156 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  17,  1898. 
Those  who  know  Victoria  Park  now  can  conceive  no  idea  of  the 
squalid,  wretched  district  it  was  in  early  times.  It  was  really  a  township 
of  wretched  hovels,  popularly  known  as  “  Botany  Bay  ”  from  the  fact 
that  it  supplied  every  year  a  goodly  number  of  unwilling  emigrants  to 
the  penal  settlement  of  that  name.  Now  it  is  indeed  a  pleasure  ground 
worthy  the  great  metropolis.  Its  avenues,  when  they  attain  a*  ampler 
growth,  will  be  really  superb.  It  has  a  lake,  or,  rather,  a  succession  of 
lakes,  used  for  bathing  and  boating,  and  swarming  with  waterfowl,  while 
pleasant  walks  abound,  and  it  is  gay  with  green  turf,  shrubs,  and  flowers. 
One  of  the  lakes  is  set  apart  for  miniature  yacht  sailing,  and  on  a  summer 
evening,  when  a  puff  of  wind  is  to  be  had,  toy  boats  and  yachts  of  all  rigs 
and  sizes  whiten  the  waters.  There  is  even  a  yacht  club,  whose  members 
compete  with  their  tiny  craft  for  various  |irizes.  Cricketing  and  other 
sports  are  freely  indulged  in  on  spaces  '  set  apart  for  them,  and, 
according  to  the  last  general  report  of  the  County  Council,  facilities  for 
these  pleasures  are  to  be  increased. 
One  part  of  the  original  plan,  however,  was  never  carried  out.  This 
was  a  fine  boulevard  stretching  away  from  Victoria  Park  to  Limehouse 
Church.  The  necessary  land  could  then  have  been  obtained  for  £5000, 
but  all  the  available  funds  had  been  appropriated  for  the  creation  of  the 
park  itself.  The  Commissioners  of  Woods  and  Forests  approved  of  the 
proposed  boulevard,  and  not  only  had  two  green  lines  marked  on  the  map 
to  indicate  the  site  of  the  road  suggested  by  Sir  Frederick  Young,  but 
got  a  clause  inserted  in  the  Act  of  Parliamen*^^  of  the  railway  company 
(some  time  afterwards  constructing  the  Epping  Forest  line  from  Fenchurch 
Street  to  Woodford)  to  put  ornamental  arches  to  the  bridge  which  would 
cross  this  proposed  line  of  road,  in  order  to  give  a  more  picturesque 
appearance  to  the  scene  if  the  project  should  ever  be  realised.  These 
ornamental  arches  still  exist,  and  are,  unfortunately,  the  only  relics  that 
remain  of  the  “boulevard”  scheme.  But  Sir  Frederick  Young  has 
abundant  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  r.  suits  actually  obtained,  and  no 
other  man  in  London  has  a  finer  monument  to  his  efforts  for  the  public 
welfare  than  he  possesses  in  Victoria  Park. — (“  Lloyd’s  News.”) 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Propagating  and  Growing  Crotons. 
Now  is  a  good  time  to  insert  Croton  cuttings.  Healthy  well-coloured 
bits  should  be  selected  about  3  inches  in  length,  cut  square  below  a  joint, 
and  inserted  in  thumb  pots  ;  only  two  or  three  leaves  need  be  taken  from 
the  base  of  the  cuttings.  The  soil  may  consist  of  equal  parts  of  fine 
loam,  leaf  mould,  and  peat  dust,  with  a  free  sprinkling  of  silver  sand. 
A  dash  of  sand  may  also  be  placed  on  the  surface  of  the  soil  in  the  pots, 
this  falling  round  the  cuttings  in  the  process  of  dibbing  them  in.  I  find 
it  desirable  when  inserting  the  cuttings  to  have  two  or  three  leaves 
below  the  level  of  the  soil.  These  add  greatly  to  the  symmetry  of  the 
future  plant,  and  will  adhere  to  it  all  through  the  season  if  the  plants 
are  carefully  attended  to. 
Place  the  cutting  pots  in  a  propagating  box  with  a  bottom  heat  of 
70°.  In  about  three  weeks  the  cuttings  will  be  rooted,  though  some 
may  be  longer,  much  depending  on  the  hardness  or  softness  of  the 
different  varieties.  The  young  plants  may  be  placed  on  a  shelf  near  the 
glass  in  a  low  propagating  house.  In  about  a  week  or  nine  days  they 
will  have  become  accustomed  to  the  exposure,  and  may  be  placed  singly 
in  3-inch  pots,  using  a  compost  of  one  part  fibry  loam  and  peat,  half  a 
part  leaf  mould,  and  a  quarter  part  silver  sand.  I  think  the  plants  are 
better  without  manure  at  this  stage  ;  pot  rather  firmly,  but  not  hard. 
The  plants  may  be  placed  on  a  shelf  as  before  advised,  lightly  syringed 
two  or  three  times  on  bright  days,  and  kept  damp  between  the  pots. 
Little  or  no  water  will  be  required  by  the  soil  until  the  plants  begin 
to  grow.  The  temperature  may  be  60°  to  65°  night,  70°  to  75°  by  day, 
with  a  rise  of  5°  from  sun  heat. 
About  the  middle  of  May  the  3-inch  pots  will  be  filled  with  roots,  and 
the  plants  may  be  transferred  into  the  5  and  6-inch  sizes,  according  to  the 
strength  of  the  plants,  using  the  same  compost  as  before,  but  adding  a 
sprinkling  of  artificial  manure,  such  as  Clay’s  or  Thomson’s.  The 
plants  should  be  shaded  and  well  syringed  until  they  are  growing 
vigorously,  when  they  may  be  removed  to  a  larger  and  lighter  house.  I 
think  the  plants  are  best  in  5  and  6-inch  pots  the  first  season,  as  this  is  a 
useful  size  for  table  work.  If  they  become  root-bound  it  is  advisable  to 
point  a  little  manure  into  the  surface  soil  ;  this  will  keep  them  going 
through  the  rest  of  the  season.  If  large  plants  are  required  those  alluded 
to  may  be  shifted  the  following  spring. 
Another  batch  may  be  propagated  about  the  middle  of  June  and 
treated  as  before,  but  keeping  them  in  3-inch  pots.  These  are  a  very 
useful  size  for  corner  plants  in  table  decoration  if  grown  in  fours  and  sixes 
of  different  varieties.  Crotons  revel  in  abundance  of  heat  and  moisture 
through  the  growing  season.  A  sharp  look  out  must  be  kept  for  mealy 
bug  and  scale.  The  former  may  be  kept  down  by  looking  over  all  the  plants 
once  a  week,  and  touching  the  bug  with  a  little  methylated  spirit  on  a 
small  brush.  Scale  should  be  pushed  off  with  a  pointed  slick,  afterwards 
dipping  the  plants  in  a  weak  solution  of  softsoap  and  paraffin  or  other 
insecticide. — A  Lover  of  the  Craft. 
Fungus  Pests. 
One  of  the  most  familiar  fungoid  enemies  a  gardener  has  to  contend 
with  is  the  Potato  disease.  That  this  is  brought  about  by  a  minute 
parasitic  fungus  is  now  generally  recognised.  Though  it  is  so  small — 
almost  undiscernible  with  the  unaided  eye — its  work  of  destruction  is  none 
the  less  rapid.  As  in  the  case  of  mildew,  if  left  unrestrained  in  its  early 
attack  it  is  seldom  that  anything  beneficial  can  be  done  with  it.  At  all 
events  this  is  my  experience. 
This  pest  attacks  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves,  so  I  think  we  may 
learn  by  this  that  light,  the  greatest  necessity  to  the  well-being  of  all 
green  plants,  is  not  essential  for  the  growth  and  reproduction  of  this 
fungus.  Were  it  otherwise  the  large  quantity  of  haulm  and  leaves 
generally  produced  would  act  as  a  kind  of  preventive.  The  work  and 
anxiety  of  the  gardener  would  then  be  greatly  alleviated.  But  methods 
and  remedies  have  to  be  adopted  to  mitigate  (if  possible)  the  voracious 
attack  of  this  insidious  enemy.  Unfortunately  being  so  minute,  and 
having  such  great  power  of  reproduction,  it  often  gains  a  firm  hold 
before  it  is  detected,  which  entails  greater  difficulty,  if  not  impossibility, 
of  eradication.  One  thing  in  our  favour  is,  that  it  has  a  strong  and 
peculiar  scent,  and  those  who  know  the  smell  often  detect  its  presence 
thereby.  As  soon  as  the  spores  are  ripe  millions  of  them  are  wafted  by 
the  wind,  and  brought  into  contact  with  more  of  their  favourite  prey. 
Thus  I  should  say  the  epidemic,  as  we  may  term  it,  travels.  Others  fall 
to  the  ground,  and  by  heavy  rain  are  washed  down  to  the  tubers,  where 
they  quickly  germinate,  and  cause  the  well-known  disease. 
Probably  some  of  the  spores  remain  in  the  soil,  and  as  they  are 
capable  of  retaining  vitality  some  length  of  time,  it  would  be  wise  not  to 
plant  the  same  piece  of  ground  (should  other  be  at  command)  with 
Potatoes  twice  in  succession.  When  digging  Potatoes  it  is  a  general 
practice  with  some  persons  to  throw  the  infected  tubers  back  on  the 
surface  and  leave  them.  This  in  my  opinion  is  a  bad  plan,  for  in  the 
diseased  part  there  are  always  a  number  of  spores  which  might  easily 
get  back  into  the  soil,  and  serve  as  a  stock  for*future  infestations.  It 
would  be  avoiding  a  great  risk  by  providing  a  basket  to  receive  them,  so 
that  they  may  be  carried  away  and  burned.  I  think  it  quite  probable  the 
disease  is  increased  by  the  decaying  tubers  accidentally  left  in  the  ground, 
for  we  find  scarcely  any  decay  without  one  or  other  kind  of  fungus  being 
present.  We  have  not  far  to  look  for  these  phenomena  if  we. have  a 
rubbish  heap.  It  seems  that  as  soon  as  one  life  departs  and  its  structure 
and  decay  commences,  other  life  is  brought  into  existence,  and  the  decaying 
substances  supply  food  for  the  sustenance  of  fungi,  when  they  return  to  the 
earth  the  element  that  has  been  taken  therefrom.  In  this  sense  fungi  are 
valuable  servants  to  mankind. 
The  remedy  I  have  seen  used  against  the  Potato  disease  was  a  mixture 
of  bluestone  or  vitriol  (sulphate  of  copper),  5  lbs.,  broken  very  fine  and 
dissolved  in  boiling  water,  in  a  wooden  vessel  ;  fresh  lime,  5  lbs.,  dissolved 
in  another  vessel,  then  both  thoroughly  mixed  and  strained  through  a  piece 
of  canvas  to  take  out  all  remaining  lumps,  and  added  to  25  gallons  of  water. 
This  preparation  syringed  carefully  among  the  haulm  certainly  hindered 
the  progress  of  the  disease  to  a  large  extent. — Aspirant. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cucumbers. — Examine  the  plants  in  bearing  once  or  twice  a  week, 
removing  bad  Paves  and  exhausted  growths,  thinning  the  shoots,  and 
removing  old  and  deformed  fruits.  Thin  the  old  growths,  so  as  to  admit 
of  training-in  young  shoots,  overcrowding  and  overcropping  being  very 
prejudicial.  In  securing  the  shoots  to  the  trellis  do  not  tie  them  too 
tightly,  hut  allow  room  for  development.  Plants  that  have  been  in 
bearing  some  time  should  have  the  surface  soil  removed,  and  previously 
warmed  fresh  soil  added.  Turfy  loam,  with  a  fourth  of  well-decayed 
manure,  will  answer,  or  the  turfy  loam  without  an  admixture  of  manure, 
seeking  vigour  by  rich  surface  dressings  or  liquid  manure.  The  bottom 
heat  should  not  be  allowed  to  fall  below  75“  or  exceed  90°,  80°  to  85° 
being  suitable  ;  top  heat  65°  to  70°  at  night,  70°  to  75°  by  day,  rising  to 
85°  or  90°  from  sun  heat,  closing  early  in  the  afternoon,  damping  the 
pathways  on  bright  mornings  and  at  closing  time. 
Melons. — The  plants  in  the  Melon  house  may  be  grown  on  a  ridge  of 
compost  the  whole  length  of  the  house  or  bed,  2  feet  wide  at  the  base, 
^with  the  top  flattened  so  as  to  give  a  depth  of  10  to  12  inches,  or  on 
hillocks  about  2^  feet  apart  formed  similarly,  the  soil  being  made  rather 
firm,  and  when  warm  the  plants  may  be  turned  out,  firming  the  compost 
well,  and  raising  it  within  half  an  inch  of  the  seed  leaves.  The  plants 
may  be  placed  2i  to  3  feet  apart,  the  primary  shoot  being  taken  up 
without  stopping  until  fully  two-thirds  the  distance  they  are  intended 
to  travel  is  reached,  then  pinch  out  the  points  of  each.  When  three 
or  four  lateral  joints  are  made,  the  points  should  be  taken  out.  Some 
varieties  will  show  fruit  on  the  first  laterals,  and  as  early  Melons  are 
an  all-important  consideration,  let  them  remain,  taking  out  the  point  at 
the  joint  above  them.  To  allow  all  the  laterals  to  remain  would  very 
much  overcrowd  the  foliage,  therefore  rub  off  every  alternate  one  whilst 
quite  young.  After  stopping  the  first  laterals,  the  sub-laterals  will 
show  fruit  at  the  second  or  third  joint.  The  growths  should  be  trained 
thinly  Jnd  regularly,  so  that  every  part  of  the  trellis  is  covered  evenly 
with  foliage  and  fruit.  The  plants  will  require  little  water  as  yet, 
nevertheless  maintain  the  soil  in  a  moist  state,  avoiding  anything 
approaching  to  saturation.  Sprinkle  the  paths  in  the  morning  of  bright 
