248 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 13,1894 
- The Olive Oil Industry. — Writing on thia industry in 
Santa Barbara Mr. Cooper says:—“ We never count on getting more 
than one fair crop in two years. The best return I Lave had is 1500 
bottles to the acre, but this is not to be expected often ; 500 bottles to 
the acre is a good crop, selling retail at Is. per bottle. The commissions, 
insurance, and advertising amount to fully 25 per cent. ; and picking, 
packing, and bottling 25 per cent, more, leaving 250 bottles per acre, 
and from this again must be deducted the cost of pruning, washing the 
trees, cultivating, and other expenses. It is a good business if you can 
sell the oil for 4s. the bottle. I can sell all I have for the present, but 
when the large orchards now being planted come into bearing it will 
not be so unless consumers who use the imported abominations sold 
under false labels can be instructed as to the danger of using cotton¬ 
seed oil in any form.” The Olive tree grows well in Santa Barbara, and 
a large number of persons have engaged in its culture during the last 
three or four years. It is estimated that there are about 6000 acres of 
Olive trees in the district, and the acreage is fast increasing. 
- The Botanical Magazine for September contains illustra¬ 
tions, together with explanatory text, of the following plants;—Salvia 
macrostachya (Labiatae).—This is a South American Sage, with broad 
leaves 8 inches in length, and a spike of blue flowers extending to more 
than a foot. The leaves are very reticulate, and the plant markedly 
hairy. Its habitat is Ecuador. Rhododendron Schlippenbachi 
(Ericaceie).—This plant, which was discovered by Baron Schlippenbach, 
is a native of the region around Corea, where the present war is raging. 
Its flowers are of a pale rose colour, and are produced before the leaves* 
Fritillaria aurea (Liliaceie).—This is a dwarf Fritillaria, of not more 
than a span in height, sent to Kew from Smyrna, near which it 
flourishes. Its flowers are solitary, yellow, and distinguished by reddish- 
brown cross-bars along their length, with a similarly coloured orbicular 
nectary at the base of each segment. Trochodendron aralioides 
(Magnollacese). — This is a very peculiar plant, the flowers being 
destitute of sepals, petals, and all floral envelope; while the stamens 
stand out in a stiff circular fringe around a cluster of ten carpels. The 
flowers are arranged in terminal racemes of about fifteen to twenty, 
and their prevailing aspect is green. The bark and leaves are highly 
aromatic. It is a native of Japan, and though allied to the Magnolias 
has much the habit of an Aroid. Sobralia sessilis (Orchidaceae).—This 
species, which is from Guiana, has been confounded with S. decora, a 
native of Guatemala. It is remarkable by the red-brown tubercular 
hairs upon its stems, and the reddish-brown of the under side of its 
leaves. The flowers are rose coloured. 
- The Fruit Crops. —The recent warm weather has made the 
Kent fruit growers very busy. Owing to the continued rains the Cherry 
season fell far short of the anticipated result, but of the hard fruit there 
is an abundant crop. This is especially the case with Plums, the trees 
being loaded. But this very abundance is acting prejudicially to the 
grower, for while it affords the public an opportunity of enjoying the 
luxury of good fruit at a cheap rate it yields but a small return. Cases 
have been known within the past few days in which fruiterers have only 
been able to obtain Ss. per bushel, and out of this sum has to be 
deducted the cost of picking and carriage, which leaves a very slender 
margin of proflt. According to a daily contemporary, many fruiterers 
in the Sittingbourne district say that they have more Plums than they 
will be able to pick, while others maintain that the present low prices 
will not pay them to pick the whole crop. Heavily freighted fruit 
trains are leaving Sittingbourne and adjoining stations for London and 
the North every day. Pears are also a very heavy crop this season, but 
Apples are short. 
- Bottling Fruit. —A correspondent writes to a daily con¬ 
temporary on the above subject in the following strain:—“I see it 
reported that Plums are very plentiful, and that the price is so low that 
in some parts it scarcely pays for the cost of gathering. So it appears 
to be a favourable opportunity for many families to provide themselves 
with a good supply of Plums for pies during the coming winter. This 
can be done at a cost very little in excess of the price of the fruit. Buy 
bottles with wide mouths from sellers of sweets, and when clean fill 
them with good, sound, ordinary fruit, placing them in the oven and 
heating them to the extent of about one-third of the usual cooking. 
When taken out the fruit will have sunk in the bottles, so take one or 
more of the bottles and fill up the others from them, pouring boiling 
water into each bottle until the fruit is covered. Then put into the 
neck of the bottles salad oil, say to the depth of half an inch, and fasten 
down promptly with parchment covers tied, store away in a dry place. 
I am not sure that the oil is necessary, but it is done in my house. 
Occasionally the bottles should be looked at to see if any have got 
mouldy on the top. If so, such fruit should be used as soon as mouldi¬ 
ness is noticed ; of course removing the mouldy part. But done as I 
have stated the fruit will keep all through the winter, and be quite as 
good for pies as when fresh gathered. Any fruit, such as Plums, 
Cherries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Currants, Gooseberries, Whortle¬ 
berries can safely be bottled in this way, and I have often thought it ia- 
a great pity that so easy and inexpensive a method of keeping fruit fresh 
for use is not generally practised. Any housewife can do it, and you 
may render many persons very good service by making it widely known, 
I may say that what I now recommend has been done in my house for 
several years, and this summer we have added Rhubarb to our list.” 
- Solanum jasminoides. —Hardy as is this climber, it is only 
under glass its best conditions are attained. For a cool conservatory or 
corridor it is an admirable plant. Thus treated, I saw it some years ago 
in a lofty iron-framed conservatory at Abbotstown, Co. Dublin. Long 
streamers in graceful profusion hung from the roof; its somewhat 
simple white flowers, displayed pendent, had a charming effect. Ao 
advantage this climber appears to possess is cleanliness and thinly 
disposed foliage, requiring but little attention from overcrowding ; thus 
by its adaptability to a lofty roof difficult of access it specially com¬ 
mends itself.—E. K. 
- Petroleum as Fuel. —In a paper read before the Society of 
Arts by Mr. Stockfleth some time ago the importance of “ liquid fuel ”■ 
for steam-raising purposes was recently brought forward. For many 
years Mr. Stockfleth was chief petroleum expert to the Nobel Company 
in their Russian oil fields. Russia is not so well stocked with coal as 
Great Britain, and attention has been more widely attracted to the use 
of liquid fuel in that country than at home. For fully twenty years 
petroleum residue, commonly known as “astatki,” has been the universal 
fuel for the steamers on the Caspian Sea, while the locomotives on the 
railways of Southern Russia have been regularly fired with this liquid. 
To give some notion of the extent to which petroleum residue is burnt 
in Russia, it is stated that in 1892 over 3,000,000 tons were transported 
from the wells at Baku to the Caspian ports and Astrakhan. No special 
construction of furnace is required. The oil is stored in tanks, from 
which a pipe proceeds to the fire-box, and on emerging from a flat jet 
the oil is caught by another jet of steam, which sprays the liquid fuel in 
an even shower throughout the furnace. There is absolutely no smoke, 
dust, or ashes, and the labours of the firemen are reduced to a minimum. 
The amount of fire can be regulated to a nicety by a tap on the oil-pipe, 
and considerable economy is effected in this way, as there is no occasion 
for loss of steam through safety valves when the engines are temporarily 
stopped. Large savings are also effected by the convenience with which 
the liquid fuel can be stored. One ton of astatki equals fully 2 tons of 
ordinary coal. The time may come when heating greenhouses and 
forcing houses by steam is more general, in which case petroleum might 
doubtless be used for that purpose. 
-The Wakefield Paxton Society. —There was a very good 
attendance of members at the weekly meeting of this Society, held on 
Saturday night, 1st inst. Mr. W. H. Milnes, who presided, called special 
attention to a footnote to the new syllabus :—“ Please note that each 
meeting will commence at eight o’clock for business, and the lecture 
at 8.15 prompt.” Mr. W. Vere, gardener to Mr. W, H. Stewart, J.P., 
of Milnthorpe House, was the essayist, his subject being “ Begonias in 
pots.” Mr. Vere said there was no plant for summer decoration to beat 
the Begonia. It was the most showy, interesting, and pleasing that 
the professional or amateur gardener could grow. No plant exhibited 
so many shades of colour, from the purest white through delicate shades 
of blush-pink to glowing scarlet, and from the deepest bronze to the most 
charming yellow. The foliage, too, was very beautiful, clean and glossy, 
and full of fine markings. Great care must be taken in watering, which 
was the secret of successful culture. The plants must be aPowed to 
die down naturally, and the tubers should have four months’ rest. In 
the last week of February the tubers should be repotted, and if kept 
in a temperature of 60° in the day and 45° at night they would produce 
strong growth. When the plants begin to show bloom in June they 
should be brought into as much light as possible. All the attention 
needed was careful watering, with abundance of air in hot weather. 
At the end of September or the beginning of October, signs of the 
approaching need of rest would appear, and watering must cease, which 
gave the tubers soundness. In conclusion Mr. Vere said he hoped the 
Begonia would become more popular with amateurs, as it was not 
difficult to cultivate, and was, as he had said, a very beautiful flower. 
After an interesting discussion votes of thanks were given to Mr. Vere 
and the exhibitors of specimens. 
