4-06 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDEXER. 
:May  7,  1903. 
Neillia  opulifolia. 
This  is  a  showy,  yellow-leaved  shrub,  very  effective  in  the 
spring-time,  when  thC'  leaves  are  expanding.  Beds  or  groups  of  it 
have  a  good  effect  at  a  distance,  and  remind  one  of  the  Forsythias. 
The  delusion  is  complete  till  the  observer  reaches  to  within  only 
a  few  yards  of  the  bushes.  The  foliage  is  like  that  of  the  Cur¬ 
rants,  and  bronzy,  golden  yellow. 
Brunfelsia  eximia. 
Private  gardeners  seldom  practise  the  planting  of  stove  exotic 
plants  in  borders,  but  where  indoor  borders  exist  in  warm  houses 
I  would  suggest  that  they  try  the  culture  of  this  plant  on  the 
planted-out  method.  At  Kew  the  plants  of  Brunfelsia  are  all  in 
borders,  and  at  this  season  are  literally  bedecked  with  their 
beautiful  rich  lavender-coloured  flowers.  The  plants  are  2ift 
high,  bushy,  and  very  shapely,  every  shoot  having  numbers  of 
blossoms.  As  a  pot  plant  the  Brunfelsia  is  not  always  successful, 
but  when  it  does  flower  and  grow  well  few  stove  plants  are  more 
worthy  of  culture. — D. 
Coal  Tar  for  Dressing  Wounds. 
A  correspondent  of  the  “  Iowa  Homestead  ”  addressed  to  that 
paper  an  inquiry  on  the  subject,  and  received  the  following  reply : 
— “  As  there  are  other  substances  which  will  cover  the  wood  and 
prevent  decay  equally  as  well,  however,  I  would  say,  use  lead  and 
oil  rather  than  coal  tar.  Coal  tar  is  a  very  complex  substance, 
made  up  of  many  chemical  elements.  Some  of  these  form  an  ex¬ 
cellent  protection,  and  are  not  harmful  to  the  plant  tissue,  while 
others  are  decidedly  so.  Among  the  injurious  substances  found  in 
coal  tar  is  phenol,  a  substance  closely  related  to  carbolic  acid. 
Phenol  is  a  very  active  substance  of  strong  caustic  properties,  and 
will  coagulate  protoplasm  instantly.  It  is  probably  this  substance 
which  proves  injurious  to  the  tissue  when  crude  coal  tar  is  applied 
to  wounds.  As  pointed  out  in  a  recent  issue,  these  injurious  sub¬ 
stances,  such  as  phenol,  can  be  driven  off  as  a  vapour  by  boiling 
the  tar  some  minutes  before  using.  After  being  thus  treated  coal 
tar  makes  an  excellent  dressing  for  wounds.  The  question  asked 
by  our  correspondent  is  whether  the  mixing  of  plastic  slate  with 
the  coal  tar  would  accomplish  the  same  results.  There  is  an  end¬ 
less  variety  of  slates,  and  we  do  not  know  just  what  is  referred 
to  by  the  term  “  plastic  slate,”  but  feel  strongly  inclined  to  the 
opinion  that  this  addition  would  have  little  or  no  chemical  effect 
one  way  or  the  other.  The  boiling  method  has  been  tried  and 
proven,  and  we  should  recommend  it  in  preference.” 
The  Field  Horsetail. 
The  quaint-looking  wild  plant,  common  enough  in  England, 
known  as  Field  Horsetail  (Equisetum  arvense),  has  been  found  in 
the  State  of  Vermont,  rvhere  also  it  is  a  native,  to  cause  the 
death  of  horses  when  eaten  by  them  in  hay.  During  the  last 
five  years  upwards  of  forty  cases  have  been  treated,  and  are  now 
reported  in  the  bulletin  of  the  State  experiment  station.  Two 
feeding  experiments  are  described,  in  which  five  horses  were  in¬ 
volved.  The  animals  were  old,  and  not  so  susceptible  as  young 
horses  to  the  poisonous  agent.  The  symptoms  appear  gradually, 
emaciation  being  first  observed,  followed  in  from  two  to  five 
weeks  by  the  loss  of  control  of  the  muscles,  causing  the  animal 
to  stagger  or  fall;  though  it  may  still  continue  to  eat.  During 
the  first  stages  of  the  disease  the  temperature  is  abnormal,  whilst 
the  mucous  membranes  of  the  mouth,  nose,  and  eyes  become 
pal,e.  Horses  receiving  grain  in  their  food  resist  the  action  of 
the  poison  longer  than  those  which  get  no  grain.  The  plant 
appears  to  cause  trouble  only  when  present  in  hay,  there  being 
no  evidence  of  poisoning  due  to  the  eating  of  the  green  plant. 
No  case  of  injury  to  cattle  is  known ;  it  appears,  indeed,  that 
dairy  cows  may  eat  this  Horsetail  with  impunity.  The  non¬ 
flowering  plants  called  Horsetails  are  merely  the  relics  of  a  type 
cf  vegetation  which  in  a  long  past  geological  period  flourished 
exceedingly  upon  the  globe.  Ten  or  a  dozen  species  of  Horse¬ 
tails  are  known  in  the  British  Isles,  and  the  paidicular  species 
in  question  may  be  found  in  fields  and  moist  places,  but  so  far 
no  evil  reputation  attaches  to  it  in  this  country. 
The  Tree  Tomato. 
The  tree  Tomato  or  “  poor  man’s  fruit,”  is  the  latest  of  the 
vegetable  productions  to  find  a  home  in  Southern  California,  and 
those  acquainted  with  the  plant  predict  a  wide  popularity  for  it 
there  once  it  gets  firmly  established,  and  its  great  worth  becomes 
known. 
Japanese  Cabbages. 
According  to  Professor  Maumene,  the  only  Japanese  Cabbages 
meriting  the  attention  of  European  growers  are  the  China  Cab¬ 
bage  (Brassica  sinensi.s),  the  Mitsuna,  and  the  Takana.  The  first 
is  already  cultivated  in  Europe,  under  the  name  of  Pe-tsai.  There 
is  more  than  one  variety  cf  this  rather  open  Cabbage.  The 
Mitsuna  is  sown  in  marshy  land  in  autumn,  and  cut  in  springtime. 
The  Takana,  or  tall  Cabbage,  has  long  narrow  leaves,  tvhich  are 
salted  and  eaten  like  the  German  sauerkraut.  Another  Japanese 
vegetable  is  Chine.se  Mu.stard,  resembling  the  white  Mustard  of 
Russia.  The  Soja,  another  plant,  yields  a  seed  from  which  a 
nourishing  gelatine  and  a  sort  of  marmalade  are  made. 
Arabls  alpina. 
This  beautiful  spring-flowering  hardy  perennial  trailing  plant 
is  so  useful  in  spring  bedding  arrangements  or  on  rockeries  that 
an  effort  should  be  made  to  provide  a  good  .stock  of  young  clumps 
which  may  be  readily  lifted  and  planted  in  autumn.  The  flower¬ 
ing  season  is  now  over,  hence,  when  the  flower  stems  are  cut  away, 
portions  of  the  old  plants  may  be  detached,  the  stems  shortened, 
and  then  be  laid  again.st  the  sides  of  a  trench  formed  in  good  soil 
cf  a  light,  rich  character.  The  trench  should  be  cut  straight  and 
of  any  convenient  length,  about  4in  deep,  and  the  portions  of 
healthy  green  tops  with  slender  stems  may  be  placed  about  Oin 
apart.  Secure  them  at  the  ba.se  with  a  little  soil,  and  then  make 
firm,  filling  in  the  remainder  to  the  base  of  the  leaves.  The  next 
trench  may  be  Sin  di.stance.  Should  the  weather  be  dry  water 
them  well  in,  and  maintain  moisture  about  them  until  growth 
begins,  when  nothing  further  will  be  needed  except  keeping  them 
clean  and  free  from  weeds.  Plants  grow  freel3'  from  seed,  which 
may  be  sown  now.  On  rockeries,  banks,  and  rough,  wild  place.s 
clumps  of  Arabis  may  be  allowed  to  extend  indefinitely,  when 
they  form  attractive  masses  of  growth  which  flower  abundantly. 
— E.  D.  S. 
Iris  orchloides. 
One  can  never  under.stand  whj'  the  pretty  and  distinct  looking 
Iris  orchioides  is  so  little  cultivated  even  in  good  gardens  in  this 
country',  and  why  it  only  finds  a  home  in  those  of  a  few  enthu¬ 
siasts  enamoured  of  the  lovely  genus  to  which  it  belongs.  It  is 
true  that  it  is  slightlj'  higher  in  price  than  many  flowers  of  its 
race,  but  a  flower  not  often  seen  and  of  so  much  merit  is  more 
desirable  to  secure  than  one  which  can  be  seen  in  one’s  neighbour’s 
garden  any  day,  and  of  much  less  beauty.  It  has  sufficient 
beauty  to  recommend  it,  for  its  habit,  like  that  of  most  Irises  cf 
the  Juno  section,  to  which  it  belongs,  is  rather  attractive.  Then 
the  broad  leaves  themselves  are  very  ornamental,  looking  as  if 
they  had  almost  been  frosted.  The  flowers,  which  are  yellow, 
are  not  verj'  large,  but  are  bright  and  pleasing.  I  have  observed 
that  this  so-called  type  form  with  yellow  flowers  is  a  little 
variable  in  depth  of  colour,  and  I  have  had  blooms  submitted  to 
me  to  name  which  were  quite  distinct  in  shade  from  those  given 
by  the  stock  in  mj^  own  garden,  and  which  has  been  here  for 
twelve  or  fourteen  years,  if  not  more.  There  is  a  blotch  of 
purple  on  each  side  of  the  crest.  Two  scarcer  varieties  are  in 
my  garden  also.  That  called  oculata  has  the  falls  rather  more 
spotted,  but  the  variety  called  I.  orchioides  cserulea  is  even  more 
distinct,  and  is  perhaps  the  most  attractive  of  all  the  forms  of 
this  Iris.  It  has  lilac  flowers,  relieved  bj’  a  blotch  of  bright 
yellow  on  the  blade  of  the  fall.  This  is  more  expensive  than  the 
type.  So  far  as  mj'  own  experience  goes,  I  believe  I.  orchioide.s 
to  be  one  of  the  hardiest  of  the  Juno  class,  with  the  exception, 
it  may  be,  of  I.  sindjarensis,  which  I  have  not  had  so  long,  how¬ 
ever.  The  Orchis-like  Iris  makes  growth  very  earlj-,  and  I  have 
occasionally  seen  some  of  the  tips  of  the  leaves  slightly  touched 
bj’  severe  late  frosts.  I  never  protect  it,  however,  and  it  has  not 
suffered  anj’  serious  injurjx  I  have  never  seen  seeds  produced 
on  my  plants,  nor  do  I  know  that  it  is  procurable,  but  when  the 
Iris  is  large  enough  it  can  be  divided  immediatelj^  after  flowering 
in  late  spring  or  early  summer.  This  Iris  is  a  native  of  the  moun¬ 
tains  of  Turkestan,  whence  it  was  introduced  by  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Regel.  I  may  add  that  I  grow  it  in  a  border  of  rather  dry 
soil. — S.  Aunott. 
