136 
journal  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
August  18.  is;**. 
»%  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  a.  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  HOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately  to 
any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to 
unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  departmental  writers 
are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they  may  receive  on 
Gardening  and  Bee  subjects  through  the  post.  If  information 
be  desired  on  any  particular  subject  from  any  particular 
authority  who  may  be  named,  endeavour  will  be  made  to  obtain 
it  by  tbe  Editor.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accompanied  by 
the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  plumes  are  given 
for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  tbe  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  it  is  convenient  when 
each  question  is  written  on  a  separate  sheet.  All  articles  intended 
for  insertion  should  be  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only;  and 
the  name  and  address  of  each  writer  must  be  known  by  the 
Editor,  though  not  necessarily  for  insertion.  We  cannot,  as  a 
rule,  reply  to  questions  through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  under¬ 
take  to  return  communications  which,  for  any  reason,  cannot 
be  inserted. 
Phlox  Drummondi  (A.  W.  £?.). — The  flowers  of  Phlox  Drummondi 
that  you  send  represent  the  Lorenziana  type,  of  which  the  rich  colours 
in  yours  show  the  strain  to  be  good.  It  is  comparatively  well  known  in 
gardens. 
Carnations  Diseased  (A.  Z). — The  two  plants  are  infested  with  eel- 
worm,  and  in  'he  most  peculiar  way  that  has  come  to  our  notice.  The 
stems  of  both  the  plants  are  much  swollen  just  above  the  ground  level, 
and  the  lateral  or  side  “grass”  stems  are  also  much  enlarged  where 
they  issue  from  the  main  stem,  being  several  times  larger  than  in  the 
normal  state.  The  grass  and  parts  tbove  the  points  infested  are  not 
diseased,  but  seriously  weakened  by  the  eelworm  appropriating  the 
nourishment.  The  roots  are  quite  healthy,  white,  and  with  plenty 
of  fibrelets.  Thus  the  eelworms  have  made  sure  of  a  thorough  and 
regular  supply  ot  nutrition,  and  the  plants  suffer  and  die  in  consequence. 
H  'w,  when,  and  where  the  eelworm  commenced  the  attack  does  not 
appear  from  your  letter,  but  probably  arose  from  the  material  used  in 
1  lyering,  this  being  infested,  and  the  animals  gained  access  to  the  tissues 
through  the  ccdlular  matter  of  the  callus.  Finer  specimen  of  stem  eel¬ 
worm  we  have  not  seen,  or  so  large  swellings  caused  by  this  pest  (Tylen- 
chus  devastatrix)  on  the  stems  of  any  plant  as  on  your  Carnations.  We 
cannot  advise  anything  for  the  diseased  plants  but  burning.  The  plants 
must  die  as  soon  as  the  eelworms  have  girdled  the  steins,  and  they  then 
pass  into  the  soil,  living  for  an  unknown  time  upon  organic  matter  in  a 
state  of  decay,  as  well  as  leading  a  parasitic  mode  of  life.  Wo  recently 
found  some  benefit  by  spraying  the  diseased  parts  with  methylated  spirit, 
this  sinking  into  the  affected  tissues.  There  is  no  danger  of  the  eelworm 
affecting  the  parts  above  the  points  of  attack,  therefore  the  “  grass  ”  may 
safely'  be  used  for  propagating  purposes  ;  of  course,  not  by  layering,  but 
by  cuttings.  This  done,  we  should  clear  away  the  plants  and  burn  them, 
dressing  the  land  at  once  with  freshly  burned  best  chalk  or  stone  lime 
(not  magnesian),  using  2  lbs.  square  yard,  or  J  cwt.  per  rod,  slaking  with 
the  smallest  amount  of  water  necessary  to  'Cause  it  to  fall  into  a  tine 
powder,  spreading  this  evenly  on  the  surface  and  allowing  it  to  remain 
twenty-four  hours  ;  then  dig  in  with  a  fork,  taking  small  spits  so  as  to 
mix  as  evenly  as  possibly.  When  dug  apply  a  dressing  of  kainit  4  ozs. 
per  square  yard,  or  7^  lbs.  per  rod.  There  is  no  need  to  point  this  in, 
but  leave  on  tho  surface,  as  it  will  disappear  by  the  rains,  and  not  injure 
anything  but  the  eelworms  and  other  pests  if  applied  some  time  in  advance 
of  cropping. 
Asparagus  after  Cutting  (/dm). — It  is  proper  to  allow  the  plants 
af  er  cutting  is  over  to  grow  up  and  form  seed.  This  is,  however,  an 
exhausting  process,  the  production  of  seed  taking  more  support  to  itself 
than  that  expended  on  the  formation  of  buds  for  next  season’s  heads. 
But  even  that  is  better  than  cutting  off  the  tops,  and  in  that  way'  removing 
all  the  seeding  parts  before  ripening.  This  would  exhaust  the  roots  to  no 
purpose,  except,  perhaps,  causing  some  of  the  buds  to  start  into  growth, 
and  thus,  besides  weakening  the  crowns,  prejudice  next  year’s  supply  of 
heads.  The  proper  plan  is  to  remove  the  berries  as  soon  as  formed  on  the 
“grass’ — a  process  not  more  difficult  than  gathering  Currants.  Strong 
growths  do  not  produce  berr  es  nearly  so  freely  as  the  moderately 
s  rung,  and  the  stronger  the  stems  in  summer  the  finer  will  be  heads  in 
the  spring.  Removing  the  berries  while  quite  young  aud  green  will  to 
some  extent  strengthen  tho  “  grass,”  and  strong  summer  growth  should 
I  o  encouraged  by  other  means  as  well. 
Destroying  Rabbits  (£>.  B.  A'.). — We  know  of  no  method  so  effectual 
as  perseverance  with  dogs,  ferrets,  nets,  and  spades  in  an  enclosure  from 
which  the  rabbits  cannot  escape.  By  the  proper  use  of  wire  netting 
an<l  the  procedure  advised,  we  have  known  hundreds  of  acres  of  formerly 
useless  rabbit-infested  land  changed  into  thrifty  and  profitable  plantations, 
mainly  Larch.  If  any  of  our  readers  can  suggest  a  better  method  of 
extirpating  rabbits  from  an  enclosed  garden  or  other  plots  of  land  we  will 
jeadily  publish  their  experience. 
Cardoons  ( Mrs .  A). — Cardoons  are  grown  in  trenches  in  the  same 
way  as  Celery.  When  the  plants  are  18  inches  high,  or  more,  the  leaves 
are  tied  together,  not  too  tightly,  and  when  the  stems  are  quite  dry  earth 
i;  placed  against  them.  As  the  plants  increase  in  height  more  soil  is 
applied,  and  on  the  approach  of  sharp  weather  the  rows  are  covered  with 
litter  to  prevent  injury  by  frost.  We  have  known  some  growers  blanch 
i  he  stems  by  binding  thick  haybands  closely  round  them,  and  packing 
leaves  and  litter  against  the  plants  before  winter.  ~  , 
Barlerias  ( Journeyman ). — From  the  minute  description  of  the  plants 
under  your  charge  we  are  of  the  opinion  they  are  Barlerias.  However, 
tho  accompanying  note  and  illustration  (fig.  25)  of  B.  Gibsoni  may  prove 
Fig.  25.— Barleria  Gibsoni. 
■•f  definite  assistance  to  you.  As  this  one  is  tho  most  useful  we  will 
briefly  describe  it.  B.  Gibsoni  is  a  neat  branching  shrub,  attaining  a 
(•eight  of  several  feet  ;  but  handsome  well  furnished  plants  some  2  or 
more  feet  high  may  be  grow  n  from  cuttings  in  a  single  season  ;  and  as 
i  hese  not  only  bloom  freer  than  old  plants,  but  produce  the  finest 
'owers,  there  i9  no  advantage  in  keeping  the  old  ones.  The  leaves  are 
pwards  of  3  inches  long,  ovate-lanceolate  and  acuminate,  deep  green 
above,  glaucous  btlow,  and  somewhat  coriaceous  in  texture.  Flowers 
unnel-shaped,  produced  in  terminal  and  axillary  spikes  near  the  ends 
"f  the  branches;  lobes  spreading,  colour  pale  puiple,  the  two  upper 
I  >bes  having  a  dark  purple  blotch  in  the  centre.  It  flowers  in  midwinter. 
Native  of  Central  India. 
Disfigured  Peach  (A.  M.  £).') — The  cause  of  the  brown  disfigurement 
f  the  Beach  is  mildew,  one  of  the  Oidiums,  but  not  definable  from  there 
bring  neither  conidia  (summer  spores)  nor  perithecia  (resting  conceptacles 
r  “  fruits  ”).  It  has  not  done  more  than  destroy  the  cuticle,  producing  a 
sort  of  rust,  not  uncommon  where  water  largely  impregnated  with  oxide 
of  iron  has  to  be  employed  for  syringing  purposes.  We  do  not  know  of 
any  applicat  on  better  than  dusting  with  flowers  of  sulphur,  which,  how- 
i  ver,  must  le  used  early  so  as  to  prevent  rather  than  suppress  the 
parasite,  otherwise  the  skin  will  be  impaired  in  appearance,  and  the  fruit 
prevented  swelling  properly.  Tho  fruit,  No.  1  is  Royal  George,  and 
No.  2 — the  fight  one — Noblesse. 
