22 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 14, 1892. 
- Apple Benoki. —In looking over some back numbers of the 
Journal of Horticulture I see a favourable notice of the above Apple, 
I have not found it so profitable as the writer. I have had a tree 
planted for ten years, and on looking over my fruit notes for that period 
I can only find it has borne once, and then it was a bad crop, so that 
my conclusion is that the name given to it, which means “son of my 
sorrow,” is a very suitable one.— Walter Kruse. 
- JusTiciAS FOR Winter and Spring.—A correspondent re¬ 
cently mentioned Ju^ticia flavicoma, and he was quite correct with regard 
to the treatment of Justicia. We have two kinds here that have made 
a fine show for several years past in the spring and summer, and I find 
several at the present time are showing their spikes of flowers, these are 
J. carnea and J. coccinea. Cuttings are struck and allowed to flower 
on the single stems about 8 to 12 inches high. They are then useful 
plants for the table as the colour shows well by gaslight.— G. Clements 
• 
- A RE-ISSUE of the chatty little volume “A Year in a 
Lancashire Garden,” by Mr, Henry H. Bright (Macmillan & Co.) 
again brings within the reach of readers many original and instructive 
thoughts pleasantly conveyed. The chapters deal with sea.sonable 
subjects extending from late autumn and winter through the spring 
and summer to winter again, the appearance of the garden at each 
period discussed with special reference to hardy flowers, but also in¬ 
cluding notes on fiuits. A supplementary chapter and notes elucidating 
some of the preceding portions of the work are also included. 
- United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. — The last quarterly meeting of the year was held at the 
Caledonian Hotel on Monday evening last, Mr. Nathan Cole in the 
chair. Nine new members were elected, bringing the benefit member¬ 
ship up to 423. Four new honorary members joined during the year, 
bringing the number up to fifty five. Sickness has been very prevalent, 
seven members being on the funds at the present time. Four deaths 
have occurred during the year. The Committee earnestly ask the 
co-operation of the members in inducing others in the profession to 
join this very useful Society. The annual meeting will take place on 
Monday evening, March 14th, at eight o’clock. 
- Birds Attacking and Destroying Buds. —There is not 
the slightest doubt but that birds do a great amount of damage in some 
districts in destroying fruit buds, especially Gooseberry buds, but there 
are several means of preventing this. Often sparrows are very tiresome, 
though by adopting the following plan I have succeeded in stopping 
them :—To 4 gallons of water I add two wineglasses of petroleum. This 
is mixed as well as possible. Syringe the trees, and repeat the applica¬ 
tion in about three weeks’ time, weather permitting. It is also a good 
plan to have Cherry and Plum trees, after being pruned, syringed in the 
same way. It not only helps to save the buds, but acts as a preventive 
against black and green aphides during the summer months.—A. Ik 
- Forcing Irises. —Those who are fortunate enough to have a 
good supply of Irises in herbaceous borders, and those requiring abun¬ 
dance of flowers for Easter, will find the following plan is worthy of a 
trial :—Lift a few clumps and place them in pots thickly together. 
Arrange them in cold frames for about three weeks, then bring them 
into a vinery just starting or a Peach house. Without further trouble 
they will throw up their useful Orchid-like flowers, which, combined 
with Deutzias, are very striking for conservatory decoration at Easter. 
After they have flowered, care should be taken not to discard them if 
wanted for succession, but plant them out in the garden as soon as the 
weather is genial, and during the summer water them with liquid 
manure.—A. E. 
- Potato The Gentleman.— Last season Messrs. Veitch and 
Sons distributed for the first time three distinct new varieties of 
Potatoes, named respectively The Gentleman, The Amateur, and The 
Cottager, and I gave a good trial to each of them. Unfortunately the 
two last named, though they made a good start, were not sufficiently 
robust to withstand the disease, and they were comparative failures 
accordingly. Not so The Gentleman. This variety grew strongly, and 
to a certain extent defied the disease, though I have no doubt the 
crop would have been much heavier if the season had been more 
favourable. As it was there were very few diseased tubers, and the 
crop compared well with the reputed heaviest cropping older favourites 
grown against them. No fault can possibly be found with the 
quality, and The Gentleman will be given a trial on a large scale this 
season.—I. 
- Brockham Kobe Association. —The Eev. Alan Chealcs has 
resigned the acting Honorary Secretaryship, and C. B. Cnthell, Esq., of 
Chapel Croft, Dorking, has been appointed to this by the Committee, 
subject to confirmation at general meeting. 
- The Weather in Warwickshire. — During the evenings of 
the 7th and 8th inst. very heavy falls of snow were experienced, the 
combined fall of the two nights being 9 inches in depth ; 12° and IS-'* 
of frost were also registered during the two respective nights. 
- Kainfall Eeturns. —Mr. Dawson A. Milward has sent us- 
a return of the rainfall at Laviston, Kilkenny, during 1891, with the 
totals, amounts, and numbers of wet days in the nine preceding years. 
We cannot publish tabulated lists, but only digests similar to those of 
Mr. W. H. Divers, and other correspondents. The rainfall at Laviston 
during the past year was 31'82 inches, which fell on 178 days. The 
total has considerably exceeded this in 1882 and 1886, the quantities being 
36’38 and 35 69 inches respectively. 
- The Weather Last Month.—D ecember brought us a great 
deal of fog. We had thirteen bright sunny days, one of which was 
clear ; but most of them were foggy or dull at 9 A,M._ The barometer 
was very changeable up to the 17th. The wind was in a southerly 
direction twenty-three days ; we had severe frost continuously from the 
17th to the 25th. The highest shade temperature was 59° on 6th, the 
lowest 11° on 22nd ; the lowest on the grass 9° on the 22nd ; mean daily 
maximum 45 90°, mean daily minimum 29 87°, mean temperature of the 
month 37 88°. Total rainfall 2-86 inches, which fell on twenty-one 
days, the greatest daily fall being 0 55 inch on the 1st. The barometer 
was highest—30 63—at noon on the 20th, lowest—28 83—at noon on 
the 13th. The garden spring ran 40 gallons per minute on the 31st. 
- The Weather in 1891 —This was a very changeable year, 
with much cold dull weather, and a rainfall of 1‘20 inch above the 
average of the previous ten years. The total rainfall was 20 07 inches, 
which fell on 202 days, the greatest daily fall being 103 inch, on 
October 6th. The highest shade temperature was 85°, on September 
10th; the lowest 1°, on January 18th, when the thermometer on the 
outside of the screen stood at 0° for several hours; the lowest on the 
grass 4°, on January 19th. Mean daily maximum temperature, 65-68° 
mean daily minimum, 43-43°; mean temperature of the year, 49-55°. 
May was remarkable for two very hot days, the 12th and 13th ; and 
very cold after with snow, on 16th, 17th, and 18th. September gave us 
the best weather of the whole year, from the 6th to the 15th. We had 
no snow at the end of the year, but much fog and dull weather. 
—W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall, Stamford. 
- The Blackheath and Lewisham Horticultural 
Society. — The annual meeting of the above Society was held on 
Monday evening last, at the Institute, Old Road, Lee, when there was 
a good attendance of members. The President (Mr. John Penn, M.P.) 
was unable to attend, as was also the respected Treasurer (Mr. M. N. 
Buttanshaw, Chairman of Committees), owing to an accident. Mr. H. J. 
Nettleford being elected to the chair, and after a few opening remarks 
by him, the minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed. 
The Chairman then called upon the Secretary to read the report and 
balance-sheet. The attendance of the Committee for 1891 having been 
read, the scrutineers proceeded to count the votes for the new Com¬ 
mittee, the following twenty-four being elected :—Messrs. W. T. Gates, 
H. J. Jones, Freeman Fox, B. Mailer, Tomlinson, Aley, Tholdice, 
E. Smith, Rhoden, Judge, Reece, Welch, Dobson, Keech, Trollope, Hood, 
Nunn, Howe, Feely, R. Whyte, Captain C. L. Shaw, Miss Nettlefold 
Yokes, and Walter Peacock. The following gentlemen were elected as 
Vice-Presidents: — Rev, S. Bickersteth (Vicar of Lewisham), 
R. Escombe, Esq , and Dr. H. 0. Burton. The announcement that the 
Dean of Rochester had kindly consented to become a Patron of the 
Society was received with cheers. The Hon. and Right Rev. the Lord 
Bishop of Lichfield (the late Vicar of Lewisham) has consented to 
remain a Vice-President of the Society. Votes of thanks were passed 
to the President; to Mrs. Penn, for the use of her grounds; to the 
Treasurer, to the Secretary (Mr. C. Helmer), and his assistant (Mr. A. 
Helmer), and to the Chairman, and to others. The proceedings were 
most enthusiastic throughout. Great surprise was evinced at the large 
amount of the balance (over £27), considering the bad weather at the 
time of Show, and the small takings at the gate. 
- At the next three monthly meetings of the Society on the dates 
named the following papers will be read :—January 29th, “ Orchids, a 
