278 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Apiil 14, 1892. 
value of technical education. He knew of nine or ten County Councils 
that were providing horticultural lecturers, and in Surrey an examina¬ 
tion was to be held at which the medal of the E.H.S. would be awarded. 
The Chairman’s health was drunk with much enthusiasm. Other toasts 
were “The Gardening Press,” “the Vice-Chairman,” “The Local Press,” 
&c. An excellent programme of music was provided, and a most en¬ 
joyable evening was spent. 
- Mutual Improvement at Reading,—O ne of the neatest 
reports of the proceedings of any gardening society that we have seen 
comes to hand from the Reading and District Gardeners’ Mutual 
Improvement Association. There is a balance in hand of twelve 
guineas. The Society receives, as it deserves, the warm support of 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons and many leading horticulturists in Berkshire. 
W. I. Palmer, Esq., J.P., is the President, and Mr. J, Pound, jun., 61, 
Donnington Road, Reading, the Secretary. 
- Liverpool Horticultural Association.—O n Saturday 
evening a fair attendance of members met together under the presi¬ 
dency of Mr. White at the lecture room of the Museum, William 
Brown Street, Liverpool, to hear a paper by Mr. B. Cromwell, gardener 
to T. Sutton Timmis, Esq., Cleveley, Allerton, on “ The Watering of 
Plants.” Considering the fame of Mr. Cromwell as a cultivator and 
exhibitor, it was natural for those who were present to expect some¬ 
thing good from the lecturer, and in this they were not disappointed, 
for rarely has such a practical paper been heard at any former meet¬ 
ing, and through the kindness of Mr. Cromwell I hope to see it placed 
in the columns of the Journal.—R. P. R. 
- Weather in the North.—N o frost has occurred during the 
past week till this morning (11th), when 4° were registered with white 
hoar frost. Dull days have alternated with bright ones, a cold east 
wind prevailing during the last five days. Pastures begin to show 
a slight growth, and a green tinge is perceptible in the hedges.— 
B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- Report of weather during March from observations taken at 
Hamel’s Park by Mr. E. Wallis. March has been a remarkably cold 
month in this district, very bitter winds generally prevailing, and 
snow and sleet combined with remarkably hard and persistent frost. 
There was only one night during the whole month when frost was not 
registered. During the early part of the month there was almost a 
total absence of sunshine. The last two days in the month were fine 
spring days. Snow and rain fell upon eleven days during the month. 
The maximum in any twenty-four hours was 0'42 on the 15th, and the 
minimum 0'02 on the 25th. The total during the month was 1‘43 
against 2 05 of 1891. 
-The Weather at Ripley, Yorks, during March.— 
March opened very cold and winterly with frequent snow storms. This 
sort of weather prevailed to the 16th, after that date the sun favoured 
us Xsdth a few hours daily, though the frost continued more or less 
severe to the end of the month. Rain fell upon sixteen days, on 
thirteen of which it fell in the form of snow. Total fall for the month 
1-25 inch. Greatest daily fall 0'34 inch (snow) on 15th. Mean read¬ 
ing of the barometer 30T2, mean maximum temperature 44 6°, mean 
minimum temperature 24'7°, mean temperature 34 6°, highest shade 
temperature 64° on 31st, lowest minimum temperature 12° on the 
12th. Fr«st was registered on twenty-seven days.—J. Tunnington, 
Ripley Castle Gardens. 
- March Weather in Notts. —Summary of meteorological 
observations at Hodsock Priory, Worksop, Notts, 56 feet above the 
mean sea level, for March ;—Mean temperature of the month, 36 7°. 
Maximum on the 31st, 64'6° ; minimum on the 30th, 19'9°. Maximum 
in the sun on the 18th, 110‘4° ; minimum on the grass on the 12th, 121°. 
Mean temperature of the air at 9 A.M., 37'2° ; mean temperature of the 
soil 1 foot deep, 38'2°. Nights below 32°, in the shade twenty-five ; on 
grass, twenty-eight. Total duration of sunshine in the month, 100 
hours, or 27 per cent, of possible duration. We had six sunless days. 
Total rainfall, 0'97 inch. Rain fell on twelve days. Average velocity 
of wind, 8T miles per hour. The velocity exceeded 400 miles on one 
day, and fell short of 100 miles on six days. Approximate average for 
March: — Mean temperature, 40 8°; rainfall, 1'73 inch; sunshine, 
ninety-eight hours. It has been colder than any March during the last 
sixteen years, except 1883. The average night temperatures were lower 
than in any month during this last winter. The rainfall was the 
smallest in March since 1879.— Joseph Mallender. 
- Hot Weather in Mid-Sussex.—I n Mid-Sussex the last 
week of March and first of April have been extremely dry, and the sun 
has been as hot as at midsummer. The maximum temperature in the 
shade was 71S on the 4th. The mean maximum temperature for the 
week ending April 9th was 61T°, the mean minimum 42'5°, mean 
temperature 49'8°. This is about equal to that of the first week of May 
in 1890 and 1891, and exceeds that of the last two weeks of May last 
year. No rain has fallen now since the 26 th ult. Notwithstanding a 
steady N.E. wind vegetation is on the move. Bees have been busy on 
Gooseberries to-day (9th), and Plums on walls are now in bloom.—E. I. 
- The Weather in March. —March was cold until the 16tb, 
with showers of snow ; afterwards much milder, and the 31st was very 
warm and clear. The wind was in an easterly direction seventeen days. 
We had twelve bright days, four of which were partially clear. There 
was a very large halo round the moon on the night of the 7th. The 
barometer was highest (30‘62) at 9 A.M., on 30th ; lowest (29T9) at 
9 A.M., on 10th. The total rainfall was 1T9 inch, which fell on fourteen 
days, the greatest daily fall being 0'24 (snow) on 27th. The highest 
shade temperature was 62°, on the Slst; the lowest 19°, on 10th ; lowest 
on grass 14°, on 10th. Mean maximum, 44 90° ; mean minimum, 29° ; 
mean temperature of the month, 36'95°. The garden spring ran 
forty gallons per minute on the 31st. All vegetation was very back¬ 
ward at the end of the month.—W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall, Stamford. 
-The Severe Winter.—I have been in this neighbourhood 
fourteen years, and the past winter has been the severest we have had 
during that time. On February 16th we registered 6° below zero. On 
December 2nd, 1879, we registered 2° below zero, and on January 21sf, 
1881, the thermometer went down to zero. We hardly know yet the 
amount of injury caused by the past winter. The Gooseberry crop will 
be almost a failure. The Plum buds (both wood buds and flower buds) 
are nearly all falling off quite dead. Of Apricots on a south wall, all buds 
are killed except those on young shoots lying close to the wall. The 
trees will all have to be grubbed up. Peach trees are about half dead. 
In Roses all climbers are dead ; even Ayrshire Roses are cut down to the 
ground. All standards are killed. Dwarfs (both Teas and Hybrids) 
have stood the winter well; as they were all earthed up like Potatoes 
they were only killed down to the soil. Shrubs have suffered, though 
not to the extent they did in the winter of 1879. The foliage of the 
Ivies has been all killed, also the shoots in exposed places. In addition 
to the frost the snow did a great deal of damage by breaking off large 
branches from all kinds of trees. Altogether the winter will be remem¬ 
bered as one of the most disastrous on record in the Midlands.—r 
H., Leicester. 
GLANUSK PARK. 
In response to a very cordial “ Come and see us ” we found ourselves 
on one of the few fine days of August last revelling in the delightful 
scenery on the banks of the river Usk, and in the delights of high-class 
gardening as carried on at Glanusk. As the name denotes, the place is 
situated on the banks of the famous river just named, and is the seat of 
Sir J. R. Bailey, Bart. It is a typical “ country ” seat, being eight 
miles from the nearest railway station ; but the glories of the scenery, 
in the distance traversed, through the Usk Valley from Abergave nny 
through the historical little market town of Crickhowell, more 'han 
compensate the casual visitor for the length of the journey. In an 
opposite direction a drive of some twelve or fourteen miles through a 
very beautiful country lands the tourist in the famous old county town 
of Brecon ; but we must leave Mr. Tourist and hie back to our genial 
escort, Mr. Ballard, Sir Joseph’s unassuming and very able gardener. 
The Kitchen Garden, 
This is a walled-in square. We find the very best order and foresight 
evident in the vegetable department, and on the walls beaut,ifully 
furnished trees of Peaches, Apricots, Pears, Cherries, and Plums, the 
latter chiefly Victoria and Green Gage. Heavy crops were the order of 
the day, and the same remark can be emphasised of a wall of Figs. 
Adjoining this enclosure is another, about an acre in extent, surrounded 
by a hedge of Thujopsis on three sides, the wall of the kitchen garden 
forming the fourth. The wall is furnished with trained trees, and the 
squares occupied with pyramid Apples and Pears, also small bush fruit. 
A large portion of this enclosure has been covered with wire netting at 
a considerable height, to secure the crop from the ravages of birds—a 
necessary expedient with woods so near—and the birds, from the sparrow 
to the Pheasant, are apparently on the most fearless, if not friendly, 
terms with the garden hands. The young fruit trees evidently like 
their position and produce handsome fruit, though not overburdened. 
Ecklinville Seedling seemed to be a favourite Apple, and well does 
it deserve to be so. Damsons and Quinces, too, were noticeable. There 
were many good things in this garden deserving notice, but space 
will not permit. Among these were Cactus Dahlias, borders of seedling 
