86 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 29, 1891, 
- Gaedexing Appointment.—M r. S. Ocock, late gardener at 
tstud House, Home Park, Hampton Court, has taken charge of the 
gardens of Pi. B. Evered, Esq., Oatlands, Horley, Surrey. 
- The United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. —The annual meeting of this Society will take place on 
Monday, February 9th, at 8 P.M., at the Caledonian Hotel, when 
•Mr. James H. Veitch has kindly pi’omised to preside. 
- A Large Tree. —I read a paragraph in the Jovrnal of 
Tlorticxilture last week about “ a large tree.” I wish “ J. H.” would 
kindly tell me how a tree which is 33 feet in diameter can be sawed 
through with a saw 22 feet long, and oblige—J. A. 
- The Weather in the North. — In Scotland on January 
20th and 21st 2 inches of snow fell, about 4 inches in all, which mostly 
disappeared on the 23rd, the temperature rising to 45°. The lowest 
reading of the season was 14° on the morning of the 18th, coinciding 
Muth the extreme cold in the south.—W. T. 
- Rainfall near Kilkenny, — Mr. D. A. Mil ward sends a 
tabulated record of the rainfall at Laviston, Kilkenny, during 1890 
We observe the total for the year was 28’18 inches, which fell on 201 
days. February and October were the driest months, with 1'51 and 
1'87 inch respectively. November was the wettest month with 
4‘30 inches, but upwards of 3 inches were recorded in January and 
March ; under 3 inches falling during each of the remaining months. 
We prefer being supplied with deductions of this nature from records to 
full tabulated lists for publication, 
- Weather Notes. —Mr. A. Bentley, The Gardens, Eshwood 
Hall, Durham, January 26th, writes:—“I observe you have several 
reports of the recent severe weather, but none from this district. I 
therefore send the following observations on Sunday, January 18th. 
At 8 A.M. the temperature was at zero or 32° frost, noon 18° frost, 
9 p.M. 32° frost. This is the most severe frost we have had here this 
winter, but we have several times had 20° and 22° frost. As we had a 
few inches of snow during the last severe frost, vegetation does not 
seem to have suffered much, at least not so much as some of your 
correspondents describe who have had less frost.” Mr. T. H. Slade, 
The Gardens, Mongewell, sends the following note :—“ We have regis¬ 
tered 23°, 24°, and 25° of frost here. Cabbage and Broccoli are spoilt, 
and I am of opinion if we are to have the last named in winter they 
must not be planted in the usual manner, but in single rows, in order 
to have them thoroughly hardened to withstand severe weather. I 
adopted that plan in my previous charge, and purpose planting them in 
that way again.” 
The Royal Meteorological Society. —The annual meeting 
of this Society was held recently at 25, Great George Street, West¬ 
minster, Mr. W. H, Dines, B.A., Vice-President, in the chair. Dr. Tripe 
read the Report of the Council, which stated that the progress of the 
Society during the past year had been of a satisfactory character. 
Among the investigations carried on by the Society are the following :— 
The organisation of a large number of meteorological stations, the 
observations from which are examined and reduced by the staff, and 
printed in the “ Meteorological Record; ” the regular inspection of 
these stations by the Assistant Secretary ; the collection and discussion 
of phenological observations ; and an inquiry into the thunderstorms 
of 1888 and 1889. An exhibition of instruments is held annually in 
March. During the year a complete catalogue of the Library, extending 
to 222 pages, has been compiled and published. The Library has so 
much overgrown the present limited accommodation, that the Council 
have been obliged to consider the question of obtaining more com¬ 
modious rooms, and have consequently inaugurated a “ New Premises 
Fund,” which is being well supported by the Fellows. After the 
adoption of the Report the officers and Council for the ensuing vear 
were elected. At the Ordinary Meeting the following papers were read .— 
1, “ Note on a Peculiar Development of Cirrus Cloud Observed in 
Southern Switzerland,” by Mr. R. H. Scott, M.A., F.R.S. 2, “Some 
Remarks on Dew,” by Col. W. F. Badgley, F.R.Met.Soc. These are 
notes on observations which were made to discover whether all dew is 
deposited from the air, or if some also comes from the earth and plants, 
and also what quantity is formed during the year. The conclusions 
which the author deduces from his observations are (1) That the 
earth always exhales water vapour by night, and probably a greater 
quantity by day; (2) That the quantity of water vapour given off by 
the earth is always considerable, and that any variation in the quantity 
is mainly due to the season of the year; (3) That the greater part of 
the dew comes from the earth vapour ; and (4) That plants exhale 
water vapour, and do not exude moisture. The total quantity of dew 
collected on the author’s grass plates in the year was 1'6147 inch. 
- The National Horticultural Society of France will 
hold their seventh Horticultural Congress in Paris during the present 
year. Tt will be held as in preceding years, at the same time as the 
annual Exhibition, in May, but the exact date has not yet been fixed. 
- The Walkley (Sheffield) Floral and Horticultural 
Society opened its session for 1891 on Friday, January 23rd. The 
meetings are held fortnightly at the Howard Hotel. An interesting 
programme of papers by various gardeners and amateurs has been 
arranged, and the interest of the members in the Society is to be 
further sustained by the re-establishment of a circulating library of 
horticultural works. 
- At the annual meeting of the Brighton Chrysanthemum 
Society last Thursday it was decided to hold the Show for the 
present year on November 3rd and 4th. The proposition referred to 
in the circular issued to the effect that the desirability of opening 
the Show on the afternoon of Monday, November 2nd, should be fully 
considered, wms discussed at some length, but the exhibitors appeared 
to think that it would impose too severe a strain upon them. 
- At the annual meeting of the Richmond (Surrey) Horti¬ 
cultural Society, it was announced that the total receipts amounted 
to £586 123. 8d., the expenditure being £1 7s. lOd. short of this. Prizes 
amounted to £266 17s., exhibition expenses to £211 93. 6d., and 
general expenses to £106 18s. 4d, Special thanks were accorded to 
the Honorary Auditor, Arthur Cooper, Esq., and to the Hon. Sec., 
J. H. Ford, Esq., for their valuable services. As already announced, 
the summer Show for 1891 will take place on June 24th in the Old 
Deer Park. 
- Frozen Mushroom Beds.—R eferring to a reply under the 
above heading on page 56, I had a similar bed to that of your corre¬ 
spondent, and perhaps my treatment may be of service to him, 
provided he has the convenience for adopting it. A bed was made late 
in the autumn in an old shed, but considering the severity of the 
weather I gave up all hopes of gathering from it. I then thought of 
the following plan, which will well repay me for my trouble. I chose 
the unheated bed of a small plant house, the heat maintained in the 
temperature being from 55° to 60°, and the plants remaining in their 
position. I simply took the soil off the top, and the part of the bed to 
the depth of the spawn, put it on the bed in the plant house, covered 
it with the soil, supplied water to settle this, and now the Mushrooms 
are coming as thick as hail.—W. G. C. 
-Anthracite Coal. —Doubtless many gardeners and amateurs 
will have had their resources heavily taxed to maintain the required 
temperatures in forcing and other glass structures during the severe 
weather through which we are passing. To all such I recommend 
anthracite coal, which while increasing the heat lessens the labour and 
obviates the necessity for night stoking. We have registered 4° and 6° 
below zero among other very low readings, but the “ diamond ” brand 
anthracite, advertised in this paper by T. T. Pascoe of Swansea, has 
carried us safely through with ease where ordinary coal or coke could 
not have maintained the required temperatures without unceasing 
attention day and night. I am inclined to think that at the end of the 
season it will not be more expensive, even here in Yorkshire, than 
ordinary coal or coke, and to those nearer the pits must be a very, great 
saving.— A Douglas. 
- Hardy Kales. — Messrs. Sucton & Sons write As the 
almost arctic winter we have experienced for six or seven weeks has 
wrought such havoc amongst the green crops of the garden, making it 
almost impossible to obtain a supply of greens for the table, we think 
you may be interested in seeing specimens of our Exquisite Green and 
Exquisite Purple Arctic Kales. The specimens sent you to-day were 
planted at the usual time in an exposed part of our trial grounds 
without any protection whatever, and although other sorts growing 
alongside have been practically destroyed by the frost, these, as you will 
see, have not suffered in the least. • Large beds of both these varieties 
may be seen in our trial grounds at the present time by travellers on 
the Great Western Railway. The plants generally grow from 8 to 
12 inches high, and are as valuable for winter bedding as for table use. 
[Only one plant arrived, the purple variety mentioned. It is dwarf 
and sturdy, with much-curled leaves, not one of which has been in the 
least injured by frost.[ 
