April 9, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
269 
is seldom found in guide book?. An historical notice of the Gardens is 
given, the most important or remarkable occupants of all the houses are 
mentioned, and there is a full reference to the arboretum. The chief 
UBes of many plants are mentioned, and quotations are freely introduced 
from the works of authoritative writers. Numerous illustrations and two 
plans of the Botanic Gardens and arboretum render the work still more 
useful. It is altogether a most satisfactory production, and the small 
price (6.1.) for 184 pages of readable matter will insure for it a large 
sale. 
-We are informed that Messrs. James Dickson & Sons, 108, 
Eastgate Street, Chester, have received a special warrant appointing 
them nurserymen to the Frince'of Wales. 
-At the ordinary meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
SOCIETY, established 1850, incorporated by Royal Charter, 1S6G, to he 
held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on Wednesday, the 15th 
instant, at 7 p.m , the following papers will be read :—“Report of Com¬ 
mittee on Decrease of Water Supply.”—[This paper will be in type 
before the meeting. Any Fellow wishing to take part in the discussion 
can obtain a copy on application to the Assistant Secretary.] “ Report 
of Committee on the Helm Wind of Cross Fell, Cumberland.” “ Results 
on Meteorological Observations made at Asuncion, Paraquay,” by Richard 
Strachan, F.R.Met.Sic. 
- We are desired to notify that the Committee of the Newcastle 
(Staffs.) Rose and Horticultural Society have decided to holl 
their first annual Exhibition in July next. The Mayor of Newcastle has 
kindly consented to be President, and the Deputy Mayor Yice-Pres ; dent* 
Other influential support has been already promised, with a fair prospect 
of success. A good working Committee is now formed, and will be glad 
to receive subscriptions to enable them ti announce a liberal schedule 
of prizes. The Secretary is Mr. Wm. H. Ramm, Sutherland Chambers, 
Newcastle, Staffordshire. 
- “ J. R. R.” sends an interesting note on Ferns in the English 
Lake District :—“ The English Lake district is rich in Ferns, and of 
recent years the rarer specimens have been pretty closely looked after by 
visitors, whilst at many of the small railway siations the officials occupy 
their spare hours in collecting Ferns, potting them, and disposing of the 
same to visitors. At many of the smaller stations in the summer months 
the lamps at the railway s'ations are filled with Ferns, imparting a very 
good effect to the platforms, waiting rooms, &c. Scolopendriums, 
Parsley Ferns, Polypody, &c., may be had by the cartload, without 
s°nsibly decreasing the supply, and it has often occurred to me how 
cheaply the homes of the poor in large towns might be beautified by such 
if some moderately wealthy philanthropist would take the initiative. The 
following Ferns are to be found:—Scclopendrium, or Hart’s Tongue; 
Adder’s Tongue; Blechnum, or Hard Fern; Asplenium Adiantum- 
nigrum ; Athyrium, or Lady Fen; Beech Fern, Bladder Fern, Brittle 
Bladder Fern ; common Polypody ; Limestone Polypody; Polystichum, 
Oak Fern, Filmy Fern, Holly Fern ; Lastreas, or Male Fern ; Osmunda, 
or Royal Fern ; Shield Fern, Wall Rue, Moonwort, and Parsley Fern.” 
- The Newcastle-uton-Tyne Flower Snows for the present 
year will be held on April 15th and 10th, and July 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. 
At the first named eighty-one classes are provided, the total prize money 
being £138 10s. At the summer Show there will be eighty-two classes, 
and the prize money is £302 43. ; while in addition a Veitch Memorial 
prize and medal will be offered in Class 48 for six plants in bloom. 
- Referring to the notes on French Beans at page 2G5, “ B. ’ 
writes:—“It may be of interest to point out this fact concerning the 
continued bearing qualities of this vegetable when properly managed. 
The writer recommends three sowings to be made in order to ensure a 
supply from August until frost. Now I have for many years made only 
one sowing out of doors, and by following the practice advised in the same 
article of removing all beans when ready, have never failed with the 
same plants. I may add, however, that the plants have plenty of room, 
being 15 to 18 inches apart in the rows.” 
- Very beautiful just now is the Winter Garden at The Firs, 
Lee, the residence of J. W. Larking, Esq., as, indeed, it has been for the 
last three months. Mr. Sanders does not practise the stereotyped mode 
of arranging plants in formal order on a greenhiuse stage, but plunges 
the pots in banks of soil amongst huge stones here anl there in the 
greenhouse, yet they are arranged with such aptness and taste that the 
effect is natural and picturesque. Azaleas trained and untrained, Calceo¬ 
larias, Cinerarias, Primulas obconica, rosea, and others, Cyclamens and 
Hyacinths—these, with numerous other flowering plant?, are employed at 
the present time to keep the winter garden gay. It is not so much the 
plants, however, as the artistic arrangement which makes the effect so 
pleasing and distinct. 
- The most effective plant in the greenhouse at Chiswick is 
Hebeclinium ianthinum, which doe3 not appear to be represented in 
half the conservatories in the land. The heads of lavender-coloured 
flowers having a general resemblance to Ageratum?, but ten times larger, 
are so totally dissimilar from all other flowers of the period as to render 
this easily grown plant worthy of more extended cultivation. 
-In passing through the ferneries of Messrs. Veitch & Sons at 
Chelsea recently our a'tention was arrested by the stately yet elegant 
growth of Adiantum Collisii. This is one of the productions of Mr. 
F. Bause, and is exactly intermediate between A. tenerum and A. gra- 
cillimum, having the free growth and fine fronds of the former, with the 
characteristically elegant pinnules of the latter. This new Fern is ex¬ 
cellently adapted for home decorative purposes, and there can scarcely be 
a doubt that it will make a fine specimen for exhibition. 
- Mr. Joseph Mallender sends the following Summary of 
Meteorological Observations at Hodsock Priory, Worksop, Notts 
for March, 1885 “Mean temperature of the month, 39 9°; maximum 
on the 17th, 5S'4°; minimum on the 2nd, 23 , 5 C> ; maximum in the sun 
on the 17th, 117 1°; minimum on the grass on the 23rd, 173 3 . The 
warmest day the 27th, mean temperature 47 0°. The coldest day the 
2nd, mean temperature 32 8°. Mean temperature of the air at 9 A.M., 
39 0°. Mean temperature of the soil 1 foot deep, 4U'8 3 . Number of 
nights below 32° in shade fifteen, on grass twenty-three. Total duration 
of sunshine 8P2 hours, or 22 per cent, of the possible duration. We had 
eleven sunless days. Total rainfall, l - 06 inch. Maximum fall in twenty- 
four hours on the 3rd, 0-29 inch. Rain fell on thirteen days. Wind 
mostly from north and easterly po : nts. The temperature has been below 
the average through the month. In the previous nine years only two 
months of March have had a lower mean temperature—viz., 1876 and 
1883. Again in the same period only two have had a smaller rainfall— 
viz., 1878 and 1879. Sunshine les3 than in any of the last four years; 
warm rain very much needed.” 
- Writing in reference to Heating and Hot-water Pipes, 
B.” remarks, “ I consider all packing more or less ineffective which is 
capable of being forced out in the course of a few years’ working, or that 
is damaged by the pressure of water in the same period. That has 
been my experience with vulcanite, lead, and concrete packing, it being a 
mere question of time when they f ail. Iron and sal ammoniac I have 
employed extensively, and it is the only packing material that I know 
which I could recommend. The expansion and bursting of pipes, so often 
pointed out as a ba 1 feature with iron jointing, merely shows that the work 
has been done in a bad manner. The further drawback which I have 
seen pointed out as following the use of iron when piping requires to be 
altered—viz., the difficulty of disjointing the pipes, is easily solved by 
cutting tli9 pipes at any point with a cold chisel. I also “ have in mind 
the work of a foremost firm,” whose men I have seen engaged by the 
day trying to chisel out iron packing in order to disjoint pipes when the 
above simple method of cutting never seemed to have found a place in 
their mind j . As to valves, I like the Messenger. The facings can be 
renewed at any time. These hold water back.” 
-The new and spacious Winter Garden at the Royal Pavilion 
Hotel at Folkestone was opened to the public on April 1st. This 
building has been erectel with a view to promoting the comfort and con¬ 
venience of the visitors at the hotel, by affording them an agreeable 
covered promenade at all times. Great attention has been paid to the 
arrangements for warming and ventilating the building, an 1 the hot-water 
apparatus is so constructed that the heat can be regulated, and an even 
and healthful temperature maintained at any season of the year and in 
aiy wrather/ The building has three entrances, one of which is connected 
with the hotel by means of a corrilor, so that visitors may pass from one 
to the other without going out in the open air. It is 1G8 feet long by 
51 feet wide, and constructed on the “ridge and furrow” principle, in 
seven spans, of various widths, the centre one being the largest, and 
being surmounted by an octagonal lantern 43 feet high. These roofs of 
different heights, all crowned with ornamental cast-iron cresting and 
finials, agreeably break up the sky line, and give a graceful diversity to 
the appearance of the structure. The whole of the work has been 
