May  15,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
441 
* All  correapondenee  I’elating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  uo  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
SCHIZANTHUS  (H.  R.). — We  have  written  to  the  intro¬ 
ducers  of  the  novelty. 
DAIRY  MAID. — With  our  sincere.st  thanks  we  accept  your 
very  kind  remembrance.  Thouglitfulness  put  in  the  practical 
form  is  unmistakeable. 
BOTANY  BOOK  FOR  A  CLASS  (Bristol). — We  ai-e  soriy  not 
to  have  answered  you  last  week.  The  only  book  at  the  price 
you  name,  and  which  may  be  suitable,  is  “  Hooker’s  Primer  of 
Botany,”  Is.  net,  which  you  could  get  through  Messrs.  Wesley  and 
Son,  Essex  Street.  Strand. 
AURICULA  FLOWER  (G.  Brackenbuiy). — We  do  not  reply 
privately.  Your  flowers,  having  been  improperly  packed,  were 
sadly  bruised  and  flattened  when  they  reached  this  office.  The 
pale  x>rimrose  colour  and  great  size  are  points  worthy  of  notice, 
and  otherwise  the  flowers  are  decorative,  but  would  not  suit  the 
fancier. 
LILIUM  SPECIOSUM  (G.  S.). — The  bulbs  should  be  potted 
so  tliat  their  tops  are  just  level  with  the  soil.  The  pots  should 
be  left  witli  an  inch  or  two  of  sjoace  for  top-dressings.  Roots 
emerge  from  the  base  of  the  flower  stems  above  the  bulbs,  and 
these  require  to  be  supplied  with  nourishment  derivable  from  a 
top-dressing.  The  surface  roots  should  be  under  soil. 
TULIP  BULBS  FOR  EXAMINATION  (Troubled  One).— The 
bulbs  have  had  the  centres,  or  fleshy  parts,  eaten  out  by  some 
pest,  and  accords  with  the  work  of  the  Narcissus  fly,  but  the 
giuibs  in  the  moss,  which  had  escaped  from  the  bulbs  in  all 
probability,  hardly  accord  with  that  species,  Merodon  equestris, 
they  being  more  in  character  with  Leather-jackets,  or  larvae 
of  the  daddy  longlegs  (Tipula  oleracea),  but  they  have  not  the 
toughness  of  the  Leatlier-jackets.  As  the  whole  bed  annually 
fails, and  the  bulbs  are  certainly  destroyed  by  some  grubs, probably 
those  enclosed  to  us,  we  should  give  the  ground  a  dressing  of  a 
mixture  of  basic  cinder  phosphate,  32  pai'ts  (pounds  or  ounces), 
and  kainit,  12  parts,  mixed,  applying  21b  of  the  mixture  per 
square  jmrd,  digging  in  and  mixing  evenly  with  the  soil  some 
time  in  advance  of  planting  the  bulbs,  forking  over  the  bed 
again  before  planting.  After  planting  apply  a  top-dressing  of 
nitrate  of  soda,  finely  crushed,  at  the  rate  of  loz  per  square  yard, 
and  leave  for  the  rains  to  wash  in.  We  have  found  this  treatment 
successful  where  bulbs  have  died  off ;  indeed,  have  this  year  a 
fine  display  of  Tulips  in  a  bed  where  there  was  a  failure  in  several 
consecutive  years  from  decay  in  a  similar  manner  to  your  bulbs. 
We  are  keeping  a  grub,  and  may  probablj^  be  able  to  identify 
the  perfect  insect  if  one  emerges,  and,  in  that  case,  will  refer 
to  the  matter  again. 
GARDEN  INFESTED  WITH  WIREWORM  (F.  G.  J.).— The 
ground  infested  with  wireworm  and  dressed  with  a  good  coating 
of  gas  lime  last  November,  which  has  not  proved  successful,  the 
pests  being  “  as  thick  as  ever,”  probably  through  the  gas  lime  not 
being  fresh  from  gas  works,  or  the  wireworm  so  low  down  as  not 
to  be  reached,  may  now,  as  the  pests  'are  destroying  everything 
in  the  way  of  crops,  be  dressed  with  lape  dust  at  the  rate  of 
71bs  per  rod,  which  attracts  the  wireworms,  they  feeding  upon 
it  greedily  in  preference  to  the  crops.  In  a  day  or  two-  after¬ 
wards  the  ground  should  be  dressed  with  mustard  dross,  a  pre¬ 
paration  to  be  had  from  mustard  manufacturers,  at  the  rate  of 
Ijcwt  per  acre,  or  about  8oz  per  rod,  or  about  ioz  per  square 
yard.  The  minstard  dross  will  probably  have  a  slightly  pre¬ 
judicial  effect  on  growing  crops;  but  this  would  be  only  tem¬ 
porary,  and  the  rape  dust  will  act  as  a  fertiliser,  as  also  as  a 
temporary  remedy  for  the  wireworm,  while  the  mustard  dross 
will  destroy  thein.  The  mustard  dross  should  be  evenly  dis¬ 
tributed  by'  a  bellows  apparatus,  or  on  a  small  scale  by  an  ordinary 
kitchen  dredger.  The  ground  should  be  lightly  pointed  over  as 
far  as  can  be  done,  on  account  of  the  crops,  either  before  or 
after  the  dressing  with  the  mustard  dross.  We  use  the  rape 
dust,  and  in  a  day  or  two  point  in,  as  this  is  necessary  or  advis¬ 
able  to  derive  mast  benefit  from  the  dressing  as  manure,  and 
on  the  freshlv  turned-up  ground  dust  the  mustard  dross,  the 
effect  of  which  on  the  larvfe  of  some  species  of  Elateridse  or 
bettles  known  as  Skipjacks  and  Click-beetles  (Agriotes  lineatus, 
A.  sputator,  and  A.  obscurus)  is  really  marvellous.  The  mustard 
dross  is  preferably  applied  in  advance  of  cropping,  care  being 
taken  not  to  apply  too  much.  No  doubt  the  sawdust  you  allude 
to  would  favour  tlie  presence  of  the  wireworm. 
ACHIMENES  BULBS  (G.  S.). — Answer  next  week. 
TURPENTINE  BARREL  FOR  VEGETABLES  (E.  C.  W.).— 
You  should  dry  the  barrel  and  slightly  char  the  inside  (with  a 
truss  of  straw)  in  order  to  destroy  all  traces  of  the  turpentine. 
SULPHURIC  ACID  AS  AN  INSECTICIDE  AND  WEED 
KILLER  (Nil  Desperandum). — Although  weak  solutions  of 
sulphuric  acid,  or  oil  of  vitriol,  have  been  used  for  .syringing  plants 
to  destroy  insect  pests,  it  cannot  be  recommendecl,  as  it  more  or 
less  injures  the  foliage — even  a  1  per  cent,  solution,  or  loz  to 
lOOoz,  or  5  pints  of  water.  Weaker  solutions  have  a  more  or  less 
injurious  effect  on  the  foliage,  and  there  are  various  insecticides 
much  preferable  to  use  in  this  way.  For  destroying  coarse  weeds 
on  lawiis,  such  as  Plantain,  Dock,  and  Dandelion,  sulphuric  acid 
is  used  effectively  by  dropping  a  little  (one  drop  of  the  article 
by  means  of  a  notched  stick)  in  the  heart  of  the  weed.  To  destroy 
weeds  on  ivalks  the  sulphuric  acid  is  used  in  the  proportion  of 
1  to  30  parts,  or  lib  of  vitriol  to  3  gallons  of  water,  the  solu¬ 
tion  being  preiiared  in  a  wooden  iiail  or  tub  and  applied  with  a 
well-painted  watering  can,  the  operator  stepping  backwards  and 
watering  as  he  goes,  taking  care  to  keep  clear  of  the  edgings 
and  to  avoid  siilashing  the  mixture  over  the  clothes  and  boots. 
An  evening  after  a  hot  day  should  be  chosen  for  applying  the 
mixture,  and  on  the  following  morning  the  path  will  not  injure 
boots  after  the  dew  is  off,  while  the  weeds  will  either  be  dead  or 
d.ying.  In  a  day  or  two  the  dead  weeds  may  be  brushed  off. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS. —  Gorrespovdevts  whose  qvertes  are  un¬ 
answered  in  the  present  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult  the 
following  number.  (.1.  Thorn). — 1.  C'ytisus  prsecox ;  2.  Polygonatnm 
maeroi^hvllmn ;  3.  the  leaf  of  Sangninaria  canadensis,  the  juice  is  not 
poisonous,  but  is  used  as  a  dye  ;  4.  Rubns  deliciosns.  (B.). — Homeria 
corallina.  (W.  D.).  —  Ceanothns  azureus.  (.1.  F.).  —  1,  Polygala 
oppositifolia  :  2.  Rhododendron  arbortum  ;  3.  Phyllcstachys  nigra  ;  4, 
Gercis  siliquastrum  ;  5.  Akebia  quinata  ;  6.  Begonia  manicata.  (Forty 
Years’  Subscriber). — Next  week. 
Victoria,  Australia. 
In  conipai’ison  with  the  other  divisions  of  Australia, 
Victoria  is  small.  It  is  bounded  on  the  N.N.E.  by  New 
South  Wales,  on  the  W.  by  South  Australia,  S.S.E.  by  the 
Indian  Ocean,  Bass  Strait,  and  the  South  Pacific  Ocean. 
But,  small  as  it  is,  we  believe  it  boasts  the  biggest  and 
oldest  town — Melbourne  ;  and  its  chief  exports  are  wool, 
between  £7,000,000  and  £8,000,000  ;  gold,  £3,000,000  ;  bread 
stuffs,  £1,397,983.  It  is  eminently  an  agricultural  province, 
and  has  a  temperature  ranging  from  105deg  to  30deg  h . 
Among  its  officials  we  find  a  Minister  for  Agriculture,  and 
we  have  before  us  part  II.  of  the  first  volume  of  its  Agricul¬ 
tural  Journal.  It  is  sent  over  to  us  here  that  we  may  see 
what  steps  are  being  taken  in  that  far-off  land  to  further 
and  improve  agricultural  knowledge.  A\  e  wonder  how  long 
agriculture  was  a  staple  industry  here  befoie  being  lecog- 
nised  by  Government,  and  before  annual  or  bi-annual  records 
were  published.  We  think  it  would  be  well  for  one  s  peace 
of  mind  not  to  inquire  into  these  things  too  closely.  Perhaps 
we  shall  never  be  asked  the  question  dh-ectly  ;  if  we  are, 
we  must  temporise,  or  refer  the  questioner  to  Hano\ei 
Square,  whence  all  knowledge  emanates. 
We  find  in  the  colony  there  has  been  a  Ghemist  tor 
Agriciiltiiie  for  some  years,  and  it  is  owing  to  his  exertions 
that  many  experiments  in  relation  to  the  action  ot  various 
manures  have  been  woiked  out.  There  was  no  official 
Gxpcrimcntcil  fRim,  n.nd  no  Rothumstcud,  .so  thfit  the  woik 
had  to  be  done  where  and  how  it  could  ;  that  is,  the  experi¬ 
mentalist  had  to  throw  himself  on  the  mercy  of  the  various 
farmers  of  the  district.  At  first  the  work  was  uphill,  we 
suppose  the  agricultural  mind  did  not  leahse  the  ultimate 
value  of  tests  ;  but  now,  in  1901,  the  question  is  not  where 
‘‘  to  find  suitable  plots  of  land,  but  how  gracefully  to  refuse 
the  too  abundant  offers.  The  land  or  plots  weie  there  for 
the  work,  but  all  could  not  be  utilised  for  lack  of  funds. 
Victoria  has  an  immense  Wheat-gi  oiying  area,  so  we  are 
not  surprised  to  find  that  many  varieties  have  been  tested  ; 
but  we  had  hardly  realised  that  there  weie  so  many  as  103. 
We  see  also  there  have  been  many  experiments  in  fruit 
manuring;  at  any  late,  we  hope  there  will  not  be  the 
