May 31, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
429 
- Dianthus CALLizONtrs. —This beautiful Pink, which, I be¬ 
lieve, was illustrated in the Journal of Horticulture some months 
since, is now in flower at Kew. The flowers are of a rich rose colour, 
relieved by a conspicuous zone in the centre. The plant is strong in 
growth, and likes a well-drained rich soil.— Visitor. 
- Tea Growing in India. —Tea growing has become an im¬ 
portant and rapidly increasing industry in India and Ceylon. The 
Indian crop for 1893 was the largest ever produced there, exceeding by 
twelve million pounds that of the preceding year. The total crop of 
Ceylon was larger by eight million pounds than that of 1892, the com¬ 
bined crops supplying an increase of twenty million pounds over any 
previous crop. 
- A Picturesque Kailway Embankment. — “ E. D. S.” 
writes ;—“ I have never seen a prettier sight than is now presented by 
a stretch of railway embankment not many hundred yards from the 
Gravesend station of the South-Eastern Railway Company when 
approaching from Northflest. It is not, however, the railway traveller 
who can enjoy the beauty of the bank in question but the on-looker from 
the bridge in Lennox Road. There can be seen on the bank facing the 
south a mass of Valerian in bloom, pink and red shades of this beautiful 
wild flower making a most effective display, which will more or less 
continue all the summer. There is said to be a white variety, but this I 
have not seen. Your esteemed correspondent ‘J. R. S. C.’ who is 
acquainted with this spot, and others worth seeing for miles around, will 
doubtless know whether there is a white variety or not. I may say I 
was much interested in this flower in the autumn when the last few 
heads of bloom were appearing, but could not find its name until 
I read an interesting article by ‘ J. R. S. C.’ in a local publication, 
entitled ‘ Wild Flowers around Gravesend.’ Between Lennox Road 
and the station another bridge crosses the line, and from that a further 
stretch of embankment can be viewed, where overhanging bushes of 
white Hawthorn make a rich contrast with the coloured Valerian. The 
Valerian loves the sunshine, as upon the northern embankment little 
is to be seen. It seems to revel in the chalk, but I think it will 
grow without it, as I once saw a splendid clump in flower in South 
Yorkshire.” 
- Cabbages. —This is most emphatically the season of the 
Cabbage. Generally we have few hardy vegetables that are at this time 
of the year so plentiful, so easily obtained, and so useful. Butin spite of 
the great numbers of varieties in commerce it is most evident that we 
have far too many coarse late varieties, which it would be better 
for gardening did they disappear altogether. If we could reduce our 
stocks to some half dozen, and those only that were of smallish or 
medium size, carrying very little superfluous leafage, and having solid^ 
neat, compact hearts, how great would be the gain. A few days since, 
looking over the allotments at Richmond, 1 found out of probably 150 
beds or plots of Cabbages only one really good stock. It was, perhaps, 
the Rainham or Early Offenheim, but whatever it was, a better Cabbage 
for hearting in and of good medium size could not have been found. 
Whilst many had little better than clusters of leaves to cut, these firm 
solid hearts must have been delicious when cooked. In one case a 
breadth of Cabbage of a very coarse leafy kind was shown me as EHam’s 
Early. The grower had been shamefully deceived, and I fear many 
others had been so likewise. If private gardeners, and especially market 
gardeners, can get so well served, why not allotment holders ? If we 
could always secure a correct stock of Ellam’s Early, Early Gem, Little 
Pixie, Early York, Early Rainham, or Early Offenheim, some large, and 
all fairly early, we should want none others. Just now at the shops 
what are being sold as Cabbages are not much better than clusters of 
coarse leaves. I saw some good Ellam’s on sale a short time since, 
but presumably all those have been cleared off. It is no credit to our 
Cabbage raisers that we have not an abundance of good hearts at the 
end of May.—A. D. 
- Royal Meteorological Society.— The monthly meeting 
of this Society was held recently at Westminster, Mr. R. Inwards 
F.R.A.S., President, in the chair. Mr. W. Ellis, F.R S., read a paper 
“ On the Relative Frequency of Different Velocities of Wind,” in which 
he discussed the anemometer records of the Greenwich Observatory for 
the five years 1888-1892, with the view of ascertaining the number of 
hours during which the wind blew with each of the different hourly 
velocities experienced during the period. The results of this discussion 
show that the wind blew for the greatest number of hours with 
the hourly velocities of ten and eleven miles. Mr. W. Marriott, 
F.R.Met.Soc., gave an account of a series of observations on the 
“ Audibility of ‘ Big Ben,’ at West Norwood,” which he had carried on 
for a period of five years. The Clock Tower at Westminster is five and 
a half miles distant from the point of observation in a north-by-west 
direction. The large bell “ Big Ben ” was designed by Lord Grimthorpe, 
and was cast in 1858 ; its weight is about 14 tons. It is 9 feet 5^ inches 
in diameter, and 9J inches in thickness, its tone being E. The obser¬ 
vations were 976 in number, and were made at the hours of 9 A.M. and 
9 P.M. The bell could be heard more frequently in the evening than in 
the morning, and on Sundays it was more frequently audible than on 
week days. The direction of the wind most fa' ourable for hearing 
“ Big Ben ” was between west and north. The observations were also 
discussed in relation to temperature, moisture, cloud, and barometric 
pressure. A paper by Mr. A. W. Moore was also read on “ Earth 
Temperatures at Crankbourne, Isle of Man, 1880-1889.” 
- Nitrate of Soda in Egypt.— Prof. W. C. Mackenzie of the 
College of Agriculture, Ghizeh, has sent “ Nature ” some interesting 
information with regard to the existence of nitrate of soda in Egypt. 
It appears that the natives of Upper Egypt, from Keneh to Esneh, are 
in the habit of carrying a substance called “ tail,” from the hills on 
the east side of the river, to manure their fields, especially the Maize 
crop. That this was done seems to have been well enough known to 
many people in the habit of spending some time there, but beyond a 
casual knowledge of the fact that the “ tali ” was used as a manure, no 
further interest seems to have been taken. What the valuable ingre¬ 
dient was, does not seem to have been known, and the name “ tafl ” was 
used indiscriminately for clay for pottery and clay for manure. Analyses 
of several samples of this substance showed, however, that they contained 
nitrate of soda from 2 per cent, to 18 5, mixed with varying proportions 
of chloride and sulphate, as well as calcium carbonate and clay. Further 
examinations of other samples did not show such a high percentage, the 
richest containing only 4 per cent. Prof, Mackenzie visited the deposit 
in the hills east from Luxor, and some eight miles distant from the town 
across the desert, and there found the “ tafl ” right on the face of a 
limestone hill, apparently cropping out of the rock. Samples taken at 
different heights gave percentages varying from 2 to 9 5 of nitrate of 
soda. On sending in a report about this nitrate, Nubar Pasha, the 
present Prime Minister, arranged to send up Mr. E. A. Floyer and Prof. 
Sickenberger to investigate the whole question, and endeavour to esti¬ 
mate the quantity. The investigation will no doubt throw considerable 
light on the origin of this curious occurrence of nitrate. 
- Leaves of Trees as Fodder. —The United States Consul 
at Chemnitz, in a recent report, describes the experiments made by 
farmers on the Continent last year to feed their cattle on the leaves of 
trees. The French, he says, have taken the lead in the movement. 
They recommend exclusively the leaves of the Hazel, Aspen, Ash, Elm, 
and Willow. The leaves, after being gathered, are spread on the barn 
floor to the depth of 3 or 4 inches, and are turned once a day. They 
dry in from tnree to five days, according to the weather. When dry 
they are piled up ready for use. It is profitable to prepare each day’s 
supply twenty-four hours beforehand. There is mixed with the leaves 
to be served each day a small amount of chopped Turnips, leaving 
the whole to ferment. Just before feeding, Clover, hay, or Lucerne is 
sometimes added. This food has been found especially good for milch 
cows. Young shoots and branches of trees, with their new leaves, are 
picked off every five years and fed to sheep. These animals are very 
fond of the Aspen, because of its resinous and sweet buds. Willow 
leaves and bark mixed with oats are regarded as a very pleasant, nutri¬ 
tious, and strengthening food for horses. It is not good to feed the 
leaves green ; in fact the cattle prefer them dried. Again, they should 
be served only with other fodder. When the leaves are young they con¬ 
tain a large quantity of nitrogen. As the season advances this grows 
less, as do also their nourishing properties. It is said that July and 
August, when the leaves are full grown, is the best time for harvesting 
them. Experiments were made with Potato leaves, but the results were 
unsatisfactory. They should be used only in times of greatest scarcity, 
and only then to save the live stock. The Potatoes deprived of their 
leaves suffer much more than is made up by their leaf value for fodder. 
The Consul, according to “ The Times,” concludes :—"All this trouble 
in Europe is taken to find substitutes and to save cattle, and yet 
2,000,000,000 bushels of the best food for man and beast burden the granaries 
and barns of the United States. Why do not the European farmers take 
our Maize? It is infinitely better than their best substitute, is one-third 
as dear as Rye or Wheat, and, in the testimony of their own chemists, 
almost as nutritious ; though twice as dear as Potatoes, it is more than 
four times as nutritious.” 
