10 
Journal  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
January  7,  189?; 
-  Plants  for  Dry  Chalk  Bank. — Can  any  reader  assist  me  in 
deciding  what  plants  would  thrive  best  on  a  now  barren  (grass)  bank, 
situated  on  the  Surrey  hills,  southern  aspect  1  Soil  about  4  inches  deep, 
light  loam,  with  subsoil  of  chalk. — G.  K. 
-  Dahlia  Miss  Webster,  —  Referring  to  this  new  white 
Dahlia,  which  during  the  autumn  of  1896  received  so  many  certificates 
and  a  R.H.S.  award  of  merit,  Messrs.  Dobbie  &  Co.  desire  to  say  that 
the  raiser  was  Mr.  William  A.  Kent,  Newchurch,  Sandown,  Isle  of 
Wight,  from  whom  they  obtained  the  stock. 
-  Sweet  Pea  “  Cupid.” — I  have  failed  entirely  in  flowering 
the  dwarf  Sweet  Pea  “  Cupid  ”  either  in  the  open  border  or  in  pots.  In 
summer  flower  bads  were  produced,  but  dropped  as  soon  as  they  ex¬ 
panded.  At  this  time  of  year  nothing  but  tendrils  come  where  the 
blooms  should  be,  though  the  plants  are  fairly  vigorous.  Plants  covered 
with  bloom  have  been  exhibited.  What  is  the  secret  of  growing  them  ? 
— Ross-shire. 
-  Death  of  Mr.  J.  W.  C.  Howe. — We  regret  to  have  to  record 
the  death  of  Mr.  J.  W.  C.  Howe,  which  occurred  on  December  27th, 
the  result  of  an  accident  at  Brading  Station,  Isle  of  Wight.  He  was 
the  son  of  the  late  Mr.  Charles  Howe,  many  years  gardener  at  Benham 
Park,  and  nephew  of  the  present  gardener.  The  deceased  (aged  nine¬ 
teen)  was  a  promising  young  man,  apprenticed  to  a  firm  of  engineers  at 
Newbury,  and  was  spending  his  Christmas  holidays  with  his  widowed 
mother.  Among  the  many  floral  tokens  at  the  funeral  were  one  from 
the  Dowager  Lady  Sutton  and  one  from  Mrs.  Myers  of  Benham. 
-  Wakefield  Paxton  Society.  —  The  proceedings  at  the 
weekly  gathering  of  the  members  of  the  Paxton  Society  on  the  last 
Saturday  in  1896  were  on  totally  different  lines  to  those  on  other 
Saturday  evenings.  Instead  of  an  essay  or  lecture  on  some  horticultural 
or  kindred  topic  there  were  a  smoking  concert  and  a  substantial  supper. 
Mr.  W.  Tunnicliffe,  of  The  Poplars,  Thornes,  presided,  and  the  vice¬ 
chair  was  filled  by  Mr.  B.  Whiteley,  of  Caxton  House. 
-  The  Wonders  and  Romance  of  Insect  Life. — At  the 
London  Institution  recently  Mr.  Fred.  Enock,  F.L.S.,  delivered  a  most 
interesting  lecture  on  “The  Wonders  and  Romance  of  Insect  Life”  a3 
portrayed  in  the  life  histories  of  some  of  the  insects  common  in  every 
London  back  garden.  The  fifty  illustrations  shown  upon  the  screen 
were  the  handiwork  of  Mr.  Enock,  each  one  a  study  from  Nature, 
showing  the  metamorphoses  of  the  various  insects.  Many  of  the 
marvellous  insect  egg  parasites  have  been  discovered  by  the  lecturer, 
who  is  engaged  upon  a  monograph  of  this  most  interesting  but  neglected 
family. — (“  Knowledge.”) 
-  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — At  a  recent  monthly 
meeting  of  this  Society,  held  at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley,  Southampton, 
the  President  in  the  chair,  the  attendance  was  smaller  than  usual.  Mr. 
E.  Molyneux,  Swanmore  Park  Gardens,  gave  a  most  interesting  lecture 
entitled  “Fruit  Culture  under  Glass,”  which  was  chiefly  intended 
to  be  applicable  to  those  who  have  to  do  with  houses  where  it  is 
attempted  to  grow  fruit  with  flowers.  Mr.  Molyneux,  therefore,  took 
what  he  termed  the  “  salient  points  ”  of  the  culture  of  Grapes,  Peaches, 
Nectarines,  and  Melons.  There  was  a  good  discussion  at  the  close  of 
the  lecture,  and  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  E.  Molyneux  closed  the 
proceedings. 
- Advice  on  Fruit  Trees — County  Council  Teaching. — 
A  short  note  was  recently  published  on  pruning  fruit  trees,  and  County 
County  teaching  by  so  called  Technical  Instructors.  Unfortunately 
the  cases  referred  to  are  not  alone.  In  one  instance  advice  was  given 
to  plant  in  a  new  orchard  one-fifth  of  Tom  Putt  Apples  as  standards, 
and  one-tenth  of  Annie  Elizabeth.  The  soil  was  most  unsuitable  for 
Tom  Putt,  and  the  second  variety,  as  most  fruit  growers  know,  is  a  very 
shy  bearer.  The  advice  given  gratis,  and  dear  at  that,  was  not  followed, 
as  the  farmer  consulted  another  person  who  had  some  practical 
experience  in  growing  fruit  for  market,  which  is  far  better  than  theory, 
and  varieties  suitable  to  the  soil  and  situation  were  substituted.  In 
the  same  county  pamphlets  have  been  distributed  amongst  farmers  and 
others  intending  to  plant  fruit  trees,  in  which  they  have  been  advised 
not  to  prune  the  trees  when  planted,  but  to  defer  it  until  the  following 
season.  The  consequence  is  that  instead  of  a  well-formed  head  of  clean 
healthy  wood  there  are  thin  stunted  branches  covered  with  premature 
blossom  buds.— South  Wales.  [We  know  nothing  about  the  soil 
referred  to  as  unsuitable  for  the  Apple  Tom  Putt,  but  Annie  Elizabeth 
has  proved  a  notoriously  slow  bearer,  and  is  therefore  not  planted  by 
experienced  fruit  growers  for  market  purposes.] 
-  Last  Year's  Rainfall  at  Benham  Park,  Newbury,  was 
26-17  inches.  September  was  by  far  the  wettest  month  with  5*43  inches, 
but  upwards  of  3J  inches  fell  in  March  and  June  and  nearly  4  inches  in 
December.  Rain  fell  on  168  days.  In  1895  the  total  was  23  55  inches 
on  120  days. — H. 
-  Sussex  Rainfall  — The  total  rainfall  for  December  at  Abbot’s 
Leigh,  Haywards  Heath,  was  4  70  inches,  being  1  96  inch  above  the 
average.  The  heaviest  fall  was  1  06  inch  on  the  13th.  Rain  fell  on 
nineteen  days.  Total  for  the  year,  26  48  inches,  which  is  4’17  below 
the  average.  The  maximum  temperature  was  49°  on  the  31st ;  the 
minimum,  25°  on  the  17th.  Mean  maximum,  43  07°;  mean  minimum, 
3318°.  Mean  temperature,  38'12 — 0-48°  above  the  average. — R.  I. 
-  December  Weather  at  Driffield. — Mean  temperature 
at  9  A.M.  (corrected),  37  69°.  Wet  bulb,  36  87°.  Mean  maximum 
41,73°  ;  mean  minimum,  32*98°.  Highest,  50*0°  on  the  30th  ;  lowest, 
20  0°  on  the  1st.  Mean  of  maxima  and  minima,  37' 35°,  Mean  radiation 
temperature  on  the  grass,  26-63°  ;  lowest,  12-2°  on  the  1st.  Rainfall) 
3-97  inches.  Number  of  rainy  days,  twenty-three.  Greatest  amount  on 
one  day,  0'66  on  the  4th.  —  W.  E.  Lovel,  Observer ,  York  Road, 
Driffield. 
-  December  Weather  at  Hodsock  Priory,  Worksop. — 
Mean  temperature,  37-9°.  Maximum  in  the  screen,  53 -7°  ;  minimum  in 
the  screen,  18‘ 4°  ;  minimum  on  the  grass,  10-7°,  on  the  18th.  Number 
of  frosts  in  the  shade,  sixteen  ;  on  the  grass,  twenty-six.  Sunshine, 
twenty-three  hours,  or  10  per  cent,  of  possible  duration.  Rainfall, 
2-55  inches.  Rain  fell  on  twenty-two  days.  Maximum  fall,  0-47  on 
the  4th.  A  dull  month  with  no  sharp  frosts  and  with  a  slight  excess  of 
rain.— J.  Mallender. 
-  LAst  Year’s  Rainfall.— In  this  district  (South  Yorkshire) 
the  drought  during  the  past  season  was  not  so  disastrous  as  in  some 
parts  of  the  country.  The  rainfall  for  the  past  year  has  been  23'90  inches, 
which  fell  on  167  days.  This  is  quite  up  to  the  average  of  the  past  ten 
years,  which  was  23  71  inches,  and  fell  on  167  days.  In  the  previous 
ten  years  there  was  an  average  of  28  68  inches,  which  fell  on  180  days, 
thus  showing  that  the  past  ten  years  were  drier  than  the  previous 
decade. — Geo.  Summers,  Sandbeck  Park. 
-  December  Weather  at  Dowlais.  —  The  following  is  a 
summary  or  the  weather  here  for  the  past  month  : — Sunshine,  25  hours 
55  minutes.  Sunless  days,  seventeen.  Snow,  0  23  inch  ;  rain,  9  48  inches, 
making  a  total  fall  of  9-71  inches.  Greatest  fall  0  94  on  the  4th. 
Number  of  days  on  which  rain  fell,  twenty-two,  and  snow  on  three 
days.  Mean  maximum  for  the  month,  39°,  with  47°  on  the  28th  as  the 
highest  reading.  Minimum  32°,  with  21°  as  the  lowest  reading  on  the 
16th.  The  wind  was  in  the  E.and  S.E.  on  eleven  days,  and  in  the  N. 
and  N.E.  on  nine  days.  Totals  for  the  past  year; — Rainfall, 
45*27  inches.  Sunshine,  1223  hours  50  minutes.  Sunless  days,  ninety- 
six.— W.  M Abbott,  Dowlais ,  Glamorgan. 
-  Eucharis  Stevensi. — Beautiful  and  valuable  at  all  times  are 
the  flowers  of  the  old  and  well-tried  Eucharis  amazonica  ;  but  too  few, 
I  fear,  sufficiently  estimate  the  true  worth  of  Eucharis  Stevensi,  one 
of  the  later  additions  to  the  family,  for  decorative  purposes.  The 
flowers  are  not  so  large  as  E.  amazonica  and  are  more  erect,  conse¬ 
quently  they  can  be  used  in  a  variety  of  ways  for  bouquets  and  other 
floral  decorations.  It  is  a  capital  grower  and  free  bloomer,  whilst  the 
dreaded  mite  does  not  seem  to  touch  it.  With  a  few  good  pots  one  is 
rarely  without  flower.  After  having  tried  many  composts  I  cannot  get 
anything  more  suitable  than  good  Kentish  loam  mixed  with  sharp  silver 
sand,  the  pots  being  well  crocked.  Owing  to  its  being  seen  in  too  few 
collections  I  thought  this  note  might  bring  a  deserving  variety  into 
gre  iter  prominence. — R.  P.  R. 
- Senecio  grandifolius. — Several  large  specimens  of  this  hand¬ 
some  Senecio  may  now  be  seen  in  flower  in  the  temperate  house  at  Kew. 
For  cool  greenhouse  or  conservatory  work  this  is  a  very  useful  plant. 
During  summer  the  abundantly  produced  dark  green  1<  aves,  which 
individually  average  12  inches  in  length  by  8  inches  in  width,  are  very 
conspicuous  ;  whilst  in  winter,  with  the  addition  of  large  heads  of  deep 
yellow  flowers  (which  open  from  December  onwards  through  January 
and  February)  the  plants  are  even  more  effective.  Although  this  plant 
can  be  successfully  grown  in  pots,  it  does  much  better  if  planted  out, 
the  leaves  and  flower  heads  being  correspondingly  larger  through  the 
more  liberal  treatment.  After  flowering  the  young  growths  should  be 
cut  back  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  old  wood.  This  species  is  a 
native  of  Mexico,  and  at  Kew  grows  to  a  height  of  10  feet.— W.  D. 
