JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  23, 19C4. . 
r)34 
floweis,  but  an  approach  generally  narns  people  from  touching 
it.  'J'lie  plant  “warms  the  .stomach  and  can.se.s  digestion,”  so 
remarks  Turner,  of  the  seventeenth  century.  There  is  evidence 
that  it  was  once  freely  used  in  the  spring  to  flavour  stews  or 
.sauces.  A  writer  upon"  diet  of  the  present  day  earnestly  advises 
his  readers  to  imitate  their  forefathers,  and  make  up  their 
minds  to  relish  the  Hedge  Garlic,  though  it  is  donbtfui  whether 
anyone  will  venture  on  the  .savoury  dish.  Akin  to  this  .species 
is  the  Charlock  or  'Wild  Mustard,  having  seeds  more  acrid  than 
tho.se  of  the  cultivated  varieties.  But  the  young  leaves  have 
been  boiled  in  spring,  and  eateii  as  turnip-tops. 
Another  plant  of  the  Composite  tribe,  the  common  tall 
Burdock,  supplied  a  substitute  for  Asparagus  in  its 
tender  shoots.  The  liking  for  strong-tasted  herbs  is  manife.sted 
again,  by  the  fact  mentioned  in  several  old  books,  that  the 
leaves  of  the  Great  Valerian  weie  picked  conistantly  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  flavouring  pottage  and  all  kinds  of  broth.  It  was  called 
“  Setewall,”  a  tall  plant  conspicuous  upon  the  marshes  with  its 
pink  flowers,  probably  more  abundant  formerly  than  at  present. 
No  doubt  it  was  eaten  partly  because  of  its  medicinal  value. 
Not  far  from  water,  too,  we  generally  find  that  rough  look¬ 
ing  plant,  the  Comfrey,  showing  greenish  white  flowers  in  May. 
On  the  Continent,  where  it  is  a  very  abundant  species,  the 
colour  is  mostly  reddish  purple.  Its  bristly  stem  and  leaves 
nobody  wants  to  handle,  but  the  latter  were  found,  while 
young,  to  make  an  excellent  dish  when  boiled,  and  the  roots, 
full  of  mucilage,  supplied  an  old  remedy  for  coughs.  Then  the 
Sow  Thistle,  familiar  to  us  as  a  food  for  rabbits,  has  been 
brought  to  table,  the  tender  tops  being  boiled  and  mashed  like 
Spinach  ;  the  plant  is  full  of  milky  juice. 
We  read  about  the  healing  properties  of  the  abundant  weed 
called  the  Shepherd’s  Purse,  but  it  is  not,  I  think,  on  the  list 
of  our  food  plants.  Very  probably  it  was  eaten  occasionally.  In 
America  the  tops  are  lioiled,  and  considered  equal  to  a  good 
Cabbage  in  flavour.  The  plant  has  also  been  grown  to  obtain 
it  larger  and  more  delicate.  Nor  mu.st  we  forget  the  Lambs’ 
Lettuce  (Fedia  olitoria).  to  which  the  French  gave  the  name  of 
Monk’s  Salad.  It  is  a  frequent  plant  upon  cornfields,  having 
bluish,  inconspicuous  flowers.  Gerard  commends  it  as  a  salad 
lierb,  and  advises  that  it  be  eaten  during  the  early  spring  with 
salt,  oil,  and  vinegar. — .J.  B.  S.  C. 
- ; - - 
Laburnum  Adami. 
Laburnum  Adami  is  a  hybrid  between  the  common 
Laburnum  (L.  vulgare)  and  the  Cytisus  purpureus,  and  was 
raised  in  1826  by  a  nurseryman  named  M.  Adam,  at  Vitry,  near 
Paris.  This  remarkable  hybrid  is  regarded  as  being  a  graft- 
bybrid,  but  writers  differ  as  to  the  origin  of  it.  Some  favour 
the  idea  that  it  is  a  graft-hybrid,  while  others  incline  to  the 
moi-e  probable  opinion  that  it  is  of  seed  or  sexual  origin. 
Sheffield  Horticultural  Society  and  York  Gala. 
A  visit  of  members  and  friends  of  the  Sheffield  Floral  and 
Horticidtural  Society  to  the  York  Show  was  arranged  by  Mr. 
Lewendon,  secretary  to  the  Sheffield  Society,  who  accompanied 
a  party  of  thirty-six  on  the  first  day  of  the  gala.  The  party 
were  well  repaid  for  their  visit.  A  look  round  the  nurseries  of 
Messrs.  Backhouse  and  Son  was  followed  by  dinner  at  the  Davy 
Hall,  and  the  afternoon  \vas  devoted  to  the  inspection  of  the 
floral  beauties  of  the  exhibition.  The  visitors  were  naturally 
plea.sed  to  find  that  one  of  their  own  members  (Mr.  Artindale) 
had  won  premier  honours  for  the  large  group.  The  groups 
generally  came  in  for  a  full  share  of  inspection,  as  also  did 
Hoses  and  cut  flowers  and  fruit.  Me.ssrs.  Perkins’  bouquets  and 
baskets  were  grand,  but  the  Journal  last  week  erred  in  describ¬ 
ing  the  table  of  floral  designs  as  being  put  Up  by  this  firm,  as 
tney  were  the  productions  of  Messrs.  Artindale.  "Garden  Hoses 
attl-active,  and  fruit  was  good,  but  it  was  somewhat 
<lithcult  to  the  uninitiated  to  understand  the  judge’s  decision 
as  to  Strawberries.  Outside  attractions  also  claimed  the 
visitors  attention,  but  the  splendid  music  of  first-class  bands 
was  somewhat  mari-ed  by  the  blasts  from  several  steam  lound- 
abouts  in  very  close  proximity.  'J’hings  are  done  very  well  at 
I  oik,  but  for  a  cup  of  tea  was  enough  to  take  awav  one’s 
appetite.  One  almost  envies  the  committee,  the  ideal  spot 
iliey  possess  for  their  very  deservedly  popular  carnival,  which 
IS  undpubtedly  the  event  of  the  year  in  Tork,  and  for  which 
the  citizens  reserve  themselves.  The  exhibits  have  alreadv  been 
described  in  the  Journal,  but  the  trays  of  vegetables  exliibited 
by  .Mr.  Heckett  ;  the  fruit  by  Mr.  Goodacre ;  the  displav  of  hardv 
flowers;  the  Roses,  the  Pmonies  by  Messrs.  Bath,  and  the  Car¬ 
nations,  all  deserve  special  mention.  The  visit  was  an  en  lov¬ 
able  one,  and  passed  off  very  pleasantly,  and  efforts  are  to  be 
made  next  year  to  arrange  a  similar  visit  to  the  great  Shrews¬ 
bury  Show.  Me  understand  the  show  of  the  Sheffield  Societv 
romrses  to  be  an  attractive  one.  It  is  to  be  held  in  the  charni- 
Holly  Court,  and  sliould,  therefore,  attract 
ho.isands  of  visitors.  Me  hope  it  may  be  so,  for  the  desire  of 
T  increase  the  prize  list,  and  to 
attiact  die  beauties  of  the  floral  ivorld  to  its  exhibitions 
NOTES 
Life  of  the  Late  Miss  Eleanor  Ormenod,  LL.D. 
M’^e  have  received  a  book  from  ^Ir.  IMurray,  the  publisher,, 
which  we  will  shortly  review,  this  being  a  biography  of  the  late 
IMiss  Ormerod.  The  price  is  21s.  net. 
Fruit  in  Kent. 
The  principal  fruit  sales  in  East  Kent  have  been  held  this 
week,  and  have  evoked  considerable  iutere.st  in  consequence  of 
the  shortness  of  many  of  the  crops — especially  Cherries.  Com¬ 
petition  was  very  keen  for  those  orchards  in  which  there  is  a  fair 
show  of  fruit,  and  high  prices  were  realised.  As  a  result  of  the 
keen  winds  of  last  week  and  the  unkindly  weather  that  then 
prevailed,  Cherries  have  run  off  to  an  enormous  extent,  and 
other  soft  fruits  have  also  suffered  seriously.  Apples,  too,  which 
at  one  time  promised  to  be  the  feature  of  the  year,  have  been 
blighted  to  a  terrible  extent,  the  crop  being  in  many  cases  a 
complete  failure.  Only  where  spraying  has  been  thoroughly 
done  has  the  fruit  been  saved  from  destruction. 
Royal  Hoptisultupal  Society. 
At  the  usual  fortnightly  meeting  of  this  society  held  at  the 
Drill  Hall  of  the  London  Scottish  Volunteers,  Buckingham 
Gate,  S.M'.,  on  dune  14,  257  candidates  were  elected  Fellows  of 
the  society.  These  included  : — The  Do\vager  Duchess  of  Argyll, 
the  Earl  of  Desart,  K.C.B.,  the  Earl  of  Lindsay,  the  Earl  of 
Tankerville,  the  Earl  of  Essex,  the  Countess  of  Lathom,  the 
Countess  de  Grey,  the  Baroness  Campbell,  Lord  Dormer,  Lord 
Saltoun,  Viscount  Cross,  Lord  and  Lady  St.  Oswald,  Lady 
de  Ros,  Lady  Campbell-Orde,  Sir  Homewood  Crawford,  Sir  M'. 
Lee  M'arner,  Sir  G.  J.  Armytage,  If  art..  Lady  Battle  M^  right- 
son,  Sir  C.  Gibbons,  Bart.,  Sir  G.  A.  Pilkington,  Sir  R.  G. 
Hervey,  Bart.,  Lady  1\[.  Estcourt,  General  Sir  H.  Harrison,  Sir 
E.  Lees,  Hon.  Lady  Ingilby,  Hon.  Mr.  Justice  Kennedy,  Lady 
Renshaw,  Sir  Lindsey  M"ood,  and  Sir  E.  G.  .lenkinson.  The 
next  show  of  this  society  will  take  place  on  Tuesday,  .June  28, 
and  will  be  the  last  to  be  held  in  the  Drill  Hall,  as  the  Holland 
House  show  will  folloAV  on  July  12,  13,  and  after  that  the 
society’s  iieAV  exhibition  hall  Avill  be  ready  for  occupation.  M’hen 
one  looks  back  over  the  shows  that  have  been  held  at  the  Drill 
Hall  for  the  last  seventeen  years,  and  sees  the  progress  made 
both  by  horticulture  itself  and  by  its  representative  society, 
now  celebrating  its  centenary  year,  one  takes  heart  for  the 
lAO.ssibilities  of  still  greater  expansion  in  the  near  future. 
Runeh  and  Charlock  Spraying. 
If  the  numbers  of  newspaper  paragraphs  and  of  reports  on 
the  spraying  of  Charlock  in  Oat  crops  are  in  accordance  with 
the  progre.ss  made,  then  of  a  surety  Charlock  is  doomed  to  ex¬ 
termination  .speedily.  But  we  travel  in  the  trains  north,  west, 
east,  and  south,  and  .still  see  seas  of  yellow  “  Runches  ”  and 
Charlock,  so  that  for  a  while  yet,  the  reports  will  continue  to 
be  i.ssued.  The  latest  arrival  is  from  the  M’^est  of  Scotland 
Agricultural  College,  and  is  issued  by  Prof.  P.  Patrick  M'right, 
F. R.S.E.  The  conclusions  to  be  drawn  from  these  experiments 
are: — 1.  That  Runch  and  Charlock  weeds  in  the  Oat  crop  can 
be  completely  destroyed  by  spraying  with  3  per  cent,  solutions 
of  sulphate  of'  copper  applied  at  the  rate  of  fifty  gallons  per 
acre.  2.  That,  while  a  single  spraying  may  be  effective  in 
destroying  tbe  greater  part  of  the  weeds,  it  will  be  found  safer, 
and  on  the  average  of  years  probably  more  profitable,  to  apply 
the  spraying  tAvice  at  intervals  of  about  a  fortnight.  3.  That 
the  best  time  to  give  the  first  spraying  is  just  Avhen  the  greater 
number  of  tbe  AA'eed  plants  are  bur.sting  into  rough  leaf,  and 
not  at  a  later  .stage  in  their  groAvth.  4.  That,  Avhere  the 
Aveeds  are  at  all  abundant  in  the  crop,  its  produce  can  be  greatly 
increased  by  their  desti'uction,  and  the  increase  Avill  far  moi'o 
than  repay  the  cost  of  the  spraying.  5.  That  the  spraying  of 
corn  crops  for  the  destruction  of  Hunch  and  Charlock,  AA'her- 
ever  these  Aveeds  are  prevalent,  forms,  therefore,  a  sure  and  a 
highly  profitable  means  of  increasing  their  yield  and  returns, 
and  that  it  ought  accordingly,  in  such  circumstances,  to  bo 
made  a  regular  part  of  good  farm  practice. 
OTICES 
