February 3, 1863.] JOURSAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



87 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 







FEBRUARY 3-9, 1863.- 



"Weather near London in 1862. 



Sun 

 Rises. 



Sun 

 Sets. 



Moon 

 Rises 



and Sets 



Moon's 



Age. 



Clock 





of | of 

 M'nth Week. 



Barometer. 



Thermom. 



Wind. 



Rain in 

 Inches. 



before ; Day ni 

 Bun. j Yea*, 



S 



4 

 5 

 8 

 7 

 8 

 9 



Tu 

 W 

 Tu 

 F 



S 



SUK 

 JI 



Hare's-tail Rush. 



P. Amman died, 1C93. B. 



Cato died, 45 B.C. 



Dr. Priestley died, 1801. 



Alder flowers. 



Sf.XAOESIMA SDNDAY. 



Daffodil flowers. 



30.120-30.195 

 30.183—30.096 

 30.010—29.945 

 29.941-29.921 

 30.294—30.061 

 30.518-30.510 

 30.527—30.515 



degrees. 

 55—41 

 55-42 

 56—39 

 50—29 

 39-20 

 35—18 

 40-30 



S.W. 

 S.W. 

 S.W. 

 N.W. 

 N.E. 

 N.E. 

 N.E. 



- 



m. hi 



38af7 

 37 7 

 35 7 

 34 7 

 32 7 

 30 7 

 28 7 



m. h. 

 50af4 

 52 4 



54 4 



55 4 

 57 4 

 59 4 



V 



m. h. 



rises 

 2 a 6 

 11 7 

 23 8 

 34 9 

 47 10 

 morn. 



O 



16 



17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 



m . w. 

 14 5 

 14 11 

 14 Hi 

 14 21 

 14 24 

 14 27 

 14 29 



34 

 35 

 36 

 37 

 38 

 39 

 40 



Meteorology op the W E EK.-At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-six years the average highest and lowest 

 temperatures of these days are 45.3° and 32,5° respectively. The greatest heat, 62°, occurred on the 9tn, in 1831 ; and the lowest cold, 4°, 

 on the 9th, in 1847. During the period 129 days were fine, and on 123 rain fell. 



SHOULD NOT THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY BE 'MORE NATIONAL ? 



^S one of our most learned philoso- 

 phers very aptly remarked, "Know- 

 ledge is power ;" and yet, although 

 the most fertile brain digs deep into 

 the mine, analysing and scan- 

 ning its contents in a way which 

 astonishes and delights minds 

 of a more limited compass, its 

 length, breadth, and depth are 

 apparently as unlimited and in- 

 exhaustible as ever. The progress of 

 knowledge is undoubtedly great, and 

 the benefits accruing therefrom no less 

 so ; but look at the thousands working 

 all in different directions in the explo- 

 ration of that mine, each excellent, and excelling in the 

 sphere to which his talents are best suited, and then 

 form an estimate of how little really the most erudite 

 and painstaking individual efforts can achieve. 



Co-operation, however, judiciously planned and ener- 

 getically proceeded with, has effected much in assisting 

 the development of science and art. It brings together 

 eminent men, who interchange ideas and promulgate 

 theories which are thoroughly agitated and discussed. 

 It brings together a host of practical men, such as agri- 

 culturists and horticulturists, who often lend force to 

 their argument by the excellent condition of the subjects 

 upon which their skill has been brought to bear, and all 

 in a way contribute to the advancement of knowledge. 



Horticultural societies have done their share, it may 

 be said, to provoke emulation in the art, for they are 

 neither few nor far between all over the country; but 

 their influence generally is comparatively circumscribed, 

 and the benefits resulting therefrom are purely local. 

 In fact, judging from the complaints that emanate even 

 from disinterested parties, the majority of the prizes are 

 monopolised by one or two individuals, who, by dint 

 of extra energy, and extra accommodation, and other 

 accessories, very often eclipse their less fortunate rivals. 

 With all this the public in general have very little to 

 do, because it scarcely resolves itself into a national 

 concern. Such a monopoly has a tendency to damp the 

 ardour of those who are anxious to win the way to fame, 

 and has a dragging tendency in the onward progress of 

 the art; although, let it be distinctly understood that 

 our remarks are not intended to strike at the root of any 

 of these societies, but rather to indicate the more palpable 

 defects, leaving amendment to time and the experience 

 of the district managers. 



Again : There are societies centred in the midst of 

 large urban populations, which exercise a different sort 

 of influence upon the public generally and competitors 

 particularly, because from their resources they are enabled 

 to offer a much more tempting field to all and sundry, 

 whether near to or distant from the place of exhibition ; 

 No. 97.— Voi. IV., New Seeks. 



and the prizes to be gained and the honour to be won, 

 if there be numerous entries and all above mediocrity, 

 are prizes and honour indeed. There are Birmingham 

 and Brighton, Manchester and Liverpool, and the great 

 gatherings at Bishop Auckland, Edinburgh and Glasgow, 

 Dublin and Belfast, and some others of our large and 

 populous towns, which by their wealth and population 

 are enabled to frame schedules of a pretty satisfactory 

 character upon the whole, and all in their circles give 

 a considerable impetus to the progress of gardening ; but 

 nobody who knows the real state of matters will pretend 

 to say that the whole gardening strength of the district 

 is represented at these exhibitions. Even go to the great 

 metropolis, where three great rival Exhibitions exist and 

 prosper, and where remuneration and honour are at the 

 maximum ; and whether you are surprised or not, you 

 will find, especially among the heavier portion of the 

 articles exhibited, that the prizes go year after year to 

 nearly the same individuals. In fact any one, even living 

 at a distance, who has been in the habit of taking cogni- 

 sance of the names of successful competitors in the great 

 plant-classes, could almost foretel the awards. 



In a word, then, the gardening strength of the country 

 is not represented at our great exhibitions as it might, 

 and as it would be if, we had a national Horticultural 

 Society correlative in character and operation to either 

 of the Royal Agricultural Societies ; because few, if any, 

 noblemen or gentlemen in the country, who keep up large 

 establishments and disburse considerable sums towards 

 plant- cultivation, we shall say in order to satisfy them- 

 selves and their families in the first place, will be induced, 

 year after year, to allow their gardeners to go to either 

 or all of the London shows, supposing the chances were 

 ever so good. It would be quite a different affair 

 if there were a Society of a migratory character, in- 

 fusing, as it would be sure to do, a spirit of emulation 

 in all districts, where its influence would be more imme- 

 diately felt ; for district would endeavour to rival district 

 in the aggregate amount and success of the undertaking, 

 and once such sympathy and ambition were fairly enlisted, 

 the success of the scheme would be placed beyond dis- 

 pute, and horticulture would be immensely the gainer. 



There might be something said about the difficulty in 

 organising such a scheme — in securing sufficient influence 

 to patronise it and take it by the hand. There might be 

 a great many things said suggestive of failure both com- 

 mercially and horticulturally speaking, for there are 

 always a few croakers ready to preach the downfall of 

 any and every innovation, let it be ever so politic. We 

 have only to point to the amount of opposition and hostile 

 criticism that the organisers and promoters of these mi- 

 gratory Agricultural Societies had to meet with in the 

 first instance, and to call attention now to their triumph- 

 ant success, which cannot be altogether ignored as a 

 precedent, although a little different in kind. Of couts°, 

 we shall be told that no society of such pretensions could 

 thrive out of London — that there the wealth is, and there 

 the population — and that, in short, supposing it were set 

 a-working under the very best auspices with the view of 

 No. 749.— Vol. XXIX., Cm Sebies. 



