EflSng- 
ham Hill, Dorking, writes :—“ The cuckoo was heard here on the 
7th inst., being a fortnight earlier than last year ; and the Nightingale 
on the 9th. Bats also have been seen flying about, all showing the 
prospects of an early season, even for this usually cold district, being 
at an altitude of 700 feet above sea level.” 
- Technical Education, —We learn from “ Nature ” that the 
Technical Instruction Committee of the Cheshire County Council have 
set aside £5000 towards an agricultural college in Cheshire, and £1000 
for the furnishing of it. The Royal Agricultural Society of England 
have promised the sum of £1000 towards the fund, and an offer of £500 
has been received from a private donor. It is thought that £11,000 
would be required for the college, and £1000 for its equipment. 
- Hailstones in Australia. —An Australian contemporary 
to hand states that “ Angaston, S.A., was visited in March by a hail¬ 
storm of unprecedented violence. The hurricane extended in width for 
a mile and a half to two miles in the very heart of the orchards and 
vineyards. Some of the hailstones weighed a quarter of a pound, and 
perforated roofs, broke the glass in the houses, stripped the foliage from 
the vegetations, and beheaded unfortunate sparrows. The recreation 
grounds presented a solid mass of hailstones as large as marbles, the 
whole being a foot in depth. Apples covered the ground in all directions. 
Vegetables were hammered into salad.” 
- Ipomcea Woodi.—T his is a new species of Bindweed which has 
lately been introduced to Kew from Natal, and which is likely ta 
become a favourite garden plant. Mr, W. Watson informs the “ Garden 
and Forest ” that it was discovered in Zululand by Mr. Medley Wood, 
the Curator of the Botanic Garden at Durban, who sent living examples 
of it to Kew, and described it as a handsome species with a tuberous 
root, a perennial woody stem, handsome, heart-shaped, purple-tinted 
leaves 6 inches long, and short-stalked clusters of large, handsome, bell¬ 
shaped, rosy purple flowers. The plants at Kew are growing freely, 
and they look likely to flower this year. Mr, Wood saw specimens with 
stems 40 feet long, “ the naked stem lying on the ground and producing 
a quantity of fine foliage.” This suggests something in the way of 
1. Batatas, commonly known as Batatas paniculata, one of the most 
widely distributed of all Ipomoeas, and one of the very best of all 
summer climbers for the warm house. 
- Hooker’s “ Icones Plantarum.”—T he continuation of thi» 
important work is carried on by the Trustees of the Bentham Fund 
for the Promotion of Botany, under the editorship of Professor D. 
Oliver, F.R.S. It consists of figures of a selection of novelties from 
the Kew Herbarium. Each volume contains 100 plates, from drawings 
by the late Mr. W. H. Fitch and Miss M. Smith, with descriptive 
letterpress, and is issued in four parts, at about quarterly intervals. 
The sale is entirely in the hands of Messrs. Dulau & Co., 37, Soho 
Square, London, W. The third series, consisting of vols. xi.-xx. of 
the entire work, is now offered at the reduced price of £5. Three 
volumes of the fourth series have appeared, price 16s. per volume. 
Volume xvii. contains Ferns only, and xxi. and xxii. are entirely 
devoted to Orchids. The others illustrate a great variety of curious 
and rare plants; the later volumes the novelties, more especially of 
recent explorations in China, Africa, and Borneo. 
- The Drought and Crops.—A daily contemporary recently 
remarked, “ While we are congratulating each other on the ‘ wonderful 
weather we are having,’ the farmer is beginning to look very grave 
indeed. The ground is baked by the hot sun, and dry as powder ; the 
water everywhere in the country is getting low, and the prospect, both 
of hay crops and general harvests, will be seriously endangered if the 
rain does not come very soon. In France things are even worse, and 
agriculturists are nigh unto despair. ‘ The Vines and the fruit trees,^ 
writes a French authority on agricultural matters, ‘are magnificent. 
The bloom is in excellent condition, and there is every prospect of grand 
crops—if rain comes soon, and in plenty. After the terrible drought of 
the last two years pasture land is poor, to begin with, and if things do 
not change before many days are over, the cattle that escaped premature 
death in the last drought will also have to be sacrificed, and sacrificed 
at a cruel loss to the farmer.’ ” The rain which has fallen during the 
past few days has been welcomed in the south. 
