March  3,  1904. 
JOUBNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
195 
GRUB  IX  APPLE  SHOOT  (Fruit  Tree  Pest).— See 
‘'Entomological  Notes”  in  the  present  issue. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL  CATALOGUE  (A.  P.).— We  only  knon' 
of  Watkins  and  Doncaster,  30,  Strand,  London,  to  whom  you 
may  write. 
ERRATUiM. — In  the  notice  of  the  l)ook,  ”  iMealy  Bugs  and 
Scale  Insects,”  page  157,  in  line  12,  second  column,  read  “  trans- 
CROWEA  SALIGNA 
(J.  B.). — Croweas  are  hard- 
wooded  plants  with  showy 
flowers,  and  generally 
odorous  leaves.  This  latter 
character  is  distinctive  of 
the  Rutacese,  to  which 
Crowea,  as  well  as  the 
Orange  (Citrus),  and  other 
well-known  genera  belong. 
C.  elliptica  has  light  pink, 
and  C.  saligna  has  purple 
flowers,  but  none  of  the 
Croweas  are  very  fre- 
(juently  cultivated.  The;v 
are  propagated  from  cut¬ 
tings,  and  grown  under 
the  same  conditions  as 
Eriostemons.  We  should 
like  to  hear  of  your  success 
with  these  and  other 
h  a  r  d  w  o  o  d  s,  n  o  t  a  h  1  y 
Azaleas,  Rhododendrons. 
Acacias,  Cytisus,  Chori  • 
zemas,  Correas,  Grevilleas, 
L  e  s  c  h  e  n  a  u  1 1  i  a  s,  and 
Boronias. 
PREVENTING  BIRDS 
TAKING  THE  FRUIT 
BUDS  (E.  G.).— If  the 
trees  are  small,  that  is, 
cordon,  espalier,  bush,  or 
pyramid,  the  best  plan  is 
to  procure  some  freshly 
burned  lime,  slake  it  in 
water,  and  form  into  a  wash  readily  appliable  by  means  of  a 
syringe.  To  prevent  the  limewash  clogging  the  syringe,  pass 
through  a  hair  or  fine  mesh  wire  sieve.  The  limewash  should 
be  applied  as  soon  as  made,  coating  the  trees  well,  and  being 
from  freshly  burned  lime  will  adhere  to  the  buds,  and  birds  will 
not  take  them.  Stale  or  air-slaked  lime  is  no  use  for  making 
the  limewash,  as  this  soon  washes  off.  The  limewash  is  a  good 
remedy  for  overgrowths  of  lichen  and  moss,  and  that  falling 
on  the  ground  will  in  turn  benefit  the  trees.  Another  plan  is 
to  scare  the  birds  by  placing  twigs  or  small  canes  of  bamboo 
obliquely  in  the  trees  and  projecting  beyond  their  branches  a 
little  as  well  as  amongst  the  twigs,  and  smear  the.se  with  a 
sticky  substance,  such  as  a  composition  made  by  melting 
together  by  heat  two  parts  resin  and  one  part  sweet  oil,  apply¬ 
ing  to  the  sticks  or  canes  by  means  of  a  brush.  Or  procure 
some  birdlime  from  a  “  naturalist  ”  or  dealer  in  cage  birds,  and 
add  to  it  an  equal  quantity  of  linseed  oil,  melting  and  mixing 
together,  then  smear  on  sticks  or  small  bamboo  canes  and 
affix  in  the  trees  as  before  advised.  The  smear  will  not  hold 
the  birds  alighting  upon  the  sticks  or  canes  for  long,  but 
sufficiently  to  give  them  such  a  scare  that  they  will  not  come 
near  the  trees  again  for  a  long  time,  and  by  then  the  buds  will 
have  developed  into  blos.som. 
LILIUM  AURATUM  BULB  DECAYED  (J.  H.).~Yes, 
the  bulb  is  affected  by  the  Japan  Lily  di.sease  (Rhizopus 
necans),  which  also  attacks  the  bulbs  of  lalium  speciosum  as 
well  as  L.  auratuni.  The  bulb  is  the  part  attacked,  which  in 
the  earliest  condition  .shows  a  slight  di.scolouration  at  the  base 
when  cut  open.  The  disea.se  extends  rapidly,  the  entire  bulb 
becoming  di,scoloured,  and  finally  .soft  and  rotten.  The  fungus 
can  live  as  a  saprophyte  on  the  humus  in  the  soil,  and  attacks 
the  bulbs  when  lifted,  the  infection  usually  commencing  through 
broken  roots.  As  the  base  of  the  bulb  is  the  point  attacked, 
roots  are  not  pushed  or  any  top  growths,  but  the  bulb 
becomes  rotten  in  the  .soil,  and  .shows,  in  the  later  stages  of 
decay,  a  white  felt  of  mycelium,  from  which  numerous  chuste^’s 
of  fruit  resembling  .small  black  pinheads  stand  erect,  and  are 
the  conidial  stage  of  the  fungirs,  and  re.sting  spores  are  pro¬ 
duced  in  the  tissues  of  the  decayed  bidbs.  As  inoculatio-i 
usually  takes  place  when  the  bulbs  are  taken  up  for  exportation 
it  is  likely  that  the  bulbs  are  so  far  infected  when  received 
that  treatment  avails  very  little.  The  dusting  with  flowers  of 
sulphur  is  a  good  plan,  the  bulbs  being  rubbed  in  it,  but  sub¬ 
merging  for  twenty  minutes  in  a  1  per  cent,  .solution  of 
salicylic  acid  and  afterwards  thoroughly  drying  the  bulb  kills 
the  mycelium  reached  as  well  .as  the  s;pores  of  the  fungus. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS.  —  Correspondents  whose  queries  are 
unanswered  in  the  vresent  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult 
the  following  number.  (B.  Pcatherstone). — Acacia  eultriformis  ;  it  is 
somewhat  shy  to  flower.  (A.  B.). — Aspidium  sp. ;  the  piece  seems 
immature.  (Anxious  to  Know). —  Dendrobium  clirysanthum.  (F.  P\). — 
1,  Agathis  australis;  2,  Daphne  indiea  rubra. 
- - 
Trade  Notes. 
silver  Cup  and  £5  Prize  for  New  Plants  at  Shrewsbury. 
Messrs.  William  Bull  and  Sons,  Chelsea,  announce  that  they 
are  offering,  through  the  Shrop.shire  Horticultural  Society,  a 
special  prize  for  neu-  plants,  a  silver  cup  value  ten  guinea.s, 
and  £5  cash.  This  is  to  be  awarded  to  the  exhibitor  of  the 
best  six  new  plants  sent  out  by  the  firm  of  William  Bull  and 
Sons.  A  li.st  of  the  plants  eligible  for  this  competition  will  be 
supplied  on  application  to  Messrs.  William  Bull  and  Sons,  new 
plant,  .seed,  and  bulb  merchants.  King’s  Road,  Chelsea,  London. 
S.W.  The  six  plants  must  be  six  .species  or  varieties,  but  each 
may  be  composed  of  one  or  more  individual  plants,  if  grouped 
in  one  pot  or  pan.  The  names  of  the  six  plants  to  be  exhibited 
mu.st  be  sent  with  the  entry  to  the  secretaries  of  the  Shropshire 
Horticultural  Society,  The  Square,  Shrewsbury. 
£5  for  One  Pelargonium. 
H.  Cannell  and  Sons. — We  have  received  the  seed  cata¬ 
logue  of  this  firm,  and  there  are  a.  number  of  notable  features  in 
it.  Primulas  occupy  a  goodly  space,  for  the  Swanley  house  is 
in  the  forefront  where  these  seasonable  flowers  are  concerned. 
In  our  Kew  notes  we  name  the  varietj'  Red  Lady,  and  Ave  find  it 
here  recorded,  together  with  such  sterling  sorts  as  Lady  E. 
Dyke,  Miss  Irene,  Mrs.  H.  Cannell,  Pink  Lady,  and  The  Lady. 
Ail  of  these  are  real  gems,  and  many  of  our  readers  must  have 
tested  them.  Three  new  varieties  are  offered  for  1904.  Seed¬ 
ling  Pelargoniums  are  not  often  li.sted,  but  they  are  here,  and, 
what  is  more,  Messrs.  Cannell  and  Sons  are  promising  £.5  for 
a  single  plant  of  any  Pelargonium  that  do-  their  mind  shoAvs  a 
new  and  distinct  colour.  Here  is  a  chance  for  hybridists  and 
cross-breeders  to  earn  both  money  and  recreation  at  the  same 
time.  Cactus-shaped  and  other  Cinerarias;  Petunias,  .single 
and  double;  Dahlias  in  ciuantities,  and  SAveet  Peas,  all  receive 
ample  space.  The  catalogue  is  Avell  arranged  and  illustrated, 
ancl  the  noA'elties  are  all  easy  to  find  in  the  pages  by  special 
heavy  type. 
Something  About  Wheat. 
What  can  Ave  say  about  Avheat  that  has  not  been  said 
dozens  of  times  before?  Not  much  that  is  new,  Ave  doubt; 
but  Ave  Avant  to  point  out  some  of  the  reasons  for  the  groAv- 
ing  love  of  foreign  Avheat  and  the  differences  betAveen  these 
foreign  Avheats  and  those  of  our  oaa'u  groAving.  We  are  not 
quite  sure  of  the  figures  at  this  moment,  but  AA^e  are  some¬ 
where  near  the  mark  (it  Avill  be  less  this  year)  Avhen  Ave  say 
that  our  English  home  supplies  Avill  only  suffice  to  feed 
our  dense  population  for  eleven  Aveeks  out  of  the  fifty-tAvo 
Avhich  go  to  make  up  the  year.  Hence  it  is  very  certain  that 
we  depend  far  more  than  Ave  ought  to  on  the  surplus 
Avith  Avhich  our  neighbours  kindly  supply  us. 
It  might  be  thought  that  having  only  such  a  limited 
supply  Ave  should  at  least  be  able  to  enjoy  enhanced  prices  ; 
but  no  such  thing.  We  have  to  be  content  to  take  for  our 
very  best  samples  28s.  to  29s.  per  quarter;  Avhilst  North 
American  Avill  easily  fetch  34s.  to  35s.  per  quarter ;  South 
Russian  a  trifle  less.  As  bread  eaters  Ave  are  sacrificing 
much  to  appearance.  We  Avant  to  see  on  the  table  a  hand¬ 
some  loaf,  very  Avhite  and  very  light.  We  are  altogether 
forgetting  the  mission  of  bread.  M^e  fid  instead  of  feed 
ourselves.  This  pure  Avhite,  dry  flour  is  by  no  means  so 
nutritious  as  our  darker,  damper  production  ;  but  every 
year  sees  less  of  our  OAvn  groAvth  milled.  We  are  becoming, 
as  a  nation,  Avholly  enamoured  of  the  outside  variety. 
It  has  been  asked  time  and  time  again  Avhy  we  as 
farmers  do  not  stir  ourselves  and  produce  Avhat  the  millers 
f erred  ”  for  “  transformed. 
CllOAVEA  SALIGNA. 
