370 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  23,  1896. 
9,  Breeding  fish  is  very  interesting.  It  may  be  carried  on  in  a 
small  aquarium,  always  where  there  are  some  thriving  aquatic  plants. 
Spawning  takes  place  in  early  summer,  the  ova  being  affixed  to 
aquatic  plants.  The  sooner  the  old  fish  are  removed  after  spawning 
the  better,  as  in  confined  space  the  old  fish  eat  ova  and  fry  too. 
The  fry  or  young  fish  are  very  dark  in  colour  or  even  black, 
acquiring  gradually  the  metallic  tints  for  which  they  are  so  much 
admired.  Their  food  naturally  consists  of  water  fleas,  the 
commonest  being  the  well-known  species  Daphnia  pulex,  a  tiny 
creature  about  1-25  inch  in  length,  but  though  so  small  it  is  the  host 
of  a  fungus,  the  single  spore  (Monospora  daphni),  which  is  taken  in 
by  the  mouth  of  the  Diphnia  and  by  another  fungus  which 
generally  enters  the  Daphnia  by  openings  made  by  Monospora,  or 
through  wounds  made  in  the  external  wall  (cuticle).  Thus  the 
small  young  fish  have  not  altogether  wholesome  food  in  Nature, 
but  then  they  have  other  sources  of  supply,  as  some  water  fleas 
appear  free  from  both  Monospora  and  Saprolegnia.  The  aquatic 
insect  (so  called)  Cyclops  quadricornis,  is  much  relished  along  with 
the  water  snail  (Plamorbis  corneus).  This  fleshy  dietary  is 
alternated  with  a  vegetable  one,  fresh  herbage  having  a  peculiar 
charm  for  carp.  Young  fish  grow  best  on  the  food  they  have  to 
search  for,  and  hardy  ones  are  better,  as  before  stated,  for  the 
stocking  purposes  than  the  daintily  reared. 
10,  Goldfish  sometimes  become  restless,  darting  hither  and 
thither  for  a  time  and  then  appear  more  dead  than  alive,  but 
all  of  a  sudden  jump  out  of  the  water.  This  is  considered  to 
have  some  connection  with  Monospora  and  Saprolegnia  infested 
food,  but  of  this  there  is  no  direct  evidence,  and  probably  arises 
from  foulness  of  water  as  much  as  from  badness  of  food  or  both. 
Such  fish  have  been  revived  by  pouring  a  little  brandy,  highly 
diluted  with  water,  down  their  throats,  or  by  placing  them  in 
water  at  a  temperature  of  90°. 
11,  Fungus  may  come  from  flies  of  various  kinds,  that  on 
house  flies  being  considered  a  stage  in  the  development  of  the  salmon 
parasite.  What  evidence  there  is  of  this  it  is  hard  to  say,  but  it  is 
very  interesting  to  see  the  fly  fungus  shoot  out  its  spores,  which 
resemble  shooting  stars  or  comets  with  tails.  The  best  thing  for 
fungus-infested  fish  is  to  remove  them  to  running  water  with  a 
pebbly  bottom,  then  the  fish  by  pureness  of  air  (for  a  fish), 
bracing  nature  of  environment,  and  above  all,  sweet  food  with 
means  of  cleansing  itself  from  overgrowth,  does  successful  battle 
with  the  foe.  Or  to  kill  the  fungus  outright  place  the  diseased 
fish  in  a  tank  containing  a  solution  of  chloride  of  sodium  (common 
salt),  a  teaspoonful  to  half  a  gallon  of  water,  keeping  the  fi*h  in 
the  solution  until  it  turns  on  its  back,  then  remove  and  place  in 
fresh  water.  Repeat  the  treatment  once  or  twice  a  day  until  the 
fish  is  cured.  Whether  goldfish  goes  to  Rea  annually  in  its 
native  China,  like  salmon  and  fresh  water  fish  in  this  country,  I 
am  unable  to  say,  as  there  does  not  seem  to  be  any  record,  and  when 
found  in  our  rivers  they  are  usually  not  far  from  the  pond  whence 
they  have  strayed. 
12,  As  golden  carp  are  cheap  (4d.  or  fid.  per  100)  there  is 
much  to  be  said  in  favour  of  the  stamping  out  system  when 
disease  appears.  But  neither  stamping  out,  nor  anything  else  has  a 
chance  while  the  causes  of  the  maladies  abide,  therefore  pure  air, 
suitable  environment,  food  in  proper  measure,  or  better,  natural 
means  of  furnishing  it,  which  is  largely  influenced  by  stocking, 
overcrowding  being  the  surest  road  to  epidemic,  are  the  best 
courses  to  follow  in  the  seeking  of  avoidance  from  disease. — 
G.  Abbey. 
CUCUMBER  DISEASE. 
“  Phenyle  Adviser  ”  seems  to  have  taken  what  he  is  pleased  to 
call  “  the  important  communication  ”  on  this  subject  as  an  attack  on  the 
UBe  of  phenyle  as  a  care  foi  eelworm.  Nothing  of  the  kind  was  intended 
when  the  communication  referred  to  was  written,  and  sincere  thanks  are 
tendered  to  “  Phenyle  Adviser  ”  for  having  taken  the  trouble  to  record 
the  result  of  such  interesting  experiments.  It  is  difficult  to  know  what 
the  “Phenyle  Adviser”  expects  to  elicit  in  answer  to  the  cases  he 
mentions  of,  in  the  first  instance,  a  healthy  Cucumber  plant,  and, 
secondly,  a  Tomato  plant  being  immersed  in  a  solution  of  phenyle  con¬ 
taining  “  197  defunct  adult  cysts  or  eegs  ”  per  drop,  the  latter  failing 
in  each  case  to  communicate  disease.  What  can  any  plodding  gardener 
say  about  this  wonderful  stirring  up  of  a  dead  enemy?  “Phenyle 
Adviser,”  in  his  last  paragraph,  quotes  a  grower  as  saying  that  “  nothing 
is  of  any  use  but  Little’s  soluble  phenyle,  Jeyes  fluid,  or  Calvert’s  soluble 
creosol  against  eelworm  or  sleepy  disease.”  A  little  further  on  it  is 
stated,  “  It  is  the  free  lime  of  the  basic  slag  phosphate  and  chloride  of 
the  kainit  that  kill  the  eelworms  or  sleepy  disease.”  The  information 
is  also  vouchsafed  that  in  the  latter  there  is  money.  Then  why  not 
recommend  these  last  two  in  preference  to  phenyle  ?  Surely  “  Phenyle 
Adviser  ’  is  not  afraid  the  advice  may  convert  market  growers  into 
“  bloated  capitalists,”  npr  raise  to  vulgar  opulence  a  poor  man  like— 
By-the-Sea,  1 
LONDON’S  SPRING  FLOWERS. 
Victoria  Park. 
In  taking  even  but  a  brief  survey  of  the  spring  flowers  in  this  great 
city  at  the  present  time,  one  looks  at  them  from  numerous  standpoints 
and  studies  them  under  conditions  as  interesting  as  they  are  varying. 
In  such  a  survey,  too,  there  is  ample  room  not  only  for  watching  Nature 
in  her  inanimate  form,  but  also  of  marking  the  contrasting  condition 
of  the  human  beings  who  admire  the  flowers  in  all  their  richness  of 
colouration,  sweetness  of  perfume,  and,  generally  speaking,  simplicity 
of  form.  These  striking  contrasts  came  forcibly  on  my  mind  the  other 
day  as  I  strolled  amongst  the  flower  beds  in  Victoria  Park. 
Readers  of  the  last  issue  of  the  Journal  will  note  my  wanderings 
through  the  Embankment  Gardens,  overshadowed  by  magnificent  hotels 
and  other  buildings  of  the  most  elaborate  formation,  all  appearing  to 
point  in  the  direction  of  wealth  and  power.  From  there  to  Parliament 
Square,  situated  in  close  proximity  to  the  seat  of  government — or,  in 
other  words,  the  motive  power  that  works  with  orderliness  the  intricate 
machinery  of  this  great  empire.  And  on  again  to  the  West  End  parks, 
the  playground  of  wealth  and  fashion,  and  lying  at  the  very  doors 
of  the  mansions  of  the  wealthy,  many  of  which  stand  empty 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  only  being  inhabited  in  the 
season. 
Now  let  us  turn  to  my  latest  mission — seeiiig  the  flowers  of  East 
London  ;  and  here  we  surely  have  something  soothing  and  gratifying. 
In  mankind,  and  the  works  of  his  hands,  we  mark  the  contrast.  On  the 
one  hand  richly  dressed  people,  fashionable  houses,  and  a  hundred  other 
things  pointing  towards  wealth  ;  on  the  other  mile  after  mile  of 
narrow  streets  teeming  with  population,  wretchedness  meeting  us  at 
every  corner  ;  but  I  need  go  no  further,  as  the  same  story  has  been 
told  many  times  and  is  known  full  well. 
But  in  the  gentle  and  mysterious  working  of  Nature  there  is  no 
such  contrast,  for  are  not  the  trees  as  green,  the  grass  as  refreshing, 
and  the  flowers  as  bright  almost  within  a  stone’s  throw  of  all  the 
crowded  thoroughfares  of  Betbnal  Green  as  those  which  adorn  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  Park  Lane  ?  Yes,  they  are,  as  a  recent 
visit  proved.  So  it  will  now  be  as  well  to  look  at  the  flowers  from  a 
gardener’s  standpoint. 
Thanks  to  the  London  County  Council  and  the  able  managing  powers 
of  Mr.  J.  W.  Moorman,  the  Superintendent,  who  has  certainly  made  the 
best  of  his  opportunities,  there  seem  to  be  flowers  everywhere  in  the 
great  Park  that  he  manages.  There  is  hardly  a  nook  or  corner  that 
cannot  boast  of  either  nodding  Daffodils,  bright  Hyacinth  spikes,  or 
Tulips,  or  clumps  of  the  old  favourite  Polyanthus ;  this  is  a  great 
feature  when  we  come  to  consider  the  large  area  taken  up  by  flower 
beds.  The  single  Tulips  must  certainly  be  accorded  the  highest  word  of 
praise,  as  in  point  of  numbers  as  well  as  quality  they  stand  prominently 
at  the  front. 
One  would  have  to  travel  a  long  way  to  see  finer  masses  of  that 
most  showy  of  all  early  Tulips  Keizer’s  Kroon.  In  the  large  open 
space  where  the  chief  display  is  presented  they  are  distinctly  con¬ 
spicuous,  showy  certainly,  but  though  of  a  bright  scarlet  hue,  not 
gaudy,  as  the  surrounding  colours  blend  and  take  off  anything 
that  might  have  proved  too  brilliant.  Close  by  are  beds  of  another 
favourite,  White  Pottebakker.  How  pure  and  pleasing  they  look  amongst 
the  complication  of  tints  all  round  1  they  have  certainly  been  accorded 
their  proper  position,  as  near  at  band  are  the  showy  blooms  of  Vermilion 
Brilliant,  correctly  named  certainly,  and  with  the  bright  rays  of  April 
sunshine  streaming  on  them  one  sees  them,  so  to  speak,  in  their  true 
colour. 
“What  is  that  which  smells  so  sweetly?”  we  asked,  and  a  closer 
scrutiny  discovered  several  clumps  of  Tulip  Yellow  Prince,  the  bright 
canary  tint  of  which  blends  harmoniously  with  its  neighbours.  Then 
there  are  large  plantations  of  Proserpine  which  are  exceedingly  attractive, 
with  colour  so  difficult  to  describe  yet  so  peculiarly  its  own.  Very 
striking,  too,  are  Joost  Van  Vondel,  Van  der  Neer,  La  Belle  Alliance,  and 
others  equally  as  well  known  in  the  Tulip  world.  One  is,  however,  placed 
rather  at  a  disadvantage  amongst  such  a  display,  as  each  variety  appears 
to  be  so  indispensable  to  the  others  in  making  an  effect  that  one  is 
tempted,  perhaps  wisely,  to  throw  up  all  efforts  at  discrimination  and  to 
stand  and  admire  the  whole  en  masse. 
The  beds  round  the  fountain  are  equally  charming,  for  there  we  find 
Keizer’s  Kroon,  Proserpine,  La  Belle  Alliance,  Joosr.  Van  Vondel,  and, 
what  are  no  less  telling  and  attractive,  several  beds  which  have  been 
planted  in  a  kind  of  mixed-medley  style,  the  various  colours  showing 
forth  as  if  totally  oblivious  of  any  such  things  as  lines  and  masses.  In 
these  days  of  conventionalities  one  rarely  sees  a  bed  of  mixed  Tulips, 
perhaps  that  is  why  we  admired  this  so  much,  and  ceitainly  concluded 
that  there  are  few  styles  of  planting  more  effective  than  this. 
Hyacinths,  for  the  most  part,  are  past  their  best,  and  show  the  effect 
of  London  smoke,  yet  we  noted  several  bright  clumps  of  Kiug  of  the 
Blues  and  others,  making  pleasant  breaks  in  the  large  masses  of  Tulips. 
Then  there  are  Wallflowers,  Doronicums,  Daisies,  Polyanthuses,  and 
Auriculas,  each  in  its  own  place,  and  adding  a  share  towards  making  the 
Bpring  show  in  Victoria  Park  one  worth  going  a  long  way  to  see.  Thai 
the  inhabiiauts  of  the  surrouDdiDg  districts  fully  appreciate  it  is  evident 
by  the  number  of  people  who  daily  go  to  admire,  ana  peihaps  to  criticise 
a  little.  An  interesting  gathering  they  make — old  ana  decrepit  men  and 
women,  able-bodied  artisans,  and  crowds  of  children,  one  and  all  taking 
advantage  of,  and,  we  venture  to  say,  benefiting  in  many  respects  by  the 
charming  display  of  spring  flowers,— G.  H.  H. 
