February 28,18S9. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
173 
culture, very free, and does not require any special treatment, as it will 
succeed in any ordinary greenhouse. The flowers are white, produced 
in clusters; the individual flowers are a little larger than a shilling. Its 
star-like appearance makes it very useful for bouquets or wreaths. 
The plant flowers through January and succeeding month.—J. T. 
- The thirty-first York Floral and Horticultural Fete 
will be held this year on June 19th, 20th and 21st in the Bootham field 
of that city. The schedule, as usual, is a comprehensive and liberal 
one, 112 classes being enumerated for plants, fruits, flowers and 
vegetables, with prizes ranging from £20 to 3s. A large amount is 
offered for plants, over £100 in the first five classes and nearly £50 for 
Orchids. Mr. Chas. W. Simmons, 13, New Street, York, is the 
Secretary. 
- Daffodil White Trumpet (Bishop Mann).—A large bouquet 
of this Daffodil, made in posy shape, with its own foliage, and contain¬ 
ing nearly 100 blooms tied and fastened with white satin ribbon, was 
sent from Mr. W. Baylor Hartland’s grounds at Cork to the drawing¬ 
room held at Buckingham Palace on the 24th. The flowers were cut 
from the open air on February 24th. This indicates a very mild winter. 
Our correspondent asks if it is possible to produce this quantity of white 
Daffodils so early in any other part of the United Kingdom ? 
- The D’Elboux Grape.—A n American correspondent in a 
note to hand speaks in very warm terms of this Grape, so it struck me 
to inquire if you know whether it has found its way into Great Britain ? 
and if so, the estimate formed of it ? It is said to be a hybrid between 
Telegraph and Black Hamburgh, raised on Staten Island, and since 
wherever shown has carried away prizes. It is very prolific, large 
berries, seldom less than an inch in diameter, and of rich Muscat flavour; 
colour a rich black, and skin tolerably thick. It is a most vigorous 
grower and with large leaves, though the canes are short-jointed. I am 
not aware of any person in Great Britain or the States having it for sale, 
so this reference is no way intended as an advertisement, but may have 
an interest for numerous growers.— W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
- Planting Young Vines. —In reply to Mr. Bardney’s note 
on this subject (page 153) I wish to say that I had the impression at 
the time of writing that he had condemned washing the roots of young 
Vines when planting them. I am sorry if I have misquoted him, but I 
am glad he confirms my statement that the operation is injurious. I 
stated in my article that I was not certain he had condemned the 
practice. Since reading Mr. Bardney’s note I clearly remember the 
article to which he refers as to planting young Vines without disturb¬ 
ing more roots than was necessary, but at the time of writing I had 
quite forgotten it. About eight years since I assisted in making a 
large Vine border, the young Vines were planted without disturbing 
many of the roots. Those Vines succeeded very well, and soon furnished 
the house with good fruiting canes. The two vineries to which I 
referred on page 110 were planted recently.—G. Garner, Amberwood 
Gardens, Hants. 
- Turnips. —The earliest variety I have had experience with is 
Early Milan. This sort is less liable to run to seed when sown early than any 
other. It is hardly possible to define a date when this variety should be 
sown, as seasons vary so much. The best plan is to sow once, a week, 
beginning in March with the first sowing, which, with those that follow, 
need not be large. If the earliest crop is lost it does not matter 
much. In April, and right on until autumn, the best is Snowball. 
A small sowing repeated about once in every ten days is preferable to 
large sowings at longer intervals. The last sowing may be made in 
September, and if the winter prove mild the produce may be of value, 
but as a rule the sowing made in August, earlier or later according to 
locality, will be of greatest use, keeping up the supply throughout winter. 
In dry summer weather it is necessary to run the drills full of water an 
hour or two before sowing the seed. When this precaution is taken the 
seeds come up very quickly and evenly.—B. 
- Effects of Frost on Vegetables.-I quite agree with 
“A. D., Feltham," in lastweek’s “ Notes and Gleanings,” as to correspon¬ 
dents stating the place or district in any notes relating to weather. It 
was an omission on my part that I, with pleasure, at once rectify. The 
frost must certainly have been more severe here than in Middlesex, and 
not since 1881 have I seen all the Brassicas so much damaged. In most 
country districts there has been a glut of green vegetables, far too 
many, the purveyors say, and I have no doubt they are right, but the 
25° of frost recorded here on the morning of the 6th of January has 
altered the appearance of the Cabbage family. The thermometer was 
placed in a walled-in kitchen garden of nearly four acres, in an open 
position, and 30 or 40 yards from a wall. Old Cabbage stumps, that 
usually withstand a fair amount of frost, and that had a good supply of 
half-hearted greens at Christmas, arc all spoilt; not half a bushel of 
greens can now be cut from a bed of 500.—H. O., North Hunts. 
- The Wakefield Paxton Society. —At the Saturday meet¬ 
ing of the members of the above Society, at the Saw Hotel, Mr. 
G. W. Fallas, one of the Hon. Secs., read a paper on “ The Vascular 
System of Plants.” Mr. W. II. Milnes presided, and Mr. J. G. Brown 
was in the vice-chair. Mr. Fallas, who is a noted naturalist and a most 
intelligent member of both the Naturalists’ and the Paxton Society, 
has on former occasions given some exceedingly clever essays, and on 
Saturday last he provided another intellectual treat for his fellow Pax- 
tonians. In a very clear manner he showed, by reference to numerous 
types, the gradual development of structure in plants, from the lowest 
to the highest forms, where the vascu'ar system is fully developed. 
He also drew an analogy between the vascular system of a plant and 
that of an animal, demonstrating its function as a carrier of nutritive 
matter to various parts of the structure. The paper was illustrated by 
means of numerous diagrams, and also by the aid of the microscope. A 
hearty vote of thankswas passed to Mr. Fallas, on the motion of Mr. 
Evans, seconded by Mr. C. Rigg. 
—— Potatoes. —I think it would be as well if more gardeners 
would give their experience of the very unfavourable season of 1888 in 
regard to Potatoes. I will give a list of sorts grown here and the 
results. Our first early was Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf ; it proved a 
heavy cropper with little disease, but very close when cooked. Next 
came Beauty of Hebron, heavy cropper, badly diseased, and totally unfit 
for table ; it will not be grown again. AVhite Elephant was a heavy 
cropper, very little diseased in one bed, but badly diseased in another; 
a capital baking Potato. Carter’s Ashtop Fluke, a good cropper and 
fine table Potato, but about two-thirds were diseased. Carter’s Surprise, 
a heavy cropper, very little disease. Carter’s Freedom, a good cropper, 
badly diseased. Carter’s King of Russets, a heavy cropper, rather badly 
diseased, which I think is an exception to the rule. I should be glad 
if some of the readers would state whether they found this Potato take 
the disease in other districts. Adirondack, very heavy cropper, no 
disease. Cetewayo, very Small tubers, no disease. Magnum Bonum, a 
very heavy cropper, good shaped clean grown tubers ; in fact, the 
best sample I have seen, about one acre being grown, and not a single 
diseased tuber was seen.— William J. 'IA’e.es,G ardener, Whatley House , 
Frome, Somerset. 
-The usual monthly meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
Society was held on Wednesday, February 20th, at the Institution of 
Civil Engineers, 25, Great George Street, Westminster, Dr. W. Marcet, 
F.R.S., President, in the chair. Mr. H. D. Richmond, F.C.S., and Dr. 
F. G. Smart, M.A., F.L.S., were elected Fellows of the Society. The 
following papers were read :—1, i: Report on the Helm Wind Inquiry,” 
by Mr. W. Marriott, F.R.Met.Soc. The helm wind is peculiar to the 
Cross Fell range of mountains in Cumberland, which runs from north- 
north-west to south-south-east. The range is high and continuous, and 
is not cut through by any valley. Cross Fell is 2900 feet above sea level. 
From the top of the mountains to the plain on the west there is an 
abrupt faU of from 1000 to 1500 feet m about a mile and a half. At 
times when the wind is from some easterly point the helm forms over 
this district, the chief features of the phenomenon being the following:— 
A heavy bank of cloud rests along the Cross Fell range, at times reaching 
some distance down the western slopes, and at others hovering just 
above the summit, while at a distance of two or three miles from the 
foot of the Fell a slender roll of dark cloud appears in mid-air and 
parallel with the helm cloud : this is the helm bar. The space between 
the helm cloud and the bar is usually quite clear, while to the westward 
the sky is at times completely covered with cloud. The bar does not 
appear to extend further west than about the river Eden. A cold wind 
rushes down the sides of the Fell and blows violently till it reaches a 
spot nearly underneath the helm bar, when it suddenly ceases. The 
observations that have been made in the district during the past three 
or four years show that the helm wind is not such a rare occurrence as 
it was popularly supposed to be, the bar having been observed on forty- 
one occasions in 1885, sixty-three in 1886, and nineteen in 1887. The 
phenomenon takes place usually when the sky to the eastward is covered 
with cloud. 2, “ An Atmospheric Sketch,” by Mr. F. A, Velschow, 
F.R.Met.Soc. 3, “ The Drought in New South Wales in 1883-4, and 
