January 23, 1393. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
71 
The Weather ik London. — The weather ia the metropolis 
•during the past week has been rather mild. Sunday opened wet, and 
rain fell more or less all day on Monday. Tuesday proved fine, but 
dull; Wednesday being bright and mild with westerly winds. 
- The Weather in the North.—T he week ending the 24th 
'has been one of tolerably good weather for the season. There have been 
■slight frosts on two mornings, and the days, although dull, were 
mild. High winds, with occasional heavy showers from the west, took 
.place, especially during the night. Snowdrops are beginning to appear. 
—B. D., S. Perthshire, 
- Silver Medal Essays. —Mr. Harry Corlett, foreman in the 
gardens of Holbrook Gaskell, Esq., Woolton Wood, is the winner of the 
medal competed for by members of the Woolton Gardeners’ Improve¬ 
ment Society, the subject being the “Principles of Heating” with 
methods of application. The essay is illustrated by sketches that are 
very creditable to a young gardener. 
- Fruit from the Cape.—A further consignment of fruit 
from South Africa arrived at Southampton on Sunday 22nd inst. by the 
Union Steamship Company’s E.M.S. “Athenian.” This consisted of 
334 packages of Apricots, twenty-seven boxes of Peaches, and two boxes 
of Pears from Cape Town ; and 183 cases of Mangoes and Pines from 
Durban. The fruit was disposed of by London salesmen on Tuesday 
and Wednesday last. 
- The Mexican Jumping Seed, or “ Devil’s Bean,” is, says 
•“ The International Journal of Microscopy and Natural Science,” a 
«uphorbiaceous plant of such poisonous properties, that it is used by 
the Indians to envenom their arrow points. It not having been scienti¬ 
fically identified to satisfaction, Dr. C. V. Riley has made a special 
study of it. The saltatory property is not intrinsic with it, but is 
imparted to it by an insect (Carpocapra saltitans), which secures 
lodgment within the Bean and does the work. Dr. Riley believes that 
the insect is developed in the capsules of several species of the genus 
Sebastiana. 
- Covering Mushrooms. — At a recent meeting of the 
Montreal Horticultural Society Mr. John Perrin, in a paper on the 
“ Culture of Mushrooms in Winter,” recommended that light sheets of 
paper, such as newspaper, should be spread over them as soon as the 
clumps appear, and that they be syringed lightly two or three 
times a day. Under this treatment they grow faster, become larger,and 
weigh more, having perfect form and colour as well as improved flavour. 
If allowed to become to any extent dry and discoloured by the air, they 
at once acquire an unpleasant taste similar to that of meat which has 
been too long exposed to the air. 
-Brussels Sprouts in Gardens. —I find that Mr. Bower- 
man of Hackwood has arrived at the same conclusion as I had long 
since, that the large sprouted forms of Brussels are far better suited for 
field work than for deep, rich soils in ordinary gardens. He finds that 
all his stems give the sprouts not only too large but very open, and is 
resolved to come back to some of the smaller hard-sprouted varieties as 
being better suited for his purposes. If gardeners would plant their 
Brussels Sprouts on hard soil that has carried a crop of Winter Spinach, 
and has not been dug for the reception of the Sprouts, they w«.uld have 
far better results. I see no such stems of Brussels Sprouts in rich 
garden ground as I have seen in the Middlesex fields.—A. D. 
- Bournemouth Gardeners’ Association.—T here was a 
good attendance of members at the meeting held on Wednesday, 
January 18th, when a lecture was given by C. W. H. Greaves, Esq., 
on “ The Potato and Tomato Disease.” The lecturer (who illustrated 
his remarks by diagrams) gave a short account of its first appearance 
in this country, also of the experiments which have been recently 
carried out to prevent the attack of the disease, and received the 
hearty thanks of the members. This Society has now been in existence 
four years, and is doing much good in the district. Lectures, by 
able scientific and practical men, are arranged to be given periodically 
during the year.—H. T. 
- Gardening Appointment.— We are informed that Mr. W. 
Thorpe, late head gardener at Shipton Court, Chipping Norton, has been 
appointed head gardener to A. A. Weston, Esq., Holme Grange, Woking¬ 
ham. 
- Death of Mr. J. Sheppard.—W e regret to state that Mr. 
J. Sheppard, who for many years was head gardener at Wolverston 
Park, Ipswich, died on January 16th, in his fifty-eighth year. Mr* 
Sheppard was a good gardener and able manager. 
- Frost in Edinburgh. —In the report on the temperature at 
the Royal Botanic Garden during last month Mr. R. Lindsay stated 
that frost was registered on twenty-three,mornings, indicating a total of 
192”. So much frost has not been registered at the Garden for the 
month of December since 1879. 
- Public Park for Ramsgate. —Two firms having received 
instructions to prepare plans for laying out the grounds of Ellington 
House as a public park, the design of Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, 
has been accepted by the Council, and the contract for carrying out the 
work has been entrusted to ithem. The grounds comprise about 13 
acres. 
- Beckenham Horticultural Society. —This Society held 
a social gathering in the Public Hall, Beckenham, recently. Mr. A. J. 
Baker, one of the Vice-Presidents, occupied the chair, and there was a 
large attendance. During the evening a handsome silver-mounted tea 
service was presented to Mr. T. W. Thornton, in appreciation of his 
valuable services as Honorary Secretary. 
- Hardy Carnations. —Calling a few days since at Messrs. 
Hillier’s Rose nursery, Winchester, I was very much surprised to find 
what I can honestly describe as some remarkably fine, clean, well-rooted 
Carnations in pots standing by the side of a nursery cart road, 
where they had been all through the winter, and perfectly uninjured by 
frost. Mr. Hillier said he had nowhere else to put them, and certainly 
nowhere else could they have done better. W. P. Milner, Mrs. Rey¬ 
nolds Hole, and others in large numbers were in splendid condition. 
The road in question runs due north and south, is very high, and also 
exposed. I regard the lofty air-swept position as having been in the 
favour of the Carnations. There were several hundreds of these plants 
in pots, and standing without ashes or anything else about them.—D. 
- Garden Labels.—A propos of the lead labels brought to the 
notice of the Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
recently, it may be interesting to state that such are used in many 
gardens. At Holly Lodge, Highgate, the residence of Baroness Burdett 
Coutts, Mr. Willard has a useful contrivance for punching the lead 
labels. This he invented many years ago. It resembles a box about 
18 inches long by a foot in width, and 3 inches deep. On the face or 
lid all the letters in the alphabet are printed, and at the back of each 
is a hole in which an iron punch, with the corresponding letter on the 
end, is inserted. By this arrangement the punches are always kept in 
their proper positions, and a practised hand can, by the aid of a hammer, 
dexterously punch the names on the narrow strips of lead that are used 
as labels. For Roses and fruit trees Mr. Willard finds lead labels by far 
the most serviceable.—C. 
_Liverpool Horticultural Association. —On Saturday 
evening one of the largest attendances in connection with the winter 
meetings assembled in the Museum, William Brown Street, Liver¬ 
pool, to hear a paper on “ The Bouvardia,” by Mr. J. Glover, gardener 
to Sir A. B. Walker, Bart., Gateacre Grange. The Chairman for the 
evening was Colonel Wilson, Hillside, Allerton, and, in addition, there 
were present W. Fletcher Rogers, Esq., Mr. T. White (Chairman of the 
Association), Mr. R. W. Ker, Mr. W. Dickson, and many noted horti¬ 
culturists. Mr. Glover dealt thoroughly with the cultivation of 
Bouvardias as one, two, and three year old plants, also growing specimens 
for exhibition. A suitable list of varieties was given. A short dis¬ 
cussion followed, Mr. Ranger, and Mr. Ker, mentioning two varieUes 
which Mr. Glover had omitted—viz.. Purity and Mrs. Green as being 
excellent in every way. Mr. White, Mr. Sargent, and Mr. Healey fol¬ 
lowing. A hearty vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. Rogers and seconded 
by Mr. Ranger, was passed to Mr. Glover. Afterwards the adjudicator s 
award was made known for the essay on the “ Cultivation of the Croton, 
Mr. F. Atkin being the winner. Mr. Atkin subsequently read his 
paper, and was afterwards presented by the Chairman with the Society s 
certificate. A unanimous vote of thanks was passed to Colonel Wi son 
for presiding.—B. P. R. 
