506 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 12, 1889; 
I will now try and give a description of the fungus. It is on 
its first appearance so minute that it cannot be detected by the 
naked eye, but after about a week it is clearly visible, and the 
fruit looks as though it had been punctured by a pin ; as the fruit 
grows the black dot becomes larger until it attains the size of a pea, 
and then you can see plainly a little white speck quite in the centre 
of the black one, which remains stationary until the fruits have 
stoned ; after this it spreads rapidly, and in many cases three parts 
cover the fruit, at the same time penetrates down to the stone, there¬ 
by completely spoiling the crop. It also attacks the leaves when they 
are quite young, and they appear as if scalded. The specks are so 
small that you can scarcely observe them, but as the leaves grow 
so do the specks until the leaf gets more matured, then the diseased 
part falls out and leaves them as though they had been perforated 
by shots from a gun. I have never obrewed a leaf that has been 
scalded to lose that part which has been burnt by the sun, but it 
will s*ill remain as part of the leaf, therefore there is a material 
difference between a scald and this disease. 
This fungus also fixes its spores on the young shoots, and if it 
should come in contact with the bud it quite destroys it. It is 
not much unlike a brown scale, and when the wood gets hard 
if the thumb nail is placed against it, it flies off, taking the bark 
with it. This is very destructive to the trees, for where they are 
subject to gumming this is a strong incentive to the complaint. 
As I took charge of the trees when the fungus could not be 
detected, for it had not much hold the first year of their being 
under glass, at the proper time I had all the trees taken from the 
wall, and the house thoroughly cleaned, pruned, and dressed with 
the sulphur, softsoap and soot, with a little petroleum added, and 
replaced in their’ former position. The dressing was in no way 
applied for a fungus, but was for the prevention of insects, but it 
had a most beneficial result. The trees broke well, the flowers set 
well, and everything went on in a most satisfactory way until the 
fruit was the size of small woodnuts, and then to my surprise I found 
when thinning a quantity w'ith the black spots, as I have mentioned 
before. This state of things alarmed me, but on making enquiry 
I was told some of the fruit was quite spoiled the previous year. 
I had no other choice but to grow them through this season. I 
then determined to renew the border, taking this in hand in the 
month of November, removing all the old soil to within 2 feet of 
the stem, and replacing it with fresh cut turfy loam and a sprink¬ 
ling of chalk. 
Though the trees wete grown steadily and were free from 
insects, I scarcely had one perfect fruit for table, although I had 
adopted the methods advocated by eminent fruit growers—viz., air 
drains, more top ventilation, and shading the glass ; but still the 
disease rapidly spread, and in some instances almost denuded the 
trees of their leaves. I was now convinced the enemy was a 
fungus of some description, and treated the trees accordingly ; 
cleaned the house as in the first year, cement-washed the walls with 
a good quantity of sulphur added, dressed the trees as before, but 
adding about a pint and a half bottle of mildew composition 
formerly made by the late Mr. John Bell of Norwich, and now, I 
think, sold by most nurserymen. I continued using this com¬ 
position until the fruit was all well stoned, applying a wineglass to 
a gallon of warm soft water, and well syringing all parts of the 
house both night and morning. 
Air was admitted abundantly both night and day, but knowing 
the Peach to be a native of a warmer climate, I gave them as much 
heat as possible this season. I am happy to say I have had a 
splendid crop of fruit this year, and the sample you approved was 
a fair one. I made a new border in the small house and replanted 
the trees, which have done equally well under the same treatment. 
The fruit sent to you was gathered from this house.— Alfred 
Bishop, Westley Hall Gardens , Bury St. Edmunds. 
REINWARDTIA (LINUM) TR1GYNUM. 
This old favourite in the autumn months is one of the showiest 
of warm greenhouse plants, and deserving of much more attention 
and extended cultivation than it at present receives. The flowers 
are bright yellow, an inch or more across, borne for the most part 
solitary in indifferent examples, but in well grown specimens they 
are produced in dense umbel-like clusters, and the flowers being 
produced successionally the plants are well flowered, though the 
flowers individually are of short duration, over a period of a month 
to six weeks. A gsoundwork of these plants, with the scarlet 
bracts of Poinsettia pulcherrima rising above the glowing yellow of 
the Reinwardtias, is simply charming. 
It is of the easiest culture. Cuttings should be taken of the 
strongest points of old plants, which may be cut back to furnish 
them in February, and placed in heat and inserted singly in small 
pots in April or early May, placing in a close propagating frame. 
They will root quickly, and being inured gradually to the atmo¬ 
sphere of a stove or intermediate house they may be shifted into 
6-inch pots when the first are filled with roots, and from these 
transferred to 7-incb, in each case allowing them to be fairly well 
filled with roots before shifting. The cuttings of course may be 
inserted around the sides of store pots, transferring them singly 
into small pots when rooted, and afterwards shifting to a larger size 
as advised. These make very useful plants, but noble examples are 
obtained by placing three plants out of the 3-inch pots into 
8 or 9-inch pots, having them as near the centre as possible. The 
pots must be efficiently drained, and a compost of good fibrous loam 
torn up with the hand, the loam being preferably rather strong, 
with a third of leaf soil, and about a sixth of crystal sand inter¬ 
mixed. Pot rather firmly, and if a little soot or some approved 
fertiliser be added to the compost it will help the plants to a good 
start. Water carefully, but afford a full supply when the soil 
becomes dry and before the foliage flags. They never can have too 
much light after they leave the cutting quarters, everything depend¬ 
ing on a sturdy, thoroughly solidified growth. Pinching should be 
frequently practised, say at about every 4 inches to 6 inches of 
fresh growth up to early August, and from that time they need 
plenty of air and all the light possible, as it is imperative the re¬ 
cently made shoots and the stubby growths that will come giving 
the umbellate clusters of bloom be thoroughly ripened for flowering.. 
The plants should be watered with judgment, affording sufficient 
to keep the foliage good— i.e., to prevent flagging. If kept wet and 
in a close moist atmosphere they will grow finely with a fair dis¬ 
play of solitary flowers later on through the wood being soft and 
unripened, which is not the way to see this plant at its best. 
In late September place the plants in a house where they have 
ample light, and with a temperature of 55° to 65°, the night and day 
artificial heat respectively, and if given a little Thomson’s or other 
artificial manure scratched into the surface with a stick the benefit 
will be seen in the flow'ers—their substance, brightness, and con¬ 
tinuance. The atmosphere should be kept somewhat dry-—rather no 
special means should be taken to supply moisture beyond a slight 
damping occasionally of dry surfaces, but in dreary November the 
weather is usually moist enough without any need of damping. In 
a cold and damp atmosphere they do not flower satisfactorily, but 
after they come into bloom the remaining flowers will expand 
grandly in a temperature of 50°. 
After flowering the plants may be rested, keeping rather cooler- 
and drier, and in February they may be pruned, placed in heat, and 
when pushed an inch or so be shaken out, repotted, and grown on 
through the summer. Old plants, however, are not nearly so 
strong and free as those raised from good strong selected cuttings. 
Red spider is sometimes troublesome—a clear indication of too 
dry atmosphere, which yields to the usual remedies, syringing 
being the best.— G. Abbey. 
STORING ICE. 
Although storing ice cannot be called gardening, still, like 
many things only remotely connected therewith, the gardener has 
often to be the person responsible for the supply of ice, so that it 
behoves young gardeners especially to keep an eye on this matter, 
as it is frequently one of great importance in large establishments. 
The work being generally performed by the labourers, the chances 
are that the responsible man of the future—the young gardener 
of the present, to wit—will know less about the operations than his 
men unless he improves his present opportunities. 
It may be urged that anybody can store ice, but it might with 
equal force be urged that any gardener can grow Chrysanthemums, 
and it must be admitted that there are two ways of performing 
that operation. That there are several methods of achieving fair 
results I am well aware. I have seen and tried several myself, and 
still feel that I have something to learn. There is the system of 
throwing scalding water over the ice, also that of salting it, both 
with a view of congealing it into a solid lump ; although I must 
think that if it is properly pounded before it is shovelled into the 
house, and beaten as firm as possible after it is in, that salt or hot 
water is not necessary. There is also the system of using a little 
straw—merely putting a course loosely around the house as the 
work progresses, and that of tying it with three bands into bundles 
a little thicker than a man’s leg and about 5 or 6 feet long, and 
packing these closely around. Although I cannot see that it makes 
any difference to the ice shrinking from the sides, the latter plan 
has the advantage of being much the cleaner and prevents many 
loose straws getting mixed with the ice, and is much quicker 
done, provided it is (as it ought to be) all tied up beforehand and 
stored away ready for the occasion. 
Another point, and one I would like to get a little information 
upon from anyone who can speak from actual experience—viz.. 
