114 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ All glut 7, 1800. 
should not b3 crippled for root room, using good rich soil for the 
occasion.—A. 
Events of the Week. —On Tuesday next the Committee meetings 
-of the Royal Horticultural Society will be held in the Drill Hall, James 
Street, Westminster ; and a meeting of the Williams’ Memorial Fund 
•Committee will be held at the Horticultural Club at 2 p.m. on the same 
day. 
- Late Communications. —In consequence of the pressure 
incidental to the holiday season, several communications arrived too late 
for insertion in the present issue of the Journal of Horticulture. 
London Parks and Gardens. —We are informed that the 
London County Council have not appointed a Superintendent of the Parks 
and Gardens under their jurisdiction from any of the forty-nine appli- 
•cants for the position, and that the whole question is deferred for 
further consideration. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —At a meeting of the Com. 
mittee held at the Horticultural Club on Friday evening last, William 
Marshall, Esq., Bexley, was unanimously elected as the successor of the 
late Mr. George Deal. Mr. Marshall has been a member of the Council 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, and is the able Chairman of one of 
its Committees. Though free from all business engagements, Mr. 
Marshall is an active business man, and the Committee feel fortunate 
in securing his services as Chairman of the Fund during the ensuing 
year. The recent anniversary dinner was financially successful, and 
it was decided to invest the sum of £500 in consols. 
Bank Holiday in London. —Monday last being a fine 
summer s day the parks, gardens, and open spaces in the metropolitan 
district were attended by thousands of visitors. In the beautiful park 
of Canon Bridges at Beddington a cottagers’ flower and vegetable Show 
was held, mainly through the exertions of A. H. Smee, Esq., who is 
•Chairman of the District Cottagers’ Horticultural Society. Suitable 
amusements were also provided, and crowds of visitors attended. The 
prizes awarded, also for allotments and cottage gardens, were distri¬ 
buted by the esteemed Canon, who rejoices in seeing all his neighbours 
nappy around him. Nearly £50 was taken for admittance to the park. 
It is stated that 100,000 persons visited Kew Gardens. 
-- Gardening Appointments.— Mr. D. Tapp, late gardener 
to R. S. W. Sitwell, Esq., Stainsby House, Smallry, Derby, has been 
appointed head gardener to Colonel Sturt, Llanvihangel Court, Aber¬ 
gavenny, Monmouthshire. 
Cibotium Schiedel— In the tropical fernery at Abberley 
Hall, Stourport, is a large and handsome specimen of this Fern. 
It requires plenty of space to show its character. In the fernery 
mentioned it is planted out on a high rock, as if planted low its beauty 
would be partially lost. All the Ferns are planted out on a well 
arranged and artistic rockery, and which has a pleasing effect. 
Davallia bissecta. —Amongst several varieties of Davallias 
planted in the above fernery this is the most vigorous. It covers a 
space of 2 or 3 square yards, and is very healthy. The rhizomes creep 
over the surface of the rock, and attach themselves very firmly. Mois¬ 
ture is abundantly applied, and which is all it has for support. This is 
ohe F ern which is largely used by florists for greenery in wreaths, &c. 
Those who have only grown it in pots or pans have no idea of its 
vigour.—J. 
Cracking in Melons. —It is annoying after having grown a 
good crop of Melons to have the fruits crack just previous to the last 
stage of ripening. Various reasons are assigned for this defect, and 
also remedies to combat the evil. Too much moisture at the roots is 
the generally accepted cause, and to combat this cutting through the 
fruit-bearing lateral is recommended. Too much moisture at the 
•roots I am not prepared to admit is the cause of the evil, as we 
are in the habit of applying more water to the roots than most 
people, but there is far more danger in closing the ventilators 
early in the afternoon, and running up the temperature above the 
point it reached before the ventilators were closed. I have proved 
this in our own case, as at one time we were in want of a fruit 
at a certain date, and to hasten the ripening I closed the house so as to 
retain the sun heat, with the result of having cracked fruits the follow¬ 
ing morning. Warmth in the pipes and air as recommended by me 
for preventing scalding and cracking of Grapes will also prevent crack¬ 
ing in Melons.— A. Young. 
- The Partiality of the Rain. —It seems to me, from read¬ 
ing the various meteorological reports from different parts of the 
country, that the rainfall of 1890 has been extremely variable and 
partial. Our first really good rain of the year was on July 17th, when 
we registered l - 60 inch, on the 18th we registered 0 30 inch, making 
nearly 2 inches in forty-eight hours. Till then the rain had not reached 
the depth of the roots of the early Potatoes we were digging. Our rain¬ 
fall for the first six months of 1890 is as follows—viz., January 29G 
inches, February 072 inch, March l - 06 inch, April 1 - 6G inch, May 2'09 
inches, June DG6 inch. 
- I regret to say that Potato Disease has made its appear¬ 
ance in this district and seems spreading very fast, but trust we may 
get dry summ er-like weather, which may arrest its progress. I mean to 
try a French remedy—viz., 1 lb. blue vitriol in ten gallons water, and 
3 lbs, lime dissolved in two quarts boiling water mixed together, to be 
sprayed over the tops with fine-rose watering pot. Its application is 
easy and the materials cheap, and in common use for dressing seed Wheat. 
—R. Maher, Yattendon Court Gardens, Newbury. 
- July Weather in Sussex. —The total rainfall at Cuckfield, 
Mid-Sussex, for the past month was 372 inches, being DOG inch 
above the average. The heaviest fall was V06 inch on the 4th, Rain 
fell on eighteen days. The highest temperature was 75° on the 23rd, 
lowest 42° on the 4th. Mean maximum G51°, mean miniumum 501° ; 
mean temperature 57'G°, partial shade temperature 2° under the average. 
Little rain fell after the 19th, and we had one fine week from that date, 
and things have much improved. 
- July Weather in Hertfordshire.—M r. E. Wallis, The 
Gardens, Hamels Park, Buntingford, Herts, writes :—“The past month 
here has been noted for the great amount of rainfall and dull cold days, 
rain falling incessantly the first half of the month. The nights have 
been generally very cold, thermometer falling on many mornings nearly 
to freezing point, and tender plants, such as Iresine, have shed their 
leaves and become little else than bare stems. On eleven dajs the 
thermometer rose no higher than 65°, and in some days not above 60°. 
The highest point reached during the month was 76°, and that only 
upon one occasion. The total amount of rainfall for the month was 
481 inches.” 
- Roman Hyacinths. —The flowers of Roman Hyacinths are 
especially valuable in November and all through the darkest winter 
months when white and sweet-scented flowers are scarce. They are so 
useful for cutting for many purposes, the spikes either being used alone, 
or individual flowers wired and used singly in bouquets. It is necessary, 
in order to have flowers early, or from November onwards, that batches 
of bulbs be potted, according to the demand, from August to October • 
Early potting is practised, so that the bulbs can have a fairly long 
period in which to make a quantity of healthy roots, without which no 
bulbs intended for forcing can be expected to flower well. The earlier 
any kind of bulb is forced the more roots it needs to make before top 
growth, and then success in flowering it is better assured. Six or eight 
bulbs are generally potted in 5 and G-inch pots, and where the demand 
for cut flowers is great, pans are employed. A moderate light compost 
of fibrous turf, leaf soil, sand, and manure will grow these bulbs well 
enough. After potting, there is no material better for plunging them 
in than cocoa-nut-fibre refuse, and under a quantity of this, in any cool 
corner, the pots should be plunged, and there remain until plenty of 
roots are formed and top growth is just beginning. Then bring out the 
pots, keeping in a subdued light for a time, afterwards giving them a 
light position in a greenhouse, and, when the flower spikes show, help 
them to develop, slowly but surely, by the aid of a little bottom heat, if 
required, at any particular time. This is the most necessary at the end 
of November onwards to the turn of the year, when the conditions to 
natural growth are somewhat sluggish. It is necessary, too, to plant 
bulbs as nearly as possible of the same size and quality in each pot, so 
that growth will be regular.—E. D. S. 
