218 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 4, 1886. 
WEED DESTROYERS. 
From time immemorial, cultivators of the soil have 
been plagued by the growth of various species of 
noxious weeds, and from time to time various remedies 
have been suggested to insure their speedy and perma¬ 
nent destruction. Even the modest crimson-tipped 
flower, the Daisy, is held in abomination if found 
growing in pleasure grounds and well-kept lawns. 
In years gone by means were found, if not for their 
annihilation, yet for their decapitation. Just fifty 
years ago come the jubilee year, one Thomas Monk, a 
gardener of inventive mind whom I knew, determined 
to wage war on the poor Daisy flowers with a vengeance, 
and for this purpose he had a two-edged implement 
manufactured of well-tempered steel. This consisted 
of a blade from 18 ins. to 2 ft. in length, and fixed on 
to a handle of sufficient length to enable the operator 
to sweep before him right and left, covering a breadth 
of from 10 ft. to 12 ft. ; in this way a large lawn was 
soon got over. 
Doubtless, many of your readers are familiar with 
the old Daisy rake, which I have employed for many 
years ; but a long interval has now elapsed since I have 
used them. "When Daisies have been found to be 
growing in considerable patches, my practice has been 
to remove them in their entirety, and replace with good 
clean turf, choosing moist open weather for this kind 
of work to be performed, and it is astonishing the 
amount of work that can be done in a short time in 
removing even very small patches of Daisies, having 
the pieces of turf cut according to the size required. In 
some well-kept places this is done annually, should 
there be a necessity for it, and is much to be preferred 
to any other plan that can be adopted. In the case 
of the more coarse-growing weeds, these can be easily 
lifted in moist weather by a tool made for this purpose, 
aud as each plant is drawn out the place can be made 
firm with the foot ; when the removal is thus performed 
it is at once complete and permanent. Care should be 
taken that no plants of the weedy genus be allowed to 
seed, as an old author has stated “that one year’s 
seeding makes seven years’ weeding.” 
Carbolic acid (as mentioned in your first volume) has 
been long and extensively used by me, both on the 
gravel walks and drives and also on the lawns, with 
most satisfactorjr results, and for destroying weeds on 
the latter the liquid is used stronger than for the 
former. To facilitate the destruction of fleshy-rooted 
plants, it is advisable to have a small sharp-pointed 
piece of iron, if with a f handle so much the better, 
this is inserted into the centre of the plant, into which 
is poured the acid by means of an oil feeder, such as is 
used for mowing machines ; the tube being small and 
the delivery regulated by a thumb valve, the work is 
done cleanly and expeditiously, without in the least 
endangering the grass. I cannot give the slightest 
guarantee that, whilst it is destructive to one plant 
it is also efficacious in giving vigour or fertility to 
others in close proximity, the fact being quite the 
reverse. 
A preparation of arsenic and soda can be used very 
effectively, both on gravel and lawns, as described, but 
great care is required, as it is alike destructive to animal 
life, should they partake of the grass after its applica¬ 
tion. Again, the carbolic acid acts instantaneously, 
and as a sanitary agent at the same time, it is in many 
cases a great acquisition, and it is much better to have 
to deal with an agent over which one has a controlling 
power, rather than with one, the issue of which maybe 
of a doubtful character.— G. F., Lewisham. 
—--- 
THE LATE LIVERPOOL SHOW. 
The autumn exhibition held during last week in 
the St. George’s Hall, if not entitled to the premier 
position, certainly ranked second to none, both as 
regards the quality and the quantity of the exhibits. 
The orchestra table, running along the top end of the 
room, was, as usual, devoted to Orchids (which fell 
somewhat short of the usual numbers generally staged), 
bouquets, cut blooms, &e. The principal stages consisted 
of three, running parallel down the hall about 90 ft. in 
length, and from 6 ft. to 8 ft. in width. The first was 
devoted to miscellaneous collections of plants, con¬ 
tributed amongst others by the Liverpool Horticultural 
Company, who had a display principally of Chrysan¬ 
themums layered in small pots, ranging in height from 
1 ft. to 2 ft. , with fair blooms, interspersed with Ferns 
and other suitable furnishing material. Messrs. B. P. 
Ker & Son’s collection proved most attractive, being 
simple in detail, yet beautiful and chaste in its effect, 
sustaining Mr. Hugh Eanger’s high reputation as a 
decorative artist. The ground-work consisted of 
Adiantum cuneatum, fringed with small plants of A. 
Farleyense ; at stated distances were Koman Hyacinths 
and Cyclamens of the darkest varieties, with numerous 
fine large flowers well above strong healthy foliage ; at 
intervals of from 3 ft. to 4 ft., the most graceful of all 
Palms, Cocos AVeddelliana, were arranged some 18 ins. 
higher than the ground-work, with Adiantum Far¬ 
leyense to cover the pots, giving the whole a finished 
appearance such as is seldom seen. 
The centre table was laden with a fine display of 
fruit, relieved by Epiphyllums, Palms and Mignonette. 
In the classes for Grapes the competition was keen, 
three of rhe classes having no less than fourteen entries 
in each ; the number of bunches staged was sixty-one 
of white and eighty-four of black. Two bunches of 
Gros Colmar, exhibited by the Earl of Harrington, 
immense in berry and well finished, were the admiration 
of all visitors. Apples numbered 262 dishes, Pears 
174, and, including the Grapes, Pines, Figs, Plums 
and Strawberries, the large total of 605 dishes were 
staged. On the remaining table the cut blooms were 
arranged, with table plants and Palms occupying the 
centre. The number of incurved flowers shown was 495, 
many being nearly 6 ins. in diameter and 4 ins. in depth, 
with solidity and freshness combined. The Japanese 
blooms were throughout fresh and of good size, and 556 
blooms were shown ; the reflexed, Anemone and Pom¬ 
pons bringing up the total to 1,285. The most in 
teresting class, and certainly the most strongly con¬ 
tested, was that for six incurved and six recurved, con¬ 
fined to those who had never won a prize for cut blooms 
at any exhibition held by the Association. The entries 
numbered sixteen, all of which were of superior merit; 
thus giving promise that Liverpool will still be able to 
hold its own in producing show blooms. To prove 
that these can be grown adjacent to large towns, it may 
be veil to note that nearly the whole of the exhibits 
were grown within a radius of six miles, as were also 
the premier collections exhibited at Huddersfield, Hull 
and Sheffield. The only section calling for special 
comment of the Chrysanthemums in pots, of which 
there were 114, was the Pompons, which, although not 
large in size, were models in form and training, carry¬ 
ing large and well-formed flowers. 
The stove and greenhouse plants were arranged on 
either side of the hall ; Palms being sent in good 
quantity and quality ; Goniophlebium subauriculatum, 
exhibited by W. H. Watts, Esq., in the class for Ferns, 
had fronds over 9 ft. in length. Two very fine Eucharis 
amazonica, carrying about twenty-five spikes and nearly 
100 flowers on each, were in the collection of W. C. 
Clark, Esq. A feature which must prove satisfactory 
to the committee was the attendance on the first day ; 
at various times nearly 2,000 persons were listening to 
the strains of the first-class band, which the executive 
are always careful to provide.— G. H. TV. 
-- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
The Double Crimson Primrose. —If this 
beauty, this peerless queen among our double Primroses, 
would only grow as freely as the double white or the 
double lilac—both common forms—what an object it 
would be in our gardens ! Mr. Samuel Barlow appears 
to me to have hit upon a capital method of dealing 
with it at his place at Llandudno. He has planted it 
on a sloping bank of turf having a north aspect, and 
when I was there in the summer, it was doing as well 
as could be desired. As a matter of course, a little 
suitable soil was added to give it a start at the time 
it was planted. A few weeks ago, Mr. W. Baylor 
Hartland, of Cork, sent me a nice strong plant of the 
double crimson Primrose in flower. I potted it in a 
compost made up of good yellow loam and leaf-mould, 
and it is doing as well as I could desire. I picked off 
the flowers, and it is now making a very free growth, so 
1 hope to have something good in the spring.— L. B. 
Sisymbrium millefolium. —This is a very old 
greenhouse plant, but not to be despised for all that. 
It is one of the prettiest and most charming foliaged 
plants we have, being of branching habit, and its leaves 
resembling the fronds of that splendid Fern, Cheilanthes 
elegans, only somewhat smaller. Where a large quantity 
of flower cutting has to be done, a few good plants of this 
should always be on hand, for sprays of it mixed with 
the flowers are very handsome. It also makes an 
admirable table plant when kept in small pots. It 
roots freely from cuttings, and should be grown on 
quickly in a good rich soil. Its flowers are not very 
elegant, but as a neat table plant it should be grown 
by everyone. — TV. G. 
The Potato Disease.— A “Potato Grower” 
writes to the Pall Mall Gazette from Doncaster as 
follows: —Having had a number of your valuable papers 
sent me by a friend, containing an Article bearing upon 
Irish rents and the question of paying them, I was 
very much struck with the concluding section of it, 
bearing upon the germs of the Potato disease being 
present in the tubers now. I have not the slightest 
doubt of the accuracy of the statement. Eespecting 
the disease in England (and I write from the centre of 
a Potato-growing district in Xorth Lincolnshire) I can 
■with authority state that it has not only made its ap¬ 
pearance, but has already developed itself to a fearful 
extent. Crops taken up apparently quite sound, have, 
by the time they have been in the pits about a week, 
from one-third to one-half of them become unfit for 
market, and I should not be surprised if Potatos sent off 
to market apparently sound, will, on arrival, be found 
to contain additional signs of the epidemic. If we live 
to see the new year in, we shall find that our worse 
fears are realised. Those who were fortunate enough to 
get them up before the rains set in will have least cause 
to complain, and those who sell now will have the most 
to send to market, and less to give cattle. 
Abutilon Boule de Neige.— This, certainly, is 
a nice greenhouse plant, its white flowers being more 
pure than some of the other varieties, but A. Thompsoni 
is more useful for table decoration ; its leaves are 
beautifully variegated, and its orange flowers are very 
pretty. We have both in flower, and they will be 
useful at Christmas. — J. P. 
The Horticultural Society at G--.— 
Permit me to draw the attention of your readers, and 
especially those having the management of horticultural 
societies, to the good, yet quiet, unobtrusive work that 
is done at the little town of G-, in Lincolnshire. 
The horticultural society is composed of county gentle¬ 
men, clergymen and gardeners. The two former offer 
the money prizes, and otherwise assist the society by 
their local influence ; whilst the judges are chosen from 
the gardeners in the district. At the annual exhibi¬ 
tion, which is generally held about July 5th, the 
competitors are arranged in divisions—viz., one for 
nurserymen, one for bond fids gardeners, and one for 
cottagers and artisans who cultivate their gardens 
themselves, and have no assistance. It is to this 
latter division that I wish most particularly to allude. 
As many of them have half an acre each of garden, 
and some of them grass land besides to manage in their 
spare hours, it can readily be imagined how hard, and 
under what adverse circumstances, these enthusiastic 
cottagers have to work. The entrance fees are fixed at 
the nominal rate of Is. for each exhibit, which also 
admits the exhibitor to the grounds free. The prizes 
for the best kept gardens are, or used to be, respectively 
•30s. for the first, 20s. for the second, and 10s. for the 
third. The operations of the society extend over a 
radius of six miles, which includes a considerable 
number of populous villages ; these villages are again 
divided into districts, each district containing six 
villages, and the prizes mentioned are allowed for each 
separate district, so that several people can by this means 
obtain prizes at the same time and in the same com¬ 
petition, which, of course, could not be done if the prizes 
were made into larger sums. The prize-winners think 
more of the honour of winning than of the mere value of 
the prizes won ; indeed I have frequently known men 
come home from the show with “ Highly Commended ” 
who have remarked, “Better luck next time,” aud 
who the next year succeeded in taking the majority of 
prizes in their class. But here, I think, there is room 
for amendment; and where is the show that is quite 
perfect in everything? The garden labourers (men 
who in some instances have woiked in large gardening 
establishments for over forty years) are classed with 
the agricultural labourers, and heavily handicap these 
latter, who can never acquire the experience of the 
garden worker. What I should much like to see is the 
garden labourer put into a class by himself, and the 
agricultural labourers by themselves, then it would be 
