December  22,  1398. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
487 
Preserving  Flowers  (Griffin), — We  do  not  know  of  any  belter  way  of 
pressing  wild  flowers  and  preserving  their  colours  than  by  placing  the 
flowers  between  sheets  of  white  blotting  paper,  but  we  have  not  always 
found  it  necessary  to  change  the  paper  every  day.  Some  flowers  do  not 
retain  their  colours  so  well  as  others,  and  they  should  bo  in  the  best 
condition  for  the  purpose  when  gathered  and  used.  You  may  find 
interesting  information  on  preserving  the  colours  and  forms  of  flowers  in 
Burbidge’s  “Domestic  Floriculture’’  (Blackwood  &  Sons).  If  any  of  our 
readers  would  like  to  describe  their  successful  practice  in  pressing  and 
preserving  flowers  we  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  them. 
Diseased  Apple  Branch  (C.  C.  E.). — The  branch  is  blistered  at  the 
part  diseased,  but  not  swollen  as  in  ordinary  canker.  There  is  neither  an 
effort-  at  growth  of  newr  bark  round  the  circumference  of  the  wound  nor 
any  other  indication  of  the  tree  resisting  the  enemy.  We  did  not  find 
any  micro-organism  in  the  specimen,  but  the  bark  had  been  removed 
mostly  from  round  the  wound,  which  precluded  our  scrutiny  to  a  great 
extent.  The  affection  i3  common  enough  on  various  Rosaceous  shrubs 
and  trees,  and  is  caused  by  a  fungus,  but,  as  before  stated,  we  did  not 
find  any  trace  of  it  in  your  specimen.  The  eggs  found  beneath  the 
bark  appear  those  of  some  spider,  but  we  cannot  tell  pests  by  eggs, 
except  in  well  known  cases.  We  should  regraft  the  tree  with  a  free 
growing  variety,  or  if  you  prefer  tho  present  variety',  Duchess  of  Olden¬ 
burg,  supply  >a  good  dressing  of  manure  and  point  in  lightly,  supple¬ 
menting  with  some  approved  fertiliser  as  a  top-dressing  early  in  the 
spring.  Grease-proof  paper  bands  can  be  had  from  Messrs.  Evans  and 
Allard,  Moon  Street,  Birmingham.  One  of  the  best  growers  of  hardy 
fruit  has  found  a  double  thickness  of  brown  paper  smeared  with  cart 
grease  at  9s.  a  cwt.  fulfil  all  his  requirements  admirably. 
Warty  Excrescence  on  Vine  Roots  (A.  R.,  /«».).— Tho  causo  of  the 
nodosities  on  the  roots  is  root-knot  eelworm  (Heterodera  radicicola),  and 
s  >  far  as  we  know,  the  first  recorded  instance  of  the  prst  attacking  Vines. 
The  infection  is  so  characteristic,  and  the  eelworm  so  pronounced  in  all 
its  stages,  that  we  hope  to  give  illustrations  of  tho  attack  in  an  early 
is^ue.  If  you  desire  to  see  the  post,  crush  one  of  the  nodules  gently  with 
a  knife,  and  place  in  a  drop  of  whisky  on  a  glass  slide,  then  tease  with  tho 
pliers  or  tweezers  of  the  microscope  box,  and  remove  the  refuse,  leaving 
the  solution  on  the  slide.  Examine  this  with  a  power  of  200  to  300 
diameters,  and  there  will  come  into  view  eggs,  cysts,  larvae,  male  and 
female  eelworms,  such  as  we  propose  to  illustrate.  You  say  nothing 
about  remedies.  The  fibres  only  are  affected,  not  the  roots  or  only  the 
young  ones.  Wo  advise  (1)  a  good  soaking  with  a  solution  of  Little's 
soluble  phenyle,  a  wineglassful  or  2  fluid  ozs.  to  3  gallons  of  water, 
applying  through  a  rose  watering  can,  so  as  to  sink  evenly  and  surely 
into  tho  soil,  using  about  3  gallons  of  the  solution  per  square  yard.  Or 
•(2)  1  lb.  freshly'  burned  best  chalk  lime  slaked,  left  on  the  surface,  say 
for  a  night,  then  add  \  lb.  kainit,  and  point  in  as  deeply  ns  tho  roots 
allow  without  disturbing  them  too  much,  and  leave  for  the  winter.  The 
quantities  are  named  per  square  yard. 
Names  of  Fruits.  —  Notice. —We  have  pleasure  in  naming  good 
typical  fruits  (when  the  names  are  discoverable)  for  the  convenience  of 
regular  subscribers,  .who  are  the  growers  of  such  fruit,  and  not  col¬ 
lectors  of  specimens  from  non-subscribers.  This  latter  procedure  is 
wholly  irregular,  and  wre  trust  that  none  of  our  readers  will  allow 
themselves  to  be  made  the  mediums  in  infringing  our  rules.  Special 
attention  is  directed  to  the  following  decision,  the  object  of  which  is 
to  discourage  the  growth  of  inferior  and  promote  the  culture  of  superior 
varieties.  In  consequence  of  the  large  number  of  worthless  Apples  and  Pears 
sent  to  this  office  to  be  named ,  it  has  been  decided  to  name  only  specimens  and 
varieties  of  approved  merit ,  and  to  reject  the  inferior ,  which  are  not  worth 
sending  or  growing.  The  names  and  addresses  of  senders  of  fruits  or 
flowers  to  be  named  must  in  all  cases  be  enclosed  with  the  specimens, 
whether  letters  referring  to  the  fruit  are  sent  by  post  or  not.  The 
names  are  not  necessarily  required  for  publication,  initials  sufficing  for 
that.  Only  six  specimens  can  be  named  at  once,  and  any  beyond  that 
number  cannot  be  preserved.  They  should  be  sent  on  the  first  indication  of 
change  towards  ripening.  Dessert  Pears  cannot  be  named  in  a  hard  green  state. 
(<7.  P.  S.). — 1,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin  ;  2,  Mannington’s  Pearmain. 
(  W.  S.). — Cannot  be  identified  :  probably  a  local  seedling.  It  is  better 
in  appearance  than  it  is  in  quality.  (S.  Court  Per.du  Plat;  2, 
Golden  Noble  ;  3,  Allen’s  Everlasting  ;  4,  Winter  Greening  ;  5, 
Alfriston  ;  6,  Warner’s  King.  (Ccdo  Nulli). — 1,  Josephine  de  Malines  ; 
2,  Althorpe  Crassane.  (/.  C.) — Probably  Warner’s  King, 
Names  of  Plants. — We  only  undertake  to  name  species  of  cultivated 
plants,  not  wild  flowers,  or  varieties  that  have  originated  from  seeds  and 
termed  florists’  flowers.  Flowering  specimens  are  necessary  of  flowering 
plants,  and  Fern  fronds  should  bear  spores.  Specimens  should  arrive  in 
a  fresh  state  in  securely  tied  firm  boxes.  Thin  paper  boxes  arrive  in  a 
flattened  state.  Slightly  damp  moss,  soft  green  grass,  or  leaves  form  the 
best  packing,  dry  wool  or  paper  the  worst.  Those  arrive  in  the  best 
condition  that  aro  so  closely  or  firmly  packed  in  soft  green  fresh  grass,  as 
to  remain  unmoved  by  shaking.  No  specimens  should  be  sent  to  rest  in 
the  post  office  over  Sunday',  on  which  day  there  is  no  delivery  of  postal 
matter  in  London.  Specimens  in  partially  filled  boxes  are  invariably 
injured  or  spoiled  by  being  dashed  to  and  fro  in  transit.  Not  more  than 
si x  specimens  can  be  named  at  once,  and  the  numbers  should  be  visible 
without  untying  the  ligatures,  it  being  often  difficult  to  separate  them 
when  the  paper  is  damp.  (C.  T.). —  1,  Libocedrus  deeurrens  ;  2,  a 
dwarf  variety  of  tho  common  Spruce  Fir  (Picea  excelsa),  known  in 
gardens  as  elegans.  (P.  L.  S.). — 1,  Kentia  Belmoreana  ;  2,  Davallia 
Mooreana  ;  3,  D.  canariensis.  (G.  IF.  C.).— A  variety  of  Odontoglossum 
Ituckerianum. 
CO  VENT  GARDEN  MARKET.— Dec.  21st. 
FRUIT. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
8.  d. 
Apples,  i  sieve 
•  4. 
1  3  to  3  6 
Lemons,  case  . 
30  OtoOO  0 
Cobs  . 
...  A 
5  0 
50  0 
St.  Michael’s  Pines,  each 
2  6 
5  0 
Grapes,  lb . 
... 
0  10 
1  6 
VEGETABLES. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
Asparagus,  per  100  ... 
... 
0  0  to  0  0 
Mustard  and  Cress,  punnet 
0  2  to  0  4 
Beans,  \  sieve  . 
... 
0  0 
0  0 
Onions,  bushel . 
3  6 
4  0 
Beet,  Red,  doz . 
... 
1  0 
0  0 
Parsley,  doz.  bnchs . 
2  0 
3  0 
Carrots,  bunch . 
0  3 
0  4 
Parsnips,  doz . 
1  0 
0  0 
Cauliflowers,  doz.  ... 
... 
2  0 
3  0 
Potatoes,  cwt . 
2  0 
4  0 
Celery,  bundle . 
1  0 
0  0 
Salsafy,  bundle . 
1  0 
0  0 
Coleworts,  doz.  bnchs. 
2  0 
4  0 
Scorzonera,  bundle . 
1  6 
0  0 
Cucumbers . 
0  4 
0  8 
Seakale,  basket . 
1  6 
1  0 
Endive,  doz . 
1  3 
1  6 
Shallots,  lb . 
0  3 
0  0 
Herbs,  bunch  . 
0  3 
0  0 
Spinach,  pad  . 
0  0 
0  0 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
0  2 
0  0 
Sprouts,  \  sieve  . 
1  6 
1  9 
Lettuce,  doz . 
1  3 
0  0 
Tomatoes,  lb . 
0  4 
0  9 
Mushrooms,  lb . 
... 
0  6 
8 
Turnips,  bunch . 
0  3 
0  4 
PLANTS 
IN  POTS. 
s.  d. 
8.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
Arbor  Vitae,  var.,  doz. 
... 
6  0to36  0 
Ficus  elastica,  each . 
1  0  to  7  0 
Aspidistra,  doz. 
... 
18  0 
36  0 
Foliage  plants,  var.,  each 
1  0 
5  0 
Aspidistra,  specimen 
5  0 
10  6 
Lilium  Harrisi,  doz. 
24  0 
36  0 
Crotons,  doz . 
... 
18  0 
24  0 
Lycopodiums,  doz . 
3  0 
4  0 
Dracaena,  var.,  doz.... 
... 
12  0 
30  0 
Marguerite  Daisy',  doz.  ... 
9  0 
12  0 
Dracaena  viridis,  doz. 
... 
9  0 
18  0 
Myrtles,  doz . 
6  0 
9  0 
Erica  various,  doz.  ... 
... 
9  0 
24  0 
Palms,  in  var.,  each 
1  0 
15  0 
Euonymus,  var.,  doz. 
... 
6  0 
18  0 
„  specimens  . 
21  0 
63  0 
Evergreens,  var.,  doz. 
... 
4  0 
18  0 
Pelargoniums,  scarlet,  doz. 
8  0 
12  0 
Ferns,  var.,  d^z. 
... 
4  0 
18  0 
Solanums,  doz . 
6  0 
12  0 
„  small,  100  ... 
... 
4  0 
8  0 
AVERAGE  WHOLESALE  PRICES.— CUT  FLOWERS— Orchids  in  variety. 
s.  d. 
8. 
d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
Arums  . 
8  0tol2 
0 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  12  sprays 
1  0  to  2  0 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bunch... 
2  0 
2 
6 
Marguerites,  doz.  bnchs. 
6  0 
8  0 
Azalea,  white,  12  sprays 
1  0 
1 
3 
Maidenhair  Fern,  doz. 
Bouvardias,  bunch . 
0  4 
’  0 
6 
bnchs .  ...  ... 
6  0 
8  0 
Carnations,  12  blooms  ... 
2  0 
3 
0 
Narcissus,  doz.  bnchs.  ... 
5  0 
6  0 
Chrysanthemums,  per  bch. 
0  6 
2 
0 
Orchids,  var.,  doz.  blooms 
1  6 
9  0 
„  specimen 
Pelargoniums,  doz.  bnchs. 
6  0 
10  0 
blooms,  per  doz. 
4  0 
6 
0 
Poinsettias,  doz.  blooms... 
12  0 
15  0 
Eucharis,  doz . 
4  0 
6 
0 
Roses  (indoor),  doz . 
2  0 
4  0 
Gardenias,  doz . 
2  0 
3 
0 
„  Red,  doz . 
6  0 
8  0 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
,,  Tea,  white,  doz.  ... 
3  0 
4  0 
bnchs . 
8  0 
12 
0 
„  Yellow,  doz.  (Perles) 
2  0 
3  0 
Lapageria  (white)  . 
1  6 
2 
0 
,,  Safrano(English)doz. 
2  0 
2  6 
„  (red)  . 
1  0 
1 
3 
,,  Pink,  doz . 
5  0 
G  0 
Lilium  laneifolium,  white 
3  0 
4 
0 
Smilax,  bunch . 
2  6 
3  0 
„  „  pink 
3  0 
4 
0 
Violets  . 
1  0 
2  6 
„  longiflorum,  12  blooms 
8  0 
10 
0 
„  Panne,  bunch 
4  0 
6  0 
Lilac,  bunch  . 
5  0 
6 
0 
A  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO. 
Yes,  indeed  ;  what  changes  have  been  made  since  179S  !  What 
progress  in  science  and  art  !  Indeed,  where  can  be  found  in  any  two 
hundred  years  so  much  of  importance  ?  Improvements  have  advanced 
by  giant  strides,  and  the  poor  human  brain  can  scarcely'  keep  pace 
with  the  swift  changes  on  every  side. 
The  oldest  society  for  the  improvement  of  live  stock  has  now 
completed  its  hundredth  year — years  of  toil;  years  of  patient  labour; 
years  when  the  struggle  just  to  keep  above  higli  water  seemed  almost 
impossible;  and  after  all  the  strivings  and  anxieties  the  show  is  now 
on  so  firm  a  basis  that  nothing  short  of  the  extinction  of  agriculture 
could  affect  its  stability. 
Smithfield  in  1793 — Smith  field  in  1898.  What  different  pictures 
arise  to  the  mind’s  eye.  A  small  inn  yard,  the  first  scene  of  opera¬ 
tion®,  quite  big  enough  fur  the  exhibits.  Either  the  exhibits  were 
not  appreciated  or  the  public  did  not  know  of  the  existence  of  the 
enterprise,  for  we  find  the  gate  money  only'  put  down  as  £10 — not 
sufficient  .to  meet  the  prize  fund,  of  50  gurnoas.  Fancy  a  fat  stock 
show  of  to-day'  with  a  prize  list  of  those  dimensions !  Why  it  is 
