August 4. 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



137 



undoubtedly the collection of six, twelve, and 

 eighteen varieties of hardy cut dowers, the cottagers' 

 exhibits in these classes being quite on a par with 

 those of the amateur and gentlemen's gardeners, a 

 fact due in no small degree to the example set of 

 growing them largely in the Swanmore Gardens, 

 and also by the offer of special prizes by Mr. 

 Myers. I give the names of the most successful 

 stand of eighteen varieties, sent by Mr. Chequer, gr. 

 to Mrs. Franklvn, Shedfield Lodge ; they were — 

 Achilleamillefoliumrubrum, AgrostemmaFlos-Jovis, 

 Campanula persicifolia alba fl.-pl., Coronilla varia, 

 Delphinium altissimum, Gaillardia grandiflora, 

 Galega officinalis alba, Lathyrus latifolius alba, 

 Lilium croceum, Linaria asararoides splendens. 

 Lychnis chalcedonica, Monarda didyma, Pentstemon 

 barbatus, Statice species, Silene armeria, Stenactis 

 speciosa, Veronica spicata alba, Yucca glosiosa. 



Table decorations were on the whole good ; 

 particularly so was that composed of wild flowers 

 from Miss M. Wilson, which obtained the 1st prize, 

 Mrs. Medlicott, of the Vicarage, Swanmore, being a 

 good 2nd. 



Scotland. 



THE SCOTTISH HORTICULTURAL ASSO- 

 CIATION AND THE ROYAL BOTANIC 

 GARDENS, EDINBURGH. 



An extraordinary meeting of the above Associa- 

 tion was held in the Queen Street Hall, Edinburgh, 

 on Thursday, the 26th ult., to protest against the 

 transference of the Botanic Garden from the Crown 

 to the University, as proposed in the Universities 

 (Scotland) Bill. Mr. John Methven, of Thomas 

 Methven & Sou's, occupied the chair, and, in addition 

 to a strong and representative muster of members of 

 the Association, there were present Bailie Turnbull, 

 Councillors Robertson, Ritchie, Macpherson, and 

 Anderson, Convenor White, Dr. Craig, President of 

 the Edinburgh Botanical Society, and Dr. Paterson, 

 Bridge of Allan. 



The Chairman, in opening the meeting, dis- 

 claimed on his own part and that of the Association 

 any hostility to the Universities Bill as a Bill. The 

 measure would, no doubt, be beneficial to the Uni- 

 versities of Scotland ; but the several clauses in it 

 proposing the transference of the Botanic Gardens 

 from the Crown to the University of Edinburgh 

 could not but be injurious to horticulture in Scot- 

 land. It was simply the handing over of an 

 important public institution from a public and 

 responsible body to a private and irresponsible body. 

 The public, in the event of the transference clauses 

 of the bill being carried, would have no power to 

 influence the administration and maintenance of the 

 gardens, and this he considered would be deplorable in 

 the interests of horticulture and the public generally. 



Mr. Malcolm Dunn, The Gardens, Dalkeith, moved 

 ■ — " That this meeting views with alarm the proposal 

 in the Universities (Scotland) Bill, transferring the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens irom the Crown to the 

 University of Edinburgh, and protests, in the interests 

 of horticulture in Scotland, against the proposal." 

 Nothing, he thought, could be more fraught with 

 harm to the efficiency and usefulness of the gardens 

 than to disestablish them, as was proposed by this 

 bill. The gardens were the centre and the source 

 of all the scientific branches of gardening. It would, 

 he considered, be a lamentable loss to the commu- 

 nity at large, and particularly to horticulturists, if 

 the management of the gardens were limited only to 

 the providing for the requirements of medical 

 students, and he hoped the time would never come 

 when none but these students would be allowed to 

 enter these gardens, and avail themselves of the rich 

 resources of information they contained under the 

 present management. 



Mr. Alex. Mackenzie, Warriston Nursery, seconded 

 the resolution, and expatiated with much force on the 

 benefits conferred on horticulture during the past 

 thirty years by the gardens. 



Bailie Turnbull spoke in support of the resolution 

 on public grounds, and deplored the proposal to de- 

 prive the public of Edinburgh of its finest outdoors 

 resort. 



Dr. Paterson, speaking as an old graduate of the 

 University, held that it would be an additional 

 burden to that institution without any compensating 

 advantages were the contemplated change carried 

 out ; and looking upon the matter as of national 

 importance, called upon every Scotsman to protest 

 against the transference. 



Dr. Craig pointed out that no one interested 

 wanted the proposed change except the Government, 

 and they had failed to give any reason for the pro- 

 posal. The authorities of the University viewed the 

 proposal with alarm, and had protested against it, 

 so also had the Corporation of Edinburgh. He 

 assumed that economy was at the bottom of it, and 

 if this were so Government should frankly say so. 



Mr. A. D. Mackenzie, Edinburgh, moved — " That 

 this meeting petition Parliament against the trans- 

 ference clauses in the bill, and authorise the Secre- 

 tary to forward the petition to the member for the 

 Western Division of Edinburgh for presentation to 

 Parliament." Were the gardens handed over to the 

 University, he said, without adequate provision for 

 their proper maintenance, a fraud would be committed 

 by the Government on the public. 



Mr. Matthew Todd, in seconding the resolution, 

 said that Professor Bayley-Balfour had well ex- 

 pressed the effect of the change by the terms " trans- 

 ference meant arrest," when speaking in his 

 inaugural address of the efficiency and expansive- 

 ness that should be provided for in the future 

 administration of the gardens, and held that if 

 there were no progress there must be declension. 



Mr. Andrew Taylor supported the motion, and 

 said that the gardens could not be exclusively given 

 over to the University, because they were, out-and- 

 out, national property, and they ought to be kept 

 open as a distinct national institution. 



Both the resolutions were unanimously adopted, 

 and a vote of thanks to the Chairman brought the 

 meeting to a close. 



Royal Scottish Aeboricultural Societt. 



The thirty-fifth annual general meeting of the 

 Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society will, by the 

 kind permission of the Regius Keeper, Professor 

 Bayley-Balfour, be held in the class-room at the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, 

 on Tuesday, August 7, at 11 a.m. 



The Council have arranged that, immediately after 

 the meeting terminates, members who may be 

 desirous to do so, will have the opportunity afforded 

 them of inspecting the Arboretum and Inverleith 

 Nurseries. 



The annual dinner will be held in the " Water- 

 loo " Hotel, Waterloo Place, on Tuesday, August 7, 

 at 6 p.m. The Council of the Society have arranged 

 with the committee in charge of the " Dr. Hugh- 

 Cleghorn" testimonial, that the presentation be 

 made to Dr. Cleghorn at the dinner. 



Annual Excursion. — The eleventh annual excursion 

 of the Society will take place, by the kind permission 

 of the proprietors, to several estates in Roxburgh- 

 shire, on August 8 and 9. 



Ballot List, August 7. — The names of the proposed 

 new office-bearers (recommended by the Council) 

 are printed in italics ; those who retire by rotation 

 are marked by an asterisk. 



President. — The Sight Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun, 

 Hopetoun House, Linlithgowshire. 



Vice-Presidents.— *Hngh Cleghorn, M.D., LL.D., 

 F.R.S.E., of Stravithie, St. Andrews ; Malcolm Dunn, 

 The Palace Gardens, Dalkeith ; the Right Hon. 

 Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Kennet House, Alloa ; 

 William M'Corquodale, Forester and Wood Surveyor, 

 Scone, Perth ; J>. F. Mackenzie, Factor, Merton Hall, 

 Liberton ; Hugh Cleghorn, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S.E., of 

 Stravithie, St. Andrews. 



Council. — *John M'Laren, Inspector and Valuer 

 of Woods, Hawthornvale, Winchburgh ; *D. F. 

 Mackenzie, Factor, Morton Hall, Liberton ; *James 

 Watt, J.P. (of Messrs. Little & Ballantyne), Nur- 

 seryman, Carlisle ; *John Lamont, Nurseryman and 

 Seedsman, Edinburgh ; *Charles Buchanan, Over- 

 seer, Penicuik House, Penicuik ; Robert Lindsay, 

 Curator, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh ; John 

 Methven (of Messrs. T. Methven & Sons), Nurseryman 



and Seedsman. Edinburgh ; Robert Hutchison 

 F.R.S.E., of Carlowrie, 29, Chester Street, Edin, 

 burgh ; James Robertson, Wood Manager, Panmure, 

 Carnoustie ; Andrew Slater, Overseer, Havstoun, 

 Peebles; Robert Baxter, Forester, Dalkeith Park, 

 Dalkeith ; John T. M'Laren, Overseer, Kennet, Alloa; 

 John M'Gregor, Forester, Ladywell, Dunkeld ; 

 Thomas Wilkie, Forester, Tyninghame, Prestonkirk ; 

 Daniel Dewar, Forester, Beaufort Castle, Beauly ; 

 John M'Laren, Inspector and Valuer of Woods, Haw- 

 thornvale, Winchburgh; Charles Buchanan, Overseer. 

 Penicuik House, Penicuik; Janus Alexander {of 

 Messrs. Bicksons § Co.), 1, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh ; 

 John Allan, Forester, Dalmency Park, Edinburgh ; 

 Ja,nts Cook, Land Steward, Arniston, Gorebrid,/e. 



Secretary and Treasurer. — William J. Moffat, 5, 

 St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh. 



Auditor.— John Ord Mackenzie, of Dolphinton, 

 W.8., 9, Hill Street, Edinburgh. 



The Weather. 



[Accumulated temperature indicates the combined amount and 

 duration of the excess or defect of temperature above or 

 below 32° F. for the period named, and is expressed in Day- 

 degree — a "Day-degree" signifying 1° continued for 

 twenty-four hours, or any other number of degrees for an 

 inversely proportional number of hours.] 





Temperature. 







Accumulated. 









» • 



8 a 





Above or 



g 



g 



S4 



C 3 



Districts. 



below the 













Mean for 







£ = . 



*! a~ 





the week 

 ending 



ste 



it 



7 = i 



lis 





July 30. 



2-3 



so" 



Is"' 

 II 



W 



Principal Wheat pro- 





Day- 



Day- 



Day. 



Day- 



ducing Districts. 





deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



0. Scotland, N. ... 



4 below 



65 







— 146 



+ 201 



1. Scotland, E. ... 



4 below 



75 







— 298 



+ 157 



2. England, N.E. ... 



4 below 



90 







— 333 



+ 73 



3. England, E. 



4 below 



116 







— 259 



+ 154 



4. Midland Cos. ... 



5 below 



99 







— 318 



+ 150 



5. England, S. 



2 below 



120 







— 351 



+ 204 



Principal Grazing, &c. 













Districts. 













6. Scotland, W. ... 



2 below 



93 







— 207 



+ 107 



7. England, N.W.... 



4 below 



96 







— 250 



+ U7 



8. England, S.W.... 



4 below 



106 







— 318 



+ 254 



9. Ireland, N. 



4 below 



90 







— 199 



+ 67 



10. Ireland, S. 



3 below 



100 







— 190 



+ 113 



— Channel Islands 



2 below 



120 







— 263 



+ 154 





Rainfall. 



Bright 



Sunshine. 





s 



» 



m 



i 



i o6 



Districts. 



m*" ■* 





-1 



~ - -r 



— o " 





Ik 



i 



-7- 





Hi 





Principal Wheat>pro- 



Tenths of 











ducing Districts. 



Inch. 











0. Scotland, N. ... 



2 less 



135 



21.1 



16 



30 



1. Scotland, E. ... 



1 less 



119 



18.0 



18 



30 



2. England, N.E. ... 



14 more 



111 



16.5 



17 



26 



3. England, E. 



13 more 



114 



14.7 



29 



28 



4. Midland Cos. ... 



8 more 



106 



15.1 



22 



26 



5 England, S. 



13 more 



107 



16.1 



23 



27 



Principal Grazing, &c. , 













Districts. 













6. Scotland, W. ... 



5 more 



111 



24.2 



17 



:i 



7. England.N.W.... 



10 more 



114 



15.9 



15 



2H 



8. England, S.W.... 



9 more 



117 



19.5 



26 



33 



9. Ireland, N. 



14 more 



116 



21.1 



22 



28 



10. Ireland, S. 



13 more 



109 



22.0 



32 



32 



— Channel Islands 



11 more 



133 



18.0 



25 



37 



