70 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 28, 18S6. 
pitcher on the left hand is N. villosa, that on the right N. Edwardsiana. 
—F. W. B. 
ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
The annual General Meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday 
evening, the 20th instant, at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Mr. R. H. 
Scott, F.R.S., President, in the chafr. 
The Secretary read the report of the Council, which stated that the 
past year had been one of great activity, as the eight Committees which 
had been appointed had met frequently, and had done much for the ad¬ 
vancement of meteorology. The number of Fellows on the roll of the 
Society is 537. 
The President (Mr. R. H. Scott), in his address, said that as he had 
treated of land climatology in his previous address, he proposed to deal 
with marine climatology on the present occasion, and to take up the sub¬ 
ject at the point where he had left it in his paper, “ Remarks on the 
Present Condition of Marine Meteorology,” printed in the Society’s 
“ Quarterly Journal. ” for 1876. He enumerated the various investiga¬ 
tions which bad been announced to be in progress at that date, and speci¬ 
fied the several outcomes of these inquiries which had seen the light 
during the ten years. The “ Meteorological Charts for the Ocean Dis¬ 
trict Adjacent to the Cape of Good Hope,” published by the Meteorological 
Office in 1882, was first noticed, and the methods of “ weighting ” obser¬ 
vations of wind, &e., employed in that discussion were fully explained, 
as well as the mode of representation of barometrical results. The 
“ Charts Showing the Surface Temperature of the Atlantic, Indian, and 
Pacific Oceans,” published in 1884 ; and those of barometrical pressure, 
now in the engraver’s hands, were next noticed, and it was announced 
that the Meteorological Council had decided to undertake the issue of 
Monthly Current Charts for the entire sea surface. The Wind Charts, 
published by the late Lieut. Brault of the French Navy, were next de¬ 
scribed, with an expression of the profound regret with whi 'h the intelli¬ 
gence of his premature death in August last had been received by all meteor¬ 
ologists. The Wind Charts and Pressure Tables issued by the Meteor¬ 
ological Institute of the Netherlands were then explained, and also the 
publications of the Deutsche Seewarte at Hamburgh—“ The Atlas of the 
Atlantic Ocean,” &c. The series of “Monthly Charts for the Atlantic 
and Pacific Oceans," issued by the Hydrographic Office, Washington, 
were then described, and the present series of “ Pilot Charts,” issued by 
the same office were explained. 
As for projected work in 1886, Mr. Scott stated that the daily maps 
of Atlantic weather for the year of the circumpolar expeditions were now 
complete, and were being engraved, a process which must take several 
months. The German Office had undertaken the preparation of daily 
weather maps for the same period for the South Atlantic. The Meteor¬ 
ological Office had also taken up the marine meteorology of the Red Sea. 
The Dutch Institute had announced its intention to publish an atlas for 
the Indian Ocean. 
In conclusion, Mr. Scott stated that there still existed a lamentable 
want of data for the Pacific Ocean, but that, thanks to the energy of the 
Canadian Government in opening up their new Pacific Railroad, it was 
to be hoped that every year would bring a greater amount of traffic to 
British ports on the Pacific coast, and, ther fore, a greater number of 
observations to the Meteorological Office ; while from the existing trade 
to San Francisco a mass of materials was quickly accumulating, for cer¬ 
tain routes at least, over the vast area of the Pacific. 
The following gentlemen were elected the officers and Council for the 
ensuing year :—President, William Ellis, F.R.A.S. Vice-Presidents, 
George Cbatterton, M.A., M.Tnst.C.E.; Elward Mawley, F.R.H.S. ; 
George Mathews Whipple, B.Sc., F.R.A.S. ; George Theodore Williams, 
M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P. Treasurer, Henry Perigal, F.R.A.S., F.R.M.S. 
Trustees, Hon. Francis Albert Rollo Russell, M.A. ; Stephen William 
Silver, F.R.G.S. Secretaries, George James Symons, F.R.S. ; John 
William Tripe, M.D., M.R.C.P.Ed Foreign Secretary, Robert Henry 
Scott, M.A., F.R.S , F.G.S. Council, Edmund Douglas Archibald. M.A.; 
William Morris Beaufort, F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S.; Arthur Brewin; Frederic 
William Cory, M.R.C.S. ; Henry Storks Eaton, M.A. ; Charles Harding ; 
Richard Inwards, F.R.A.S. ; Baldwin Latham, M.Inst.C.E., F.G.S. ; John 
Knox Laughton, M.A., F.R.G.S. ; William Marcet, M.D., F.R.S., F.C.S. ; 
Cuthbert Edgar Peek, M.A., F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S.; Captain Henrv Tovn- 
bee, F.R.A.S. 
MILDEW ON ROSE TREES. 
I AM glad to see that the subject of mildew on Rose trees is once more 
cropping up in your columns. I have long intended to give you my ex¬ 
perience of the last season, but many things have conspired to prevent me. 
To be brief, I can say fairly that I have not had any mildew outside and 
very little in. I have not used a grain of flowers of sulphur, nor had 
occasion to, I am sorry to say that I cannot advance any reason for my 
immunity so far as outdoor plants are concerned, as I have treated them 
in my usual way. Of course I must admit that the summer was very dry, 
but so was that of 1884. Can the low night temperatures have had 
anything to do with it ? Here we had frost every month in the year 
except January. 
I found that by strict attention to ventilation I was able to “ do with¬ 
out ” mildew in my small unheated greenhouse. My constant aim was to 
keep the atmosphere as dry as possible. Some little time ago 1 could not 
agree with Mr. Bardney about the harmlessness of softsoap. I think now 
that the difference arose from the fact that Mr. Bardney grows his trees in 
a heated house, and that after having syringed at night the foliage would 
be dry before the morning sun shone on it. In an unheated house the 
leaves would not be dry, and would thus be liable to injury from burning. 
I do not think that gypsum would do the Rose trees any good or any harm 
either so far as mildew is concerned. Some of the much-advertised 
fertilisers have a large quantity of it in their composition, so it can hardly 
be hurtful. I have tried nitrate of soda, but it did not seem to make any 
difference in the right direction ; indeed, I think it made matters worse, 
as I have noticed that mildew is very partial to strong young growth such 
as would be produced by a stimulating manure like nitrate of soda. Of 
course I am glad to have escaped my enemy this one season ; but will 
somebody please tell me why I have escaped ?—T. C. Clayton. 
CANKER IN FRUIT TREES-THE COBH AM APPLE. 
Allow me to express my thanks to all the correspondents who have 
given us their opinions on this subject. It was not my intention to 
trespass on your space or patience with any further remarks, as it is 
evident if I felt inclined to follow each writer, and comment upon his 
opinions, it would result in leaving the matter undecided. There are a 
few matters arising out of the discussion that I will refer to with your 
permission. A correspondent (I have not all the numbers of the Journal 
by me to refer to for names) asked where he could obtain trees of the 
Cobham or Pope’s Apple. It is included in the catalogue lists of Messrs. 
Bunyard and Veitch, and possibly others. I believe ifit was more generally 
known and grown that English Apple growers would be able to supply 
the home markets where Americans do at present. There is a reference 
to a paragraph of a tree of mine on page 132, February 14th, 1884. Last 
year it was equally overburdened, and I now enclose one of the Apples as 
a fair specimen in comparison with Blenheim Orange as they grow with 
me. 
Another correspondent, I think, asked what was my remedy for canker. 
This has been given on two former occasions on page 132, February 14th, 
1884, and page 222, September 10th, 1885. I have found the following 
effectual on trees that are not too large to be overhauled. Cutting off all 
cankered wood where it can be spared, or cutting out the mound to a 
clear ring of bark on branches that cannot well be spared on account of 
spoiling the balance and disfiguring the trees, and then thoroughly dress¬ 
ing every bit of bark with Gishurst compound or other insecticide mixed 
into the consistency of paint with quicklime and applied with a painter’s 
brush, or for expediency and support against weak wood I work a brush 
on each side of the bough at the same time. I repeat “ thoroughly,” for 
if any portion is left untouched the insects may escape to breed and 
spread, and as some of these mites, acari, or whatever they are, which I 
contend start canker, only occupy about a forty-thousandth part of an 
inch of suface, let it be understood. 
I am much obliged to Mr. Harrison Weir for his correction on page 
567. I wrote from memory, and as it is nearly two years since the article 
appeared, and I have not the number to refer to, I must allow him to 
know best. He further confirms my observations and experience. 
I am also much obliged to “ A Thinker ” for the amount of thought 
he put into the subject on page 536. If he had gone no further back than 
page 222 he would have found that I have not “ confined my observations 
to my own trees,” by some thousands probably. It was this fact that 
made me feel so confident that, no matter from what part of the kingdom 
I obtained specimens, 1 believed I could trace the result to insects. If 
your correspondent will look back to page 132, February 14th, 1884, he 
will find that the Astwood Amateur Gardeners’ Society discussed the 
subject at four or five meetings, members bringing their own specimens, 
which I placed under the microscope. It was the complaints of others 
that induced me to take up the subject, and not as some may suppose, 
that I am most unfortunate in being troubled with more than my share of 
canker. It has been a most interesting study, hut it has occupied too 
much of my time. I am thoroughly acquainted with the “ genuine ” 
canker and the ulcerations ; the latter is generally, if not always, caused by 
American blight. Why is it called the “ American ” blight ? I never 
remember seeing it in America. Was it not known before America was 
discovered, I wonder, or how introduced ?—J. HlAM, Astwood Bank, 
Worcestershire. 
[The Cobham Apple sent by Mr. Hiam is a fine well-coloured example 
It is the same variety as described by Dr. Hogg in the “ Fruit Manual ” 
as follows :—Fruit large ; ovate, handsomely and regularly formed. 
Skin clear yellow, tinged with greenish patches, and strewed with dark 
dots ; on the side next the sun it is marked with a few faint streaks of 
crimson. Eye large and open, like that of the Blenheim Pippin, and set 
in a wide and plaited basin. Stalk short, deeply inserted in a round 
cavity, which is lined with rough russet. Flesh yellowish, tender, crisp, 
sugary, and juicy, with a rich and excellent flavour. A very valuable 
Apple either for the dessert or culinary purposes ; it is in use from 
November to March. This variety has all the properties of the Blenheim 
Pippin, and is much superior to it, keeps longer, and has the great ad¬ 
vantage of being an early and abundant bearer. An excellent dessert 
Apple, with somewhat of the flavour of Ribston Pippin. September to 
January. Dr. Hogg met with this excellent Apple in the neighbourhood 
of Sittingbourne, in Kent, about the year 1842. The account he received 
of it was, that the original tree grew in the garden of a cottager of the 
name of Pope, at Cellar Hill, in the parish of Linstead, near Sittingbourne. 
It was highly prized by its owner, to whom the crop afforded a little 
income, and many were the unsuccessful applications of his neighbours for 
grafts of what became generally known as Pope's Apple. The proprietor 
of Pope’s cottage built a row of other dwellings adjoining, in the gardens 
