July  16,  19C3. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDE  HER. 
51 
Liverpool  Parks  Inspection. 
One  of  those  interesting  and  pleasant  functions  in  connection 
with  the  Parks  and  Gardens  Coinmittee,  viz.,  the  inspection  of  the 
public  parks  and  recreation  grounds,  was  held  on  the  30th  ult., 
when  the  Lord  Mayor  (W.  W.  Rutherford,  Esq.,  M.P.),  accom¬ 
panied  by  Alderman  Grindley,  Roberts,  Ball,  Ellison,  Dr.  Clarke  ; 
Councillors  Grant,  Pickthali,  Light,  E.  L.  Lloyd,  J.  H.  Farmer, 
J.  Glover,  T.  May  Smith;  town  clei'k,  M.  E.  R.  Pickmere  ;  Mr. 
H.  Herbert  (chief  superintendent  of  parks),  Mr.  J.  Guttridge 
(curator  Wavertree  Botanical  Garden.s),  and  Mr.  G.  W.  Coltman 
(surveyor’s  department),  made  a  start  from  the  Prince’s  Boule¬ 
vard,  with  its  splendid  avenues  of  trees,  to  Sefton  Park.  Pro¬ 
ceeding  by  the  vicinity  of  Lark  Lane,  the  site  for  two  new  bowling 
greens  was  inspected,  and  in  such  a  populous  district  will  be  most 
acceptable.  On  through  the  beautifully  wooded  park,  which  now 
is  perfect  to  a  degree,  the  magnificent  Palm  house  was  visited, 
Mr.  Herbert  having  it  just  a  blaze  of  floral  beauty,  intermingled 
with  stately  foliage  and  creeping  plants.  The  committee  noted 
with  sati.sfaction  the  completion  of  the  handsome  statues 
presented  by  Mr.  Yates  Thompson.  From  thence  to  the  newlj’' 
incorporated  Garston,  where,  amidst  evident  signs  of  increasing 
prosperity,  the  committee  have  wisely  set  apart  thirty-five  acres 
in  the  most  central  part,  and  are  losing  no  time  in  beautifying  it, 
a  fine  bandstand  and  bowling  greens  being  rapidly  constructed. 
There  was  a  short  halt  at  the  Wavertree  Recreation  Ground, 
the  party  then  making  for  the  Wavertree  Biotanical  Gardens, 
which  is  one  of  the  .sights  in  the  centre  of  the  city.  The  exhibition 
house  is  a  picture  of  high  class  culture,  graceful  Fuchsias  occupy¬ 
ing  the  centre  stage,  and  brilliant  Gloxinias  and  double  and 
single  Begonias  the  side  stages.  Many  huge  Palms  are  flowering, 
w'hilst  the  many  species  of  botanical  and  medicinal  plants  are  in 
the  rudest  health.  Outside  the  beds  are  all  planted ;  the  carpet 
bedding,  which  a  few  years  ago  would  not  have  been  dreamt  of, 
flourishes  under  Mr.  Guttridge’s  sound  culture. 
Newsham  Park  was  the  next  call.  There  the  huge  stretches 
of  bedding  out  were  fully  admired,  as  was  the  new  aviary  recently 
presented  by  Councillor  J.  R.  Grant,  and  which  has  taken  a  firm 
hold  on  the  public.  In  Stanley  Park  two  fine  bowling  greens  are 
just  completed,  and  will  afford  intense  delight  to  the  huge  popula¬ 
tion  close  at  hand.  Kirkdale  Recreation  Ground,  a  large  tract 
of  land  recently  secured,  is  assuming  definite  proportions,  and  is 
already  very  popular.  A  flying  visit  was  paid  to  other  open 
spaces,  all  of  which  betokened  the  highest  state  of  efficiency  on  the 
part  of  Mr.  Herbert,  the  courteous  superintendent  and  liis  staff. 
At  the  luncheon  the  .speeches  were  hopeful  to  a  degree,  and  signs 
were  not  wanting  of  the  determination  of  the  committee  to  keep 
Liverpool  to  the  forefront  in  this  great  work  to  benefit  its  busy 
toilers.  In  concluding,  I  may  mention  that  ten  years  ago  there  were 
twenty-two  open  spaces,  whereas  now  there  are  fifty-three,  with 
an  aggregate  of  850  acres  ;  also  that  the  window  boxes  chiefly 
given  to  the  poor  would  (if  placed  end  to  end)  cover  considerably 
over  a  mile  in  length. — R.  P.  R. 
- - 
Brown  Rot  of  Fruit. 
(SCLEROTINIA  FRUCTIGEXA,  Scliroter.) 
This  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  general,  and  also  the 
most  destructive  of  diseases  against  which  the  fruit  grower  has 
to  contend.  It  attacks  Apples,  Pears,  Plums,  Cherries,  Peaches, 
and  is  also  not  uncommon  on  various  wild  fruits  belonging  to  the 
order  Rosacese,  as  Bullace,  Crab,  &c. 
To  the  ordinary  observer  this  disease  first  attracts  attention 
when  it  appears  on  the  fruit  under  the  form  of  brownish 
scattered  patches  on  the  skin.  This  is  followed  by  the  growth 
of  dull  grey  tufts  (the  so-called  Monilia  fungus),  which  are 
usually  arranged  in  irregular  concentric  rings.  These  grey 
tufts  are  composed  of  dense  masses  of  spores  arranged  in  long 
branched  chains.  The  fairy-ring  arrangement  of  the  fungus  is 
most  evident  on  Apples  and  Pears ;  on  Plums,  Cherries,  and 
.stone  fruit  generally  the  grey  tufts  are  irregularly  scattered 
over  the  surface.  Although  most  obvious  on  the  fruit,  the 
fungus  usually  first  attaches  the  leaves,  where  it  forms  thin, 
velvety,  olive-green  patches.  The  spores  from  diseased  leaves 
are  wa.shed  by  rain,  or  carried  by  insects,  on  to  the  surface 
of  the  young  fruit,  or  not  infrequently  the  flowers  are  also  in¬ 
oculated  from  spores  derived  from  young  leaves;  and  in  many 
instances  where  brown  and  shrivelled  blossoms  are  attributed 
to  the  action  of  a  late  frost,  the  true  cause  is  in  reality  due 
to  the  Monilia  fungus. 
In  those  instances  where  the  disease  has  been  allowed  to 
follow  its  course  undi.sturbed  for  some  years,  the  young  shoots 
of  the  trees  are  also  attacked  and  killed  during  the  first  or 
second  year.  The  fungus  develops  rapidly  on  such  dead  twigs, 
and  furnishes  a  ready  supply  of  spores,  which  are  mature  during 
Explanation  of  the  Figures. 
1.  A  diseased  hoot  with  the  persistent  blossom  of  the  previous  year  ;  cut  from 
the  tree  in  February.  Both  twig  and  flower-stalks  bear  tufts  of  the  fungus.  Nat 
si'e. 
2.  Cherry  leaf  attacked  by  the  fungus.  Nat.  size. 
3.  An  Apple  recently  attacked,  and  showing  the  fungus  growing  in  concentric 
rings.  Nat.  size. 
4.  Fresh  Cherry  blosso.ii  attacked  by  the  fungus.  Nat.  size. 
April  and  May,  just  when  the  young  leaves  and  blossom  are 
most  susceptible,  and  wholesale  infection  results. 
Fruit  attacked  by  this  disease  does  not  rot  and  decay,  but 
becomes  dry  and  mummified.  Such  fruit  often  remains  hanging 
on  the  tree  until  the  following  season.  Whether  it  does  so  or 
falls  to  the  ground,  it  is  practically  unchanged  until  the  follow¬ 
ing  spring,  when  its  entire  surface  becomes  covered  with  a 
copious  crop  of  spores,  which  are  dispersed  by  various  agencies, 
and  the  disease  repeats  itself. 
It  has  long  been  .susiyected  that  the  Monilia  represented  but 
one  stage  in  the  life-cycle  of  the  fungus;  this  supposition 
has  proved  to  be  correct,  the  second  or  ascigerous  form  of 
h-uit  having  been  found  growing  abundantly  on  old  half- 
buried  Peaches  in  several  orchards  in  different  parts  of  the 
United  States,  where  the  fungus  proves  quite  as  destructive 
as  with  us. 
Preventive  Measures. 
All  dead  twigs  and  shrivelled  fruit,  whether  hanging  on  the 
tree  or  lying  on  the  ground,  should  be  collected  and  burned 
during  the  winter. 
After  the  diseased  fruit  and  dead  branches  have  been  re¬ 
moved,  the  trees  and  also  the  ground  should  be  thoroughly 
clrenclied  with  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron,  prepared  as 
follows : 
Sulphate  of  iron . 25  pounds. 
Sulphuric  acM  ..  ..  ..  ..  1  pint. 
Water . 50  gallons. 
Pour  the  sulphuric  acid  upon  the  sulphate  of  iron,  then  add 
the  fifty  gallons  of  water  by  degrees.  A  barrel  is  the  best  vessel 
to  use;  a  metal  vessel  must  not  be  used,  as  it  would  be  acted 
upon  by  the  sulphuric  acid.  iSpraying  with  the  above  solution 
should  bo  done  in  January  or  February,  befqre  the  leaf-buds 
begin  to  swell  in  the  lea.st,  otherwise  the  foliage  and  blossom 
will  be  destroyed.  When  the  leaf-buds  are  expanding,  and  at 
intervals  as  required,  the  trees  should  be  sprayed  with  quite 
weak  Bordeaux  mixture.  The  above  lino  of  treatment  must  be 
followed  for  at  least  two  seasons. 
Copies  of  the  above  in  leaflet  form  may  be  obtained  free  of 
charge  and  post  free  on  application  to  the  Secretary,  Board  of 
Agriculture,  4,  Whitehall  Place,  London,  S.W.  Letters  of 
[  application  .so  addressed  need  not  be  stamped. 
