ItTorember 1, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
403 
least seven years, and receive little attention beyond clipping ofE 
decayed flowers and keeping them from encroaching on each other. 
They form a very beautiful edging, and even in the depth of winter 
the deep green of some of the Saxifrages is very attractive. One 
could almost write a short article on the edging of this walk ; but 
then we enthusiasts, so flatteringly and kindly referred to by “ C.,” 
are never tired of sounding the praises of our favourites, and it 
will not do to trespass too far in our enthusiasm upon the space of 
the Journal.—S. Arnott. 
I READ with much pleasure the remarks made by “ C.” It ia 
indeed somewhat strange that the utility, not to mention the 
undoubted beauty, of the best of our hardy plants should at this 
late time of day fail of recognition, and that they should be left 
severely alone by so many owners of gardens. It is beyond the 
power of gardeners to initiate and carry out changes in the style of 
flower gardening so long as their employers are against rather 
than to foster any desire for a change. Beds and borders are 
originally badly planted, and they are afterwards left very much 
to themselves. The requirements of the plants are not studied, 
nor their fitness for certain effects and arrangements ; neither is 
that periodical attention bestowed upon the borders and the plants 
which, in their case, is just as necessary as that given without 
reluctance to ordinary bedding plants. 
Among hardy plants Starworts or Asters are a host in them¬ 
selves. They are, indeed, the flower of the season. The species 
and varieties are so numerous and at the same so varied in character 
that they imprint upon our gardens a distinct and charming 
feature. I have of these some very large clumps quite 10 feet 
across ; these include the taller growing kinds. The dwarfer sorts, 
of which the very best are Amellus, longifolius, formosus, ericoides, 
and horizontalis are not so large, but they are so smothered with 
bloom that they are equally attractive. I have introduced among 
others Purity, Mrs. Trevelyan, and Harper Crewe, These are 
dwarf white sorts, and all are so beautiful that any garden without 
them is destitute of most interesting and valuable flowers.— 
R. P. Brotherston. 
NUTRITION OF ROOTS. 
Mr. Bishop writes, “ Mr. Gilmour says that roots only absorb 
actual water.” Certainly I say so, and Mr. Bishop says so too, as 
he stated recently that he had always contended that “ plants took 
in their food in solution in water.” I do not know what Mr. 
Bishop means, but he seems to infer that because actual water 
contains all the elements of plant food when it is in the soil, and 
has been in contact with the various substances and has dissolved 
them and become charged with them, that all actual water, at all 
times, must contain all the elements of plant-food. 
Mr. Bishop apparently now wishes to contend that water in the 
intermediate state, as he terms it, cannot contain all the elements 
of plant-food. It will be remembered that at the commencement 
of this controversy he contended that vapour in the ground was 
not liquid, but that it was in an intermediate state, in which state 
it was more capable of dissolving plant-food than actual water 
itself. There appear to me to be two Mr. Bishops. 
Fogs, clouds, and mist are actual water, and are not in an inter¬ 
mediate state. Professor Tyndall says, “ All air, except when 
artificially dried, contains aqueous vapour, which as vapour is 
perfectly invisible. A certain temperature is requisite to maintain 
this vapour in an invisible state. If the air be chilled .... the 
vapour will instantly condense and form a visible cloud. Such a 
cloud, which you will remember is not vapour, but ‘ liquid water ’ 
in a state of fine division, &c.” (Tyndall. “ Heat: a Mode of 
Motion.” Sixth edition, 1880). So much for Mr. Bishop and his 
contention that fog, clouds, and mist are not actual water!— 
D. Gilmour. 
[We think our readers have had as much water, in whatever 
form, as they can digest at present, and we know that our great 
Chrysanthemum constituency claims, and not unreasonably, all the 
space that can be afforded them at this season of the year. The 
watermen must, therefore, rest on their oars till—well, “ till the 
clouds roll by.”] 
VINES IN THE AUTUMN. 
So long as there are any signs of green life in the foliage so long will 
it be necessary to give the Vines due attention. All growers will recog¬ 
nise the fact of the Vine being a late root-worker. Herein lies the 
reason of overcropped Vines pulling themselves up for another season 
when the crop is cut early. With foliage clean and healthy very much 
can be done to plump up main buds and prepare for the next year’s 
crop of fruit. 
At present I am practically demonstrating to my men two important 
items in Grape culture. First, by relieving the rods now not only are 
remaining Grapes improved in colour, but buds are at once filled up. 
This example ia in a house of Gros Oolman. I should say that in 
cutting Grapes I also cut the wood, this leaves me from two to four 
main leaves to develop the home bud. Very particular am I at all 
times in the matter of main foliage. I reduce, according to circum¬ 
stances, the younger sub-lateral leaves. With me, foliage is good, the 
leafstalks often being as large as some laterals, and I have seen, and am 
thoroughly convinced, of the importance of attention in the autumn. 
By no means, however, do I promote this leaf growth at the expense of 
the crop, but rather the other way, fine foliage being a necessary 
adjunct to the carrying of good crops. 
Probably the first item now of practical value is water. In too many 
instances the Vine languishes or suffers from the want of moisture. 
Certain it is that if the roots are not well supplied now we lose much, 
and this is one inducement for Vine roots to travel away from home— 
when they can get away. With good ordinary drainage here, in 
November I flood the borders on favourable mornings—this, too, with a 
full crop of Grapes hanging. Ventilation must be also good at the 
same time, and the Vine will enjoy such treatment with no detriment to 
the hanging fruit. 
Coupled with this watering is the question of feeding. I even now 
would not hesitate to do this if I thought the Vine required it. As a 
fact, in one house, a very late one, I am applying soot, watering copiously 
at the same time. Being free in the use of fire, I am not at all con¬ 
cerned if the borders are wet, so long as there is no surface water about 
after mid-day. All this autumn treatment marks itself in the spring, when 
I do less watering. What can be done in Grape growing has to be found 
out. It is quite possible that every house will have different needs, but 
of this I am sure, a thorough autumn management will be conducive 
to the success of the coming year’s crop.— Stephen Castle, F.R.H.S., 
Fording bridge, 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
October 23ed. 
Scientific Committee. —Present: Dr. M.T.Masters (in the chair); 
Mr. MacLachlan, Dr. Bonavia, and Rev. G. Henslow, Hon. Sec. 
Coniferce. —Dr. Masters exhibited a series of cones and branches of 
various trees received from the late conference. They included very 
fine specimens of the cones of Abies cephalonica, A. magnifica, Cedrus 
Deodara, which rarely fruits in this country, Abies Nordmanniana, 
Abies Veitchii, remarkable for developing the bracts under cultivation, 
Abies ajanensis and Pinus Pmdrow. There was also a portion of a 
trunk of a fine plant of Thuja gigantea, nearly 4 inches in diameter and 
twenty-five years old. It was suggested by Dr. Masters that this tree 
might form a good substitute for the Larch, which appears to be dying 
out in many places. The specimens were grown in the gardens of the 
Marquis of Huntley by Mr. Harding, in those of Viscount Powerscourt 
by Mr. Crombie, and of Sir P. Murray by Mr. Croucher. 
Chionodoxa Bulbs Attached by Aphis. —Mr. McLachlan exhibited 
some bulbs which had a shrivelled appearance. He observed that he 
had received specimens from two different sources. On examination 
there proved to be numerous aphides beneath the outer skin of the bulb. 
It was named A. subterranea, and had not been known before to attack 
bulbs, though it infests the roots of many plants, to which it does not 
prove very inj urious. The aphis, therefore, had probably got to the bulbs 
from some other fibrous-rooted plant. He regarded the attacks as being 
serious, because the aphis was protected by the skin of the bulb from 
insecticides. He suggested the removal of the skin when the bulb was 
first lifted, and a thorough examination be made. He thought that 
perhaps if the ground were treated with bisulphide of carbon it might 
prove effective. It was also suggested that a trial might be made of 
putting the bulbs under cover, and submitting them to the fumes of 
tobacco, or where spirits of turpentine could evaporate. Examination 
should be made to see the bulbs themselves were not injured by the 
process. Of course, all old skins should be burnt. 
Lawns Damaged by Fernchafers. —Mr. McLachlan showed the larva 
of a beetle, Rhizotrogus solstitialis, which sometimes does considerable 
damage to lawns. 
Phenological Phenomena. —A communication was received from the 
Secretary of the Royal Meteorological Society alluding to the appoint¬ 
ment of a Committee to investigate this subject some twenty years ago. 
Since which period that Society has published records occupying some 
350 pages of the Journal, as well as maps and diagrams. It is suggested 
that the whole subject shall be now reviewed by a fresh conference, in 
order to consider whether the observations should be continued or 
otherwise. It was proposed that the Secretary should confer with the 
Secretary of the Meteorological Society on the matter. 
LIMITED COLLECTIONS OF FRUIT. 
Everyone interested in the promotion of fruit culture will be highly 
gratified to see that the Royal Horticultural Society is likely to decide 
that all collections of fruit that come before the Committee shall be 
limited to fifty dishes, without any duplicates. An unlimited collection 
is not only unnecessary, but also unfair to small growers, as they would 
be simply swamped if they exhibited, by the larger growers, who can 
stage their fruit in tremendous quantities. If I had to select varieties 
of Apples or Pears for market purposes, only a very few sorts out of 
even fifty of the most approved varieties would be thought worthy of 
planting for profit, as many of the Apples and Pears exhibited, though 
