344 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
May 3,1894. 
_ The Total Rainfall at Abbots Leigh, Haywards 
Heath, Sussex, for the past month was 2-54 inches, being 079 above 
the average. The heaviest fall was 0 82 inch, on the 24th. Rain fell 
on fifteen days. The maximum temperature in shade was 72°, on the 
8 th ; the minimum 31°, on the 22ad ; mean maximum, 60T1°; mean 
minimum, 41‘19°; mean temperature, 50-05°, 3-66° above the average. 
Since the 24th rain has fallen daily, and in abundance ; thunder and 
hailstorm on the 28th.—R. L 
- The Weather During April. — Mr. W. Mabbott, The 
Gardens, Gwernllwyn House, Dowlais, Glamorgan, writes : — “ The 
following is a summary of the weather here for the past month :— 
Amount of sunshine, 115 hours 25 minutes. Number of days on 
which the sun shone, twenty-six ; maximum, Ilf hours on the 2nd ; 
minimum, 25 minutes on the 30th. Frost was registered on four days. 
Total rainfall, 3-65 inches ; maximum, 0 55 on the 27th ; minimum, 
0-03 on the 6th. Rainfall, April, 1893, 0-26. Very bright dry weather 
was experienced at the beginning of the month, with cold east and west 
winds, but it has been very genial since the middle of the month.” 
- Double Primroses. — Being a lover of many of our old- 
fashioned flowers I was interested in the remarks by “A. D.” 
(page 281), as well as those by Mr. S. Arnott on page 299. I am 
more extravagant in my views than “ A. D.” as to a dozen being a 
good collection. That number of distinct shades may, however, be 
considered a representative collection in colour. I have about that 
number, consisting of three whites, three yellows, one lilac, one 
crimson, one double Polyanthus, two yellow Auriculas. I have a few 
choice single varieties, including P. nivalis and P. cardinalis, but 
have lost all my named Polyanthuses, including a pretty double 
variety of my own raising, a scarlet, two crimsons, and many others 
of various shades. Recently Primulas have become popular, but in 
some cases the flowers are large, though coarse. I am watching with 
much interest some seedling Polyanthus of Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ 
strain giving great promise of excellent flowers.—W. T. 
- Poisoning by Yew Leaves, — Apro^m of the remarks that 
appeared recently in the Journal of Horticulture anent the poisoning 
nature of Yew leaves, the following case, which appeared in the Law 
Courts last week, may be of interest. Pouting v. Noakes.—This was an 
appeal by the defendant against a verdict and judgment, given in the 
County Court of Andover, in favour of the plaintiff for the value of a 
colt, £22, alleged to have been poisoned by eating defendant’s Yew 
trees. The appeal was on the ground that there was no evidence that 
the colt had eaten of the defendant’s Yew trees, and that if it had it 
was through no fault of the defendant. Mr. Justice Charles said the 
parties occupied adjoining fields, divided by a ditch and fence. On the 
defendant’s land grew a Yew tree, the branches of which projected over 
the ditch, but they did not overhang the plaintiff’s land. At a distance 
of 20 yards was another Yew tree on a Mr. Hunt’s land, and 120 yards 
away yet another Yew tree. The colt was found dead within 5 yards of 
the defendant’s Yew bush, and a post-mortem examination showed that 
the animal died from eating Yew leaves. The defendant’s Yew tree 
and Mr. Hunt’s showed signs of having been recently eaten. A vete¬ 
rinary surgeon, who gave evidence in the action, had known of a case 
in which a horse walked a mile after eating Yew leaves ; but that was 
exceptioiiai, and mostly the horse dropped down immediately after 
eating Yew leaves, or within a short distance, There was no evidence 
that the colt did eat the defendant’s Yew leaves, but there was the 
evidence that the colt was found within 6 yards of the defendant’s Yew 
bush, the other two Yew trees being respectively 20 and 120 yards away. 
But could it be said that there was any obligation on a man not to grow 
a poisonous tree so near his own boundary as to be accessible to the 
stock of his neighbours ; or, if he did grow it, was he to take precau¬ 
tions against danger to his neighbour’s stock ? There was no liability 
on the part of the defendant to repair the fence, and he did not see 
how the defendant could be made responsible for the animal going on 
to his land. The colt received its injury through its intrusion. It had 
no right to be there, and the owner could not recover. Mr. Justice 
Collins concurred, and said that even though it had been proved that 
the colt had died from eating of the defendant’s Yew bush, it was 
shown that the animal could not have reached it without going beyond 
the edge of the ditch, which was the boundary of the plaintiff’s field ; 
and it would be a strange thing if a man who wished to grow a Yew 
tree near his boundary must be under the obligation of varying the 
growth near his boundary to meet the varying use of his neighbour’s 
adjoining land. The appeal was allowed with costs, and leave for 
urther appeal was granted, if notice be given within seven days. 
- Two Grand Tulips—Duke op York and Princess Alex¬ 
andra. —Mr. G. Clements of Haseley Manor Gardens, recently drew my 
attention to these fine double varieties which he is growing this season. 
The flowers are of great size and substance, and the markings especially 
clear and good. The first named is a deep rose edged with white, 
quite a novel and attractive flower, which ought to be included in every 
collection. The latter variety has a crimson ground and an edging of 
a very bright golden yellow. Both are strong growers of easy culture, 
and will, I am sure, be much sought after in the future. If the 
improvement in Tulips, which is now rapidly taking place, continues 
at a similar rate during the next few years a Tulip fever, if not another 
Tulip mania, will assuredly sweep over the land.—H. D. 
- Narcissus Sir Watkin.—T his grand addition to an already 
delightful class of spring flowers will, I predict, in time be one of the- 
most largely grown. The combination of primrose and golden yellow 
shades of colour, so well blended in the flowers, produce a beauty which 
close inspection alone reveals, although the blooms are large and 
imposing. The variety is a strong grower, having unusually stout 
leaves, which are self-supporting unless hard forcing is resorted to. I 
find the plants do splendidly when brought on gradually in an airy pit 
where a little heat is kept in the hot-water pipes during dull weather- 
With this treatment they may be had in flower early in February. 
Pots containing half a dozen bulbs make such a fine show when placed 
singly in vases that I think it a mistake to subject them to hard forcing, 
and thus spoil the naturally stout texture of the leaves. One thing in 
connection with Sir Watkin I am sure all growers would hail with 
delight, viz., a considerable reduction in the price. That alone is 
required to ensure for it a largely increased demand.—H. Dunkin. 
- Bedding Plants at Hampton Court. —The general public 
who visit the gardens and Palace at Hampton Court, and are so 
delighted with the beautiful masses of flowers found in the beds and 
borders in the summer, have no knowledge whatever of the labour 
involved in the production of all the thousands of plants needed for 
the creation of this fine show, yet close at hand, but in a secluded 
place, may be seen a large group of glass houses and frames, which? 
are just now literally crowded with plants in many forms, and which 
it has been the work of the experienced staff to propagate and grow 
during the winter and spring. What myriads of Fuchsias, Zonal and 
Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums, Begonias, Violas, Lobelias, Petunias, Verbenas, 
foliage plants and carpet plants in vast numbers, and many things that 
cannot be named, but will be seen in profusion in the beds during the 
summer. It is certain that no effort is being spared to produce the 
material, and it may be assured that the able staff of the gardens will 
employ it in the most attractive way.—D. 
- Microbes in the Soil. —That it is easy to find microbes in 
the soil capable of assimilating atmospheric nitrogen, if culture media 
devoid of all combined nitrogen are employed, was pointed out by 
M. Winogradsky last summer, and in a recent number of the “ Comptes- 
Rendus ” an account is given of important progress made by him in this 
most interesting subject. By progressive cultivation of a mixture of 
microbes derived from soil, in a nutritive liquid from which all traces 
of combined nitrogen were carefully excluded, Winogradsky reduced the 
varieties present to three bacilli, of which one was finally separated out 
and discovered to be endowed with this function of assimilating 
atmospheric nitrogen. This organism, we learn from “Nature,” i& 
strictly anaerobic, and will not grow in either broth or gelatine. It. 
ferments glucose, producing butyric, acetic, and carbonic acid, and 
hydrogen. The amount of atmospheric nitrogen assimilated is propor¬ 
tional to the quantity of glucose contained in the culture material, and 
which undergoes decomposition in the presence of this bacillus. 
Winogradsky concludes his paper by suggesting that this phenomenon 
of the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen may be due to the union within 
the living protoplasm of the microbial cell, of atmospheric nitrogen and 
nascent hydrogen, resulting in the synthesis of ammonia. 
-Oak V. Ash Since the Battle of Waterloo. —Mr. J. 
Roger Dutton, Reading, writes as follows in reference to the controversy 
regording the Oak v. Ash which has been going on the daily press 
“ Now that the Oak and Ash are both out (although it will be fully ten 
days before an Ash attains that stage), we have the record of another 
spring to add to bygone years, and I think I am in a position to answer 
the various points mooted during the past few weeks with reference to 
“Oak and Ash.” I have before me a record as to both of these trees 
(applicable to several counties) for seventy-nine years—i.e., since the 
Battle of Waterloo, the first fifty-six obtained from one who “ faithfully 
annotated ” during that time, the last twenty-three carefully entered 
