344 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
.  October  10,  1896, 
Weather  in  London. — Dull,  showery  weather  has  predominated 
in  the  metropolis  throughout  the  past  week.  The  sun,  though  seen 
on  several  days  for  a  short  time,  has  been  chiefly  conspicuous  by  its 
absence,  the  sky  being  grey  and  leaden,  and  the  atmosphere  raw  and 
cold. 
-  Royal  Horticttltdral  Society. — The  next  fruit  and  floral 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 
October  15th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster.  The 
Committees  will  meet  as  usual  at  twelve  o’clock,  and  at  3  P.M.  a 
lecture  on  “Nut  Culture  in  England”  will  be  given  by  Mr.  J.  Omer 
Cooper, 
-  United  Hortichltijral  Provident  and  Benefit 
Society. — We  understand  that  James  H.  Veitch,  Esq.,  will  preside  on 
the  occasion  of  the  annual  dinner  of  the  members  and  friends  of  this 
admirable  Institution  on  the  17th  ult.  It  is  hoped  a  large  company 
will  assemble,  and  the  “United”  be  still  further  strengthened  in 
consequence.  Tickets  may  be  had  from  Mr.  W.  Collins,  9,  Martindale 
Road,  Balham,  London. 
-  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — The  first  of  a  series  of 
lectures  contributed  to  the  above  Society  by  the  Hants  County  Council 
was  given  by  Mr,  E.  Molyneux,  Swanmore  Park  Gardens,  on  the 
3rd  inst.  at  St.  Denys  Parish  Room,  Southampton,  Capt.  E.  Gibbs 
presiding  over  a  fair  attendance.  Mr.  E.  Molyneux  dealt  with  his 
subject,  “  Vegetable  and  Flower  Gardening  for  Cottagers,”  in  a  most 
interesting  and  instructive  manner.  This  part  of  the  district  abounds 
with  gardens  of  fair  size,  and  the  lecture  should  give  an  impetus  to 
their  cultivation.  Town  gardens  of  a  small  size  are  often  neglected, 
when  by  care  they  might  be  made  at  least  a  source  of  much  pleasure  by 
the  growth  of  suitable  flowers. 
-  Splendid  Onions. — At  the  recent  Banbury  Onion  show  that 
was  reported  in  the  Journal  of  October  3rd  (page  332)  reference  was 
made  to  some  superb  specimens  of  Ailsa  Craig  Onions,  staged  by  Mr. 
J.  Bowerman,  The  Gardens,  Hackwood  Park,  Basingstoke.  This  master 
of  the  art  of  Onion  culture  now  writes  : — “  Referring  to  the  largest  bulb 
of  Ailsa  Craig  Onion,  which  weighed  at  the  show  3  lbs.  1  oz.,  I  may  say 
that  when  first  lifted  the  scale  was  turned  at  3  lbs,  6  ozs.,  but  I  find 
they  lose  3  or  4  ozs.  the  first  week  they  are  out  of  the  ground.  The 
bulb  was  20J  in  circumference.  My  heaviest  dozen  of  this  variety 
weighed  at  the  time  of  lifting  37J  lbs.,  or  over  3  lbs.  apiece.”  Onions 
like  these  are  a  credit  to  any  man,  as  every  practical  grower  is  well 
aware  that  such  results  could  not  be  attained  to  except  by  the  most 
•thorough  and  intelligent  cultivation. — H, 
-  The  Late  Mr.  Peter  Grieve. — Apropos  of  your  worthy 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  this  prince  amongst  gardeners,  it  may  be 
additionally  interesting  to  some  of  your  readers  to  learn,  in  reference 
to  his  deceased  daughter  and  the  Pear  named  after  her,  that  Dr.  Hogg, 
la  his  history  of  the  Pear  Lucy  Grieve  in  the  “  Fruit  Manual,”  says, 
“  The  seed  was  sown  in  a  flower  pot  by  a  little  girl,  the  daughter  of 
Mr.  Peter  Grieve,  at  Culford  Hall,  near  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  merely  for 
her  childish  amusement.  She  carefully  tended  the  plants  till  they  were 
large  enough  to  be  planted  in  the  open  ground,  but  ere  the  first  of  them 
bore  fruit  in  1873  the  little  maid  was  in  her  grave.  Her  father  sent 
me  the  first  fruit  the  tree  produced  and  I  named  it  Lucy  Grieve,  as  a 
memorial  of  the  raiser.” — W.  D. 
- Weather  in  South  Wales. — Mr.  W.  Mabbott,  Dowlais, 
Glamorgan,  writes  : — The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  weather  here 
for  the  past  month.  Total  rainfall,  1-96  inch  ;  maximum,  107  inch 
oa  the  10th;  minimum,  O'Ol  on  the  25th;  rain  fell  on  nine 
days.  Total  sunshine,  199|  hours  ;  there  were  only  two  sunless  days. 
Ttie  wind  was  in  the  S  E.  and  E,  on  seventeen  days,  and  in  the  N.  W.  on 
nine  days.  A  very  dry  sunny  month,  especially  since  the  11th,  as  from 
then  until  the  30th  only  0  05  of  rain  had  been  registered,  but  from  the 
30th  to  the  5th  October  inclusive  we  have  had  a  rainfall  of  2’49  inches, 
with  very  strong  gales.  Total  rainfall  for  the  past  quarter  14  43  inches  ; 
mnshine  for  the  same  period  483  hours  55  minutes.  Totals  for  the  same 
1  e.i-iod  in  1894 — rainfall  12  18  inches  ;  sunshine  208^  hours. 
-  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — Mr.  F. 
Miller,  gardener  to  J.  T.  Friend,  Esq  ,  of  Northdown  House,  Margate, 
has  forwarded  to  this  Institution  the  sum  of  £10  10 l,  being  the 
proceeds  of  an  exhibition  of  two  large  American  Aloes  or  Agaves. 
-  Snow  after  the  Heat. — After  several  days  of  excessive  heat, 
the  weather  has  suddenly  changed  in  Scotland,  and  in  the  districts  of 
Rannoch  and  Lochaber  there  has  been  a  heavy  fall  of  snow.  A  gale, 
accompanied  by  blinding  snow  drifts,  prevailed  on  Ben  Nevis,  and  on 
the  summit  snow  lies  to  a  depth  of  7  inches. 
-  Index  Kewensis.  —  The  fourth  and  last  volume  of  this 
important  work  reaches  us  as  we  are  going  to  press.  We  can  only 
at  present  record  our  acknowledgments,  and  congratulate  the  authors 
on  the  completion  of  the  most  valuable  work  on  plant  nomenclature 
in  our  possession,  and  which,  for  public  or  private  botanical  and 
horticultural  libraries,  we  regard  as  indispensable. 
-  Sussex  Rainfall. — “R.I.”  writes: — “The  total  rainfall  at 
Abbot’s  Leigh,  Haywards  Heath,  Sussex,  for  the  past  month,  was 
0  29  inch,  being  2'84  inches  below  the  average.  This  is  the  smallest 
amount  for  September  in  our  record  of  the  past  sixteen  years.  The 
nearest  approach  to  it  was  that  of  1890,  when  the  amount  was  0-82  inch. 
The  heaviest  fall  was  015  inch  on  the  10th.  Rain  fell  on  two  days. 
The  maximum  temperature  was  81°  on  the  26th  and  27th  ;  the  minimum, 
39°  on  the  14th.  Mean  maximum,  72  10°  ;  mean  minimum,  49’.  Mean 
temperature,  60  55°,  being  3  86°  above  the  average.” 
— -  Distribution  of  Plants. — We  are  informed  that  arrange¬ 
ments  have  been  made  by  the  Parks  Department  of  the  County  Council 
for  the  distribution  to  the  public  on  the  days  named  of  any  surplus 
bedding  plants  there  may  be  at  the  following  places  : — At  Dulwich  Park 
on  the  14th  inst.,  Ravenscourt  Park  on  the  15th  inst.,  Finsbury  Park, 
Myatt’s  Fields,  Victoria  Embankment  Gardens  and  Southwark  Park  on 
the  16th  inst.,  Battersea  Park  on  the  18th  inst..  Royal  Victoria  Gardens 
(North  Woolwich)  on  the  2l3t  inst.,  Waterlow  Park  on  the  22ad  inst., 
Kennington  Park  on  the  23rd  inst.  At  Brockwell  Park  there  are  no 
surplus  plants  this  year. 
-  Bulbs  in  Parks.  —  After  a  very  instructive  lecture  on 
“  Holland  and  the  Bulb  Growers,”  by  Mr.  R.  B.  Ker,  at  Birkenhead, 
the  Chairman  suggested  that  the  Corporation  of  Birkenhead  were  very 
much  behind  the  times  from  a  horticultural  point  of  view.  Surely,  he 
said,  it  was  not  too  much  to  ask  the  Birkenhead  Corporation  to  spend  a 
few  pounds  in  bulbs  for  planting  in  the  parks  and  prominent  parts  of 
the  town,  as  they  were  now  very  cheap.  He  would  suggest  that  those  of 
his  hearers  who  were  ratepayers  should  urge  upon  the  Town  Councillor 
during  the  November  election  the  advisability  of  being  more  liberal  from 
an  artistic  point  of  view.  The  lecturer  had  shown  some  most  beautiful 
Hyacinths  and  Tulips,  which  were  well  adapted  for  town  cultivation, 
and  could  now  be  had  so  cheaply,  not  to  mention  the  brightness  and 
beauty  they  would  add  to  the  parks  and  streets.  The  Chairman  is  quite 
right.  Bulbs  rank  amongst  the  brightest  and  best  of  town  plants,  and 
no  doubt  half  a  million  will  soon  be  planted  in  the  London  parks  for 
making  them  sweet  and  beautiful  in  the  spring. 
-  Wakefield  Paxton  Society. — At  a  meeting  of  the  members 
of  the  above  Society,  held  on  September  21st,  Lieutenant  Goodyear 
presided  and  Mr.  B.  Whiteley  occupied  the  vice-chair.  There  was  a 
large  and  excellent  exhibition  of  autumn  leaves  and  fruits,  on  which 
subject  an  admirable  essay  was  given  by  Mr.  George  Parkin,  a  well- 
known  naturalist,  botanist,  and  Paxtonian.  The  exhibition  included 
specimens  from  friends  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  from  Carlisle 
on  the  one  hand  to  Spalding  and  Shrewsbury  on  the  other.  Some  of 
the  members  of  the  Society  had,  notwithstanding  the  oppressive  weather, 
taken  rambles  in  the  afternoon  in  the  district  around  Castleford  and 
succeeded  in  obtaining  a  large  and  varied  collection  of  autumn  foliage, 
fruits,  and  berries.  Several  persons  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood 
also  sent  specimens  of  many  kinds,  and  the  display  was  both  extensive 
and  interesting.  Mr.  Parkin’s  essay  was  an  exceedingly  interesting  one, 
and  it  was  most  attentively  listened  to.  A  warm  lover  of  Nature,  a 
careful  observer,  and  a  rambler  who  keeps  his  eyes  and  ears  open, 
Mr.  Parkin  graphically  and  beautifully  described  th?  appearance  of  the 
country  in  its  autumn  garb,  and  gave  many  useful  hints  and  interesting 
details  with  reference  to  autumn  foliage,  wild  fruits,  and  berries. 
Suitable  quotations  of  poetry  were  introduced  into  the  essay,  and  all 
who  listened  to  it  seemed  much  pleased  with  Mr.  Parkin’s  efforts.  A 
short  discussion  ensued,  and  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  given  to 
Mr.  Parkin  for  his  essay  and  to  the  exhibitors  of  specimens. 
