January  18,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
f>l 
Zsle  of  IXflgbt. — The  sixth  annual  meeting  of  the  Isle  of  Wight 
HOiticultnral  Improvement  Association  was  held  at  Newport  Town 
Hall  on  Saturday  last.  Dr.  J.  Groves,  B.A.,  J.P.,  presided  over  a 
large  attendance  of  members.  After  the  minutes  of  the  last  annual 
meeting  had  been  read  and  passed,  the  Hon.  Secretary  read  a 
lengthy  report  of  the  work  done  during  1899,  dealing  with  the 
finances,  in  which  there  is  room  for  improvement,  and  of  the 
excursions,  which  numbered  six.  A  spring  show  was  held  at  Ventnor, 
and  a  fruit  show  at  Eyde.  The  membership  roll  has  gradually 
increased  from  308  to  427,  a  gain  of  119  members.  The  report  was 
adopted  on  the  motion  of  the  Chairman,  after  which  the  election  of 
officers  ensued.  After  the  election  of  several  new  members,  a  social 
entertainment  was  held  at  Warburton’s  Hotel,  at  which  songs  and 
recitations  were  given  by  the  members.  The  year  has  been  one  of 
progress  for  Island  horticulture. — S.  H. 
December  'Weather  at  Hodsock  Priory,  'Worksop, — Mean 
temperature  of  month,  34'3°.  Maximum  in  the  screen,  54‘6°  on  the 
4th  ;  minimum  in  the  screen,  64°  on  the  14th  ;  minimum  on  the  grass, 
6'7°  on  the  14th  ;  number  of  frosts,  in  the  shade,  17  ;  on  the  grass,  27. 
Sunshine,  twenty.eight  hours,  or  12  per  cent,  of  the  possible  duration. 
Rainfall,  2'33  inches.  Difference  from  average,  0‘23  inch.  Rain  fell 
on  eighteen  days.  Maximum  fall,  0'54  inch  on  the  28th.  Rain  from 
January  1st,  22'27  inches.  Difference  from  average,  3  inches.  The 
coldest  December  since  1892.  Mean  temperature,  10°  lower  than  last 
year. — J.  Mallender. 
December  Weather  at  Dowlals. — Rainfall  4'33  inches,  which 
fell  on  twenty-one  days  ;  snow  on  eight  days.  Greatest  rainfall 
1'35  inch  on  the  28th  ;  greatest  snow  0'44  on  the  11th.  Temperatures  : 
mean  maximum  35'065°  ;  highest  reading  47"  on  the  1st,  and  did  not 
rise  higher  than  23°  on  the  14th.  Mean  minimum  23'323° ;  lowest 
reading  7°  on  the  14th  ;  below  freezing  point  twenty-eight  nights,  and 
below  32°  on  thirteen  days.  The  prevailing  direction  of  the  wind  was 
N.E.  and  E.  There  were  twenty-one  sunless  days.  Very  rough  day 
on  the  30th,  with  hail,  rain,  snow,  thunder,  and  lightning  at  about 
7  A.M.,  finishing  with  a  sharp  frost  at  night.  Rainfall  for  the  year 
62'45  inches,  which  fell  on  168  days.  Average  for  the  past  thirteen 
years  48'051  inches. — Wm.  M Abbott. 
December  Weather  at  Belvolr  Castle,  Grantham.  —  The 
wind  was  in  a  southerly  direction  twenty  days.  The  total  rainfall  was 
1'98  inch.  This  fell  on  fifteen  days,  and  was  OTO  inch  below  the  average 
for  the  month ;  the  greatest  daily  fall  was  0'46  inch  on  the  29th.  Baro¬ 
meter  (corrected  and  reduced)  :  Highest  reading  30' 537  inches  on  the 
3rd  at  9  a.m.  ;  lowest  28  355  inches  on  the  29th  at  9  p.m.  Thermo¬ 
meters  :  Highest  in  the  shade  54°  on  the  7th;  lowest  11°  on  the 
14th.  Mean  of  daily  maxima  39'67° ;  mean  of  daily  minima  29  00°. 
Mean  temperature  of  the  month  34'33°.  Lowest  on  the  grass  8°  on  the 
14th ;  highest  in  the  sun  85°  on  the  4th.  Mean  temperature  of  the 
earth  at  3  feet  4l'80°.  Total  sunshine,  forty-four  hours  fifteen 
minutes.  There  were  fifteen  sunless  days.  The  barometer  reading  at 
9  P.M.  on  the  29th  is  remarkable,  it  being  the  lowest  recorded  here 
since  June,  1894,  previous  to  which  date  our  records  are  imperfect. — 
W.  H.  Divers. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. — 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. 
a> 
Bction 
iVind. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
Bain. 
At 
) 
At 
At 
Lowes 
mperai 
in  Gras 
Jan.  ItOO. 
s 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
^  1 
1 
2-ft. 
deep. 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Eh 
Sunday  7 
N.N.W. 
deg. 
40-1 
deg. 
39-2 
deg. 
39-5 
deg. 
30  0 
ins. 
0*03 
deg. 
40-1 
deg. 
41-9 
deg. 
44-8 
deg. 
Monday  8 
s.s.w. 
37  0 
37-0 
48T 
28  8 
0T3 
38-5 
41-9 
44-8 
— 
Tuesday  9 
W.N.W. 
44  T 
42-4 
40-5 
37-2 
0-03 
40-2 
41-5 
44-8 
— 
Wed’sday  10 
N.W. 
41-9 
40  0 
44-7 
35-4 
— 
38-9 
41-7 
44-8 
— 
Thursday  11 
W.N.W. 
34-8 
33  0 
40-9 
33-9 
— 
37-9 
41-5 
44-6 
— 
Friday  ..  12 
E.S.E. 
35T 
34-8 
42-4 
31-6 
— 
37-8 
41-2 
44-6 
1  - 
Saturday  13 
S.E. 
34-2 
32  0 
38-2 
25-2 
— 
1  36-9 
40-8 
44-5 
— 
Means  .. 
38-3 
36-9 
420 
31-7 
Total 
0-19 
38-6 
j  41-5 
44-7 
— 
The  weather  during  the  first  part  of  the  week  was  dull  and  showery, 
the  latter  part  being  fine  and  bright,  with  very  cold  winds. 
A.  Botanical  laboratory  for  Liverpool. — It  is  announced  that 
Mr.  W.  P.  Hartley,  the  well-known  jam  manufacturer  at  Aintree,  is 
about  to  give  £12,000  to  build  and  equip  a  botanical  laboratory  at 
University  College,  Liverpool,  in  connection  with  the  botanical  school. 
This  is  the  third  gift  from  the  same  donor  to  the  city. 
Virginia  as  an  Apple-producing  State.  —  The  Virginia 
State  Commissioner  for  Agriculture,  Hon.  G.  W.  Koiner,  issues  an 
elaborate  report  from  his  department.  It  is  freely  illustrated.  The 
Commissioner  thinks  that  in  ten  years  Virginia  will  be  the  greatest 
Apple-growing  state  in  the  Union.  The  trouble  at  present  seems  to 
be  that  the  trees  are  not  taken  proper  care  of.  If  spraying  was  in 
general  use  in  this  state,  as  it  is  in  others,  the  yield  of  many 
orchards  would  be  increased  25  per  cent.,  and  the  fruit  therefrom 
would  be  of  a  quality  to  command  the  highest  market  prices. 
Careful  Gardening. — It  is  often  said  against  amateur  garden¬ 
ing  that  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables  can  be  bought  in  market 
cheaper  than  they  can  be  raised.  In  some  respects  this  is  true ; 
but  usually  the  amateur  is  a  long  way  ahead  in  the  superiority 
of  the  articles.  This  is  strongly  in  evidence  by  articles  found  in 
English  markets.  Though  steam  and  electricity  are  pouring  the 
best  of  their  products  from  favoured  orchards  into  England  they  are 
tame  compared  with  that  artificially  raised  by  the  beat  English 
gardeners.  In  the  early  part  of  July  Peaches  that  would  ordinarily 
be  pronounced  first-class,  from  Italy  and  other  Nature-favoured  places, 
brought  Is.  6d.  a  dozen.  The  products  of  the  amateur  garden  were 
eagerly  sought  for  at  12s. —  (“  Meehan’s  Monthly.”) 
NATIONAL  DAHLIA  SOCIETY. 
Annual  General  Meeting. 
The  annual  meeting  of  this  Society  was  held  in  the  Hotel  Windsor 
on  Tuesday,  ui  der  the  presidency  of  Ed.  Mawley,  Esq.  There  was  not 
a  particularly  large  company  present,  and  practically  the  whole  of 
them  were  Dahlia  specialists.  Amongst  those  noticed  were  Messrs. 
R.  Dean,  J.  Burrell,  M.  Seale,  J.  R.  Tranter,  A.  Baxter,  F.  W.  Fellowes, 
G.  Gordon,  H.  A.  Needs,  C.  E.  Wilkins,  W.  Fife,  S.  Mortimer,  G.  Wyatt, 
J.  T.  West,  and  J.  F.  Hudson,  Hon.  Secretary.  The  last  named  read 
the  notice  convening  the  meeting,  and  scrutineers  were  selected  for  the 
ballot  in  the  election  of  the  officers  of  the  Committee. 
The  official  report  proved  the  condition  of  affairs  to  be  on  the  whole 
satisfactory,  though,  as  with  other  of  the  special  societies,  the  finances 
are  not  very  flourishing.  Reference  was  made  to  the  decrease  in  the 
number  of  flowers  exhibited  at  the  Crystal  Palace  Show,  which  was 
accounted  for  by  the  extraordinary  season  through  which  the  plants 
had  passed. 
In  moving  the  adoption  of  the  report  and  balance-sheet,  both  of 
which  will  be  published  in  due  course  and  forwarded  to  the  members  of 
the  Society,  Mr.  Mawley  said  that,  taking  everything  into  consideration, 
the  affairs  were  most  satisfactory.  At  first  glance,  perhaps,  the 
financial  statement  was  not  so  good  as  it  might  be,  but  a  study  of 
the  details,  and  a  comparison  with  last  year’s  returns,  removed  any 
doubt  as  to  the  flourishing  condition  of  affairs.  This  was  particularly 
the  case  when  the  two  adverse  Dahlia  seasons  just  passed  are  borne 
in  mind,  as  climatal  fluctuations  must  of  course  militate  more  or  less 
against  the  Society.  Mr.  Mawley  made  touching  allusion  to  the  death, 
in  the  prime  of  life,  of  his  predecessor  in  the  presidential  chair, 
Mr.  T.  W.  Gix’dlestone,  and  spoke  of  his  services  to  the  Dahlia  Society 
and  to  horticulture  generally.  He  said  endeavour  was  being  made  to 
found  a  Girdlestone  Memorial  medal,  and  all  friends  of  the  deceased 
will  wish  the  movement  every  success.  In  all  respects,  said  the 
Chairman  in  conclusion,  it  was  most  desirable  to  keep  abreast  of  the 
times,  and  in  doing  so,  and  propagating  a  love  for  Dahlias,  increase 
in  strength  and  prosperity  year  by  year.  After  being  seconded  the 
motion  was  carried  unanimously. 
In  subsequent  remarks  Mr.  Mawley  paid  a  tribute  to  the  care  and 
interest  taken  in  the  Society  by  Mr.  J.  F.  Hudson,  the  Honorary 
Secretary,  and  congratulated  the  Society  on  having  secured  as 
Honorary  Treasurer  Mr.  C.  E.  Wilkins  of  Swanley  Junction,  whose 
services  will  undoubtedly  tend  towards  the  Society’s  benefit.  It  was 
necessary,  he  pointed  out,  to  reduce  the  prize  money  to  a  small  extent, 
and  this  was  done  after  a  considerable  discussion  of  the  several  classes 
in  the  schedule. 
It  was  decided  to  hold  one  show  only  this  year,  and  naturally 
everyone  is  hoping  for  a  favourable  season,  which  usually  means  a 
handsome  exhibition.  In  addition  to  the  several  special  prizes  in  the 
schedule,  Mr.  F.  W.  Fellowes  suggested  the  inclusion  of  a  class  for  nine 
varieties  of  Dahlias,  grown  and  shown  in  pots,  for  which  he  would 
provide  a  £3  3s.  cup,  or  the  cash  if  preferred.  This  generous  offer 
was  accepted  with  thanks.  A  number  of  new  bye-laws,  mainly  having 
relation  to  the  affiliation  of  provincial  societies,  were  proposed  and 
carried  ;  some  other  routine  business  concluded  the  meeting. 
