Septembu 30, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AJ^D COTTAGE GARDENER. 



261 



lAtter, being a combination of the flavours of the Blenheim and 

 Bibston Pippins. I think it one of the best, if not the best, 

 of early autumn Apples which I know for pies, giving in August 

 that mellowness which one usually has to wait for in Apple 

 piee till March or April; thus singularly advancing on the 

 Blenheim Pippin, which in its early maturity has a mealy, 

 green rawness when cooked. 



I have been waiting for some years with considerable in- 

 terest for fruit upon my second tree in the pot, and I am happy 

 to say it has this season ripened three fruit, with, on my 

 part, great battling against insects. I cannot, in fact, I dare 

 not, taste one ; all must come before the Kjyal Horticultural 

 Society's Fruit Committee; but if the property of smell can 

 lend me hopes, tben I have maintained the llibaton intact, and 

 restored the wood to its pristine health. Two of the fruit ate 

 not perfect in shape, but this I attribute to the season ; the 

 third is perfect in shape, and true in appearance ; but like their 

 namesakes against the wall they are small. The tree is growing 

 in an 18-inch pot, and during its growth it has had four shifts. 

 It has ripened its fruit in the open air, and in consequence of 

 the mildness of last winter it was not placed in the orchard 

 hooBe. — EoBEST Fess, Woodstock. 



THE HURRiaVNE OF SEPTEMBER l;iTH IX 

 GUERNSEY. 



It seems naturally reserved for us dwellers on the stormy 

 coasts to relate our experience of the violent storms which 

 periodically devastate our shores. I have thus several times 

 recorded here our experiences of very severe gales, but that of 

 the morning of Sunday, September 12th, was the most fearful 

 of all, and, as such, requires a few remarks on its characteristics. 



Though so near the autumnal equinox, no one could forecast 

 BO sudden a storm ; but the past summer has been altogether 

 remarkable, and what the winter will be can only be imagined, for 

 we have no reliable data nor experience to guide us. It seems 

 as if destructive currents of air must be pxpected to result from 

 the various marked alternations of rain, drought, and general 

 absence of sunshine. We are, therefore, promised tidal waves 

 of unusual heights, and concurrent storms, nor can we affect 

 to doubt their sad possibility. 



Not only was the hurricane ®f September 12th sudden and 

 nnexpected, but it was, perhaps, also the most terrific ever felt 

 in these islands. On the Saturday afternoon so little appear- 

 ance was there of any unusual disturbance in the atmosphere 

 that my wife and myself were encamped close to the sea, and 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of a venerable cromlech, well 

 known to tourists at Perelle Bay. At about 3 p.m., a heavy 

 squall blew down the awning of our tent, and a drenching rain 

 warned us to strike tent and return home, to which we drove 

 subsequently, little anticipating the night that was to follow. 

 By nine o'clock the barometer had fallen 3( -tenths, and was 

 then 29.153, and the pressure of the wind per square foot was 

 already nearly 20 lbs., but during a squall it reached SO lbs., 

 or 80 miles per hour. We carefully secured the various glass 

 houses, taking especial care to exclude back currents — and this 

 I would here strongly impress on others, for nothing cracks 

 glass so speedily — the wind being then from a dangerous 

 quarter, S.S.W. Having had nearly 100 feet in length of 

 orchard houses blown down nine years ago, and a somewhat 

 less accideut in ISjG, experience has shown what is needed in 

 ordinary gales of 30 lbs. or 3.5 lbs. pressure. Only last winter 

 we experienced, however, the pressure of 45 lbs. to the square 

 foot, but this occurred with a safer direction of wind, and was 

 of short duration. Still it was a surprise to me, thiuking, at 

 that time, that a pressure of 35 lbs. was something extremely 

 perilous to glass, as it prostrates many a noble tree. By mid- 

 night the wind raged with fearful strength from the dangerous 

 quarter S.W., which usually takes our numerous glass houses 

 in these islands obliquely, inferior only in risk to them to a 

 full blast directly in front. Then, and then for the first time, 

 did we hear the roaring of a hurricane of the power of no less 

 than 55 lbs. pressure, which equals a velocity of 105 miles an 

 hour ! Our old house rocked violently, and the sound of the 

 falling of slates and the cracking of glass was distinctly recog- 

 nised, indicating some dangerous unroofing, which the daylight 

 verified too surely. Vivid lightning accompanied the squalls, 

 and loud thunder, with rain. By the dim light it was easy to 

 see prostrate trees on the lawn. No one slept, and we " longed 

 for the day." 



By 6 AM. the violence of the gale had sensibly diminisheJ, 



and the anemometer recorded at that hoar a pressure of 31 lbs., 

 or that of a rather severe equinoctial storm on the seacoasts, 

 which, however, was comparative quiet to us. The barometer 

 rose to 29.515, sea-level. 



Of course the damage done was immense, chiefly, however, to 

 the trees of the island. Numerous chimney-stacks fell, the fish- 

 ing boats moored in the several bays were nearly all swamped, 

 and many injured, and numerous roofs of houses were damaged. 

 The gardens seem to have sutiered the most ; the fruit crop is 

 irreparably spoiled for the maiket, to the sensible loss of the 

 small growers here. Trees of all kinds exhibit the forlorn 

 appearance, noted in the English journals, of having been 

 scorched as by fire. Although the violence of the atmospherical 

 current seems sufficient to account for this blackened look, may 

 it not also be due to the presence of salt in suspension in the 

 air ? A seemingly inefficient obstacle appeared to turn the 

 stream of air aside or upwards in certain cases, and the pro- 

 tected portions are as healthy as usual, lying close to black 

 and scorched leaves. Does not this point to the unrecognised 

 value of tbiu screens of foliage, living or faded? Had I pos- 

 sessed screens of sufficient strength for open-air Peach trees 

 they should, without doubt, have been carefully spread over 

 the autumnal fuliage. There is more care really required in 

 protecting the leaves of plants from external injury than in 

 merely encouraging their free growth : hence one value of 

 glazed protections, which effect this without obscuring the 

 sun's rays. 



To my great astonishment this unusual pressure of air has 

 not done the damage to glass which might be feared. The 

 largest panes of glass have stood as well, if not even better, 

 than those of the ordinary size. The first-named are thicker, 

 and I therefore conclude that a wide pane of glass of 21 ozs., or 

 thereabouts, is safer to resist a squall than a much smaller one 

 of only 16 ozs. The fact of these large panes being as secure 

 as the more ancient small ones is encouraging to builders of 

 orchard houses. All houses, however, should be solidly con- 

 structed, unless in unusually sheltered localities, as it is the 

 vibration which loosens the putty, and causes the gla.?s to slip 

 down or break. For a gale from any quarter, all ventilators 

 should be closely shut, and entrance by the doors avoided. 



These destructive storms should prove that fruit culture in 

 the Channel Islands has its peculiar difliculties. There is 

 nothing more injurious to fruit and foliage than high wind. 

 — T. C. Beehaut. 



BEDDING PLANTS AT THE ROYAL 

 NURSERIES, SLOUGH. 



If anyone wishes to form some idea of the value of certain 

 plants for bedding purposes, he cannot do better than pay a 

 visit to the Eoyal Nurseries, Slough, during the summer 

 months. Every year Mr. Turner beds out on a considerable 

 space of ground, occupying one of the most prominent positions 

 in the home nursery. There is little attempt at a set display, 

 rather there is to be seen a very interesting trial ground oc- 

 cupied by all the leading new kinds of Pelargoniums of home 

 and continental origin. Verbenas, and the like. One piece of 

 ground at the east side of Mr. Tamer's dwelling-house con- 

 sisted of nineteen beds some 25 feet in length by 3 feet in 

 breadth ; fifteen of these were filled with Nosegay and Zonal 

 Pelargoniums, two with Variegated Pelargoniums, and the 

 two end beds were used as small ribbon-borders by way of im- 

 parting a little ornamentation to the whole. Somehow things 

 appear to do uncommonly well at Slough, let the weather be 

 never so dry ; and this summer, while many parts of the country 

 were suffering from a drought almost as disastrous in its effects 

 as that of last year, at Slough plants looked as if they at least 

 were unchecked by it in the least. 



Looking over the Zonal Pelargoniums, the following were 

 first-rate as bedders : — Gloire de Corbeny, carmine salmon, 

 with pale edges, immense even trusses of bloom, and dark 

 zonate foliage. This stands the sun remarkably well for a 

 salmon-coloured variety, the general charge brought against 

 such being that the flowers burn and become sadly disfigured. 

 Virgile, salmon, with carmine centre round a large pale eye, 

 dark zonal foliage, excellent habit, and splendid trusses of 

 bloom. Forester, dark salmon rose tinted with purple, large 

 trusses of bloom, good habit, and dark zonate foliage. Lucius, 

 bright pale orange rose, very large and bold trusses of bloom, 

 faintly marked zonate foliage, and good habit. Jean Sisley 

 rich bright crimson, white centre ; very bright and showy. Dr. 



