80 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 12, 1893. 
- Produck from Africa. —Growers in South Africa are trying 
to establish a trade in London for their Potatoes and Tomatoes, one 
farmer offering to furnish 80 to 100 tons of Tomatoes. There appears to 
be some truth in the statement that “ England is the finest market in 
the world.” But why the so-called distress of home growers? 
- Rats and Fruit. —Some time ago a correspondent mentioned 
in the Journal a case of rats taking Gooseberries from the bushes. 
Where these rodents are numerous near gardens or orchards they do not 
hesitate to climb walls and trees for the fruit thereon. They appear to 
have a liking for Pears, and frequently work havoc to the consternation 
of the gardener or owners.—T. 
- The Weather in Warwickshire. —The current year was 
ushered in with real wintry weather. On January 1st we registered 
9° of frost, and on the 3rd and 5th 20°. A slight fall of snow took place 
early on Friday morning, 6th inst., and during the afternoon and 
evening of the same day several heavy snowstorms increased the depth 
upon the ground to 3 inches.—H. D. 
- America’s National Flower. —The national flower ques¬ 
tion has been brought before the United States Congress. Congressman 
Butler, of Iowa, has introduced a resolution that the Pansy be adopted 
as the national flower, and that the stars on the national flag be arranged 
in the form of this flower. 
- Weather in Mid-Wales. —We have had some very severe 
weather here for the last fortnight, commencing on the 23rd of December. 
We registered from 10° to 25° of frost every night. Once we had 20° 
and twice 25°. The first week of it was very quiet, no winds whatever ; 
but from the 5th to the 0th the wind was very strong and bitterly cold, 
and snow fell on the 6th and 7th heavily, and at the time of writing the 
weather seems to be breaking up.—R. C. Williams, Crosswoocl Park, 
Aberystwith, 
- Colour and Quality. —It is singular to see two corre¬ 
spondents (Messrs. H. S. Easty and “ A. D.”) in your issue of 
January 5th suggesting, against popular opinion, that yellow is a 
property in fruit and vegetables. I have for many years been addicted 
to that taste in all our garden fruits and Potatoes. The former are 
often not only the most luscious to eat, but are so when cooked or made 
into jam. In Gooseberries I never found an exception, consequently 
have a predilection to yellow coloured fruit.—W. T., Blantyre. 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. Alexander Penhorwood, for 
the past eight years gardener to W. H. Budgett, Esq., Stoke House^ 
Bristol, has been appointed gardener to P. D. Prankerd, Esq., The 
Knoll, Sneyd Park, Bristol. Mr. E. Trollope, late of The Firs, Lee, 
Kent, has been appointed gardener to J. Foster, Esq., Combe Park, 
Whitchurch, Reading, ilr. Geo. E. Weeks, for the last five years fore¬ 
man to Mr. G. Inglefield, Tedworth House, Marlborough, has been 
appointed head gardener to R. D. Cleasby, Esq., Pennoyre, Brecon, 
South Wales. 
- United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. —The quarterly meeting of this Society was held at the 
Caledonian Hotel, Adelphi Terrace, Strand, on Monday evening last, 
Mr. W. P. Thomson in the chair. The Society is making good progress^ 
fifty-three members having been elected during the past year. Three 
members are on the Sick Fund at the present time. One member, who 
has been ill recently, was allowed 10s. from the Convalescent Fund. 
The amount of deposit standing to the credit of a non-paying member 
was granted at the last meeting in accordance with Rule 11, the said 
member having ceased to pay since 1869, and who has now reached 
sixty years of age. Messrs. Dixon, Gunner, and Puzey were elected 
auditors for the past year’s accounts. The usual vote of thanks to the 
Chairman ended the meeting. 
- The Weather During December at Ripley, Yorks.— 
December was ushered in by severe frost, which continued until the 
14th ; from that date to the 21st we had a spell of very mild weather. 
On the 22nd frost set in again and continued very severe to the end of 
the month. On the 29th, 30th, and 31st we registered 24° of frost. The 
rainfall was very light, the total fall being only 0‘07 of an inch, which 
fell upon eleven days, the greatest daily fall being 0'14 of an inch on 
the 8th. Mean reading of barometer, 29 94. Mean maximum tempera¬ 
ture, 38’5° ; mean minimum temperature, 22-6° ; mean temperature of 
month, 30'5°. Fog was prevalent from 19th to 22nd. No snow fell 
during the month to spread its protecting mantle over the occupants of 
our borders.—J. Tunnington, Rijiley Castle Gardens. 
- The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.— A 
general meeting of the members of this Institution will be held at 
“ Simpson’s,” 101, Strand, on Tuesday, 17th inst., at a quarter to three 
in the afternoon, to confirm the special resolution of the 20th day of. 
December, 1892, relative to the name of the Institution. The fifty- 
fourth annual meeting will be held at the same place and on the same 
date, for the purpose of receiving the report of the Committee and the 
accounts of the Institution for the present year, electing officers for the 
ensuing year, and other affairs ; and also for the purpose of placing 
twelve pensioners on the funds. The chair will be taken at three 
o’clock, and the poll will close at five o’clock. No subscriber can vote 
whose subscription for 1892 is unpaid on the day of the election. 
-Royal Patronage for the Gardeners’ Orphan Funh, 
—We have pleasure to announce that Her Royal Highness the Princess of 
Wales has sent a cheque for 10 guineas to this charity. At the last Com¬ 
mittee meeting donations to the amount of £66 were announced, includ¬ 
ing £20 from the Reigate Chrysanthemum Society, a similar amount 
from Mr. Todd (obtained by the sale of flowers at the Edinburgh Show),. 
£9 from the Rugby Show, £5 from the Carnation and Picotee Society’s- 
Show, Edinburgh, with smaller amounts from other collecting boxes^ 
There are forty-nine pensioners on the Fund, and fifteen candidates- 
for eight vacancies. The annual meeting will be held on February 
15th. Sir James Whitehead, Bart., M.P., was elected a Vice-President,, 
and Mr. R. Ballantine succeeds the late Mr. C. H. Sharman on the 
Committee. 
- The R.H.S. Committees. —Amongst new additions to these 
Committees for the present year (see page 32) are one or two in whom 
the readers of the Journal should feel special interest. Mr. Molyneux 
will be able on the Floral Committee to give the assistance of his wide 
knowledge of Chrysanthemums at the autumn meetings, and we hope 
sometimes for other purposes in the summer. So also will another new 
member, Mr. C. E. Shea. We are specially pleased also to notice that 
Mr. A. Young of Abberley Hall, and Mr. W. Iggulden of Marston 
Gardens, have been added to the Fruit Committee. It is to be deplored 
that distance prevents these and some other able gardeners, such as 
Mr. S. T. Wright of Glewston Court, Mr. Divers of Ketton Hall, Mr, 
Mclndoe, and others from only rarely attending. All the same, we 
are sure they will receive a very hearty welcome when they can do- 
so. Mr. Burrell of Claremont, and Mr. Goldsmith of Leonards Lee, also 
are new members of the Fruit Committee.—D. 
- WooLTON Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
A meeting of this Society was held on Thursday last in the Mechanics’ 
Institute, under the presidency of Mr. H. M. Coates. Mr. R. Todd, 
gardener to Holbrook Gaskell, Esq., Woolton Wood, gave a very interest¬ 
ing address on the Ouvirandra and other curiosities of plant life, includ¬ 
ing some useful cultural hints. Specimens of the Ouvirandra or 
Lattice-leaf plant, Sarracenias Drummondi and purpurea, Cephalotus 
follicularis, Dionsea or Venus’ Flytrap, and Nepenthes Hookeri were on 
the table, together with the following varieties of Ferns : Tricho- 
manes radicans (Killarney Fern) and T. reniforme, Hymenophyllums, 
Rhodopteris peltata or the Umbrella Fern. Hearty votes of thanks to 
the Chairman and lecturer were accorded. Mr. D. H, Johns, gardener to 
W. Revill, Esq., Hill House, Wavertree, brought a fine dish of Con¬ 
ference Tomatoes, for which the Society’s certificate of merit was 
awarded.—R. P. R. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, in December, 1892.—Mean temperature 
of month, 34’0° ; maximum on the 18th. 34'0°; minimum on the 27th, 
10‘6°; maximum in the sun on the 19th, 87’6° ; minimum on the grass 
on 27th, 6‘5°. Mean temperature of air at 9 A.M., 32-7° ; mean tempe¬ 
rature of soil 1 foot deep, 37-5°. Nights below 32°; in shade, twenty- 
two ; on grass, twenty-seven. Total duration of sunshine in the month, 
forty-eight hours, or 21 per cent, of possible duration. We had eleven 
sunless days. Total rainfall, 0 44 inch. Rain fell on nine days. 
Average velocity of wind, 8 2 miles per hour ; velocity did not exceed 
400 miles on any day, and fell short of 100 miles on ten days. 
Approximate averages for December.—Mean temperature, 37-1 ; sun¬ 
shine, thirty-two hours; rainfall, 1-97 inch. Very dry and cold, 
but sunny and calm. A spell of frost at the beginning of the 
month, and another and sharper one at the end, but with practi¬ 
cally no snow. The rainfall was smaller than in any corresponding 
month during the last sixteen years, but we have had three colder ones. 
—J. Mallender. 
