56 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f July 19, 1898. 
able, these being applied at the rate recommended by the vendors. 
Superphosphate is a very safe and good manure, this being mixed 
with the top-dressing compost at the rate of an 8-inch potful to 
two bushels of soil, or it may be frequently sprinkled on the surface 
of the soil and washed in gradually. The smooth round-fruited 
varieties are liable to crack badly before the fruits are ripe. This 
may be anticipated either by the maintenance of a drier atmosphere, 
or by cutting the fruit before they are quite ripe, these being placed 
on a warm shelf to ripen. If screened from fierce sunshine, and 
which is apt to bake the fruits, neither colour nor quality will be 
much affected by this early cutting. This season our plants are 
again heavily syringed as often as the Peach trees in the same 
house, and this appears to be a sure preventive of cracking. 
Syringing also greatly checks the spread of the very troublesome 
tiny white fly known as Aleyrodes, and red spider is similarly 
checked. 
The Potato fungus, Peronospora infestans, sometimes attacks 
Tomato plants under glass, and should this be discerned a little fire 
heat ought to be given and a drier atmosphere maintained. It is 
also necessary to at once destroy the affected plants before the 
disease spreads through the house. There appears to be no remedy 
for the disease which attacks the points of the fruit, this also being 
a fungus growth, and as far as my experience goes all that can be 
done is to at once destroy the affected fruit. The disease already 
alluded to—viz., Cladisporium fulvum, is at present most prevalent 
in the Channel Islands, and unless a remedy is soon found it will 
probably lead to a discontinuance, for a time at any rate, of Tomato 
culture in districts where the bulk of the fruit imported to this 
country is now grown. 
For exhibition purposes the preference is usually given to the 
rich red round-fruited varieties, these “ taking ” better than the 
ribbed or corrugated varieties or any of a pink shade of colour. 
Carter’s Perfection is one of the best that can be grown, this attain¬ 
ing a good size, is very handsome, and of first-rate quality. Living¬ 
stone’s Perfection much resembles it, as also does the heavy 
cropping Hackwood Park Prolific. Selected fruit from Trophy or 
Stamfordian are very fine in every respect. Mikado is very dis¬ 
tinct and succeeds well in the open air, but the pale colour is ob¬ 
jectionable. Turner’s Hybrid, selected from it, is very superior, the 
colour of this being a very rich dark red. Either Acme or Dedham 
Favourite are suitable for collections of Tomatoes, as also are Large 
Red, Golden Queen, and Large Yellow.— Exhibitor. 
PERENNIAL CORNFLOWERS. 
Among hardy perennials destined to become popular plants 
these Cornflowers are notable, as they possess a vigorous constitu¬ 
tion combined with free and continued flowering, and their flowers 
are highly valuable in a cut state. Few plants are of easier 
cultivation, and all succeed in fairly well enriched loamy soils ; 
at the same time they well repay for liberal treatment, and plants 
should not be allowed to stand in one position for any longer 
period than two years. They can be divided and replanted after 
flowering, but March and April are in reality the best months for 
planting, except that there is the danger of sacrificing many flowers 
that may be expected in June. They can be transplanted after the 
June flowering by giving a little protection from hot sun and a 
thorough soaking of water occasionally, while in an exceptionally 
wet summer like the present it hardly feels the moving. 
Not the least important feature in connection with these Corn¬ 
flowers is their picturesque form, thus rendering them particularly 
distinct and effective when arranged with other flowers in vases. 
All the varieties are increased freely by division and also by root 
cuttings, the latter being best inserted when the plants are dor¬ 
mant. They also seed freely provided the flowers are allowed to 
stand ; but it may be well to observe that the seedlings are often 
much varied, some of them deteriorating in a surprising degree; 
still good varieties do appear among the rest. At the present time 
in most of the varieties there is a decided lack of substance in the 
flowers, which may be regarded as their weak point. This is more 
noticeable in the type and flesh-coloured forms, while an increased 
number of florets would be a great improvement in the white. 
Much the best and fullest flowers come from the variety rubra, and 
these are of a pleasing rosy red, very attractive, and certainly 
a most valuable perennial. There is a tendency of the centre 
florets to fold inwards, cupped as it were, which produces good 
effect. The florets of all the other forms radiate horizontally. The 
varieties best known are the blue, white, flesh, and red. There is also 
a so-called sulphur variety ; the name is however misleading, the 
colour being a dirty cream tint, very probably a seedling, as it is the 
counterpart of some I flowered a short time since. All the fore¬ 
going are supposed to be forms of the Mountain Cornflower, Cen- 
taurea montana, though none of them has the deep green glossy 
leaves which mark the type. This may also be distinguished by its 
narrower and more lance-shaped leaves. In all the other varieties 
mentioned the leaves are much more woolly and inclined to ovate 
acuminate, while all appear to vary somewhat in leafage, so much 
indeed that I have wondered whether they are really the offspring 
of one species.—J. H. E. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
July 10th. 
Scientific Committee. —Present: G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., ire 
the chair; Messrs. Smee, Boulger, W. G. Smith, J. O’Brien, D. Morris, 
and Dr. Masters. 
Insects Attaching Shoots of Ash.— Mr. Boulger mentioned, on the- 
authority of Mr. Stainton, that the insect was probably one of the 
Tineidre, Prays Curtisellus. 
Plague of Caterpillars, fo. —A further discussion took place on this 
subject, in the course of which Mr. O’Brien alluded to the abundance of 
earwigs (Forficula) this season. Mr. Wilson drew attention to the local 
distribution of the caterpillars. In one garden in his neighbourhood' 
none of the pests were found, while in others there was scarcely a leaf 
on the tree. At Wisley, Mr. Wilson had found that exposure to east 
wind was associated with the presence of insects; thus the trees in 
one line of Plums, fully exposed, were stripped of their foliage, while 
in another line of the same variety close by, on the same description of 
soil, but where the trees were sheltered by a Furze fence not a leaf was 
injured. 
Fungi on Cucumbers and on Poppies. —Mr. W. G. Smith exhibited 
leaves of Cucumbers affected with Didymium dasdaleum, and also- 
Poppies attacked by the Peronospora arborescens, in consequence of 
which the flower stalks were lengthened and spirally twisted. 
Lcclia Eyermanni. —Mr. O’Brien made some remarks relating to thi3- 
plant, which is remarkable for the presence of well-developed leafy 
bracts (not membranous sheaths), at the base of the flower stems. By 
some the plant is considered to be a hybrid between L. autumnalis and 
L. majalis. As there was some doubt expressed as to whether the exist¬ 
ence of leafy bracts might not be accidental, it was suggested that the- 
plant be exhibited again another year. 
Odontoglossum Eugenes. —A plant of this was shown, and was con¬ 
sidered to be a form of 0. excellens, and possibly of hybrid origin,. 
0. Pescatorei being one.of the parents. 
Antliurium Rothschildianum. —From Messrs. James Veitch & Sons 
came a plant with two spathes from the same stock. One of the tw®- 
was much more densely spotted than the other. 
Epidendrum vitellmum. —From Messrs. Sander came flowers of this 
species, in which, although the flowers were not fertilised, the ovary be¬ 
neath the flower was enlarged, its colour glaucous-green, with six promi¬ 
nent orange-coloured ribs. Subsequent examination showed that the 
pollen-masses had not been removed, and that, although the ovary was, 
swollen, the ovules in the interior were imperfectly developed. 
Duecious Strawberries. —Mr. Morris forwarded a letter from Mr. 
Colebrook on the subject of the well-known t-ndency towards the- 
separation of the sexes in Strawberries, especially in the United States. 
Tomato Disease. —A letter was read which had been written to 
Mr. W. Iggulden by a Guernsey grower detailing the course of this 
too well known, or rather these too well-known diseases. The writer’s 
plants were in a span-roofed house, 60 by 25 feet, and were affected 
last year, when sulphur was applied without effect, the leaves were 
speedily affected but not the fruits. After the removal of the crop the 
grower took the precaution to have the walls washed with lime, to renew 
the soil, and adopted every known means to secure healthy growth, but 
this year the disease is worse than before. One grower was mentioned 
as having seven houses, each 350 by 45 feet, decimated with the disease 
and not a pound’s worth of saleable fruit in before. Mr. W. G. Smith 
referred to the full description and illustration of the several fungi 
known to attack the Tomato, given in the Gardeners' Chronicle in 1881, 
November 12th, and in 1887, August 6th, October 1st and 20th, by Mr. 
C. Plowright and himself. Dr. Masters suggested the trial of sulphate 
of copper in fine powder, mixed with precipitated lime, and dusted over 
the foliage, as used in the French vineyards. 
Monstrous Cypripediums. —Various specimens from Mr. Tautz and! 
Mr. Pollett were shown, and referred to Dr. Masters for examination 
and report. 
Vacant Ground in Kitchen Gardens. — Early crops are now 
being removed from their growing quarters in all gardens. These in¬ 
clude Potatoes, Peas, Spinach, and Turnips, and this affords an excellent 
opportunity to plant winter crops. It is not yet too late to plant Savoys. 
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and Greens generally. As our south borders 
are cleared of Potatoes the ground is at once filled with Veitch’s Autumn, 
Giant Cauliflower and Veitch’s Self-protecting Broccoli, both of which 
merit a good position. We do not wait until a long border is cleared, 
but as every half-dozen rows or so are lifted the plants are placed in. 
Turnips and Spinach are also sown on some of the vacant ground, and. 
it is only by attending strictly to this rule of planting that we can 
keep up a large supply of winter and spring vegetables. No one ought 
to feel satisfied with one crop a year out of the garden. Two at least 
should be secured, and three if possible. In planting very late Broccoli 
we always study to put them at the end of a quarter, as they will note 
