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134  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  August  14,  1902. 
foliage,  also  fruit,  which  in  an  arid  atmosphere  is  liable  to  become 
mealy,  whilst  it  ripens  prematurely  if  the  trees  suffer  by  want 
of  water.  Ants  are  often  troublesome.  They  take  to  treacle 
greedily.  Bits  of  sponge  held  tightly  in  the  fingers,  then 
dipped  in  the  syrup  and  then  relaxed,  will  absorb  some,  and 
a  gentle  squeeze  in  withdrawing  will  leave  enough  in  the  sponge 
to  entice  the  ants.  These  laid  in  saucers  in  their  haunts  will 
rid  any  place  of  the  active  creatures  by  immersing  the  sponge 
occasionally  with  the  ants  in  them  in  boiling  water.  Cleanse 
the  sponges  each  time,  and  repeat  the  dipping.  Partially 
picked  bones,  such  as  come  from  table,  are  admirable  baits 
for  ants,  the  bones  quite  dry  and  fresh  being  laid  in  their 
haunts,  and  when  they  are  covered  with  the  pests  immerse 
them  in  boiling  water.  The  bones  freed  from  the  surplus 
moisture  are  available  for  a  considerable  time,  as  the  immersion 
in  boiling  water  destroys  the  fungoid  and  animal  germs 
inducing  putrefaction. 
LATE  HOUSES.— Trees  that  have  the  wood  thin  have  a 
better  chance  to  ripen,  and  the  foliage  to  elaborate  the  sap, 
than  those  with  the  summer  growths  laid  in  so  closely  as  to 
impede  air  and  light.  On  the  assimilation  cf  the  food  depends 
its  storing  in  the  wood  and  buds  for  the  support  of  the  blossom 
and  embryo  fruit  in  the  coming  season.  Gross  growths  tend 
to  impoverish  the  weaker,  appropriate  an  undue  amount  of 
sap,  and  tend  to  gumming  and  unprofitableness ;  they  must  be 
stopped  or  removed.  An  even  spread  of  moderately  strong, 
short -jointed  wood  is  desirable.  Ventilate  the  house  early  in 
the  morning,  allowing  a  good  heat  by  day,  and  closing  so  as  to 
secure  85deg  or  more,  for  sun  heat  after  evaporation  has  been 
going  on  for  some  time  will  not  do  any  harm,  if  care  be  taken 
to  admit  a  little  air  before  nightfall,  and  the  temperature  to 
gradually  cool  down,  thereby  securing  rest.  The  night  and 
early  ventilation  tends  to  the  solidification  of  the  growth  and 
its  ripening.  Syringe  to  keep  down  red  spider. — St.  Albans; 
Kitchen  Garden. 
TURNIPS.— One  of  several  sowings,  small  cr  large,  according, 
to  the  demand  of  the  roots  during  late  autumn  and  winter 
should  now  be  made.  Dig  over  a  piece  cf  ground,  making  it 
level  and  fine,  and  draw  drills  at  least  a  foot  apart.  They  only 
require  to  be  shallow,  as  Turnip  seed  is  very  small.  It,  how¬ 
ever,  is  sure  to  germinate  well,  therefore  does  not  require  to  be 
sown  thickly.  One  of  the  best  varieties  to  sow  now  is  Chirk 
Castle  Black  Stone.  It  is  a  hardy  variety,  and  has  a  dark 
skin.  If  on  this  account  it  is  objected  to  sow  Jersey  Xavet,  a 
white  variety  of  Yellow  Finland,  pale  orange  yellow. 
POTATOES. — Though  early  for  the  general  lifting,  there  will 
be  some  varieties  that  are  sufficiently  ripe  to  be  raised.  Choose  a 
dry  day  for  the  operation,  never  lifting  more  in  one  day  than  can 
be  dealt  with  in  picking  up,  sorting,  and  placing  under  cover, 
excluding  light  from  the  tybers  that  are  to  be  preserved  for 
consumption.  Seed  Potatoes  are  better  if  allowed  to  become 
greened  over.  The  small  and  useless  tubers  must  be  kept 
separate,  boiling  them  as  opportunity  permits,  and  mixing 
with  other  food  for  pigs  and  fowls.  This  is  a  safer  way  than 
throwing  the  tubers  on  a  manure  heap  to  rot,  where  disease 
spores  if  present  might  be  retained  and  again  disseminated. 
The  haulm  should  be  carefully  gathered  up  and  burnt  rather 
than  be  allowed  to  rot  in  heaps  on  the  ground. 
CAULIFLOWERS.— Seed  cf  Early  London  or  similar  hardy 
variety  may  be  sown  on  a  sheltered  border  about  this  date, 
following  with  another  later.  The  seedlings  should  receive 
frequent  attention,  adopting  early  thinning  and  pricking  cut 
either  in  a  frame  or  on  a  protected  border  where  they  will 
stand  considerable  chance  of  passing  the  winter  safely.  Autumn 
sowing  of  Cauliflower  is  not  so  general  as  formerly,  owing  to 
many  excellent  sorts  being  well  adapted  for  raising  in  heat 
early  in  the  year,  and  growing  on  for  planting  out  in  rich 
ground  in  May. 
OU  TDOOR  TOMATOES. — If  strong  plants  are  kept  moist 
at  the  roots  and  well  fed  when  the  crop  is  fairly  heavy,  the 
bunches  of  fruit  will  swell  readily  to  a  normal  size.  Carry  on 
the  feeding  until  the  fruits  commence  to  colour,  gathering  the 
forwardest  before  they  become  fully  ripe,  and  finish  on  a  warm 
shelf.  This  will  give  an  opportunity  for  the  small  green  fruits 
to  swell  larger  before  they  commence  colouring.  It  is  import- 
and  that  growth  be  kept  thinly  trained  and  the  plants  not 
allowed  to  choke  one  another  by  neglecting  to  remove  super¬ 
fluous  shoots.  Old  yellow  leaves  at  the  base  may  be  advantage¬ 
ously  removed  entirely,  especially  below  the  bottom  fruits, 
and  very  luxuriant  foliage  partially  shortened  when  it  is 
necessary  to  more  fully  expose  the  fruits  for  the  purpose  of 
ripening. 
ONIONS. — Tripoli  Onions  which  should  be  soon  now  may 
Include  the  Giant  Rocca,  Blood  Red.  and  Lemon  Rocca  which 
are  hardy,  form  bulbs  of  large  size  the  following  year,  proving 
useful  and  indispensable  for  exhibition.  Rousham  Park  Hero 
is  also  good  for  autumn  sowing.  A  plot  of  good  ground  must 
be  prepared,  in  an  open  position,  levelling  and  making  it  fine  on 
the  surface.  Form  shallow  drills  12in  apart,  sowing  the  seed 
thinly,  and  cover  with  fine  soil.  If  the  seed  is  sown  carefully 
very  little  thinning  will  be  necessary,  and  the  Onions  can 
stand  the  winter  where  they  are  thinping  and  transplanting 
in  spring. 
SPINACH. — A  liberal  sowing  ought  to  be  made  of  Winter 
or  Prickly  Spinach.  Choose  warm,  rich  and  fertile  ground  in 
a  good  position,  and  sow  in  drills,  which  ought  to  be  soaked 
with  water  first  if  the  soil  is  very  dry. 
LETTUCE. — Where  Lettuce  will  grow  and  stand  the  winter 
it  proves  of  great  value.  Seedlings  succumb  mainly  to  damp 
in  the  winter  time.  If  they  can  be  kept  dry  and  comparatively 
hardy  they  are  able  to  withstand  cold  better.  Sow,  therefore, 
or  plant  cut  seedlings  cn  a  well-drained  sheltered  border,  and 
thin,  so  that  they  do  not  touch  one  another. 
ENDIVE. — Moderately  large  plants  of  Endive  commencing  to 
form  hearts  should  be  blanched  either  by  tying  the  outer  leaves 
together,  inverting  a  pot  ever  the  plants,  or  laying  a  slate 
across.  Plant  out  seedlings  cn  a  sheltered  border,  and  hoe 
among  advancing  plants. — East  Kent. 
*  *  *  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  Should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
Plan  of  a  Bothy— Competition. 
“Well-wisher”  promises  a  first  prize  of  £3,  and  the  Editor 
supplies  a  second  prize  of  £1. 
The  rules  of  the  competition  are  as  follows  : — The  plan,  drawn 
to  scale,  must  not  exceed  7in  broad  by  7in  deep,  and  must  be 
clearly  defined  on  stout  paper.  The  plan  must  provide  suitable 
accommodation  for  six  men,  and  the  cost  of  the  building  ought 
not  to  exceed  £200  to  £220.  A  statement  of  the  general  items 
of  cost  should  accompany  the  plans,  together  with  any  written 
comments  thereon.  The  competition  is  open  until  Christmas, 
1902.  by  which  date  all  plans  must  be  in  the  hands  of  the  Editor. 
The  sender’s  name  and  full  address  should  be  enclosed  when  send¬ 
ing  the  plan,  and  the  sender  will  alone  be  held  responsible  for  it. 
LEAVES  OF  PEAR  TEES  BROWN  AND  WITHERED 
(J.  F.). — The  twigs  have  the  leaves  in  a  brown  withered  state, 
presenting  a  scorched  apearance,  but  hanging  on  the  branches, 
the  fruit  being  also  more  cr  less  browned  and  shrivelled.  The 
affection  accords  «vith  the  Cherry  leaf  scorch,  caused  by  the 
parasitic  fungus  named  Gnomcnia  erythrostoma,  occasioning 
the  disease  which  every  now  and  again  proves  destructive  to 
the  Cherry  crop  in  various  parts  of  Europe,  and  in  recent  years 
has  proved  disastrous  to  the  crops  in  some  Kentish  orchards. 
There  are  some  dark  spots  cn  the  dry  shrivelled  leaves  cf  your 
specimens,  and  evidently  accord  with  the  places  where  the 
conidial  condition  cf  the  fungus  has  been  produced  at  an  earlier 
stage  in  perithecia  seated  •  on  the  discoloured  spots.  This 
condition  usually  occurs  at  the  second  or  third  week  in  June, 
the  long,  slender,  colourless,  curved  conidia  cr  summer  spores 
being  discharged  and  infect  neighbouring  parts  cf  the  trees, 
the  affected  leaves  withering  and  remain  hanging  cn  the  tree. 
During  winter,  the  ascigerous  form  of  fruit  of  the  fungus  is  also 
produced  on  dead  hanging  or  fallen  leaves,  and  the  spores 
from  these  start’  the  disease  anew  on  the  young  leaves  in  the 
early  part  of  the  summer.  In  order,  therefore,  to  avoid  infec¬ 
tion,  all  the  death  infected  leaves  hanging  on  the  tree  or 
fallen,  should  be  collected  in  autumn  or  early  winter,  and 
burned.  This  must,  to  succeed,  be  general  throughout  the 
infected  district.  Where  this  method  has  been  carried  on  for 
two  seasons  the  Cherry  crop  and  also  that  of  Pears,  which  has 
been  completely  ruined,  is  restored  to  its  former  productiveness. 
The  bark  and  wood  of  the  twigs  or  small  branches  appear  quite 
sound,  but  the  growths  are  very  stunted,  and  the  ends  extremely 
weak,  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  collapse  of  the  leaves.  Soapsuds, 
unless  used  excessively,  would  not  cause  the  destruction  of 
the  roots  of  the  tree,  and  collapse  from  such  would  also  have 
affected  the  wood. 
