April  15,  18§?. 
JOURNAL  OP  NOkTtCtJLTURP  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
317 
-  Dahlia  Analysis. — I  regret  to  find  that  in  the  list  of  Cactus 
Dahlias,  given  on  page  288,  I  have  by  an  unfortunate  oversight  omitted 
that  lovely  variety,  Delicata.  It  should  stand  third  on  the  list,  and 
follow  Lady  Penzance. — K.  M.,  Berhhamsted. 
-  “  La  SemaiNe  Horticole.” — Such  is  the  title  of  a  gardening 
paper,  published  under  the  direction  of  Mons.  Lucien  Linden,  at  11,  Rue 
Belliard,  Brussels,  which  has  now  reached  its  eleventh  number.  The 
journal  is  printed  on  slightly  toned  paper,  with  good  legible  type,  while 
the  illustrations  are  engraved  on  wood.  The  list  of  names  comprises 
some  of  the  best-known  writers  on  horticultural  subjects  on  the  Conti¬ 
nent,  with  Mr.  James  O’Brien  from  this  side  of  the  stream. 
-  Asparagus  and  Early  Radishes.  —  A  correspondent 
informs  us  the  Asparagus  was  cut  in  the  Vale  of  Evesham  on  March  26th 
(the  same  day  as  by  Mr.  Orchard  in  the  Isle  of  Wight),  and  the  first 
Radishes  drawn  on  the  same  date.  Evesham  is  famous  for  early 
Radishes,  among  other  crops,  and  it  would  be  interesting  if  someone 
acquainted  with  the  subject  could  describe  the  methods  of  growing  and 
marketing,  also  indicate  the  value  of  the  crops  in  that  fertile  and  well 
cultivated  district. 
-  Reading  Gardeners’  Association. — The  closing  meeting 
of  the  spring  session  of  the  Reading  Gardeners’  Association  was  held  on 
Monday  evening  last,  when  Mr.  C.  B.  Stevens  presided  over  a  large 
attendance  of  members.  The  paper  for  the  evening  was  “  Zonal  Pelar¬ 
goniums  ”  by  Mr.  H.  Shoesmith,  Claremont  Nursery,  Woking.  The 
paper  was  of  an  exceedingly  practical  character,  being  full  of  plain 
cultural  notes,  and  was  followed  by  the  members  with  the  closest 
attention.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded. 
-  Carters’  Practical  Gardener. — We  do  not  know  how 
many  editions  of  the  popular  work  have  been  exhausted,  as  this  does 
not  seem  to  be  stated  in  the  last  and  the  best,  of  which  a  copy  is  before 
us.  Externally  it  is  the  most  attractive  of  all,  and  internally  the  most 
useful,  because,  in  addition  to  the  varied  and  valuable  matter  in  its 
200  pages,  there  is  the  addendum  of  an  excellent  index.  If  in  a 
multitude  of  councillors  of  experience  is  to  be  found  wisdom,  surely 
wisdoqi  on  useful  and  ornamental  gardening  is  to  be  found  here,  and  all, 
as  before,  for  Is.  It  is  wonderfully  cheap. 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society.— At  the  ordinary  meeting 
of  the  Society,  to  be  held  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great 
George  Street,  Westminster,  on  Wednesday,  the  21st  inst.,  at  7.30  P  M  , 
the  following  papers  ^ill  be  read  “  The  Relation  Between  Cold 
Periods  and  Anticyclonic  Conditions  of  Weather  in  England  During 
Winter,”  by  W.  H.'Dines,  B.A.,  F.R.Met.Soc,  ;  “Sunspot  Influence  on 
the  Weather  of  Western  Europe,”  by  A.  B.  MacDowall,  M.A., 
F.R.Met.Soc.  ;  “  The  Use  of  Kites  to  Obtain  Meteorological  Records  in 
the  Upper  Air  at  Blue  Hill  Observatory,  Mass.,  U.S.A.,”  by  A.  Lawrence 
Rotch,  B.Sc.,  F.R.Met.Soc. 
-  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — The  first  meeting  of 
the  fourth  year  of  the  above  Society  was  held  at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley, 
Southampton,  on  Wednesday  the  7th  inst.,  the  President,  Mr.  W.  F.  G. 
Spranger  in  the  chair,  there  being  a  fair  attendance  of  the  members. 
The  Society  had  been  most  fortunate  in  securing  the  services  of  the 
Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart,  M.A.,  Appleshaw,  Andover,  who  is  a  well 
known  enthusiast  in  the  culture  of  the  Narcissi,  and  whose  lecture  on 
their  cultivation  was  listened  to  with  the  utmost  attention,  and  was 
much  applauded.  First  he  showed  how  the  whole  Daffodil  family  was 
divided  into  classes,  the  time  for  planting,  the  soil  and  preparation  moat 
suitable  to  their  needs.  He  urged  his  audience  to  grow  them  from  seed, 
speaking  of  the  pleasure  to  be  derived  from  watching  the  unfolding  of 
the  unknown  flowers  day  by  day,  in  the  expectation  of  something  new 
or  interesting,  and  show  how  the  classes  had  been  made  to  merge  one 
into  the  other  by  cross  fertilisation  and  seed  selection,  resulting  in  some 
grand  hybrid  flowers,  a  few  of  which  he  exhibited  at  the  meeting,  and 
.four  of  these  were  awarded  extra  special  certificates.  A  brief  discussion 
ensued,  and  the  lecturer  replied  to  several  questions,  one  bearing  on  the 
fertilisation  of  the  flowers  artificially,  drew  forth  a  useful  lesson  on  the 
subject.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  the  lecturer,  and  also 
for  his  grand  collection  of  seedling  flowers  exhibited  to  illustrate  the 
lecture.  Mr.  B.  Ladhams  sent  about  thirty  varieties  ;  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons,  Long  Ditton,  sent  thirty-five  varieties  of  Narcissi  ;  and  there  was 
also  a  good  exhibit  of  hardy  flowering  shrubs  and  American  plants  sent  by 
Mr.  W.  H.  Rogers,  Red  Lodge  Nursery,  for  which  the  exhibitors  were 
accorded  a  hearty  vote  qf  thanks.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  President 
concluded  the  meeting. 
-  New  Zealand  Seeds. — We  are  informed  by  Messrs.  W.  G. 
Innes  &  Co.  that  Her  Majesty  has  been  graciously  pleased  to  accept 
from  Messrs  Nimmo  &  Blair,  of  Dunedin,  a  collection  of  New  Zealand 
native  tree,  shrub,  and  plant  seeds. 
-  Sheffield  Botanic  Gardens.— It  is  said  that  a  section  of 
the  public  of  Sheffield  is  determined  to  celebrate  the  Queen’s  record 
reign  by  purchasing  the  Botanic  Gardens  and  handing  them  over  to  the 
City  authorities  for  the  use  of  the  public.  Towards  this  object  half  of 
the  shares  in  the  Gardens  have  been  offered  and  £1500  subscribed.  The 
Gardens  have  been  conducted  at  a  loss,  and  there  has  been  a  fear  lest 
they  should  come  into  the  hands  of  the  speculative  builder. 
r —  Torquay  Gardeners’  Association. —A  few  days  ago  the 
members  of  this  excellent  association  held  their  annual  general  meeting 
to  hear  the  reading  of  the  report  and  the  balance-sheet.  Both  of  these 
were  very  satisfactory  indeed,  and  show  how  admirably  the  Society  is 
managed  by  the  various  officers.  Mr.  F.  Smale,  the  indefatigable  Hon. 
Secretary,  was  re-elected,  and  will,  we  are  sure,  give  the  same  close, 
keen  attention  to  the  affairs  of  the*  Society  in  the  future  as  he  has  done 
in  the  past.  The  summer  excursion,  held  in  July,  will  be  to  Kings- 
bridge.  The  Secretary’s  address  is  Isaline,  Avenue  Road,  Torquay. 
- -  Anti-Blight. — I  gee  anti-blight  iB  inquired  about  on  page  283. 
I  enclose  you  the  two  last  recommendations  I  have  received  praise¬ 
worthy  of  its  behaviour.  You  all  left  me  so  severely  alone  last  year 
that  you  had  no  chance  of  witnessing  its  continued  usefulness  with  me. 
One  compensation,  however,  we  had  your  notes  from  Scotland,  but  he 
of  King  Street  never  gave  to  me  of  his  whereabouts.  I  learn  he  is  again 
off  to  Sicily,  or  somewhere,  and  will  not  return  till  the  end  of  the 
year. — Robt.  Fenn.  [The  testimony  of  the  two  practical  gardeners  is 
conclusive.  With  an  atmosphere  favourable  for  Tomatoes,  plus  timely 
“dustings,”  we  suspect  the  fungus  cannot  take  possession  of  them.) 
-  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association. — The  last  meeting 
on  the  spring  syllabus  took  place  on  Monday,  April  12th,  when  Mr. 
Geo.  Bunyard,  the  Royal  Nurseries,  Maidstone,  with  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham 
in  the  chair,  gave  a  most  instructive  and  comprehensive  verbal  lecture, 
entitled  “  Common  Mistakes  in  Fruit  Culture,"  before  an  appreciative 
attendance  of  the  members.  As  indicated  by  the  title,  Mr.  Bunyard’s 
remarks  were  confined  principally  to  the  too  common  mistakes  made  in 
the  planting  and  pruning,  as  well  as  to  the  selection  of  unsuitable 
varieties  of  different  kinds  of  fruit  trees,  rather  than  to  a  description  of 
the  proper  way  to  treat  fruit  trees,  la  the  discussion  which  followed 
a  few  questions  were  put  by  one  of  tne  members  to  the  lecturer,  and 
were  satisfactorily  answered.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded 
to  Mr.  Bunyard. 
-  The  Weather  last  Month. — March  was  changeable  with 
much  wind  and  rain  throughout,  and  was  remarkable  for  a  very  low 
reading  of  the  barometer  on  the  3rd  inst.  The  prevailing  direction  of 
the  wind  was  W.  on  twenty-two  days.  Total  rainfall,  2 '41  inches, 
which  fell  on  nineteen  days.  This  is  0  85  inch  above  the  average  for 
the  month.  Barometer  (corrected  and  reduced),  highest  reading 
30-143  inches  on  the  8th  at  9  A.M. ;  lowest,  28  575  inches  at  9  A.M.  on 
the  3rd.  Thermometers. — Highest  in  the  shade,  61°  on  the  21st ;  lowest, 
25°  on  the  30th.  Mean  of  daily  maxima,  50  22°  ;  mean  of  daily  minima, 
37-39°.  Mean  temperature  of  the  month,  43-80°  ;  lowest  on  the  grass, 
17°  on  the  30th  ;  highest  in  the  sun,  116°  on  the  21st.  Mean  of  the 
earth  at  3  feet,  42-16°.  Total  sunshine,  121  hours.  There  were  five 
sunless  days. — W.  H.  Divers,  Btlvoir  Castle  Gardens,  Grantham. 
-  Varieties  of  Weather. — Many  people  allow  Manchester  to 
occupy  the  post  of  honour  as  regards  bad  weather,  but  the  “West¬ 
minster  Gazette  ”  in  the  subjoined  paragraph  proves  London  to  bean 
excellent  second.  After  the  experience  of  Wednesday  the  7th  inst.,  no 
one  can  resent  the  opinion  once  expressed  by  an  American  visitor  that 
we  have  no  climate  in  this  country,  but  only  samples.  We  certainly 
had  a  variety  of  samples  exhibited  to  us.  In  the  early  morning  it  was 
a  November  fog.  This  was  succeeded  by  January  rain  and  early  March 
wind,  then  a  May  sun  suddenly  burst  out,  but  it  had  no  sooner  got 
inside  the  houses  than  it  was  drowned  out  by  a  burst  of  December  hail 
and  sleet.  To  cap  it  all,  the  thunder  and  lightning  took  the  next  turn 
with  an  August  display  of  fireworks.  And  then  the  day  finished  up  in 
November.  These  samples,  in  addition  to  their  variety,  visited  the 
different  parts  of  London  in  streaks,  which  added  much  to  the  interest, 
for  it  enabled  odo  to  start  from  one  district  in  May,  and  arrive  at 
another  several  months  earlier.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  weather  will 
have  exhausted  itself  before  Jubilee  week,  and  that  there  will  be  no 
storage  of  rain  work  left  to  be  done  during  that  festive  period. 
