May  24,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
445 
Coventry  Chrysantbemum  Society. — The  schedule  of  this 
society  for  the  show  to  he  held  in  the  Market  Hall,  Coventry,  on 
November  6th  and  7th  is  now  before  us,  and  will  be  forwarded  to 
intending  exhibitors  on  application  to  the  secretary,  Mr.  J.  Cooper, 
31,  Foleshill  Road,  Coventry.  It  is  not  a  large  schedule,  but  the  thirty- 
one  classes  are  sufficiently  diversified  to  make  an  admirable  show, 
provided  the  entries  are  as  strong  as  they  ought  to  be.  There  are  four 
divisions  subject  to  the  usual  restrictions.  A  sum  of  £12  is  offered  in 
three  prizes  for  a  50  feet  group  of  Chrysanthemums,  this,  with  others 
for  cut  blooms,  being  open  to  all  comers.  The  cottagers’  section  is 
mainly  devoted  to  vegetables. 
Royal  Botanic  Society. — The  exhibition  at  Regent’s  Park  on 
Wednesday,  16th  inst,  was  like  its  immediate  predecessors,  a  very  small 
one.  The  authorities  had  vacated  the  usual  position  for  the  summer 
show  under  canvas,  and  the  exhibits,  which  were  of  course  mainly  from 
trade  growers,  found  ample  accommodation  in  the  corridor  and  con¬ 
servatory.  Amongst  the  more  prominent  exhibitors  were  Messrs.  J. 
Laing  Sons,  Forest  Bill,  who  shewed  miscellaneous  foliage  and 
flowering  plants ;  Messrs.  J.  Carter  &  Co.,  High  Holborn,  who  con- 
tribnted  Cineraria  stellata  in  considerable  variety ;  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons,  Covent  Garden,  who  sent  Tulips  in  fine  form  j  Messrs.  Chea^ 
and  Sons,  Crawley,  who  exhibited  sprays  of  flowering  trees  and  shrubs; 
and  Messrs.  W.  Paul  &  Son,  Waltham  Cross,  and  B.  R.  Cant,  Colchester^ 
both  of  whom  were  represented  by  magnificent  Roses.  Fruit  trees  in 
pots  were  staged  by  Messrs.  T.  Rivers  &  Son,  Sawbridgeworth,  and 
needless  to  say  they  were  splendidly  grown. 
Agricultural  Holdings  Bill. — A  special  meeting  of  the  council 
of  the  Central  and  Associated  Chambers  of  Agriculture,  called  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  the  Agricultural  Holdings  Bill,  took  place  on 
Friday  afternoon  in  the  Westminster  Hall  Grand  Committee  Room. 
Mr.  V.  Cavendish,  M.P.,  presided,  and  there  was  a  large  attendance. 
Mr.  Lipscomb,  chairman  of  the  Agricultural  Holdings  Act  Committee^ 
moved  a  resolution  expressing  a  hope  that  the  Bill  now  before 
Parliament  would  be  amended  in  accordance  with  the  recommend¬ 
ations  adopted  by  the  committee  in  June,  1894,  and  reaffirmed  in  the 
report  of  the  committee  adopted  by  the  council  on  the  3rd  of  April 
^ast.  The  more  important  of  the  recommendations  referred  to  are  as 
follows  : — 1,  That  compensation  for  the  unexhausted  value  of  permanent 
pasture  laid  down  by  the  tenant  should  be  secured  to  the  tenant  ; 
2,  That  an  outgoing  tenant  should  be  entitled  to  receive  compensation 
representing  the  unexhausted  value  to  an  incoming  tenant  of  two 
years’  and  older  seeds,  if  a  good  plant,  and  if  the  land  be  clean  and 
in  good  heart;  3,  That  power  should  be  given  to  arbitrators  to  award 
compensation  for  long-continued  use  of  manures  ;  and  4,  That  both 
landlord  and  tenant  should  be  required  to  give  twenty-eight  days’ 
notice  of  claims,  allowance  being  made  for  amendment  of  the  land¬ 
lord’s  claim  in  respect  of  dilapidations  to  buildings.  Professor  Long 
seconded  the  motion.  The  motion  was  carried  by  a  large  majority, 
and  the  meeting  shortly  afterwards  terminated. 
Royal  Meteorological  Society.— The  first  afternoon  meeting 
of  the  present  session  was  held  on  Wednesday  the  16th  inst.  at  the 
society’s  rooms,  70,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster,  Dr.  C.  Theodore 
Williams,  president,  in  the  chair.  A  most  interesting  paper  was  read 
on  “The  Witshire  Whirlwind  of  October  1st,  1899,”  which  had  been 
prepared  by  the  late  Mr.  G.  J.  Symons,  P.R.S.,  a  few  days  before  he 
was  stricken  with  pftialysis.  This  whirlwind  occurred  between  2  and 
3  P.M.,  commencing  near  Middle  Winterslow,  and  travelling  in  a  north- 
north-easterly  direction.  The  length  of  the  damage  was  nearly  twenty 
miles,  but  the  average  breadth  was  only  about  100  yards.  In  this 
narrow  track,  however,  buildings  were  blown  down,  trees  were  uprooted, 
and  objects  were  lifted  and  carried  by  the  wind  a  considerable  distance 
before  they  were  deposited  on  the  ground.  Fortunately  the  greater 
part  of  the  district  over  which  the  whirlwind  passed  was  open  down^ 
otherwise  the  damage,  and  perhaps  loss  of  life,  would  have  been  con¬ 
siderable.  At  Old  Lodge,  Salisbury,  the  lifting  power  of  the  whirlwind 
was  strikingly  shown  by  several  wooden  buildings  being  lifted  up  and 
dropped  down  several  feet  north-west  of  their  original  position.  At  a 
place  eighteen  miles  from  its  origin  the  whirlwind  came  upon  a  rick  of 
Oats,  a  considerable  portion  of  which  it  carried  right  over  the  village 
of  Ham,  and  deposited  in  a  field  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  away- 
A  paper  by  Dr.  Nils  Ekholm  of  Stockholm  was  also  read  on  “  The 
Variations  of  the  Climate  of  the  Geological  and  Historical  Past  and 
heir  Causes.” 
The  Weather  In  Dublin. — The  climate  of  the  Irish  metropolis 
for  the  current  month  is  far  from  being  pleasant,  although  the  earlier 
days  were  fine,  but  cold  with  sharp  east  winds.  Latterly  the  days  have 
been  summerlike.  The  rainfall  was  slight.  The  advent  of  summer  is 
discernible  in  the  quickening  pulses  of  the  forests  and  hedges.  In  the 
gardens  the  impressions  are  deeply  shown,  as  well  in  the  rock  garden  as 
in  every  other  section  of  the  completely  equipped  estate.  The  orchards 
are  in  very  good  trim,  and  the  trees  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  county 
around  the  metropolis  having  been  heavily  laden  with  blossoms.  The 
vegetable  garden  is  just  beginning  to  show  the  results  of  more  genia 
conditions. 
Flying  Beech  Zicaves. — At  about  four  o’clock  on  the  afternoon 
of  Sunday,  April  1st,  my  attention  was  arrested  by  the  fall  of 
numbers  of  dried  Beech  leaves.  On  looking  up  I  found  that  the 
leaves  were  passing  in  large  numbers  from  east  to  west,  and  as  high 
as  the  limit  of  vision.  Many  appeared  to  be  mere  specks,  whose  height 
and  motion  promised  them  a  journey  of  some  miles  at  least.  The 
shower  continued  for  perhaps  twenty  minutes.  The  fall  was  noticed 
by  many  persons  here,  says  a  Wallingford  writer  in  “  Knowledge,” 
who  were  unable  to  account  for  it,  as  there  are  no  Beech  trees 
within  two  miles  at  nearest.  Probably  the  leaves  had  been  raised  by 
a  whirlwind,  and  at  a  very  considerable  distance  east  of  this  neigh, 
bourhood.  A  friend,  who  was  some  three  miles  east  of  my  station, 
witnessed  the  phenomenon,  and  states  that  by  the  aid  of  a  field-glass 
he  could  see  leaves  still  higher  than  those  visible  to  the  naked  eye 
and  yet  felt  that  he  had  not  even  then  reached  the  highest.  The 
morning  had  been  clear  and  bright,  but  at  the  time  of  this  occurrence 
the  east  sky  was  covered  with  a  thick  thundery-looking  haze.  There 
was  no  surface  wind.  Barometer  steady  at  about  30 '2  inches. 
Disastrous  Weather. — The  cold  snap  and  the  searching  north¬ 
easterly  wind  that  accompanied  it  have  caused  havoc  in  the  orchards  and 
fruit  gardens.  It  is  not  much  satisfaction  to  know  that  tbe  visitation 
was  by  no  means  exceptional,  nor  does  it  tend  to  minimise  the 
unpleasantness  of  the  midwinter  atmosphere  to  be  assured  by  the 
authorities  at  the  Meteorological  Office  that  the  present  is  by  no 
means  the  most  severe  that  has  been  experienced  in  May,  and  that 
the  changes  in  1891  and  1895  were  much  more  violent,  and  caused 
enormous  destruction  in  orchards  and  fruit  gardens.  The  reports 
from  the  fruit-growing  districts  indicate  that  the  frost  has  left  its 
mark.  In  Kent  the  Plum  blooms  have  suffered  badly,  and  in  places 
Strawberries  have  been  severely  nipped  ;  but  Apples  and  Cherries  are 
fortunately  said  to  have  escaped.  Wind  and  frost  have  seriously 
damaged  the  fruit  crop  in  Oxfordshire.  The  outlook  in  Mid-Sussex 
is  gloomy.  Blight  is  setting  in  in  Currants  and  Cherries,  Strawberries 
are  black.  Pear  blossoms  are  falling,  and  Plum  blooms  are  turning 
yellow.  Apples  and  Gooseberries,  however,  are  unaffected,  and 
Peaches  grown  in  the  open  are  well  set.  In  the  Windsor  district 
both  flowers  and  fruit  are  suffering.  The  Queen’s  gardens,  however, 
are  sheltered,  and  very  little  damage  is  reported,  despite  the  bitter 
weather.  Mr.  Hugh  Clements,  the  well-known  weather  prophet,  says 
the  summer  will  be  a  remarkably  fine  one.  During  July  there  will 
be  a  drought  throughout  the  British  Isles,  with  the  exception  of  the 
west  of  Ireland.  September  will  be  a  wet  month. 
Meteorologrlcal  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — 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. 
9 
-gS  s? 
itoo. 
o  ^ 
5 .9 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
Bain. 
At 
At 
®  g  § 
& 
O 
hj  a  c 
May. 
u 
S 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
l-£t. 
deep. 
2-ft. 
deep. 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Sunday..  13 
N.E. 
deg. 
46-7 
deg. 
41-0 
deg. 
48-9 
deg. 
41-5 
ins. 
deg. 
50-8 
deg. 
51-0 
deg. 
49-8 
deg. 
39-1 
Monday.  .14 
E.N.K. 
46-4 
401 
54-6 
37-5 
— 
49-5 
60 -6 
49-8 
30-4 
Tuesday  15 
E.N.E. 
5U-1 
42-6 
60  0 
38-5 
— 
49-9 
50-4 
49-8 
30-8 
Wed’sd'ay  16 
E.N.E. 
48-7 
43-5 
56-3 
33-3 
— 
49-7 
50-2 
49-0 
22-1 
Thursday  17 
E.X.E. 
45'S 
41-2 
03-5 
420 
— 
£0-8 
50-4 
49-0 
41-1 
Friday  ..  18 
N.E. 
64-4 
47-2 
65-3 
46  5 
— 
53-2 
50-9 
49-8 
51 '5 
Saturday  19 
N.E. 
49-0 
41-7 
57-8 
41-8 
— 
51-3 
61-2 
49-8 
38 ’6 
Means  .. 
48-7 
42-5 
56-1 
40-2 
Total 
50  7 
50-7 
49*7 
34-8 
The  weather  during  the  week  has  been  dull  and  cold.  No  rain 
has  fallen  since  the  11th  inst. 
