June  17,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
529 
-  May  Weather  at  Hodsock  Priory,  Worksop.— Mean  temperature, 
50’2°.  Maximum  in  the  screen,  70  5° ;  minimum  in  the  screen,  30'3°.  Mini¬ 
mum  on  the  grass,  20‘1°.  Frosts  in  the  shade  three,  on  grass  fifteen. 
Sunshine,  233  hours,  or  48  per  cent,  of  the  possible  duration.  Rainfall, 
0'88  inch.  Rain  fell  on  ten  days.  A  bright  and  dry  month,  with  cold  nights 
and  northerly  winds.  Vegetation  is  backward. — J.  Mallender. 
•  -  The  Weather  Last  Month. — May  was  very  changeable,  with 
temperature  and  rainfall  below  the  average  and  more  sunshine  than  usual. 
The  wind  was  in  a  northerly  direction  eighteen  days.  Total  rainfall  109  inch, 
which  is  1‘27  inch  below  the  average  for  the  month.  This  fell  on  eleven  days, 
the  greatest  daily  fall  being  0'23  inch  on  the  31st.  Barometer  (corrected  and 
reduced),  highest  reading  30  469  inches  on  the  16th  at  9  a.m.  ;  lowest  reading, 
29-349  on  the  28th  at  9  p.m.  Temperature:  highest  in  the  shade  68°  on  the 
31st;  lowest,  31°  on  the  11th  and  12th.  Mean  of  daily  maxima,  59-03°;  mean 
of  daily  minima,  40’80°.  Mean  temperature  of  the  month,  49‘91°;  lowest  on 
the  grass,  25°  on  the  13th  ;  highest  in  the  sun,  131°  on  the  17th.  Mean  of  the 
earth  at  3  feet  49-06°.  Total  sunshine,  209  hours  35  minutes.  There  were  no 
sunless  days. — W.  H.  Divers,  Belvoir  Castle  Gardens ,  Grantham. 
-  Clay’s  Successful  Gardening. — Though  our  pages  are  full,  as  a 
neat  little  handbook  bearing  the  above  title  arrives  we  must  make  room 
for  a  few  lines  respecting  it,  as  we  shall  have  no  space  available  next 
week.  It  may  be  concisely  described  as  a  good  book,  written  by  good 
men,  in  advocacy,  presumably  from  their  experience,  of  a  good  manure. 
That  is  the  case  in  a  nutshell.  It  is,  perhaps,  scarcely  necessary  to  say 
more,  though  possibly  some  readers  may  like  to  know  who  the  “  good 
men”  are.  They  are  Messrs.  George  Gordon,  T.  W.  Sanders,  J.  Udale, 
H.  Shoesmith,  H.  C.  Prinsep,  A.  J.  Rowberry,  G.  Trinder,  J.  Hudson, 
-W.  Iggulden,  and  J.  Fraser,  all  of  whom  are  competent,  and  treat  well  the 
different  subjects  of  plants,  fruits,  or  vegetables  with  which  they  have  been 
entrusted.  Then  by  way  of  adornment,  the  book  contains  an  article  on 
Floral  Decoration,  by  Miss  Edith  Chivers,  gold  medallist  R.B.S.,  plus  three 
charming  photographic  illustrations.  This  shilling  handbook  of  124  pages 
is  published  by  Messrs.  Clay  &  Son,  Stratford,  and  E.  W.  Allen,  4,  Ave 
Maria  Lane,  E.C.,  and  will  doubtless  find  its  way  into  the  hands  of  many 
amateurs  and  gardeners  who  may  benefit  by  the  information  imparted  in  its 
pages.  y 
-  Early  Peas. — The  first  market  or  field  Peas  were  gathered  in  West 
Middlesex  (always  a  fairly  early  district)  on  June  10th,  and  were  Eclipse. 
The  sample  was,  for  first  picking,  unusually  good.  This  variety,  which 
has  larger  and  greener  pods,  has  materially  displaced  Sangster’s  No.  1  from 
field  culture  in  that  market  growing  locality.  Formerly  the  old  Harrison’s 
Glory,  a  fairly  early  and  hardy  round  blue  Pea.  followed ;  but  I  notice  this 
year  some  good  breadths  of  that  excellent  dwarf  variety,  William  Hurst. 
This,  sown  in  rows  at  18  inches  apart,  gives  an  enormous  crop  of  nice  pods 
from  a  large  breadth.  Harrison’s  Glory  is  a  hard,  dry  eating  Pea,  but 
W.  Hurst  has  distinct  marrowy  texture  and  flavour.  It  is  surprising  how 
few  out  of  the  myriads  of  Peas  put  into  commerce  suit  the  requirements 
of  the  market  grower.  Gradus  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  earliest  Peas 
in  cultivation,  the  pods  being  large,  long,  and  green ;  but  as  grown  under 
ordinary  field  culture  it  lacks  robustness,  is  thin  of  growth,  very  long  jointed, 
and  far  from  a  free  cropper.  Ameer,  also  early,  is  rather  better,  but  later, 
yet  of  the  same  long-jointed  habit.  Such  varieties  as  Senator,  Daisy,  Early 
Defiance,  and  Oracle,  all  very  robust,  dwarf,  and  free  eroppers,  rank  amongst 
the  best  second  earlies  for  laying  in  fields.  Of  twenty  varieties  being  so 
tested  this  season,  I  hope  later  to  indicate  not  only  their  stages  of  earliness, 
but  their  cropping  qualities. — A.  D. 
-  The  Source  of  Abietene. — Abietene  is  the  volatile  product  from 
the  resin  of  some  West  American  Pines,  and  is  the  counterpart  of  turpentine, 
which  is  distilled  from  the  resin  of  some  other  Pines,  chiefly  those  in  the 
Southern  United  States.  Abietene  is  a  more  volatile  liquid  than  turpentine, 
but  both  are  hydrocarbons,  although  belonging  to  different  series.  About 
the  year  ,1878  samples  of  abietene  were  received  in  Philadelphia,  with  the 
statement  in  one  case  that  it  was  the  product  of  Pinus  Sabiniana,  and  in 
another  case  that  it  Was  derived  from  P.  ponderosa.  Of  recent  years  it  has 
come  to  be  understood  that  the  commercial  source  of  abietene  is  P.  Jeffreyi, 
As  I  had  in  my  possession  the  barks  from  P.  ponderosa  and  P.  Sabiniana, 
it  occurred  to  me  that  something  might  be  learned  by  examining  the  volatile 
product  of  these  two  samples.  They  were  accordingly  distilled,  and,  while 
the  yield  was  small,  it  was  enough  to  get  the  characteristic  orange  odour  of 
abietene  in  both  cases.  In  another  experiment  the  amount  of  volatile  oil  in 
the  bark  of  P.  ponderosa  was  determined  to  be  about  0'2  per  certt.  The  bark, 
therefore,  would  not  be  a  profitable  source  of  the  oil.  It  is  probable  that 
both  P.  ponderosa  and  P.  Sabiniana  have  yielded  samples  of  this  oil,  although 
it  may  be  possible  that  P.  Jeffreyi  is  at  present  the  commercial  source.  Some 
years  ago  Professor  Wentzell  of  San  Francisco  detected  oil  of  turpentine  in 
the  resin  of  P.  ponderosa.  It  is  possible  that  both  oils  occur  in  different 
parts  of  the  tree.  Unfortunately  the  commercial  production  of  abietene  and 
its  resin  is  in  the  hands  of  a  medicine  company,  which  is  disposed  to  attribute 
to  these  products  curative  virtues  they  do  not  possess. — Henry  Trimble 
(in  “  Garden  and  Forest.”) 
-  Presentation  to  Mr.  Cumming. — Mr.  Cumming,  for  some  years 
gardener  to  Lady  Gough,  at  St.  Helens,  Booterstown,  was  the  recipient  of 
an  interesting  address  and  presentation  on  the  occasion  of  his  departure 
from  Ireland.  The  presentation  was  taken  part  in  by  a  very  large  number 
of  friends  and  well-wishers,  and  took  the  form  of  a  valuable  gold  watch  for 
Mr.  Cumming,  and  a  beautiful  gold  brooch  (shamrock  pattern)  for  his  wife. 
The  presentation  took  place  at  a  dinner  given  in  the  Grand  Restaurant, 
Lower  Sackville  Street,  Dublin,  and  was  very  laigely  attended. 
-  Cambridgeshire  Horticultural  Society. — The  schedule  of  the 
three  shows  to  be  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  above  Society  has  been 
sent  to  us  by  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Mr.  A.  Matthew,  20,  Trinity  Street, 
Cambridge.  The  first  one,  at  which  the  President,  A.  Peckover,  Esq.,  is 
offering  a  special  prize  for  thirty-six  Roses,  is  being  held  to-day  (Thurs¬ 
day).  The  second  show  is  fixed  for  September  9th,  and  comprises  classes 
for  cut  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables.  Exhibition  No.  3  will  be  held  on 
Thursday,  November  11th,  when  Chrysanthemums  will  be  the  principal 
attraction.  Most  of  the  classes  in  each  show  are  apparently  restricted  to 
members  of  the  Society,  but  in  November  there  are  two  open  to  all  for 
thirty-six  Japanese,  distinct,  and  twenty-four  incurved,  in  not  less  than 
eighteen  varieties.  The  last  two  shows  will  be  held  in  the  Corn  Exchange, 
and  schedules  may  be  had  from  the  Secretary  at  the  address  given  above. 
-  Earthworms. — A  discussion  on  the  subject  of  earthworms  and 
vegetable  mould  appeared  in  a  recent  issue  •  of  “  Longman’s  Magazine. 
The  writer,  Grant  Allen,  states  that  it  was  Gilbert  White  of  Selborne 
who  first  of  all  pointed  out  the  importance  of  earthworms  as  producers 
and  maintainers  of  the  living  layer  of  vegetable  mould.  It  was  the 
patient  investigations  of  Darwin,  however,  which  fully  established  the 
fact,  and  raised  it  to  the  rank  of  a  scientific  discovery,  his  first  writing 
on  the  subject  appearing  in  the  “Gardeners’  Chronicle.”  Later  he  issued 
an  entire  book  on  this  interesting  matter.  Darwin  showed  that  earth¬ 
worms  act  upon  the  soil  in  three  ways.  In  the  first  place  they  open  up 
and  loosen  the  ground  for  the  roots  to  penetrate,  more  perfect  aeration 
of  the  soil  being  thus  obtained.  The  acids  they  secrete  also  act  chemically 
upon  the  layer  of  rocks  beneath  in  a  way  that  assists  the  disintegration 
of  the  latter.  In  the  second  place  they  crush  in  their  gizzards  small 
fragments  of  stone  and  liberate  their  component  elements.  In  the  third 
place  they  drag  down  into  their  burrows  countless  numbers  of  leaves, 
which  they  eat,  and  carry  up  the  refuse  to  the  surface.  It  is  computed  that 
no  fewer  than  53,000  worms  inhabit  an  acre  of  garden  soil.  These  worms 
pass  through  their  bodies  10  tons  of  material  in  a  year,  and  throw  it  up 
as  mould  at  the  rate  of  1  inch  in  depth  every  five  years.  The  greater 
part  of  this  mould  is  composed  of  a  refuse  of  vegetable  matter,  and  is 
teeming  with  myriads  of  bacteria.  Even  after  allowing  for  other  co-operating 
causes,  earthworms  are  responsible  for  the  formation  and  renewal  of  this 
layer  of  vegetable  mould. 
-  The  Castor  Oil  Plant. — The  Castor  Oil  plant  has  been  cultivated 
since  the  earliest  historic  time,  and  specimens  of  it  supposed  to  be  o^er 
4000,  years  old  have  been  found  in  Egyptian  tombs.  It  is  perennial  in 
India,  its  native  country,  but  as  it  has  spread  into  less  congenial  climates 
it  has  lost  that  habit,  like  the  Cotton  plant,  and  is  known  to  us  as  an 
annual.  It  is  commonly  supposed  that  the  plant  will  grow  wherever 
Indian  Corn  will  thrive,  and  this  is  true  where  it  is  meant  to  be  used  as 
an  ornament;  but  a  recent  circular  published  by  the  United  States  Depart¬ 
ment  of  Agriculture  points  out  that  it  can  only  be  grown  effectively  in 
commercial  quantities  in  warm  climates,  since  its  only  value  is  the  oil 
content  of  the  seed,  and  the  general  truth  which  is  applicable  to  nearly 
all  oil-bearing  plants  holds  in  regards  to  this  one— namely,  the  warmer  the 
climate  the  larger  the  per  cent,  of  oil.  Some  varieties  of  the  Castor  Oil 
bean  will  mature  seed  in  the  northern  half  of  the  Indian  Corn  belt  of 
the  United  States,  but  the  plant  cannot  be  cultivated  there  so  as  to  yield 
paying  quantities  of  oil.  It  needs  a  deep,  fertile,  loamy,  friable,  and  well- 
drained  soil,  and  then  where  the  climate  is  sufficiently  warm  it  will  yield 
from  20  to  25  bushels  of  beans  to  the  acre,  containing  from  50  to  60  per  cent, 
of  oil.  The  seeds,  after  being  soaked  for  twelve  hours  in  tepid  water, 
should  be  set  5  or  6  feet  apart  each  way,  two  in  a  hill,  and  when  3  or  4 
inches  high  the  weaker  plant  should  be  removed.  The  weeds  should  be 
destroyed,  and  the  ground  kept  loose  by  surface  stirring.  The  seed  spikes 
should  be  collected  as  soon  as  the  pods  turn  brown,  and  before  the  seeds 
drop  out  of  the  pods  in  handling,  and  placed  in  the  sun  until  the  seeds  are 
partly  free  from  the  pods.  Frequent  gatherings  are  necessary,  so  that  only 
such  spikes  are  removed  as  are  in  proper  condition.  The  seeds  are  first 
cleaned ;  then,  after  being  gently  warmed,  are  placed  under  a  screw  press, 
which  liberates  a  whitish  liquid.  This  is  mixed  with  water  and  boiled  for 
some  time,  and  the  impurities  are  skimmed  off  as  they  rise.  Clear  oil  is 
at  length  left  on  the  top  of  the  water,  the  mucilage  and  starch  being 
dissolved  and  the  albumen  coagulated  by  heat,  forming  a  whitish  layer 
between  the  oil  and  the  water.  The  oil  is  further  clarified  by  boiling, 
which  drives  off  the  acrid  volatile  matter.  The  Italians  have  a  special 
method  of  preparing  the  oil  which  rids  it  of  its  nauseous  flavour,  and  in  this 
country  medicinal  oil  is  manufactured  by  cold  expression  from  the  crushed 
beans — (“Garden  and  Forest.”) 
