June 29, 1882.1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
539 
arrangement was needlessly large but excellent; it was inverted 
saucer-shaped, and exactly 18 inches in diameter exclusive of the 
fringe of Ferns. With these it would measure 2 feet, following the 
curve of the flowers. It comprised one or two Eucharises, white Car¬ 
nations, Odontoglossums, Phalsenopses, Tabernaamontanas, and white 
Lapagerias, filled in, but not too closely packed, with Bouvardias and 
Tuberoses. This was the only really superior bouquet in the class, 
the other prizewinners only being fairly good, and those left out too 
smoothly formed with Stephanotis that had a more or less dingy 
appearance, and they deserved their fate. Of ball bouquets there 
were ten, some of them large, laboured, closely packed, and rich. 
These were rightly passed in favour of simpler arrangements. The 
first prize went to a bouquet formed wholly with pale pink and 
scarlet Cloves, not mixed, but in groups of each colour, relieved with 
buds and foliage of the same plants rising above the flowers, and 
a light fringe of Ferns. This was beautiful by its simplicity, and 
fragrant, yet too lumpy. The second was a mixed collection of stove 
and greenhouse flowers ; the third a group of crimson and yellow 
Roses with a rather incongruous mixture of Utricularias, which 
probably lost it the second position. We are not amongst those who 
dissented from the awards in this class, as the bouquets which con¬ 
tained many Orchids were much too smooth and crowded. 
Prizes were offered for furnished rustic vases, but nothing striking 
was produced ; and for furnished windows, which brought out some 
grotesque and toy-like examples not worth the space they occupied. 
Messrs. Cutbush & Sons easily secured the first position in the class 
for groups of plants, and they were the only exhibitors in the class 
for a furnished tent, as if for a ball or reception, with a good airange- 
ment. Four prizes of £10, £7, £5, and £3 with medals 
were offered in this class, but they failed to tempt exhi¬ 
bitors. 
The decorations were chiefly arranged in the large 
marquee, the tables being placed in the recesses of the 
grass banks. The centre of the tent was formed into a 
Rose garden by Mr. George Paul, who filled the five large 
crescent-shaped beds with Roses in pots, Ferns, and 
Oleanders. Twelve hundred plants were employed, nine 
hundred of them Roses in 6 and 7-inch pots, the plants 
dwarf and blooms fine. Neat wicker baskets on tripod 
stands were filled with Roses, and arranged with Palms 
and Oleanders at the back of the groups, the whole 
having a most beautiful effect. We have no space for 
enumerating the varieties, but one Rose, the White 
Baroness, is referred to in another column. Some ad¬ 
mirable groups of Todeas, exhibited by Messrs. E. G. 
Henderson & Sons, contributed greatly to the attractive¬ 
ness of the tent. 
mometers were transferred to a crib erected in front of the south-west 
window of the transit circle room. This crib is well ventilated, except 
on the side next the transit room window, but the great mass of solid 
masonry in the immediate neighbourhood of the thermometers ap¬ 
pears seriously to affect the range of temperature. For many years a 
Glaisher stand has been in use, and at the end of 1880 the author 
caused a Stevenson screen to be erected in its immediate neighbour¬ 
hood. In this paper the author gives results of observations made in 
the window (Stevenson and Glaisher screens) during the year 1881, 
from which it is evident that the exposure of the thermometers in the 
window crib gives a distinctly smaller and on the Glaisher stand a 
larger daily range of temperature than in the Stevenson screen. 
3, “ Some Account of a Cyclone in the Mozambique Channel 
January 14th to 19th, 1880,” by C. S. Hudson. 
4, “ Rainfall of Frere Town, Mombassa, East Coast of Africa, 1875 
to 1881,” by R. H. Twigg, M.Inst.C.E., F.M.S. 
SILKWORMS AND SILKWORM REARING.—11. 
(Continued from page 498.) 
In the west-end parks of London, and also in one or two of the 
fashionable squares, are to be seen a few average specimens of the 
Ailanthns tree, which does not on the whole suffer from the con¬ 
ditions that vegetable life has to submit to within the metropolitan 
district. It has also been planted elsewhere in parks, shrubberies, 
and gardens, though as yet scarcely a popular acquisition. That 
THE METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
The closing meeting of this Society for the present 
session was held on the 21st inst. at the Institute of 
Civil Engineers; Mr. J. K. Laughton, F.R.A.S., Pre¬ 
sident, in the chair. The following papers were read :— 
1, “A New Metal Screen for Thermometers,” by the 
Rev. F. W. Stow, M.A., F.M.S. This screen differs from 
the ordinary Stevenson in the following respects :—(1) 
It is somewhat larger. (2) It has a single set of double 
zinc louvres. (3) It is partially closed at the bottom 
to cut off radiation from the ground. The advantages 
claimed for the use of zinc louvres are :—(1) The con¬ 
ductivity of metal causes the heat derived from the sun’s 
rays to be distributed over every part of the louvres. 
(2) The louvres being much thinner than those of wood 
the circulation of air through the screen is not only much 
greater absolutely, but much greater also in proportion 
to the bulk of the louvres. (3) The zinc louvres, therefore, are much 
more sensitive to changes of temperature than wooden ones. Com¬ 
parative readings of thermometers in this screen along with those^ in 
an ordinary Stevenson screen were made during the summer of 1881. 
From these the author is of opinion that the Stevenson becomes 
unduly heated when the sun shines, but this may be as much due to 
its small size as to the material of which the louvres are made. The 
thermometers in it are only 3 to 5 inches from the louvres at the back 
of the screen against 7 to 8 inches in the zinc screen. The roof, too, is 
single, and the box is open at the bottom. The author also says that 
there is no need to condemn all wooden screens, but there does seem 
to be some reason to think that screens with metal louvres might be 
better. 
2, “ On the Effect of Different Kinds of Thermometer Cribs, and of 
Different Exposures in Estimating the Diurnal Range of Temperature 
at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope,” by David Gill, LL.D., 
F.R.A.S. Meteorological observations were commenced at.the Cape 
Observatory in 1841, when the thermometers were placed in a well- 
ventilated crib before a south window, through which they could be 
used. The buildings were unfortunately burnt in 1852. A small 
wooden house with double roof and affording a free passage of air 
was then erected on the site of the old Meteorological Observatory. 
The instruments were placed in the middle of this building, and 
observations were recommenced on the same plan as before, and con¬ 
tinued until the end of August, 1858. On September 1st the ther¬ 
ig. 108. 
may be partly because the novelties amongst shrubs and trees are 
so numerous. Perhaps it is partly owing to its value being insuf¬ 
ficiently knowD, for the species in question—viz., the Ailanthus 
glandulosa, has no dislike to the atmosphere of large towns and 
its sterile soil. In appearance it is agreeable to the eye if not 
strikingly ornamental. The glossy leaves might suggest to us 
some association between the tree and a silken product, the Ailan¬ 
thus being, in fact, the special food of one of the silkworms we 
have to notice, the Bombyx or Attacus Cynthia, of which eggs, 
larvae, and cocoons are represented in fig. 108. 
Ailanthus glandulosa has, however, two names in our vernacular, 
though not, I believe, originated on our shores, nor do we often 
hear them applied to it. They are quite in contrast with each 
other, since it has been called the “ Tree of Heaven ” and the 
“ False Japan Varnish Tree.” Occurring in various parts of Asia, 
it appears to have its habitat towards the north of that continent, 
and flourishes especially in China. Hence the Chinese have for a 
time of uncertain length been engaged in producing silk for the 
market that has been obtained from the cocoons of the Ailanthus 
worm, an article which has been styled Ailantine. I he silk spun 
by this species, A. Cynthia, is to be recognised by its great soft¬ 
ness ; also both fabric and skeins, as obtained in China, indicate 
that the thread is reeled or wound by the dexterous natives. From 
