February 17,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
131 
the occurrence of any orange Corbularia in Algeria. C. monophylla 
appears to extend as far to the east as the longitude of Algiers, or a little 
further east than the eastern limit of Corbularias in Europe. It grows 
abundantly near the Cedar Forest at Teniet-el-Ahd, and in the spring of 
1873 I observed it in flower at Boghar, seventy miles south of Algiers, 
and again at Guclt-es-Stel, 150 miles south of Algiers, but the last is the 
most south-eastern point from which it has been recorded, and is probably 
nearly the south-eastern limit of the range of the genus. 
It will be gathered from these records that with the exception of 
C. monophylla there is no definite line of demarcation between the 
various forms of the genus which pass into each other by invisible 
gradations, and that even in their geographical distribution they are 
scattered through the region they occupy in a very irregular way both as 
regards altitude and locality. 
A special meeting of the Council of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society has been summoned for Tuesday, the 22nd instant, 
when part of the business will be to appoint a sub-committee of the 
Council to confer with the Committee nominated at the annual general 
meeting to consider the future of the Society’s affairs. The following 
dates have been fixed for the meetings of the Narcissus Committee — 
viz., March 22nd, April 12th and 26th. Should the season be backward 
it may b*e found desirable to hold another meeting on May 10th. 
- The Liverpool Horticultural Association’s schedule 
for 1837 is just to hand, and from it we learn that the shows are fixed 
for the following dates Spring show in St. George’s Hall, March 16th ; 
summer show in Sefton Park, July 30th and August 1st ; and the 
autumn show in St. George’s Hall, Novembei 22nd and 23rd. The prizes 
are of the usual usual liberal character. 
- Ants.—I am greatly pestered with a strong colony of ants in 
Vine, Peach, and Orchid houses ; would any of your correspondents 
kindly say what is the best means of getting rid of them ? I have tried 
boiling water with good effect where there are no roots, but cannot use 
it on Orchid pots or near the roots of Vines or Peaches.—T. C. A. 
- In Mr. W. J. Ireland’s paper on British Orchids, noted on 
page 110, the passage referring to the number of Orchids should be as 
follows :—“ There are 3500 species of Orchids found in all quarters of 
the globe, and about forty species are indigenous to the British Isles.” 
- We have received from The Native Guano Company a 
pamphlet of twenty-three pages, chiefly occupied with reprints of 
testimonials ireceived by them during 1886. They date from widely 
separated districts, and are uniformly commendatory. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. Arthur Ocock, formerly 
gardener to Major Roberts, Holborough Court, Rochester, has been 
appointed to succeed iMr. Bones as gardener to Mrs. McIntosh, Havering 
Park, near Romford, Essex. 
- The Maintenance of the London Parks. —The Public 
Parks and Works (Metropolis) Bill proposes to transfer the powers and 
duties of the Commissioners of Works in relation to Victoria Parlc j 
Battersea Park, Kennington Park, Bethnal Green, and Westminster 
Bridge to the Metropolitan Board of Works, which shall maintain the 
parks, the cost of such maintenance (as far as it is not met out of the 
income of certain properties transferred with the parks) to be paid out 
of the consolidated rate, and “ no part of the metropolis shall be entitled 
to any exemption from such part of the consolidated rate as is required 
for the purpose of defraying such cost.” The suggested date of the 
transfer of the parks is the 1st of October, 1887. 
- The Council of the Royal Meteorological Society have 
arranged to hold at 25, Great George Street, S.W. (by permission of the 
Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers), on March 15th to 18th 
next, an Exhibition of Marine Meteorological Instruments and Appa¬ 
ratus. The Exhibition Committee therefore invite co-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. 
-At a meeting held in the Bible Society’s rooms, St. Andrew 
Square, Edinburgh, on Saturday last, where nurserymen, gardeners, 
amateurs, and others interested in floriculture were well represented, the 
advisability of holding an Auricula Exhibition in Scotland, or of 
proceeding to the formation of a society, was considered. Robert Cath- 
cart, Esq., of Pitcairlie, Fifeshire, was called to the chair. Mr. Straton, 
Annfieid, Broughty Ferry, stated the results of his efforts to ascertain 
the support such a movementiwas likely to meet with. The opinion of 
the meeting was that there was such as amply to justify the formation 
of a society. After consideration, it was resolved that this should be 
styled the Scottish Primula and Auricula Society. Mr. Cathcart was 
unanimously chosen President, and Mr. Straton Secretary and 
Treasurer, with Mr. James Grieve of Dickson & Co., Edinburgh, as 
local Secretary. The other office-bearers were duly elected, and a Com¬ 
mittee was appointed to draw up rules anti the prize list for the coming 
Show. The annual subscription for membership was fixed at 5s., and it 
was decided that the first Exhibition be held in the beginning of May. 
The enthusiasm of those present and the cordial promises of support re¬ 
ceived by Mr. Straton from many others throughout the country 
promise well for the success of the new Society. 
- The Jubilee —A Gardeners’ Orphanage. —Mr. Wm. 
Dickens, The Gardens, The Platanes, Champion Hill, S.E., writes :— 
“ I have read with great pleasure Mr. Penny’s suggestion, which I 
think is an excellent one—namely to found an orphanage for the 
unprovided children of gardeners, and it ought to commend itself to 
gardeners. A contribution of 5s. for head gardeners and 2s. 6d. for 
journeymen paid down, and the same amount yearly, would not require 
a great effort. I hope to have the pleasure of reading in the Journal 
a few lines from some of the leading gardeners supporting Mr. Penny’s 
suggestion.” 
- The issue of the “ Journal des Roses ” for the present month 
contains a coloured plate of Rose Archduchesse Maria Immaculata, 
a new variety obtained by M.M. Soupert and Notting, and being sent out 
this year. It is said to have resulted from a cross between the Tea Rose 
Madame Lambard and Socrate, made in 1884. The seeds were sown in 
autumn in a warm house, and “ many seedlings flowered in the spring 
of 1885.” The variety is described as floriferous, of a new colour, 
delicious perfume ; the flower large, full, but, as shown in plate, irregular 
in form ; the colour a bright reddish rose, but somewhat variable. The 
habit, wood, and foliage are those of Madame Lambard. 
— Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, by Mr. Joseph Mallender, January, 1887.— 
Mean temperature of month, 32’4°. Maximum on the 29th, 54'3° ; 
minimum on the 7th, 12-3°. Maximum in sun on the 29th, 92'9° ; mini¬ 
mum on grass on the 7th, 4'0°. Mean temperature of the air at 9 A.M., 
33 - 8° ; mean temperature of soil 1 foot deep, 34 - 4°. Number of nights 
below 32° in shade, nineteen ; on grass, twenty-seven. Total duration 
of sunshine in the month thirty-nine hours, or 16 per cent, of possible 
duration ; sixteen sunless days. Total rainfall in the month, 3'30 inches, 
Maximum fall in twenty-four hours on the 7th, 0'52 inch. Rain fell on 
fourteen days. Wind, average velocity 9'4 miles per hour. \ elocity 
exceeded 400 miles on one day and fell short of 100 miles on four days. 
Approximate averages for January—mean temperature, 37'5° ; rainfall, 
1-71 inch ; sunshine (six years), 34’5. Very cold and with very deep 
snow. The storm which had lasted six weeks broke up in the last week 
of the month, and the last few days were warm and fine. 
_With regard to the best Potato to Supersede the “ Scotch 
Champion ” in Ireland, Mr. W. J. Murphy writes “ In response to 
‘Thinker’s’ suggestion, in a recent issue on this subject, that those 
possessing robust growing varieties, tolerably free from blight, should 
send me a few specimens to try. Permit me to acknowledge the follow¬ 
ing in the order received from your two great seed firms :—From Messrs. 
Carter, High Holborn, London—new and not yet in commerce King 
of Russets, Bennett’s Surprise, and Freedom ; and from Messrs. 
Sutton, The Royal Berkshire Seed Establishment, Reading, Sutton’s 
Twenty-one, Sutton’s Thirty-six, and Sutton’s Forty-four, this year s 
introductions, and of 1886, Sutton’s Abundance and Sutton’s Seedling, 
7 lbs. of each. After thanking your correspondent for the possible good 
