582 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 12, 1894. 
into the stems and branches, and likewise parting with 
their moisture previous to the advent of frost. 
Furthermore, a layer of cork has been developing at 
the base of the leaf stalk, cutting off all communica¬ 
tion between the leaf and the tree, except through 
the fibro-vascular bundles, or the fibres as they are 
popularly termed. Then when frost comes it merely 
completes the disconnection by breaking the bundles 
above mentioned. The same amount of frost occur¬ 
ring at midsummer would probably kill or at least 
injure the leaves, but it could not cause them to fall- 
I am surprised that " W. P. R. ” should object to 
the statement of a well-known physiological fact, 
that leaves give out water at their edges by means of 
water pores. The size and shape of these water 
pores and the water gland in connection with them 
has been amply demonstrated by the microscope. 
The water given off by a leaf during a night has in 
fact been collected, weighed and measured. The 
leaves need not be drooping before drops of moisture 
can be observed upon them ; they may be at any 
angle with the horizon. One fact must, however, be 
noted ; if the atmosphere is dry and airy, no drops 
will form, because the moisture passes off into the 
atmosphere in the form of vapour as fast as it is 
given off. That rule holds good whether the plants 
are in the open air or under glass. It is only when 
the conditions are favourable to condensation that 
the drops form. Then every blade of grass bears a 
drop of dew at its tip if it has one, even though 
nearer the perpendicular than the horizontal. 
Condensation of moisture from the atmosphere may 
be present as well, but the process is entirely different. 
Apropos to the drops on iron rails, it may be stated 
that meteorologists find it inconvenient to use very 
large rain gauges, for the simple reason that they 
falsify the rainfall on account of the amount of 
condensation.— F. 
-- 
CLUBBING. 
I AM perfectly at one with " W. P. R , ” p. 567, in his 
methods of cultivation for combating the pest of 
" clubbing ” caused by the slime fungus in question, 
but I cannot agree with the details regarding the 
method of attack both of the fungus and the 
cabbage gall weevils. The fungus does form large 
semi-putrid masses on the main root of the Cabbage 
tribe, but it may also and frequently does form 
smaller nodules on the more slender side roots and 
fibres. Then again the weevils in question do also 
attack the main root of the seedling plant taken from 
the seed beds, as amateurs and professionals all too 
frequently experience. The main root is frequently 
infested in the same way and at the same time with 
the fungus, and both pests have thus been intro¬ 
duced to fresh soils and gardens where they did not 
previously exist. This could account for the 
presence of the fungus in soils that had been occu¬ 
pied with Strawberries for two or three years pre¬ 
viously. The nodules might be so small at the time 
of planting as to be unobservable, for infection in its 
earliest stages cannot be detected with the naked eye. 
Furthermore, infection might be, and doubtless is, 
transferred by the feet of birds and other animals 
from one garden to another, while the fungus is in 
the slimy stage or even in the form of spores. 
It is my experience that comparatively little 
clubbing takes place in soils but recently utilised for 
garden culture, that is in fresh though not neces¬ 
sarily virgin soil. This is not always obtainable, and 
some compromise must be attempted in order to 
palliate the ravages of the fell disorder. I believe in 
deep cultivation as one means of clearing and 
sweetening the ground. A case in point occurs to 
me, namely, a very old garden where the black 
earth was comparatively shallow and overlying 
gravel. Cabbages, Cauliflowers and others of the 
tribe refused to give anything like a satisfactory 
return, being stunted, clubbed, and poor, while the 
ground was full of blanks. The ground under new 
management was trenched two feet deep in the 
autumn, and the subsoil taken out or levelled down 
to a uniform level where it cropped uo near the 
surface. Manure was freely used at the same time. 
This trenching is effected every two or three years 
according to the durable nature of the crop upon it 
or otherwise. For instance. Strawberries occupied 
the ground for the longest period with exception, of 
course, of trees and bushes Good crops of vege¬ 
tables have been the rule ever since the system was 
commenced. 
Those who have light soils may object to the 
frequent deep disturbance of the same as being 
detrimental to the retention of moisture, but this 
objection may easily be overruled by early trenching. 
As soon as the various vegetable crops are taken off 
in the autumn, the soil should be trenched and 
manured. It gets sufficiently consolidated by the 
winter rains and snows to make a suitable bed for 
seeds or planting by the time those operations are 
performed. Allowing it a few weeks to settle. 
Strawberries may be planted upon it in Autumn. 
Good cultivation not only ameliorates the soil, but 
serves to bury fungus spores, eggs and pupae of 
various creeping, crawling and flying enemies. 
Prevention is always better than cure, and the least 
expensive in the end on account of the greater return 
in produce. — F. 
--- 
ON COOKING ASPARAGUS. 
The best methods of cooking vegetables is a subject 
to which gardeners in general would do well to pay 
more attention than they do at present, for the presi¬ 
ding genius in the kitchen, either from ignorance or 
indifference, often spoils his best produce before it 
reaches the dining room. Made dishes, game, 
sweets, entrees, &c., are sent up to perfection, and 
the only weak point in a dinner is possibly the vege¬ 
tables, notably the Potatos, and, strange to say, 
there is more paid for the spoiling of these and other 
vegetables than is given for the growing of them. 
A correct knowledge as to how his produce should be 
cooked will often stand a man in good stead, how¬ 
ever much the discovery of it may upset at times 
the equanimity of the cook. Take Asparagus for 
instance; this is generally in English kitchens 
cooked laying down in the pot, but a much better 
way is to cut it into as equal lengths as possible and 
stand it upright in the water, leaving from 2 to 3 
ins. uncovered. Placed in this position it will stand 
longer boiling without the heads fieing done too 
much, as they sometimes are when cooked in the 
usual way, whilst the remainder is underdone. The 
heads remaining out of the water are cooked by 
the steam, and retain their flavour better than when 
immersed in water; at the same time, the stalks 
being longer in boiling are rendered more tender than 
when cooked for only' the regulation twenty minutes 
— IF. B. G. 
--- 
IVIES AT CHISWICK. 
For some years past a large collection of Ivies has 
been grown by way of trial and for comparison in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
Chiswick. They are not all of the same size nor 
age, as they were obtained at different times, but the 
oldest lot occupies a west aspect wall with a few 
plants occupying other aspects in the vicinity, A 
collection from the late Mr. Shirley Hibberd 
occupies an east aspect wall not far from the main 
entrance to the garden. As the specimens were 
obtained from different sources, it is but natural to 
suppose that the same plants are sometimes seen 
under different names. The varieties of Ivy are 
now exceedingly numerous, and many of them come 
so near each other as to make it difficult to determine 
them, except by those who not only have a keen eye 
for discrimination, but who have the opportunity of 
seeing and noting them at all times of the year, on 
account of the variation in colour at different periods 
of the year. 
Another element of difficulty arises from the fact 
that several of the varieties are merely juvenile 
forms, while others are the adult, and some the flower¬ 
ing stage of the same plant. It is therefore reason¬ 
able to suppose that some of them grow into others 
simply by the natural process of development, and 
that is what often takes place when the plants get 
old. On the other hand, many of them are evi¬ 
dently distinct seminal varieties and geographical 
forms, which will no doubt retain their distinctness 
for centuries or ages, should they continue to be 
grown. But all these variations afford ample oppor¬ 
tunity for the increase of new names to forms which 
ultimately prove to be already well known and 
named. They are of course distributed in gardens 
under these new names, until the confusion becomes 
very great, and the original names, or starting points 
very difficult to trace. It seems that the only way 
to fix them would be to have an accessible collection 
of dried specimens authentically named, with a 
small painting to indicate the early and late coloura¬ 
tion of the variegated forms which might lose their 
colour in the dried state. The names given to 
several of the varieties apply to colours which can 
only be seen at certain periods of the year. Another 
plan would be to have all the nursery' and public 
collections named from a living collection that has 
been thoroughly overhauled, and the names corrected. 
The collection at Chiswick would form a basis for 
such a collection, but it requires augmentation, for 
there are many other varieties in cultivation. 
The undermentioned varieties of Hedera Helix 
with their descriptions are those which we noted in 
a recent survey at Chiswick. Most of the v'arieties 
are now very beautiful, with exception of the silver- 
edged sorts which assume their proper and best 
tints rather later in the season, w'hile the gold- 
clouded sorts are now in perfection. But it must be 
recognised that the colours of all change conside¬ 
rably towards midsummer and again towards autumn, 
and even winter has a distinct effect upon them, 
more marked in some cases than others. The 
classification we give is an attempt to reduce the 
many varieties to something like order ; but we 
must say that it would require repeated examination 
during the course of the season to be in a position to 
form a just conclusion concerning all of them. The 
variegated sorts might be classified acccrding to 
colour, but such a method would be entirely arti¬ 
ficial and by no means satisfactory on account of its 
varying aspects. 
Large Leaved Varieties. 
Under this name a few varieties are included, 
characterised by the large size of the leaves, their 
leathery character, and in being heart-shaped, ovate 
or nearly round. 
Raegneriana. —This is at once a very old, 
generally correctly named, and readily recognisable 
variety when seen in fair condition. The leaves are 
large, heart-shaped, dark green, very leathery, and 
seldom show' a tooth or angle near the base on each 
side. A small plant under the name of Colchica is 
evidently the same thing. It is a strong grower. 
Dentata. — The leaves of this sort are larger, 
dull green, heart-shaped, and often furnished with a 
few large teeth along the sides. It is a rampant Ivy, 
and ultimately covers a large area of wall space if 
allowed. Although it comes near to Raegneriana it 
may as a rule be readily determined by the teeth 
mentioned. 
Algeriensis.— Here the leaves are of large size, 
roundly heart-shaped or orbicular, and sometimes 
with two small lobes or large teeth near the base. 
The young leaves are of a pleasing yellowish-green 
and handsome, but ultimately very dark. The 
variety is a very robust grower, and is grown here 
under various names, including Viridis and Gigantea. 
Another synonym is Canescens. It is both a hand¬ 
some and desirable form. Algeriensis variegata is 
entirely different, even in the shape of the leaves 
because an arborescent or flowering form of the 
type. The leaves are rhomboid, or obovate, elon¬ 
gated, and bright green, but as they become matured 
they develop a silvery margin and are irregularly 
splashed and washed with grey all over. It is there¬ 
fore very different from the type, and although we 
do not consider it an acquisition, yet old established 
plants are said to be handsome. 
Macrodonta. — -The leaves of this variety are only 
half the size of the previously mentioned kinds, still 
they are large, ovate, and entire or deeply toothed all 
along the sides. They are of a bright green, but 
ultimately olive-green, with much lighter veins. The 
plant is a vigorous and rapid climber, and both dis¬ 
tinct and handsome. 
Himalaica.— -Although this is similar in form to 
the latter, it has.very much smaller leaves; but w-e 
place it here for convenience on account of the form 
of the leaf, which is ovate and toothed all along the 
sides, the teeth being more numerous. The colour 
is light green, and when mature assumes a greyish- 
green hue, which may account for the name Cinerea 
applied to one of the plants here. 
{To be continued.) 
--— 
Crotons. — Cuttings taken off and rooted at this 
time of the year make useful stuff for table and other 
decorations towards the end of the summer. Where 
plenty of cuttings can be had take care to select 
those whose leaves are best coloured. The larger 
or stronger cuttings will, of course, make usable 
plants in the shortest time. 
