460 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  2?,  189?, 
4  inches  in  width  at  its  widest  part — i.e  ,  where  it  is  to  form  a 
junction  with  the  body  of  the  bouquet.  These  showers  should  be 
finished  off  with  a  strong  stem,  and  then  tied  to  the  body  of  the 
bouquet,  in  the  front  of  it ;  the  back  will  thus  be  rather  high  and 
straight,  «o  that  the  showers  appear  to  fall  from  the  hand  or  down 
when  the  bouquet  is  carried.  Special  papers  are  made  for  bouquets 
of  this  style. 
A  modification  of  the  shower  bouquet,  which  is  now  much  used, 
is  of  the  old  round  form,  with  two  or  three  strings  of  flowers 
depending  from  it.  The  flowers  forming  these  strings  are  simply 
wired  together  in  little  bunches,  and  the  ends  of  the  wires  cut 
off  level  with  a  strong  pair  of  scissors  ;  each  little  bunch  is  then 
held  between  the  fingers  in  an  horizontal  position,  and  a  strong 
green  wire  bound  around  the  centre  of  the  wire  stems.  I  think 
the  matter  will  appear  quite  clear  to  anyone  when  I  say  that  when 
completed  and  fastened  to  the  bouquet  they  represent  little  sheaves 
of  flowers  dangling  on  a  string  from  it.  Bridesmaids’  bouquets  are 
usually  much  smaller  than  those  of  the  bride,  and  may  be  made  of 
flowers  of  any  colour,  but  only  one  colour  should,  as  a  rule,  be  used 
for  each. — H,  D. 
NOTES  FROM  IRELAND. 
Seldom,  probably,  has  the  season  now  with  us  been  fraught 
with  more  anxiety  or  beset  by  so  many  petty  vexations  to  those 
who,  as  farmers  or  gardeners,  look  to  the  land  for  its  manifold 
gifts  to  reward  their  labour  and  care.  At  present  an  active 
endeavour  to  overtake  long-deferred  arrears  of  work  shelves  for 
the  time  any  analysis  of  prospective  results,  and  even  those  who 
can  pause  and  consider  the  question  could  neither  venture  to  build 
any  great  hopes  on  present  appearances  nor  find  sufficient  ground 
for  despair. 
One  cursory  glance  over  the  past  ten  months,  independent  of 
weather  statistics,  leaves  the  vague  impression  that  it  has  been  one 
long  wet  period  ;  a  broken  summer  following  the  abnormal  drought 
prevailing  until  July,  1896,  was  well  in,  then  a  dripping  autumn, 
followed  by  a  winter  of  many  weathers  highly  diluted  with  water, 
and  the  wet  spring  up  till  recently  has  kept  the  land  saturated, 
prohibiting  to  a  great  extent  the  normal  work  of  preparation.  This 
at  least  is  the  case  in  heavy  retentive  soils  of  the  limestone 
district,  and  now,  in  the  middle  of  May,  Potato  planting  is  yet  in 
operation. 
My  friend  the  busy  man  is  not,  so  far  as  farming  operations 
are  concerned,  complaining  at  present,  although  he  grumbled  both 
loud  and  deep  during  the  weary  waiting  previously.  There  is, 
indeed,  no  time  for  lamentation  with  carts  going  in  one  direction, 
brakes,  harrow,  and  roller  in  another,  whilst  ever  and  anon  the 
rooks  go  screaming  off  one  corner  of  the  farm  at  the  smell  of  his 
powder  to  drop  silently  into  the  other.  It  is  a  stirring  time  truly  ; 
even  the  steady  farm  horses  as  they  come  up  between  the  long 
lines  of  field  Peas  seem  to  catch  the  spirit  of  activity,  and  require 
a  good  deal  of  managing  by  the  driver  to  tack  them  on  the  head¬ 
land  as  he  breaks  between  the  drills  or  moulds  them  up.  The 
effects  of  this  stirring  are  quickly  seen  in  the  colour  and  growth  of 
the  plant.  On  a  warm  southern  slope  nearer  to  Dublin  we  saw 
several  acres  of  Dickson’s  First  and  Best  in  bloom  on  May  10th. 
This  variety  finds  favour  in  leading  for  market  purposes,  and 
William  I.  comes  second. 
Another  important  crop  is  Strawberries,  of  which  it  is  as  yet 
premature  to  speak,  but  the  busy  man  thinks  highly  of  Boyal 
Sovereign  for  forcing  ;  there  is,  in  fact,  sovereigns  in  it,  and  those 
I  saw  with  him  were  very  handsome.  Catering  for  the  market  is  a 
fairly  good  test  of  general  utility.  How  well  the  Wheat  looks  ; 
it  was  lately  harrowed  and  rolled,  looking  very  miserable  after  the 
operation  for  a  couple  of  days,  yet  it  is  wonderful  what  the  stirring 
did  for  it  ;  it  is  now  grand,  in  spite  of  chilling  east  winds  and  frosty 
nights.  Frosty  nights  in  May,  and  nothing  growing  except  the 
Wheat.  Such  has  been  the  case  up  to  the  15fch  ;  vegetation  generally 
seemed  arrested,  yet  there  is  no  great  evidence  of  damage  so  far. 
Forest  trees  clad  in  tender  shimmering  green,  the  earliest  of  which 
to  dress  appeared  to  stop  midway  in  the  operation,  and  the  latest, 
such  as  the  Oak  and  Ash,  now  clothing  themselves  simultaneously, 
make  spring  appear  for  the  nonce  universal  in  its  garbing. 
Frosty  nights  and  the  fruit  ?  There  is  no  tale  of  woe  at  present;. 
Cold,  sunless  days  up  till  recently  were,  perhaps,  under  the  circum¬ 
stances,  the  kindest  things  we  could  have.  There  should  be  a  little 
fortune  in  spring  Cabbage  now,  but  our  expert  growers  have  found 
difficulties  in  this  direction  as  well  as  with  Broccoli ;  a  complaint 
which  has,  apparently,  been  general.  Such  things,  possibly,  enjoy 
a  season  of  rest  at  the  decline  of  the  year  after  being  established, 
such  as  is  afforded  by  dry  weather,  and  failing  this  attenuated 
rather  than  consolidated  growth  leads  to  bolting  in  the  Cabbage 
tribe  and  all  sorts  of  vagaries  among  the  Broccoli. 
Glorious  are  and  have  been  St.  Brigid’s  Anemones  in  the  borders, 
giving  welcome  tones  of  colour  amongst  almost  overpowering 
masses  of  golden  Doronicums.  One  should,  however,  hardly  tire 
of  what  has  been  the  most  useful  of  hardy  flowers  for  cutting, 
improving  after  being  twenty-four  hours  in  water.  Every  year 
we  like  to  strike  a  note  of  admiration  by  sounding  the  praises  of 
Tulipa  Gesneriana  ;  it  stands  so  well  when  cut,  and  makes  a 
fine  decorative  object  in  bowls  of  wet  sand.  All  our  Daffodils 
this  year  were  gathered  in  the  bud  stage  to  open  in  a  temperate 
house  ere  used  for  furnishing.  Their  lasting  properties  appear  to 
be  enhanced  by  the  process,  the  ends  of  the  stalks  being  again 
cut  before  placing  in  the  vases.  Some  beautiful  boxes  of 
N.  Emperor  came  direct  by  parcels  post  from  Scilly,  but  their 
keeping  qualities  were  unfortunately  limited  to  a  few  hours  after 
the  journey.  From  one  of  our  chief  Dublin  florists  were  received 
s  iperb  samples  of  a  giant  si  ogle  Yiolet.  They  were  at  the  time 
thought  to  be  “California,”  but  after  noting  expressions  of 
opinion  upon  that  variety,  with  the  unqualified  praise  given 
to  Princesse  de  Galles,  doubt  has  arisen  ;  anyway,  the  blooms 
alluded  to  resembled  a  highly  glorified  Czir. 
*  On  the  lawn  a  huge  Snowy  Mespilus  developed  all  its  charms  ;  it 
was,  indeed,  a  thing  of  beauty.  How  bare  the  old  Castle  looked 
after  its  annual  cropping  of  the  Ivy  !  But  it  is  the  right  thing 
to  do,  and  was  done  at  the  right  time — just  as  life  was  stirring 
in  the  old  stems,  and  tender  fresh  foliage  is  now  springing  out 
from  base  to  turret.  We  noted,  in  driving  through  the  Phoenix 
Park,  how  bright  the  “People’s  Gardens”  looked  with  spring 
flowers  en  masse ;  particularly  gay  were  the  Tulips.  One  is 
pleased  to  see  additional  character  developing  in  this  noble  park,  as 
evidenced  by  a  broad,  bold  planting  of  Cupressus  maerocarpa, 
securely  fenced  in  from  the  deer.  The  venerable  Thorns  are  some¬ 
what  late  in  blooming,  for  the  Park  lays  high,  and  is  swept  by 
chilling  winds.  Through  March  and  April  many  a  bright,-  patch  of 
Anemone  fulgens  brightened  the  small  holdings  on  the  sunny 
banks  overhanging  the  Liffey.  On  these  dry  slopes  early  Straw¬ 
berries  and  early  Peas  revel  in  a  copious  rainfall,  and  the  acute 
angle  facing  due  south  is  a  veritable  sun  trap,  when  there  is  any 
sun  to  be  trapped.  What  a  field,  too,  for  Daffodil  culture  if  these 
small  cultivators  could  be  stirred  up  to  grow  some  of  the  more 
popular  varieties ! 
In  traversing  this  picturesque  valley  of  the  Liffey  an  unsatis¬ 
factory  feeling  obtains  that  retrogression  is  the  order  of  the  day. 
So  many  spots  where  “  once  a  garden  smiled  ”  are  now  scratched 
by  hens  or  browsed  by  goats.  One  cannot  but  think  that  many 
Btray  sixpences  would  be  left  here  by  the  thousands  of  city  folk, 
who  come  on  “  pleasure  bent,”  in  exchange  for  posies  or  roots,  or 
fresh-gathered  fruit.  Any  inquiry  on  this  head  is  met  with  the 
ready  response,  “  It  doesn’t  pay  ;  ”  but  the  answer  is  unsatisfactory, 
especially  in  noting  the  high  price  paid  in  Dublin  for  travel-stained 
goods  of  this  description,  the  bulk  of  our  city  toilers  regarding 
such  things  as  luxuries  beyond  their  reach.  It  is  so,  but  it  should 
not  be  so. — K. 
TOMATOES  FLAGGING. 
On  page  430  of  last  week’s  Journal  Mr,  H.  Pearl,  after  speaking  of 
the  dreadful  flagging  in  his  Tomato  plants,  asks  Messrs.  Abbey  and  Dyke 
"What  is  the  cause,  and  what  can  be  done  in  the  dilemma?”  The 
cause  of  the  flagging,  drooping,  sleeping,  or  collapse  in  Tomato  plants  is 
a  subject  which  has  been  so  fully  dealt  with  and  described  in  the  pages 
of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  that  1  should  have  thought  by  this  time 
every  Tomato  grower  would  have  been  perfectly  familiar  with  its  cause. 
To  refresh  your  correspondent’s  memory,  however,  I  may  say  that  the 
flagging  is  no  doubt  caused  by  the  growth  of  a  minute  fungus  (Fusarium 
Lycopersici)  in  the  roots  and  stem  of  his  Tomato  plant.  I  know  only 
too  well  the  feeling  of  your  correspondent,  for  I  have  experienced  the 
same  myself,  and,  therefore,  realise  how  very  disheartening  it  is  to  see 
what  appears  to  be  perfectly  healthy  plants  to-day  flagging  and  dying 
the  next. 
The  fungus  causing  the  flagging  disease  in  Tomatoes  grows  from 
spores  which  are  present  either  in  the  soil  in  which  the  plants  are 
growing  or  in  the  seeds  themselves.  When  the  spores  are  in  the  soil 
they  germinate  and  produce  a  very  tiny  thread-like  body  (hypbae),. 
which  on  coming  in  contact  with  a  Tomato  root  is  able  to  penetrate 
through  the  outer  layer  of  cells  into  the  vascular  tissue.  If  a  flagging 
plant  is  taken  from  the  ground  and  the  stem  split  or  cut  in  a  longi¬ 
tudinal  direction,  a  certain  portion  of  it  will  be  brown  in  colour.  This 
brown  portion — if  the  plant  is  taken  up  as  soon  as  it  commences  to 
flag — is  the  vascular  tissue,  and  is  the  part  of  the  stem  where  the  chief 
supply  of  water  or  crude  sap  passes  from  the  roots  into  the  leaves. 
When  by  the  presence  of  the  fungus  the  cells  of  the  vascular  tissue  are 
disorganised  they  cannot  perform  their  proper  functions,  the  supply  of 
water  is  cut  off  from  the  leaves  and  stem,  and  ’the  plant  flags  and  dies. 
When  the  spores  of  the  fungus  are  in  the  seeds  they  germinate  and 
develop  at  the  same  time  as  the  plant,  ultimately  producing  its  death. 
What  can  be  done  in  the  dilemma  ?  This  is  a  question  I  have  for 
