May 31, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
431 
crowd the plants. Let each be seen distinctly, for plants ever so well 
grown lose their effect when overcrowded. In conclusion I will add 
that the decoration of the house in many places is one that will bring 
out all the abilities of a gardener, especially if he has a limited stock. 
Of course, where every convenience in the way of labour and room is at 
hand, his task will not be so arduous.— Perennial. 
ADIANTUM CLJ^SIANUM. 
A PLANT of this charming new Adiantum from South America was 
exhibited by MM. Linden, Brussels, at the Temple Show last week, 
and being quite distinct a first-class certificate was awarded for it by 
the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. The fronds, 
proved most injurious to Potatoes, Runner and Kidney Beans, and what 
few Vegetable Marrow and Tomato plants there were planted or exposed. 
It is the Strawberries, though, that have suffered most. They were 
remarkably promising, but most of the flowers open and opening, and 
the greater portion of exposed fruit in various sizes are all black. 
Gooseberries and Currants have also been damaged, but the Pears seem 
uninjured, and promise to be an enormous crop. Apples set badly, and 
were shattering off wholesale before the frosts, and 1 fail to see much 
difference since. Plums are apparently uninjured, and where they 
flowered early the crops are very heavy.—W. Igqulden, Somerset, 
“ Look out for a hailstorm about the 22nd of May, and be sure of a 
smart frost succeeding it.” This was a weather note given to me the 
first spring I spent in Ireland, and many springs that have since come 
and gone have borne witness to the soundness of that advice. How 
as depicted in the engraving Cfig. 70), are rather short, the plant having 
apparently a dwarf habit, but they are very attractive. The ground 
colour is a pale green, blotched and radiated with white. It is a beau¬ 
tiful Fern, and one which in due course will probably become popular. 
THE RECENT SEVERE WEATHER AND GARDEN 
CROPS. 
On the 19th inst. the weather was bitterly cold, a piercing north¬ 
easterly wind prevailing, with hail and snow storms. On the morning 
of the 20th the mercury of the thermometer stood at 25°, or 7° of frost. 
We also registered 7° on the morning of the 22nd, which has done a good 
deal of damage to the crops of Potatoes, Vegetable Marrows, and Kidney 
Beans. Many acres which a few days ago looked so promising are 
now a blackened mass with the frost. This will be a great loss to 
the market gardeners. The early Strawberries have suffered very 
much, all the best fruit being spoiled.— G. R. Allis, Old Warden 
Parli, Biggleswade. _ 
On the mornings of May 20th and 21st very destructive frosts were 
experienced hereabouta In several places 5° were registered, and this 
often does departing winter, “ Who often takes leave, yet is loth to 
depart,” turn round and have another angry snap at us I It appears to 
be the rule, and this spring is not an exception. On the 20th we had a 
suspicion of snow in the morning, a rattling hail shower in the evening, 
with 4:° of frost at night. Here Strawberry blossom in the critical stage 
is rendered abortive, although a good portion is comparatively safe, 
some being set, and a quota yet undeveloped. Potatoes in the garden 
were just nipped; but a “tale of woe” comes from the fields in the 
neighbourhood, some are reported to be killed outright. 
Four degrees of frost here means more inland. Mr. Bedford writes 
me from Straffan, Kildare, “ Frost here on Monday morning (21st). 
Everything tender cut to the ground; Strawberry crop is clean wiped 
out, as the plants were in full bloom.”—E. K., DuMin. 
Just a line as to the state of the weather here. We have had 
some cold north-easterly wind lately, which has retarded vegetation 
to such a degree that it has changed what would have been an excep¬ 
tionally early spring to an ordinary one. On the mornings of the 
2l9t and 22nd slight white frosts w'ere reported from different parts 
of the island, but only in one instance, at Wroxall, have I heard that it 
has affected vegetation at all. There the Potato crop was cut down, 
and other early produce blackened. New Potatoes a e being dug here 
