April 21, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
297 
- The Weatheb in Scotland.—D uring the week ending 18th 
inst. the weather in Scotland has been of winter severity. Snow has 
fallen on several days, in some places to the depth of 6 inches. In 
South Perthshire, although the ground has been frequently whitened, not 
more than an inch has lain at any time. The frost has been severe 
every night ; 14° were registered on the morning of the 15th, 9°, 12°, 8° 
on the three following, with no appearance of change.—B.D. 
-We are desired to state that Mr. John Barry, for many years 
connected with the Eoyal Horticultural Society, has been appointed 
traveller (in the South of England) to the firm of Messrs. W. Clibran and 
Sons, Oldfield Nurseries, Altrincham, and Manchester. 
- British Fruit Growers’ Association.—W e are informed 
that a conference will be held by this Association at Newcastle on 
April 25th, when papers will be contributed by Mr. George Gordon, 
Mr. A. H. Pearson, Mr. W. Goaring, Mr. Joseph Cheal, and 
Mr. L. Castle. 
- Fragrance in Cyclamens.—W ere it possible to “ fix ” the 
delicious fragrance which now and then may be found in Cyclamen 
blooms, these useful plants would be doubly valuable. A few days 
ago, whilst visiting a well-known nursery, I was shown a small batch 
of Cyclamens of various colours, and every bloom emitted a most 
pronounced fragrance similar to Violets. An attempt is being made 
to infuse the perfume into the progeny, and it will be interesting to 
watch the results.—T. C. 
- “ The Kew Bulletin.”—T he April issue of this work has 
just come to hand. It contains, among other subjects, correspondence 
relative to Fiji Ginger, a full and interesting account of the Botanical 
Station, St. Vincent, also of the agricultural resources of Zanzibar, with 
various miscellaneous notes. The plant of the Double Cocoa-nut is 
said to be thriving, and may be seen with the following rare Palms in 
the Victoria house :—Mauritia flexuosa, Manicaria saccifera, Hyphcene 
thebaica, Borassus flabelliformis, Bismarckia nobilis, Pholidocarpus 
Thur, Licuala grandis, and Socratea exhorrhiza. 
- The Weather in Durham. —The weather has been for the 
past week unusually severe. On Friday and Saturday, the 15th and 
16th, we registered 14° of frost each morning, a bitter cold north-easter 
prevailing the whole of the week, snow lying while I write.— 
W. A. Jenkins. 
- The Weather at Liverpool.— Slight falls of snow, bitter 
N.E. winds, and frosty nights have recently prevailed, reminding us of 
the middle of winter. In many places Plums and Cherries are in full 
bloom, and such weather must do a certain amount of damage to 
unprotected trees. The night temperatures have been, 12th, 25°; 
13th, 26°; 14th, 18°; 15th, 19°; 16th, 16°; 17th, 18° 
- Weather in the Midlands.—D uring the past week the 
weather has been exceptionally severe for the time of year in the 
midland counties. Snow fell heavily in some parts of South Lincoln¬ 
shire on Sunday night, but the greater portion of it quickly disappeared. 
Between St. Neots in Huntingdonshire and Sandy in Bedfordshire the 
fields were covered with snow on Tuesday morning, presenting a very 
wintry aspect. Market gardening operations in the districts referred to 
have been seriously interfered with. 
- The Weather in Mid-Sussex on Saturday morning the 
16th inst. would have been much more in harmony with Christmas than 
Easter. About 4 inches of snow had fallen, and was driven by a strong 
N.W. wind with great fury. Every twig was coated with snow, and 
evergreens were weighed down to the ground. It has been followed by 
sharp frosts. Gooseberries are in full bloom but well in leaf, and do not 
seem to have suffered. Pear bloom out on E. aspect wall under fish 
nets are destroyed, and I fear the Plums will share the same fate. 
—R. I. [Near Hawkhurst the snow was a foot deep.] 
-Frost and Snow in the Isle op Wight. — The weather 
here lately has been very wintry. The tops of the hills behind Ventnor 
are covered with snow—a very unusual thing for this part of the 
country at this time of the year. We have sharp frosts every night. 
On Friday night, the 15th, there were 6°, which blackened all the early 
Potatoes, and must do severe injury to the blossom of the early fruit 
trees. The tops of the Asparagus are killed, and altogether it will make 
a very backward spring still later. Summer visitors are here, but 
having a very cold reception. The cuckoo and the nightingale were 
heard last week, and yesterday (the 17th) I saw the first swallow, so 
we ought soon to have better weather.—C. Orchard. 
- Northern Weather. —We have had a week of very wintry 
weather, with frost every night except the 12th (38'6°) varying from 
4° to 14° of frost, the mean maxima, 52-5°; minima, 25-8°. Coldest 
night, the 15th, 18'3°; coldest day, the 12th, 43'4° ; warmest day, the 
10th, 62-8°. Several mornings the ground was white with snow, with 
frequent showers throughout the day. Vegetation is in a backward 
state. Peas sown the 1st of March are just showing; those sown 
three weeks ago are scarcely moving, the surface being too dry with 
frost and bright sunshine. Small seeds are making no progress.— 
G. M. D., Stirling. 
- The Weather in Hampshire. —This has undergone a com¬ 
plete change during the last eight days as it has in other localities. The 
first eleven days in the month produced a temperature of 70° in the 
shade, and over; on the 10th 76° were registered, the nights being 
really warm for the time of year, on the night of the 6th the lowest 
reading being 48°, and vegetation moved rapidly. During the night of 
the 12th the temperature fell to freezing point, and since then we 
have had nightly frosts of great severity. This morning at 6.30, 
18th, we had 10° of frost. I fear the early promise of a full fruit crop 
will not be realised, as I note the unopened buds of pyramid Pear 
trees are blackened. The early blossom of Plums and Cherries on 
walls are in an equal plight. Rain is needed for newly sown seeds and 
plants just put out, scarcely any having fallen for a month.—E. M. 
- Winterly Weather in South Wales. —The weather for 
the last two or three days has been alternating between bitter east winds 
and cold snow storms. On Thursday morning there was a slight frost, 
but not sufficient to injure the blossom of fruit trees and early Potatoes 
above ground. On Good Friday morning the hills in the district were 
covered with snow, and the thermometer registered 8° of frost. The 
hot summer-like weather of the previous week brought fruit trees 
rapidly into fiower. Plum trees and many varieties of Pears were one 
mass of flower, and promised well for a good crop of fruit, but now the 
organs of fructification are completely destroyed, the pistils in many 
®ases being killed while still enveloped in the petals of the corolla. 
Apple trees are not so far advanced, and there is still a probability, 
if the weather moderates, of a crop ; but Pears, Plums, and Cherries, 
I am afraid, will be all but a failure in this district. Early Potatoes 
have been cut down to the ground, and the buds of the Vines in the 
vineyard at Castle Coch are very much blackened. Horse Chestnuts 
and other forest trees are greatly injured, and the young growths of the 
common Brake Fern are cut down to the ground.—A. Pettigrew, 
Castle Gardens, Cardiff. 
- Severe Weather in France—Great Damage to Fruit 
Trees. —The Paris correspondent of the Daily News telegraphs :—An 
icy wind has been blowing over Provence for some days. The fruit 
trees having blossomed early, the prospect of a fine crop is at an end. 
The probable loss to the fruit gardeners is estimated at millions of 
francs. The Vines of the Loiret are as if scorched by the hard frosts 
which succeeded the summery weather of the beginning of the month, 
and the consequent splendid burst of vegetation. 
- Cytisus scoparius Andreanus prom Seed. —Doubts were 
at first entertained whether Cytisus scoparius Andreanus would reproduce 
itself from seed or run back to the normal type. So far as I am aware 
the plants under notice are the first seedlings which have flowered in 
England. The seeds were sown as soon as gathered in August, 1890. 
It is quite evident that this method of increase cannot be depended upon, 
as the flowers are wanting in that rich dark velvety appearance which 
is so prominent in the centre petals of worked plants. They are 
certainly different from the common Broom ; the standard is of a light 
sulphur colour, and the centre petals yellow suffused with a rich canary 
colour, the keel being somewhat similar to that of the standard. Genista 
prsecox is another plant that cannot be depended upon to come true 
from seed, as it generally runs back to the White Broom. This roots 
freely from cuttings placed under handlights in August and shaded from 
the sun with tiffany.—T. 
- Begonia Bismarcki. —This comparatively rare and beautiful 
garden hybrid is, says the “ Garden and Forest,” one of the best winter 
blooming varieties we have. Its constitution is very robust, and it 
partakes generally of B. rubra in character. The leaves, however, are 
larger and much more divided. The panicles are large, and so, too, 
are the individual flowers, which often measure 2 or more inches across. 
The male flowers, which, as in all Begonias, open first, are comparatively 
small, and it is not until the female flowers idisplay themselves that their 
full beauty is seen, the large seed vessel, with largely developed bright 
