£06 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 8, 1892- 
- Small Holdings in Lincolnshire. —Mr. Henry Chaplin, 
M.P., who recently offered a large farm in North Lincolnshire to the 
Lindsey County Council for the purpose of providing small holdings, 
has offered to the Kesteven County Council (South Lincolnshire) a farm 
of 657 acres for similar purposes at Temple Bruer, near Sleaford. 
- National Amateur Gardeners’ Association. — The 
monthly meeting of this Association was held at the Memorial Hall, 
Farringdon Street, E.C., on Tuesday, December 6th. Mr. T. W. Sanders 
presided, and there was a fair attendance of members. A paper on 
“ Irises,” by Mr. E. T. Cooke, was read by the Chairman, a discussion 
following. As briefly announced in our last issue, the annual dinner 
of the Association will take place at the Holborn Restaurant on Tuesday, 
December 13th, the President occupying the chair. Mr. D. B. Crane, 
4, Wood-view Terrace, Archway Road, Highgate, is the Hon. Secretary. 
- Death of Mr. John Downie.—W ith deep regret we record 
the death of Mr. John Downie of Princess Street, Edinburgh, and 
Beechill Nursery, Murrayfield, which occurred on the 25th ult. Mr. 
Downie was a noted Scotch florist, and few horticulturists in Scotland 
were held in higher esteem. During the past half century the name of 
Mr. John Downie has been prominent before the horticultural world, 
and to his assiduity gardeners owe much. He was the originator of the 
now popular Fancy Pansy. Mr. Downie served his apprenticeship at 
Canaan House, and succeeded his father as head gardener at South 
Bank, Edinburgh. For many years he was a partner in the firm of 
Downie, Laird & Laing, and subsequently started in business by himself. 
We understand that the business will be carried on by his son. His 
remains were interred in the Grange Cemetery on the 29th ult., in the 
presence of many sorrowing friends. 
- Brussels Sprouts. —All round London the green crops are 
in first-rate condition and wondrously plentiful ; they have rarely been 
cleaner or in better form. Very likely we shall soon hear of Savoy 
Cabbages, Coleworts, and Kales being gluts. But not only have 
Cauliflowers, the traditional “ white head ” of the markets, been good 
and very plentiful, but they have sold very well. There has been 
hardly a night's check to them since they first began to turn in. After 
all there are none of the Brassica family that pay so well as do Brussels 
Sprouts. These are remarkably good and as clean as can be. The 
plants grown on the hard and not too rich soil in the fields produce 
splendid stems of sprouts, all hard, green, and delicious ; not too large, 
yet very firm. There seems, after all, to be no Brussels Sprouts like 
those that are field grown ; and gardeners, as a rule, would find more 
satisfactory results if they would plant in less rich soils.— Observer. 
- Weather at Liverpool. —For the past few days the weather 
here has been of a very wintry character. After a period of weather 
remarkable for its mildness, we were visited on the night of the 
30th ult. with a slight fall of snow, the thermometer standing at 16°. 
Since then severe frosts, hailstorms, cold rain, and more snow, which 
commenced on Sunday, December 4th, and lasted all Monday, have been 
the order. The thermometer on the 2nd was 20° ; 3rd, 24° ; 4th, 20°. 
—R. P. R. 
-—- Observation of the Weather During November, 1892. 
—The weather duriDg the past month has been of a mild character. 
Dull sunless days were numerous, also plenty of fogs. The rainfall was 
lighter than it has been for the corresponding months of the past two 
years. Through the mild weather grass and other things have been 
growing very freely. Rain fell upon thirteen days. Maximum amount 
in any twenty-four hours was 0 35 inch on the 15th ; minimum amount 
was 0 02 inch on the 7th. Total during the month, D75 inch 
against 2-36 inch of 1891.—E. Wallis, The Gardens, Hamels Fark, 
Buntingford, Herts. 
- The Weather during November at Ripley, Yorks.— 
This was a very dull month, only two bright days occurring— i e., 29th 
and 30th. The rainfall was light, but owing to the prevalence of fog 
and the absence of wind the ground was (from the heavy rainfall in 
October) in a more or less saturated state during the greater part of the 
month, thus not favourable to planting operations. Rain fell upon 
eighteen days—total, D68 inch, of which 0-41 fell on the 4th. Frost 
■was registered on fourteen days. Mean reading of the barometer, SO’OS 0 . 
Mean maximum temperature, 48"1° ; mean minimum temperature, 32-1°. 
Mean temperature of month, 401°. Highest maximum temperature, 
56° on 5th ; lowest minimum temperature, 18° on the 2nd.—J. Tunning- 
ton, Ripley Castle Gardens, Yorhs. 
- Rainfall in Sussex. — The total rainfall at Cuckfield for 
the past month was 3 80 inches, being 0 - 13 inch above the average ; the 
heaviest fall was 0 108 inch on the 16th. Rain fell on seventeen days. 
The maximum temperature was 56° on the 14th ; minimum, 33° on the 
2nd; mean maximum, 48'2°; mean minimum, 41‘2° ; mean tempera¬ 
ture, 44-70. A mild, almost sunless month, the partial shade readings 
being 3 - 4° above the average.—R. I. 
- The Weather in Kirkcudbrightshire.—T he weather 
during the past week has generally been of a wintry nature. We had 
about half an inch of snow on the night of the 2nd inst., but this nearly 
disappeared during the following day. On the night of the 3rd about 
2 inches of snow fell, and as frost has succeeded it still remains on the 
ground. The depth of snow is considerably greater further from the 
sea. To-day (5th) is bitterly cold.—S. Arnott. 
- Intense Frost in Stirlingshire.—T he end of the past 
week was very wintry. In a few days as much snow has fallen on 
the low grounds as fell altogether in the winter of 1891. On 
Thursday afternoon (December 1st) the frost set in very intense, and 
at 4.30 the thermometer indicated 15° ; it gradually fell, until at 
ten o’clock 22° were registered. On Friday morning at seven o’clock 
it was standing at 7° (25° frost); the mercury slowly rose until 
midday, when it stood at 20° (12° of frost). It fell very rapidly 
towards 3.30, and at 4 pm. it was down to 8° (24° of frost). 
—C. McDougall. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, November, 1892.—Mean temperature cf 
month, 42° ; maximum on the 14th, 57 - 6° ; minimum on the 2nd, 24-2° p 
maximum in the sun on the 3rd, 98-4°; minimum on the grass on the 
1st, 19 6° ; mean temperature of air at 9 A.M., 41-9° ; mean temperature 
of the soil at 1 foot deep, 44-1°. Nights below 32° in shade, seven ; on 
the grass, sixteen. Total duration of sunshine, forty-two hours, or 16 per 
cent, of possible duration ; we had fifteen sunless days. Total rainfall, 
1-01 inch ; rain fell on twelve days. Average velocity of wind, 7-1 miles 
per hour; velocity exceeded 400 miles on three days, and fell short of 
100 miles on fifteen days. Approximate averages for November:—Mean 
temperature, 23°; sunshine, fifty hours; rainfall, 2 03 inches. This 
month was dry and dull, with very little cold weather.— Joseph 
Mallender. 
- The Weather Last Month. —November was exceptionally 
dull and foggy. The sun only appeared on twelve days, and then for a 
short time on some of them. We had two clear days. The larometer 
was very changeable. The highest reading was 30 - 40 at 9 A.M. on the 
22nd ; lowest 29-59 at 9 A.M. on the 3rd. Total rainfall, 0-93 inch ; 
which is 1-73 inch below the average for the month. The greatest 
daily fall was 0 20 inch on the 2nd. Rain was recorded on fourteen 
days. Highest shade temperature 57° on the 4th and 14th, lowest 28° 
on the 2nd, lowest on grass 22° on the 2nd ; mean of daily maximum 
49-2° ; mean of daily minimum, 37-7° ; mean temperature of the month, 
43-4°. The wind was in a westerly direction twenty days, but was very 
light all through the month. The mean relative humidity as taken 
daily at 9 A.M. (taking saturation equal to 100) was 95-6. The garden 
spring 'ran 20 gallons per minute on the 30th. The majority of the 
trees were bare of leaves by the 13th,—W. H. Divers, JHetton Hall 
Gardens, Stamford. 
- The Corbridge and District Gardeners’ Mutual. 
Improvement Society. —The monthly meeting of the above Society 
was held in the Town Hall on November 28th, Mr. Oliver presiding. There 
was a fair attendance of members. In the unavoidable absence of Mr. 
Charlton, Farnley Grove, a paper prepared by him upon the “Gardeners* 
Mutual Improvement Societies : their Aim and Object,” was read by 
Mr. Thompson, Farnley Grange. Mr. Charlton dealt with his subject in 
an able manner, and made some good suggestions. He remarked that 
Societies might offer prizes for essays on horticultural subjects, and 
pointed out the advantages to be gained by so doing. He strongly 
advised young men to avail themselves of every opportunity to gain 
knowledge of the profession they adopted. A very interesting discussion 
followed, in which the Chairman, Mr. Bell, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Irvine 
especially took part. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. 
Charlton for his most interesting paper. A similar vote to the Chairman 
and reader of the paper terminated the proceedings. The Society has 
already received support from some of the leading gentry in the district, 
and several others have kindly promised subscriptions. The total sum 
received by the Secretary, Mr. T. Ridley, Dilston, Corbridge, is £9 Is. 6d, 
There are over forty members. 
