MARCH. 91 



Dr. Davies, of Pershore, brought again his seedling, Taleisin. 

 (reported on last year) ; and promised again to send a bundle of scions 

 for distribution, 



Mr. Annandale (gardener to J. R. S. Carnegie, Esq., Seaton House, 

 Forfar), sent a Seedling, raised by Mr. John Gowans, market-gardener, 

 Arbroath. This was considered a very fine and promising late Kitchen 

 Apple. Sound, acid, and heavy, much resembling Minchall Crab. 

 Mr. Annandale is requested to send it again next meeting, and, if 

 possible, with the variety referred to from the same district. 



NOTES ON THE MONTH. 



After one of the finest autumns and winters ever remembered, we 

 are now on the eve of March without even a snow-storm in this 

 district, and, with the exception of the rather sharp frost at the end of 

 November, without frost. The winter has, in fact, been most remark- 

 ably mild, and the quantity of rain which has fallen since February 

 commenced very great. There are, at the present time, indications of 

 a clearer sky, prognostic of frost. Apricots, and in some places 

 Peaches, are in bloom, and some deciduous trees, as the Elm, 

 Willow, Birch, and Poplar, show that the sap is on the move ; the 

 buds are becoming turgid, and would very soon burst their casements, 

 should the present mild weather continue. Garden shrubs, as Lilacs, 

 Ribes, Roses, &c, have commenced their growth. What the coming 

 six weeks may produce, no one can foresee ; but, to all appearance, 

 the fruit crop will be in a perilous position, unless the wind veres 

 round to the east, and we get a good month's easterly wind and cloudy 

 sky, which may keep fruit trees back, and perhaps save the crop, 

 which, notwithstanding the fruitfulness of last season, again gives 

 promise of being abundant. 



The oft repeated remark that a good crop of hedge-row fruit 

 indicates a hard winter, turns out to be a " popular fallacy," judging 

 from the season just past ; for never were there a finer show of hips 

 and haws, nuts, and acorns ; and yet we have had perhaps the 

 mildest winter on record. The winter has been a favourable one 

 for the poor labourers, who, however, by what I see in the papers, 

 have had their wages in places unduly lowered, a short-sighted policy, 

 ' but which is not a subject to discuss here. All kinds of garden 

 vegetables are unusually abundant, and Potatoes quite a drug, good 

 Potatoes here being worth only 5s. per sack of 240 lbs., at which price 

 they must entail heavy loss on the grower. We hear of distilleries 

 for Mangolds and Beets ; can no one try what the Potato can 

 produce ? I should say, that at the price quoted, several products may 

 be obtained by distilling the roots, which would be profitable, and open 

 up a new field of demand for this useful root. 



The demand for a vegetable substance capable of being converted 

 into paper is engrossing public attention. What is wanted is, an 

 article which can be obtained, when cut and dried, at a cost not 

 exceeding £4 per ton. It is now well known that paper can be 



