May  17,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
415 
Recent  IVeather  In  Xiondon. — The  weather  in  London  has,  of 
late,  been  most  unpleasant.  There  has  not  been  any  appreciable 
amount  of  rain  since  last  Saturday,  but  high  north-easterly  winds 
have  prevailed  with  very  low  night  temperatures.  These  cannot  be 
other  than  prejudicial  to  the  present  wealth  of  blossom,  and  everyone 
is  looking  forward  to  a  return  of  more  genial  conditions.  The  sun  has 
shone  brightly  on  each  day.  Wednesday  opened  clear  and  cold. 
Xarge  Seakale. — I  have  forwarded  to  you  examples  of  remarkably 
fine  Seakale,  kindly  sent  by  Mr.  H.  T.  Martin,  gardener  to  Lord  Leigh, 
Stoneleigh  Abbey,  Kenilworth,  to  the  recently  held  fortnightly  meeting 
of  the  Birmingham  Gardeuers’  Association.  They  form  a  portion  of  tho 
thirteen  heads  weighing  collectively  11  lbs.  In  his  note  Mr.  Martin 
stated  that  it  is  the  produce  from  one  year  old  sets,  and  out  from  the 
open  ground,  unforced.  [The  produce  was  admirable  in  all  respects, 
and  worthy  of  the  reputation  Mr.  Martin  has  already  made  for  himself 
as  a  vegetable  grower.] 
Royal  Horticultural  Society.  —  The  thirteenth  great  flower 
show  of  this  society,  held  annually  in  the  Inner  Temple  Gardens 
(Thames  Embankment),  will  open  on  Wednesday  next  at  12.30. 
Judging  from  the  large  number  of  entries  received,  the  show  promises 
to  be  q^uite  up  to  its  usual  standard  of  excellence.  The  following  well- 
known  amateurs  are  among  the  names  of  intending  exhibitors  : — Duke 
of  Northumberland,  Nepenthes ;  Lord  Gerrard,  Carnations ;  Lord 
Wantage,  K.C.B.,  fruit  and  vegetables ;  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart., 
Orchids ;  Sir  J.  Pigott,  Bart.,  Crotons  and  Palms  ;  Sir  J.  Pease,  Bart., 
fruit  and  vegetables ;  Sir  P.  Wigan,  Bart.,  Orchids  ;  Alex.  Henderson, 
Esq.,  M.P.,  fruit  and  vegetables ;  Henry  Little,  Esq.,  Orchids ;  K.  I. 
Measures,  Esq.,  insectivorous  plants ;  Ludwig  Mond,  Esq.,  Orchids  ; 
Leopold  de  Rothschild,  Esq.,  Water  Lilies  in  tubs  and  fruit  trees  in 
pots. 
The  I.lncolnshlre  Saffodll  Crop.— It  is  said  that  Daffodil 
growers  in  Lincolnshire  have  had  a  disappointing  harvest  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  the  low  prices  obtained  for  their  flowers.  This  has  been 
in  a  large  measure  due  to  the  early  varieties  being  somewhat  later 
in  flowering  than  usual,  owing  to  the  cold  weather  experienced  early 
in  the  spring,  and  the  consequent  flowering  of  both  early  and  late 
varieties  within  a  brief  period.  The  prices  obtained  for  a  portion  of 
the  Lincolnshire  flowers  were,  it  is  stated,  not  more  than  sufficient  to 
pay  the  cost  of  gathering  and  conveyance  to  market. 
Richmond’s  Hew  Xahoratory. — Some  details  are  now  forth¬ 
coming  with  reference  to  the  new  physical  laboratory  to  be  erected, 
under  Government  control,  in  the  Old  Deer  Park,  Richmond.  It  will 
consist  of  two  buildings,  which  will  be  placed,  not  adjoining  the 
present  observatory  in  the  centre  of  the  park,  but  on  a  strip 
of  ground  enclosed  for  the  purpose  alongside  the  boundary 
between  the  park  and  Kew  Gardens.  This  site,  about  15 
acres  in  extent,  commences  immediately  at  the  rear  of  the  archery 
ground  in  the  Kew  Road,  and  runs  westward  towards  the  Thames.  At 
the  end  nearest  the  road  and  to  the  Kew  Gardens  Pagoda — which  will 
itself  be  utilised  for  purposes  of  the  laboratory — will  be  erected,  says 
the  “  Morning  Post,”  a  somewhat  extensive  one-storey  building,  devoted 
to  the  testing  of  commercial  samples.  At  the  far  end  of  the  site 
and  adjoining  one  corner  of  the  Queen’s  Cottage  grounds,  there  will 
be  a  smaller  two-storey  building,  which  will  be  used  for  the  purpose 
of  carrying  out  a  variety  of  magnetic  and  other  physical  experiments, 
success  in  which  imperatively  demands  seclusion  and  freedom  from 
disturbance,  either  physical  or  electrical.  A  very  small  number  of 
persons  will  be  employed  at  either  of  these  buildings  ;  the  work  will 
all  be  carried  on  with  perfect  quietness  and  within  doors,  and  there 
will  be  no  smoking  chimneys  or  other  disfiguring  appendages.  The 
motive  power  required  in  the  testing  house  will  be  supplied  in  the  form 
of  electricity  and  by  cable  from  outside  the  park.  There  will,  in  fact, 
be  nothing  of  a  character  to  disturb  the  bird  life  or  other  attractive 
features  of  the  adjoining  gardens,  and  in  their  architectural  features 
the  buildings,  designs  for  which  will  be  prepared  by  the  Office  of  Works, 
will  be  as  unobtrusive  as  possible. 
I^eatb  of  IWr.  Alfred  Salter. —  We  learn  with  regret  of  the  death 
on  May  6th  of  Mr.  Alfred  Salter  at  Kensington.  The  deceased  was  the 
son  of  the  late  Mr.  James  Salter,  a  name  held  in  high  esteem  by  those 
who  are  conversant  with  the  services  he  rendered  in  the  cause  of  the 
Chrysanthemum.  Mr.  Salter  was  seventy-five  years  of  ago. 
Trees  In  Dublin. — During  the  past  week  the  trees  which  are 
on  some  of  the  principal  thoroughfares  were  given  new  compost,  an 
operation  which  is  becoming  of  yearly  importance  owing:  to  the  open 
grating  which  covers  the  roots  and  favours  an  accumulation  ot  rubbish. 
It  is  strange  that  some  method  cannot  be  devised  to  obviate  this 
difficulty,  as  there  is  a  certain  amount  of  deleterious  matter  likely  to 
enter,  which  acts  as  a  check  on  the  growth  of  the  trees. 
Sweet  Peas. — We  have  received  from  Mr.  W.  Hunt,  Fern  Hill, 
a  box  of  Sweet  Peas,  as  illustrating  their  value  at  this  period  of  the 
year.  The  collection  comprised  sixteen  distinct  varieties,  and  we 
must  congratulate  our  correspondent  on  their  general  excellence.  The 
flowers  were  for  this  early  season  of  good  size  and  substance,  and  the 
colours  were  splendidly  developed;  while  the  growth  was  exceptionally 
robust.  The  varieties  included  Countess  of  Powis,  Salopian,  Navy  Blue, 
Blanche  Burpee,Lady  Nina  Balfour,  Waverley,  Boreatton,  Mrs.  Eckford, 
Monarch,  Splendour,  Captain  of  the  Blues,  Purple  Prince,  Stanley,  and 
Emily  Eckford.  Such  bouquets  as  these  are  more  than  welcomed  in 
smoky  London  at  this  season  of  the  year,  when  sweetly  perfumed 
flowers  are  all  too  scarce. 
Stealing  Flowers  at  Sbows. — The  Temple  Show  is  nearing  us 
once  more,  and  it  behoves  us  all  to  aid  each  other  in  preventing  anyone 
appropriating  even  a  bloom.  It  is  not  an  unheard-of  thing  at  shows  all 
the  country  over,  and  it  has  been  very  forcibly  brought  to  my  notice 
once  more  by  someone  having  taken  a  bloom  off  my  Odontoglossum 
crispum  (Imperatrix  roseum),  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  the  24th  ult.  I  have 
no  doubt  this  magnificent  variety  was  chosen  for  definite  reasons.  Of 
course  I  blame  no  one  connected  with  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
as  it  would  not  be  done  were  any  official  near,  and  we  cannot  expect 
our  plants  to  be  watched  all  the  time.  It  is  an  extremely  annoying 
thing,  and  the  surest  means  of  preventing  it  is  to  ventilate  the  subject 
in  the  Press.  The  old  offenders  may  not  care  to  repeat  it ;  another 
time  they  might  be  detected.  —  de  Barri  Crawshat,  Bosefields, 
Sevenodks. 
Cheap  Hltrogen. — There  is  little  doubt  at  the  present  time  but 
what  one  of  the  cheapest  ways  to  supply  nitrogen  to  our  crops  is 
through  the  manure  of  well  fed  animals.  Nitrogenous  feeding  stuffs 
have,  says  a  writer  in  an  American  contemporary,  been  plainly  shown, 
both  by  experiments  and  by  practical  feeders,  to  have  a  marked  effect 
in  increasing  the  amount  of  milk,  and  at  the  same  time  their  use  has 
proved  economical.  Experiments  made  at  the  New  Jersey  station,  which 
are  being  followed  out  for  a  series  of  years,  show  that  the  manure 
from  cows  having  a  nitrogenous  ration  produces  larger  crops  than  that 
from  cows  having  a  carbonaceous  ration  ;  thus  the  double  value  of 
feeds  rich  in  nitrogen  is  clearly  shown.  Where  a  profitable  class  of 
live  stock  is  kept  and  nitrogeneous  feeds  are  freely  used,  the  farmer 
may  depend  largely  upon  his  manure  supply  as  a  source  of  nitrogen, 
and  let  the  purchased  plant  food  be  mainly  phosphoric  acid  and  potash, 
which  will  cost  only  one-third  to  one-half  as  much  per  lb.  as  nitrogen. 
Tbe  Black  Currant  Mite.—  Hydrocyanic  acid  gas  has  for  some 
time  been  used  successfully  in  the  United  States  against  scale  and 
other  insects,  and  recently  the  authorities  of  the  South-Eastern  College 
at  Wye  have  experimented  with  the  gas  on  Currant  plants  infested 
by  the  mite.  From  trials  made  on  young  plants  before  planting  very 
encouraging  results  have  been  obtained.  In  December  and  January 
there  are  no  eggs  in  the  buds,  and  if  the  plants  are  freed  then  they 
may  be  regarded  as  safe.  This  was  shown  to  be  the  case,  and  now  it 
is  recommended  that  systematic  trials  should  be  carried  out  in  orchards 
where  the  pest  has  become  established.  Where  it  is  desired  to  do  it  on 
a  business-like  scale,  it  is  suggested  that  sheets  of  oiled  calico  25  yards 
long  and  8  feet  wide  should  be  set  up  over  the  bushes,  and  that  three 
jam  pots  placed  equidistantly  apart,  each  containing  1  oz.  of  cyanide  of 
potassium,  2  ozs.  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  2  ozs.  of  water,  should  be 
placed  under  the  sheeting.  The  water  and  acid  should  first  be  placed 
in  the  pots,  then  through  an  opening  the  cyanide,  wrapped  in  thin 
blotting  paper,  should  be  dropped  into  the  pots,  the  hand  being  quickly 
withdrawn  and  the  hole  closed,  keeping  the  bushes  under  fumigation 
for  forty  minutes.  This  is  necessary  because  of  the  singularly  poisonous 
fumes  which  are  given  off,  and  which  are  exceedingly  dangerous. 
