November  7, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
435 
Mr.  Seth  Lewelling  of  Milwaukee,  Oregon,  has  introduced  several  well- 
known  Cherries,  as  Black  Republican,  Lewelling,  and  Bing ;  also  a 
seedling  of  Italian  Prune  which  he  called  Golden,  an  enormous  bearer 
and  valuable  in  many  ways.  There  is  much  room  for  further  experiment 
in  this  direction.  The  method  is  so  simple  that  any  careful  grower  can 
apply  it,  and  thereby  probably  improve  many  varieties,  or  produce  some 
that  are  entirely  distinct. 
New  varieties  artificially  produced  by  hybridisation  are  much  less 
numerous,  but  it  is  a  work  which  should  be  encouraged,  not  only 
amongst  private  individuals,  but  under  State  patronage  and  support. 
Many  old  varieties  need  to  be  weeded  out  from  the  nursery  catalogues, 
and  the  indiscriminate  propagation  of  everybody’s  fine  seedling  dis¬ 
couraged.  Mr.  Luther  Burbank  of  California  has,  perhaps,  done  more 
than  any  other  to  really  improve  on  old  established  varieties  by  hybrid¬ 
ising.  In  order  to  do  this  intelligently  it  is  necessary  to  devote  one’s 
whole  time  to  it,  and  even  then  one  must  be  prepared  for  many  failures 
and  disappointments.  Amongst  the  most  valuable  varieties  thus  pro¬ 
duced  and  recently  introduced  are  Giant  and  Splendour  Prunes  and 
Wickson  Plum.  The  two  former  are  crosses  between  Pond’s  Seedling 
and  Petite  d’Agen,  and  the  latter  a  Japanese  cross  between  Kelsey  and 
Burbank.  The  Giant  and  Wickson  will  be  two  of  the  finest  and  largest 
Plums,  and  most  valuable  for  long  shipments  in  a  fresh  state.  Tbe 
Splendour  bids  fair  to  revolutionise  the  Prune  industry,  having  the  good 
qualities  of  both  parents.  I  wish  every  success  to  the  Oregon  Associa¬ 
tion  of  nurserymen,  it  has  commenced  a  good  work,  and  it  can  be  of 
incalculable  benefit,  not  only  to  the  nurserymen  of  the  Pacific  coast, 
but  to  the  whole  fruit  industry. — Leonard  Coates,  Napa,  California. 
—(^Read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Oregon  Association  of  Nurserymen.') 
Events  of  the  Week.  —  In  addition  to  the  numerous  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  shows  to  be  held  during  the  forthcoming  week,  and  of  which 
a  list  is  given  on  page  437,  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  hold  a 
meeting  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  Tuesday,  the  12th  inst. 
-  Weather  in  London. — During  the  past  week  the  weather 
in  London  has  been  very  changeable.  Heavy  showers  have  fallen  on 
several  days  and  nights,  while  gleams  of  bright  sunshine  have  come 
between.  On  Wednesday,  at  the  time  of  going  to  press,  the  weather  was 
warm,  and  the  sun  shone  brightly. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — The  frost  has  for  the  present 
given  way.  On  the  morning  of  the  1st  inst.  7°  were  registered,  and  5° 
on  the  morning  of  Saturday.  Sunday  and  Monday  were  good  dullish 
days,  rather  cold,  but  fair.  Rain  fell  between  Monday  night  and 
Tuesday,  the  morning  of  the  latter  being  drizzly,  with  the  thermometer 
at  43°. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthsh'ire. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  Fruit  and  Floral 
Meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 
Nov.  12th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster.  The  Com¬ 
mittees  will  meet  as  usual  at  twelve  o’clock  ;  and  at  3  p.m.  a  lecture 
on  “Substitutes  for  Larch’’  will  be  delivered  by  Dr.  Maxwell  T, 
Masters,  F.R.S. 
- The  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution.— The 
inauguration  of  the  Worcester  branch  of  this  Society  will  take  place  at 
the  Guildhall,  Worcester,  on  Monday,  November  18th,  and  the  chair 
will  be  taken  by  the  President  (Karl  Beauchamp,  Mayor  elect  of 
Worcester)  at  3  p.m.  Several  influential  gentlemen  have  promised  to 
support  the  chair  and  address  the  meeting,  whilst  every  effort  is  being 
made  by  the  Committee  to  secure  a  thoroughly  representative  and 
successful  gathering.  All  friends  of  the  cause,  and  patrons  of  horticulture, 
are  cordially  invited  to  be  present. 
-  Notes  from  Greece. — My  daughter  is  now  in  Athens.  In  a 
letter  we  have  just  received  she  says  : — “  We  have  had  two  storms  here 
lately.  Such  lightning  you  never  saw.  The  whole  sky  seems  to  open, 
and  the  rain  comes  down  so  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  go  out  in  it. 
Since  the  rain  all  the  fruit,  flowers,  and  vegetables  have  grown  wonder¬ 
fully.  Everything  grows  very  quickly  here,  as  they  get  four  crops  a 
year.  We  are  having  new  Potatoes  now.  I  had  an  English  tea  here  the 
other  day — cake  and  Grape  jam,  Quince  jelly,  and  Melons.  When  next 
you  get  a  Melon  don’t  eat  sugar  with  it,  but  pepper  ;  you  can’t  think 
how  good  it  is.  We  get  Melons  every  day.” — Robt.  Fenn. 
-  Fasciated  Briar — Mr.  H.  V.  Machin  sends  us  a  fasciate 
Briar  sucker.  Similar  examples  are  not  very  rare,  though  the  fasciation 
is  very  pronounced  in  this  case — the  growth  quite  flat,  and  nearly 
2  inches  in  diameter. 
- Anthracite  Coal. — I  should  deem  it  a  favour  if  one  of  your 
correspondents  who  has  had  experience  with  anthracite  coal,  in 
comparison  with  coke  for  heating  hot-water  boilers,  would  give  me  his 
experience  of  it,  and  if  he  considers  that  it  has  advantages  over  coke 
would  he  kindly  state  what  they  are  ? — W.  S. 
-  Large  Apples. — Mr.  C.  Herrin  has  sent  as  an  Apple  of 
Gloria  Mundi  weighing  26J  ozs. — a  perfectly  shaped  fruit  grown  on  a 
targe  tree  in  an  orchard.  So  far  as  we  remember  this  is  the  largest 
outdoor  grown  Apple  we  have  received,  but  Mr.  Salcombe  sent  us 
Peasgood’s  Nonesuch  a  few  years  ago  from  Ticehurst  weighing  26  ozs. 
Have  these  weights  been  exceeded  by  garden  or  orchard-grown  fruit  ? 
- The  Hessle  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
— A  meeting  of  the  above  Society  was  held  in  the  Parish  Schoolroom  on 
October  29th,  when  a  paper  was  read  on  “  The  Cultivation  of  Caladiums  ” 
by  Mr.  Hathaway,  The  Gardens,  Tranby  Croft.  For  a  junior  member 
Mr.  Hathaway’s  paper  was  excellent,  containing  some  useful  hints  based 
on  the  practice  of  good  cultivation,  and  was  the  means  of  opening  a 
good  discussion,  on  which  the  essayist  is  to  be  congratulated. — F.  L.  T. 
-  The  Rev.  David  R.  Williamson  writes: — “The  Edinburgh 
Royal  Botanic  Gardens  have  been  of  late  exceedingly  attractive,  the 
conservatories  being  especially  beautiful  with  Allamandas,  Bignonias, 
high  towering  Palms,  Lapagerias,  Passifloras,  various  species  of  tropical 
Convolvuluses,  Clerodendrons,  and  other  magnificent  plants  of  a  highly 
decorative  description.  Since  last  I  visited  these  famous  gardens,  which 
are  superintended  by  that  accomplished  naturalist.  Professor  Balfour, 
great  improvements  have  been  made.  For  these  highly  artistic  and 
effective  alterations  the  Curator,  Mr.  Lindsay,  deserves  great  praise.  It 
is  to  be  hoped  that  these  gardens  are  adequately  appreciated  and 
patronised  by  the  people  of  Edinburgh.” 
-  National  Auricula  and  Primula  Society. — The  annual 
general  meeting  of  this  Society  was  held  in  the  rooms  of  the  Horticul- 
cultural  Club,  Hotel  Windsor,  October  30  th.  The  expenditure  for  the 
year  was  £77  14s.  4d.,  against  receipts  from  subscriptions  £68  133.  6d. 
The  deficiency  of  £9  10s.  was  taken  from  the  reserve  fund,  which  now 
stands  at  £11  8s.  6d.  The  exhibition  will,  with  the  permission  of  the 
Council  of  the  R.H.S.,  be  held  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  West¬ 
minster,  as  heretofore.  A  full  statement  of  accounts  and  schedule  of 
prizes  will  shortly  be  published. — J.  Douglas,  Hon,  Sec. 
-  The  Drill  Hall  Lectures.  —  The  most  interesting  and 
beautifully  illustrated  lecture,  which  Mr.  A.  H.  Sutton  gave  at  the  Drill 
Hall  on  the  29 ch  ult.,  rather  serves  to  take  the  edge  off  from  one’s 
appetite  for  ordinary  papers  or  lectures,  and  those  who  follow  with  only 
such  papers  may  find  it  difficult  to  excite  interest.  Perhaps  the  Council 
of  the  R.H.S.  may  be  able  to  see  its  way  in  the  coming  year  to  furnish 
now  and  then — it  is  hardly  worth  while  to  do  so  during  the  dull  winter 
months — a  series  of  specially  furnished  and  illustrated  lecture?  by  able 
speakers,  so  that  what  attraction  in  that  direction  is  provided  may  be 
of  the  best.  Papers  of  the  ordinary  cultural-essay  type  may  do  very 
well  as  padding  for  the  Society’s  Journal,  but  they  become  rather  an 
infliction  when  they  have  to  be  listened  to  for  some  thirty  to  forty 
minutes.  Having  shown  how  finely  the  magic  lantern  can  be  utilised 
twice  we  shall  like  to  see  it  employed  often.—  D. 
-  The  total  rainfall  at  Abbot’s  Leigh,  Hayward’s  Heath,  Sussex, 
for  October  was  4  73  inches,  being  0  78  above  the  average.  The  heaviest 
fall  was  1  09  inch  on  the  8th.  Rain  fell  on  fourteen  days.  The 
maximum  temperature  in  the  shade  was  70°  on  the  Ist ;  the  minimum 
24°  on  the  26ch  and  28th.  Mean  maximum  temperature,  54  05°  ;  mean 
minimum,  37‘06° ;  mean  temperature,  45'55°,  which  is  2 '32°  below  the 
average.  After  a  hot  September  we  have  had  an  unusually  cold  end  of 
October.  The  last  week  of  the  former  month  gave  a  mean  temperature 
of  63  5°  ;  that  of  the  week  ending  Saturday,  the  26  th  October,  40-3°,  a 
difference  of  23°  in  a  month.  No  frosts  occurred  till  the  third  week, 
and  the  rains,  after  the  hot  September,  have  kept  many  plants,  usually 
going  to  rest,  growing  as  they  do  in  the  early  summer.  The  consequence 
is  that  the  sharp  frosts  have  killed  the  late  growths  of  such  as 
Ampelopsis  Veitchi,  considerably  spoiling  their  autumn  glory.  Many 
shoots  of  Apples  and  Peais,  ripened  up  to  terminal  fruit  buds,  have 
burst  into  bloom,  and  there  was  quite  a  full  bloom  on  many  Hollies  in 
September. — R.  I. 
