April 6, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
‘273 
Events of the Week.— The Committees of the Royal Horti- 
-cultural Society will meet on Tuesday, April 11th, at the Drill Hall, 
James Street, S.W., when a good display of Orchids and other flowers is 
expected. On the same day the Committee of the National Rose Society 
will hold a meeting at the Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, and a gather- 
ing of the Horticultural Club also takes places. In addition there 
will be the customary auction sales. 
- The Weather in London.—A s notified in another paragraph 
we have again to record a week of splendid weather. Clear, bright 
days have been prevalent, the sun being quite hot. Many fruit trees 
in the south are now in full bloom, and it is to be hoped that severe 
frosts will not set in, or the results will be disastrous. 
Weather in the North. —Slight frosts occurred on the 
nights of the 26th and the 27th ult., and this morning (4th) we have 
recorded with hoar frost. On the whole, although cold winds have 
generally prevailed, the past week has been fine for the season. 
Saturday was a thorough April day. On the previous night a good 
deal of rain fell. More would now be welcome.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
Royal Horticultural Society. —The next meeting will 
be held on Tuesday, April 11th, when the Fruit, Floral, Orchid, and 
Narcissus Committees will meet at noon in the Drill Hall, James Street, 
Victoria Street, Westminster. Mr. Everard F. im Thurn has promised 
a paper on “ Orchid Life in Guiana.” A large attendance of the outside 
public is expected. 
-National Amateur Gardeners’ Association. — A paper 
on “ The Show and Alpine Auriculas : Their History and Culture,” 
was read by Mr. James Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford, at the monthly 
meeting of the above Association, which was held in the Memorial 
Hall, Farringdon Street, E.C., on Tuesday last. There was a large 
attendance, and Mr. H. A. Needs presided. After detailing the 
history of the Show and Alpine Auriculas, Mr. Douglas gave cultural 
directions, pointing out the items that were essential to success. A 
vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Douglas for his excellent essay. 
- Gardening and Forestry Exhibition at Earl’s Court. 
—As previously announced in these pages, a series of special shows will 
be held in connection with this Exhibition during the forthcoming 
summer, and the dates have been arranged as follows;—May 13th 
(opening day), special flower show ; May 18th and 19th, Orchids, &c. ; 
June 28th, Roses, &c. ; July 12th, Roses, &c.; July 26th and 27th, Car- 
nations, Picotees, &c. ; August 9th and 10th, flowering and foliage 
plants, &;c. ; August 23rd and 24th, Gladioli, &c. ; September 13th and 
14th, Dahlias and autumn flowers, &c. ; September 27th, 28th, and 29th, 
hardy fruit, &c. A comprehensive schedule has been issued, and in 
addition to substantial money prizes a limited number of gold medals 
will be awarded to meritorious exhibits. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, March, 1893. — Mean temperature of 
month, 45-1°. Maximum on the 30th, 67-3° ; minimum on the 29th, 
20-4°. Maximum in the sun on the 31st, 116-2° ; minimum on the grass 
on 29th, 14 2°. Mean temperature of the air at 9 A.M., 441° ; mean 
temperature of the soil 1 foot deep, 41-7°. Nights below 32°, in shade, 
fourteen ; on grass, twenty-two. Total duration of sunshine in month 
164 hours, or 45 per cent, of possible duration. We had two sunless 
days. Total rainfall, 0 49 inch ^ ram fell on seven days. Average 
velocity of wind, 10-4 miles per hour; velocity exceeded 400 miles on 
six days—fell short of 100 miles on seven days. Approximate averages 
for March—Mean temperature, 40 8°; sunshine, ninety-eight hours; 
rainfall, 1-73 inch. A bright and dry month ; very warm days, but 
many frosty nights. The average daily maximum is considerably 
higher, and the daily range is larger than in any of the last seventeen 
years, but the mean temperature was a little higher in 1882. The rain¬ 
fall is less than in any March during this period, the last fourteen days 
being rainless. The sunshine was more than we have had in any March 
or April since the record began in 1881, and more than the average 
amount for June, July, or August.—J. Mallender. 
- Tits and Fruit Buds.—O bserving what Mr. Hiam says at 
page 255, 1 desire to say that 1 have done what he advises for between 
forty and fifty years ; but I preferred to watch the movements of the 
birds, and examine the bushes and trees immediately after they were 
busy on them taking the buds.—W. T, 
- Messrs. Foster & Pearson, Limited.—W e are informed 
that the business lately carried on at Beeston, Notts, by Messrs. Foster 
and Pearson, the well-known horticultural builders and engineers, has 
been converted into a limited company, and that all accounts due to and 
owing by the late firm will be received and paid by the said Company, who 
will in future carry on the business under the style of Foster & Pearson, 
Limited. 
- Planting Bulbs.—T he proper depth and manner of planting 
many of our flowers is a science not thoroughly understood. I have 
observed this in many things. One example will suflice to illustrate my 
meaning. As a test I planted several clumps of Scillas, the one half 
about 2J inches, and the other about 4 inches deep. The latter are of 
a darker and brighter blue, so much so that they appear a different 
variety.—T. 
- Spir^as.—T o the list given by Mr. Parrant (page 253) allow 
me to add S. filipendula fl.-pl. Growing about 15 inches high, and 
producing abundance of pure white double flowers, it is a most useful 
plant for the front of the herbaceous borders. S. venusta, sometimes 
named lobata or the Queen of the Prairie, is useful for the back of the 
herbaceous border, the deep Peach blossom colour of the panicle-clustered 
flowers form a pleasing contrast with other plants.—M. 
- Mr. J. Muir. —Our old correspondent, Mr. J. Muir of Margam, 
S. Wales, although not contributing so much to the horticultural press 
as formerly, appears to be as active as ever in his locality. Last week 
he was appointed one of the overseers of the parish of Margam for the 
seventh year in succession. He was also returned unopposed as a 
guardian of the union in which he resides, and at the same time he 
contested a seat for the Margam Local Board, against two of the largest 
employers of labour in the district, with success. Perhaps Mr. Muir 
will become a bard in time. 
- Sunny Torquay. —That this favourite winter resort in Devon¬ 
shire is favoured as regards warmth no one will doubt who has been 
there. I was very much surprised when there in November at the 
Chrysanthemum Show to see Tuberous Begonias, Zonal Pelargoniums, 
and blue Lobelias in full summer dress, and all within a few feet of the 
sea. Such was the case in the autumn of 1891 especially ; we, here at 
Swanmore, having experienced 6° frost, and this is considered rather a 
favoured spot as regards the climate. These are only a few of the many 
plants to be there seen at that time of the year, but sufficient to show 
what a favoured place is Torquay.—E. M. 
- Chionodoxa Lucili^ from Seed,—T his hardy bulbous 
plant reproduces itself freely from seed in the open when the seed pods 
are allowed to ripen on the plants. We have a few bulbs planted in 
various parts of the rockery, and numerous other plants annually 
spring up, many of them several feet away from the original roots. As 
a rule, three years’ growth is required to enable the bulbs to attain a 
size to produce flower spikes. The roots of this bulb enjoy a deep root 
run, and a fairly heavy soil seems to suit its growth, producing not 
only larger flower spikes but robust foliage.—E. 
- Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen.-I t will 
be recollected that shortly before the Royal Horticultural Society of 
Aberdeen held its Fete in the Central Park, Kittybrewster, in August 
last, Messrs. James Cocker k. Sons raised an action against the office¬ 
bearers of the Society to have them ordained to receive certain exhibits 
of Roses and Dahlias which Messrs. Cocker had tendered, and which the 
Committee had refused. The action first came before Sheriff Robertson, 
who decided that on the strict construction of the Society’s rules Messrs. 
Cocker were not entitled to exhibit, and he therefore dismissed the 
action. Messrs. Cocker appealed to the Sheriff-Principal, but the 
hearing of the appeal was delayed in consequence of a proposal having 
been made for a friendly settlement of the matters in dispute. Ulti¬ 
mately, however, the proposal made by Messrs, Cocker for a settlement 
was rejected by the Society, and the appeal was accordingly heard by 
Sheriff Smith at his last sitting. He has now given judgment recalling 
the interlocutor of August 15th, 1892, repelling the three first pleas in 
law for the defenders, and finding that it is now unnecessary to pro¬ 
nounce any order under the petition, finds the pursuer entitled to 
expenses .—(^Aberdeen Daily Free Press.') 
