464 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 27, 1889. 
Crute, H. Cannell, E. Hill, Tring; C. Warden, Clarendon Park ; E. 
Ballantine, W. H. Collingridge, C. T. Druery, H. Balderson, W. Jordan, 
Eegent’s Park ; E. Sanderson, T. S. Ware, Henry Williams, P. McKinlay, 
J. Weeks, A. Turner, G. W. Cummins, J. Cochrane, Finsbury Park ; F. 
Fitch and W. Watson, Kew ; F. Q. Lane, J. H. Laing ; Col. Mackenzie, 
Epping Forest; J. E. Chard, J. Willard, and the representatives of 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, of Mr. W. Id. Pollett, and of most of the garden¬ 
ing papers, besides many private friends of the deceased gentleman, who 
was a shining light in the horticultural world. 
FROST IN OCTOBER. 
In Mr. G-. J. Symons’s “ Meteorological Magazine ” for November, 
the following particulars are given respecting the “ Sharpest Frost 
in October for Half a Century.” 
Whole winters pass sometimes without a frost as sharp as that 
of October 28th, 1890 ; we therefore give a few particulars of it. 
The following table gives in column 1 the date of every year 
since 1840 in which the temperature at Greenwich has in October 
fallen below 30°; column 2 gives the lowest air temperature in 
those Octobers ; and column 3 the date on which it was recorded. 
The last two columns refer to Camden Square, London, and give 
the minima for the same months and years as were characterised 
by exceptional frosts at Greenwich. 
It will be noticed that occasionally the dates are very different. 
Lowest Temperature in October. 
Year. 
Greenwich. 
Camden Square. 
Temperature. 
Date. 
Temperature. 
Date. 
1842 
28-3 
20 
No observations. 
1843 
28-5 
18 
5) 
1859 
26 5 
24 
26 6 
24 
18G2 
28-5 
30 
31-8 
30 
18G8 
29 3 
20 
27-8 
19 
2869 
27 9 
28 
266 
28 
1872 
291 
14 
31-8 
13 
1873 
26 7 
29 
262 
30 
1877 
28-2 
18 
30 9 
19 
1880 
29 2 
30 
29 6 
30 
1881 
26'2 
17 
27 3 
17 
1887 
25 3 
13 
254 
26 
1888 
279 
8 
28-2 
8 
1890 
24-7 
28 
238 
28 
It is remarkable that instead of the last twenty-five years in¬ 
cluding, as theoretically it should have done, half of the instances 
of low temperature, it contains ten out of fourteen : moreover, 
the lowest, and the lowest but one, have both occurred in the last 
four years. This last October gives the absolute lowest both for 
Greenwich and for Camden Square. 
But it was still colder in the more central parts of England. 
We cannot vouch for all the following leadings being from verified 
thermometers, with no spirit at the top of the tubes, and duly 
hung in Stevenson’s screens, but their general consistency shows 
that there is not much the matter. We give the readings in the 
order of temperature, starting with the lowest, and in order to 
keep the table within reasonable length, stopping at 22°: but we 
may add that in the greater portion of Scotland and Ireland the 
weather was not at all severe. 
Lowest Temperature on 27th—28th Oct., 1890. 
County. 
Station. 
Observer. 
Temp 
Date. 
Leicester ... 
Barkby Vic. 
Eev. E. N. Pochin . 
164) 
27th 
Derby . 
Willington . 
Eev. G. A. Smallwood ... 
16-0 
28th 
Eoxburgh... 
Melrose, Abbey 
Gate . 
Mr. Dodds . 
17-8 
28th 
Ayrshire ... 
Old Cumnock ... 
Mr. J. Ballantine . 
18-0 
27th 
Herts. 
Broxbourne „ 
G. J. Newbery, Esq. 
19 0 
27th 
Bucks . 
Winslow, Adding- 
ton. 
Mr. Mathison . 
19 0 
28th 
Surrey . 
Eeigate,Holmfels 
Miss Baker . 
194 
28 th 
Leicester ... 
Loughboro’, Vic- 
toria St. 
W. Berridge. Esq. 
20 0 
28th 
Lincoln. 
Boston . 
W. H. Wheeler, Esq., C.E. 
2P0 
28th 
}f 
Horncastle(Hem- 
ingby) . 
Eev. E. S. Bengough. 
21-0 
28th 
Montgomery 
Carno (Tybrith) 
Miss Marsh. 
21-0 
27th 
Yorkshire ... 
Wakefield. 
Dr. Clarke . 
21 -9 
28th 
Hampshire 
Stratbfield Tur- 
giss. 
Eev. C. H. Grffith . 
21-7 
28th 
Semi-Early or October flowering Chrysanthemums. 
It appears that there are so many new good semi-early varieties- 
of this season that I think it well to say a little of them. It seems 
indeed that wdiathas been desirable for sometime—viz., that an October 
exhibition should be held for them to show their merits not possible 
either in September or November, and when I entered the Aquarium at 
Westminster on the 15th of that month was pleasingly surprised to see 
that the thing was accomplished ; for although it was a fruit and 
flower show the Chrysanthemums were such a large feature that they 
were sufficient to make a show of themselves. Many of those exhibited 
were hardly such as could be considered October flowerers, but then 
the blooms looked so fresh in their not fully developed beauties that 
there was a delicious charm about them not belonging to the blooms of 
similar sorts kept so long under glass as is necessary in November. It 
was a new sensation. 
The main feature of this Show was two large groups in fine order 
containing many old favourites, as well as several new sorts. One 
group was from Messrs. J. Laing & Sons of Forest Hill, London, S.E.,. 
and the other was from Mr. H. J. Jones of the Eyecroft Nursery, 
Hither Green Lane, Lewisham, London, S.E., and we have to thank 
these exhibitors especially, as there were no prizes for these fine masses 
of flowers, except the credit and publicity. 
As for the novelties of this Show perhaps the exhibit of Mr. E. Owen, 
of Maidenhead of a large number of seedlings raised in his nursery 
was the greatest. The seed grown by him was not produced in 
the way I grew mine, that is naturally as far as regards fertilisation, 
but regularly crossed one upon another, as Dr. Walcot of New York 
raised Sam Henshaw from Viceroy of Egypt and Comte de Germiny. 
Mr. T. H. Spaulding, of Orange, New Jersey, U.S.A., does the same 
thing. He says that a much larger percentage of good sorts come that 
way, and this season’s experience of Mr. E. Owen seems to justify this 
opinion ; indeed it is quite in accordance with very much experience 
or perhaps the law, that a'l breeding in-and-in tends to retard the 
development of a species ; while breeding outwards, although often 
producing a reversion backwards, is one of the great openings to advance 
by selection, seeming one of the main keys to unbounded progress. 
The seedlings exhibited contained many very good varieties, but the 
greatest novelty was a good Japanese, which he has named Coral 
Queen, and a good name too, for it is more the colour of pink coral than 
aught else. It seems to me a new colour. This is the result of a 
direct cross between the Japanese varieties William Holmes and 
Pynaert Van Geert. I think it will be a very acceptable colour if not 
among Chrysanthemum growers, that it will be in the cut flower trade, 
and the ladies who are so great a factor there. 
The most striking exhibits at this Show were some very fine blooms 
of a newly discovered white of most superb merit. It is named Bouquet 
des Dames, exhibited by Mr. N. Davis. How such a beauty has not been 
shown before is a wonder. It is a large bloom of great body ; the 
blooms shown were, of course, from disbudded plants, grown in the 
best style, but it is likely such a powerful plant is fit for many 
other uses. Mr. Davis also exhibited a plant of the new American 
incurved variety, Miss Anna Hartzhorn, for which he received a certifi¬ 
cate. This is another beautiful white, which will at once make itself a 
place in mauy collections. It is noc so tall a plant as Bouquet des Dames, 
but very white and exquisitely delicate, probably fit for many decora¬ 
tive purposes if it should not prove large enough to satisfy the craving 
for size. 
Mr. A. J. Manda, of the United States Nursery, Hextable, Swanley, 
Kent, showed a small board of Chrysanthemum blooms, among which 
was one of Mrs. Hicks Arnold. This is a new American variety, the 
first time exhibited. It is a very stout bushy sort. The plant grows 
not more than about 2 feet high, bearing a pale magenta to white 
flower, 4 inches across, very flat, reflexed near the middle, and incurved 
at the end of the petals, blooming this month or at the end of September. 
It is a very good grower, and quite a novelty in shape for any season, 
especially in October. It can be grown without sticks, and must command 
attention at once. He also had on this same board some flowers ofr 
Clarence Bryant, a new good American yellow. I have grown this, and 
it seems a very good sort. It is not too tall ; a Pompon in size. 
Harvest Queen, not yet exhibited in England as far as I know, is- 
another American variety, said to be a sport from October Beauty, but is 
larger and better in its flowers than that. It is an excellent plant, 
good grower and robust; height, 3 feet. Bushy habit and a pro¬ 
fuse bLoomer. Flowers reflexed, very white, 2 to 3 inches across. It 
will be very good for cut flowers. We have nothing in the style at 
the time. 
Cameleon is another October flowerer, 2 feet G inches high, of stout 
close growth. Blooms reflexed 3 inches across; colour,, primrose. Its- 
bloom is so thick a mass on the top of the plant as to form a solid table 
of flowers. It is one of the most profuse flowerers I ever grew. Yery 
striking indeed in appearance. 
Souvenir de M. Menier is a new crimson. It will probably bloom in 
