28 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



well, of which the plump condition of the berries shown was a suf- 

 ficient indication. Perhaps the feature of the meeting of most in- 

 terest to amateur gardeners was the splendid display of Alicante 

 grapes, from Mr. Wells, of Southend, grown in the ground vineries 

 of which he is the inventor. The bunches were of medium size, 

 but the berries were large and of a deep blue-black colour, and the 

 flavour was most excellent. Thirteen bunches were shown, and 

 they were stated to have been all gathered from one vine, which 

 proves beyond doubt that good grapes can be grown without the 

 aid of an expensive vinery. 



Amateur gardeners have certainly no cause to complain of the 

 lack of interest felt in their welfare. " Mr. Looker, of the Norbiton 

 Potteries, Kingston-on-Thames, the inventor of the plant covers, 

 figured and described at page 222 of last year's volume, has recently 

 invented a new Garden Prame, or ground vinery, which, in my 

 opinion, is the best combination of earthenware and glass that has 

 yet been introduced to public notice. Mr. Looker, who is one of 

 the best amateur gardeners in the neighbourhood of Kingston, has 

 christened this invention the " Acme Garden Prame and Ground 

 Vinery ; " but as no doubt a full description, accompanied with an 

 illustration, will shortly be given in these pages, it is not necessary 

 to do more here than to announce its appearance. 



Speaking of inventions reminds me of " The Victoria Electric 

 Thermometer," which has recently been introduced to public notice 

 by Mr. B. S. Williams, of the Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, 

 Upper Holloway. The inventor and patentee is Mr. G. Bothnie. 

 The invention has an immense amount of ingenuity displayed in its 

 construction. It consists of a peculiarly-constructed balance ther- 

 mometer, which, when placed in the conservatory or other structure, 

 will, with the assistance of a small galvanic battery and one or two 

 wires communicating with an indoor apartment, give warning of 

 any change in the temperature. The tube of the thermometer is 

 coiled round a central piece of wood on which the degrees are 

 marked, and on this is placed a sliding weight and scale so as to 

 slide along the top of the graduated scale, and thereby permit of its 

 being balanced at any temperature that may be required. Accord- 

 ingly, so long as the temperature of the house is equal to that 

 at which the index is set, the thermometer remains perfectly quiet, 

 but as soon as it becomes either hotter or colder, it will give warning 

 by ringing a bell fixed in the gardener's or other room connected 

 with the instrument by means of a wire. Henceforth, therefore, it 

 will be the amateur's own fault if he is caught napping by the frost, 

 and the bulk of his plants destroyed, because if the " Victoria 

 Electric" thermometer is placed in the conservatory, and set at 

 40°, it will commence ringing the bell as soon as the temperature 

 falls below that, and those who have charge of the structure will 

 know at once that a fire should be lighted. It will also be very 

 valuable in warehouses, as it will give notice immediately the tempe- 

 rature rises higher than that which those in charge of them may 

 consider safe. 



The seed catalogues are now coming in very fast, and, as usual, 



