274 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 8, 1886. 
- Mr. Joseph Mallender sends the following Summary of 
Meteorological Observations at Hodsock Priory, Worksop, 
Notts, for March, 1886 :—Mean temperature of month, 38 1° ; maxi¬ 
mum on the 21st, 63-2° ; minimum on the 7th, 8'4°. Maximum in the sun 
on the 6th, 126-6°; minimum on the grass on the 7th, 5-4°. Extreme 
range, 54 8°. Warmest day, 21st ; mean temperature, 661°. Coldest 
day, the 8th; mean temperature, 23 0°. Mean temperature of air at 
9 A.M., 38 3° ; mean temperature of soil 1 foot deep, 38-6°. Nights below 
32° in shade, sixteen ; on grass, twenty-one. Total duration of sunshine 
in month, eighty-four hours, or twenty-three per cent, of possible dura¬ 
tion. We had eight sunless days. Total rainfall, 2 35 inches. Kain fell 
on nineteen days. Average velocity of wind 11-1 miles per hour. Velo¬ 
city exceeded 400 miles on six days. The month is remarkable for its 
heavy snowstorm on the 1st, and for the extreme cold from the 4th to 
11th, and for the great contrast between the first and second halves of the 
month. The first fortnight is very similar to March 1883, but the mean 
temperature for the month is much higher than in that year, when the 
cold lasted all through the month. The rainfall is larger than in any year 
since 1877. We are greatly indebted to the snow for the protection it 
gave to many of our herbaceous plants, as we have not lost any. The Tea 
Rose bushes have suffered most; nearly all the wood is killed above tbe 
winter wrap of fern manure. Vegetation I think is twelve to twenty days 
later than last year. 
- It is said that American brides are seeking all kinds of novelties 
for their wedding flowers. A young bride wore white Sweet Pea 
blossoms combined with Orange flowers on her wedding day. Another 
bride wore Stephanotis in her hair and on her bodice, and carried a 
bouquet of Orange flowers, buds and fruit, with a mixture of Orchids. 
Some are substituting the wedding basket for the bridal bouquet. Tois 
basket is a round, flat satchel of Italian straw, which is swung on the arm 
by a satin sash. One side of the basket is festooned with pink Roses, 
and the other with Niphetos buds and Orange blossoms. The pink side 
is carried outside entering the church, and after the ceremony the white 
side is turned to be most conspicuous. 
-We have been favoured with the following note on the first 
flower show in the Scilly Islands. This was held Tuesday, 
30th March, in the Infant School, St. Mary’s, Scilly, under the auspices of 
the “ Scilly Island Bulb and Flower Association President, T. Algernon 
Dorrien-Smitb, Esq.; Secretary, Mr. Clement W. Mumford ; Treasurer, 
Mr. William R. Mumford. The Exhibition to these islanders was one of 
unusual interest, the exhibits consisting mainly of well-grown Daffodils, 
of which the three groups were well represented. The competition for 
the numerous prizes was keen, and the inhabitants of the little town of 
St. Mary’s took a lively interest in the Show. The weather being some¬ 
what stormy the off islanders could not appear on the first and second 
day, but on Thursday the storm abated and a few additional exhibits 
came in and were awarded prizes according to merit. The exhibition of 
1887 it is expected will be double or treble the size of 1886. One end of 
the room was occupied by Mr. T. A. Dorrien-Smith’s exhibits, consisting 
of upwards of 160 varieties of Narcissus tastefully arranged on a ground¬ 
work of green moss. The prize of the day was £5, offered by the Earl of 
Mount Edgcumbe, for the best exhibit of marketable flowers of all 
descriptions, this was carried off by Mr. W. P. Mumford with fifty 
varieties of Daffodils. The same prize will be offered in 1887, and pos¬ 
sibly others, as many who visit the islands and enjoy the hospitality of 
Mr. T. A. Dorrien-Smith may desire to follow the example of the Earl of 
Mount Edgcumbe. The Judges were Mr. Vallance, Tresco Abbey Gardens, 
and Mr. Peter Barr, London. In August there will be an exhibition of 
dry Narcissus bulbs grown on the Scilly Islands of the most marketable 
sorts, prize by T. Algernon Dorrien-Smitb, Esq., £10, and again in 1887, 
the prize being £25. 
THE PRIMULAS. 
( Continued from page SOS.) 
P. pumila, Kern. (P. minima X daonensis, Kem.). — This is 
well named pumila, as it is amongst the smallest Primroses we 
have in cultivation. It resembles minima more than the other 
parent, and, like the first, grows best when plenty of limestone 
is added to the soil. A partly shady spot sheltered from cold 
winds should be chosen, and it will be all the better on a steep 
slope or wall. The leaves are cuneate, with seven to nine large 
triangular teeth, edged with small sessile glands. Flower stem an 
inch or so in height, mostly two-flowered, and covered with soft 
glandular hairs. Calyx campanulate, with teeth half as long as 
the tube. It flowers with us April and June. Found by Porta 
in 1873 in the Southern Tyrol at elevations of from 6000 to 7000 
feet above sea level 
P. pulchra, Watt. — One of the new Himalayan Primulas 
lately collected by Watt in Jongri, and also by Sir J. D. Hooker 
at 12,000 and 14,000 feet in Lachen, Sikkim Himalaya It seems 
to be a free flowex-er, fi-om two to ten flowers in a head, large, and 
of a deep purple colour. We have not seen it in cultivation 
yet. 
P. pusilla, Wall. — This seems to be a variable species, the 
colour of the flowers l-anging from rose to deep purple. It 
requires great care in management. In the seedling state they 
are so fragile that we prefer standing the pots in a saucer of 
water when dry rather than water them overhead. Raised mounds 
Fig. 48.—Primula sibirica. 
in a bog suit it best, as it suffers from excessive moisture. It 
grows about 6 inches in height, carrying a head of few flowers as 
large as farinosa or larger. Leaves on short stalks, rugose, 
narrow cuneate, with deeply dentate margins. Flowers June. 
Native of the Himalayas. Syn., humilis, Steud. 
P. Reedii (Duly). — A new Himalayan species found last year 
by Dr. Duthie on wet rocks near Ralan Glacier. A large quantity 
of seed, we believe, has been distributed, and we hear of several 
successes in x-aising it. In habit and leafage it is not unlike 
involuci-ata, the flowers are, however, larger, white or pale 
sulphury yellow, apparently very free flowering. 
P. reticulata, Wall .—This old Primrose has again been 
introduced to our gardens, but probably its ungraceful habit of 
growth will deter most cultivatoi-s from troubling with it. The 
flower stem is weak, a foot or more in length, with a few small 
yellow flowers. It requires much the same treatment as sikkim- 
ensis, which it resembles very much in habit and shape of leif, 
the latter having much longer petioles. Native of the Hima¬ 
layas. Flowering with us in June. Syn., altissima, Don; 
speciosx, Don. 
P. rosea, Boyle .—Among hardy spring-flowering Primroses 
