528 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  10,  1903. 
give  equal  floral  results  and  have  more  varied  growth,  and 
certainly  entail  less  labour.  For  instance,  what  annual  can  give 
equal  results  with  herbaceous  Phloxes  properly  selected  and 
cultivated  ?  Yet  how  often  do  we  see,  in  nine  out  of  every  ten 
gardens  of  pretension,  more  than  half  a  dozen  miserably  culti¬ 
vated  examples,  whereas  quite  two  dozen  varieties,  covering  a 
wide  range  of  colour  and  height,  would  make  an  interesting 
display,  and  certainly  would  give  the  blaze  of  colour  required — 
bright  or  subdued. 
Take,  again,  the  family  of  Rudbeckias  for  September  and 
October  flowering.  R.  Newmani  as  a  dwarf  plant  cannot  be 
excelled  for  freedom  of  flower  and  an  effective  colour  as  well. 
Then  we  have  such  varieties  as  R.  nitida,  R.  Golden  Glow,  from 
6  feet  to  7  feet  in  height  if  required ;  R.  maxima,  with  its  ( 
glaucous  foliage,  and  the  pale  tinted  form  of  R.  pinnata,  not 
forgetting  R.  fulgida,  which  flowers  quite  late  in  the  autumn, 
not  forgetting  the  simple  forms.  Helianthuses  also  provide  us 
with  great  variety  in  double  and  single  flowers  of  varying 
heights,  and  certainly  this  is  a  free-flowering  family.  Tritomas 
give  a  wealth  of  colour  which  all  admire.  The  variety  in  colour 
covers  so  wide  a  range  that  the  wonder  is  that  more  are  not 
grown. 
For  September  and  October  employment  what  plant  can 
equal  Michaelmas  Daisies?  These,  carefully  selected,  harmonise 
well  with  other  subjects.  Someone  says  “  Oh,  but  Asters  take 
up  so  much  space.”  Not  at  all;  a  single  growth  taken  off  a 
desirable  variety  in  March,  or  even  April,  will  grow  into  a 
handsome  plant  for  the  purpose  named  if  the  right  sorts  are 
selected.  If,  however,  we  grow  only  the  older  fashioned,  stiff¬ 
growing  sorts  with  no  side  growths,  bnt  a  cluster  of  flower  at 
the  apex,  then  certainly  these  plants  are  not  suitable ;  but  when 
we  have  a  wealth  of  variety  such  as  is  evidenced  in  such  as 
The  Hon.  Edith  Gibbs,  or  many  more  of  Mr.  Beckett’s  seedlings, 
which  grow  into  handsome  specimens  in  one  season  all  from  one, 
stem,  the  conditions  are  quite  altered. 
Pentstemons,  although  they  do  not  strictly  come  under  the 
heading  of  hardy  plants,  are  not  nearly  enough  recognised.  No 
plant  will  give  such  a  wealth  of  flower  from  early  July  until 
November,  and  quite  irrespective  of  the  weather.  Even  in  such 
a^  year  as  the  present  the  Pentstemons  are  quite  unaffected, 
ihere  they  were,  a  mass  of  flowers,  and  with  a  minimum  of 
care  expended.  The  range  of  colour,  form  and  habit,  too,  is 
quite  under  control  with  the  extensive  variety  at  hand;  those 
who  grow  the  small  flowered  sorts  have  but  themselves  to 
blame. — E.  Molyneux. 
Vegetable  Pathogene. 
Eelworm  In  Cucumbers. 
In  reply  to  “C.  S.”  the  Stem  Eelworm  (Tylenchus  devastatrix), 
and  the  Root-stem  Eelworm  (T.  obtusus),  both  produce  knots 
in  the  roots  and  swellings  oii  tlae  root-stems.  Whether  Hetero- 
dera  or  Tylenchus,  they,  in  egg  and  young,  or  so-called  larval 
stage  (not  distinguishable)  pass  into  the  soil  or  surrounding 
material,  and,  unless  reached  and  destroyed,  are  almost  sure  to 
attack  the  folloAV-on  plants.  Every  particle  of  soil,  therefore, 
should  be  cleared  out,  and  the  beds  and  walls  drenched  with  a 
1  per  cent,  solution  of  formaldehyde  (lib  formaldehyde  to  10 
gallons  of  water),  which  will  certainly  kill  every  'nematode 
reached. 
It  is  a  good  plan  to  sprinkle  the  whole  of  the  house  before 
commencing  to  take  out  the  diseased  plants,  and  remove  the  old 
soil  Avith  the  formaldehyde  solution,  so  that  any  vermatodes  fall¬ 
ing  on  the  floor  or  other  parts  may  receive  quietus,  and  after  all 
is  cleared  out  drench  the  beds.  Avails,  and  floors.  The  plants 
removed  should  be  burned  ;  or,  better,  be  at  once  immersed  in  the 
formaldehyde  solution  as  carefully  taken  from  the  soil;  Avhile 
the  soil  removed  should  be  placed  in  an  area  large  enough  to 
hold  it,  about  a  foot  thick,  that  has  been  sprinkled  Avith  the 
formaldehyde  solution,  and  the  soil  ought  to  be  at  once  treated 
Avith  the  solution  all  over,  applying  by  means  of  a  rose  Avatering 
can. 
In  the  course  of  a  few  Aveeks  the  house  may  again  be  used  for 
groAvmg  Cucumbers.  If  the  solution  has  reached  all  the  larval 
eelwonns  there  Avill  not  be  any  recurrence,  only  care  is  taken  not 
to  introduce  them  in  the  soil.  Tliis  is  best  effected  by  the  good 
old  plan  of  stacking  the  turves  forming  the  staple  of  Cucumber 
compost  for  a  time  until  the  herbage  and  roots  are  destroyed, 
not  allowing  any  vegetation  to  exist  on  the  stacked  turves.  If 
the  turf  must  be  used  recently  cut,  it  should  be  heated  or 
over  212deg  and  preferably  not  more  than  to 
loOdeg,  a  temperature  of  125deg  sufiicing  to  kill  eelwonns.  Or 
.spread  thinly  and  water  with  the  formaldehyde  solution,  and  in 
the  course  of  a  month  or  six  Aveeks  the  turf  may  be  used  for 
the  Cucumbers  Avithout  prejudice,  ineanAvhile  turning  once  a 
Aveek.  Ihe  bottom  heat  lias  nothing  to  do  Avith  the  eelAvorm,, 
certainly  not  cau.se  of  the  “tubers”  on  the  roots.  The  eelAvorm 
is  the  sole  cause,  and  has  been  either  introduced  in  the  soil  or 
by  some  other  agency. — G.  A. 
- »  I - 
National  Economics. 
There  are  about  230,000  acres  reputed  under  top  fruit  in 
these  islands.  Noav,  Avhat  it'  behoves  us  to  do  is  to  cultivate  the 
odd  thirty  thousand  acres  and  lay  the  axe  to  the  roots  of  the 
mo.stly  Avorthless  remainder.  Then  AA'e  should  replant  Avith 
bush  groAvn  Apple  trees  on  neAvly  selected,  good  climatic  sites, 
such  as  may  be  in  actual  occupation,  ,say  one  thousand  acres  out 
of  every  thirty  thousand.  Endless  acres  of  the  latter  go  begging: 
for  Avant  of  the  national  recognition  of  the  true  needs  of  fruit 
groAving,  Avhich  .should  be  adapted  to  the  climate. 
Hoav  very  different  Avould  have  been  the  issue  for  the  nation 
had  a  leader  like  Gladstone  po'.sses.sed  a  smattering  of  natural 
sciences  instead  of  a  perfunctory  Greek  erudition  on  Avhich  hi.?, 
vastly  greater  contemporary— ;:Our  unapproached  and,  alas! 
unappreciated  Huxley — ^.so  strenuously  endeavoured  to  fix  the 
nation’s  mind!  His  endeavour  Avas  defeated  against  its  own 
deepest  material  intere.st  by  the  greater  national  tribute  uncriti¬ 
cally  bevstowed  and  laid  lavishly  at  the  feet  of  an  incompre- 
hen.sible  Gladstone,  who,  in  turn,  comprehended  not  this  nation’.? 
destiny.  Had  the  latter  had  any  true  communion  wdth  Nature, 
had  he  only  .studied  Nature,  our  great  mother  Nature,  on 
Sundays  Avhen  all  profane  literature  Avas  banished  from  his  sur¬ 
roundings,  hoAV  differently  Avould  Great  Britain  be  situated 
actually.  Beyond  jam-factories,  I  am  not  aAA'are  of  any 
practicable  proposals  on  his  part  in  the  Avhole  of  the  intere,sts 
of  the  organic  kingdom. 
Thus  it  Avas  ordained  by  the  nation’s  OAvn  short-, sighted  choice, 
that  alone  the  inorganic  kingdom  should  reign  supreme ;  our 
mineral  resources  Avastefully  exploited  to  the  utter  discomfiture 
of  the  infinitely  greater  organic  kingdom,  capable'  of  adequately 
producing  our  .staff  of  life.  Judicious  legislation  could  tran.sform 
our  pseudo-cultivation  into  a  thing  of  life,  and  enable  us  to 
assert  our  greater  national  independence  by  means  of  it. 
One  million  sterling  annually,  to  the  true  practical  and 
sympathetic  education  of  the  farmer,  or,  rather,  the  farmer’s 
.son,  during  all  those  years  of  tAvo'  full  generations  that  the 
inertia  of  ignorance  Avas  thrown  into  one  scale,  the  inorganic 
wnuld  haA-e  paid  the  British  nation  magnificently.  Such  educa¬ 
tion  should  have  begun  in  the  A'ei-y  year  of  the  repeal  of  the  Corn 
LaAA's.  Yet  a  challenge  Avas  recklessly  thrown  to  the  world  to 
do  its  Avorst,  and  was  accepted.  The  effects  have  become 
relentlessly  manifest. 
The  clear  reasoning  powers  possessed  by  the  British  nation, 
and  manifested  on  emergencies,  should,  at  this  hour,  be  concen¬ 
trated  on  a  struggle  for  that  pre-eminence  Avhich  seems  to  be 
fading  aAvay.  An  inquiry  as  to  Avhat  are'  our  national  needs  and 
Avhat  form  to  give  them  finds  the  latter  confusingly  interpreted 
(largely  for  purposes  outside  their  true  bearing).  Lord  Rosebery 
referred  toi  the  problem  quite  lately,  but  Avhether  he  stands  on 
the  adequately  advanced  threshold  Avas  not  apparent.  Huxley 
is  the  man  to  advi.se  us:  natural  sciences  and  Nature — the  study 
of  these  is  needed,  for  from  them  all  the  re.st  depends.  The  need 
for  more  inten.se  cultivation  of  every  acre  in  these  islands, 
appeals  forcibly  to  our  common  sense.  Intense  cultivation,  sup¬ 
ported  by  adequate  fiscal  and  economic  legislation,  is  the  true 
bedrock  on  wdiich  to  build  up  and  conserve  Avhat  past  inattention 
has  jeopardised.  The  absence  of  any  truly  national  economic 
newspaper  cause.?  me  to  attempt  to  open  up  the  subject  for 
editorial  treatment  and  discussion  in  your  columns,  especially  as 
your  Aveekly  column  on  “The  Home  Farm,”  Avhich  I  usually  read 
Avith  much  interest,  points  the  Avay  to  the  .suggestion  being 
naturally  evolved.  The  most  pajung  crop  from  every  acre  in 
these  islands  is  tO'  be  insured  literally  from  our  AA-atersheds'  to 
the  seashore,  and  AA'hy  exclude  the  farming  of  the  .sea  itself, 
seeing  that  the  State  has  amalgamated  the  Departments  of 
Agriculture  and  Fisheries?  This  amalgamation  dates  from  the 
time  of  the  lamented  late  Mr.  Hanbury. 
Intense  cultivation  of  the  soil  is  the  province  of  the  gardener, 
the  market  gardener,  and  the  fruit'  grower;  and  their  spirit 
should  be  assimilated  by  our  agriculturists,  Avho'  are,  in  these 
precious  little  Isles,  the  only  adequate  solution  of  the  question 
of  the  “  Food  Supply  in  War  Time.” 
When  once  the  duty  of  our  Government  in  this  direction  w’ill 
have  been  recognised,  and  legislative  enactments  are  promoted 
Avhich  directly  aid  the  development  of  that  highest  cultivation, 
and  Avhich  in  its  final  issues  a  generation  hence  Avill  provide  our 
first  line  of  defence,  revolution  in  British  thought  will  be 
recorded. 
Such  a  transformation  ought  also  to  ensure  con.siderable 
national  .savings  in  the  Army  and  Navy  services,  Avhich  ought  to 
