June 18, 1904. 
The Gardening Worl 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
A noise like of a hidden brook in the leafy month of June that to the sleeping woods all night singeth a quiet tune.”— Coleridge. 
(Weekly Prize 
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Considered in making the award. Competitors s 
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The following Coloured 
Plates have appeared in 
recent numbers:— 
July 4.-APHELANDRA AURANTIACA 
ROEZLII. 
August 1—BORONIA HETEROPHYLLA. 
September 12.— SIX NEW DAFFODILS. 
October 3— LILIUM AURATUM PLA- 
TYPHYLLUM SHIRLEY VAR. 
Novembei 14.—ROSE MME. N. LEVA- 
VASSEUR 
January ’ 2.— HYBRID TEA-SCENTED 
oo«r irfnf 
January 30. — TUBEROUS BEGONIA 
COUNTESS OF WARWICK. 
February 27. -A FINE STRAIN OF 
GLOXINIAS. 
April 2. — WISTARIA MULTIJUGA 
RUSSELLIANA. 
May 7 — CACTUS DAHLIA DAINTY. 
June 4.-CACTUS DAHLIA SPITFIRE. 
Back numbers may be obtained from the 
publishers, price 2|d. post free. 
This week we present a Half-tone 
Plate of 
MENTZELIA LINDLEYI, 
Next week we shall give a Half-tone 
Plate of 
A HANDSOME CONSERVATORY. 
The prize last week in the “ Readers’ 
Competition was awarded to “ E. B., 
South Berks,” for his article on “ Gesnera 
exoniensis,” p. 484. The others were 
over one column in length. 
Views and Reviews. 
Phenological Observations for 
1903 . 
Various 1 observations on plants and animals, 
together constituting what oue might term 
natural phenomena., are made every year at 
a, large number of stations throughout the 
British Isles. Last year the number of 
stations was 118. At all of these are 
observers who have undertaken to note the 
first flowering of certain plants every year, 
also the advent and leave-taking of various 
migrant birds to this country, the first 
appearance of certain insects*, etc. All of 
these have relations chiefly to temperature 
and other causes, but chiefly the former, 
which have, therefore*, a definite bearing upon 
the meteorological state of our climate. All 
of these observations are sent to Mr. Edward 
Mawley, of Berkhamsted, who tabulates 
the data given and the remark made by the 
different observers throughout the* country. 
These phenological observations, when thus 
compiled, are recorded in. the “ Quarterly 
Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.” 
Veiy interesting is the table of thirteen 
plants that are common to all parts of the 
country, so that the observations and data 
may be uniform. We understand that a 
considerable scientific exactness is given to 
the observation of these plants by keeping 
under notice the same plants in the identical 
localities, so that there may be no. variation 
on account of mere variety amongst the 
plants. In the case of annuals this, of 
course, could not apply, but the annuals 
should be observed in the same locality each 
year. These plants are also* spread over the 
greater part of the growing season, the Ivy 
being the last to come into bloom. Those 
plants which bloom naturally in the early 
months of the year bloomed in, advance of 
their average dates from January till May, 
after which date all the plants lagged behind 
their usual time, and apparently were unable 
to catch up with their average dates during 
the whole summer. In some sheltered locali¬ 
ties there were a few exceptions to this rule, 
but they were really very few. The plants 
under observation were the Hazel, Coltsfoot, 
Wood Anemone, Blackthorn, Garlic Hedge 
Mustard, Horse Chestnut, Hawthorn, White 
Ox-eye, Dog Rose, Black Knapweed, Hare*- 
bell, Greater Bindweed, and Ivy. 
The observations commenced with the 
winter quarter, and on this, occasion it com¬ 
menced with December, 1902, continuing to 
the end of November, 1903, for the year. 
The winter quarter everywhere proved of a 
mild character, more particularly in Feb¬ 
ruary. It may interest gardeners as to how 
this affected, the inmates of the garden, so 
that our notice here will bear particularly 
upon those items which deal with garden 
cultivation. Owing to the warm and wet 
autumn, vegetables made very good but un¬ 
usually succulent growth. The keen frost in 
December rather out up such vegetables, 
making them scarce later on. The beginning 
of the year brought a return of the mild 
weather, so that Winter Aconites., Snow¬ 
drops, Crocuses and various other winter- 
flowering bulbs came into, bloom unusually 
early during January and February. It 
may also, be recorded that thousands of trees 
were blown, down by a gale on February 26th 
and 27th in certain parts of the British Isles 
as a whole. 
Spring is here reckoned to. commence in 
March, and, like the previous month, it 
brought warm weather, which continued until 
nearly the middle of April; after that, 
although gardeners may have almost for¬ 
gotten] it wnth the present prospects of pros¬ 
perity amongst the fruit tree®, not only in 
one part of the country alone was frost 
prevalent for a fortnight during the month of 
April, but, judging from the reports of 
observers, it was universal throughout the 
British Isles*. Almost the whole of the fruit 
blossom was completely destroyed. The 
only crop that gavei anything like an average 
return was the Strawberries. During the 
long spell of frost at that unusually late 
period, many of the plants that had made 
an early start suffered a severe check. An 
important fact to be remembered in this 
connection is that plants which are checked 
in this way lay themselves liable to the in¬ 
roads of disease and insect enemies, because 
they are unable to repair any damage that is 
made, and the chances are that many of the 
plants, especially the weaklings; will succumb 
entirely. This was actually the case with 
regard to many crops, and no doubt many 
gardeners would have similar experiences to 
record. 
The three months o*f summer also* con¬ 
tinued cold, owing to* the relative absence of 
sunshine and continued heavy rainfall in all 
parts of the country. There was, however, 
a slight improvement in the matter of sun¬ 
shine, as compared with that of winter and 
spring. The temperature in July was really 
only slightly below the average. All the 
