JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  19,  1899. 
53 
OLDFIELD  NURSERIEtS. 
Messrs.  W.  Clibran  k  Son,  Altrincham,  are  to  be  commended  for 
the  interest  they  afford  to  visitors  in  their  endeavours  to  shotv  the 
varied  stock  to  perfection,  and  of  the  unfailing  courtesy  extended. 
Though  Chrysanthemums  are  grown  priiicipally  as  cut  flowers  to 
supply  the  demand  for  wreaths  and  other  floral  designs,  yet  the  firm  is 
alive  to  the  fact  that  to  meet  the  requirements  of  all,  large  blooms  are 
indispensable,  and  Mr.  Fletcher,  the  grower,  has  everything  old  and  new, 
and  the  6000  pots  of  various  varieties  make  a  wonderful  display.  The 
firm  is  introducing  some  seedlings  of  both  Japanese  and  incurved  that 
should  become  very  popular.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  single  varieties 
were  charming,  and  a  greater  future  for  these  may  be  safely  predicted. 
The  shades  of  colour  in  the  newer  seedlings  are  really  remarkable,  and 
beyond  the  possibility  of  description  here.  The  houses  cover  some 
6  acres,  all  finely  stocked  with  healthy  produce,  pot  Roses  well  ripened 
forming  a  great  feature.  The  Cyclamen  houses  arrest  attention,  and  show 
that  the  firm  is  in  the  forefront  in  every  way'. 
The  deciduous  trees  had  entered  their  winter  sleep,  but  the  falling 
leaves  of  the  Ampeltpsis  and  Maples  gave  tokens  of  the  rich  autumnal 
colouring  that  had  been.  Robust  health  is  always  attractive,  and  the 
vigour  of  the  Ivies,  shrubs,  and  Conifers  should  stimulate  every  enthusi¬ 
astic  gardener.  Ample  space  is  allowed  for  each  tree  or  shrub  to  develop 
naturally,  and  with  careful  lifting  e^ery  two  or  three  years  excessive 
root  growth  is  checked  and  the  development  of  fibre  encouraged.  An 
assortment  of  some  40,000  Ivies  in  and  out  of  pots  formed  a  feature 
amongst  climbing  plants,  the  Irish  Ivy  being  conspicuous  ;  but  Emerald 
Gem,  Caenwoodiensis,  and  gracilis  were  also  noticed. 
Many  thousands  of  Honeysuckles,  Ampelopsis,  and  Clematis  gave 
evidence  of  the  great  demand  for  these  deservedly  popular  plants. 
Hollies  and  hybrid  Rhododendrons  form  specialiiie.s  in  the  Oldfield 
Nurseries — that  is,  if  one  may'  judge  from  the  acres  of  the  latter  and 
the  many  thousands  of  grand  bush  and  pyramidal  specimens  of  the 
former. 
About  two  miles  to  the  east  of  the  Oldfield  Nurseries  lies  the  Hale 
Farm  Nursery,  chiefly  devoted  to  fruit  trees,  of  which  there  are  about 
40  acres.  Seedling  and  transplanted  forest  trees  occupy  over  50  acres, 
whilst  Conifers  account  for  a  further  twenty'.  As  this  nursery  is  on  high 
exposed  land  without  shelter  the  trees  are  grown  under  the  severest 
conditions,  and  look  proportionately  vigorous.  The  fruit  trees  with  their 
smooth  bark,  short  sturdy  joint.s,  and  fibrous  roots,  showed  promise  of  the 
highest  success.  We  could  not  help  noticing  the  care  and  attention 
exercised  in  the  spraying  of  fruit  and  forest  trees  to  prevent  the  ravages 
of  in  jurious  insects  and  fungi. 
Much  ground  still  remained  to  be  inspected  ;  but  the  shades  of  a  short 
December  day  came  quickly,  and  the  train  convey  ed  us  from  this  inter¬ 
esting  establishment  into  thelsmoke  and  din  of  the  [Manchester  streets. — 
A  Visitor. 
WALDSTEINIA  TRIFOLIA. 
This,  “  J.  W.  W.,”  is  by  no  means  a  new'  plant,  having  been  intro¬ 
duced  to  this  country  many  years  ago,  though  it  is  by  no  means  so  widely 
known  as  it  ought  to  be.  For  planting,  either  in  exposed  places  on  the 
rockery,  or  in  the  deep  shade  of  woods,  it  will  be  found  very  useful,  as 
it  grows  in  both  equally  well.  It  is  also  a  very  desirable  plant  for  a 
place  near  the  front  of  a  mixed  flower  border.  It  is  dwarf  in  habit, 
seldom  attaining  more  than  a  foot  in  height.  The  loose  corymbs  of 
Buttercup-cup-like  flowers  are  very  attractive,  and  are  developed  pro¬ 
fusely.  The  leaves,  which  are  divided  into  three  leaflets,  are  borne 
on  creeping  chiefly  underground  stems  ;  they  are  slightly  hairy  and 
serrated  at  the  margins. 
THE  MICROSCOPE  IN  THE  GARDEN. 
It  is  because  I  have  so  seldom  met  with  a  gardener  who  possesses  a 
microscope,  that  I  am  prompted  to  write  a  few  words  on  its  value.  It  has 
often  astonished  me  too  to  meet  with  so  few  young  gardeners  who  have 
even  looked  through  a  microscope.  One  can  hardly'  realise  it  to  be  true 
in  these  progressive  days,  yet  the  fact  must  be  admitted.  I  think  if  the 
real  worth  of  a  microscope  in  the  hands  of  a  gardener  were  more  generally 
known,  it  would  soon  become  as  essential  as  the  case  of  drawing  instru¬ 
ments,  which  some  are  so  proud  to  possess. 
It  is  not  an  instrument  that  can  only  be  brought  into  practical  use  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year,  but  almost  every  day.  To  me  there  is  always 
something  fresh  to  see,  therefore  to  learn,  in  connection  with  plant  life, 
which  without  the  aid  of  the  microscope  must  have  remained  unknown. 
Neither  does  it  compel  us  to  spend  a  large  sum  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of 
its  manipulation,  as  do  some  of  our  hobbies.  For  a  few  shillings  a  book 
may'  be  purchased  giving  details  of  each  part  of  the  microscope,  the 
purpose  it  fulfils,  and  the  way  it  is  manipulated  to  the  best  advantage.  So 
I  hope  young  gardeners  will  not  think  that  a  great  outlay  is  necessary. 
We  not  only  gain  valuable  information  by  its  aid,  but  a  great  amount 
of  interest.  Especially  during  the  winter  months  do  we  realise  this,  for 
as  gardeners  wo  have  not  far  to  seek  for  objects,  either  in  the  insect  or 
vegetable  kingdom,  and  with  a  little  dissecting  and  slicing  we  can  make 
objects  a  wonder  to  behold  without  any  special  preparation,  except  in  the 
case  of  plant  sections,  when  a  drop  of  dear  water  on  the  object  enables 
the  cell  wall  to  be  better  seen.  We  are,  then,  by  the  aid  of  the  microscope 
better  able  to  understand  how  a  plant  is  constructed  ;  the  form  the 
separate  organs  take  ;  how  they  are  placed  so  as  to  contribute  a  greater 
amount  of  strength  to  the  plant  ;  how  air  is  conveyed  through  the  leaves 
and  stem  ;  and  how  the  whole  fabric  of  a  plant  is  built  up. 
In  addition  to  revealing  to  us  the  hidden  wonders  of  plant  life,  with 
which  all  gardeners  ought  to  be  familiar,  it  reveals  many  secrets  of  the 
cause  of  the  diseased  portions  of  plants,  which  we  are  all  anxious  to 
ascertain  if  we  have  a  sickly  plant.  Take,  for  instance,  the  Eucharis  ; 
it  is  ten  to  one  if  our  plants  appear  to  be  going  wrong  there  is  a  very 
minute  insect  attacking  it  sf  mewhere,  probably  in  the  bulb,  but  sometimes 
in  the  leafstalk  ;  it  is  hardly  discernible  with  the  naked  eye,  being  so 
tiny',  and  somewhat  the  colour  of  the  bulb,  but  with  a  lens  numbers  of 
them  may  be  seen  feeding.  Another  of  these  minute  insect  pests  is  the 
Fig.  11.— Waldsteinia  trifolia. 
devastating  red  spider.  Almost  invisible  to  the  unaided  eye,  yet  they  are 
endowed  with  such  power  of  increase,  that  unless  checked  they  soon 
spread  to  an  alarming  extent.  This  pest  prefers  the  under  surfaces  of 
leaves,  where  they  are  less  readily  detected,  thus  gaining  a  firm  hold 
before  means  are  used  for  their  extirpation.  And  one  might  go  on 
enumerating  microscopic  insect  pests,  so  detrimental  to  plant  life  and  a 
great  annoy  ance  to  the  gardener.  But  sufficient  (as  regards  insect  pests) 
for  my  present  purpose  have  been  enumerated. 
I  will,  however,  mention  one  or  two  fungus  pests  that  are  best  under¬ 
stood  by  the  aid  of  the  microscope.  The  ever  dreaded  mildew,  that  has 
played  such  havoc  with  some  of  our  choicest  Chrysanthemums  in  the  past 
season,  stands  prominent  in  my  mind.  In  reality  this  is  very  different  to 
what  it  looks.  To  the  naked  eye  it  has  the  appearance  of  very  fine  white  or 
rather  grey  dust  distributed  over  the  leaves  and  stems  in  patches.  But  when 
wo  peer  more  closely  into  it  by  the  aid  of  the  microscope  of  a  moderate 
power,  say  of  100  diameters,  a  great  contrast  is  beheld.  Instead  of  seeing 
dust,  as  it  before  appeared,  we  see  perfect  ■  plants,  so  minute  and  in^  such 
numbers  that  one  is  struck  with  amazement.  This  fungoid  disease  is  one 
of  the  worst  pests  we  have  attacking  the.  Chrysanthemum.  Smut- blight 
of  Wheat,  which  farmers  are  so  familiar  with  in  their  fields,  is  a  fungus 
of  black  colour  that  .often  entirely  covers  the  young  ears,  like  a  coating 
of  soot,  competely  destroying  the  grain.  The  spores  of  this  fungus  are  so 
exceedingly  small  that  nearly  8,000,000  of,  them  would  be  required  to 
cover  a  square  inch  of  space.  Then,  too,  they  are  so  light  that  they  sail 
about  in  air,  and  are  thus  brought  into  contact  with  other  of  their 
favourite  hosts,  on  which  they  soon  work  their  spell  of  mischief.  Descrip¬ 
tions  of  other  microscopic  pests  will  serve  for  a  future  article. 
It  has  been  my  sole  desire  in  the  present  article  to  give  a  little  idea  of 
the  usefulness  of  the  microscope  in  the  garden.  If  I  have  created^  an 
interest  for  this  branch  of  study,  especially  among  the  rising  generation, 
my  desire  will  be  gratified. — ASPIRANT. 
