May  8,  1902, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
419 
* All  correspondence  I'elating  to  cxlitorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  priTatoly 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  ou  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
DEAD  BIRD  WITH  TICK  ATTACHED  (H.  R.,  Kent).— See 
“  W.  G.’s”  reply  in  Readers’  Views  page,  under  Willow  Wren. 
CATALOGUE  OF  GARDENING  BOOKS  (H.  K.).— You 
should  write  to  Wheldoii,  bookseller,  Great  Queen  ocreet, 
London,  W.C.  He  deals  in  gardening  books,  and  has  perhaps 
the  largest  trade  list  in  the  kingdom. 
WATER  MELON  CULTURE  (T.  A.  C.  C.).— The  cultivation 
of  the  Water  Melon  is  vei’y  similar  to  that  of  ordinary  Melon 
plants,  being,  however,  of  more  rambling  growth,  and  after  the 
fiaiit  is  set  requiring  more  copious  supplies  of  water.  Otherwise 
the  culture  is  the  same,  not  placing  more  than  one  plant  in  the 
centre  of  each  light  of  a  frame,  thus  every  plant  will  have  a 
growth  space  of  6ft  by  4ft. 
AURICULA  FLOWER  (Oakleigh). — The  following  is  the 
answer  returned  by  Mr.  James  Douglas,  of  Edenside,  with  regard 
to  your  flower : — “  The  Auricula  sent  is  a  time  Auricula,  not 
much  removed  from  the  type  form  Primula  Auricula.  It  is 
coloured  a  much  deeper  yellow,  but  the  paste  (farina)  is  very 
much  thinner.  It  is  a  pretty  border  floiver,  but  lacks  all  the 
points  of  the  florist  type  of  Auricula. — J.  Douglas.” 
MIXING  YELLOW  CLAY  WITH  LIGHT  LOAM  FOR 
GROWING  MELONS  AND  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  (Ignoramus). 
— The  yellow  clay  excavated  from  a  depth  of  4ft  or  5ft,  may,  it 
having  been  exposed  to  the  air  for  some  time,  or  if  dried  and 
pounded,  be  mixed  with  light  loam  in  the  proportion  of  about 
one-fifth,  or  even  to  the  extent  of  one-third,  if,  as  you  say,  it  is 
capable  of  being  screened,  and  the  loam  is  of  a  very  light  nature. 
The  thing  is  to  have  it  fine  so  as  to  readily  and  evenly  mix  With  the 
loam. 
CHARGING  “WEED  STING”  WITH  NPL4T  WEED 
KILLER  (Idem). — It  would  not  be  safe  to  charge  the  implement 
with  neat  weed  killer,  unless  of  a  strength  to  be  so  applied  for 
destroying  weeds  on  walks,  though  the  small  amount  of  the 
article'  liberated  directly  on  the  roots  of  Dandelions  would  not, 
perhaps,  kill  the  grass  to  any  great  distance  round  where  the 
liquid  is  applied.  Suffice,  we  have  found,  is  to  use  the  weed 
killer  in  tlie  “  Weed  Sting  ”  at  the  same  strength  as  killing  weeds 
on  gravel  paths.  It  is  always  well  to  be  on  the  safe  side. 
CANKER  IN  MARECHAL  NIEL  ROSE  (T.  Q.). — The  canker 
is  difficult  to  cure  once  it  obtains  a  good  hold  on  the  stem,  but  if 
taken  early,  and  the  cankered  part  cut  out,  dressing  the  wound 
with  Stockholm  tar,  thinned  to  paint-like  consistency  with 
paraffin  oil,  its  progress  will  be  arrested.  The  incisive  treatment 
should  be  supplemented  by  a  top-dre.ssing  of  Rivers’  canker 
cure: — Superphosphate  of  lime,  36  parts  or  lbs  ;  nitrate  of  potash, 
21  parts  or  lbs:  nitrate  of  soda,  28  parts  or  lbs;  and  sulphate  of 
lime  28  parts  or  lbs;  mixed,  applying  4oz.  of  the  mixture  per 
square  yard  in  the  autumn  and  again  in  the  spring.  It  was  pro¬ 
pounded  for  canker  in  Apple  trees,  but  it  answers  for  that  malady 
in  other  Rosaceous  plants. 
PROPER  NAME  OF  VEGETABLE  CALLED  MERCURY 
(Mr.  J.  T.). — The  Mercui-y  of  Lincolnshire  is  Chenopodium  Bonus- 
Henricus,  and  has  long  been  esteemed  as  a  substitute  for 
Asparagus.  It  is  a  perennial,  and  may  be  increased  by  division  or 
seed.  The  ground  .should  be  rich,  drjq  and  deeply  trenched. 
Plants  should  be  put  out  in  April,  9in  apart  each  way,  or  seeds 
sown  in  drills  Oin  apart,  afterwards  hoeing  out  to  9in  distance 
asunder.  As  soon  as  the  plants  have  ripened  off,  a  dressing  of 
leaf  mould  should  be  given,  4in  to  5in  in  thickness.  In  spring 
of  the  first  year,  only  a  small  quantity  should  be  cut,  as  the 
plants  wculd'  be  too  greatly  weakened ;  but  each  subsequent  year 
full  crops  will  be  had.  During  the  period  of  vigorous  growth, 
the  plants  are  greatly  improved  by  watering  with  liquid  manure. 
Besides, the  young  shoots  and  leaves  may  be  used  as  Spinach  when 
young.  The  leaves,  however,  must  not  be  too  greatly  gathered 
or  the  plants  will  soon  become  worthless.  When  properly  grown 
the  heads  or  young  shoots  .should  be  almost  as  thick  as  the  litiie 
finger,  and  in  gathering  it  should  bo  cut  underground,  somewhat 
similar  to  A.sparagus.  Cutting  generally  commences  in  April  and 
lasts  until  the  end  of  June. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS. —  Correspondents  whose  queries  are  un¬ 
answered  in  the  present  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult  the 
following  number.  (J.  Turner).— Yellow  shruli  was  much  witliered  ;  it 
appears  to  lie  Forsythia  viridissima.  The  other  is  Good  King  Henry 
(Chenopodium  bonus  Henricns).  (J.  Justice). — Asystasia  bella  (see 
separate  note).  (.J.  B.). — 1,  Clerodendron  splendens ;  2,  llhaphis 
flabelliformis  ;  3,  Magnolia  Soulangeana  ;  4,  Darwinia  tulipifiora. 
(L.  T.  S.). — 1,  Amelanehier  canadensis  ;  2,  Cercis  siliquastrnm.  the 
.Judas  Ti-ee ;  3,  Riljes  aurenm.  (S.). — 1.  Ccelogyne  Massangeanaj  2, 
Dendrobium  nobile  all  mm;  3,  Lrelia  Schilleriana. 
Nature  Notes. 
Two  thrushes  have  chosen  a  hole  in  a  gravestone  in  Driffield 
Cemetei-y  for  a  nesting  place  in  which  to  rear  their  brood. 
Four  Narcissi  blooming  on  one  stem  is  a  floral  freak  now  to 
be  seen  in  an  allotment  garden  at  Wisbech.  This  ought  to 
interest  Mr.  Wilks. 
Almost  every  tree,  except  the  Oak  and  the  Ash,  are  in  full 
leaf,  or  well  forward  in  the  bud-breaking  process,  and  already 
the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Clyde  is  beginning  to  take  on  its 
wonted  mantle  and  impart  its  pleasing  effects  to  the  far  distant 
landscape. — D.  C. 
An  inverted  flower  pot  on  tlie  lawn  at  the  Finchley  residence 
of  Mr.  Scammell,  the  Highgate  Police  Court  mis.sionary  (says 
the  “  Daily  Mail  ”),  has  been  chosen  by  a  pair  of  sparrows  as  a 
nesting  place.  Both  birds  enter  and  leave  by  the  hole  in  the 
bottom  of  the  pot. 
Many  persons  who  ai’e  visitors  to  Cromer,  in  Norfolk,  and  the 
neighbourhood  will  learn  with  regret  that  Sheringham  Woods, 
one  of  the  loveliest  spots  in  Poppyland,  have  been  closed  to  the 
public  because,  in  spite  of  warnings,  further  depredations  have 
been  made  upon  the  flowers. 
Fruit  growers  in  Cambridgeshire  are  making  a  good  effort  to 
prevent  a  wasp  plague  in  the  summer.  At  Whllingham  (says  a 
daily  paper)  since  the  middle  of  April  the  village  children  have 
captured  no  fewer  than  300  queen  wasps,  being  stimulated  to 
this  novel  form  of  chase  by  a  reward  of  a  halfpenny  per  wasp. 
Saw  my  first  .swift  on  Saturday,  3rd  inst.,  and  any  number 
yesterday,  the  5th.  The  swift  appears  about  ten  or  twelve  days 
later  than  the  house  swallow — viz.,  about  April  24  or  25. 
Siiy,  who,  in  the  far  lain  I,  taught  you  to  know 
That  .Spring  would  reLiiin,  and  it  was  tinu  to  go  ! 
— Alice  Baker,  Petersfield. 
I  think  I  must  have  seen  a  similar  insect  in  my  garden  the 
other  day  to  the  one  mentioned  in  “Nature  Notes  of  your 
Journal,  May  1.  The  short  body  of  the  insect  (I  should  be  sorry  to 
catch  one)  was  like  brown  velvet.  It  hovered  over  the  flowers  just 
like  a  hummingbird  moth,  and  used  its  proboscis  to  extract  honey 
from  the  Arabis  which  had  attracted  it,  and  also  a  number  of 
bees.  I  have  looked  out  for  it  on  every  fine  morning  since,  but  it 
has  not  appeared  again.  I  should  be  much  pleased  to  find  out 
its  proper  name. — Elizabeth  0.  Proud. 
W^e  have  noticed  the  same  fly,  too,  on  sunny  days,  and  it 
cannot  be  confused.  The  long,  very  long  proboscis,  dark  body,, 
transparent  wings,  and  the  movements  are  all  so  distinct  and 
attractive.  In  reference  to  the  fly,  we  wrote  to  Mr.  J.  R.  8. 
Clifford  well  known  to  Journal  readers,  who  wntes  to  this  effect : 
“  Concerning  the  winged  insect  about  which  you  query,  judging 
from  your  brief  description,  I  should  have  said  it  might  be  the 
hummingbird  hawk,  which  does  appear  in  the  spring  after 
hybernation  only  I  infer  from  your  remarks  that  you  know  that 
species.  The  onlv  other  species  I  conjecture  would  be  a  bee  hawk 
Macroglossa  fuci'forme  or  apiforme.  They  have  dark  bodies  and 
long  tongues ;  the  wings  ai'e  transparent.  But  they  seldom 
appear  till  May  is  well  in.” 
The  Corn  Duty  and  Middlemen. 
We  note  that  farmers  generally  are  expressing  satisfaction 
with  the  re-imposition  of  the  registration  duty  on  VV  heat, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  agricultural  organisations  are 
passing  solemn  resolutions  declaring  Sir  Michael  Hicks 
Beach  to  be  a  public  benefactor.  This  is  all  very  well.  No 
doubt  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  means  well  by 
agriculture  ;  but  we  fancy  that  in  this  case  his  thoughts  have 
been  chiefly  directed  to  the  matter  of  the  national  ways  and 
means.  We  also  notice  that  there  is  an  outcry  in  certain 
quarters  against  the  prospect  of  dear,  or,  rather,  dearer 
