110 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 8, 1894. 
- An Addition to the Museum at Kew Gardens. —We under¬ 
stand that through the liberality of Mr. J. H. Veitch the Museum of the 
Royal Gardens at Kew has recently been enriched by the whole of the 
fine and extensive collection of vegetable products made by him during 
his recent travels in Japan. The collection is not only very extensive, but 
it is also very varied, and contains many things quite new to the Museum. 
- The Total Rainfall for the Past Month at Abbots 
Leigh, Haywards Heath, Sussex, was 3 96 inches, being 1 83 inch 
about the average. The heaviest fall was 0 94 inch, on the 25th. Rain 
fell on twenty-two days. The maximum temperature was 50°, on 12tL 
and 20th; the minimum 8°, on the 7th. Mean maximum, 42T7° ; 
mean minimum, 31'16° ; mean temperature, 36 66°, about 1° above the 
average. With the exception of first week, a mild wet month with 
high winds.—R. I. 
- The Weather in South Wales during January. — 
Mr. W. Marriott, The Gardens, Gwernllwyn House, Dowlais, Glamorgan, 
writes :—“ The rainfall here for the past month amounted to 7'24 inches ; 
number of days on which rain fell alone twenty days ; snow and rain 
on three days, and snow alone on three days ; greatest amount for twenty- 
four hours, 0-75 inch on the 15th. Number of days of sunshine, four ; 
greatest amount, six and a half hours on the 23rd. With the exception 
of the first week the weather has been very mild for the month.” 
- January Weather in Hertfordshire. —Mr. E. Wallis, 
The Gardens, Hamels Park, Buntingford, Herts, observes :—During the 
past month we have experienced frost of unusual severity, which fortu¬ 
nately did not last many days. The 4th was a day of extraordinary piercing 
cold ; on the 5th, just before the sun set, I registered 22° of frost, and by 
10 o’clock same evening there were 29°, which continued until sunrise 
the next morning. I have known the mercury to fall lower, but never 
so early in the evening. Since the frost has broken up the weather 
has been very mild. Rain and snow has fallen on twenty-one days 
during past month. Maximum in any twenty-four hours was 0-43° on 
the 14th ; minimum in any twenty-four hours was 0'01° on the 26th ; 
total during the whole month 2 0° against l'67°of 1893. 
- The Weather in Scotland. —The past month has been a 
very variable one, frost, snow, and rain alternating often in the twenty- 
four hours. More snow has fallen since the New Year than what fell 
altogether the previous two winters. Rain fell on twenty-six days, with 
a total of 8 inches ; 3'885 inches of that fell on the last seven days. 
Frost was registered on seventeen nights ; total amount of frost regis¬ 
tered, 146°. Mean maximum, 42 2° ; mean minimum, 30°. Highest 
maxima, 50 8°, on the 11th and 13th ; highest minima, 42'3°, on the 14th 
and 17th. Lowest maxima, 16 2°, on the 6th ; lowest minima 2'5° below 
zero on the 7th. 16-2° was the 9 am. reading on the 6th. The tempera¬ 
ture gradually fell until some time about midday it stood at 7°. There¬ 
after it rose a few degrees, but at no time did it rise above 12° until 
noon on the 7th. The reading at 9 A.M. on the 7th was 3'3°.— 
G. M'Dougall, Stirling. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, January 1894.—Mr. J. Mallender writes : 
—“ Mean temperature of month, 37 2°. Maximum on the 11th, 53 0° ; 
minimum on the 6th, — 4-4°. Maximum in the sun on the 20th, 88 5°; 
minimum on the snow on the 7th, — 3 0°. Mean temperature of air at 
9 A.M., 36 4° ; mean temperature of soli 1 foot deep, 38'7°. Number of 
nights below 32°, in shade, twelve ; on grass, twenty-three. Total 
duration of sunshine, thirty-nin« hours, or 16 per cent, of possible 
duration. Total rainfall, 1 37. Rain fell on twenty-two days. Average 
velocity of .wind, 13 6 miles per hour; velocity exceeded 400 miles 
on ten days; velocity fell short of 100 miles on two days. Approxi¬ 
mate averages for January — Mean temperature, 371°; sunshine, 
thirty-five hours ; rainfall, 1-69. The principal feature of the month 
was the very sharp frost in the first week, which, however, only lasted 
a few days. The minimum temperature is the lowest we have had 
since December, 1879.” 
- The Weatheb at Hodsock Priory, Worksop, Notts, 1893. 
—Mr. Mallender also remarks :—“ Last year will long be remembered 
for the exceptionally hot, dry, and bright weather of the spring, summer, 
and early autumn. We have to go back to 1885 for a warmer February, 
and to 1883 for a wetter one. March was a very bright and dry month, 
with very warm days but many frosty nights. The amount of sunshine 
recorded was more than we have had in any March or April since the 
record began in 1881, and more than the average amount for Junct 
July, or August. April proved to be the warmest and driest for at 
least seventeen years. May was another fine and warm month. June 
a fine, dry, and warm month. The maximum temperature 83 8° is the 
highest we have had in June since 1878. July brought us a break in 
fine summer weather, and was a rather showery month. August and 
September were fine and dry months. October was a bright month. 
None of the previous twelve Octobers had as much sunshine. The 
flowers in the garden were untouched by frost till quite the end of the 
month. A greit crop of all autumn fruits and berries. Strawberries 
fruited a second time. Mean temperature of the year was 49-4 °; 
mean temperature of the air at 9 A.M., 49 9° ; mean temperature of soil 
1 foot deep, 49 1°. Total rainfall, 20 11 inch ; rail fell on 165 days. 
Total sunshine, 1515 hours, being 288 hours above the average. There 
were sixty-six days on which no sunshine was recorded, and 109 days 
on which it shone for at least half the time it was above the horizon. 
The highest reading of the barometer during the year was 30 752 on 
December 30th. Lowest reading of the barometer during the year was 
28 694 on December 20th.” 
- Petroleum as an Insecticide for Cucumbers and 
Melons. —In reply to ” W. B.,” page 88, I have tried petroleum several 
times for syringing Melons and Cucumbers, but have in each case found 
it scorched the edges of the leaves, although I used it very carefully 
with a solution of softsoap. The following is my method, and if any of 
the numerous readers of “ our Journal ” can give me a better one I 
shall be glad to try it:—Thoroughly dissolve about 2 ozs. of softsoap in 
a three-gallon can or pail of warm water, then add a wineglassful of 
petroleum. This should be well mixed by filling a syringe and forcing 
it back again into the pail several times. When applying the liquid to 
the plants a very fine rose should be used on the syringe, or employ a 
jet and work the spray with the finger, keeping the liquid well mixed. 
The above is not a strong solution, but I think it is as much as the 
plants will bear without injury to the foliage. I use it for mealy bug.— 
A Single-handed Gardener. 
-Pepper Cultivation. —Considerable difficulty appears to be 
experienced at the West Indies in the successful cultivation of pepper, 
for which a market might readily be found in the United States. Mr. 
R. Derry, Assistant Superintendent, Garden and Forest Department, 
Straits Settlements, now in this country on leave, has supplied the 
following account of the method of cultivation pursued in the colony. 
The method usually adopted with pepper in the Straits Settlements is as 
follows :—Fruiting vines are set aside as stock plants for propagating. 
This is done by layering, but only strong branched shoots are selected, 
and all superfluous shoots are removed. It is necessary to be careful 
about the selection of shoots for layering, as certain shoots never pro¬ 
duce fruit. When rooted the young plants are transplanted to prepared 
holes, and, when the Vine commences growing, posts are planted for 
support. Posts are preferred from large trees of durable wood, split up, 
about 10 feet long and about 10 inches wide, varying from half an inch 
to 6 inches in thickness. The vines are carefully tied and trained on 
the posts, all superfluous shoots pruned until the plant reaches the top 
of the post. When growing the plants are kept mulched with burnt 
earth, and dressed with liquid manures as soon as fruiting commences. 
During hot weather the roots are protected with straw of some kind. 
The fruits are picked when red, and kiln-dried.“—(Kew Bulletin.”) 
AUSTRALIAN TIMBER TREES. 
There exists a widely prevalent idea that Australia possesses few 
kinds of timber suitable for industrial purposes, other than the Jarrah 
and Karri hardwoods of Western Australia. This, however, is a grave 
mistake. In New South Wales alone there is an abundance of timber 
of various descriptions, admirably adapted for building and other 
purposes, especially carriage, boat, and ship construction. Forests 
extend over the whole of New South Wales, frequently extending for 
many miles, the trees belonging chiefly to different species of the 
Eucalyptus tribe. Many of the more valuable timber trees are found 
on ridges and hillsides in places frequently too rough for cultivation. 
According to the Government Statistician of New South Wales, 
Australian hardwood trees are remarkable for the great size of the beams 
which may be obtained from them, as well as for the extreme toughness 
and durability of their wood ; the Grey Ironbark having a resistance to 
breaking equal to 17,900 lbs. per square inch, as compared with a mean 
of 11,800 lbs. for English Oak, and 15,500 for Teak. None of the other 
timbers have so high a resistance to breaking as this description of 
Ironbark, but nearly all the varieties have a greater strength than Oak. 
The quality of the wood is materially influenced by the soil on which 
the trees grow, and the absence of branches for the greater portion of 
the height enables the timber to be obtained to the best advantage ; and 
as full-grown trees of most varieties are rarely less than 100 feet high, 
with corresponding girth, the quality of timber obtainable is very large. 
The softwoods of the colony are chiefly in the brush forests of the 
