HORTICULTURAL JOTTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11366, 8 May 1900, Page 7

HORTICULTURAL JOTTING.

Jti» said that' culture of bananas hi a great future before it in Natal. Wiltshire boasts a yew with a hollow in he jr large enough to accommodate a brji • f» : party. • ' he leaves of blue gum, dried and srm 1 1 1, dr. recommended for curing asthma.

■ : i Ireea boughs of eucalyptus are said I< ■ >e t sne. disinfectant for sick-rooms, ],u i'si itly in fever cases.

' In expert states that red flowers ere s i ila:ing, for red is always cheerful. li ie ft vers are soothing, for they speak of > 10 it is and summer air.

'■'; he Natal pineapplo has already mi. Ii a ■to ie for itself in the world's markets i id It uid-by • the variety will win a iv ;h ' fi et reputation. i : appears that experts in forestry and « -i- | cii 'uro have been attached, by order c: ie Gi man Emperor, to the German Con >1 te in S'ew York. • s' he largest purchase of raisins on no rd ,to '< place recently in London. TV ety th 'isand layer;, representing 130,000' of •? mi catole, changed-hands at one deal.

'-■■]"■ is.reported that the great Bo rl m or nge tree, which recently died at tin dva ced age of 477 year?, originated from ] ps ,ip n in 1421 by Leonora de Castile, (J i m oi S'avarre.

n the United States, Mr. G. B. VI in h got together one of the largest ("1 0- : tic, of orchids. He has some 10,000 r v .a, to I specimens worth from £60 to £100 e oh ir not uncommon.

X;' here is a walnut tree 1200 years o d in th Balder Valley, near Balaklava. ) elpi led to five., Tartar families. It iii da he rly 100,000 nuts, which are divide', ein en the owners.

' t ] ; is well known, or should be, <hat ]> >l sh « f peat value as a fertiliser for fruit i n is, la' eed the backbone of all fertilisers u )d hj growers. The trees where it is lib. r; ly lis (1 are vigorous and the fruit large i-: ■ ze ti a. a high colour and good flavour. Jo i rare which docs not contain a high i it- «■ t»ge of potash should be used in 1. i itcb rd.

'! 'wing the season 1898-99 the product i>i of »]>■« oil in Italy amounted to 51,750,0 C( \\- IP'J, as against 36,000,000 gallons in ho gr ceding 12 months. The region ( he « ith «Adriatic produced the gna ist fip'W, namely, 18,450,000 gallons, v do «■ Jy, produced 9,000,000 gallons, he « them Mediterranean region 7,500,0 C »1io) V' and Tuscany 7,000,000 gallons. ■ l beekeeper states that a littlo obie ah( i about the flower garden and shn il ry *t iM show us mkny ornamental plants .ch M favourites with the bees, and we m:i ■■' njo leoing the bees at work and wa* 1 ng " m «« much as we do seeing tho fl : » rs, >' a if we are not any richer for tho 1 r . ey "'■ i gather. When they are finding I c ey p. atifully they will not leave it to stin z i ly-

. t may not be generally known thai fer * lesty Queen Victoria has a beautiful i >sy » iquot- placed at her right hand, every y into-', on the dinner-table. To carry it nd Pi 09.this is the duty of her chief mai< ofS 'Our. There is always some sweet-si: n ed W ssora in the bouquet, heliotrope with .v ite ~ leas, roses,: or camellias being a fain Ite ft nhination; or white geraniums nd " chess of Fife carnations; pink cane iaa * rosea and lilies of the valley; or I'a ma V 'eta and small orchids.

• . ». some of the Ghent establishing t, as ' »ny as 100,000 plants of Indian azalu a ire pitted every year. As Boon as uoii is « -cted the., plants Are placed in fran e in !'open air. In the middle of May thi y ire 11 ed from the frame and planted in d iod Hives. Leaf-mould is not bo a'dvantnre us. fs* liquid manure, judiciously us id is I «WI. .An illustration in tho Jit n try • »' mber of the Revue de l'Horticulturo 8 lge *• ,ff a plantation of Indian azaleas ; i the . °: "".air in tho'nurseries of SI. Ed. Pyi v t. I ■ 1 13 said that Lord Mothuen owns : n es- ? a consisting of 6500 acres of land, u 1 a ~ J' 7. beautiful garden at Corsham l'«irt, 1 ippehham. Tho general's taste in h rti- , * [tare is for huge specimens of shrul i md j'lms. He dislikes to see any pun; ill- ?°^ n Plant in his greenhouse or irn ads. notably this 'i duo to his having be • aoWomcrt to (he sight of tropic vegc ion. «" home is always adorned, when by happens to be at home, by a quantity of , '.Ims m bamboos; J? lhe Argentine Republic the destr tion »' OflUlM and their eggs is carried or In a wanto manner. Each week's doin- aro ~ Foully reported by the leading jo: nals Vi fiuenoa Ayres. Thus we read of 6' tons , J MB* and 170 ton of insects boh demW' ','' one 'Placo, 200 tons of fliorH i an- '""■ Place, and the list goes on ' an W?VI '"$ wo " 1 ' 1 mtll «™ thousands o .cres kt y c' ™iB a ' a ' r indication of t' ox(v",ot warfare settlers have to wage ; lihst tie locust. '' : fJti 8 ! late Mr - R - D - Blackmore, n< .list, V '"J"fo["LornaDoone,"who died re ntly mm* of 75, was originally n barrist , but ' ; SV' ruck out w»th"LornnDooii 'ho mm from tho legal business, and i ided " --nand F™ m novel ' li,l K on *' oll ° ft. Li *, i market gardening on tho '.her. *fifi*U?s'T* gardens were in the vicii. y of ■ •-% ™ on «. London, and in his market- den•to«» O M* }< «kmoro was much noro ; ml, it han bis brotliei ' novelist. Mr. I ;C, Haggard, has been with bis armf tori interesting facts Rr o given by i New ! Am.,; Cor , re3 P<>ndent respecting nous Mm trees. Tho writer says tin, pro- : tolA' V? lCO5t treo in any ° tl. city Park it ° flai ' of Lebanon iu V 'V cot ■ 61t;,-„i- ■■J ta J?. on 'he meadow no'l -east ? iSSw',® 11 The height, about l it, is ; »S?-^ this country, and it we d be ' On'»i «i v WmpHrison to some of the i' aou3 \ BME lis claimed thai ihtte i only ■ ILi ? iP e . drfr ' of Lebanon '» "'9 I nitcd > «Wm u "°" C - P ' Huntingdon's state i 1 It« , QStcr aml is about 60ft high .'hese i «er, "? mQ3t aUraotivo in the earl; sumI;" ' ' • i i