March  18,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
229 
A  safe  mixture,  however,  is  good  fibry  loam  and  peat,  broken  up  with 
the  hand  and  used  in  equal  proportions.  To  this  add  a  liberal  quantity 
of  coarse  sand,  a  few  half-inch  bones,  a  7-inch  potfal  to  each  barrowful 
of  soil,  as  well  as  sandstone  broken  up.  The  latter  we  prefer,  because 
the  roots  cling  to  it  tenaciously,  and  it  keeps  the  compost  sweet  and 
porous.  Press  the  soil  moderately  firm,  for  the  plants  do  better  in  it 
than  when  it  is  light  and  spongy,  which  necessitates  frequent  appli¬ 
cations  of  water.  When  the  plants  are  limited  to  pots  a  greater  per¬ 
centage  of  peat  may  be  used,  or  all  peat,  which  remains  in  a  sweet 
condition  for  a  longer  period  than  a  mixture  of  peat  and  loam. 
Good  drainage  is  absolutely  necessary,  but  the  border  in  which  they 
are  growing  should  not  be  over-drained.  Although  they  like  moisture  in 
the  soil  about  their  roots  they  cannot  endure  it  in  a  stagnant  condition. 
When  the  border  is  limited  in  size  and  it  is  once  well  filled  with  roots 
rich  top-dressings  are  necessary.  The  surface  should  be  annually 
removed  down  to  the  roots  and  good  fibry  loam  supplied,  with  one- 
seventh  of  decayed  manure,  which  will  be  found  to  assist  them 
wonderfully. 
The  shoots  are  generally  trained  upright,  especially  strong  suckers 
that  issue  from  the  base,  and  on  the  whole  this  is  probably  the  best 
means  of  training  them  ;  in  fact,  strong  growths  should  be  trained  after 
this  fashion  the  first  season  and  allowed  to  extend  as  much  as  possible. 
Strong  shoots  from  vigorous  plants  will  travel  yards  in  a  season.  If  left 
in  this  position  they  will  break  freely,  and  make  a  spreading  head 
towards  the  extremity.  They  may  be  allowed  to  do  this  with  advantage. 
But  when  there  is  space  to  fill  time  is  lost,  and  the  progress  of  the  plant 
sacrificed  by  allowing  them  to  remain  in  this  position  after  the  second 
season.  Few,  if  any,  of  the  lower  eyes  will  burst  into  growth  ;  they  may 
remain  dormant  for  years.  Shoots  of  this  nature,  or  old  strong  shoots 
that  may  have  been  trained  upright,  will  produce  a  number  of  strong 
growths  that  will  extend  rapidly  if  they  are  laid  horizontally  at  the  base, 
and  the  weaker  shoots  at  the  top  trained  upright.  Plants  that  are  bare 
at  the  base  will  quickly  be  furnished  with  strong  flowering  wood  by  this 
simple  process. 
Syringing. 
It  is  necessary  to  syringe  the  plants  frequently  to  keep  bare  old 
stems  practically  moist  for  a  time,  until  the  buds  swell  and  burst.  A 
free  use  of  the  syringe  is  an  advantage  to  the  plants  during  the  whole 
of  the  growing  season,  and  should  be  discontinued  only  after  the  com¬ 
pletion  of  growth  until  flowers  are  visible,  when  it  may  be  continued 
until  they  show  signs  of  expanding.  If  all  the  flowers  are  gathered  a 
good  syringing  will  prove  beneficial.  At  the  present  time,  on  bright 
days,  the  syringe  may  be  used  twice  daily,  once  will  be  ample  on  dull 
days.  In  May  the  syringe  is  used  in  the  middle  of  the  day  as  well  as 
in  the  morning  and  afternoon.  If  young  growths  display  signs  of 
flagging  during  hot  weather  the  syringe  is  used,  and  they  soon  revive. 
Little  need  be  said  about  watering,  suffice  it  that  at  no  season  of  the 
year  should  the  soil  become  dry.  During  the  season  of  growth  liberal 
supplies  are  needed.  If  once  the  border  is  full  of  roots  weak  stimulants 
may  with  advantage  be  given  every  alternate  time  they  need  water 
during  the  season  of  growth.  Fresh  cow  manure  placed  in  a  tank  with 
a  bag  of  soot  is  a  capital  stimulant.  It  should  be  given  in  a  clear  state, 
or  strained  through  fine  tiffany  and  well  diluted  with  water.  At  this 
season  of  the  year  the  water  needed  at  the  roots  and  for  syringing  should 
be  slightly  warmer  than  the  temperature  of  the  house. 
Pruning  is  rarely  practised  with  these  plants,  although  a  little  is 
requisite  each  season.  This  should  consist  of  cutting  back  the  shoots 
that  have  flowered  to  a  good  eye.  It  keeps  the  plants  free  from  dead 
and  dying  shoots,  which  would  be  the  case  if  that  portion  which  flowers 
is  not  removed.  This  is  all  the  pruning  needed  until  the  plants  have 
filled  the  roof  or  the  space  allotted  to  them.  It  is  a  mistake,  then,  to 
allow  puny  growth  to  crowd  the  roof,  and  a  judicious  system  of  thinning 
should  be  practised.  The  shoots  selected  for  removal  must  be  cut  back 
to  a  good  eye,  and  by  this  method  the  space  can  be  kept  furnished  with 
strong  robust  shoots  that  will  flower  freely  and  produce  finer  blooms 
than  weak,  short  stunted  growths  are  capable  of  doing.  If  Lapagerias 
are  thoroughly  established  they  will  bear  more  pruning  than  many 
suppose,  and  with  advantage.  Plants  that  make  scarcely  any  growth 
annually  generally  flower  profusely,  too  freely  in  fact,  and  they  are 
much  enfeebled.  They  may  be  restored  to  vigour  by  pruning.  This  is 
the  only  means  of  saving  them,  for  if  allowed  to  continue  flowering  they 
become  weaker,  and  finally  dwindle  and  die. 
Enemies 
Nearly  all  the  pests  that  infest  plants  will  attack  Lapagerias. 
Aphides  are  partial  to  them,  but  these  are  readily  destroyed  by  fumi¬ 
gating  with  tobacco.  Thrips  are  troublesome,  but  if  the  plants  are 
freely  syringed  these  will  be  kept  in  check.  When  established  upon  the 
plants  fumigate  with  tobacco  smoke  two  or  three  nights  in  succession,  or 
thoroughly  syringe  with  tobacco  juice  freely  diluted  with  water,  to  which 
may  be  added  half  an  ounce  of  softsoap  to  each  gallon  of  water,  and  a 
piece  of  common  washing  soda  the  s;ze  of  a  cob  nut.  We  prefer  this  to 
■fumigating,  only  it  renders  the  woodwork  of  the  house  unsightly.  A 
solution  of  any  of  the  insecticides  recommended  for  the  destruction  of 
-thrips  may  be  used.  It  should  be  eradicated  at  once,  for  it  quickly 
destroys  the  foliage  and  brings  the  growths  of  the  plants  to  a  standstill. 
'If  thrips  appear  when  the  foliage  is  firm  and  leathery  a  weak  solution  of 
petroleum  and  water,  2  ozs.  to  3  gallons  of  water,  will  soon  destroy  it 
without  injury  to  the  plant.  The  same  solution  will  destroy  scale,  from 
which  the  plants  can  soon  be  cleared  if  they  are  syringed  two  or  three 
ttimes  in  succession  during  the  period  of  rest.  Mealy  bug  is  more  diffi¬ 
cult  to  deal  with  ;  it  secretes  itself  behind  the  scales  that  protect  the 
buds,  and  cannot  be  reached  with  the  syringe.  Patience  and  perse¬ 
verance  in  battling  with  it  are  the  only  means  by  which  it  can  be 
exterminated. 
Shade  is  necessary  during  bright  sunshine.  At  first  for  a  few  hours 
daily,  but  during  the  months  of  June,  July,  and  August  it  is  well  to 
keep  the  blinds  over  the  plants  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day  where 
they  are  grown  in  a  structure  facing  south.  As  the  growth  matures  it 
should  be  gradually  discontinued,  and  dispensed  with  altogether  by  the 
end  of  September  or  early  in  the  following  month. — Grower. 
DEATH  OF  MR.  J.  CRUICKSHANK,  FROGMORE  HOUSE 
GARDENS. 
To  the  numerous  gardeners  who.  as  “  young  men,”  have  during  the 
last  fifty  years  passed  through  the  Royal  Gardens,  Windsoi.  the  news  of 
the  sudden  death  of  Mr.  Cruickshank  will  be  received  with  much  regret. 
Although  seventy-two  years  of  age  he  enjoyed  good  health,  and  died 
practically  in  harness,  as  he  was  attending  to  his  duties  on  the  day  of  his 
death,  March  4th.  During  the  evening  he  complained  to  his  wife  of  a 
peculiar  sensation  and  pain  in  his  chest  and  throat,  and  shortly  before 
8  p.m.,  while  walking  from  the  room,  he  fell,  and  died  in  a  few  moments 
from  heart  disease. 
He  came  to  the  Royal  Gardens  from  Castle  Fraser,  Aberdeenshire,  in 
July,  1847  ;  consequently,  had  he  lived  till  July  next,  deceased  would 
have  completed  fitty  years  in  the  Royal  service.  After  serving  as 
journeyman  in  the  various  departments  for  seven  years  he  was  appointed 
toreman  in  the  Castle  Gardens  and  slopes,  where  he  remained  another 
seven  years  ;  and  when  the  Crown  took  over  Frogmore  House,  on  the 
death  of  H.R.H.  the  Duchess  of  Kent  in  1861,  he  was  appointed  foreman 
of  Frogmore  House  Gardens. 
He  was  a  gardener  of  the  “  old  school,”  with  a  good  knowledge  of 
hardy  plants  and  shrubs,  also  wild  flowers,  and  could  tell  many  a  good 
tale  of  the  rambles  he  took  in  Scotland  in  search  of  new  and  rare  species 
during  his  bothy  life.  Being  of  a  happy  and  genial  disposition  he  waB 
very  popular,  and  never  happier  than  when  quoting  “  Bobby  Burns,” 
whose  poems  he  seemed  to  have  learned  by  heart. 
The  funeral  took  place  at  Windsor  Cemetery  on  the  9th  inst.,  and 
was  largely  attended,  the  remains  being  followed  to  the  grave  by  Mr. 
0.  Thomas  (the  Queen’s  head  gardener),  Mr.  W.  Tait  (bailiff),  all  the 
foremen  at  the  Rora'  G  rhns,  deceased’s  men,  relatives,  and  friends. 
Among  the  maDy  handsome  wreaths  sent  to  his  funeral  as  tokens  of 
sympathy  and  respect  was  a  beautiful  one  of  Immortelles,  having  on  a 
card  attached,  ‘  From  Queen  Victoria.” 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
March  9th. 
Scientific  Committee.  —  Present :  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  (in  the 
chair);  Mr.  McLachlan,  Mr.  Michael,  Rev  W.  Wilks,  Prof.  M.  Ward, 
Dr.  Miiller,  Mr.  J.  T.  Benn&t-Poe,  Mr.  Douglas,  and  Rev.  G.  Henslow 
(Hon.  Sec). 
Beetles  with  Grapes. — Mr.  McLachlan  had  received  some  small 
beetles  found  about  the  roots  of  Vines,  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long, 
with  a  blunt  thorax  and  rather  sluggish  in  manner.  They  proved  to  be 
Trox  aabulosus,  and  were  introduced  in  the  crushed  bones  used  for 
manure.  Not  being  vegetable  feeders  they  do  no  harm  to  the  Vines. 
The  best  trap  would  be  a  dried  rabbit  skin  with  the  inner  side  down¬ 
wards. 
Larva  of  Daddy  Langleys. — He  also  received  a  sample  of  propa¬ 
gating  soil  in  which  Iceland  Poppies  were  grown,  abounding  with  the 
caterpillars  of  this  fly.  Bisulphide  of  carbon,  cyanide  of  potassium 
(|  to  1  per  cent,  solution  in  water),  or  to  remove  the  soil  and  burn  it, 
were  methods  recommended  in  such  cases. 
Apple  Root  with  Adventitious  Buds. — Dr.  H.  Miiller  exhibited  a 
specimen,  thickly  covered  in  places  with  innumerable  buds,  usually 
known  as  “  Burr  Knot.”  The  original  cause  is  obscure,  but  Dr.  Masters 
observed  that  such  roots  are  often  cut  up  and  used  for  propagating. 
Hyacinths,  #c„  ivith  Root  Failure.— A  collection  of  bulbous  plants 
were  received  from  Mr.  W.  C.  Atkinson  of  Aiglwith,  Liverpool,  in 
which  the  roots  had  been  very  imperfectly  developed,  but  then  arrested 
and  decayed.  Mr.  Douglas  undertook  to  investigate  the  case,  Dr. 
Masters  observing  that  the  bulbs  might  not  have  been  properly  ripened 
before  lifting. 
Drift  Wood  from  Arctic  Seas.— Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  exhibited  speci¬ 
mens  of  wood  obtained  by  Dr.  Nansen.  They  had  travellei  from 
Siberia  to  Franz  Joseph  Land,  and  consisted  of  the  Siberian  Pinus 
cembra  (dwarf  form),  Willow,  Elm,  &c. 
Extinct  Plants — The  number  of  species  of  plants  which  have 
become  extinct  is  very  large,  and  yec  generic  groups  rarely  die 
oat.  Comparative  researches  show  that  much  the  greater  proportion  of 
plants  whose  remains  have  been  preserved  in  a  fossil  condition  from 
earlier  geologic  periods  belong  to  the  genera  which  are  represented 
by  plants  now  living,  although  manv  of  these  existing  plants  differ 
specifically  from  the  earlier  ones.  From  this  it  seems  tbat  new  types 
are  outgrowing  the  old  ones  constantly  and  take  their  place  in  the 
general  scheme  of  life. 
