435 
November  7,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
- National  Carnation  and  Picotee  Society. — The  annual 
general  meeting  of  the  Southern  Section  of  the  above  Society  was  held 
in  the  rooms  of  the  Horticultural  Club,  Hotel  Windsor,  on  Oct.  30th, 
1895,  by  kind  permission  of  the  members.  Mr.  Martin  Rowan  presided, 
in  the  unavoidable  absence  of  Martin  Smith,  Esq.,  the  President.  The 
financial  statement  showed  a  balance  in  hand  from  last  year  of 
£159  13s.  7d.  ;  subscriptions,  £241  15g.  6d.,  inclusive  of  special  prizes  ; 
entrance  fees,  78.  6d.  ;  total,  £401  IGs.  7d.  The  expenditure  was 
£205  178.  6d.,  leaving  a  balance  in  hand  of  £195  19s.  Id.  Twenty-six 
members  have  been  lost  during  the  year  by  death  and  withdrawal. 
Against  this  fifty-eight  new  members  are  added.  It  was  decided  to 
hold  the  next  exhibition  at  the  Crystal  Palace  about  the  third  week  in 
July. — Jas.  Douglas,  Hon.  Sec.,  Ilford,  Essex. 
-  The  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. — The  usual  monthly 
meeting  of  the  Committee  took  place  at  the  Horticultural  Club  on  the 
25th  ult. ,  Mr.  William  Marshall  presiding.  The  following  special 
receipts  were  announced  as  having  been  received  during  the  past  three 
months  : — Legacy  from  Mr.  J,  Taplin,  Havant,  £5  58.  ;  the  Rev. 
A.  Lowe,  proceeds  of  collection  at  harvest  thanksgiving,  per  Mr. 
J.  Bennett,  Burton-on-Trent,  £6  6s.  ;  Messrs.  J.  Crispin  &  Sons,  Show 
Rooms,  Bristol,  per  Mr.  J.  H.  Vallance,  £5  5s. ;  Mr.  Arthur  Miles, 
Dudley  Villas,  Southampton,  £2  Ss. ;  collected  at  Woodford  flower  show^ 
per  Mr.  W.  D.  Willoughby,  £2  ;  Bradford  Paxton  Society,  per  Mr. 
R.  Scott,  £1  lOs.  ;  Mr.  J.  Burn,  Abbey  Park,  Leicester,  £1  59.;  the 
Misses  Evans,  Wimbledon,  17s.  ;  Mr.  H.  Burbidge,  Westgate,  lOs.  6d.  ; 
and  collected  by  Mr.  W.  G.  Head,  Crystal  Palace,  Sydenham,  £3  153.  8d. 
By  means  of  boxes  the  following  sums  were  obtained  : — Mr.  J.  Selway, 
Betteshanger,  Dover,  £4  5s.  ;  Mr.  J.  Mclndoe,  Hutton  Hall,  Guisborough, 
£5  ;  Mr.  C.  Sutton,  Chevening,  Sevenoaks,  £1  128. ;  Mrs.  H.  B.  Smith, 
Ealing,  78.  6d.  ;  and  Miss  McRonald,  Chichester,  7s.  In  small  sums, 
per  the  editor  of  the  “  Gardeners’  Chronicle,”  from  October,  1894,  to 
October,  1895,  £2  4s.  The  remainder  of  the  business  was  of  a  purely 
formal  character,  and  the  procedings  closed  with  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the 
Chairman. 
-  Visitors  to  Kew. — The  number  of  visitors  to  these  famous 
Gardens  during  September,  1895,  was  unusually  large,  owing  to  the 
beautiful  weather  that  prevailed  throughout  the  month.  Kew,  in 
common  with  other  parts  of  the  country,  experienced  fine  warm  weather 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  month.  The  lawns  and  borders  were  in 
excellent  order,  and  visitors  came  in  large  numbers.  The  highest 
attendance,  we  learn  from  the  “  Kew  Bulletin,”  was  on  Sunday, 
September  22nd,  when  it  reached  21,427.  The  week-day  attendance 
was  also  large,  and  ranged  from  2619  to  3750  per  day.  The  days  were 
singularly  bright  and  sunny.  The  effect  on  the  plants  is  likely  to  be 
most  beneficial,  as  the  growth  made  during  the  rainy  days  of  August 
was  ripened  before  the  arrival  of  frost.  The  highest  shade  temperature 
recorded  during  the  month  was  84°  Fahr.  on  the  24th.  This  was  the 
highest  of  any  at  Kew  during  recent  years.  It  was  remarkable  as 
following  a  minimum  temperature  on  the  grass  of  31°  Fahr.  on  the 
preceding  night.  This  gives  a  range  of  temperature  during  the  twenty- 
four  hours  of  53°.  The  hot  weather  lasted  exactly  a  week,  the  maximum 
temperature  never  falling  below  76°  from  the  23rd  to  the  30th. 
-  Dulwich  Show. — The  second  annual  show  of  the  Dulwich 
Chrysanthemum  Society  was  held  in  the  Dulwich  Baths,  on  Monday, 
November  4th,  the  buildings  being  admirably  adapted  to  such  a  purpose. 
Last  year  the  exhibition  was  held  in  a  small  hall  that  proved  totally 
inadequate  for  the  proper  arrangement  of  the  exhibits,  so  it  was  evident 
that  at  any  future  show  a  migration  would  have  to  be  made  to  other 
premises.  The  number  of  exhibits  was  larger  and  the  quality  ranged 
high  throughout,  though  Japanese  were  decidedly  superior  to  the 
incurved.  Ocher  sections  were  well  thoug’n  not  extensively  represented, 
and  plants  other  than  Chrysanthemums  were  seen  in  highly  creditable 
condition.  For  a  group  of  Chrysanthemums,  arranged  in  a  space  of 
60  square  feet,  there  were  only  two  competitors  for  the  prize  value 
5  guineas.  Mr.  Payton,  nurseryman,  Grove  Vale,  was  first  with  a  well 
arranged  group  :  Mr.  G.  Smith,  Hindman’s  Road,  Dulwich,  being  a  very 
creditable  second.  In  the  cut  bloom  classes  Messrs.  Smith,  Payton,  and 
Bennett  were  the  chief  prizewinners.  The  amateurs’  classes  were  well 
filled.  For  a  group  of  Chrysanthemums,  arranged  in  a  space  of  30  square 
feet,  brought  out  five  competitors.  Mr.  A.  M.  Falkner  took  the  first 
prize  with  an  exceedingly  well  arranged  plant  of  heavy  blooms.  Mr.  H. 
Wells  was  second,  and  Mr.  Holdway  third.  For  cut  blooms  Messrs. 
Falkner,  Bennett,  Smith,  and  Wells  were  the  chief  prizewinners.  The 
miscellaneous  exhibits  included  a  grand  group  of  Chrysanthemums  from 
Mr.  Witty,  and  some  splendid  fruit  from  Mr.  Nutting,  gardener  to  Sir 
John  Blundel  Maple. 
-  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association.  —  At  the  usual 
fortnightly  meeting  of  the  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement 
Association,  held  at  the  Athletic  Institute,  John  Bright  Street,  Mr. 
W.  B.  Latham  in  the  cbair,  Mr.  John  Pope,  F.R.H,S.,  gave  a  most 
interesting  essay  on  “  Bulb  Culture.”  The  essayist,  in  addition  to  his 
interesting  references  relative  to  the  history  of  particularly  the  Hyacinth, 
Tulip,  and  Amaryllis,  adverted  to  the  culture  of  the  same  in  Holland, 
and  of  which  he  had  gained  some  considerable  knowledge  during  occa¬ 
sional  visits  there.  The  discussion  which  followed  proved  to  be  of  a 
very  interesting  and  instructive  character,  especially  with  respect  to 
the  root  economy  of  the  Japanese  Lilies. 
-  Bruised  Fruit. — In  passing  through  fruit  markets  at  this 
season,  says  the  “  Rural  World,”  it  is  seen  that  three-fourths  of  the 
English  Apples  exposed  for  sale  are  so  bruised  as  to  be  only  fit  for  imme¬ 
diate  use.  Even  for  present  use  a  bruised  Apple  is  far  inferior  to  an  un¬ 
bruised  one,  as  a  portion  of  the  sap  is  lost  in  the  former.  The  damage  to  the 
fruit  is  mostly  done  in  gathering,  but  carelessness  in  storing  or  conveying 
to  market  further  adds  to  the  damage.  Unbruised  fruit  makes  about 
double  the  price  of  bruised,  hence  Apple  growers,  to  make  their  businesa 
pay,  must  handle  the  fruit  more  carefully.  Americana  set  an  example, 
for  although  their  Apples  have  to  travel  so  far  scarcely  a  bruise  is  seen. 
- Abstract  op  Climatological  Observations  at  Drif¬ 
field,  October,  1895 — Lat.,  54°  0'  30"  N.  ;  Lon.,  0°  27'  15"  W.  ;  Alt,, 
76  feet.  Barometric  pressure  at  9  A.M.  (at  32°  and  sea  level_).  Highest, 
30-53  inches  on  18th  ;  lowest,  29  10  inches  on  9th.  Mean  temperature 
at  9  A.M.  (corrected),  44  62°.  Wet  bulb,  42-80°.  Mean  maximum, 
50  97°  ;  mean  minimum,  37-24°.  Highest,  69  6°  on  Ist  ;  lowest,  24-0°  on 
28th.  Mean  of  maxima  and  minima,  46-8°.  Mean  radiation  tempera¬ 
ture  on  grass,  31’60° ;  lowest,  16  8°  on  28th.  Rainfall,  3-88  inches. 
Number  of  rainy  days,  twenty-three.  Greatest  amount  on  one  day, 
0-85  inch  on  8th.  Mean  amount  of  cloud  at  9  A  M.  (estimated),  5  4. — 
W.  E.  Lovel,  Ohserver,  York  Road,  Driffield. 
- Weather  in  Forfarshire.— After  the  mild  weather  of 
September,  October  came  in  cold,  and  the  first  three  days  wet.  On  the 
9th  the  wind  shifted  from  S.W.  to  north,  and  has  continued  northerly 
during  the  rest  of  the  month.  But  though  cold,  still  clear  and  dry  from 
the  16th  to  the  end  of  the  month.  The  thermometer  went  below 
freezing  point  every  night  with  the  exception  of  two,  the  lowest  being 
on  the  morning  of  the  28th,  when  it  indicated  11°  of  frost  on  the  ground. 
The  mean  temperature  of  the  month  was  42  7°,  which  is  the  lowest  for 
October  of  which  I  have  any  note,  the  average  of  the  last  twenty  years- 
being  47-3°.  The  rainfall  for  the  month  was  1-43  inch,  whicfi  is  only 
about  half  the  average  rainfall  for  October. — John  Macher,  Corona 
Gardens,  Brougkty  Ferry, 
-  Weather  in  South  Wales.— The  following  is  a  summary  of 
the  weather  here  for  the  last  month.  Rain  fell  on  fourteen  days  ;  snow 
on  six  days  ;  clear  snow  on  three  days  without  rain.  Greatest  amount 
of  snow,  0-21  on  the  28th.  Maximum  rainfall,  0-70  on  the  5th  ; 
minimum,  O'Ol  on  the  9th.  Total  amount  of  sunshine,  87^  hours  ;  sun- 
leas  days,  four.  The  wind  was  in  the  N.  and  N.  W.  on  seventeen  days, 
and  in  the  east  on  eight  days.  Very  rough  and  wet  the  beginning  of 
the  month,  but  only  one  wet  day  from  the  9th  until  the  2l8t,  when 
there  was  a  very  sudden  lowering  of  the  temperature,  accompanied  with 
rain  and  snow  in  the  daytime,  and  very  sharp  frosts  at  night,  leaving  the 
roads  in  the  morning  sheets  of  ice.  The  frost  broke  up  on  the  30th, 
since  which  it  has  been  much  milder.  —  W.  M Abbott,  Gwernllwyn 
House,  Dowlais. 
-  Summary  of  Meteorological  Observations  at  Hodsock 
Priory  Worksop,  Notts,  for  October.  —  Mean  temperature  of 
month,  45-3°.  Maximum  on  the  1st,  72-7°  ;  minimum  on  the  26th,  22-4°. 
Maximum  in  the  sun  on  the  1st,  116-3°  ;  minimum  on  the  grass  on  the 
28th,  12-9°.  Mean  temperature  of  air  at  9  A.M.,  44°.  Mean  temperature 
of  soil  1  foot  deep,  49  4°.  Nights  below  32°,  in  shade,  ten  ;  on  grass, 
eighteen.  Total  duration  of  sunshine,  eighty-eight  hours,  or  27  per  cent, 
of  possible.  We  bad  six  sunless  days.  Total  rainfall,  2  62  inches.  Rain 
fell  on  eighteen  days.  Average  velocity  of  wind,  7  5  miles  per  hour  ; 
exceeded  400  miles  on  one  day,  fell  short  of  100  miles  on  eight  days. 
Approximate  averages  for  October  : — Mean  temperature,  48-1°;  sunshine, 
eighty-three  hours  ;  rainfall,  2  73  inches.  The  hot  weather  of  September 
broke  up  on  the  Ist,  and  the  last  week  of  the  month  was  marked  by 
most  unusually  sharp  frosts,  the  intervening  period  being  of  a  normal 
character.  Both  maximum  and  minimum  temperatures  are  records  for 
Ortober.— J.  Mallender. 
