74 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 26, 1893. 
- Narcissus Paper White.—H ow useful this Narcissus is 
from Christmas time onwards, either in the form of plants for decorative 
purposes or as cut blooms. The purity of the flowers, and their not too 
heavily laden perfume, are features which ought to commend them 
at once. Our bulbs were potted early in October, placed outside, and 
covered with a good coating of ashes. The first week in December 
some were placed in one of the forcing pits, and by Christmas we 
were using the flowers for various decorative purposes. Considering 
the cheap rate at which the bulbs may be purchased, and the ready 
way in which they can be forced, it seems somewhat strange that this 
Narcissus is not more extensively grown in private establishments. 
The bulbs have flowered extremely well this season.—R. P. E. 
- Summary of Weather in 1892.—The year was remarkable 
for the 8 inches of snow which fell on February 15th, and for severe 
frost that occurred on February 17th and 19th when 0° (zero) was 
registered. A severe frost also happened June 14th which caused much 
injury to all tender plants. Barometer, highest reading, 30'62 on March 
30th ; lowest, 29 07 on February 17th ; average, 29-96. Total rainfall 
was 21-93 inches, which fell on 182 days ; the greatest daily fall was 
0 85 inches as snow on February 15th; the total fall is 5-37 inches below the 
average quantity. Highest shade temperature was 84° on July 3rd, lowest 
0° on February 17th and 19th ; lowest on grass, 4° on February 17th ; 
mean of daily maximum readings 54*87°, mean of daily minimum 38 74°, 
mean temperature of the year 46 80°, number of days frost in shade 117, 
number of ditto on grass 183 ; mean relative humidity at 9 a.m. (taking 
saturation as 100) = 83-93. A favourable year in this district for all 
root crops and small fruit, but a bad one for corn, grass and autumn 
fruits.—W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall Gardens, Stamford. 
- WooLTON Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
The annual meeting of the above society was held in the Mechanics’ 
Institute on Thursday last, Mr. B. Cromwell presiding. The Secretary 
read the report, was of a satisfactory character, and the statement of 
accounts showed a creditable balance. A special feature in the report 
was the account of the Floral Concert, which showed a balance of £12, 
which had been equally divided between the Gardeners’ Royal Bene¬ 
volent Institution and the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. The library is in 
a flourishing condition, a good number of books having been added 
during the year. The interest in the essays has been considerably 
enhanced by valuable special prizes, which have been awarded as 
follows :—Silver medal, presented by the Journal of Horticulture, 
subject, “Principles of Heating,” to Mr. H. Corlett, The Gardens, 
Woolton Wood ; “ The Culture of Mushrooms,” prize presented by Messrs. 
Thomas Davies & Co., Wavertree Nursery, awarded to Mr. Wm. Disley, 
Allerton Priory Gardens ; “ Hardy Plants Suitable for a Cottage Flower 
Garden,” prize presented by Rev. G. H. Spooner, Rector of Woolton, 
awarded to Mr. A. Rowlands, The Gardens, Woolton Wood. A cordial vote 
of thanks was accorded the Secretary and Treasurer for their valuable 
services during the past season, and they were unanimously re-elected ; 
a similar vote being also the retiring Librarian, Mr. J. Griffiths. Mr. T. E. 
Burrows was elected Librarian for the ensuing year. The Committee 
are, with two exceptions, the same as before, Mr. B. Cromwell vice 
Mr. Breeze, and Mr. W. Edwards vice Mr. F. Davis. The meeting 
terminated with the usual vote to the Chairman. The next meeting 
is announced for February 2nd, when Mr. Wm. Disley, the courteous 
Secretary, will read his prize essay on “The Culture of Mushrooms,”and 
Mr. R. S. Waterman one on “Soils, and How to Treat Them.” Mr, 
Harvey Gibson, Lecturer on Botany, University College, Liverpool, is 
engaged to deliver a course of six lectures at Woolton, commencing 
on the 26th inst.—R. P. R. 
FRUIT CULTIVATION AND IMPORTS. 
agriculturist,” who might in many cases do better with fruit than 
Wheat. The returns appear to be made up to June in each year.— 
H. R. Williams, 6, Lime Street, London, E.C. 
The area under small fruit cultivation in England and Wales 
in each of the following years :— 
1888. 36,700 acres 
1890 . 46,200 „ 
1891 . 58,700 „ 
Compared with 1888 there is an increase in 1891 of no less than 
22,000 acres. Of this increase 1760 acres were added to the small 
fruit area in Kent, the area for that county for the year 1890 being 
18,061 acres, and for 1891 19,821 acres. From these figures it will 
be seen that Kent maintains its pre-eminence in fruit growing. 
Orchards also show a gradual and not inconsiderable increase in area- 
In 1881 the returns show . 185,000 acres 
„ 1891 „ „ . 210,000 „ 
an increase in ten years of 25,000 acres. Market gardens also 
show a considerable advance in area. 
In 1881 there were under cultivation ... 46,604 acres 
,, 1891 „ „ „ ... 81,368 „ 
an increase in ten years of 34,764 acres. 
The following table shows the quantities and value of Raw 
Fruit imported into this country for the years 1882 and 1892, in¬ 
cluding Apples, for the years 1890 and 1891 ;— value of Ea-w 
Fruit imported 
1882 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1892, exclusive 
of Oranges and 
Bushels. 
Bushels. 
Bushels. 
Bushels 
Lemons. 
Apples 
... 2,386,805 
2,574,957 
3,147.373 
4,514,700 
£1,353,812 
Pears 
... - 
— 
— 
637,211 
296,545 
199.953 
Plums 
... - 
— 
— 
413,315 
Cherries 
... — 
— 
— 
216,990 
134,847 
Grapes 
... — 
— 
— 
764.432 
394,987 
Unenumerated 2,614,056 
— 
— 
841,022 
388,141 
5,000,861 
7,387,670 
£2,768,285 
Note. —Pears, Plums, &c., were classified as “ unenumerated ” 
previous to 1892. The returns for 1892 show an increase over 1882 
of 2,386,809 bushels. Oranges and Lemons imported in each of 
the undermentioned years : — 
1890 1891 1892 
Bushels ... 5,746,1.35 ... 5,178,667 ... 6,703 276 
Value ... £1,756,852 ... £1,591,052 ... £2,052,561 
SOBRALIA LuCASIANUM. 
When well grown the Sobralias are exceedingly handsome 
Orchids, for although the individual fiowers do not as a rule last in 
a good condition for a long period, fresh blooms are freely pro¬ 
duced, and so a succession is kept up. Most of the species have 
brilliantly coloured blossoms, and amongst the best S. Lucasianum 
(fig. 11) must be given a prominent place. A specimen of this 
was exhibited byC. T. Lucas,Esq., Warnham Court, Horsham, before 
the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society on 
June 21st, 1892, when a first-class certificate was awarded for it. 
This is a splendid form, the flowers being of large size. The lip is 
broad and somewhat flattened, soft rosy mauve in colour, the throat 
being light yellow. The sepals and petals are white, faintly suffused 
with rcse, the whole making a charming combination. 
Major Craigie, in his report for 1891 to the Board of 
Agriculture, refers to the attention which has lately been called 
to the extending cultivation of fruit in different forms in Great 
Britain. “ A relative large advance,” he says, “is now reported.” 
The small fruit area to which he specially refers “ has increased in 
every county of England and Wales, and in some counties by a 
remarkable percentage, although nearly a third of the English 
small fruit area is still to be found in Kent.” 
As I have not seen the statistics of the area of fruit cultiva¬ 
tion in the Journal, perhaps you may think the figures which 
have been courteously forwarded to me by the Board of Agri¬ 
culture of sufficient interest for publication. I also add the 
statistics of foreign and colonial fruit imported into this country 
for the years 1890-92. These may be of interest to the “distressed 
Cypripedium Germinyanum. 
During the past few years numerous hybrid Cypripediums 
have been produced, and to all appearances we shall yet see many 
more varieties. At nearly every meeting of the Orchid Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society some hybrids are staged, and not 
a few of them have been certificated. It would be interesting to know, 
however, why in at least one instance a duplicate certificate has been 
adjudged ; we refer to C. Germinyanum (fig. 10), illustrated on 
page 67. According to the Journal of the Royal Horticultural 
Society a first-class certificate was recommended for this hybrid on 
February 11th, 1890, when plants of it were exhibited by Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons and H. M. Pellet, Esq. Messrs. J. Veitch and 
Sons again exhibited this form at the Drill Hall on January 19th 
this year, and an award of merit was adjudged for it. 
