May  ?,  18d6. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
421 
-  Choysia  ternata,  growing  on  a  south  wall  at  Maiden 
Erleigh,  is  a  very  attractive  plant.  It  has  been  found  in  great  request 
in  a  cut  state  for  domestic  use,  and  sells  well.  The  perfume  emitted  by 
the  flowers  is  mild  and  sweet,  but  when  the  foliage  is  pressed  or  crushed 
then  the  scent  is  very  strong. 
-  Iberis  Garrexiana  superba. — This  is  the  name  of  a  very 
fine  perennial  Candytuft,  blooming  in  large  clumps,  and  most  profusely 
in  the  gardens  at  Maiden  Erleigh,  Reading.  The  flowers  are  large, 
almost  as  fine  as  those  of  gibraltarica,  but  of  the  purest  white,  rather 
stronger  in  growth  than  is  corifolia,  and  is  altogether  a  more  effective 
border  plant.  The  variety  does  not  seem  to  be  widely  grown.  It  is 
entitled  to  take  high  rank  amongst  hardy  border  flowers  for  blooming 
in  the  spring. 
-  Eucalyptus  globulus  Flowering.— In  reply  to  “  W.  L., 
Perth  ”  (page  348),  I  may  say  that  I  saw  in  a  villa  garden  at  Ventnor, 
Isle  of  Wight,  in  or  about  the  year  1891,  a  young  specimen  about  30  feet 
high,  with  several  fruits  on  it.  They  were  something  similar  in  appear¬ 
ance  to  young  green  Figs,  about  an  inch  long  ;  but  I  cannot  state 
whether  it  matured  any  seed.  That  and  most  of  the  others  in  the 
neighbourhood,  many  of  them  60  feet  and  upwards  in  height,  were 
either  killed  outright,  or  very  much  injured  during  the  following 
winter. — Reuben  Scott. 
- The  National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association.— The 
sixty-fourth  monthly  meeting  was  held  at  the  Memorial  Hall  on 
Tuesday,  5th  May,  when  Mr.  Crane  read  a  paper  on  “  Hints  on 
Exhibiting.”  The  Association  made  a  further  extension  by  admitting 
into  affiliation  the  Sea  Point  Horticultural  Society  of  Cape  Town.  This 
is  the  first  connection  of  the  Association  with  South  Africa.  Thirteen 
new  members  were  elected,  making  a  total  of  eighty-one  since  January. 
Further  additions  were  made  to  the  library.  The  exhibition  contained 
many  specimens  of  high  culture,  and  was  very  good,  although  the 
recent  hot  weather  had  kept  away  many  exhibits  of  Auriculas.  The 
first  outing  of  the  season  was  announced  to  be  to  the  beautiful  gardens 
of  A.  H.  Smee,  Esq.,  The  Grange,  Wallington,  on  Saturday,  30th  May. 
During  the  evening  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders,  the  President,  informed  the 
meeting  that  arrangements  had  now  been  made  for  the  issue  of  a 
record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Association,  which  will  contain  reports 
of  the  meetings  and  exhibitions  of  the  Association,  its  branches,  and 
affiliated  Societies. 
-  Destruction  op  the  Early  Potato  Crop  in  Ireland.— 
During  Wednesday  and  Thursday  we  bad  showers  of  hail  here,  and 
towards  evening  on  Thursday  the  wind  backed  from  W.N.  to  N.,  and 
lowering  of  the  temperature  supervened  at  sundown.  The  thermometer 
dropped  to  30°  Fahr.  during  the  night,  and  a  hot  sun  in  the  morning 
gave  the  coup  de  grace  to  the  very  promising  early  Potato  crop,  and 
everything  else  in  the  farm  and  garden  of  a  soft  or  tender  descrip¬ 
tion.  Pears,  Plums,  Apricots,  Nectarines,  Cherries,  and  Figs  in  my 
garden  are  beyond  danger,  and  have  the  fruit  set,  but  several  late 
varieties  of  Apples  are  now  in  full  bloom,  notably  Ribston  Pippins, 
and  Winter  Greening.  These  will  probably  be  seriously  injured.  Never 
in  my  experience  has  there  been  such  a  mass  of  bloom  on  the  first 
mentioned  fruit  trees,  especially  Pears.  Victoria  and  Early  Prolific 
Plums  maintain  theix  reputation,  and  almost  all  varieties  of  Apples 
look  well.  We  have  had  no  frost  here  since  December,  Dahlias,  Asters, 
Marigolds,  Zinnias,  and  all  half-hardy  things  were  well  over  the  ground 
in  the  open  garden  and  without  protection. — W.  J.  Murphy,  Clonmel. 
-  Lifting  or  Replanting  Large  Trees,  —  The  “  Boston 
Flower  Market  ”  states  that  owing  to  the  filling  in  of  portions  of  Boston 
Common  by  using  the  material  from  a  subway  the  surface  has  been  raised 
to  4  feet  or  more  above  its  former  level  in  some  places.  To  save  the 
beautiful  shade  trees  that  had  been  sunk  several  feet  below  their  natural 
level  has  been  the  work  that  has  engaged  Superintendent  Doogue’s 
attention  for  some  time.  The  size  of  the  tree  played  little  part  in  the 
proceeding.  A  circular  trench  was  first  dug  about  the  tree  at  a  sufficient 
distance  from  the  trunk  that  the  roots  suffered  little  disturbance,  and  it 
was  sunk  to  a  level  considerably  below  the  larger  roots.  When  the  ball 
of  earth  around  the  tree  was  thoroughly  frozen  it  was  lifted  in  much  the 
same  way  as  is  employed  in  the  raising  of  a  building.  When  raised  to 
the  proper  level  the  space  beneath  the  ball  was  filled  with  earth,  care¬ 
fully  trampled  down,  the  trench  filled,  and  the  work  thus  completed. 
Thirty-one  of  the  largest  trees  raised  vary  in  weight  from  8  to  46  tons. 
The  proportions  of  the  largest  trees  raised  are  as  follows : — Diameter 
feet,  circumference  7£  feet,  height  80  feet,  and  spread  60  feet ; 
diameter  of  ball  15  feet,  depth  5  feet,  and  weight  46  tons. 
-  We  are  informed  that  the  annual  Chrysanthemum  show  will 
be  held  in  Coventry  on  November  4th  and  5th. 
-  Spraying  Fruit  Trees  and  Bees.— It  has  been  often 
argued  that  when  orchards  are  sprayed  with  arsenical  poisons  while 
the  trees  are  in  blossom  a  great  many  bees  are  killed.  The  bees  are  not 
only  useful  as  honey  gatherers,  but  they  are  very  helpful  in  fertilising 
the  flowers.  Some  experiments  made  last  year  at  the  Ohio  Station 
show  conclusively  that  bees  may  be  killed  in  large  numbers  by  spray¬ 
ing  while  the  flowers  are  open,  and  since  this  practice  is  never  necessary 
at  that  time  for  the  destruction  of  injurious  insects  it  should  be  avoided. 
The  trees  should  be  sprayed  just  before  flowering  and  as  soon  as  the 
blossoms  have  fallen,  but  never  while  they  are  in  bloom. — (“  Garden 
and  Forest.”) 
-  The  Sneezewort  Yarrow. — This  is  a  very  pretty  flower, 
the  foliage  of  which  dried  and  powdered  is  said  to  excite  sneezing,  and 
to  be  used  by  the  Highlanders  for  snuff.  As  far  as  we  can  perceive, 
however,  it  has  no  irritating  power  save  such  as  would  arise  from 
applying  any  fine  powder  to  the  nostrils.  This  plant  is  easily  known, 
because  its  flowers,  which  grow  in  a  cluster,  and  each  of  which  is  nearly 
as  large  as  a  Daisy,  have  a  white  disc  as  well  as  white  rays  ;  and  there 
is  scarcely  another  wild  flower  in  which  this  is  the  case,  the  disc  of 
white-rayed  flowers  being  usually  yellow.  This  Sneezewort  is  rather 
local,  and  in  North  Wales,  where  it  is  abundant,  its  leaves  are  commonly 
made  into  a  tea  for  the  cure  of  headache.  Sheep  and  cows  seem  very 
fond  of  it.  Achilles  is  said  to  have  discovered  the  virtues  of  these  herbs, 
and  hence  the  name  of  the  genus  ;  but  however  we  may  disbelieve  this 
tradition,  there  is  evidence  that  they  were  very  early  used  as  remedies. — 
(“  Rural  World.”) 
-  Kjempferia  rotunda.  —  Although  a  very  old  and  well- 
known  plant,  this  is  usually  grown  for  its  foliage,  but  its  exceedingly 
beautiful  flowers  are  really  its  greatest  charm.  The  flowers  are  borne  in 
spring  or  summer  before  the  leaves,  which  should  be  allowed  to  die  down 
late  in  the  autumn,  and  the  plants  may  be  kept  in  a  dry  state  until 
January  or  February,  when  they  should  be  placed  in  moss  in  flat  pans 
with  the  roots  but  slightly  covered.  Or  they  may  be  planted  and  grown 
from  year  to  year  in  an  ordinary  light  compost  and  allowed  to  rest  in 
winter.  When  brought  into  a  brisk  heat  the  leaves  and  flowers  soon 
begin  to  grow.  The  flowers,  not  unlike  Meadow  Saffrons  in  form  and 
colour,  are  almost  sessile,  and  produced  directly  from  the  root  in  great 
profusion.  They  are  sweetly  fragrant  and  of  a  bright  rosy  red  colour, 
or  sometimes  paler,  each  one  lasting  only  a  day,  but  succeeded  by 
new  ones  for  a  long  period.  Ksempferias,  says  a  writer  in  an  American 
contemporary,  look  best  in  masses  when  a  number  of  flowers  show  at 
the  same  time.  The  leaves  when  fully  developed  are  about  2  feet 
long,  erect,  broadly  lanceolate,  and  narrowed  to  a  broad  petiole  at  the 
base.  The  colour  is  a  dull  olive  green,  with  one  or  two  brownish 
longitudinal  bands,  so  that  the  plant  is  quite  effective  even  when  out  of 
flower. 
_ Trees  in  Towns.— It  is  only  quite  recently  that  we  in 
London  have  awakened  to  the  beauty  of  trees  in  towns,  for  in  the  streets 
built  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  the  long,  dreary  lines  of  stucco  are 
unbroken  by  any  leaf  or  shrub.  But  nowadays,  when  new  houses  are 
put  up,  the  architect  does  his  best  to  preserve  whatever  trees  there  are, 
and  in  those  of  our  thoroughfares  which  are  sufficiently  broad  young 
saplings  have  been  planted,  which  greatly  improve  the  look  of  the 
streets.  Paris  has  always  been  famous  for  its  boulevards,  but  the  trees 
are  dying  in  some  mysterious  fashion.  The  leaves  never  come  out  till 
the  end  of  April,  and  if  the  summer  is  at  all  warm,  fall  off  about  the 
middle  of  July,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  which  have  been  made  to  purify 
the  air.  A  well-known  botanist  was  lately  appointed  to  examine  into 
this  matter,  and  after  a  lengthy  study  of  the  question  he  has  reported 
that  the  cause  of  the  great  mortality  among  the  trees  is  the  excessive 
hardness  of  the  soil,  which  prevents  any  air  getting  to  the  roots,  with 
the  result  that  a  certain  fungus  attacks  them  and  causes  them  to  decay 
rapidly.  And  by  the  system  of  drainage  in  vogue  the  plants  are  deprived 
of  water  as  well  as  of  air,  and  therefore  the  Viennese  plan  is  recom¬ 
mended,  which  consists  in  substituting  drainpipes  of  wood  for  those  of 
earthenware  which  are  commonly  used.  In  Vienna  the  trees  are  said  to 
flourish  with  this  system  of  drainage,  and  it  is  proposed  that  wooden 
pipes  should  be  used  in  Paris.  The  subject  is  of  interest  to  us  in 
England,  and  especially  in  London,  for,  judging  by  some  of  the  trees 
now  struggling  into  leaf  in  our  streets,  the  evils  of  too  dry  and  matted  a 
soil  are  being  felt  with  us.  The  trees  are  such  an  ornament  to  London 
that  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  those  who  have  them  in  charge  will  study  and 
profit  by  the  report  of  the  Parisian  botanist. 
