464 
THE HARDENING WORLD 
March 21, 1891. 
Gledstanes, Esq., Gunnersbury, said tbe only means by 
which he was able to keep the bloom on Orchids was 
by placing them as near the hot-water pipes as possible. 
Mr. Wright remarked that when at Hampstead he was 
a successful cultivator of the Violet, both in frames and 
out-of-doors ; but after trying five years at Chiswick, 
he had this season dug them up in despair. Many of 
his Orchids had suffered very much, but stove and 
greenhouse plants had withstood the fog fairly well. 
Peaches were dropping off with him. He described a 
system that he had seen tried of placing hexagon 
netting over the ventilators, and with great success. 
Here, then, in this locality is heard a general chorus 
of lamentation among gardeners as to the baleful 
effects of London fog on plants. 
It may be said that the past winter was an unusually 
severe and protracted one, that while fogs were thicker 
and more enduring than usual, they were accom¬ 
panied by hard frost, and therefore, the conditions 
were extraordinary and unusual, instead of ordinary 
and usual. There may be something in this ; at the 
same time, it has been the invariable experience of 
some of us that for years past, fog, even when the 
winters have proved mild, has been as injurious to 
certain things, and that despite all precautions, it will 
find its way into glass structures, and prejudicially 
affect the flowering of Bouvardias, Carnations, &c. 
Some time ago the Town Gardening Committee of 
the Manchester Field Naturalists’ Society 
appointed a committee on air and fog 
analyses, and they have just issued a report 
based upon the investigations of certain 
eminent scientific men of Owens College, 
and of Dr. J. F Tatham, medical officer of 
health for the city. 
The report states that the number of 
deaths from respiratory diseases increased 
during the prevalence of fogs, impregnated 
with sulphurous acid and other injurious 
matter. Taking the normal number of 
deaths per week in Manchester from the 
above causes at sixty, they found that 
during the continuance of the exceptional 
dense fog which preceded Christmas, this 
number went up to over 200. They knew 
definitely that the sulphurous acid of the 
air arose wholly and solely from the com¬ 
bustion of coal, which contained from one 
to two per cent, of sulphur. Experiments 
had been made simultaneously at the 
Owens College and at the Town Hall. 
The results showed considerable variations 
in the amount of sulphurous acid present 
in the atmosphere, but there .was a larger 
amount near the centre of the town. 
Experiments had been made to determine 
the deposits from the air. The experi¬ 
ments in this section had been carried out:— 
1. By observing the amount and nature 
of that carried down by snow. 2. By 
collecting the deposits on the roofs of green¬ 
houses. 3. By examining the incrustation 
which formed on the leaves of outdoor plants in different 
parts of Manchester and Salford. Some estimate might 
be formed of the actual amount in snow when it was 
stated that during three days’ fog there was carried 
down, per square mile in the neighbourhood of the 
Infirmary (by no means the worst part of Manchester), 
nearly 6 cwt. of sulphuric acid, while at the Owens 
College the amount was over 4 cwt.; the “blacks” 
even at the latter station were over 2 tons, and the 
hydrochloric acid about 2 cwt. The leaves on which 
observations were made, were gathered, for the most 
part, before much foggy weather had been experienced. 
There had been, however, no rain during the previous 
fortnight. In nearly all cases the leaves examined 
were Aucuba leaves. The central districts of Manches¬ 
ter showed by far the most results, both in regard to 
incrustation of the leaves, and the acid present in it. 
The leaves from several districts were even acid to the 
taste, though this was not necessarily a sign of the 
presence of the excessive amount of acid ; for indeed, the 
acid was much more perceptible when the deposit was 
small in quantity. Some idea would be formed of the 
injurious nature of such deposits on the leaves when 
they notice that the sulphuric acid formed often 6 to 
8 per cent., and the hydrochloric acid 5 to 7 per cent, 
of the whole deposit. 
We are, perhaps, not quite so bad off as Manchester 
in regard to noxious properties contained in the fog, 
but they are bad enough here. The main remedy 
seems to be a considerable reduction in the use of coal 
as an article of combustion. What is to take its place as 
a warmth-giving agent free from its disadvantages I 
cannot say ; I must leave the solution of the problem 
to more able intellects than my own.— R. D. 
--*>$<->- 
NEMOPHILA MACULATA. 
We have a number of species and several varieties of 
Nemophila in cultivation, but none of these exceed 
Nemophila insignis in the beauty of its -deep sky-blue 
flowers. What N. maculata lacks in brightness it 
makes up in the size of its flowers and their distinctness. 
The ground colour of the large corolla is white, and 
there is a conspicuous violet-purple blotch at the tip of 
each segment. The contrast of the flowers of this 
species is very great when compared with N. parviflora, 
the individual blooms of which are so small that the 
species is probably not cultivated outside of botanic 
gardens. The stems of N. maculata .are slender and 
procumbent, as in N. insignis, and never rise above 
6 ins., or thereby, above the level of the soil. Plenty 
of space should be allowed the plants to spread laterally, 
and they should not be crowded. Given moderately 
fertile soil, with room to spread, and this Nemophila 
will continue in flower for the greater part of the 
summer. For early flowering the seed should be sown 
in August and for later work any time next month. 
So hardy are the Nemophilas, and so freely do they 
ripen seeds that they will sow themselves after ripening 
seeds, and attain some size before winter, so that this 
second generation will flower early next summer, or 
even in spring. 
AURICULAS AND SPECIES OF 
PRIMULAS. 
The National Auricula and National Carnation and 
Picotee Societies have just issued their Annual Reports, 
though singular to state, the schedules of prizes for the 
present year are not bound up with them as is usually 
the case. Seeing that the .schedule of prizes are sent 
with each report, but as a sepirate sheet, one wonders 
why it was not bound up with it. It is satisfactory to 
note that each society is in a healthy financial condi¬ 
tion, but while Birmingham can raise over £100 for the 
newly-formed Midland Counties Carnation and Picotee 
Society, and Mr. E. S. Dodwell something like £200 
for the Oxford Carnation, just over £71 appears to be a 
small sum to raise for a society whose centre of opera¬ 
tions is in London. But then London has so many 
of these societies appealing for subscriptions. 
Both reports are rendered valuable — else they 
would be of very little value indeed, the literary 
matter in each being of the poorest description, 
compiled in a most slip-shod manner, and printed 
very badly — by the inclusion of selections of flowers 
made by various growers. There are sixteen names 
mentioned, but some of these appear to have confined 
themselves to a selection of hardy Primulas. The 
names of nine Auriculas are given in each section of 
green, grey, and white-edged flowers, and seifs of green 
edged. The Rev. F. D. Horner and Colonel Taylor 
take the lead with twelve votes each ; then comes 
Prince of Greens, seven ; Talisman, six ; Lovely Ann, 
three; Imperator, Champion, and Apollo, two each. 
It should be stated that some varieties were sent in, 
which, though shown at exhibitions, are actually not 
in commerce, and these were properly rejected. Of 
grey edges, George Lightbody stands at the head of the 
list, with fourteen votes ; Lancashire Hero, with 
thirteen ; Mabel, ten ; Silvia and George Rudd, six 
each ; Richard Headly, Rachel, and Marmion, five ; and 
Alexander Meiklejohn, three. Of white edges, Conser¬ 
vative heads the list with eleven votes, that most 
useful and constant of all white edges, Acme, coming 
next with ten ; Smiling Beauty, John Simonite, and 
Mrs. Dodwell, nine each ; Reliance and Heather Belle, 
four each ; and True Briton and Glory, one each. In 
the section for seifs, Heroine heads the list with 
thirteen votes : Mr. Potts, twelve ; Black Bess, ten ; 
Lord Lome, six ; Mr. Douglas, five ; C. J. Perry and 
Pizarro, four each ; Topsy, three ; and Black Bird, 
two. The names of twenty-four Alpines are given, 
but some that are nearly at the bottom of the list 
should be nearly at the top. As the variety at the head 
of the list obtained five votes only, the voting was 
pretty equal. The order in which the names are given 
is as follows:—Edith, Sunrise, Unique, Mrs. Ball, 
Pallas, King of the Belgians, Mungo 
McGeorge, Diadem, Lovebird, Philip 
Frost, Mrs. Meiklejohn, Placida, Susie 
Matthews, Sensation, Ada Hartwidge, 
Miss Blackburn, Hotspur, Paragon, Tenny¬ 
son, George Lightbody, Princess of "Wales, 
Mrs. Knighton, Toujours Gaie, and 
Defiance. I am afraid it would be difficult 
for any one to purchase any of the fore¬ 
going, simply because it would ba doubtful 
if they have been put into commerce. 
Hotspur, Paragon, and Tennyson deserve 
to be at the top of the list. The foregoing 
lists would have been more complete and 
their value enhanced could the raisers’ 
names have been given. 
A list of twenty hardy Primulas are 
given. At the head stands rosea grandi 
flora ; then comes marginata japonica 
sikkimensis, ciliata purpurea, Sieboldii 
denticulata, Auricula, nivalis, capitata 
intermedia, floribunda, spectabilis, Clusi 
ana, marginata ccerulea, viscosa, ciliata 
coccinea, Reidii, Cashmeriana, involucrata 
(Munroii), cortusoides, and farinosa. It 
must not be supposed that this list re¬ 
presents distinct species, but they are all 
species and varieties well worthy of being 
cultivated. 
So much for selections of Auriculas and 
the hardy Primulas. The spelling of the 
names of some of the latter is decidedly 
faulty, and it is a great pity that the list 
could not have been revised before it was 
published in the name of the National Auricula and 
Primula Society.— R. D. 
-- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
Cytisus proliferus. 
This beautiful shrub was originally introduced from 
Teneriffe in 1779, but has never become so popular as 
C. racemosus, which is said to have been introduced 
from the same place in 1S35. The flowers are much 
larger than those of that species, slightly fragrant, and 
of a beautiful white, with the exception of the calyx 
which is hairy, purplish and rather prominent. The keel 
also betrays the presence of the anthers, which are deep 
yellow and shine through. The flowers are not produced 
in racemes as in the above well-known species, but in 
numerous umbels, close together on the end of the 
previous year’s shoots. The leaves consist of three 
long, lanceolate leaflets, and are of a deep green above 
with a glaucous tint, and are covered beneath and on the 
margins with silvery grey hairs. The plants grown in 
this country appear to be generally raised from seeds, so 
that they do not flower so freely in a small state as they 
would otherwise do if propagated from cuttings. The 
species is by no means common, and we have been 
favoured with a fine spray of it from a correspondent in 
Yorkshire, who has just raised it from seeds and 
flowered it. 
