October 20, 1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 357 
Chrysanthemum Society will hold their annual Exhibition 
in the Victoria Rooms, Clifton, Bristol, on Nov. 16th and 17th. 
Prizes are offered for all the chief sections of Chrysanthemums ; 
miscellaneous cut flowers, plants, and fruit also being provided 
for. Special prizes form a distinct feature, over fifty being 
offered in twenty classes. An Exhibition of Chrysanthemums 
and fruit will also be held at Bath in the Assembly Rooms 
on Nov. 23rd and 24th. 
-The annual meeting of the Durham, Northumberland, and 
Newcastle Horticultural and Botanical Society was held in the 
Alexandra Hotel, Clayton Street, Newcastle, under the presidency 
of Councillor Thos. Gray, the Treasurer. The balance sheet 
was read, which showed a deficiency of £396 Is. 3 d. ; this was 
partly accounted for by the inclemency of the weather during the 
Society’s shows. The Society this year held no autumn ex¬ 
hibition to keep expenses down, but in future they will be again 
continued. Considerable discussion arose as to sending mem¬ 
bers their tickets before their subscriptions were paid, for in the 
years 1878 and 1879 the Society lost over £120 by people not 
paying their subscriptions, and for the last two years they have 
not sent any till the money was paid ; but this was not found to 
act well, so the tickets will be sent as heretofore. The following 
members were elected on the Council for 1882—Messrs. Dinning, 
R. Beall, H. Majall, W. C. Forster, G. J. Dean, A. Tindall, and 
H. G. Watson. The Earl of Durham was elected President, and 
Alderman Foster Vice-President. 
- The following gardening appointments have recently 
been made—Mr. Thomas Richards, late gardener to Richard 
Paver Crow, Esq., Ornham’s Hall, Boroughbridge, Yorks, has been 
appointed head gardener to Mrs. B. P. Smith, Fern dale, Burgess 
Hill, Sussex ; and Mr. John Richardson, late gardener to E. F. 
Duncanson, Esq., Nutwood, Bickley Park, Bickley, Kent, has been 
appointed gardener to Count Gleichen, St. Bruno, Sunningdale, 
Berks. 
- Mr. G. Berry thus describes in the last issue of the 
Journal of Forestry a remarkable Silver Fir at Longleat. 
“Any tree that has attained a height of 144 feet in Britain may, 
I think, be fairly entitled to be considered remarkable. Such 
was the height of a Silver Fir cut down on Saturday, September 
17th. It was the highest tree in Longleat Park (probably the 
loftiest tree in Britain), and formed one of a group of nine Silver 
Firs, standing on rather an elevated level piece of ground. The 
site is fully exposed on the north-east side. Its dead withered 
top has been conspicuous in the group for several years, and it 
was evident from the appearance of the tree that it was gradually 
dying from the top downwards ; doubtless, however, the severity 
of last winter hastened its death. The belt is quite sound for 
about 60 feet up, where it divides into two heads. Although it 
was the highest tree in the group, it was by no means the finest 
and bulkiest specimen, as it only girthed 10 feet 10 inches at 
5 feet above the ground, and contained about 350 feet of timber ; 
whereas the largest tree measures 15 feet 3 inches at 5 feet up, 
and contains between 400 feet and 500 feet of timber ; its height 
is 138 feet, and it is still in full healthy vigour. The age of the 
group I should guess to be nearly two hundred years old.” 
- Land and Water gives the following account of the force 
exerted by fungi in raising heavy weights —“Some years 
ago the town of Basingstoke was paved, and not many months 
afterwards the pavement was observed to exhibit an unevenness 
which could not easily be accounted for. In a short time after¬ 
wards the mystery was explained, for some of the heaviest stones 
were completely lifted out of their beds by the growth of large 
Toadstools beneath them. One of these stones measured 22 inches 
by 21, and weighed 83 lbs., and the resistance afforded by the 
mortar which held it in its place would probably be even a greater 
obstacle than the weight. It became necessary to repave the 
whole town in consequence of this remarkable disturbance. A 
similar incident came under our own notice of a large kitchen 
hearthstone, which was forced up from its bed by an undergrowing 
fungus, and had to be relaid two or three times, until at last it 
reposed in peace, the old bed having been removed to the depth 
of 6 inches, and a new foundation laid.” 
•- From a number of districts communications have reached 
us relative to the Great Storm of the 14th inst. Never since 
the memorable 18th of January last, and the tornado that swept 
away the Tay Bridge, does the force of the wind appear to have 
been so destructive as last week. Gardens in all parts of the 
country have been considerably damaged, but the effects of the 
storm are most noticeable in the destruction of trees which has 
occurred. In the neighbourhood of the metropolis the parks 
have all suffered more or less in this respect, some of the 
oldest specimens of timber having been uprooted. Young and 
recently planted trees have also been greatly injured; in one 
instance, we are informed that several hundreds were com¬ 
pletely blown out of the soil. In Greenwich Park twenty-three 
large trees, principally Elms, were blown down, and about the 
same number of small trees, including several fine Hawthorns. 
The park in all directions was covered with large boughs. From 
St. Mary’s Gate to the Broad Walk six large Elms were down, 
and in the Broad Walk itself one large Elm completely blocked 
the way. But it was in the Green Walk, a little to the east 
of the Royal Observatory, that the greatest damage was done, 
and within a space of 200 yards in circumference not a tree 
was left standing. At Windsor many of the fine old Elms in 
the Long Walk suffered severely, large limbs being torn off 
by the wind. Many of the trees round Windsor Castle, in the 
Great Park, and at Virginia Water, were also uprooted. The 
gale did much damage to the timber in the various College 
grounds at Oxford. Four of the celebrated trees in the Broad 
Walk were destroyed, and twenty-four in the walks around 
Christ Church Meadow. At Leamiagton the ornamental trees in 
Jephson’s Gardens and the Holly Walk have suffered severely. 
Similar reports are received from all parts of Warwickshire. 
There has been a great destruction of timber on the Langley 
estates of Sir R. B. Harvey, M.P., and a correspondent of a daily 
contemporary states that “the woods look as though they had 
been subjected to a heavy artillery fire.” The Duke of Bedford’s 
park at Woburn has suffered in a similar manner, hundreds of 
trees having been torn up by the roots. The gale appears to have 
been felt with great severity near Coventry, for it is reported 
that within a radius of three miles of that town five hundred 
large trees have been uprooted. 
- From many other districts we hear similar accounts, but 
the three following letters from widely separated counties will 
convey some idea of the general prevalence of the storm. 
Mr. George R. Allis, Old Warden, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, 
writes— 
“ The gale of Friday, 14th inst., was severely felt here, uprooting 
several fine trees of Oaks, Elms, Cedars, and Arbor Vitaes in the 
pleasure grounds ; and the damage done to the trees in the park has 
made it a scene of desolation from every point of view. Large 
branches of Oaks and Elms have been tom off by the fury of the 
gale like matchwood. On a neighbouring estate a large Cedar of 
Lebanon has been blown on the conservatory adjoining the mansion, 
doing considerable damage to the mansion as well as the conservatory. 
Nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain fell on the preceding night.” 
Mr. W. Bardney, Norris Green, Liverpool, observes— 
“ On Friday last a terrific storm of wind, sleet, and rain was wit¬ 
nessed in this neighbourhood. From various accounts its fury was 
unprecedented since 1839. The damage done in the gardens here is 
considerable, the majority of the trees being broken and dashed con¬ 
siderably, while seven or eight were entirely uprooted. One fine old 
Elm, which had an immense symmetrical head and its lower branches 
sweeping the ground, was torn up with fully two tons of soil to the 
. 
