240 
JOURiSfAL  OP  HOnTTOULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  3,  1896 
will  then  have  a  better  opportunity  of  keeping  out  intruders; 
Wasps,  too,  are  very  troublesome  this  autumn,  and  will  soon  do  a 
great  amount  of  damage  in  an  apiary,  not  only  in  consuming  the 
stores,  but  also  in  killing  the  bees,  which  they  will  do  in  a  very 
ready  manner  and  carry  the  remains  olf  to  their  nest.  All  wasps’ 
nests  should  be  destroyed. — An  English  Bee-keeper, 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “  The  Editor.’’  Letters  addressed  personally  to 
Dr.  Hogg  or  members  of  the  staff  often  remain  unopened 
unavoidably.  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to 
unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  departmental  writers 
are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they  may  receive  on 
Gardening  and  Bee  subjects,  through  the  post. 
Asphalt  Bottom  to  Open  Shed  (^One  in  Need').  —  There  is  no 
reason  why  you  should  not  use  flue  gravel  instead  of  ashes.  Providing 
the  gravel  contains  enough  of  fine  particles  to  form  a  compact  mass, 
asphalt  wears  better  than  when  formed  of  ashes.  The  gravel  must  be 
perfectly  dry  and  the  gas  tar  boiling  hot,  then  it  will  set  well.  For 
sheds  a  cemented  floor  is  better  than  an  asphalted  one,  using  one-third 
cement  to  two  parts  gravel.  There  is  no  smell  from  cement  as  from 
an  asphalted  floor. 
Crros  Colman  Crapes  Spllttlngr  — The  cause  of  the 
splitting  is  unquestionably  the  vigorous  condition  of  the  Vines, 
abundant  supplies  of  nutrition  and  the  moisture  of  the  atmosphere, 
which  from  prolonged  drought  has  become  considerably  more  humid  ; 
hence,  the  ventilation  not  being  proportionately  increased,  there  has 
been  a  repression  of  evaporation  and  the  Grapes  have  simply  burst  or 
split.  This  you  aggravated  by  allowing  the  laterals  to  grow,  causing 
an  increased  root  action  and  more  abundant  supplies  of  nutrition,  and 
then  stopped  them,  probably  removing  a  large  amount  of  foliage, 
diminishing  the  evaporating  surface  and  thus  gorging  the  berries  with 
sap.  If  the  ventilation  had  been  more  liberal  and  constant,  with  warmth 
in  the  pipes  so  as  to  keep  the  foliage  and  berries  evaporating,  it  is 
probable  they  would  not  have  split.  The  Vines  have  been  extra  well 
done,  as  indicated  by  the  very  fine  berries,  and  their  skins  are  remarkably 
thin,  showing  high  culture.  Beyond  this  we  do  not  see  what  there  has 
been  likely  to  conduce  to  the  disaster.  The  application  of  guano  would 
also  tend  to  induce  the  splitting,  as  the  nutrient  elements  would  be 
available  for  some  time  after  application,  and  this  when  the  berries 
should  have  been  ripening.  The  leaf  is  quite  normal,  but  is  maturing 
early  on  account  of  the  remarkably  bright  weather  that  has  prevailed 
this  season.  It  would  have  heen  beneficial  than  otherwise  to  have  afforded 
a  slight  shade  while  the  berries  were  swelling  during  the  very  hot 
weather,  but  the  real  cause  is  the  deficiency  of  evaporation,  and  con¬ 
sequently  more  sap  in  the  berries  than  they  could  contain  or  appropriate 
without  cracking.  More  air  is  the  preventive. 
Blseaaed  Potatoes  (£.  JB.  H.). — The  Potatoes  are  curiously  warted, 
the  outgrowths  from  the  tubers  being  considerable,  and  resemble  clubbing 
as  caused  by  slime  fungus,  but  there  was  no  plasmodia,  also  nodosities 
as  induced  by  attacks  of  eelworm,  yet  we  failed  to  discover  any  animal 
parasite.  Such  excrescences  are  not  unusual  on  tubers  grown  in  rich 
soil,  especially  in  dry  seasons,  and  are  considered  by  some  to  be  due  to 
attacks  from  the  Potato  disease  fungus  (Phytophthora  infestans),  but 
there  is  no  trace  of  the  mycelium  in  the  tubers,  nor  in  the  warted  parts, 
which  are  almost  as  large  as  the  tuber.  On  examining  the  warted  part 
we  found  the  spores  of  the  fungus  named  Periola  tomentosa,  Fries, 
which  was  described  in  1836  as  an  assailant  of  Potatoes  in  the 
Midland  counties  by  the  Eev.  M.  J.  Berkeley,  which  is  probably  a  form 
of  Fusarium  Solani,  as  it  was  in  connection  with  the  decayed  part 
of  an  excrescence,  and  in  the  underlying  tissue  were  large,  dark,  almost 
black  bodies,  bearing  a  close  resemblance  to  the  resting  spores  of 
Pythium  De  Baryanum,  On  examination  they  proved  to  be  abnormally 
large  resting  spores  of  Fusarium  Solani.  This  will  live  over  the  winter 
in  the  diseased  tubers  or  in  the  soil  if  the  diseased  parts  are  left  there  ; 
therefore,  the  diseased  tubers  should  be  carefully  removed  and  burned, 
also  the  haulm.  The  land  should  then  be  given  a  dressing  of  quicklime, 
using  not  less  than  half  a  bushel  per  rod  and  digging  it  into  the  soil. 
Where  the  Potatoes  are  to  be  set  the  following  year  a  dressing  of  quick¬ 
lime  should  be  applied  in  March,  or  when  the  ground  is  prepared  for 
planting.  This  will  act  on  the  growths  from  the  resting  spores  and 
destroy  them.  In  bad  cases  double  the  amount  of  lime  should  be  used . 
Care  must  also  be  taken  to  plant  only  sound  sets,  having  a  change  of 
seed,  as  it  would  not  be  advisable  to  employ  any  of  the  diseased  crop  for 
that  purpose.  There  is  no  remedy,  as  the  work  of  the  fungus  is  wholly 
internal  and  cannot  be  reached  by  any  external  application  until  its 
destructive  work  is  completed. 
Propagating'  Tuberous  Begonias  (^Subscriber) — For  increasing 
choice  varieties  by  cuttings  these  should  be  taken  when  the  growths  are 
long  enough  and  before  any  flower  buds  are  visible,  and  placed  in  a 
warm  pit  for  rooting.  When  the  growths  are  an  inch  or  so  high  the 
tubers  may  be  divided  if  desired,  dressing  the  cut  parts  with  pounded 
charcoal.  Plants  may  be  increased  by  any  of  those  methods.  If  there 
are  no  buds  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  near  the  base  of  the  cuttings  the 
tubers  are  apt  to  “  go  blind.”  Subject  to  the  presence  of  those  buds, 
stout  healthy  growths,  and  few  or  no  flowers,  cuttings  may  be  inserted 
at  the  present  time. 
Urapes  Spotted  (IF.  H.). — The  berries  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria 
are  affected  by  the  well-known  spot  fungus  (Glseosporium  laeticolor). 
There  is  no  remedy  but  to  cut  out  the  infested  berries  and  burn  them, 
so  as  to  prevent  further  mischief.  The  prevention  is  to  admit  air  freely 
in  favourable  weather,  and  when  dull  and  at  night  allow  some  to  remain 
on  constantly,  with  a  gentle  warmth  in  the  pipes,  so  as  to  insure  a 
circulation  of  air  and  prevent  the  deposition  of  moisture  on  the  berries, 
which  induces  the  conditions  under  which  the  spores  of  the  fungus 
only  can  germinate.  It  is  a  great  pity,  as  the  berries  are  very  fine,  such 
being  more  liable  to  spot  than  smaller  and  thicker  skinned,  also  harder 
and  more  resistant.  Hence  the  necessity  of  greater  care  in  ventilating 
when  the  berries  change  colour  and  right  away  afterwards. 
The  Crooseberry  Courd  (Youngster). — No,  this  is  by  no  means  a 
novelty,  the  Gooseberry  Gourd — Cucumis  prophetarnm  (grossularioides) 
— is  rarely  seen  in  gardens,  and  is  known  by  few  amateurs  except  where 
such  old  and  interesting  plants  are  valued.  To  most  botanists  it  is 
indeed  well  known,  at  least  by  name,  for  it  was  one  of  those  which 
Linnaeus  described  in  his  terse  but  graphic  style.  Thus  the  plant  is 
invested  with  some  historical  interest ;  but  in  addition  to  that  it  pos¬ 
sesses  some  beauty,  especially  when  well  grown  and  tastefully  trained. 
The  aptness  of  the  popular  name  is  at  once  perceived  when  the  fruit 
(fig.  48)  is  examined,  for  the  small  oval  or  globular  gourds  are  stuided  wtih 
short,  spine-like  protuberances  exactly  suggestive  of  some  hairy  varieties 
of  Gooseberry.  In  size,  too,  they  are  nearly  equal,  and  when  the  fruits 
are  not  fully  ripe  there  is  a  further  resemblance  in  the  peculiar  green 
tint.  The  longitudinal  and  regular  streaks  are,  however,  a  great  mark 
of  distinction  if  there  were  any  danger  of  confusing  the  two,  which  is 
scarcely  possible  even  by  the  most  superficial  and  unbotanical  observer. 
When  the  fruits  are  fully  matured  the  streaks  are  alternately  dark  green 
and  yellow,  the  comparative  difference  in  hue  being  well  indicated  in 
the  woodcut,  the  lighter  streaks  representing  the  yellow  ones.  Like 
most  of  its  race,  this  Cucumis  requires  a  stove  temperature  to  insure  its 
