178 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  22,  1895. 
-  It  is  said  that  Cut  Flowers  will  keep  very  fresh  if  a 
small  pinch  of  nitrate  of  potash  or  common  saltpetre  is  put  in  the  water 
in  which  they  stand.  The  ends  of  the  stems  should  be  cut  off  a  little 
every  day  to  keep  open  the  absorbing  pores. 
-  The  Manchester  Lily  Show. — Eeferring  to  the  exhibition 
of  Liliums  which  opens  at  Manchester  on  the  22nd  inst.,  and  continues 
the  two  following  days,  the  Eev.  David  E.  Williamson,  in  wishing 
success  to  the  project,  expresses  the  hope  that  he  may  live  to  see  a 
“National  Lily  Association,  conducted  on  the  same  principles  as  the 
National  Eose  Society,  which  has  already  accomplished  so  much  for 
the  higher  culture  of  the  ‘  Queen  of  Flowers.’  ” 
-  The  Scotch  Thistle, — An  old  legend  traces  the  origin  of 
the  Thistle  as  the  emblem  of  the  Scottish  kingdom  to  the  far-away 
time  when  the  Danes  were  invading  the  country.  On  a  dark  night, 
runs  the  story,  as  they  were  advancing  to  attack  an  encampment  of 
Scots,  one  of  them  trod  on  a  Thistle,  and  the  thoughtless  exclamation 
which  followed  awakened  the  slumberers,  who,  springing  to  arms, 
defeated  their  assailants.  In  gratitude  for  this  deliverance  the  flower 
of  the  Thistle  was  adopted  as  the  national  emblem. 
-  The  United  States  National  Herbarium. — It  is  reported 
that  this  has  been  removed  from  its  home  in  the  building  of  the  Depart¬ 
ment  of  Agriculture  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution.  The  collections  in 
connection  with  the  divisions  of  agrostology,  vegetable  pathology,  and 
forestry  will  not  be  removed  at  present.  We  understand  tha,t  American 
botanists  are  agitating  for  a  proper  building  to  hold  the  National 
Herbarium,  and  for  a  stafi  of  scientists  to  conduct  the  necessary  work  in 
connection  with  it.  This  is  a  most  commendable  movement. 
-  The  Effectiveness  of  Paris  Green. — This  is  of  varying 
results,  as  the  experience  of  G  .  M.  Nichols  demonstrates.  Experiment 
station  bulletins  and  Government  reports  recommend  1  lb.  of  Paris 
green  to  200  gallons  of  water,  applied  early  in  the  season.  For  the 
first  application  to  half-grown  Potato  plants,  half  a  pound  to  50  gallons 
of  water  w’as  used  with  no  effect.  After  waiting  forty-eight  hours  of 
sunny  weather,  the  patch  was  again  sprayed  with  Paris  green,  1  lb.  to 
50  gallons.  The  latter  spraying  disposed  of  about  half  the  insects  in 
forty-eight  hours.  The  patch  was  sprayed  the  third  time  with  lb. 
Paris  green  to  50  gallons  water,  and  the  work  was  done  effectively. 
Had  Mr.  Nicholls  sprayed  earlier,  he  would  doubtless  have  found  the 
1  lb.  poison  to  200  gallons  of  water  effective.  It  is  almost  impossible  to 
cover  all  of  the  leaves  with  Paris  green  so  that  every  insect  will  get  its 
death  dose  in  a  very  short  time.  The  first  application  should  invariably 
be  made  as  soon  as  the  first  larvae  hatch,  using  water  liberally  so  that 
the  Paris  green  will  be  settled  into  the  creases  and  folds  of  the  leaves 
and  caught  on  the  hairs.  If  not  applied  until  the  larvae  are  well 
grown,  they  are  so  wise  that  they  will  eat  all  around  the  poison  before 
they  take  the  part  with  Paris  green  upon  it.  Under  those  circum¬ 
stances,  it  should  not  be  expected  the  poison  would  be  effective  in  less 
than  forty-eight  hours.  Used  stronger  than  1  lb.  to  200  gallons  of 
water,  the  leaves  are  often  injured. — (“  American  Cultivator.”) 
-  Chrysobactron  Hookeri. — Mr.  J.  B.  Kellar  writes  in  the 
“  American  Florist  ”  : — “  This  is  a  rare  plant,  but  a  very  handsome  one, 
blooming  freely  and  constantly  during  July  and  August.  The  flowers 
are  of  a  very  bright  yellow,  and  are  produced  in  abundance  on  long  stiff 
erect  racemes.  The  leaves  are  from  9  to  12  inches  long,  broadly  linear, 
grass-like,  of  a  dark  green  when  mature,  but  when  first  coming  out  in 
early  spring  the  points  of  the  young  growth  is  of  an  intense  orange 
scarlet  colour,  and  from  a  distance  look  like  a  mass  of  flowers,  where 
they  are  planted  thickly,  and  if  the  plant  had  no  flowers  at  all  this 
spring  ornament  alone  would  make  it  most  desirable,  for  in  spring 
blooming  plants  we  have  none  to  give  us  this  intense  and  dazzling 
colour.  It  succeeds  best  in  a  moist  situation,  and  should  have  plenty 
of  water  if  planted  in  the  ordinary  border  ;  height  2  feet.  This  plant 
should  be  grown  largely  in  all  collections,  but  unfortunately  stock  is 
very  limited,  and  it  takes  time  to  raise  enough  from  a  few  plants  to 
make  a  show,  although  they  divide  easily,  and  the  smallest  offset  will 
make  a  good  growth  the  first  season.  There  are  so  many  herbaceous 
plants  of  easy  culture  that  have  become  very  rare  and  almost  extinct, 
but  with  the  revival  of  interest  in  them  as  manifested  in  the  last 
few  years,  I  hope  that  moat  of  the  more  desirable  ones  will  be 
plentiful  in  the  near  future,  and  sold  at  popular  prices.  As  it  is  now, 
high  prices  are  the  rule  for  rare  things,  and  people  are  indifferent  as 
to  buying  them  unless  they  actually  see  the  plants  and  take  a  liking 
to  them.” 
-  Messrs.  G.  Bunyard  &  Co.  write: — “We  have  received  a 
Eoyal  Warrant  appointing  us  purveyors  of  fruit  trees  to  Her  Majesty 
the  Queen.” 
-  Headley  Horticultural  Association. — This  Society  held 
its  eleventh  annual  show  of  horticultural  and  floricultural  produce  on 
Tuesday,  13th.  Over  2000  people  visited  the  show,  which  was  in  every 
way  a  success,  and  reflects  great  credit  on  the  Hon.  Secretary  and  hia 
Committee  for  the  excellent  arrangements  for  displaying  of  the  exhibits 
in  the  schoolroom. 
-  Veitch’s  Climbing-  French  and  Sutton’s  Tender  and 
True  Eunner  Beans. — “A.  D.”  says  at  page  155  “that  it  has  not 
yet  been  his  good  fortune  to  see  both  the  above  mentioned  Beans 
growing  side  by  side  this  season,”  and  he  then  goes  on  to  say  that  “  he 
saw  Tender  and  True  at  Ashtcad  Park  recently,  where  it  had  reached 
5  feet  in  height,  and  was  cropping  abundantly.”  I  should  like  to  say 
in  reference  to  the  above  remarks  that  I  have  rows  of  Veitch’s  Climbing 
French  Bean  8^  feet  high,  and  yielding  long,  straight,  handsome  pods  of 
the  best  quality  in  abundance  from  bottom  to  top  of  haulm.  This  is 
no  new  experience  of  the  Bean’s  height  and  productiveness  on  my  part^ 
as  I  have  grown  it  during  the  last  sixteen  or  eighteen  years.  During 
the  whole  of  that  period  (summer  months)  two  or  three  long  ranks  of 
this  Climbing  French  had  excited  the  wonder  and  admiration  of 
all  gardeners  visiting  this  place. — H.  W.  Ward,  Longford  Castle^ 
Salisbury. 
-  The  Arnold  Arboretum. — This,  it  is  reported,  has  recently 
been  considerably  enlarged,  the  additions  having  been  made  by  an 
arrangement  recently  concluded  between  the  President  and  Fellows  of 
Harvard  College  and  the  City  of  Boston.  These  additions  include  two 
parcels  of  land  with  an  area  of  about  20  acres  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  original  Arboretum,  but  reserved  by  the  city  for  its  own  uses  when 
it  was  established  ;  two  pieces  of  land  with  an  area  of  about  3  acres  on 
the  north-west  border  of  the  Arboretum,  and  purchased  by  the  city  last 
year  ;  a  piece  of  land,  the  property  of  Harvard  College,  south-west  of 
the  old  Arboretum,  with  an  area  of  67  and  6-10th8  acres  ;  this  consists  of 
a  high,  rolling,  grassy  hill,  the  second  highest  land  in  the  City  of 
Boston.  From  the  summit  of  this  hill  fine  views  are  obtained  ;  the 
wooded  portions  of  the  Arboretum  lie  at  its  base  ;  to  the  south  all  the 
Blue  Hill  range  is  in  view  ;  the  waters  of  Massachusetts  Bay  are  seen  to 
the  south-east,  and  to  the  north  and  west  a  broken  well-wooded  country- 
With  these  additions  the  area  of  the  Arboretum  is  222  and  G-lOths  acres.. 
Two  and  a  third  miles  of  drives  have  been  finished  and  planted,  and 
under  the  new  arrangement  the  City  of  Boston  is  to  construct 
1  and  3-lOths  mile  of  additional  roads. 
-  CouLSDON  Cottage  Garden  Show. — This  newly  established 
Society  held  its  first  exhibition  in  the  Mission  Hall  at  Coulsdon  Valley 
on  Wednesday  last,  and  beyond  having  splendid  weather  the  show  waa  a 
marked  success.  In  addition  to  the  hall,  broad  awnings  were  thrown 
out  on  either  side,  and  beneath  these  not  only  numerous  garden  products 
were  staged,  but  also  various  poultry,  British  birds  and  rabbits,  these 
things  being  also  in  competition,  and  were  largely  presented.  Within 
the  hall  the  chief  honorary  exhibits  were  staged  by  Mr.  Peacock,  gar¬ 
dener  to  the  L.C.C.,  Cane  Hill  Asylum,  who  bad  a  fine  group  of  plants 
Mr.  A.  Donald,  gardener  to  Captain  Acland,  Woodmansterne,  who 
showed  plants  in  groups,  fruit  and  Tomatoes  ;  Mr.  J.  Gullivan,  gardener 
to  Mrs.  Davies,  Purley,  whose  group  included  good  Begonias  and  Cala- 
diums.  Mr.  A.  Hunt,  Hooley  Park  Nurseries,  sent  a  group  of  foliage 
plants  and  capital  fruit.  Mr.  J.  Ironmonger,  Strood,  showed  an  admirable 
collection  of  Apples,  Plums,  and  vegetables.  Mr.  Swift,  Croydon,  good 
small  fruits  and  Apples  ;  and  various  other  exhibits  greatly  helped., 
Competition  was  excellent,  and  for  a  first  show  was  full  of  promise  for 
the  future.  Mr.  W.  Walker  had  the  best  six  plants,  capital  examples  too  ^ 
and  Mr.  H.  Bashford  the  best  four.  Mr.  Walker  also  had  the  finest 
Intermediate  Carrots,  very  handsome  samples  ;  also  the  finest  winter 
and  spring  Onions,  as  good  as  shown  anywhere  in  the  county  this  season- 
Mr.  Tubbs  showed  very  handsome  Snowball  Turnips.  Mr.  J.  Coomber 
had  the  best  nine  dishes  of  vegetables,  all  excellent  ;  and  Mr.  Jeffrey 
was  also  first  for  a  similar  collection.  Mr.  J.  Knight  had  the  best  brace 
of  Marrows  ;  they  were  exceptionally  good,  but  the  bulk  were  far  too 
large  and  old.  Both  Eunner  Beans  and  Dwarf  Beans  were  capital,  and 
some  Peas  very  good  for  the  season.  Potatoes  were  many,  and  very 
good.  The  prizes  were  distributed  in  the  evening  by  the  wife  of  the 
Eev.  Canon  Stewart,  and  Mr.  A.  Dean  gave  an  address.  Mr.  Peacock 
was  most  untiring  as  Manager,  and  Mr.  Gardener  was  a  very  efficient 
Secretary. 
