174 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[November, 
were some new to onr Flora, including Agaricus 
tumidus, A. seminodis, and A. nudipes, the latter 
being found by Mrs. Wynne. Only one specimen 
of the rare Hygropliorus Wynnise was met with, 
and this excited great interest.—The Cryptogamic 
Society of Scotland held its sixth annual conference 
on October 17th, at Glasgow, by invitation of the 
Glasgow Society of Field Naturalists. Various in¬ 
teresting papers were read, including one on the 
Club-root Fungus, Plasmodiopliora brassicae, by Mr. 
A. S. Wilson. The exhibition was successful, con¬ 
sidering the season. Excursions were made to 
various places, the most interesting of these being 
to Cadzow Forest, a portion of which is covered by 
grand old oaks, the largest measuring 22 ft. 9 in. in 
circumference at 5 ft. from the ground, and con¬ 
taining 900 cubic feet of timber. Fistulina liepatica, 
the beefsteak fungus, was found growing on these 
oaks in great abundance. 
— £1 fine display of Gladioli was made 
at the Eoyal Aquarium, Westminster, on 
October 9th, by Messrs. Ivelway and Son, of 
Langport, the flower-spikes being set up separately 
in glass or earthenware vases, more or less orna¬ 
mental, which greatly enhanced the beauty and 
elegance of the arrangement; these were staged 
in groups, supported by a variety of large and 
chastely-designed earthenware vases, and flanked 
on each side by lines of different-coloured dahlias, 
placed in tiny glass vases, the harmonious blendings 
of colour combining to make a very pretty and 
pleasing picture of autumn flowers, thanks to the 
artistic taste of Mr. Forsyth Johnson, to whom the 
arrangement was entrusted. There were no classes 
or prizes, and consequently the materials could be 
disposed as best suited the effect. Messrs. Rawlings 
showed some stands of magnificent dahlias, and 
numerous pompons in the form of bouquets. Messrs. 
Lane and Son exhibited a remarkably fine collection 
of their superb grapes, to which a gold medal was 
awarded. Capt. Hobson, manager of the Aquarium, 
showed fine examples of Gros Colman grapes, and 
some splendid pears and apples, one of the latter 
weighing If lb. Of vegetables, Messrs. Carter and 
Co. showed a capital assortment of the different 
varieties of potatos, cabbages, cauliflowers, beet, 
carrots, &c. 
— ®he Cactus Dahlia, D. Yuarezii , with 
its splendid crimson purple-sbaded flowers, lias 
been remarkably attractive during the past 
season. In this country it first obtained notice 
last year, but it appears to have been introduced to 
the Netherlands from Mexico, in 1872, by Mr. 
Van der Berg, who first catalogued it in 1874, under 
the name of Dahlia Yuarezii , given to it in honour 
of Mr. Juarez, then President of Mexico. The name 
of Cactus Dahlia has been popularly applied to it in 
this country, and it appears that Mr. Van der Berg, 
in his catalogue of 1874 describes its flowers, when 
seen at some distance, as resembling those of the 
Cereus (Cactus) speciosissimus. 
— ®he third part of the Herefordshire 
Pomona is before us, and is fully equal in in¬ 
terest to those which have preceded it. The 
introductory papers in the present issue are 
entitled, “ The Crab, its Characteristics and Asso¬ 
ciations,” by Edwin Lees, F.L.S.; and “The 
Orchard and its Products, Cider and Perry,” by 
the Rev. C. H. Bulmer, M.A. The illustrations con¬ 
sist of six plates of Apples, representing twenty-five 
varieties, and four plates of Pears, representing 
fifteen varieties. The figures are admirably drawn 
by Edith E. Bull and Alice B. Ellis, and reflect the 
highest credit on their artistic skill; w’hile the 
plates are cleverly executed in chromo-lithography 
by M. Severeyns, of Brussels. The book is thus not 
only valuable as affording illustrations of our best 
hardy fruits, but is admirable as a work of art. 
In the article on orchard-culture we read :—“ The 
amount of phosphoric acid contained in Apples and 
Pears is shown by analysis to be so considerable, 
that they have been considered as specially 
adapted to sedentary men who work with the brain, 
rather than with their muscles; for phosphorus is 
thought to be the best brain-food.” The following 
is noted as a good manure for orchard fertilisation : 
—“ Bone-dust, 1 part; pure dissolved bone, 1 part; 
kainit, 2 parts; and charcoal dust or fine coal ashes, 
20 parts, carefully mixed and lightly forked in.” 
The subscription price of 21s. for forty such excel¬ 
lent figures of apples and pears as are here given, 
should induce all those who are interested in hardy 
fruits and fruit-culture to become subscribers, since 
the greater the amount of public support, the 
greater the number of illustrations, as the YVoolhope 
Club, to whom is due our best thanks for the public 
spirit displayed m the projection of such a work, 
have no desire to make a profit by its publication. 
The descriptions are by Dr. Hogg, and are there¬ 
fore trustworthy. 
— ®he Disease in Plum Trees and other 
stone fruits which results in imparting a milky 
appearance to the leaves, a condition due to the 
separation of the cuticle from the cellular tissue of 
the leaf, has been referred by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley 
to the action of Fungi. Sections of the stems of 
affected trees recently examined by him showed the 
heart-wood to be decayed, the cause being evident 
in the plentiful development of the mycelium of 
Polyporus. igniarius, a fungus which is so common 
and so destructive to Plum trees. With the sections 
came roots from the side of the tree which was 
affected with the disease, and also from the un¬ 
affected side. In the former the wood of the thicker 
roots showed that foxy colour which is the sure indi¬ 
cation of disease, and often the forerunner of fungus 
growth, as is well known in the case of Oaks which 
have been raised from old stumps. The healthy 
tissue, by contact with the affected part, soon be¬ 
comes highly diseased, and not in a condition to 
carry pure sap, and without healthy sap healthy 
growth cannot be expected. This affection is very 
common in Apricots, and occurs also in other mem¬ 
bers of the same natural order, but it is seldom so 
obtrusive as to render the destruction of the tree 
advisable. 
— ®he Caterpillar of the Cabbage 
Moth has this year done great mischief to the 
Brassicaceous crops. Miss Ormerod suggests as 
a means of prevention the use of gas-lime, sprinkled 
in very narrow lines, about as wide as the smallest 
finger, round the plants, or round groups or small 
beds of plants, but so placed that it should be cer¬ 
tain not to touch the stems. In this way, and also 
very lightly sprinkled on the earth of a good-sized 
cabbage-bed, it acted perfectly well as a preserva¬ 
tive from attack, the plants being uninjured, and 
continuing in excellent health. The application was 
made with gas-lime quite fresh from the works, and 
in the case of the sprinkling was just enough to 
show on the ground—perhaps about half a handful 
to the square yard, certainly not more. When 
altered by atmospheric action by laying in the heap 
exposed to air and rain, it proves very serviceable 
in much larger quantities. On a bed of Cabbages on 
which a severe attack was beginning, it was thrown 
