Januarj'  4,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
9 
-  Death  of  Me.  James  Seeden. — We  learn  with  regret  of  the 
death  on  the  25th  ult.,  at  The  Gardens,  Brookwood  Park,  near 
Alresford,  of  Mr.  J.  Selden.  He  was  erstwhile  known  as  an 
exhibitor  in  the  Kingston  and  Wimbledon  district  whilst  gardener  at 
Coombe  Cottage,  Kingston.  Mr.  Selden’s  decease  was  due  to  a 
severe  attack  of  influenza,  followed  by  pneumonia.  The  deceased 
was  in  his  forty-ninth  year. 
-  Rhododendron  indicdm  var.  baesamin.eflordm. — One  is 
pleased  to  see  that  hardy  flowering  shrubs  are  having  the  pro¬ 
minence  given  to  them  that  is  their  due  in  the  columns  of  the 
Journal,  and  that  the  competent  writers  of  the  articles  are  doing 
them  justice.  “  W.  D.,”  in  the  article  on  “Hardy  Peat-loving 
Shrubs,”  mentions  inter  alia  that  Rhododendron  indicum  var.  amcenum 
is  hardy  as  far  north  as  Chester.  I  do  not  think  that  it  is  generally 
known  that  the  exquisite  little  R.  indicum  var.  balsamingeflorum  is 
hardy  here  in  the  east  of  Kirkcudbrightshire  and  close  to  the  Solway. 
It  is  a  charming  little  shrub  with  double  crimson  flowers  shaped  like 
those  of  a  Camellia-flowered  Balsam,  whence  I  suppose  the  name.  I 
believe  it  is  best  known  in  gardens  as  Azalea  rosmflora,  but  it  has  also 
been  known  as  A.  Rollisoni  and  A.  balsaminmflora.  It  is  grown  on  the 
top  of  a  rockery  but  partly  shaded  by  other  plants.  The  soil  is  sandy 
peat.  When  Mr.  James  Backhouse  of  York  was  here  in  1899  he  was 
surprised  to  find  it  so  hardy. — S.  Arnott,  Carsethorn  hy  Dumfries,  N.B. 
-  Bristol  Gardeners’  Association. — The  fortnightly  meeting 
of  the  Society  was  held  at  St.  John’s  Parish  Room,  Redland,  on 
Thursday,  28th  ult.  A  large  number  of  members  were  present.  The 
subject  for  the  evening  was  “  Mistakes  in  Gardening,”  introduced  in  a 
racy  and  exhaustive  manner  by  Mr.  Chas.  Lock  of  Keynsham.  Dealing 
with  the  subject  generally,  he  suggested  that  many  gardeners  erred  in 
judgment  when  they  decided  on  the  profession  as  a  means  of  livelihood, 
and  whilst  the  same  might  be  said  about  any  trade,  he  contended  that 
no  one  who  was  not  an  enthusiast  should  adopt  a  vocation  that  claimed 
so  much  of  the  time  and  thought  of  the  worker  as  did  horticulture. 
He  went  very  fully  into  mistakes  amateurs  and  professionals  made  in 
various  branches  of  their  work,  giving  useful  hints  as  to  avoiding 
pitfalls,  and  concluded  by  pleading  for  more  sympathy  between 
gardeners  and  their  employers.  A  short  discussion  followed,  and  Mr, 
Lock  was  heartily  thanked  for  the  paper.  The  President,  H.  Cary 
Batten,  Esq.,  kindly  offered  three  prizes  for  three  plants  in  bloom  in 
pots  not  more  than  5  inches  in  diameter.  For  these  there  was  good 
competition,  the  awards  being  : — First,  10s.,  Mr.  McCnllock  ;  second, 
7s.,  Mr.  Raikes  ;  third,  5s.,  Mr.  Ross.  Mrs.  Cary  Batten  kindly  distri¬ 
buted  the  prizes,  and  in  responding  to  a  vote  of  thanks,  expressed  her 
regret  at  the  absence  of  the  President,  her  pleasure  in  being  present 
at  such  an  interesting  gathering,  and  wished  the  Society  every  possible 
success. 
-  Emigrants’  Information  Office. — rThe  January  circulars  of 
the  Emigrants’  Infox’ination  Office  and  the  annual  editions  of  the  penny 
handbooks  show  the  present  prospects  of  emigration.  The  notice 
boards  are  now  exhibited,  and  the  circulars  may  be  obtained  free  of 
charge  at  nearly  500  public  libraries  and  institutions  throughout  the 
country.  It  is  too  early  in  the  season  for  the  ordinary  emigrant  to  go 
to  Canada,  unless  he  has  friends  to  go  to  or  money  to  keep  him  till  the 
spring,  when  there  is  likely  to  be  the  usual  demand  for  competent 
farm  labourers.  In  New  South  Wales  there  is  practically  no  demand 
for  ordinary  farm  or  station  hands.  In  Victoria  there  is  not  much 
improvement  in  the  general  demand  for  labour,  except  that  a  consider¬ 
able  number  of  those  out  of  employment  have  been  set  to  work  on 
railwav  construction.  There  has  been  a  considerable  amount  of  settle¬ 
ment  on  the  land  recently,  and  dairying  has  made  special  progress. 
In  South  Australia  there  has  been  a  demand  for  farm  hands,  and 
for  married  couples  without  children  for  farm  and  station  work.  In 
Queensland  there  has  been  a  general  improvement  in  trade  and  in  the 
demand  for  labour ;  the  depression  has  almost  entirely  passed  away, 
and  the  disposal  of  the  unemployed  has  ceased  to  be  a  difficulty. 
There  is  a  good  demand  for  farm  labourers.  Free  and  assisted  passages 
are  now  being  granted  to  farm  labourers.  In  Western  Australia  the 
population,  though  it  has  rapidly  increased,  is  still  small,  and  therefore 
the  demand  for  all  kinds  of  labour  is  necessarily  limited.  The  chief 
demand  is  for  farm  labourers.  In  Tasmania  the  supply  of  farm 
labourers  is  sufficient.  In  New  Zealand  competent  farm  hands  and 
shearers  have  no  difficulty  in  getting  work  in  country  districts  during 
the  present  busy  season.  With  regard  to  South  Africa  persons  are 
warned  against  going  there  at  the  present  time  in  search  of  work.  J 
-  Destruction  of  Ants. — The  latest  method  of  destruction  of 
ants  is  said  to  bo  the  use  of  gasoline.  Pour  about  a  half  pint  of 
gasoline  into  the  ant  hill  or  nest,  and  set  it  afire.  The  gasoline  will 
instantly  spread  through  all  the  nest,  and  as  the  heat  on  the  surface 
increases  the  gas  will  generate  from  the  utmost  recesses,  and  the  fire 
will  cook  the  ants.  Half  a  pint  of  gasoline  will  burn  from  three  to 
eight  hours,  and  kill  every  ant  in  the  largest  nest,  as  well  as  all 
which  attempt  to  enter  it  from  without. —  (“  Tropical  Agriculturist.”) 
-  The  Horticultural  Directory  and  Year  Book  for  1900. — 
The  forty-first  issue  of  this  familiar  annual,  or  handy  book  of  reference 
in  gardeners’  homes  and  the  offices  of  business  men  connected  with 
horticultural  pursuits,  is  now  ready,  and  advertised  in  the  present 
issue.  It  is  larger  than  any  of  its  predecessors,  contains  more 
addresses  of  gardeners  than  before,  with  changes  received  up  to  the 
time  of  going  to  press  ;  also  lists  of  nurserymen  and  florists  at  home 
and  abroad ;  a  descriptive  register  of  new  plants  that  were  honoured 
during  the  past  year ;  much  information  of  permanent  value,  with  a 
great  variety  of  the  best  garden  requisites  of  leading  firms  and  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  the  industry  of  horticulture.  The  work  may  be  fairly 
described  as  a  big  shilling  budget  of  gardeners  and  gardening. 
-  Aloe  somaliensis. — This  new  species  is  flowering  for  the 
first  time  at  Kew,  the  specimen  being  in  the  Mexican  house.  It  was 
collected,  together  with  Kalanchoe  flammea  and  other  things,  by  Miss 
Cole  in  Somaliland  in  1895,  and  through  her  it  reached  the  Kew 
collections.  It  is  a  dwarf-growing  species,  the  plant  in  question 
being  but  a  few  inches  high.  It  forms  a  dense  rosette  of  leaves, 
which  are  from  5  to  7  inches  long,  2|  inches  wide  at  the  base,  taper¬ 
ing  to  a  point,  the  margins  armed  with  stout  prickles,  and  prettily 
mottled  light  and  dark  green  in  colour.  The  flowers  are  small  and 
pink,  produced  in  quantity  on  a  branched  raceme  2  feet  in  height. 
For  lovers  of  succulent  plants  this  will  be  a  welcome  addition,  the 
marbled  leaves  being  decidedly  ornamental. — W.  D. 
-  The  Weather  100  Years  Ago. — According  to  arecord  in  the 
“Annual  Register  ”  there  were  only  173  dry  days  in  England  in  1799. 
By  a  diary  kept  at  Norwich  the  number  is  shown  to  have 
incr.eased  to  214  in  1800.  There  were  twenty  in  January,  twenty- 
three  in  February,  fourteen  in  March,  seven  in  April,  twenty-three  in 
May,  sixteen  in  June,  twenty-eight  in  July,  sixteen  in  August,  four¬ 
teen  in  September,  seventeen  in  October,  fifteen  in  November,  and 
twenty-one  in  December. 
_  Sussex  Weather. — The  total  rainfall  for  December  at  Abbot’s 
Leigh,  Haywards  Heath,  was  1’69  inch,  being  I'OS  inch  below  the 
average.  The  heaviest  fall  was  0'27  inch  on  the  29th.  Rain  fell  on 
fourteen  days.  The  total  for  the  year  was  31T4  inches,  which  is 
1-43  inch  above  the  average  of  twenty  years.  The  average  yearly 
fall  for  the  ten  years,  1880-1889  inclusive,  was  30  65,  that  of  the  ten 
years,  1890-1899,  was  28-77,  thus  reducing  the  average  for  the  twenty 
years  to  29-71  inches.  The  maximum  temperature  was  52°  on  the  1st, 
the  minimum  16°  on  the  16th.  Mean  maximum  41-10°,  mean  minimum 
30-17° ;  mean  temperature  35-63°,  which  is  2-46°  below  the  average  of 
eleven  years. — R.  I. 
METBOROliOGZCAIi  OBSERVATZOirS  B.T  CHISWICK. 
— Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Hh 
o 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
<D 
1899. 
.2'g 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
Bain. 
At 
At 
At 
c  52 
o  o. 
vj  a 
v 
H 
December. 
5 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
1-ft. 
deep. 
2-ft. 
deep. 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Sunday  21 
N.N.W. 
deg. 
41-1 
deg. 
40-5 
deg. 
45-1 
deg. 
31-0 
ins. 
deg. 
38-5 
deg. 
41-5 
deg. 
45-4 
deg. 
28 -5 
Monday  25 
N.W. 
36-4 
35-1 
42-2 
30-5 
0-06 
38-1 
41-5 
45-5 
23-0 
Tuesday  2(3 
S.W. 
38-2 
37-6 
41-6 
33-3 
0-05 
37-2 
41-3 
45-3 
23-9 
Wed’sday  -27 
N.W. 
28-5 
27-9 
34-2 
27-6 
— 
37-3 
41-1 
45-2 
26-0 
Thursday  28 
E. 
35-0 
34-7 
49-0 
26  5 
0-17 
36-5 
40-8 
45-1 
21-0 
Friday  ..29 
S.S.E. 
49-5 
46-0 
50-1 
34-6 
0*20 
38-8 
40-6 
44-9 
33-1 
Saturday  30 
S.W. 
45-6 
40-9 
47-9 
43-9 
— 
40-9 
41-5 
44*y 
37.3 
Means  .. 
39-2 
37-5 
44-3 
3-2-5 
Total 
0-48 
38-2 
41-2 
46*2 
27-5 
A  week  of  frost  and  rain  with  intervals  of  bright  sunshine,  and  a 
gale  on  the  29th. 
