204 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[Fzsrvary 16, 1895, 
EDITORIAL NOTICES. 
ria should be sent to the PUBLISHER. 
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— of gardens, or of 3 3 ag trees, 
Ec. a been bebe. or loss or 
— All pean intended 
vr naming, 
and plants fe 
<bean unless by 
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK, 
MEETING. 
THURSDAY, Fes. 21—Linnean Society 
SALES. 
TUESDAY, Fep. 19 gme 8 . at Protheroe & 
raters Begonias, ie 
heroe & Morris’ Rooms 
r Phas Tuberoses, Gloxinias, baits 
THURSDAY, FEB. af Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms, 
FEB. 22 4 Orchids, at Protheroe & Morris 
WEDNESDAY, Fes. 81 ara, 
FRIDAY, 
CORRECTED AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE ENSU- 
a DEDUCED gg ai OBSERVATIONS 
THREE YEARS, AT CHISWICK.—39°.5, 
e April number of the 
a pitt Journal of the Royal 
Observations, 
in the matter of observing, and a list of seventy- 
one plants was first suggested by Mr. Preston. 
A list of eight Lepidoptera was added by 
Mr. McLacuian, and one of twenty birds by 
Mr. Newron. After revision, fifteen plants 
were 1 selected. In 1891 a new departure 
e, and a fresh list of thirteen plants pro- 
ne In this, seven of the former were retained, 
six others being substi itu ted. 
In th 
ie pote yr he fr oven b. a same 
the aight A above e bei Pang given for each 
3 though in the instructions (1883) it is 
tated, w Through the greater part of England, 
81 in altitude are not of much account. 
It will be seen, however, that considerable 
differences are to be attributed to altitude, 
The Meteorological Society having kindly 
supplied us with the reports of the last three 
years, we have tried to draw some conclusions 
from ‘tien: as to the causes of the various times 
of flowering, illustrations of these we propose now 
to give. 
give, 
In 1891, the temperatare was below the aver- 
age during eight months, In February, June, 
September, and secrete it was slightly above it. 
The “curves” respondin ng to the average 
dates of ane of the thirteen plants through 
the “ areas” traced f south to north show 
that they are below the whee that is later than 
usual, until July; when the Harebell only 
oscillates close to the mean (July 9 to 19). Its 
flowering in July was apparently dependent on 
the increase of temperature in June. V 
perature was slightly above the average; it was 
below it in all the others, Consequently the 
flowering of all the plants was later than the 
average. Even the slight rise in June had little 
or no effect. 
In 1893 the temperature of every month, 
excepting January, was above the mean; con- 
sequently, excepting the Hazel, Coltsfoot, and 
Anemone, the late flowering of which was due 
main cause in regulating — date of first 
flowering of plants. hen ever, a curve 
is made for any particular Pot through the 
eleven areas, and if it be compared with other 
curves made for rainfall and sunshine (the data 
for which are given in the reports), it will be 
often found that the curves do not pt ly cor- 
respond. Thus, in 1891, there is a“ minim 
in the flowering period for the Hazel (F beste 
March), Coltsfoot (February—March), and 
Anemone (April—Ma y) in the area “ Scot- 
land, W.;” but the curve for the winter tempe- 
rature shows a “maximum.” On the other 
the temperature curve shows a minimum“ 
tor A England, N. E.,“ yet the flowering shows a 
“maximum.” The causes of these lie in, and 
with, a deficiency of rain in Scotland, 
and an excess of sunshine in the N.E. of England, 
popes a 5 a rain, although with a 
“minimum” of tem ure 
Je illustrate the 12 05 of longitude, we fis 
an example from the area C,“ ich 
— tii the south coast from fs: to 
Charmouth in Dorset, and as far inland as 
Marlborough and Henley ; the altitudes varying 
from 10 feet (Hastings), to 600 feet (Ewhurst). 
= 
< 
1°, it appears that in 1891, the 
Hazel flowered on the thirty-sixth day (as the 
mean) in the western portion, on the forty-eighth 
day, beween 1° and 0° While east of Greenwich, 
it was the forty-ninth day. At the two most 
easterly stations, viz, at Canterbury, it flowered 
on the fifty-fifth day and at Hastings on the 
e ee day, a total range of forty-one days, 
eee eee arch 4. Simi- 
hy for the Blackthorn, west of longitude 1°, 
erage date was the 114th day, between 1° 
and 05 ie it was the 117th; while eastwards of 
Greenwich it was the 12lst day, ranging from the 
107th day at Salisbury to the 124th at Canter- 
bury ; or seventeen days from April 16 to May 4. 
As a summer flowering-plant we select the Dog- 
range in date of flowering being from 
Jane 2 to 26, from the west to the east of the 
To illustrate the effects of pagers we divided 
up the area D, or the central or mi region 
of England. This area forms a ‘dita the 
rong stations = the five points being on the 
rogate ; on the east, Grantham; on 
pti south-east, St. Albans ; the most westerly 
station being Churchstoke; ‘while the south-west 
* red caia between Wells (in area A) and 
Taking the eee in groups of 100 to 200 
feet, 200 to 300 feet, 300 to 550 feet, this last 
being the height of the loftiest station Ch urch- 
stoke, the Coltsfoot flowered on the average 
— — 
between 100 to 200 feet on the fifty-third day of 
the year; between 200 to 300 feet, on the 77th ; 
between 300 N. 550 feet, on the 79th. This 
gives a range of 43 days, viz., from February 21 
to April 6. Similarly the Dog-rose flowered on 
the average, for the same altitudes, on the 169th, 
172nd, and 176th day respectively, having a 
32 of twenty-two days, viz., from June 12 
to 
he differences resulting from altitude, longi- 
tude, &., eeteris paribus, wou w 
that the “areas are far too large when taken in 
their entirety for giving means or “curves,” as 
supplied in the tables in the Reports, to ascer- 
is, of one or more such degrees lasting for twenty- 
four hours. A good deal of importance has been 
laid upon accumulated temperature, but as far as 
do not seem to have much effect 
upon the first flowering of plants 
ing the accumulation of “ day-degrees” 
from January 1, 1893, the Hazel flowered in the 
south-west of England ten days later than the 
average; the Coltsfoot nine days later; yet the 
latter plant had the advantage of 80 day-degrees 
more than the former. Anemone was twenty- 
he 
twenty days, and Black Knapweed nineteen days 
earlier than usual; yet the first had 265°, the 
second eas? and the third 405°, accumulation of 
dave dishes 
The Teck seems to be that the advantage 
or by some other ca 
th 
Midland area flowered on April 23, 1893, i. e., 
twenty days earlier than the 3 havin 
degrees. The week ending 
April 22, had a temperature 8° piety: the mean. 
In the south-west of England, it flowered on 
April 19, or twenty-two days earlier than usual, 
the temperature having been nearly the same, or 
9° above the mean, but it had had only 211 day- 
degrees. Similarly the Dog-rose flowered on 
May 18, i.e., twenty days earlier than usual in 
the Midland area, having had 361 day-degrees. 
The pean for the week ending May 20, 
had been above the average. Canan X 
e Da a nn ay 7 
tempe- 
ve 
nine dae all than the average. me 
rature of the week ending May 6 was 
the average, that for the week ending Mer r 
being 4° above the average, having h 
338 day-degrees, 
The general conclusions arrived 4 
to corroborate what physiologists are generaly y 
aware of, viz., that at external agencies, 
temperature, rainfall, sunshine, &c., are ga 
lants of e ee; and therefore the 3 
correspond, ceteris paribus, in each case wit 
t a haps to 
neutralised by an interference of a low 
ture of some degrees, The earliest 
eee therefore, does not show any n 
correlation with the number of day-degrees. de 
Lastly, no practical advantage rti- 
ducible at present either for agriculture or he 
culture from these phenological observations 
