470 
journal  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
May  21,  18&6. 
-  A  Sad  Fatality. — We  regret  to  announce  the  untimely  death 
of  Mr.  S,  Mortimer’s  foreman.  The  deceased,  a  man  named  Knight,  had 
been  assisting  with  the  staging  of  his  employer’s  exhibit  at  the  Temple 
show,  and  left  Waterloo  by  the  last  train  on  Monday  night,  and  the  next 
morning  his  body  was  discovered  on  the  South-Western  line  near  Farn- 
ham  Station.  It  is  supposed  that  the  deceased  was  asleep  when  the 
train  reached  Farnham,  and  foolishly  attempted  to  jump  out  after  it  had 
started. 
-  Anemone  ranunculoides. — One  of  the  most  common,  as 
well  as  most  attractive,  spring  flowers  of  northern  Europe  is  the  Golden 
Windflower,  Anemone  ranunculoides,  which  flowers  considerably  later 
than  the  common  white  Windflower,  among  which  it  grows.  It  is 
seldom,  if  ever,  found  in  low  flat  woods,  preferring  steep  hillsides,  where 
It  grows  in  rich  leaf  soil  in  comparatively  deep  shade.  The  leaves  are 
smoother,  less  cut  than  those  of  A.  nemorosa,  palmately  three  or  five 
parted,  with  deeply  toothed  almost  trifii  segments.  The  stem  leaves, 
forming  the  involucre,  are  tripartite,  petiolate,  shiny  green.  The 
flowers,  which  in  favourable  positions  measure  nearly  an  inch  across, 
are  bright  golden  yellow,  from  one  to  three  on  a  stem.  The  plant  grows 
from  5  to  8  inches  high  ;  the  creeping  rhizome  is  rather  thick  and  fleshy, 
producing  several  leaves. 
-  Fruit  in  California. — The  “  Garden  and  Forest  ”  says  : — 
“  The  mild  winter  and  early  spring  in  California  have  hurried  the  fruit 
trees  into  blossom,  so  that  orchards  and  vineyards  were  considerably  in 
advance  of  what  they  usually  are  at  this  season,  when  for  three  succes¬ 
sive  nights  the  mercury  fell  below  the  freezing  point — an  almost 
unparalleled  temperature  at  this  season.  Of  course,  in  certain  sections 
this  will  injure  the  Grape  crop,  the  early  Cherries,  Peaches,  Prunes, 
Apricots,  and  other  fruits  ;  but  it  is  hardly  safe  to  trust  the  dispatches 
which  state  that  half  of  the  Grape  crop  is  ruined.  It  is  interesting  to 
know  that  fires  and  smudges  which  were  kindled  in  many  places  proved 
an  effectual  protection  against  the  frost.  Here  is  a  problem  for  experi¬ 
menters.  It  would  seem  that  the  resources  of  modern  science  ought  to 
be  able  to  warn  and  protect  the  tillers  of  the  soil  against  forces  which, 
if  unchecked,  bring  such  overwhelming  disaster.” 
-  Death  of  Mr.  Andrew  S.  Fuller. — We  regret  to  learn 
from  the  “  Garden  and  Forest”  that  this  well-known  writer  on  subjects 
related  to  agriculture  and  horticulture  died  suddenly  of  heart  failure  on 
the  30th  ult.  at  his  home  in  Ridgewood,  New  Jersey,  in  the  sixty-eighth 
year  of  his  age.  He  was  the  author  of  several  popular  books  on  small- 
fruit  culture  and  the  propagation  of  plants,  and  he  had  recently  com¬ 
pleted  a  treatise  on  Nut  culture,  which  he  considered  his  most  important 
work.  He  was  an  authority  in  some  branches  of  entomology,  an 
enthusiastic  student  and  experimenter  in  his  chosen  field,  and  was 
absorbed  in  his  favourite  occupations  until  the  very  hour  of  his  death. 
He  had  gathered  about  him  at  Ridgewood  a  choice  collection  of  trees, 
shrub*,  and  herbaceous  plants,  which  he  grew  with  rare  skill  and 
distributed  with  unfailing  liberality.  His  orchard  of  Nut-bearing  trees 
was  especially  interesting,  and  it  is  sad  to  think  that  the  world  will  lose 
the  benefit  of  Mr.  Fuller’s  trained  habits  of  observation  as  he  watched 
the  behaviour  of  the  numerous  varieties  he  was  testing  and  reported  on 
the  value  of  different  modes  of  treating  them, 
-  Ventilating  Cool  Houses — I  appreciate  and  enjoy  the 
prettily  worded  “  Flights  of  Fancy  ”  which  Mr.  F.  Dunn  occasionally 
contributes  to  the  pages  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture.  The  salubrious 
climate  of  Sussex  is  evidently  well  suited  to  the  creation  of  sprightly 
thoughts,  even  when  they  are  connected  with  such  a  doleful  subject  as 
sinking  ships  and  lost  commanders.  It  may  be  that  having  lately  lived 
so  far  inland  I  have  lost  some  of  my  nautical  knowledge ;  still,  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  given  a  sound  ship  and  good  commander  it  is  not 
the  “  storm  ”  that  the  sailor  fears  so  much  as  the  “  fog,”  which  obscures 
the  vision  of  the  helmsman,  who  innocently  guides  his  vessel  on  to  some 
dangerous  rock,  there  to  meet  with  the  sad  fate  which  Mr.  Dunn  so 
feelingly  bewails.  Let  me  try  and  remove  the  fog  which  obscures  the 
vision  of  my  critic,  for  he  is  evidently  slightly  disconcerted  in  fancying 
my  previous  article  on  the  above  subject  was  advanced  as  a  “  newly 
found  ”  system  of  ventilation,  whereas  I  simply  regarded  it  as  an  old 
one  treated  as  we  all  like  to  treat  matters— in  a  somewhat  new  way. 
The  term  “good  gardeners”  is  only  a  comparative  one;  the  best  are 
always  striving  for  something  better,  and  I  am  quite  certain  that  plants 
are  yet  “  coddled  ”  far  too  much  in  many  gardens.  In  tendering  my 
thanks  to  Mr.  Dunn  for  his  congratulations,  allow  me  to  pen  a  simple 
motto,  which,  if  carefully  acted  upon,  will  be  productive  of  much 
good ;  it  is  this — Beware  of  fogs  ;  they  are  more  dangerous  than 
“  storms.” — H.  D. 
-  Death  of  Mr.  Gledill  Cottam,  Sen. — The  recent  demise 
of  this  horticulturist  has  removed  from  our  midst  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  successful  gardeners  in  the  East  Riding  of  Yorkshire.  Mr. 
Cottam  was  for  many  years  a  successful  exhibitor  of  plants  and  flowers 
at  the  great  York  gala  and  other  exhibitions,  and  it  was  he  who  made 
the  collection  of  specimen  stove  and  greenhouse  plants  owned  by 
R.  T.  Ringrose,  Esq.,  of  Cottingham  Grange  famous.  Mr.  Cottam  has 
for  some  years  enjoyed  a  well  earned  repose  at  Fern  House  Villa, 
Cottingham. — J.  P.  Leadbetter,  Tranby  Croft. 
-  Saxifraga  coriophylla.  —  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  a 
valued  correspondent  for  kindly  drawing  my  attention  to  an  error  in  the 
English  name  of  this  plant  in  my  notes  on  page  392.  I  was  unacquainted 
with  the  English  name,  and  searched  for  it  in  a  well-known  and  generally 
accurate  work  of  reference,  which  gave  the  name  I  made  use  of,  “  Coris- 
leaved.”  My  correspondent  tells  me  that  “  coriophylla  ”  means  “leather¬ 
leaved,”  from  corion  (Greek)  and  corium  (Latin),  meaning  “leather.” 
The  more  euphonious  name  of  “  Coris-leaved  Rockfoil  ”  must  thus  be 
discarded  for  that  of  “  Leather-leaved  Rockfoil,”  which  is  quite  descrip¬ 
tive  of  the  texture  of  the  foliage. — S.  Arnott. 
4 —  Pansy  Cultivation.  —  Mr.  Alexander  Lister  of  Rothesay 
sends  us  a  wee  bookie  on  the  above  subject.  The  instructions  he  gives 
are  very  clear,  evidently  a  record  of  his  own  routine,  which  enabled 
him  to  win  many  prizes  at  leading  shows.  He  describes  his  process  of 
raising  Pansies  from  seed  and  by  cuttings,  growing  the  plants,  keeping 
them  free  from  insects,  also  cutting  and  staging  the  blooms.  He 
describes  Taddy’s  snuff  as  the  best  exterminator  of  red  spider,  sulphur 
and  water  of  mildew,  observing  that  sulphur  easily  mixes  in  water  by 
the  addition  of  a  little  spirits.  Mr.  Lister  adds  short  chapters  on  a  few 
other  flowers,  and  even  vegetables,  the  last  named  appearing  a  little 
incongruous,  but  the  writer  is  evidently  a  worker  also,  with  small  regard 
for  conventionalities,  and  wishes  to  be  useful  where  he  can. 
-  The  Rating  of  Public  Parks.— The  Master  of  the  Rolls 
and  Lords  Justices  Smith  and  Rigby,  in  the  Court  of  Appeal  on 
Saturday  morning,  in  a  deferred  judgment,  decided  that  the  London 
County  Council,  in  respect  to  public  parks  under  its  control,  is  not  liable 
to  local  rates  in  respect  of  their  occupation.  The  question  was  raised  by 
the  Council  appealing  from  the  decision  of  Mr.  Baron  Pollock  and  Mr. 
Justice  Wright  that  they  were  liable,  as  hypothetical  tenants,  to  be 
rated  for  Brockwell  Park  ;  but  the  three  Loids  Justices  adopted  the 
ruling  of  the  House  of  Lords,  that  it  was  essential  to  rating  that  the 
occupation  should  be  of  value  beyond  what  was  required  to  maintain 
the  property,  and  here  it  was  shown  that  these  parks  could  only  be  kept 
up  at  a  pecuniary  loss.  There  was  consequently  no  margin  for  rating. 
-  “  Nord  Horticole.” — The  above  is  the  title  of  a  new  French 
monthly  gardening  magazine,  which  has  recently  been  started  at  Lille. 
It  is  a  neat  little  periodical  of  thirty-two  pages,  in  size  about  8  inches 
by  5  inches.  It  will  appear  on  the  5th  of  every  month,  the  first  number 
having  been  issued  on  the  5th  inst.  The  “  Nord  Horticole  ”  will  be 
devoted  to  arboriculture,  floriculture,  and  kitchen  gardening ;  and 
among  its  principal  contributors  are  MM.  Charles  Baltet,  Otto  Baillif, 
Paul  Hariot,  Sallier,  Ferd.  Cayeux,  and  Mr.  Harman  Payne.  The  new 
monthly  will  be  the  organ  of  the  Northern  Chrysanthemum  Society  of 
France,  and  the  subscription  is  5  francs  per  annum,  but  it  will  be  sent 
gratis  to  members  of  that  Society.  As  may  be  expected  the  popular 
flower  absorbs  a  large  portion  of  the  first  issue.  The  editor  is  Mons. 
V.  Berat,  and  the  offices  are  at  19,  Rue  de  Pas,  Lille. 
-  Cocoa  Nut  Culture  in  the  United  States,— This  is  on 
the  increase,  and  even  at  present  there  are  about  250,000  Cocoa  Nut 
Palms  of  all  ages  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Florida,  some  25,000  of  which 
are  bearing.  According  to  a  recent  publication  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  there  are  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Worth  some 
50,000  trees,  old  and  young,  now  growing,  and  nothing  can  be  more 
picturesque  or  graceful  than  the  soft,  yellowish  green  leaves  of  these 
groves.  Many  of  the  leaves  are  as  much  as  20  feet  long,  and  as  perfect 
throughout  as  an  ostrich  plume.  Florida  growers  bury  the  Nuts  until 
they  sprout,  and  then  plant  them  in  holes  some  2  feet  deep  and  20  feet 
apart.  The  sprouted  Nuts,  says  a  contemporary,  are  covered  with  good 
earth,  and  as  the  plant  grows  the  earth  is  filled  about  it  until  it  is  level 
with  the  surface.  The  tree  is  fruitful  near  the  salt  water  in  Florida 
south  of  Lake  Worth  on  the  east,  and  Charlotte  Harbour  on  the  west, 
including  the  quays.  It  begins  to  fruit  in  from  five  to  seven  years  from 
the  planting  of  the  nut,  but  when  removed  inland  it  is  not  fruitful 
and  does  not  thrive  ;  on  Key  West  there  are  some  trees  over  fifty 
years  old. 
