80 ' 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ Apeil, 
L. cordifolmm is recorded as an inhabitant of the whole of the Japanese 
Islands, extending northwards to the Kurile group. It is found in shaded 
woods, at an elevation of 400 ft. to 600 ft. above the sea-level, growing, according 
to Walford, in moist situations. We believe Mr, Noble, by whom this plant is 
cultivated, from bulbs introduced by M. Fortune, finds it equally hardy as L. 
giganteum^ and permanently distinct. It is figured in Siehold’s Flora Japonica^ 
tt. 13-14.—T. Moore. 
PROTECTING TREES FROM FROST 
BY THE PERFUMES OF SWEET FLOWERS. 
I AS any one ever proved the potency of the odour of Violets or Wallflowers 
as to the protection against frost of the early blossoms of Peaches and 
Apricots ? I have often been much' struck with the safety of fruit-trees in 
old-fashioned gardens and on the fronts of cottages. In both positions the 
trees generally had the close proximity of sweet-scented flowers. How far was 
their odour a canopy of safety ? Shelter has mostly the credit of saving the 
blossoms under such circumstances, and no doubt its influence is great. But 
perhaps the direct result of scent is still greater. I have observed some curious 
effects resulting to a ChimonantJius on a wall, with a bank of violets under it; as 
also—to go from scent to pollen which is almost without odour—I believe, other 
instances where the pollen-dust of yews in the air seems to have sufficed to pro¬ 
tect tender plants and blossoms from the frost. It would be interesting to note 
whether trees with borders of violets at their feet escape better than those which 
' have none. Many gardeners grow violets on fruit-tree borders, and even south-wall 
borders, for early work,—and data on this matter could be easily collected. My 
experience points to the usefulness of perfume as a protecting agent. But of 
course in a delicate matter of this kind, one likes to be backed by a multitude of 
examples. An accumulation of facts is needed, and if they point in the way I 
expect, then we might add to their potency by growing more odoriferous plants 
on purpose. Instead, for instance, of unrolling canvas at night, suppose we roll 
a border of Golden Thyme at the feet of our trees, or beds of Winter Savory, or 
line the bottoms of our walls with Sweet Brier, Honeysuckles, Berberries, Rose¬ 
mary, Allspice, Daphnes, &c. 
There may be more in these suggestions than there seems. I cannot but 
think that a good deal of the immunity from frosts in the old gardens arose 
from their intermixture of spring flowers with their trees. Whole hosts of early 
bulbs, shrubs, and other flowers came forth in the spring, and mingled their 
sweetness with the harshness of March winds, and probably so took some of their 
stinging coldness out of them. Tyndall’s latest researches on heat seem to give 
such views a scientific basis. He found perfume the most powerful absorber of 
radiant heat. Taking the atmosphere at nil or unity, he gives (Heat as a Mode 
of Motion^ p. 368) the following table of the absorptive power of the following 
perfumes 
