May 10, 1883 ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. £83 
-The Kingston and Surbiton Horticultural So¬ 
ciety will hold their nineteenth annual Show at The Woodbines, 
Kingston, on Thursday and Friday, July 5th and 6th, when 
prizes will be offered in ninety-nine classes for plants, flowers, 
fruits, and vegetables. The classes are in five sections—opem 
local, single-handed gardeners, amateurs, and cottagers. 
- Our attention has been called to the following remark¬ 
able statement concerning the price of Potatoes at the 
Antipodes. The West Australian Inquirer of March 14th says : 
—“ This week Potatoes have been sold wholesale at the extra¬ 
ordinary price of £21 10s. per ton, and yet our small farmers 
declare they cannot obtain a decent living. How is this ? ” In 
Tasmania in 1867 it is said the Potatoes were so plentiful that 
farmers in some cases carted their produce into the sea, the 
market being glutted. 
- Mr. Mallender, The Gardens, Hodsock Priory, Work¬ 
sop, Notts, sends us the following record of the weather in 
April :—“ Sunshine during the month, 13D7 hours, or 32 per 
cent, of possible duration—rather less than in the Aprils of 
the last two years. We had eleven bright and three sunless 
days. No rain fell during the first fortnight, but nearly 2 inches 
were registered during the last few days. Showers of hail, snow, 
and sleet fell on the 23rd. Total rainfall, 2'65 inches ; maximum 
fall in twenty-four hours (on 28th) 0 88 ; rain fell on eleven days. 
The temperature was above the average during the first fortnight, 
but low the later part of the month. The maximum on the 4th 
was 66 5, which is higher than has been recorded here in April 
since 1876. Mean temperature of month, 46.0° ; mean tempera¬ 
ture of air at 9 A.M., 47-3°; mean temperature of soil 1 foot deep, 
45-5°. Frosts have been frequent. The mercury of the thermo¬ 
meters on grass fell below 32? on fourteen nights, and in the 
shade on six nights. The season is very backward, and crops are 
growing very slowly.” 
- The Caterham Horticultural and Cottage 
Gardeners’ Society’s fifth annual Show will be held on 
Wednesday, July 25th, but the place has not yet been settled. 
Numerous prizes are offered in seventy-four classes. 
- The Rochdale Observer, after describing the success as 
an exhibitor of Auriculas of Mr, Richard Heys of Norden, at 
Manchester and Rochdale, and exhibiting for the first time at 
the last-named show his seedling Auricula Norden Hero, 
remarks :—“ Looking at the specimens from the wall was the 
likeness of the late Jane Clough of Bagslate (aunt to Mr. Heys), 
clutching tightly a flower pot containing a favourite plant; 
bearing out the remark oft repeated in the room that she was 
a ‘ terrible Auricula grower for sure.’ ” 
- The Ceylon Observer gives the following graphic descrip¬ 
tion of the scenery near Colombo in the Polgahawela- 
Kurunegala district:—“The view from the highest points of 
Udapolla is very beautiful. Standing on a knoll, and looking down 
as the sunset spreading a rich glow over the landscape around, 
at our feet lay the sheet of dark-green Coffee covered with crop 
and blossom, from which a delightful perfume arose, while wider 
apart the rows of Cocoa were beautifully contrasting their pale 
green and delicate pink leaves with those of the Coffee ; farther 
away lay the paddy of the native villagers partly cut; the cattle 
grazing lazily on the rich store of succulent grass, hitherto for¬ 
bidden, but to-day laid open by the sickle of the shearer ; and 
partly covered with a bountiful crop of ripe golden grain, which 
shall in a few days be all cut and stored ; here and there the 
smoke from the houses of the villagers curled slowly upwards 
in the still evening air, the houses themselves hidden in topes 
of graceful Palm trees, while the clearly defined outline of the 
Kurunegala hills in the background, reflecting the last glances 
of the setting sun, completed a picture of singular variety and 
beauty.” 
- At a recent meeting of the Royal Society Sir Joseph 
Hooker exhibited some ancient Egyptian garlands he had 
received from Dr. Schweinfurth. They were from the tombs of 
Rameses II. and other kings, whose mummies were recently 
found at Thebes. These garlands are chiefly formed of leaves 
of Mimusops Schimperi, and petals of Nymphaca coerulea and 
Lotus sewn together with fibres of Date leaf; others of the 
leaves of Salix Safraf, with pods and flowers of Acacia nilotica, 
Sesbania mgyptiaca, and Carthamus tinctorius, and petals of 
Alcea ficifolia. 
- The florists’ shops in Covent Garden Market usually 
contain some most tasteful Bouquets, but occasionally they dis¬ 
play some with very remote pretensions to beauty. An example 
of the latter kind we observed a few days since, which deserves 
notice only that it may be avoided. A number of handsome 
Camellias, white Roses, white Azaleas, Gardenias, Stephanotis, 
and Lilies of the Yalley were arranged in a bouquet with a few 
yellow Polyanthus Narcissus, and would have been all that could 
be desired alone. Unfortunately, however, the whole effect was 
completely spoiled by a ring of Erica Cavendishiana blooms, 
which at the best are by no means suitable for delicate bouquets; 
but when dull-coloured, as these were, and possessing quite a 
greenish tinge, they had a most obnoxious dingy appearance. 
In striking contrast to this was a wreath of choice white flowers, 
with a few blooms of a large dark violet Pansy, which had a 
most pleasing effect. A bouquet in the aesthetic style was also 
notable. It was composed of Marshal Niel Roses, Etoile d’Or 
Chrysanthemums, Bulbocodiums, Dendrobium densiflorum, and 
other yellow flowers, with a number of small bronzy Ivy leaves* 
and a few Fern fronds. 
- In one of the fruiterers’ shops in Covent Garden we 
recently noticed some fruits of the Murucuja, also known as 
the Laurel-leaved Granadilla, Pomme de Liane, Honeysuckle 
and Water Lemon. These are the produce of Passiflora lauriflora, 
which is found in the West Indies and South America. The 
plant is much cultivated for the sake of its fruit, which is about 
the size of a hen’s egg, but rather more elongated, and tapering 
equally at both ends ; when ripe, it is yellow and dotted over 
with white spots. It contains a whitish watery pulp, which, in 
the West Indies, is usually sucked through a small hole made 
in the rind, which is tough, soft, and thin ; the juice has a 
peculiar aromatic flavour and delicately acid. It is very agree¬ 
able to the taste, and is much relished by Europeans as well as 
by the natives. It quenches thirst, allays heat, induces an 
appetite, and elevates the spirits. 
- The Braintree and Booking Horticultural So¬ 
ciety will hold an Exhibition of plants, flowers, and fruits in 
the grounds of Booking Place, Braintree, the seat of Sydney 
Courtauld, Esq., on July 12th. In addition to prizes in sixty-one 
classes, special prizes comprising two silver cups, value each 
three guineas, will be given for collections of stove and green¬ 
house plants. 
- In addition to the exhibitors in the horticultural 
section of the Furniture Trades Exhibition in the Agri¬ 
cultural Hall, recorded last week, are Messrs. J. G. Rollins & Son, 
Old Swan Wharf, London Bridge, lawn mowers ; W. S. Deards, 
patent boiler works, Harlow, Essex ; Reynolds & Co., wirework 
manufacturers, 57, New Compton Street, London ; the “ Simplex ” 
(Patent Leaf-lifter) Company, Goudhurst, Kent; Dodds & Robb, 
horticultural builders, 124, City Road, London ; Deane & Co. 
46, King William Street, London Bridge, garden furniture; 
H. G. Smythe, horticultural sundriesman, 17a, Coal Yard, Drury 
