374 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 14, 1891. 
very hard weather, except when intensely 
hitter biting winds prevail; then it does so, 
as indeed does the very hardiest of vegeta¬ 
tion, for no form of weather seems to be 
productive of greater harm to leafage than 
intensely keen, cold winds. 
During the past hard weather we had very 
little cause to complain of wind ; indeed, the 
air was too frequently remarkably still and 
foggy. It was the repeated frost attacks 
which hit into the very marrow as it were 
of all the Brassica family and destroyed it. 
How Spinach, let its outer leafage be ever so 
injured, has great recuperative power. If 
in good soil, and because early sown the 
plants be strong, growth soon follows upon 
milder weather. This season, outer leafage 
suffered only in a trilling degree, so that no 
sooner did the thaw come than an abundance 
of leafage was at the grower’s disposal for 
home use or sale. 
A good breadth of strong-growing Spinach 
is just now of inestimable value, and it does 
seenr certain that during future winters, as 
showing some look-out for weather contin¬ 
gencies, much larger breadths than usual will be 
got in. Seed should be sown early in August, 
and again at the end of the month to secure 
a good succession. We can very cordially 
recommend the new broad-leaved Spinach, 
known as Victoria here and Monstrous 
Viroflay in France, to our readers’ notice. 
-- 
The Bolton Chrysanthemum Show announced to 
be held on November 13th and 14th, will take place on 
the 20th and 21st, local circumstances necessitating 
the change in date. 
The Highgate an 1 District Chrysanthemum 
Society’s annual show will be held on Thursday and 
Friday, November 5th and 6th. 
Gardening Engagements. —Mr. J. C. Collins as 
gardener to G. de Quetteville, Esq., Noirmount Manor, 
Jersey ; Mr. J. Richardson, from Althorp Park Gardens, 
as gardener to Captain Sawbridge, East Haddon Hall, 
Northampton. 
Reading Horticultural Society.—The early summer 
exhibition is fixed to take place on June 3rd, and the 
late summer show on September 2nd. As is usual they 
will be held in the Abbey Ruins and Torbury Gardens. 
Mr. William Smith, London Street Reading, is the 
secretary. 
Death of Mr. C. Haycock. — We regret to record the 
death, on Monday last, at Goldings, near Hertford, of 
Mr. Charles Haycock, gardener to R. Smith, E-;q. 
Mr. Haycock will he better remembered by many of 
our readers as gardener to Roger Leigh, Esq., at 
Barham Court, Maidstone, where he greatly dis¬ 
tinguished himself for some years as a high-class 
cultivator of hardy fruits. He had been a great 
sufferer from Bright’s disease for a long time previous , 
to his death. 
Birmingham Gardeners Association.—A social 
evening for tea, music and singing took place recently 
at one of the principal hotels, when a large number of 
members and lady friends attended, and a thoroughly 
enjoyable evening was spent. Mr. W. B. Latham, the 
chairman of committee; presided, and amongst the 
visitors was Mr. Owen Thomas, of Chats worth Gardens, 
and the chairman and secretary of the Sutton Coldfield 
Gardens Association. It was an experiment by the 
committee, but so marked was the success that a 
general wish was expressed that the event should be 
made an annual one. 
Cupressus Lawsoniana peadula vera.—Chamreoy- 
paris is a more correct name botanically than Cupressus 
for C. Lawsoniana and other allied and small-fruiting 
kinds. The Bulletin d’Arboriculture, cbe., gives an 
engraving taken from a photograph of a new weeping 
variety of Lawson’s Cypress under the above name. 
There is already a weeping form in this country under 
the name of C. L. gracilis pendula, but C. L. pendula 
vera has been given to the new form because its peculiar 
habit is much more decided than any yet in cultivation. 
It arose as a chance seedling in the nursery of M. Herm. 
A. Hesse, Weener, Hanover. The maternal plant when 
discovered was spread flat on the ground. When 
raised and fastened to a support its stem soon became 
strengthened, growing in height and letting its long 
branches fall gracefully towards the earth in different 
directions and in the most picturesque manner, like 
the Weeping Beech. Young plants raised from it 
develop very quickly in the form of straight pyramids 
of graceful habit. 
Crab Apple Jelly.—Cook the Crab Apples in a por¬ 
celain or granite kettle, never in iron or tin. Add 
just water enough to show through them, but not 
enough to cover them. Cover the preserving kettle 
closely. Cook slowly just below the boiling point for 
several hours, or until upon tasting you find that all 
the flavour has left the Apple ; the colour should also 
be all extracted, but the tiny quarters should not be 
broken. This careful cooking prevents the jelly from 
becoming cloudy. A jelly bag may he made from 
flannel, coarse crash or cheese cloth, but the latter is 
best. Tie the bag and let the contents drip, hut never 
be tempted to squeeze it; nor is it economy to make a 
second-rate jelly of what may be squeezed out of the 
bag after the first dripping of clear juice. .Strain the 
juice carefully, measure it and put on to boil, allowing 
it to cook until little wrinkles come upon the surface, 
which has, of course, been carefully repeatedly skimmed. 
The time for boiling varies with the kind and quality 
of fruit used. Crab Apple juice might need twenty 
minutes or a little more.— Popular Gardening. 
Highlands Nursery.—This name does not apply to 
the Highlands of this country, but to the southern 
Alleghany Mountains of the United States. We have 
received from Mr. Harlan P. Kelsey, Highlands 
Nursery, Linville, Mitchell Co , North Carolina, his 
catalogue of the wild flowering trees, shrubs and Vines 
of that district. Amongst the subjects mentioned, we 
find that the bulk of them are already to be found in 
this country, and some of them are common and 
highly prized ornamental subjects, while others are less 
common than they ought to he. Curiously enough 
the catalogue is printed and specially meant to call 
the attention of his own countrymen to the neglected 
condition of the American flora. To his friends and 
customers the compiler says : “ While the whole earth 
outside the United States has been searched and 
explored to obtain the choicest trees and plants for 
beautifying our American parks, lawns, cemeteries and 
gardens, yet the more beautiful American plants-are 
rarely seen in cultivation, and, as a rule, are unknown 
to Americans.” The popular names accompany the 
Latin ones, and although we notice some of them that 
have an American ring about them, yet we are already 
familiar with a large number of them in this country. 
Some of the trees and shrubs mentioned are prevented 
from becoming popular only by their not being perfectly 
hardy in many parts of this country. Gelsemium 
sempervirens (the Carolina Yellow Jessamine) is an 
instance of this. Several of the species, however, ought 
to be more common here, including the beautiful 
Shortia galacifolia, Hypericum aureum, Parnassia 
anrifolia, Impatiens fulva, Ampelopsis bipinnata, 
Stuartia pentagvna, and others. 
-- >X< -- 
ANTS IN THE HOT-HOUSE. 
It is not an uncommon occurrence to hear gardeners 
complaining of the prevalence of this insect in their 
plant houses and the trouble they cause. Some years 
ago it was stated that an effectual remedy was found, 
in fact it was a. very easy matter to destroy these un¬ 
welcome intruders by simply sprinkling a little genuine 
guano over their runs and haunts, and then the whole 
business would be settled. But exception was taken 
to this method, and on the grounds that while it is true 
that guano will kill ants if it is in contact with them 
sufficiently long, the difficulty is to keep them in and 
amongst it until it proves fatal to them. If a plant is 
infested with them a little guano may be sprinkled 
upon the soil in which it grows, but it is so powerful 
that it must be employed sparingly, or the plant will 
suffer from the application ! the interests of safety 
require also that it be sprinkled thinly upon the soil, 
and then the ants will go up and down the stem of the 
plant into and out of the soil, just as though the 
guano was not there, while this remedy, if it dislodges 
them from one spot, will only drive them to another. 
The best plan appears to be to trap and destroy 
them. Ants appear to be particularly fond of anything 
that is sweet. Thus it is that treacle with just a little 
water added, only enough to make a liquid, will attract 
aud destroy them. They' feed at and fall into their 
saccharine bath and find their end there. Let it be 
placed in some shallow vessel that is glazed, and there¬ 
fore perfectly smooth ; the sides, if possible, being 
perfectly upright. This should be half filled with the 
diluted treacle. The ants will gather in numbers to 
feed upon the sweet contents, and one after another will 
fall into the death-trap. It will be necessary to skim 
the mixture daily', dropping the contents into boiling 
water in order to effectually dispose of any yet living. 
If the ants are not destroyed by the process they may 
be kept under to the joy of the gardener.— E. IV. 
DUNEDIN, STREATHAM HILL. 
Situated as it is in the suburbs of London, Dunedin, 
the residence of N. N. Sherwood, Esq., did not escape 
the fogs which proved so destructive to thousands of 
indoor plants. But since the severe fogs have been less 
frequent and of shorter duration, growing plants have 
somewhat recovered themselves, and Orchids are re¬ 
suming their wonted appearance. 
The early-flowering Dendrobium Wardianum had 
many of its flowers and buds destroyed, but some of 
those left are now in bloom on stems of such length 
and thickness that should have warranted a fine 
display. Others in flower are the useful D. nobile and 
beautiful D. crassinode. The buds of D. Fytchianum 
were also about to expand when we saw them. In the 
same house with the above were many pieces of 
Coelogyne cristata in bloom. A piece of Calanthe 
Regnieri was also flowering vigorously and strongly, 
in striking contrast to some kinds that flowered during 
the foggy period. The individual flowers were large 
and the central crimson blotch well marked. 
None of the Cattleyas are yet in bloom, except some 
forms of C. Trianae, such as the pale-hued and early 
C. T. delicata. Others are, however, in sheath, some 
pushing their buds through the opening, and soon they 
will be gay, provided the atmosphere be clear, if not 
bright and sunny. A fine piece of Cyrubidium Lowi- 
anum, bearing two long arching scapes, carries twenty- 
eight buds on one of them. Oneidium pubes and 0. 
sarcodes are also advancing, the latter testifying to 
good treatment by a scape 5 ft. long. 
A few Orchids are located in the Eucharis house, 
chiefly' Phalrenopsis in baskets suspended from the 
roof, and in splendid health. The leaves of both P. 
Schilleriana and P. Stuartiana are of large size and 
beautifully marked, and the large panicles of bloom 
are now in an advanced state and will soon be gay. 
Underneath them are huge pots of Eucharis grandiflora, 
from which a long succession of bloom is obtained. 
The scarlet spathes of Anthurium Andreanum are con¬ 
spicuous by contrast with the white flowers of Eucharis. 
The Odontoglossum house is a lean-to, facing the 
east, and has a flat bench in front with graduated 
shelves at the back, so as to bring the plants near the 
glass. The sides of the pathway are relieved by low 
roekwork, in the salient portions of which Ferns are 
planted. The edges of the benches are relieved by 
drooping pieces of Scirpus riparius, better known as 
Isolepis gracilis, and which give the house a finished 
and cool appearance. Amongst the species in flower 
are 0. Pescatorei, 0. crispum, and 0. Rossii majus with 
a large pure white lip. A beautiful variety of 0. 
crispum Andersonianum with a panicled scape of bloom 
was notable, having deep canary-yellow flowers blotched 
with red in the centre of the sepals. The brown and 
yellow flowers of Oneidium crispum add to the variety. 
Numerous small pans of Sophronitis grandiflora, sus¬ 
pended near the glass, supply a brilliant colour by no 
means common at this season of the year. The long 
scape of Oneidium macranthum is now slowly advancing. 
A continued supply of cut flowers is wanted for the 
house and other purposes, and everything, Orchids 
included, is laid under contribution to meet this 
demand, so that a large display in the hot-house at any 
one time is out of the question. Various bulbs and 
other forcing subjects are employed to supply this want 
during the summer months. Amongst others are the 
Daffodil princeps, Spiraeas, Dautzias, Azalea mollis, 
A. indica, Deutsche Perle, and Raphael, the two latter 
being double white varieties. The Snowball Tree, or 
Guelder Rose, is also easily forced into beauty. 
Charles X. Lilac is well known to be a coloured variety 
in the open air, but when forced, the flowers are pure 
white, or faintly tinted with lilac ; aud the two colours 
appear under the same conditions, so that two slightly 
different varieties are evidently grown under the same 
name. The Berlin variety of the Lily of the Yalley 
has large white flowers numerously produced, and is 
the best for early forcing. A supply has been kept up 
since the 8th of December last, and the flowers are 
pure and fragrant. Several varieties of the early- 
flowering Roman Hyacinths are brought into bloom, 
chiefly by way of trial. The Blue Roman has flowers 
about the same size as those of the white variety, and 
of a pale blue colour. The White Italian has larger 
flowers and broader leaves than either, but does not 
seem to become popular. The Double Flesh Italian is 
a variety pretty well characterised by the name, but 
neither is that very much cultivated. 
The fernery is more adapted as a cool retreat in 
summer than in the dull days of winter. No pots are 
used, but all the Ferns are planted out on roekwork. 
On the ground floor at one side is a basin of clear water, 
