338 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 15, 1885. 
-In another portion of the paper occurred some observations upo n 
Dodder and Rafflesia as follows :—“In 1873 a trial took place at 
Bedford for ‘ breach of warranty.’ A farmer had bought Clover seed 
infested with Dodder seed, the result, of course, being that all the farmer’s 
Clover was destroyed by the parasite. The farmer claimed £202 10s. 
damages. In defence, great doubts were thrown on the very existence of 
such dubious and impossible things as Dodder seeds, and it was said in 
the defence that ‘ Dodder is a parasite, the propagation of which is 
wholly unaccountable to the most experienced agriculturists.’ Judge 
and jury were alike perplexed. Although the very existence of such 
things as Dodder seeds had been tabooed, the jury found the defendant 
guilty, but assessed the damages not at £202 10s. but £50. The Judge 
evidently believed in the non-existence of Dodder seeds, and the unac¬ 
countable mystery of Dodder, for he gave the defendant leave to have 
the damages reduced to £6 7s. 6d., the price paid for the seed. Before 
dismissing Dodder, I will mention a little mare’s nest discovered by a 
writer who described the well-known plant named Rafflesia in the 
Edinburgh Review for October, 1883. The Rafflesia, as is well known- 
has a similar parasitic habit with Dodder. The reviewer said ‘the Rafflesia 
is a plant or fungus,’ observe that ! ‘ a plant or fungus.’ The mare’s 
nester elsewhere in his description says ‘ that fungi are commonly 
regarded as not bearing flowers ; ’ the Rafflesia fungus was, of course, an 
exception to this rule.’’ 
-It is estimated that the fruit yield between Kingston and 
Newburgh in the Hudson River district in America will exceed by 33 per 
cent, that of former years. The shipments of Grapes will reach about 
5250 tons, valued at 367,500 dollars. 
- One of the most interesting features of the Cranberry 
marshes of Wisconsin are the pumps used to flood the ground. On 
one marsh there are two that draw their supply from the Fox River, and 
throw 80,000 gallons a minute. The stream is 20 feet wide. 4 deep, and 
moves at the rate of 160 feet a minute, flooding the 1000-acre marsh to a 
depth of 12 to 15 inches in ten hours. The water is depended on as a 
protection against frost, also to drown the insects which infest the 
Cranberry blossoms in May. 
- The annual conference of the Cryptogamic Society of Scot¬ 
land was recently held at Corrie, Island of Arran. The weather was 
unfavourable throughout, and fungi were not abundant. Ferns are 
plentiful in the island. Trichomanes radicans, Hymenophyllum tun- 
bridgense, and H. unilaterale are found in abundance. Our esteemed 
correspondent, Dr. Landsborough, has on several occasions sent us notes 
illustrating the remarkably mild climate of Arran, and in confirmation of 
these it may be added that Palms, Camellias, Myrtles, Heaths, Fuchsias, 
&c., have been grown in the open air uninjured through a long succession 
of winters. At the business meeting of the Society, Dr. Flaxman 
Spurrell in the chair, it was resolved to publish a volume of Transactions 
after the next annual conference, which will take place at Aberdeen in 
the autumn of next year, under the presidency of Professor J. W. H- 
Trail. 
- The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society will hold a special 
Exhibition and Conference on Apples and Pears in connection 
with the Society’s Winter Show in the Waverley Market, Edinburgh, on the 
25th and 26th November. While collections of Apples and Pears are 
solicited from all parts for comparison and instruction, the chief object of 
the Conference is to utilise the favourable opportunity presented by the 
fine crop this year, for the purpose of gaining information about the 
Apples, and 1 ears grown in Scotland, comparing their merits and correct¬ 
ing their nomenclature. All fruit-growers, especially in Scotland, are 
therefore invited to send as complete collections as possible of the Apples 
and Pears grown in their district ; and as the object is solely educational, 
there will be no competition and no prizes. It is not necessary that the 
fruit, should be grown by the sender. Intending exhibitors must give 
notice to the Secretary or Assistant Secretary in writing not later than 
Monday, the 16th November, stating the number of varieties to be ex¬ 
hibited and the amount of space that will be required. Collections of 
fruit may he consigned to Mr. William Young, Assistant Secretary, 18, 
Waverley Market, Edinburgh, and delivered there on or before Friday, 
20th November. The Council will pay the carriage of fruit and take all 
possible care of it, and will also see that it is properly staged for the in¬ 
spection of the Committee ; but they will not be held responsible for any 
error, damage, or loss ofaDy fruit consigned to them. 
- A meeting of the Belgian Horticulturists was held on 
October 12th at Ghent, whenjthere were present MM. le Cte. de Kerchove 
de Denterghem, Fr. Desbois, V. Cuvelicr, L. Desmet, Edm. Vervaet. Ad. 
Rosseel, Ch. Van Geert, M. Ch. Spae, and Romain Desmet. Certificates 
were awarded for the following :—Cypripedium Fairieanum, from M. 
Jules Heye-Leysen; Dendrobium species, from MM. Yervaet et Cie. ; 
and Eucharis Sanderiana, from M. Desmet-Duvivier. Honourable men¬ 
tion was accorded to Comparetia macroplectron, from MM. Vervaet et 
Cie. ; Cypripedium Arthurianum, from M. Ed. Pynaert; and Cattleya 
superba splendens, from M. Desmet-Duvivier. Cultural commendations 
being awarded to Cocos Blumenavi, from M. L. Spae-Van der Meulen ; 
and Tillandsia musaica, from M. Bernard Spae. 
- The first meeting of the Floral Committee of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society was held yesterday (Wednesday) at the 
Westminster Aquarium, the President, Mr. E. Sanderson, in the chair. 
There was a good attendance, and several exhibitors contributed blooms 
of new Chrysanthemums and other plants. Messrs. J. Laing Sc Co. had 
some fine blooms of Mrs. Cannell, a Japanese of lighter colour than Brise 
du Matin, L’lle des Plaisirs, and some handsome Tuberous Begonias. 
Mr. N. Davis, Camberwell, had some good blooms; Mandarin, a rosy 
lilac Japanese of great promise, being certificated ; also Lackne, a dwarf 
ree-flowering Japanese, orange bronze in colour, and Mrs. Cullingford, a 
fine early-flowering white Pompon, being commended. Mr. John Forbe s 
had a certificate for Brise du Matin, a beautiful Japanese variety with 
fluted florets, of a delicate pale pink colour. Good blooms of L’He des 
Plaisirs, Margot, and M. Mousillac, were also staged. Mr. E. Boyce, 
Mr. T. S. Ware, and Mr. G. Stevens also showed collections of blooms, 
and Messrs. H. Cannell Sc Sons, Swanley, contributed stands of Tuberous 
Begonias and other flowers. 
- A correspondent favours us with the following :—“ The 
seventh ordinary meeting of the Scottish Horticultural Associa¬ 
tion was held in the Bible Society’s Rooms, St. Andrew Square, Edin¬ 
burgh. on the 6th inst. Mr. Lindsay presided. Dr. J. M. Macfarlane of 
the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, gave a paper on ‘ Nepenthes,’ in 
which he drew attention to the history, general structure, affinities, 
microscopic structure, and physiological actioD, species, and cultivation of 
this curious clas s of plants. He stated that about forty species are known, 
of which about twenty have been introduced during the last thirty years- 
He pointed out the arrangement by which insects are caught in the 
pitchers of the plant and digested, and drew attention to the very remark¬ 
able peculiarities in the species which have been introduced, as well as in 
those that are still known only in dried specimens. A discussion followed ( 
during which the Chairman stated that the first seedling Nepenthes raised 
in Scotland was reared by Mr. Kelly of Messrs. Dickson Sc Sons’ Nursery > 
Edinburgh, about forty years ago. Mr. Burbidge of Trinity College 
Botanic Garden, Dublin, gave the result of some of his observations in 
Borneo, the principal habitat of Pitcher Plants. Various exhibits of new 
varieties of fruits and flowers were shown, as well as a fruit new to Europe 
—the Aberia Caffra—ripened at La Martolo, Italy, and likely to be a 
serviceable half-hardy fruit, suitable for cutivation in Peach houses in this 
country. It is a native of Africa, and belongs to the order Bixaeese. 
The fruits of this Aberia or ‘ Kei Apple ’ resemble Green Gage Plums in 
shape and size, being of a soft yellow colour and of an agreeable subacid 
flavour, to which a little sugar is an advantage.” The fruit referred 
to as being “ new to Europe ” was grown and ripened at Dangstein for 
years, and is bt ill grown by Lady Dorothy Nevill in a span-roofed con¬ 
servatory at h r residence in Sussex. 
NOTES AT MESSRS. J. VEITCH & SONS’ NURSERY. 
LAPAGEBIAS. 
Lapagerias are general favourites now, and their culture is fast 
extending as their value is becoming better known and their peculiarities 
mastered. For cool houses they are especially useful, and when once well 
established the charming wax-like flowers are produced in great numbers. 
An admirable example of this is shown in the corridor of Messrs. J. 
Veitch Sc Sons’ nursery at Chelsea, the roof of which is draped over its 
whole length with pendant wreaths of rose and white flowers that have 
a beautiful appearance when viewed from either end of the building. 
The shoots which hang free from the roof are about a yard in length, and 
each bears a dozen or more large flowers, the bell-like form of which is 
so much seen from helow than in any other way. It may be readily 
imagined that so beautiful an introduction to the nursery causes many 
inquiries for young plants of Lapagerias, aud such inquirers are Bhown a 
house of healthy young specimens in the right condition for planting out 
