April 23, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
329 
remarkable plants were the lovely Cynoglossum amplifolium, with rich 
ultramarine flowers, and an extraordinary arborescent plant, since named 
Senecio Johnstoni, looking somewhat like a Banana in the distance, but 
in reality consisting of a tall, black, smooth trunk, 20 to 30 feet in height, 
and surmounted by a huge crown of broad leaves interspersed or headed 
up with bunches of yellow blossom. This strange plant grew abundantly 
in the streamlet’s bed, and its trunk was so superficially rooted and so 
rotten that, in spite of its height and girth, I could pull it down with 
one hand.” 
GRAPES CRACKING. 
J UST a few more lines anent this question and I have done with it. 
Mr. Mclndoe quotes from my book on the Vine to show that when 
there is an excess of sap sent into Grapes they burst and the sap drips 
from them, and, therefore, excess of sap is not the cause of the splitting of 
dhe Duke, because no sap drops from it when it bursts. 
I hope Mr. Mclndoe will on reflection see that there is not the smallest 
analogy between the two cases. In that referred to in my book they 
were the Grapes of the previous season, hanging on Vines just bursting 
their buds in April. The berries had no assimilating powers, and the 
sap was crude, just as it came up from the roots, and entered the berries 
as it would enter a bladder and burst it if fixed on a part of the Vine 
recently cut. This case has almost nothing in common with a Vine in 
full leaf and berries not yet ripe with full assimilating powers. For the 
sake of experiment I nearly cut the laterals through between the bunches 
•and the main stem of the Vine. From these wounds the sap dripped 
rapidly, and such berries as were not already split remained whole. 
The cracking of the Grapes in the tent at Manchester may possibly be 
accounted for by the great heat they were subjected to, causing the fluids 
they contained to expand, so as to cause their skins, already sorely tried, 
to give way. This is a more likely theory than that their skins, glutton 
like, of their own free will absorbed more moisture than they could 
contain. 
When the Royal Horticultural Society held a great provincial show at 
iLeicester the day was excessively hot, as many will remember—91° in the 
shade. Dr. Hogg and I judged fruit in a very hot tent, and vegetables 
in a bell-shaped tent, where the temperature was 110°, and I can conceive 
that such a temperature might so expand fluids as to make the skin of a 
Grape already under great tension give way. 
Notwithstanding what Mr. Mclndoe says of the gimlet, I shall, with 
many others, have recourse to it, proving as it does a perfect remedy for 
Grape-cracking.—W. Thomson. 
ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
The usual monthly meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday 
evening, the 15th inst., at the Institution of Civil Engineers, 25, Great 
George Street, Westminster, Mr. R. H. Scott, F.R.S., President, in the chair, 
when the following papers were read :— 
1, “Reportof Committee on Decrease of Water Supply.” This Committee 
was appointed to take into consideration the question of the decrease of 
water in springs, streams, and rivers, and also the simultaneous rise of the 
flood level in cultivated countries. As far as any inference can be drawn 
from the records collected by the Committee it appears that the years 1820, 
1821, 1824,1835,1838,1845, 1847, 1850, 1854, 1855, 1858,1859, 1864, 1865,1871, 
1874, 1875, and 1884 have been periods of marked low water. On the other 
hand, the years 1817, 1825, 1830, 1836, 1841, 1842,1853,1860, 1861, 1866, 1873, 
1877, 1879,1881, and 1883, have been periods when there has been exception¬ 
ally high water. In 1852 the water was very low in the early part of the 
year, while at the end of the year it was very high. In the intervening 
periods the water has been of moderate altitude. It does not appear from 
existing records that there is any diminution in the water supply of this 
country, and the large quantity of water which has been stored or has 
flowed off the ground between 1876 and 1884 is confirmatory of this view. 
There appear, however, to be periods when there is exceptionally low 
water, and these are almost immediately followed by periods of exceptionally 
high water. With reference to the iricrease of floods, it does not appear 
from the records that there is any great increase in the height to which the 
floods rise in this country. Whether or not the height to which floods have 
Tisen in recent years has been affected by river improvements and the 
greater facility with which floods can be got rid of, or whether there is a 
diminution in the quantity of water, are questions upon which the Committee 
have not at present sufficient information to speak positively. 
2, “ Report of Committee on the Occurrences of the Helm Wind of Cross 
Fell, Cumberland, from 1871 to 1884.” In response to a letter inserted in 
the Penrith newspapers, the Committee has received a number of communi¬ 
cations bearing on the subject of the helm wind. With the view of ascer¬ 
taining as far as possible the meteorological conditions which exist when 
the helm wind is blowing, all the recorded occurrences that have been 
received have been chronologically arranged. The first systematic record 
commences in 1871, and in this report the Committee deals with all occur¬ 
rences from that date to the end of 1884. Since that time more detailed 
records have been commenced at numerous stations in the locality at the 
instigation of the Royal Meteorological Society. Ninety-three instances of 
the helm wind were recorded from 1871 to 1884; the months with the 
greatest frequency being February, March, April, and November. On 
examining the daily weather reports it was clearly seen that whenever the 
helm wind was blowing there was an easterly wind not only in the locality 
but generally over the entire country. As the helm wind seemed to occur 
so regularly with the easterly wind, the Committee further extended the 
inquiry with regard to the east wind. The daily weather charts were con¬ 
sequently examined for each day from January 1st, 1871, to December 31st, 
1884, and every occurrence of east wind tabulated ; the instances with 
general easterly conditions over the whole country being kept separate from 
those instances in which the easterly wind was only partial, though of 
sufficient intensity to occasion the helm wind. This examination showed 
that although the wind over the United Kingdom is generally easterly when 
ths helm occurs, yet the helm by no means occurs whenever the wind is 
easterly. Indeed, this step in the inquiry has not at all tended to the 
elucidation of the phenomenon in question, for it frequently happens that 
the conditions are to all appearances precisely similar when the helm is on, 
and yet no such occurrence has been recorded. This may in part be due to 
the occasional omission to record the helm, although it cannot possibly be 
in the main attributable to such an omission; but it points to other condi¬ 
tions being necessary besides absolute agreement of wind direction and 
isobaric lines. Possibly the different hygrometric qualities of the air with 
the existing easterly winds may be an important factor in deciding whether 
or no the helm will be formed; but it is not readily conceived why even in 
this case the helm wind should not blow. It must, however, be borne in 
mind that the surface winds can only be examined, whilst those at a com¬ 
paratively small elevation may be intimately connected with the phenomenon. 
From the observations made prior to those started at the beginning of 1885 
no idea can be formed of the behaviour of the upper currents even at the 
time of the occurrence of the helm winds, far less with the occurrence of 
each east wind experienced. The Society has, however, provided for the 
extension of the inquiry in this direction in the records which are now being 
collected, the observers supplying observations of the upper currents by 
means of the clouds, as well as the direction of the winds at the surface of 
the earth. As soon as a sufficient number of these observations have been 
received, the Committee hopes to present a further report which will tend to 
explain the phenomenon of the helm wind. 
3, “ Results of Meteorological Observations made at Assuncion, Paraguay,” 
by R. Strachan, F.R.Met.Soc. 
ANNUALS FOR A GARDEN NEAR THE SEA. 
Although much has been effected of late years in making residences 
near the sea more enjoyable and interesting to a lover of flowers, it is 
matter of regret that so little is done to make these resorts more gay by 
the freer use of flowering plants. This may be due in a great measure to 
the failures that have attended the planting of trees, shrubs, and flowering 
plants of an unsuitable character, and which, as might have been ex¬ 
pected, have not succeeded. Nevertheless, we have seen some very 
interesting and even gay gardens near the sea, especially of the class 
desired by your correspondent, “ R. G.” 
Hardy annuals are, no doubt, wanted, and of those Alyssum maritmum 
does well, the flowers of which are white and sweet-scented ; Calendula 
pluvialis, white; C. officinalis Meteor, yellow and brown ; C. officinalis 
Prince of Orange, orange striped. All the Candytufts do well, and so do 
the Eschscholtzias. The Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), and the 
Chrysanthemum tricolor vars. do moderately well. Collinsia bicolor and 
others of the genus are usually satisfactory, similar remarks applying to 
Olarkias, Gilias, and Godetias. Perhaps the finest show is made by the 
Indian Pinks, but these to flower the first year well should be raised in 
heat, whilst as biennials their varied hues are delightful from an early 
period of summer. Erysimum Peroffskianum and Lasthenia californica 
produce their yellow flowers freely. Limnanthes Douglassi and Malope 
trifida and var. alba are useful. Mathiola bicornis for its scent is well 
worth place, and the Tom Thumb varieties of Tropaeolum are bright and 
telling, and Mignonette is indispensable. Lupinus nanus and var. alba, 
Saponaria calabrica and var. alba, the many vars. of Silene pendula are 
compact-growing and effective. Senecio elegans var. is very free, and 
Virginian Stock, with its white variety, is superb. Antirrhinums, if sown 
early, will flower the first year and do well, whilst for spring flowering 
there is nothing to surpass Wallflowers.— Seaside Frequenter. 
CATTLEYA SKINNERI AT ELMER’S LODGE, 
BECKENHAM. 
Probably no other genus of the Orchid family can compete with the 
Cattleyas in the remarkable gorgeousness and richness of colour dis¬ 
played in their blooms. The utmost richness and depth of colour to be 
found in the blooms of such charming species as C. gigas, Mendeli, 
Trianse, Mossise, Dowiana, and others of the same type. Most deservedly, 
then, are the foregoing species held in high esteem. There are, however, 
other species of the genus Cattleya which, although not so gorgeous in 
size or colour of bloom, are nevertheless well worthy of the attention 
of the orchidist. We refer to that well-known C. Skinneri, which may 
truly be said to he one of the most floriferous and not the least showy of 
the genus. Unfortunately the colour is not so popular with the ladies. 
Cattleya Skinneri, notwithstanding these objections, is showy and useful, 
and blooms at an opportune time, when our stoves need a display of 
colour to render them bright and attractive. 
Imagine the effect produced by a house containing plants of this 
species carrying in the aggregate over 500 expanded blooms. Such a 
display I saw the other day in a small Orchid house in the gardens of 
J. Goddard, Esq, Elmer’s Lodge, Beckenham. The plants, with one 
exception, which had twenty-five pseudo-bulbs, were not large, but were 
thoroughly healthy, the pneudo-bulbs of some being remarkably fine, one 
being 14 inches long. The largest specimen was carrying five spikes, 
each with ten flowers, which were of good substance and very rich colour, 
evidently a superior variety. One of the most notable features of these 
is the comparative ease with which the gardener, Mr. Reed, manages 
them. There is no scientific skill, so to speak, practised in their culture. 
Many of them are growing in the same pots which they have occupied for 
years, the surface of the compost being covered with a fine species of 
