November 3, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
157 
they are in blissful ignorance of their existence! 
They would thereby save annoyance to many gar¬ 
deners and others.— Pathfinder. 
PORTULACCAS. 
"Those pretty Portulaccas! " That was the ex¬ 
pression made use of by a lady a few days since, in 
my presence, at the seed trial grounds of Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons at Reading, when looking upon a 
long line of this gorgeous annual. We owe this 
charming plant to South America ; and, though at 
one time much grown, is now rarely seen, though it 
has great claims to recognition. The plants grow to 
a height of about 9 in., make a remarkably bushy 
growth, and are very free of bloom. There are 
several shades of colour in the striking, saucer¬ 
shaped flowers, and they vary in colour from white, 
or almost white, to rose and rich magenta. It is a 
sun-loving plant, and when seeds are sown, at the end 
of March or early in April, it should be in the driest 
and hottest part of the garden, and in light and 
sandy soil. It is, perhaps, because these conditions 
are absent in many gardens that the pretty Portu¬ 
laccas have ceased to be grown as much as they 
deserve to be, and therefore it is well sometimes 
to call attention to the claims of old but neglected 
favourites.— R. D. 
BEWARE OF FOREIGN PRESERVED PEAS. 
Two Chester grocers have recently been fined 20s. 
each and costs for selling foreign preserved Peas 
adulterated with sulphate of copper, in one case to the 
extent of 2$ grains to the pound, and in the other to 
the extent of ij grains. The medical officer of health 
stated that the quantity of sulphate of copper found 
in the samples would be injurious to health, and it 
would be impossible to say how little could be used 
without being prejudicial to health, copper was so 
deadly a poison. Mr. Smith pointed out that the 
retailers of these Peas could protect themselves from 
prosecution by procuring a written warranty from 
the manufacturer that the Peas were pure. Surely 
it would be better for retail tradesmen to buy their 
Peas from an English firm from whom they could 
get a warranty, and then they would have their 
proper remedy, as French manufacturers could not 
be got at. The Chairman : That would be contrary 
to public policy, would it not ? All the tendency 
nowadays is to buy everything foreign and nothing 
English. One of the defendants stated that he wrote 
to the firm from whom he made the purchase asking 
for a written warranty. They replied that they could 
not give a warranty, as a certain amount of sulphate 
of copper had to be added to the Peas to give them a 
colour. 
- 
Questions add AnsiueRS. 
Plants for a Town Garden.— Thomas Finch : 
Seeing that your garden is so much surrounded and 
shaded, you might grow hardy British Ferns in the 
more shady positions. Good varieties are just as 
easy to grow as bad ones, and are more pretty and 
interesting. The Crested Male Fern (Aspidium 
Filix-mas cristata) and numerous crested varieties of 
the Lady Fern, and forms of Aspidium angulare, 
would suit you admirably. The common forms are 
also more or less handsome. Various kinds of 
Pansies and Violas would grow best raised from 
seed ; or, if you have a frame to keep them through 
the winter, sow the seeds in boxes in September and 
plant out about the end of March. You could take 
cuttings and insert them in boxes, and protect with a 
frame till spring. Seedlings usually thrive best in 
confined places. Sweet Peas do well with us sown 
in March. Other annuals that generally do well in 
town gardens are Eschscholtzia californica, Collinsia 
bicolor, Clarkia pulchella, Calendula officinalis, 
Dimorphotheca pluvialis, varieties of Mimulus, 
Chrysanthemum carinatum, Corn Blue Bottle 
(Centaurea Cyanus), Erysimum Perofskianum, 
annual Sunflowers, Limnanthes Douglasii, Shirley 
Poppies, varieties of Scabiosa atropurpurea, French 
and African Marigolds, and others. We could give 
you a list of perennials if desired. 
Climber for Wall of a House.— Thomas Finch : 
The most suitable and the prettiest for your purpose 
is the Japan Ivy, best known in this country as 
Ampelopsis Veitchi. It is common, and easily 
obtained. It is allied to the Virginian Creeper, but 
much neater, and not an Ivy ; the foliage assumes a 
beautiful bronzy tint in autumn. Should you prefer 
them, there are many beautiful forms of the true 
Ivy, both green and variegated. The common white 
Jasmine (Jasminum officinale), Honeysuckle, and the 
Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia Sipho), are also 
excellent in their way. The first named should be 
nailed to the wall at first, but it will afterwards cling 
of its own accord. 
Town Garden .—Thomas Finch : We quite under¬ 
stand the difficulty of the situation in dealing with a 
garden so much surrounded with houses as the one 
you describe. Shelter is all very well in its way, 
but when houses and tall fences come too close to a 
small garden they shut out the daylight in part, and 
also deprive the plants of necessary ventilation ; for 
a certain play of wind upon the plants is beneficial 
and essential to their health, as it is to human beings. 
Under those conditions, all you can do is to make 
the best of existing circumstances. Your soil is doubt¬ 
less very rich in decaying vegetable matter, and we 
believe that a good sprinkling of lime every second 
year would do it good. We believe greatly in 
trenching old garden soil every year, or every 
second year. Provided the good soil is deep enough, 
we should trench is to the depth of 2 ft., placing the 
top spit in the bottom. Previous to this loosen up 
the bottom with a fork, as it allows the water to 
drain away more quickly, and enables the plants in 
summer to obtain moisture more easily. Deep 
trenching buries the eggs and pupae of insects and 
other creatures, such as slugs, snails, centipedes, &c., 
so deeply that they are unable to get to the surface the 
following summer. If, however, your neighbours’ 
gardens are weedy and badly tended, you cannot 
help getting some of their insect and other pests. 
There are various ways of getting rid of ants, but 
some of the remedies are highly poisonous, and 
would hardly be safe to use in a small garden so near 
the house. Digging up their nests in winter is a 
good plan, as the ants and their pupae, popularly 
termed eggs, may then be easily destroyed. In 
spring search for their nests, and lay on bits of slate 
a mixture of one part of calomel to ten parts of 
powdered sugar. They will eat this and die. Car¬ 
bolic acid diluted in twelve times its bulk of water 
and sprinkled about their nests will kill or drive 
them away. It must not be put on soil where plants 
are growing. The same applies to paraffin, other¬ 
wise very useful. Whatever remedy you undertake, 
persist in it for some time, and the ants will be killed 
or leave your garden. Harass them incessantly by 
hoeing and raking about their nests and runs. 
Plant from the Aleutian Islands.— M. M. : 
The leaf you sent was that of a Bramble closely 
allied to the Japanese Wine-berry (Rubus phoeni- 
colasius) but apparently not quite identical. The 
Brambles are so numerous, and many of them so 
closely similar, that they require a good supply of 
material with which to determine it. If it is of the 
same habit as R. phoenicolasius, you will have no 
difficulty of growing and fruiting it in a greenhouse 
or conservatory with plenty of head room. Flowers, 
leaves, and a piece of the current year's stem not 
bearing flowers, would be necessary to determine 
what it is. 
Fungus on Rudbeckia.— M. M. : The piece of 
stem sent was perfectly dried up, but any fungus 
that might be attached to it was probably on the 
outside, all the rest being healthy enough. In all 
probability it was only the common mould which 
attacks dead matter, and does not kill plants like true 
parasites. Shelter, moisture, and decaying leaves 
about the base of the plants you mentioned, must be 
held accountable for the presence of the mould, and 
in all likelihood you will see no more of the fungus. 
Names of Plants .—John Young: 1, If dwarf, 
bushy, and the young fronds not red, it is Adiantum 
Victoriae ; if red, then it is A. rhodophyllum ; 2, 
Phyllanthus nivosus ; 3, Muehlenbeckia platyclada. 
The two latter would grow in an intermediate house, 
and possibly in a greenhouse, but we should keep 
the best plants in a stove, at least in winter. —A .S.D. : 
1, Dendrobium bigibbum ; 2, Coelogyne speciosa; 
3,Oncidium Forbesii; 4, Maxillaria punctata.— G. S. : 
1, Rhus glabra laciniata ; 2, Retinospora obtusa ; 3, 
Abies Nordmanniana. 
Evergreens for Window Boxes.— W. Brown: 
We should have supposed that a smaller number than 
two dozen would have sufficed, unless you have many 
windows to fill and would like variety. The follow¬ 
ing are amongst the best:—Cupressus Lawsoniana 
erecta viridis, C. L. Allumi, C. L. Fraseri, Retino¬ 
spora plumosa, R. p. aurea, R. squarrosa, R. obtusa, 
R. leptoclada, Irish Yew, Golden Irish Yew, Juniperus 
virginiana, Veronica Traversii, V. pinquifolia, Green 
and Golden Box, Aucuba japonica, Bambusa 
Fortunei variegata, variegated Hollies, Olearia 
Haastii, Osmanthus ilicifolius and varieties, Pieris 
floribunda, Pernettyas in berry, Skimmiasin berry, 
small flowering plants of Laurustinus, and Wall¬ 
flowers or, if you prefer it, Thuya orientalis elegan- 
tissima ; and any of the Euonymuses. 
Fruit Named.— J. R.M. : Peach, Late Admirable ; 
Apple, New or Winter Hawthornden; Pears, 1, 
Louis Bonne of Jersey; 2, not recognised, probably 
a local variety; 3, Beurre Diel; 4, Marie Louise; 
5, Catillac ; 6, Catillac ; 7, Doyenne du Comice ; 
8, Winter Nelis. A box received last week (letter 
mislaid), contained Pears :—2, Colmar Van Mons ; 3, 
Verulam; 4, Beurre Sterckmans ; 6, Ne Plus Meuris ; 
7, Comte de Flandres. 
Books Wanted.— A. Rixon: "Botany for 
Beginners," by Dr. M. T. Masters, published by 
Bradbury, Agnew & Co., price 3s. 6d.; "Plant Life on 
the Farm," by the same author and publishers, price 
2s. 6d.; “ Primer of Botany," by Sir J. D. Hooker, 
published at is. by Macmillan & Co.; "Epitome 
of Gardening,” by T. Moore and M. T. Masters, 
published at 6s. 6d. by A. & C. Black; “Cassell’s 
Popular Gardening,” published by Cassell & Co., in 
two volumes, is sold, we believe, for 14s. Please 
inform us what book on agriculture you mean, or 
who is the author of it ? There are so many books 
on the subject that we require some guide as to your 
wants. 
Communications Received.— H. J. V. — J. & R~I. 
—J. O. L—R. O.—C. G. P.—W. B. G.—S.— 
A. W. G. W.—R. D. 
-**—- 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED, 
Dammann & Co., San Giovanni a Teduccio, 
Naples, Italy.— Price List of Seeds. 
James Cocker & Sons, Morningfield, Aberdeen.— 
Roses, Forest and Ornamental Trees, &c. 
H. Gusmus, Klagenfurt-Lund, Oesterreich, Ger¬ 
many.—Garden and House Plants. 
Frederick Roemer, Quedlinburg, Germany.— 
Novelties in Flower Seeds. 
LONDON SEED TRADE. 
October 30 tli, 1894. 
Messrs. Hurst & Son, 152, Houndsditch, and 39, 
Seed Market, Mark Lane, report a moderate 
enquiry for Alsike. Red Clover is higher owning to 
a Continental demand. White Clover in short 
supply and higher. Rye grasses steady. 
LUVaiNi CiAKD tbiN MAKKET 
October 315;, 1894. 
Fruit.—Average Wholesale Prices, 
s. d j. d. 
Apples.per bushel 30 90 
Cherries, per hit. sieve 0 000 
Cob Nuts and Fil¬ 
berts, per 100 lbs.22 6 25 o 
Grapes, per lb. 06 16 
Melons .each 1020 
s. d. s. d 
Peaches & Nectarines, 
per doz. 2 0 10 o 
Pine apples. 
—St. Miohael’s, each 26 60 
Plums .half Sieve 00 00 
Strawberries, per lb. o o 00 
Vegetables.—Average Retail Prices. 
1. d. t. d. 1 , d. 
ArtlchokesGlobedoz. 3 0 
Beans, French, perlb. 0 6 
Beet.per dozen 2 0 
Cabbages ... per doz. 1 6 
Carrots ... per bunch 0 6 
Carrots, 
Cauliflowers, Eng.dz. 3 0 
Celery.per bundle 1 6 
Cucumbers .ea ;h o 4 
Endive, French, drz. 2 6 
Herbs .per bunch 0 2 
6 0 
1 0 
3 0 
2 6 
6 0 
2 0 
0 6 
3 0 
0 6 
Horse Radish, bundle 2 0 
Lettuces ...per dozen 2 0 
Mushrooms, p. basket 1 0 
Onions.per bunch 0 4 
Parsley ... per bunch o 6 
Radishes... per dozen 1 6 
Seakale...per basket 0 o 
Sinallsalading,punnet 0 4 
Spinach per bushel 3 0 
Tomatos. per lb. o 6 
Turnips.per bun. 0 6 
x. d. 
4 0 
o 0 
1 6 
0 6 
Plants in Pots.—Average Wholesale Prices 
t. d. s. d. 1 x. d. 
Aspidistra, per doz 18 0 42 0 Heliotrope...per doz. 3 o 
—specimenplants.eachs 0 15 o ” 
Cyperus .per doz. 4 0 12 0 
Chrysanthemums, 
per doz. 4 o 15 0 
Dracaena term., doz. 18 0 36 0 
Dracaena viridis,doz. 9 0 18 0 
Evergreens,invar.doz 6 0 24 0 
Ferns, invar.,per doz. 30 80 
Ferns, small, per 100 30 60 
Foliage Plants, doz. 12 0 60 o | 
Cut Flowers.—Average Wholesale Prices. 
s- d. s. d. x. d. s. d 
Arum Lilies, 12 blms. 30 50 Marguerites, 12 bun. 16 30 
/. d. 
- r — r -_-„ 60 
Marguerites, perdoz. 60120 
Mignonette, per doz 60 00 
Palms in variety,each 2 6 10 o 
Palms, Specimen ... 15 0 63 0 
Pelargoniums, scarlet 
per doz...3 060 
Primulas,perdoz. ... 40 60 
Solanums, 
per doz. pots 10 o 12 0 
Bouvardlas, per bun. 06 10 
Carnations...per doz. 10 20 
Carnation, doz. bchs. 9 o 12 0 
Chrysanthemums, 
doz. blooms 2 o 
,, doz. bunches 3 o 
Eucharls ...per doz. '2 6 
Gardenias 12 blooms 2 o 
Heliotropes,12 sprays 0 6 
LUlum Harrisii, 
doz. blooms 6 0 
Lilium lancitolium, 
white.doz. blms. 2 o 
MaidenhairFern,i2bs. 4 0 
9 0 
4 0 
6 0 
Mignonette... 12 bun. 1 0 
Orchid Bloom in var. 
per bloom, from 0 3 
Pelargoniums 12 sps. 0 6 
Pink Roses...per doz. 2 o 
Pyrethrum doz. bun. 2 o 
Primula, double, bun. 0 6 
Roses .doz. bchs. 6 o 12 o 
Roses, yellow, dozen 20 40 
— Red.doz. blms. 1 o 
— Tea.per dozen 0 6 
Scarlet Geraniums, 
doz. bchs. 40 60 
Tuberoses, per doz 0 4 06 
3 0 
1 0 
0 9 
4 ° 
4 0 
o 9 
1 6 
2 0 
OQ1TTBNT8. 
PAGE 
Apple, Lemon Pippin.156 
Apple,Peasgood's Nonsuch 148 
Autumnal Rains .147 
Cattleya Bowringiana .151 
Chrysanthemum Notes.149 
Chrysanthemum Society, 
National.148 
Chrysanthemums, lanky ...150 
Chrysanthemums, new.154 
Dendrobes, cultivation of...150 
Dictionary, a useful .155 
Epaerises .155 ' 
Floriculture .152 . 
Flower Garden, the.151 
Flower Shows, lessons 
from. 156 
French Beans .151 
Fruit Ranching .155 
Fruit under Glass .151 
PAGE 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund...148 
Gardening for Profit .156 
Gardening Miscellany .156 
Hardy Fruit Garden, the ...151 
Kitchen Garden, the.151 
Marattias .153 
Nepenthes Burkei 
excellens.153 
Oncidium Gravesianum ...151 
Orchid Notes and 
Gleanings .150 
Perennials, hardy .149 
Pitcher Plants at Chelsea...153 
Plants recently certificated 153 
Portulaccas .157 
Polyanthus, the Florist’s ...152 
Salads.151 
Seakale .151 
Seakale and its Culture.152 
Gardeners and Holidays...154 Strawberries in Pots.156 
Gardeners’ Mutual Im- Tulip Show, the English ...152 
provement Societies.155 
The Amateur Orchid Grower’s Guide Book. By H. A. 
Burberry (Orchid Grower to the Rt Hon. J. Chamberlain, 
M.P.). Containing sound, practical information and advice 
for Amateurs, giving a List with Cultural Descriptions ot 
those most suitable for Cool-house, Intermediate-house, and 
Warm-house Culture, together with a Calendar of Operations 
and Treatment for each Month of the Year. In Cloth (Crown 
8vo. 5 by 7j), price 2S. 6d.; post free, 2s. 9d. Publisher, Garden¬ 
ing World, i, Clement’s Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 
Chrysanthemums and their Culture. By Edwin 
Molyneux. Sixth Edition. By far the best practical work yet 
written on this subject. Price, is.; post free, is. 2d. Publisher, 
Gardening World, i, Clement’s Inn, Strand, London, W.C, 
