8 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jnly 6, 18W. 
- Gardening Appointment.— Mr. Henry Angus, late general 
foreman at Wykeham Abbey, Yorkshire, has been appointed gardener at 
Coupland Castle, Wooler, Northumberland. 
- Trop.eolum Mrs. Clibran.—T his is unquestionably a great 
acquisition to our list of bedding Tropfeolums. Throughout all the 
dry weather the plants have been covered with bloom. It associates 
well with the scarlet variety Fire King.—R. P. R. 
- Alexander Peach Outdoors. — I began to gather this early 
Peach on June 23rd. Early Beatrice will soon be ready. This is 
exactly four weeks in advance of last year at this place (North Hants), 
showing what effect the excessive heat and drought has had on Peach 
trees.—H. C., Froylc Park. 
- Mr. Joseph Theobald.— This faithful servant of Mr. George 
Bunyard and much respected man died on the 29th ult. after a short 
illness. He was for thirty years “ florist ” foreman in the Maidstone 
establishment, previously with Mr. B. Cant of Colchester, and was well 
known in the southern counties. 
- Dr. Nansen’s Arctic Expedition. —We are requested to state 
that Messrs. Cadbury, of Bournville, have supplied about 1500 lbs. 
weight of their cocoa essence and chocolate in hermetically sealed 
tins, as a portion of the provisions, which must keep good for at 
least seven years, taken for this expedition. 
- The Weather in Hertfordshire. —Mr. E. Wallis, The 
Gardens, Hamels Park, Buntingford, Herts, writes :—“ The weather 
during the past month has still remained exceptionally dry and bright, 
there being only one full dull day. Rain is everywhere needed. During 
the past four months only 2-67 of rainfall have been registered. Rain 
has fallen on eleven days during the past month. Maximum in any 
twenty-four hours was 0-25 on the 22nd ; minimum in any twenty-four 
hours was 0 01 on the 25th. Total during the whole month, 0 88, 
against 2-71 of 1892.” 
- Awards at the Earl’s Court Show.—E xtreme pressure 
on our space last week prevented us mentioning that Messrs. W. Paul 
and Sons, Waltham Cross, were awarded a silver-gilt medal'for a 
charming collection of Roses at the Earl’s Court Show on June 28th. 
Mr. W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall, Stamford, secured a silver medal for 
some well-grown Peaches ; Mr. J. R. Chard, Stoke Newington, for floral 
decorations ; and Mr. J. Forbes, Hawick, for a collection of Delphiniums. 
Extra prizes were awarded to Messrs. T. Rivers & Sons for a collection 
of fruit; J. Cheal & Sons, for cut flowers ; Jarman & Co., for vegetables ; 
and W. Berridge, for Tomatoes. First-class certificates were awarded 
to Mr. T. S. Ware for Begonias Queen Victoria, Champion, and Miss 
Fanny Fell; Mr. W. Allan, Gunton Park Gardens, for Strawberry 
Gunton Park; and to Mr. Anthony Waterer, Knaphill, for Spirma 
“Anthony Waterer,” a very dwarf growing pink flowered form. 
- Allotments AT Richmond. —Two years since a large demand 
for allotments in Richmond having arisen, the Corporation, as the local 
authority under the Allotments Act, sought to obtain a portion of the 
Old Deer Park for the purpose, but failed. Effort was then made to obtain 
land in another direction, and eventually some 20 acres that had been 
for many years under market garden cultivation, and situated between 
the Sheen Road and the South-Western Railway on the eastern side of 
the town, were secured ; this the Corporation obtained a long lease of, 
and after setting out roads, marked off into 196 allotments in areas 
ranging from 10 to 20 rods. The ground is of an excellent nature, but 
had been v/orked only some 10 inches deep at the most, and whilst this 
season for the first time is, in spite of the. drought, carrying excellent 
crops, yet will be greatly improved when more deeply worked and 
manured. The allotment holders comprise men engaged in every 
description of occupation, not a few had ever had a garden or allotment 
previously. The general aspect of the plots is excellent; cropping is 
perhaps too crowded, but that will be amended by time ; weeds are entirely 
absent, and in every part there is remarkable neatness. The appreciation 
in which the allotments are held is indeed in many cases bordering on 
enthusiasm. The men seem as if a new life, with new aims, desires, and 
enjoyments had opened up before them. A more complete vindication of 
the capacity of workers of all descriptions to properly cultivate and 
appreciate allotments cannot be found in the kingdom; On Saturday 
21th ult., representing the Surrey County Council Technical Educa¬ 
tion Committee, Mr. A. Dean, Kingston, inspected the allotments and 
afterwards addressed the workers on the ground, describing the best 
methods of cultivation, forms of cropping, dealing with plant pests, and 
was listened to for an hour with the deepest interest. 
- Margaret Carnations. —Plants of these Carnations appear 
to be wonderfully quiek in producing flowers. I sowed some seed about 
the middle of February and grew the plants in heat, afterwards giving 
them cool treatment, finally planting some outdoors. These and others 
in pots standing out of doors are now full of buds.—E. M. 
- The Gunton Park Strawberries.—I fully agree with Mr, 
Dean of Kingston in his estimate of the Strawberries he refers to on 
page 521. I have had the pleasure to receive a box of each variety. 
They travel well, and are in colour, shape, and flavour excellent. I 
think they are worthy of a trial in large and small gardens.—JOHN 
Andrews, Ron. Sec. to the WoodhrUlge Horticultural Society. 
- The Phylloxera.—I t is reported that “the phylloxera has- 
appeared in the vineyards of the province of Trapani (Sicily), in which 
Marsala is situated. This is the only province of the island which has- 
hitherto been exempt from the visitation. The districts where the 
disease has been discovered are Alcamo and Partinico. A Government 
commission has been despatched to the spot to combat the scourge.” 
- Sun Heat. —Mr. S. Arnott, referring to the “ intense heat ”■ 
near Dumfries on Monday last, says the thermometer hanging against- 
a wall in the full sun registered 100° at 2.45 on Monday last. This 
would indicate pleasant weather to some southerners, who have 
languished under 90° in the shade this year and 120° in the sun. We 
have known this heat exceeded on more than one occasion on a south 
wall. 
- Exhibiting Raspberries.—I t is a common occurrence to see 
these exhibited without stalks at cottage shows, and even amongst 
amateurs the practice is prevalent; but I do not remember having 
noticed a gardener stage them in that way. It is difficult to initiate 
the former in the correct method of presenting all their exhibits, but 
the latter should surely need no such drilling. They would hardly 
send fruit as dessert to the table minus the stalks.—E. M. 
- Canterbury Bells. —These plants make a grand display in 
the borders during May, June, and July. If the seed is sown late ii> 
the year the plants are weakly in the autumn, and from them strong 
flower spikes cannot be had. The middle of June is a good time to sow 
seed of any approved variety. Dean’s strain I consider very good, the 
colours being decided, and the flowers large. The single flowers are 
the most effective. If the weather is dry, well water the ground a few 
hours before sowing the seed. Cover the seed thinly with fine soil, and 
shade the bed until the seedlings appear above ground, when they should 
have all the light available to induce a sturdy growth. When the 
plants are large enough to handle put them out where they are to- 
flower, or in well dug land 8 inches apart until the autumn.—S. 
- Royal Meteorological Society. — The last meeting of this 
Society for the present session was held on Wednesday evening, the 
21st ult., at the Institution of Civil Engineers, 25, Great George Street, 
Westminster, Dr. C. Theodore Williams (President) in the chair. Mr, 
R. H. Scott, F.R.S., read a paper on “ Fifteen Years’ Fogs in the British 
Islands, 1876-1890,” which was a discussion of the fog observations 
made at the stations whieh appear in the “ Daily Weather Report.’^ 
The winter is the foggiest season, and the greatest number of fog 
observations are reported from London, Yarmouth, Oxford, and 
Ardrossan. In the summer half year the fog prevalence attains a local 
maximum in two different districts—viz., at Scilly, St. Ann’s Head, 
and Roche’s Point in the south-west, and at Sumburgh Head and Wick 
in the north. These are evidently sea fogs, accompanying warm 
weather. Mr. Scott has made a collation of the observations of fog 
and the force of the wind, and finds that fog almost invariably occurs 
only with calm or very light winds. The author says that it seems 
to be generally assumed that fogs in London are increasing in frequency 
and in severity. From the observations it appears that there is no trace 
of a regular increase either in the monthly or in the annual curve. 
All that can be said is that taking the three lustral periods of five years 
each, the last of these (1886-90) comes out markedly the worst, the 
successive totals being 262, 250, and 322. A paper on “ Upper Currents 
of Air over the Arabian Sea,” by Mr. W. L. Dallas, F.R.Met.Soc., of the 
Indian Meteorological Office, was also read, in which it is shown that 
there exists a regular arrangement in the vertical succession of the 
upper currents ; and that the Doldrum region, and not the geographical 
equator, is really the dividing line between the currents of the northern 
and southern hemispheres. Mr. E. D. Archibald, M.A., F.R.Met.Soc., 
also gave an address on “ Australian Climate and Weather,” which 
was illustrated by a number of interesting lantern slides. 
