August  12,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
making  itself  at  home  in  any  garden,  large  or  small.  Sometimes  it 
causes  annoyance  by  feeding  upon  standard  Roses,  but  it  is  a 
species  easy  to  find  and  remove.  Mr.  Wood  has  pointed  out  that 
the  vapourer  might  be  a  very  troublesome  insect  to  us  if  the  fat¬ 
bodied  wingless  female  were  not  often  eaten  by  birds,  and  he  thinks 
they  also  peck  off  the  eggs  placed  upon  the  cocoons,  which  do  not 
hatch  till  spring.  Both  moths  and  caterpillars  are  about  during 
June,  July,  and  August. — Entomologist. 
CHARACTER  SKETCHES, 
Busy  Men. 
He  at  the  helm,  ever  ready  to  take  advantage  of  all  side  winds 
to  bring  our  craft  nearer  to  the  port  of  perfection,  gives  us  under 
the  above  heading  two  studies  in  life— a  gardener’s  life,  and  neither 
of  them  understudies  either.  Prompted  by  his  kindly  appreciative 
remarks,  not  less  by  sundry  wholesome  correctives  administered 
at  divers  times  by  “  hand,”  I  venture  upon  the  endeavour  to 
express  some  thoughts  he  has  piped  up.  So  diverse  are  these 
studies  that  at  first  sight  it  may  appear  as  if  the  lessons  they 
convey  amount  to  what  may  be  termed  negative  and  positive 
teaching.  Yet  upon  reflection  the  dual  subject  may  resolve  itself, 
as  I  think  it  does,  into  one  question  ;  a  question  which  has  pre¬ 
viously  been  placed  before  our  young  thinkers  and  workers — viz., 
adaptability  to  circumstances.  In  no  other  way  can  I  see  the  course 
open  to  approach  and  free  of  some  rocks  that  we  would  wish  our 
young  crahsmen  to  steer  clear  of. 
For  distinctive  purposes  we  may  style  the  writer  of  the  first 
letter  Mr.  A.,  the  second  Mr.  B  ,  both  exceedingly  busy  men  as  per 
statement  of  details,  and  apparently  having  but  one  kindred  feeling 
— viz ,  the  desire  to  abandon  the  implements  of  play  and  of  labour 
for  the  pen.  As  they  meet  on  common  ground  in  these  pages  by 
the  employment  of  their  pens  in  the  good  cause,  we  may  take  it 
that  neither  the  stern  realities  of  labour  as  so  graphically  depicted 
on  the  one  hand,  nor  the  comparative  frivolities  (comparative  only) 
of  life  on  the  other,  can  veil  the  regrets  they  equally  feel  at  the 
temporary  absorption  of  their  powers ;  ergo,  they  are  both 
gardeners — gardeners  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word.  How  can 
we  reconcile  the  diverse  employment  of  that  great  energy 
undoubtedly  displayed  ?  How  extract  the  moral  from  each  phase 
of  life  and  blend  the  apparently  opposing  elements  into  a  stimula¬ 
tive  mixture  for  “  our  boys  ?  ” 
It  would  be  needless  to  ask  any  young  gardener  worthy  of  the 
name  what  his  chief  end  and  aim  of  life  is,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  that  he  has  models  in  his  mind’s  eye  of  great  men  who  have 
gone  or  contemporaneous  men  of  mark.  Such  models,  of  course, 
include  neither  demon  bowlers  nor  eminent  batters,  for  our  goal 
does  not  lay  in  their  direction.  The  type  as  represented  by  Mr.  B., 
and  of  whom  one  ventures  to  think  from  data  afforded  by  his  letter 
he  is  an  example  as  perfect  as  it  is  possible  to  find,  needs  but  brief 
analytical  comment.  For  such  men  there  is,  and  always  will  be, 
ample  room  in  the  world  as  long  as  that  mechanical  force  is 
permeated  to  its  lowest  strata  by  the  higher  intelligence  clearly 
presented  in  this  case. 
Possibly  some  young  readers  will  jump  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  labours  as  defined  are  mere  drudgesy,  but  a  little  observation  of 
similar  cases  they  may  meet  with  will  show  the  reverse.  Nine  out 
of  ten,  it  will  be  found,  point  with  pride  to  the  hundreds  or 
thousands  of  plants  they  have  potted,  planted,  or  propagated,  and 
anticipate  with  pleasure  the  results  of  sound  workmanship.  We 
take  tittle  heed  of  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  grumble,  should  such  be 
forthcoming,  that  they  have  no  time  for  recreation  whether  as 
essay  writers  or  what  not.  The  grumble  is  a  privilege  few  care  to 
be  deprived  of,  and  any  commiseration  shown  by  sympathetic 
friends  will  at  once  prove  itself  to  be  superfluous.  This,  at  a 
rough  estimate,  is  the  case  with  nine  out  of  ten.  Of  the  tenth,  it 
will  be  found  that  labour  has  been  unsweetened  by  those  com¬ 
pensating  influences,  hence  it  is  regarded  as  pure  drudgery  by  one 
who  has  mistaken  his  vocation  in  life. 
A  nobleman’s  gardener  with  whom  I  was  well  acquainted 
provides  a  character  sketch  similar  perhaps  to  that  suggested  by 
Mr.  A’s  letter,  illustrating,  as  it  may  appear  to  do  (appearances 
are  so  often  deceptive)  the  lighter  side  of  life.  Probably  our  boys 
will  think  it  much  the  nicer  type — the  pleasantest  kind  of  a 
gardener’s  life.  I  do  not  think  my  friend  thought  so,  but  tact 
prompted  him  to  cheerfully  acquiesce  with  the  young  heir’s  wishes 
that  he  and  his  young  men  should  take  an  active  part  both  in 
a  cricket  and  football  club  he  had  organised  among  the  employes 
on  the  estate.  And,  really,  these  young  athletes  when  discarding 
the  blue  apron  and  donning  the  monogram-embroidered  jerseys 
were  with  their  chief  a  credit  to  the  team.  They  played  heartily 
when  they  played  and  worked  as  heartily  when  ihey  worked,  owing, 
141 
I  think,  to  my  friend’s  common  sense  and  adaptability  to  a  variety 
of  circumstances  which  in  some  shape  or  form,  though  seldom 
similar  to  this,  perhaps,  enter  into  most  men’s  lives.  *  • 
One  thing  remains  to  be  impressed — viz.,  that  he,  the  head 
gardener,  was  eminently  qualified  to  hold  his  highly  responsible 
position  as  such,  for,  with  the  peeling  off  of  that  companionable 
garment,  the  jersey,  ho  at  once  put  on  his  firm  and  dignified 
demeanour,  which  entailed  the  unqualified  respect  of  his  subordi¬ 
nates.  Other  types  crop  up  in  memory  which  would  needlessly 
prolong  this  paper,  for  though,  as  character  sketches,  they  are,  at 
least,  interesting,  and  capable  of  being  made  profitable  to  boot,  the 
youngest  observer  is  privileged  to  extract  the  morals  from  them 
himself  ;  and  I  venture  to  add  that  the  best  method  of  doing  so  is 
to  note  all  the  good  points  of  others  for  personal  benefit,  and  to 
endeavour  to  gain  that  great  gift  of  seeing  ourselves  as  others  see 
us.  I  am  sure  our  young  students  will  have  ample  hard  work,  as 
depicted  in  Mr.  B.’s  letter  ;  they  may,  or  may  not,  be  busy  in  the 
manner  exemplified  in  Mr.  A.’s,  but  they  may  turn  all  to  advantage 
by  studying  all  types,  for  “  The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man.” 
— An  Old  Boy. 
■  ANTHRACNOSE  OF  MELONS. 
I  HAVE  read  “  The  Young  Gardeners’  Domain  ”  columns  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture -vith.  considerable  interest,  and  especially  the 
articles  on  Melons,  noting,  in  the  issue  of  July  29t;h,  pige  106,  reference 
to  “enemies,”  “  disease,”  and  “  anthracnose”  by  “  Blveden,”  who  couples 
my  name  with  the  latter  disease,  and  a  request  for  information  in  respect 
of  a  remedy. 
Allow  me  to  compliment  “Elveden  ”  on  his  singularly  accurate  and 
carefully  recorded  diagnosis  of  the  malady  known  as  anthracnose — a 
word  with  a  meaning,  no  doubt,  on  the  continent  of  Europe  and  in 
America,  but  I  cannot  make  anything  of  it  in  plain  English  but  “  rot.” 
It  does  not  appear  to  affect  Melons  in  the  United  Stktes,  though  the 
cultivators  in  some  parts  only  know  “  bitter  rot,”  “  ripe  rot,”  or  “  Apple 
rot”  too  well,  as  it  is,  according  to  Prof.  H.  Garman,  “no  uncommon 
thing  for  three-fourths  of  all  the  fruit  on  a  tree  to  be  rendered  worthless 
by  its  attacks.”  I  mention  this,  as  “  Elveden  ”  simply  alludes  to  the 
disease  as  anthracnose,  and  the  fungus  causing  it  as  Gloeosporium. 
_What  species?  Melons  first  went  wrong  with  me  in  1873,  Colston 
Basset  being  the  variety,  and  Moreton  Hall,  a  red-fleshed,  would  not 
take  on  the  fungus. 
The  fungus  causing  “  bitter  rot”  in  Melons  will  spread  from  them  on 
fruit-room  shelves  to  either  Pears  or  Apples  that  may  be  in  the  same 
structure,  but  only  soft-fleshed  varieties  of  these  are  affected,  the  fruits 
rapidly  becoming  brown,  and  little  black  pustules  appear  on  the  skin. 
These  are  not  often  seen  on  Melons,  for  the  fruits  ferment  and  swarm 
with  “  bacteria  ”  (Bacterium  termo),  thus  making  end  of  the  fungus, 
but  when  any  pustules  come  on  the  skins  of  Melons  they  are  identical 
with  those  found  on  the  Apples. 
On  Melons  the  disease  may  commence  from  a  spot  almost  invariably 
on  the  under  side  of  the  fruit,  and  not  far  from  the  apex.  It  spreads 
somewhat  after  the  manner  of  canker,  and  is  more  or  less  arrested  by 
quicklime.  Still,  as  the  mycelium  acts  internally,  the  fruit  sooner  or 
later  rots  inside,  and  the  fungus  alone  is  responsible  for  the  nauseous 
flavour  of  the  fruit.  In  such  case  we  may  get  the-small  black  pustules, 
or  fruiting  bodies  of  Gloeosporium  fructigenum.  These  are  produced  in 
a  receptacle,  and  bear  the  spores  on  threads  springing  from  the  aggre¬ 
gated  cells.  They  are  not  resting  spores,  but  the  early  form  of  some 
other  fungus. 
The  Melon  affected  may  give  a  salmon-coloured  spot ;  then  we  have 
fruit-spot  fungus  (Gloeosporium  loeticolor),  common  enough  on  Grapes, 
Peaches,  and  Figs,  and  which  pushes  its  minute  spores  from  the  pustules 
at  the  tips  of  threads,  which  appear  like  teudrils.  These  minute  spores 
are  oval,  but  soon  become  round  in  a  rather  dry  atmosphere,  and  may 
live  over  the  winter.  That  is  the  only  tangible  explanation  of  the 
disease  being  carried  over  from  year  to  year  on  Vines  or  anything  else, 
and  washing  the  rods  in  winter  with  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron  is  a 
preventive. 
Melons  are  at  times  so  grown  as  to  favour  the  development  of  the 
fungus,  for  it  may  affect  them  one  year,  likewise  Apples  and  Pears,  and 
not  appear  again  for  years.  As  the  spores  survive  m  a  Melon  house  it 
follows  that  thorough  cleanliness  is  a  prime  factor  in  banishing  the 
enemy.  The  next  thing  is  not  to  allow  water  to  remain  on  the  fruit 
for  any  length  of  time.  Then,  the  atmosphere  being  bubyant,  I  do  not 
consider  there  will  be  any  anthracnose.  It  is  damp  and  a  somewhat  low 
temperature  that  gives  the  fungus  its  chance. 
As  a  preventive  of  attack  I  have  found  dusting  the  plants  with  a 
powder  formed  of  equal  parts  of  best  chalk  lime,  air  slaked,  and  flowers 
of  sulphur  after  the  Melons  are  half  swelled,  the  best.  Before  they  are 
half  to  three-quarters  swelled  the  fungus  does  not  appear  on  them,  and 
as  spider  comes  about  the  same  time  the  fumes  given  off  by  the  sulphur 
act  well  against  it. 
As  regards  remedy,  when  the  fruits  are  attacked  there  can  be  none, 
as  the  mycelium  of  the  fungus  strikes  too  deep  for  anything  to  reach 
it.  What  little  flesh  remains  sound  after  an  attack  is  the  most  enduring 
in  the  taste  of  anything  I  know  of  in  fruits.  Burn  infested  fruits,  and 
practise  thorough  cleanliness,  with  high-class  culture.  If  these  jottings 
be  of  any  use  to  “  Elveden,”  the  labour  will  not  have  been  in  vain. — 
G,  Abbey. 
