492 
April 4, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
that the fungicide is equally effective even 
when so diluted. 
Those who do much in the way of spray¬ 
ing with the Bordeaux Mixture adopt much 
about the same plan in the preparation of 
the material, though differing slightly in 
detail. The sulphate of copper is obtained 
in the form of crystals from the wholesale 
agents. Fresh lime of good quality is also 
a point that must be insisted upon. For a 
small quantity the sulphate of copper may 
be dissolved in the larger half of the 
quantity of water to be used ; the lime is 
dissolved separately and added to the copper 
mixture, the latter being briskly stirred all 
the time, so that the lime may combine 
with and neutralise the poisonous effect of 
the copper upon vegetation. More water 
may be added if necessary to bring the 
mixture up to the desired quantity. _ 
When the spraying of Potatos is to be 
conducted on an extensive scale, prepara¬ 
tions must be made some days beforehand. 
The plan is to get a large cask, set it on end 
and knock out the top. Fill this with 
water; then get a canvas bag, nail two 
pieces of wood to it so that the bag may be 
suspended with its bottom half-way down 
the barrel. Fill the bag with crystals of 
sulphate of copper and leave it to dissolve 
for some days ; this it will do more 
effectively than if the crystals were placed 
in the bottom of the cask. To test the 
strength of this solution it is necessary to 
use a hydrometer for the purpose. These 
hydrometers may be obtained from dealers 
in chemical apparatus. Their object is to 
determine the specific gravity of the copper 
solution so as to guide the operator as to 
the proportion to be used for any given 
quantity of water. For instance, if the 
hydrometer indicates fifteen degrees, the 
specific gravity will be 1-075, indicating 
i’333 pounds of the sulphate solution per 
gallon. Now, three gallons of this will be 
sufficient for twenty gallons of the Bordeaux 
Mixture, that is, water may be added to the 
sulphate solution till it is made up to twenty 
gallons. The proper proportion of the pre¬ 
paration of lime must of course have been 
previously added. When large quantities 
of the Bordeaux Mixture are waDted, the 
number of barrels at work contem¬ 
poraneously would have to be increased. 
A new method of preparing the mixture 
has recently been described by Mr. Swingle, 
of the United States Department of Agri¬ 
culture at a meeting of Agricultural 
Scientists. Flis method is to get a barrel 
that will hold fifty gallons of water, and 
after putting that quantity in the barrel in 
order to mark the point to which it will rise, 
about a third of it is poured out in order to 
make room for ioo pounds of copper 
sulphate to be suspended in a sack as 
described above. When this is completely 
dissolved the sack is taken out and clean 
water added to bring the solution up to the 
fifty gallon mark. Fifty pounds of lime are 
slaked and dissolved in another fifty gallon 
cask. Both this and the sulphate of copper 
may be regarded as stock solutions which 
may be stored in some convenient and safe 
place till wanted. 
Now the most important point about Mr. 
Swingle’s method of preparing the Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture, is in the final preparation 
of the stock solutions for use. If sulphate 
of copper and lime are too highly concen¬ 
trated when brought together, the resulting 
mixture contains a great deal of granular 
matter which sinks to the bottom, forming 
a sediment. To avoid this he takes three 
gallons of the sulphate of copper solution, 
and dilutes the latter with twenty to 
twenty-five gallons of water. In another 
vessel he puts two gallons of the prepara¬ 
tion of lime and dilutes it with fifteen 
gallons of water. The two are then poured 
slowly together and thoroughly stirred for 
about three minutes with a wooden rod. 
All the vessels used in these operations 
must also be of wood. The mixture will 
contain six pounds of copper sulphate and 
four pounds of lime, which, with the water 
added, will bring it up to forty or forty-five 
gallons. The fifty-gallon mixture may now 
be completed with the addition of water to 
bring it to that amount. 
In order to test whether any free copper 
is present Mr. Swingle advises the use of 
an ordinary penknife, the blade of which 
may be dipped in the mixture. If the 
knife is at all tarnished by this test, then add 
more lime till the free copper is all 
neutralised. The Bordeaux Mixture is 
then ready for use, and may be distributed 
by means of knapsack machines which 
seem to be the most convenient in many 
cases, -whether for garden, orchard or 
Potato field. 
-- 
Ben Nevis is now under a depth of 58 in. of snow 
at the summit. 
Ground cinnamon is adulterated with the ground 
shells of Walnuts, and the latter have become mere 
valuable than the whole nut. 
Newly-married couples in Swiizerland, by a curious 
law, are obliged to plant Pine and Weeping Willows, 
but on natal days the more suggestive Birch is 
planted. 
The Bishopsteignton Cottage Gardening Society has 
decided to hold its annual show of fruits, flowers, 
and vegetables on July 30th. The statement of 
accounts for last year show a balance in hand of 
£n- 
The Hyde Amateur Gardeners’ Association sat down 
to a knife and fork tea at the “ Gardeners' Arms,” 
Back Lane, Hyde, Cheshire, on the 14th ult., to 
celebrate the opening of the Acre Gardens in that 
neighbourhood, and a pleasant evening was spent. 
The next Fruit and Floral Meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society will be held on Tuesday, 
April 7th, in the Drill Hall, James Street, West¬ 
minster, 1 to 5 p.m. At 3 o’clock a lecture will be 
delivered by Rev. Prof. Geo. Henslow, M.A., on "The 
Movements of Plants.” 
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. — At a recent 
meeting of the council of this society at 61, Dawson 
Street, Dublin, a committee was appointed to take 
charge of the show on April 9th. Mr, Greenwood 
Pim showed a plant of Pinguicula caudata, bearing 
eleven fully-expanded flowers besides buds. Miss 
Currey, The Mall House, Lismore, exhibited a 
collection of Daffodils, which created a considerable 
amount of interest, particularly certain well-known 
and fine kinds. Flowers and foliage of the hybrid 
Tacsonia exoniensis were shown by Mr. J. H. 
Cumming. Mr. D. Ramsay, Ball’s Bridge, showed 
various spring flowers, including some Primulas that 
had been dyed with some green dye, and which were 
both novel and not unpleasant in effect. 
" The Spraying of Plants.”—This is the title of a 
book in the Rural Science Series by E. G. Lodeman, 
instructor in horticulture in the Cornell University, 
LLS.A., and edited by L H. Bailey, a professor at 
the same university. The first part deals with the 
early history of spraying, spraying in foreign 
countries, such as France, Italy, England, 
Australasia, spraying in the United States and 
Canada, materials and formulas used in spraying, 
spraying devices and machinery, and the action of 
insecticides and fungicides. The second part of the 
book is taken up with specific directions for the 
spraying of cultivated plants. Mr. Lodeman has 
spent two years on the preparation of this book, and 
visited Europe for the collection of information 
relative thereto. We are pleased to learn that the 
early history of spraying has thus been put upon 
record in book form before the initial stages of this 
interesting science has been forgotten. The book is 
illustrated with new and original engravings, and is 
sold at a dollar — that is, 4s. 2d. of our money—by 
Messrs. Macmillan & Co., 66, Fifth Avenue, New 
York, and London, England. 
The Queen has become an annual subscriber to the 
Windsor and Eton Rose and Hoiticultural Society, 
whose show, by Her Majesty’s permission, will be 
held in July in the Home Park, near “ the slopes " 
at Windsor Castle. 
The National Amateur Gardeners’ Association —The 
next meeting of the association will be held cn 
Tuesday, April 7th, at the Memorial Hall, Farringdon 
Street, E C , at 7 p.m., when Mr. J. C. Tallack, of 
Livermere Park Gardens, Bury St. Edmunds, will 
read a paper on "The Amateur's Greenhouse ' 
The special classes for the evening are six sprays of 
Narcissus (distinct) and four bunches of cut flowers, 
for both of which prizes are offered by the at seda¬ 
tion. New members will be elected at this meeting, 
and application forms and all further particulars 
may be obtained of the hon. secretary, Mr. Leonard 
Brown, The Cottage, Seven Arches, Brentwood, 
Essex 
Rotherham and District Chrysanthemum Society.— 
The annual dinner of this society was held on the 
14th ult. in Mr. Hcrsefall's Restaurant, High Street, 
Rotherham, under the presidency of Mr. T. Gartery. 
In the course of the evening it was remarked that 
the society had not been altogether a success 
financially, to which the chairman replied that it did 
not discourage them as a society, that there was 
plenty of room for them in Rotheiham to make it a 
success, and that it had been decided to continue the 
next show for two days instead of one as formerly. 
The " essayists ” were thanked, and in reference to 
this the chairman said that they had had soma 
excellent papers during the year. 
Brighton and Sussex Horticultural Society —At the 
monthly meeting of this society, held on the 19th ult. 
at the North Road Lecture Hall, Mr. Balchin, Jun., 
presiding, a lecture was delivered by Mr. J. Cbeal. 
Crawley, Sussex, on " The Ancient Gardens of the 
World. ’ The lecture was illustrated with lantern 
slides, and Mr. Cheal discoursed on gardens, from 
that of Eden to the latest English style. The plan 
of an Egyptian garden 4.000 b.c. was also submitted, 
together with the method of planting and the trees 
it contained. Grecian, Roman, Italian, Monks', 
German, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, and old English 
gardens were also described. Amongst the latter 
were Windsor, Chatsworth, Hatfield, Levens, 
Haddon, Ilawarden, and others. Besides the 
ordinary business of the meeting there was a musical 
entertainment, and an audience of 300 was present, 
including a large number of ladies Mr. E. Meachen 
took the first prize in the open class for Azaleas in 
the monthly competition. Mr. G. F. Bunney was 
first in the amateurs' division. 
The Torquay Gardeners’ Association has arranged 
to hold two shows in the year, and the first was held 
on the 25th ult , when three times as many entries as 
at the autumn show were made. The arrangement 
of the exhibition was left to the care of the hon. 
secretary, Mr. F. C. Smale, who carried it out with 
excellent and telling effect. Instead of the usual 
plan of locating all the large groups round the sides 
of the larger Bath Saloon, the largest and most con¬ 
spicuous one—namely, that of Messrs. Burridge— 
was placed across the centre of the hall. The tall 
Palms and the flowering plants of this group 
rendered it very conspicuous. The circular groups 
were set up at one side and the table decorations 
and specimen plants on the other side of the hall. 
Mr. J. Snelgrove’s group of Orchids, including some 
rare and other well-flowered kinds, was acknowledged 
to be one of the best of its kind ever seen in Torquay. 
Miss Livers, of Upton Leigh, and Captain Fane 
Tucker had groups of Orchids for competition, the 
former being first. The Torquay Town Council 
were also exhibitors of shrubs and other flowering 
and foliage plants from the public gardens. Messrs. 
R. Veitch & Son, Exeter, exhibited Orchids and 
other plants as well as views of landscape gardening 
done by them in Devon. Prizes were awarded for 
flowering and foliage plants, Azaleas, Ferns, Orchids, 
Cyclamen, Primulas, Spiraeas, Deutzias, Lilies, 
Hyacinths, Narcissi, Freesias, Lily of the Valley, 
Tulips, Carnations, Cinerarias, and various others. 
An interesting paper on " Orchids, their Fascination 
and Romance,” was read by Mr. G. Lee, gardener 
at Upton Leigh, in the afternoon and again in the 
evening. Orchids were sent to illustrate this lectur; 
by Miss Lavers, and paintings of Orchids by Mr. A. 
Shelly, Tudor Lodge. 
