270 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GAP.DENER, 
March  29,  1900. 
depicted  is  Galantlius  Tmperati ;  while  the  striped  Crocus  is  Sir  Walter 
Scott  and  the  self  David  Rizzio. 
There  are  pourtrayed  thi-ee  of  the  flowers  of  the  day  ;  more  might 
have  been  added,  but  the  individual  beauty  would  have  been  much 
reduced  if  not  entirely  marred  by  doing  so.  There  is  one  great  point 
in  favour  of  these  and  kindred  vernal  flowers — namely,  that  they  will 
grow  practically  anywhere,  and  it  is  almost  certain  that  a  selection 
might  be  made  which  would  thrive  in  any  reasonable  position.  They 
do  not  call  for  large  outlays  of  time  or  of  money,  and  consequently 
are  amongst  those  plants  that  come  into  the  small  as  well  as  the  large 
garden,  and  flourish  and  give  pleasure  equally  in  both. — H.  Rose. 
Tlie  late  ll(r.  G.  J.  Symons,  F.R.S. 
Few  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  can,  I  think,  have  failed 
to  consult  at  some  time  or  another  the  excellent  little  weather  table 
which  until  recently  appeared  weekly  in  its  pages,  signed  G.  J.  Symons. 
The  first  of  these  weather  reports  made  its  appearance  as  far  back  as 
July,  1870,  and  the  series  only  came  to  an  end  in  July  last  year.  Is 
there  a  single  writer  for  the  Journal,  I  wonder,  who  has  ever  equalled 
this  record  as  a  contributor  week  by  week  without  a  break  for  nearly 
thirty  years.  But,  then,  a  very  brief  glance  at  his  lifework  will,  I  feel 
sure,  be  sufficient  to  show  that  the  late  Mr.  Symons  was  no  ordinary 
man. 
His  career  as  a  meteorologist  may  be  said  to  have  begun  when  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  he  started  an  organisation  for  observing  and 
recording  thunderstorms.  Three  years  later  he  entered  upon  the  great 
work  of  his  life,  when  he  published  the  first  volume  of  “  British 
Rainfall,”  containing  the  returns  fi’om  168  stations  in  the  British  Isles. 
During  the  present  year  will  appear  the  fortieth  volume  of  that 
valuable  annual,  under  the  editorship  of  bis  appointed  successor,  Mr. 
H.  Sowerby  Wallis,  who  has  for  nearly  thirty  years  assisted  him  in  this 
unrivalled  piece  of  rainfall  work.  To  show  how  this  rainfall  organisa¬ 
tion  has  increased  and  expanded,  I  may  state  that  in  the  new  volume 
when  it  comes  out  will  be  found  classified,  discussed,  and  arranged  in 
the  most  exhaustive  manner,  the  records  from  over  3000  observers.  In 
1866,  or  six  years  later,  Mr.  Symons  started  his  “  Monthly  Meteoro. 
logical  Magazine,”  the  last  number  of  which,  and  the  only  one  which 
has  not  contained  a  contribution  from  his  pen,  reached  me  about  a  week 
ago.  Consequently  this,  the  only  magazine  in  this  country  devoted 
exclusively  to  the  science  of  meteorology,  has  been  in  existence  for 
over  thirty  years. 
In  1856  he  joined  the  British  (now  the  Royal)  Meteorological 
Society,  which  the  late  Mr.  E.  J.  Lowe,  F.R.S  ,  whose  death  we  have 
also  to  deplore,  had  assisted  in  founding  only  six  years  previously. 
For  forty-four  years  Mr.  Symons  was  a  Fellow  of  that  society,  and  for 
twenty -five  years  one  of  its  secretaries.  For  forty-two  years,  Mr. 
Wallis  informs  us,  he  supplied  monthly  records  of  meteorological 
observations  to  the  Registrar- General ;  for  forty  years  he  was  a 
member  of  the  general  committee  of  the  British  Association,  and 
served  on  many  of  its  committees,  and  for  nearly  forty  years  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Scottish  Meteorological  Society.  For  twenty-seven 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Societe  Meteorologique  de  France,  and 
served  three  times  on  the  Council.  Added  to  all  this,  throughout  the 
forty  years  in  question  he  kept  continuous  records  of  atmospheric 
pressure,  temperature,  and  rainfall  in  Camden  Square,  and  it  was  from 
these  observations  that  the  weekly  weather  tables  in  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture,  before  referred  to,  were  compiled. 
Then  as  regards  honours,  it  will  suffice  to  mention  that  he  was 
elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  in  1878,  that  he  was  created  a 
Chevalier  de  la  Legion  d’Honneur  in  1891,  and  was  selected  by  the 
Prince  of  Wales  to  receive  the  Albert  medal  of  the  Society  of  Arts 
for  1897.  He  w-as  president  of  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society  in 
1880  and  1881,  and  in  view  of  the  approaching  commemoration  of  the 
society  early  next  month  of  its  fiftieth  year,  he  was  re-elected  president 
only  two  months  ago  for  that  year.  This  is  the  first  instance  in  the 
annals  of  the  society  of  the  re-election  of  any  president  after  having 
once  held  that  office  for  the  usual  term  of  two  years.  From  the  fore¬ 
going  slight  sketch  it  will  be  gathered  that  the  subject  of  this  brief 
memorial  notice  was  not  only  an  eminent  meteorologist,  but  also  a 
most  indefatigable  and  earnest  worker. 
But  how  can  I  hope  to  convey  to  those  of  your  readers  who  did 
not  know  him  as  intimately  as  I  had  the  honour  and  pleasure  of  doing 
for  over  twenty-five  years  the  wonderful  charm  of  his  individuality  ? 
Although  always  busy,  his  usual  hours  of  work  being  from  9  a.m.  until 
11  P.M.,  he  was  ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  any  fellow 
meteorologist  requiring  it.  It  has  often  been  said  of  some  great  man 
who  has  passed  away — 
‘  He  was  a  man,  take  him  for  all  in  all, 
I  shall  not  look  upon  his  like  again.” 
Never  I  think  were  these  words  more  q,ppropriate  than  in  the  case  of 
Mr.  Symons — the  best  known  and  best  beloved  British  meteorologist 
of  his  day.  Nor  can  we  wonder  that  our  loss  should  be  thus  irreparable 
when  we  consider  that  for  over  forty  years  he  had  been  carefully 
training  himself  for  one  special  line  of  work,  a  line  of  work  for  which, 
owing  to  his  genius  for  statistics,  his  powers  of  organisation,  and  his 
genAl  temperament,  he  was  peculiarly  fitted. 
Whether  in  his  study,  in  his  matchless  library  of  meteorological 
works,  at  a  council  table,  at  a  public  meeting,  in  the  house  of  a  friend, 
or  wherever  he  went,  there  was  always  a  certain  indescribable  charm  of 
manner  and  of  speech  which  rendered  him  a  general  favourite. 
Although  such  a  book  lover  he  was  not  the  least  a  pedant.  Indeed,  his 
conversation  and  writings  were  invariably  characterised  by  their 
unpretentiousness,  ready  wit,  and  clearness  and  conciseness  of 
expression. 
Although  for  some  years  on  the  council  of  the  Royal  Botanic 
Society,  he  was  no  horticulturist ;  and  yet  in  hundreds,  if  not  in 
thousands,  of  gardens  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land 
the  name  of  Symons  has  become  a  household  word,  owing  to  the 
numerous  rain  gauges  he  has  from  time  to  time  been  the  means  of 
establishing  all  over  the  country. — E.  M.,  Berhhamsted, 
Notes  on  Figs. 
The  fruits  of  Early  Violet  and  St.  John’s  ripen  on  trees  started  in 
November  or  early  in  December  during  April,  or  under  hard  forcing  in 
March,  and  though  small  are  desirable  for  early  dishes.  Angelique, 
Brown  Ischia,  Pingo  de  Mel,  and  White  Ischia  are  also  excellent  for 
early  forcing  in  pots,  the  fruits  being  wholesome,  and  much  appreciated 
at  table.  All  points  considered.  Brown  Turkey  is  the  best  Pig  for 
general  cultivation,  forcing  well  and  bearing  abundantly.  A  good 
companion  for  it  is  White  Marseilles. 
When  ripening  commences  the  atmospheric  moisture  should  be 
gradually  reduced,  admitting  a  little  air  constantly  by  the  top  venti¬ 
lators,  as  a  circulation  of  rather  warmer  and  drier  air  is  necessary  for 
securing  flavour  and  thorough  ripening,  and  also  for  avoiding  “spot.” 
The  fruits  of  the  later  varieties  are  particularly  liable  to  this  defect 
due  to  a  parasitic  fungus,  Gloeosporium  Iseticolor,  which  is  best  guarded 
against  by  a  little  sulphur  on  the  hot-water  pipes,  withholding  water 
from  the  fruit  and  ventilating  freely.  It  is  also  advisable  to  gradually 
reduce  the  supply  of  water  to  the  roots  when  the  fruit  commences 
ripening,  yet  affording  sufficient  to  keep  the  foliage  healthy.  The 
combined  conditions  appear  to  baffle  the  fungus,  and  favour  high 
quality  and  good  finish  in  the  fruits. 
Early  forced  planted  out  trees  appear  to  swell  and  retain  their  first 
and  most  valuable  crop  when  the  growths  are  kept  somewhat  closely 
pinched  in  the  early  stages,  the  principle  being  that  the  energies  are 
concentrated  on  the  fruit,  instead  of  being  drawn  away  by  allowing 
the  growths  to  extend  considerably.  In  some  cases  pinching  to  three 
leaves  has  the  effect  of  causing  the  first  crop  Figs  to  swell  and  pass  the 
flowering  satisfactorily,  whilst  other  trees  allowed  to  make  five  or  six 
leaves  before  pinching  off  the  points  of  the  shoots  cast  the  fruit 
wholesale. 
These  are  matters  deserving  of  consideration,  and  in  some  cases 
it  may  be  desirable  to  even  still  further  restrict  the  first  growths  so 
as  to  insure  the  first  crop  fruits  swelling  and  being  retained,  for  the 
casting  of  the  first  crop  is  a  great  drawback.  Of  course  the  varieties 
differ  greatly  in  this  respect,  those  named  in  a  foregoing  paragraph 
being,  perhaps,  the  most  reliable  varieties,  other  conditions  being 
favourable.  These  are  restricted  at  the  roots,  surface  fibres  encouraged 
and  kept  active  by  judicious  top-dressings  of  rich  material.  Good 
turfy  loam,  horse  droppings,  and  old  mortar  rubbish  in  equal  parts, 
favour  an  abundant  formation  of  fibres,  and  these  obtained  feeding  is 
an  easy  matter.  To  insure  uniform  moisture  a  light  mulching  of 
decayed  manure  serves  that  end  and  is  a  source  of  nourishment,  this 
being  added  to  from  time  to  time  so  as  to  keep  about  an  inch  thickness. 
Then  liberal  supplies  of  water  or  liquid  manure  will  be  necessary  to 
assist  the  fruit  in  swelling. 
It  is  well  to  continue  to  pinch  out  the  points  of  the  shoots  to  form 
spurs,  and  prevent  overcrowding  by  timely  disbudding,  for  Fig  trees 
cannot  have  too  much  light,  the  growths  being  fully  exposed  to  the 
sun.  Extensions  and  successional  shoots  will  require  attention  betimes 
for  tying,  allowing  space  for  their  thickening.  The  temperature  for 
trees  started  at  the  new  year  or  at  the  beginning  of  February  may  now 
be  increased  to  60°  to  65°  at  night,  70°  to  75°  by  day  with  a  gleam  of 
sun,  and  80°  to  85°  or  90°  under  a  cloudless  sky. 
If  it  is  desired  to  increase  the  stock  cuttings  may  be  inserted, 
selecting  well  ripened  shoots  of  about  6  inches  length,  and  taking  them 
off  with  a  heel  or  portion  of  last  year’s  wood  attached.  They  root  readily 
in  a  gentle  bottom  heat,  all  eyes  being  removed  from  the  part  inserted 
in  the  soil.  They  are  best  potted  in  3-inch  pots,  and  when  rooted  should 
be  shifted  without  much  delay  into  5-inch  pots.  From  the  5-inch  the 
trees  may  be  transferred  to  7-inch  pots,  but  avoid  overpotting.  Good 
drainage  is  necessary,  firm  potting  essential,  and  turfy  loam,  with  a 
fifth  of  thoroughly  decayed  manure  and  a  sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish, 
forms  a  suitable  compost.  The  trees  should  be  trained  with  a  single 
stem  to  a  height  of  about  a  foot,  then  the  point  should  be  pinched  to 
cause  side  growths  to  push,  about  three  being  retained  to  form  the  head, 
pinching  the  shoots  at  from  five  to  six  leaves. — Gkowee, 
