820 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 1 , 1S39. 
- KocKETf.—Eockets and other flowers are sometimes destroyed 
by caterpillars eating the heart from whence spring the flower stems. 
A pinch of hellebore powder will effectually prevent this.—W. T. 
- The Weather and Fruit Blossom in Kent. —A Faver- 
sham correspondent writes ;—It is too early to say much about fruit 
prospects. Plums and Cherries are flowering, but the weather keeps 
very cold, and we have had several severe frosts. This morning (April 
I2th) it was very sharp, ice in tubs and pails, and the ground quite 
crisp at 6 a.m., bright sun after, and I fear some damage must have 
been done.” 
- The United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. —At a committee meeting of the above Society, held at the 
Caledonian Hotel, on Monday evening, the 14th inst., there was a large 
attendance. Fifteen new members were elected, and Messrs. Lewis 
Castle and T. W. Sanders were nominated for election. Mr. F. Q. Lane, 
The Nurseries, Great Berkhamstead, was elected an honorary member. 
The Secretary stated that owing to the epidemic of influenza the sick 
pay for the quarter had been very heavy, but at the present time only 
one member was on the sick list. He also announced that many members 
of the Society were anxious for support in establishing a convalescent 
fund, and brought up a circular which is to be sent to every member 
inviting co-operation. Letters and suggestions were read from various 
members relating to the register of gardeners out of employment. 
- Indian Forestry. —The Punjab Forest Administration Keport 
for 1888-89 was recently published. During the year 9000 acres were 
added to the area of gazetted forests in the Multan district. This area 
was taken up in pursuance of the policy of establishing irrigated planta¬ 
tions in connection with several new canals constructed in what are 
known as the “ Bar ” tracts—that is, the dry upland deserts of the 
Punjab. The number of forest fires increased duringthe year, and 17,017 
acres were burnt as against 10,324 during 1888. The financial results 
are satisfactory. The net revenue amounted to Ks. 452,846, or nearly 
half a lakh in excess of the net revenue of the preceding year. The 
Conservator complains that the Working Plans Branch cannot get on 
with their work on account of the undermanning of the Department. 
As a consequence, working plans are only in force over 364 square miles, 
out of a total of 2000 square miles gazetted and 6000 controlled by the 
Forest Department. Experiments with exotics were made, but the result 
was not encouraging. European fruit trees have been introduced in many 
places with great success.— (^Nature.') 
- Ealing District Gardeners’ Improvement Society.— 
The annual dinner of this useful and flourishing Society was held in 
the Victoria Hall, Baling, on Friday evening last, the President, E. M- 
Nelson, Esq., in the chair. There was a large attendance of honorary 
and ordinary members, evidently deeply interested in gardening, and 
the chief feature of the evening was the distribution of prizes by Mrs. 
Nixom These were in the form of books for plants or other garden 
produce exhibited at the weekly meetings between September and 
April. The system adopted is an excellent one, and worthy of exten¬ 
sion. The members take what they think good to the meetings, whether 
one exhibit or a dozen, and three non-exhibitors are appointed to 
examine them and record the marks of merit to which they are entitled 
in a book ; but no man, however extensive his exhibits, can have more 
than six marks at one meetings This is for enabling good men in 
small gardens to have a fair chance of recognition amongst their friends 
more favourably circumstanced. The following gardeners obtained the 
numbers of marks appended, and received books in value accordingly :— 
Messrs. Long, 80 ; Greggs, 75 ; Roberts, 64 ; Cox, 52 ; Gates, 46 ; Baird, 
43; Edwards, 34; Simmons, 33; Viner, 16; Dunk, 11, and Meridem 
10 marks, this being the minimum number that entitles to a prize. 
Money prizes were also granted to the successful competitors of essays 
on Carnations, but their names are not included in the list before us. 
Mrs. Nelson gracefully complimented the recipients of the several 
prizes. Excellent speeches were made by the Chairman and Revs. 
Percy Myles and J. H. Hilliard, also by G. F. Nixon, E. Dawes, and 
A. Sewell, Esqs., as well as by the Secretary, Mr. E. Chadwick, gar¬ 
deners and visitors. The gathering was in every way enjoyable and 
successful. 
- Kola (Cola acuminata).— The Paris correspondent of a daily 
paper sends the following : —“ A rival to caffeine as a muscle-bracing 
and stimulating drug has been found in Kola. Professor Haeckel of 
JIarseilles admits the virtues of caffeine, but he says those of Kola are 
greater. He used it in the food of members of an Alpine Club, who per¬ 
formed mountaineering feats of an unusual kind without being tired. 
The Colonel of the 160th Regiment at Perpignan, dosed by the professor 
with Kola, made the ascent of the Canigou Mountain near Perpignan to 
a height of 9137 feet, and felt quite fresh after his climb, which lasted 
twelve hours. He only halted once, and for twenty minutes, and ate 
nothing. The 124th Regiment was able last July to accomplish a march 
of fifteen and a half hours from Laval to Rennes under similar condi¬ 
tions. They covered a distance of seventy-two kilometres, and were able 
to go much further in the last hour. They walked at the rate of three 
and three-quarter miles an hour. Kola is better than Oats for giving 
mettle and staying power to horses. Perhaps the fasting men have got 
hold of alkaloid of Kola, of which a very small quantity goes a long 
way.” Mr. J. Christy referring to this, stated in a following issue that 
“at first the supplies in this country did not exceed 1 cwt. per annum, 
but now it is imported in quantities varying from 1 to 5 tons per month 
for use as a substitute for Tea and Coffee.” The tree is a native of 
Tropical Africa, and belongs to the same family as the Cocoa (Stercu- 
liacese). The seeds are said to possess the property of purifying un¬ 
wholesome water. The nuts have been found to contain more of the 
alkaloid caffeine than the best Coffee. Specimens can be seen in the 
Kew Museums. 
-The Royal Horticultural Society. — The following 
scheme of affiliation of local horticultural societies with the R.H.S. was 
passed by the Council, April 8 th, 1890 :—Local societies subscribing 
£1 Is. will be entitled to—I., Two copies of the “R.H.S. Journal” for 
circulation amongst the local society’s members. II., To nominate one 
of their members to rank as a £1 Is. Fellow of the R.H.S., with all a 
£1 Is. Fellow’s privileges with the exception of the “Society’s Journal.” 
III. , One transferable ticket admitting to all the R.H.S.’s meetings and 
Shows, and which may be used by any members of the local society. 
IV. , To purchase at cost price one silver and one bronze medal of the 
R.H.S. (a new medal is being struck, and until that is done the price 
cannot be fixed). Local societies subscribing £2 2s. will be entitled 
to—I., Four copies of the R.H.S. Journal for circulation. 11., To 
nominate two of their members to rank as £1 Is. Fellows of the 
R.H.S., &c. III., Three transferable tickets admitting to all R.H.S.’s 
meetings and shows, &c. lY., To purchase at cost price two silver and 
two bronze medals of the R.H.S. Local societies are invited to send 
interesting exhibits and specimens of plants, diseases, &c., to the 
R.H.S.’s fortnightly meetings of the Floral, Fruit, Orchid, and Scientific 
Committees, and to correspond with the R.H.S. Secretary on any 
interesting horticultural subjects or events in their locality. The Secre¬ 
tary of the Royal H.S. will at any time be happy to assist the secretary 
of any affiliated society in introducing them to horticulturists or 
specialists able and willing to deliver lectures on interesting subjects 
before meetings of their local societies. 
AMONGST THE DAFFODILS. 
Last week it was announced that the Royal Horticultural Society 
would hold a Daffodil Conference and Exhibition at Chiswick on 
April 15th to 18th, and as a consequence Daffodils have afforded the 
chief subject for consideration this week. The merits of the plants and 
their gradual rise in public favour are set forth on page 313, but before 
proceeding to a review of the Exhibition, it may be worth while to 
glance at the genus Narcissus as it is now constituted, and thus indicate 
the range of variation that exists naturally, and which has been so 
greatly extended artificially. 
A Review of the Genus. 
A brief reference to the leading types will suffice to show that, great 
as the variation is, it is yet combined with a uniformity of essential 
characters that renders it comparatively easy to recognise a Narcissus 
wherever it is found. Some of the types, however, present so many 
differences amongst themselves, that they have afforded ample material 
for the constitution of genera by botanists who are eager to make dis¬ 
tinctions of this character. Out of the genus Narcissus as it now stands 
authors have at different times created over a dozen genera, but these 
are all discarded now, or the names are adopted as the titles of groups 
or divisions corresponding in some degree with the older genera. Our 
leading modern authority upon the Narcissi, Mr. J. G. Baker, has given 
much attention to the characters and classification of the species, and 
his method is now generally adopted. It possesses the rare merit of 
simplicity in botanical arrangements ; it has therefore eome within 
popular comprehension, and is adopted in the majority of trade cata¬ 
logues. The method is so well known that it is almost unnecessary to 
remind readers that the characters upon which it is founded are the shape 
and size of the corona, which forms such a peculiar, and in many cases 
prominent, portion of a Narcissus flower. This is an unusual formation, 
and is somewhat puzzling to youthful botanists, as, coming between the 
perianth divisions and the stamens, it seems to take the place of a true 
corolla. To this cup, corona, coronet, and crown as it is variously 
