Aug:tist 2,186 . 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
105 
- American Peaches. —Although the Peach crop of Southern 
New Jersey and of Delaware and Maryland was largely reduced by the 
blighting of buds in the cold snap of mid-March, large and luscious 
fruits are being consigned to New York freely from Florida and 
California, where large crops are being gathered. Prices have ranged 
from 248. to 328. a crate for choice Florida fruit, and California Peaches 
bring about 48. a box of about 20 lbs. 
-Prizes for Landscape Designs.—I t is stated that the 
Corporation of the City of Bristol offered good premiums for designs for 
laying out the grounds on which the recent exhibition stood. Forty 
designs were sent in. Messrs. W. J. Taylor and H. J. Weron of 
Southampton secured the leading premium (Jt50), the second (£30) 
going to Mr. E. S. Sinnott, Bristol; and the third (£20) to Mr. T. H. 
Mawson, of Windermere and Market Drayton. 
- Commendable Enterprise. —Pursuing their broad-minded 
policy the enterprising and prosperous (because enterprising) firm of 
Lever Brothers of Sunlight fame have offered a ton of their royal dis¬ 
infecting soap to the Guardians of the St. Marylebone District for free 
distribution during the smallpox outbreak amongst the poor ; also a 
book on health and cleanliness to be given with each tablet, in 
number 2880. 
- Phormium Hookeri. — This plant has recently flowered 
for the first time at Kew. It has dark green flaccid leaves 6 feet long 
and nearly 3 inches wide, and compound spikes of yellowish green 
flowers, the tallest spikes being 6 feet high. There is a marked difference 
between this and P. tenax, the New Zealand Flax, both in foliage and 
flowers. Sir Joseph Hooker, when describing P. Hookeri from a plant 
flowered in a garden in Cornwall seven years ago, says it was first sent 
to him by Mr. K. Gunn of Tasmania, who found it in 1864 on the 
Waitangi River in New Zealand, where it grew pendulous from almost 
perpendicular rocks in great abundance. The Kew plants are grown in 
the temperate house, but Mr. Watson says, in the “ Garden and Forest,” 
he has seen examples in the open air in Cornwall, and for several years 
three plants flourished in a sheltered corner out of doors at Kew. 
- Mealy Bug on Vines.—" G. H.” (page 4) truly remarks the 
eradication of mealy bug from a vinery is a work of time and incessant 
attention. After a systematic treatment of the Vine rods by vigorously 
washing them several times with softsoap or Gishurst compound there 
must be constant watching during the season of growth. If there is 
the slightest cessation of this part of the cleansing it is surprising how 
quickly the insect will advance. It is during the busy period that the 
chances of neglect occur, and generally the work of hunting for mealy 
bug is put off for a wet day. I find it a good plan to give the searcher 
some Fir tree oil, diluted with water according to the instructions 
accompanying the tin. If he touches every bug he sees and well smears 
the place where the insect is seen, much good will be done. A handy 
man with a small camel-hair brush can go over many Vines in a day. 
There must be no lack of attention, and if the Vines are to be 
cleansed that must be performed in a satisfactory manner.—S. 
-Apples and Pears. —It would be interesting to learn exactly 
how it is that while Apples generally are so thin a crop. Pears should be 
BO wonderfully abundant. Next autumn we shall be able to purchase 
Pears in abundance for a few weeks at from Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per bushel, 
indeed vast quantities will sell on the trees at less. The Pear crop is, 
as grown in ordinary orchards, a very uncertain one in relation to price, 
because purchasers know that keeping is quite out of the question. The 
fruits are gathered to-day and ripe for eating in a week or so, then soon 
become useless, whilst Apples are so enduring. Other than the first 
early sorts, that if sound when gathered they can always be purchased 
with assurance of keeping so long as is needed. Still, whilst Pears will 
later be hard to sell at any price. Apples will be hard to obtain at high 
prices, simply because so comparatively scarce. Those who have fruit 
may well expect to secure high returns for them. That such as we 
have will keep well, too, there can be no doubt, as the roots are now so 
full of sap, because the soil is so moist. All the same there remains to be 
solved the problem how it is we have such a wonderful crop of Pears and 
so few Apples. Does it arise from the fact, or rather assumed fact, that 
Pear trees need less root moisture than Apples, hence last autumn made 
more perfectly matured flower buds ? or does it arise from the difference 
in time of blooming? the Pear which blooms earliest escaping frost, 
whilst the Apple did not; and yet the sharp May frosts came after the 
fruits were set. Then it would seem as if the young Apple fruits were 
more tender than are yoang Pears.—A. D. 
- Hoya carnosa. —Two or three weeks ago one of your cor¬ 
respondents advised gardeners to plant on the back walls of their green¬ 
houses the Hoya carnosa. I think he said his plant had three dozen 
blooms on it. I have just had the privilege of seeing through the 
garden attached to Netherwitton Hall, the seat of T. R. Trevelyan, 
Esq., and I saw a beautiful specimen of Hoya carnosa bearing over 
160 blooms. The gardener, Mr. H. Gleed, kindly supplied me with the 
specimen which I forward you. The garden and grounds were looking 
very well indeed, a noteworthy feature of the whole being the extreme 
tidiness with which everything was kept.—J, L. [The flowers were 
fresh and fragrant.] 
-American Cranberries in England.—A t a recent meeting 
of the stockholders of the American Cranberry Trade Company, held 
in Jersey City, Mr. A. D. Makepeace of West Barnstaple, Mass., depre¬ 
cated what he termed " the missionary service ” of spending more 
money in the attempt to extend the use of American Cranberries in 
England, and said that fully seven-eighths of the Massachusetts growers 
who were assessed for the effort of last winter, which cost £900, agree 
with his views. He contended that England was too small a territory 
to be worked in this way with advantage to growers, and that she must 
be allowed to realise by ordinary means the excellence of American 
fruit over the Swedish and Russian Cranberries, which at present seem 
to fill the larger proportion of her wants. 
- El^ocarpus cyancus. — This plant is also called E. reti- 
culatus, and is one of the most charming of greenhouse shrubs, a 
specimen of it 6 feet high, with a bushy head, being covered with 
racemes of elegant white drooping bells half an inch long and wide and 
beautifully fringed. Grown in a pot in a sunny place out of doors 
during summer and housed in a cold greenhouse in winter, this shrub 
flowers freely, and is most decorative. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, 
3 inches long, dentate and dark green, the racemes springing from the 
axils of every leaf. The species, says Mr, Watson in the " Garden and 
Forest," is a native of Australia, from whence it was introduced in 1803, 
but he questions if it is known in half a dozen gardens in England 
now. According to Bentham, it sometimes forms a tree 60 feet high. 
In addition to the flowers the drupe-like torquoise blue fruit are very 
ornamental. Elaeocarpus is a large genus of Tiliaceas. 
- Opening of a Public Park in Staffordshire. —A public 
park was opened at Hanley, Staffordshire, on the 26th inst. The winter 
garden, with its rockery and dripping wells of Matlock tufa, already 
covered with Ferns and Mosses, with the flowering plants arranged in 
groups by Mr. Kent the able Superintendent, forms a charming feature. 
The Mayor (Edwin J. Hammersley, Esq=) at the opening spoke of the 
attention given the plants, and after the ceremony pointed out the 
details of the work. The approach to the grounds was greatly enhanced 
by the costly gifts of vases from leading firms, and sixty splendid half¬ 
specimen Coniferae from Messrs. Jno. Hill & Sons, Spot Acre, Stone. 
These were arranged on each side of a walk up to the fountain given by 
E. J. Hammersley, Esq. Masses of Pelargoniums are gay in the grounds^ 
and the bold groups of Shirley Poppies have a most telling effect 
amongst the shrubs, which all seemi to be making an excellent growth. 
—Geo. Bolas. 
- Wild Flowers at Malton.— In Va.Q Journal of Horticulture 
(page 58) it was stated that an interesting department has been started 
at the Brighton Museum in the display of a collection of wild flowers, the 
Latin and common names being given. This is very instructive for those 
who make botany a study, living specimens being better ta examine than 
plates or descriptions from books. The idea is not altogether a new 
one, as two or three years ago I saw the same done in the museum at 
Scarborough. At the Malton (Yorks) Museum wild flowers have also 
been exhibited for some few seasons, the Curator of the botanical depart¬ 
ment kindly undertaking to name all specimens sent. Though only a 
small town I think Malton more than holds its own as far as natural 
history is concerned; it is also very fortunate in having a gentleman 
like the Curator of the botanical department, Mr. M. B. Slater, F.L.S., 
who has worked so hard to bring the Society up to its present satis¬ 
factory standard. The Society consists of nearly ninety members, and 
it is well supported by wealthy persons. It is not every museum that 
can boast of an almost complete herbarium of British plants ; the one 
purchased for the above Society contains no less than 1401 species of 
our native plants, these are in fine condition, correctly named, and will 
be invaluable for botanical students. This season a magazine has been 
I started by the Society, which is published monthly, and contains local 
I scientific and natural history observations.—J. S. Dpex. 
