August 12, 1899. 
791 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
enough, but, of course, it’s like playing a game with 
the elements. A few cold showers, or hailstorms 
after planting time, would be a serious check to 
them, and the first frost nips them off. However, 
so long as one can get a three or four monlbs' dis¬ 
play from such choice stock it is worth the trying for, 
at least in public parks. 
Fuchsias. —These are va’uable plants for beds, 
either as loose bush plants, given width of space, or 
as standards, wall plants, or in the dwarf varieties 
like Meteor, which one can use for edging beds with. 
To produce standards let them run up a bit before 
the lower branches are removed. If these were 
taken off as they grew, the central stem would be 
but half its proper strength. Bush plants, for 
which the variety Scarcity—a paradoxical name— 
is most commonly used, should have their side and 
lateral shoots stopped at about r ft. out. This 
strengthens the stems, and causes each bud to break 
into flower. The variety Riccartonii is invaluable 
as a lawn subject, and in the West of Scotland even 
hedges are formed by its use. To see such fine 
samples in the open air rather lessens one’s regard 
for those growing indoors. 
Dahlias. —Any amount of these are now in full 
blocm. A thinning of the too luxuriant growths will 
aid the beauty and power of those yet to flower. 
Aphides are troublesome, and ought by all means to 
be kept under. The tying-in or, at least, of loosely 
supporting the lateral shoots must no longer be left 
undone. A string slung around the plants from one 
tide only is equal to all needs in good weather, but 
at the first storm we generally find the plants go flat 
over, breaking, as rule, all the upper parts of their 
stems. To obviate this it is possible to place a stake 
upon both sides, or three s'akes to very large plants, 
and string around the cords at different heights. 
Weeds should never be allowed to seed; and to keep 
the hoe going over the land surface is a very 
beneficial operation. Remove a’l fading flowers 
either from Dahlias or any other of the larger 
flowered plants. To give manurial waterings to the 
plants at this time will strengthen them to bear a 
more lengthened strain. 
Pansies. —Pansies and, Violas are included in our 
mental list of the sweet little ground-carpeting 
plants. The care with them is to keep them from 
becoming too straggling. There is a troublesome 
disease abroad among them, too, which carries off 
many nice plants. A preventative measure is to 
give over watering them during the sunny hours of 
the day At such a time the water around and 
among their close stems and foliage and the strong 
sun-heat striking down seems to stew them quite as 
effectively as though they were in hot water. 
Pinks. —These will soon be passing out of flower, 
but in the meantime, to prolong what they have, 
pluck off the dying ones. To cause them to form 
busby plants pinch out the points of the shoots. Do 
not longer delay the taking of cuttings or '* pips.” 
These are, as often as not, placed into the ground in 
bunches and left there to root and grow and form 
lines or beds, But some find this altogether a 
failure with them. It is safest, after all, to prick 
them closely into light sandy beds in a shady 
position. After they are rooted plant them into 
nursery beds, and, later on, into their flowering 
quarters. Carnations, if carefully managed, may 
also be struck as cuttings. If possible adopt some 
means of shading the Carnation flowers. 
Primulas and Polyanthuses —Every day look 
over these for the seed pods. The best of them 
were selected and marked some time ago, and now 
we must save the ripeniDg seeds. See that slugs do 
no harm to the young seedlings recently planted in 
nursery rows. About the marking of specially good 
plants, this will also apply to Begonias and other 
such things of a perennial character planted out 
yearly. 
Miscellaneous Work at this time will be that 
of taking and raising evergreen shrub cuttiDgs. 
Under this we include all Coniferae—cone-bearers— 
Hollies, Yews, Cryptomerias, Boxes, and such-like. 
Hedges must also be trimmed. Square walls for 
Yew, and sloping sides in the Quick or Thorn hedges 
and Privets seem to me the best mode of training. 
Nothing looks warmer or more furnished-like and 
cosy than a garden with nice level-topped Yew hedges. 
Lawns should receive attention from the sweeper, 
the roller and the hose. Do not mow the lawns up 
till the last moment. Let them have the advantage 
of a good coating before the winter comes.— D. 
(©leanings ftgmt ffje IPmffb 
of Srienc^. 
1 * 
The under-mentioned subjects were discussed at the 
Scientific Committee Meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society on the 25th ult. 
Begonia, monstrous.—Mrs. G. Soames, of 
Welton House, Daventry, sent a peculiar blossom, 
with white petals and a large tuft of stigmas, 
apparently a male flower, with the stamens stigmati- 
ferous. Dr. Masters undertook to examine it further, 
and report upon it. 
Helenium, autumnale proliferous. — Mr. 
Veitch sent specimens of this peculiarity, in which 
the heads had given rise to pedicillate smaller ones, 
the corollas being more or less virescent as well. It 
is remarkable that this species is peculiarly liable to 
this malformation. 
Grapes with Mildew.— Cypripediums and 
Apples trees diseased.— The three following 
communications were received from Dr.W. G. Smith 
of the Yorkshire College, Leeds, on specimens sent 
to a previous meeting. A special and unanimous 
vote of thanks was accorded to him for his valuable 
reports. Grapes with Mildew.—“The mildew is 
undoubtedly caused by the fungus Oidium Tuckeri, 
so well known in this country as the common Grape 
mildew. On treating the Grapes and leaves sent in 
various ways the mildew continued to spread on the 
fruits, but never appeared on the leaves, which on 
receipt were very healthy. This supports Mr. 
Wright’s opinion. Most of the authorities state 
that a dry heat is the chief predisposing cause. In 
the present case the sender believes that the out¬ 
break is in seme way related to the raffia fibre used 
in tying up. A sample sent had a white scurf here 
and there, but, under favourable conditions, this did 
not produce any fungoid growth. On examination 
with the microscope it consisted of fragments of 
plant tissues agreeing with the tissues of the fibre 
itself, and no doubt dried remains of parts of the 
plant partially destroyed in the maceration and dry¬ 
ing processes by which the raffia is prepared for 
market. The dry fibre is an unlikely source of 
infection, but, if any doubt existed, it could easily be 
sterilised by boiling, or by steeping for a time in a 
2 per cent, solution of corrosive sublimate or other¬ 
wise. The universal remedy for mildews of the 
Oidium kind is sulphur. A discussion on a hot- 
water method of treatment of the Vine mildew has 
been going on in the most recent numbers of the 
Gardeners' Chronicle. 
Diseased Cypripediums.—“Some flowers were 
recently sent which were checked in opening, 
apparently due to a collapse of the lower part of the 
flower stalk. There were distinct signs of the 
presence of fungi, but it was not easy to say whether 
a mycelium was present cr not. A request was 
made to the sender for portions of affected plants. 
These arrived in excsllent condition, and at first 
sight looked as hardy as one might wish. The 
older leaves were very fine, and showed no weak 
points. The older roots looked rather more dried up 
than one might wish, but new roots in various 
stages were coming on, and quite healthy. The 
younger leaves, however, seemed weak, with a 
tendency to become discoloured. Acting on previous 
experience, these were allowed to dry up, and, as on 
some other occasions, they produced groups of tiny 
points—the pycnidia of a fungus. It is from the 
rosettes of young leaves that the flowers arise, so 
that there may be a connection. On one of the 
specimens sent the flower stalk did not collapse, and 
the weakly younger leaves were absent from the 
shoot bearing this flower, though present elsewhere 
on the same plant. The fungus requires further 
investigation, but spores obtained were of the 
Glaeosporium or Colletotrichum type. Glaeos- 
porium cinctum was described by Berkeley and 
Curtis from Orchid material. The same species was 
recently worked through by Miss Stoneman, and 
placed amongst the Ascomycetes ( Botanical Gazette, 
August, 1898.) Mr. Massee described another 
Orchid fungus on the Vanilla (Kew Bulletin, 139, 
1892.) I have received various cases from the 
Gardeners' Chronicle of diseased Orchids, all indica¬ 
ting the presence of some form of fungus nearly 
related to Glaeosporium. The disease is^ known as 
■ Anthracnose,' and seems common enough, but we 
still lack reliable methods of prevention.” 
Diseased Apple Trees.—" Twigs of Apple with 
leaves and flowers were received in June After 
twenty-four hours in a moist chamber abundant 
conidia of the fungus MoDilia (Oidium) fructigena 
were produced. This fungus is well known, and at 
present the subject of much investigation, since it 
causes a wide-spread disease of the fruit (dso to a 
less extent on the leaves and twigs) of Cherry, Plum, 
and Peach, less commonly of Apple and Pear. All 
the parts sent were affected. The flowers were 
checked and withered ; the leaves reddish-brown, 
abnormally hairy, and somewhat crumpled. The 
young twigs were dry and brittle, with occasional 
patches of brown bark marked with darker bands 
running round the twig. Internal examination 
showed the mycelium in all parts. In the twigs, the 
region just under the bark was killed and full of 
mycelium, which could be traced from old to young 
shoots, and into flower stalks and leaves. In the 
absence of information we cannot suggest how the 
fungus gained access to the Apple trees. The 
fungus is generally regarded as the same form so 
common on Cherry and Plum, causing the fruits to 
shrivel up and remain hanging to the tree in a 
mummified condition. Keeping this in view it 
would be well to pay attention to the trees already 
mentioned, to gather any dried up fruits, and to burn 
them. Careful pruning and destruction of diseased 
twigs is also an excellent check. SprayiDg with 
Bordeaux mixture seems a likely mode of treitcr.ent, 
but the results as yet are not conclusive A mono¬ 
graph on the fungus and disease is prom'sed by 
Woronin in a recent note.”—" Botan. Centralblatt,” 
lxxvi., p. 145.) 
Stratiotes aloides.—A large specimen of this 
rare plant was sent by Mr. J. G. Rudd, of Copgrove 
Grange, with the following observation:—"This 
plant grows in a pond on my farm, and is smother¬ 
ing the Water Liiies. One of my horses has eaten 
freely of it, and died from its effects, so I shall be 
glad to know if it is poisonous.” It is not known to 
be at all poisonous, as it is a very rare British plant, 
but it is possible that the sharp pointed projections 
down the edges of the leaf, as occurs on Aloes, &c., 
may have had a mechanically deleterious effect on 
the intestine. 
Campanula, Speclea and Hybrids.—Rev. C. 
Wolley-Dod sent specimens of the flowers of C. 
rotundifolia, C. rhomboidalis and their hybrid pro¬ 
geny ; as well as of C. lactiflora, both tbe typical flowers 
and with an abnormal sub-polypetalous form. The 
following communication was also received from 
him :—“ The form of corolla, with narrow separated 
lobes, described and illustrated by De Candolle, 
monograph of Campanula, pp. rr, 12, &c., and 
figured plate ii. a., and also described by the late 
Professor J. S. Henslow (see D. C. monograph, p 
12) is commonest in C. lactiflora (M. Bieb), in which 
it is always accompanied by narrow Jeaves. In C. 
rotundifolia it is commonest in broad-leaved forms, 
which I take to be hybrid, or are at least intermediate 
between C. rotundifolia and C. rhomboidalis. These 
abnormal forms of C. rotundifolia are fertile, and 
the seedlings come in part true, but always include 
many of the soldanelloid form— i e , with a duplex 
corolla, which are also fertile. A study of C. ro'.un- 
difolia and C. rhomboidalis (apparently quite dis¬ 
tinct and good species) and the variously named in¬ 
termediate forms which Godron in ' Flore de France ' 
calls‘a little chaos of species,’ leads me to think 
that C. rotundifolia may be a species gradually 
crawling into new species which are not yet suffT 
ciently defined. In my garden the two species are 
united by imperceptible gradations, all of which are 
fertile. Forms having the characters of all the so- 
called species intermediate between these two may 
be picked out of them,’’ 
Sweet Peas, Malformed. — A curiously flowered 
spray of Sweet Pea was sent by Mr. Pratt, Lion 
Gate, Richmond, every flower on the plant being 
similarly affected. An examination showed that the 
petals had remained crumpled up without having 
attained the usual subsequent expansion on blossom¬ 
ing. The stamens were twisted, but the anthers 
polleniferous, so that the stigmas were pollinated by 
“ self-fertilisatioD,’’ the flowers being, in fact, cleisto- 
gamous. The flowers were arrested in growth ; but 
it was impossible to assign a cause for their abnormal 
condition. 
Geranium foliaceous —A specimen of (appar¬ 
ently) G. sanguineum was received from Mr. Bun- 
yard, in which the petals of the flowers were 
replaced by green leaves, the segments of which had 
remained conduplicate. 
