April  30,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
397 
-  Double  Daisy  The  Bride, — Just  as  we  are  preparing  for  press 
we  receive  from  Messrs.  Cannell  &  Sons  flowers  of  this  new  Daisy.  They 
are  very  large  and  pure,  borne  on  stems  ranging  from  7  inches  to 
10  inches  in  length.  The  variety  is  worth  growing  in  pots  for  green¬ 
house  decoration,  apart  from  its  obvious  adaptability  for  spring  bedding. 
-  Doronicum  austriacum.— ' The  value  of  this  splendid 
herbaceous  plant  for  cuiting  or  garden  decoration  can  hardly  be  over¬ 
estimated.  Small  plants  from  3-inch  pots  put  out  last  autumn  are  now 
quite  bushes  owing  to  the  mild  winter,  and  for  the  last  three  weeks 
have  been  covered  with  the  large  golden  yellow  Marguerite-like 
blossoms,  each  shoot  flowering  according  to  its  strength. — R. 
-  We  are  desired  by  Messrs.  Macmillan  &  Co.  to  draw  attention 
to  the  publication  of  “  The  Bamboo  Garden,”  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Freeman- 
Mitford,  C.B.  Mr.  Mitford  has  endeavoured  in  this  volume  to  set  forth 
the  advantages  of  the  cultivation  of  the  Bamboo  in  this  country,  and  an 
attractive  feature  of  the  book  is  the  admirable  drawings  furnished  by 
Mr.  Alfred  Parsons,  whose  devotion  to  plant  life  has  found  new  scope  in 
the  flora  of  Japan. 
-  Cucumber  Disease  and  Kainit. — ■“  By-the-Sea  ”  may  be 
interested  in  being  informed  that  a  solution  of  kainit  (1  oz,  to  1  gallou 
of  water)  destroyed  eelworm  in  Cucumber  roots.  This  is  a  very  simple 
preventive,  or,  if  not  too  far  gone,  remedy.  It  is  the  latest  of  the 
experiments  instituted,  and  proved  effectual  ;  it  is  also  good  for  soil  and 
plants,  especially  when  used  in  conjunction  with  nitrate  of  soda  and 
vitriolised  bones.  What  a  “plodding  gardener”  can  want  cheaper 
than  kainit  I  do  not  know,  the  price  being  only  about  twice  that  of 
common  salt,  while  it  contains  potash  and  magnesia,  both  useful  foods 
for  plants,  which  pay  for  application  ;  yet  if  he  must  have  a  cheaper 
disinfectant  let  him  scald  the  house,  every  part  as  hot  as  may  be,  then 
soak  the  soil  with  boiling  hot  water,  not  forgetting  to  use  it  about  the 
bed,  walls,  or  even  paths,  and  no  eelworm  that  gets  a  bath  will  give 
further  trouble. — Phenyle  Adviser. 
-  Pleasures  op  Gardening, — The  pleasures  of  gardening  are 
proverbial.  At  the  present  advanced  age,  with  the  results  of  enlightened 
experience  at  our  command  and  the  aid  of  horticultural  publications 
available,  he  must  be  dull  indeed  who  does  not  find  in  gardening  a 
source  of  pleasure.  Furthermore,  vocations  are  indeed  rare  in  which 
pleasure  and  profit  can  be  so  completely  combined  as  they  can  in  the 
garden.  We  exhort  everyone  having  any  land  at  his  command, 
whether  it  be  a  square  rod  in  the  rear  of  the  city  residence  or  an  estate 
of  acies,  to  give  it  attention,  and  have  a  good  garden  thD  coming 
season.  It  will  not  only  be  found  a  source  of  interest  and  pleasure, 
tut  it  will  be  found  a  source  of  profit  and  health.  The  business  man 
who  spends  his  time  in  sedentary  labour  will  find  health  and  recreation 
in  the  garden.  Why  not  get  a  part  of  your  exercise  in  this  way,  away 
from  the  dangers  and  cares  of  the  streets,  and  let  the  bicycle  rest 
awhile?  Where  size  of  plot  will  permit  there-  should  be  a  space 
allotted  to  small  fruits,  such  as  Strawberries,  Currants,  and  Raspberries. 
These  will  be  found  of  easy  cultivation,  and  fresh,  luscious  berries 
of  our  own  raising  will  be  much  more  desirable  than  the  over-ripe» 
mashed-up  products  bought  in  the  market.  There  are  generally  some 
out-of-the-way  corners  not  accessible  for  general  cultivation  that  will 
serve  for  the  small  fruits. — H.  E.  Tweed  (in  the  “  Rural  World  ”). 
-  Medicinal  Action  op  Vegetables.— Asparagus  is  a  diuretic, 
and  forms  part  of  the  cure  for  rheumatic  patients  at  such  health  resorts 
as  Aix-les-Bains.  Sorrel  is  cooling,  and  forms  the  staple  of  that  soupe 
aux  herbes  which  a  French  lady  will  order  for  herself  after  a  long  and 
tiring  journey.  Carrots,  as  containing  a  quantity  of  sugar,  are  avoided 
by  some  people,  while  others  complain  of  their  being  indigestible.  With 
regard  to  the  latter  accusation,  it  may  be  remarked  in  passing  that  it  is 
the  yellow  core  of  the  Carrot  that  is  difficult  of  digestion — the  outer  red 
layer  is  tender  enough.  In  Savoy  the  peasants  have  recourse  to  an 
infusion  of  Carrots  as  a  specific  for  jaundice.  The  large  sweet  Onion  is 
very  rich  in  those  alkaline  elements  which  counteract  the  poison  of 
rheumatic  gout.  If  slowly  stewed  in  weak  broth,  and  eaten  with  a  little 
cayenne  pepper,  it  will  be  found  to  be  an  admirable  article  of  diet  for 
patients  of  studious  and  sedentary  habits.  The  stalks  of  Cauliflower 
have  a  similar  value,  only  too  often  the  stalk  of  the  Cauliflower  is  so  ill 
boiled  and  unpalatable  that  few  persons  would  thank  you  for  proposing 
to  them  to  make  so  uninviting  an  article  part  of  their  meal.  Turnips, 
in  the  same  way,  are  often  thought  to  be  indigestible,  and  more  suitable 
for  cows  and  sheep  than  for  delicate  people  ;  but  here,  too,  the  fault  lies 
with  the  cook  quite  as  much  as  with  the  root.  The  cook  boils  the 
Turnip  badly,  and  then  pours  some  butter  over  it,  and  the  partaker  of 
such  a  dish  is  sure  to  be  the  worse  for  it. 
-  An  Interesting  Law  Case.— In  the  Court  of  Queen’s  Bench 
on  Friday  last,  before  Mr.  Justice  Hawkins,  was  heard  the  case  of 
Gardiner  v.  Knapp.  The  plaintiff  was  for  some  time  Master  of  the 
Kingston-on-Thames  Union  Workhouse,  and  the  defendant  Editor  and 
Publisher  of  the  “  Surrey  Comet.”  The  plaintiff  was  dismissed  from  his 
office  as  Master  of  the  Workhouse  last  summer  by  the  Guardians,  and  in 
removing  had  taken  out  wall  trees,  Apple  trees,  Rose  bushes,  and  many 
other  things,  so  that  the  “  Comet”  reported  the  garden  as  being  a  scene 
of  desolation.  This  description  constituted  to  some  extent  the  libel 
which  the  plaintiff  used  for  the  purpose  of  a  prosecution  against  the 
defendant.  The  evidence  showed  that  on  June  11th  of  last  year,  whilst 
the  trees  in  question  were  in  fruit  and  the  Rose  bushes  full  of  growth, 
they  were  taken  up  from  the  Master’s  garden,  placed  at  his  disposal  by 
the  Guardians  for  his  personal  benefit  and  for  the  beautification  of  the 
Workhouse  grounds,  removed  elsewhere,  and,  according  to  plaintiff’s  own 
evidence,  sold  ;  also,  he  removed  all  the  plants  from  the  greenhouse  the 
Guardians  had  erected  for  him.  Other  matters  were  included  in  the 
libel,  but  no  doubt  these  charges  relating  to  the  treatment  of  the  garden 
were  the  chief.  Professional  evidence  was  in  court  on  behalf  of  the 
defendant  to  show  that  trees  and  Rose  bushes  recklessly  lifted  at  that 
time  of  the  year  if  replanted  could  but  die.  Sir  F.  Lockwood,  M.P., 
the  defendant’s  counsel,  however,  felt  it  needless  to  call  any  witnesses, 
leaving  the  case  in  the  hands  of  the  jury,  whose  verdict  was  one  farthing 
damages  for  the  plaintiff. 
-  Kennedya  prostrata  major.  —  Few  twining  greenhouse 
plants  can  surpass  this  showy  species,  which  flowers  very  freely  in  March 
and  April  in  a  cool  conservatory.  It  is  the  only  really  valuable  and 
floriferous  greenhouse  climber  among  the  Leguminosre,  and  it  deserves 
wide  and  general  cultivation  for  its  graceful  habit  and  beautiful  flowers. 
Like  all  Kennedyas,  it  is  a  perennial  herbaceous  twiner,  a  native  of 
Australia,  where  the  genus  is  indigenous.  It  differs  from  K,  prostrata 
in  having  lighter  coloured  and  larger  flowers,  in  the  more  rounded  and 
hairy  leaflets,  and  in  being  profusely  floriferous.  The  trifoliate  leaves 
are  very  handsome,  with  roundish  oblong  wavy  edged  leaflets  about 
2  inches  long.  The  slender  stems  often  grow  &3  long  as  20  feet,  and 
carry  numerous  axillary  clusters  of  intensely  deep  scarlet  flowers. 
All  the  green  parts  of  the  plant,  stems,  and  branches,  a3  well 
as  the  foliage  and  stipules,  are  very  hairy.  All  the  Kennedyas 
are  readily  propagated  from  seeds,  which  ripen  in  any  moderately 
warm  and  sunny  position.  They  should  be  sown  as  soon  as  ripe 
in  a  light  compost,  and  may  be  grown  out  of  door3  during  the  first 
season.  They  grow  very  rapidly  and  require  an  abundant,  supply  of 
water  in  the  summer,  but  may  be  kept  considerably  drier  in  the  winter. 
They  are  best  planted  out  in  prepared  beds  in  sunny  positions  in  the 
conservatory,  where  they  can  be  trained  on  pillars  and  rafters,  producing 
the  mo9t  beautiful  effect  in  the  spring  and  early  summer. — (“Garden 
and  Forest,”)  _ 
HARTON  CEMETERY,  SOUTH  SHIELDS. 
Few  localities  are  more  unfavourably  situated  horticulturally  than 
that  in  which  the  town  of  South  Shields  stands.  Within  it  such 
industries  as  coal  mining,  ship  building,  and  the  manufacture  of 
chemicals  daily  charge  the  atmosphere  with  their  noxious  gases,  which, 
with  the  close  proximity  of  the  town  to  the  bleak  north-east  coast,  render 
the  pursuit  of  gardening,  to  say  the  least,  disheartening. 
Notwithstanding  these  drawbacks  the  neighbourhood  can  claim  not 
a  few  followers  of  the  ancient  craft  who  attain  almost  phenomenal 
success.  Foremost  among  these  is  Mr.  Bernard  Cowan,  F.R.H  S.,  the 
able  and  respected  Superintendent  of  Harton  Cemetery,  which  is  situated 
on  the  Sunderland  Road.  The  enclosure  is  approached  by  a  handsome 
stone  archway,  adjoining  which  is  Mr.  Cowan’s  residence.  In  front  of 
the  latter  structure  is  a  neatly  designed  flower  garden,  the  beds  of  which 
are  at  present  occupied  with  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  and  Daffodils,  peeping 
through  groundworks  of  Myosot.is  and  Arabis,  while  close  by  a  bed  of 
Valeriana  phu  aurea,  intermixed  with  Scilla  sibirica,  is  particularly 
attractive.  Later  on  these  beds  will  be  filled  with  “  carpet  ”  plants,  in 
which  department  of  flower  gardening  Mr.  Cowan  excels.  Along  the 
broad,  well  kept  avenues  which  stretch  at  right  angles  are  planted 
thousands  of  Wallflowers,  Stocks,  and  Carnations. 
But  the  chief  attractions  to  the  horticultural  mind  arc  its  rock 
gardens  and  herbaceous  borders.  Here  almost  every  plant  is  grown 
that  is  worth  growing,  and  each  is  neatly  labelled,  which  to  those  on 
instruction  bent  is  a  liberal  education  in  nomenclature.  Space  will  not 
permit  me  to  relate  all  that  Mr.  Cowan  did  to  beautify  the  old  cemetery 
at  Westoe  Lane,  or  of  the  many  obstacles  he  bad  to  surmount  when  he 
undertook  the  laying  out  of  the  new  ground  at  Harton  seven  years  ago, 
the  soil  of  which  even  now  in  places  wears  a  forbidding  aspect.  That 
be  haR  succeeded  each  tree  and  plant  abundantly  testifies.  In  conclu¬ 
sion,  I  can  only  say  that  I  came  away  with  feelings  akin  to  envy  that  I 
did  not  possess  some  of  the  good  things  that  Mr.  Cowan  has  gathered 
together  at  Harton. — T.  R. 
