Ap il ”, 1831. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
269 
direction of Dr. Eusscll. Since tlie middle of December frequent 
washings of fog have been obtained witli it. Those are now undergoing 
analysis. In addition, samples of many fogs have been aspii'ated 
through a solution of permanganate of potash—the volume of fog 
necessary to decolorise the pink solution being registered by a meter 
constructeel on the wet system. 
The permanganate is extremely susceptible to sulphurous acid, 
probably the chief agent of damage present in the London atmosphere. 
A comparison of the volumes of air necessary to completely bleach a 
known amount of permanganate in foggy and in fine weather is striking. 
Whilst during a severe fog as little as 1 or 2 cubic feet is suflicient, in 
fine clear weather 30 or 40 cubic feet may be aspirated without causing 
an appreciable decoloration. Even a rough method such as this would 
become an instrument of some precision in the hands of a chemist, and 
would furnish results of the greatest value in compaiing the damage to 
vegetation inflicted by separate fogs. 
During the winter collections of snow from equal areas were made 
at frequent intervals, and the amount of matter precipitated upon it 
from day to day estimated. At the close of the February fogs the oppor¬ 
tunity was taken to make scrapings from 20 square yards of the 
glass roofs of plant houses at Kew and at Chelsea. The glass at both 
localities had been washed just before the commencement of the spell of 
fog. Each yielded an almost identical amount of deposit— i.c., 31 grains 
per square yard, or C toirs per square mile. 
Dr. G. H. Bailey, of the Owen’s College, Manchester, was good 
•enough to analyse the samples, and furnishes the following as the 
result of a preliminary examination of that from Chelsea :—“ It con¬ 
sisted of about 40 per cent, of mineral matter, 36 per cent, of carbon, 
and 15 per cent, of hydro-carbons. It was interesting to note that there 
was present also 2 to 3 per cent, of metallic iron in mimrte particles. 
The sulphuric acid present amounted to nearly 5 per cent., and the 
hydrochloric acid to 1^ per cent. The presence of such large quantities 
of volatile oils explained the oleaginous character of the deposits which 
formed from London smoke, and it had been noticed that, especially in 
the districts of Manchester, where dwelling houses were much crowded 
together (e-O-i Hirlme), the deposit has a similar character.” 
The deposits on both outdoor and greenhouse foliage have been from 
time to time collected, as well as the daily accumulation on a single 
pane of glass during foggy weather. The examination of these deposits 
is not yet concluded. The work this winter on this portion of the 
inquiry can only be regarded as preliminary in its nature. I will state 
here briefly what lines might be followed in future. Continuous obser¬ 
vations from day to day, and sometimes from hour to hour, during dull 
weather, recording the fluctuating amounts of the hurtful components 
present in the atmosphere are much required. These should be obtained 
simultaneously at a number of selected stations—for the purpose of this 
investigation situate, preferably, near establishments where plants are 
under eultivation. A knowledge of the varying amounts of these com¬ 
ponents would be of the greatest value in making a comparison between 
the nature of the damage incurred by vegetation in different localities 
and at different times. 
It is obvious that had we possessed this winter stations for fog 
analysis at, for example, Kew, Chiswick, and South Kensington, we 
should be in a better position to explain the differing effects of the 
Christmas and February fogs respectively at the last named and their 
very similar action at the first named. Dr. G. H. BaUey has been 
devoting himself to a chemical investigation of this character in Man- 
■chester. He has now perfected apparatus by means of which systematic 
records of the kind indicated can be obtained. The apparatus in 
question is being fitted up at numerous stations in Manchester, and 
fully justifies his anticipations as a simple method which does not 
require manual labour, as is the case with the Meteorological Council’s 
pump. My proposal is that the balance of our grant be used in 
establishing a number of stations in London and its suburbs on precisely 
the same lines as those being employed in Manchester, the two 
inquiries, so far as the chemical investigation of fog is concerned, 
rnnmngpari 2 }assu. Dr. Bailey, with whom I have been inconstant 
intercoui’8e,'is willing to co operate in this undertaking, the experiments 
and analyses in question being maile under his direction and control. 
This joint scheme has, I think, the additional recommendation of being 
likely to produce total results of greater value and at a less expenditure 
of energy than if the investigations at Manchester and London be con¬ 
ducted independently. Dr. Bailey and his colleagues have just issued a 
preliminary report on the atmosphere of Manchester. 
(To be continued.) 
WINTER SUNSHINE. 
As everybody i.s aware, February, 1891, was remarkable for its ex¬ 
cessive dryne.^s and for the absence of anything approaching stormy 
weather. Many will also be disposed to remember it as a month in 
which we had more than our ordinary share of fog, particularly during 
the second half, when fog seemed to be very general over the eastern ancl 
south-eastern parts of England. It will be a surprise, therefore, to 
learn that, in spite of the exceptionally foggy character of the month, 
the amount of bright sunshine which was registered, over England 
especially, was altogether abnormally large. And what is still more 
surprising is that the second half, which included the days when the 
fogs were reported as most dense and widespread, was very much more 
sunny than the first half. According to the statistics published weekly 
by the Meteorological Office, the average duration of bright sunshine in 
the twelve forecasting districts for the month of February is 89 hours in 
the Channel Islands, 72 hours in the south of Ireland, 46 hours in the 
extreme north of Scotland, and in the other nine districts it varies 
between 60 and 69 hours. In the period now under review, however, 
the recorders registered 167 hours in the Channel Islands ; 126 hours in 
England, S.W. ; 108 hours in England, S. ; 102 hours in England, E., 
and Midland Counties ; 97 hours in England, N.W.; 90 hours in Scot¬ 
land, E. ; 88 hours in England, N.E. ; 80 hours in Ireland, S. ; 73 hours 
in Ireland, N.; 59 hours in Scotland, W. ; and 54 hours in Scotland, N. 
With the exception, therefore, of the West of Scotland, where there was 
a deficiency of one horrr, every district showed a considerable excess of 
sunshine, England and Wales taken as a whole having 104 hours against 
an average of 65 hours, the increase being 60 per cent., the south-western 
counties showing an excess of 83 per cent.; while the Channel Islands 
had 88 per cent, more than the average. The records for the individual 
stations in the several districts are even more interesting. Out of forty- 
one stations the following twenty had at least 100 hours of bright sun¬ 
shine for the month :—Jersey, 167; Hastings, 135 ; Plymouth, 134 ; 
Torquay, 128 ; Falmouth, 126 ; Pembroke, 125 ; Cirencester, 124 ; South¬ 
ampton, 123; Cullompton, 120; Llandudno, 120; Eastbourne, 118; 
Stowell, 118 ; Churchstoke, 115 ; Aberdeen, 113 ; Hillington, 104 ; Cam¬ 
bridge, 103 ; Newton Pvcigny, 102 ; Marchmont, 101 ; Geldeston, 100; 
Piothamstcd, 100. 
This wonderfirl outbirrst of sunshine was not confined to the south 
coast stations. Llandudno had a better record than Eastbourne, Aber¬ 
deen came very near, while Newton Reigny and Marchmont, both 
northern stations, fall into the list of high totals. The average daily 
excess ranged from more than 1 hour at Geldeston to nearly 3 hours at 
Jersey. The only station in the kingdom which had a deficiency of 
sunshine was Glasgow, the total duration being 34 hours, or 12 less than 
the normal. Fort Augustus had 40 hours, but the average is not known 
for this station ; London comes next with 42 hours, and, small as was 
the total, it was 5 hours above the average. Ireland did not have a 
large excess: Dublin, with 91 hours, was 22 hours to the good, and 
Armagh, with 73 hours, was 12 hours above the average ; but elsewhere 
the normal was exceeded by from 2 to 10 hours only. The figures quoted 
for the month as a whole are quite exceptional for so early a period in 
the year; but about three-fourths of the total sunshine was registered in 
the last fourteen days. Indeed, in the first week the amount recorded 
fell below the average in eight out of the twelve districts, and in the 
following week four districts were still deficient; and this fact accounts 
for the excess of the last fortnight at Hastings, Pembroke, and other 
places being actually larger than that for the entire month. During the 
fourteen days, 15—28, there were several stations other than those in¬ 
cluded above which had fi-om 50 to 80 hours of sunshine. At Dublin, 
Durham, Geldeston, and Oxford the excess was as much as 2 hours per 
day above the average ; Llandudno and Hastings were favoured with an 
extra 4 hours per day, and Jersey rather more than 5 hours. For 
London the Meteorological Office gives 18‘9 hours in the first half, and 
23 hours in the secoiul half of the mouth; total, 41‘9, The Eoyal 
Observatory had respectively 24 2 hours and 46’5 hours ; total, 70‘7. 
The influence of the fog on the western districts is seen in tlie difference 
for the last fortnight, when the south-eastern quarter had rather more 
than twice as much sunshine. The Greenwich record is an excess of 
29 hours on the average for the month, or a little over 1 hour per day. 
This is very good under the circumstances, but Londoners cannot help 
envying the more fortunate districts beyond the limits of metropolitan 
fogs ; even distant Aberdeen, although entitled to less sunshine owing 
to latitude, having nearly three times as much brightness as western 
London.— (^Xature.') 
Eose Peopagation in America. 
The budding and other systems of propagation so successful with 
European florists on account of their cool summers and attendant 
atmospheric moisture cannot with profit be pursued here; the con¬ 
sequence is that all other methods are abandoned in favour of pro¬ 
pagation by cuttings, which is the great system of propasation in 
which all American cultivators excel the growers of other countries. 
The cuttings are inserted in sand in a heated frame or propagating 
house. 'When'the beds are duly prepared, the first act of importance is 
the proper selection of the cuttings ; if these arc not in the proper 
condition no amount of other attention will make marketable plants of 
them. The young shoots of the Rose is what is to be used, but 
avoid a soft pithy growth as much as you would an old or hardened 
one. When a Rose bud is developed enough to cut, the shoot on 
which it grows is in a proper condition to make desirable cutting 
wood as well as all other wood of a similar development. Each 
leaf of the shoot with its bud at the axil, and 2 or 3 inches of a stem, 
makes what is known to the trade as a one-ejmd cutting. They are 
simply made by making one rather slanting cut between the joints, or 
about a quarter of an inch above the eye. About one-third of the leaf 
is cut off, mainly to admit of more cuttings being put in the cutting 
