260 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  24,  1898. 
Weather  in  London. — The  days  have  been  calm,  dry,  and  cold 
of  late,  except  during  sunny  intervals.  Sharp  frosts  have  occurred 
on  several  mornings,  the  thermometer  on  the  grass  registering  20°,  or 
12°  of  frost.  Cold  drizzling  rain  fell  on  Wednesday. 
-  Weather  in  the  North.  —  Following  an  extraordinary 
display  of  aurora  borealis,  on  the  evening  of  the  1 5th  inst.,  three  days 
were  dull  and  drizzly,  with  a  high  westerly  wind  throughout  the  night 
of  the  17th  and  the  following  day.  The  19th  was  a  fine  bright  day,  with 
a  coldish  northerly  wind.  There  were  5°  frost  on  Sunday  morning,  and 
2°  on  Monday,  but  both  days  were  beautifully  sunny  and  springlike,  and, 
with  a  mere  touch  of  frost,  Tuesday  also  promised  to  be  fine. — B.  D., 
Perthshire. 
-  The  B.H.S.  and  Affiliated  Societies.— A  wish  having 
been  expressed  by  some  of  the  societies  which  are  affiliated  to  the  Roval 
Horticultural  Society  that  they  may  be  allowed  to  use  the  Society’s  badge, 
the  Council  desiring  to  meet  this  very  legitimate  wish  for  some  outward 
symbol  of  affiliation,  but  considering  it  better  that  the  badge  should  not 
))e  actually  identical  with  that  in  ordinary  use  by  the  parent  Society,  have 
caused  a  new  badge  to  be  struck,  which  may  be  used  by  affiliated  societies, 
on  letter  paper,  schedules,  &c.,  as  they  may  think  fit.  A  printing  block 
of  this  badge  will  be  presented  to  every  affiiliated  society  (now  numbering 
over  100)  on  application  to  the  Secretary,  and  on  signing  an  undertaking 
to  return  the  same  if  the  affiliation  should  for  any  reason  be  ended. 
-  Forsythia  5USPENSA. — Few  hardy  shrubs  make  a  finer 
display  at  any  time  than  this  plant,  and  flowering  as  it  does  in  March 
makes  it  indispensable  where  a  display  of  flowers  is  wanted  at  that  time. 
It  is  one  of  the  best  natured  shrubs  we  have,  as  it  will  grow  and  flower 
freely  where  many  other  plants  would  refuse  to  grow.  Possibly  it  is  seen 
to  its  best  advantage  when  grown  in  close  proximity  to  a  group  of 
evergreens,  though  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  place  where  it  would  be 
undesirable.  When  grown  in  a  bed  it  is  a  good  plan  to  prune  rather 
hard  after  flowering,  removing  weak  growth,  and  shortening  strong  to  a 
few  eyes.  By  this  means  shoots  6  to  8  feet  in  length  are  made  dui-ing 
the  summer,  which  produce  flowers  from  every  node  the  following  spring. 
Plants  which  have  assumed  a  semi-wild  state  are  better  left  unpruned,  or 
but  slightly  thinned, — W.  D. 
-  Spring  Gardening  at  Hampton  Court. — Ample  evidence 
is  now  to  be  seen  of  the  way  in  which  the  new  garden  superintendent 
of  these  gardens  is  up  to  date  in  respect  of  making  them  attractive  to 
the  masses  who  visit  them.  In  previous  years  a  block  of  beds 
fronting  the  Palace  chiefly  have  been  filled  with  spring  flowers,  and  these 
were  almost  exclusively  Polyanthuses  of  a  not  too  varied  nature,  and 
Tulips  not  too  robust.  This  year,  for  the  first  time,  visitors  see  every 
bed  in  the  long  line,  which  borders  the  great  gravel  parade  or  terrace, 
filled  with  bulbs,  including  Hyacinths,  now  showing  fine  and  promising 
spikes  of  bloom  ;  and  top  or  surfacing  plants  in  good  variety.  There  are 
the  Polyanthuses  still,  but  not  so  monotonously  planted  ;  and  some 
of  them  show  rich  colours  and  fine  form.  Another  year  it  is  hoped 
that  the  weak  whites  and  yellows  will  be  discarded,  and  only  the  best 
employed,  and  separately.  The  greater  use  of  deep  colours  cannot  be  too 
highly  commended.  Then  there  are  double  red  and  white  Daisies,  Violas 
and  Pansies  in  colours,  Arabis,  Wallflowers,  Myosotis  sylvatica,  Silene 
pendula.  Anemones,  Doronicums,  and  similar  plants.  Some  of  these  will 
probably  bloom  rather  late,  jjerhaps  for  a  spring  display  too  late,  but 
they  will  at  least  furnish  bright  masses  of  colour,  which  will, be  far 
more  pleasing  than  bare  beds.  All  the  old  herbaceous  beds  have  been 
thoroughly  renovated  and  replanted,  and  so  too  has  the  long  border  that 
margins  the  Palace  side  of  the  terrace,  and  its  planting  in  good  clumps 
rather  than  in  long  formal  lines  should  prove  to  be  most  attractive. 
This  border  sadly  needs  for  its  great  length  material  widening.  On 
these  beds  and  borders  labelling  is  not  at  all  a  picturesque  feature,  as  an 
army  of  wood  labels  setting  up  10  inches  out  of  the  ground  makes  each 
bed  or  border  to  resemble  a  miniature  cemetery.  Perhaps  the  Com¬ 
missioner  of  Works  may  presently  furnish  something  equally  useful  and 
less  offensive.  Many  of  the  inner  section  of  beds  have  been  turfed  over, 
a  gratifying  proceeding. — A.  1). 
-  Gardening  Appointment. — Mr,  T.  Ceilings,  for  four  years  * 
foreman  at  Swallowfield  Park,  has  been  appointed  gardener  to  Fairfax 
Wade,  Esq.,  Holme  Park,  Twyford,  Berkshire, 
-  Almond  Bloom. — The  Almond  trees  are  just  coming  into 
blossom.  I  do  not  think  they  are  any  earlier  than  usual,  though  it  has 
been  asserted  that  in  Battersea  Park  they  are  a  month  before  their  time. 
The  retarding  weather  influences  since  March  came  in  have  served  to 
prevent  the  blooms  fully  opening,  but  the  first  genial  day  of  sunshine 
brings  them  out  at  once. — E.  D.  S.,  Gravesend. 
-  Pruning  Filberts  and  Cob  Nuts. — A  few  days  ago  my 
employer  remarked  to  me,  “  Is  there  any  special  way  of  pruning  Nuts  ?  ” 
I  detailed  my  mode  of  practice,  which  I  have  always  carried  out  on 
similar  lines  to  those  advocated  on  page  226.  I  have  usually  had  fair 
success  by  doing  so,  but  judge  of  my  surprise  when  my  employer  informed 
me  of  a  well  known  firm  in  Devonshire  sending  all  the  way  to  the 
county  of  Kent  for  men  expressly  to  prune  their  Nuts,  as  they  found  it 
rather  difficult  to  obtain  competent  men  in  the  former  county  to  carry 
out  the  operation.  If  there  is  a  better  way  than  the  one  detailed  on 
page  226,  I,  for  one,  and  I  have  no  doubt  other  readers  of  the  Journal, 
would  like  to  know.  Perhaps  some  of  our  Kentish  brethren  would  give 
us  a  few  wrinkles  on  the  subject. — G.  Hagon,  Fo'wley. 
-  Carnation  Marguerite.— From  a  single  packet  of  seeds 
useful  plants  of  these  charming  Carnations  may  be  raised,  and  are  very 
suitable  when  grown  in  pots  for  conservatory  and  other  decoration.  In 
order  to  insure  their  flowering  the  same  season,  February  and  March  are 
the  times  to  sow.  Shallow  pans  are  the  best  receptacles  for  the  seeds, 
and  a  warm  house  is  a  suitable  position.  Remove  the  seedlings  when 
large  enough  to  small  pots,  and  increase  as  required  to  5  and  e-inch.  A 
bed  of  cool  ashes  in  a  frame  is  a  good  place  to  stand  the  plants  during 
the  summer,  and  with  due  care  in  watering  and  attention  no  difficulty 
may  be  experienced  in  growing  graceful  specimens,  either  suitable  for 
decoration  or  giving  a  supply  of  blooms  for  cutting.  The  colours  vary 
considerably,  and  invariably  some  of  the  plants  only  produce  small  single 
flowers,  which  should  be  weeded  out  as  soon  as  they  appear.  Late  sown 
plants  do  not  often  attain  sufficient  size  to  bloom  well  the  same 
season. — H. 
« 
-  Camellia  reticulata. — Although  not  grown  to  anything 
like  the  extent  that  C.  japonica  and  its  varieties  are,  this  species  is 
held  in  high  esteem  in  those  establishments  where  large  plants  are  to 
be  found.  In  general  appearance  it  difiers  from  C.  japonica  by  its 
looser  habit,  longer,  more  acuminate  leaves,  and  larger  flowers.  The 
form  usually  met  with  has  large,  semi-double  flowers,  which  are  bright 
rose  in  colour.  The  petals  are  broad,  about  2  inches  long,  fleshy,  and 
undulated.  The  centre  of  the  flower  is  made  up  of  a  mass  of  bright 
yellow  stamens  which  are  about  1  inch  in  length.  When  fully  expanded 
the  whole  flower  bears  some  resemblance  to  a  semi-double  form  of  the 
Tree  Paeony.  This  form  was  known  about  twenty  years  before  the 
single-flowered  typical  plant  was  discovered,  the  type  being  found  by 
Capt.  Champion  in  the  woods  in  Hong  Kong.  See  “Bot.  Reg.”  t.  1078. 
The  plant  described  above  was  figured  in  the  “  Bot.  Mag.,”  t.  2784,  as 
long  ago  as  1827,  the  figure  being  made  from  a-  plant  imported  by 
Captain  Rawes,  and  flowered  in  the  collection  of  Thos.  Carey  Palmer, 
Esq.,  at  Bromley,  Kent.  At  present  a  large  bush  may  be  seen  in  full 
flower  in  the  winter  garden  at  Kew. — D.  K. 
-  Sulphur  and  Red  Spider  on  Vines.— In  response  to  Mr. 
Craven’s  suggestion,  I  have  to  say  that  the  sulphur  I  so  invariably  found 
effective  in  destroying  red  spider  was  invoiced  to  me  by  a  drysalter,  who 
supplied  it  to  woollen  manufacturers  under  the  name  of  “sublimed 
sulphur.”  It  looks  quite  different  to  any  I  ever  got  from  nurserymen  and 
grocers,  being  finer  and  less  flakey  looking  ;  and  its  effects  were  more 
distinct  even  than  its  appearance.  I  believe  it  is  obtained  from  iron 
pyrites,  by  a  process  described  in  “  Miller’s  Inorganic  Chemistry,’’ 
second  edition.  I  recommended  this  sulphur  some  years  since  to  my  old 
pupil  and  friend,  Mr.  Fisher  of  Stackpole  Court  Gardens,  and  his  grocer 
sent  direct,  I  think,  to  HuddersSeld  for  it,  and  Mr.  Fisher  expressed 
himself  quite  satisfied  with  the  result  of  its  application.  The  pipes  should 
be  well  loaded  with  it  in  a  dry  state.  There  need  be  no  fear  of  applying 
a  strong  heat.  It  is  quite  safe  up  to  400°,  a  heat  you  can  never  get  in 
hot- water  pipes.  The  fear  of  any  injury  from  a  dry  night  air  for  ten 
days  need  not  disconcert  anyone.  I  never  saw  the  least  injury  to  berry 
or  leaf  from  it,  provided  the  Grapes  were  about  the  stoning  point  before 
applying  it,  and  the  sulphur  was  thoroughly  cleaned  off  the  pii)es  before 
firing  began  next  season. — D.  THOMSON. 
