November 8,1894, 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
425 
years of age. When only a lad Mr. Sibray joined the firm of Messrs. 
Fisher, Holmes, & Co., and devoted much painstaking attention to the 
interests of the firm, subsequently becoming a partner in the business. 
At one time be was a churchwarden at Handsworth Church, and 
took an active part in the restoration scheme. He leaves one son, Mr. 
E. E. Sibray. 
- The Royal Gardenees’ Orphan Fund.—A t a meeting of 
the Committee held recently the Honorary Secretary presented a cash 
statement to date which was of a highly satisfactory character, and a 
resolution was passed authorising the investing in Consuls of a further 
sum of £500. The Chairman announced that Mr. Harry J. Veitch had 
kindly consented to preside at the next annual summer festival of the 
Fund. 
- Royal Botanic Society,—A t a recent meeting of the 
Council of this Society the subject of opening the gardens to the public 
wag considered ; but seeing that all students have free admission, as 
well as all persons seeking information relative to the many vegetable 
products in connection with the arts, sciences, and manufactures, that 
others can obtain admission by tickets from Fellows of the Society, and 
the high rent, rates, and taxes, the Council regretted they could not 
afford general admission to the public, but that the experiment would 
be made on one day next season, probably Whit Monday. 
- The “ Kew Bulletin.” —We have received a copy of the 
“ Kew Bulletin ” for October, and as usual this publication contains 
much interesting matter. The contents include articles on “Lathyrus 
Fodder,” “ Minor Industries,” “ Decades Kewenses —X,” “ Madagascar 
Piassava,” “ Three New Species of Treculia,” “ New Orchids—10,” “ St. 
Vincent Botanic Station,” “ Bhabur Grass,” “ Bulbous Violet in the 
Himalayas,” and various miscellaneous notes. 
- Galashiels Horticultural Society, — At a recent 
meeting of this Society, Mr. John Thomson, Tweedside Vineries, gave an 
excellent address on the “ Horticultural Outlook.” The present-day 
horticulturist, he said, had many advantages in the present day denied 
to his predecessor. The structures were much superior in ventilation 
and heating, and this had greatly improved the produce. Great 
strides had been made in the methods of culture of all kinds of fruits, 
flowers, and vegetables, and the varieties had been greatly increased. 
Horticultural exhibitions were now becoming very common, and much 
valuable information was usually given and circulated in the gardening 
journals, so that it was accessible to all interested in it. The usual vote 
of thanks was accorded Mr. Thomson for his admirable lecture. 
- The Winter Moth.—T he first specimen of the season made 
its appearance on the Ist inst., and the male insects are gradually 
becoming more numerous, but so far no females or pairs have been seen 
on the trunks of the trees. For five winters I have wanted to prove 
what we are told, that they fly in pairs over the grease-bands, and 
although I have seen some thousands of pairs no specimens appeared to 
be able to fly in such condition. As this theory is, I believe, being 
circulated by the Board of Agriculture by leaflets I would respectfully 
ask if any reader can vouch for the accuracy from personal observation ? 
I consider it important to have confirmation or otherwise.—JAS, Hiam, 
Astwood Batik. 
- Cultivation op Vegetables and Flowers in Bermuda, 
—The small colony of the Bermudas or Somers Islands in the North 
Atlantic (about 600 miles from the coast of the United States) furnishes 
also an instance how much may be done with small industries. Accord¬ 
ing to the “ Kew Bulletin,” Burmuda furnishes New York with a large 
portion of the “ Spring Onions ” and young Potatoes consumed in that 
city. It also grows Lily bulbs (Lilium Harris!) for both the United 
States and Europe, and the value of these exported last year was over 
£21,000. The best quality of arrowroot is obtained only from Bermuda. 
Altogether its small industries in 189.3 furnished exports to the value of 
nearly £120,000. These and other particulars are more fully set forth 
in the annual report published by the Colonial Office (Colonial 
Reports, No. 105), lately presented to Parliament. The following 
extract gives the exports:—The principal export to the United 
Kingdom in 1893 was arrowroot, valued at £989. The principal 
exports to Canada were Lily bulbs valued at £1,209, and Onions, £956 ; 
and to the United States Lily bulbs valued at £21,050, Onions .at 
£59,870, Potatoes £26,622, specie £6000, and cut flowers £1367. The 
prices obtained for the crops in the season of 1893 were about the same 
as in the preceding year. 
- The Weather in Hertfordshire. — Mr. E. Wallis, The 
Gardens, Hamels Park, Buntingford, Herts, writes:—“The weather 
here during the past month has been exceptionally dull, being com¬ 
posed of fogs and rain. There was not one real bright day during the 
whole month ; but the temperature has been very even, for Dahlias are 
still blooming outside. Rain has fallen upon nineteen days during the 
past month. Maximum in any twenty-four hours was 0 62, on the 
28th ; minimum in any twenty-four hours 0 01, on the 25th. Total 
during the whole month 2’56, against 3 07 of 1893.” 
- The Total Rainfall at Abbots Leigh, Haywards 
Heath, Sussex, for the past month was 4-33 inches, being 0 38 above 
the average. The heaviest fall was 102 inch on the 30th. Rain fell on 
nineteen days. The maximum temperature in the shade was 65° on the 
11th, the minimum 29° on 17th. Mean maximum, 5612°; mean 
minimum, 43-18°; mean temperature, 49-65°, which is 139° above the 
average. A fine, comparatively dry month up to the 20th, the last ten 
days wet and stormy—3 56 inches falling in that time, and remarkably 
mild; the mean temperature in shade for the same period being 31 3°. 
During the storms that prevailed from 24th to 27th the mean tempera¬ 
ture was 54°.—R. I. 
-The Hessle Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society. 
—At a recent meeting of this Society, a paper, entitled “ Gossips on 
Plant Life and its Various Forma,” was read by Mr. C. Lawton, 
gardener to Col. Broadley, Welton House. Commencing with the 
general structure of plants, Mr. Lawton described the germination of 
seeds and the different classes of plants. At a subsequent meeting a 
paper on “ The Season’s Influence upon Horticulture Generally,” was 
read by Mr. P. Leadbetter, gardener to A. Wilson, Esq., Tranby Croft. 
Mr. Leadbetter arranged his subject under three heads—fruits, flowers, 
and vegetables, pointing out the effects of the season upon the different 
subjects, and spoke of the effect the excessive heat and drought of 1893 
had upon the different crops of the present season.—F. L. T. 
- Jamaica Walnut. —Concerning this Walnut Dr. 1. Urban, 
who has made a special study of the Flora of the West Indies, writes to 
the effect that there are valid differences between the fruits of Juglans 
jamaicensis, C'.DC., and J. insularis, Griseb. He further expresses his 
conviction that in this instance, at least, Descourtilz’s figure is an 
original and genuine one. We have not seen fruits of either the 
Portorico or Cuban Walnut; therefore, we are not in a position to verify 
Dr. Urban’s conclusions; but, as we stated before, judging from the 
leaves, we can find no character to separate them. Perhaps this notice 
may be the means of our obtaining more complete material. Mr. 
Fawcett, the Director of the Public Gardens of Jamaica, who is now in 
England, intends making a special search for the reputed Jamaica 
Walnut, which Dr. Urban thinks may still exist, as several other trees 
have recently been re-discovered, though they had not previously been 
collected since the time of Browne or Swartz.—(“ Kew Bulletin.”) 
- Banana Cultivation in Jamaica. —The Banana cultivation 
in Jamaica, says the “ Kew Bulletin,” may be cited as a most striking 
and remarkable instance of how a comparatively “minor industry” 
may, under suitable encouragement, attain to the rank of a staple pro¬ 
duct. Twenty-five years ago the value of the Bananas exported from 
Jamaica was practically nothing. People grew them for their own use 
but never thought of shipping them. In the year 1892-3 the value of 
Bananas exported from Jamaica reached over £400,000. It exceeded 
that of either sugar, rum, coffee, or dye woods. In this case a minor 
industry of a comparatively unpromising character has been called into 
existence, and so advanced in value as to overtop old industries 
carried on for more than a hundred years. Banana cultivation in 
Jamaica has been of benefit also to other industries. Underneath the 
shade of the Banana trees numerous plants have been grown likely to 
increase in the future the exports of Coffee, Cocoa, Oranges, and spices, 
Not only so, but “ready money” to the extent of nearly £200,000 
annually has been circulated amongst small cultivators, who are the chief 
Banana growers, and their material prosperity and consequently their 
purchasing power have been increased. Further, land everywhere has 
enhanced in value, and a larger demand has taken place for cattle, 
mules, and horses, which are raised on “ pens ” in the interior. Practi¬ 
cally, therefore, all classes of the community have been benefited and 
the general resources of the Government for public works and other 
undertakings improved. The foundations of this prosperity in Jamaica 
were laid mainly by the enlightened efforts of two able Governors (Sir 
John Peter Grant and P-'r Anthony Musgrave), both of whom laboured 
most consistently for t.:,is end for many years. 
