76 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  25,  1901. 
Stings  ofa  Nettles. —  It  has  been  found  that  the  pain  caused  by 
the  stiDg  of  Nettles  is  due  partly  to  formic  acid  and  partly  to  a 
chemical  resembling  snake  poison.  The  Nettles  found  in  our  fields  Or 
forests  aie  ccmpaiatively  haimless,  but  in  India,  Java,  and  elsewhere 
there  are  varieties  the  painful  effects  of  which  last  weeks,  and  in  some 
cases  months,  like  snake  bites. 
Coleus  thy  rsoldeus. — It  is  now,  when  the  plants  of  this  hand¬ 
some  variety  are  out  of  bloom,  that  a  reminder  may  be  appreciated  by 
growers.  Anyone  who  saw  the  grand  batches  put  up  in  the  Drill  Hall 
by  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons  and  others,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  will  be 
the  better  able  to  value  this  beautiful  blue  flowering  conservatory 
subject  at  its  proper  worth.  It  is  simple  to  cultivate,  free  in  flowering, 
and  lasts  a  very  long  time  even  when  subjected  to  knock-about 
conditions.  Yeung  plants  can  be  grown  in  cold  frames  during  summer. 
Table  Decorations. —  These  are  always  attractive  for  ladies,  and 
they  may  learn  what  to  avoid  and  what  to  follow  in  this  matter. 
The  error  which  they  have  to  avoid  is  ttat  of  overcrowding;  the  two 
points  at  which  they  have  to  aim  are  simplicity  and  lightness.  These 
qualities  were  excellently  seen  in  the  table  arrangement  of  Miss 
West  of  Reigate  at  the  late  Rose  show  in  the  Temple  Gardens,  wno 
is  evidently  not  only  possessed  of  good  taste,  but  knows  how  to  carry 
it  into  practice.  Mrs.  Orpen’s  was  also,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
very  simple  and  elegant,  although,  as  the  Roses  have  to  be  placed 
upon  a  white  tablecloth,  perhaps  a  little  more  colour  is  advisable,  ai  d 
several  others  were  very  pretty  and  light.  The  variety  used  was  Rota 
macrantba,  with  large,  single,  pale  blush-white  flowers. — D.,  Deal. 
A  Group  of  Iilllum s.^-All  the  land  has  by  this  time  heard  of 
Messis.  Wallace  &  Co.’s  splendid  exhibition  of  a  Lilium  group  in  the 
great  vinery  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Chiswick  garden 
during  the  two  days  of  the  conference  there  last  week.  The  Floral 
Committee  unanimously  awarded  the  exhibit  a  gold  medal,  and  coupled 
with  it  their  heartiest  thanks  for  the  effort  Messrs.  Wallace  &  Co. 
bad  put  forth.  It  must  have  entailed  a  huge  amount  of  forethought 
and  action  to  have  furnished  so  massive  and  numerous  a  collection. 
Without  this  selection,  the  show,  in  conjunction  with  the  conference, 
would  have  been  a  fiasco.  For  the  gratification  of  our  many  readers 
who  had  no  chance  of  visiting  Chiswick,  an  illustration  of  the 
Wallace  group,  inadequate  as  it  is,  is  here  furnished.  Fifty-seven 
species  and  varieties  were  presented,  the  names  of  the  more  striking 
of  which  were  printed  in  our  report  on  page  61  last  week,  and  these> 
w  e  suggest,  ought  specially  to  be  noted  for  future  reference. 
Filling  In  About  Trees. — The  filling  in  of  soil  about  trees  in 
S  ome  cases,  and  the  leaving  of  them  elevated  in  others,  are,  says  Mr. 
Jos.  Meehan,  problems  which  frequently  present  themselves  to  the 
gardener.  Neither  one  is  good  for  trees,  being  unnatural.  The 
burying  of  the  trunk  which  usually  follows  filling  in,  is  something  Nature 
never  intended,  and  when  done  evil  consequences  follow.  The  burying 
of  the  roots  far  lower  than  they  desire  is  injurious,  because  of  the  lack 
of  air  which  the  roots  meet  with,  and  which  air  they  require.  But 
should  the  filled-in  soil  be  porous,  so  that  rains  can  penetrate  easily, 
there  will  be  no  serious  loss  from  that  cause.  The  burying  of  the  trunk 
is  sometimes  avoided  by  building  up  around  it  a  dry  circle  of  stones 
some  distance  from  it,  which  is  as  good  a  thing  as  can  be  done.  The 
next  best  thing  is  to  fill  in  around  the  trunk  with  stones  or  Band,  stones 
preferred.  Besides  keeping  the  soil  from  packing  closely  about  the 
trunk,  it  permits  of  the  rain  water  reaching  the  roots  quickly;  and  this 
suggests  that  in  filling  in  over  the  roots,  loose,  stony  soil  is  much  the 
be6t  kind  to  use.  Large  trees  will  endure  more  filling  in  above  the 
roots  than  will  smaller  ones.  The  leaving  of  trees  elevated  by  the 
digging  out  of  soil  is  injurious,  as  disturbing  the  conditions  they  had 
established  for  themselves.  If  the  roots  are  not  too  much  exposed 
they  will  in  time  puBh  down  deeper,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
find  themselves  at  the  same  distance  below  ground  they  were  in  the 
first  place.  In  damp  ground  roots  of  trees  have  an  aversion  to  going 
deeper,  and  in  such  situations  the  taking  away  of  much  of  the  top  soil 
exposes  the  roots  very  materially,  resulting  in  a  stunted  growth,  and 
sometimes  in  the  blowing  over  of  the  trees  in  gales  of  wind. 
Dlllum  WdlllchlaDum  snperbum. — A.  vigorous,  fiee-growing- 
Lily,  aitaining  a  height  of  4  or  5  feet  in  the  open  air.  At  first  the 
flowers  are  trumpet  or  funnel-shaped,  varying  from  6  to  9  inches,  and,, 
when  fully  expanded,  about  6  inches  across.  At  first  they  are  sulphur 
or  pnle  yellow  colour,  but  become  nearly  white  as  they  mature.  It  is 
quite  a  hardy  species,  though  pot  culture  is  often  commended.  The 
specific  name  “  sulphureum  ”  is  applied,  or  has  been  applied,  to  this 
variety.  A  figure  will  be  found  on  page  83. 
Neglected  Mulberries. — No  fruit  garden  can  be  said  to  be 
complete  without  its  Mulberry  trees.  To  get  trees  to  bear  quickly, 
large  branches  should  be  cut  from  old  trees,  planted  firmly  in  a  shady 
border,  and  well  mulched  and  watered  in  dry  weather  till  rooted.  It 
is  a  pity  that  this  remarkably  fine  fruit  is  not  largely  growr.  With  a 
fair  supply  on  sale,  it  would  not  be  long  before  a  demand  would  be 
obtained  for  one  of  the  most  wholesome  berry  fruits  that  can  be  grown.. 
Watering  Rhododendrons  and  Azaleas. — Plants  with  fine, 
hair-like  roots,  such  as  Rhododendrons  and  Azaleas,  do  not  quickly 
root  into  fresh  soil,  and,  as  the  balls  of  earth  with  which  they  are 
imported  are  very  porous,  they  quickly  dry  out  the  first  season  of  their 
planting.  In  dry  times  they  need  watching  to  see  that  they  are  not 
Buffering  from  dryness.  A  good  watering  is  sure  to  help  them,  and 
then,  if  not  already  done,  give  them  a  good  mulohing  of  short  grass  or 
some  similar  material.  After  a  year  has  passed  they  will  have  rooted 
better  into  the  fresh  soil. 
Gesneras. — Many  gesneraoeous  plants  are  of  great  value.  Of 
those  generally  cultivated,  the  Gloxinia  must  be  placed  first.  Aohimenes, 
too,  that  flower  throughout  the  summer,  are  easily  grown  and  remark¬ 
ably  showy,  while  the  quaintly  marked  blossoms  of  the  Tydseas  may  be 
had  during  the  winter.  Gesneras  of  that  section,  which  is  now  often 
included  in  the  genus  Nsegelia,  are  all  very  pretty.  The  flowers,' 
which  are  of  different  shades  of  white,  yellow,  and  pink,  are  borne 
throughout  the  summer  months.  The  pretty,  velvety  appearance  of 
the  leaves  is  also  another  notable  feature  of  the  Gesneras.  Their  cultural- 
requirements  may  be  briefly  summed  up  thus  : — After  their  flowering' 
season  is  over  they  perfect  their  growth  and  then  go  to  rest,  at  which 
period  scarcely  any  water  should  be  given.  Then  on  the  return  of 
spring  they  should  be  turned  out  of  their  pots,  and  the  curious  under¬ 
ground  rhizomes  or  tubers  picked  out  of  the  old  soil.  A  very  suitable 
compost  for  them  consists  of  equal  parts  of  loam  and  leaf  mould, 
with  a  liberal  admixture  of  silver  sand  and  well  decayed  manure.  In 
potting,  the  upper  part  of  the  tuber  should  be  just  oovered  with  the- 
soil,  which  must  be  kept  slightly  moist  till  growth  recommences. 
The  Chemistry  of  Artificial  Flowers.  —  Many  persons  have 
been  rudely  shocked  to  find  that  a  flower  for  which  perhaps  they 
gave  a  considerable  sum,  and  which  they  took  to  be  genuine,  proved 
subsequently  to  be  artificial  in  every  particular.  Within  our  own 
experience  not  long  ago  the  attention  of  a  gentleman  sitting  at  dinner 
was  drawn  to  the  fact  that  his  shirt-front  and  coat  were  gradually 
being  covered  with  streaks  of  a  brilliant  red  colour.  He  was  wearing 
a  bright  Carnation  in  his  buttonhole,  which  at  quite  a  short  distance,, 
as  it  subsequently  appeared,  deceived  perfectly.  Even  the  perfume 
was  admired.  The  “flower”  had  just  been  watered  to  freshen  it, 
and  it  was  then  seen  that  on  the  water-drops  detaching  themselves- 
they  were  of  a  brilliant  red  colour,  while  the  “  Carnation  ”  gradually 
assumed  a  faint  variegated  appearance,  owing  to  some  of  the  colouring 
matter  being  washed  out.  General  incredulity  was  expressed  that,  at 
first  sight,  the  flower  could  be  anything  but  real.  A  laboratory 
examination,  however,  soon  brought  the  whole  truth  to  light,  and  the- 
results  are  remarkable,  and  certainly  a  credit  to  the  ingenuity  of  the 
designer.  There  was  not  the  vestige  of  a  Carnation  about  it.  The 
“  flower”  consisted  of  slices  of  Turnip  neatly  out,  and  dyed  with  acid 
magenta;  the  stems  and  leaves  were  of  twisted  cloth,  dyed  a  dark  green 
with  chromium ;  the  bloom  was  a  very  fine  starch  powder,  delicately 
dusted  over  the  stems  and  leaves ;  and  the  support  to  the  whole  clever 
fabric  was  a  concealed  iron  wire.  A  synthetic  amber-coloured  oil  known 
as  “  oeillet  ”  completed  the  deception  in  giving  a  perfume  wonderfully 
imitative  of  the  genuine  Carnation.  Altogether  we  can  hardly  conceive 
of  a  cleverer  deceit,  and  it  is  satisfactory  to  be  able  to  add  that,  so  far  as 
our  observations  went,  it  is  free  from  positive  harm,  except  to  wearing 
apparel.  On  carefully  searching  the  various  materials  for  irritating 
substances  and  poisonous  metals  we  could  not  obtain  the  slightest 
evidence  that  such  were  present.  It  is  dearly  possible,  however,  that 
the  colours  used  for  artificial  flowers  may  contain  substances  injurious- 
to  health,  suoh  as,  for  example,  arseuio. — (“  Lanoet.”) 
