Jane 20, 1889. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
499 
Larvje in Rain Tanks.—I observe in my greenhouse rain 
tanks, especially when they get low, a nimble miniature-looking tad¬ 
pole an eighth of an inch long and a line wide in rather considerable 
numbers. The colour is dark, and they seem wonderfully lively. 
When you look in they seem to disport themselves with great rapidity 
to the bottom. I am not aware if they do plants or flowers, directly 
or indirectly, any harm. Would your entomologist kindly say ? They 
are so common I fancy there is no occasion to send them to you. I have 
some recollection I saw it noted in Journal some years ago a few drops 
of iodine would kill them in the tank. If so, would that injure the 
water for syringing purposes ? Do they undergo a transformation ? 
Strawberry Noble (Laxton’s). —Would you take my 
testimony from Ireland, in addition to those you published from England 
and Scotland, that for early use, flavour, appearance, and rich colour 
this Strawberry is unrivalled in all the gardens I am acquainted with in 
this country ? It has set splendidly, and in size is only exceeded by 
President and James Veitch out of doors.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
- At the present time Cotoneaster microphylla is especially 
noticeable, as it is thickly laden with its small white blossoms, to be 
followed by a profusion of red berries for winter. There is no plant 
with which I am acquainted that is so useful for hiding objectionable 
objects and growing in such a variety of positions as this Cotoneaster. 
For covering low walls in any aspect it is unequalled, for the reason that 
it will stand many years and require little attention. Again, for 
hiding iron railings, creeping over the tops of water tanks, or hanging 
over ha-ha fences it has no rival where a low dense growth is desired ; its 
shiny green leaves are always pleasant to look upon, it will stand any 
amount of pruning, and is easily increased, as wherever a branch lays a 
short time upon the ground it strikes root. These pieces, and the 
sucker-like growths which are constantly being sent up from the base, 
renders its increase a simple matter ; a slack piece taken off with a small 
portion of root attached quickly grows into vigorous bushes.—S. H. 
- The Weather and the Fruit Crops. — Mr. G. R. Allis 
writes from Old Warden, Biggleswade “ Apples are very thin indeed. 
Pears are likely to be a poor crop. Plums have set fairly well, especially 
the Orleans and Victoria ; also Cherries, Peaches, and Nectarines 
on unprotected walls are a fair crop, but the leaves have been much 
blistered. Apricots are thin. Strawberries are likely to be abundant. 
I send you a few outdoor-grown fruit of Laxton’s Noble, which I find 
one of the earliest we have. This fruit is from last year’s forced plants, 
plan'ed out early in the autumn. Bush fruits generally are plentiful. 
Most kinds of fruit trees have been affected with a grub or maggot 
similar if not identical with that which does so much damage to the 
Rose, and the trees present a very ragged appearance. Thunderstorms 
have done much damage to trees, also to cottage property. The light¬ 
ning struck a Spruce Fir tree here, rending it almost into matchwood, 
and scattering it right and left for upwards of GO yards.’’ [The 
Strawberries are very fine, and arrived in good condition.] 
-An Octogenarian Gardener.— It will be of interest to 
the gardeners of Mid-Sussex (says the Mid-Sussex Times') to know that 
Haywards Heath possesses a veteran gardener of the old school, whose 
lengthy career has been of an unusually diversified character. Mr. 
J. W. Thomson, F.R.H.S. &c., of Perrymount Road, a native of Shrop¬ 
shire, is now eighty-five years of age, and still retains extraordinary 
mental and physical vigour for a man at his time of life. Mr. Thomson 
is still actively engaged in business as a nurseryman. In early life he 
became a gardener in the service of George IV., and was employed at 
the Royal Lodge Gardens, Cumberland Lodge, and the Kew Botanic 
Gardens, ultimately being appointed head gardener to the Duke of 
Northumberland at Sion House, Islewortb, at a time when the Duchess 
of Northumberland was acting as preceptress to Her Majesty Queen 
Victoria. In the course of his career Mr. Thomson has had rare oppor¬ 
tunities for observing monarchs and aristocrats, and therefore it is 
patent that his reminiscences of men and things would be worth 
reading. They are indeed worth listening to. 
- Weigela rosea. —Much difference exists in the colour of the 
flowers upon young plants as compared with the blooms produced by 
old specimens. Two years since a hedge was formed with this Weigela, 
both young and old plants were used to fill up the space. I now note 
a great difference in both the colour of the blooms and foliage alike. 
On the young plants the flower buds are of a much deeper tint of colour, 
which they retain when fully expanded. The foliage of these plants 
is also a much paler green than that on the older plants, which have 
deep green leaves and quite pale blooms, some, in fact, being nearly 
white ; neither are the buds of such a deep shade of colour as those on 
young plants. This deciduous shrub pays well for liberal cultivation in 
the shape of some manure worked in about the roots in the autumn, 
which produces stout young growths in the spring. From growths like 
these the finest trusses of bloom, and an abundance of them also. 
Plants of this shrub which do not make free growth yearly never look 
so well when in bloom as do those which have produced a free growth 
the previous season. It is one of the best we have for the mixed 
shrubbery, or when growing in a mass of several plants together. —E. M. 
- Reclaimed Land in the Isle op Wight. —Mr. C. 
Orchard, Bembridge Hotel, who is the manager of a large tract of land 
recovered from the sea, writes :—“ The growth of the various cultivated 
and uncultivated plants on the reclaimed land is a most interesting 
and a pleasing sight. Some old natives who could not bring their 
minds to think that anything would grow on the mud banks have been 
tempted at last to walk over the enclosure, and have been amazed 
at the vegetation. Early El lam Cabbages are exceedingly good. Wc 
began cutting during Easter. There is no clubbing of the Brassica 
tribe here. The autumn-sown Sweet Peas are 5 feet high and a mass of 
bloom. The flowers were very useful, mostly during Whitsuntide. 
Antirrhinums and Sweet Williams are large bushes, 3 feet across. I 
enclose some of our native Orchis. The long-spiked one, Orchis ma- 
culata, came off the reclaimed land; the Bee Orchis, Ophrys apifera, from 
off the surrounding chalk hills ; and the White Butterfly Orchis, 
Habenaria chlorantha, from the adjacent wood. The early purple 
Orchis, locally called here Kettle Cases, is over. The little spray of wild 
flower is Silene quinquevulnera ; Sowerby says it is scarce, only found 
in Kent ; it grows freely here in places. The Eccremocarpus and 
Escallonia are from the hotel; they bloom nearly all the winter. We 
have twenty young swans out in three broods, one of eight, and two of 
six each. Some letters recently in the daily papers would make it 
appear that eight is very rare in a brood.” [The Orchises are very fine, 
almost equal to the cultivated spikes sent by Mr. A. Harding. The 
Silene is a charming miniature, each of its five petals being rich 
velvety crimson, margined with silvery white. The other flowers sent 
are characterised by great substance and richness of colour.] 
- Wild Plants. —The beauties of Hertfordshire lanes are con¬ 
tinually being irretrievably spoiled by the depredations of London 
hawkers and flower dealers, who carry away cartloads of Ferns and 
other greenery for sale in the metropolis. A case which was disposed 
of on Wednesday at Hemel Hempstead serves to show to what an ex¬ 
tent this traffic is carried on, a gamekeeper who caught the defendant 
finding the huge total of 880 Ferns in a cart. It is certain that these 
people do not confine their attention to the byways and hedges, but 
lay private grounds under contribution when opportunity offers. While 
the latter is to be regretted, it is a matter which the owners of gardens 
and other enclosures are specially able to look after in their own 
interests, but in the case of lanes and roads it is very different. There 
it is nobody’s business to attempt to stop the rapid denudation which is 
going on. A few years ago it was found necessary, to prevent the com¬ 
plete extinction of some species of wild birds, to pass an Act of Parlia¬ 
ment for their protection. The pleasures of a country walk are made 
up quite as much from what passes to the mind by way of the eye as 
that from the ear, therefore why should not something be done, and 
that soon, to protect the Ferns and other products of Nature from the 
hands of unprincipled pillagers ? Private efforts have stopped such 
depredations in North Wales, in some parts of Scotland, and in the Lake 
District, but they have also been the means of shutting up many 
beautiful walks through private gardens, because of this continued 
carrying away of Ferns and plants in unconscionably large quantities. 
Although the Hemel Hempstead magistrates imposed a penalty of 
something over £5 on the London Fern gatherer, it was not unduly 
severe, it being proved that the defendant stole sixty dozen wild Ferns 
from Gorhambury less than a year ago, besides having been convicted 
for carrying on his traffic at Ware .—(Hertfordshire Advertiser.) 
- Mr. David Jackson, a well-known florist of Middleton, died 
there on the 6th inst. at the advanced age of eighty-four years. By occu¬ 
pation he was a hand-loom silk weaver, and for a long period of his life 
he was a cultivator of gold-laced Polyanthuses, Auriculas, and Tulips. 
His favourite flower was probably the gold-laced Polyanthus, of which 
he was an excellent judge. He had a keen discernment for the weak 
points in a flower, and it was a study to observe him at exhibitions 
earnestly scanning those staged for competition. The only gold-laced 
Polyanthus he raised to my knowledge was one named the Rev. F. D. 
Horner, which he obtained from a pod of Hufton’s Lord Lincoln, It 
