January 19, 1833. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
51 
- Rainfall in Shropshire. — Mr. C. A. Pearce, Oteley 
Gardens, Ellesmere, Salop, sends us a tabulated account of the rainfall 
there in 1892. “ We note that 27'48 inches of rain fell on 193 days. Mr. 
Pearce remarks that although there has been three days more than in 
1891, the rainfall has been 6‘16 (or something like 750 tons) less per 
acre. The total weight of rain for the year at a rough calculation is 
something over 2780 tons per acre. We have experienced a very late, 
■sunless, cold season, which invariably means insipid, flavourless fruit, 
■light crops, light corn, and poor washy herbage.” 
- A Delay of Exhibitor’s Produce. —A case of some import¬ 
ance to exhibitors was settled in the Leicester County Court last week, 
when George William Hunt, gardener. South Knighton Road, Leicester, 
sued the Midland Railway Company for £25 for delay in the delivery 
■of some vegetables at a Crystal Palace show last year. The case being 
stated, the Judge pointed out that in awarding any damages they must 
•consider how much money had been really lost in not being able to 
exhibit and secure the customary prizes, the jury gave a verdict for 
the plaintiff with £10 lOs. damages with costs. 
- Lectures in Horticulture. —Mr. T. Emmott desires us to 
state that under the direction of the East Riding County Council 
twelve lectures are being given in Howden by Dr. James Clarke, M.A., 
of the Yorkshire College, Leeds. On Monday last, at the introductory 
lecture, 110 persons were present, and the lecture was listened to with 
great attention. Dr. Clarke is an able teacher and avoids the use of 
technical terms except when it is impossible to do so. He makes great 
use of the blackboard to illustrate what he says. Howden is a noted 
gardening district, and possesses a very good local horticultural 
show. 
- The Poor Printer.—T hus does a correspondent introduce 
the announcement of a discovery. Only a lady would be so observant 
and sympathetic. We transcribe verbatim. “ Has your printer got a 
-cold in his ‘ dose,’ or is Williams’ Giant Logpod Bean in the advertise¬ 
ment facing page 21 last week a new variety ? ” The printer’s reply to 
the inquiry is that he “accidentally left the ‘ hen’ out,” and goes on to 
say that if it were a case of nasal infirmity the inquirer would have been 
•confronted with Logpod Bead. He adds as a pendant, “ Will your 
correspondent order a quart or two, and kindly send a dish for our next 
Beanfeast ? ” 
-Lee, Blackheath, and Lewisham Horticultural 
Society. —As briefly announced in our last issue, the twenty-sixth 
annual meeting of this Society was held on Monday, January 9th, at 
the Institute, Lee, there being a good attendance of members. The 
Chairman complimented the members upon the completion of a quarter 
of a century of useful work, and upon a satisfactory financial statement, 
which showed a balance in hand of about £31, although a larger amount 
had been paid away in prizes. The election of the new Committee 
(twenty-four in number) and the election of the Bishop of Southwark 
as a member and patron (making the second bishop elected in two years) 
were then proceeded with. Votes of thanks were accorded to the 
various officers and special prizegivers, the Press, and the Chairman. 
At the next meeting, to be held on the 27th inst., a paper will be read 
by Mr. G. Gordon. 
- Gardeners’ Friends and Enemies.—T his was the title 
of an exceedingly interesting and instructive lecture delivered by 
Mr. C. E. Pearson, of Messrs. Pearson & Sons, Chilwell Nurseries^ 
Nottingham, before the members of the Wakefield Paxton Society, 
at their usual weekly meeting recently. Aid. Milnes and Mr. 
B. Whiteley, two of the Vice-Presidents, occupied the chair and 
vice-chair respectively. Considering the exceedingly inclement 
state of the weather, there was a good attendance. The lecture was 
illustrated by a large number of photographic views, which were 
admirably exhibited by the oxy-hydrogen limelight. Mr. Pearson 
quickly convinced his attentive and most appreciative audience that 
he thoroughly understood the subject on which he had undertaken 
to lecture, and that his advice was based on personal experience and 
practice, and not merely on theory. He exhibited views of a large 
number of slugs, grubs, caterpillars, and moths in various stages of life, 
pointed out how and where they generally increase and multiply, 
referred to the great damage which they do to growing crops, and 
explained the best means of getting rid of the destructive pests. Mr. 
Pearson also exhibited views of insects which are the gardeners’ best 
friends, and he strongly recommended his hearers to preserve such 
nsects and toads. 
- Manures. —This was the subject of a lecture delivered before 
the members of the Winchester Gardeners’ Association by Mr. A. Dean, 
of Kingston-on-Thames, under the auspices of the Hants County 
Council, at the Society’s Rooms, on the evening of Thursday, January 
12th. There was a large attendance of members, presided over by Mr. 
Lowdness, lecturer on horticulture for Hampshire. Mr. Vaughan, 
Cornish Technical Education Secretary, was also present. The subject 
was dealt with from a gardener’s point of view, and was illustrated not 
only by the aid of diagrams, but also by numerous samples of artificial 
manure, kindly furnished by Mr. B. Luckhurst and by Messrs. H. and 
E. Albert, of Gracechurch Street, City, who also sent a large number of 
Dr. Wagner’s admirable pamphlet on plant foods, which were 
distributed amongst the members. A very hearty vote of thanks was 
awarded to Mr. Dean at the close of the lecture. 
- Double Chinese Primroses. —I noted several good plants 
of the Double White Lady, a pure white variety, blooming freely 
recently at Hackwood Park. Mr. Bowerman marvels that anyone 
should make so much of the old Alba plena, or even of its improved' 
form, when such varieties as White Lady can be grown so easily and 
produce such very fine double flowers. When grown well, so as to 
make really specimen plants as I have seen them done occasionally, the 
bloom production is relatively treble what can be obtained from the old 
Double White. By relatively I mean that fully three flowers of the 
latter are needed to make one of the former. It is not easy to get 
these plants to grow unless they are thoroughly understood, but then those 
who do them well find no difficulty in the cultivation. Side shoots 
make good cuttings in the spring. These are grown on in small pots in 
sandy loam, helped by one-third old decayed manure. Plenty of light 
and air during the summer and a gentle warmth in the winter suits 
them.—D. 
- Large Tomatoes. —I was interested in your answer on the 
above subject to “ E. G. N.” (page 40), for I am rather in favour of 
Ponderosa as a useful and paying variety. The proper colour of it is 
dark crimson, and a very truthful representation of it is before me now 
in Messrs. Henderson’s (New York) catalogue. But I selected a scarlet 
fruit out of the first batch of plants 1 grew, and I find this a large and 
handsome Tomato of very excellent quality. Most of the fruits weighed 
from 6 ozs. to 14 ozs., and they certainly were not coarse. Why does 
Mr. Gilbert exhibit it under name of Royal Sovereign ? The continual 
renaming of one and the same variety leads to no end of mistakes and 
continual expense. How often have I found when I possessed a good 
strain of something, and have sent for “ Jones’ World’s Wonder ” and 
“ Smith’s Eclipse” at high prices, I have, when all came to maturity, found 
them identical with what I already possessed. How annoying is this ! 
This ought in some way to be amended. A man should have a right in 
his own introduction—vegetable, fruit, or flowers of his own raising— 
and gardeners ought to be safeguarded against buying one and the 
same variety under half a dozen high-sounding names and at high 
prices. As you truly state. Perfection is the Tomato for exhibiting. It 
is not a heavy cropper but it is a fair one, and the colour and form can¬ 
not be excelled. I see in Henderson’s (New York) catalogue a first 
prize of £30 (150 dols.) was given for Ponderosa Tomato to the grower 
of a 3 lb. fruit. £20, £15, £10, £7, £G, £5, £4, £2, £1 were given for 
smaller fruits. These are prizes indeed, and make the English exhibitor’s 
mouth water.—H. S. Easty. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hod- 
sock Priory, Worksop, Notts, for the Y ea r 1892.—Mean tempera¬ 
ture of the year, 45'9'’; maximum on the 3rd of July, 81 0° ; minimum 
on the 16th January, 7'2°. Maximum in the sun on the 3rd of July, 
136’3°; minimum on the grass on the 9th of January, 1'2°. Mean 
temperature of the air at 9 A.M., 46'5° ; mean temperature of the soil 
1 foot deep, 46'9°. Number of nights below 32°, in shade, 107 ; on 
grass, 183. Total duration of sunshine in year, 1261 hours, or 29 per 
cent, of possible duration ; we had eighty sunless days. Highest read¬ 
ing of barometer on March 30th, 30'680 ; lowest reading of barometer 
on 2nd February, 28'926. Total rainfall, 22‘22 inches ; minimum fall 
in twenty-four hours on 28th June, 1'32 inch ; rain fell on 168 days. 
Average velocity of wind, 9T miles per hour. Velocity exceeded 
400 miles on thirty days, and fell short of 100 miles on seventy days. 
Approximate averages for the year—mean temperature, 47 9 ; sunshine^ 
1227 hours ; pressure, 29 932 ; rainfall, 24 54 inches. The year was 
dry, very cold, but fairly sunny. The mean temperature was lower 
than in any of the previous sixteen years, except 1879. The only 
month in which temperature was substantially above the average was 
May, and it was slightly above in November. In the remaining ten 
