140 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Anpust 16,1889. 
are more closely allied to Mrs. Smith, though quite distinct. When 
all our whites have been tried, we have none to compare with 
Countess of Hopetoun, which is excellent in all respects, and 
likely to stand the test of time. Of golden yellows Bullion and 
Golden Prince Improved are remarkable for their profuse free 
blooming qualities. The Queen of Spring types I have not yet 
grown so well here in Middlesex as I have done in the midland and 
northern counties, and I intend testing what older plants will do 
for me in this respect. The young plants do fairly, but they lack 
the size and freedom to which they are prone in and around 
Birmingham for instance, so I intend leaving this year’s plants or 
a portion of them to flower next season, and see if any improve¬ 
ment is made. Mrs. Baxter and Countess of Ivintore are both 
excellent. Sir Joseph Terry is a deep velvet black, while Duchess 
of Albany, Dawn of Day, Skylark, and Spotted Gem are great 
favourites. One variety in particular needs more than a passing 
word of praise—it is Bronze Queen, than which we have few Violas 
destined to become more popular by reason of its most distinct and 
useful colour—a rich bronzy, shining chestnut. Those who possess 
this variety should make the most of it, for some of them will be 
in greater demand. Two other varieties which I had lost sight of 
I have procured again this season ; they are Crimson Gem and 
Forerunner. Both varieties are first-rate bedders, of good form, 
and compact. The predominant colour of the first is defined in 
its name, while Forerunner is a rich violet or indigo blue shade, 
quite distinct. Any or all of these are calculated to produce a 
display in either large or small gardens of which no other plant 
can boast ; nor does any hardy (lant provide such a continuous 
wealth of bloom at so trifling a cost or with so little attention as 
these Violas, facts alone which cannot but bring them into their 
right position in the floricultural world. I can only advise the 
would-be cultivator to closely follow Mr. Dean’s advice as to their 
culture and propagation if they court success. With regard to the 
brown aphis, which is rightly regarded as “ a terrible enemy,” I 
find a solution of quassia and softsoap very effectual in their 
destruction ; but in this, as in most things, prevention is better 
than cure. And here, again, the reader will do well to follow Mr. 
Dean’s advice, and keep his plants freely watered—an item which 
growers generally have not regarded as desirable at present this 
summer.—J. H. E. 
TOMATO FAILURE AND DISEASE. 
Last season was unusually favourable to the growth of Tomatoes 
in the open air, the crops in many instances fully equalling what 
are annually grown in America, at least so I was informed by those 
competent to express an opinion in the matter. As a consequence 
more plants were prepared and put out this year than at any 
previous time, and as a great failure is the inevitable result, let the 
weather in August be what it may, the disappointment will be all 
the greater. Recently I saw several large breadths of ground, both 
sheltered and exposed, covered with Tomato plants, or enough to 
produce many tons of fruit, and these at present are not furnished 
with any crop. Strong plants were placed out, these being either 
staked or trained up wires, and kept disbudded, or rather cleared of 
all side shoots, but the flowers fell as fast as they formed, and 
if any set it will be in August instead of June. Those against 
walls throughout the country are not in a much better plight. Any 
that are furnished with fruit had these set before they were planted, 
and even against extra warm walls or the fronts of forcing houses 
the crops are very light. As yet I have seen none affected by the 
Potato fungus, but a good per-centage of plants have sickly foliage, 
or such as delicately constituted Potatoes have that are rooting in a 
cold and wet soil. 
Under glass the crops are far from being satisfactory, the 
greatest difficulty being experienced in effecting a good set. The 
flowers were weak and pollen scarce, and the majority turned 
yellow and fell. To add to the tale of woe a comparatively new 
and very destructive disease has shown itself in places where many 
large houses are solely devoted to Tomato culture. This is known 
as Cladisporium fulvum, and as yet no remedy has been found other 
than removing the leaves as fast as they are affected. Perhaps I 
ought not to call this a remedy, as it is very certain when all the 
principal leaves are removed from a plant the fruit cannot attain 
either to a good size or good quality. At the fruit-growing 
establishment above alluded to, which is situated in Gloucester¬ 
shire, and many miles away from any other Tomato houses, I in¬ 
spected several span-roofed houses not less than 100 feet long 
wholly devoted to Tomato culture, and to all appearance not one 
plant out of the many hundreds grown were free from this de¬ 
structive disease or fungus. It was sad to see such a number of 
long naked stems, and sadder still to think there is no known 
remedy. In Guernsey and Jersey the Cladisporium was very de¬ 
structive last season, but in spite of various precautions it is still 
worse this year, fruit as well as foliage being badly diseased. 
Evidently it is spreading through the country, and I am afraid the 
Tomato industry will receive a shock from which it will not 
quickly recover. This is much to be regretted, not only on account- 
of the loss to the growers, to many of whom one or two failures- 
may mean ruin, but also because of the check to the fast increasing 
love of and demand for Tomatoes. 
At a recent meeting of the Scientific Committee of the RoyaD 
Horticultural Society, Dr. Masters suggested dusting the affected 
leaves with a mixture of sulphate of copper in fine powder and preci¬ 
pitated or newly slaked lime, this having been found efficacious as a- 
remedy for mildew in the French vineyards. It has already been 
tried by a gentleman who owns several vineyards in the south of 
France, and is also much interested in wholesale Tomato culture 
in this country. Sulphate of copper and lime do check the spread 
of mildew, but it appears to be powerless against the more rapidly 
destructive Cladisporium, unless sufficient of it is used to destroy 
the leaves as well as the fungus on them. Diseases of fungoid 
growth are very hard to check, and especially so in the case of 
foliage that is not hard and smooth. This season is undoubtedly 
very favourable to the spread of mildew-like diseases not only 
among Tomatoes, but also Grapes, Melons, Cucumbers, and other 
fruit trees or plants. There is no remedy for the Potato disease,, 
and I am afraid never will be ; but in some seasons we escape 
infection, and the Cladisporium may be only a temporary visitation. 
Some diseases are constitutional, and may be perpetuated by 
seed saved from affected plants. Each time I have raised Melon 
plants from seed supplied by a friend a disease has manifested 
itself in the foliage. At first large yellow spots appeared, these 
soon spreading, apparently eating away the hairs and upper surface 
of the leaves, and the plants had to be destroyed. No other Melons 
before nor since were similarly affected, and I am firmly convinced 
the disease was in the blood or constitution of the plants. It was 
not one, but several varieties apparently possessing strong con¬ 
stitutions that were affected. I shall be told the Cladisporium is- 
spread by means of floating spores, but all the same I cannot help 
thinking it may be spread by the medium of tainted seed, or else 
how did it reach such an out-of-the-way and healthy open district 
as the western counties ? As a large Guernsey grower stated in a. 
letter to me, there is a fortune awaiting anyone who can devise a 
remedy for the Cladisporium, but although I have had sent me- 
specimens of infected foliage in various stages, as well as diseased 
fruits, I liked the look of it so little that I would not keep it long 
on the place, or try to communicate the disease to our plants, with 
the idea of conducting a series of experiments. If it comes natu¬ 
rally I may then make the attempt, but it is doubtful if the honour 
and profit of the discovery will fall to my lot, or indeed to that of 
anyone else, or it would have been forthcoming ere now. 
At the present time (August 2nd) there is prospect of more 
settled weather, and plenty of hot sunshine may yet do much to 
improve matters, more especially in the case of healthy plants that 
have set few or no fruit. Those grown in the open cannot, under 
any circumstances, be expected to produce and ripen many fruits, 
but those against sunny walls and under glass are more likely to do- 
better. Many have erred in neglecting their plants. When it was 
seen no fruit was setting no further trouble was taken with them, 
and as a consequence the main branches are breaking down and a 
thicket of side shoots sprung up. No greater mistake could have 
been made, and it ought to be rectified, as much as possible, at 
once. All superfluous growth ought to be cut clean away, leaving 
only the main branches or leading shoots and a few strong side 
shoots where they can be laid in without crowding. This will 
encourage the formation and setting of a few strong clusters of 
fruit, and if the shoots are stopped beyond the second of these all 
will swell rapidly. The earliest may ripen on the plants, many 
more may be cut and ripened under glass, and the small green fruits 
can also be utilised for making into pickles.—W. Iggulden. 
COLOGNE EXHIBITION. 
An International Horticultural Exhibition was opened at 
Cologne on the 4th inst. under the patronage of the Empress 
Augusta of Germany, Her Imperial Majesty being represented on 
the occasion by the Minister of Agriculture, accompanied by a 
brilliant suite of high military rank. The place where the Exhibi¬ 
tion is being held, for it is to remain open till the end of September, 
is the Flora Gardens, a public resort of the inhabitants of Cologne, 
where horticulture is fostered under the care of the distinguished 
Director, Mr. J. Niepraschk, a name well known among the horti¬ 
culturists of Europe. These Flora Gardens are on an extensive 
scale, beautifully laid out and planted with great taste and skill, 
surpassing even the Royal Botanic in the Regent’s Park, which is 
the admiration of so many. The design was executed twenty-five 
years ago by Dr. Lenne of Berlin, and carried out by the Director, 
