58 Ttt E GARDENING WORLD. September 22, 1900 
insect. The imago or beetle is about one-twelfth of 
an inch long, with a characteristic rostrum which is 
capable of being fitted into a groove under the 
thorax. During the early summer the imago lays 
her eggs on the roots of Cabbages, Turnips, &c., 
and the irritation induced by the larvae (which 
appear in about ten .days), results in the formation 
of a gall-like swelling about the size of a Hazel-nut.. 
Pupation takes place in the soil or in the roots, and 
the life cycle is completed in two months. Hiber¬ 
nation takes place in the gall (of which there may be 
a number on one root), and damage consists in 
decay being induced within the swelling. 
Club root proper is caused by a mjrjromycetic, or 
slime fungus — Plasmodiophora Brassicae. The 
question whether the cause of this swelling should 
be placed in the Protozoa family of the animal king¬ 
dom, or classed as a member of the vegetable king¬ 
dom is of little moment; as a slime fungus we will 
therefore consider it. Myxomycetic fungi are 
remarkable in the fact, that they do not iorm cell- 
walls, tissues, or mycelium, during their vegetative 
period, but at a certain advanced definite period of 
growth, the protoplasm breaks up into small por¬ 
tions, each surrounded by a cell wall, thus assuming 
the nature of the normal cell. These portions, or 
spores, hibernate for a definite period, and if kept 
dry will retain their vitality for years. After 
resting, the sporangia ccalesce, and the spores 
germinate by a cracking of the cell wall through 
which the cell contents are exuded. This exuded 
mass quickly becomes furnished with one cr two 
highly attenuated, vibrating cilia, by the aid of 
which they are able to creep over any moist 
surface. These masses usually combine, forming a 
homogenous mass, with an "Amoeba” power of 
movement, and termed a plasmodium, which is 
enclosed within a dense layer of hyaline, and this in 
turn by a thin coating of mucilage. This plasmodium 
coming in contact with the root of a Cabbage is 
quickly absorbed—probably minus its covering of 
mucilage—forming the swelling by occupying the 
whole interior of the cells, or some times in stringy 
masses crossing the cell contents, but in either form 
causing distension (rarely rupture) of the cell wall 
from :o to ioo times its normal size. The fungus 
speedily reproduces itself, until not a root fibril 
remains free from this distension. The swelling thus 
caused is usually oblong, spindle-shaped, or fusiform, 
with a flowing outline, hence it is easily distinguished 
form the galls formed by Ceuthorrhynchus 
sulcicollis, the Gall-beetle, which usually have an 
abrupt termination. Club-root attacks all the 
Brassica tribe and is known under the names of 
" Finger and Toe,” "Anbury,” and on the Continent 
as " Hernia.” The approved means of prevention 
are the collecting and burning of all diseased roots, 
the application of gas lime dressings to the soil ; to 
manure with coporlite or steamed bones, and abstain 
from manures containing sulphur and chlorine. Crop 
the diseased plot with plants belonging to a different 
genus, and be sure to extirpate all Cruciferous 
weeds, such as Charlock, " Shepherd’s Purse,” &c , 
as their presence will spread the disease. The eradica¬ 
tion of such weeds is the chief preventive and 
remedial measure against the Gall beetle. Against 
this insect attack a good preventive method is that 
of dipping the roots of the plants, when transplanting, 
in a mixture of soot, lime and soil, or when pricking- 
out seedlings, pinching off the top root will result in 
the production of more fibrous roots, hence there is 
less fleshy root for the depredations of the grub.— 
D. McGregor. 
In your number for September ist I notice that Mr. 
W. Waite, Southfields, is troubled with his Cauli¬ 
flowers clubbing. This trouble is pretty much alike 
to “finger and toe” among Turnips. I, myself, 
have been very troubled with all the Cabbage tribe 
going the same way. However, a year or two ago, 
I gave the ground a good dressing with quick lime, 
as far as I can remember about one bushel to about 
9 to 12 sq. yds., and I am happy to say that clubbiDg 
is almost nil now. I spread it on the surface of the 
ground and raked it lightly in when cropping. Your 
correspondent might try a heavier dressing which 
at least, will not do any harm. A little nitrate of 
soda gives them a start, and is also beneficial.— 
William Johnston, The Elms, Arbroath, September 5th, 
1900. 
Paraphrasing Kipling, orchardists should spray, 
spray, spray. 
THE BEGONIA DEBATE. 
It is unfortunate Mr. Dick cannot fall into my 
suggestion of sending a plant of Begonia Gloire de 
Lorraine for your opinion, Mr. Editor, though it is, 
as he says, a long distance to send a package by rail. 
I never once doubted the capabilities of your corres¬ 
pondent’s friend in growing good specimens from the 
leaf; what I was anxious to learn was, which made 
the finest and best flowered plant, the leaf or short 
cutting, so that I could by another season increase 
our stock from the former method if it proved the 
best specimen. Now Mr. Dick has given us details 
as to its successful propagation in that way. I 
should much like to see the Edinburgh show, ,but 
am afraid it is a trifle too far for me to go, this year 
at any rate. If all goes on as now with our batch of 
this plant, I hope to send you a photograph, if not 
the actual plant, when at its best from cuttings, put 
in early in March, and which are at present standing 
in a cold frame, but shall soon be taken where a little 
heat can be given to them.— J. Mayne, Bicton. 
In reply to Mr. W. Dick’s note which refers to 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, as shown at the Edin¬ 
burgh show a year ago, I can fully corroborate his 
remarks regarding their superior merit. I have been 
deeply interested in the correspondence which has 
lately appeared in The Gardening World upon 
this subject. For myself I must say that while I 
believe the leaf cuttings furnish more elegant plants 
when the latter are matured, it is at the same time 
easier to strike from stem cuttings. At the Ryecroft 
Nursery here we have a splendid collection propa¬ 
gated from both leaves and stems, and which came 
from the leaf, and which from the stem it would 
baffle an expert to tell — W. Logan. 
NOTES ON RECENT FLOWER SHOWS. 
The floral exhibitions of the past summer have 
revealed to us many curious customs in their 
management that are apt to drop out of our mind so 
soon as the exhibitions are over; so a few notes at 
the present time may keep them in the remembrance 
of schedule framers for the coming summer. 
It is a common practice to allocate space to each 
exhibitor for a collection of vegetables, or a collec¬ 
tion of fruit for competition ; but not for a collec¬ 
tion of plants for competition. Seeing that plants 
are grown to please the eye, and the great desire of 
the competitor is to present them to the eyes of the 
judges in the most pleasing way ; the competitor is 
yet in many cases prevented from jdoing this, by the 
staging committee, who arrange them in their 
allotted space, and thereby make themselves part 
competitors in the different groups. 
Where esthetics is the criterion, as in the case of 
plants, the competitor should be allowed to present 
them to the eyes of the judges himself; and where 
utility is the main criterion as in the case of fruits 
and vegetables, it is not nearly so important that the 
competitors should stage them. Yet few staging 
committees would interfere in the arrangement of a 
collection of fruit, or think of putting a Carrot or 
Potato in a collection of vegetables, out of the posi¬ 
tions they were laid in by the competitor. Every 
competitor should be allowed to make the most of 
his exhibit (of whatever kind) in the space allotted 
to him. 
The anomalies of judging are s>ometimes amusing. 
Although a schedule may state “ potfuls of plants ” 
where more than one plant is allowed in a pot, such 
as Eucharis, Liliums, Pancratiums, &c., if these 
potfuls occur in a group where only one plant is 
wanted in a pot, the judges consider them one plant 
and do not disqualify. How this s.hould be allowed 
is a mystery. 
Another curious thing came under my notice. In 
collections of salads I noticed Mint, Thyme, 
Tropaeolum flowers, Tropaeolum seeds, Tomatos, 
Seakale, &c. Mint makes a goo d sauce, but is it 
used as a salad ? Tropaeolum seeds I have eaten as a 
boy, as a salad, but they are difficult to eat. The 
flowers may be easier, but I never t tied them. As 
for Thyme being used as a salad, a Birch besom 
would just be about as tempting to < sat! 
This leads to the question, “What can be included 
in a collection of salads ? " 
Judging for all the rules that have been formula¬ 
ted is done in the same way by n inety-nine out of 
every 100 judges as it was done hit}" years ago, i.e., 
according to their own taste. Son te think this way 
as good as any other way—that a new standard of 
excellence is set up by every new set of judges, and 
the shows are prevented from dropping down to a 
monotonous sameness, and prevents the same 
competitors from carrying away the prizes every 
year. This may be, but is it leading along the paths 
of horticultural progress ? Surely not. 
Another feature of the shows this summer was the 
increased quantity of floral designs exhibited. The 
delineation of the objects copied was very neat, and 
the blending of the colours showed good taste. As 
works of art they are very interesting, and to the 
man from the street they are the grandest thing in 
the show. To the true horticulturist they are not 
so fascinating. His aim is to assist Nature to 
develop forms and colours for herself, forms more 
perfect, and colours more exquisite than anyone can 
ever hope to equal; not to speak of the life with 
which they are endowed.— W. K. 
-- 
AN IRISH GARDEN AND ITS 
SURROUNDINGS. 
Glenholme is a charming spot near Dungannon in 
Ireland, with a nice old-fashioned garden and stream, 
and an adjoining wood, the curiously mixed flora of 
which is highly interesting to the lover of our native 
wild flowers. Why a limestone-loving plant and one 
that is decidedly partial to the open, should be 
found cooped up in an Ash and Larch plantation on 
loamy soil is hard to conceive, but such we here 
found to be the case with the somewhat rare and 
locally distributed Orchis pyramidalis. Certainly it 
occurred in the more open portions of the woodland 
where the bright, ruddy pyramidal-shaped flower 
spikes rose far above the surrounding grass and con¬ 
verted the otherwise somewhat gloomy scene into a 
thing of beauty and life. 
The curious and equally interesting orchidaceous 
plant Listera ovata, or the Tway-blade, occurred 
plentifully in the same wood, indeed, in the rich, 
dampish ground by the streamside, it attained to 
stately proportions and hung its long spikes of 
greenish-yellow, man-shaped flowers in graceful 
profusion. 
A steep bank by the streamside was carpeted a 
delightfully refreshing green by the fronds of that 
by no means common member of the Fern family — 
Polystichum aculeatum, or the Shield Fern. Where 
the stream widened out into a fair-sized pond of 
water the aquatic vegetation was interesting and 
abundant, though it could hardly be said that any 
of the plants were rarities. In this wood I detected 
the first appearance of the Larch disease, or 
“ canker,” many of the forest trees being affected 
with this scourge of our Larch plantations, and 
which has so spread of late years throughout 
England and Scotland as to be little short of a 
national calamity. A few years ago the disease was 
unknown in Ireland, particularly in connection with 
such trees as were growing on peat bog, but to-day, 
alas, whole plantations of Larch have been, and are 
being removed, so virulent has the attack appeared. 
Certainly on reclaimed peat bog the disease does not 
occur to such an extent as on other classes of 
soils. 
The garden at Glenholme contains a collection of 
principally old-fashioned flowers, the value of which 
is again being recognised with the decline of the 
formal bedding-out system. Some unusually fine 
specimens of the Gean or wild Cherry skirt the 
kitchen garden, these whether in flower or fruit being 
the admiration of every beholder, while the varie¬ 
gated form of Lawson’s Cypress wears here a 
healthier and happier appearance than I have known 
to be the case elsewhere. 
The giant Arbor-Vitae likewise thrives amazingly, 
and Retinospora plumosa aurea puts on a tint of 
gold that one only finds in the most favoured 
situations and where the soil is peculiarly suitable 
for the perfect development of this gem amongst 
Conifers. Daffodils are largely cultivated, princi¬ 
pally planted out amongst the grass, and the margins 
of the path leading from the main road to the house 
are a conspicuous feature of the grounds during the 
early spring months, the wealth of golden flowers 
being at that time surprisingly grand. The Mock 
Orange (Philadelphus), the Syringa, Berberis 
Darwinii, the variegated Honeysuckle, Euonymus 
and various roots all seem to revel in the good soil 
and humid atmosphere of this part of the British 
Isles, while the pretty but hard to cultivate Tropae- 
