August 24, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
163 
AUGUST HEAT ANU 
GARDEN PRODUCE. 
X 
M emorable to the public generally, and by no class more 
than the gardening community, will be the remarkable heat 
of August of the present year. An unbroken term of eleven 
days, in which the shade temperature was upwards of 80°, and on 
several days over 90°, with a night minimum of seldom less than 
70°, is an occurrence so rare as to demand permanent record. 
Thursday last, the 17th inst., was one of the hottest days known 
in the vicinity of the metropolis. The returns vary somewhat 
from different localities, due in part no doubt to the positions 
occupied by thermometers, and perhaps in greater part to the 
variations of instruments from the standard of accuracy. The 
readings at Greenwich we may, however, expect to be correct, 
and we are informed that at Greenwich the temperature in the 
sun reached 146‘2° on Friday last, and in the shade 95T° This, it 
is authoritatively stated, has not been exceeded in August during 
the last fifty years, although it was equalled on August 11th, 1884, 
and it has only been exceeded twice at Greenwich during the 
last half century, the readings being 96 6°, July 22nd, 1868; 
and 97T°, July 15th, 1881. As the minimum night temperature 
was 72°, the mean daily temperature of August 17th has 
therefore apparently not been exceeded since authentic records 
have been kept. In the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, 
Chiswick, on Thursday in the “ hot week ” the shade thermometer 
registered 95°, and examiners of the trials of Onions and Potatoes 
were bravely (?) discharging their duties beneath the shade of 
umbrellas. 
Lives have been lost through the excessive heat, and more no 
doubt would have been but for those splendid institutions—public 
hospitals—in which many persons who were stricken found refuge 
and relief. Much loss has been incurred by the destruction of 
perishable food, including fruit and vegetables. We have seen 
it announced that it is not at all uncommon for 5 or 6 tons of 
produce to be destroyed weekly in Covent Garden during hot 
weather, but that amount was greatly exceeded during the late 
abnormal heat. Large quantities were spoiled on arrival, and had 
to be forthwith carted away, and sent down the river in barges for 
use as manure. Only those consigners who were alive to the 
importance of not keeping fruit till it was fully ripe before 
packing could rely on the produce being saleable a few hours after 
exposure in the market. One of the most common errors of the 
inexperienced is to wait a day or more too long with their fruit, 
and then not being sufficiently careful in excluding bruised or 
blemished specimens, A very few of these will render the bulk 
comparatively useless, and especially when the fruit is as ripe as 
it should be, no allowance being made for its changing on the way 
—a change that may amount to destruction. 
The heat and drought have had a most exhausting effect on 
vegetation. In some parts of Surrey, where little rain has fallen, 
thunder showers having gone elsewhere during July, we have 
recently seen large Elm trees as if seared with fire and hedge¬ 
rows shrivelled, no green leaves to be seen. In many gardens 
the time of the workers has been almost exclusively devoted to 
watering in the hope of keeping shrubs alive, and many large 
Rhododendrons have perished. Lawns and walks are littered -with 
leaves as in October, and where no sweeping has been done the 
ground is thickly covered, few being left on many trees and 
Na 687.—VoL. XXVII,, Third Series. 
none of them green. Should a warm moist autumn follow, a 
second growth on trees, shrubs, and fruit bushes is by no means 
improbable. Where the drought has been the most severe and 
prolonged the greatest difficulty has been experienced in main¬ 
taining the vegetable supply and keeping flower beds and borders 
presentable. This could not be done in the absence of deep 
rich soil and mulching, supplemented by such waterings as could 
be given by exhausted men. 
Fruits of all kinds have ripened before their time, and are 
generally smaller than usual, also drier, but not too dry for the 
voracious wasps, which have had most of the best on many trees 
that could not be protected. The effect of the heat has been 
seen in the ripening of Apricots on open orchard standards. We 
had small but excellent fruits from such a tree grown at Dulwich 
a fortnight ago, and it is worthy of record that 33 bushels of 
ripe Apricots have been gathered from twenty-four trees grown 
quite in the open in the market grounds of Mr. Smith of Chiswick, 
and sold to Mr, Beach, the famous jam manufacturer at Brentford, 
for 11s. a bushel. This is an extraordinary yield of the ripe 
Apricots from open standard trees early in August, and could 
not be produced in other than an abnormally hot and dry summer. 
The variety was the Royal. 
Perhaps no better index of the condition of garden crops 
generally at the present time could be afforded than by the 
National Co-operative Vegetable, Fruit, and Flower Show that 
was held at the Crystal Palace last Saturday. It should be said, 
however, that the magnitude of the display rendered it necessary 
to arrange and judge the vegetables on the previous day, Friday. 
Mr. E. O. Greening, the Managing Director of the Association, 
appeared proud of the display, as well he might be, although 
there was a falling off in the number of exhibits in the industrial 
or cottagers’ section, for while the decrease in this section was 
small, the increase in the entries of professional gardeners, notably 
for fruit, was very much larger. Last year the workers’ entries 
numbered for vegetables 1525, this year they fell to 1202 ; but in 
the professional classes they rose from 502 to 627. In fruit the 
workmen’s entries last year were 154, this year 240 ; the increase 
in the professional classes being from 111 to 198. Altogether the 
entries of the workers in vegetables, fruit, plants, and flowers 
were 2539, and of the professionals 1388. Mr, Greening in his 
interesting opening address suggested that the weather had been 
more cruel to cottagers and allotment holders than to gardeners. 
These latter had deeper, richer soil, and the lesson should not be 
lost. Thorough culture tells always, but never so effectively as 
during a dry exhausting season. The Director thought he might 
claim for the Show the honour of being the largest of the kind in 
Britain, as he certainly might. It will be safe to say its equal 
has not been seen in Europe, and we have yet to learn that an 
exhibition of garden produce of the same character and magnitude 
has been provided in the land of great things—America—produce 
largely grown by cottagers and the industrial population. It may 
be said, as affording a tangible idea of the extent of the display, 
that a length of 1100 yards of tabling was requisite for staging the 
exhibits. These were shown in 245 classes, including seven for 
honey, and one for farm produce. 
Vegetables, fruit, and flowers came from widely distant parts 
of the country, and the show may fairly be regarded as a national 
one, not in name alone but in fact. Let it be said at once that 
it was a credit to the nation, and more especially in the vegetable 
department, as representing the cultural work of the industrial 
population. Not the name of a prizewinner will be given here, 
for if we give one we must give scores, and no one would be 
the better for the list. All personalities shall remain obscure, and 
their work alone alluded to. There need be then no fear of free 
criticism touching tender susceptibilities. It has to be said that 
the vegetables of the industrial classes, cottagers, and artisans, 
were decidedly better as a whole than were those staged by 
No. 2343.—VoL. LXXXIX., Old Series. 
