386 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 20, 1892. 
was wise in pointing out that it would not 
be wise to create heart burnings and 
difficulties just now by making an appoint¬ 
ment that was certainly open to criticism. 
The gentleman nominated by the Parks 
Committee, Col. Walker, was said to be 
over the age stated in the advertisement, 
and therefore was ineligible, but indepen¬ 
dent of that he had no direct horticultural 
qualifications for the office. 
We sympathise with the Council in their 
difficulty, and at the same time very 
cordially wish to recognise the very 
important work which they have done 
during their term of office in not only 
largely improving the parks under their 
control, but also in creating many other 
open spaces, in furnishing bands of music 
in many parks and gardens, in providing 
gymnasiums, and in other ways doing its 
very best to help make all its parks into 
favoured resorts for all classes of the com¬ 
munity. No part of the good work the 
Council has done should help to secure the 
re-election of the best class of members so 
readily as this, and we trust that under no 
circumstances will anything occur during 
the next few weeks to in anyway check 
other schemes-for improvement or extension 
which the Parks and Open Spaces Com¬ 
mittee may have in hand. These parks 
and open spaces are precious boons to the 
inhabitants of London and they cannot be 
too ardently cherished or maintained, 
-- 
Weed-Killing Poisons. —Seedsmen and sundriesmen 
who deal in arsenical compounds for killing weeds 
are referred to an important decision with reference 
thereto recently given by a County Court Judge, 
which will be found on page 387. 
The Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham.— The old- 
established business which has been carried on for 
so many years by Mr. Thomas S. Ware, has passed 
into the hands of Mr. Francis Fell, who has been 
engaged in the business for the last twenty years ( 
and for a considerable portion of that time as 
manager. Mr. Fell will continue to trade under the 
old style and title, and those who know his energetic 
and high personal character will, we are sure, wish 
for him a long and prosperous future. 
Birmingham and Midland Counties’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Association. —At a meeting of the 
members of this association, held on February 3rd, 
Mr. James Martin (of Messrs. .Sutton and Sons) 
read a most interesting paper on “The Gloxinia 
from 1739 to 1892.” The life history of the plant 
was well explained, and many interesting details told 
with reference thereto. Mr. Martin also discussed 
the principal cultural requirements. An animated 
discussion followed, and much information was im¬ 
parted to the mutual benefit of all present. At the 
previous meeting, on January 20th, Mr. J. Pope 
(Pope and Son, Nurserymen, King’s Norton) 
introduced for discussion a very able paper on “ The 
English production and consumption of Apples,” 
and the latter part of a most interesting meeting was 
taken up with a “ Practical illustration of the Art of 
Pruning,” by Mr. W. Spinks, of the Solihull 
Nurseries. 
The Sydenham and District Gardeners and Amateurs 
have recently formed themselves into a Mutual 
Improvement Association, on the lines of similar 
institutions, and we believe with every prospect of 
success, as the district covered includes a good deal 
of gardening talent. Mr. H. Edwards, 14, Rowland 
Grove, Sydenham, S.E., is the secretary. 
The Premier County for Forestry —It is noteworthy, 
says the North British Agriculturist , that two-fifths of 
the surface planted in the last ten years is returned 
from Scotland alone, while practically half of the 
41,000 acres of new plantations in that country are 
accounted for by the returns from the counties of 
Aberdeen, Inverness, and Ross and Cromarty. In 
Scotland the county of Inverness accounts for 169,000 
acres of woodland. This area is far the largest in 
Great Britain. It is considerably in excess of the 
surface returned as under all forms of crop or grass 
in that county, and nearly equal to a fifth part of the 
whole Scottish woodlands, 
Dundee Chrysanthemum Society. —The Dundee 
Horticultural Society having decided to drop the 
Chrysanthemum shows, of which they have held 
three, and very successfully, a number of the local 
growers and admirers of the Autumn Queen have 
founded a special Chrysanthemum Society for the 
town and district, with the Lord Dean of Guild 
McGrady as president, Mr. David Storrie as 
treasurer, and Mr. W. P. Laird as secretary. 
Shropshire Horticultural Society. —At the annual 
meeting of this flourishing society held last week, it 
was stated that the receipts for the past year had 
amounted to £(3,334 10s., the total of the previous 
year being .£2,963, which was considerably in excess 
of previous records. In prize money there was paid 
£(428 7s. 6d., sports and fireworks £421, bands 
£253, and the profits of the year were £970. A sum 
of £500 had been added to the invested capital, 
which now amounts to £3,500. Since the society 
was started the annual balances have been expended 
in the improvement of the public grounds, the Free 
Library, or some charitable institution in the town. 
Last year £753 was so expended. Mr. A. P. Hey- 
wood Lonsdale was elected president for the year. 
Early Potatos.- —The Royal Cornwall Gazette states 
that many of the market gardeners in the Padstow 
district have planted their early Potatos, the land 
being of a light description and ready to receive 
them. The Ashleaf variety seems to be the most 
favoured 3ort. The gardeners hope to get new 
Potatos grown and ready for the market by the 
iat May, Padstow is noted for the growth of early 
Potatos and vegetables. 
-- 
SEEDLING 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Although the Chrysanthemum has been treated 
nearly ever since it was introduced into this country 
as a hardy herbaceous perennial, experience has 
proved that it may be treated as an annual with the 
greatest facility and success, and, doubtless, all lovers 
of this old-time autumnal favourite will be induced 
to give their attention to the raising of seedlings, in¬ 
asmuch as this practice, apart from the prospect of 
obtaining something new and distinct, is fraught with 
an immense amount of interest and pleasure from 
the time the seed is sown to the production of the 
flowers. 
In raising seedlings it is good practice, as soon as 
the young plants have grown sufficiently, to take off 
the tops and root them, as these I think afford a 
better opportunity for testing the merits of any seed¬ 
lings of promise. In fact, the cuttings should be 
treated in the same way as pot plants, and the 
parents be planted out in a well-prepared border and 
receive natural treatment, so that should any prove 
worthy the stools will make good healthy stock plants 
for propagating. 
It must be admitted that the Chrysanthemum 
is so easy to manage when once the seed is ob¬ 
tained, that the merest tyro may with ordinary care 
and attention succeed in obtaining very satisfactory 
results from his or her labours, bearing in mind that 
now especially there are very many of the fair sex 
who are enthusiasts in the art and practice of plant 
cultivation. I believe that at no distant date some 
of the growers of the Chrysanthemum whose object 
is the production of seed will materially extend their 
energies in this direction, and make it a purely com¬ 
mercial business. At the present time when so much 
love exists for plant growing, who would hot be 
pleased I ask to buy a packet of seed in which con¬ 
fidence may be placed, and the plants raised from 
which will give no more trouble than striking the 
cuttings and keeping the plants from nine to twelve 
months for about a fortnight’s bloom in their best 
condition. 
Should new kinds be offered in commerce at the 
same ratio as during the last few years, this must 
bring about a dead lock as regards selections and 
collections in the minds of many growers, unless they 
visit the various shows and have occular demonstra¬ 
tion as to what is distinct and what is not. Multiplicity 
of names help to swell out long lists, but really tend 
to confuse rather than assist those who are or might 
be making a selection so as to obtain the very best. 
As regards the raising of seedlings, the pleasure in 
so doing is intensified from the fact that anticipation 
renders the whole routine one of continuous pleasure 
and enjoyment, which, I think, is comparatively less 
yyhen you are quite familiar with what is being cul¬ 
tivated. Plants distributed in endless numbers under 
fresh names annually half-a-century ago, such asDah- 
lias, Petunias, Verbenas, Carnations, Pinks, and many 
others, are now readily procured of good quality ; 
and I opine that anon Chrysanthemum seed will in 
commerce become an article in ordinary in all res¬ 
pectable seedmen’s catalogues and select lists of 
choice novelties.— Man of Knit. 
A MALIGNANT FLY-TRAP. 
It is well known that the peculiar conformation of 
the flowers, but more particularly the nature of the 
pollen and the attachment of the pollen masses to a 
speck of viscid matter, in the natural order Ascle- 
piadaceae, are often productive of mischief to their 
insect visitors. The insects visit the flowers in 
search of food, and inserting their tongue or pro¬ 
boscis about the gland, or viscid matter to which the 
gland is attached, they get glued to it, and none but 
strong or energetic insects are able to withdraw their 
tongue with the gland and pollen masses attached. 
These flowers seem designed for strong insects only, 
while all the smaller as well as the lazy or cowardly 
large ones are unmercifully taken as captives, ap¬ 
parently without any object in doing so beyond the 
fact that they are useless to the plant in not being 
able to transfer the pollen from one flower to another 
so as to effect cross-fertilization, Neither the plants 
nor the flowers are carniverous, nor are the captives 
of the latter utilised in any way. 
A box of flowers of Physianthus albens with their 
captives has been sent us by a correspondent 
(G. H. K.) from Homebush, New South Wales, 
showing that the plant is virtually a mischievous fly¬ 
trap. The insects made captives were moths, 
butterflies, and bees. Many of the moths were small 
and brightly coloured, thus affording indications of 
their being day-flying species. Others were brown, 
grey, or of other dull colours, and no doubt are 
nocturnal, The latter included a hawk moth, which, 
although only of medium size for that particular 
family, had nevertheless a large and heavy body, and 
the wonder is that so large a creature could be de¬ 
tained by so small a speck of viscid matter, and the 
small and light pollen masses. 
Our correspondent describes it as most interesting 
to watch the insects and their behaviour when visit- 
ing the flowers of Physianthus albens. During the 
early stages of a flower, that is, when it first expands, 
the viscid glands are not effective, and insects may 
visit it without being detained ; but the moment they 
begin to operate the unfortunate insects are doomed 
to be hanged by the snout. Some of the flowers 
sent us had detained butterflies of large size and 
bright colours. They resign themselves to their fate 
with comparatively little endeavour to release them¬ 
selves, like a bull with a ring in his nose, and in this 
respect they exhibit more cowardice or a greater 
lack of energy than either the moths or bees. The 
latter are the most persistent in their endeavours to 
get free, and not unfrequently they do liberate them¬ 
selves by pulling out the glands with their attached 
pollen masses. A new trouble, however, awaits 
them : for with the pollinia attached to their pro¬ 
boscis they become frantic, turning themselves round 
and round upon the ‘corolla, and occasionally trying 
to pass their proboscis down into the nectary. This 
they cannot do on account of the obstruction caused 
by the pollinia. They then rub it against the corolla 
and stigmas, and finally fly off in despair. While the 
pollinia are still attached to the proboscis, the bee 
can neither close its labial feeders, close its under 
jaws, nor put back the proboscis into its natural 
position when at rest. 
Preying insects appear to know the nature of the plant 
in question, as it is the favourite resort of the mantis 
and others of that nature, which find in the captured 
insects an easy prey. The entomologist, or insect 
collector, also resorts to the same plant in quest of 
rare specimens. Our correspondent had his atten¬ 
tion directed to the plant some three vears ago by a 
gentleman who had a large collection of insects, and 
who said that he “ was indebted to that plant for 
quite a number of species which he had never seen 
on the wing, more especially those of nocturnal 
habits.” The plant is by no merins plentiful in New 
South Wales, as our correspondent has only seen 
three specimens. It is a native of Brazil, and must 
have been introduced to New South Wales, where 
the native insects cannot be accustomed to it, or 
know its malignant propensities for fly catching. The 
specimens of bees sent us appear to be those of the 
native British black-hive species, so that they must 
be as much from home in New South Wales as the 
native insects are unfanfiljar with the introduced 
Physianthus albens. 
