March 17, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
457 
year, being nearly six times the amount of rainfall 
in London. On a hill only half a mile distant from 
Seathwaite the .rainfall averages 175 in. Until 
recently, Sligachan in Skye was considered the 
wettest place in Scotland, but the observations more 
recently made on the top of Ben Nevis, go to show 
that the fall in the form of rain and snow, if the 
method of measurement is accurate, is greater than 
at Seathwaite or at Sligachan. 
A Weather Prophet. —Mr. Symons declaimed 
any desire for the mantle of the weather prophet, 
and made no prediction, but merely stated that with 
regard to the weather he had noticed for many years 
that meteorological history repeated itself at 
regularly recurring periods. For instance, every 
year ending with four had shown a deficiency of 
rainfall except where that rule collided with another, 
which was that every twelfth backwards from i860 
had a greater average rainfall than usual. Thus, 
1836, 1848, i860, and 1872 had] been wet years, 
while 1814, 1834, 1844, 1854, 1864 and 1874 had b°en 
dry years. The years 1824 and 1884 were common 
to both the sets of rules. These rules of record have 
not been broken since 1812, but how much longer 
they were to be fulfilled he could not predict. 
Application of Knowledge.—Before concluding 
his paper Mr. Symons gave some hints and sugges¬ 
tions as to the practical application of knowledge 
with respect to rainfall. It was of the utmost 
importance for engineers when designing sewerage 
and drainage works to be able to know what amount 
of rainfall they would have to reckon upon, that it 
might all be carried away by the drains. The 
subject also dealt with the water supply to towns 
and various industries whose mills were dependent 
upon the rainfall for their proper working. This 
knowledge could also be applied to the prevention 
of destructive floods, by making proper provisions 
for carrying off the superfluous water when it 
occurred so as to guard against needless destruction 
to property of various kinds. 
-- 
Asparagus. 
Perhaps no vegetable is more appreciated during 
early spring and summer in a gentleman’s establish¬ 
ment than this, but it is not in all gardens that it 
is grown with success. Not that its cultivation is 
so difficult, but in some districts where the soil is 
cold and heavy it is necessary to make special pre¬ 
parations in order to prevent the roots decaying in 
winter. Plants may be easily raised from seed, and 
these will last two or three years without any extra 
care, after which they dieoff and cause disappoint¬ 
ment. When the ground is in good heart there will 
be no difficulty in getting roots strong enough in one 
season for transplanting the next. Preparing the 
ground for sowing the seed should now be taken in 
hand if not already done. It will need well manuring 
and deeply digging, and afterwards rendered fine so 
that the toots may easily penetrate. 
About the first week in April is a good time to sow 
the seeds, and this should be done in shallow drills 
about a foot apart. Avoid sowing too thickly as the 
plants will grow much more robust if allowel plenty 
of room. When the seedlings are large enough to 
handle they may be thinned to six inches apart. 
The thinnings may be planted if required, if so, they 
must be lifted carefully with a pointed stick so as to 
preserve their roots intact. When preparing ground 
for permanent beds the kind of soil to be dealt with 
must be taken into consideration ; if very cold and 
heavy all the burnt refuse, road scrapings, leaf soil, 
sand, and anything that will help to render it light 
and porous so that the water may pass through 
freely should be got together, for nothing is so detri¬ 
mental to the roots as stagnant water. 
Instead of putting a lot of brick rubble for 
drainage as some recommend, we prefer making the 
beds on the top of the ground keeping them well up, 
—eighteen inches or two feet—if possible above the 
surrounding level. We have made raised beds of 
garden refuse in this manner that have given great 
satisfaction, producing good crops for several years. 
It is not well to plant too early, as we sometimes get 
a spell of cold weather at the end of March or early 
in April which checks the growth to such an extent 
that newly planted roots fail to make a start. Some 
seasons it may be safe to plant at the end of the 
former month, while in others it would be much 
better to wait till the middle or latter part of April. 
As a rule however it is safe to plant about the middle 
of the last named month, by which time the soil has 
become somewhat warmed and the gentle showers so 
often experienced about that time will give the plants 
a start. The width of the beds must greatly depend 
on the class of soil to be dealt with. If cold and 
heavy, then raised beds four feet wide will be prefer¬ 
able, but if the soil be warm and light, then it will 
not be necessary to plant on beds at all; the rows 
may succeed each other a foot or fifteen inches apart 
till the requisite number are planted. 
When planting raised beds four feet wide, three 
rows of plants should be put on each bed, one down 
the centre and one fifteen inches from it on either 
side. If possible the beds should run north and 
south, then the sun would have more power on them 
than if they were made from East to West. As¬ 
paragus when growing is a moisture-loving plant, 
therefore it will need supplying with water the 
first season should the weather be dry, otherwise 
growth will not be satisfactory. No growths 
should be cut off a bed the first year after it 
is planted; if however the plants have made good 
progress a few may be cut the second year, but it is 
not well to rob them too much until they have got 
thoroughly established. When beds become ex¬ 
hausted or patchy it is best to dig them up and 
force the roots, then plant fresh ones; for this reason 
it is well to sow a few drills each season to give the 
requisite supply of plants for this purpose. Beds 
that are in full use should have a dressing of super¬ 
phosphate and nitrate of soda occasionally; a dressing 
of salt or Kainit is also beneficial .—Kitchen 
Gardener. 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural, January i^th .—The exhibits 
were numerous and good at the meeting on Tues¬ 
day last. Orchids were very much in evidence, as well 
as stove and greenhouse plants generally, including 
New Holland plants, Olivias, Cinerarias, Caladiums, 
Streptocarpus Wendlandi, Primulas, and others. 
A large group of Orchids was exhibited by Messrs. 
F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, including many and 
handsome specimens of Dendrobium Phalaenopsis 
Schroderianum, D. imperatrix, Phaius Manha, 
Cattleya Schroderae, Odontoglossum Edwardi, 
Angraecum Sanderianum, Cymbidium Lowianum, 
Spathoglottis Kimballiana, and others, for which a 
Silver Flora Medal was accorded. A Silver Bank- 
sian Medal was accorded for a group of Orchids 
staged by Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton, the 
leading feature of which consisted of Odontoglossum 
Roezlii and O. R. alba. Other things of note and 
interest were Houlletia Lowii, Phalaenopsis Cyntha, 
and Oncidium ampliatum. A piece of Phaius 
Blumei upon a raft and in healthy condition, as well 
as Dendrobium tetragonum, were exhibited by 
A. H. Smee, Esq. (gardener, Mr. G. W. Cummins), 
The Grange, Wallington. Some magnificent 
varieties of Odontoglossum crispum, O. luteo 
purpureum, O. Pescatorei, and O. Rossi majus were 
exhibited by Baron Schroder (gardener, Mr. 
Ballantine), The Dell, Egham. Numerous hybrid 
Orchids, including Dendrobium Schneiderianum, D. 
Euryalus, D. splendidissimum, D. Cybele, D. 
Virginia, and Chysis chelsoni were exhibited by 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. A fine spike of 
Miltonia flavescens grandiflora was shown by Mr. 
G. Hunt, gardener to P. Ralli, Esq., Ashstead Park, 
Epsom. A group of Dendrobiums.includingfine pieces 
of D. nobile nobilius, D. splendidissimum grandi- 
florum, D. Sibil, Coelogyne cristata alba, and various 
others of a highly ornamental character, was shown 
by Thos. Statter, Esq. (gardener, Mr. R. Johnson), 
Stand Hall, Manchester (Silver Flora Medal). An 
interesting and varied group of Orchids was also 
shown by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, (grower, Mr. 
W. H. White), Burford Lodge, Dorking. The huge 
flower of Masdevallia gargantua was exceedingly 
curious, and Dendrobium micans, D. melanodiscus 
Rainbow, Odontoglossum melanodiscus, and Cirrho- 
petalum picturatum were showy, and attracted con¬ 
siderable attention. Anthurium Rothschildianum 
compactum was handsome (Silver Flora Medal). 
About three dozen blue, plum, and lavender coloured 
Primroses were exhibited by G. F. Wilson, Esq., 
F.R.S., Weybridge. A Cultural Commendation 
was awarded to W. R. Lee, Esq. (gardener, Mr. T. 
Billington), Beech Lawn, Audenshaw, for a fine 
piece of Dendrobium splendidissimum Leeanum. A 
raceme of nine flowers of Laelia superbiens, Cattleya 
Loddigesii, Pleurothallis Grobyi, and P. Barberiana 
were exhibited by R. 1. Measures, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. H. Chapman), Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell. 
A Cultural Commendation was accorded to W. 
Thompson, Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. Stevens), 
Walton Grange, Stone, for a magnificently flowered 
stem of Dendrobium Wardianum giganteum. A 
large group of Orchids was exhibited by Messrs. B. 
S. Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. Vanda 
tricolor superba, Phaius grandifolius, Odontoglossum 
Edwardi, Coelogyne cristata alba, Angraecum 
modestum, various Dendrobiums and Odonto- 
glossums, contributed to render the display a very 
effective one. A Silver Flora Medal vvas accorded 
the collection. A group of Orchids, consisting 
largely of Cymbidium Lowianum, was exhibited by 
Walter C. Walker, Esq. (gardener, Mr. George 
Cragg), Winchmore Hill. Arpophyllum giganteum 
was also fine. A Silver Banksian Medal was awarded. 
A similar award was accorded to Messrs. W. L. Lewis 
& Co.,Southgate, for a well flowered group of Orchids, 
including Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums, Burling- 
tonia fragrans, Phalaenopsis Stuartiana puncta- 
tissima, and three fine pieces of Trichopilia suavis, 
a cultural commendation being accorded for the 
latter. Some splendid flowers of Vanda Cathcarti 
grandiflorum and other varieties of it were shown by 
Mr. W. Iggulden, Marston House Gardens, Frome. 
Calanthe striata, Arpophyllum giganteum and other 
interesting things were brought up from the Royal 
Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. Cypripedium Harris- 
ianum, C. Chamberlainianum Ingrams var., and 
others were shown by C. L. N. Ingram, Esq., 
(gardener, Mr. W. Bond), Elstead House, Godai¬ 
ming. A Silver Banksian Medal was accorded to 
Messrs. Collins & Collins, Cumberland Park, Willes- 
dea Junction, for a group of Orchids consisting 
chiefly of Cymbidium Lowianum, C. eburneum, and 
Coelogyne cristata. A Silver Flora Medal was 
accorded J. Gurney Fowler, Esq. (gardener, Mr. J. 
Davis), South Woodford, Essex, for a well flowered 
group of Orchids including some large pieces of 
Cattleya Trianae, Oncidium ampliatum, various 
Dendrobiums, and fine pieces of Phalaenopsis 
Schilleriana. A group of Orchids was also exhibited 
by Mr. P. McArthur, The London Nursery, 4, 
Maida Vale, including Cymbidium Lowianum, a 
very long spurred piece of Angraecum sesquipedale, 
Coelogyne cristata Lemoniana and Cypripedium 
Chamberlainianum excellens. 
A Silver Banksian Medal was awarded to Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, for a group of Clivias set up with 
various other plants. They also had several hybrid 
greenhouse Rhododendrons and hybrid Vriesias. A 
similar award was made to Messrs. W. Cutbush&Son, 
Highgate, for a large group of Erica Wilmoreana, 
E. persoluta alba, Boronia heterophylla, and finely 
flowered plants of Epacris. A group of stove and 
greenhouse plants were exhibited by the Duke of 
Northumberland (gardener, Mr. G. Wythes), Syon 
House, Brentford; it included Clivias and Datura 
Cornucopia (Silver Banksian Medal). Several fine 
pieces of Pieris japonica were exhibited by Mr. 
Anthony Waterer, Knap Hill, Surrey (Silver Flora 
Medal). A collection of Cinerarias, consisting of 
dwarf plants with large and handsome flowers in many 
shades of colour, was exhibited by Messrs. J. James 
& Son, Woodside, Farnham Royal, Slough (Silver 
Flora Medal). A collection of Caladium, showing 
much variety in colouring, was exhibited by Messrs. 
John Peed & Sons, Roupell Park Nurseries, Norwood 
Road (Silver Banksian Medal). A group of Chinese 
Primulas and white intermediate Stocks were shown 
by Mr. W. R. Newport, Hillingdon Heath (Bronze 
Banksian Medal). A large collection of Daffodils 
and other hardy flowers,including Megasia Stracheyi, 
Sisyrindium grandiflorum album. Lenten Roses, 
Iris reticulata, Chionodoxas, and Scillas. A large and 
interesting group of Streptocarpus Wendlandi, in full 
bloom, and five well-grown and flowered pieces of 
Ferraria antherosa were exhibited by Messrs. Sutton 
& Sons, Reading. Some Carnations and Pelargoniums 
were shown by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, 
A Silver Flora Medal was accorded to Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, for a large group of forced Lilacs^ 
Clivias and Azalea mollis all in fine condition^' 
especially the Clivias. Baskets filled with plants of 
Shortia galacifolia. Rhododendron and Loropetalon 
chinense were exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. 
