270 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
-  The  Queen’s  Gardener.  —  We  understand  that  by  the 
gracious  invitation  of  Her  Majesty  Mr.  Owen  Thomas  will  shortly 
enjoy  a  fortnight’s  holiday  in  the  south  of  France — a  sojourn  that  will 
no  doubt  prove  to  be  very  delightful. 
-  Eari/s  Spring  Visitors. — Swallows  have  made  their  appear¬ 
ance  here,  two  having  been  seen  on  Saturday,  March  27th,  which,  I 
think,  is  the  earliest  recorded  date.  The  dates  for  1894,  1895,  and  1896 
were  April  4th,  9th,  and  3rd  respectively.  It  may  also  be  of  interest  to 
some  of  your  readers  to  know  that  I  cut  100  heads  of  Asparagus  from  out 
of  doors  on  March  26th,  which  is  a  few  days  earlier  than  last  year.  The 
very  mild  nights  and  bright  days  is  bringing  things  on  apace. — 
C.  Orchard,  Bembridge,  I.  W. 
-  The  Season  in  the  1'sle  of  Wight.— During  the  month  of 
March  winds  have  bten  high  and  rains  heavy  in  the  Garden  Isle  ;  still 
vegetation  has  developed  rapidly  in  all  parts  of  the  island.  Mr.  A.  Gell, 
Sandown,  has  been  pulling  Rhubarb  in  the  open  air  since  February  26th  ; 
Mr.  C.  Orchard,  Bembridge,  made  his  first  cutting  of  Asparagus  on  the 
26th  of  March.  On  Saturday,  March  27th,  several  Pear  trees  were 
observed  in  full  bloom  in  Westhill  Gardens,  Yarmouth,  I.W.  In  many 
parts  of  the  island  early  Potatoes  are  up,  whilst  Peas  are  staked  in 
several  gardens.  There  is  an  abundant  show  of  bloom  in  the  woods  and 
hedgerows  of  Primroses,  Daffodils,  Violets,  and  Periwinkles. — S.  H. 
-  Cinerarias  at  Perry  Hill.  —  The  beauty  of  collections 
of  Cinerarias  when  in  full  flower  has  frequently  been  extolled  in  the 
pages  of  the  Journal  of  H$rticulture,  while  their  culture  has  often  been 
described  by  masters  in  the  art  of  growing  them.  A  few  lines  may, 
1  owever,  be  devoted  to  a  brief  reference  to  what  may  be  termed  a 
London  display,  which  is  now  on  view  at  the  Perry  Hill  Nurseries 
(f  Messrs.  Jas.  Carter  &  Co.,  High  Holborn.  There  may  be  found  a 
large  house  completely  filled  with  splendidly  grown  plants,  carrying 
thousands  of  shapely,  variously  hued  flowers.  The  plants  are  not  so 
dwarf  as  those  of  some  other  strains,  but  this,  to  my  mind,  is  by  no 
means  a  disadvantage,  for  it  allows  of  the  flowers  showing  themselves  off 
much  better  than  could  otherwise  be  the  case.  The  individual  blooms 
are  excellent  in  shape,  the  petals  overlapping,  with  in  several  cases 
remarkable  evenness.  The  colours  comprise  whites,  reds,  and  all 
shades  of  blues.  The  strain  is  known  as  Carter’s  Brilliant  Prize 
Cinerarias. — H. 
-  Potato  Scab  and  a  New  Remedy. — The  scab  disease  of 
Potatoes  causes  annually  an  enormous  loss  throughout  the  country,  and 
the  fact  that  ground  on  which  the  crop  is  scabby  one  year  is  infected 
with  the  germs  of  the  disease,  wlr'ch  will  necessitate  its  being  used  for 
some  other  crop  the  next  year,  is  an  important  factor  in  some  sections 
where  it  is  not  customary  to  follow  a  strict  rotation.  There  have  been 
various  trials  of  germicides  and  antiseptics  as  preventives  of  the 
disease,  but  Potato  growers  have  generally  followed  the  practice  of 
soaking  the  “  seed  ”  for  a  couple  of  hours  in  a  solution  of  corrosive 
sublimate,  a  substance  which,  while  most  effective  as  a  germicide, 
demands  that  it  be  handled  with  great  precaution  because  of  its  very 
dangerously  poisonous  properties.  However,  its  use  has  been  rapidly 
and  largely  extending,  and  we  have  not  hesitated  to  advise  its  employ¬ 
ment  whenever  asked  to  prescribe  for  Potato  scab.  Dr.  Byron  D. 
Halstead  of  New  Jersey,  in  the  year  1895,  made  a  series  of  trials  which 
led  to  the  conclusion  that  flowers  of  sulphar  dusted  in  the  rows  acted 
most  beneficially  as  a  preventive,  but  we  do  not  know  that  any 
extended  trials  with  this  material  were  subsequently  made.  In  the 
search  for  a  preventive  it  is  highly  desirable  that  some  less  dangerous 
body  than  corrosive  sublimate  be  discovered,  and  it  is,  therefore,  with 
much  delight  that  we  note  Dr.  J.  C.  Arthur,  botanist  at  Purdue  Univer¬ 
sity,  reports  favourably  on  the  use  of  formalin,  a  substance  which  has 
been  largely  experimented  with  of  late  as  an  antiseptic  and  germicide  by 
physicians  and  biologists  generally  in  hospital  and  laboratory  practice,  and 
which  has  given  much  satisfaction.  As  this  substance  is  not  dangerous, 
not  expensive,  and  is  a  powerful  germicide,  the  preliminary  notice  just 
issued  is  an  important  vindication  of  experiment  station  work.  Further 
information  is  promised  shortly  ;  in  the  meantime  the  following  quota¬ 
tion  will  explain  the  method  of  use: — “  Eight  ounces  of  the  formalin 
are  added  to  15  gallons  of  water,  and  in  this  the  seed  Potatoes  are  soaked 
for  two  hours.  After  being  taken  from  the  bath  they  can  be  cut  and 
planted  as  usual,  either  at  once  or  after  some  time.  Formalin  is  not 
corrosive,  and  so  can  be  used  in  any  kind  of  vessel,  and  not  being  poison¬ 
ous  there  are  no  particular  precautions  to  be  observed.  It  does,  however, 
make  the  hands  smart  if  there  are  any  raw  spots,  and  the  fumes  irritate 
the  eyes  and  throat.  Bat  these  are  only  slight  annoyances.” — 
'*  American  Gardening.’ ) 
April  1  1897. 
-  The  National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association. — The 
National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association  will  visit  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons’  Nursery,  Surbiton,  on  Saturday,  10th  April,  leaving  Waterloo 
(South  Station)  at  2.33  p.m.  Return  fare  to  members,  Is.  3d.,  on  applica¬ 
tion  to  the  Hon.  Secretary  —  Leonard  Brown,  The  Cottage,  Seven 
Arches,  Brentwood. 
-  “Ferns  and  Fern  Allies.”  —  We  have  received  a  small 
pamphlet  containing  a  list  of  the  Ferns  and  Fern  allies  (all  the  vascular 
Cryptogams)  that  are  cultivated  in  the  University  Botanic  Gardens  at 
Cambridge.  The  list  occupies  eight  pages,  and  comprises  hundreds  of 
names.  The  preparation  must  have  entailed  a  considerable  amount  of 
work  on  Mr.  R.  Irwin  Lynch,  the  Curator,  by  whom  it  was  undertaken. 
-  Violets  from  the  North. — As  Violets  are  attracting  a  good 
deal  of  attention  at  the  present  time,  I  am  sending  you  a  few  blooms  of 
a  new  variety  that  originated  here  a  few  years  ago  as  a  sport  from 
Count  Brazza’s  White  Neapolitan.  In  its  charming  colour  and  fragrance 
it  seems  identical  with  the  old  Neapolitan,  but  it  is  a  much  stronger 
grower.  The  flowers  are  not  so  large  as  last  year,  owing  to  the  plants 
having  suffered  a  good  deal  from  red  spider  last  summer. — North 
Northumbrian.  [The  specimdhs  were  excellent,  and  the  variety  is 
evidently  well  worth  growing.] 
-  Potato  Pests  in  America. — For  some  years  past  Potatoes 
in  many  parts  of  the  country  have  shown  unsightly  pimples  or 
projections  on  their  surface,  which  have  seriously  diminished  their 
value.  The  cause  of  this  pimply  condition  has  not  been  thoroughly 
understood  until  certain  investigations  carried  on  by  the  New  York 
Experiment  Station  in  Long  Island  showed  that  the  injury  was  worked 
by  a  small  flea-like  beetle,  well  known  as  the  black  Cucumber  beetle, 
which  has  been  detected  in  eating  holes  into  the  leaves  of  the  Potato 
and  Tomato  just  as  it  does  in  the  leaves  of  the  Cucumber.  These 
voracious  insects,  however,  are  not  the  immediate  cause  of  the  mischief, 
but  minute  white  grubs  which  are  hatched  from  the  eggs  laid  by  the 
female  beetle.  These  grubs  burrow  into  the  tuber  and  cause  the  pimples 
and  the  sliver-like  projections  which  accompany  them.  The  pimples 
result,  it  is  probable,  from  the  irritation  caused  by  the  worm,  and  the 
slivers  are  slender  canals  in  which  a  single  grub  feeds.  Either  one  of 
these  characteristics  of  the  disease  may  be  found  without  the  other. 
Bulletin  113  from  the  Geneva  Station  gives  this  important  information, 
and  states  clearly  how  the  disease  can  be  controlled.  The  Bordeaux 
mixture,  which  has  been  found  useful  for  so  many  purposes,  is  an 
efficient  remedy  here  alio,  and  when  thoroughly  and  intelligently 
applied  it  keeps  the  beetles  away  from  the  plants. — (“  Garden  and 
Forest.’^) 
-  Wakefield  Paxton  Society. — “ Some  Phases  of  Bird  Life” 
was  the  title  of  a  most  interesting  lecture  delivered  by  Mr.  George 
Parkin,  at  the  Paxton  Society’s  meeting,  on  Saturday  evening  the  18th 
ult.  Cr.  Milnes  occupied  the  chair,  and  Mr.  Herbert  Chapman  the  vice¬ 
chair.  The  Chairman  at  once  made  way  for  the  lecturer,  who  treated 
his  audience  to  a  lecture  on  some  of  the  less  known  and  less  common 
features  of  bird  life.  The  various  subjects  treated  were  beautifully 
illustrated  with  limelight  views,  ably  shown  by  Mr.  Harold  Parkin,  son 
of  the  lecturer.  The  first  picture  was  a  “  freak,”  and  this  was  the  only 
one  of  the  kind  shown  throughout  the  evening.  Amongst  other  birds 
exhibited  were  pheasants  of  all  varieties,  such  as  the  white,  or  albino 
pheasants,  female  birds  assuming  the  plumage  of  the  male  ;  pied  birds, 
with  some  illustrations  of  almost  white  blackbirds ;  cream  coloured 
starlings,  pied  sparrows,  pied  robin?,  cream  coloured  swallows,  the 
cuckoo,  the  renowned  great  awk,  the  principal  British  divers — the  great 
northern  diver,  the  black-throated  diver,  and  the  red-thioated  diver. 
Some  curious  specimens  of  birds’  nests  were  also  given,  showing  the 
wonderful  adaptation  to  circumstances  exhibited  by  the  birds  when 
building.  The  concluding  slides  were  mostly  of  sea  birds  and  their 
homes,  the  various  breeding  ground*  on  our  coasts,  with  such  well- 
known  places  as  Flamborough.  The  methods  employed  for  obtaining 
these  eggs  were  also  lucidly  explained,  and  examples  shown  on  the 
screen.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  unanimously  awarded  the  lecturer  and 
the  lanternist  for  their  services,  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Webster,  seconded 
by  Mr.  L.  Dobinson.  The  Vice-Chairman  announced  the  death  of  Dr. 
Hogg,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  a  well- 
known  writer  on  these  matters,  and  a  friend  of  the  Wakefield  Paxton 
Society,  He  (Mr.  Chapman)  moved  a  vote  of  condolence  with  Dr. 
Hogg’s  family.  This  was  seconded  by  Mr.  George  Gill  of  Eastmoor,  a 
personal  friend  of  Dr.  Hogg’s,  who,  on  the  occasion  of  his  last  visit  to 
Wakefield,  paid  a  visit  to  his  garden,  admired  his  extensive  and  beautiful 
display  of  Tulips,  and  made  some  interesting  comments  upon  them. 
