476 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ November 23 , im. 
the feet dry during the inclement period, and at the same time 
provide us with the means of doing so—so far, at least, as any 
application to the leather can secure that desirable object. We 
have now used this dubbing for two winters, and the experience 
thus gained confirms the accuracy of our first expressions relative 
to its efficacy. For the convenience of gardeners arrangements 
have been made with several of the leading nurserymen and 
seed firms to include this useful article in their lists of garden 
requisites. 
- Thbee houses, each 100 feet long, in Messrs. H. Cannell’s 
nursery are filled with healthy plants of the Swanley strains 
op Primulas —red, white, and purple—each an exhibition in 
itself. Swanley Red is a strikingly handsome variety of dwarf, 
compact, sturdy habit, very floriferous, with fine trusses of richly 
coloured blooms which, when seen in the long lines of plants, has 
almost a scarlet tint, so great is its brilliancy. As a really showy 
variety of unusual excellence this merits every commendation, 
and similar praise is deserved by Swanley White, which has large 
flowers of admirable form, great substance, and a pure dense 
white that is rendered even more conspicuous by the dark leaves 
and petioles—the latter a rather uncommon character in white 
varieties of Primulas. Swanley Purple was not fully developed 
at the time of our visit, but what flowers were expanded prove it 
to be of considerable merit, the colour being so deep and rich. 
These, with Lilacina, form the bulk of the stock ; but other varie¬ 
ties are grown, some very promising and novel seedlings being 
observable, several with dotted flowers and one with a bronze 
zone. 
- “ W. L. H.” writes as follows respecting Capsicum Wil¬ 
liams’ “ Little Gem —“ This is a valuable addition to our 
list of berried plants, which are so useful during the winter 
months for decoration in the conservatory or house, at a season 
when there is such a scarcity of plants in flower. The berries, 
which are but little larger than peas, are of a bright red colour, 
and are produced in great profusion over the upper surface of the 
branches. The plant is of dwarf compact habit, and in this 
respect as well as in its freer fruiting properties is much in 
advance of Solanum Capsicastrum.” 
- A SECOND EXHIBITION OP HORTICULTURAL APPLI¬ 
ANCES at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, is announced 
to be held from March 15th to 21th, 1883. In addition to the 
exhibits not in competition, prizes will be offered in fourteen 
classes for flowering plants, evergreens, dinner-table decorations, 
&c.; a first and second prize, consisting of gold and silver medals, 
value respectively six and three guineas, or money prizes of 
equal value, being offered in each. Schedules and particulars 
can be obtained from the Manager, Mr. J. H. Raffety, at the 
Agricultural Hall. 
- A correspondent writing from Biggleswade observes 
that they had a sudden change in the weather in the early 
morning of the 16th inst., with a fall of 3 inches of snow, which, 
however, soon melted. Slender-growing shrubs have, however, 
suffered to some extent from the weight of snow. The river Ivel 
has ovei flowed its banks ; consequently low-lying districts are 
again very much flooded, which has seriously impeded farming 
and gardening operations. 
- The following note has been forwarded to us for publica¬ 
tion relative to the search for a Chrysanthemum show :— 
“ Having observed in the list of coming events in the last issue of 
the Journal that the Leicester Chrysanthemum Show was to be 
held last Friday, I entered the town with the object of visiting 
the Exhibition and noting the character of the blooms in the mid¬ 
lands. In response to an inquiry the porter said, ‘ There is no 
show in the town to-day, sir.’ The company’s carman was then 
appealed to as a ‘ man who would know if anyone did,’ but his 
verdict was, ‘ No show in this town.’ An application to a police¬ 
man brought the same answer. A cabman was then hailed, with 
a request to drive to the Chrysanthemum Show. ‘ Don’t know 
about a ’zanth’um show,’ quoth cabby, ‘ but Harrison’s has a 
tonnup show there,’ pointing with his whip, ‘ and there’s nout to 
pay.’ So the ‘ tonnup ’ show I entered, and in addition to a 
really grand exhibition of roots found a small bill announcing 
that a Chrysanthemum and Celery Show, open to all England, 
was being held that day in the Hazel Street Board School, Ayle- 
ston Road. After a journey of a mile in the tram the school was 
found—an imposing building, but the doors were locked and * the 
man gone home,’ as a cluster of children informed me. They 
also had seen gentlemen take some boxes in, but nobody was there 
now. This was undoubtedly so, and I left Leicester under the 
impression that the shows are conducted in a very quiet manner 
there, and that visitors were not particularly desired, or some 
slight means would have been adopted to have brought the Ex¬ 
hibition to the notice of, say, local policemen and cabmen, who are 
usually supposed to be acquainted with local events. But Har¬ 
rison’s Royal Midland Root Show, I repeat, was splendid, and 
finer, firmer, cleaner examples of Turnips, Swedes, Kohl Rabi, 
Leicester Red Celery, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, &c., have seldom 
been seen than in the tent near the market place, which was 
crowded with appreciative visitors.” 
- Ch. Lorenz of Erfurt announces that he is sending out 
a THREE-COLOURED CELERIAC (APIUM GRAYEOLENS TRICOLOR), 
which he describes as follows :—“ In general it resembles the old 
soup Celery, but its vigorous leaves, of a deep glossy green, are 
richly and most elegantly streaked with a silver grey hue in the 
middle of the leaflets, with a broad creamy white margin.” 
It is recommended for decorative purposes in gardens and for 
garnishing. 
-A correspondent advises that “Hydrangea Thomas 
Hogg should be grown by every gardener having a conservatory 
to furnish. It is easily grown into large specimens, showing 
flower at every shoot, no matter how weak it is. We had a speci¬ 
men last season in a 14-inch pot, and which had bloomed two suc¬ 
cessive seasons in the same pots. It was 6 feet in diameter, and 
carried each time ninety large heads of bloom. It was kept well 
supplied with liquid manure after showing bloom.” 
- The opening meeting of the session of the Meteoro¬ 
logical Society was held on Wednesday evening, the 15th inst., 
at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Mr. J. K. Laughton, F.R.A.S., 
President, in the chair. Eleven new Fellows were elected—viz., 
Rev. J, Brunskill, F. B. Buckland, C. F. Casella; W. H. M. Christie, 
F.R.S.; A. Cresswell, R. S. Culley, C. Morris, 0. L. O’Connor; 
H. Parker, F.Z.S.; A. Rowntree, and D. R. Sharpe. The papers read 
were :—1, “ On Certain Types of British Weather,” by the Hon. 
Ralph Abercromby, F.M.S. The author shows that there is a ten¬ 
dency of the weather all over the temperate zone to occur in spells, 
associated with certain types of pressure-distribution. In Great 
Britain there are at least four persistent types—the southerly, the 
westerly, the northerly, and the easterly. In spite of much fluc¬ 
tuation one or other of these types will often continue for weeks 
together, and tend to recur at the same date every year. The 
value of the recognition of type groups is shown in the following 
ways :—(1) They explain many phenomena of weather and many 
popular prognostics. (2) In some cases they enable forecasts to 
be issued with greater certainty and for a longer time ahead. 
(3) We can by their means correct statistical results by giving the 
real test of identity of recurrent weather, which no single item, 
such as heat, cold, rain, &c., can do. (4) They enable us to treat 
such geological questions as the influence of changing distribution 
of land and sea on climate in a more satisfactory manner than 
