42 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Janus ry 21, 1893. 
- The Weather in 1891.—On page 22 in your last issue in my 
statement it appears that the total rainfall here was 2U'07 inches. This 
is incorrect, as the figures should read 27 07 inches.— W. H. Divers. 
- National Chrysanthemum Society. —Several friends of 
the above Society, being desirous that an opportunity be afforded 
members of taking part in a social gathering, a smoking concert has 
been arranged to take place at Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, E.C , 
on Friday, 22nd January, 1892, at 7.30 P.M., Eobert Ballantine, Esq , 
in the chair. Tickets of admission are fixed at the nominal charge of 
fid. each, to cover the cost of hire of room, &c. Any surplus will be 
devoted to the special prize fund. Tickets can be obtained of any 
member of the Committee. 
- Floral Tributes from Belfast. —A Belfast correspondent 
writes to us :—On Friday afternoon a very handsome design was for¬ 
warded to Sandringham House, addressed to Her Serene Highness the 
Princess Victoria Mary of Teck. It was in the form of an Irish harp, 
feet high, which rested on a base 2 feet high, and was surmounted by a 
crown of purple Violets. The golden strings of the harp were perfect 
excepting the third, which was broken, emblematical of the death of the 
third in succession to the throne. On Saturday night another magni¬ 
ficent cross was forwarded, addressed to H.R.H the Princess of Wales ; 
the cross was 6 feet high, attached to it was a card which bore the 
following inscription : “ A token of humble affection and loyalty from 
the Ladies of Belfast.” The principal flowers used in these two designs 
were Orchids, Roman Hyacinths, Lily of the Valley, Callas, Eucharis, 
Chrysanthemums, Camellias, and Rhododendrons. The harp was 
embellished with Asparagus plumosus and autumn tinted leaves ; the 
cross with Asparagus, Adiantum cuneatum, and Myrtle. Both designs 
reflect great credit on the artistes of the firm of Mr. S. McDuff, City 
Florists, Belfast, where they were made. 
-Brighton and Sussex New Horticultural and Mutual 
Improvement Society. —Notwithstanding the wintry weather and the 
extraordinary amount of illness a fair number of members of the above 
Society met at the Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Road, to hear a paper on 
“ Gardeners and Gardening” contributed by Mr. J. Hudson of Gunners- 
bury House. Mr. Hudson travelled to Brighton suffering from a severe 
cold, and was glad to accept the services of Mr. Lewis to read his paper 
for him. It was very interesting, full of sound advice, both for old and 
young gardeners in the various and often difficult positions they find 
themselves placed. In tracing the rapid strides that horticulture has 
made during the past fifty years Mr. Hudson regarded the introduction 
of steam power as one of the first importance in giving us rapid com¬ 
munications all over the world, bringing us choice plants which 
otherwise could never have reached our shores alive. Our railway 
system brought wealth and prosperity to all classes, giving them the 
means of indulging in the refining pursuit of horticulture. In 
referring to young lads paying premiums on entering our gardens the 
system was condemned as most mischievous. At the close of the paper 
an interesting discussion took place, in which Mr. R. Miller (in the 
chair), Mr. J. Bunny, Mr. Spottiswood, and Mr. J. Cheal took part. A 
hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Hudson. 
- Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —The following “ Appeal for the 
Orphans” is being distributed amongst the members of the Birming¬ 
ham and Midland Counties Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Associa¬ 
tion by Mr. J. Hughes, the Honorary Secretary :—“ At a general 
meeting of the Committee of your Association on January 14th, 1890, it 
was unanimously resolved that an annual appeal should be made to the 
whole of the members for small contributions in aid of the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, and that the amount so raised shall be sent as a contribu¬ 
tion'from the members as a body. The smallest contribution will there¬ 
fore be most thankfully received at the general meeting on February 
3rd, and as it is not the intention of your Secretary or Committee to 
appeal to you again in this year of 1892, it is requested that those 
members who find it impossible or inconvenient to attend on that 
occasion, will kindly send their cbntributions to the Secretary on or 
before that date. As the orphan of one of our late members has been 
elected on the funds, who is now receiving and will, if necessary, 
continue to receive 5s. per week for the next nine years, it is the earnest 
wish of all concerned that the amount so raised shall be in proportion 
to the numerical strength and importance of the Gardeners’ Association 
of the City of Birmingham and the surrounding district, thereby assist¬ 
ing to supply the means for further extending the blessing of this noble 
Institution.” 
- The enormous specimen of Cattleya labiata (the gift of 
Messrs. P. Sander & Co., St. Albans, for the benefit of the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund) was sold by auction at Messrs. Protheroe & Morris’s 
Rooms on Friday last, Jan. 15th, for the sum of 50 guineas. This 
wonderful specimen had about 250 pseudo-bulbs, with many she-aths 
ready to bloom, and measured probably over 3 feet. Messrs. Protheroe 
and Morris kindly consented not to charge commission on the sale of 
this plant. 
- The International Fruit Show. — On Thursday, January 
14th, the Provisional Committee appointed to prepare a scheme for the 
proposed International Fruit Show in London during 1892, met at the 
Cannon Street Hotel, Sir James Whitehead, Bart., in the chair, and nine 
members were present. After some discussion with regard to preliminary 
matters. Sub-Committees were appointed to consider the constitution 
of, and suggpst names for a General Committee, to select officers, and to 
report as to the best available site for the Exhibition. 
- “ The Fruit Grower’s Guide.” —It has come to the know¬ 
ledge of the author of this work, which is being issued in monthly 
parts by Messrs. J. S, Virtue & Co., that some canvasser of the firm 
represents he is working under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, and stating that subscribers for the work will in consequence 
become members of the Society. Surely such transparent foolishness 
cannot deceive persons of ordinary intelligence ; but, all the same, the 
author of the work, Mr. J. Wright, desires to express his strong disap¬ 
proval of the practice referred to. The work is illustrated with coloured 
plates by Miss May Rivers, and her father, Mr. T. Francis Rivers, is 
equally with Mr. Wright annoyed by the conduct of the canvasser 
in question, whose name will be forwarded to Messrs, Virtue & Co. 
- Proposed Scheme for Technical Education in Garden¬ 
ing.— I read with interest in the last issue of the Journal the reprint of 
a leaflet issued by the Royal Horticultural Society re above, and without 
question the necessity for such a scheme was never greater than at 
present, but whether it will prove to be successful remains to be seen. 
Personally I am of opinion that under the conditions set forth many 
would-be students (especially from the provinces) would be debarred 
from receiving the. benefits of such a school on account of the charge 
made for boarders—viz., £45 per annum, which from one point of view 
cannot be called excessive ; but to the man that has four or five 
children to bring up and educate it requires attentive consideration. 
Assuming the course to be three years he must dole out in hard cash 
the sum of £135, and that sum, to the class of people that the bulk of 
our gardeners emanate from, means years of toil and thrift. I should 
like to know the opinion of others that may feel interested in the 
matter.— Working Gardener. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at 
Hodsock Priory, Worksop, Notts, during the year 1891, 56 feet 
above mean sea level. — Mean temperature of the year, 46 8°. 
Maximum on 10th Sept., 80'6°; minimum on 18th Jan., 6'7°. 
Maximum in the sun on the 24th June, 135’9° ; minimum on the grass 
on the 19th Jan., 2'4°. Mean temperature of the air at 9 A.M., 46 8° ; 
mean temperature of the soil 1 foot deep, 47 3°. Number of nights 
below 32° in shade, 101 ; on grass, 167. Sunshine, total duration in 
year 1115 hours, or 25 per cent, of possible duration ; we had eighty-two 
sunless days. Highest reading of barometer on 31st Oct., 30'731 ; 
and the lowest, on 11th Nov., 28’325. Total rainfall 26’7 inches ; 
maximum fall in tw-'enty-four hours on 4th June 1‘53 inch. Rain fell 
on 195 days. Average velocity of wind 9 7 miles per hour. Velocity 
exceeded 400 miles on forty-five days, and fell short of 100 miles on 
sixty-eight days. Approximate averages for the year :—Mean tempera¬ 
ture, 47'9° ; sunshine, 122’7 ; rainfall, 24'54 inches. The year 1891 was 
cold, dull, and rather wet. It commenced with a long frost in January, 
followed by a nearly rainless February. The spring was cold, dry, and 
very late. The summer was cold, dull, and rather wet. September was 
the best month of the year—fine, warm, and dry just when it was 
wanted for harvest. The autumn was wet and stormy, with one week 
of very sharp cold just before Christmas. The mean temperature, 46-8°, 
is about 1° below the average. Three months were very cold (January, 
.4pril, and May), four were cold (March, July, August, and November), 
while September was the only warm one, and it was only in this month 
that any reading above 80° were recorded. Rainfall was deficient during 
the earlier part of the year, but in excess during the latter part. 
February was exceptionally dry, and September was dry. On the other 
hand, May, June, October, and December were wet. The total fall for 
the year, 20-7 inches, is about 2 inches above the average, and the 
