128 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r August 15, 1889. 
Chiswick Garden to the best advantage, and it also was honoured 
with three marks. It is one of the most brilliant of the whole 
group, as the flowers are of considerable size, of the richest scarlet, 
which is rendered even more intense by the shining black blotch at 
the base of each petal. In beds this Poppy has a grand appearance, 
and the colour renders some of even our brightest plants dull in 
comparison. Autumn-sown seeds yield plants that should be 
strong little specimens by the following spring, as it is quite 
hardy in most southern and midland districts, like other natives 
of the Caucasus, and in June and July it will yield its flowers 
liberally. 
Turning to another type of Poppies, the varieties produced by 
Papaver somniferum, we have numbers that have taken a place in 
gardens, though not distinguished by the rich colours of the pre¬ 
ceding, and in fact altogether less pleasing. P. somniferum is 
familiar as a wild plant both in England and other European 
countries, yet it is unquestionably an introduction very widely 
diffused. It is readily recognised by its upright growth, hard 
deeply cut glaucous leaves, and large flowers, white with purplish 
spots at the base, and in cultivated forms the colouring ranges 
through some very peculiar shades of purplish mauve and dull 
crimson. By far the best of the group is Danebrog, which is said 
to be a hybrid between P. somniferum and P. umbrosum ; it has 
scarlet deeply serrated petals and a silvery white centre, a peculiar 
contrast but very effective. Mephisto is a companion to the last 
named, also with scarlet serrated petals, but purplish black central 
blotches take the place of the white ones in Danebrog. Both 
these received three marks, as did also the following of the same 
group : Steinfortb, pink and red, dwarf ; Rawson’s Fringed, 
taller, red and white, deeply fringed ; Snowdrift, double white, 
fringed ; and Double Pseony, white, large flower, not fringed. 
THE BEST ANNUALS. 
Most of these are so well known that a list of the sorts selected 
by the Committee will suffice if given at the conclusion of these 
notes ; but there are some that deserve a little more attention, and 
first amongst them is the charming Algerian annual Linaria reticu¬ 
lata aureo purpurea. Several of the annual Linarias are extremely 
graceful and bright flowered plants, far more worthy of a space in 
the garden than dozens of weedy occupants. L. maroccana and 
L. bipartita are both capital plants, but there is something very 
charming about L. reticulata. It is not so useful for massing as 
some other annuals, but its neat richly coloured purple and gold 
flowers in slender elegant spikes are well fitted for cutting, and look 
excellent in small glasses. Thi3 was evidently a general favourite 
with the Committee, as nearly everyone present gathered a 
pecimen. 
Another plant which stood out conspicuously by reason of its 
distinct appearance was Bartonia aurea. It is a Chilian member of 
the peculiar and rather forbidding Loasa family, growing about 
12 to , 18 ln ° he . 8 high, and producing its rich golden flowers in 
profusion. It is not one of the common garden annuals by any 
means, and perhaps it has lost favour with some because it lias not 
had a suitable situation. The fact is it requires a rather warm 
position and light rich soil; it is useless attempting to grow it in 
wet, heavy, and cold soils with the object of obtaining it in the 
best condition. 
For its rich blue flowers Eutoca viscida is worthy of a place in 
the best collection, even though its charms are of short duration. 
Blue flowers are not too numerous in gardens, and such a blue as 
this is as satisfactory to those who appreciate pure bright shades of 
colour as the lovely and unrivalled Salvia patens. This Eutoca is 
one of the many beautiful annuals obtained from California that 
can be grown here with good results, and plants are readily raised 
either from spring or autumn sown seed. 
Two useful members of the annual Composite are Coreopsis 
coronata and C. Drummondi, both of which were well represented 
in the Chiswick trial. They are easily raised from seed, and their 
bright golden flower heads, borne on long slender graceful stems, are 
capitally adap ed for cutting. The value of these plants is by no 
means generally recognised in gardens, but some of those engaged 
in floral decoration have discovered their merits and utilise them 
accordingly. At the Royal Botanic Society’s Evening Fete this 
year it was interesting to note what a large quantity of these 
flowers were employed in different exhibits, but especially in those 
from Stoke Newington, where Mr. Chard has employed it for 
some time in yanous ways. These annuals are amongst the few 
that really pay for cultivation in pots, as they can be had in 
flower much earlier under glass, and the plants are well suited for 
Required 8 W)th ° therS “ a conservatoi 7. or wherever groups are 
Platystemon californicus is one of the Californian allies of the 
I oppies with small Buttercup-like flowers, of a creamy yellow colour, 
and having a central tuft of stamens. Singly the plants are too small 
to be very conspicuous, but in patches they look well, and though 
perhaps the plant is rather more delicate than some of the annuals 
usually grown, it is worth a warm, sheltered, and moderately dry 
position, where with a little care it will succeed. 
The other annuals distinguished by the Committee were as 
follows :—Silene pendula compacta, Candytuft, Dunnetti (deep 
purple), Eucharidium grandiflorum, Silene Armeria, Leptosiphon 
roseus, Campanula macrostyla, Nolana atriplicifolia, Limnanthes 
Douglasi, Kaulfussia amelloides, Asperula azurea setosa, Linum- 
grandiflorum, Mignonette Covent Garden Favourite, Gilia linifolia, 
Gypsophila elegans, Eschscholtzias, Viscaria cardinalis, Clarkia 
integripetala, Erysimum arkansanum, Schizanthus pinnatus, 
Lupinus nanus albus, L. luteus, and Malope grandiflbra. The 
Stocks and some other plants were examined at a subsequent 
meeting, but the above selection will be some guide to those who 
wish to sow a selection of seeds this autumn, as they were chosea 
for their general qualities of habit or flowering.—L. Castle* 
CANKER IN FRUIT TREES. 
I am glad that “ W.” and Mr. Hiam do not permit the question 
of the cause of canker to rest. I did hope others experienced ia 
cultivation would have joined in the controversy, and by giving the 
benefit of their observations have aided in taking away the oppro¬ 
brium of orchardists—that notwithstanding centuries of cultiva¬ 
tion nothing definite is known of a disease which is their greatest 
terror and bane. There may be favoured districts where the 
disease is unknown, but my experience leads me to believe that 
most growers of fruit trees have under their care cankered trees- 
which it would be well worth their while to study and treat ex¬ 
perimentally. The work would soon interest them, and by patient 
observation and availing themselves of modern scientific methods- 
and appliances, especially the microscope, in the use of which, con¬ 
sidering the mischief wrought by low forms of life invisible to the 
naked eye, every good cultivator ought to be an expert, they 
might in course of time satisfactorily and definitely solve the 
question as to the origin of canker, and when the cause is known, 
it might not be difficult to find a remedy. 
I hope some will give a fair trial to the treatment suggested by 
me, which is based on the assumption that the disease is caused by 
imperfect nutrition. I recommend in the case of the Apple that 
they should apply as a top-dressing a complete artificial manure 
containing full proportions of lime and soda, as the analysis of the 
ashes of this fruit tree shows it to contain an unusually large pro¬ 
portion of these elements. Wood ashes or stable manure, preferably 
the former, may be substituted for the artificial manure ; but 
whichever is used proportions of lime and common salt should be 
added. I can in support of my recommendation appeal to my own 
experience of this remedy. Four years ago many of my Apple 
trees were very much affected ; in fact, as I have elsewhere stated, 
about a score having become very unsightly were marked for de¬ 
struction, but ultimately reserved for the experimental treatment. 
The whole of my Apple trees in the winter of 1886 were dressed 
with artificial manure to which soda and lime had been added. 
These trees from 1887 have been from time to time carefully 
examined by experts, yet up to the present date not a single trace 
of the active disease has been found. Under these circumstances 
it is difficult for me, having used no insecticide, to believe that Mr. 
Hiam’s theory, that “ canker is caused by an insect,” can be true. 
“ W.,” with many of whose views on the subject I agree, has in¬ 
spected my trees (I shall be happy to show them to anyone 
interested in the matter who will give me timely notice of his 
intended visit), and has quoted my case in opposition to Mr. 
Hiam’s. “ W.” correctly stated that I had used no insecticide, as 
in fact nothing other than the manure has been applied to my 
trees. Will Mr. Hiam kindly give fuller information of the treat 
ment of the trees stated by him to have been cured ? Did he 
previously to the application cut away the diseased parts ? If so, 
it would be interesting to know what was the appearance of the 
wound in succeeding years. Did Mr. Hiam in the course of his 
treatment root-prune, transplant, top-dress, mulch, or in any other 
way, excepting the application of the insecticide, deal with the 
trees? I hope that Mr. Hiam will send to the Journal of Horti¬ 
culture some more specimens of the insect which he charges with 
the offence in order that it may be identified. 
Some eminent German authorities have stated that a form of 
fungus is the cause of the mischief. This may be the case, but I 
think it quite possible that the fungus, equally with the insect, is 
the consequence and not the cause of the disease. It would be 
well if Mr. Hiam carefully inspected the cracks in the bark other 
than those caused by canker ; it may be he will find the insects so 
