516 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 14, 1894. 
GAS LIME. 
In your issue of the yth inst., " A. D.” says that 
this is one of the most potent factors we have in 
ridding the soil of certain insect and fungoid pests. 
Perhaps he will kindly specify a few of each ? The 
fact that it is constantly advised for their destruction 
is no evidence that it is effectual in doing so, as 
much of this advice is offered from hearsay, or from 
what has been written before, and not the result of 
actual experience. Those gardeners who recom¬ 
mended " A. D.” to use it for the destruction of the 
Onion grub are, I fear, totally ignorant of the habits 
and the vitality of this pest. Let '* A. D.” place the 
larvae of the Onion fly in gas lime prepared as ha 
states, and watch the result. 
Your correspondent states that it is valuable for 
cleaning land that is Cabbage sick, or that is 
impregnated with slimy fungus, and many are the 
proofs given from time to time that its application 
has destroyed “ club ” germs, etc. I have had no 
experience with it myself in that direction, and must 
rely on the testimony of market gardeners who have 
used it for that purpose by applying it to portions of 
the crops, leaving the remainder undone as a test, 
and not one derived benefit from its use. One would 
suppose that fresh slacked lime would neutralise the 
excess of this vegetable acid in the soil, but the 
moisture in the soil and quicklime's affinity for 
carbon, soon converts it into carbonate of lime, and 
to introduce sufficient lime to destroy all the slime 
would prove ruinous through over-liming ; at any 
rate that is my experience of it. 
I see in the Gardeners' Chronicle of last week, and 
I think I have seen similar reports before, that in 
the allotments at Ealing clubbing has played sad 
havoc with the crops. Here is an opportunity for 
testing the matter, for no doubt, the growers would 
only be too glad to meet with a remedy so efiectuai 
as to enable them to grow all forms of Brassica, 
where it has been difficult previous, as “A.D.” 
assures us it does. Why should there be any 
clubbing at all if such a cheap article as gas lime 
will destroy it ? It is surprising that most of our 
leading writers when referring to club speak of the 
disease as being caused by an insect, but the name 
of the insect they have for obvious reasons withheld. 
I am pleased that "A.D.” is a little in advance of 
these, and speaks of it as a slimy fungus, which is 
correct, and scientifically known as Plasmodrophora 
Brassica. 
This is the comical part; one writer after another 
gives details how to destroy an insect affecting the 
roots of our cabbages and cauliflowers, whilst the 
mischief is all the time done by another pest, and 
substantiates what I have already said. I have cut 
hundreds of the protuberances on the roots of 
Brassica plants in all stages, but I never saw an 
insect in the inside Later on, as the roots become 
decomposed, insects abound, but these are the 
carrion crows of vegetation come to feed on the 
dead carcass. Will "A.D.” kindly tell us the potent 
elements in gas lime for the destruction of insects 
and fungoid pests after it has been exposed to the 
atmosphere and turned over a few times ? Admitting, 
as Dr. Griffiths states in the quotation given by 
"A.D ,” that there is a little plant food in it, after 
undergoing exposure and turning over it becomes 
an expensive article, and not worth the labour 
expended upon it, and when Professor Bates, who is 
a practical man of " Bates blood ” family as well as 
a scientist, disapproved of it he was, no doubt, 
speaking from experience, the result of experiments 
conducted on the home farm as well as at Cirencester, 
and I thought him a reliable authority to quote.— 
W.P.R. 
I AM glad to note that your contributor “ A. D ” 
refuses to regard the question " For what purpose is 
gas lime of value ? ” as absurd, for in many dis¬ 
tricts where the soil is naturally deficient in cal¬ 
careous matter, and must be supplied with lime in 
one form or other, quicklime is very expensive, 
and chalk or marl are difficult to obtain ; while gas 
lime, in places where the dry process of gas purifi¬ 
cation is used, may be had at a low cost. In such 
circumstances the question referred to becomes one of 
considerable importance to the gardener, and any in¬ 
formation as to the value of gas lime (both as a manure 
and as an insecticide or fungicide), as to its proper 
method of application, and as to the needful precau¬ 
tions attending its use, becomes invaluable. Perhaps 
you will allow me, therefore, to strongly endorse what 
"A. D.” remarks with reference to the value of gas 
lime in the growing of vegetables belonging to the 
Brassicae, particularly in cases of the slime fungus. 
I have seen it used very extensively, but have not 
observed any harmful results, except in a few instances 
where the obvious precaution had not been taken of 
freely exposing to air before applying in the 
immediate neighbourhood of growing crops. The 
unoxidised compounds of calcium and sulphur 
(which alone form the source of danger to plant life) 
soon become oxidised • and transformed into plant 
foods. I may say that I have used gas lime freely 
on fruit borders. Rose beds, and for free admixture 
with compost heaps, but have never seen any harm¬ 
ful results.— C. W. H. G. 
This from own observation is one of the best 
manures obtainable at a cheap rate. I have seen it 
used largely by a market gardener with the very 
best results ; true, it must be used with caution or 
the direst calamities to crops will happen. A few 
tons of it if allowed to lay for any length of time 
under the shade of large forest trees will infallibly 
kill them. The same man used it ‘on a breadth of 
ground on which Broccoli clubbed badly, but with¬ 
out any marked effect ; but then he used it in homce- 
pathic doses about half a yard to an acre of ground. 
Lettuces of all crops seem to benefit the most from 
its use. A large breadth of ground planted with 
these and well manured with stable dung, and treated 
as regards culture and plants all alike, with the 
exception that about one half of it was sown with 
gas lime, afforded the most striking evidence of its 
value, the Lettuces growing much faster and weigh¬ 
ing heavier than the others. Mixed up with road 
scrapings or any other similar refuse in the propor¬ 
tion of one ton of gas lime to ten of Other matter, 
turned over several times during the winter, and 
then spread thinly on grass land, forms an admirable 
and cheap manure. When intended for application 
to garden crops it should be well exposed to the aff 
for some time before being applied, and well pul¬ 
verised, as any lumps the size of a walnut may do 
mischief. A friend of mine once used three tons of 
it on about half an acre of ground to kill the slugs 
which it did and a great deal else besides, for one 
summer nothing would grow on much of his garden, 
but the next year things grew most luxuriantly,— 
W.B.G. 
--' 
BOX EDGINGS. 
When well kept, a box edging, so far as appearance 
is concerned, is the best kind of edging to garden 
paths that we have, but if neglected and allowed to 
get into a rough and gappy condition, it becomes one 
of the greatest eyesores of a garden. In light soils, 
unless overgrown by crops being allowed to encroach 
on them, they give little trouble beyond the annual 
clipping, which is best done in showery weather, 
during the month of June. In wet retentive soils, 
unless well drained, it is very liable to die off in 
places. The present Is a good time to make good 
any defects, at the same time if there are many 
places to replant it is far better to take up the 
whole of the Box and relay it, because if there is 
much patching to be done, anything but a satisfactory 
appearance will be produced. 
In relaying, the first thing to do is to remove all 
the gravel from the sides into the centre of the 
path, forming it into a narrow ridge; this done, take 
up the Box and secure it against the drying in¬ 
fluences of sun and wind by forming a circle with it 
on a level piece of ground from two to three feet in 
diameter, laying the roots inwards. These layers 
may be six or more inches thick, and having formed 
one layer, fill in the centre among the roots with 
soil, then build up according to the quantity of Box 
on hand, narrowing the heap as the building pro¬ 
ceeds, till at the finish it presents the appearance of 
a cone of Box. Give one or more waterings to 
ensure a thorough soaking. This plan takes far less 
time and space than would be occupied if the Box 
were laid in rows, and comes much handier to the 
planter when he has to draw fresh supplies for re¬ 
laying. 
When the ground is cleared commence at one end 
and dig the soil over, from a foot or a little more in 
width, breaking it up fine. It will generally happen 
that some fresh soil is required to bring it up to the 
desired level, and to this particular attention must 
be paid. After digging, tread the soil firm, and get 
as even a surface as possible by raking and patting it 
down with the back of the spade. Then stretch a 
line tight from end to end ; this will show any in¬ 
equalities, which must be remedied before cutting 
down the trench, the depth of which must depend 
somewhat upon the length of the Box. We have 
generally managed so that the trench has not ex¬ 
ceeded six inches in depth, but where the Box has 
stood for some years, a greater depth of trench will 
be requisite, because every bit of Box used should 
Jiave some fibre to it, and when using very old stuff, 
a greater length will be required to secure pieces 
with roots. 
My own practice is to trim a quantity before 
planting. This is done with an ordinary handbill 
upon a block of wood, cutting off the old roots to 
within three inches of the foliage, that is, if roots 
can be secured at that length. A very small portion 
of root is sufficient to give the young plants a start. 
Plant thinly in a continuous line, working the soil up 
to the Box by hand, leaving it about two inches 
above the surface, then fill the trench up with soil, 
and make it solid by treading it firm with the feet. 
After planting, replace the gravel, and unless the 
weather is showery at the time, give a good w’atering. 
With a little practice, this operation can be carried 
out so that when finished the Box will form one 
continuous and even line, and when well done this 
is work which reflects more credit upon the work¬ 
man than many other things he is called upon to do 
in connection with the garden. There are two 
varieties of Buxus sempervirens in general use. 
Many will use no other than the Broad-leaved Dutch 
kind, but for myself I prefer the smaller leaved kind, 
which is a better grower, and generally keeps much 
greener than the Dutch, which often goes brown.— 
AMARYLLIS AT 
CHELSEA. 
The grand collection of Hippeastrum or Knight's 
Star, popularly known as Amaryllis, is now in splen¬ 
did condition in the Messrs. Veitch's nursery 
at Chelsea. The plants are somewhat later than 
last year because purposely kept back. Owing to 
the open winter and spring with clear skies, the 
plants are dwarfer than usual, and the foliage fine. 
There would appear to be early and late varieties, 
but whether that is the case or not, the display is 
continued over a considerable period. Some 1,400 
or 1,500 spikes of bloom, bearing two to four blooms 
each, make no mean display when seen in one house. 
It is interesting to note the different sizes and colour 
of the bulbs, as it by no means follows that small 
bulbs are young ones. Rather does the mixture 
indicate the hybrid origin of these magnificent 
modern improvements, and the green and brown or 
black scaled bulbs also recall their hybridity. 
New Varieties. 
A large number of bulbs are flowering for the first 
time, and show that the standard of quality is not 
only being kept up, but improved upon. For shape, 
colour, and size, Beauclerc is the best of this year’s 
seedlings, and in fact the best of its colour yet 
raised. It is a magnificent, bold, fully expanded 
flower with a very short tube and of a brilliant 
crimson, intensified to maroon in the throat. The 
next two that come in the same category are Quintus 
and Splendour, in both cases widely funnel-shaped 
flowers of a brilliant crimson deepening to maroon 
in the throat. The flowers of the latter particularly 
are very regular, with imbricating segments. The 
accompanying illustration represents a variety raised 
a few years ago, and is the ideal on standard of a good 
type at which cultivators are now aiming. A bold 
and wide flower is Petronel, of a deep red tinted 
with rose at the end of the segments, and intensified 
to crimson in the throat. Tresca is a deep crimson 
flower netted with darker veins. Galopin is a 
brilliant crimson-scarlet variety with widely ex¬ 
panded flowers and faint rays. The flowers of 
Kisber are funnel-shaped and of a'medium size, but 
intense crimson and shaded with maroon. The 
widely expanded scarlet flowers of Olympia are 
notable for their portly size ; in the throat are six 
short greenish rays. An Award of Merit was 
recently accorded for this variety. The scape of 
Ossidine stands about 24 feet high and bears four 
flowers of a bright scarlet, with long, conspicuous 
green and white rays. Few of them attain this height. 
There are four large flowers on the scape of 
