388 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  6,  1897 
“Journal  of  Horticulture ”  Editorial  Department. — 
From  the  present  date,  and  until  further  notice,  it  is  particularly 
requested  that  all  letters  and  parcels  intended  for  the  Editor,  also  all 
communications  for  insertion  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture ,  be 
addressed  to  8,  Rose  Hill  Road,  Wandsworth,  London,  S  W.  N.B  — 
Business  letters  and  advertisements  must  be  addressed  to  the  City  Office. 
-  Weather  in  London. — The  latter  half  of  last  week  brought 
with  it  a  considerable  amount  of  rain,  which  fell  in  heavy  showers 
at  irregular  intervals.  With  Sunday  there  came  a  pleasant  change, 
tor  though  the  wind  was  still  cold  the  sun  shone  brilliantly  from  an 
almoBt  cloudless  sky.  Monday  and  Tuesday  were  also  fine,  though  it 
was  occasionally  cloudy  on  the  latter  day.  Wednesday  was  wet  and 
cooler. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — The  past  fortnight  has  been 
marked  by  cold  ungenial  weather.  Although  there  has  been  a  good  deal 
of  sunshine  the  nights  have  frequently  been  frosty,  and  high,  dry,  biting 
winds  have  prevailed.  On  the  morning  of  the  1st  there  were  3°  frost. 
On  Monday  the  hills  all  round  were  whitened  nearly  to  their  bases  with 
snow  and  hail,  and  there  was  sharp  frost  at  night.— B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Boyal  Horticultural  Society.— The  next  Fruit  and  Floral 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 
May  11th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster, 
1  to  5  p.m.  At  three  o’clock  a  lecture  will  be  given  by  Mr.  G.  Massee, 
F.L.S.,  on  “  Diseases  of  Plants,  Especially  of  Orchids. ’’ 
-  A  March  Gale. — Mr.  R.  West,  Northlands,  Salisbury,  writes  : 
— “  I  send  you  a  photo  of  the  effects  of  the  gale  here  on  Ash  Wednesday, 
but  the  enclosed  can  give  no  idea  of  the  destruction  it  caused.  It  nearly 
cleared  the  centre  of  the  Scotch  Fir  plantation.  I  also  send  one  of 
an  Araucaria  imbricata  growing  on  the  lawn,  but  it  is  not  a  good 
representation.  The  specimen  is  about  45  feet  high,  well  furnished  to 
the  ground,  and  bearing  this  year  seventy-eight  cones.  It  has  borne  from 
thirty  to  fifty  corns  yearly  since  1887.”  [Each  of  the  photos  was  very 
interesting,  but  unfortunately  neither  was  suitable  for  reproduction. 
The  Araucaria  is  evidently  very  handsome.] 
-  Crystal  Palace  Show. — The  managers  of  this  popular 
resort  have  arranged  to  hold  what  they  term  a  Great  Victorian  Era 
Flower  Show  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  June  23rd  and  24th. 
Besides  the  Crystal  Palace  commemorative  gold  medal,  £350  is  being 
offered  in  prizes  in  the  several  classes  scheduled.  What  may  be  termed 
the  principal  class  is  for  a  miscellaneous  group  of  plants  introduced 
during  Her  Majesty’s  reign,  to  be  arranged  in  a  semicircular  space 
not  exceeding  500  square  feet.  The  premier  award  will  be  the  gold 
medal  just  mentioned.  For  a  group  of  Begonias  £20  is  offered,  and  for 
an  arrangement  of  Coniferas  £35  ;  Palms  taking  a  similar  amount. 
The  prizes  in  the  remaining  classes  are  equally  generous,  and  a  superb 
display  should  result.  All  communications  relative  1o  the  Show  must 
be  addressed  to  the  General  Manager,  Crystal  Palace,  S.E. 
-  Monstera  deliciosa. — This  handsome  Aroid  deserves  to  be 
more  generally  known  and  grown  than  it  is.  It  is  not  only  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  effective  of  ornamental- foliage  stove  plants,  but  is  also 
greatly  esteemed  for  the  luscious  fruit  which  it  produces  when  the  plant 
has  attained  a  fair  size.  In  order,  however,  to  thoroughly  ripen  the 
fruit,  a  high  and  moist  temperature  is  Decessary,  in  addition  to  which 
the  fruit  must  be  exposed  to  the  sun’s  rays  as  much  as  possible.  My 
object,  however,  in  writing  this  note  is  not  to  direct  attention  to  its 
fruiting  qualities  so  much  a9  to  its  great  adaptability  for  planting  out 
to  cover  bare  walls  in  plant  stoves  and  tropical  ferneries.  The  plants 
grow  luxuriantly  against  the  walls,  the  long  roots  cling  and  penetrate 
the  interstices  of  the  brickwork  and  descend  for  many  feet  into  the 
rock  beds  below.  The  peculiar  appearance  of  its  roots  thus  ramifying 
and  descending  in  every  direction,  coupled  with  the  beautifully  cut  or 
slit-like  formation  of  its  handsome  dark  green  foliage,  lender  it  a  most 
desirable  plant  for  the  purpose  I  have  mentioned  ;  especially  so  wheD, 
as  in  our  case,  the  interior  of  the  fernery  is  arranged  as  naturally  and  as 
informally  as  possible.  I  need  scarcely  add  that  this  Aroid,  similarly 
to  its  congeners,  requires  abundance  of  moisture. — 8. 
-  Gardening  Appointment.— Mr.  George  Thomas,  late  fore¬ 
man  at  Hutton  Hall,  Guisborough,  has  been  appointed  to  succeed  Mr- 
Kneller  as  head  gardener  to  the  Marquis  of  Ripon  at  Studley  Royal,. 
Ripon,  Yorks. 
-  Royal  Botanic  Gardens.— We  learn  that  Indian  Rhodo¬ 
dendrons  and  large  Azaleas  are  now  in  flower  in  the  conservatories, 
and  a  very  good  collection  of  Japanese  dwarfed  plants,  juBt  imported, 
has  been  lent  to  the  Society  for  exhibition  by  Mr.  H.  M.  Beddington. 
and  Mr.  Claude  Beddington. 
-  All  the  Year  Round  Stock. — This  is  an  odd  name  for  a 
sweet-scented  Stock  of  the  Intermediate  type,  bat  the  appellation 
seems  to  be  justified  by  the  undoubted  fact  that  if  plants  be  raised 
from  seed  sown  in  July,  are  kept  housed  in  pots  all  the  winter  in  a 
cool  house  or  frame,  or  if  wanted  to  bloom  early,  then  in  a  little 
warmth,  they  flower  profusely  all  t^e  late  winter  and  spring,  then  thfr 
flowers,  hard  cut  for  bunching  or  other  purpose,  and  the  plants  after  they 
have  broken  afresh  stood  or  planted  outdoors,  they  will  bloom  afresh ,. 
and  do  so  all  the  summer.  The  variety  is  one  of  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons’ 
novelties,  has  flowers  of  the  purest  white,  and  carries  75  per  cent,  of 
double  flowers. — A.  D. 
-  The  Woolly  Aphis,  or  American  Blight. — Can  anyone- 
tell  us  why  this  is  called  the  American  blight  ?  I  have  been  asked  the 
question  many  times  when  giving  lectures  or  technical  instruction  on 
horticulture  in  Warwickshire,  where  the  pests  are  rampant.  I  have 
also  found  some  very  bad  cases  of  Pear  trees  on  w'alls  infested,  and 
consequently  difficult  to  deal  with  at  the  back  of  the  branches.  I  have 
never  met  with  a  case  of  attack  on  Plum  trees,  as  stated  on  page  347.  I 
wonder  whether  the  pest  was  as  prevalent  in  England  before  America- 
was  discovered  ?  Some  old  Crab  trees  one  comes  across  occasionally 
which  are  a  mass  of  knobs  caused  by  these  pests  look  as  though  they  had 
supported  these  pe9ts  some  centuries. — J.  Hiam,  Astwood  Ranh. 
-  Ingredients  OF  the  Soil. — Dr.  Clark,  in  a  lecture  recently 
delivered  at  Ripon,  said  the  best  way  of  ascertaining  the  true  character 
of  the  soil  is  to  get  the  plants  to  tell  themselves  what  the  soil  does  or 
does  not  contain.  If  four  plots,  each  10  feet  by  5  feet,  are  taken  from 
a  grass  field  and  treated  with  different  kinds  of  manures — the  first  with 
potash  and  phbsphate,  the  second  with  potash  and  nitrogen,  the  third 
with  phosphate  and  nitrogen,  and  the  fourth  with  potash,  phosphate,  and 
nitrogen — it  is  possible  by  comparing  the  results  in  each  case  to  ascertain 
whether  the  soil  is  deficient  in  potash,  phosphate,  or  nitrogen,  and  to  act 
accordingly.  This  is  a  practical  test  which  shows  not  so  much  what 
plant  food  the  soil  contains  as  the  amount  the  plants  are  capable  of 
getting  out  of  the  soil,  and  it  is,  in  Dr.  Clark’s  opinion,  of  greater  value 
to  farmers  than  chemical  analysis. 
-  Pyrus  spectabilis. — One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  many 
Bpecies  of  the  Pyrus  grown  solely  for  ornamental  purposes  is  the  one 
under  notice.  It  is  a  native  of  China  and  Japan.  In  this  country  it  is 
usually  found  growing  to  a  height  of  from  15  to  20  feet,  with  a  large 
spreading  head.  The  flowers  are  produced  in  great  abundance  about 
the  end  of  April  ;  they  are  2  inches  across,  pink  in  colour,  and  single¬ 
in  the  type.  There  is,  however,  a  variety  which  has  white  flowers, 
and  another  which  has  semi-double  flowers.  The  latter  for  general 
purposes  can  be  special’y  recommended,  the  flowers  being  of  the  same 
colour,  and  lasting  longer  than  those  of  the  type.  The  foliage  of  tnis 
plant  in  autumn  is  an  additional  recommendation,  the  leaves  for 
several  weeks  before  falling  being  of  beautiful  shades  of  orange  and  red. 
For  large  or  small  gardens  this  tree  will  be  found  acceptable,  being 
easily  kept  within  bounds  by  careful  pruning. — W. 
-  Prunus  pseudo-cerasus. — A  short  time  ago  a  plate  of  this- 
beautiful  Prunus  was  published  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  and  a 
glance  at  that  cannot  fail  to  impress  anyone  favourably.  Good  as  the 
plate  is,  however,  it  cannot  convey  a  true  idea  of  the  charming  picture 
a  fine  specimen  of  this  tree  makes  when  in  flower.  Being  of  very  free 
growth  long  strong  shoots  are  made  each  year,  and  along  the  whole 
length  of  these  the  large  bunches  of  flowers  shown  in  the  above-men¬ 
tioned  plate  are  produced.  The  flowers  are  often  2  inches  across,  pink 
in  colour,  and  semi-double.  On  different  plants,  however,  the  colour 
varies,  some  having  almost  whffe  flowers,  whilst  others  are  deep  rose. 
A  variety  is  also  in  cultivation  having  greenish-yellow  flowers.  When 
planting  rich  soil  should  be  given,  as  it  is  a  gross  feeder.  Plantg 
growing  in  good  ground  flower  with  much  greater  freedom  than  others 
of  the  pame  age  planted  in  poorer  soil.  This  plant  is  a  native  of 
China  and  Japan.  As  it  becomes  better  known  it  is  sure  to  find  it» 
way  into  the  front  rank  of  flowering  trees. — W.  D. 
