June 29, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE 



429 



being found chiefly in Canterbury and Otago at 



Alexandra Day.— On Wednesday last, to ing 500 square feet. Receptacles may be bedded 



elevations ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 feet. Some celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the landing in sand or natural green, but no vase "must exceed 



find a considerable difficulty in growing the plant, of Queen Alexandra in England, 10,000 ladies, 



and apparently it is best suited for the moraine, 

 as Mr. Armstrong, writing in Gard. Chron., 

 March 21, 1885, p. 370, states " that it grows on 



were engaged in selling artificial Roses in the 

 London streets. The proceeds of the sales will 

 be given to the London hospitals. It is satisfac- 



18 inches above ground level. The prizes will 

 be awarded to the best representation of a border 

 of hardy flowers that may be in flower at the 

 time of the show. N.B. — Overcrowding in this 



mountain slopes below the snow fields, where the tory to note that the manufacture of these arti- class is most undesirable the idea beinn- to leave 



■ • tt ■ * T • t% . "1 *\ a ■■■» _ _ _ 



ground is usually moist during summer from the 

 trickling downwards of the melting snow." This 



ficial Roses gives employment to the crippled 

 inmates of the John Groom Flower Sellers Mis- 



space between individual groups of plants so that 

 the 6ame may be seen to the best advantage, and 

 the owner may be able to walk in or through the 

 border. 1st prize, £15; 2nd, £10; 3rd, £5. 

 The authorities at all the big shows are ever 

 anxious for suggestions for new classes or novel- 

 ties, and we are often applied to for such. We 

 commend this new method of arranging herbace- 

 Royal Meteorological Society.— The last ous flowers with great pleasure. The effect is 



writer also states that " the drainage of the sion, but such flowers are certainly inappropriate 



slopes is rendered perfect by the large masses of emblems of the people's love for Queen Alex- 



rock debris which have been worn away by the andra, and it may be hoped that on another 



frosts of ages, and these are generally nearly or occasion natural Roses will be employed for the 



quite covered up with peat, formed by the decay purpose, 

 of the countless plants which have grown upon 

 them." It is on this natural rockery that the 



Mountain Lily flourishes best, though it is some- meeting of the session was held on the 19th inst., most beautiful bee ise most natural. There was, 



times found in sand cr even in shingle, with Dr. H. N. Dickson, president, in the chair. Dr. G. we heard (as there is apt to be in connection with 



scarcely any peat. It is also usually found in C. Simpson, Meteorologist to the British Antarctic new classes), a slightly different interpretation 



situations shaded from the mid-day sun — such, 

 for instance as the southern face of a defile or 



gorge 



On mountains facing the south in New 



Expedition, 1910, read a paper on " Coronas and 

 Iridescent Clouds." During September, 1911, 



of the schedule by the different exhibitors. The 

 conditions ask for " a border," and in the post- 



Zealand, the plant covers the ground for hun- 



he was one of a party led by Captain Scott to script it is stated that the owner M may be ible 



survey McMurdo Sound, and on the 24th, while to walk in or through the border." Messra. 



dreds of acres with one huge sheet of white, but enveloped in fog, he observed a fine fog-bow. It Backhouse's arrangement, which won 1st prize, 



more usually it grows in patches of a score or was opposite the sun, and a measurement of the was much broken up with paths, and approached 

 thirty plants, nestling amongst straggling plants 



of Olearias, Veronicas, or other shrubs. A peaty 

 soil, with a fair proportion of sand, is best as a 

 rooting medium ; a constant supply of moisture, 

 both in the soil and atmosphere, and perfect 

 drainage are also necessary. The flowers are 



radius with a theodolite gave 38°. The bow 

 was practically white, but a reddish tinge could 

 be seen on the outer side. As the fog dissipated, 

 the upper sky became clearer, and the sun shone 



bank 



nearer a model garden than the 2nd prize lot of 

 Messrs. Artindale's, which had only one path 

 sweeping through the centre in a semi-circular 

 line. Messrs. Gibson's group, which was 3rd, 

 For some was a border pure and simple and had no path 



minutes the sun had a brilliant cc-rona, with 

 usually white, but they are sometimes tinged bpi ht co i ours , and the diameter of this corona 



with pink. 



National Chrysanthemum Society.— The 

 annual outing of the members of the National 

 Chrysanthemum Society will take place on Mon- 

 day, July 15, when a visit will be paid to Berry 

 Hill Gardens, Taplow, the residence of Mr. F. G. 

 Gledstanes. The programme also includes a six- 

 hours journey on the River Thames between 

 Staines and Marlow. Particulars and tickets 

 may be obtained from the secretary, Mr. Richard 

 A. Witty, 72, Savernake Road, Gospel Oak, 

 London. 



seemed unusually large, but there was no oppor- 

 tunity to make a measurement. As the fog 

 still further cleared away, glimpses of the 

 corona appeared again, and the fog under the 

 sun became fairly brilliantly illuminated with 

 iridescent colours, which did not appear to be 



to break it up. We think we might suggest to 



the York authorities the deletion of three words : 

 " of a border/' and have the schedule to read : 

 " The prizes will be awarded to the best repre- 

 sentation of hardy flowers that may be in flower 

 at the time of the show." We have drawn atten- 

 tion to this subject at considerable length, he- 

 cause we are most anxious to do all we can to 



part of the corona, but in places blended into it. make our British flower shows more attractive 



Worcester Auxiliary of the Gardeners* 

 Royal Benevolent Institution. — By the 



kindness of C. W. Dyson Perrins, Esq., the 

 gardens of Davenham, Malvern, were opened to 

 the public on June 20, the proceeds being given 

 to the Worcester Auxiliary of the Gardeners' 

 Royal Benevolent Institution, of which Mr. 

 Perrins is a vice-president. It is pleasant to 



During the whole period the temperature was 

 between - 15° and - 21° F. The fur of the 

 sleeping bags and the wool of sweaters became 

 covered with hoar frost. These observations 

 show that water can exist in the atmosphere at 

 much lower temperatures . than has generally 

 been supposed by meteorologists. It is now 

 generally admitted that white halos are caused 

 by the refraction and reflection of ice crystals ; 

 corome are due to diffraction effects of either 

 small drops of water or thin ice needles. From built up into huge mounds or tables ! 



Mr. 



and useful, and this can best be done by showing 

 all classes of flowers and plants under the condi- 

 tions nearest approaching natural ones. 

 T. G. Hodgson, the chairman of the Floral Com- 

 mittee, and Mr. Fred Arey, the secretary of 

 the York Gala, have interested themselves per- 

 sonally very much in these new classes. Many 

 expert horticulturists who were present remarked 

 — How much better exhibits of herbaceous 

 flowers are when staged in this way than when 



certain observations made in the Antarctic, Dr. 

 Simpson was led to doubt the possibility of ice 

 crystals ever forming diffraction effects. This is 



Botanical Appointment.— Mr. James Ewino 



note that many visitors took the opportunity of an important question for meteorology, for, if 

 inspecting these beautiful gardens. 



Colchester Rose Show. — The date of this 

 exhibition has been altered from June 26 to 

 July 3. It will be held in the Castle Park, 

 Colchester. 



Flowers in Season. 



4 Sons have sent us 



Messrs. James Veitch 

 from their Coombe 



Wood Nursery, sprays of a few hardy trees and 

 shrubs which are now in flower. The new varie- 



lt is true, we nave a powertul instrument tor 

 determining the constitution of a cloud : if there 

 is a corona, the cloud must be composed of 

 water; while if there is a halo, it must be com- 

 posed of ice. Mr. W. Bryant read a paper on 

 c< The Adoption of a Climatological Day." 

 When observations are made only once a day, 

 namely, at 9 a.m., it is the practice to enter the 

 reading of the maximum thermometer to the 

 previous day, and the reading of the minimum 

 thermometer to the current day. Mr. Bryant 



has been appointed lecturer in botany at Carleton 

 College, Northfield, Minnesota, U.S.A. Mr. 

 Ewing is at present assistant to the lecturer in 

 botany at the Aberdeen Training Centre for 

 Teachers. 



Conifers Excluded from America. — The 



State Nursery Inspector of the United States 

 has prohibited, in a proclamation, the importa- 

 tion from all parts of Europe of Pines of all kinds 

 having their leaves in groups of five. The notice 

 states that this action is taken because of the 

 prevalence upon these trees of the dangerous 

 disease known as the White Pine blister rust, not 



ties of Philadelphus, such as P. Lemoinei Pavil- , , _ ., ... .•^ .*' m1mM ™ 011 h q now established in that country, but which, if it 



i~. t>i " -r. V __?_.___*„ x ™„. t. t does not consider that these give correct results, , , — *a^*\„ 



Ion Blanc, P. Leanoinei Bouquet Blanc, P. L. 

 Avalanche, and P. Satsumi, have flowers much 

 whiter than those of the better-known species, 

 but they are not quite so fragrant. Ptelea 

 trifoliata, which is so ornamental when laden 

 with its fruits in the late summer and autumn, 

 is now bearing masses of greenish-yellow 

 flowers. Of Magnolias sent, we much admired 

 the flowers of M. parviflora, which, by the way, 

 are of good size, those of M. Watsonii and of the 

 smooth-leaved M. glauca. 



Presentation. — At a recent meeting of the 

 Ely and District Horticultural Society an illumi- 

 nated address was presented to Mr. Richakd 

 Williams, who has been president of the society 

 since its inception two years ago. 



but that they are higher than if the readings 

 were taken at 9 p.m., or midnight. 



Herbaceous Classes at York.— Very many 



years ago rock-garden exhibits made their first 

 appearance at York, and how popular they J 

 to-day was amply demonstrated at the recent 

 International Show. Last year a new class was 

 instituted at York. It met with instant success 

 and appreciation, and we shall be surprised if such 

 a class does not before long become as popular 

 throughout the country as rock-work classes. We 

 can best describe this new class by quoting the 

 schedule:— " Collection of hardy herbaceous 

 perennials, plants or cut flowers, or both, arranged 

 in a natural manner on ground space not exceed- 



should obtain a foothold there, may be confidently 

 expected to kill all young pines of the group 

 named, and kill or render worthless the larger 

 pines of the forest. Numerous shipments into 

 Massachusetts during the past year have been in- 

 fected with this disease, and all pines received 

 from abroad since 1908 should be carefully 

 watched for its symptoms, which frequently do 

 not appear for two or three years after the trees 

 have been set out. 



Publications Received. — Bulletin of Mis- 

 cellaneous Informat on. Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Kew. New Garden Plants of the year 1911. 

 Price 2d. — Monthly Leaflet of the Women s 

 Agricultural and Horticultural International 



Union. June. (London : 45, Queen Anne's 

 Chambers, Westminster.) Price 2d. 



