May ?, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
56? 
■will fully understand and adhere to the rules of 
competition, and make their awards in accordance 
with such regulations as their schedules adopt or 
imply. 
The second point of issue relates to the cardboard 
collarets as employed in the third prize stand, 
exhibited by Mr. Henry Perkins, of Greenlands, 
Henley-on-Thames. The Ulster Horticultural 
Society adopted “ the regulations " of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society. Having regard to this 
fact, how could collarets be considered permissible ? 
It was clearly shown by the blooms that were dis¬ 
mantled on the second day of the show that, without 
such extraneous aid as cardboard collarets, the third 
prize stand would have had to take a much lower 
place in the list of awards. The Belfast committee 
only allow till 3 p.m. on the first day of the show to 
lodge protests. It being the second day when the 
collarets were discovered a protest was then useless. 
The first prize stand, exhibited by Mr. W. H. Lees, 
of Trent Park, New Barnet, constituted a centre 
of attraction for exhibitors and visitors that will not 
readily be forgotten by those who had the privilege 
of seeing it. 
The Ulster Horticultural Society have deservedly 
earned the best congratulations of all interested in 
the cultivation of the queen of autumn flowers for 
the energy and enterprise they have shown in bring¬ 
ing their show to such a high standard of excellence, 
and to rank as one of the foremost in the United 
Kingdom. I have no doubt they will much regret 
that the awarding of the jubilee prizes was the cause 
of so much dissatisfaction among the competitors in 
the class referred to. I have no wish to .further 
belate this discussion, but consider your remarks in 
reference to my statements about the collarets 
demand the above explanation .—Peter Brock, The 
Gardens, Glenmor, Drogheda. 
- t --- 
THE APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL. 
(Anthonomus pomorum). 
This destructive pest is again very busy in the 
kitchen garden ; and unless prompt steps are taken 
it will play sad havoc with the young growth as well 
as the blossom buds, with the result that very little, 
if any, good fruit will be found on the trees, and the 
greatest part of the foliage will be disfigured. Of 
course, it is next to impossible to think of tackling 
large standard trees at this time of year, but where 
espaliers and medium size pyramid or bush trees 
are suffering on account of this depredator, no time 
should be lost in endeavouring to dislodge it. 
These notes would have been of more value had 
they been given a month ago ; still a great deal can 
be done even now in saving a part of the crop as 
well as lessening the attack another year. I have 
found hand picking to be the only safe and certain 
remedy; a very tedious operation some will say, but 
it is only by close attention that one can hope to 
battle successfully with this enemy. There will be 
found at times,right in the centre of the young shoot,a 
little white miniature creature that takes a keen eye 
to detect it. As a guide to where it is lurking in the 
'shoot you will see a tiny hole has been bored. It is 
also found in the curled leaves from whence it can 
easily be dislodged. 
Each individual blossom too should be carefully 
examined, as it is from early in April, or soon as the 
shoots begin to expand their first leaf that this pest 
can be found. If allowed to remain long in the 
blossom bud the mischief is soon done. It never 
expands properly and eventually has the appearance 
of being scorched, and on being opened will be found 
to contain the little white maggot. All the blossom 
buds that might have been bored into by the female 
to lay its egg drop off at a later stage. I have as yet 
only found one maggot in a single blossom, while 
occasionally I have found (what I consider the 
female) nestled in between the many blossoms of the 
flower bud. Squeezing them between the finger and 
thumb soon puts an end to them. 
Last autumn I put on grease bands to all the 
Apple trees in the garden hoping to escape this 
dreaded pest, but am sorry to record that my hopes 
have not been realized. Grease bands no doubt are 
a preventative on trees in the open, but I doubt if 
they are of much avail where iron trellising is in use, 
as in my case, where it is possible for the females 
to crawl up to the tree from the soil without making 
use of the main stem of the tree, and one cannot 
well go in for greasing these many uprights, which 
stand 6 ins. apart. If some kind of paste could be 
prepared to paint the trees all over as a preventative, 
I think we should stand a far better chance of era¬ 
dicating this the greatest pest the Apple grower has. 
What do some ot your better informed readers say 
to this.— J. Mayne, Bicton. 
-- 
THE FLOWER GARBER. 
The April of 1898 has achieved the distinction of 
being the driest that we have had for many years, 
for it brc ugft really no rain, with the exception of a 
few nice suowers on the last two or three days. May 
has been ushered in with showery weather, and this, 
combined with the rise in temperature, has been 
working wonders with the aspect of the flower gar¬ 
den during the last few days. The want of rain all 
through what we regard as one of the showery 
months of the year, has been a sad trial to shrubs 
which were shifted during the past winter, and the 
labour of watering these has been an item in the 
general bill that has had to be taken in. Even now 
the rains we have had up to date are by no means 
sufficient, and we can only hope for a continuance of 
the showery weather. The rains have come just 
right for Rhododendrons which were planted within 
the last two or three weeks, but these plants will 
need to be very closely watched if they are to do 
well. 
The Grass has been and is growiog with 
wondrous rapidity, and the mowing machines must 
be kept busily at work to keep pace with it. The 
knives of the machine should not be set down too 
low, for too close cutting is very injurious to the 
sward, and it is far wiser practice to mow twice with 
medium closeness than to cut very close once. On 
sward that is to be devoted to cricket, lawn tennis, 
and bowls the roller must also be kept regularly at 
work. With the ground soit from rain, as it is now, 
a splendid opportunity occurs for the roller to work 
effectively, and there is not that subsequent 
•‘baking’’ of the surface that arises from rolling 
after artificial waterings during hot weather. A 
sprinkling of soot, given just before a shower, is a 
capital dressing for any lawn, and advantage should 
be taken of the showery weather to give it. 
Spring Flowers. —The early Tubps have been 
having a fine time of it, and the Daffodils have also 
done well, although the dry weather was not exactly 
to their liking. The value of the Daffodils for spring 
bedding becomes more apparent each year, and such 
large trumpet varieties as Emperor. Empress, 
Maximus, and Golden Spur can scarcely be planted 
in too great quantities. Besides the filling of the 
flower beds, however, the practice of naturalising 
large numbers in the grass has much to recommend 
it; indeed, when we take into consideration the grand 
object lesson that is provided in this direction for 
the gardener who wishes to make the most of 
things at Kew and the public parks of London it is 
a wonder that the idea is not more extensively 
carried out. 
After the flowers are off the Tulips and the 
Daffodils in the beds every attention should be given 
the plants, in order that they may have the oppor¬ 
tunity of making their growth properly. 
Polyanthuses represent such a wealth of colour 
variety that it is a pity they are not used in greater 
numbers. Beds filled with a mixture of varieties 
are very showy, and last in condition for a consider¬ 
able time. The double crimson and double white 
Daisies make capital groundwork for either beds or 
borders, and when employed in conjunction with 
Wallflowers, Tulips, Narcissi, Hyacinths, and other 
spring-flowering subjects are always admired. A 
good stock of them will be found a great advantage. 
Seeds. —The present time is an important one as 
far as seed sowing goes, for there are many things 
that require to have seed sown now if the flower 
garden is to present that gay and varied appearance, 
which it should do if the gardener fully grasps his 
opportunities. A considerable proportion of seed 
sowing is done under glass in heat towards the end 
of February and the beginning of March, but these 
early plants may well be supplemented by others 
raised from seed sown in the open air. Choose a 
sunny, sheltered border not overhung by trees, and 
after carefully breaking up and levelling the soil sow 
the seed, either broadcast or in very shallow drills, 
transplanting the seedlings as soon as they are fit to 
handle. Stocks, Asters, Zinnias, &c., raised thus 
will form a capital succession to those reared under 
glass. There are many other half-hardy annuals 
that may well be sown in situ, in the mixed borders, 
and even the handsome Perilla nankinensis, and 
such Castor-oil plants as Ricinus communis, and 
R. Gibsoni, although generally regarded as very 
tender subjects will do exceedingly well if treated in 
this way. These late-sown seeds produce plants 
that are often very little behind, in point of time, 
those raised under glass. Suitable spots should be 
selected in the borders, the soil prepared, and the 
seed sown, taking care to label each plot so as to 
avoid subsequent disturbance of the soil. When the 
seedlings appear thinning out may follow,the strongest 
plants being left, and these not being subjected to 
the check of transplanting will grow with great 
rapidity, given anything like favourable weather. 
Polyanthuses should be sown on a shady border in 
light,rich soil. If a convenient situation does not offer 
itself out of doors, a bed of soil may be made up in a 
north frame and the seed sown there, the seedlings 
being subsequently transplanted to the open ground 
as they become large enough. 
Tuberous Begonias.— The second week in March 
the tubers were looked over, sorted, transferred to 
shallow boxes, covered lightly with soil, and placed 
in a gentle heat. These have now developed into 
sturdy plants which are much in want of more room. 
This should be given them at once, for if they are 
left in their present somewhat confined quarters they 
will be starved before their time comes to be con¬ 
signed to the open. A plan that we have followed 
for some years with conspicuous success is to plant 
them out in specially prepared beds. A shallow 
hotbed, about 3 ft. in height, is made up of stable 
manure, and on the top of this is placed some 10 in. 
of soil. In this, the plants are put out, allowing 
space for further growth. A spare frame with its 
attendant lights is put over the whole in such a way 
that the plants are brought up to within a few inches 
of the glass. They are closely watched for airing, 
shading, and watering, and they are regularly 
sprinkled with the syringe. During cold nights 
they are covered up warmly with mats, for seeing 
that they are so close to the glass they would be in¬ 
jured by even a slight frost if left uncovered. By this 
system sturdy short-jointed plants are obtained that 
fill the beds well from the commencement, and 
which are in flower immediately after they are 
planted out.— A. S. G. 
»l «- 
©feammu? ftmnt the llHuflii 
of Sctenr^. 
A New Fertiliser. —We have on previous occasions 
alluded to the bacteria or microbes which aid 
leguminous crops in collecting their nitrogen from 
the soil and atmosphere. Nitragin is the name 
applied to these organisms collectively. More 
recently Herr Caron has been experimenting with 
a mixture of bacterial organisms under the name of 
" alinit,'’ which he claims to be of immense value in 
the cultivation of crops in the field, but particularly 
when used on certain soils. He claims to have had 
remarkable results from his experiments, which have 
been carried on for the past four years, with laborious 
assiduity. Further experiments are still necessary 
in order to fully demonstrate the value of his 
discovery. The leading or more important organism 
is a bacillus belonging to the aerobic group known as 
the hay bacilli, and which bears a close resemblance 
to Bacillus mycoides, so abundant in most soils that 
are tilled and cropped. “ Alinit ” consists of spores 
forming a creamy-yellow powder, which has to be 
dusted thinly over the ground intended to be sown 
or planted. 
Water Voles and an Apple Tree.—At the 
meeting of the Linnean Society of London on the 
21st ult., an exhibit was made, on behalf of Lieut.- 
Col. Birch-Reynardson, of a portion of the trunk of 
an Apple tree which had been so seriously attacked 
by Water Voles (Arvicola amphibius) as to cause 
the death of the tree; and several others, it was 
stated, had been similarly injured. Such extensive 
damage from such a cause was regarded as unusual. 
