January 10, 1903. 
the gardening world. 
29 
Letters to the Editor and Questions and Answers. 
Gardeners’ Bothies. 
To the Edito>r of The Gardening World. 
I was pleased to see that the photograph of the bothy and 
article of some time ago had come under the observation of 
a t least two of our readers, who madei us aware of the fact from 
their excellent criticism of the same in the issue of last week. 
In regard to the photograph shown, I would inform them that 
it was the bothy and not the gardener’s house. I was also 
aware that the gardener’s house is attached to the bothy. How¬ 
ever, that- is trivial to our welfare. 
It is evident that the 90 per cent, is not to be digested. A 
young gardener who has been in several places and in different 
shires 'will soon acquire knowledge of the condition of bothies. 
We come in contact with so many about, the term days and pro¬ 
minent horticultural shows that we can almost invariably know 
where the bad bothy exists—that is to say, places which are 
of some importance. The average is taken where several gar¬ 
deners are kept, not where one gardener is kept, with other 
servants in co-operation in the dwelling. We are not to despise 
these places, because we can see plant life well cultivated there. 
In all probability Fifeshire may be below" the average regard¬ 
ing good bothies. What would seem good to one may be in¬ 
different to another. There, lean-to structures are 1 really de¬ 
picted to their lowest grade; the damp 4 ft. up the walls, 
situated where the sun never shines on them, and several other 
items which need no description. The head and under gar¬ 
deners are more at fault than anyone. If they ‘would inquire 
about their dwelling-house, and find its condition, they could 
give these hovels a wide berth. It is in no way compulsory 
to stop in these places ; but our friend fears that the landlords 
will have to be compelled by taw to observe they are employing 
human beings instead of cattle before the young gardeners’ 
comfort comes about. I hope no readers of this paper have 
to live in any of these dejected places. As this has been so 
well discussed in these inestimable papers (“ Dundee Weeklv 
News” and "People’s Journal”), further comment would be 
inappropriate. A. V. M. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be 
put as briefly as possible, and written on one 'side of the paper only ; 
a separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invitid to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
of their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a s'amped, addressed 
envelope is enclosed, and the return of specimens rannot.be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, "The Gardening World,” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Violets Losing their Leaves (T. M. T.). 
They seem to have been affected 1 by red spider before taken 
indoors, and, being damaged, are now showing t^e effects of if 
by dying off earlier than they should do. Some of it may be 
due to damping, but, in any case, all leaves that decay should 
be removed to prevent them contaminating others, and from 
destroying the flower-buds as they come up. You are not likely 
to be troubled with red spider for some months now, and, by 
the time that, flowering is over, you can syringe''them to keep 
down red spider, using a strong solution of soft, soap with 
a little flowers of sulphur in it. In the meantime, a little 
judicious ventilation will be useful, so that the foliage may 
get diy for a time at least, eveiy twenty-four hours, during 
the period of daylight. For the rest, keep the plants as clean 
as possible. When growing them in the open during summer, 
it would! be well to have them planted on ‘well-prepared soil, 
and a heavy watering given them occasionally in dry weather. 
Black Spots on Apples (G. R ) 
They have been attacked by a skin fungus named 
Clado'sporium dendriticum, but, in all probability, they 
contracted the disease while still upon the trees. Sup¬ 
posing there are only a few spots upon them when 
taken into the fruit-room in autumn, the spots can 
multiply, and even attack sound fruits in their neighbourhood, 
in the presence of a damp atmosphere. If you examine various 
fruits carefully, you will find some of them more or less deeply 
indented on the sides, a sure indication that they were attacked 
at an early stage of growth, and, the skin being injured, it 
could not grow with the swelling fruit; hence the unequal-sided 
condition of the fruit at the time of gathering. Spraying 
with the Bordeaux Mixture is the remedy, and, to be effectual, 
this should be commenced soon after the petals of the flowers 
fall, and repeated at intervals till the fruit is nearly full grown. 
Bulb from Borneo (M. M.). 
The specimen you sent was a corni or tuber, and certainly 
not a Lily in the widest acceptation of the term as we should 
understand it. It seems to be the conn of an Amorphophallus 
or some allied subject, such as an Arissema, and belonging to 
the same family as the Lordsi and Ladies (Arum maculatum) of 
our hedges. That is, of course, a surmise, and a more certain 
way of proving it would be to- grow and flower it. Coming 
from Borneo, it would require stove treatment. Later on, say, 
in a few months’ time, it may be pottedi up in a compost of 
good, friable loam and leaf mould, with sufficient sand to make 
the soil porous. Place the conn about an inch or slightly more 
beneath the surface, as the roots may come from the top, as is 
customary with the above-mentioned class of plants, and stand 
the pot in a stove. Do not allow the soil to get dry, but give 
very little water till in full growth, when .a liberal supply will 
be beneficial. It may not flower the first season, as that 
depend.® upon the species. Gradually withhold water as the 
foliage becomes yejfW, and keep the soil on the diry side, and 
the pot in the stove till the time arrives for repotting next year. 
Various Questions (Flos). 
The Milkworts are more often pink, rosy-red, or rosy-purple 
l ather than crimson, though white and blue shades are also 
prevalent. Balsams are of rose, purple, and red shades. The 
flowers of Calampelis, or more correctly, Eccremoearpus, are 
orange, and flower from July to September. Those of Bleeding 
Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) are rose or rosy-crimson. Flesh- 
coloured flowers occur amongst the species of Scilla, Saxifraga, 
an d Ixia, i\ Inch flower in May and Jun©; some earlier, some 
later. Vermilion may be found amongst the St. Brigid 
Anemones (A. coronaria), which flower in May or June. Ver¬ 
milion also occurs amongst the Chinese Primulas, but feiv 
"would be in flower in June. Chelone barbata is orange-red or 
orange-scarlet. Pale red colours may be found amongst the 
varieties of Iberis umbellate, one of the Candytufts. ° Some 
of the Masdevallias are red-brown, chocolate-red, or chocolate- 
brown may be found amongst Gaillardias; but they do not 
flower much till July and onwards. Turkey-red shades may 
lie found in varieties of Sparaxis, but scarcely in Heucheras 
or Lobelias. You would find Turkey-red or something closelv 
akin to it in garden varieties of ’Auriculas, especially the Alpine 
section. We .are not aware whether the Kingsmead Fields as 
such, still exist. 
Names of Plants (4 M. D ). 
1, Chlorophytum elatum variegatum; 2, Senecio Kmmpferi 
aui eo-nxaculatus , 3, Saxifraga sarmentosa; 4, Ophiopogon 
Jaburan variegatus; 5. Coronilla glauca variegata : 6, Eupa- 
torium riparium.—(A. S. W.) 1, Pinus sylvestris aurea; 2, 
Librooedrus decurrens ; 3, Picea Menziesii ;‘4, Arbutus Unedo 
5, Vaccinium corymbosum; 6, Gaultheria procumbens,— 
(A. T.) 1, Oneidium varicosum ; 2, Cypripedium leeanum ; 3, 
Oncidium tigrinum.—(W. W.) 1, Adiantum Wiliiamsii • 2,’ 
Adiantum hispidulum; 3, Asplenium obtumtum lueidum • 4 
Nepihrolepis Duffii; 5, Polypodium aureum ; 6, Asplenium 
bulbiferum fabianum.— (T. H, R.) 1, Salix allia vitellinn ; 2 
Cupreasus nutkatensis. 
