January 14, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER , 
23 
Many, especially in the United States, are abandoning the practice of 
applying salt, and claim that neither the yield nor quality of the Asparagus 
is unfavourably affected.” 
- A CONSTANT reader writes :—“ I should feel greatly indebted to 
you if some readers of the Journal of Horticulture could give me their 
-opinion as to the value of the Reading Heeo Potato. We find it 
an excellent cropper, equal to Magnum Bonum, but very little use for 
•table, as it is a bad colour. Is this usual with the Hero ? or is it the 
fault of the soil, which is a rather heavy loam.” 
- A correspondent, writing from near Henley-on-Thames, 
observes “ The heavy snow that fell on the 6th inst. has caused great 
injury to trees ; a continual crashing of large branches might be heard 
throughout the day in the parks and woods in the neighbourhood. 
In places the roads were almost impassable from the falling dibris, and 
many branches threatening to come down on the pedestrians.” 
- A short time ago we announced that Messrs. Webb & Sons, 
Wordsley, Stourbridge, had been honoured with a Special Royal Warrant 
appointing them seedsmen to Her Majesty the Queen, and we now learn 
that they have also received a similar Special Appointment to His Royal 
Highness the Prince of Wales. 
- It is said that there is a Cabbage farm of the extent of 100 
acres near Chicago. It requires 1,114,000 plants to set it; and counting 
those used in the resetting, 30,000,000 are required for the whole 
neighbouring district under cultivation, which comprises 2500 acres. 
- “ Manager ” sends the following on early seed orders— 
41 I write to ask if you will use your powerful influence in the interest of 
the thousands of seedsmen’s assistants who are working very long hours 
at this season of the year in the execution of seed orders, by advising 
purchasers not to withhold their orders until the cold weather disappears, 
but to send them unto their seedsmen as soon as possible whatever the 
the weather may be. It is only those who have had experience of the 
terrific pressure that is felt in our large retail seed establishments in 
London and elsewhere at the break up of a frost, such as the present, that 
•can realise the amount of energy necessary to keep up with the work 
thus accumulated, and early orders are equally desirable in the pur¬ 
chaser’s interest, inasmuch that the seeds are at hand for use the moment 
the weather is favourable for sowing.” 
- The annual meeting of the Sheffield Floral and Horti¬ 
cultural Society was recently held at the Society’s rooms, when the 
report and balance sheet read and adopted, which showed the Society to 
be in a very prosperous condition, and to have enrolled a considerable 
number of new members during the past year. Mr. W. K. Woodcock jun., 
was unanimously elected as Secretary in the room of Mr. W. K. Woodcock, 
sen., resigned through pressure of engagements. The remaining officers 
and Committee were mostly re-elected. A very good list of essays is 
arranged for the first half of the current year—viz., February 3rd, “ The 
Nomenclature of Plants,” Mr. J. Haigh. March 3rd, 41 The Cultivation 
of the Gladioli,” Mr. T. Marples. April 7th, “ The Principles of Garden¬ 
ing,” Mr. T. Inman of Leeds. May 5th, “ The Lapageria, with other 
Stove and Greenhouse Climbers,” Mr. W. K. Woodcock, sen. June 2nd, 
'’The Destruction of Plant Pests,” Mr. J. Walker. A small exhibition 
of plants and flowers in season will take place at each meeting. 
- The Rev. H. H. D’Ombrain’s “Rosarian’s Year Book for, 
1886” is issued, and as usual contains a series of'interesting chapters upon 
Rose subjects. The frontispiece is an excellent portrait of Mr. B. R. Cant, 
of whose career and successes an account is given by the Editor. A 
41 Symposium of Mildew ” includes a chapter by Mr. Worthington G. 
Smith, illustrated with the figures of the Rose mildew which originally 
appeared in this Journal; one by Mr. D. T. Fish, a third by Mr. E. R. 
Whitwell, and a fourth by Mr. E. W. Badger, all of which give many 
interesting details concerning this troublesome pest. Special reference is 
accorded to sulphide of potassium as a means of destroying the mildew, 
favourable evidence from several cultivators being given. The quantity 
advised to be used is quarter ounce to a gallon of water, syringed on to 
the plants. An interesting chapter on 44 Single Roses as Decorative 
Plants” is contributed by Mr. T. W. Girdlestone. Mr. Alexander Hill 
Gray descants upon “ Roses in the Fortunate Islands.” Mr. G. Paul has 
an article upon climbing and pillar Roses, while Mr. E. Mawley gives us 
a review of 44 The Weather,” and the Editor has several reviews and 
notes. 
- The artificial colouring of fruits or vegetables is 
becoming too common a practioe now. A short time since we heard of a 
number of Potatoes being so treated before being exhibited, and now a 
correspondent sends this note :— 44 French gardeners fit their unripe 
Tomatoes for market by painting or staining them red, giving them the 
appearance of ripe fruit. The experiment does not always prove a 
financial success, however, as several such enterprising characters were 
lately fined 100 francs each for indulging in this method of rendering 
their products attractive.” 
-The report of the Select Committee on Forestry states 
that it was found impossible to conclude investigations during the past 
session, and recommends that a Committee on the subject should be 
appointed in the next session of Parliament. On the general subject of 
the proposed Forest School, Colonel Pearson, in examination before the 
Committee, expressed himself in favour of a Chair of Forestry at the 
Edinburgh University, but he further stated that he had no actual faith in 
lectures in the school unless illustrated by practical instruction. Regarding 
the extent or scope of the school, Mr. Thiselton Dyer, in reply to Sir 
Edmund Lechmere, said he would make the school applicable to India 
and the Colonies as well as to our own country. 
- In describing the district of Kattiawar, India, a correspondent 
thus refers to the Asoka or 44 Sorrowless Tree” (Jonesia Asoca), 
which grows freely there. 44 Its spear-shaped wavy leaves are not now 
diversified by the bright blossoms of scarlet and gold which Wasanta 
time will bring, but there is no tree more celebrated in Indian poetry. 
It was to the Asoka that Damayanti addressed her pretty appeal, in the 
4 Mahabharata,’ when she adjured the 4 Heart’s Ease ’ to tell her where 
Nala had gone. The soil hereabouts is full of nitrous salts, which dry in 
a white crust wherever water has been. Yet it is evidently very fertile, 
and full of wells, built with the sloping platform, where white bullocks 
draw the big skins of water up, and then go backwards to plunge them 
in again to the monotonous song of the byl-wallah. But Kattiawar wants 
trees. Trees will save India, and are saving her, from the fate of Central 
Asia, desiccated by nakedness. The Forest Conservancy, promoted by 
the British Raj, is one of its greatest benefits to the peninsula. India 
would have been a 4 howling wilderness ’ if the sway of the Mogul or 
the Mafiratta had lasted. It is her trees which hold the precious water 
in the earth and give shade, moisture, life. The Peepul. the Asoka, and 
the Aswattha have never been half enough worshipped. Every forest 
officer is the priest of a true religion.” 
CANKER AND INSECTS—OUR PRESENT STANDPOINT. 
This is a matter which has not unreasonably occupied some space in 
this Journal, and may be expected to claim more before sundry queries 
that have been suggested can be satisfactorily solved. I have been lately 
engaged in some investigations concerning canker, and though I will not 
venture to speak with too much positiveness, I am still of the belief that 
the insects are to be exonerated. Firstly, it should, however, be stated 
that so far as I have inquired amongst fruit-growers, the majority of them 
do attribute canker to an insect rather than a vegetable cause. This 
notion on their part must be taken for what it is worth—that is to say, on 
matters of culture they may reasonably be expected to know what apper¬ 
tains to their calling, but on a question of insect economy they have 
seldom the means of forming a judgment, especially where it is one of 
some difficulty. Entomologists generally have sadly neglected the study 
of these minute species; those few who are competent to form an opinion 
are here almost to a man prepared to vindicate the insects. One observer 
asks whether there may be running together two maladies, one popularly 
designated canker and of vegetable origin, the other due to the attacks of 
mites, but in its symptoms resembling the former. This is not a theory 
that has much plausibility, nor is it, I should say, likely to meet with 
support, though gardeners differ considerably in their descriptions of 
canker, and it may have been confused with what an editorial note calls 
44 ulceration.” What I understand by this term is an appearance on the 
branches, or perhaps on the stem of young trees, which is not attributable 
to the work of mites or other tiny insects, but is caused by the occasional 
gnawing of caterpillars whose wonted food is the leaves. But possibly 
ulceration is differently understood by some people or explained 
differently. 
Now, there are certain conditions of tree life under which we may 
expect to discover canker; this is allowed by those even who connect 
insects with it. Fruit trees in crowded neglected orchards are liable to 
it, also trees growing in heavy clay soils or in an impoverished soil, 
specially, that is, in soil lacking phosphates and nitrogenous compounds. 
Old and much cultivated, possibly worn out varieties, are thought to be its 
particular subject?. My friendly opponent, Mr. Hiam, lays much stress 
upon the circumstance that branches or twigs with signs of canker occurred 
upon trees which he believed were radically healthy, but how can this be 
proved ? To take an instance for comparison from our own race : it is 
