348 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  27,  1899. 
SEASONABLE  NOTES  ON  FIGS. 
The  earliest  forced  trees  in  pots  yield  excellent  fruit  during  April 
and  early  in  May.  When  the  very  early  varieties,  such  as  Early  Violet, 
St.  John,  and  Ang41iquc,  are  cleared  of  their  first  crop  the  trees  should 
be  well  syringed,  the  top-dressing  renewed,  and  copious  supplies  of  liquid 
manure  be  given  to  induce  the  second  crop  fruit  to  swell  freely.  If  the 
fruit  is  very  abundant  it  should  be  thinned,  leaving  a  moderate  crop  only 
of  the  best  at  the  base  of  the  growths.  The  watering  at  the  roots  will 
still  require  to  be  moderate  for  Brown  Turkey,  Pingo  de  Mel,  and  White 
Marseilles,  now  affording  ripe  fruit ;  but  still  afford  the  supplies  necessary 
to  keep  the  foliage  in  health,  and  damp  the  floors  and  walls  occasionally 
to  prevent  too  arid  an  atmosphere. 
For  the  colouring  and  ripening  process  a  circulation  of  w'arm  air  is 
necessary,  leaving  the  top  ventilators  open  a  little  at  night.  This  is 
essential  to  the  fruit  attaining  perfection  in  colour  and  high  quality. 
When  the  first  crop  of  fruit  is  gathered  commence  syringing  the  trees 
twice  a  day,  also  watering  copiously  at  the  roots  with  liquid  manure. 
Apply  a  top-dressing  of  lumpy  material,  so  as  to  encourage  active  feeders, 
and  enable  the  trees  to  make  a  more  satisfactory  second  growth.  If  the 
fruits  in  the  second  crop  show  very  abundantly  they  must  be  thinned,  as 
before  advised  for  the  very  early  varieties,  so  as  not  to  overburden  the 
trees,  to  the  prejudice  of  next  year’s  bearing. 
Plaated-out  trees  in  the  house  started  at  the  new  year  will  soon  give 
indications  of  the  first  crop  ripening,  and  from  that  time  until  the  crop  is 
perfected  a  little  ventilation  should  be  allowed  constantly  at  the  top  of 
the  house,  and  when  the  weather 's  favourab'o  a  free  circulation  of  warm 
rather  dry  air  must  be  afforded.  Syringing  should  cease  directly  or 
slightly  in  advance  of  the  fruit  commencing  to  ripen,  and  though 
moderate  air  moisture  is  essential  to  the  health  of  the  foliage,  a  super¬ 
abundance  about  the  house  must  be  avoided.  Let  the  fruit  be  perfectly 
ripe  before  gathering  for  home  use  ;  if  it  has  to  be  packed,  it  should  be 
gathered  a  few  days  earlier.  A  good  watering  should  be  given  when 
indications  of  ripening  appear,  which  more  particularly  applies  to  trees 
with  only  limi'ed  space  for  the  roots. 
In  succession  houses  attention  will  have  to  be  given  to  stopping  the 
shoots  at  the  fifth  or  sixth  leaf.  Avoid  overcrowding  the  growth,  as  the 
fruitfulness  of  Fig  trees  depends  greatly  on  the  exposure  of  the  foliage 
and  wood  to  plenty  of  light  and  air,  and  too  much  pinching  and  a  super¬ 
fluity  of  spurs  is  not  desirable,  as  the  finest  fruit  is  borne  on  extensions. 
The  successional  growths  also  should  be  kept  rather  thin,  allowing  those 
only  to  remain  that  will  be  required  to  supplant  the  branches  annually. 
Cut  out  and  maintain  a  proper  successional  supply  of  bearing  parts.  It 
is  no  use,  however,  striving  to  render  gross  trees  fruitful  by  stopping  and 
thinning,  for  nothing  will  do  that  but  judicious  root-pruning  and  limiting 
the  rooting  area,  rendering  it  firm,  so  that  the  trees  live  thriftily.  Attend 
to  syringing  the  trees  twice  daily,  and  water  abundantly  at  the  roots  as 
often  as  required  ;  employ  weak  tepid  liquid  manure,  especially  where 
the  borders  are  small,  and  add  to  the  mulching  so  as  to  keep  about  an 
inch  thickness  of  lumpy  material  on  the  border  into  which  the  roots  will 
spread,  and  this  can  then  be  fed  to  any  extent. — Growek. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
Scientific  Committee. — Present :  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  (in  the 
chair)  ;  Mr.  H.  Self  Leonard,  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  Mr.  Elwes,  and  Rev.  G. 
Henslow,  Hon.  Sec. 
Alpine  Auriculas,  mildewed, — A  plant  was  received  from  Rtv.  C. 
Wolley-Dod  infected  by  a  fungus.  It  was  forwarded  to  Dr.  W.  G.  Smith 
for  examination. 
Apple- wood,  diseased. — Some  specimens  i received  from  Mr.  Basham, 
were  also  sent  to  Dr.  Smith. 
Germination  of  Daphne  Mezereon.  —  Mr.  Elwes  described  some 
curious  differences  between  the  germination  of  some  seeds  of  this 
shrub,  in  that  the  plumule  grew  up  normally  above  ground,  while  in 
others,  from  some  unaccountable  cause,  it  appeared  to  be  arrested  for  a 
long  period  before  appearing,  although  they  sent  down  roots  under¬ 
ground  in  the  usual  way. 
Hyacinth  stem  and  leaves  growing  downwards. — Mr.  Henslow  showed 
a  plant,  the  bulb  of  which  had  been  accidentally  inserted  upside  down. 
The  roots  had  grown  normally  downwards;  but  the  shoot,  instead  of 
turning  upwards  towards  the  light,  had  also  grown  vertically  downwards. 
It  subsequently  elevated  the  bulb  into  the  air,  removing  all  the  roots 
from  the  soil,  and  continued  to  grow  solely  at  the  expense  of  the 
nourishment  contained  in  the  bulb.  The  flower  stalk  closely  invested  by 
the  leaves,  was  7  inches  in  length. 
Carnations  attacked  by  Acarus.— Mr.  Michael  reported  upon  the 
specimens  sent  to  the  last  meeting  as  follows  “  The  Carnaticn  pest  is  a 
Tarsonymus.  All  this  genus  are  destructive  and  difficult  to  eradicate  in 
consequence  of  their  leaf  and  stalk-mining  habits.” 
Diseased  Carnations.— Br.  W.  G.  Smith,  Leeds,  reports  as  follows  :  — 
“  On  the  Carnations  sent  none  of  the  fungi  usually  present  were  found 
— s-g-,  r^ust,  leaf  spot,  fairy  ring  spot.  The  symptoms  presented  are 
those  or  the  disease  known  as  ‘  bacteriosis,’  This  is  the  name  given 
by  Arthur  and  Bolley  (Purdue  Uni.  Agric.  Exp.  Station,  Bulletin  59, 
1896),  because  they  ascribed  the  disease  to  the  action  of  a  Bacterium 
(B.  dianthi).  They  were  able  to  infect  healthy  plants  with  cultures  from 
diseased.  A  Belgian  investigator,  Paul  Nypels,  published  in  1898 
(‘ Notes  Pathologiques ’)  some  observations  on  the  disease,  ■which  point 
to  some  other  agent  than  bacteria  as  the  primary  cause.  Other  workers 
also  hold  this  view.  The  disease  is  well  known,  and  very  destructive  in 
indoor  cultivation  of  Carnations  in  L’nited  States  and  in  Belgium.  The 
conditions  favourable  to  it  are  overcrowding,  defective  ventilation,  and 
the  effect  of  moisture  on  the  foliage,  due  to  overhead  watering.  Prevention 
is  evident,  except  for  the  last  item  mentioned  ;  but  overhead  watering 
must  be  reduced  as  much  as  possible.  The  structure  of  the  Carnation 
leaf  indicates  a  plant  suited  to  a  dry  open  situation,  like  our  native 
Dienthus,  on  rocks,  old  walls,  ai.d  open  pastures.  In  indoor  cultivation 
means  must  be  adopted  to  prevent  too  frequent  watering  of  the  foliage. 
This  has  been  done  by  some  grow'crs  in  America,  as  described  by  Arthur 
and  Bolley.  Pieces  of  wire  netting  bent  into  a  A  shape  are  placed 
between  the  rows  of  plants,  so  as  to  keep  the  lower  leaves  clear  of  the 
stages.  The  watering  is  done  by  a  hose  directed  into  the  A,  and  the 
water  is  distributed  to  the  roots  by  a  nozzle,  delivering  on  both  sides. 
Arthur  and  Bolley  give  illustrations  in  paper  sent  herewith.  The  method 
has  been  successful  against  this  and  other  diseases  of  indoor  Carnations. 
Where  this  disease  has  already  shown  itself,  it  may  be  checked  by 
spraying  the  foliage  with  Bordeaux  mixture.” 
Vuifs  malformed. — Mr.  G.  Wythes  of  Syon  House  sent  branches  of 
Vines  with  malformed  flowering  branches,  supposed  to  be  due  to  fog  ; 
but  they  presented  a  not  uncommon  condition  of  being  tendrils  bearing 
abortive  buds.  As  Darwin  pointed  out,  Vine  tendrils  are  homologous 
with  flowering  shoots,  and  such  transitional  states  between  pure  tendrils 
and  bud-bfaring  ones  occur  on  all  Vines,  and  have  nothing  to  do  with 
external  climatic  conditions. 
Effect  of  Lightning  on  an  Oak. — A  specimen  received  from  Dr.  Plowright 
of  Lynn  showed  how  oak  w  ood  is  sometimes  torn  into  longitudinal  fibres 
by  ekctricity.  “The  trunk  from  which  this  specimen  was  taken  was 
that  of  a  tree  grow  n  in  East  Anglia,  and  purchased  for  timber  by  a  timber 
merchant  in  King’s  Lynn,  from  whose  woodyard  it  was  obtained.  The 
amount  of  injury  was  comparatively  alight,  consisting  only  of  a  groove 
cut  from  top  to  bottom  of  the  trunk,  about  2  inches  wide,  and  extending 
only  a  very  short  distance  into  the  woody  tissues,  but  tearing  them  up 
longitudinally  into  strips  several  feet  in  length.” 
Witches'  Broom  on  a  Scotch  hir. — This  was  received  from  Dr.  Plow- 
right,  who  writes  : — “  The  specimen  is  sent  by  Hamon  L’Estrange,  Esq., 
and  was  found  growing  upon  one  of  the  Fir  trees  in  his  park  at 
Hunstanton  Hall,  Norfolk.  It  consists  of  a  mass  of  hypertrophied 
‘  dormant  buds,’  measuring  a  meter  in  circumference  round  its  widest 
part,  and  weighs  2J  kilogrammes.  It  is  borne  upon  a  branch  which 
shows  eight  annular  rings  and  springs  from  a  lateral  shoot.  It  is 
interesting  to  observe  that  this  shoot  is  itself  hypertrophied,  as  compared 
with  the  corresponding  one  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  branch,  but  that 
this  hypertrophy  only  extends  as  far  as  the  ’growth,  beyond  which  it  is 
atrophied  and  dead.  The  growth  itself  consists  of  seven  or  eight  rounded 
masses,  composed  of  aborted  shoots — partial  developed  buds  closely 
aggregated.  The  masses  are  of  varying  ages,  some  bearing  green  leaves, 
while  others  are  quite  dry  and  dead.”  The  origin  is  supposed  to  be  due 
to  the  attack  of  a  phytoptis. 
Malformed  bulbous  plants. — A  quantity  of  decayed  and  arrested  bulbous 
plants  were  rec-^ived,  both  from  St.  John’s  Wood  Cemetery  of  Marylebone 
and  from  Lincoln’s  Inn  Fiel  s.  Both  cases  illustrated  the  effect  of 
premature  growth  from  the  very  mild  winter,  followed  by  severe  check 
during  the  week  of  frost,  and  subsequently  by  excessive  wet.  Mr. 
Henslow  observed  that  on  the  high  ground  and  clay  soil  of  Holland  Park 
bulbs  have  come  up  exceedingly  well,  having  been  planted  in  September. 
Apple  trees  affected  by  grubs. — Specimens  received  from  the  Chiswick 
Gardens  were  referred  to  Mr.  McLachlan,  who  has  reported  as  follows  : — 
“  The  larvae  in  the  Apple  twigs  is  no  doubt  that  of  Laverna  vmolentella, 
which  was  formerly  considered  a  variety  of  L.  atra  (the  larva  of  which 
feeds  on  the  fruit  of  Hawthorn)  but  is  now  regarded  as  distinct.  I  am 
not  aware  that  it  has  ever  been  found  sufficiently  common  to  occasion 
serious  damage,  but  as  the  egg  is,  no  doubt,  laid  in  or  on  a  bud,  and  the 
depredation  primarily  confined  to  the  bud,  it  is  evident  that  the  question 
of  serious  damage  is  only  one  of  degree.” 
Odontoglossum  Alexandres. —  Dr.  Masters  exhibited  a  spray  on  which 
every  flower  had  three  stamens  instead  of  one  only.  It  was  received  from 
Mr.  Cookson. 
Jatropha  pcdagrica. — This  scarlet- flowered  species  was  awarded  a 
botanical  certificate.  It  is  a  well-known  plant  in  botanical  gardens. 
A  VICAR’S  FRUIT  PROTECTOR. 
Various  devices  have  been  resorted  to  for  preierving  ripening  and 
ripe  fruits  from  injury  by  birds,  wasps,  flies,  earwigs,  and  all  such 
enemies  that  are  so  frequently  troublesome  and  often  ruinous ;  but  we 
have  not  seen  one  so  neat,  and  at  the  same  time  so  substantial,  as  a 
sample  that  has  been  sent  to  us  from  Ashburt.n  by  the  Rev.  E.  Darnley 
Smith. 
This  gentleman  appears  to  have  been  engaged  for  a  considerable  time 
in  developing  an  idea,  which  he  reasonably  hopes  will  bear  fruit  for  him¬ 
self — i.e.,  prove  a  success  as  a  commercial  article,  and  save  fruit  uninjured 
— we  can  scarcely  yet  say  unspotted — for  growers  and  exhibitors.  If  the 
article  succeeds  in  one  object  it  will  in  the  other,  and  we  shall  be  pleased 
if  it  do  so  in  both. 
It  is  new  in  material,  design,  and  application.  The  material  is 
perforated  celluloid,  light,  durable,  and  inodorous.  The  design  is  that 
of  the  fruits  to  be  protected.  The  one  before  us  is  of  the  shape  of  a  fine 
Williams’  Bon  Chretien  Pear,  which  it  would  enclose  without  bruising, 
and  bid  defiance  to  such  foes  as  those  named  tasting  the  fruit.  For 
