333  JOURNAL  ON  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
“H.  p.”  says  the  land  cryetli  for  the  tiller,  and  tells  ns  there  is 
yet  time  to  save  it  from  ruin.  How  is  it  to  be  done?  Few  can 
answer  that  satisfactorily.  Having  stated  my  views  of  one  side 
of  the  question  I  will  try  to  pen  a  few  more  lines  on  the  farmer’s 
side  when  the  time  will  permit. — J.  Botlev. 
Anemone  Hepatica  angnlosa  var.  lilacina  grandiflora. 
On  page  236,  Mr.  S.  Arnott  refers  to  the  above  Hepatica 
under  the  name  of  lilacina  grandis.  At  the  Di-ill  Hall,  on 
IMarch  24th  ult.,  I  exhibited  eight  plants  of  this  variety,  which 
had  been  lifted  from  the  open  ground,  and  although  the  flowers 
Avere  not  fully  expanded,  and  consequently  were  not  at  their 
best,  they  Avere  greatly  admired.  This  variety  AA’as  raised  by 
Mr.  W.  Horsman,  Avho  is  in  charge  of  Messrs.  R.  Smith  and  Co.’s 
extensive  collection  of  hardy  plants.  Without  a  doubt  it  is  the 
most  free  floAvering  Hepatica  in  cultivation,  being  immeasurably 
superior  in  this  respect  to  the  typical  H.'  angulosa.  Not  only 
are  the  flowers  of  this  iieAv  Amriety  considerably  larger  than  thq 
type,  but  they  possess  tAvo  roAvs  of  petals.  The  floAvers,  which 
are  of  a  delicate  pale  lilac  colour,  remain  in  good  condition  for 
a  long  period,  and  are  borne  on  strong,  upright  stalks  6in  in 
length. — Arthur  R.  Goodaa'in. 
Birds  and  Gooseberry  Buds. 
In  reply  to  “  Fruit  GroAver,”  as  I  stated  in  my  preAuous 
letter,  Royle’s  threader  can  be  got  from  any  nurseryman.  I  pur¬ 
chased  mine  from  Cl'ibran’s,  in  Altrincham,  about  ten  years 
ago,  and  it  is  used  every  Avinter  before  the  sermre  Aveather  com¬ 
mences,  this  being  the  time  above  all  others  Avhen  the  buds 
need  protection.  I  am  only  a  private  grower  with  about 
.seventy  or  eighty  bushes,  and  have  no  idea  asi  to  the  cost  or 
the  time  one  cop  Avill  last,  as  we  lend  the  threader  freely  to 
all  our  neighbours;  but  the  cost  must  be  infinitesimal,  probably 
not  more  than  a  halfpenny  for  a  hundred  bushes.  They  only 
need  once  doing  each  season,  and  do  not  appear  to  take  one 
minute  each.  No  doubt  the  dealer  who  supplies  your  correspon¬ 
dent  Avill  be  able  to  girm  more  definite  information.  The  appli¬ 
cation  is  so  perfectly  successful,  cheap,  and  quickly  done  that 
Ave  have  never  tried  any  other  method.  The  Black  Curi'ant 
mite  Avas  mentioned  also  in  my  letter,  and  the  method  of  euro 
I  advocated  Avas  .severely  criticised  by  one  of  your  correspondents, 
Avho  stated  that  it  was  a  failure  after  three  or  four  years.  I 
can  only  write  from  my  OAvn  experience.  It  has  been  a  perfect 
success  for  at  least  tAvelve  years.  The  result  can  be  seen  at  any 
time  by  anyone  sufficiently  interested  in  the  matter.  There 
can  be  no  possible  mistake  as  to  the  age  and  the  condition  of 
the  bushes  at  the  present  time,  and  Ave  are  perfectly  content. — 
Thos.  Fletcher,  Grappenhall,  Cheshire. 
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r — ~ 
National  Sweet  Pea  Society— Selection  of  Judges. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  of  this  society  held 
at  the  Hotel  Windsor  on  the  7th  inst.,  Mr.  R.  LeAvis  Castle  in 
the  chair,  the  letter  .signed  “  R.  D.”  in  your  issue  of  the 
2nd  inst.,  page  300,  Avas  discussed. 
I  am  instructed  by  my  committee  to  contradict  the  mis¬ 
representations  made  by  “  R.  D.”  relative  to  the  proceedings  of 
the  executive  committee  held  on  March  27th,  and  to  say  that 
“R.  D.”  committed  a  gro.ss  breach  of  privilege  in  referring 
publicly  to  business  of  a  purely  private  nature.  It  is,  I  am 
to  state,  ab.solutely  untrue  that  any  departure  from  the  methods 
AA'hich  governed  the  selection  of  judges  la.st  year  has  now  been 
made.  “  R.  D.”  may  be  reminded  that  in  the  selection  of  the 
judges  for  the  1902  shoAv,  Avhen  amateurs  only  Avere  chosen,  he 
did  not  rai.se,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  any  objection  Avhat- 
ever.  Further,  I  am  directed  to  afiirm  that  on  no  o'oeasion  has 
anything  been  said  or  done  that  could  possibly  be  construed  into 
an  imputation  against  the  honesty  and  integrity  of  the  trade,  as 
is  obviously  inferred  in  “R.  D.’s”  communication.  I  am  also 
desired  tO'  point  out  to  “R.  D.”  that  at  the  meeting  in  question 
the  resolution  to  follow  the  practice  of  1902  and  secure  the 
amateurs  only  as  judges  Avas  carried  Avithout  a  dissentient  vote, 
so  that  his  statement  that  it  aa^s  carried  by  a  bare  majority 
is  incorrect.  Moreover,  “  R.  D.”  did  not  give  the  meeting 
the  benefit  of  the  arguments  he  noAv  uses  in  support  of  his 
objection. 
As  showing  the  high  appreciation  the  executive  committee 
has  of  the  honour  and  experience  of  members  of  the  trade,  I 
am  to  point  out  that  at  the  meeting  referred  to  it  was  unani¬ 
mously  resolved  that  the  general  committee  constitute  the  floral 
committee  for  the  adjudication  of  novelties,  so  that  the  society 
might,  have  the  full  advantage  of  the  knoAvledge  of  Sweet  Peas 
pqsse.ssed  by  the  several  trade  members  of  that  body. — Horace  J. 
Wright.  Hon.  Sec.,  32,  Hault  Road,  WandsAVorth,  London.  i 
April  16,  1903. 
Sprays  and  Sprayers  for  Frait  Tree  Bushes. 
Seeing  the  notice  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  ior  March  26 
of  this  year  for  using  caustic  soda  and  pearlash  for  protecting 
fruit  tree  buds,  I  should  be  much  obliged  if  your  correspondent, 
Jno.  Miles,  Avould  inform  me  in  your  Journal  whether  lie  buys 
the  ingredients  in  poAvder.or  liquid  form,  and  of  Avhat  strength: 
also  hoAv  much  Avater  is  required  to  a  stated  quantity ;  also  if 
Vermorel’s  sprayer  can  be  purchased  at  seed  shops  or  at  iron¬ 
mongers’. — Constant  Subscriber. 
Despoiling  Nature. 
What  a  pity  it  seems  that  the  beauty  of  the  hedgeroAVS  should 
be  spoiled  by  alloAving  Primrose  roots  and  other  wild  flowers  to 
be  dug  up  and  carried  aivay  in  the  districts  around  London,  as 
mentioned  in  your  issue  of  March  26.  Why  do  not  land-OAvners 
combine  and  follo.Av  the  example  of  the  United  Devon  Association, 
Avith  Lord  Cliffoi’d  at  its  head  P  The  association  has  been  formed 
to  preserve  tlie  Ferns,  Avild  floAvers,  and  other  plants  that  are 
the  glory  of  its  lovely  lanes,  hedges,  and  fields.  It  has  met  Avith 
great  success  in  dealing  Avith  some  flagrant  offenders. — Eliz.  O. 
Proud. 
- - 
The  English  Edition  of  the  “  Lindenia.” 
In  your  article  on  Mr.  J.  Weathers  at  page  299,  you  say  that 
Mr.  Weathers  “translated  the  French  edition  of  ‘Lindenia’  for 
M.  Linden,  of  Brnssels,  until  it  ceased.”  The  note,  of  course, 
refers  to  the  editorship  of  the  English  edition,  and  is  partly 
incorrect.  The  English  edition  from  the  commencement  to  the 
end  of  the  sixth  A'olume,  also  part  of  the  seA’enth  volume,  were 
either  Avritten  or  translated  by  Mr.  R.  A.  Rolfe.  The  line  of 
demarcation  may  be  found  where  the  English  edition  begins  to 
appear  partly  in  English  and  partly  in  French. — Caroline 
Berkeley  Rolfe. 
- - 
Sutton’s  Pizetaker  Leek, 
I  am  taking  the  liberty  of  sending  you  a  specimen  of  Sutton’s 
Prizetaker  Leek.  I  do  not  claim  that  there  is  anything  extra¬ 
ordinary  about  the  specimen  except  that  it  proves  Avhat  an  excel¬ 
lent  variety  it  is  for  general  use.  Pulled  from  a  bed  groAving  in 
these  gardens,  the  specimen  sent  has  received  no  special  treat¬ 
ment,  the  ground  having  been  manured  and  dug  as  for  ordinary 
crops,  the  Leeks  being  sown  in  a  drill  and  transplanted  from 
thence  to  the  bed.  My  method  of  planting  is  to  make  a  hole 
Avith  a  croAvbar,  insert  the  Leeks,  and  then  Avater  them  in,  with¬ 
out  filling  the  holes  around  the  plants.  In  conclusion,  I  Avould 
advise  those  Avho  have  not  yet  given  the  above  variety  a  trial  to 
do  so.  The  flavour  is  all  that  can  be  desired,  and  is  much  appre¬ 
ciated  at  table. — W.  H.  Yates,  The  Gardens,  Rotherfield  Park, 
Alton,  Hants. 
[An  excellent  example,  indeed;  a  grand  exhibition  type,  and 
under  special  treatment  the  blanching  (which  in  this  case  AA’as 
lOin  in  length,  the  diameter  being  2iin)  could  be  increased,  and 
a  firm,  wholly-useable  stem  reAvard  the  groAver. — Ed.] 
- - >  ■ - 
The  Destruction  of  the  Winter  Moth  Caterpillar. 
I  quite 'agree  Avith  your  correspondent,  “Entomologist,”  page 
298,  that  there  is  a  great  objection  to  the  use  of  strong  poisons 
for  spraying  fruit  trees,  but  I  am  unable  to  support  his  assertion 
that  parafiin  solution  cannot  be  used  strong  enough  to  kill  the 
caterpillar  Avithout  injury  to  the  plant.  One  should  bear  in  mind 
that  it  is  not  altogether  the  strength  of  the  insecticide,  but  the 
frequency  of  its  use  that  is  effective.  Fir  tree  oil,  tobacco,  and 
many  other  remedies — good  as  they  are — are  too  expensive  to  use 
largely  for  outside  purposes.  I  have  found  the  following  mixture 
quite  harmless  to  vegetation,  and  yet  sufficiently  strong  to  kill 
most  insects  Avith  Avhich  the  gardener  is  pested  : — Add  one  pint  of 
paraffin  to  one  gallon  of  cold  soft  water,  put  it  into  a  saucepan 
over  a  clear  fire,  and  boil  for  a  few  minutes.  Then  add  21b  of  soft- 
soap.  Stir  Avell  until  it  is  thoroughly  dissolved.  It  is  then  ready 
for  use,  and  can  be  used  at  the  strength  of  one  pint  of  the  solu¬ 
tion  to  eight  or  tAvelve  pints  of  soft  water.  A  very  useful  article 
for  spraying  orchard  and  Avail  trees  is  the  Kew  Garden  Engine, 
Avith  about  12ft  to  18ft  half-inch  hose  piping  and  a  spray  nozzle. 
The  latter  can  be  tied  to  the  end  of  a  long  stake  to  reach  the  top 
of  the  trees.  A  man,  Avith  a  boy  to  work  the  engine,  can  then 
get  over  long  lengths  of  Avail  in  a  surprisingly  short  time.  Any 
garden  labourer  can  make  the  above  mixture  on  wet  days,  and 
if  put  into  jars  and  corked  up  Avill  keep  fresh  any  length  of  time. 
I  may  add  that  the  saucepan  used  for  boiling  the  mixture  should 
never  be  more  than  three-parts  full,  as  the  softsoap,  when  added, 
is  liable  to  boil  over.  It  is  preferable  when  using  insecticides  to 
choose  a  dull  day,  and  always  use  a  spray  nozzle. — Jas.  Folkard, 
Sandhutton,  York. 
