April’28,11888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
553 
experienced, as both, of these are easily applied, and 
powerful insecticides. If the operator will procure an 
old wine glass and a small hair brush, putting a little 
drop of the spirit mto the glass, and touch the bug 
with the brush, this pest can be eradicated without 
even touching the plants with the insecticide.— J. 
Peebles . _ 
MUSS^INDA ERYTHROPHYLLA. 
To the four species already in cultivation a valuable 
acquisition has been made by the introduction of the 
above-named species from the Congo. The bracts, or 
more properly speaking, the enlarged, leafy, and 
coloured sepals developed here and there amongst the 
flowers of the umbellate inflorescence, are the largest 
of any yet in cultivation, not even excepting M. 
macrophylla, and more brilliant in colour. The older 
species have this enlarged sepal either white or yellow ; 
but in this case it is of the richest dazzling scarlet, 
roundish ovate in outline, hairy all over as are the 
other parts of the plant, including the flowers, and 
porosity, suits the Musssendas admirably. There is 
also no difficulty attached to the propagation of these 
plants by cuttings during the early part of summer. 
A close propagating frame or a bell-glass will cause the 
moist conditions necessary to the formation of roots. 
--»*<«- 
NOTES OP A TRIP TO 
AMERICA. 
I left Liverpool on Saturday, February 25th, in a 
blinding snow-storm, which cleared off in time, so that 
when we arrived at Queenstown on Sunday the weather 
was very fine. After embarking mails and some more 
passengers we proceeded for New York at about 1.30 
p.m. Monday was again fine, but the following days 
were very rough indeed. However, we arrived on 
Monday, March 5th, and after spending a day or two 
in New York I started for Philadelphia, where I visited 
several private places, and also the business establish¬ 
ments of several seedsmen and florists. While there I 
received and accepted an invitation from Mr. Robert 
the city to go to their business places at the other were 
either compelled to put up on the way or, if they 
reached their offices, had to stay there for two or three 
days. All business was suspended, all traffic stopped 
entirely, and almost all telegraphic communication was 
interrupted, so much so in fact, that telegrams from 
various places in the north had to be sent round by 
■way of England to reach the city. Had the blizzard 
continued much longer, a famine would certainly have 
been the result. 
Unfortunately, many nurserymen and florists suffered 
most severely, and it was sad to see the disastrous 
amount of damage done by the storm ; houses full of 
valuable plants and flowers were completely buried, 
and in many instances the houses were demolished. It 
happened, too, just at the time when plants and 
flowers were being prepared for the Easter decorations, 
consequently the loss is more keenly felt, as good prices 
are realised at that season. Great sympathy is every¬ 
where expressed for those who so unfortunately 
suffered. 
MuSSiENDA EEYTHKOPHYLLA. 
measure about ins. in length, and 2 ins. to 3 ins. 
wide. The illustration, for which we are indebted to 
Mr. William Bull, of Chelsea, who introduced the 
plant, and is now offering it for the first time, shows 
the form and disposition of these coloured organs, but 
the figure is drawn only about half the natural size. 
The bright green leaves, measuring 3 ins. to 4 ins. long, 
and 3 ins. across, constitute a fitting background to 
the brilliancy of the bract-like sepals. The axillary 
and terminal cymes of funnel-shaped flowers are 
sulphur-yellow, somewhat similar in shape to those of 
a Bouvardia, and increase the beauty and value of the 
plant for decorative purposes. 
The genus includes about forty species belonging to 
the same family as the Bouvardia, and being natives of 
tropical Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, require 
stove treatment to develop their beauty to the best 
advantage. With stove temperature and apparently 
a moderately dry atmosphere, there is no difficulty 
attached to the growing of these plants. The hairy 
character of every part of the plant would seem to 
indicate a dry atmosphere in its native home. A 
compost of equal parts of fibrous loam, peat and leaf- 
soil, with an admixture of sharp sand to preserve 
Craig, a gentleman who has a very extensive nursery in 
which cut flowers and florists’ flowers are grown well 
and on a large scale, and who is also president of the 
Philadelphia Florists’ Club,to attend their annual supper, 
and which will long be pleasantly remembered by me. 
There were present over 100 members, and a most enjoy¬ 
able evening was spent. The table and dining hall 
were most elaborately decorated with flowers and fruit, 
and several novelties in the way of new and rare florists’ 
flowers were exhibited. After supper the proceedings 
were made interesting and enjoyable by much good 
singing and hearty sensible speeches on matters relating 
to the profession. The society is in a very flourishing 
condition, and long, say I, may it continue to prosper. 
From Philadelphia I wended my way to Baltimore and 
Washington, visiting the Botanical Gardens and the 
Bureau of Agriculture in the last-named city. Fortu¬ 
nately for my comfort I left Washington for New York 
on Sunday, March 11th, by one of the last trains which, 
owing to the blizzard, reached that city for a period of 
four days. March 12th will ever be remembered by 
those who witnessed the heavy fall of snow accompanied 
by the strong gale. The oldest inhabitant living never 
saw the like of it before. People who left one end of 
As soon as railway communication was re-established 
I took one of the first trains to Boston, and had a very 
fair journey ; on the road I had a good opportunity of 
seeing some of the effects of the blizzard, for we went 
through miles of snow r , fully 40 ft. high in places, and 
which it was no easy task to cut through. Thousands 
of men were employed upon the railways and streets 
banking up the snow, for it was piled up 10 ft. and 12 ft. 
high on each side of the streets. Some of the florists 
took advantage of this, and put flowers in the snow in 
front of their establishments, with, in some cases, a 
motto or a sign. In one place, I saw in conspicuous 
letters, “The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la ! ” 
The State of Massachusetts, comparatively speaking, 
escaped the storm, and this was fortunate, it being the 
home of horticulture in America, as I have mentioned 
before. The towns abound in fine private gardens. 
Thirty years ago, I have read, only one florist’s shop 
existed in Boston, but now there are hundreds, and all do 
a thriving trade. Fortunately, while here, the spring 
exhibition of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society 
was held, on March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. It w T as a 
fine exhibition, held in the society’s hall, and was 
well patronised. Owing to the severe and critical 
