178 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  1,  1900 
Oardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — We  learn  that 
his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Portland  has  kindly  consented  to  preside  at  the 
annual  dinner  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution,  to  be 
held  in  the  Whitehall  Rooms  of  the  Hotel  Metropole  on  Friday, 
May  18th. 
United  Hoitlcultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. — The 
annual  general  meeting  of  this  Society  will  take  place  at  the 
Caledonian  Hotel,  Adelphi  Terrace,  Strand,  on  Monday,  March  12th, 
at  8  P.M.  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright,  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s 
Gardens,  Chiswick,  has  kindly  consented  to  preside. 
.  Railway  Brnbankments. — It  has  been  noticed  that  many  plants, 
not  natives  of  the  locality,  are  to  be  found  growing  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  great  railroads.  Sometimes  the  seeds  of  these  plants  have  been 
brought  thousands  of  miles  from  their  natural  habitat.  Often  they 
flourish  amid  their  new  surroundings,  and  gradually  spread  over  the 
surrounding  country.  Thus  the  railroads  carry  unsuspected  emigrants, 
which  travel  to  and  from  every  point  of  the  compass. 
Gardening:  Appointments. —  Mr.  Joseph  Tindall,  for  nearly  nine 
years  head  gardener  at  Coed-y-Maen,  Welshpool,  has  been  appointed 
head  gardener  to  Albert  Wood,  Esq.,  Bodlondeb,  Conway.  Mr.  John 
Logan,  late  gardener  to  G.  de  Belle  Ball,  Esq.,  Lisson  Hall,  Swords, 
CO.  Dublin,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to  W.  Woodburn,  Esq., 
The  Heinutage,  Rathfarnham.  Mr.  A.  Browne,  late  head  gardener  to 
—  Pirn,  Esq.,  of  Stradbrooke  Hall,  has  been  appointed  to  a  similar 
nosition  in  the  gardens  of  Mrs.  Henshaw,  St.  Philips,  Milltown,  in  suc¬ 
cession  to  Mr.  McKay.  Mr.  R.  Reader,  late  foreman  Marks  Hall, 
Essex,  to  be  head  gardener  to  R.  A.  Ellis,  Esq.,  Greenwoods,  Stock, 
Essex.  Mr.  A.  Ward,  for  the  past  seventeen  years  head  gardener,  and 
latterly  sub-agent  at  Stoke  Edith  Park,  Hereford,  has  been  appointed 
head  gardener  to  F.  A.  Bevan,  Esq.,  Trent  Park,  New  Barnet,  in  suc¬ 
cession  to  Mr.  W.  H.  Lees,  who  is  starting  business  for  himself  as  a 
fruiterer  and  florist. 
Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — At  a  recent  monthly  meeting 
of  above  Society,  held  at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley,  Mr.  B.  Ladhams, 
F.R.H.S.,  presided.  Mr.  E.  T.  Mellor,  B.Sc.,  London,  Lecturer  in 
Biology  in  the  Hartley  College,  Southampton,  gave  an  illustrated 
lecture  on  the  “  Composition  of  Chemical  Manures  and  their  Application 
to  Various  Soils.”  This  was  most  interesting,  his  first  object  being 
to  illustrate  by  means  of  a  series  of  chemical  experiments,  the 
making  of  a  phosphate  from  a  small  portion  of  phosphorus,  thus 
thoroughly  explaining  to  his  audience  the  nature  of  a  “  phosphate,”  of 
which  there  are  many  kinds.  The  application  of  chemical  manures  to 
the  ground  was  shown  by  another  series  of  chemical  experiments  to  be 
a  matter  requiring  considerable  care.  Mr.  Mellor  stated  that  some  of 
the  Colonial  Government  departments  made  an  analysis  free  of  cost 
of  all  soils  sent  to  them,  thus  enabling  growers  to  select  and  use 
the  manures  most  useful  and  economical  in  each  case.  A  vote  of 
thanks  was  accorded  to  Mr.  Mellor  at  the  close  of  his  remarks. 
Royal  lVIeteorolog:lcal  Society. — The  monthly  meeting  of  this 
Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening  the  21st  ult.  at  the  Institution 
of  Civil  Engineers,  George  Street,  Westminster.  Mr.  E.  Mawley, 
P.R.H.S.,  read  his  report  on  the  phenological  observations  for  last  year, 
in  which  he  showed  that  the  weather  for  the  year  ending  November, 
1899,  was  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  high  temperatures,  scanty  rainfall, 
and  splendid  record  of  sunshine.  The  winter  and  summer  were 
singularly  warm  seasons,  while  the  autumn  was  also  warm,  but  during 
the  three  spring  monchs  rather  low  temperatures  prevailed.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  flowering  season  wild  plants  came  into  blossom  in 
advance  of  their  mean  dates,  but  after  March  they  were  mostly  late  in 
coming  into  bloom.  Taking  the  country  as  a  whole,  the  best  farm  crbp 
of  the  year  was  Wheat ;  the  yield  of  Barley  proved  also  good,  while 
Oats  were  slightly  under  average.  The  crops  mostly  afi:ected  by  the 
dry  weather  were  those  of  hay  and  Turnips,  the  latter  being  in  most 
districts  exceptionally  poor.  The  only  part  of  the  British  Isles  where 
the  summer  drought  was  not  severely  felt  was  in  Ireland,  throughout  a 
great  part  of  which  there  was  abundant  keep  in  the  pastures  during 
the  whole  summer.  This  year  was  a  very  bad  one  for  fruit.  The  yield 
of  Apples,  Pears,  Plums,  and  Strawberries  varied  greatly  in  different 
localities,  but  was  in  most  of  them  much  under  average.  Dr.  R.  H. 
Scott,  P.R.S.,  read  a  paper  giving  the  results  of  the  percolation  experi- 
ments  which  have  been  carried  on  at  Rothamsted  by  Sir  J.  B.  Lawes 
and  Sir  J.  H.  Gilbert  from  September  1870  to  August  1899. 
Honour  for  a  Gardener — We  learn  that  Mr.  A.  MacKellar,  the 
chief  of  the  Sandringham  Gardens,  has  had  conferred  on  him  by  the 
Emperor  of  Germany,  the  Royal  Order  of  the  Crown  of  the  Fourth 
Class. 
Mr.  A.  r.  Barron. — The  many  friends  of  this  well  known 
horticulturist  will  have  sympathised  with  him  in  his  very  pro¬ 
longed  illness.  This  has  prevented  hie  leaving  the  house  for  a 
considerable  period,  and  we  learn  with  regret  that  his  enforced 
confinement  has  to  be  still  further  extended,  as  though  much  improved 
in  health  he  must  not  risk  the  unfavourable  weather  conditions  that 
now  prevail. 
The  Tulip  Tree. — The  only  objection  I  know  to  the  planting  of 
this  tree  in  exposed  situations  is  the  extreme  brittleness  of  the  wood. 
Every  year  when  we  get  the  usual  equinoctional  gale,  during  the  first 
or  second  week  in  September,  the  Tulip  Tree  loses  a  few  branches,  in 
number  and  size  according  to  the  severity  of  the  gale  of  course.  Our 
specimen  is  not  less  than  60  feet  high  ;  it  is  protected  on  the  south¬ 
west  by  other  trees,  but  in  spite  of  this  it  suffers.  The  deep  green  of 
its  leaves  in  the  summer,  and  the  golden  hue  of  autumn,  are  much 
more  attractive  than  its  blossoms,  which  in  my  opinion  are  quite 
insignificant. — E.  M. 
Bawns  and  Other  Grassy  Grounds.  —  The  full  title  of  a 
quarto  book  of  a  couple  of  dozen  pages  which  we  have  received  from 
Messrs.  J.  Carter  &  Co.,  High  Holborn,  is  “  Lawns,  Lawn  Tennis, 
Cricket,  Golf,  and  Other  Grassy  Grounds,”  and  this  may  be  considered 
sufficiently  comprehensive  to  explain  its  contents.  The  information 
given  in  the  various  sections  treated  of  is  thoroughly  sound  and 
reliable,  and  will  prove  of  much  value  to  those  persons  who  have 
such  spaces  to  lay  out  and  keep  in  proper  condition.  The  book  is 
printed  on  excellent  paper,  and  is  profusely  illustrated  with  photo¬ 
graphic  views  of  many  of  the  grounds  in  which  Messrs.  Carter’s  seeds 
have  been  utilised. 
Weather  in  Guernsey. — After  a  dry  warm  autumn,  the  month 
of  December  set  in  unusually  cold,  with  some  sharp  frosts  in  the 
middle  of  the  month.  Since  Christmas  Day  we  have  had  one  long 
spell  of  wet,  with  only  an  average  of  about  two  dry  days  in  a  week, 
and  a  much  varying  temperature;  we  are  in  consequence  very  back¬ 
ward.  The  want  of  sun  for  our  early  crops  under  glass  has  had  a  very 
retarding  effect,  and  in  some  cases  they  have  gone  off  altogether 
especially  French  Beans;  and  unless  a  change  comes  soon  the  Peas 
will  assuredly  suffer  from  mildew.  The  high  price  of  anthracite  coal, 
too,  is  pressing  hard  upon  growers,  especially  those  who  failed  to  lay 
in  stocks  in  the  autumn ;  the  cost,  including  wharfage  dues  and  cart¬ 
ing,  being  now  close  on  30s.  per  ton.  At  this  time  last  year  we  had 
commenced  shipping  Daffodils  pretty  freely,  but  scarcely  any  have 
gone  this  year  yet ;  however,  given  a  few  warm  dry  days,  and  we  shall 
soon  see  a  very  marked  change.  Tomato  planting  is  being  vigorously 
pushed  on  now.  The  early  birds  who  planted  in  January  will,  I  fear, 
not  come  off  very  well  this  time,  the  dull  sunless  weather  having 
prevented  a  decent  show  of  bloom  being  formed. — X. 
■I 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Rain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1600. 
February. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
ad 
00 
OJ 
A 
S 
CR 
V 
o 
1-^ 
Sunday . .  18 
Monday.  .19 
Tuesday  20 
Wed’sday  21 
Thursday  22 
Friday  ..  23 
Saturday  24 
S.W. 
s.w. 
s.  w. 
W.N.  W. 
s.s.w. 
s.s.w. 
s.s.w. 
deg. 
39  T 
51-7 
44-0 
36-2 
46-4 
51-2 
53-4 
deg. 
37-7 
60-2 
40-7 
32-9 
44-9 
60-1 
51-1 
deg. 
51-3 
62  T 
47-2 
45'9 
54  T 
56-2 
56  T 
deg. 
32-8 
38-9 
37- 7 
32  8 
35-8 
38- 4 
50-6 
ins. 
0-08 
0-20 
0-03 
0-08 
OTl 
0-03 
0-09 
deg. 
34- 5 
38- 3 
39- 8 
35- 2 
3S-4 
40- 5 
43-8 
deg. 
36-3 
37  T 
38- 7 
39- 5 
39-6 
39-9 
41-1 
deg. 
40-9 
40- 9 
41- 2 
41-3 
41-6 
41-8 
41-9 
deg. 
23-4 
37-2 
31-2 
26-1 
27-2 
29-5 
47-0 
Means  .. 
46-0 
43-9 
51-8 
38T 
Total 
0-62 
39  T 
38-9 
41-4 
31-7 
A  dull,  damp  week,  with  brief  intervals  of  bright  sunshine. 
Southerly  winds  prevailed;  the  latter  part  of  the  week  being  very 
mild. 
