56 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  aOTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  18,  1901. 
about  the  variety.  A  plant  of  Margaret  Dickson,  fully  8  feet  high, 
quite  informally  trained,  was  bearing  a  huge  crop  of  its  handsome 
flowers. 
In  the  kitchen  garden  there  are  several  continuous  arches,  some 
50  yards  long,  10  feet  high,  quite  a  mass  of  blossom  from  one  end  to 
the  other.  W.  A.  Richardson,  Reve  d’Or,  Cheshunt  Hybrid,  Celine 
Forestic  r,  and  many  others  too  numerous  to  mention,  were  rambling 
away  in  a  huge  tangle,  all  emitting  a  wealth  of  blossom  with  an 
excess  of  perfume.  It  was  the  freedom  of  growth,  coupled  with  the 
enormity  of  flower,  that  led  me  to  suggest  to  Mr.  Hill,  *•  Do  you 
manure  heavily  ?  ”  “  No,”  was  the  reply,  “  the  soil  is  so  good,  a 
sandy  loam  on  clay,  that  we  do  not  suffer  for  want  of  moisture,  and 
as  the  soil  was  so  well  prepared  when  laid,  and  so  much  added  to 
then,  that  with  smh  growth  as  you  see  I  am  afraid  to  manure  now.” 
When  we  see  sucker-like  shoots  of  Crimson  Rambler  push  up  from 
the  base  as  thick  as  the  thumb,  and  reach  12  feet  high  in  one  season, 
one  cannot  say  manure  is  needed. — E.  Molyneux. 
- 4  'O*  ► - 
Book  Notice. 
Cyclopaedia  of  American  Horticulture.* 
The  third  of  four  volumes  which  is  understood  to  comprise  this 
magnificent  and  essential  horticultural  reference  work  has  been  issued 
by  the  Macmillan  Company.  Americans  have  received  the  publication 
as  something  which  they  had  waited  on,  something  to  which  they  can  now 
turn  for  instrnction  and  guidance,  and  when  in  difficulty  over  plant 
names.  We  have  discussed  the  scope  and  treatment  of  this  Cyclopaedia 
in  foregoing  volumes,  and  need  not  repeat  ourselves.  The  compilation 
is  comprehensive,  and  worthy  of  the  leading  position  to  which  it  has 
unanimously  been  accorded  by  our  kinsmen  “  on  the  other  side.”  Great 
Britain  is  not  large  enough  to  require,  in  any  of  our  gardening 
dictionaries,  a  divisional  treatment  of  its  area;  but  the  United  States 
of  America  conjointly  form  a  broad  and  expansive  continent, 
necessitating  a  system  of  sectionising  its  extent  into  certain  limited 
areas,  so  that  the  cultural  operations  and  the  products,  being  alike  or 
nearly  alike  within  such  areas,  can  be  written  of  in  a  summarised 
form.  Thus  the  large  State  of  Nebraska,  with  its  nine  pomological 
districts  is  separately  treated  of  by  an  expert  whose  experience  embraces 
all  the  variations  of  this  region.  In  some  cases  a  genus  is  contributed 
to  by  three  or  more  authors,  each  especially  versed  in  whatever  line  he 
conveys  intelligence  upon.  Thus  the  modest  Nemophila  has  the  benefit 
of  three  exponents,  one  who  describes  the  genus,  and  two  who  deal  with 
the  culture  in  different  latitudes  of  the  country.  Nepenthes  and  other 
large  and  important  genera  receive  the  full  attention  they  deserve,  and 
numerous  woodouts  and  other  illustrations  are.furnished.  But  the  work 
will  speak  for  itself  wherever  it  goes  ;  we  fully  recommend  it. 
A  mysterious  Tree. — It  is  seldom  in  modern  times  one  hears  of 
something  that  cannot  be  explained,  but  in  a  forest  of  AdelsO,  an  island 
in  Lake  Malar,  in  Sweden,  is  an  old  Fir  tree  stump,  standing  alone  on 
high  ground  far  from  any  dwelling.  The  forest  round  was  cut  down 
lately,  but  the  stump  remains,  an  object  of  superstitious  reverence  to 
the  peasants  on  the  island  and  the  many  woodcutters  who  come  to  work 
there  in  the  winter.  There  are  three  holes  in  the  stump,  but  in  only 
one  of  them  is  treasure  found.  It  is  unknown,  says  “  M.  S.,*’  in  “  Country 
Life,”  for  anyone  to  have  visited  the  stump  and  found  the  hole  quite 
empty.  It  is  a  fact  known  to  all  on  the  island  that  if  the  treasure  is 
taken  away  there  is  sure  to  be  more  a  few  days  after.  The  treasure  is 
always  copper  money  or  small  articles  of  jewellery.  Do  birds  steal 
them  and  hide  them  in  the  hole  ?  If  so,  where  can  they  find  such 
things  ?  The  peasants  are  never  known  to  open  their  windows,  and 
there  is  no  village  or  market  on  the  island,  which  measures  only  twelve 
miles  by  three  miles.  The  writer  visited  the  stump  for  the  first  time  on 
October  30th,  1900,  and  found  four  pieces  of  money  amongst  the 
sawdust  in  the  hole.  On  each  of  three  visits  during  the  winter  she 
found  ooins.  There  were  no  footmarks,  even  of  birds,  in  the  snow 
which  was  lying  deep  round  the  stump.  The  peasants  believe  it  is 
spirits  who  put  things  in  the  stump,  the  island  being  full  of  old  grave 
mounds  ;  it  was  a  settlement  of  the  tribes  in  very  early  times  ;  an  old 
ruined  stone  fort  stands  on  the  highest  point.  Many  curiosities  are 
constantly  being  found.  Quite  recently  a  woodcutter  was  felling  a 
tree,  which,  falling  over  on  one  side,  left  half  its  roots  standing  out  of 
the  ground  ;  on  one  of  them  glittered  a  golden  arm  band.  The  man 
received  a  large  sum  for  it  from  the  National  Museum  in  Stockholm, 
where  the  jewel  may  now  be  seen. — M.  S. 
*  “  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Horticulture.”  By  L.  H.  Bailey.  N — Q. 
London :  Macmillan  &  Co.,  Ltd.  21s.  net. 
Weather  In  Xiondon. — Thursday,  the  11th  inst.,  was  a  most 
trying  day,  even  to  those  who  enjoy  heat.  In  the  shade  the  temperature 
was  87° ;  while  Friday  was  more  stifling,  though  not  so  soorchingly  hot. 
Saturday  was  fortunately  cloudy,  and  much  more  agreeable,  as  was 
Sunday  and  also  Monday.  On  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  the  sun  was 
powerful  on  both  days. 
Appointments. — Mr.  Galloway,  who  has  been  for  the  last  two 
years  general  foreman  at  Gosford,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener 
there,  in  succession  to  Mr.  Thos.  Cook.  *  *  Mr.  Alex.  S.  Galt,  well 
known  in  connection  with  gardening  journalism,  has  been  appointed 
Instructor  in  Horticulture  under  the  Berkshire  County  Council. 
A  Preventive  of  Mosquitoes. — If  all  the  preventives  for 
mosquitoes  were  effectual  no  one  in  all  the  wide  world  need  be 
troubled  with  these  dreadful  little  marauders.  We  hear  that  the 
Castor  Oil  plant  has  been  found  to  be  so  distasteful  to  the  mosquito 
that  it  will  neither  remain  about  the  premises  where  the  trees  are 
planted  nor  in  apartments  where  the  cut  branches,  leaves,  and  seeds 
have  been  exposed.  This  fact  is  so  well  known  in  Egypt  that  it  is  a 
common  sight  to  see  the  tree  planted  around  a  house  in  places  where 
the  mosquito  is  numerous.  It  is  said  that  beneath  the  leaves  of  the 
Ricinus  there  is  a  poison  that  is  fatal  to  the  mosquito,  but,  curiously, 
even  in  rooms  where  the  plant  is  kept,  dead  mosquitoes  are  not  found. 
Chiswick  Gardens. — Even  though  the  past  month  and  a  half  has 
been  excessively  droughty  in  and  around  London,  the  crops  in  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society’s  gardens  at.  Chiswick  have  not  been  fresher  or 
finer  to  appearance  for  a  great  number  of  years.  Peas,  Lettuces,  and 
other  trials  were  particularly  noticeable  in  this  respect.  The  Fruit  and 
Vegetable  Committee,  indeed,  were  so  well  satisfied,  and  perhaps 
surprised,  that  when  inspecting  the  trials  of  these  two  vegetables  named 
above,  they  made  a  reoord  in  the  trial  book  kept  by  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright, 
which  conveyed  their  pleasure  at  seeing  such  fine  examples  of  culture. 
A  new  garden  would  appear,  then,  to  be  more  than  ever  doomed,  if  such 
good  results  can  still  be  obtained  in  the  old  acres  at  Chiswick.  The 
question  of  a  hall  is  actively  engaging  the  minds  of  men  in  a  certain 
quarter;  we  shall  hear  more  of  the  matter  in  time. 
American  Pomological  Society. — The  details  of  the  meeting  of 
the  American  Pomological  Society,  which  will  be  held  in  BuffalOj 
September  12th  and  13th,  1901,  are  rapidly  being  perfected,  and  will 
soon  be  announced.  The  programme  contains  the  names  of  a  number 
of  the  most  prominent  horticulturists  of  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
and  is  particularly  rich  in  topics  of  practical  importance  to  fruit 
growers.  Among  the  subjects  already  arranged  for  are  the  following, 
which  we  announce  for  their  probable  interest  to  many  of  our  readers  : — 
‘‘A  Comparison  of  Eastern  and  Pacific  Coast  Fiuit  Culture,”  by  Prof. 
L.  H.  Bailey,  Ithaca,  N.Y.  “Orchard  Renovation,”  by  J.  H.  Hale, 
South  Glastonbury,  Conn.;  to  be  discussed  by  R.  S.  Eaton,  Wolfville, 
Nova  Scotia ;  W.  T.  Maooun,  Ottawa,  Canada,  and  others.  “  Quality 
and  the  Market,”  by  C.  W.  Garfield,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. ;  to  be 
discussed  by  S.  D.  Willard,  Geneva,  N.Y. ;  L.  A.  Goodman,  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  and  others.  “  Developments  and  Needs  of  the  Export  Trade 
in  North  American  Fruits,”  by  L.  Wolverton,  Grimsby,  Ontario;  to  be 
discussed  by  Prof.  Geo.  T.  Powell,  Briaroliff  Manor,  N.Y. ;  H.  M. 
Dunlap,  Savoy,  III. ;  Henry  E.  Dosch,  Hillsdale,  Ore.,  and  others. 
“Fermentation  of  Fruit  Juices  by  Control  Methods,”  by  Prof.  Wm.  B. 
Alwood,  Blaoksburg,  Va.  “  Some  Experiments  in  Orohard  Treatment, 
and  the  Results,”  by  Prof.  F.  M.  Webster,  Wooster,  lOhio.  “  The 
Mango  ;  Its  Propagation  and  Culture,”  by  Prof.  E.  Gale,  Mangonia, 
Fla.  “Loquat  Culture,”  by  C.  P.  Taft,  Orange,  Cal.  “  The  Utilisation 
of  Culls  in  Commercial  Orchards,”  by  Judge  F.  Wellhouse,5Fairmount, 
Kane.  One  evening  will  be  devoted  to  a  joint  session  with4the  National 
Bee-keepers’  Association,  during  which  the  following  topics  will  be 
discussed  :  “  Spraying  Fruit  Trees  in  Bloom,”  by  Prof.  S.  A.  Beach, 
Geneva,  N.Y.  “  Bees  as  Fertilisers  of  Flowers,”  by  Prof.  James 
Fletcher,  Ottawa,  Canada.  The  discussion  of  these  topics  will  be  led 
by  R.  M.  Kellogg,  Three  Rivers,  Mioh.  Other  topics  will^be  announced 
later. 
