516 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDEEER. 
[ Jane 24, 1886. 
escape to fertilise other plants. Rhododendron myrtifolium (pontieum 
var.) from Gibraltar. This is an uncommon and distinct form, with very 
compact small trusses of bright pink flowers. Rosa punicea (R. lutea var.), 
S. France, and Austria, of a fine colour. Pyrethrum tenacetifolium. This 
is a rare plant and very pretty. Gunnera manicata, showing a remarkably 
fine inflorescence ; Dianthus, hyb. between D. barbatus and D. alpinus, 
Linaria anticaria—the flowers exhibit a beautiful system of lines; Primula 
Parryi, and Hedysarum multijugum. 
Protea sp .—A very fine plant with a terminal inflorescence was exhi¬ 
bited by Mr. Hubbard, of Leonardslee. The specific name was undeter¬ 
mined. 
Zygopetalum obtusatum .—Received from Messrs. SanderTof St. Albans. 
Mr. O’Brien observed that this was a rare Orchid, and formed the original 
type species of the “ section ” ending with Z. Gautieri. It is a native of 
Brazil. A botanical certificate was awarded for it. 
Azalea occidentalis (?).—Fine sprays were received from Mr. Anthony 
Waterer, who obtained it from Professor Sargent. It appeared doubtful 
whether it was a truejspecies or not. Professor MacOwan, who was present, 
remarked that species occurred in the Columbia Valley, but appeared to be 
different from the specimen in question. He kindly undertook to 
examine it. 
Chionanthus virginicus .—Specimen of flowering shoots from this hardy 
shrub from North America were received from Mr. Waterer. Dr. Masters 
remarked upon this as one of the several Japanese “representatives ” to be 
found on the eastern side of North America. 
ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
The concluding meeting of this Society for the present session was held 
on Wednesday evening, the 16th inst., at the Institution of Civil Engineers, 
25, Great George Street, Mr. W. Ellis, F.R.A.S., President, in the chair. The 
Rev. J. R. Boyle and Mr. H. B. de la Poer Wall, M.A., were elected Fellows 
of the Society. 
The following papers were read :—1, “ Note on a Sudden Squall, January 
13th, 1886,” by Mr. R. H. Scott, F.R.S. This is an account of a remarkably 
sudden squall of about ten minutes’ duration which passed over the south 
of England on the morning of January 13th. It was first recorded at 
Falmouth at 8,20 a.m. and passed over London at 10.40 a.m. 
2, “ The Floods of May, 1886,” by Mr. F. Gaster, F.R.Met.Soc., and Mr. 
W. Marriott, F.R.Met.Soc. The month of May, 1886, will long be remem¬ 
bered for the heavy rains that occurred between the 11th and 13th, and the 
floods they produced over the greater part of the west and midland counties 
of England. In fact at Worcester the flood was higher than any that have 
occurred there since 1770. On the 11th and 12th heavy rain fell over the 
east of Ireland, there being over 3 inches during these two days at several 
places in Counties Down, Dublin, and Wexford; the greatest reported being 
3'52 inches at Kilkeel, County Down. Over the other parts of the United 
Kingdom the rainfall on the 11th was under 1 inch. Rain, however, com¬ 
menced falling about noon on Taesday over the midland counties, and 
continued with increasing intensity till Friday morning ; the duration at 
most places being about sixty hours. The heaviest rainfall occurred in 
Shropshire, where over 6 inches fell at several stations, while at Burwarton 
as much as 7'09 inches was recorded; the amounts for each day being— 
0’60 inches on the 11th, 3T0 inches on the 12th, and 3'39 inches on the 13th. 
Very serious floods followed these heavy rains. At Shrewsbury the extreme 
height of the flood on the Severn was 16 feet, and at Worcester 17 feet 1 inch 
above the average summer level. At Ross the flood on the Wye was 14 feet; 
at Nottingham the rise of the water in the Trent was 12J feet; at Rotherham 
the flood was 8 feet 5 inches; and in north-east Yorkshire the Derwent 
rose to nearly 11 feet above summer level. These floods caused great damage 
to property and loss of life, bridges were washed away, railway traffic 
suspended, and thousands of workmen thrown idle. In several places the 
waterworks were flooded and the towns’ water supply was consequently cut 
off. _ Mr. Gaster drew attention to the complex character of pressure distri¬ 
bution during the time referred to, and showed how the region of maximum 
rainfall followed certain of the shallow depressions which appeared over the 
British Islands. He drew attention to the peculiarities of this type of 
depression, showing how in many, if not in most cases, the rainfall was 
heaviest in their rear, and was brought by the easterly, not by the westerly 
wind. He also referred to some previous instances of heavy floods, in which 
similar atmospheric conditions prevailed, and explained how it was that as 
the disturbance passed off snow fell instead of rain, this in its turn being 
followed by severe cold and in some places frost. 
3, “ On Atmospheric Pressure and its Effect on the Tidal Wave,” by 
Captain W. N. Greenwood, F.R.Met.Soc. The object of this paper is to 
show how a little knowledge of weather forecasting, with some practical 
knowledge of local weather changes, and a good barometer will go far 
towards forming a right correction for application to the predicted height of 
the tide, and also to determine what that correction should be in its relation 
to the fluctuations of the barometer and the prevailing gradient. 
4, “Meteorological Results at Levuka and Suva, 1875-1885, with Notes 
on the Climate of Fiji,” by Mr. J. W. Vaughan, F.R.Met.Soc. The climate 
of Fiji is remarkably healthy. Diseases such as fevers of an aggravated 
and malarious character, cholera, and liver complaints are unknown. 
HOW ODONTOGLOSSUMS ARE COLLECTED. 
Although the geographical range of Odontoglosaum crispum is com¬ 
paratively limited, there is a marked difference in the varieties found in 
various localities. The Pacho Mountains is the home of the finest forms, 
and here the plants grow on the lower branches of the forest trees in 
company with O. gloriosum and O. Lindleyanum, two inferior species in 
point of beauty, but which have, perhaps, in a great measure been in¬ 
strumental in producing the beautiful narrow-petaled supposed hybrids, 
such as Andersonianum, Ruckerianum, Jenningsianum, and others. It is 
peculiar that, whereas the starry-flowered forms, similar to Lindlev’s type 
specimen, abound exclusively on the north of Bogota, the woods' on the 
south, about ten days’ journey distant, are rich in the fine round-flowered 
varieties. Although this Orchid is imported in larger numbers than any 
other from South America, the risks and expenses are not slight even 
now. In our case we purchase the exclusive right to collect plants in the 
woods in certain districts ; natives are employed to gather them, for 
which purpose parties of from four to eight go into the woods, returning 
in about a fortnight with the result of their labours. After the plants 
have been cleaned and prepared, and kept on wooden stages for several 
weeks, they are ready for packing. 
They are then fastened to stout sticks, and these are fixed in wooden 
boxes, so as to leave air space around them. The cases are carried on 
mule-back to Bogota, a journey of about ten days, and here they are re¬ 
ceived by an agent, who sends them by mules to Honda, which is reached 
in another six days. This place is situate on the River Magdalena, and 
here the cases are put on board a river steamer, which takes them to the 
seaport town of Savanilla, a journey occupying about five days. Owing 
to the intense heat on the river journey the plants often perish. The 
cases then come, as a rule, by mail steamer, via Colon and St. Thomas, to 
England, the passage being made in about twenty-seven days. The risks, 
therefore, of importing this Orchid are great, and owing to the peculiarly 
soft nature of the plants they are so liable to decay that in some instances 
seven-eighths of the consignment are dead on arrival here. The havoc 
made in the native forests, too, must be considerable, for we calculate that 
for every three plants actually established in European gardens a tree has 
been felled.—( Reiohenbachia .) 
ROSE AND HORTICULTURAL SHOW FIXTURES, JUNE 
AND JULY, 1886. 
The following are the dates of the principal Shows to be held during 
June and July this year. The great event of the season will be 
the provincial Show of the Royal Horticultural Society at Liverpool 
next week. 
York Floral Fete, June 23rd to 25th. 
Royal Horticultural Society Provincial Show at Liverpool, June 29th 
to July 5th. 
Bagshot and NVindlesham Rose Society, at Bagshot, Tuesday, 
June 29th. 
Canterbury and Kent Rose Society, at Canterbury, Tuesday, June 29 th. 
Diss Horticultural Society’s Rose Show, June 30th. 
Royal Botanic Society’ tEvening Fete, June 30th. 
Farningham Rose and Horticultural Society, at Farningham, Wednes¬ 
day, June 30th. 
Croydon Horticultural Society, at Croydon, Wednesday, June 30th. 
Reigate Rose Association, at Reigate, Thursday, July let. 
Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society, at Tunbridge Wells, Friday, 
July 2nd. 
Brockham Rose Association, at Dorking, Saturday, July 3rd. 
Eltham Rose and Horticultural Society, at Eltham, Saturday, July 3rd. 
Crystal Palace Rose Show, Saturday, July 3rd. 
National Rose Society, at South Kensington, Tuesday, July 6th. 
Cardiff Rose Society, at Cardiff, Wednesday, July 7th. 
Sutton Amateur Rose Society, at Sutton, Wednesday, July 7th. 
Oxford Rose Show, Wednesday, July 7th. 
Ealing, Acton, and Hanwell Horticultural Society, at Ealing, Wed¬ 
nesday, July 7th. 
Bath Floral Fete and Band Committee, at Bath, Thursday, July 8th. 
Ipswich and East of England Horticultural Society, at Ipswich, 
Thursday, July 8th. 
Hitchin Rose Society, at Hitchin, Thursday, July 8th. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs. —Second Crops .—Fruits in early houses have now swelled to a 
good size, and if judiciously thinned there will be a crop of fine Figs. 
This, however, depends upon their not being overcropped, the foliage 
being kept free from insects, and liberal feeding. If the crop is heavy, the 
former thinning not having been sufficient, a second thinning should take 
place at once, leaving the most forward at the base of the shoots, which 
will ripen earlier than the others, and so afford more time for the ripening 
of the growths. Early-forced planted-out trees should have the young 
growths ripened and be resting by the middle of October. 
Watering .—If the borders were allowed to get dry when the first crop 
of fruit is ripening, they must be watered repeatedly through a mulching 
of a stimulating kind until the soil is thoroughly moistened down to 
the drainage. Liquid manure will be required by trees having their roots 
in borders of limited extent, and more frequently than by trees with a 
larger extent of rooting area ; about once a week in the first case, and 
every fortnight in the other, fgiving thorough supplies, and always in a 
tepid state. The mulching should be kept wet so as to encourage surface 
roots. . _ _ 
Insects .—Syringing will need to be practised twice daily, except in 
