54 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  17,  1902. 
Poisons  for  Industrial  Purposes. 
"Will  you  kindly  allow  me  to  bring  under  the  notice  of  your 
numerous  readers  the  action  that  is  being  taken  by  and  on  behaif 
of  a  number  of  important  traders  who  are  interested  in  the  sale 
of  poisons  for  other  than  medical  purposes  ?  Agricultural 
agents,  farmers,  fruit  growers,  seedsmen,  ironmongers,  drysaltery, 
and  many  others  are  concerned,  and  to  some  of  these  the  subject 
of  this  letter  may  not  be  unfamiliar,  while  to  others,  who  have  not 
had  their  attention  directed  specially  to  it,  it  may  be  both  new  and 
interesting  as  well  as  important.  To  put  it  briefly,  the  question 
at  issue  is  the  right  and  the  desirability  of  poisonous  compounds 
required  for  trading  and  industrial  purposes  being  sold  by  other 
than  dispensing  chemists  and  druggists.  The  latter  possess, 
under  the  Act  of  1868,  the  monopoly  of  all  such  sales,  and  occa¬ 
sionally  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  acting  in  their  behalf, 
institutes  prosecutions  for  the  recovery  of  penalties  with  the 
object  of  asserting  this  monopoly.  It  is  for  the  purpose  of 
relieving  traders  of  the  liability  of  being  proceeded  against,  and 
thereby  meeting  the  convenience  of  the  public  at  large,  that  an 
organisation  entitled  “  The  Traders  in  Poisons  or  Poisonous  Com¬ 
ounds  for  Technical  or  Trade  Purposes  Protection  Society  ”  has 
een  formed.  The  society,  of  which  I  have  the  honour  to  be 
secretary,  was  formed  in  March,  1900,  since  which  date  it  has 
been  very  successful  in  organising  the  various  traders  who  are 
directly  concerned  in  the  sale  of  poisonous  compounds  for 
industrial  purposes.  Upon  the  eve  of  the  last  general  election 
it  communicated  with  most  of  the  Parliamentary  candidates,  and 
90  per  cent,  of  the  replies  received  were  favourable  to  the 
society’s  objects.  Briefly  put,  the  object  is  to  secure  an  amend¬ 
ment  of  the  existing  law.  Effectual  and  energetic  steps  are  being 
taken  to  secure  immunity  from  prosecutions.  This  is  largely  due 
to  the  great  and  sustained  interest  taken  in  the  protection  society 
by  its  treasurer  (Mr.  G.  H.  Richards,  of  XL  All  fame).  There 
are  many  reasons  why  the  Pharmacy  Act  of  1868,  already  alluded 
to,  should  be  amended.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  evident,  from 
the  preamble,  that  it  was  intended  more  particularly  to  ensure 
the  safety  of  the  public  by  insisting  that  only  competent  persons 
having  practical  knowledge  of  the  properties  of  poisons  should 
have  the  dispensing  of  the  same.  That  is  reasonable  enough. 
But  in  the  days  when  the  measure  became  law  there  were  not  in 
existence  the  multitudinous  packages  and  bottles  of  prepara¬ 
tions  compounded  by  the  manufacturer  ready  for  immediate  use 
for  horticultural,  agricultural,  and  other  trade  purposes,  which 
are  now  to  be  met  with  all  over  the  country.  As  regards  these, 
the  ordinary  chemist  and  druggist  has  no  more  practical  know¬ 
ledge  than  the  man  in  the  moon.  The  manufacturer  tells  him — 
and  the  public  at  large — by  advertisement  that  this  or  that 
mixture,  or  sheep  dip,  weed  killer  or  powder,  is  an  excellent 
remedy  for  this  or  that  disorder,  and  the  purchaser,  like  the 
chemist,  takes  it  on  trust  for  some  specific  purpose,  the  chemist 
being  merely  the  channel  through  which  the  manufacturer 
reaches  the  customer.  There  is  no  skilled  practical  knowledge  of 
poisons  required  to  dispose  of  a  sealed  packet  or  vessel  which  the 
chemist  receives  from  the  manufacturer,  who  alone  undertakes 
the  responsibility  of  declaring  that  a  compound  of  poisonous 
articles,  of  a  certain  strength,  is  effective  for  a  certain  purpose. 
The  purchaser  might  just  as  well  buy  what  he  wants  from  any 
other  tradesman,  so  far  as  the  skilled  knowledge  of  the  chemist 
is  brought  to  bear  upon  the  article  disposed  of.  Indeed,  in  most 
cases  it  would  be  distinctly  advantageous  to  the  buyer  if  he  went 
to  some  person  who  had  practical  experience  of  the  preparation 
required.  Take,  for  instance,  the  case  of  an  insecticide  (such  as 
XL  All)  containing  poison.  Would  not  a  seedsman  or  horticul¬ 
tural  agent  be  more  likely  to  give  valuable  advice  to  a  purchaser, 
based  upon  practical  experience,  than  a  chemist,  whose  principal 
employment  is  the  dispensing  of  drags  intended  to  cure  all  the 
ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to  F  The  same  argument  applies  to  sheep 
dips,  weed  killers,  &c.  If  there  is  any  risk  to  public  safety  involved 
in  the  proposed  freer  sale  it  is  not  increased  by  disposal  through 
a  seedsman  nor  minimised  by  being  handed  over  a  chemist’s 
counter.  The  new  vapourisers  and  insecticides  which  have  come 
into  such  general  us©  in  recent  years  have  been  invented  by 
members  of  the  horticultural  trade,  and  people  who  are  accus¬ 
tomed  to  their  application  are  naturally  the  best  advisers  of 
purchasers,  not  chemists,  who  know  nothing  of  them  beyond  the 
label  on  each  packet.  A  measure  such  as  is  contemplated  would 
also  enable  photographic  requisites  containing  poison  to  be  sold 
by  others  than  chemists. 
It  is  to  the  benefit  of  traders  in  all  parts  of  the  country  that 
the  society  to  which  I  have  referred  is  exerting  itself,  and  I  am 
glad  to  inform  you  tba-t  the  reasonableness  of  its  demand  has  been 
admitted  by  the  Privy  Council,  who  last  year  appointed  a 
Poisons  Committee  to  investigate  the  matter  and  report,  on  the 
evidence  submitted  to  them.  Already  that  committee  has  held 
three  sittings  at  which  witnesses  were  heard  on  behalf  of  the 
i  harmaceutical  Society  on  the  one  hand  and  our  protection 
society  on  the  other,  besides  some  independent  skilled  and 
departmental  witnesses,  and  there  is  good  reason  for  believing 
that  the  committee  may  recommend  the  adoption  of  a  third 
schedule  to  the  Pharmacy  Act,  which  will  provide  -  where 
poisonous  compounds  are  sold  in  sealed  packages  for  agriculture, 
horticultural,  disinfecting,  and  other  trade  or  technical  purposes 
by  persons  other  than  chemists,  who  shall  be  duly  licensed,  and, 
being  respectable  and  responsible  individuals,  they  shall  be  law¬ 
fully  entitled  to  sell  such  articles.  It  must  be  understood,  how¬ 
ever,  that  this  desired  result  can  only  be  obtained  by  the  traders 
concerned  bestirring  themselves,  and  bringing  pressure  to  bear 
upon  the  members  of  Parliament  in  their  respective  districts, 
pointing  out  to  them  the  desirability  of  the  Government  being 
urged  to  bring  in  an  Amendment  Bill  for  the  purposes  above 
indicated.  For  every  fully  qualified  chemist  there  must  be  a 
large  number  of  agricultural  agents,  horticulturists,  seedsmen, 
oil  and  colourmen,  ironmongers,  hardware  dealers,  and  the  like 
who  would  benefit  by  an  amendment  of  the  law  which  enabled 
them  to  sell,  without  fear  of  prosecution,  many  articles  in  great 
demand  in  town  and  country  alike.  I  therefore  hope  that  this 
trade  protection  society  w'ill  receive  their  cordial  support  in  its 
attack  upon  a  monopoly,  and  will  attract  the  continued  and 
extended  interest  of  all  those  who  wish  to  see  that  monopoly 
broken  down.  If  other  information  is  desired  on  this  important 
subject  it  will  be  readily  furnished  by — Yours  faithfully, 
Thos.  G.  Dobbs,  Secretary,  24,  Sansome  Street,  Worcester. 
- ©«© - 
Conservatory  Walls  Clothed  with  Ferns. 
I  think  if  more  of  our  amateur  friends  knew  how  easy  it 
was  to  establish  Ferns  on  the  ordinary  upright  brick  walls  of 
conservatories  or  greenhouses  many  would  be  anxious  to  do  so. 
I  enclose  a  photograph  of  the  well-known  Adiantum  Capillus- 
Veneris,  which  had  been  placed  on  the  wall  of  a  conservatory  in 
the  gardens  of  which  I  then  had  charge  (Clarence  House,  East 
Cowes)  just  two  years  previous  to  the  taking  of  the  photograph. 
I  thought  it  might  interest  the  readers  of  the  Journal  if  I 
briefly  describe  the  method  of  procedure  to  obtain  success. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  all  Ferns  producing  rhizomes 
such  as  the  one  mentioned  above  are  far  more  suitable  for  the 
purpose,  as  under  proper  treatment  they  attach  themselves  to 
the  wall,  and  hold  their  own  without  assistance.  Select  plants 
growing  in  any  size  of  pot,  from  a  48  (5in)  upwards,  and  turn 
them  out  if  possible  during  the  last  week  in  February  or  the 
first  week  in  March.  Lay  them  on  their  sides,  and  cut  off  the 
upper  portion  or  crown  to  a  depth  of  about  2in  with  a  sharp 
dinner-knife  or  similar  instrument ;  it  will  then  be  in  just  the 
condition  for  placing  against  the  wall,  flat,  with  just  sufficient 
root  action  to  give  it  a  good  start. 
Then  comes  the  question  of  making  fast  to  the  wall,  which 
is  best  done  by  means  of  14  gauge  galvanised  wire,  made  fast 
by  small  staples  across  the  crown  of  the  plants  in  a  neat  style, 
so  that  it  would  scarcely  be  visible  once  the  fronds  started  to 
grow.  According  to  the  size  of  plant  or  crown  so*  the  distance 
apart  of  plants  should  be  determined.  For  instance,  the 
majority  of  the  plants  we  put  on  in  this  fashion  were  turned 
out  of  pots  averaging  lOin  in  diameter  and  placed  on  the  wall 
2ft  apart,  which  became  completely  furnished  in  about  two 
years.  After  the  plants  have  been  made  secure  mix  up  two 
parts  of  clay  with  one  of  cow  manure,  encircling  the  outside  of 
each  crown,  wdiich,  if  kept  moist,  will  give  the  roots  a  good 
chance  of  adhering  to  it,  the  cow  manure  acting  in  the  double 
capacity  of  preventing  the  clay  from  cracking  and  acting  as  a 
mild  stimulant  to  the  plant  when  growth  commences. 
The  only  necessary  precaution  to  be  taken  afterwards  is 
never  to  allow/  the  wall  to  become  dry.  This  can  be  kept  moist 
daily  either  by  syringing  or,  if  it  be  a  low  wall,  by  running 
along  a  small  spout  can  at  the  top  and  allowing  the  water 
to  run  down  to  the  bottom.  Or  a  better  plan  still  (if  the 
grower  has  a  wTater  main  at  his  or  her  disposal)  is  to  fix  a  smalt 
perforated  pipe  the  whole  length  of  the  wall,  turning  it  on  for 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  to  saturate  the  whole.  The  effect 
produced  in  a  good  structure  used  for  general  plant  growdng, 
and  the  valuable  aid  which  this  variety  renders  when  the 
Cuneatums  are  resting,  previous  to  starting  in  the  spring, 
cannot  be  over-estimated.  The  whole  length  of  wall  covered  in 
the  photograph,  including  two  ends  and  side,  was  75ft. — 
C.  Martin. 
