April  1,  1^7. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
275 
! 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  for  1897. 
June  17th  (Thursday). — Colchester  and  Ryde. 
„  18th  (Friday). — Portsmouth  (N.R.S.). 
„  26th  (Saturday). — Windsor. 
,,  29th  (Tuesday). — Canterbury,  Sutton,  and  Westminster  (R.H.S.). 
,,  30th  (Wednesday). — Croydon. 
July  2nd  (Friday). — Crystal  Palace  (N.R  S.). 
,,  7th  (Wednesday).— Glasgow  and  Reigate. 
„  8th  (Thursday). — Bath,  Gloucester,  and  Woodbridge. 
„  15th  (Thursday). — Norwich  (N.R.S.)  and  Helensburgh. 
,,  22nd  (Thursday). — Halifax  and  Trentham. 
„  27th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
The  above  are  the  only  dates  definitely  fixed  that  have  as  yet  reached  i 
me.  I  shall  be  glad  to  insert  in  the  next  list,  which  will  be  issued  about 
the  middle  of  April,  any  further  fixtures  that  may  be  sent  me. — 
Edward  Mawley,  Roselank,  Berkhampsted,  Herts. 
N.R.S.  Southern  •  Show. 
Local  considerations  having  rendered  any  day  in  the  Diamond 
Jubilee  week  impracticable,  the  date  of  the  National  Rose  Society’s 
Southern  Show  at  Portsmouth  has  been  changed  from  Wednesday, 
June  23rd,  to  Friday,  June  18th. 
Rose  Budding  in  February. 
I  often  get  letters  with  questions  on  Rose  culture,  which  I  answer 
to  the  best  of  my  ability  ;  and  I  think  the  subject  matter  of  one  lately 
received  ia  worthy  of  record.  1  was  asked  when  it  would  be  advisab’e 
to  cut  back  the  laterals  of  stocks  budded  last  month  (February).  Budding 
under  glass  being  rather  unusual,  as  grafting  is  the  mode  generally 
adopted,  I  asked  for  more  particulars.  My  correspondent — Lady  Fawen 
of  Bealings  House,  near  Woodbridge — then  informed  me,  to  my  astonish¬ 
ment,  that  the  budding  was  done  out  of  doors,  and  appeared  to  be  quite 
successful.  She  received  some  Marie  Van  Houtte  Roses  by  post  from 
Nice.  Though  four  days  en  route  they  arrived  in  such  good  condition, 
with  such  nice  plump  buds  for  working,  that  she  was  tempted  to  try  them. 
Some  old  standard  stocks  were  soon  discovered  in  an  orchard  which  were 
not  utilised  last  summer,  and  had  last  year’s  laterals  still  remaining,  and 
just  (but,  of  course,  only  just,  as  it  was  February  16th)  commencing  to 
grow  afreBh.  The  bark  did  not  rise  very  well,  but  the  buds  were  put  in. 
and  would  I  come  and  satisfy  myself  as  to  their  being  thoroughly  alive  ? 
I  would,  and  I  did,  on  March  24th,  five  weeks  after  the  budding.  As 
far  as  I  could  see  every  bud  had  taken,  most  of  them  had  swelled,  two 
had  actually  commenced  to  grow,  and  the  cuts  were  healed.  I  could 
only  say  I  wished  that  every  one  of  my  Tea  buds,  put  in  last  July, 
looked  as  well. 
I  was  also  shown  some  Scarlet  Thorns  which  were  budded  instead  of 
grafted  in  March  on  White  Thorn  some  years  ago ;  they  were  nice  young 
trees,  and  the  unions  appeared  perfectly  sound.  This  last  success — 
sound  unions — may  yet  prove  not  to  have  taken  place  with  the  Tea 
Roses,  but,  after  all  there  does  not  seem  any  reason  why  budding  should 
not  be  successful  on  old  wood  at  any  time  as  long  as  the  sap  is  in  full 
motion,  and  no  check  takes  place. 
The  experiment  has  at  all  events  been  successful  at  present.  I  should 
not  recommend  it  as  a  rule  without  further  test,  and  I  fancy  Tea  Roses 
have  never  been  budded  out  of  doors  in  Suffolk  in  the  middle  of 
February  before. — W.  R.  Raillem. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
March  23rd. 
Scientific  Committee. — Present :  Rev.  W.  Dod  (in  the  chair)  ; 
Mr.  Douglas,  Mr.  Michael,  Dr.  Muller,  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  Dr.  Bonavia, 
and  Rev.  G.  Henslow  (Hon.  Sec). 
Bulls  with  Arrested  Roots. — With  reference  to  the  samples  sent  to 
the  last  meeting  by  Mr.  Atkinson,  Mr.  Douglas  was  of  opinion  that  the 
treatment  had  perhaps  not  been  quite  advisable,  for  he  thought  that 
they  should  have  been  put  out  of  doors,  and  not  in  a  shed,  and  covered 
with  6  inches  of  cocoa-nut  fibre.  If,  however,  there  was  something 
deleterious  in  the  compost  Bent  for  inspection,  this  could  be  at  once 
ascertained  by  analysis.  Such,  however,  would  be  beyond  the  province 
of  the  Society. 
Wireworms  among  Carnations. — Mr.  Weguelin  of  Torquay  asks  for 
remedies  against  this  trouble.  The  suggestions  of  linseed  cake,  carrot, 
scooped  out  potatoes,  as  for  slugs,  &c.,  were  made,  but  it  would  appear 
that  in  the  present  case  they  are  too  numerous  for  such  traps,  as  indeed 
the  writer  admits.  Gas  lime  was  recommended  as  the  only  very  efficient 
remedy,  but  it  might  injure  the  Carnations.  The  land  having  been 
well  dressed  with  lime  or  soot  shows  that  these  ingredients  are  quite 
insufficient,  though  gas  lime  would  probably  have  been  effective. 
Carnation  Leaves  Diseas'd — Mr.  Fagents  of  Honey  Pots,  Westfield, 
Woking,  sent  some  leaves  with  peculiar  red  streaks  upon  them.  They 
were  forwarded  to  Kew  for  further  investigation. 
Germination  of  Mushrooms. — Inquiries  were  made  by  Mr.  Baker  of 
Cobham  Park  as  to  somewhat  contradictory  statements  in  books  upon 
this  subject,  as  in  Mr.  J.  Wright’s  “  Primer  of  Horticulture  ”  it  is  stated 
that  it  has  been  observed,  whereas  in  Dr.  Scott’s  “  Flowerless  Plants  ” 
(page  268),  it  appears  to  have  never  been  seen.  Mr  W.  G.  Smith,  having 
been  appealed  to  by  the  Secretary  for  his  opinion,  writes  as  follows  : — 
“  I  have  many  times  seen  the  spores  of  the  Mushroom  and  its  allies 
germinating.  With  me  they  have  often  quickly  germinated  on  glasB, 
and  more  often  on  moist  blotting  paper.  The  fungi  must  be  allowed  to 
shed  their  ripe  spores  on  to  the  moist  paper.  After  a  day  or  two  a 
damp  microscopic  slide  must  be  placed  upon  the  part  of  the  damp  paper 
where  the  spores  have  fallen,  and  it  will  often  happen  that  some  will 
be  found  to  have  germinated.  I  have  seen  the  germinating  examples 
whilst  drawing  the  spores  with  a  camera  lucida.  .  .  .  Messrs.  Wood 
of  Wood  Green  managed  fb  get  spawn  of  the  Morel  (from  material 
sent  by  me)  to  germinate  and  form  spawn.  I  once  exhibited  before  the 
R.H.S.  examples  of  Coprinus  atramentarius  raised  by  me  from  spores. 
This  species  can  be  easily  raised  (and  it  is  not  very  far  removed  from 
the  Mushroom)  from  spore  to  perfect  fungus.  The  time  it  takes  is  three 
months.  I  believe  some  of  the  French  manufacturers  of  Mushroom 
spawn  have  raised  Mushrooms  direct  from  the  spores.  The  spores  of 
some  of  the  allies  of  the  Mushroom  germinate  readily  in  expressed 
juice  of  horse  dung.  I  have  many  times  seen  them,  and  am  not  the 
only  person  who  has  seen  them  on  glass.” 
Trametes  radiceperda,  Hartig. — Dr.  Plowright  sent  a  specimen  of 
this  fungus  “  to  illustrate  the  mode  in  which  it  developes  its  hymeno- 
phore  upon  the  roots  of  an  affected  Scotch  Fir.  The  hymenium  is 
resupinate.  The  fungus  finds  an  entrance  into  the  roots  of  living  Fir 
trees  by  the  extremities  of  the  mycelian  hyphae  insinuating  themselves 
between  the  bark  scales.  It  rapidly  extends  between  the  living  bark 
and  wood,  and  soon  reaches  the  wood  itself,  which  it  at  once  destroys. 
The  mycelium  can  travel  in  the  ground  from  tree  to  tree.” 
Barley -smut. —  Dr.  Plowright  also  sent  the  following  communication 
upon  the  injurious  effect  of  this  fungus  upon  the  colour  of  the  crop. 
“  It  is  only  a  few  years  ago— a  very  few  when  one  looks  back  upon  it — 
that  our  attention  was  drawn  by  Mr.  J.  L  Jensen'of  Copenhagen  to  the 
fact  that  there  are  two  distinct  kinds  of  smut  upon  Barley.  At  first 
there  was  a  considerable  disinclination  to  regard  these  two  smuts  ag 
being  due  to  two  distinct  species  of  Ustilago  ;  but  since  they  are  not  only 
easily  distinguishable  by  the  unaided  eye,  but  also  differ  in  the  size  and 
form  of  their  spores,  and  as  the  latter  have  been  found  to  germinate  in  a 
totallv  distinct  manner,  there  is  now  no  doubt  about  it.  Our  American 
confreres  at  the  time  repeated  the  protective  measures  suggested  by  Mr. 
Jensen,  and  confirmed  their  efficacy  ;  but  here  the  matter  stopped,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  the  damage  done  by  smut  was  trivial,  and  from  a 
monetary  point  of  view  the  dressing  of  seed  Barley  was  a  needless 
expense.  A  few  days  ago  a  circumstance  came  under  my  notice  which 
materially  alteis  the  complexion  of  the  case.  A  gentleman  who  is  rather 
an  extensive  grower  of  Bariev  in  West  Norfolk  drew  my  attention  to  the 
fact  that  two  years  ago  his  Barley  was  of  an  excellent  colour,  while  it 
was  in  the  stack  ;  but  when  it  was  threshed  it  was  so  discoloured  that  he 
had  to  accept  a  very  low  price  indeed  for  it.  He  attributed  the  damage 
in  colour  to  the  number  of  smutted  ears  which  remained  intact  when 
the  crop  was  harvested,  but  which,  by  being  broken  up  in  the  process  of 
threshing,  discoloured  the  whole  sample,  just  in  the  same  way  as  bunted 
Wheat  does.  Fortunately  he  had  kept  some  of  this  discoloured  Barley. 
On  inspection  it  looks  as  if  it  had  been  damaged  by  exposure  to  the 
weather.  When  a  little  of  it,  however,  is  shaken  in  a  test  tube  with 
clean  water  the  water  becomes  discoloured,  and  a  drop  placed  under  the 
microscope  is  seen  to  be  full  of  Ustilago  spores.  So  convinced  was  this 
gentleman  of  the  cause  of  the  discolouration  that  in  the  next  season  he 
dressed  his  seed  Barley  with  the  ordinary  sulphate  of  copper  dressing, 
which  is  used  for  seed  Wheat  for  the  prevention  of  bunt.  The  result 
was  eminently  satisfactory  ;  for  that  year  his  crop  was  free  from  the 
disease,  and  the  gra;n,  of  good  colour,  realised  a  proportionately  good 
price.  The  ordinary  Ustilago  carbo,  as  it  used  to  be  called,  has  no 
detrimental  effect  on  Barley,  beyond  destroying  a  certain  percentage  of 
plants,  its  spores  being  all  blown  away  long  before  the  harvest ;  but 
with  the  species  in  question,  which,  by  the  way,  has  received  already  a 
considerable  number  of  names— Mr.  Jenseh  originally  called  variety 
tecta — the  ears  retain  their  shape,  the  awns  do  not  fall  off,  and  the 
kernels  are  converted  into  solid  compact  masses  of  black  spores  ;  not  so 
compact,  however,  as  to  withstand  the  concussion  of  the  threshing 
machine  without- being  disintegrated  into  fine  powder,  which  becomes 
scattered  over  the  healthy  kernels.”  With  this  communication  were 
received  : — “  (1)  Specimen  of  the  compact  form  of  Barley-smut,  gathered 
on  the  15th  of  last  July,  at  which  time  the  common  Barley -smut  had  all 
disappeared  from  the  field.  (2)  Three  samples  of  Barley,  two  of  which 
are  discoloured  by  the  smut,  as  may  be  shown  by  shaking  them  in 
water  and  examining  the  washings.  (3)  A  sample  of  healthy  Barley  from 
which  no  spores  could  be  washed.” 
A  vote  of  thanks  was  unanimously  given  to  Dr.  Plowright  for  his 
interesting  communications. 
Portugal  Laurel  icith  Defective  Foliage. — Rev.  W.  Wilks  showed 
branches,  one  healthy  for  comparison,  the  other  showing  a  silvery 
appearance.  It  is  a  well-known  case,  and  apparently  attributable  to 
defective  nutrition.  The  peculiarity  resides  in  the  fact  that  the  upper 
epidermis  becomes  detached,  and  the  presence  of  air  gives  the  whitish 
appearance.  The  palisade  tissue  also  separates  readily  from  the 
meeophyl,  and  its  cells  are  easily  broken  asunder.  There  is  no  trace  of 
