420 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Korember 9, 1893. 
-Bullfinches and Buds.—M r. J. Hiam writes :— “ It may be as 
well to remind fruit growers, in districts where these birds are numerous, 
that for about six weeks they are very easily taken in trap cages or with 
birdlime, and turned to account as pets for cage birds or in aviaries, 
instead of shooting them in the spring.” 
- Eucharis amazonica. —Lovers of this beautiful flower will 
be pleased to know that the Eucharis is admirably grown by Mr. George 
Ward, London Road, Bishop’s Stortford. In looking over his houses of 
Eucharis the other day I was amazed to find the plants in such health 
and carrying large numbers of flowers, which it would be useless for me 
to describe.— Eucharis. 
- Property in Mushrooms. —At the instance of the West¬ 
moreland County Council, all the County Councils in England are 
having brought before them a resolution in favour of the law being 
so altered that persons who trespass upon land in search of Mushrooms 
and other spontaneous growths will be liable to conviction, as in the 
case of stealing cultivated roots. Great annoyance and indirect damage 
to farmers is caused by such trespasses at present, and there is nothing 
in the criminal law to prevent it. 
- The International Horticultural Society which was 
founded at the recent Congress of horticulturists held at Chicago has 
made further progress. The chief object of the Society is to facilitate 
the exchange of plants, seeds, and books. The following officers have been 
nominated :—President, Mr. P. J. Berchmans ; Vice-President, Mr. Henry 
L. de Vilmorin; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. George Nicholson, the 
Curator of Kew Gardens. We learn, however, that Mr. Nicholson is 
unable to undertake the work that this office would impose upon him. 
- A New Rose-coloured Calla. —A correspondent sends us 
the following extract, written by a Dutch bulb firm, referring to the 
new Calla with rose-coloured spathes which appears to be now attract¬ 
ing attention :—“ This Calla, received from Africa, represents an 
entirely new type of Richardias, the leaves being lanceolate instead of 
sagittate, as in all species hitherto known. The spathe is of a very 
elegant shape, and the colour is white tinted with rose, especially well 
marked on the outside. The bud shows a rose colour, which after¬ 
wards changes into white with a rose tint.” The provisional name of 
De Waal’s Richardia has been adopted until botanists decide its Latin 
designation. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, October. —Mean temperature of month, 
50'2°. Maximum on the 16th, 67’0°; minimum on the 30th, 27 2°. 
Maximum in the sun on the 1st, 120'5° ; minimum on the grass on the 
31st, 19'2°. Mean temperature of air at 9 A.m,, 50’5° ; mean temperature 
of soil 1 foot deep, 50-6°, Nights below 32°, in shade two, on grass six¬ 
teen. Total duration of sunshine in the month, 120 hours, or 37 per 
cent, of possible duration. We had three sunless days. Total rainfall, 
1’69 inch. Rain fell on thirteen days. Average velocity of wind, 
81 miles per hour. Velocity exceeded 400 miles on one day, and fell 
short of 100 miles on seven days. Approximate averages for October :— 
Mean temperature, 48’1° ; sunshine, eighty-three hours ; rainfall, 
2‘73 inches. Another warm, bright, and dry month. None of the last 
twelve Octobers had as much sunshine, and only two out of the last 
seventeen had a higher mean temperature, and none of them had as 
high a mean daily maximum.—J, Mallender. 
- Technical Education in Horticulture. — The Council 
of the Scottish Horticultural Association having been again allocated a 
portion of the residue grant by the Town Council of the City of Edin¬ 
burgh has arranged a course of lectures on the “ Vegetable Garden,” 
to be delivered during the ensuing winter and spring. The scientific 
and practical aspects of the subjects chosen will be treated of by 
eminent authorities, and the lectures will be free to all interested in the 
advancement of horticulture. The introductory lecture will be given 
by Mr. M. Dunn, Dalkeith, “ The Chemistry of the Vegetable Garden ” 
will be treated in six lectures by Mr. W. Ivison Macadam, F.R.S.E., 
F.I.C., F.C.S. “ Physics as Applied to the Vegetable Garden,” in three 
lectures, by Mr. A. N. Macalpine, consulting botanist to the Highland 
and Agricultural Society, “ The Chemistry of the Soils : The old and 
new Doctrines,” in two lectures, by Dr. Hunter, Minto House. Mr. A, H. 
Scott, The Gardens, Cambusdoon, Ayr ; Mr. Williamson, Tarvit, Cupar- 
bife; Mr. Loney, Marchmont, Duns; Mr. P. W. Fairgrave, Dunkeld, 
and Mr. Temple, Carron House, Falkirk, will lecture on the practical 
cultivation of different crops. Mr. Robert Laird, 17, South Frederick 
Street, Edinburgh, is the Honorary Secretary, 
- Large Gourds. —Messrs. Sutton & Sons write:—“We note 
in a paragraph appearing on page 400 of the Journal of Horticulture 
reference is made to a Gourd weighing 30 lbs. It may interest your 
readers to know that we have one grown by a customer of ours (Lieut.- 
Col. E. Morrell, Mistley Hall, Manningtree) weighing 142 lbs., and 
from the same plant others were cut weighing 112 lbs., 100 lbs,, 85 lbs., 
besides others of smaller weight. The variety is our Mammoth Gourd.” 
_ Weather in Scotland. —The total rainfall for October was 
4 239 inches, which fell on twenty-eight days ; greatest fall on any 
one day 0 887 inches, on the 24th. Drains were first observed running 
for the season on the 25th. Frost was registered on two nights—the 
30th, 24-8° ; and the Slst, 22-6°. The warmest day was the 15th, when 
63° were registered; and the 16th was the warmest night, with 54'9°. 
Mean maximum, 55 6°; mean minimum, 39-3°.— G. McDouGALL, 
Stirling. 
- The Floral Sketch Book. —The Council of the Royal 
Horticultural Society have granted special permission to Mr. John 
Weathers, Assistant-Secretary, to publish his plant sketches. Mr. 
Weathers informs us that he proposes to publish under the above title 
five large drawings each month of as many new, rare, or interesting 
plants. Each plant figured will be fully described, and historical and 
cultural notes will also be given. The first number will be ready by 
January 6th, 1894, and the price will be Is. 
-Royal Meteorological Society,—T he meetings of the 
Society, which will be held by kind permission of the Council of the 
Institute of Civil Engineers, at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, 
will for the future commence at 8 p.m. At the ordinary meeting on 
Wednesday, the 15th inst., the following papers will be read:—“The 
Great Drought of 1893, and Its Attendant Meteorological Phenomena,” 
by Frederick J. Brodie, F.R.Met.Soc. “ Thunder and Hail Storms over 
England and t’ne South of Scotland, July 8th, 1893,” by William 
Marriott, F.R.Met.Soc. 
- Potato Growing Experiments in Scotland, — The 
Dalkeith Agricultural Society has, so we learn from an agricultural 
contemporary, carried out some interesting experiments by means of 
prizes offered to growers to ascertain the heaviest cropping sorts of 
Potatoes, and what manures are best to be employed to obtain largest 
results. The first prize was awarded to a crop of 12 tons 7 cwts. 3 qrs. 
of sound Bruce to the acre, grown with 20 tons of manure, 4 cwts. kainite, 
4 cwts. supers in drill, 1^ cwt. nitre when through, and IJ cwt. when 
earthed up. The second prize went to an acre of Regents weighing 12 tons 
6 cwts. 3 qrs., of which 10 tons 7 cwts, were good, 1 ton 12 cwts. 1 qr. 
small, and 7 cwts. diseased. This crop received 24 tons of farmyard 
ma jure to the acre, besides 1 cwt. of dissolved bones and 1 cwt. of nitre 
in the drill, 
- A FEW Pretty Plants. —At the little Show at Ewell last 
week I noted some plants of more than usual interest at this season 
of the year. Mr, Whiteman had Salvia splendens Bruanti in fine form, 
large bushes 3^ feet through, beautifully flowered, and in 9-inch pots. 
Then he also had several plants of Salvia Pitcheri, each carrying good 
spikes at about 3 feet in height of intensely rich blue flowers. It is a 
most effective plant at this time of the year. The roots are tuberous, 
and require the same treatment as does Salvia patens. Aralia Chabrieri 
is a Croton-like plant. This was represented by a specimen 3 feet in 
height, very handsome indeed, and because of its long narrow pendant 
leafage it makes a peculiarly charming table plant. The same grower 
had Giant Red Capsicum in fine form, plants some 2 feet in height and 
heavily fruited. It is for exhibition or for sideboards a most effective 
variety.—A. D. 
- Carex japonica. —This beautiful perennial Rush-like plant 
is one which should be grown extensively by all who have to carry out 
dinner-table decorations. Its slender variegated leaves, which attain a 
length of from 1 to 2 feet, are extremely light and graceful in appearance ; 
in fact I know of no cultivated plant to equal it in this respect, which 
renders it an ideal plant for the above purpose, and thus enables the 
decorator to produce a light wavy surface without impeding the view 
across the table. The cultural requirements of this Carex are extremely 
simple, as it thrives well in almost any soil, succeeds in either a cool or 
warm structure, and requires but little root room, excellent examples being 
produced in 3-inch pots. Propagation is easily effected by root division, 
by which means a good stock may quickly be worked up. Those who 
are unacquainted with this plant should lose no time in obtaining it, 
and I feel sure they will consider I have not over-estimated its intrinsic 
merit.—H. D. 
