15i 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Febraary 23, 1893. 
Events of the Week. — Apart from a meeting of the Royal 
Botanic Society on Saturday, February 2oth, but little of horticultural 
interest ■will take place in the metropolis during the ensuing week. 
The Linnean Society meet on Thursday, March 2nd, and the customary 
auction sales will take place, as specified in the advertisements. 
- The Weatheb in London. —Changeable weather has again 
characterised the past week. Sunday ■^vas fine, mild, and springlike. 
Monday also proved mild, but with occasional showers, rain falling 
heavily in the evening. On Tuesday it rained more or less for most of 
the day, the barometer, as mentioned in another paragraph, being very 
low. On Wednesday morning snow and rain fell, and at the time 
of going to press it is damp and cold. 
- Weather in the North. —With occasional touches of early 
morning frosts, a little sunshine, and much rain, the week ending 
the 14th inst. has been variable, and on the whole unpleasant. 
The thermometer has ranged from 28° to 42° during the nights. Sunday 
and Monday were fine for the greater part, but the evenings of both 
were wet.—B. D,, S. Perthshire. 
- The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—T he Secretary of 
the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund informs us that Her Majesty the Queen 
has been pleased to command that this charity shall in future be 
called the “ Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.” 
- Low Barometrical Readings.— There was a remarkable 
fall in London barometers on Tuesday last. The reading was at one 
time of the day 23'63 inches, the lowest point attained since November, 
1891. Readings such as this are undoubtedly rare, although it is seldom 
that twelve months elapse without the barometer falling below 29 inches. 
The lowest barometer readings observed at the Kew Observatory within 
recent years have been as follows 1886, December 9th, 28 31 inches ; 
1884, January 26th, 23'54 inches ; 1876, December 4th, 28-38 inches ; 
1876, March 12th, 28'47 inehes ; 1873, January 20th, 28‘47 inches ; 1872, 
January 24th, 23‘34 inches. The lowest barometer readings on record in 
various parts of the globe are as follows :—In London, a reading of 27 93 
inches on the morning of Christmas Day, 1821 ; over the British Islands 
generally a reading of 27'33 inches, at Ochtertyre (near Criefi) on the 
26th January, 1884 ; and 27'12 inches at False Point, near the southern 
mouths of the Ganges, on the 22nd September, 188a, this being the 
lowest authentic reading observed in any part of the world. 
- The Earlier Opening op Kew Gardens. — Mr. Shaw 
Lefevre, the First Commissioner of Works, has definitively decided 
against the earlier opening of Kew Gardens. Mr. Shaw Lefevre, in 
his final letter, stated that the question had been fully considered by 
the Government in the preparation of the Estimates, but in view of so 
many other claims on the public purse and the expense which it would 
involve it was impossible at the present time to entertain the proposal 
for the earlier opening of the Gardens. The gates, therefore, will still 
remain closed to the public until mid-day, which many regard as an 
unreasonably late hour, and the suggestion of the Richmond Town 
Council and other local bodies was that the time should be altered till 
ten o’clock to meet the convenience of visitors generally. It is pro¬ 
bable that the matter will be brought forward in the House of Com- i 
mons upon a discussion of the Estimates. 
- Peach Stocks.—M r. Dean showed me in one of his houses at 
Titsey Park a large tree of Violet Hative of •v.'hich he remarked that a 
few years ago he found that it flagged very much, especially in the early 
morning. The border was examined and found to be in good condition, 
and all the surroundings were such that no cause for the evil could be 
discerned. The tree was on a stock -worked some 2 feet from 
the ground ; at length, one day it suddenly occurred to him that perhaps 
it was the stock that was in fault—that, in fact, it was choking or 
starving the tree because it was too narrow, or restricted a channel for 
the conveyance of sap. He at once took out his knife and made an 
incision right through the bark the length of the stock. The result was, 
he said, that the bark literally opened with a yawn, giving relief that it 
was evident was badly needed. Since then there has been no sign of 
flagging.—D. 
- Botanical Society of France. — We understand that 
M. P. Duchartre hag been elected President, and M. L. Guignard first 
Vice-President, of the Botanical Society of France for the current year, 
- Imported Apples.— According to the latest returns, 209,262 
bushels of Apples were imported into this country during January. In 
the corresponding month of last year the importations of Apples reached 
326,826 bushels. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. Edward Parry, for nearly 
two years general foreman in Downton Castle Gardens, Ludlow, has 
been appointed head gardener to G. A. Tonge, Esq., Castlemanns, 
Twyford, Berkshire. 
- Foreign Potatoes. —It is interesting to note that whilst 
France sent us 83,901 cwts. of Potatoes last month, only 618 cwts. were 
derived from Germany. During January, 1892, 62,369 cwts. were 
obtained from France, and but 23 cwts. from Germany. 
- London Pansy and Violet Society.—A meeting of this 
Society will be held at the Guildhall Tavern, Gresham Street, E.C., on 
Tuesday evening, the 28th February, at seven o’clock. All interested 
in the matter are invited.— Geo. McLeod, Hon. Sec. 
- Death of a Famous Ornithologist.—O rnithologists will 
regret to hear that the Rev. F. 0. Morris died recently at Nunburn- 
holme, in Yorkshire, at the age of eighty-two. He was well known as 
a popular writer on science, and did much to create and foster interest 
in some branches of natural history, especially in ornithology. 
- Johnson’s Gardeners’ Dictionary.—M essrs. G. Bell & Sons 
announce an entirely new edition of this handy yet copious dictionary. 
The work, which has been before the public for forty-seven years, has 
now been thoroughly revised and considerably enlarged under the able 
editorship of Mr. C. H. Wright and Mr. D. Dewar. It will be issued in 
eight monthly parts at Is. each, commencing on the 1st of March. 
- Horned Cineraria. — The enclosed flower, taken from a 
plant of Cineraria grown by me from home-saved seed, exhibits a 
peculiarity which I have not before noticed—viz., in each petal two 
horns appear, recurving, in most cases, towards the centre of the 
flower. Every flower on the plant exhibits the same peculiarity. 
I shall be glad to know whether any other instance of this variation 
from the normal has come under the notice of your readers.— 
Charles E. Shea. 
- Wellingtonia gigantea as a Wind Tree. —It would be 
well if all intending planters of this tree were aware how badly it is 
adapted for planting in positions exposed to south-west winds. Two 
specimens were planted in the park here twelve years since, and they 
are now about 15 feet high. The south-west side of each is very much 
disfigured, one being entirely spoilt. I have known this tree recom¬ 
mended as being wind-proof, but in my case this is utter fallacy. I 
find this Conifer enjoys shelter and much moisture.—E. M., Swanmore 
Parlt. 
- Hints to Fruit Growers. — The Board of Agriculture have 
issued an illustrated fly-sheet giving useful hints as to the detection and 
treatment of the Black Currant mite (Phytoptus ribis_). Complaints as 
to the prevalence of this mite in the Black Currant plantations have been 
received recently from many parts of the country. In some districts 
this infestation has spread so rapidly that at least 50 per cent, of the 
buds are full of mites, a much larger proportion being affected in one 
plantation of 20 acres in Kent recently visited. Buds so attacked are 
rendered abortive, or at least fruitless. 
- Walkley (Sheffield) Amateur Floral and Horti¬ 
cultural Society. —Mr. W. Hannah, at a recent meeting of this 
Society, read a practical and useful paper on “ Gardening,” in which 
he gave many useful hints on the laying out of flower gardens, pleasure 
grounds, and vegetable quarters, supplemented with interesting infor¬ 
mation on planting, sowing, and management of the principal crops in 
the kitchen garden. Mr. John Haigh presided. Mr. Thos. Gartery of 
Rotherham, at a subsequent meeting, read a practical paper on “ Seed 
Sowing,” dealing with vegetables, hardy annuals, perennials, half-hardy 
annuals, and tender annuals. He remarked that the subject was a wide 
one, and could scarcely be adequately dealt with in a single essay. He, 
however, touched briefly on the importance of the proper sowing of the 
various kinds of seeds, and pointed out that the seedsman was often 
blamed for supplying an inferior article when the real reason lay in 
wrong methods of sowing. Thick sowing he particularly condemned. 
Mr. W. G. Cuckson (the President) occupied the chair. 
