30 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  11,  1900. 
-  Death  of  Mrs.  Wm.  Paul. — We  learn  with  deep  regret  of  the 
death  on  the  7th  inst.  of  Mrs.  W.  Paul,  wife  of  Mr.  Wm.  Paul,  P.L.S., 
Y.M.H.,  Waltham  Cross.  The  deceased  was"  in  the  sixty -seventh  year 
of  her  age.  Eeaders  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  will  unite  with  us 
in  offering  sincere  condolences  to  Mr.  W.  Paul  in  his  great  bereavement. 
• -  Royal  Meteorological  Society. — The  annual  general  meeting 
of  the  Society  will  be  held  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great 
George  Street,  Westrninster,  on  Wednesday,  the  17th  inst.,  at  7.45  p.m., 
when  the  report  of  the  Council  will  be  read,  the  election  of  officers 
and  Council  for  the  ensuing  year  will  take  place,  and  the  President, 
Mr.  F.  Campbell  Bayard,  LL.M.,  will  deliver  an  address  on  “  A  New 
Discussion  of  the  Greenwich  Meteorological  Observations,  1848-1898,” 
which  will  be  illustrated  by  lantern  slides.  The  above  meeting  will  be 
preceded  by  an  ordinary  meeting,  which  will  commence  at  7.30  p.m. 
-  Starting  Potatoes  Prior  to  Planting.— We  have  several 
times  suggested  the  sprouting  of  Potatoes  under  glass  to  obtain  earlier 
crops,  as  we  had  practised  it  with  success  more  than  thirty  years  ago. 
The  Kansas  Experiment  Station  tried  it  some  time  back,  planting  whole 
Potatoes  in  a  box  of  sand  on  February  23rd.  The  blossom  end  was  left 
up,  and  about  one-fourth  of  the  Potatoes  exposed  to  the  sunlight  at 
a  temperature  of  50°  to  6u°.  Vigorous  sprouts  soon  started,  and,  says 
the  “American  Agriculturist,”  on  March  22nd  they  were  planted  in 
furrows  just  as  they  stood  in  the  boxes.  Similar  rows  of  Potatoes  from 
the  storage  room,  not  sprouted,  were  planted  at  the  same  time.  The 
sprouted  Potatoes  started  ahead,  and  kept  ahead  all  the  time.  On 
June  1st  the  sprouted  Potatoes  showed  excellent  young  table  Potatoes 
in  the  hill;  June  16th  they  were  still  ahead,  and  when  dug  on 
July  24th  the  sand-sprouted  Potatoes  had  better  tubers  and  gave  10  per 
cent,  larger  yield.  Later  experiments,  conducted  by  the  same  experts, 
showed  similar  results. 
-  Bambdsa  VULGARIS  striata.—  By  reason  of  its  bright-coloured 
stems  this  is  one  of  the  showiest  of  the  several  Bamboos  cultivated 
indoors  in  this  country.  For  a  number  of  years  it  was  acc  u-ded 
specific  rank,  and  was  then  known  as  B.  striata  ;  it  is  now,  however, 
admitted  to  be  a  variety  of  the  giant  B.  vulgaris.  It  was  originally 
introduced  from  China,  but  is  now  sent  home  from  a  number  of  places, 
having  been  pretty  widely  distributed  in  the  tropics.  Although 
when  planted  out  in  a  border  of  rich  soil  in  a  tropical  house  it 
attains  a  height  of  20  feet,  it  makes  a  handsome  plant  of  half  that 
height  in  a  pot,  and  for  ordinary  establishments  would  be  found  more 
useful  grown  in  that  manner.  In  general  appearance  it  is  of  some¬ 
what  loose  habit,  with  numerous  branches  on  the  upper  portion  of  the 
stem  bearing  a  quantity  of  bright  green  leaves  varying  from  5  to 
8  inches  long  and  from  1  to  2  inches  wide.  As  before  stated,  the 
stems  are  the  most  ornamental  part  of  the  plant,  being  bright,  glossy 
yellow,  striated  with  green.  It  requires  the  temperature  of  a  stove 
and  should  be  well  fed  while  growing.  A  few  plants  in  pots  would 
be  found  useful  for  house  decoration. — K. 
-  Grand  Yorkshire  Gala. — The  annual  meeting  of  guarantors 
and  life  members  of  the  Grand  Yorkshire  Gala  was  held  last  week  at 
Harker’s  Hotel,  York.  Alderman  Sir  C.  A.  Milward  presided.  The 
Chairman  said  it  was  a  matter  of  sincere  congratulation  to  them  all 
that  last  year’s  Gala  was  one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  annals  of 
the  institution,  and  they  could  only  hope  that  the  forthcoming  Gala 
would  be  equally  as  prosperous,  although  they  had  not  the  prospect  of 
a  good  start.  He  was  afraid  that  the  holding  of  the  Royal  Agricul¬ 
tural  Society’s  Show  in  the  following  week  would  materially  affect  the 
attendance  at  the  Gala.  He  had  to  commence  the  business  by  proposing 
that  the  Lord  Mayor  be  elected  President  for  the  ensuing  year. 
Mr.  Alderman  Border  seconded  the  motion,  and  said  they  hoped  it  would 
not  be  twelve  years  again  before  the  Lord  Mayor  again  presid’ed  over 
the  destinies  of  the  Grand  Yorkshire  Gala.  The  resolution  was  passed 
unanimously.  The  Lord  Mayor  then  proposed  that  Sir  Christopher 
Milward  be  elected  Chaiiman  of  the  Council.  Mr.  Alderman  Border 
said  he  would  be  glad  to  render  any  assistance  he  could  in  relieving 
the  Chairman  of  duties  at  night  meetings.  Sir  Christopher  said  he 
would  again  accept  the  office  if  he  were  reliev'ed  of  night  work  during 
the  months  of  January,  February,  and  March.  Mr.  Alderman  Border 
was  re-elected  Vice-Chairman ;  Mr.  Jos.  Wilkinson  was  re-elected 
Treasurer ;  Mr.  Simmons  was  unanimously  re-elected  Secretary  j 
Messrs.  Pearson  and  Taylor  were  re-elected  Auditors.  The  following 
grants  were  made  : — £650  for  the  floral  f5te,  £230  for  music,  £120 
for  fireworks,  £60  for  balloon  ascents,  and  £175  for  amusements. 
_  Study  the  Apple  Market. — Growing  fruit  is  one  thing  and 
marketing  it  seems  quite  another,  yet  both  should  receive  watchful 
care  until  the  fruit  is  safely  off  and  the  best  market  price  in  cash  is  in 
the  pocket.  Of  all  the  shortcomings  of  the  orchardist,  says  “  T  L.  K.” 
in  a  transatlantic  contemporary,  there  is  none  just  now  so  prominent 
as  poor  marketing.  The  Apple  has  come  to  be  a  standard  agricultural 
product,  both  for  home  consumption  and  foreign  markets,  and  the 
Apple  dealers  commence  early  in  the  season  and  canvass  the  Apple 
sections  from  month  to  month,  making  careful  estimates  until  Apple 
pieking,  when  they  are  perfectly  posted  on  the  quantity  and  quality 
of  the  crop,  as  well  as  to  foreign  demand.  This  should  be,  and  might 
be  as  thoroughly  understood  by  the  well-read  orchardist  as  by  the 
dealer,  and  when  this  part  of  the  business  is  understood,  the  orchardist 
can  put  a  price  on  his  fruit,  as  well  as  to  wait  for  the  dealer  to  make 
a  quotation  for  him. 
-  You.sg  Pines  and  Forest  Fires. — Young  long-leaf  Pines,. 
according  to  Mr.  Piuchot  of  the  IJ.S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 
protect  themselves  against  forest  fires  in  a  most  interesting  and 
remarkable  manner.  For  four  or  five  years  the  stems  of  the  infant 
trees  attain  a  height  of  only  as  many  inches  above  the  soil.  During 
this  time  their  bark  is  extraordinarily  thick,  and  that  alone  gWes 
some  protection.  But  in  addition,  the  long  needles  spring  up  above 
the  stem,  and  then  bend  over  on  all  sides  “in  a  green  cascade  which 
falls  to  the  ground  in  a  circle  about  the  seedling.”  This  green 
barrier  can  with  difficulty  be  made  to  burn,  while  the  shade  that  it 
oasts  prevents  inflammable  grass  from  growing  near  the  protected 
stem.  Mr.  Pinchot  thinks  that  it  is  owing  to  this  peculiar  system 
of  self-protection  which  the  Pine  seedlings  have  developed  that  the 
growth  of  evergreen  Oaks  in  Florida  has  been  restricted  in  regions 
where  fires  hav^e  raged,  while  pure  Pine  forests  have  taken  their  place^ 
-  Gas-water  as  a  Manure. — About  sixty  years  ago  interesting* 
experiments  were  made  with  gas-water  or  ammoniacal  liquor  as  a 
manurial  agent  for  the  destruction  of  worms  on  lawns,  and  also  for 
hastening  the  decomposition  of  heaps  of  vegetable  matter.  As  an 
insecticide  it  was  also  used  by  diluting  it  with  a  certain  proportion  of 
water.  Previously,  its  manurial  and  other  properties,  as  indicated, 
were  unknown,  and  in  London  it  was  consigned  to  the  Thames,  to  the 
destruction  of  the  fish.  As  a  manure  for  the  Brassica  tribe  and  Grass 
its  effects  were  most  pronounced,  care  being  taken  to  apply  it  at  a 
suitable  strength.  If  lawns  are  thus  dressed  with  it,  any  moss  would 
be  quickly  destroyed,  while  the  verdure  of  the  grass  would  be  inten¬ 
sified,  as  well  as  the  crop  in  weight.  It  made  the  stalks  and  leaves 
of  cereals  grow  luxuriantly,  but  without  sufficient  stability  in  the 
former,  hence  requiring  some  other  suitable  element  added.  Sawdust 
saturated  with  the  liquor  quickly  decomposed,  and  thus  formed  a  good 
manure.  Of  late  years  comparatively  little  notice  has  been  given  to 
gas-water  as  a  manure,  probably  owing  to  the  subsequent  wide  ex¬ 
tension  of  the  numerous  artificial  manures.  It  would,  however,  be 
interesting  to  learn  if  gas-water  is  still  used  to  any  extent  at  the 
present  time. — G. 
nXETEOROX<OGZCA.Xi  OBSERVATION'S  AT  CHZSWZCK. 
— Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
o 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
0) 
Dec.  1899 
.2'g 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
a 
’ce 
At 
At 
At 
®  g  8 
O 
a  c 
and 
Jan.  It  00. 
*5 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
S 
43 
SS 
B 
•s 
<D 
O 
1-ft. 
deep. 
2-ft. 
deep. 
— 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Q  Q 
Sunday 
31 
s.w. 
deg. 
35-8 
deg. 
34-7 
deg. 
48-7 
deg. 
31-7 
ins. 
deg. 
38-8 
deg. 
41-9 
deg. 
44-9 
deg. 
20-6 
Monday 
1 
N.  E. 
37-1 
36-9 
50-3 
29-9 
0-43 
37-2 
41-3 
44-9 
20-7 
Tuesday 
2 
S.E. 
50-8 
50-2 
61-7 
36-9 
0-07 
39-2 
40-9 
44-9 
34.6 
Wed’sday 
3 
S.E. 
45-1 
43-0 
48T 
41-2 
0-16 
40-2 
41-6 
44-7 
28-2 
Thursday 
4 
N.N.W. 
42-7 
40-2 
42-6 
40-9 
0*06 
41 T 
41-9 
44-8 
38-7 
Friday  .. 
5 
N.N.E. 
39-9 
38  0 
40-9 
36-7 
— 
40-6 
42-1 
44-8 
31-6 
Saturday 
6 
N.E. 
30-5 
30-1 
42-2 
28  8 
0-48 
39-6 
42-1 
44-8 
21T 
Means 
41-7 
39-0 
46-4 
35-2 
Total 
1-20 
39-5 
41-7 
44-8 
27*9 
For  the  most  part  a  dull  dark  week,  with  frost  on  three  mornings. 
Rain  fell  on  five  days.  Monday,  January  1st,  was  an  exceptionally  dark^ 
I  foggy  day. 
