February 4, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
89 
-A Young Gardener writes as follows respecting sowing 
Early Peas :—“ At this season of the year there is much said about 
sowing Peas in pots and boxes for planting out, while there is a good old 
method scarcely ever mentioned. It is as follows : Cut some turf about 
1 foot long, 4 inches wide, and about 3 inches deep. Afterwards cut a 
channel in the turf 1$ inch deep and 2 inches wide, in which to sow the 
Peas. The turf can then be placed on a Vine border or any other suitable 
place, and the Peas sown and covered. When the Peas have grown 
sufficiently to require hardening or planting 'out they can be removed to 
the desired place without disturbing the roots, as’ is the case when sown 
in pots or boxes.” 
- The Portsmouth Chrysanthemum Society appears to be in 
a flourishing state, and its Committee animated with a spirit of enterprise. 
According to the balance sheet, the first show, that of last year, left a 
profit of £42 4s. 4d., and an incentive for popular support is provided in 
the offer of a silver cup value £25 and £5 on the first prize; 70s. for 
the second, 50s. for the third, and 20s. for the fourth prizes, in a class of 
thirty-six blooms, half Japanese and half incurved, accorded to the usual 
conditions stated in the schedule. The Show will be held on November 
11th and 12th. Mr. F. Power, 26, Queen Street, Portsea, is the 
Honorary Secretary. 
- Insects and Fruit Tree Canker.—T he members of the Ast- 
wood Bank Amateur Gardeners’ Society had under consideration at their 
last meeting letters which have recently appeared in the gardening press 
relative to Mr. James Hiam’s theory of insects causing canker in fruit 
trees. Mr. Hiam, enforcing his contention, stated that the mites to 
which he traced the injury were so small that “it would take at least 
40,000 to cover a square inch of surface of bark or wood.” The Com¬ 
mittee thought it advisable to postpone further consideration for a future 
meeting. 
- As an example of how late Displays of Chrysanthemums 
may be had, Mr. H. Lister, gardener to Lord Brooke, Easton Lodge, 
Dunmow, Essex, sends us a collection of blooms cut from plants that were 
raised from cuttings struck in July. All were extremely fresh, bright, 
and most valuable at this time of year. The varieties are Lady Selborne, 
Madame C. Audiguier, Albert, Beauty, and Comtesse de Beauregarde from 
July cuttings. The others, grown in the ordinary way, are Grandiflorum, 
Fanny Boucharlat, Bronze Dragon, and Boule d’Or, giving a good diversity 
of colours and blooms of convenient size for cutting. 
- Mr. B. Owen, Maidenhead, also sends some Blooms of 
Chrysanthemums Nuit d’Automne, Belle Paule, Mrs. Mahood, and Bcule 
de Neige, all very fine, and remarks, “ I send you these to show how long 
they are lasting in flower this season. Besides those sent I have Fair 
Maid of Guernsey, Ethel, Sarnia, Colibri, Meg Merilees, &c. Last week I 
cut some splendid blooms of M. Henri Jacotot, a rather early Japanese 
variety. The blooms sent are from plants grown as ordinary bush plants 
for decoration and cutting purposes.” 
- Preserving Tiffany.— A correspondent, “D,” asks if any of 
our readers can tell him how to make tiffany decay-proof otherwise than 
by boiled oil. This latter process does not answer, as the tiffany gets 
tom by the wind, being very brittle when oiled. He wants the tiffany to 
remain soft and flexible. 
- Wakefield Paxton Society. —The subject for discussion 
by the members of this Society on Saturday last by being popular and 
simple was none the less interesting, “Mignonette for Pot Culture,” being 
the title of Mr. B. Hall’s paper. Mr. Hall, a well-known gardener in 
Sheffield, treated his subject so well that the favour in which this sweet- 
scented flower is generally held was considerably increased before the 
close of the meeting, as a great amount of information not generally 
known was elucidated both in the essay and the discussion which fol¬ 
lowed. The thanks of the members were heartily accorded to Mr. Hall 
for his essay. 
A gardener of great experience writes:—“I have read 
with unbounded pleasure ‘ A. L. G.’s ’ remarks on the ANALYSIS of 
SOIL. Thi3 makes us gardeners put on the studying cap ; in fact, it tells 
us what few of us know, and I feel sure that I speak the sentiments of 
the great majority of your readers when I thank him heartily. If 
‘A. L. G.’ will oblige me with his address I should esteem it a great 
favour.” It would perhaps be well for our correspondent to indicate 
any further information he may need, and we have no doubt “A. L. G.” 
will supply it through the Journal, when others will share in the benefit 
of his teaching. 
- Gardening Appointment. — Mr. S. Taylor, late of Acacia 
and Malsis Hall Gardens, Yorkshire, has been appointed gardener to 
Arthur Hodgson, Esq., Clopton House, Stratford-on-Avon. 
- “A. M. B.” writes: — “I am greatly obliged by ‘A. M.V 
friendly and most useful suggestion as to Plants for Herbaceous 
Border, and interested in the mention of Trillium grandiflorum, as I 
was just about to query whether Trilium erythrocarpum (figured on 
page 50 of ‘ Juliana Horatio Ewing and Her Books ’), described as a 
North American plant, had been found to succeed under English cultiva¬ 
tion. On Tuesday, the 27th January, showed the snow gone except 
here and there. The air was clear ; the sunshine bright. The 28th dull 
and gloomy, very cold. Dull, rain, and cold to-day (29th). At 1 o’clock 
snowed heavily, continues to snow, and inclined to thaw.” 
- According to the report for the past year of the Superinten¬ 
dent of the Boyal Botanic Gabden at Calcutta, further attempts to 
introduce into Bengal the kind of Plantain (Musa textilis) from which 
Manilla hemp is derived have proved failures owing to the low tempera¬ 
ture of the cold weather ; but the plant (Sanseviera zeylanica) from 
which bow-string hemp is obtained grows very well. The Japan Paper 
Mulberry, which has lately been introduced, has also been a success. 
Efforts are being made to introduce other plants of economic value, the 
principal being the Coca plant, from which the important alkaloid 
cocaine is derived. The additions to the herbarium during the year 
appear to have been unusually large and comprehensive. As an example 
of the public utility of the Garden, it may be mentioned that 20,433 living 
plants were distributed to public institutions in India, while those sent 
abroad were proportionally numerous. In the same way 2979 packets of 
seeds were sent out. The report of the Lloyd Botanic Garden in Darjeel¬ 
ing is also included in the paper, which concludes with the usual 
statistical returns. 
- The Paxton Society, Huddersfield, decided some short 
time since to vary the fortnightly meetings with papers read by gentle¬ 
men who are known to excel in some particular branch of horticulture, 
and to invite gardeners, amateurs, and lovers of flowers to attend. The 
first of these meetings was held on Jan. 30th, and proved very successful. 
Upwards of sixty members and friends were present. The President, 
G. W. Bhodes, Esq., presided. Mr. W. Swan of Howick House, Preston, 
kindly gave an essay on the native habitats and culture of Orchids. 
The essayist described most minutely the various genera, districts, 
temperature, and altitude in which Orchids are found ; also the heavy 
rainfall and extreme heat the various sorts are exposed to, concluding by 
advising low span-roofed houses as best for all the sections, varying 
according to the size of the plants, Ventilating, shading, and potting 
materials were also fully described ; in fact, the paper was quite exhaus¬ 
tive and very interesting. A hearty vote of thanks to the above gentle¬ 
man and Chairman brought a very pleasant evening to a close. The next 
paper to be read, on February 13th, is by Mr. C. Smedley—subject, the 
“ Amaryllis.” The Huddersfield Chrysanthemum shows were inaugu¬ 
rated by the Paxton Society, and are under its management. We are glad 
to record these and similar instances of horticultural activity in various 
parts of the country ; all gardeners and gardening improvement societies 
having our best wishes for their success. 
-Deferring to the Export of Fruit from Tasmania, a 
local paper says :—“ We have seen Dr. Benjafield’s men gathering and 
putting up 200 quarts of Hobart Strawberries for the Sydney market. 
The American screw-down bottles were brought on the ground in boxes 
which held from one to two dozen each, and through the middle of the 
box was a board with holes in it, so that each bottle fitted into ono of 
these apertures. As these boxes were old packing cases, they cost but 
very little, and are very effective. Before filling each bottle is thoroughly 
fumigated with sulphur fumes, which was effected by a very simple con¬ 
trivance. A flower saucer was filled with sulphur and lit, then the flower 
pot was turned over it. The fume3 soon poured out of the hole in the 
top in abundance, and the open mouth of each bottle was stood over it 
for a few seconds until the bottle was full. Each picker now marched off 
to a bed with a bjx of these bottles, which, as they were filled with fruit, 
were put back into their holes, and the case, when filled, brought back to 
the light Bpring waggon, which took them to the boat. But before starting 
each bottle was surrounded with green stuff, Cabbage leaves, Sec., to keep 
