Ap.il  26,  1000. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
The  Sleep  of  Plants. — The  “Bleep”  of  plants  is  by  no  means 
analogous  even  to  that  of  animals.  It  is  a  popular  name  given  to 
the  phenomena  of  sensitiveness  to  light,  humidity  and  heat.  When 
leaves  go  to  sleep,  they  reduce  sail  to  meet  conditions,  they  expose  as 
little  as  possible  of  their  surface  to  radiation.  With  flowers  sleep 
or  closing  usually  has  reference  to  pollen  protection. 
M'arclssus  Sir  Watkln. — Seldom  have  the  flowers  of  this  splendid 
variety  been  better  than  this  year.  We  have  a  considerable  number 
planted  in  various  positions,  and,  without  an  exception,  the  bulbs  have 
produced  flowers  large  in  size,  of  fine  substance,  and  wonderfully  rich 
in  colour.  It  cannot  be  regarded  other  than  as  one  of  the  most  valuable 
Narcissus  in  cultivation.  It  differs  from  some  others  of  the  incom- 
parabilis  section  in  the  boldly  striking  manner  in  which  the  flowers  look 
up  at  one  from  above  the  broad  green  leafage.  Like  the  majority  of 
Narcissus  it  is  simply  invaluable  for  cutting,  especially  if  the  blooms  are 
taken  before  expansion,  and  this  means  they  will  last  for  a  very 
considerable  period  if  fresh  water  is  provided  daily. — F.  R. 
Xettuce  Stanstead  Park. — For  winter  or  rather  spring  supplies 
this  is  a  good  variety,  and  one  better  adapted  for  autumn  than 
summer  sowing.  This  was  pointed  out  to  me  recently  by  a  neighbour¬ 
ing  gardener,  and  while  in  his  case  the  varieties  had  been  sown  and 
planted  last  autumn,  only  this  one  remains,  the  others — Bath  Cos  and 
lloor  Park— succumbing  almost  to  a  plant  to  the  wintry  weather 
experienced.  These  results  are  somewhat  at  varia.  ce  with  my  own 
experience,  Bath  Cos  and  Hardy  Hammersmith  coming  out  of  their 
trials  better  than  could  have  been  expected.  Hicks’  Hardy  White, 
usually  a  reliable  variety,  did  not  do  so  well,  thus  showing  that  the 
results  obtained  in  one  season  are  not  always  guaranteed  for  the  next, 
and  proving,  too,  the  mistake  of  depending  entirely  on  one  variety. — S. 
Violet  nxarle  Xoulse. — Having  heard  of  the  success  of  Mr.  F, 
Stubbs,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Hudson,  Bache  Hall,  Chester,  with  Marie 
Louise  Violets,  I  took  the  opportunity  of  paying  a  visit  to  this 
establishment  in  the  early  days  of  April.  Although  this  is  the  fi.st 
attempt  that  has  heen  made  with  Violets  here,  the  success  attained  has 
been  all  that  could  be  desired.  In  six  ordinary  frames,  each  conta  ining 
about  two  dozen  clumps,  there  has  been  continuous  cutting  since  the 
end  of  September,  with  the  exception  of  about  a  fortnight’s  seveie 
weather  in  January.  The  clumps,  I  learned,  were  planted  early  in 
September  in  ordinary  compost,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  little 
weak  liquid  manure  applied  in  March,  they  have  not  had  anything 
^‘strengthening”  since  they  were  put  out.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  I 
quite  expected  to  see  small  flowers  with  short  stalks,  but  instead  the 
blooms  were  large,  well  developed,  and  with  stalks  averaging  quite 
6  inches  in  length.  The  value  of  these  deliciously  scented  flowers 
daring  the  winter  months  must  be  inestimable,  and  the  culture 
appears  to  be  so  simple  that  no  well-equipped  garden  need  be  without 
them.  — George  Paxton. 
Prunus  Savldlana. — This  is  a  very  pretty  early  flowering 
species  from  China,  and  a  near  ally  of  the  common  Almond,  though 
differing  somewhat  in  the  size  and  colour  of  its  flowers.  It  forms  a 
small  tree  about  20  feet  high,  of  a  rather  slender,  upright  habit,  and 
very  quickly  makes  a  handsome  specimen  if  planted  in  good  soil. 
Although  not  largely  grown  in  this  country,  it  is  rapidly  coming  into 
favour  on  the  continent,  from  its  freedom  of  growth,  earline-s,  and 
hardiness.  While  the  opened  flowers  are  injured  by  hard  frosts,  the 
buds  do  not  suffer  if  not  too  advanced,  as  this  year  has  abundantly 
shown,  the  time  of  flowering  being  usually  the  last  two  weeks  of 
February  ;  but  this  year  it  has  been  quite  a  fortnight  later,  and  the 
buds  were  not  injured  in  the  least  by  the  previous  severe  weather.  It 
can  be  obtained  in  two  colours — white  and  deep  pink — under  the  names 
of  var.  alba  and  var.  rubra,  either  of  which  is  highly  ornamental.  If  a 
few  plants  of  each  are  placed  together  in  a  position  facing  south  with 
a  baC/kgronnd  of  evergreens,  a  splendid  effect  can  be  obtained  at 
very  little  cost,  and  with  little  trouble  in  keeping  right  afterwards. 
The  flowers  are  somewhat  smaller  in  size  than  those  of  the  Almond, 
but  are  produced  quite  as  freely.  It  can  be  easily  propagated  by 
budding  or  grafting  on  the  common  Almond. — C. 
Rapid  Veg-etatlon. — Never  probably  has  the  leafing  and  blossom¬ 
ing  of  trees  been  more  rapid  than  during  the  past  ten  days.  Fruit 
trees  have  become  wreathed  with  blossom  by  the  magic  of  sunshine, 
after  the  prolonged  dull  weather  and  cold  winds.  In  the  suburbs  of 
London  many  trees  have  changed  from  the  swelling  of  buds  on  Bank 
Holiday  into  full  leaf  now.  Some  Horse  Chestnuts  made  growths  over 
6  inches  long  in  as  many  days. 
Colour  of  Daffodils. — Where  marked  differences  were  noted  in 
the  colour  of  Daffodils  analyses  were  made  of  the  different  soils  in 
which  they  grew.  It  was  found  that  the  intensity  of  the  colour 
increased  with  the  percentage  of  organic  matter,  phosphoric  acid,  lime 
and  peroxide  of  iron.  It  was  not,  however,  determined,  says  an 
American  contemporary,  whether  all  the  increase  of  colour  was  due  to 
the  presence  of  large  amounts  ot  these  compounds  or  only  a  part  of 
them. 
Planting-  Osiers. — Though  in  many  parts  of  the  country  Osiers 
are  planted  principally  in  November,  the  cuttings  or  slips  from  which 
they  are  propagated  also  admit,  says  the  “  Farmers’  Gazette,”  of  being 
put  in  during  the  current  month.  The  positions  best  adapted  for  Osier 
beds  are  low  lying  lands  situated  by  the  sides  of  rivers  or  running  waters, 
and  if  these  lands  are  subject  to  being  occasionally  submerged  by  an 
overflow  of  a  stream,  or  to  be  otherwise  irrigated,  so  much  the  better. 
In  preparation  for  the  reception  of  the  cuttings  the  land  should  be 
deeply  trenched,  and  divided  into  beds  8  or  10  feet  wide ;  between 
these  beds  there  ought  to  be  shallow  open  drains.  The  cuttings  for 
planting  should  be  from  12  to  18  inches  in  length,  and  taken  from 
branches  of  two  or  three  years’  growth.  These  should  be  planted  in 
lines  2  feet  apart,  and  covered  with  5  or  6  inches  of  earth. 
At  the  newer  Market. — The  flower  market  at  Covent  Garden 
and  the  shops  in  the  central  avenue,  better  known  as  “  the  grand  row,” 
were  exceptionally  busy  from  an  early  hour  on  Monday  morning 
arranging  and  despatching  enormous  quantities  of  red  and  white  Roses 
for  display  in  connection  with  the  celebration  of  St.  George’s  Day. 
Large  as  was  the  supply  the  demand  was  even  greater,  English  grown 
red  Roses  fetching  wholesale  from  4s.  to  6s.  per  dozen  blooms,  while 
white  Roses  realised  2s.  6d.  and  upwards  per  dozen.  In  view  of  the 
national  character  of  the  celebration  many  of  the  leading  merchants 
were  selling  no  flowers  which  they  cannot  guarantee  to  have  been  grown 
in  England — of  course  under  glass — but  in  addition  to  this  very  large 
quantities  have  been  received  in  the  market  from  France,  the  Channel 
and  the  Scilly  Islands,  and  the  price  of  these  flowers  ranged  from 
Is.  6d.  to  3s.  per  dozen.  Numbers  of  ladies  visited  the  flower  market 
at  a  very  early  hour  to  make  their  own  purchases,  and  the  streets 
around  Covent  Garden  were  enlivened  by  parties  carrying  enormous 
bouquets  of  choice  red  and  white  blooms.  Quantities  of  artificial 
Roses  are  also  being  hawked  about  the  streets,  and  command  a  ready 
sale,  the  imitation  being  excellent. — (“  Westminster  Gazette.”) 
Cape  Fruit  aud  Hailstones. — A  resident  in  the  Colony  has 
sent  us  a  copy  of  the  “  Cape  Argus”  of  March  8th,  from  which  the 
following  extract  is  taken  : — “  It  is  greatly  to  be  feared  ?hat  the  fruit 
export  trade  will  come  far  short  of  expectations  this  season.  This  is 
unfortunate,  for  the  exportation  of  Apples  was  beginning  to  assume 
fair  proportions,  and  so  many  young  orchards  are  coming  into  bearing 
that  a  steady  annual  increase  of  our  output  was  confidently  anticipated. 
The  reason  why  so  few  Apples  are  likely  to  be  exported  this  season  is 
chiefly  on  account  of  severe  hailstorms  occurring  just  after  the  fruit 
had  set.  In  some  instances  the  trees  were  actually  killed  by  the  hail, 
while  in  most  cases  they  were  seriously  damaged  and  the  bulk  of  the 
fruit  knocked  off.  Orchardists  have,  perhaps,  more  to  contend  against 
than  the  followers  of  any  other  rural  industry.  The  insect  and  fungoid 
pests  that  attack  their  trees  and  fruit  are  legion,  while  their  crops  are, 
to  a  large  extent,  dependent  on  the  weather.  Even  where  provision 
has  been  made  for  irrigation,  and  a  large  number  of  orchardists  do  this, 
a  single  hailstorm  may  wreck  the  prospects  of  a  whole  season,  besides 
injuring  the  trees  to  such  an  extent  that  it  may  take  them  two  years  to 
recover.  Against  a  visitation  of  this  kind  no  precautions  can  be  taken, 
but  the  careful  ft  uit  grower  is  now  able  to  deal  thoroughly  with  most 
orchard  pests.  Times  may  come  in  future  when  orchardists  will  suffer 
seveielyon  account  of  unfavourable  weather,  but  none  of  our  industries 
established  in  connection  with  the  land  have  brighter  prospects  than 
Apple  growing.  There  is  an  unlimited  market  in  England  for  all  the 
Apples  we  can  produce,  and  an  Apple  orchard  in  full  bearing  is  a  most 
prolific  and  profitable  property  to  possess.” 
