482 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
.Tnrp  7.  TPfO, 
The  Xlnnean  Society. — At  a  recent  meeting  of  this  society  the 
Hon.  C.  Ellis  exhibited  photographs  of  a  Taxodiam  distichum,  growing 
at  Oaxaca,  in  Mexico,  and  of  another  gigantic  tree,  a  native  of 
Cambodia.  The  circumference  of  the  former,  at  a  height  of  3  feet 
from  the  ground,  was  stated  to  be  143  feet,  while  the  height  was 
estimated  to  be  not  more  than  100  feet.  The  native  name  for  this  tree 
is  Sabino. 
Gardeners  and  Floral  Decorations.  —  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Leeds  Paxton  Society,  on  Saturday,  Mr.  John  Turton,  gardener  to  Mr. 
Schreiber  of  Becca  Hall,  gave  an  interesting  lecture  on  “Room 
Decorations.”  He  pointed  out  the  necessity  of  so  arranging  and 
massing  flowers  and  foliage  plants  that  they  shall  harmonise  with 
their  surroundings,  and  he  gave  many  useful  hints  as  to  methods 
and  designs  to  get  the  best  effects  with  flowers  and  Ferns  with  a 
view  to  blending  with  various  shades  of  tapestry.  Afterwards,  Mr, 
Turton  answered  a  number  of  practical  questions,  and  was  accorded 
a  hearty  vote  of  thanks. 
Royal  IVIeteorologlcal  Society. — At  the  invitation  of  the 
president  of  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society  a  meeting  was  held  at  the 
rooms  of  the  society  on  Thursday  afternoon,  the  31st  ult.,  to  consider 
the  question  of  a  memorial  of  the  late  Mr.  G.  J,  Symons,  F.R.S,,  the 
distinguished  meteorologist  and  founder  of  the  British  Rainfall 
Organisation.  It  was  resolved  unanimously  that  the  memorial  should 
take  the  form  of  a  gold  medal,  to  be  awarded  from  time  to  time  by  the 
council  of  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society  for  distinguished  work  in 
connection  with  meteorological  science.  The  meeting  appointed  an 
executive  committee,  representing  many  of  the  societies  with  which 
Mr.  Symons  was  associated,  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  raise  a  fund 
for  that  purpose.  Contributions  will  be  received  by  the  assistant 
secretary,  Mr.  W.  Marriott,  70,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster. 
Watlonal  Rose  Society. — A  special  general  meeting  of  the 
National  Rose  Society  was  held  on  Tuesday  last  at  the  Horticultural 
Club,  Hotel  Windsor,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  an  honorary 
treasurer  in  succession  to  the  late  Mr.  T.  B,  Haywood.  Dr.  Maxwell 
T.  Masters  occupied  the  chair,  and  there  were  about  a  score  of 
members  present,  including  Mr.  Ed.  Mawley,  one  of  the  honorary 
secretaries.  The  notice  convening  the  meeting  having  been  read,  Mr. 
Mawley  referred  briefly  to  the  loss  the  society  had  sustained  in  the 
death  of  their  late  admirable  treasurer,  and  further  stated  that  he 
had  ascertained  that  Mr.  Charles  Burt  Haywood,  son  of  Mr.  T.  B. 
Haywood,  had  consented  to  fill  the  office  until  the  close  of  the  year. 
It  having  been  proposed,  seconded,  and  carried  unanimously,  that  Mr. 
C.  B.  Haywood  be  elected  treasurer  for  the  remainder  of  the  year, 
the  special  meeting  was  brought  to  a  close.  It  is  hoped  that  the  new 
treasurer  may  be  induced  to  continue  to  undertake  the  duties  for  au 
unlimited  period,  as  his  late  respected  father  by  his  business  aptitude 
brought  the  society’s  affairs  into  an  excellent  state,  which  the  son 
could  maintain. 
The  Oak,  the  Ash,  and  the  Weather. — Whether  the  Oak  or 
the  Ash  is  first  out  depends  on  the  soil  on  which  each  happens  to 
stand — whether  warm  gravel  or  cold  clay  ;  also  upon  the  more  sheltered 
position.  The  proverb  is  about  ^as  scientific  as  the  countryman’s 
saying : — 
“  A  Saturday  moon 
And  a  Sunday  full 
Never  was  noa  good 
And  never  wull.” 
Joseph  Blomfield  (in  the  “  Daily  Mail.”) 
n  ^The'saying  should  read  : — 
When  the  Oak  is  out  before  the  Ash,T 
Then  ’twill  be  but  a  little  splash  ; 
When  the  Ash  is  out  before  the  Oak, 
Then  the  summer  will  be  a  soak. 
The  Oak  was  a  month  behind  the  Ash  in  the  years  1816,  1817,  1821, 
1823,  1828,  1829,  1830,  1838,  1840,  1845,  1850,  and  1859,  and  all  the 
autumns  were  unfavourable  and  the  summers  wet.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  Oak  was  in  full  leaf  many  weeks  before  the  Ash  in  1818,  1819;  1820, 
1822, 1824,  1825,  1826,  1827,  1833,  1834,  1835,  1836,  1837,  1842,  1846, 
1854,  1868,  and  1869,  when  the  summers  were  hot  and  dry,  and  the 
harvests  good.  In  the  remaining  years  the  two  trees  came  into  leaf  at 
practically  the  same  time,  and  the  seasons  were  decidedly  average  ones, 
— 0.  W.  Beown  (in  the  “Daily  Mail”). 
Tune  Prospects. — June  “  the  womanhood  of  Iffay,”  although  it 
made  a  bad  beginning,  usually  has  a  promise  of  better  things,  and  we 
look  for  179  hours  of  bright  sunshine  and  a  considerable  increase  of 
temperature.  The  mean  temperature  for  June  averages  60°,  while  the 
highest  reading  we  have  had  since  1871  was  91°  in  1878,  and  the  lowest 
35°  in  1880.  The  average  rainfall  for  the  month  in  London  is 
2  inches. 
IVIay  Weather  at  Hodsock  Priory,  Worksop,  TTotts. — 
Mean  temperature,  50‘1° ;  maximum  in  screen,  70'7°  on  the  17th; 
minimum  in  screen,  30’6°  on  the  11th  ;  minimum  on  grass,  23  0°  on  the 
17th.  Number  of  frosts  in  shade,  two  ;  on  grass,  thirteen.  Sunshine, 
113  hours,  or  23  per  cent,  of  possible  duration.  Difference  from 
average  —  0'61.  Rainfall,  1'72  inch  ;  difference  from  average  —  0’64. 
Rain  fell  on  on  ten  days  ;  maximum  fall,  0'86  on  the  8th.  Rain  from 
January  1st,  10'38  inches;  difference  from  average  +  1'17.  A  dull 
but  dry  month,  with  a  good  deal  of  N.E.  wind  and  very  little  warm 
weather. — J.  Mallender. 
may  Weather  at  Dowlals. — Rainfall  3‘27  inches,  which  fell  on 
fourteen  days  ;  greatest  fall  0'9G  inch  on  the  21st;  for  the  same  period 
1899  4'30  inches.  Temperatures  :  mean  maximum,  57'87°;  highest 
reading  71°  on  the  18th;  mean  maximum  3G'032°;  lowest  reading  28° 
on  the  l7th  ;  below  freezing  point  on  eight  nights.  Sun  temperature  : 
mean  65-903°  ;  highe  st  reading  88°  on  the  18th.  Sunless  days  ten.  The 
prevailing  direction  of  the  wind  was  N.E.  A  month  remarkable  for 
the  bitter  cold,  strong  winds  experienced,  and  the  very  high  day 
temperatures  on  the  16th  and  two  following  days ;  and  the  night 
temperatures  31°,  28°,  and  29°  respectively. — Wm.  Mabbott. 
A  Cold  may. — “Changeable,  cheerless,  and  chilly”  expresses 
the  type  of  weather  we  have  had  during  the  month  of  May.  The 
mean  day  readings,  as  well  as  the  night  readings,  were  below  the 
average,  and  on  the  10th  the  thermometer  in  the  screen  registered 
32°  both  at  Brussels  and  Loughborough,  and  only  34°  at  Oxford. 
Frost  occurred  on  four  nights  between  the  13th  and  19th,  and  on  the 
IGth,  at  Loughborough,  the  reading  of  the  exposed  thermometer  was 
as  low  as  25°.  The  highest  reading  during  the  month  in  London  was 
71°  on  the  27th.  The  rain  god  was  so  busy  distributing  5  inches  of 
rain  at  Blacksod  Point  that  his  duty  to  the  metropolis  was  forgotten, 
and  we  had  a  deficit  of  over  an  inch  of  rain  during  the  mouth,  and 
fifty-five  hours  too  few  of  bright  sunshine. 
The  Weather. — Ugh,  here’s  weather  for  the  first  of  June— cold, 
wild,  wot,  wretched  !  These  are  adjectives  enough,  but  all  needed  to 
fully  describe  the  condition  of  things  meteorological  on  this  the  first 
of  leafy  June.  Well,  the  month  is  leafy  enough — it  is  gloriously  leafy, 
and  when  the  temperature  is  pleasanter  the  trees  are  beautiful  to  look 
upon.  But  what  pleasure  is  there  in  doing  so  when  a  cold  north¬ 
easter  is  blowing,  and  a  v,ery  cold  rain  is  falling  ?  Certainly,  we 
needed  the  rain,  but  we  needed  warmth  more,  and  we  have  got  instead 
of  summer  bread,  winter  stone.  Surely  the  summer  with  its  genial 
warmth  and  especially  soft  balmy  nights  will  come  some  time,  but 
when  ?  We  rejoice  when  we  escape  very  severe  cold  spells  in  the 
winter,  but  what  a  penalty  we  have  to  pay  for  such  mildness  in 
the  long,  cold,  cheerless  springs,  and  summers  that  very  rarely  begin 
until  we  have  reached  the  traditional  midsummer  ! — A.  D. 
nxeteorologlcal  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. 
Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Gra-ss.  • 
1800. 
May 
and 
June. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
s 
•a 
bfi 
5 
-Ad 
91 
o 
Sunday . .  27 
Monday.  .28 
Tuesday  29 
Wed’sd.v30 
Thursday  31 
Friday  ..  1 
Saturday  2 
S.S.E. 
W.N.W. 
W.N.W. 
N.N.K. 
N.N.E. 
N.N.W. 
N.N.E. 
deg. 
61 T 
68-0 
68-4 
62-4 
f)0-9 
48-8 
62-7 
deg. 
64-3 
64-2 
61-8 
48 '3 
47-9 
47-7 
61-0 
deg. 
70-2 
67.6 
65-0 
69-4 
65-9 
62-6 
627 
deg. 
40 '0 
63'6 
421 
47-9 
47-4 
47-6 
47-8 
ins. 
0-09 
0-12 
deg. 
66-6 
68-2 
67-9 
67.6 
667 
66-5 
63  0 
deg. 
63- 6 
64- 3 
66-1 
66-1 
65- 1 
64-9 
64-2 
deg. 
60- 9 
61- 1 
61  3 
61-6 
61-8 
61-9 
62  1 
deg. 
82-6 
40-9 
32-6 
40-1 
46-6 
46-2 
46-8 
Means  .. 
64-6 
60 '8 
61-9 
46-6 
Total 
0-21 
66-3 
64-6 
61-6 
421 
A  remarkably  dull  week  ;  some  days  fuite  sunless.  Small  quantities 
of  rain  fell  on  two  days.  j 
