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-^fAuC^ST II, J 877. 
THE GARDENERS CHRONIGLE. 
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S Cl 
remarkable; the leaves are large in size, and as 
healthy and clean as any one could well desire to see 
them; there is not a trace of mildew or insect pests 
of any kind. The few Vines that carried fruit, last 
year ripeilfeMheir bunches thoroughly, and Mr. A. 
p£TTiGRE\$k tfte-^gardener at Cirdiff Castle, who 
takes a greatl^terest in the experiment, is very san¬ 
guine as to thl, crop of fruit likely to be harvested 
this season. T%e Marquis of Bute is so much 
encouraged in th^matter that a considerable portion 
of land has been planted during the past winter, and 
it is computed that*|he vineyard now comprises some 
6000 Vines. Mons.|CHAVENET, the proprietor of a 
large vintage at Cotijd’Or, in the South of France, 
called at Bute Castle la few days ago, and expressed 
himself in sanguine terrhs as to the ultimate success of 
the experiment. He i%sending a further supply of 
Vines for planting out at the proper season. The 
soil is kept gently hoed on the surface ; it is so full 
of fibrous roots that it canhpt be deeply moved with¬ 
out risk of injury. A gooc|mulching of manure will 
be given in autumn, and each leading shoot will be 
cut back to three eyes at the proper time. 
-Our enterprising contemporary and for so 
long a time our associate—the Agricultural Gazette , 
will publish in its next number afpoloured illustration 
of the Colorado Beetle in its Various stages. In 
reference to this subject we mayfpention that there 
are now so many illustrations of th% Colorado beetle 
that we trust our friends will not send us so many 
lady-birds ! It is a great pity peopl%do not know 
friend from foe. 
— The Pelargonium Society his just issued 
its report and balance-sheet for 1876-7, from which 
it appears that the annual subscriptions amounted to 
^,88 1 2s. ; that the amount of prize-money ^stributed 
amongst the various exhibitors on Junet 19 was 
j£87 2 s . 6d. ; and the Society has a balance in hand 
of^4 2 6s. 8d. The annual meeting takes place at 
Chiswick on the 15th inst. at noon, when the arrange¬ 
ments for the ensuing year will be discussed. 
- On Monday last (Bank Holiday) no less than 
58,000 persons visited the Royal Gardens, Kew, 
between i p.m. and sunset. 
-Judging of what we have seen in various places; 
the Balsam does not prove ornamerital in the open 
ground when grown on in pits and then turned out 
with balls of soil. The result would appear to be 
the undue development of side shoots and foliage that 
retard the production of flower and cover up the fine 
blooms that are first obtained on the centre stem. 
On the other hand, plants taken from the seed bed 
and dibbled out into the open ground soon produce 
flowers with but few side shoots, and the floral 
beauties of the plants are thus seen to the best 
advantage. Where seed is desired the soil should 
not be too rich ; when necessary the plants should be 
stopped, and, if found needful, some of the side shoots 
should be taken out. Thus grown we have found 
the Balsam to be extremely beautiful in the open 
ground, and well worthy to be classed as a bedding 
plant. 
- Paragraphs have been going the round of the 
papers relating to the Floral Decorations on the 
occasion of a grand reception on the part of Madame 
MacMahon, and also on the costliness of modern 
entertainments in London. We are informed that at 
a ball in Belgrave Square on the 9th ult. Mr. Wills 
supplied and arranged in one day 59 large Palms, 
Dracaenas, &c., from 12 to 20 feet high, including 
many splendid specimens of Cocos flexuosa, 15 feet 
high ; 60 Palms, from 6 to 15 feet high ; 188 various 
Palms and foliage plants, from 4 to 10 feet high ; 
1 extra large Seaforthia elegans, 25 feet high; 292 
foliage plants and Palms, from 3 to 6 feet high ; 
10 large Phormium tenax, 6 by 10 feet ; 107 
plants of Wills’ new hybrid Dracaenas, from 3 to 
5 feet; 72 large Ferns, from 3 to 7 feet high; 
84 Cyperu?, various, 683 Creeping jenny (Lysi- 
machia), 2880 Lycopodium denticulatum, 84 handsome 
foliaged Begonias, 209 Adiantum cuneatum, 109 A. 
farleyense, 50 Sedums, 50 Panicum variegatum, 
60 large Ivies in pots, 10 feet high, 20 Cocos Weddelli- 
ana for centre of refreshment tables; 1416 choice 
flowering plants, 150 handsome Liliums (specimens), 
72 Crassula coccinea (specimens), 48 choice Orchids, 
&c., 72Isolepis gracilis, 72Tradescantias, 150 various 
creeping and trailing plants; total, 7271 plants, 
72 spikes Tuberoses, handsome ; 6500 cut Roses, 
Stephanotis, cut Orchids, &c. ; 22 tons of clear block 
ice, 5 tons of Derbyshire spar, 1 ton of virgin coik 
baik, 4 vanloads of green moss (equal to 1200 
bunches). Large grcttos were constructed, water for 
fountains, waterfalls, &c., laid on. The total cost of the 
above considerably exceeded ^1000. Thus it will be 
seen that the cost of such entertainments has been 
much underrated by the general press. Of the taste 
and good sense that prompts such lavish expenditure 
we say nothing. 
- The twenty-second autumn exhibition of Mit 
and cut flowers at the Crystal Palace is announced to 
be held on September 21 and 22. 
- In reply to very numerous and still-continued 
enquiries, we beg to repeat that the Rose Supple- 
ment, witk the coloured plate, presented to our sub¬ 
s' cribers with the number for July 7, is out of print, 
rnd will not be reprinted. We shall shortly issue a 
coloured plate of fruit, of which due notice will be 
given. 
- True Dichotomy, or forking of the growing 
point in flowering plants, is sufficiently uncommon to 
make it worth noticing that numerous specimens of 
the American Waterweed (Elodea canadensis) recently 
examined presented this peculiarity. Though rare in 
flowering plants, it is the common mode of division in 
Cryptogams. 
- Adverting to paragraphs in recent issues 
relating to certain alleged malpractices at Orchid 
Sales we have received the following communication 
from Mr. Stevens, who has also made known to us 
the facts of the cases alluded to by our correspondents 
so far as he knew them or was concerned with them 
as auctioneer. It is only just to Mr. Stevens to 
state that not one of the correspondents who has 
addressed us on the subject has cast the slightest 
imputation on the good faith and upright conduct 
of Mr. Stevens, which is indeed evidenced by his 
letter. Mr. Stevens writes :— 
“ 1 have read the correspondence and your editorial 
note of last week, on the subject of Orchid sales, and 
need hardly Say that it is not only my wish but that it is 
greatly to my interest that my sales should be conducted 
in a fair and honourable manner, and that buyers should 
be able to rely upon the correct description of the plants 
^vhich come under my hammer. . At the same time it 
would be quite impossible for me either personally to 
examine and guarantee the thousands of plants which 
annually pass through my hands. Orchid growers are 
aware, of the great difficulty ia describing many of the 
specie| and that they pay a price at auctions commen¬ 
surate %vith the risk. But I shall always be glad to 
assist purchasers in obtaining redress from the vendors 
where t%re is just cause for complaint, .aud shall feel 
grateful .%> any gentleman „who will draw my attention, 
either publicly or privately at the time of sale, to any 
plants abo|t which he may have reason to suppose there 
can be a dc&tbt.” 
- The \Messrs. Sutton are to be congratu¬ 
lated that whifst the Hollyhock fungus is working so 
much mn chief in other places they are fortunate 
enough to have % their nursery a very fine plantation 
of this grand boiler flower, all the plants of which 
are in rude health %nd full of vigour. The varieties 
grown include all hies of colour found in the Holly¬ 
hock, and the flower% are of superb quality. Spring 
propagation, a deepl^worked soil, plenty of manure 
and room, seem to present the elements of successful 
culture. 
A GARDEN LOUNGE. 
The figure we give of ak garden lounge may be 
useful, as it is easily made, is inexpensive, and readily 
adapted to the varying requirements of young and old, 
short or tall. The back, as will b^seen (fig. 34), can be 
raised or lowered at will, and th|Toot-board can, by 
an arrangement of pegs, be adapted to the comfort of 
the lounger. The back measures ^0 by 19 inches, 
the length of the seat 19 inches, of the leg-rest 
15 inches, of the movable foot-board Synches. The 
extreme measurements of the supporting framewoik 
are from the front of the seat to the end of the sup¬ 
ports in front, 27 inches, and from the front of the 
seat to the end of the supports behind, 44 inches. 
We are indebted to Mr. W. Earley, Valentines^ for 
the sketch and measif&fii$fit£R>f lEiiWy^dnvehi® 
garden seat. GEORGE ENGELMANN PAPEf}: 
5 FUNGOID DISEASES'OF 
FOREST TREES. ! 
By M; C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D./ &c. 
^Experience has taught us that fungi may exercise 
af injurious influence in at least three different direc¬ 
tions, viz. (1), either by permeating the soil, and in¬ 
juring or destroying the roots, or (2), by establishing 
themselves in the tissues of the plant, and developing 
themselves outwards as true endophytes ; or (3), by a 
kind of external parasitism, more or less covering the 
leaves and young branches, choking the stomata, 
checking growth, destroying the healthy functions, 
and ultimately causing death. These three modes of 
attack suggest the classing of our remarks under the 
heads of (1), root fungi, (2), Endophytes, and (3), 
Epiphytes. 
Root Fungi.— -Horticulturists and foresters in 
Britain have long recognised the secret but tUleterious 
influences of root fungi, as evidenced by the numerous 
and oft-repeated complaints which have appeared 
from time to time, over a period of many years, in 
the pages of the Gardeners' Chronicle and other 
journals devoted to hoiticulture. Vines have been 
described as suffering from attacks of root fungi. 
Shrubs withering and dying beneath "the insiduous 
attacks of fungi at roots, and whole plantations of 
young trees being cut off by some unseen destroyer, | 
which at length was discovered in the soil. Hundreds 1 
of instances are on record to substantiate the fact that 
conditions of fungi, mostly in the state of mycelium, 
or root-like threads and fibrils, can and do permeate 
the soil, and injure or destroy growing plants to a con¬ 
siderable extent. There is no external appearance of 
this enemy manifest, until the condition of the plant 
itself gives indication that something is going wrong. 
It is only by breaking and turning the soil that the 
cause is revealed, and it happens not unfrequently 
that the unaided eye is insufficient to detect its 
presence. Causes and cure are alike too little within 
the scape of human control. 
Fungi of the Mushroom type are known to be deve¬ 
loped from a mass of delicate fibrils which penetrate 
and interlace the soil, and to this filamentous material, 
which to fungologists is known by the name of myce¬ 
lium, the common name of “spawn” is applied. It 
is just this kind of substance which accomplishes all 
the mischief comprised under the term of “roof 
fungi.” It is not a complete and perfect fungus, but 
the “mycelium” or “spawn” of some such fungus 
as an Agaric, a species of Polyporus or some Thele- 
phora. This kind of mycelium, or incipient fungu^, 
is almost certain of development from rotting wood, 
dying leaves, or vegetable matter of any kind during 
decomposition. Hence all soil containing vegetable 
substances in a state of decay contains the elements of 
root fungi. This may be illustrated by two or three 
recorded instances. Two Deodars were planted near 
the Director’s house at the Royal Gardens at Kew, 
one grew, the other did not, and it was afterwards » 
discovered that where the latter had been planted an 
old Cherry tree had been cut down; the inference 
was that the fungi on the dead wood left had attacked 
the living roots of the Deodar, causing the tree to fall 
into ill health. This was adduced as the ttue expla¬ 
nation why one tree often refuses to grow where 
another had stood before.* 
A fine Wellingtonia gigantea, standing in the 
grounds of Portnali Park, was destroyed, and after¬ 
wards the cause of death investigated. A sickly hue 
spread over the branches, all that skill and intelligence 
could devise was done for it, but alas ! its doom was 
fixed, and in a short time this much-cherished favour¬ 
ite was a dried stick. Fungous spawn had penetrated 
every part of its system, a white kind of network was 
found under the bark of all its roots, and it was 
believed that the enemy was some species of Poly ;, *- 
porus or Thelephora, in the mycelioid condition. In 
commenting upon this incident the Rev. M. J. Berke¬ 
ley remarks that he had a noble Cupressus maerq- 
carpa affected in the same way. He recommended 
that in planting on the same spot it would be prudent 
to trench the ground deeply, and get out, if possible, 
every fibre of the deep roots, as each fragment might 
be affected, and would perhaps propagate thejmischief, 
even if the new tree were planted at some distance, f 
Shortly after the above was? recorded another 
instance appeared in the same journal. The writer 1 
jj|ays that early in the year (1865) he had some hundreds 5 
' Gardeners' Chronicle, 1865, p. 462. \Ib. % p. 103; 
