December 29, 1887. ] 
JOURNATj OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
the flowers are large and pure white ; the fruits, which are freely pro¬ 
duced, are very ornamental, like long Raspberries, but insipid, though 
they are sold in the West Indian markets under the name of “Fram- 
boisier.” 
“ lN 6971 is given a figure of Oncidium micropogon, a 
species supposed to be from St. Catherine's in South Brazil. It has long 
pendulous racemes of yellow flowers, the sepals narrow and barred 
transversely with brown, the lip very distinctly divided into three small 
roundish and stalked lobes. T. 6972 is of Rhododendron rhombrium, a 
Japanese species from the Island of Niphon, where it-is found in moun¬ 
tain forests. It has neat rose-coloured flowers with even elliptical 
petals. 
A Pennsylvanian firm has a new Tomato which is called 
Peach Tomato, the fruit of which it is said might be as easily mis¬ 
taken for Peaches. It is said to be very productive, as also is the 
Puritan, the name of the newest Tomato from Boston. 
The Phylloxera has at length become nearly as bad on 
the roots of the Grape Vines in California as in Europe. In some 
localities the plantations are nearly ruined. They are, however, doing 
as the wide awake vineyardists of France are doing, grafting on the 
American stock. The varieties of the species Vitis ripariaare found to be 
the best. The insect attacks these Vine roots as well as the roots of the 
European, but on account of the very fibrous rooting character, they 
do not suffer much. The young roots grow faster than the trouble¬ 
some little insect can follow them. Hence these species of the Grape 
are known as resistant Grapes. Julius Dressel of Sonoma, in California, 
has 70 acres grafted on many varieties of the riparia s ction that are 
thriving wonderfully, and grafted Grapes will soon be a leading industry 
in California. 
A correspondent sends the following note :—“ The First 
Living Tea Plant in Europe.— Osbeck’s voyage to China in the 
Swedish ship ‘ Gothic Lion,’ which sailed in 1750, says : ‘After a stay of 
four months and ten days in China, our ship and the other Swedish ship 
began their voyage home. Every one leaped for joy, and my Tea shrub, 
which stood in a pat, fell upon the deck during the firing of the cannon s 
and was thrown overboard without my knowledge, after I had nursed it 
and taken care of it a long while on board the ship. Thus I saw my 
hopes blasted of bringing a growing Tea plant to my countrymen : a 
pleasure no one has been able as yet to feel, notwithstanding all possible 
care and expense.’ In a footnote to the English translation, the trans¬ 
lator, Forster, says; ‘ Linnaeus has had since 3rd of October, 1763, 
a fine Tea shrub brought him from China by Captain Carl Gustav 
Eckeberg, which is, as far as we know, the only one in Europe.” 
— — Celery at Kalamazoo in Michigan. —Mr. John van 
Bochove communicates the following to the “ American Gardeners’ 
Monthly ’ —“ I saw a note about Kalamazoo Celery, saying it would be 
interesting to know the cost cf land per acre, Ac. I thought I would 
give you a few notes. It is estimated that two thousand acres are under 
cultivation, from nearly all which two crops are taken, an 1 occa¬ 
sionally three crops in one season. Eighteen hundred persons, including 
men and the members of their families, are engaged in the cultivation 
of this vegetable ; and thirty-five hundred people who g t their living 
either directly or indirectly from Celery. Twenty and thirty and not 
infrequently fifty tons are shipped daily during the shipping season, 
which commences July 1st and continues until the Celery is all disposed 
of, which is usually before January 1st. The lumber for the boxes used 
in packing the vegetable alone cost 20,000 dollars last season. Land 
which formerly would have been considered dear at 30 dollars per acre, 
is now held at from 2 to 800 dollars per acre, according to location. The 
demand is excellent this season. The growers will commence to coop 
the first of next week and have most of it in by November l6t, when we 
may expect cold weather. The price is fair this season, the grower 
receiving 15 cents per dozen stalks. The amount of Celery shipped from 
here this season will crowd one-half million dollars pretty close. The 
crop is very fine notwithstanding the severe drought we have had all 
summer.” 
- The same periodical thus speaks of a well known British horti¬ 
culturist, Mr. John Laing. —“ This is one of those intelligent British 
gardeners of whom the Old World is proud. In his early years he 
became eminent in botanical as well as horticultural pursuits ; he has 
since been a member of several prominent nursery firms—but is best 
known as a hybridiser of flowers. Many of the wonderful races of 
plants that adorn our gardens and greenhouses had their origin with 
him. The Tuberous Begoniaa had an early start from his hand. He was 
born near Brechin, in Scotland, in 1823.” 
^ ® are informed that Mr. David Thomson, of Drumlanrig 
Gardens, has discovered a complete remedy for the Gumming of 
Cucumbers and Melons, an affection which causes trouble to a 
great^ number of cultivators yearly, and which seriously injures 
or luins their plants and crops. The remedy, we are told, can be used 
as a preventive of gumming, or as a cure when the evil occurs. A 
specific of this kind is a requisite in gardens, 
Glasgow and West of Scotland Horticultural 
Society. —The Directors of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Horti¬ 
cultural Society announce that it is intended to hold three grand flower 
Shows during 1888. The spring Show will be held within the City Hall, 
Glasgow, while the summer and autumn Shows are to be held in con¬ 
nection with, and under the auspices of the Glasgow Int rnational Ex¬ 
hibition of Industry, Science, and Arts. The dates of the Shows will be 
as follows : — Spring Show in City Hall, Glasgow, Wednesday, 
28th March ; summer Show in International Exhibition, Kelvingrove 
lark, on Wednesday, 11th, and Thursday, 12th July ; autumn Show in 
the International Exhibition on Wednesday, 12th, Thursday, 13th, and 
Friday, 14th September. The Secretary is Mr. Franc. Gibb Dougalb 
167, Canning Street, Glasgow, and the Treasurer Mr. Chas. Macdonald 
Williamson, 194, West George Street, Glasgow. The schedule of classes 
and prizes for the spring Show is just to hand, and includes provision 
for forced plants, bulbs, alpine plants, &c. The prizes, however, are not 
large, ranging from 30s. to 2s. Gd. 
Auricula Page s Champion. — Mr. J. F. Kew, London 
Road, Southend, writes : “ Although not a fortunate possessor of thi s 
much-coveted variety, I am inclined to think your correspondent, Mr. 
Kilgour, page 540, has the true sort. In ‘ Tyas’s Popular Flowers,’ pub¬ 
lished in 1843, it is figured with a deep plum-purple body colour, shaded 
with a decided dash of red, and can certainly not be described as velvety 
black. This agrees with my recollection of the flower as shown so 
many times in London by Mr. Horner. Of late years, however, it has 
not been seen so often. In the same publication are mentioned two 
other of Page’s flowers—Duchess of Oldenburg and Lord Hill. It 
would be interesting to know if either of these are still in existence* 
Although said to be a Lonilon-rais d flower, Champion seems now to 
have completely disappeared from the south.” 
Messrs. Wood & Sons send us a list of about forty prize¬ 
winners of their several cups and medals offered for competition during 
the past season, with an intimation that the lists are free to all appli¬ 
cants. 
- Christmas in Canada. —The Lh'eponl Journal cf Commerce, 
December 21st, 1887, has the following note :—“ The dominion of 
Canada, more especially the new province of Manitoba, is largely 
peopled by natives of the British Isles, and these are strongly attached 
to the traditions of the mother country, its institutions, and its obser¬ 
vances. In the last steamer which left the Mersey for Halifax upwards 
of 100 tons of space was occupied by crates of Holly and Mistletoe, 
principally on through bills of lading to Winnipeg, Manitoba.” 
- The Camellia. —At the last meeting of the Wakefield Pax¬ 
ton Society at the “ Saw Hotel,” Mr. H. Oxley presided, Mr. W. Glover 
was in the vice-chair, and there was about an average attendance of the 
members. Mr. W. L. Skinner of the Silcoates Nurseries was announced 
as the essayist, and in introducing him to give an address on “ The 
Camellia,” Mr. Oxley spoke of him as one of the fathers of the Paxton 
Society, and one of the oldest gardeners in this district. He said Mr. 
Skinner always gave them some interesting information, and he com¬ 
bined Scotch humour with English wit. Mr. Skinner, who has been in 
the district twenty-four years, then gave the Paxtonians some good 
advice with regard to the growth of the Camellia. In the course of his 
remarks Mr. Skinner said that although the Camellia has lately given 
way to the growing popular taste for Chrysanthemums, he believed the 
Camellia will never go out of favour ; in his opinion it still stands in 
the front rank of flowers for winter. He explained that though the 
Camellia is a native of Japan and China, and said it is fareasier to grow 
