July  25,  ia95. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
83 
- The  Turxip  Fly. — Iq  a  leaflet  we  have  just  received  from 
the  Board  of  Agriculture  there  are  some  interesting  particulars  concern¬ 
ing  the  Turnip  fly,  which  is  making  such  havoc  with  the  root  crops  in 
many  parts  of  the  country.  The  fly  is  very  small,  but  it  can  jump 
216  times  its  own  length.  It  attacks  the  young  Turnips,  biting  and 
devouring  their  soft  tissues,  and  laying  eggs  on  the  under  side  of  their 
leaves.  It  is  said  that  as  many  as  six  generations  may  be  produced  in  a 
season.  The  remedy  is  the  free  use  of  the  “  Strawsoniser.” 
-  “  It  is  well  known,”  says  the  “  Eural  World,”  “  that  when  the 
■petals  of  the  great  Laurel  Magnolia  are  touched,  however  lightly,  the 
result  is  a  brown  spot,  which  develops  in  a  few  hours.  The  fact  is  taken 
advantage  of  by  the  South  American  lover,  who  pulls  a  Magnolia  flower, 
and  on  one  of  its  pure  white  petals  writes  a  motto  or  message  with  a 
hard  sharp-pointed  pencil.  Then  he  sends  the  flower,  the  young  lady 
puts  it  in  a  vase  of  water,  and  in  three  or  four  hours  the  message 
written  on  the  leaf  becomes  quite  visible,  and  remains  so.” 
- Boot  Fungus  in  Trees. — A  correspondent  states  in  “Meehans’ 
Monthly  ”  that  a  Peach  tree  standing  near  a  dwelling  was  entirely  cured 
of  a  disease  known  as  “  yellows  ”  by  having  boiling  water  poured  around 
at.  This  fact  has  been  known  for  many  years  past,  not  only  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  fungus  which  produces  the  disease  known  as  the’ 
■“  yellows  ”  in  the  Peach,  but  also  in  connection  with  similar  diseases  in 
other  trees,  which  are  also  the  result  of  root  fungus.  The  hot  water 
•cools  a  little  before  reaching  the  roots,  but  it  is  sufficiently  hot  when  it 
reaches  the  root  to  destroy  the  fungus  without  injuring  the  root  tissue. 
Unfortunately  a  remedy  of  this  kind  is  scarcely  practicable  in  large 
orchards,  or  where  Peach  growing  is  done  on  a  large  scale.  For  a  few 
trees  in  small  yards,  where  they  are  convenient  to  the  hot-water  range, 
no  practice  can  induce  healthier  fruit  trees  than  an  occasional  pouring 
of  hot  water  around  them. 
- Sarracenias. — The  Rev.  David  E.  Williamson  writes  : — Having 
recently  written  to  Messrs.  F.  Sander  &  Co.,  of  St.  Albans,  regarding 
the  remarkable  characteristics  of  those  interesting  plants,  several  of 
which  I  have  in  my  garden,  I  have  received  from  them  the  following 
communication,  which  I  doubt  not  will  interest  many  of  your  readers 
who  are  fascinated,  like  myself,  by  the  subject  of  entomology  : — 
“  In  answer  to  your  question  regarding  Sarracenias,  we  beg  to  say  that 
the  greater  part  of  them  are  natives  of  the  United  States  and 
Southern  Canada.  An  allied  plant,  Darlingtonia  californica,  is  found  in 
California.  They  are  a  most  interesting  class  of  plants.  It  is  quite 
true  that  they  assimilate  insects,  flies,  and  even  cockroaches,  and  such 
large  insects  as  the  humble  bee.  To  attract  their  prey  the  pitchers  are 
provided  not  only  with  brighter  colours  near  their  mouths,  but  a  sweet 
substance  is  also  formed  around  the  upper  parts  of  the  inside  of  the 
pitcher.  In  many  of  them,  too,  short  stout  hairs  are  present,  pointing 
in  a  downward  direction,  making  it  an  easy  matter  for  an  insect  to 
crawl  down,  but  almost  an  impossibility  for  it  to  get  back.  Insects 
either  crawl  or  fall  down  the  pitcher,  until  the  narrow  part  is  reached. 
Here  the  space  is  too  confined  for  its  wings  to  be  used,  and  a  liquid  of 
a  digestive  nature  is  secreted  by  the  plant,  to  which  in  a  short  time  the 
insect  succumbs!  If  in  the  autumn  a  pitcher  be  cut  open,  it  will  be 
found  to  be  full  of  the  wings,  scales,  and  other  indigestible  parts  of 
insects.  In  places  where  flies  are  very  common,  an  incredible  number 
is  caught  by  each  pitcher.  The  flowers  of  these  plants  are  also  very 
curious,  the  style  being  expanded  into  an  umbrella-shaped  process.” 
I  think  this  letter  of  the  St.  Albans  orchidists  is  uniquely  interesting, 
whether  from  a  botanical  or  an  entomological  point  of  view  ;  and  1  am 
glad  they  do  not  object  to  its  publication.  I  can  testify  from  personal 
observation  that  their  assertions  are  correct.  Such  scientific  observa¬ 
tions  invariably  seem  more  valuable  when  they  are  verified  by  experi¬ 
ence.  I  may  state  that  Sarracenia  flava  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  will 
succeed  in  any  sunny  well-sheltered  garden.  So  far  as  I  have  been 
able  to  discover,  they  have  not  much  root  power  compared  with  other 
western  plants  ;  their  strength  above  ground  is  therefore  all  the  more 
surprising,  and  can  only  be  attributed  primarily  to  their  insect-assimi¬ 
lating  propensities,  whereby  their  vitality  is  sustained.  They  require, 
I  find,  to  be  watered  with  great  regularity  in  a  dry  season  such  as  this. 
Among  existing  Pitcher  Plants  the  finest  are  the  Bornean  Nepenthes. 
Mr.  Burbidge  was  the  first  introducer  of  the  famous  Nepenthes  Rajah, 
which  he  discovered  in  Borneo,  on  the  slopes  of  Rina  Balu,  at  an  eleva¬ 
tion  of  more  than  6000  feet,  1  had  the  gratification  of  seeing  it  two 
years  ago,  through  the  kindness  of  the  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  in 
their  nurseries  at  Chelsea,  wheje,  though  it  lives,  it  does  not  greatly 
thrive.  Even  in  a  temperature  perfectly  congenial  to  its  nearest 
relatives  it  is  not  quite  at  home. 
-  Black  Stripe  and  Sleepy  Disease  in  Tomatoes. — I 
am  greatly  interested  in  your  articles  on  “  Sleeping  Disease  and  Black 
Stripe  in  Tomatoes.”  I  have  always  hitherto  been  greatly  troubled 
with  “  black  stripe,”  and  also  invariably  lost  a  few  plants  with  sleeping 
disease  every  season.  This  year  I  have  scarcely  any  “  stripe,”  and  have 
not  had  a  single  plant  go  off  “  sleepy.”  The  ground  in  the  houses  was 
well  watered  with  a  solution  of  corrosive  sublimate  for  eelworm,  and  I 
believe  I  cleared  out  the  fungus  spores  at  the  same  time.  What  do  you 
think?— F,  Williams.  [We  think  you  are  fortunate.  Notes  on  dis¬ 
infecting  soil,  about  which  you  inquire,  will  be  found  in  our  leading 
article  this  week.] 
-  Tottenham  Chrysanthemum  Society.— By  the  kind  per¬ 
mission  of  Baron  Schroder  the  members  of  the  above  Society  to  the 
number  of  fifty  paid  a  visit  of  inspection  to  the  beautiful  residence  and 
gardens  of  The  Dell,  Englefield  Green,  on  July  9fch.  Many  thanks  are 
due  to  Mr.  H.  Ballantine  and  members  of  the  staff  for  kindness  and 
courtesy  in  conducting  the  party  through  the  extensive  range  of  houses 
and  grounds,  and  in  doing  all  they  possibly  could  to  make  the  visit  an 
enjoyable  one.  An  excellent  dinner  and  tea  were  provided  at  the  Sun 
Inn,  Englefield  Green.  The  first  meal  was  presided  over  by  H.  Hender¬ 
son,  Esq.,  who  proved  a  genial  chairman.  Drives  were  afterwards 
taken  into  the  surrounding  country. 
-  Tuberous  Begonias  in  America. — The  advent  of  the 
Tuberous  Begonia  was,  says  “American  Gardening,”  hailed  with  joy, 
because  it  was  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  plants  in  the  garden,  and  it 
is  hardly  less  valuable  as  a  house  plant.  For  show  we  have  nothing  to 
compare  with  it,  neither  have  we  a  plant  that  is  so  thoroughly  at  home 
in  sunshine  or  in  storm  as  this.  The  second  year  of  its  cultivation  in 
this  country  we  called  at  a  flprist’s,  where  it  was  being  grown  as  an  experi¬ 
ment,  and  asked  the  grower  how  he  liked  it.  His  reply  was,  “  It  is  the 
grande.st  flower  ever  introduced  into  this  country.”  Asked  how  it  com¬ 
pared  with  the  Pelargonium  for  bedding  out  in  masses  he  replied, 
“  There  is  no  comparison  between  them.  Take  it,”  said  he,  “  after  a 
shower,  and  it  looks  like  a  duck,  while  a  bed  of  Pelargoniums  looks  like 
a  wet  hen.”  The  comparison  was  an  honest  opinion  plainly  expressed. 
Whatever  it  lacked  in  beauty  it  made  up  in  force,  for  that  is  precisely 
the  difference  between  the  two. 
-  Market  Gardening  in  the  Past.— In  view  of  the  probable 
attempt  to  remove  the  long  prevailing  agricultural  distress  in  the 
country,  it  is  both  interesting  and  instructive  to  look  back  to  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  things  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  and  compare  them  with 
present  conditions.  In  “  Brayley’s  Beauties  of  England  and  Wales,” 
published  in  1810,  in  writing  of  the  County  of  Middlesex,  he  says  in 
1801  the  resident  populatiou  was  818,129  persons,  of  whom  eight  in 
every  100  were  relieved  by  poor  rate,  which  rate  averaged  10, s.  lOJd.  per 
head.  There  were  then  1132  friendly  societies,  with  a  total  membership 
of  72,741.  The  kitchen  gardens  in  the  vicinity  of  the  metropolis 
averaged  10,000  acres,  of  which  about  2000  acres  was  wholly  cultivated 
by  spade.  The  Neat  Houses  (now  called  Pimlico),  comprising  about 
200  acres,  was  highly  cultivated,  the  land  was  well  manured,  and  the 
annual  high  state  of  cultivation  averaged  £200  per  acre,  with  an 
estimated  profit  of  £120  per  acre,  sixty  cartloads  of  manure  being  used 
per  acre,  a  constant  round  of  produce  beginning  soon  after  Christmas 
with  Onions,  Radishes,  Spinach,  and  other  seed  crops;  in  February, 
Cauliflowers  from  frames  planted  out,  giving  place  to  Sugarloaf  Cab¬ 
bages,  followed  by  Endive,  Celery,  and  other  seed  crops.  The  annual 
produce  of  market  gardens  and  fruit  orchards  near  the  metropolis  was 
estimated  at  £1,045,000.  The  nursery  grounds  at  Chelsea,  Brompton, 
Kensington,  Hackney,  Dalston,  Bow,  and  Mile  End  occupied  1500  acres, 
and  contained  choice  shrubs,  flowers,  and  fruit  trees.  In  Middlesex 
also  3000  acres  were  planted  with  Beans  and  Peas.  The  fruit  gardens 
(exclusive  of  those  attached  to  private  houses  and  gentlemen’s  villas) 
were  over  3000  acres,  and  lying  principally  west— towards  Hammer¬ 
smith,  Isleworth,  and  Brentwood— furnished  constant  employment  to 
about  ten  persons  per  acre,  these  being  increased  during  fruit  season  to 
from  thirty-five  to  forty  persons  per  acre.  Rent  averaged  from  lOs.  to 
£10  per  acre,  and  was  usually  taken  in  money.  Labourers’  wages 
averaged  10s.  to  123.  in  winter,  to  123.  to  15s.  per  week  in  summer,  those 
employed  in  hay  or  corn  harvest  getting  from  15s.  to  ISs.  weekly  with 
beer  and  sometimes  dinner.  Some  were  engaged  by  the  piece  or  job,  and 
in  the  fruit  season  many  women  came  into  Middlesex  from  Wales  to 
gather  fruit.  Beans,  Peas,  and  other  crops.  The  waste  and  common 
lands  averaged  from  9000  to  10,000  acres,  and  within  the  seven  years 
prior  to  1810  over  20,000  acres  of  common  land  was  enclosed  in  Middlesex 
alone.— Thomas  May  (in  the  “Echo.”) 
