September 6, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
223 
lateral branches decay, they generally leave stamps which, standing out 
in various parts of the stem, beak the continuity of its lines. The bark 
is smoother than that of any other tree of the Pine kind, except the 
Weymouth; though we do not esteem this among its picturesque 
beauties. Its, hue, however, which is warm and reddish, has a good 
effect; and it obtains a kind of roughness by peeling off in patches. 
The foliage of the Stone Pine is a3 beautiful as the stem. Its colour is 
a deep warm green ; and its form, instead of breaking into acute angles, 
like many of the Pine race, is moulded into a flowing line by an assem¬ 
blage of small masses. As age comes on its round dumpish head becomes 
more flat, spreading itself like a canopy, which is a form equally be¬ 
coming ; and thus we see what beauty may result from a tree with a 
round head, and without lateral branches, which requires, indeed, a good 
example to prove. When we look on an Ash or an Elm from which the 
lateral branches have been stripped, as is the practice in some countries, 
we are apt to think that no tree with a head placed on a long stem can 
be beautiful ; yet in Nature’s hands, which can mould so many forms of 
beauty, it may easily be effected.” 
It is doubtful whether the Stone Pine was grown in England before 
the time of Evelyn, or even before 1750, about which date Peter Collinson 
planted it, together with all the Conifers he could collect, at his house 
.at Mill Hill, where many of the trees still remain. After the establish¬ 
ment of the beautiful pinetum at Dropmore, at the beginning of the 
present century, the taste for the regular but graceful outlines of the 
Conifers became general; but the Stone Pine is rarely seen with a 
height of 30 feet in this country. 
In the south of Europe its wood is used for masts and general 
carpentry ; but it is chiefly valued for its large edible seeds, which are 
used as food wherever the tree grows. They are three-quarters of an 
inch long without their wings, and about half as broad, and, being 
entirely free from resin, have a sweet taste, resembling that of the 
Hazel Nut. In Pliny’s time they were preserved in honey, and now 
they are commonly used at dessert, or in sugarplums, instead of Almonds. 
If not kept in the cone, however, the abundant oil they contain becomes 
speedily rancid. P>esides being much eaten by squirrels, they form the 
chief food of the cross-bill, a bird which occasionally visits this country, 
and whose beak is specially modified for their extraction from the cone. 
—( Cassell's Familiar Trees.') 
THE WEATHER AND GARDEN CROPS. 
BERKSHIRE. 
We are eight miles N.E. of Newbury, 450 feet above sea level. Our 
rainfall from June 20th to July 31st was 6-30 inches, as against 135 
inch during the same period last year. Rain fell on twenty-six days in 
July, with a total of 461 inches for the month. The aspect of vegeta¬ 
tion shows a great contrast to last season. P>ush fruits and Strawberries 
were plentiful and good, the Goo-eberry caterpillar was troublesome, and 
in fact I consider this year more notable for the caterpillar plague than 
anything else, and the greatest hindrance from a gardening point of 
view. Our Apples, Pears, Plums, and Cherries on standards and 
pyramids are a complete failure owing to the ravages of the caterpillars 
■at blooming time. Morello Cherries on walls, good crops and fine. To 
my mind any dressing that can be easily applied that would ward off 
the attacks of the grubs in the case of choice Apples and Pears is some¬ 
thing to be sought for, as it is no use advocating planting as a profitable 
commercial undertaking till a remedy is found in the direction I have 
indicated. Vegetables have been plentiful and good, rather slow coming 
in, but of good quality. The Potato disease is somewhat prevalent in 
this district; the first earlies, such as Ashleaf, First and Best, &c., 
escaped, but second earlies of the American Rose type fared badly, par¬ 
ticularly in close well cultivated cottage gardens, and which to the 
cottagers will be a great loss, as with many of them the Rose varieties 
are favourites. With regard to outdoor flowers, hardy herbaceous plants 
have been the most effective, such as scarlet Geums, Delphiniums, 
Stenactis, Poppies, Coreopses, &c., all of which have been most useful 
for cutting and decorative purposes.—R. Maher, Yattendon Court. 
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. 
We have had more rain in June and July than in any other months 
■of the present year—viz., June, 2 - 8 inches ; July, 3 72 inches. This, 
•combined with an extreme low day and night temperature, has been 
l very suitable for recently planted trees and shrubs ; as a rule very few 
have died, and most have made good growth. Here flowering and 
1 -ornamental shrubs have done well although they have flowered late; 
! this has not affected the plants in any way, as those that produce 
l ornamental berries are now fruiting freely, and are objects of beauty 
and interest to all lovers of this class of shrubs. As instances, Sambucus 
! Tacemosa in the shrubberies here are laden with scarlet berries. 
Hippophcea rhamnoides with its silvery leaves and yellow berries is very 
telling in masses. Pyrus Aucuparia, or Mountain Ash, is also fruiting 
\ freely, and is always a feature among shrubs and trees at this season of 
the year. Spiraea arisefolia, callosa, bella, and alba have all been fine 
here. Rubus coronaria fl.-pl., albaipl., and rubra fl-pl. are flowering 
freely on walls and fences. Rubus leucodermis, the yellow-fruited 
variety, should always have a place among this class of plants. Olearia 
! Haasti is covered with white blossoms. China Roses have stood the cold 
an 1 damp better than other varieties ; planted in masses among shrubs 
I they have a very pretty effect during the summer, being continuous 
! bloomers. Hydrangea paniculata and Hypericum calycinum have | 
flowered and grown well. Among climbing plants Clematis Jackmanni 
has flowered extra well and made more growth than usual, proving that 
this class of plants prefer plenty of moisture. Polygonum sachalinense 
is over 12 feet high, and is one mass of white flowers. Hyacinthus 
candicans is blooming well, and the rain seems to have been an advantage 
to this plant, as the flower spikes are stronger than last year, although 
the bulbs have not been disturbed for six years. Tuberous Begonias 
have stood the wet and cold summer well, and are our gayest summer 
bedders. Begonia ascotiensis has done well bedded out in masses. 
Abutilons have grown well, but have not flowered freely. Scarlet 
Pelargoniums have grown all to foliage.—J. Smith, Mcntmore Gardens. 
June and July have been very dull, cold, and wet, the thermometer 
often down to 39° and 40°, the nights very cold. Kitchen garden crops 
are good, early Potatoes, Cauliflowers, and Cabbage never better, and 
early Peas filled well. The later Peas have not filled well, they have 
grown beyond their average height, and some sorts have gone up 10 feet 
and overtopped the sticks. Kidney and Runner Beans are good and 
fruiting well. Late Potatoes promised well, but the disease is very 
prevalent amongst all sorts, and I fear will be rather serious for the 
cottagers. Fruit here is a very small crop, Apples, Pears, and Plums 
not half crops. Gooseberries, Currants, and Raspberries have been 
heavy crops, but very poor in flavour. Strawberries almost a failure, 
and deficient in flavour. Cherries not a heavy crop, but many were lost 
through the continuous rain. Peaches and Apricots were few outside. 
In the houses we have heavy crops; those in the early house fine and 
well coloured. The late trees have heavy crops, but will not swell well, 
as the borders have been too wet and cold. Late Grapes are also heavy 
crops, but I fear will not colour well. 
Flower borders here are now beginning to look bright, but Pelar¬ 
goniums have not thrown up many trusses until the last week; now 
they will soon look bright with flowers. Calceolarias have bloomed well, 
and Carnations also. The shrubs here suffered very much last season 
from the drought. Rhododendrons lost many of their leaves ; we had 
but few flowers on them this year.—W. Mowbray, Fulmer Gardens, 
Slough. 
CAMBRIDGESHIRE. 
The summer has certainly been a remarkable one, but not, as many 
as well as myself at first supposed, on account of excessive rainfall. 
The records show that during the months of June and July we had 
only 0-27 inch of rain above the average, and that for the whole of the 
year to the end of July we had less than the average by 1*13 inch. The 
exceptional character of the summer has been due to the almost entire 
absence of sun, continuous low temperatures, and frequent rather than 
heavy falls of rain. Rain seemed almost constant for weeks, but 
towards the 21st of August, when half an inch was registered, some 
herbaceous plants were in distress for want of water. The consequence 
of this dull and rainy weather was most conspicuously evident in the 
unusual growth of grass and weeds, which were difficult to keep under. 
The hay crop here and in the neighbourhood has practically been a 
failure. Herbaceous plants and trees seem not to have recovered from the 
effects of last year’s drought, for while annuals in many cases have 
grown with unusual vigour, permanent vegetation, on the contrary, 
speaking generally, has not grown so strongly as usual. The effects of 
last year’s dryness are clearly seen in the amount of seed that some trees 
have borne, due no doubt to complete ripening of the wood. Some 
annuals that have lately been very fine are Waitzia aurea, a fine yellow 
Everlasting; Linum grandiflorum, Lavatera trimestris, and Statice 
Suwarowi, which, with its long spikes of pink flowers, has been particu¬ 
larly ornamental, and for a Statice remarkably graceful. Godetias have 
grown unusually tall. Some plants, as for instance Mignonette, have 
not grown so strongly as usual,-evidently for want of sun. Fuchsias I 
have considered less effective than usual for want of the same influence. 
Yuccas, on the other hand, which might be expected to need sun, have 
flowered finely, probably from the effects of last year’s insolation. 
Lastly, it may be of interest to mention that the average of Cambridge 
rainfall for the last twenty-three years is 21'47 inches.—R. Irwin 
Lynch, Cambridge Botanic Gardens. 
DORSETSHIRE. 
The rainfall has been largely in excess of the average for June and 
July here, and the temperature very low. Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, 
and other bedding plants have made plenty of growth, but are deficient 
of flowers. The Apple crop is very th;n and the fruit small. Pears are 
a little better. Morello Cherries are fine. Plums are under the average. 
Strawberries and all bush fruits have been abundant but lack flavour. 
Vegetables have never done better. Winter crops are looking promising. 
Potatoes are extra goo 1 in quantity and quality. Ashleaf varieties are 
showing a little disease, Beauty of Hebron, White Elephant, and Magnum 
Bonum are fine, also Veitch’s new Potato Chiswick Favourite.— 
D. Williams, Canford Gardens , Wiviborne. 
EAST LOTHIAN. 
The weather during the whole of week to August 24th has been of 
the most depressing character. Heavy showers either during the night 
or day, and an uninterruptedly close muggy atmosphere. Vegetable 
Marrows decay on the ground, Peas are decaying or mildewed, Roses 
decay in the bud, and Pelargoniums with many other flowers are just as 
bad. Currants are damping. Moorpark Apricots almost to a fruit 
cracked and spotted, and late Strawberries quite useless. 
