JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
T February 7, 1889. 
1 were ■to single out one it would be Shepherdi or nobili.s, very com¬ 
monly known as Hodginsi. I may here say that the true form of the 
latter k a berry-bearing variety, lighter in colour and less prickly in 
the -ieaff. ft is equally as good a grower, and equally as hardy. These 
are certainly two of the best Hollies that I am acquainted with for the 
neighbourhood of towns, exposed places, or under trees. It would be 
difficult to name a more useful plant than the oval-leaved Privet for 
planting under trees. If it has good soil to grow in it will retain its 
foliage all the year ; in poor neglected places it will cast its foliage. 
The best method of dealing with this Privet under trees is to cut it in 
freely, so as to induce it to make strong growth. I had overlooked 
’ Hypericum calycinum, but I have heard it said it is the only plant that 
will Sourish under a large Beech. Be this as it may, one thing is 
•■■certain, that if it is to do well in such positions the ground must be 
well prepared; with me it has died where the Privet, Vinca, and 
Aucubas flourish. 
One of the secrets of establishing plants under trees is to start with 
youxg specimens, thoroughly enriching the ground and mulching it well 
afterwards before the moisture in the ground has been evaporated in 
spring. Ail other point of importance is to keep the plants in good 
condition after they are established. The material worked into the 
ground at planting time will not last for an indefinite period, and they 
should be periodically top-dressed.— W. Bardney. 
If the weather should be mild it is anticipated that the next 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, on Tuesday, Feb¬ 
ruary 12th, will be an interesting one, as large numbers of Fellows are 
expected to be in London to attend the Annual Meeting, and several 
persons, both amateurs and nurserymen, have already signified their 
intention of sending exhibits. The Fruit and Floral Committees will 
meet in the Drill Hall, James Street, Victoria Street, at 11 A.M., after 
which the Hall will be open to all Fellows at twelve, at which hour also 
the Scientific Committee will meet. At 3 p.m. the Annual Meeting will 
he held in the Library, at 117, Victoria Street, when the Council will 
present their Report for the past year, together with the balance sheet 
and revenue account of the Society. The Fellows will then proceed 
to ballot for members of Council and Officers for the year 1889-90, and 
also to elect new Fellows. Any persons wishing to join the Society 
should send in their names to the Secretary, 117, Victoria Street, S.W., 
an or before Monday, February 11th. 
- The annual meeting of the United Horticultural Benefit 
and Provident Society will take place at the Caledonian Hotel, Robert 
Street, Adelphi Terrace, Strand, on Monday evening, February 11th, at 
eight oVdoek. 
- Early Daffodils.—M r. William Baylor Hartland, Cork, 
-writes:—“ I send you herewith half a dozen blooms of the earliest of all 
bright yellow Daffodils, and of the grand trumpet class. It is pure and 
simple Irish, and is registered by the Daffodil Committee as 
Ard-Righ, or Irish King. The blooms are from the open air, and we 
have beau cutting it under glass since January 4th. Narcissus Cycla- 
mineus and N. minimus are also in flower out of doors.” The blooms 
arrived very fresh and bright; the crown is long, of a fine golden tint ; 
-the p-riasth divisions of a lighter yellow tint, and the flowers possess an 
agreeable fragrance. 
-The Council of the Royal Meteorological Society have 
arranged to hold at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on March 
19th to 22nd next, an exhibition of instruments connected with 
atmospheric physics invented during the last ten years, especially those 
• used foe actinic and solar radiation observations. The Exhibition Com¬ 
mittee invite eo-operation, as they are anxious to obtain as large a 
collection as possible of such instruments. The Committee will also be 
glad to show any new meteorological instruments or apparatus invented 
or first constructed since last March, as well as photographs and drawings 
possessing meteorological interest. Lists of the articles to be contributed, 
and an estimate of the space they will require, should be sent to Mr. 
Will km Marriott, the Assistant Secretary, not later than March 1st. 
-The Weather in Scotland. —On the night of February 1st 
Scotland was visited by a snowstorm with severe drifting in many 
places. In South Perthshire the low grounds had their first thorough 
'Mating of snow for the season. Saturday (2nd) was the most wintry 
day we have had, with high cold winds and blinding snow showers. 
The 3rd was a fine, clear, cold day, and most of the snow disappeared. 
A slight frost occurred during the night. On several nights of the 
previous week the thermometer stood considerably above 40°.—B. D. 
-In the south of England the weather has greatly changed 
since last week, a keen wind with occasional snow and sharp frosts 
prevailing. 
- The Weather in January.— Mr. H. Harris, The Gardens, 
Denne Park, Horsham, Sussex, writes :—“A temperature of 50° was the 
lowest recorded here by a Negretti & Zambra’s thermometer on the 
night of Thursday, January 31st, most extraordinary for a January 
night.” 
- Mr. J. Mallender also sends a Summary of Meteor¬ 
ological Observations at Hodsock Priory, Worksop, Notts, 
for the past month. Mean temperature of the month, 36 - 4°. Maximum 
on the 31st, 53’8°; minimum on the 6th, 16'5°. Maximum in sun on 
the 31st, 89‘8° ; minimum on grass on the 6th, 12T°. Mean temperature 
of the air at 9 A.M., 35-4°. Mean temperature of soil 1 foot deep, 36 - 3°. 
Nights below 32° ; in shade, sixteen ; on grass, twenty-eight. Total 
duration of sunshine in month, twenty-five hours, or 10 per cent, of 
possible duration. We had fifteen sunless days. Total rainfall, 
l - 54 inch. Rain fell on fourteen days. Average velocity of wind, 
8'7 miles per hour. Velocity exceeded 400 miles on four days, and fell 
short of 100 miles on ten days. Approximate averages for January :— 
Mean temperature, 37‘5°. Sunshine, thirty-five hours. Rainfall 
171 inch. A dull calm month ; rather cold and rather dry; a week’s 
frost at the beginning, the rest of the month open. 
- Gardening Appointment.— Mr. A. J. Brown, late heacf 
gardener for nearly nine years at The Finches, Lindfield, Sussex, has 
been appointed gardener and general manager of the estate of 
T. Bradley, Esq., Bear Park, Bedale, Yorks. Mr. Charles Denning, late 
gardener at Holme Lac -y, Hereford, has been appointed gardener and 
bailiff to K. R. Hodgson, Esq., Asb Grove, Sevenoaks, Kent. 
-The Lord Mayor has intimated that something might be done 
by the Fruiterers’ Company to restore the system of fruit-growing in 
this country, and he has suggested that if they had not the necessary 
means they should apply to some of the richer companies for help. He 
has offered the use of the Mansion House, and promised to himself 
assist if the Company were willing to take it up. The Master, on behalf 
of the Court, has accepted the Lord Mayor’s generous offer. 
- At this season of the year no plant is more effective as a wall 
covering than the Cotoneaster Simmonsi, especially if the aspect is a 
north or easterly one. The plant is of rapid growth when young, but 
it does not branch out freely, though by clipping annually the breast 
shoots a dense covering is obtained. Annually good numbers of berries 
are produced the whole length of the plant, which remain on longer 
than those of the Pyracantha, of which the birds appear especially 
fond. Propagation is easily effected by inserting cuttings of the partly 
ripened shoots in a cold frame in the autumn.—E. 
- King of the Russets Potato.—I t is only to-day, after 
much incidental hurry, I had time to run through some week’s numbers 
of the Journal, and one of my surprises was to find a correspondent, 
“ B.,” referring to northern gardens, describing this Potato as badly 
diseased. I have grown this variety, with thirty others, for the past two 
seasons, since first introduced, and whatever shortcoming it has it is not 
a tendency to disease. It is an enormous cropper—much heavier than I 
wished, as I thought it would affect the quality ; but this, too,was above 
the average—far above the average of any coloured Potato I know. 
Curiously enough, I found the same opinion last autumn in a ramble 
through Midlothian and Lanarkshire in Scotland, as well as Ireland.— 
W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
- Hyacinthus candicans as a Pot Plant.—H ardy plants 
are frequently used for conservatory and room decoration, and when 
judiciously introduced their effect is often very telling. For several 
years the beautiful Hyacinthus candicans was a great favourite of mine 
in the herbaceous border, and two years ago when it was first tried 
indoors it made itself a greater favourite than ever. The noble spike 
rising out of its graceful foliage rendered it striking, whether used to 
relieve the flatness of a group or as a single specimen in a room. It is 
especially serviceable for the latter purpose, owing to the small sized 
pot in which it can be grown. Its culture is of the easiest description. 
When the bulbs come from the nurseryman, generally early in. January, 
they are at once placed into large 60’s—several in a large pot are not so 
