446 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  8,  1898. 
Hybrids. 
These  are  the  result  of  a  cross  between  the  black  and  some  of 
the  foreign  bees.  They  are  invariably  good  workers,  but  vindictive, 
and  will  often  follow  a  person  a  long  distance  with  the  intention  of 
stinging  him.  So  taking  all  the  good  and  bad  points  of  the  different 
varieties  of  bees  into  consideration  we  have  no  hesitation  in  recom¬ 
mending  our  native  black  bee  in  preference  to  all  others.  — 
An  English  Bee-keeper. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  s,  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  s.w.,  and  not  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  the  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  the  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. 
Flower  Boxes  ( T P.  i?.). — We  do  not  knosv  of  a. cheaper  “kind  of 
cardboard  box  suitable  for  sending  flowers  by  post”  than  that  with  metal 
clips  at  the  corners.  Those  without  them  are  too  fragile  for  the  safe 
transit  ot  flowers  by  post.  We  receive  many  crushed  and  spoiled  in 
consequence.  Perhaps  the  seedsmen  or  firm  with  whom  you  deal  may 
have  such  article  as  you  require. 
Scale  from  a  Pear  Tree  (C.  C.  E.).—‘ The  scale,  now  quite  dead  and 
not,  so  far  as  we  can  discover,  containing  eggs,  is  that  of  the  Filbert  scale 
insect,  Lecanium  hemisphericum,  which  is  sometimes  found  on  fruit  trees, 
but  thus  far  has  not  been  found  a  formidable  pest.  Owing  to  its  large 
size,  and  somewhat  thinly  disposed  character,  it  is  readily”  destroyed  by 
hand,  which  to  be  effective  must  be  performed  whilst  the  insect  is  quite 
sof{,  or  before  eggs  have  been  produced. 
Dressing  for  Branch  Wounds  (A/m).— “  Stockholm  tar  and  boiled 
oil  in  proportion  of  four  to  one  ”  is  a  good  application  to  large  wounds 
made  in  pruning.  Patent  knotting  is  chiefly  used  as  a  preventive  of 
bleeding  in  Vines,  as  it  dries  more  quickly  and  closes  the  pores  of  the 
wood.  It  should  not  be  used  on  the  bark.  Stockholm  tar  four  parts,  and 
petroleum  one  part,  forms  an  excellent  paint  for  large  wounds,  and  also 
for  woodwork  as  a  preservative  from  fungoid  attacks,  applying:  with  a 
VioleiS  Failing  (  IF.  R.  R.'). — Mere  terms  are  trifles,  however  absurd 
it  may  appear  to  allude  to  rotting  as  “damping.”  By  all  means  obtain 
fresh,  clean  stock,  as  we  have  done  more  than  once,  and  had  both  new 
and  original  stock  infested  in  the  same  bed,  but  much  more  seriously  in 
some  years  than  others,  and  eventually  have  had  the  whole  stock  clean 
again.  We  very  much  agree  with  your  observation— “  Fungoid  diseases, 
in  animals  and  plants,  seem  generally  to  affect  things  whose  natural 
habit  is  too  much  restricted— where  Nature  i3  bent,  so  to  say,  till  it 
craca.s  though  we  have  not  been  ablo  to  induce  some  scientists  to 
coincide  with  the  view  which  you  have  put  so  concisely.  As  to  the  sup¬ 
pression  of  runners,  the  finest  examples  of  Strawberry  and  Violet  culture 
that  we  have  seen  over  a  rather  long  series  of  years  have  resulted  from 
practically  the  same  treatment.  This  has  not  been  by  the  absolute 
prevention  of  runners,  but  by  removing  them  before  they  attain  to  any 
material  length,  and  producing  a  bold  central  crown  to  each  plant.  Wo 
do  not  know  how  many  thousands  of  Violets  are  increased  by  offsets 
whicn  consist  of  an  aggregation  of  incipient  crowns,  but  that  is  not  the 
best  way,  except  for  “cracking”  the  constitution  of  the  plants.  We  do 
not  however,  for  a  moment  suggest  that  you  adopt  other  than  the  best 
method  of  increase,  and  we  sincerely  hope  you  will  have  healthy  plants 
Diseased  Potatoes  (IF.  Parker ). — The  specimens  you  forwarded  are 
being  subject°d  to  a  microscopical  examination,  of  which  the  results  will 
be  published  in  our  next  issue. 
Address  ( E .  J.  S.) — We  never  publish  addresses  in  the  way  you 
suggest,  but  if  you  send  a  stamped  directed  envelope  repeating  your 
desire  we  may  perhaps  put  you  in  the  way  of  obtaining  the  required 
information. 
Chrysanthemums  for  Late  Propagating  (dfum).  —  The  following 
naturally  dwarf  growing  Japanese  varieties  are  suitable  for  your  pur¬ 
pose.  The  cuttings  should  be  inserted  at  the  end  of  April,  or  even  the 
first  week  in  May.  Viviand  Morel,  Charles  Davis,  Lady  Hanham, 
Souvenir  de  Petite  Amie,  Mons.  Hoste,  Emily  Silsbury,  G.  W.  Childs, 
John  Shrimpton,  Madame  M.  Ricoud,  Pride  of  Madford,  Mutual  Friend, 
Oceana,  and  Mrs.  J.  Ritson. 
Forcing  Lily  of  the  Valley  IT.  P.  R.). — The  treatment  you  describe 
is  correct  if  properly  carried  out.  The  plants  ought  to  come  forward 
gently  and  strongly,  but  particular  care  must  be  taken  not  to  have  the 
moss  too  wet,  or  it  will  cause  the  leaves  arid  spikes  of  flowers  to  decay, 
it  is  also  most  important  to  keep  the  plunging  material  and  soil  in  the 
pots  moist.  The  drying  nature  of  the  bottom  heat  is  likely  to  interfere 
with  this,  and  if  not  prevented,  failure  may  ensue.  The  bottom  heat 
should  not  exceed  85°,  nor  the  top  heat  70°  to  75°.  It  is  better  to  have 
the  bottom  heat  about  10°  higher  than  the  top  hear,  so  as  to  secure  both 
leaves  and  flowers. 
The  Heaviest  Bunch  of  Grapes  (C.  E.  B.).— The  disparity  you  mention 
as  to  recorded  weights  of  Grapes  is  explainable  in  this  way.  When  Mr. 
Dickson's  huge  bunch  was  cut  and  weighed  by  him  at  home  in  the 
presence  of  two  witnesses,  it  was  found  to  turn  the  scale  at  26  lbs.  8  ozs., 
and  that  is  the  authority  for  the  statement  which  you  have  discovered. 
But  then,  as  you  know,  all  weights  and  scales  are  not  exactly  alike, 
and  it  is  also  known  that  Grapes  lose  weight  after  they  are  cut  from  the 
Vines,  and  the  larger  tho  bunch  and  the  greater  the  lapse  of  time  that 
occurs  before  the  second  weighing,  the  greater  is  the  loss.  Mr.  Curror** 
bunch  was  said  to  have  lo3t  3  ozs. ;  but  assuming  there  was  no  error  in 
the  scales  and  weights  used,  Mr  Dickson’s  bunch  must  have  lost  9  ozs.  to 
have  made  it  equal  to  Mr.  Curror’s  when  weighed  by  the  judges  in  the 
presence  of  officials  and  press  representatives  at  Edinburgh  on  the  morning 
of  September  15th,  1875.  This  tied-out  and  well-thinned  bunch  of  fine 
berries  we  can  understand  losing  twice  the  weight  of  the  other,  with  its 
wedged  mass  of  practically  unthinned  berries  :  but  whatever  the  loss  of 
either,  and  whatever  their  weights  at  home,  the  test  for  awarding  tho 
prizes  was  the  weights  of  the  bunches  at  the  Bhow,  as  determined  by 
the  same  men  and  machine.  We  were  present  at  the  weighing,  and  very 
well  remember  Mr.  Curror’s  bunch  turning  the  scale  at  26  lbs.  By  exactly 
how  much  we  could  not  see.  nor  could  other  onlookers  at  a  little  distance, 
for  there  was  some  crowding,  and  the  light,  soon  after  6  A.M.  (the  time 
of  weighing),  was  not  very  clear.  We  remember  that  in  the  excitement 
of  the  moment  the  weight  was  variously  announced  as  26  lbs.  1  oz.  by  one 
person,  26J  lbs.  by  another,  and  26  lbs.  l  oz.  by  a  third.  Tn  some  way  or 
other  26  lbs.  4  oz^.  eventually  seemed  to  become  accepted  as  correct.  For 
two  reasons  we  are  inclined  to  think  26  lbs.  1  oz  was  the  exact  weight. 
(1),  Because  it  was  well  understood  at  the  time  that241b3.  4  ozs.  was  Mr. 
Curror’s  weight  of  the  bunch  when  cut.  and  was  so  to  say,  in  every¬ 
body’s  mouth,”  whereas  in  our  report  (page  245,  Journal  of  Horticulture, 
September  16th,  1875),  telegraphed  the  ,same  morning,  the  show  weight 
is  given  as  26  lbs.  1  oz. ;  and  (2)  we  suspect  that  was  correct,  because  at 
the  end  of  a  long  controversy  on  the  subject  of  the  historical  competition 
the  late  Mr.  William  Thomson  wrote  (page  397,  Journal  of  Horticulture , 
November  4th,  1875)  as  foliows  :  -“I  lifted  the  bunch  clean  off  the  board 
with  the  T  piece  of  wood  in  my  hand  and  the  single  stem  between  my 
fingers,  and  held  it  till  it  was  suspended  at  the  end  of  the  balance,  while 
26  lbs.,  made  up  of  various  weights,  were  at  the  other.  It  turned  the 
scale  with  that  weight  against  it,  and  1  oz.  was  added.  This  was  its 
exact  weight.  It  hud  only  lost  3  ozs.  of  the  weight  rendered  by  Mr. 
Curror  during  the  twenty-four  hours  it  had  been  cut,  the  greater  part  of 
which  time  it  had  been  in  a  dry  hot  room.”  That  is  a  precise  statement, 
and  the  reference  to  the  weight  previously  given  by  Mr.  Curror  seems  to 
impress  it  with  inherent  accuracy.  Mr.  Thomson  went  on  to  say  :  — 
“I  removed  the  bunch  from  the  beam,  and  replaced  it  on  the  board. 
While  this  was  being  done  Mr.  Dell  of  Stoke  Rochford,  one  of  the  judges, 
with  someone  assisting  him,  removed  Mr.  Dickson’s  bunch,  and  placed  it 
in  like  manner,  when  it  was  found  that  with  the  1  oz.  removed  it  would 
not  balance  the  26  lbs.  ;  I  lb.  was  then  removed,  and,  according  to  my 
recollection,  10  ozs.  added,  and  not  15  ozs.,  as  some  have  written.  We 
suspect  Mr.  Thomson  was  right  about  the  10  ozs.,  because  both  Dr.  Ilogg 
and  the  present  writer  took  down  the  weight  on  the  spot,  which  was 
forthwith  telegraphed  to  London  ;  and  Mr.  Dickson’s  bunch  appears  in 
our  report  on  the  page  above  cited  as  weighing  25  lbs.  10  ozs.  One  fact, 
however,  no  one  who  was  present  will  coll  into  question — namely,  that 
Mr.  Curror’s  bunch  was  found  to  weigh  over  26  lbs ,  and  Mr.  Dickson’s 
under  26  lbs.  by  the  same  scales  at  the  same  time,  and  therefore  the 
unique  honour  rests  with  Mr.  Curror  of  having  exhibited  the  heaviest 
bunch  of  Grapes  known  to  the  world.  The  weights  given  in  Barron’s 
“Vines  and  Vine  Culture,”  and  those  in  the  “Fruit  Growers’  Guide,” 
which  you  quote,  agree  ;  but  in  the  last  named  work  is  also  given  Mr. 
Dickson’s  weight  of  his  elephantine  bunch  when  cut  from  the  Vine,  but 
it  was  certainly  not  the  heavier  in  the  great  contest  at  Edinburgh,  and  wo 
suspect,  for  the  reasons  stated,  that  the  exact  weights  of  tho  bunche? 
there  were  26  lbs.  1  oz.,  and  25  lbs.  10  ozs.  respectively.  We  are  muclji 
obliged  by  your  letter. 
