380 
.TOURS AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
.^[ay  1,  1902. 
poisonous  f^asps  known  to  chemical  science.  It  has  an  odour 
similar  to  that  of  Poach  kei-nels.  The  lungs  once  filled  with  it 
would  produce  instantaneous  death.  Therefore,  do  not  stick 
your  nose  over  a  jar  or  in  a  hou.se  to  test  the  gas.  The  residue 
in  the  jar  sliould  be  emptied  after  each  fumigation,  and  a  now 
stock  made  up  each  time. 
How  TO  Estimate  Chemicals. 
Suppose  we  had  a  room  containing  564  cubic  feet  which  we 
desired  to  fill  with  nursei^’  stock  and  fumigate.  I  have  found 
that  0.25  (twenty-five  hundredths)  gramme  of  cyanide  per  cubic 
foot  gives  satisfactory  results  in  all  cases.  To  estimate  the 
amount  of  chemicals  necessary  for  this  room  multiply  564  by 
0.25,  thus:  564  x  0.25  equals  141  grammes  of  cyanide.  To 
reduce  this  to  ounces  divide  by  28.35,  as  there  are  28.35  grammes 
in  an  ounce,  thus  141  by  28.35  equals  5oz  (a  fraction  less),  the 
amount  of  cyanide  needed  for  this  house.  My  mle  is  to  use  a 
half  more  acid,  liquid  mea,sure  than  cyanide,  and  a  half  more 
water  than  acid.  For  this  room  we  therefore  needed  5oz  cyanide 
by  weight,  Tjoz  acid  liquid  measure,  and  llioz  water,  liquid 
measure.  I  discard  the  fractions  and  measure  the  chemicals  in 
round  numbers.  Any  house  or  enclosure  can  be  estimated  by 
following  this  outline  rule. 
Effect  of  Gas  on  Nurseey  Stock. 
I  made  a  series  of  tests  in  ’99,  and  determined  the 
physiological  effect  upon  various  kinds  and  grades  of  nunsery 
stock.  I  found  that  June  buds  and  low-grade  Peach,  commonly 
called  “  whips,”  will  not  .stand  the  gas  stronger  than  0.18  gramme 
per  cubic  foot.  If  low-grade  Peach  and  June  buds  are  to  be 
fumigated  the  amount  of  cyanide  used  should  be  reduced  to 
0.16  or  0.18  gramme  per  cubic  foot.  Use  the  same  strength  for 
buds,  grafts,  and  scions,  and  do  not  leave  them  exposed  for 
longer  than  a  half-hour. 
I  have  found  that  the  tender  terminals  of  fully-matured  first- 
class  Peach  were  not  injured  in  the  least  with  0.25  gramme,  even 
when  they  were  fumigated  one  hour.  No  injury  ivas  noticed 
to  stock  of  this  kind  until  the  amount  of  cyanide  was  raised  to 
0.45  gramme,  and  in  this  instance  the  terminals  were  only 
slightly  injured.  Apple  was  not  affected,  even  wdien  six  times 
the  normal  strength  was  used,  while  Plum  stood  nearly  three 
times  the  usual  amount,  and  Pear  from  three  to  four  times  the 
normal  dose. 
- - 
Plants  of  Economic  Value. 
The  last  monthly  meeting  for  the  session  of  the  Paignton  and 
District  Gardeners’  Association  was  held  on  April  24,  when  Mr. 
W.  C.  Rossiter  read  a  long  and  interesting  paper  on  “  Plants 
which  supply  us  with  food  and  comfort.”  Mr.  T.  Gard  presided 
over  a  small  attendance  of  members.  Mr.  Rossiter,  in  the 
course  of  his  paper,  said  of  the  many  plants  which  were  used  for 
food  none  were  more  useful  and  widely  spread  over  the  earth 
than  the  various  kinds  of  grasses  which  were  to  be  met  ivith  in 
every  climate  and  all  situations,  from  the  Equator  to  the  Polar 
regions.  They  were  all  cultivated,  and  it  was  said  that  none  of 
the  grasses  which  they  used  for  food  were  to  be  found  in  a  wild 
state.  Various  kinds  of  corn  grasses  were  dealt  ivith  the  speaker 
alluding  to  the  discontinuance  of  Barley  for  making  bread, 
although  it  used  to  be  very  largely  used.  He  agreed  with  the 
Government  putting  a  tax  on  corn,  as  he  believed  it  to  be  bene¬ 
ficial  to  this  country,  and  went  on  to  say  that  the  seeds  of  grain 
wnre  veiy  prolific,  all  the  Wheat  in  Mexico  springing  from  a  few 
seeds.  He  considered  Wheat  was  sown  much  too  thickly  in  this 
counti*y,  and  instanced  the  case  of  a  gentleman  who  sowed 
Wheat  3ft  apart  with  marvellous  results.  Maize  came  from 
America  and  South  Africa,  and  was  used  extensively  for  feeding 
purposes  in  England.  Flour  was  obtained  from  Palms,  but,  unlike 
corn  flour,  it  was  obtained  from  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  was 
called  Sago,  although  it  M'as  not  in  its  natural  state  when  it 
reached  this  country,  undergoing  a  process  of  half-baking.  Aitow- 
root  was  made  from  a  plant  in  the  East  and  West  Indies,  but 
was  a  native  of  South  Africa.  They  would  .scarcely  expect  any 
part  of  the  Arum  to  be  good  for  food,  but  when  dried  or  heated 
it  yielded  a  starch  which  was  used  for  adulterating  Arrowroot. 
In  Egypt  the  Arum  (or  Richardia)  was  cultivated  for  the  sake  of 
its  roots.  The  natives  of  some  of  the  Pacific  Islands  lived  chiefly 
on  the  Bread  Fruit  Tree,  which  bore  fruit  eight  months  of  the 
year,  and  Yams  were  also  useful  for  food.  Of  all  plants  none 
was  more  valuable  than  the  Banana,  and  many  millions  made  it 
their  chief  food,  and  it  was  as  important  as  corn  to  us,  or  Rice 
to  the  Hindoos  and  Chinese.  To'  show  how  prolific  it  was,  4,0001b 
would  grow  on  the  same  space  as  991b  of  Potatoes.  The  Date 
Palm  grew  much  more  slowly ;  Dates  were  sold  cheaply  in 
England,  but  they  were  still  considered  a  luxury. 
There  was  also  the  Cabbage  Palm,  made  up  of  white  flecks,  and 
quite  solid.  Palm  wine  was  made  from  the  Date  and  other  Palms, 
the  Palms  yielding  about  a  gallon  of  sap  a  day  for  a  fortnight, 
after  which  the  quantity  decreased  and  the  tree  died.  Palm 
juice  was,  therefore,  costly,  and  was  not  taken  from  those  bearing 
fruit.  Cocoa-nut  Palms  yielded  fruit  for  sixty  or  seventy  years, 
and,  in  good  soil,  eighty  years,  every  four  to  six  weeks,  so  that 
it  was  generally  bearing  flow'ers  and  fruit  together,  and  was  most 
luxuriant  on  the  seacoast.  The  Fig  was  in  many  countries  quite 
an  important  article  of  food,  and  has  been  cultivated  for  ages 
past,  being  in  use  among  the  Greeks,  and  being  of  great  service 
to  the  Hebrews,  as  mentioned  in  the  Bible.  It  might  be  culti¬ 
vated  in  England  if  people  cared  for  them.  The  Pomegranate 
Avas  still  a  great  favourite  in  theEast,  and  ivas  stored  for  winter 
use.  Hops,  which  greiv  ivild  in  England,  came  together  with, 
beer,  and  Mr.  Rossiter  referred  to  the  busy  hopping  season, 
proceeding  to  speak  of  other  plants,  such  as  Raisins,  Liquorice, 
Beets,  Almond  trees,  Olives,  Hemps,  the  Rush  family,  the  various 
dyes,  and  medicinal  plants  from  ivliich  drugs  ivere  obtained.  The 
paper  was  highly  appreciated  and  ivell  discussed. — (“  Paignton 
ObserAmr,”  Deimn.) 
- - 
The  Fruit  Supply  of  These  Islands. 
No  more  interesting  or  important  article  has  appeared  in  the 
pages  of  the  Journal  for  some  time  than  that  from  the  pen  of 
“  Herefordshire  Incumbent,”  ivliich  appeared  on  page  289.  The 
fruit  supply  of  these  islands !  What  a  inomentousi  question  it 
is ;  hoAv  often  has  it  been  discussed ;  what  possibilities  it  appears- 
to  hold  out ;  and  yet  the  satisfactory  solving  of  it  seems  to  be 
somewhere  away  in  the  hazy  future.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  a 
question  for  all ;  for  statesmen  as  well  as  groivers,  for  consumers 
as  well  as  producers,  for  capitalists,  business  men,  and  everyone 
concerned  in  the  feeding  of  the  millions  of  these  islands.  As  your 
correspondent  rightly  says,  ive  do  not  seem  to  get  on.  Our 
population  increa.ses ;  the  demand  for  fruit  grou's  year  by  year ; 
practical  knoivledge  has  been,  and. is  still  being,  imparted;  and 
yet,  Avfth  it  all,  this  country  does  not  supply  anything  like  the 
quantity  of  fruit  that  its  population  needs.  There  is  jsurely  a 
reason  for  this — possibly  there  is  a  remedy ;  but  I  am  afraid  the- 
latter  does  not  lie  altogether  in  the  hands  of  the  groAver  himself. 
Suggestions  are  sometimes  made  about  protection,  but  I  am 
afraid  the  remedy  does  not  exist  here.  Fruit  is  not  a  luxury, 
but  a  commodity,  like  many  other  things  beside  breadstuffs,  and 
to  prevent  its  free  entry  to  this  country  would  be  only  the  thin 
end  of  the  Avedge.  The  consumer  does  not  care  Avhether  his  fruit 
is  home  groAvn  or  foreign  so  long  as  it  is  good  and  cheap,  and  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  he  is  the  great  poAvcr  for  legislation. 
To  him  protection  means  a  rise  in  price,  and  he  Avill  have  none 
of  it,  so  Ave  must  look  elseAvhere  for  the  remedy.  Home  pro¬ 
ducers  may  consider  themselves  handicapped  in  this  respect — ■ 
perhaps  they  are;  but  the  fact  remains  that  the  foreigner  must 
be  accepted  as  a  competitor,  and  as  such  he  must  be  dealt  AA'ith. 
Our  fruit  must  be  as  good  as  his,  or  better  ;  it  must  be  produced' 
in  quantities  sufficient  to  supply  the  people,  and  ,be  presented 
in  an  equally  pleasing  manner.  In  short,  there  must  be  a  revolu¬ 
tion  in  our  methods.  We  must  learn  more  of  the  Avays  of  our 
competitors,  and  endeavour  to  beat  them  at  their  OAvn  game. 
One  thing  is  continually  being  impressed  upon  us,  and  it  is 
that  Ave  can  groAV  hardy  fruits  in  this  country  equally  as  good  as 
anything  that  can  be  imported.  Quite  so  !  But  Ave  don’t  do  it, 
and  Avhy  not?  In  a  measure,  it  is  oiving  to  the  existence  of 
certain  establishments.  Take  the  case  of  Apples,  for  instance. 
Only  a  feAv  first-class  varieties  are  necessary  for  the  country’s 
supply;  but  there  are  thousands  of  trees  of  doubtful  origin,  of 
varieties  still  more  doubtful,  and  generally  speaking  inferior, 
that  produce  crops  in  their  season.  These  crops  find  their  Avay 
into  -the  market,  but  hoAv  can  they  hope  to  compete  with  the- 
best?  It  is  not  the  quantity  of  good  fruit  that  keeps  doAAui  prices 
in  seasons  of  plenty,  but  the  superabundance  of  second  and  third- 
rate  produce.  If  by  one  mighty  SAveep  all  these  inferior  Apples 
could  be  cleared  aAvay  and  be  replaced  by  good  approved  varieties, 
there  would  be  less  need  to  fear  foreign  competition.  But  this 
is  a  question  of  time.  I  may  say,  Avithout  fear  of  contradiction, 
that,  generally  speaking,  evei-yone  Avho  jilants  Apples  to-day 
and  Avho  has  planted  during  the  past  feAV  years,  selects  only  good 
varieties.  These  Avill  tell  in  the  future,  and  in  accordance  Avith 
the  natural  order  of  things  the  old  trees  and  bad  varieties  will 
die  out.  But  in  the  meantime,  of  course,  our  competitors  are 
strengthening  their  hands  as  Avell,  so  this  is  only  one  item  of  a 
mighty  question. 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  whole  system  needs  reorganising.  It 
has  groAvn  to  be  such  a  common  thing  to  throw  the  Avhole  blame- 
on  the  poor  groAver  that  I  am  pleased  to  see  your  correspondent 
goes  beyond  that,  and  strikes  at  the  root  of  the  matter.  There 
is  the  question  of  the  land,  to  begin  Avith.  Too  often  it  is  locked 
up  and  useless,  so  far  as  the  community  is  concerned,  and  even 
when  the  door  is  opened  a  little  Avay  there  is  not  much  encourage¬ 
ment  given  to  the  would-be  planter.  Would  an  increase  of  . 
peasant  proprietorship  make  it  better  for  the  fruit-growing 
