May  28,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
481 
*  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  Thb  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  wite  priTately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
KIDDING  HARDY  FERNS  OF  ANTS  (L.  J.  P.).— To  rid 
hardy  Ferns  of  the  common  red  ants,  which  eat  the  Parsley  Fern 
in  particular,  and  something  non-poisonous  to  the  roots,  also  to 
birds  and  animals,  you  may  place  a  piece  of  camphor  about  the 
size  of  a  Filbert  in  tuo  quarts  of  hot  water  and,  when  cool 
enough,  apply  it  to  pot  or  other  plants  infested  with  the  ants. 
The  insects  will  be  destroyed  u  ithout  injury  to  the  plants.  Fir- 
tree  oil  insecticide  is  also  effective  and,  applied  according  to  the 
instructions,  is  not  injurious  to  the  roots  of  plants  or  the  soil  to 
which  it  is  applied.  One  of  the  best  means  of  ridding  ants  is  to  lay 
a  quantity  of  partially  picked  boiled  bones  in  their  hauirts,  and 
they  will  quickly  be  covered  with  the  insects.  As  soon  as  this  occurs 
throw  the  bones  into  hot  water,  and  before  laying  them  down 
again  let  all  .superfluous  moisture  drain  off.  This  is  a  safe  remedy, 
and,  if  persisted  in,  is  very  effectual. 
ARRANGING  PLANTS  IN  BEDS  (W.  S.  S.).— We  have  given 
your  query  careful  consideration,  and  very  much  regret  our  in¬ 
ability  to  arrange  the  plants  in  the  design  to  advantage.  We 
therefore  submit  another  one,  as  yours  is,  to  us,  impossible,  and 
arranged  according  to  No.  1  list  is  suitable  ;  but  with  No.  2  plants 
would  be  much  better,  and  look  very  well.  Of  course,  the 
Alternanthei’as  would  have  to  be  added,  which  no  carpet  bedding 
worthy  the  name  can  be  done  without,  and  as  you  asked  for 
advice  this  is  what  you  had  better  do,  and  discard  your  plan  alto¬ 
gether,  and  we  cannot  so  much  as  attempt  to  arrange  your  list 
to  it.  No.  I  arrangement  :  I,  Pyrethrum  or  Echeveria,  common  ; 
2,  Aloe,  green;  3,  Herniaria,  green;  4,  Echeveria  metallica  or 
Pachyphytum  bracteosum  ;  5,  Kleinia  repens  ;  6,  Echeveria  rosea  ; 
7,  Oxalis  purpurea;  8,  Santolina  incana ;  9.  Crassula,  green: 
10,  Echeveria  farinosa  or  Mesembryanthemum  var.  No.  2 
arrangement:  1,  Alternanthera  paronychioides  aurea ;  2,  Aloe, 
green,  or  Pachyphytum  bracteosum;  3,  Herniaria  glabra;.  4, 
Echeveria  metallica;  5,  Kleinia  repens;  G,  Alternanthera  parony¬ 
chioides  magnifica ;  7,  Oxalis  purpurea,  better  Alternanthera 
amcena  :  8,  Santolina  ineana  ;  9,  Alternanthera  versicolor  grandis 
or  Oxalis  purpurea;  10,  Echeveria  farinosa  or  E.  secunda  major 
on  raised  edge  of  bed. 
PORTION  OF  THE  ROOTS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  CFCTM- 
BER,  WITH  SOIL  IN  WHICH  GROWN,  FOR  OPINION 
(T.  R.  O.  P.). — The  roots  were  found  white,  clean,  and  healthy, 
there  not  being  the  least  trace  of  disease  on  the  very  numerous 
whipcord-like  side  roots  with  their  many  fibres.  The  root  stem, 
however,  had,  when  cut  through,  the  brown  discolouration  of  the 
vascular  bundles  characteristic  of  sleeping  disease,  and  this  also 
was  very  pronounced  in  the  part  of  stem  just  above  the  ground 
or  soil  level.  As  in  all  cases  that  have  come  under  our  observa¬ 
tion,  the  root-stem  is  invariably  attacked  first  by  the  sleeping 
disease  fungus,  which,  from  being  most  pronounced  in  the  Tomato 
plant,  has  been  gWen  the  name  of  Fusarinin  Ij-copersici,  though 
it  affects  the  Potato  and  also  Cucumber  plants,  differing  slightly 
on  the  different  root  plants,  and  it  certainly  is  present  in  the  seed 
or  embryonic  plant,  or  gains  access  from  the  soil  through  the 
rootlet  or  radicle  first  emitted  by  the  plant,  this  being  very  deci¬ 
sive  in  your  ca.se,  for  the  side  roots  are  not  in  the  least  affected, 
and  gradually  extending  from  the  tap  root  or  radicle  to  the  root 
stem  and  lower  portion  of  the  stem.  Its  presence  is  indicated  to 
the  unaided  eye  by  the  brown  discolouration  of  the  vascular 
bundles  already  referred  to,  and  when  this  stage  is  reached  the 
plant  droops  or  “  sleeps.”  There  is  no  indication  of  disease  up  to 
this  stage,  only  the  plant  assumes  a  dull  colour  of  the  leaves,  which 
soon  afterwards  commence  to  droop,  often  suddenly,  and  this 
is  quickly  followed  by  a  collapse  of  the  stem.  The  soil  you  en¬ 
closed  Avith  the  specimen  is  of  a  very  rich  humic  nature,  and  may 
or  may  not  have  contained  .‘spores  of  the  Fusarium  in  the  resting 
stage,  the  mycelium  from  which  after  some  brief  or  prolonged 
saprophytic  existence  became  parasite  and  attacked  the  root 
stem.  \Ve  do  not,  hoAvever,  entertain  this  view  in  your  case,  for 
the  disease  is  confined  exclusively  to  the  root-.stem  and  stem  above 
ground,  and  Ave  consider  the  disease  Avas  present  in  the  seed. 
Avhich  receiA’ed  confirmation  from  the  fact  of  a  previous  lot  of 
plants  going  the  same  Avay.  and  the  second  lot  in  different  or  fre.sh 
soil  succumbing  to  the  disease.  EA'idently  the  disease  Avas  not  in 
the  soil  but  in  the  seed,  for  in  the  same  bed  at  the'  other  end  of 
the  house  are  IMelons  doing  Avell.  .Such  data  i'-'  of  the  greatest 
cultural  value,  and  points  to  the  importance  of  saving  seed  only 
from  perfectly  healthy  plants.  This  is  sometimes  extremely  diffi¬ 
cult.  for  the  plants  may  not  be  attacked  until  they  have  '-ct 
fruit,  and  this  in  an  advanced  stage  of  maturing  the  seeds,  the 
fruit  ripening  and  to  the  naked  eye,  or  even  Avhen  examined 
microscopically,  appears  to  be  free  from  disease;  nevertheless  avo 
have  found  that  seed  obtained  from  diseased  plants  produced 
diseased  seedlings,  and  it  is  remarkable  that  some  seeds  from  a 
fruit  of  a  diseased  plant  are  perfectly  sound  and  produce  healthy 
plants,  AA’liilst  other  seeds  groAv  up  apparently  healthy,  even  more 
so  than  the  other  plants,  perhaps  exploited  by  the  parasite  Avithin 
them,  and  as  suddenly  collapse  Avhen  nearing  the  fruiting  stage 
or  the  healthy  increase  in  vigour  and  productiveness.  The  disease 
under  the  conditions  foreshoAvn  is  Avell  knoAvn  in  marketing  estab¬ 
lishments,  and  cei'tainly  has  no  connection  with  the  disease  going 
over  from  year  to  year  through  the  soil,  for  this  is  neAv  or  fresh 
annually  or  fresh  for  each  crop.  OAving  to  the  nature  of  the 
attack,  spraying  Avith  fungicides  is  of  no  ar-ail,  and  the  only  pre- 
A'entiA'e  knoAvn  is  destroying  the  fungus  in  its  saprophytic -exist¬ 
ence  by  means  of  lime  mixed  Avith  the  soil,  or,  better,  acting  on 
the  rational  principle  of  using  only  thoroughly  reduced  turfy  loam 
mixed  in  the  old-fashioned  Avay  Avith  soot  and  lime  in  the  rot-heap, 
or  by  the  more  modern  practice  of  mixing  some  time  in  adA-ance 
of  using  Avith  a  mixture  composed  of  eight  parts  basic  cinder  phos¬ 
phate  and  three  parts  kainit,  mixing  tlu'ough  the  soil  at  the  rate 
of  Ilb  of  the  mixture  to  281b  of  compost.  This,  and  seed  obtained 
from  healthy  plants,  is  the  best  safeguard  against  the  disease. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS. — Correspondents  ichose  queries  are  un¬ 
answered  in  the  present  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult  the 
following  number.  ( - ). — 1.  Lychnis  dioiea  fi.-pl.  ;  2,  Trollius 
europaea  ;  3,  Symphytum  officinale  ;  4,  Odontoglossum  triumphans  ; 
5,  O.  luteo-purpureum.  (J.  B.). — 1,  Vanda  teres;  2,  Cattleya  Mendeli 
A-ar.  ;  3,  Cordyline  terminalis  ;  4,  Odojitoglossum  Wilckeanum. 
IN.  F.). — 1,  Gentiana  verna  ;  2,  Vanda  tricolor ;  3,  Exoehorda  gi’andi- 
flora  ;  4,  Acer  palmatum  dissectum  ;  5,  Psorolea  pinnata.  (An  Old 
Reader). — 1,  Betula  nana.  (S.  Johnson). — 1,  Saxifraga  hypnoides  : 
2,  Trillium  grandiflorum  ;  3,  Cytisus  purpureus  ;  4,  Cytisus  capitatus  ; 
5,  Citrus  ((Egle)  aurantium. 
On  the  Preservation  of  Eggs— A  Subject  for  May. 
We  have  already  secured  our  Avinter  supply  ;  possibly 
Ave  are  a  little  early-,  as  we  are  told  that  during  the  month 
of  May  the  egg  contains  the  greatest  amount  of  albumen, 
and  is  therefore  of  the  most  value.  However,  that  may  be 
as  it  is  ;  the  deed  is  done,  and  Avhat  influenced  us  most  was 
the  fact  that  other  years  we  have  preserved  in  April,  and 
the  result  has  been  most  satisfactory.  Perhaps  a  greater 
factor  Avas  the  price,  nineteen  for  Is.  It  seemed  out  of  all 
reaso-n  that  Ave  had  to  give  customers  nineteen  beautiful 
big  fresh  eggs  for  Is.,  eggs  that  Aveighed  7  to  the  lb  ; 
but  so  it  Avas,  and  Ave  felt  Ave  Avere  justified^  in  putting  by 
as  many  as  Ave  had  accommodation  for.  AVaterglass  (sili¬ 
cate  of  soda)  is  the  medium  Ave  used,  and  Ave  may  at  once 
observe  Ave  had  less  difficulty  this  year  in  procuring  it. 
Last  year  Ave  asked  for  it  at  the  shops  of  divers  chemists, 
only  to  be  greeted  by — shall  Ave  say  it  1 — a  look  of  stolid 
ignorance.  This  year  chemists  have  risen  to  the  occasion, 
and  this  preservative  is  sent  out  in  tins  containing  six- 
pennyAA'orth,  after  the  manner  of  cheap  paints.  Certainly- 
it  is  in  a  most  handy  form,  and  so  easily  mixed  and  pre¬ 
pared.  We  have  seen  in  some  of  the  agricultural  papers 
queries  as  to  Avhether  last  year’s  solution  aauII  do  again  for 
this  year's  eggs.  \\e  really  think  at  the  price  the  fresh 
preparation  can  be  obtained  it  is  not  AA-orth  AA'hile  running 
any  risk  of  spoiling  a  batch  of  eggs  by  using  the  old 
liquor. 
Another  suggestion  has  been  to  grease  the  eggs  first 
before  iimnersing  them.  Why,  Ave  cannot  tell,  except  to 
make  extra  Avork.  If  Avaterglass  is  Avhat  it  professes  to  be, 
a  perfect  preservative,  Avhy-  be  at  the  trouble  of  greasing 
eggs  first  ?  It  is  rather  like  painting  the  Lily, 
The  Board  of  Aariculture  has  issued  a  leaflet  addressed 
to  all  Avhom  it  may  concern.  draAving  attention  to  the  neces- 
