2G2 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 5,1894. 
_The Total Eainfall at Abbot's Leigh, Haywaed's 
Heath, Sussex, for the past month was 1-41 inch, being 0 67 inch 
below the average. The heaviest fall was 0 31 inch on the 14th. Eain 
fell on thirteen days. Total for the quarter is 6'17 inches, which is 
0-49 inch below the average. The maximum temperature in the shade 
was 62° on 27th and 31st, the minimum 27° on the 3rd and 18th. 
Mean maximum 52 8°, mean minimum 35°, mean temperature 43-9°, 
being 3 4° above the average, and 1° above March of last year.—E. I. 
- The Weather in Hertfordshire. —Mr. E. Wallis, The 
Gardens,Hamels Park, Buntingford, Herts, writes :—“ The weather during 
the past month has surp'issed any that I can remember during any previous 
March. There have been sharp frosts at night, but the days for the 
most part have been of a summer-like nature. Eain fell upon ten days 
during the past month. Maximum in any twenty-four hours wasO'Sl on 
the 12th ; minimum twenty-four hours, 0 02 on the 11th ; total during 
the whole month 1'12, against 0 47 of 1893 ; ending March, 1893, I had 
registered 4 92 of rainfall ; ending March, 1894, I have registered 
4-83. Owing to the very bright weather fruit trees of all kinds are 
rapidly opening their flowers.” 
- The Weather in Wales.—M r. W. Mabbott, The Gardens, 
Gwernllwyn House, Dowlais, Glamorgan, writes :—“The following is a 
record of the weather for the past month. Total rainfall, 4 94 inches ; 
in any twenty-four hours, 1’31 inches on the 12th ; minimum, 0 01 
on the 6th. Number of days on which rain fell, fifteen. Frost was 
registered on fourteen days, very sharp from the 16th to the 18th, 
inclusive, but slight on the other occasions. Number of hours sunshine 
for the month, 172J. Maximum amount on eight days ; minimum, 
one hour on the 8th and 20th. Very wet up to the 15tb, with strong 
and cold winds. Since then we have had very bright spring weather, 
with wind from east to south-east. The total rainfall for the past 
quarter is 17'86 inches ; for the same period in 1893, 13'45. Sun¬ 
shine for the same period, 1894, 245 hours.” 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, for March.— Mean temperature of month, 
43-6°. Maximum ou the 30lh, 66 0° ; minimum on the 17th, 23-4°. 
Maximum in the sun on the 24th, 112-8° ; minimum on the grass on the 
17th, 14-9°. Mean temperature of air at 9 A M., 42'1°; mean temperature of 
soill footdeep,4L4°. Nights below 32° in shade, fourteen ;on grass, twenty- 
four. Sunshine, total duration in month, 158 hours, or 43 per cent, of pos¬ 
sible duration. We had two sunless days. Total rainfall, 0 54 inch ; rain 
fell on ten days. Approximate averages for March :—Mean temperature, 
40*8° ; sunshine, ninety-eight hours. Eainfall, 1'73. A fine, warm, dry, 
and bright month, with a good many frosty nights, very similar to last 
year. For the first ten days we had strong westerly winds, but the 
latter part of the month has been very calm with foggy mornings. 
Vegetation forward, but rain wanted.—J. Mallender. 
- The Weather.— There is a striking similarity between the 
weather experienced during the past week and that experienced 
at the same time last year, and this is rapidly giving rise to serious 
apprehensions as to the possibility of another long drought. Sinee 
the middle of last month no appreciable quantity of rain has fallen 
in any part of the United Kingdom. A speedy change would un¬ 
doubtedly be welcome, not only in the interests of the farmer, but 
also for the replenishment of the wells and springs, which are 
certainly not in a condition to undergo another serious drought. The 
rainfall of the past winter was unusually frequent, but, so far as 
England was concerned, the aggregate amount was not large, and in 
many parts of eastern and midland counties it was actually less 
than the average. Last month there was a deficiency over nearly the 
whole kingdom, and again more especially in the eastern parts of 
England, where the quantity varied from about one-half to about 
two-thirds of the normal. In many plaees there has been, in fact, a 
continued deficiency of rain ever since the long drought of last spring. 
The temperature registered over England of late has, moreover, been 
unusually high for the time of year, the thermometer in many cases 
rising above 65°, and in some instances reaching 70°. 
- Arboriculture. —Mr. W. Thomson, Clovenfords, writes to 
the “ Scotsman : ”—“ One of the lessons in arboriculture that the 
recent gales have taught is that fine picturesque trees are bound to 
come to grief when exposed to such gales as we had last winter, 
unless greater preeautions are taken and more skill shown in preparing 
the ground before they are planted, in the aet of planting itself, and 
their subsequent pruning. As witness what happened last winter at 
Drummond Castle, near Crieff, where hundreds of very fine Oak and 
other trees were either blown down or so disfigured by the destruction 
of their branches as to be no longer ornaments. Anyone who will 
carefully diagnose such a case—as the writer has done more than once 
—will find that many of the roots of the trees run along the ground, 
very near the surface, where the soil most congenial to their extension 
is situate, in which position their anchorage power, so to speak, is small 
as compared with what it would have been had said roots been for the 
greater part from 1 to 2 feet under the surfaee of the soil. The branches 
are allowed to extend at their own pleasure till they form gre.at long 
limbs—very picturesque, and much to be desired, no doubt, but dan¬ 
gerous for their own safety, in the first place, and equally so for the 
stability of the whole trees. To mitigate, if not completely to avoid, 
sueh disastrous consequences, a different system of planting and pruning 
should be adopted. The foundation of the wall round the parks, after 
the ground has been well drained, should be laid not less than 3 feet 
deep, and should be of concrete up to ground level, so that the roots of 
the trees should not be able to penetrate it. The whole ground in which 
the trees are to be planted ought to be trenched at least 2 feet deep, the 
good soil of the surface being placed not less than a foot deep, so as to 
induce the trees to make all their roots at that depth, and not run along 
the surface, as they do in most cases when planted in the usual way. 
This weight of soil over the roots would counteract to a large extent the 
leverage of the long branches. The branches should have their points 
cut off when they develop a tendency to take a strong lead. Thus the 
trees would have more compact heads—not, perhaps, so picturesque, 
but still handsome, shapely trees, no three or four branches of which 
would put such a strain on the roots as one that is allowed to ramble on 
at its own will.” 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Orchid Committee. 
Some difficulty appears to have arisen in the transaction of 
business by this body (1) through the encroachments of strangers, 
(2) through the members of the Committee indulging too much in 
personal and private conversation at the table. The Council of the 
Society will do their best to remedy the former difficulty, and 
trusts to the self restraint of members to meet the latter objection. 
We have heard it suggested that the Committees of the Society 
are growing too large, and according to the law of averages it 
would be a wonder if there were not in these bodies a few persons 
who, to use a well understood term, “ like to hear themselves talk.” 
Chysis bractescens. 
A fine specimen of this Chysis (fig. 43) was exhibited by 
W. C. Walker, Esq., Percy Lodge, Winchmore Hill, N., at the 
Drill Hall, Westminster, on the 27th ult., and the Orchid Com¬ 
mittee of the Royal Horticultural Society considered it worthy of 
a first-class certificate. It is not a new plant, having been intro¬ 
duced from Mexico more than half a century ago, but it cannot be 
seen in good condition in every collection. The wax-like flowers 
are borne in racemes, and are 2 or 3 inches in diameter. The 
sepals and petals, also the outside of the lip, are white, the inside 
of the latter yellow, while the front lobe is maiked with crimson 
lines. Chysis bractescens usually blooms during April and May, 
and in rather a cool dry atmosphere the flowers last for two or 
three weeks. 
Repotting Deciduous Calantiies. 
These useful Orchids will now be on the move, and should be 
potted without further delay. There is nothing gained by potting 
before this time, as until new roots are being produced no water 
will be required, and the bulbs are better left in the pots in which 
they have flowered. Many modes of starting Calanthes have been 
recommended, isuch as laying the bulbs on sphagnum moss and 
keeping slightly moist until growth is well advanced, or placing in 
small pots on bottom heat, afterwards repotting into larger sizes ; 
but the simplest and best way is to place them at once in the 
pots in which they are intended to flower. 
With regard to the size of pots to be used, this will depend on 
the purpose for which the plants are required. Small plants for 
