275 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Februaby 5, 1861. 
gtituents in tlie healthy sap, whereas in its diseased state these 
are much and unnaturally increased. We once were of opinion, 
that this disease does not arise from a general diseased state of 
the tree, but that it is brought on by some bruise or injury, ex¬ 
asperated by an unhealthy sap consequent to an unfavourable 
soil, situation, and culture; but more extensive and more 
accurate examinations convince us that the disease is in the 
tree’s system ; that its juices are vitiated; and that disease will 
continue to break out independent of any external injury, so 
long as these juices continue peccant and unaltered. 
The disease is not strictly confined to any particular period 
of the tree’s age. We have repeatedly noticed it in some of 
our lately introduced varieties that have not been grafted more 
than five or six years. Although young trees are liable to 
this disease, yet their old age is the period of existence most ob¬ 
noxious to its attacks. It must be remembered, that that is not 
consequently a young tree which is lately grafted. If the tree 
from which the scion was taken be an old variety, it is only the 
multiplication of an aged individual. The scion may for a few 
years exhibit signs of increased vigour, owing to the extra 
stimulus of the more abundant quantity of healthy sap supplied 
by the stock ; but the vessels of the scion will, after the lapse of 
that period, gradually become as decrepid as the parent tree. 
The unanimous experience of naturalists agrees in testifying that 
every organised creature has its limit of existence. In plants it 
varies from the scanty period of a few months to the long 
expanse of as many centuries ; but of all, the days are numbered; 
and although the gardener’s, like the physician’s skill, may 
retard the onward pace of death, he will not be permanently 
delayed. In the last periods of life, plants show every symptom 
that accompanies organisation in old age,—not only a cessation 
of growth, but a decay of former development, a languid cir¬ 
culation, and diseased organs.—J. 
(To be continued.') 
VARIETIES. 
Chapped Hands. —At this season of the year chapped 
hands are a frequent source of annoyance. We know that the 
following mixture, which may be called “ camphor cream,” is 
most efficacious in healing and preventing chapped hands, or 
lips. Take f- oz. of white wax, i oz. of spermaceti, i oz. of cam¬ 
phor, and 2 ozs. of almond oil. Put these into a small jar or jam¬ 
pot, and place it by the fire until the ingredients are perfectly 
melted. When used, it is rubbed into the hands, or wherever 
the skin is tender, on going to bed, after a previous washing, and 
thoroughly drying. 
The Potato in Australia. —It is said that one of the 
results of Mr. Stuart’s exploration in Australia is the discovery 
of the Potato as an indigenous plant, cultivated by the natives. 
They eat only the apple, and appear to be unacquainted with 
the properties of the bulb. Mr. Stuart is said to describe the 
natives in the district he has visited as strong, courageous, and 
physically superior to any he had previously seen in Australia. 
Double Convolvulus. —It has been said that Calys- 
tegia pubescens is the only double variety of convolvulac >ous 
plant known. This is a mistake. Messrs. Loddiges, oT Hackney, 
near London, once had in their collection a double variety of 
Ipomoea panduratu3, and the same variety still exists in some 
American collections.— {American Gardener s Monthly.) 
The Japan Burdock is the name of a new vegetable 
introduced from Japan by M. Siebold. Its roots resemble in 
taste the Artichoke, and attain a weight of a quarter of a pound. 
— {I! Hort. Practicien.) 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
E. G. Henderson Son’s Seed List , Wellington Road, St. 
John'sWood, N.W., 1861.—This is an 8vo. pamphlet of 84- pages, 
containing a great deal of information on Flower Seeds, and 
illustrated with several woodcuts. It announces a great many 
new things of interest. 
Charles Turner's Catalogue of Seeds for the Kitchen Garden, 
the Flower Garden, and the Farm, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 
1861, contains a large assortment for all these kinds of culture ; 
but is more especially rich in Kitchen Garden Seeds, among 
iwhich we observe some very fine things, particularly the new 
iPeas of Dr. Maclean. There is also a frontispiece representing 
the pod of Dolichos sinensis 3 feet in length. 
Stuart Sf Mein's General Catalogue of Garden, Agricultural , 
and Flower Seeds, Implements, Sfc., Kelso, 18fil, is of the usual 
description, with descriptive notes appended to some of the 
leading things. 
Cotalogue of Stove, Greenhouse, Hardy Exotic, and Rritisli 
Ferns, Sfc., by A. Stansfield Sons, Todmorden. —This is a 
capital catalogue and contains 713 species and varieties. It 
bears evidence of careful preparation, but there are a few errors 
in othography—as Dicksonia axillare, for axillaris; Davallia 
canarieuse, for D. canariensis; and Lastrsea canarense, for L. ca- 
narensis. 
Catalogue of Nursery Stock sold by Hogg Sf Wood, Coldstream 
and Dunse , N.H. , is well selected, carefully prepared, and neatly 
printed. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
House Slops as a Manure ( B. TV.). —Properly managed- that is, used’ 
sufficiently diluted with water, they are one of the most useful and most 
powerful of manures. You employed them undiluted, and, therefore, 
killed your plants. The quantity of ammonia was excessive, and acted as an 
iiritatine poison. Eight gallons of water to one gallon of urine are not too- 
many. If you wil. expend threepence in buying the little manual, “ Muck 
for the Many,” published at our office, you will find in it full directions 
for the use of house-slops or sewage. 
Treatment op Medinilla magnifica and Hyacinths ( Exoniensis ).— 
The Medinilla we would leave alone as respects potting, but would not stint 
it as respects top dressing or weak manure watering. In dull weather, if 
much moisture accumulates round the bud, it is better to draw it out with, 
anything of the nature of a syringe, or ease the pot gently over on the broad 
side. The plant with top dressing may remain for some years in such a large 
pot; and when repotted it should be done after the flowering stalks are cut 
off and growth has commenced. In such a place bottom heat is not necessary, 
but a little would be desirable after fresh potting Dracaenas will not 
object to a little bottom heat, but they do well enough without it. We 
would allow the Hyacinths to remain where they are, or in a cool green¬ 
house until the middle of March, and then they might receive all the light 
possible in the end of a greenhouse kept a little warmer. If all are wanted 
to a day, some plants may need moving backwards and forwards several 
times. 
Treatment of Medinilla and Leschenaultia triloba ( 0. P. Q .).—See 
answer to “Exoniensis.” If much cut back and so late as autumn, it 
will require the following summer to grow shoots that will produce flowers 
early the season following. When constant flowering is wanted we object 
to much cutting, except removing the flower-shoots when decaying. The 
position of the No. 2 plant, neither cutback nor pruned, explains the whole. 
The best means to prevent mildew on Leschenaultia triloba is to keep it 
very airy and in a temperature not below 45°. To get rid of it, if not too 
far gone, dust it with flowers of sulphur, and keep the plant in the shade 
for several days; at least, out of the sun ; then shake all the sulphur off, 
syringe the plant well without letting the syringings fall on the soil, and, 
after standing in an exposed place for several days, and any of the mildew 
still presents itself, repeat the operation. Prevention is the great thing. 
PRorAGATiNG-HousE (S. Bather ).—We have answered a correspondent 
asking for similar information. Two four-inch pipes under each bed, and 
means for letting out heat for the atmosphere of the place, would do if you 
commenced at the end of February. If you meant to have Cucumbers all 
the winter, you h id better have a pipe round the ends and front of the 
house, besides, for top heat. That might be the flow-pipe, and all below the 
beds return. At Is. 2d. per foot you may easily calculate what the expense 
will be. 
Explosions in Flues (IF -, Llandaff) .—The chief causes of these are 
allowing them to remain after they are quite worn out and insecure, 
plastering them inside, the falling of pieces of that plaster and stopping 
the draught, and using in such circumstances the very worst of fuel as to 
making smoke and soot, and neglecting to keep the flue clean The pre¬ 
ventives are keeping the flue sound, using no plastering whatever inside 
of the flue, and keeping the flue clean. When flues are half filled with 
soot, not only is the he it from the fire in a great measure lost, but the soot 
is apt to take’ fire ; and if the damper should happen to be in a little bit, the 
burning soot will be apt to cause an explosion, and the gases will force them¬ 
selves through the bricks—and woe to any tender thing that comes in con¬ 
tact with the gases. In a long flue the damper is hardly necessary, draught 
can be easily regulated by the ash-pit door. Thoroughly to prevent ex¬ 
plosions. when the flues are much used for forcing they should be cleaned 
two or three times instead of once a-year. 
Culture of Martynia fragrans—Showw Scented Annuals (York¬ 
shire),— You will find that the best mode for rearing Martynia fragrans is 
to sow each good seed in the smallest pot you can find, and, when fairly up 
and growing, to break the pot, but still keep it about the ball, and place it 
as it is in the middle of a six or eight-inch pot filled with peat and loam, 
and water carefully until the roots come through the broken pot and fill 
the soil in the large one. Care must be taken that the soil in the large pot 
is not soaked until it is filled with roots. The plant dislikes interference 
with its root. Of annuals we would select the following :—Browallia elata, 
small blue flowers; Calendrinia grandiflora, blue ; Chloris radiata, an 
ornamental Grass ; Didiscus coerulea, blue ; Datura ceratocaulon, whitish; 
D chlorantba flore pleno. yellow ; D. Wrightii meteloides, white ; Martynia 
lu’tea, yellow; Mesembryanthemum glabrum tricolor, low-growmg; Salpi- 
glossis, of colours ; Schiz’an hus retusus ; S. Priestii; Portulacas ; Ipomoea 
hederacea; I. limbata ; I. limbata elegantissima. We think that these 
will answi r the purpose contemplated. The Browallia has small flowers ; 
but produced in great abundance, and being of a firm upright habit, it con¬ 
trasts nicely with Cockscombs and Balsams. 
Worms in a Lawn (Jack of all Trades).— Lime water is the simplest 
and safest application to keep down worms. It should be applied twice 
a-week for six weeks in the spring, and again in October. Lime fresh 
