GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



367 



\u*k a very small annual rainfall ; the three smallest falls during the 

 ^Jty yJars being I6-.33 in. in 1864,17-61 in. in 1867, and 1770 m.m 



The winter was ex( 

 » »«noeratures were in excess 01 mcx. w .»«pv~~ 

 T he Exception of May, September, and March. 



«h the excep ^ ^ temperature for that month being 43 -6 

 ^ as it was a!so in I8 7S and 1890. 

 S2f once exceeded this, in 1884, when it had a mean of 49? degrees. 

 Stwe ty nine days only in last year did the temperature of the air fall to freezmg 

 nt the lowest temperature being 23-3 degrees on December 24. The mean 

 P 0111 ' * .1 : r n^f^Kpr tn FpKmarv was dd"6 degrees, as it also 



A 



Morn 



3 Mixtl 



saluberrimum 



excess of their corresponding averages in every month 



In January the excess 

 at month being 43*6 

 In the last fifty-seven years it 



neratur 



vas 



the winters of 1848-49 and 1868-69. 



Primula Trailli.— With reference to the identity of Primula Trailli, George 

 F Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., writes: Having had another year's experience, I can 



now speak 'with certainty as to Primula Trailli. I heard from my Indian botanical 



fnend that he had met the collector of the seed sent me as that of P. Trailli, and 

 fed shown him the gardening papers which I had sent to India, with figures of 

 ■fats bloomed here ; these, he said, were quite different from P. Trailli ; that he 



collected other primula seed at the same time as P. Trailli ; that the seed was 



IT is over once more. It was a big function, and we were all very proud 

 of it for who besides our noble selves could show such another? Never- 

 theless we breath a sigh of relief at seeing the back of it and settle down 

 to a little repose after our exertions. But isn't it curious what expressions 

 are used by the general public with reference to horticultural objects ? 

 As an evening tram bore me from the Temple on the fateful Wednesday 

 1 caught scraps of conversation between fellow-passengers, which I 

 could only grasp the meaning of with an effort. "A rank outsider," 

 said one, only been out once or twice before." Dear, dear ' What 

 could this be ? Ah I happy thought. It must be Acalypha Sanderi. I 

 leaned over and informed the speaker that it had been out at Ghent 

 Never heard of the meeting," was his response, and at this display of 

 ignorance I retired in disgust. 



« . 1 



ft "I 



aixed, and that r. l rami naa not come up. I think the best name for the 

 primula which I exhibited would be P. Munroi or P. involucrata major. It is 

 itterly unlike the form of P. Munroi or P. involucrata which I have grown for 

 mis. It has, when grown close to the glass, and so free from any tendency to 

 be drawn up, stems above eighteen inches high with long leaves. Probably several 

 of the Indian primroses have different forms. Some years ago I exhibited before 



They got out at the next station, and my benignity was restored, but 

 another problem speedily presented itself. A man reading a newspaper 

 suddenly looked up with amazement written on every feature. " Jeddah ! n 

 he bawled, "Why, perdition and parsnips ! I drew him in a sweep and 

 then gave him away." He looked at me, I being the only other person 

 in the compartment, and smiling blandly I responded : " I am not quite 



Jadoo 



I got no 



farther ; the man with the newspaper hurled it from him, stamped on it, 

 flung his hat on the seat, and indulged in such violent gesticulations that 

 I hastily conveyed my avoirdupois into the next compartment. I am 

 still in a state of bewilderment as to why a man who has swept up a little 



the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society a giant form of P. potting material and given it away should behave like a lunatic 



mm* mm m * m -i * « v-k. w . • m w^i • mm 



capuata 



This received a 



fat class certificate in October of 1886 ; and some time afterwards a nurseryman 

 edribtted a giant form of this primrose, which, I suppose, the committee considered 



different 



The committee 



only followed the usual precedents in rewarding a fine, distinct, new form of 

 primula in the case of P. Trailli, but I think that the name should be changed, 

 d the fact recognised that P. Trailli has still to be introduced. 



Dahlia Catalogue.— The National Dahlia Society, which has of late 

 erinced signs of increased activity, has issued an official catalogue of dahlias, com- 

 piled by the President, with the assistance of the other officers and the members 

 of committee. The catalogue contains a short bibliography of the dahlia, and 

 riectcd lists of show, fancy, pompon, cactus, decorative, and single varieties. 

 Tk varieties are arranged in their order of merit ; and, in addition to the names 



ad colours, the names of the raisers, year of introduction, and height of the w ^ ^ 0 _ ^^^^^ 



£*iare given. To facilitate reference, an alphabetical list of the varieties do come about at times. One member of the editorial household did, it 

 *^ in the selections is provided. The catalogue will be found of much is true, fill me with nervous apprehension by picturing the plants as in 



11 If I llrt • M n — - 'ft. ■ fM m _ _ . 1 _ A. A. ~. — - _ m* A .... a y\ t- • ■ u • - mm. /-v • < ,—. 4- i «a v mm ■ « *a - 4 m^. -«•» I m*. ~- A. I _ A. mt. 



Yes ! it was a great show. Although dumped and lumped in the 

 sweet old way, the " '98 Temple " will remain a stimulating memory. 

 The Prince was not there, but Peter was. It was my first meeting with 

 him after his enforced holiday, and I was relieved to observe that his 

 fiery eye had regained its pride. Nevertheless, nothing could have been 

 greater than the affability with which I observed him greeting a number 

 of Magazine acquaintances. Peter's manner said as plainy as possible 

 to Mr. Wythes, Mr. Prinsep, &c, "We may differ on professional 

 points, gentlemen, but we are friends for all that." Xot a man of 

 them could resist his engaging condescension. 



m^mmm^mmm^— ■ ■ ■ a 



I have to return thanks for a box of early chrysanthemums received 

 from Mr. Lees, through the editor. It is not often that I get so far from 

 my Midland fastness as Kew, and it was a happy chance that when I did 

 so the box should be there awaiting me. But these beautiful combinations 



-.naated 



wrice 

 ptherii 



Copies 



miiu La,Kc pari in competitive 



It is, indeed, so good as to have deserved a more substantial cover. 

 - Is -) mav be obtained by non-members from the honorary secretary, 

 ■'•J- t. Hudson, Gunnersbury House, Acton. 



The Drinking Habits of Some Moths and Butterflies have been 



J«My noted by Mr. J. VV. Tutt, and described by him in the Proceedings of 



* South London Entomological and Natural History Society for 1897. Mr. 

 W *ows that several species drink for more water than they need or that is 

 •V** * their tissues under any condition. I'olyommatus damon has been 



TZL'l n l han an h ° Ur motionless > e **pt for the slight movements 



iJ P ^ dls f ar « ln g moisture almost continuously. What this 

 fc r J7tX "5 "*an we cannot even surmise. Another important 



• Mr. Tutt'* « " n i" 18 . 1S a stran S e one 5 the " thirsty souls " are, so far 



show , T ° n g0CS ' and S ° far as De Neville's and Bates 

 ■« snow, almost entirely males. — * 



«. »d why is it indulged in whiUf 



Why 



^ ««• stange ph nomfn 7 femaIeS EWay ^ymg, or present- 



•* >ords s/^z: 1 a p ; rfectly different habit from that indui g ed in b y 



of exact oZT!- u' C ° UrSe ' qUltC reasonabl e to suppose that, if a 



dually TCl J t ^ PUrP ° SeS * CertaiD k is that fei « al « come to 



■* « " S in thb 21 Vt S 7" ^ ^ '* iS f ° r f ° od ' and °ot for drink, 

 H*itsu« Z °" f ™W ^s. We know that moths and butterflies 



Does 



1 c «ra activity give f W accracted by pure water. Does 



! > * habit which ' a ^ fea , ter in direCti ° n ? and has ^ asks Mr - 

 ^^that excessive i J^^ 1 " 18 in a mc «^) a necessity become so 

 fh. a . . drinking has literally become a vice ? 



T ^ Orchid H ^ ^ " ? 



f have been°but !w ** u^T ^ n ° W in Course of reconstruction. 



Up to 



flow 



each 



hp «r«^ 1 *v , r puuiic, out in ruture there 



e same length as the old ones but narrower. This will 



■ 



f or the 



the last stage of premature exhaustion owing to neglect of watering 

 pending my arrival, but either this was a dreadful libel on the person told 

 off to look after them, or else that abashed being slipped out and dosed 

 them with some wonderful elixir while we were tasting of the cup that 

 cheers except when it does dyspepsia give. Any way, the plants were in 

 jocund health, and I carried them off in triumph. The Luxian garden is 

 now enriched with the following sorts: Ivy Stork, Piercy's Seedling, 

 Mdlle. Masse, Harvest Home, Foucher de Cariel, and Flora. 



I think we may safely congratulate ourselves on a good strawberry 

 season. A note on page 322 raises the interesting question of artificial 

 manures. Many of the largest market growers do not believe in 

 artificials for strawberries, but pin their faith to a free dressing of dung at 

 planting time. Perhaps they are not very far wrong in the main, but I 

 have secured such excellent results from the use of sulphate of potash 

 that I am constrained to mention it. I am a little puzzled at the 

 indifference which is displayed towards this splendid salt. A fair, com- 

 parative trial shows its great superiority to kainit, and, on the other hand, 

 it does not possess the serious disadvantage of costliness like the muriate. 

 The year before last I experimented with a few rows of President, which 

 were planted the last week in August. Sulphate of potash was dusted in 

 at the rate of a single handful to the yard run, and another application at 

 the same rate was made in April. The plants fruited magnificently, and 

 were in every way superior to others not dressed. 



Docketted away amongst other topics for a quiet week is that of 

 gardeners' investments. I draw it out, dust it up, and examine it. A 

 specimen of some interest, is it not, my friends? Perhaps someone 

 murmurs that it would be all light if he had anything to invest, but as he 

 hasn't he begs to suggest green peas as an alternative subject. My reply 

 is that the possession of money is not everything. If we haven't got it 

 to-day we may have next week, or the week after, or the week after that. 

 Therefore we can study the investment question in a prospective spirit ; 

 our pockets empty, but our hearts full of hope. I once heard a bewildered 

 small capitalist plaintively declare that there were many advantages in 

 having no money. " There ought to be," was the response, "there are 

 many disadvantages." The most popular form of investment with most 

 gardeners is a local florist and seedsman business. Sometimes it answers, 

 but it frequently means that the slender capital is locked up indefinitely 



toil*!*. e time beine o«.m J«f Tii g cleared of their usual while the unhappy speculator has to work twice as long as he did in a 



2S>* is -tidobulbon « h f R T phianum ' Grammungis ^tc p li?c foMwo-thirds the earnings. 



^■owcrs. °° n are somewhat rare orchids now mrvin. ™™1 - P F ; 



on are somewhat rare orchids now carrying good 



Ju ^T tU D C i Ub ^ mhl >' dinner and conversazione will be held on 

 ^T^^^i^' , Tl!e ^ f - 'Hussion on this occasion is 



W' ^ Who wiU Z M T l °?\ t0 0pCned ^ M '- C T. Druery, 



also ex hl bn the late Colonel James' " Nature Prints ' ! 



private place for two-thirds the earnings. 



Next to the " florist and seedsman n attraction stands that alluring 

 demon "bricks and mortar." And a demon it is. It appeals with 

 tempting force to the man of small means, because it suggests something 

 that won't break, like a bank, or run away, like a fraudulent company 

 promoter. But if houses do not irretrievably smash, they do so piecemeal, 

 and the bogey " repairs " is ever present. If they do not disappear in ioto, 

 tenants do, and with them goes the rent. In the great majority o c cases 



