June 6, 1839. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
459 
allowed to remain as protection.” [M. alpestris is an old species, and 
the E. preceding it in the page quoted was perhaps a misprint for M.] 
—— Stringing Melons. —“ Melons should be well syringed morn¬ 
ing and evening,” is a hackneyed phrase, but I believe more Melons 
are ruined through this practice than any other. The foliage is often 
battered, then scalded, as well as canker induced. Except a slight 
dewing over at closing time on sunny days whilst the plants are in a 
young state, we never syringe Melons, and very seldom have any red 
spider, and never to do any damage. The foliage keeps clean and 
healthy to the last. We have just cut our earliest Melons, and not a 
sign of a red spider can be seen. I believe more Melons are ruined from 
spider through being too close to the glass than from any other cause. 
The wires should not be less than 18 inches from the roof.—A. Young. 
-Vines too close to the Glass.—T he same correspondent 
writes as follows on this subject :—“ Like Melons, Vines are trained too 
close to the glass. I firmly believe that less spider would be seen if the 
trellis was at the least 30 inches from the glass. More often than not 
10 or 12 inches is the rule. When the leaves press against the glass, or 
within an inch or two of' it, they are exposed to two extremes, and 
are either very hot or very cold. More air is also needed than when 
placed at a distance from the roof. There is, further, less labour 
required for tying down the shoots when they are a good distance from 
the glass.” 
- Intemperate Slugs.—O n all sides we hear much complaining 
about slugs and their depredations, and more than ordinary trouble has 
to be taken either in destroying or keeping them in check. The owner 
of a neighbouring garden employed three women every night for a week 
collecting and destroying snails, and they do not appear to have captured 
more than one-half of them. Hunting for slugs is rather tedious work, 
especially if no traps are set, and the best plan is to place heaps of 
something that will attract and keep the slugs together. We find they 
are particularly fond of brewers’ grains or anything soaked in beer, and 
will travel a considerable distance to get at it. We catch quite a 
number on and around the heaps of grains, and either stale bread or 
bran soaked in beer proves equally attractive.—I. 
-York Florists’ Show.—O n Wednesday, May 29th, the 
Ancient Society of Florists held their second Show of the season in the 
Guildhall. Though known as the Tulip Show, excessive heat succeeded 
by heavy rains considerably interfered with these favourite flowers, 
bringing them on too rapidly. Pansies, however, more than compensated 
for the worn appearance of many of the Tulips, and the Show was really 
a very choice one for colour and effect. Messrs. Harkness & Sons of 
Bedale made a display of herbaceous plants, including Iceland Poppies, 
Columbines, and varieties of Pyrethrum, noticeable for brilliancy of 
colour, and meriting the honour conferred upon them by the Society in 
the presentation of a certificate of merit. As usual, the hand bouquets 
showed superior taste on the part of the competitors, the wild flower 
bouquets especially displaying great pains and judgment in their 
arrangement. 
- The Weather in Mat.—M ay was changeable, with two 
bright days before the 7th, when a heavy storm of rain and thunder came 
on, and the weather was dull, with only a very little sunshine up to the 
20th. The 22nd was a splendid day, almost clear all through. The 23rd 
opened bright, but a very heavy storm of rain and thunder came on at 
2.20 P.M., when 0-73 inch of rain fell in half an hour, and at 5.30 p.m. 
roi inch fell in one hour. The river Chater rose 4 feet in an hour ; 
several things near were struck by the lightning. The remainder of the 
month was very wet. Total rainfall C'll inches, which fell on twenty- 
two days, and P75 inch fell on the 23rd. Highest shade temperature, 78° 
on the 22nd and 23rd ; lowest 38° on the 3rd. Lowest on' grass, 32° on 
the 3rd. Barometer highest, 30'19 at noon cn the 21st ; lowest, 29-55 
at 9 A.M. on the 25th. Garden spring running 36 gallons per minute on 
31st. This is the greatest rainfall in one month on our records.—W. H. 
Divers, Ketton Ilall , Stamford . 
- Last Year’s Weather Records. — The report of the 
Astronomer Royal presented to the Board of Visitors at Greenwich 
Observatory on Saturday afternoon contains a short summary of the 
meteorological observations made in 1888. The average temperature of 
the whole year was only 47-7°, more than one and a half be’ow the 
average of the preceding forty-seven years. The hottest day was 
August 10th, when the thermometer rose to 87-7°, and the coldest was 
February 2nd, when it fell to 18'4°. May, November, and December 
were the only months warmer than the average, while July was nearly 
4.j° cooler than usual. But the most remarkable point about the 
weather of the year was its lack of sunshine. During the whole twelve 
months there were only 1068 hours of sunshine, or 250 hours below the 
avarage of the previous eleven years. We had less than one-quarter 
of the sunshine that we might have had, only four-fifths of what we 
ought to have had, and not much more than two-thirds of what we had 
in the sunny year preceding. The rainfall of 1888 was nearly 3 inches 
greater than usual. 
- The Pleasures op Botanising have been experienced by 
many readers of this Journal, but it is doubtful whether many have 
pursued it with the same vigour and determination as did the eminent 
botanist, P. E. Boissier. In a memoir it is stated that botanising in the 
fields was his greatest delight, and his home excursions subsequently 
extended into distant travels. He was a good walker and a good 
mountaineer, and retained his great physical powers until quite late in 
life. On his first visit to the Maritime Alps in 1832 he walked the 
whole distance, some forty miles, from Nice to Tenda in a single journey, 
and as lately as 1871, when in his sixty-second year, he accomplished in 
one day on foot the longer and much more difficult journey from La 
Madone delle Finestre to Tenda. The distance is estimated at about 
forty-five miles, and entails an ascent from 1900 to 2336 metres, then a 
descent to 1500 metres, upwards again to 2600 metres, and finally down 
to 750 metres. And this exertion was undertaken to rediscover the rare 
and singular Saxifraga florulenta, originally discovered by an English 
tourist. This, Boissier’s fourth excursion for this object, proved 
successful. 
-The Season in Worcestershire.—U ntil last week we had a 
fair prospect of a fruitful season, and all growing crops were coming on 
apace ; but our hopes have been shattered, not by frost or blight, but by 
what may be termed an ice storm—hail was out of the question. On 
May 24th we experienced about the severest storm ever witnessed in 
this county, and it was quite local, as crops are uninjured a mile on 
each side of us. The ice came down in torrents from the size of marbles 
up to 1J inch in diameter, and in one instance a piece was picked up 
about the size of a large Orange. Fruit, foliage, and young vegetables 
are cut to pieces, and Rhubarb smashed to a pulp. We have also about 
400 squares of glass broken in the vineries. The top lights suffered the 
most, and in two instances out of eight squares only one escaped. The 
foliage was riddled through and cut off, and the Grapes injured. The 
tops of large trees are almost stripped of foliage. The quantity of 
fallen leaves reminded one of November. The poor Chrysanthemums, 
-which had only been placed outside the day previous, were stripped of 
foliage and the tops broken. We saved the plant houses by drawing 
down the Parisian blinds as quickly as possible on the approach of the 
storm, but not more than two frames escaped. The farmers and cot¬ 
tagers in the neighbourhood have suffered severelj-. Hops are cut down, 
and whole fields of Peas and Beans are laid low. The loss will be very 
heavy.—A. Young, AVberley Hall Gardens, Stourport. 
-Late Strawberries for Forcing.—I t is usual to prepare 
late varieties for fruiting in pots during the early part of this month. 
For some time I have been of opinion that this is a mistake, and that 
early sorts would bo much more useful. For instance, a batch of James 
Yeitch, Sir Joseph Paxton, Sir Charles Napier, or any other would only 
be in flower by the time Yicomtesse Hdricart de Thury would be set ; in 
fact, they would be swelling only when that variety under cool frame treat¬ 
ment would be ripening its fruit. When brought on steadily for this 
purpose the last-named kind, if liberally thinned, will swell to a good 
size. Being ripened under cool treatment the flavour will be equal' if not 
superior, to outdoor fruit. James Veitch may suit some tastes very well, 
but it is only second rate in flavour in comparison to Yicomtesse H6ricart 
de Thury. We have a frame of the latter planted out, and the crop now 
ripening is fine, large, well-coloured fruit. The plants were covered with 
lights in January, and have only had air admitted by lilting or opening 
them about four times, twice being to give water and lay a little long 
grass between them. They set well, swelled satisfactorily, and have 
given but little trouble. Early or second early fruiting sorts, such as' 
President, brought on almost naturally in this way can scarcely fail 
to give satisfaction. I am of opinion that considerably more might be 
done in fruiting Strawberries planted out in pits round which one or 
more hot-water pipes are arranged than is the case at present, or by 
growing them in pots. The crop of fruit would be equal, if not superior, 
to that from pot plants, and the labour materially less, a matter of no 
small importance.—W. B. L. 
- Adiantum farleyense. — Can you or any of your readers 
inform me why I cannot grow Adiantum farleyense Fern ? The house 
