January 26, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
79 
cloudless weather, the maxima and minima temperatures, the wind 
force, and the barometric pressure. 
Dr. Williams quoted some striking examples of electrical phenomena 
witnessed on Pike’s Peak (14,147 feet) by the observer of the U.S. 
Weather Bureau, when during a violent thunderstorm flashes of fire and 
loud reports, with heavy showers of sleet, surrounded the summit in all 
directions, and brilliant jets of flame of a rose-white colour jumped from 
point to point on the electric wire, while the cups of the anemometer, 
which were revolving rapidly, appeared as one solid ring of fire, from 
which issued a loud rushing and hissing sound. During another storm 
the observer was lifted off his feet by the electric fluid, while the wrist¬ 
band of his woollen shirt, as soon as it became damp, formed a fiery 
ring around his arm. The climate of the Parks is, however. Dr. Williams 
considered, of more practical interest, and in these magnificent basins of 
park-like country interspersed with Pines, and backed by gigantic 
mountains, are resorts replete with interest for the artist, the sportsman, 
the man of science, and the seeker for health. Most of them lie at 
heights of from 7000 to 9000 feet, and so good is the shelter, that usually 
snow does not long remain on the ground, while Herefordshire cattle in 
excellent condition are able to fatten on the good herbage and to lie out 
all the winter without shed or stable. 
Dr. Williams predicted for these parks a great future as high altitude 
sanitaria for the American Continent, especially as several of them 
have been brought within easy distance of Denver, the queen city of the 
plains, by various lines of railway. The resorts on the foot hills and on 
the prairie plains at elevations of 5000 to 7000 feet include, besides 
Denver, Colorado Springs, Manitoba, Boulder, Golden, and other health 
stations, which can be inhabited all the year round, and where most of 
the comforts and luxuries of American civilisation are attainable in a 
climate where not more than half a day a week in winter is clouded 
over, where the rainfall is only about 14 inches annually, most of which 
falls during summer thunderstorms, where the sun shines brightly for 
330 days each year, and where the air is so transparent that objects 
twenty miles off appear close at hand, and high peaks are calculated 
to be visible at a distance of 120 miles. 
• Dr. Williams summed up thus :—The chief features of the climate of 
Colorado appear to be—1, Diminished barometric pressure, owing to 
altitude which throughout the greater part of the State does not fall 
below 5000 feet, 2, Great atmospheric dryness, especially in winter and 
autumn, as shown by the small rainfall and low percentage of relative 
humidity. 3, Clearness of atmosphere and absence of fog or cloud. 
4, Abundant sunshine all the year round, but especially in winter and 
autumn, 5, Marked diathermancy of atmosphere, producing an increase 
in the difference of sun and shade temperatures, varying with the eleva¬ 
tion in the proportion of 1° for every rise of 235 feet. 6, Considerable 
air movement, even in the middle of summer, which promotes evapora¬ 
tion and tempers the solar heat, 7, The presence of a large amount of 
atmospheric electricity. Thus the climate of this State is dry and 
sunny, with bracing and energising qualities, permitting outdoor 
exercise all the year round, the favourable results of which may be seen 
in the large number of former consumptives whom it has rescued from 
the life of invalidism and converted into healthy active workers ; and 
its stimulating and exhilarating influence may also be traced in the 
wonderful enterprise and unceasing labour which the Colorado people 
have shown in developing the riches, agricultural and mineral, of their 
country. 
NOTES ON CLAREMONT. 
Camellias, 
Oke of the most interesting of houses devoted to the cultivation of 
the Camellia is that at Claremont. It stands on a very elevated portion 
of the pleasure grounds, quite remote from any other buildings, and 
within it the Camellias are planted out in two large raised beds, these 
being edged by raised stone margins, thus enabling ample depth of soil 
to be furnished. The plants now are very dense, so much so, in fact, 
that they form all round a perfect close cropped face of leafage and 
bud. They reach fully 10 feet in height, and the various sorts give 
many thousands of flowers over a long season. This lasts from early in 
December until the end of April. The house is a long span, and being 
so elevated forms a very striking fe'ature in the grounds. Of course, it 
is needful to give the bed in which the Camellias are growing good 
soakings of water occasionally, and that has to be carted to the house 
from the neighbouring lake. 
Libonia Penrosiensis. 
Under this appellation there is growing in one of the greenhouses at 
Claremont, Esher^ a large number of dwarf bushy little plants in pots 
that are exceedingly pretty and most valuable for blooming at this time 
of the year. The plants and flowers, which are reddish scarlet and 
about an inch long, bear close resemblance to Cuphea platycentra. They 
were raised from cuttings struck in the spring, and have since been 
grown in very gentle warmth. It is a delightful little plant for the 
season. 
Old Walls and Trees. 
I observed also that Mr. Burrell had been doing his best to give his 
Plum trees on an east wall a fresh start by taking them clean from the 
wall, hard thinning the wood ; then very liberally coating the wall 
with a dark brown wash of lime, softsoap, clay, &c., with which to fill in 
the myriads of holes made in the mortar, where nailing has been 
practised for perhaps 100 years. When walls get into this condition they 
present a peculiar difficulty to the gardener. If, as in this case, the wash 
be thick enough to coat the wall it does not fill the holes, all of which 
serve to afford the insects habitation. If the wail face be properly 
pointed all over it will adhere only if one-half the material be cement, 
and that will not admit of nailing. The only course left seems to give 
the face of the wall a coating of cement compost, then wire it over. Of 
course, in such case the holdfasts for the wire must be fixed before the 
coating of cement is given ; then when that is set the wiring may be 
done, and the trees secured to them. That for wall trees there is no 
plan so satisfactory as is that of nailing there can be no doubt ; wiring 
and tying the shoots is at the best but a makeshift. It seldom happens, 
however, that trees thrive so well on wires as on the walls direct. 
—A. D. 
GASTROLOBIUM VILLOSUM. 
This is a very pretty shrubby plant, and one that should be more 
generally grown for the embellishment of greenhouses and con¬ 
servatories. As will be seen by the illustration (fig. 12), the flowers 
are on small racemes, which are freely produced during the spring and 
early summer. The standard, or upper portion of the flower, is large 
and of a dark orange colour, while the wings and keel are claret 
coloured. The leaves are dark green, terminating in small hooked 
spines. The stems and leaf margins are thickly set with hairs, from 
which character the specific name is derived. 
The species under notice, as indeed do all the Gastrolobiums, require 
similar treatment to that generally accorded greenhouse hardwooded 
plants. A compost of fibry loam, peat, and sand will suit it admirably, 
and rather firm potting is essential. Efficient drainage must also be 
provided, and careful watering is of the greatest importance. 
KEEPING GRAPES AT FLOORS. 
Figure 5, in your issue of January 12th, admirably illustrates for 
what a trifling sum, and with a little tact, a good Grape room might be 
made. When Mr. M’Kellar took charge of Floors Gardens about eleven 
years ago there was no Grape room on the place, and advantage was 
taken of a disused and somewhat dilapidated room in a bothy by having 
it fitted up with shelves as your illustration shows ; and I can corro- 
