February  16,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
135 
Recent  Weatber  In  Iiondon.  —  One  of  the  heaviest  snow 
storms  for  many  years  visited  the  metropolis  on  Saturday  evening. 
The  fall  commenced  just  after  five  o’clock  and  continued  for  about 
two  and  a  half  hours,  during  which  time  upwards  of  4  inches  came 
down.  The  night  and  Sunday  were  frosty,  but  on  Monday  there  came 
a  gradual  thaw  which  was  welcomed  by  many,  notwithstanding  the 
slush  it  created.  On  Tuesday  it  was  dull  and  light  snow  fell  at 
intervals,  more  freely  at  night,  continuing  on  Wednesday  with  a 
steady  thaw. 
Weather  In  the  Worth.  — The  frost  that  set  in  with  the  beginning 
of  the  month  continues  with  increased  severity,  having  ranged  from 
13^  on  the  5th  to  22°  on  Sunday  morning.  Heavy  snowfalls  are 
reported  from  both  north  and  south  of  the  country,  and  the  appearance 
on  Monday  with  19°  of  frost  was  quite  unchanged. — B.  D.,  8.  Perthshire. 
Gardening  Appointments. — We  learn  that  Mr.  Henderson  has 
resigned  his  appointment  at  Thoresby,  after  thirty-eight  years’  service, 
on  an  annuity  which  his  late  employer  left  him  at  his  death.  His 
foreman,  Mr.  William  Robertson,  succeeds  him.  Mr.  J.  Barson,  for  the 
past  five  years  general  foreman  at  Eastnor  Castle,  and  previously  at 
Osberton  Hall,  Notts,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to  the  Earl 
of  Sandwich,  Hinchingbrook,  Huntingdon.  Mr.  James  MacMachan^ 
late  head  gardener  to  H.  B.  St.  George,  Esq.,  of  Brackernagh  Lodge, 
County  Galway,  has  been  appointed  to  a  similar  position  in  the  gardens 
of  E.  F.  Baker,  Esq.,  Tuxedo  Park,  New  York,  U.S.A.  ;  and  Mr.  John 
J.  Brian,  late  head  gardener  to  Sir  Edward  Hudson  Rinahan,  Bart., 
Glanville  Manor,  Fermoy,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to 
Captain  Rye,  D.L.,  Ryecourt,  Cork,  in  succession  to  Mr.  S.  McLean. 
rrult  Tree  Pruning. — It  has  always  impressed  me,  since  coming 
to  years  of  discretion,  that  half  the  operators  in  the  above  process,  if 
asked  the  best  time  to  prune  fruit  trees,  would  name  the  winter.  I 
am  a  strong  advocate  of  summer  pruning,  or  pinching,  but  where  this 
is  done  it  has  to  serve  in  many  instances  for  both  seasons,  on  the 
score  that  as  the  tree  looks  tidy  and  trim,  other  more  important  (?) 
work  must  i-eceive  attention.  This  reasoning  is  radically  wrong,  and 
should  not  be  allowed  a  place  in  any  gardener’s  mind.  All  the  same,  it 
is  a  fact  that  if  anything  has  to  be  neglected  in  the  routine  of 
gardening  it  is  the  fruit  trees.  This  cannot  be  denied,  at  least  in  a 
large  district  known  to  me.  Whether  trees  were  summer  pruned  or 
not  they  should  be  put  in  order  now,  as  nothing  looks  so  ungardenerlike 
as  an  ill-pruned  tree,  whether  on  a  wall  or  in  the  open  ground. — 
A  Midland  Gardenek. 
The  Season’s  Bloom. — It  may  be  rather  early  yet  to  take  stock 
of  fruit  bloom  prospects.  Certainly  there  is  no  lack  of  buds.  Nature 
having  done  her  part  in  furnishing  those  in  abundance.  Further,  we 
have  had  rain  in  much  greater  plenty  than  fell  last  winter,  and,  so  far^ 
the  outlook  is  promising.  But  one  of  the  most  agreeable  features  of 
the,  winter  up  to  the  present  time  at  least,  has  been  the  entire  absence 
of  exceptionally  warm  days,  such  as  we  have  often  had  at  Christmas, 
and  in  January  and  February,  and  which  warmth  has  so  often  forced 
bloom  buds  open  weeks  before  they  should  under  normal  conditions  be. 
We  have  now  got  into  February,  and  nothing  in  connection  with  fruit 
production  outdoors  is  forward,  indeed  all  things  are  in  a  very  restful 
condition.  If  we  can  find  the  same  comparatively  dormant  condition 
existing  when  we  get  into  March  then  we  shall  have  good  reason  for 
hope.  Early  in  April  is  quite  soon  enough  for  Peaches,  Nectarines, 
and  Apricots  to  bloom,  and  towards  the  end  of  the  month  for 
Pears,  Plums,  or  other  fruits  on  east  or  west  walls,  with  early  in 
Mav  for  Apples  and  Pears  in  the  open.  All  the  settings,  if  the 
bloom  expands  at  the  times  named,  have  the  advantage  of  greater 
warmth  and  light  to  assist  fertilisation,  and  fecundation  is  much 
more  rapidly  secured.  \Yhen  bloom  expands  early  it  often  does  so 
before  the  fertile  organs  are  fully  matured,  and  then,  if  a  spell  of 
considerable  cold  follows,  pollen  grains  are  greatly  injured.  No 
weather  conditions  seem  to  be  more  productive  of  a  good  fruit  crop 
than  does  a  cold  winter  and  a  warm  spring. — A.  D. 
Royal  nseteorologlcal  Society. — At  the  ordinary  meeting  of 
the  Society  to  be  held  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great 
George  Street,  Westminster,  on  Wednesday,  the  21at  inst.,  at 
7.30  P.M.,  the  following  papers  will  be  read  : — “  Report  on  the 
Phenological  Observations  for  1899,”  by  Edward  Mawley,  F.R.Met.Soc., 
F. R.H.S.  “  Results  of  Percolation  Experiments  at  Rothamsted, 
1870-99,”  by  Robert  H.  Scott,  D.Sc.,  F.R.S. 
Presentation  to  Mr.  J.  Barson. — Mr.  J.  Barson,  who  on  his 
leaving  Eastnor  Castle,  where  he  has  been  general  foreman  for  the 
past  five  years,  was  on  February  8th  presented  with  a  handsome  silver 
tea  and  coffee  service  from  the  staff  in  the  Castle  Gardens.  Mr. 
G.  Mullins,  the  head  gardener,  made  the  presentation,  and  said  Mr. 
Barson  had  the  good  wishes  of  all  in  his  new  undertaking.  In  addition 
to  the  above  Mr.  Barson  was  presented  with  a  handsome  marble  clock 
from  the  members  of  the  Eastnor  Castle  Cricket  Club. 
Renewing-  Fruit  Trees. — Many  blanks  in  gardens  and  orchards 
remain  to  be  filled,  and  spring  planting  rightly  done  answers  very  well. 
Usually  the  best  fruit  catalogues  give  sound  hints  as  to  varieties  most 
suitable  for  certain  positions,  but  every  fruit  grower  should  give  his 
closest  attention  to  those  best  adapted  to  the  soil  and  situation  at 
his  command.  Never  plant  a  tree  in  the  previous  one’s  position 
without  using  fresh  soil.  A  good  top  spit  of  old  meadow  land, 
incorporated  with  road  scrapings  if  too  retentive,  a  little  decayed 
manure,  and  mortar  rubble  or  lime  scraps,  especially  if  for  stone 
fruit,  should  prove  a  good  medium  for  most  fruit  trees  to  thrive  in. 
Take  out  the  old  soil  1  yard  deep  and  wide,  and  if  the  situation  is 
wet  well  drain  with  brickbats  covered  with  turves.  A  stagnant 
subsoil  is  a  common  cause  of  the  cracking  in  Pears  as  well  as 
Apples.  This  may  be  remedied  by  healthy  roots  kept  nearer  the 
surface  in  sweet  wholesome  soil.  Plant  carefully  and  well,  and  good 
results  will  follow. — W.  S.  D. 
Cunnlnghamla  sinensis. — ^A  native  of  the  southern  parts  of 
China,  this  is  one  of  the  handsomest  Conifers  in  cultivation,  and  at 
the  same  time  one  of  the  most  difficult  to  deal  with.  In  common 
with  many  other  plants  of  this  order,  it  has  the  habit  of  continuing 
to  grow  late  in  the  autumn,  and  commencing  again  early  in  the  spring, 
so  that  severe  frosts  cut  these  premature  or  unripened  growths  off,  and 
cause  the  plants  to  assume  a  dwarfed,  spreading  condition,  instead  of 
making  fine  Araucaria-like  specimens  40  to  50  feet  high,  as  they  do 
in  their  native  habitat.  Such  being  the  case,  it  is  only  in  warm, 
sheltered  situations  that  it  can  be  seen  to  the  best  advantage.  It 
should  be  planted  in  a  deep,  rich,  rather  stiff  but  well  drained  soil, 
and  must  not  be  allowed  to  suffer  from  want  of  water  at  any  time. 
The  leaves,  nearly  2  inches  in  length,  are  sickle-shaped  with  a  twist 
at  the  base,  coriaceous  in  texture,  light  green  above,  and  marked 
beneath  with  two  broad  glaucous  lines.  The  edges  are  serrated,  a 
character  which  is  far  from  being  common  among  Conifers.  It  was 
first  introduced  to  this  country  in  1804,  but  is  not  as  yet  either  a 
common  or  a  popular  plant. — C. 
lO-otes  from  Ireland.— The  weather  is  severe,  with  snow  and 
heavy  night  frosts.  My  footsteps  left  their  imprint  in  the  snow  for 
several  miles  ere  the  seat  of  Lord  Cloncurry  at  Lyons  was  reached. 
The  time  spent  with  Mr.  Rigg,  the  gardener  in  chief,  was  most 
enjoyable.  Carnations  are  a  great  speciality,  and  although  the  season 
is  not  the  most  propitious  for  tree  Carnations,  the  house  was  very 
beautiful.  The  collection  is  a  representative  one.  Mr.  Rigg  has 
raised  a  seedling  which  has  a  bright  future  before  it.  In  an  adjoining 
house  Primulas  and  Cyclamens  were  strongly  in  evidence,  also  bulbous 
plants,  and  a  specimen  of  Daphne  indica  diffused  delightful  fragrance. 
The  experiments  of  Mr.  A.  Black  of  Carton,  for  the  coming  year,  will 
be  watched  with  interest,  after  his  successful  flowering  of  new  hybrid 
Water  Lilies  in  the  open  air.  He  is  going  to  try  and  flower  the  Victoria 
Regia  in  the  same  pond,  also  to  see  if  he  can  grow  the  Papyrus  anti¬ 
quorum  outdoors.  The  Irish  Gardeners’  Association  and  Benevolent 
Society  held  its  annual  meeting  on  January  the  25th.  Mr.  Cotier  was 
President,  and  there  was  a  fair  attendance  of  members.  The  Secretary 
read  the  Committee’s  report  for  the  year  ending  31st  December,  1899, 
which  showed  the  Society  was  making  slow  but  sure  progress. 
The  Chairman,  in  placing  the  report  before  the  members  for  adoption, 
said  he  was  glad  to  see  the  Society  had  made  satisfactory  progress 
and  to  know  the  monthly  meetings  were  a  success.  Mr.  McDjnough 
seconded  the  motion.  The  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  were  then 
elected. — A.  O’Neill. 
