February 12,1691. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
127 
■ The Weather Last Moxth. —January was cold with snow 
on the ground up to the 20th, when we had a heavy rain in the night, 
and the weather was warmer afterwards to the end of the month ; we 
had more sunshine than usual. The wind was in a westerly direction 
twenty-two days. The total rainfall was 1'42 inch, which fell on 
twenty-one days, the greatest daily fall being 0-41 on the 31st. 
Barometer highest 30 G1 at 9 A.M. on 11th and 13th ; lowest 29-38 at 
9 A.M. on 22nd. Maximum shade temperature was 52° on 23th; minimum 
1 on the 18th ; minimum on grass 4° on 19th. A thermometer on the 
outside of the screen stood at 0° at 11.50 p.m, on 17th, and from 
2.30 to 6.30 A.M. on the 18tb. Mean temperature of the month was 
32 88 . The garden spring ran 9 gallons per minute on the 31st. All 
the Broccoli and Brompton Stocks are killed, and many Cabbages, 
\ ariegated Kale, Lettuces, Ac. ; probably others will show severe 
injuries when growth commences. — W. H. Divers, Kcttoyi Hall 
Gardens, Stamford, 
Eoyal Meteorological Society.— At the ordinary meet¬ 
ing of this Society, to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, 
on Wednesday, the 18th instant, at 7 p.m., the following papers will be 
read:—“The Great Frost of 1890-1891,” by Charles Harding, 
h.R.Met.Soc.; “On the Varieties of the Rainfall at Cherrapoonjee in 
the Khasi Hills, Assam,” by H. F. Blanford, F.R.S. ; “The Problem of 
Probable Error as Applied to Meteorology,” by T. W. Backhouse. The 
twelfth annual Exhibition of Meteorological Instruments will be at 
Ho. 25, Great George Street, from March 3rd to 19th. 
■ ■ Riv'erpool Horticultural Association.— A lecture, en¬ 
titled “ The Gardener’s Insect Friend,” was given last Saturday before 
the members of the above Association by Mr, Harbordt, Covent Garden 
Seed Stores, Liverpool. The lecturer dealt chiefly with the honey 
bee, showing the important part which this and other insects have 
played and are still playing in the development and improvement of 
many important plants and trees. The lecturer notably referred to the 
indebtedness of the orchardist to the honey bee. The lecture was 
illustrated by means of the magic lantern, which materially assisted in 
the explanations given. Messrs. Cox, White, and Roberts took part in 
the discussion which followed. A vote of thanks to the Chairman, Mr. 
White, brought the meeting to a close. 
The Cardiff and District Chrysanthemum Society 
The annual meeting of this [Society was held at the Black Lion Hotel, 
Cardiff, on Friday evening, February Gth, a large number of members 
being present, Mr. T. Malpas In the chair. Mr. F. G. Treseder, Hon. 
Treasurer, presented the financial statement for the year, which showed 
a favourable balance of 4i40 123. 7d. The following were elected 
officers for the ensuing year President, Col. Hill, C.B., M.P. ; Mr. 
C. R. Waldron and Mr. F. Searl were re-elected Hon. and Assistant 
Secretaries, as were also the old Committee, with Mr. T. Clark, Chair¬ 
man ; Mr. F. Armitage, Vice-Chairman. It was decided to hold the 
next Show on November 11th and 12th, 1891. A vote of thanks to the 
retiring officers, and to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, terminated 
the proceedings. 
turfy soil for rooting the stems, but he considered moss and sand 
to be the best. 
- Buttercups in Lawns.—I should be obliged to any reader 
of the Journal of Horticulture who would give me any information as 
to destroying the common Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) on lawns, 
for there are numerous patches of it on our lawns. I have applied the 
weed killers, it has no effect upon it but improves the growth.— 
W. E., jYewchureh. 
- Lisburn Chrysanthemum Society.— The Committee of 
the above Society met last week in the British Workman Hotel, 
Lisburn, for the purpose of winding up the affairs of last season, and 
inaugurating the campaign for the present year. Mr. McGrath 
presided, and there -was a good attendance of members. Mr. S. Nelson 
read the report of the Society, which was most encouraging ; and Mr. 
Samuel Cairns produced the balance-sheet. After settling all 
liabilities there was a small balance in hand ; and by the unanimous 
desire of all present it was resolved to push forward the prospects of 
this year’s exhibition, as the Society hopes to materially increase its 
popularity. — A. Scott, Rathmore . 
- Blanched Laurel Shoots.—A Dorsetshire correspondent 
writes—“ Having been greatly struck by the beauty of some perfectly 
white Laurel shoots, I nov7 send a small piece as a specimen. These 
shoots are produced from a healthy green Laurel, and for four years, 
during which time I have had the opportunity of watching them, I do 
not believe there has been a single instance of even a symptom of green 
in them. They grow about 3 or 4 feet high, and are beautiful in 
decoration, for which purpose they have been cut rather severely. My 
object in sending this specimen is to find out if anyone else has seen 
a similar departure from the usual nature of the Laurel, and if not, 
whether these shoots under proper treatment might not be used for 
propagation, and so a new and valuable addition be made to our 
garden shrubs.” [We have seen similar examples before, but -we do 
not know whether they have been propagated by cuttings or in any 
other way. Perhaps some of our readers can tell us something about 
the matter.] 
- WooLTON Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
A meeting was held in the Mechanics’ Institute last Thursday evening, 
Mr. R. W. Ker in the chair, when the prize for an essay on the “ Culture 
of Greenhouse Rhododendrons” was awarded to Mr. R. G. Waterman, 
who read the paper (see page 131).- It was followed by a good discussion, 
in which Messrs. R. Tod, — Rae, J. Calland, J. Stoney, A. Kime, 
T. Winkworth, — Griffiths, and the Chairman took part. The second 
paper was also a prize essay on “ The Selection and Cultivation of 
Hollies” suitable for the Liverpool District. This was read by the 
successful writer, Mr. H. Corlett, and the discussion wms carried on by 
those already named, and Mr. R. Lawrence. The prizes are gifts made 
to the Society by Messrs. R. P. Ker & Sons, and have caused consider¬ 
able interest amongst the members. A vote of thanks was accorded to 
the essayists for their papers, and a similar compliment to the Chair¬ 
man concluded a very enjoyable and instructive meeting, at which 
about forty persons were present. 
-- At the February meeting of the Sheffield Floral and 
Horticultural Society Mr. James Simmonds read a very practical 
paper on the “ Primula,” which induced a most useful and interesting 
discussion on the best varieties of double Primulas. In the course of 
the remarks made it was stated that the old alba plena is still the best 
double Primula, as it is so free flowering. The Marchioness of Exeter 
is also a grand variety : the flowers large, extremely double, and plants 
often flower so well that the plants were liable to exhaust themselves. 
Another good variety is alba plena fimbriata, having each petal 
fimbriated, but in -other respects, including constitution, the variety is 
the same as alba plena. White Lady is similar to Marchioness of 
Exeter ; Delicata resembles alba plena fimbriata, but has much larger 
blooms, which are produced quite as freely and are as useful for 
cutting, and the stems do not snap like the Marchioness of Exeter and 
some others. 
- The Profagation of Double Primulas w-as also discussed, 
Mr. Collier advising that after flowering, -when the plants have become 
somewhat exhausted and are becoming tall, the lower leaves can he 
trimmed away, and some sphagnum moss mixed with sand placed round 
the stems. Into this material in April and May the stems will root 
as quickly as i possible, when . they can be taken off and potted. 
Young cuttings like these make the best of plants. Some use 
i - f.-/ (■1 11.','- 
- East Grinstead Horticultural Society.—M r. G. Wyatt 
Truscott, the President, w^as entertained by the members of this Society 
at a banquet last week. There was a large attendance. In concluding 
an excellent speech, Mr. Truscott desired to repe-at his injunction to 
gardeners to join the Society, because he was sure it would very largely 
benefit them if they would use its advantages aright. It had been his 
misfortune lately to notice one Or two gardens where gardeners had 
injured their chance of promotion in their art by slovenliness. He urged 
them to pay stricter attention to detail, because in whatever walk 
of life they were placed they must always remember it was not the 
work which measured the dignity of the man, but the man who 
determined the dignity of the work. - If they would only remember that 
they -would have cause to be thankful in after life. He thanked the 
inhabitants of the neighbourhood fof the generous support accorded to 
the Societj’s past Shows, and asked practical gardeners to aid by join¬ 
ing in discussions and reading papers, for without that practical aid the 
Society could not possibly succeed. 
- Lord Dorchester, presiding at the meeting of the Metro¬ 
politan Public Gardens Association recently, in the absence of 
the Earl of Meath, announced that of the £3000 required for the laying- 
out of the Victoria Park Cemetery, over £2800 had been subscribed 
