198 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  II*  1897. 
this  resting  season  the  plants  do  with  very  little  heat,  a  minimum 
of  48°  or  so  being  ample,  but  they  must  be  kept  dry.  No  water 
should  be  given  unless  the  stems  shrivel,  and  this  is  of  rare  occur¬ 
rence  with  the  plants  described.  Then  with  the  lengthening  days 
in  spring  flowers  in  plenty  will  be  produced.  With  regard  to 
receptacles  for  growing  them  in,  these  must  of  necessity  vary  with 
the  habit  of  the  species  and  the  quality  of  the  roots  and  compost. 
It  is,  however,  generally  safer  to  under  rather  than  over-pot,  as 
the  roots  in  many  cases  are  not  ambitious  in  leaving  the  centre  of 
growth,  but  prefer  to  coil  round  and  round  each  other,  and  often  in 
a  congenial  compost  form  a  dense  ball  of  fibre. — H.  R.  R. 
EELWORM  AND  TOMATOES. 
I  AS  well  as  Mr.  Bradley  (page  118)  am  desirous  of  getting  some 
practical  information  respecting  eelworm  in  soil.  I  am  now  erecting  a 
Tomato  house  100  feet  long  on  an  old  pasture  which  abounds  with  eel¬ 
worm.  Does  Mr.  Abbey  advise  a  10  per  cent,  lime  dressing  in  this  case 
or  what?  We  have  yet  to  see  the  result  of  Mr.  Iggulden’s  experiments 
and  experience  with  Tomatoes,  but  I  think  market  growers  like  myself 
would  prefer  rather  to  destroy  the  eelworms  than  rely  altogether  on 
good  cultivation  such  as  Mr.  Iggulden  advises  in  the  case  of  Cucumbers. 
My  experience  differs  from  Mr.  Bradley’s.  I  have  Tomatoes  doing  well 
in  soil  which  six  weeks  previous  to  planting  had  received  a  10  per  cent, 
lime  dressing,  although  I  am  surprised  to  notice  plants  in  the  same  soil 
dying  off  at  the  ground  level,  as  shown  on  page  545,  June  11th,  1896. 
Can  Mr.  Abbey  account  for  this? — T.  P.  R. 
[“  T.  P.  R.”  does  not  say  whether  he  intends  to  use  the  top  3  inches  of 
the  old  pasture  with  its  turf  as  a  compost  or  employ  the  land  in  situ  for 
growing  Tomatoes.  If  the  first,  and  he  can  wait  six  weeks,  I  should  not 
hesitate  to  cut  the  turf,  and  mix  with  it  10  per  cent,  of  the  best  freshly 
burned  chalk  lime,  slaking,  and  incorporating  along  with  three-quarters 
of  a  pound  of  best  quality  kainit,  and  3  quarts  of  fresh  dry  soot  per  cubic 
yard.  After  lying  the  time  named  break  up,  and  place  in  the  bed  or 
border  10  to  12  inches  deep,  having  previously  placed  in  the  requisite 
drainage  material,  preferably  chalk  or  old  mortar  rubbish. 
Before  placing  out  the  Tomato  plants  apply  a  dressing  of  the  follow¬ 
ing  mixture  : — Fish  meal  (  ‘  white  fish  ”),  10  parts  or  lbs.  ;  mineral 
superphosphate  (34  to  37  per  cent,  soluble  phosphate),  2\  parts  or  lbs. ; 
nitrate  of  soda  (95  per  cent.),  2\  parts  or  lbs.  ;  mix  and  apply  3  ozs.  per 
square  yard,  and  point  in  shortly  before  planting. 
When  the  plants  have  got  well  hold  of  the  soil  and  commenced 
bearing,  use  top-dressings  of  the  fertiliser  [given  on  page  93,  lowest 
formula,  about  4  ozs.  per  square  yard,  mixed  with  three  times  the 
amount  of  sweetened  horse  droppings  or  short  fermented  farmyard 
manure,  supplying  at  about  three  weeks  intervals. 
If  the  intention  is  to  use  the  land  in  situ,  I  advise  a  dressing  of  best 
chalk  or  land  lime,  freshly  burned,  1£  cwt.  per  rod,  placing  the  lime  in 
little  heaps  convenient  for  spreading,  slaking  with  only  sufficient  water 
to  cause  the  lime  to  fall  to  apparently  dry  powder,  and  whilst  hot  dis¬ 
tribute  evenly  on  the  turf.  Allow  the  lime  to  act  for  a  few  days,  then 
bastard-trench  the  land,  placing  the  turf  at  the  bottom,  taking  it  off 
about  3  inches  thick,  and  not  placing  more  than  7  to  9  inches  of  soil 
upon  it,  or  even  not  that  if  the  soil  be  shallow  ;  it  will  suffice  if  the 
turf  be  so  covered  as  not  to  interfere  with  cultural  operations. 
When  the  land  has  been  broken  up  apply  a  dressing  of  stable  or 
farmyard  manure  thoroughly  decayed,  cwt.  per  rod,  and  J  lb.  per 
square  yard  of  air-slaked  chalk  lime  and  fresh  dry  soot  in  equal  parts 
by  measure,  and  dig  in  with  a  fork,  taking  small  spits  so  as  to  secure 
even  incorporation  and  not  disturbing  the  turf.  Before  planting  apply 
4  ozs.  per  square  yard  of  the  mixture  last  given  on  page  93  and  point 
in.  After  making  the  soil  firm,  to  insure  sturdy  growth,  put  out  the 
plants,  and  afterwards  feed  with  the  fertiliser  as  top-dressing,  according 
to  circumstances,  in  the  manner  before  mentioned.  If  eelworm  give 
trouble  under  the  foregoing  regime  let  specimens  be  kindly  sent  to  the 
Editor. 
“  T.  P.  R.”  will  have  seen  what  Mr.  Iggulden  has  to  say  about 
Tomatoes  and  their  diseases  on  page  174,  the  “  little  sensation  ”  having 
developed  into  a  deluge  drowning  eelworms  and  fungi.  Albeit  some  of 
both  appear  to  have  survived  the  turbulence  of  the  waters,  and  these 
Mr.  Iggulden  disposes  of  by  means  of  Little’s  soluble  phenyle.  It  is  a 
remedy  apparently  and  also  a  preventive,  as  be  says,  on  page  130,  “A 
soaking  of  phenyle  did  good  service  when  used  on  soil  in  which  eelworms 
were  numerous.” 
After  disposing  of  Mr.  Bradley’s  dictum  that  10  per  cent,  of  lime 
was  not  safe  by  a  direct  negative  proof,  “  T.  P.  R.”  asks  if  I  can  account 
for  the  Tomato  plants  he  describes  going  off.  Mr.  Iggulden  demon¬ 
strates  the  same  thing — namely,  the  inefficacy  of  lime  as  a  preventive 
of  the  plants  “dying  off.”  This  is  a  phase  of  the  subject  I  was  not 
unprepared  for,  as  I  have  found  other  means  of  infection  than  by  the 
soil  in  respect  of  fungi. 
Of  these,  three  species,  if  not  four,  are  carried  over  from  year  to 
year  quite  independently  of  the  soil,  and  any  or  all  of  them  may  cause 
“black  stripe,”  “drooping,”  “sleeping,”  or  “  sudden  collapse”  disease, 
for  the  terms  are  equally  applicable  to  all.  Unfortunately  “  T.  P.  R.” 
did  not  submit  specimens  to  the  Editor,  and  in  consequence  no  one  can 
tell  him  what  organism,  if  any,  caused  his  plants  to  die  off  at  the 
“  ground  level.”  Even  when  they  are  to  hand  it  is  not  always  possible 
to  satisfactorily  account  for  the  cause,  as  the  agent  may  not  be  present 
in  the  case  of  certain  animals,  and  in  that  of  iuagi  not  .sufficiently 
developed  for  identification. 
One  thing,  however,  is  certain  in  both  “T.  P.  R.’s  ”  and  Mr. 
Iggulden’s  case — namely,  the  plants  do  not  die  off  without  cause  ;  but 
in  neither  instance  is  there  anything  to  show  infection  by  means  otjfthe 
soil.  Indeed,  the  opposite  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  untreated  house  in 
Mr.  Iggulden’s  case  being  quite  as  free  as  the  others  that  were  treated 
preventively  against  fungoid  diseases.  I  say  fungoid,  because  Mr. 
Iggulden  chiefly  confines  his  remarks  to  the  diseases  of;  that  class  in 
Tomatoes,  and  very  cleverly  points  to  the  advantages  of  precautionary 
measures  in  lessening  recurrence  and  mitigating  the  severity  of  attacks 
by  the  use  of  substances  that  profit  him  in  his  culture. 
To  his  banter  I  take  no  objection,  but  am  glad  to  find^him  making 
such  good  use  of  his  “  innings  ”  as  to  show  that  after  all  there  is  only  a 
difference  in  name  between  science  and  practice.  Now  he  is  “  in  ”  I 
hope  he  will  not  come  out  until  he  has  told  us  what  Tomato  diseases  are 
carried  over  from  year  to  year  with  the  seed,  and  can  only  be  avoided  by 
starting  with  “  plants  raised  from  seed  saved  from  fruit  grown  on  healthy 
plants.”  Having  thus  “hit  the  nail  on  the  head”  let  Mr.  Iggulden 
clench  his  arguments  by  showing  us  the  disease-germ  in  the  seed,  tell  u» 
what  it  is,  and  demonstrate  its  life  history  from  the  pushing  of  the 
germ-tube  to  the  reproduction  of  seed  or  resting-spore.  I  can  assure 
him  that  it  is  a  very  practical  subject,  and  so  far  as  I  can  see  juBt.as 
easy  to  attain  as  growing  Cabbages. 
There  is  no  “  mystery  ”  about  any  organisms  causing  “  troubles  ”  in 
Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes  ;  at  least,  all  I  have  inquired  into  lead  very 
practical  lives,  and  appear  bent  on  living  and  reproducing  to  the  best  of 
their  power.  But  even  these  beings  are  subject  to  the  balancing  forces 
of  Nature,  plagues  and  epidemics  breaking  out  amongst  them,  which  are 
as  necessary  to  a  proper  equilibrium  as  is  the  importance  of  adopting- 
repressive  measures  in  civilisation  and  cultivation  injorder  to  prevent 
the  spreading  of  contagious  diseases. — G.  Abbey.] 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY 
Dkill  Hall,  Mabch  9th. 
The  exhibition  held  on  the  above  date  was  one  of  the  best  that  has 
ever  been  seen  in  the  Drill  Hall,  and  taxed  the  space  in  the  building  to 
the  utmost.  The  floral  section  was  nothing  short  of  superb,  both  for 
quality  and  variety.  Fruits  were  not  so  largely  shown,  but  Orchids 
were  rich  in  quality. 
Fruit  Committee. — Present:  G.  Bunyard,  Esq.  (in  the  chair); 
with  Rev.  W.  Wilks  (Secretary),  and  Messrs.  J.  Cheal,  J.  H.  Veitch, 
G.  W.  Cummins,  A.  F.  Barron,  J.  Willard,  T.  J.  Saltmarsh,  F.  Q.  Lane, 
G.  Reynolds,  H.  Balderson,  J.  Smith,  T.  Farr,  G.  Sage,  A.  J.  Laing, 
C.  Herrin,  W.  J.  Empson,  T.  Fife,  A.  Dean,  and  J.  Wright. 
Mr.  John  Watkin,  Pomona  Farm,  Hereford,  sent  fruits  of  Lord 
Hindlip  Apple  to  show  its  keeping  quality.  The  fruits  were  in  ex¬ 
cellent  condition.  The  award  of  merit  granted  last  year  was  unani¬ 
mously  confirmed.  Mr.  G.  Lovelock,  The  Gardens,  Normanton,  sent 
Diamond  Jubilee,  not  unlike  Royal  Somerset ;  very  acid,  and  passed. 
Mr.  Charles  Ross  sent  fruits  of  Mottled  Russet  Apple  ;  small,  and 
lacking  in  quality,  and  no  award  was  made.  Messrs.  Lane  &  Son  sent 
Apple  St.  John’s  Seedling,  resembling  Hormead  Pearmain.  Messrs. 
W.  &  J.  Brown,  Stamford,  sent  fruits  of  Lavender’s  Seedling  Apple, 
of  the  Wyken  Pippen  type,  but  it  lost  an  award  of  merit  by  three 
votes.  Mr.  J.  Hudson  sent  from  Gunnersbury  House  Gardens  splendid 
examples  of  Newton  Wonder  Apple,  the  same  fruits  he  exhibited  at 
the  Crystal  Palace  in  October — very  fine,  and  a  cultural  commendation 
was  unanimously  awarded. 
Mr.  G.  Wythes  sent  excellent  dishes  of  Witloof  and  Asparagus 
grown  under  leaves — very  creditable  produce  indeed,  and  a  cultural 
commendation  was  at  once  granted.  Mr.  Empson,  Ampthill,  sent  a 
collection  of  Apples,  with  excellent  Seakale,  Mushrooms,  Asparagus, 
and  Broccoli  (silver  Banksian  medal).  E.  Dresden,  Esq.  (gardener, 
Mr.  Tallack),  Livermere  Park,  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  sent  thirty  dishes  of 
Apples  in  excellent  condition  (silver  Knightian  medal).  C.  J.  Massey, 
Esq.  (gardener  Mr.  Day),  Galloway  House,  Wigtonshire,  sent  fourteen 
dishes  of  very  good  Apples  (silver  Banksian  medal). 
Floral  Committee. — Present :  W.  Marshall.  Esq  (in  the  chair)  ; 
with  the  Rev.  G.  H  Engleheart,  and  Messrs.  H.  B.  May,  R  Dean,  R.  Owen, 
G.  Stevens,  J.  F.  McLeod,  T.  Peed,  C.  J.  Salter,  C.  Jeffries,  G.  Gordon, 
J.  D.  Pawle,  J.  W.  Barr,  C.  E.  Pearson,  C.  E.  Shea,  J.  Walker, 
H.  J.  Jones,  H.  J.  Cutbush,  D.  B.  Crane,  E.  Beckett,  H.  Turner,  G.  Paul, 
E.  Mawley,  H.  Herbst,  J.  Laing,  J.  Hudson,  and  R.  M.  Hogg. 
Messrs.  W.  Cuthbush  &  Son,  Highgate,  arranged  a  semicircular 
group  of  plants,  comprising  Forsvthias,  Pyrus.  blue  Primroses,  Ericas, 
and  superb  Malmaisons  edged  with  Maidenhair  Fern.  This  was  a  charm¬ 
ing  exhibit.  Miscellaneous  flowering  plants  were  splendidly  staged  by 
Messrs.  J.  Peed  &  Sons,  Norwood  Road.  Prunus  Binensis  fl.-pl.,  Azaleas 
in  variety,  Lily  of  the  Valley ,  Cyclamens,  and  Boronias  were  conspicuous. 
From  Messrs.  W.  Balchin  &  Son,  Hassocks  Nurseries,  came  superb 
Boronias  and  Primulas,  while  Messrs.  Paul  &  Son,  Old  Nurseries, 
Cheshunt,  sent  Roses  and  rock  plants.  There  were  Saxifragas, 
Hepaticas,  Megaseas,  Primulas,  Draba9,  Hellebores,  and  others  in 
pleasing  variety. 
Well  grown  plants  of  Cyclamens  in  various  colours  were  staged  by 
Mr.  W.  Slogrove,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Crawford.  Gatton  Park,  Reigate. 
These  were  good  examples  of  culture.  Mr.  J.  Douglas,  gardener  to  Mis, 
Whitbourne,  Great  Gearies,  sent  a  showy  bank  of  Cinerarias.  Plants  of 
