Jalltlaty  $1, 
Journal  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
05 
are  perfectly  clean  and  healthy,  and  be  planted  as  far  distant  as  possible 
from  those  affected.  We  have  seen  perfectly  healthy  bashes  and  others 
seriously  knotted  in  plantations  less  than  30  yards  apart,  and  we  have 
cut  down  affected  bushes  entirely,  burning  the  branches,  the  resulting 
growths  from  the  “stumps”  of  the  decapitated  trees  being  quite  free 
from  the  pest ;  bat  if  the  mite  exist  on  one  plant  it  soon  spreads  through 
a  plantation. 
Eucharls  Mite  ( Novice )  —Go  over  the  bulbs,  and  remove  all 
decayed  portions  carefully.  The  three  outer  scales  of  the  bulbs  have 
been  removed  in  some  instances.  In  your  case  it  may  be  necessary  to 
remove  one  or  more,  then  wash  the  bulbs  thoroughly  in  tepid  water, 
but  before  doing  so  remove  every  portion  in  which  these  mites  can 
secrete  themselves.  After  washing  lay  the  bulbs  in  dry  sand  to  harden 
the  outer  scales  in  order  that  they  can  bear  a  stronger  solution  of 
insecticide,  in  which  they  should  be  well  dipped.  Any  favourite 
insecticide  will  do.  and  may  be  used  the  strength  that  would  destroy 
aphides  (green  fly). 
Exhibiting  Blue  Cornflowers  In  a  Collection  of  Wild 
Flowers  (Johnnie). — “  Father  thinks”  rightly.  Blue  Cornflower  (Cen- 
taurea  cyanus)  is  a  “  wild  ”  or  British  plant,  and  one  of  the  showiest  of 
the  blue-flowered  annuals.  It  may  occasionally  be  found  in  cornfields 
in  various  parts  of  the  southern  counties,  but  we  have  not  seen  it  wild 
further  north  than  Hertfordshire,  in  which  county  it  is  found  on 
calcareous  gravelly  soils,  and  rivals  in  colour  of  flowers  and  size  of  plant 
any  grown  in  gardens.  It  is,  however,  or  rather  the  people  who  do  not 
mind  reaping  where  they  have  not  sown  and  trampling  crops  down  to 
satisfy  their  selfish  ends,  a  great  nuisance,  therefore  farmers  take  care  to 
have  as  little  of  it  as  possible  in  their  cornfields,  especially  when  there 
is  a  footpath  frequented  by  town  residents  skirting  or  passing  through 
them.  It  is  called  Bluebottle  in  some  localities  and  “  Bluets  ”  in  other 
districts,  being  known  to  every  one  as  Cornflower  from  its  growing  wild 
in  cornfields  in  various  parts  of  Great  Britain. 
The  Papyrus  and  Its  Use  ( Bothyits ). — The  celebrated  Egyptian 
Papyrus  (Papyrus  antiquorum),  or  Egyptian  Reed,  from  which  the 
ancient  Egyptians  made  their  paper,  still  grows  in  the  marshes  of 
Egypt,  or  in  stagnant  waters  of  the  Nile.  It  is  also  found  in  Sicily, 
Syria,  and  Nubia,  and  extends  even  to  Senegal.  This  plant  rises,  with 
a  triangular  stem,  to  the  height  of  8  or  10  feet,  and  surmounted  with  a 
large  compound  umbel  of  flowers,  having  long  filiform  involucres,  the 
lower  part  clothed  with  long,  hollow,  sword-shaped  leaves,  of  a  broWn 
colour.  The  root-stocks  are  long  and  tortuous,  4  or  5  inches  thick  ; 
when  young  they  are  sweet  and  nutritious,  and  are  eaten  by  the  in¬ 
habitants  ;  they  also  yield  a  fecula,  which,  with  the  base  of  the  stems 
roasted,  they  use  as  food,  and  they  suck  their  juice  in  the  same  way  as 
they  do  that  of  the  sugar-cane.  When  old,  the  root-stock  becomes  hard 
and  woody,  and  was  converted  into  cups,  moulds,  and  other  utensils ; 
one  use  of  it  wss  to  make  covers  for  binding  the  leaves  of  the  books, 
which  were  made  of  the  stem.  The  whole  plant  is  used  for  makmg 
boats  in  Abyssinia,  a  piece  of  the  Acacia  tree  being  put  in  the  bottom  to 
serve  as  a  keel.  The  leaves  and  the  stem  have  been  twisted  into  ropes, 
and  with  the  vertical  fibres  cloth  is  made.  The  ancients  made  their 
paper  from  the  pellicle  found  between  the  pith  and  bark  of  the  th’ck 
part  of  the  stalk,  and  the  plant  being  called  babeer  in  Syria,  this  word 
furnished  the  appellation  Papyrus,  from  which  our  word  paper  is 
derived.  The  pellic'es  were  peeled  from  the  stems  and  cut  into  strps  of 
equal  length  ;  the  strips  were  placed  side  by  side  on  a  board  in  sufficient 
number  to  form  a  sheet  ;  other  strips  were  placed  side  by  side  in  an 
opposite  direction  over  them,  so  as  to  make  the  sheet  sufficiently  thick 
and  strong  ;  each  sheet  was  pressed,  dried  in  the  sun,  and  polished  with 
a  shell  or  some  other  substance,  and  twenty  sheets  or  upwards  were  glued 
together  to  form  a  roll.  The  breadth  of  any  roll  depended  on  the  length 
of  the  strips,  and  was  usually  from  10  to  13  fingers  broad,  and  the 
length  depended  on  the  number  of  the  sheets.  With  the  rays  of  the 
umbels  of  the  flowers  the  Egyptians  made  chaplets  for  the  heads  of 
their  gods.  Under  the  arm  of  a  great  many  of  the  mummies  a  small 
bunch  of  papyrus  is  found.  It  was  doubtless  of  this  plant  that  the 
“ark  of  bulrushes”  was  made  in  which  Pharoah’s  daughter  found  the 
infant  Moses. 
Names  of  Plants. — We  only  undertake  to  name  species  of  plants, 
not  varieties  that  have  originated  from  seeds  and  termed  florists’  flowers. 
Flowering  specimens  are  necessary  of  flowering  plants,  and  Fern  fronds 
should  bear  spores.  Specimens  should  arrive  in  a  fresh  state  in  firm 
boxes.  Slightly  damp  moss,  soft  green  grass,  or  leaves  form  the  beBt 
packing,  dry  wool  the  worst.  Not  more  than  six  specimens  can  be  named 
at  once,  and  the  numbers  should  be  visible  without  untying  the  ligatures, 
it  being  often  difficult  to  separate  them  when  the  paper  is  damp. 
(IF.  H.  J).— Asparagus  Sprengeri.  { C .  0). — All  your  specimens  were 
dead.  ( S .  G.). — A  good  form  of  Laelia  autumnalis.  ( A .  J.). — 
1,  Cattleya  Walkeriana  ;  2,  Cypripedium  venustum  ;  3,  C.  insigne.  . 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
Barr  &  Son,  12,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden. — Seed  Guide. 
H.  Correvon,  2,  Rue  Dancet,  Plainpalais,  Geneva. — Seeds. 
Fisher,  Son  &  Sibray,  Ltd.,  Handsworth,  Sheffield. — Seeds. 
Harrison  &  Sons,  Leicester. — Seeds. 
Laing  &  Mather,  Kelso,  N.B. —  Garden  Seeds. 
B.  Soddy,  243,  Walworth  Road,  London. — Seeds. 
J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea. — Abridged 
Seed  Catalogue. 
Vilmotin,  Andrieux  et  Cie,  4,  Quai  de  la  Mdgisserie,  Paris. — Seeds 
and  Bulbs, 
OOVENT  GARDEN  MARKET.— JANUARY  20th. 
FRUIT. 
I. 
Apples,  J  sieve  * . I 
Filbertsand  Cobs, per  lOOlbs.  40 
Grapes,  per  lb . 0 
d  a.  d. 
3  to  2  6 
0  45  0 
6  16 
Lemons,  ease  . 
Plums,  J  sieve  ..  ..  ,. 
St.  Michael  Pines,  each  . . 
s.  d.  a.  di 
11  0  to  14  0 
0  0  0  0 
3  0  8  0 
Asparagus,  per  100  ..  .. 
Beans,  4  sieve  . 
Befet.  Red, dozen . 
Oarrots,  bunch . 
Cauliflowers,  dozen  ..  .. 
Celery,  bundle  . . 
Ooleworts,  dozen  bunohes 
Oucumbers  . 
Endive,  dozen  . 
Herbs,  bunch  . . 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
Lettuce,  dozen . 
Mushrooms,  per  lb . 
VEGETABLES. 
8. 
d. 
3. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d 
0 
0 
to  0 
0 
Mustard  and  Cress,  punnet 
0 
a  to 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Onions,  bushel  .. 
i 
6 
4 
4 
l 
0 
0 
0 
Parsley,  dozen  bunohes 
•  • 
2 
0 
3 
0 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Parsnips,  dozen  .. 
1 
0 
0 
6 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Potatoes,  per  owt. 
•  • 
•  • 
2 
0 
4 
9 
I 
u 
o 
0 
Salsafy,  bundle  .. 
1 
0 
1 
0 
a 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale,  per  basket 
•  • 
•  • 
1 
6 
1 
0 
l 
0 
2 
6 
Scorzonera,  bundle 
•  • 
•  • 
1 
6 
0 
0 
l 
3 
A 
6 
Shallots,  per  lb  . . 
0 
3 
0 
0 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Spinach,  pad 
0 
0 
4 
0 
0 
2 
0 
l) 
Sprouts,  half  sieve 
•  • 
•  • 
1 
6 
1 
0 
l 
3 
0 
0 
Tomatoes,  per  lb. 
•  • 
•  • 
0 
4 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Turnips, bunch  .. 
•  » 
•  • 
0 
3 
0 
9 
PLANTS  IN  POTS. 
s.  d. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Arbor  Vitte  (various)  doz. 
6  0  to  36 
0 
Ficus  elastica,  each  ..  .. 
1 
0 
to  7 
0 
Aspidistra,  dozen  ..  .. 
18  0 
36 
0 
Foliage  plants,  var.  each 
1 
n 
5 
0 
Aspidistra, specimen  plant 
6  0 
10 
6 
Genista,  per  dozen  ..  .. 
10 
0 
15 
0 
Azalea,  per  dozen  .. 
24  0 
42 
0 
Hyacinths  largo,  per  dozen 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Chrysanthemums,  per  doz. 
6  0 
12 
0 
„  (Roman),  doz.  pots 
6 
0 
8 
0 
„  per  plant 
1  6 
2 
0 
Lycopodiums,  dozen  ..  .. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Cyclamen,  per  dozen..  .. 
9  0 
18 
0 
Marguerite  Daisy,  dozen.. 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Dracaena,  various,  dozen  .. 
12  0 
30 
0 
Myrtles,  dozen  .....  .. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Dracaena  viridis,  dozen  .. 
9  0 
18 
0 
Palms,  in  var..  each  ..  .. 
1 
0 
15 
0 
Erica,  per  dozen . 
9  0 
12 
0 
,,  (specimens'  ..  .. 
21 
0 
63 
0 
„  hyemaiis,  per  dozen 
10  0 
15 
0 
Poinsettia,  per  dozen. . 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Euonymus,  var.,  dozen  .. 
6  0 
18 
0 
Pritnula  sinensis,  per  dozen 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Evergreens,  in  var., dozen 
6  0 
24 
0 
Solanums,  per  dozen  . .  . . 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Ferns  iu  variety ,  dozen  .. 
4  0 
18 
0 
Tulips,  dozen  pots  ..  .. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Ferns  (small)  per  hundred 
4  0 
6 
0 
„  in  boxes,  per  dozen 
0 
8 
1 
6 
AVERAGE  WHOLESALE 
PRICES.- 
-OUT  FLOWERS.— Orchid  Blooms  in 
variety 
s.  d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
a. 
d. 
Anemones, dozen  bunchea.. 
2  0  to  4 
0 
Mignonette,  dozen  bunches 
3 
0  to  6 
0 
Arum  Lillies,  12  Dlooms  .. 
3  0 
6 
0 
Mimosa  (Frerch)  per 
Asparagus  Fern,  per  bunch 
2  0 
2 
6 
bunch . 
1 
0 
i 
8 
Azalea,  per  dozen  sprays  .. 
0  6 
1 
0 
Narciss,  White  (French), 
Bouvardias,  bunch  .. 
0  6 
0 
9 
dozen  bunches . 
1 
6 
2 
6 
Carnations.  12  blooms 
1  0 
2 
6 
Narcies,  Yellow  (French), 
Christmas  Roses,  12  blooms 
1  0 
1 
6 
dozen  bunches  ..  .. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Chrysanthemums,  dozen 
Orchids,  various,  per  dozen 
bunches  . 
3  0 
9 
0 
blooms  . 
1 
6 
12 
0 
Chrysanthemums, 12blooms 
2  0 
6 
0 
Pelargoniums.  12  bunches 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Daffi  dils,  dozen  b  ooms  . . 
0  9 
1 
6 
Pyrothrum,  dozen  uuuches 
1 
6 
3 
0 
Buchans. dozen  .. 
3  6 
4 
0 
Roses  (indoor),  dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Gardenias .  dozen  .. 
4  0 
6 
0 
„  Tea,  white,  dozen 
1 
0 
2 
6 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
„  Yellow,  dozen  (Niels) 
6 
0 
9 
0 
bunches  .  . 
6  0 
9 
0 
,,  Red.  dozen  blooms  .. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Hyacnths  (Roman).  12 
„  Safrano  (English), 
sprays,  and  per  bunch  . . 
0  6 
1 
0 
dozen . 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Lilac,  White  (French,,  per 
.„  Pink,  per  dozen  . .  . . 
3 
0 
6 
0 
bunch .  ..  .. 
8  6 
5 
0 
Smilax,  per  bunch  ..  .. 
3 
6 
7 
0 
Lilium  longiflorum,  12 
Snowdrops,  dozen  bunches 
1 
0 
3 
0 
blooms  . 
6  0 
8 
0 
Tuberoses.  12  blootna.. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  12aprays, 
Tulips,  dozen  blcoms  .  .. 
0 
6 
1 
6 
per  bunch . 
0  9 
1 
6 
Violet  Parme,  per  ounch  .. 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Marguerites,  12  bunchea  . . 
4  0 
6 
0 
„  per  doz.  bunches  . . 
i 
6 
2 
0 
Maidenhair  Fern,  per  dozen 
„  (French'),  per  dozen 
bunchea  . 
4  0 
8 
0 
bunches 
i 
6 
2 
6 
ECONOMY  WITH  EFFICIENCY. 
Seed  time  and  harvest  so  far  have  never  failed  us  ;  the  primeval 
curse  of  thorns  and  thistles  is  still  as  potent  as  ever.  Still,  it  is 
only  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow  that  necessary  food  is  produced 
and  there  is  no  hope  of  things  ever  being  different. 
Soil  must  be  turned  to  expose  it  to  the  genial  influences  of  sun, 
rain,  and  frost  ;  soil  must  be  worked  to  rid  it  of  noisome  weed  that 
would  otherwise  unchecked  interfere  with  the  growth  of  the 
infant  plant,  if  not  annihilate  it  altogether.  The  “grand  old 
gardener,”  our  first  father,  would  have  an  implement  of  the 
simplest  construction.  How  long  manual  labour  alone  was 
employed  we  do  not  know,  but  certainly  at  a  very  early  period  of 
the  world’s  history  the  patient  ox  and  ass  were  pressed  into  man  s 
service,  and  some  rude  likeness  of  our  present  plough  used.  How 
rude,  those  who  have  travelled  even  to-day  in  the  East  can 
testify. 
Nature  is  not  so  beneficent  to  us  Western  agriculturists,  and  it 
