7 
aot matter of anxiety. The Royal Gardens an a possess 
their own waterworks, which are supplied directly from t Thames. 
The use of this water for drinking purposes is, however, probe ted by 
law. e drinking fountains, official residences an those beiongin 
to the Crown, ineluding Kew Palace, are therefore supplied by tbe 
wark and Vauxhall Com any. On February 6 the supply from 
i ill Apri owi 
© 
ta 
B 
83 
L4 
w 
& 
. 
: 
© 
Ld 
E 
c 
© 
5 
— 
E 
© 
4 
e 
BE 
© 
y rish. 
Tti is entirely due to the indefatigable exertions made by Mr. J in 
Allen, the resident assistant clerk of the works, that a similar disas 
did not befall the water service of the Royal Gardens. The mains, "of 
which there are some miles, extend to the high level reservoir in 
Richmond Park. By the continuous use of steam power the water in 
these was kept in motion, and in no single case did it freeze. By the 
aid of the official fire brigade the cisterns of the residences were kept 
filled, the consumers being ti that the water must be boiled before 
being used for drinking purpose 
Bulbs, &c.—The spring of 1895 will long be remembered as a par- 
ticularly fatal one to many kinds of bulbs. All the narcissi of the 
Tazetta section were killed, and even some of the trumpet daffodils 
ffered a good deal; maximus, for instance, was qui uite killed, and 
this beautiful form fared no better in a fares bulb-growing establishment. 
in the neighbourhood. hen taking up the: ripened narcissus bulbs it 
was noticed that their quality was below the average; this was, doubt- 
new ones had to be formed where the bulbs were so actually rigid 
blue ones. ose in nursery beds, ted arty in the previous Sai 
mber, were quite datio vod, whilst ge bulbs planted under similar 
conditions six weeks or two months later survived. Hitherto winter 
covering for hyacinth beds had not been found to be of advantage at 
Kew ; but in such winters as that of 1894—5 it is necessary. The 
type, Hyacinthus orientalis, was nearly all killed in the border. 
Irids.— Many of the Oncocyclus group were iu the rhizomes 
roving to be quite rotten when examined after he frost t had gone. 
Li 
repianung. Iris rencitara stood without any shelter and flowered: 
e outright; others were badly i injure : Crool vici for VNDE. 
i emselves; all the- 
Janey as in previous years, 
erbaceous ts.—Lack p spac ades it eile to give a 
detailed statement of the losses incurred, but a few comparisons may 
well be mention ned, Rene wallichiana (a fine lot of vy n a 
Gyni argenteum, was killed in the ae ug on p* open 
lawns in many places the plants, although much injured, survived and 
