December 29, 1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
585 
partial darkness prevailing at the time ; but it was apparent that 
the bluish colour is being improved and deepened. The ultimate 
result if this progress be continued will, no doubt, be a very 
distinct race of Chinese Frimulas. 
-e recently announced that it was intended to make a 
Presentation to Mr. E. S. Dodwell on the occasion of his 
removal from the neighbourhood of London in consequence of his 
failing health. The Committee then formed with that intention 
obtained subscriptions to the amount of £108 6s. 6d., which en¬ 
abled them, after deducting '£3 G*\ G d. for expenses, to present 
Mr. Dodwell with a cheque for a hundred guineas. 
- Part 3 of Iconography of Indian Azaleas, which we 
have received from M. Auguste Yan Geert, contains coloured 
plates of Mdlle. Louisa de Iverchove, Camille Yervaene, and Roseo 
Picta, the last a very attractive variety with large well-formed 
flowers, white prettily streaked and dotted with bright rose. It 
is of German origin, said to have been obtained by M. Schultz 
from seed. The colouring of the flowers in each case is good, but 
the foliage has a rather unsatisfactory tint. 
•- A Primula Grower writes as follows upon supplying 
water to Primulas —“I find it very difficult to induce my 
young men to give proper attention to watering these plants, and as 
I grow a large number carelessness in this respect leads to rather 
serious results. With many plants the chief danger to which they 
are liable is a too liberal supply of water ; but in the case of 
my Primulas it is the opposite, for I believe they more frequently 
sutler from the soil being dry than from excess in the other direc¬ 
tion. The leaves of an apparently healthy plant will be seen to be 
drooping quite suddenly and unexpectedly ; it then in all proba¬ 
bility receives a thorough watering, and the consequence is that 
when subsequently turned out of the pot and examined the soil 
is found to be completely saturated and the roots apparently 
decayed. Now I consider that the roots are destroyed by the soil 
becoming too dry, and an application of water is then too late to 
enable the plant to recover. The rule I endeavour to enforce is 
that plants should be watered every morning when the soil is at 
all dry, and at this time of year at least once a week give them 
a thorough watering—that is, first select those which are dry, and 
then give them all an equal supply.” 
- Among the papers read at the last meeting of the Meteor¬ 
ological Society was one on the “Rainfall of Cherrapunji,’’ 
by Professor J. Eliot, M.A., F.M.S. Cherrapunji is notorious for 
its excessive rainfall, larger in amount, it is believed, than at any 
other place, so far as is known. Cherrapunji is a small Indian 
station, situated in the south-west of Assam on a small plateau 
forming the summit of one of the spurs of the Khasia hills. These 
hills rise on the south w r ith exceeding abruptness, and have the 
Bengal plains and lowlands at their base. Cherrapunji stands on 
the summit of one of these hills at an elevation of about 4100 feet. 
The hill on which it is situated rises precipitously from the low¬ 
lands of Cachar and Sylhet, which are barely 100 feet above sea 
level. During the SAY. monsoon the lower atmospheric current 
advanc’ng across the coast of Bengal has a direction varying be¬ 
tween S.S.W. and S.E. in lower and central Bengal. In thus ad¬ 
vancing almost directly towards the hills of western Assam the 
mountain ranges cause a very considerable deflection of the cur¬ 
rent. One portion is forced upwards as an ascending current 
with a velocity directly dependant upon the strength of the cur¬ 
rent in the rear, and upon other conditions which need not be 
enumerated. The rapid diminution of temperature which accom¬ 
panies expansion due to ascensional movement of air is usually 
followed by rapid condensation in the case of a moist current, 
such as the SAV. monsoon current. The normal annual rainfall 
in Cachar and in the plains of northern Bengal is about 100 inches. 
The average annual rainfall of Cherrapunji is 493 inches, that is 
393 inches in excess of that at the foot of hills on which it is 
situated. The rainfall of Cherrapunji is not due to any abnormal 
local conditions of atmospheric pressure, air movement, &c., but 
simply and solely owing to the presence of a vast mechanical ob¬ 
struction, which converts horizontal air motion into vertical air 
motion. 
- A writer in “ The Gardener ” gives the following note 
upon a little-known plant :—“ Of neat and pretty little trailing 
plants for a window or cool greenhouse I have one now in my 
mind’s eye (and, thanks to Mr. Moore of Glasnevin Gardens, in the 
greenhouse also), and that is of all things to be desired. I allude 
to the ‘blue-flowered Shamrock’ (anent which English 
name 1 am confident, having had it direct from the maker thereof), 
or as it is known of the botanist, Paroch^etus communis. For 
the benefit of those who do not know the plant under either of 
the above names I will liken it in habit to a plant of white Clover, 
also supposing that instead of the bossy heads of many white 
flowers only one bloom is produced at each axil of the creeping 
stem, and that one blossom of the size and colour of that of the 
‘ Chick Pea ’ or Chickling Yetch, yclept Lathyrus sativus in Latin, 
as opposed to the vulgar tongue. Now small blue Sweet Pea-like 
flowers, borne on slender stalks 2 or 3 inches high above a Clover¬ 
like tuft of Trefoil leaves, is, as I take it, a great if somewhat old- 
fashioned rarity, and as such I hereby most heartily commend it 
to all who care for plants of interest apart from bold colour 
effects.” 
-We learn that Mr. G. Bailey, late foreman at Trentham, 
succeeds Mr. Dell as gardener at Wyfold Court, Henley-on-Thames. 
Mr. J. Ellicott, late foreman at Syon, succeeds Mr. Harris as 
gardener to II. Tugwell, Esq., Crowe Hall, Bath. 
- We are informed that the following special prizes will 
be offered by Messrs Carter Sc Co., Seedsmen, High Holborn, 
London, at the various meetings of the Royal Horticultural So¬ 
ciety during next season—At the great summer Show, May 23rd, 
for the best fruit of Carter’s Blenheim Orange Melon — first 
prize, £2 2s. ; second prize, £1 10.?. ; third prize, 15*\ ; fourth 
prize, 10s. 6d. ; fifth prize, 7s. 6d. At the Pelargonium Society’s 
Show, June 27th, for the best four dishes of the following Peas 
(fifty pods each)—Carter’s Stratagem Pea, Carter’s Telephone 
Pea, Carter’s Pride of the Market Pea, Telegraph Pea—first prize, 
£5 ; second prize, £3 ; third prize, £2 ; fourth prize, £1; fifth 
prize, 10*’. Gd. At the Show of the Association, August 3rd, of 
British Bee-keepers, for the six pots of Tomatoes as follows— 
Carter’s Golden Drop, Carter’s Grapeshot, Carter’s Red Currant, 
Carter’s Dedham Favourite, Carter’s Greengage, Carter’s Holborn 
Ruby. At the winter meeting, December 12th, for the best 
twelve dishes of vegetables, to comprise twelve Onions, Golden 
Queen ; twelve Onions, Silver Ball; twelve Onions, Golden Globe ; 
twelve Turnips in variety ; three Cauliflowers, three Celery, fifty 
Brussels Sprouts, twelve Potatoes, six Carrots, six Parsnips, three 
Red Beet, six Leeks. First prize, £5 ; second prize, £3 ; third 
prize, £1 10.?.; fourth prize, £1 ; fifth prize, 10.?. ; sixth prize, 
7s. Gd. 
- A correspondent sends the following respecting Da¬ 
mage to Fruit Trees and other Crops by Smoke —“At the 
Sunderland County Court on Friday I6th inst., before Mr. Mey- 
nell, the County Court Judge, and a special Jury, Messrs. R. 
Gibson Sc Sons, market gardeners and nurserymen, sued Messrs. 
J. G. Kirkby & Co., brickmakers, for damages to their crops, 
alleged to have been sustained by the fumes and smoke of defen¬ 
dants’ brick kilns in Tunstall Lane, Sunderland. Mr. Stracha^ 
barrister-at-law, instructed by Mr. W. M. Skinner, solicitor, was 
for the plaintiffs, and Mr. Atherley Jones, barrister-at-law, 
