42 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  13,  1898. 
THE  MAXURIAL  VALUE  OF  SOLUBLE 
PIIENYLE. 
In  reply  to  IMr.  Abbey’s  bold  challenge,  I  ofifer  the  following  facts  in 
support  of  my  statements  : — 
1,  Composition  of  “Soluble  Phenyle.'’ — On  consulting  your  columns  a 
few  weeks  back,  I  came  upon  a  “  tit-bit,”  which  is  dul}'  installed  in  my 
album  of  chemical  curiosities.  A  meek  inquirer  was  bantered  for  con¬ 
founding  “phenol  (CflllaO)”  with  “soluble  phenjde,  which  was 
Oglljl”  I  challenge  Mr.  Abbey  to  explain  the  manurial  value  of 
Cgllj,  and  further  offer  him  a  copy  of  a  recent  text-book  on  organic 
chemistry  if  he  can  provide  me  with  such  a  sidistance  as  CoIIg.  Although 
apparently  a  homely  and  familiar  article  to  your  respected  contributor,  it 
seems  to  be  quite  an  unknown  monstrosity  to  chemists.  The  only  excuse 
1  can  give  for  stating  the  composition  of  “  soluble  phenyle  ”  in  the  form  I 
did  is  that  it  presented  the  inventor’s  own  statement  of  composition  as  set 
forth  in  his  patent  specification.  How  about  CaHj  now  ? 
2,  Potash  in  “Soluble  Phenyle." — The  sole  source  of  potash  in  the 
scheduled  mixture  is  the  softsoap.  The  1  per  cent,  of  potash  is  due  to 
this  material  alone.  As  an  agricultural  chemist  I  should  assess  the 
manurial  value  of  “  soluble  phenyle  ”  at  4s.  per  ton  at  current  prices 
for  potash. 
3,  The  Nitrogen  in  Soluble  Phenyle. — “  Creosite  ”  I  do  not  know,  but  if 
creosote  be  meant,  then  I  state  that  the  nitrogen  in  creosote  is  not  in  the 
form  of  salts  of  ammonia,  or  of  any  substances  which  yield  ammonia  or 
nitrates  in  the  soil.  I  have  just  tested  a  sample  in  my  laboratory.  The 
nitrogenous  substances  are  stable  basic  bodies  such  as  pyridin — — 
and  are  extremely  poisonous  not  only  to  plants,  but  to  bacteria  and  other 
soil  organisms.  Soda  is  quite  without  effect  on  these  bodies.  No 
ammonia  is  evolved  on  boiling  creosote  with  strong  caustic  soda  solution. 
I  have  known  Hops  killed  through  contact  of  the  roots  with  a  recently 
dipped  pole. 
4,  The  German  Government  has  been  spending  £20,000  a  year  in 
attempting  to  cure  the  eelworm  disease  of  the  Sugar  Beet.  They  would 
doubtless  be  grateful  to  Mr.  Abl)ey  for  suggestions  and  information. 
5,  Kainit. — This  is  known  to  be  highly  injurious  to  many  plants, 
especially  when  grown  in  restricted  soil,  and  gardeners  should  not  be 
surprised  to  find  the  kainit  sometimes  worse  than  the  disease. 
6,  A  Practical  Proposal. — Quite  apart  from  the  eelworm,  we  have 
most  divergent  statements  recorded  as  to  the  manurial  effects  of 
“  soluble  phenyle.”  Why  let  the^  matter  rest  ?  I  propose  that  several 
of  your  readers  who  are  interested  in  the  matter  should  conduct  the 
following  test  in  combination  : — 
Select  six  healthy  Cyclamens  or  other  pot  plants  and  set  them  aside 
for  experimental  (and,  perhaps,  sacrificial)  purposes,  and  treat  as 
follows  ; — ^Plant  1,  normal  treatment  with  water  only  ;  plant  2,  watered 
freely  with  Little  s  soluble  phenyle,  1  oz.  in  1  gallon  of  water ;  plant  3,  do., 
1  oz.  in  Ij  gallon  ;  plant  4,  do.,  1  oz.  in  6  gallons  ;  plant  5,  watered 
with  kainit,  1  oz.  in  1  gallon  of  water  ;  plant  6,  do.,  12  ozs.  per  gallon. 
The  results  should  be  duly  reported  in  this  Journal. — Halogen. 
[We  believe  Mr.  Tggulden's  settled  practice  with  phenyle,  as  recorded 
on  page  16.  was  based  on  careful  experiments.  He  is  not  the  man  to  act 
recklessly,  and  thus  risk  injury  to  his  plants  and  crops.  At  the  same 
time,  the  experiments  suggested  are  well  worth  trying.  If  Mr,  Abbey 
acce])ts  the  challenge  which  he  has  invited  he  will  do  so  the  more  effec¬ 
tively  by  doing  it  as  briefly  as  possible,  or  by  acting  on  his  own  advice 
to  “  let  the  answer  be  clear,”  and  supported,  if  not  by  practice,  by 
chemical  authorities.  We  want  no  more  bantering  by  either  one  side  or 
the  other.] 
LILIUM  SPECIOSUM, 
It  is  not  very  generally  known  that  the  period  at  which  Lilium 
speciosum  may  be  had  in  bloom  can  be  very  greatly  lengthened,  and  this 
simply  by  the  time  at  which  different  bulbs  arc  started,  the  first  quantity 
being  by  a  very  gentle  system  of  forcing  hastened  into  flower  about  the 
middle  of  July. 
Where  fine  specimens  are  wanted  choose  12-inch  pots,  giving  them 
efficient  drainage.  For  soil  use  an  admixture  of  good  turfy  yellow  loam 
partially  decomposed.  I  prefer  that  in  which  abundance  of  white  sandy 
grit  is  found.  This  should  be  chopped  up  into  moderate-sized  lumps,  to  be 
afterwards  sifted  to  remove  all  the  more  dusty  portions  ot  the  soil.  The 
more  turfy  portions  only  ought  to  be  used.  With  this  mix  a  few  lumps  of 
charcoal,  some  well-decomposed  leaf  mould,  adding  a  dash  of  silver  sand. 
Fill  the  pots  to  within  3  inches  of  the  top  with  these  well  mixed  together, 
making  the  whole  tolerably  firm.  Into  this  firmly  press  the  bulbs,  taking 
care  not  to  bruise  or  otherwise  injure  the  scales.  Let  the  tips  of  the  upper 
scales  upon  the  bulb  appear  through  the  soil,  placing  the  same  firmly 
around  them.  This  is  very  essential  to  all  fresh-planted  bulbs.  The 
number  I  generally  place  in  a  pot  of  the  above  size  is  from  seven  to  nine. 
It  depends  whether  any  of  them  are  likely  to  produce  two  stems  upon  the 
single  bulb. 
Any  who  may  not  wish  to  have  large  specimen  pots,  or  may  prefer  to 
have  them  of  a  more  portable  size,  cannot  do  better  than  choose  7-inch 
pots,  in  which  four  or  five  bulbs  maybe  placed  in  a  similar  manner.  These 
smaller  ))Ots  will  not  need  half  the  care  and  attention  that  the  larger  ones 
do,  as  the  same  caution  as  to  watering  need  not  be  observed.  The 
large  mass  at  this  early  season  of  the  year  getting  so  easily  overladen  with 
moisture,  will  cause  the  soil,  being  without  roots,  to  sour  if  great  care  is 
not  observed. 
Place  the  pots  in  a  situation  where  they  will  receive  a  moderate  amount 
of  light  and  heat  ;  the  temperature  not  to  be  below  that  generally  kept  up 
in  a  greenhouse.  As  I  have  before  observed,  care  should  be  taken, 
especially  at  this  early  season,  in  watering  them.  They  will  require  none 
until  the  plants  have  made  a  start,  when  a  thorough  loaking  of  tepid  water 
will  greatly  benefit  them.  They  should  now  be  rerao\ed  into  a  temperature 
of  at  least  55  ,  with  light  and  air.  When  they  have  made  a  growth  of 
6  or  7  inches  they  can  be  removed  to  the  more  airy  end  of  the  greenhouse, 
or  to  a  pit,  from  which  the  frost  is  excluded. 
At  the  base  of  that  portion  of  the  growth  which  may  be  above  the  soil, 
a  quantity  of  strong  healthy  roots  may  be  observed ;  t  rmly  cover  these 
with  some  pieces  of  turfy  loam  and  leaf  mould,  sufficient  to  fill  up  the 
pot  to  within  the  customary  distance  from  the  rim.  With  occasional 
sprinklings,  and  as  they  advance  in  growth  more  liberal  root-waterings, 
they  maj',  taking  care  to  tie  them  when  necessary,  remain  in  this  situation 
until  the  period  of  their  flowering,  which  from  a  January  potting  should 
be  about  the  middle  of  July  at  the  latest. 
The  next  set  may  be  potted  about  the  middle,  or  at  the  end,  of 
February.  These  should  be  treated  precisely  like  the  former,  save  that 
they  will  require  no  heat,  but  should  be  placed  in  any  sheltered  position 
until  they  show  signs  of  growth,  when  they  should  be  removed  into  a  light, 
airy  situation,  where  the  frost  cannot  reach  them,  there  to  remain  until 
they  require  staking,  and  are  showing  for  flower,  which  will  be  about  the 
end  of  August. 
The  next  in  succession  are  to  be  grown  entirely  in  the  o])en  ground, 
where  they  will  flower  readily  with  the  following  simple  treatment.  Pick 
carefully  out  of  the  old  soil  every  bulb.  I  dibble  these  out  in  the  ground 
where  they  are  to  stand,  four  or  five  in  a  patch,  taking  care  to  place  them 
some  5  or  6  inches  deep.  I  find  a  bed  very  suitable  for  them  which  is 
composed  of  an  admixture  of  heavy  sandy  loam  and  peat.  The.se  small 
bulbs,  some  of  them  scarcely  more  than  a  scale  in  size,  perfect  a  growth 
sufficient  in  one  season  to  flower  in  the  following  one,  and  thus  I  have 
annually  in  that  spot  a  goodly  bunch  of  these  blooming  more  or  less 
efficiently  according  to  the  season,  and  giving  a  succession  of  flowers  from 
July  until  the  frosts  of  autumn  visit  us. 
These  Lilies  have  the  additional  merit  of  being  good  flowers  for  travel¬ 
ling  long  distances  without  losing  either  beauty  or  fragrance.  They 
should  be  taken  off  the  main  stalk  with  a  reasonable  quantity  of  the  flower 
stalk,  at  from  two  to  four  days  before  the  period  at  which  they  w'ould 
naturally  expand,  and  if  desired  to  be  sent  any  distance  before  expanding, 
they  only  require  to  be  i)laced  where  they  will  not  become  crushed, 
wrapped  up  in  paper. — E. 
NOTES  ON  PEARS. 
The  contributions  on  this  important  fruit  are  most  instructive.  Cannot 
we  be  favoured  with  more  notes  from  practical  men  on  this  and  kindred 
subjects !  They  would,  I  think,  meet  with  general  acceptance  by 
gardeners. 
“  W.  S.”  (page  621)  has  not  much  faith  in  Glou  Morgeau  Pear  this 
year.  With  me  it  is  very  indifferent  in  flavour,  though  in  other  years  it 
has  been  much  more  juicy  and  agreeable.  I  fancy  it  requires  a  warmer 
room  to  develop  its  flavour.  Bergamotte  Esperen  is  now  ripe  with  me, 
but  is  only  of  very  moderate  flavour.  The  tree  is  a  prodigious  bearer, 
and  is  on  a  wall  in  a  south-west  corner.  .lean  de  Witte,  a  little  known 
variety,  a  medium  sized  russety  Pear,  something  after  Winter  Nelis,  is 
just  over.  The  tree  is  an  espalier,  and  tor  the  first  time  in  four  years 
has  l)een  in  good  condition. 
Madame  Millet,  a  Pear  of  good  appearance,  not  unlike  the  foregoing, 
is  still  hard,  and  refuses  to  approach  ripeness  ;  it  stews  very  well,  and 
that  process  appears  to  be  its  destiny.  The  same  may  be  said  of  Beurrd 
Hance,  which  I  see  is  mentioned  in  Mr.  Bunyard's  catalogue  as  “one  of 
the  best  late  Pears.”  I  have  never  yet  had  the  pleasure  of  tasting  a 
fruit  in  perfection,  and  should  be  glad  to  know  how  to  get  it  into  that 
state  of  ripeness,  which  hitherto  I  have  failed  to  do. 
Easter  Beurre  is  not  what  I  can  call  a  pleasantly  flavoured  Pear  ;  it  is 
always  more  or  less  gritty,  and  with  me  scabby.  When  good  and  clean 
the  fruit  is  handsome,  and  tells  on  a  dinner  table,  but  in  appearance 
only.  I  know,  with  “W.  S.,”  of  no  really  good  Pears  after  Winter 
Nelis  is  over.  It  w'ould  be  a  boon  if  some  horticulturist  could  improve 
the  size  and  at  the  same  time  retain  the  flavour  of  this  excellent  Pear. 
Coming  to  an  earlier  season,  Beurr6  Superfin  vies  w'ith  Marie  Louise  as 
hard  to  beat  ;  though  not  so  sweet  as  the  last  named,  it  is  most  refreshing 
and  juicy,  and  a  good  bearer.  I  have  it  on  a  west  wail.  Were  I  to  be 
asked  to  name  the  Pear  par  excellence.,  I  should  be  inclined  to  choose 
Doyenn^  du  Comice.  I  have  several  trees  on  an  east  wall,  and  although 
the  variety  is  not  a  consistent  cropper  with  me,  the  fruit  is  of  extra  size, 
beautifully  coloured,  and  of  superb  quality.  Well  may  one  urge  those 
not  possessing  this  variety  to  lose  no  time  in  finding  room  for  one  or  two 
trees  wfithout  delay. 
Tomtits  are  not  slow  in  recognising  the  most  toothsome  varieties,  and 
they  play  sad  havoc  with  this  Pear.  Is  there  no  more  approved  way  of 
dealing  with  these  destructive  little  creatures  than  by  putting  slit  card¬ 
board  over  each  fruit  (a  tedious  business),  or  netting  the  trees  ?  I  am 
afraid  the  jjlanting  of  Sunflowers  near  the  Pear  wall  has  but  little  effect, 
and  does  not  seem  to  act  as  a  deterrent  against  the  birds  taking  just  one 
peck  at  the  base  of  the  fruit,  which  eventually  means  decay  at  that  point. 
Referring  to  fickle  varieties,  I  may  mention  Hacon’s  Incomparable,  Ne 
Plus  Meuris,  and  Beurrd  Bose.  Not  one  of  these  is  satisfactory  in  ripening 
the  fruit.  The  first  and  ’last  named  are  on  a  west  wall,  open  to  the 
north.  Perhaps  this  position  is  too  cold  for  them.  Ne  Plus  Rleuris  is  on 
espaliers,  and  is  always  very  loth  to  ripen.  Mar^chal  de  Cour  and  Van 
