May  27,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
463 
upwards  of  5  feet  in  circumference,  and  has  a  clear  trunk  of  about 
7  feet. 
About  two  acres  in  front  of  the  fruit  houses  in  the  kitchen  garden 
are  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  Alpine  and  other  plants;  over  a 
thousand  specieB  are  grown,  and  I  need  hardly  say  there  is  always  some¬ 
thing  of  interest  in  bloom.  Anemone  fulgeDS  was  a  mass  of  bloom, 
though  just  past  its  best ;  Daffodils,  which  are  grown  by  thousands,  were 
nearly  over,  but  the  Poet’s  Narcissus  was  just  bursting  into  flower.  The 
Pears  on  the  walls  were  in  full  bloom,  and  as  they  were  protected  from 
frosts  there  is  every  prospect  of  obtaining  a  good  crop.  Morello  and 
May  Duke  Cherries  were  blooming  satisfactorily.  Cherries,  by  the  way, 
de  remarkably  well  on  the  clay  land  at  Belvoir,  as  the  wild  form  is  to  be 
found  throughout  the  woods,  some  of  which  are  very  large  specimens, 
and  have  a  very  pleasing  effect  when  in  bloom.  The  fruit  trees  in  the 
orchards  promise  well  for  a  heavy  crop  of  fruit,  if  that  all-important 
factor,  the  weather,  is  favourable.  Many  things  have  been  omitted,  but 
enough  has  been  said  to  show  how  much  the  visit  was  appreciated  by 
— One  of  the  Craft. 
HABERLEA  RHODOPENSIS. 
Although  by  no  means  a  new  plant,  having  been  introduced  in 
1880,  Haberlea  rhodopensis  (fig.  92)  is  seldom  seen  in  gardens.  It  is 
dwarf,  resembling  a  Ramondia  in  habit,  but  with  somewhat  funnel- 
shaped  flowers,  1  inch  long,  like  a  small  Streptocarpus,  the  tube  purple, 
and  five  white  lobes.  They  are  borne  in  trusses  of  three  or  four  flowers 
each,  arising  from  amongst  the  foliage.  Haberlea  rhodopensis  is  a 
native  of  Macedonia,  and  is  closely  related  to  the  two  genera  men¬ 
tioned  above.  In  Decandolle’s  “  Prodromus  ”  it  is  placed  in  the 
family  Cyrtandracese,  between  Ramondia  and  Conandron,  both  mono- 
typic  genera,  R.  pyrenaica  and  C.  ramondioides  being  well-known 
garden  plants.  This  will  doubtless  meet  “  Tyro’s  ”  requirements. 
RED  SPIDER  ON  GOOSEBERRY  FOLIAGE. 
The  footnote  on  page  418  reads,  “  What  persons  want  to  know  who 
have  to  deal  with  the  enemy  is  the  safest  and  surest  method  to  pursue 
for  its  extirpation.”  My  remark  above  it  gives  a  hint  which  might,  I 
consider,  be  carried  out  wholesale  with  the  least  possible  expense.  A  great 
consideration  is  the  labour  bill  and  insecticides,  and  their  distribution. 
We  know — at  any  rate  I  have  repeated  it  often  enough — that  these  pests 
are  on  the  bushes  in  February  and  March,  before  and  during  the  burst¬ 
ing  of  the  buds.  The  tips  of  the  buds  are  then  “  red  with  the  mites,” 
and  look  as  though  every  bud  infested  had  been  dipped  in  red  ink.  They 
are  then  at  our  mercy,  without  any  protection,  when  feeding  on  sunny 
days.  At  night  they  retire  underneath  the  scaly  matter  on  the  old 
wood.  Young  shoots  afford  no  protection,  and  therefore  all  useless  old 
stuff  should  be  pruned  out  and  burned. 
Some  years  ago  I  practically  cleared  my  bushes  in  a  short  time  with 
the  hot  suds  from  the  tubs  on  washing  days,  in  which  I  used  a  little 
London  purple,  poured  over  the  bushes  through  a  fine  rose  watering  can. 
That  is  well  in  gardens,  but  to  go  over  acres  requires  time,  and  much  of 
it.  Other  ways  of  dealing  with  these  pests  suggest  themselves  to  my 
mind,  but  if  there  is  a  better  in  the  points  before  mentioned  I  shall 
welcome  it  from  anyone. 
Knowing  by  observation,  and  from  the  case  I  mentioned,  that  the 
spiders  are  sensitive  to  a  jar,  I  have  just  been  round  a  few  bushes  where 
I  knew  some  existed,  with  the  Journal  in  my  left  hand,  and  a  bread¬ 
crumb  brush  in  my  right.  I  brushed  the  foliage  without  damage,  and 
caught  the  enclosed  in  a  few  minutes  from  falling,  and  at  the  same  time 
it  shows  that  a  few  of  the  sawfly  caterpillars  are  there.  Knowing  this, 
I  consider  that  if  we  took  advantage  of  this  habit  of  dropping  to  prevent 
Tunning  up  the  stems  again,  we  can  place  either  a  light  frame  of  wood, 
or  sheet  iron,  or  tin,  divided  in  halves,  say,  2  feet  wide  and  4  feet  long, 
with  a  half-circular  cut  in  the  middle  of  each  to  close  up  with  the  stems, 
or  nearly  so.  These  traps  might  be  dressed  with  some  of  the  ordinary 
tree-dressing  grease  as  used  fur  banding  for  the  winter  moths,  which 
could  be  improved  perhaps  by  the  addition  of  a  little  boiled  linseed  oil 
or  turpentine.  Thin  paint — white  for  preference,  as  showing  the 
quantities  caught — would  no  doubt  answer  as  well.  The  bushes  after 
the  apparatus  was  spread  on  the  ground  could  be  either  shaken  or 
brushed,  so  as  to  dislodge  the  enemy,  and  falling  could  be  destroyed 
wholesale  before  laying  their  eggs  very  shortly  to  establish  the  pests  for 
another  season. — J.  Hi  am,  Astwood  Bank. 
Examination  in  Horticulture.— As  the  result  of  the  recent 
examination  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  we  have  been  favoured 
with  a  li,t  of  names  of  those  candidates  which  have  been  successful  ; 
but  as  neither  their  address  are  given,  nor  marks  appended,  the  publi¬ 
cation  of  the  list  could  be  of  small  interest  to  our  readers.  If  our 
counting  is  correct  eighty-seven  have  passed  in  the  first  clas3,  fifty-five 
in  the  second,  and  twenty-six  in  the  third.  “II.  S.  Langford  ”  heads 
the  list  ;  but  whether  the  premier  belongs  to  the  fair  sex  or  is  only  a 
“  mere  man  ”  is  not  stated.  One  of  the  examiners  may  be  expected  to 
make  known  some  particulars  in  due  time. 
BATH  AND  WEST  SOUTHERN  COUNTIES  SHOW  AT 
SOUTHAMPTON. 
The  Horticultural  Show  held  as  usual  in  connection  with  the  above 
was  held  in  one  spacious  marquee  on  the  Southampton  Common— -a 
capital  site  for  such  an  exhibit  ion.  At  meetings  of  this  Society  no 
regular  prize  schedule  is  issued,  but  a  grant  of  £100  is  allowed  for  horti- 
culture.  This  sum  is  placed  in  the  capable  hands  of  Mr.  Herbert  W. 
Fow.er,  with  the  result  that  a  pleasing  exhibition  of  flowers  and  plants 
is  presented  to  the  public.  The  tent  in  question  measures  100  feet  long, 
50  feet  in  width,  Down  the  centre  a  full  row  of  handsome  Palms  are 
arranged,  the  sides  being  filled  with  a  choice  collection  of  flowering  and 
foliage  plants. 
Upon  entering  the  tent  a  charming  group  of  Carnations  Princess  of 
Wales,  Germania,  and  others  meet  the  view,  arranged  as  they  are  in 
an  undulating  manner,  reflecting  much  credit  upon  the  exhibitors, 
Messrs.  W,  Cutbush  &  Son,  Highgate  Nurseries,  Barnet.  Mr.  B.  Lad- 
bams,  The  Nurseries,  Shirley,  Southampton,  has  a  charming  collection 
of  rockery  plants,  arranged  artistically  amongst  natural  rocks.  In 
addition  to  this  portion  of  the  exhibit,  Mr.  Ladhams  has  an  immense 
display  of  hardy  cut  flowers  and  Cannas.  Mr.  E.  Wills,  nurseryman, 
Winchester  Road,  Southampton,  exhibits  a  neat  collection  of  well  grown 
nursery  plants,  Orchids,  Palms,  Crotons,  and  Spiraeas,  the  whole 
forming  a  pleasing  exhibit. 
Mr.  W.  Peel,  gardener  to  Miss  Todd,  Shirley,  Southampton,  has  also 
a  similar  exhibit,  though  of  smaller  dimensions.  At  the  extreme  end 
of  the  tent  Mr.  W.  H.  Rogers,  Red  Lodge  Nurseries,  Southampton, 
arranged  a  magnificent  collection  of  Rhododendrons,  Azaleas,  Conifers 
in  pots,  which  added  much  to  the  beauty  and  attractiveness  of  the  show. 
Mr.  E.  Hillier,  nurseryman,  Winchester,  staged  a  choice  collection  of  Acers 
and  other  shrubs  in  pots.  Messrs.  J.  Laing  &  Son,  Forest  Hill,  London, 
had  a  small  but  pleasing  group  of  BegoniaB.  Gloxinias,  and  Crotons. 
Mr.  W.  J.  Godfrey,  Exmouth,  staged  Pelargoniums  in  pots,  freely 
flowered  and  well  assorted,  Messrs.  Barr  &  Sons,  King  Street,  Covent 
Garden,  London,  had  a  pleasing  group  of  cut  hardy  plants,  Iris,  Pseonres, 
and  Poppies  ;  Messrs.  G.  Paul  &  Son,  Cheshunt,  cut  Rhododendrons  and 
Lilacs  ;  and  Messrs.  G.  Cooling  tc  Sons,  Bath,  contributed  an  extensive 
collection  of  cut  Roses,  Briars.  &c.,  making  an  interesting  as  well  as  an 
attractive  display.  Messrs.  Webb  &  Sons,  Stourbridge,  had  a  large  stand 
in  the  grounds  ,—E.  Molyneux. 
