70 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 25, 1894. 
- Messrs. Dobbie & Co. desire us to state that they are giving 
fifty silver medals to be awarded to the most successful amateur 
exhibitors at various Shows throughout the country. 
- We learn that Dr. W. Migula has been appointed Professor of 
Botany at Karlsruhe Technical High School, and Dr. W. LaposchnikofE 
Professor of Botany in Tomsk University, Siberia. 
- Appointment in Mauritius.—W e learn that Mr. William 
Scott, formerly of the Eoyal Gardens, Kew, and lately Assistant 
Director of Forests and Botanical Gardens in Mauritius, has been 
appointed Director in place of Mr. J. Horne, resigned. 
- The January number of the “ Botanical Magazine ” which has 
come to hand contains plates and descriptive matter relating to the 
following plants : — Sobralia xantholeuca, Kalanchoe marmorata, 
Erythroxylon Coca, Prunus humilis, and .^schynanthus obconica. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. W. Carr, late gardener to 
H. C. Jobson, Esq., Summer Hill, Kidderminster, has been appointed 
head gardener to H. E. Martin, Esq., Ham Court, Upton-on-Severn, in 
succession to Mr. Batten, who, after seventeen years’ service, has gone 
into business near Bristol. 
-Flower Shows at Manchester.—T he following are the 
dates of the Exhibitions of the Manchester Botanical and Horticultural 
Society for the current year:—First Spring Show at the Town Hall, 
13th and 14th March ; second Spring Show at the Town Hall, 24th 
April; Grand National Horticultural Exhibition opens at the Gardens, 
Old Trafford, 11th May ; Rose Show at the Gardens, 21st July; 
Chrysanthemum Show at the Town Hall, 20th and 21st November. 
- Raspberry Jottings.— Mr. W. J. Godfrey observes “ If 
‘J. R. B.’ (page 33) requires size, I would recommend him to grow 
Superlative. When this variety becomes better known I believe it 
will be the favourite. Hornet, with us, is too pale in colour, and apt 
to crumble or fall to pieces. Undoubtedly the latter is a good cropper, 
and large in size, and where the fruit is ‘ tubbed ’ for the jam manu¬ 
facturer it may be a serviceable kind, but not equal to Superlative.” 
- Tomtits in the Garden and Orchard.—I n reply to Mr. J. 
Hiam (page 54), I beg to inform him it has been his “ cavilling ” and 
doubting others’ statements that led me to write the note on page 28. In 
view of shortening the discussion I refer him to my previous statements 
in the Jouvnal of HuvticultuTe. He will find there stated my opinions 
why Parus minor took buds in one garden and not in others, as well as 
the name of the birds. I am perfectly well acquainted with the 
destructiveness or usefulness of all the birds named, but have not the 
heart to trap and imprison wild birds in a cage.—A. L. B. K. 
- Society op Jersey Gardeners.—T he fourth annual dinner 
of the above Society was held on the 18th inst.; Mr. Peter Bois (Pre¬ 
sident) occupied the chair, Mr. A. Luxon the vice-chair. About sixty 
were present, and the table was very beautifully decorated with choice 
flowers and plants, lent by Mr. J. H. Devenport. The arrangements 
were carried out in excellent style by the Stewards, Messrs. E. Salway 
and H. G. Skingsley, and the Secretary, Mr. A. Smith. 
- Tree Planting.—S urely there must be a mistake in the 
otherwise excellent advice which Mr. Luckhurst gives on page 43 anent 
this subject. After describing how the trees were planted early in 
November, he goes on to say, “ By the end of the year the pruned 
roots would be bristling with a new growth of rootlets—^feeders for the 
trees in the following spring.” Surely he does not mean that these 
newly planted trees would make a new growth of rootlets during the 
months of November and December after being replanted at the time 
stated. I was not aware that new roots were made at such express 
speed after the check of removal.— E. Molyneux. 
■- Tea Cultivation on the Slopes of the Caucasus.—A n 
interesting experiment is about to be made in Russia with regard to the 
cultivation of the Tea plant. His Imperial Majesty the Czar, acting 
upon the advice of experts, has consented to the proposed cultivation of 
the shrub on the western slopes of the Caucasus, which are warm and 
approximate closely to the temperature in which the plant flourishes in 
China. Some time ago 600 thriving shrubs were in Port Said 
awaiting suitable transport to some port in the Black Sea, from whence 
they were conveyed to some convenient building where they will be 
able to withstand the rigorous winter. A staff of about a dozen Chinese 
is engaged—men thoroughly conversant with the peculiarities of the 
plant—under the direction of a Russian officer who has been deputed to 
carry out the initial steps of the experiment. 
- We have received a copy of No. 3 (“ Timbers”) of the Official 
Guide to the Museums of Economic Botany in the Royal Gardens, 
Kew. Being the second edition it has been revised and augmented, and 
contains much useful information relative to the uses of the various 
timbers. 
- A Silver Medal for a Garden Plan.—I t is reported 
that the Scottish Horticultural Society’s silver medal, offered as first 
prize for the best plan of a villa garden, has been won by Mr. J. C, 
Newsham, sub-foreman in the Fernery Department at the Royal 
Gardens, Kew. 
- Early Flowers.—A western country correspondent says 
“ Despite the visitation of recent severe frost there are Primroses in 
flower in suburban gardens round Bristol, and in the present remarkably 
mild and genial weather there is little to indicate that the weather 
was extremely cold only a few days ago.” 
- Primulas from Maidenhead.—M r. R. Owen, The Floral 
Nursery, Castle Hill, Maidenhead, sends us some blooms of his Imperial 
strain of Primulas. The strain is obviously a good one, the flowers 
being particularly bright and varied in colour, also, possessing size and 
substance. This applies to the double as well as single varieties. 
- Death of Mr. William Truelove. — We regret to hear 
of the death of Mr. W. Truelove, at the age of seventy, who was fore¬ 
man in the arboretum at Kew for twenty-six years, which took place 
at Brixton on the 16th inst., after a short illness. Mr. Truelove was 
trained, we understand, in the famous arboretum at Bicton, and in Mr. 
Barron’s nursery at Borrowash. He had a wide knowledge of culti¬ 
vated trees and shrubs, and retired from Kew two years ago on a 
pension. 
- Rainfall in 1893.—Mr. C. A. Pearce, Oteley, Ellesmere, 
says;—“It seems somewhat incredible that something like 2200 tons 
of rain per acre fell in 1893.” His returns are 21-91 inches, so the weight 
is nearer 3000 tons than stated, and below the average. Mr. W. 
Mabbott, Gwernllwyn, Dowlais, Glamorganshire, registered 50-26 inches 
in 1893, the greatest amount for the past seven years, except 1891, when 
the amount was 63 30 inches. 
- The Weather. —How exceptional the weather of the past 
week had been was shown by official records which were issued on 
Tuesday last. Throughout the whole of England thermometric readings 
were taken which should rule rather in early April or late March than 
in the first month of the year. London, Brighton, Portsmouth, Bristol, 
Preston and Bradford head the list, each with a mean temperature of 
more than 45°, the daily value in the metropolis, as remarked in another 
paragraph, being between 6° and 7° higher than the average of the 
past fifty years. Even on the East coast, taking Hull as the centre, 
the thermometer stood at 42-9°. Such a spell of warmth has not been 
experienced since the latter weeks of October. 
- Remarks on the Weather of Last Year.—M r. W. H. 
Divers, Ketton Hall Gardens, Stamford, writes :—“ The year 1893 will 
long be remembered as exceptionally dry and hot. This district 
suffered severely, owing to the shallow limestone soil. Scarcely any 
hay was made, but autumn fruits were abundant and extra fine. 
Barometer was highest (30 73 inches) at 9 A.M., December 30th ; 
lowest (28-62 inches) at 3 P.M., December 20th. Highest shade tempe¬ 
rature 93°, on August 18th; lowest 5°, January 5th. Mean daily 
maximum, 5915°; mean daily minimum, 41-07°. Mean temperature 
of the year, 49 99°. Lowest on grass, 3°, on January 5th ; mean of 
lowest readings on grass, 34-21°. There were 168 days on which rain 
fell; the total fall was 16 96 inches, which is 10-34 inches below the 
average for the year. The greatest daily fall was 0-69 inch, October 7th.” 
-Lilacs for Forcing.—I n forcing Lilacs it is best to have 
two instalments of plants for alternate seasons. When this method is 
followed the plants should be repotted after flowering, and plunged out¬ 
side until the autumn. The soil should be pressed firmly into the pots. 
In potting remove any suckers. Plunge the pots over their rims in an open 
sunny position. When this is done no trouble will be given in watering 
the plants throughout the summer. Before plunging the old growths on 
which the flowers were produced may be cut close back. The plants 
will then make strong clean growths, and set buds and flower freely. 
Standard Lilacs with clean stems 18 inches to 3 feet would be highly 
appreciated for grouping if they could be produced at a reasonable cost, 
and I do not see why they should not; perhaps they are, but I have 
never had the pleasure of seeing any home-grown Lilacs for forcing that 
I regard as satisfactory.—R. M. B. 
