March 29,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
241 
- Sph^salcea abutiloides. —This plaut is worth growing for 
the greenhouse on account of its axillary racemes of rosy mauve Malva- 
like flowers, nearly 2 inches across, which are developed in February. 
According to Mr. Watson in the “Garden and Forest,”it was introduced 
in 1726 from the Bahamas, but had long since disappeared from gardens, 
until re-introduced to Kew by Baron Eggers a few years ago. At Kew 
it is grown along with greenhouse Abutilons and forms a little plant 
2 feet high, with silky green leaves. With a little management it can 
be had in flower at almost any time. S. umbellata, better known as 
Malva umbellata, is another useful old plant for the greenhouse, which, 
however, is rarely seen in gardens. A species, said to have been found 
by Nuttall on the banks of rivulets east of the Walla-Walla, in North¬ 
west America, and introduced to Kew in 1863, is not known to be in 
cultivation here, though its picture represents it as a handsome flowering 
shrub. 
- Dotjble-spathed Arums. ■— Many persons consider these as 
novelties, and in some gardens they are of rare occurrence, but here 
they are common, as we have had many perfectly doable flowers of late 
years. Several times during the past winter we have had four such 
spathes out at once, and only a month or so ago we had one triple- 
apathed bloom, each spathe being fully developed, which is I believe 
unique, as I have never seen or heard of a similar bloom. The Arums 
here have been flowering constantly ever since early in Not ember, 1892, 
each plant having from two to nine blooms on from that date to the 
present, and they give every promise of keeping on indefinitely. I 
think the cause of this continuous flowering is keeping the plants pot- 
bound, which acts as a check on the growth, and thus causes them to 
be very floriferous. All the year round weak liquid imanure is given 
every time the plants need water.—S. T. Weight, Glewston Court 
Gardens. 
- Turkey Oak ih South Africa. —The introduction of the 
Turkey Oak, Quercus Cerris, into South Africa by means of annual 
supplies of acorns from the Royal Gardens, Kew, is now an accomplished 
fact. In 1886 Mr. D. E. Hutchins, Conservator of Forests in the 
Eastern Division, wrote that “ Up to the present day, while the seeds 
of a great variety of valuable exotic timbers have been sown in the 
forest nurseries, we are still without Q, Cerris." This tree Mr. Hutchins 
recommended on account of its being “ better adapted to the climate of 
the Cape than the common Oak, Q. pedunculata.” Arrangements were 
consequently made for the annual collection and dispatch of the acorns 
of this Oak, ripened at Kew, to the Cape Colony, and altogether about 
thirty bushels have been forwarded. They were packed partly in casks 
in water and partly in boxes in moist cocoa-nut fibre refuse, the latter 
method proving most successful. All acorns soon lose their vitality if 
allowed to get dry, but if packed in moist soil or sawdust, or cocoa-nut 
fibre refuse, they may be sent long distances with safety. The last con¬ 
signment of acorns to the Cape, says the “Kew Bulletin,” consisted of 
ten bushels ; they were packed in three boxes, and dispatched on 
October 17ch last. According to a report just received one of the boxes 
became heated on the way and many of the acorns consequently perished, 
but the acorns in the other two boxes were sound and just beginning to 
sprout. The timber of the Turkey Oak is held in this country in little 
esteem. 
- Royal Mbteoeologioal Society.—T he monthly meeting of 
this Society was held on Wednesday evening, the 21st inst., at the 
Institution of Civil Engineers, Westminster, Mr. R. Inwards, F.R.A.S. 
(President), in the chair. Mr. H. C. Kiddle and Mr. S. R. Lowcock, 
Assoc M.Inst.C.E., were elected Fellows of the Society. Mr. W. H. 
Dines read a paper on the “ Relation Between the Mean Quarterly 
Temperature and the Death Bate.” The Registrar-General’s quarterly 
returns for the whole of England since 1862 were taken by the author, 
and the number of deaths in each quarter expressed as a departure per 
thousand from that particular quarter’s average ; the value so obtained 
being placed side by side with the corresponding departure of the tem¬ 
perature at Greenwich from its mean value. The rate seems to be that 
a cold winter is unhealthy, and a mild winter healthy ; and that a hot 
summer is always unhealthy, and a cold summer healthy, Mr. Dines 
also read a paper on the “ Duration and Lateral Extent of Gusts of 
Wind, and the Measurements of their Intensity.” From observations 
and experiments which he has made with his new anemometer, Mr. 
Dines is inclined to think that a gust seldom maintains its full force for 
more than one or two seconds ; and also that the extreme velocity mostly 
occurs in lines which are roughly parallel to the direction of the wind. 
Mr. R. H. Scott, F.R.S., exhibited a diagram, showing some remarkable 
sudden changes of the barometer in the Hebrides on February 23rd, 
1894, at 8 A M. The reading at Stornoway was 29 39 inch, being a fall of 
0 7 inch since the previous day, and at 6 P.M. the reading was 
28’58 inch. From the trace of the self-recording aneroid it appears that 
the minimum (28-50 inch) occurred about 5 30 P.M.,and that the fall 
during the half hour preceding the minimum was nearly 0 2 inch, the 
rise after the minimum being nearly as rapid. The other paper read 
was “ On the Calculation of Photographic Cloud Measurements,” by 
Dr, K. G. Olsson. 
-New' Zealand Contributions to Kew Museum. —The 
Rev. W, Colenso, M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S., of Napier, New Zealand, to 
w’hom the museum of the Royal Gardens is indebted for many valuable 
contributions extending over a long series of years, has, the “ Kew 
Bulletin” asserts, recently sent an interesting illustration of ancient 
Maori use in the form of a dish some 10 inches long and 8 laches broad, 
made of the bark of the Totara (Podocarpus Totara, A. Cunn). The 
outer bark is partially scraped away and the remainder very evenly bent 
or curved into a boat-shaped form, the ends being folded and brought 
together, and neatly tied. These dishes were used by the Maoris for 
filling with water and placing in the tops of trees to entice pigeons who 
came to drink, when a spear, which had been previously arranged in the 
tree, was suddenly let loose, piercing and killing the bird. Mr. Colenso, 
in a paper on “ Reminiscences of the Ancient Maoris,” published in the 
“Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,” vol. xxiv., 1891, p. 451, 
describing the use of these dishes says :—“ I may here mention that I 
have seen these Totara bark dishes with water in them fixed high up on 
the big branches of trees in the woods in the Urewera country, having 
flax nooses so set over the water as to catch and hold fast the pigeon in 
its drinking. I have seen Pigeons so caught, the Maoris climbing the 
trees naked with the agility of monkeys to secure their prizes.” Another 
contribution to the Kew collection, made by Mr. Colenso, is a belt made 
of the long orange-yellow leaves of the Pingao (Dromoschrenus spiralis, 
Ilooh, /.), a spreading, seaside cyperaceous plant, which is said to be 
extremely strong and durable. This is also referred to at p. 465 of 
Mr. Colenso’s paper before mentioned. 
-Birmingham Branch of the Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution. —A special meeting of the Birmingham 
and Midland Counties Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association was 
held last week for the purpose of establishing a local branch of the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. Mr. W. B. Latham presided, 
and there was a large attendance. Mr. H. J. Veitch, Treasurer ; 
Mr. G. J. Ingram, Secretary ; and Mr. Vallance, as representing the 
Bath and Bristol Branch of the Institution, addressed the meeting. 
Professor Hillhouse and Messrs. J. Pope, Spinks, and Hughes were also 
present. Mr. Veitch, referring to the great advantages offered to 
gardeners, nurserymen, market gardeners, and their w-idows by joining 
the Benevolent Institution, said that since the Institution was founded 
they had distributed £61,000 in pensions. To become a life member 
the gardener had to contribute a guinea a year for fifteen years, or ten 
guineas down. Life members if incapacitated for work on reaching the 
age of sixty, and not receiving an income of over £30 per annum, were 
entitled to a pension of £20 per year, and the widow of a subscriber 
to £16 per annum. The Institution’s liabilities now amounted to 
£2700 per annum. This year they wanted to raise about £13,000, and 
so be enabled to increase the number of pensioners. Mr. Ingram also 
spoke of the advantages of the Institution, and Mr. Vallance gave an 
outline of the work done in the Bath and Bristol district. After some 
discussion, Mr. Pope moved, “That steps be taken to form a branch 
of the Gardeners’Royal Benevolent Institution in Birmingham.” This 
was seconded by Mr. Spinks, and carried unanimously. 
HARDY FLOWERS FOR EXHIBITING. 
In your issue of February 22ad (page 152) Mr. J. A. Williams gave 
a list of hardy plants for exhibition at and from the last week in June. 
Would he, for the benefit of your readers who are not “ amateur 
champions,” ask those who kindly supplied him with their opinions 
as to which were the best varieties to grow, and what is their relative 
worth as to each other for exhibition in the matter of points? in other 
words could he get out a similar list to those given of Roses showing 
which count the most ? For this purpose it must be assumed that the 
bunches are of equal merit as to colour and size of fiower. 
Further, could Mr. Williams help the uninitiated in the matter of 
manures for hardy flowers, stating which are generally most beneficial, 
having regard to the different soils and aspects, and at what stages of 
growth they are best given, and whether in liquid form or otherwise ?—» 
Inquirer, 
