16 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
January  2,  1902. 
CARDEH,  Cl^EANINCS 
Deutzia  Liemoinei. 
Flowers  pure  white.  In  comparison  with  other  Deutzias  it 
is  ahead  of  them  all,  in  that  it  blooms  more  abundantly  and 
earlier.  Its  trusses  are  larger,  double,  and  not  single.  Can  be 
readily  forced  with  ordinary  care  in  the  house  in  the  winter 
time  to  bloom  about  Easter,  thus  producing  excellent  flowers 
when  such  a  colour  is  in  greatest  demand.  This  plant  cannot 
fail  to  give  satisfaction  for  both  indoor  and  outdoor  use.  It  is 
dwarf  in  growth,  being  about  12in  to  14in  high  when  delivered, 
having  several  branches.  It  is  just  being  introduced,  and  for  a 
plant  possessing  its  characteristics  no  one  should  hesitate  to 
secure  it. 
Xanthoxylum  alatum. 
Mr.  Odell  showed  specimens  of  this  tree  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Scientific  Committee  (R.H.S.)  on  December  17,  remarking 
that :  — “  The  specimen  shown  is  from  a  large  shrub  growing  at 
The  Grove,  Stanmore,  Middlesex,  where  it  annually  develops  its 
fruks  and  seed.  It  is  a  native  of  N.  India,  Nepaul,  Khasia,  and 
China,  the  fruits  and  seed  being  used  by  the  Chinese  both  as  a 
drug  and  a  condiment,  and  known  as  ‘  Hwa-tseaon.’  A  full 
account  is  given  by  the  late  Mr.  D.  Hanbui-y  in  ‘  Science  Papers 
(Notes  on  Chinese  Materia  Medica).’  Mr.  Hanbury  also  read  a 
paper  before  the  Linnean  Society  in  1863  on  a  case  of  presumed 
parthenogenesis  in  Xanthoxylum  alatum  (‘Science  Papers,’ 
p.  318).  The  flowers  of  the  specimen  brought  are  apetalous  and 
appear  to  be  polygamous,  but  although  seed  is  produced  in 
abundance  not  one  lias  yet  germinated.  In  cold  and  frosty 
weather  the  leaves  have  a  curious  habit  of  infolding  the  margins 
until  the  blades  are  like  small  cylinders ;  this  position  continues 
until  the  return  of  mild  weathei’,  when  they  very  slowly  resume 
their  normal  flat  position.  Prof.  Kerner,  in  the  ‘  Natural  His¬ 
tory  of  Plants,  says  that  from  nine  to  eighteen  buds  are  formed 
in  the  leaf  axil  of  Xanthoxylum,  of  which  Hie  middle  one  is  the 
biggest,  and  grows  out  during  the  following  year  into  a  short  or 
long  shoot.  Tlie  other  small  buds  are  kept  in  reserve  in  the 
cortex  at  the  base  of  the  shoot.  Tliis  may,  perhaps,  account  for 
the  fact  that  although  the  wood  is  hard  and  brittle,  yet  the  tree 
will  answer  easily  to  the  knife,  and  can  be  kept  in  good  shape  by 
pruning.” 
Violet  Disease. 
Referring  to  former  communications  on  this  subject,  Mr. 
Hutton,  of  Donaghadee,  wrote  to  the  Scientific  Committee 
(R.H.S.)  as  follows: — “I  wish  to  bring  another  point  to  your 
notice,  i.e.,  the  question  of  infection  being  carried  through  the 
air,  and  not  being  dependent  upon  contact  alone.  That  this  is 
the  case  will,  I  think,  be  shown  by  the  fact  that  fresh  and 
healthy  plants  which  I  procured  from  Surrey  early  in  September, 
and  which  were  planted  in  fresh  ground  at  least  100  yards  distant 
from  any  affected  plants,  showed  signs  of  the  ‘spot’  very 
shortly  afterwards,  and  in  about  two  months  were  completely 
destroyed.  Every  care  was  taken  to  isolate  these  plants  during 
unpacking  and  other  stages.  It  would  be  of  importance  to 
know  the  experience  of  other  growers  who  have  had  annoyance 
from  this  disease,  and  whether  in  any  case  the  culture  of  Violets 
has  been  successfully  renewed,  and  if  so,  what  length  of  time 
was  allowed  to  pass  before  re-commencing.  I  am  of  opinion 
that  once  the  fungus  has  appeared  or  become  established,  any 
attempt  at  replanting  fresh  stock  will  be  useless,  unless  all 
former  plants  are  destroyed,  and  a  certain  length  of  time 
allowed  to  elapse,  in  order  to  ‘  starve  out  ’  any  germs  which 
might  be  located  in  places  other  than  the  soil  itself,  and  whose 
presence  would  cause  a  return  of  the  trouble.  If  the  vitality  of 
the  spores  under  different  conditions  could  be  determined,  the 
result  might  prove  of  assistance  to  any  grower,  who,  as  in  my 
case,  may  have  had  a  total  loss  of  crop,  but  is  desirous  of  com¬ 
mencing  again,  if  this  could  be  done  with  safety.  Would  you 
kindly  have  my  name  mentioned  in  the  Journal  in  connection 
with  this  matter  of  Violet  disease,  as  I  thereby  may  be  brought 
into  communication  with  others  who  have  had  a  similar  experi¬ 
ence.” 
Clianthus  puniceus  albus. 
Seed  of  a  wliite  blooming  variety  of  Clianthus  punioeus  Has 
reached  me  from  Austraha,  says  a  Continental  seedsman  in  a 
recent  circular,  the  native  home  of  that  beautiful  leguminous 
species,  where  it  is  a  much  prized  shrub  on  account  of  its  splendid 
scarlet  red  flowers.  With  us,  grown  in  a  cool  greenhouse,  it 
makes  a  highly  ornamental,  quick-growing  pot  plant.  As  the 
seed  is  pale-coloured,  and  therefore  quite  different  from  that  of 
the  parent  sort,  it  may  be  safely  assumed  that  at  least  a  large 
percentage  of  the  plants  will  come  true. 
Grape  Wine. 
No.  1 :  To  Iqt  Grape  juice,  add  3qts  water,  2^1b  brown  sugar, 
stir  until  the  sugar  is  all  dissolved,  and  store  in  an  open  vessel 
for  three  weeks,  covered  with  mosquito  netting  or  cheese  cloth, 
to  protest  against  insects.  Put  in  jugs  and  keep  closely  covered 
until  March  or  April,  then  rack  off,  bottle  and  seal.  No.  2 :  To 
each  gallon  of  juice,  add  lib  white  sugar,  let  stand  three  days, 
skim,  strain,  and  measure,  and  to  each  gallon  add  another  pound 
of  sugar,  let  stand  three  days,  measure,  and  again  add  a  pound 
of  sugar.  Bottle  and  seal.  This  recipe  makes  a  very  rich,  sweet 
wine. — (“  Canadian  Horticulturist.”) 
Bamboos  Stors  Water. 
Bamboos  have  been  discovered  to  be  of  still  greater  useful¬ 
ness  than  ever  in  warm  countries.  Mr.  R.  H.  Yapp,  an  English 
naturalist  who  has  recently  explored  the  mountain  ranges  of  the 
Malay  peninsula,  reports  the  hitherto  little-known  fact  that  in 
several  species  of  Bamboo  the  hollow  internodes — the  parts  of 
the  stems  between  the  joints — are  stored  with  large  quantities 
of  naturally  filtered  water.  The  knowledge  of  this  fact  might 
be  of  great  service  in  an  emergency.  Mr.  Yapp  also  discovered 
two  species  of  Ferns,  growing  on  trees,  whose  thick,  fleshy 
stems  are  filled  with  galleries  tunnelled  by  ants,  the  Ferns  thus 
forming  Living  nests  for  the  ants. 
Potatoes. 
Seed  tubers  of  early  Potatoes  should  be  encouraged  to  pro¬ 
duce  strong  sprouts  by  placing  them  eye  end  upwards  in  shallow 
boxes  in  a  light  position.  For  early  planting  in  frames  on  a  hot¬ 
bed  the  tubers  may  be  encouraged  in  a  warm,  light  place,  partly 
embedding  them  in  light  soil.  For  later  planting,  however,  it 
will  suffice  to  bring  them  on  slowly.  While  early  tubers  are 
forming  strong  sprouts,  the  frames  may  well  be  prepared  for 
their  reception.  A  hotbed  of  manure  and  leaves  firmly  placed 
together  so  as  to  heat  gently  will  form  a  good  base  on  which  to 
place  about  a  foot  of  rich  soil.  Plant  the  tubers  a  foot  apart  in  rows 
15in  asunder.  The  Ashleaf  varieties,  Sharpe’s  Victor,  or  Ring¬ 
leader,  are  good  varieties. — S. 
Hollies. 
The  English  Holly  is  rarely  seen  among  hardy  trees  and 
shrubs  in  America,  according  to  the  “  Florists’  Exchange,” 
though  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  there  is  more  than  one 
specimen  of  good  size  to  attest  to  its  hardiness.  There  is  one 
in  our  mind  as  w'e  write,  not  a  mile  away,  5ft  high,  and  full 
of  berries,  happening  to  be  one  of  the  fruiting  kind.  It  is  now 
four  years  since  w'e  saw  it,  but  at  that  time,  in  another  part  of 
this  city,  was  a  specimen  fully  as  tall  as  the  one  mentioned 
above,  but  we  never  saw  berries  on  it.  As  these  trees  had 
stood  their  ground  many  years,  they  had  passed  through  some 
severe  winters.  If  its  hardiness  so  far  north  as  this  was  better 
known,  there  would  certainly  be  a  call  for  this  Holly,  as,  aside 
from  its  own  merits,  there  is  an  ever-increasing  call  for  shrubs 
and  trees  bearing  ornamental  berries  in  the  autumn  and  winter. 
As  we  have  mentioned  before,  all  Hollies  are  not  berry  bearing, 
and  unless  one  has  already  borne  berries  a  customer  runs  a 
risk  in  purchasing  it.  Some  of  our  nurserymen  have  made  suc¬ 
cessful  efforts  in  grafting  the  fruit-bearing  one  on  seedling  stocks, 
and  without  question  this  is  good  policy.  Grafted  plants  usually 
bear  at  an  earlier  age  than  others,  and  what  would  sell  better 
at  Christmas  than  some  pretty  live  Hollies  with  berries  in  pots? 
The  raising  of  seedling  Hollies  is  accomplished  by  sowing  the 
seeds  in  early  spring,  letting  them  lie  in  the  ground  a  whole 
year.  Florists  handling  Holly  for  Christmas  usually  have 
lots  of  berries  at  the  bottom  of  the  boxes  containing  it,  and 
these  would  give  them  a  supply  to  commence  with,  in  the  raising 
of  seedlinga. 
