404 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  30,  1896 
said  to  contain  so  much  ammonia,  when  in  point  of  fact  it  contained  no  ammonia 
whatever.  In  order  to  calculate  how  much  nitrogen  a  certain  per-centage  of 
ammonia  represents,  all  that  has  to  be  done  is  to  multiply  it  by  14  and  divide 
by  17,  since  17  per  cent,  of  ammonia  is  equal  to  14  per  cent,  of  nitrogen.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  be  desired  to  convert  the  per-centage  of  nitrogen  into  the 
per-centage  of  ammonia,  multiply  by  17  and  divide  by  14. 
Loss  by  Mixing  Fertilisers. 
The  risks  of  loss  which  may  occur  from  the  mixing  of  artificial  fertilisers 
together  may  be  of  different  kinds.  One  is  the  risk  of  actual  loss  of  a  valuable 
ingredient  through  volatilisation ;  another  is  the  risk  of  the  deterioration  of 
the  value  of  a  mixture  through  change  of  the  chemical  state  of  a  valuable 
ingredient.  Undoubtedly  the  most  common  and  most  serious  source  of  loss  is 
the  former.  Of  the  three  valuable  fertilising  ingredients — nitrogen,  phosphates, 
and  potash— only  the  first  is  liable  to  loss  by  volatilisation,  and  this  generally 
only  when  the  nitrogen  is  either  in  the  form  of  ammonia  or  nitric  acid. 
Sulphate  of  ammonia  is  a  salt  that  is  very  easily  decomposed.  This  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  its  base  (ammonia)  is  very  volatile  and  not  capable  of  being  held 
very  firmly  by  an  acid,  even  by  sulphuric,  which  is  among  the  least  volatile  of 
all  the  common  acids.  Sulphate  of  ammonia,  or  any  substance  in  which  there 
is  an  ammonia  salt,  must  never  be  brought  in  contact  with  free  lime,  otherwise 
the  ammonia  will  be  lost.  It  is  entirely  different  with  gypsum — which  is 
sulphate  of  lime — or  phosphate  of  lime,  both  of  which  may  be  safely  mixed 
with  sulphate  of  ammonia  without  any  danger  of  escape  of  ammonia.  It 
follows  from  the  above  that  a  mixture  which  must  on  no  account  be  tried  is  slag 
phosphate  and  sulphate  of  ammonia.  The  risks  of  the  loss  of  nitrogen  in  the 
form  of  nitric  acid,  although  not  so  great  as  they  are  in  the  ease  of  ammonia, 
are  still  considerable.  As  nitric  acid  is  not  a  base  but  an  acid,  what  is  to  be 
avoided  in  mixing  nitrates  is  bringing  them  in  contact  with  any  other  fertiliser, 
as  for  example  superphosphate,  which  contains  another  free  and  stronger  acid. 
The  free  acid  in  the  superphosphate  has  the  tendency  to  drive  out  the  nitric 
acid  from  the  nitrate  and  usurp  its  place.  But,  as  has  been  already  mentioned, 
there  is  another  loss  which  may  result  from  the  mixing  of  fertilisers.  This  is 
the  deterioration  of  the  value  of  an  ingredient  by  reason  of  change  of  chemical 
condition.  This  is  a  source  of  loss  that  was  little  suspected  a  number  of  years 
ago,  but  it  is  now  well  known  that  superphosphate  of  lime,  under  certain 
conditions,  is  changed  from  its  soluble  to  an  insoluble  form.  Reversion,  as  this 
form  of  change  is  called,  is  often  caused  by  the  presence  of  iron  and  alumina, 
or  undissolved  phosphate,  and  the  risk  of  reversion  is,  therefore,  very  much  less 
in  a  well-made  article,  made  from  pure  raw  material,  than  in  one  made  from  a 
raw  phosphate  containing  much  iron  and  alumina.  Superphosphates  containing 
a  large  per-centage  of  insoluble  phosphates  ought  not  to  be  kept  too  long  before 
being  used  as  a  manure,  otherwise  much  of  the  labour  and  expense  involved  in 
their  manufacture  will  be  lost  by  the  reversion  of  their  soluble  phosphate. 
Further,  it  is  highly  inadvisable  to  mix  superphosphate  with  basic  slag,  which 
contains  a  large  per-centage  of  both  iron  and  free  lime.  Lastly,  if  it  is  desired 
to  mix  superphosphate  with  insoluble  phosphate,  the  mixture  ought  to  be  made 
just  previous  to  application. 
These  extracts  denote,  though  to  only  a  small  extent,  the  character 
of  this  useful  handbook,  in  which  many  other  aspects  of  the  food  of 
crops  are  treated  in  the  same  precise,  lucid,  and  excellent  way. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
April  21st. 
Scientific  Committee. — Present :  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  (in  the 
chair) ;  Mr.  McLachlan,  Mr.  Michael,  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  Dr.  Miiller. 
Mr.  J.  T.  Bennett-Poe,  Mr.  Douglas,  Dr.  Bonavia,  and  Rev.  G.  Henslow, 
Hon.  Sec. 
Primulas,  Auricula  x  Alpine.— Mr.  Douglas  exhibited  a  very 
interesting  collection  of  hybrid  Primulas,  between  the  “Show” 
(P.  auricula)  and  the  “  Alpine”  (P.  pubescens,  according  to  Mr.  Baker). 
The  former  was  the  pod  bearer.  They  were  all  raised  from  the  fruit  of 
one  truss,  and  presented  a  considerable  amount  of  variety  in  the  foliage 
and  the  colours  of  the  flowers.  The  mealiness  was  much  reduced,  and 
indeed  nearly  absent  from  the  leaves.  Two  specimens  exhibited  curious 
abnormal  conditions,  upon  which  Dr.  Masters  will  report.  It  was  stated 
by  the  late  Mr.  Shirley  Hibberd,at  the  Primula  Conference  in  1886,  that 
in  his  opinion  these  two  classes  of  Primula  would  not  cross,  but  he 
observed  that  “  no  mau  was  so  competent  ”  to  experimentise  upon  them 
as  Mr.  Douglas.  He  had  thus  completely  negatived  Mr.  Hioberd’s 
surmise. 
The  Bardfield  Oxlip. — Mr.  Henslow  exhibited  specimens  of  this 
plant  received  from  Mr.  J.  French,  Felstead,  Essex,  with  a  communica¬ 
tion  containing  his  observations  on  the  variations  of  plants  under  the 
influence  of  their  environments.  With  reference  to  the  genus,  Primula, 
he  observes,  “  An  instance  of  ‘  bog’  modification  is  that  of  the  Bardfield 
Oxlip  (P.  elatior).  This  in  bog  land  would  be  unrecognisable  to  the 
ordinary  observer.  There  are  acres  of  boggy  pastures  at  Great  Bardfield, 
where  every  plant  of  this  species  has  but  one  floret  to  each  peduncle, 
and  a  small  rosette  of  leaves  resembling  Celandine  more  than  Primrose. 
The  common  Paigle  (P.  veris)  lives  in  the  same  meadows  unchanged.  It 
is,  therefore,  clearly  in  the  capacity  of  the  Oxlip  to  be  moulded  by  its 
environment  alone.”  With  regard  to  hybridisation  Mr.  French  notices 
that  while  “  Primroses  seed  themselves  tolerably  well  alone,  and  also 
remain  constant  or  very  nearly  so  [in  a  garden],  as  they  do  in  the  wild 
state,  when  you  put  them  in  company  with  the  Oxlips  (unless  I  am 
mistaken  altogether  in  my  observations)  a  different  arrangement  will 
ensue.  The  Oxlips  still  remain  unaltered,  for  the  Bardfield  Oxlip  cannot 
be  changed  by  crossing,  whereas  the  Primrose  and  Paigle  are  both  very 
unstable ;  but  the  seedling  Primroses  will  gradually  (that  is  in  the 
course  of  four  or  five  seasons)  very  materially  change,  and  that 
apparently  without  any  fixed  law.  The  petals  may  or  may  not  alter 
their  colour  or  become  foliaceous;  the  corolla  may  put  on  the  form 
known  as  ‘  hose-in-hose ;  ’  the  peduncle  will  almost  certainly  be 
lengthened,  and  the  typical  Primrose  leaf  will  gradually  vanish  and 
give  place  to  a  form  intermediate  between  that  of  a  Primrose  and  Oxlip; 
the  leaf,  in  fact,  will  be  the  only  hybrid  feature,  so  to  say,  none  of  the 
other  changes  pointing  either  to  that  or  any  other  particular  direction. 
My  impression  is  that  the  changes  finally  result  in  sterilisation,  and  that 
the  plant,  if  left  alone,  will  never  recover  its  normal  state,  but  I  cannot 
speak  with  certainty  on  this  point.  My  experience  is  that  the  Bardfield 
Oxlip  does  not  readily  seed  itself,  but  my  firm  belief  is  that  its  pollen 
readily  fertilises  the  Primrose,  and  occasionally,  but  not  often,  the 
Cowslip.  It,  in  common  with  the  others,  is  visited  by  many  sorts  of 
insects.”  Mr.  French  sent  a  great  variety  of  blossoms  of  Primroses  with 
white  and  pink  corollas,  as  well  as  foliaceous  and  other  modifications ;  of 
these  he  observes,  “  The  enclosed  flowers  are  from  Primroses  which  have 
seeded  in  a  natural  way  in  my  garden,  but  the  changes  have  not  been 
developed  until  the  second  or  third  year  has  passed.  My  contention  is 
that  the  changes  are  due  in  part  to  cultivation,  but  very  much  more  to 
disturbances  initiated  by  the  application  of  pollen  from  other  plants, 
and  more  particularly  from  the  stamens  of  the  Bardfield  Oxlip,  in  the 
company  of  which  they  have  been  grown.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  «ay 
that  I  live  on  the  limiting  line  of  the  two  species,  the  Oxlip  and 
Primrose,  and  can  easily  point  out  the  most  northerly  Primroses  and 
also  the  most  southern  Oxlips,  and  at  one  place  there  is  not  a  mile 
between  the  two ;  but  the  line  is  absolute,  and  neither  plant  intrudes 
into  the  other’s  domain.”  Dr.  Masters  observed  that  the  only  change 
the  Oxlip  undergoes  in  his  garden  is  to  sometimes  assume  a  pink  colour. 
Wellingtonia,  $  Flowers. — Dr.  Masters  exhibited  shoots  of  the 
Sequoia  gigantea  with  terminal  young  cones  in  the  flowering  state  : — 
They  are  scarcely  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  therefore  easily 
overlooked,  but  being  more  globular  in  form  when  once  seen  they  can 
be  readily  distinguished  from  the  leafy  apices  of  other  shoots. 
Sir  ex  gig  as  in  Timber. — He  also  showed  a  specimen  of  the  “  Hornet 
Saw  Fly  ”  from  Dropmore.  It  is  rather  larger,  but  somewhat  closely 
resembles  a  hornet  in  appearance.  The  grub  bores  through  timber. 
Mr.  McLachlan  observed  that  it  was  formerly  much  more  abundant, 
having  been  introduced  from  North  Europe. 
Niphetos  Rose,  Malformed. — Dr.  Masters  also  exhibited  good 
examples  of  a  foliaceous  calyx  in  this  Rose,  the  sepals  being  converted 
into  large  pinnate  leaves. 
Tyloses  in  Beech  Root. — Dr.  Masters  exhibited  a  microscopic  slide 
showing  the  cellular  growth  in  the  vessels  known  by  this  name.  To  such 
an  extent  had  it  occurred  that  the  wood  showed  a  dark  brown  streak, 
indicating  the  position  of  the  vessels  containing  the  tyloses. 
Mignonette,  Origin  of. — Mr.  Henslow  suggested,  from  a  comparison 
between  Reseda  odorata  and  R.  Phyteuma,  a  common  species  in  South 
France  and  Algeria,  that  this  latter  was  the  source  of  the  garden  plant. 
In  the  original  description  in  “  Bot.  Mag.,”  A  D.  1790,  it  is  said  to  be 
Egyptian,  but  the  garden  Mignonette  is  not  in  the  Egyptian  nor  in 
North  African  Floras,  and  does  not  appear  to  be  known  wild.  The 
differences  between  this  and  R.  Phyteuma,  as  Mr.  Douglas  observed,  are 
not  greater  than  between  varieties  of  R.  odorata.  The  wild  species,  it  is 
true,  has  not  the  scent  ;  still,  as  Mr.  Henslow  observed,  when  a  bunch 
of  the  flowers  are  taken,  there  is  just  a  faint  odour  suggestive  of  the 
Mignonette. 
Caltha  palustris,  Honey  Glands  of.  —  Mr.  Cuthbertson  called 
attention  last  year  to  the  apparent  absence  of  these  structures  described 
by  Miiller  on  the  sides  of  the  carpels  in  his  “  Fertilisation  of  Plants,”  for 
that  author  spoke  of  a  “  fold  ”  on  the  sides  of  the  carpels,  with  a  gland 
in  the  fold.  This  has  not  been  seen  in  any  English  plant,  but  there  is 
a  s pot  where  the  epidermal  tissue  is  papillate,  suggestive  of  an  abortive 
gland.  Mr.  Cuthbertson  forwarded  specimens  received  from  Germany, 
hut  still  nothing  was  present  in  agreement  with  Muller’s  description, 
but  only  as  occurs  here. 
TOTLEY  HALL  AND  ITS  DAFFODILS. 
Totley  Hall,  the  residence  of  W.  A.  Milner,  Esq.,  is  situated  on 
the  borders  of  Derbyshire,  about  six  miles  from  Sheffield.  Tourists 
by  coach  from  that  city  bent  on  seeing  the  treasures  of  princely  Chats- 
worth,  or  exploring  the  splendid  ruins  of  historic  Haddon,  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  Hall  through  its  surrounding  belt  of  timber  a  little  while 
before  they  come  in  sight  of  the  edge  of  the  Heather-covered  moorlands. 
One  portion  of  the  Hall  bears  the  date  1623  chiselled  in  the  stone  by 
some  ancient  craftsman  long  since  departed. 
The  grounds  in  front  of  the  house  slope  gently  downwards,  revealing 
a  charming  view  of  wooded  hills  and  verdant  pasture  land.  Here,  after 
the  chill  winds  and  frosts  of  winter  have  given  place  to  spring,  appear 
in  very  great  profusion  the  chaste  and  lovely  flowers  of  the  Daffodil, 
for  Totley  Hall  is  the  “  home  of  the  Daffodil,”  and  the  Daffodil  is  “  at 
home  ”  at  Totley.  Standing  at  the  lower  end  of  the  long  flower  borders, 
which  are  confined  within  hedges  of  closely  clipped  bright  Hollies, 
intersected  by  a  winding  path  fringed  with  seedling  Auriculas,  there 
bursts  upon  one’s  vision  a  “  host  of  golden  Daffodils,”  the  effect  of 
which  it  is  difficult  to  imagine.  They  must  be  seen  to  be  fully  realised. 
As  one  gazes  upon  them  with  their  delicate  and  fragile  heads,  waving 
gently  to  and  fro  in  the  soft  westerly  breeze,  there  rushes  involuntarily  to 
one’s  mind  with  a  sympathetic  thrill  Wordsworth’s  words  on  his  sudden 
view  of  the  wild  Daffodils  by  Ullswater  : — 
“  Then  my  heart  with  pleasure  fills, 
And  dances  with  the  Daffodils.” 
The  deep  golden  yellows  glow  with  a  warmth  that  suggests  the 
absorption  of  the  sun’s  rays  at  their  brightest  momente;  The  chaste 
