JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
553 
December  12,  1835. 
-  The  Coffee  Teee, — The  Coffee  tree  in  a  wild  state  will  grow 
to  a  height  of  30  feet,  when  cultivated  it  is  pruned  down  to  5  feet  for 
convenience  in  gathering  the  crop. 
-  Wild  G  aelic. — Observing  a  note  on  this  subject,  taken  from 
the  "  Midland  Counties  Herald,”  on  page  508,  I  may  say  it  is  very 
common  on  heavy  clay  land  in  several  parishes  in  Worcestershire  where 
I  have  been.  It  is  known  as  “  Crow  Onions  ”  in  at  least  one  parish.  It 
is  pulled  by  women  before  the  seed  ripens,  and  I  have  seen  cartloads 
collected.  It  is  a  difficult  ' pest  to  deal  with  even  then,  because  the 
bulb  stalks  and  seed  heads  do  not  dry  well  to  burn.  I  have  heard  that 
it  is  used  to  some  extent  in  making  Worcestershire  sauce,  but  as  to  the 
truth  I  know  not.  There  should  be  some  use  for  “  the  herbs  of  the 
field,”  and  a  little  of  this  strong  specimen  would  go  a  long  way  in 
flavouring. — J.  Hiam,  Astwood  Bank. 
-  The  Biemiugham  Gaedenees’  Mutual  Impeovemeftt 
Association. — At  the  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  above  Society  Mr. 
W.  B.  Latham  presiding,  Mr.  W.  Spinks,  manager  to  Messrs.  Hewitt 
and  Co.,  The  Nurseries,  Solihull,  read  a  paper  on  the  “  Propagation  of 
Plants;”  which  was  followed  by  a  discussion  among  the  members 
present.  Keference  was  made  to  the  danger  of  using  cocoa-nut  fibre 
refuse  for  propagating  purposes  from  its  liability  to  generate  fungus 
matter.  It  was  cited  as  somewhat  remarkable  that,  though  Ketinosporas 
were  readily  increased  by  cuttings  or  slips,  Lawson’s  Cypress  was  not 
easily  amenable  to  the  same  process — at  least,  under  similar  conditions. 
Allusion  was  made  to  the  propagation  of  Bouvardias  by  their  roots  as 
well  as  by  cuttings,  also  of  the  peculiarities  of  some  of  the  herbaceous 
Paeonies  regarding  root  propagation. — W.  G. 
-  The  Weathee  Last  Month. — November  was  mild,  dull,  and 
damp,  with  severe  gales  on  5th,  10th,  16th,  and  23rd,  and  several  heavy 
fogs,  the  last  six  days  being  without  sunshine.  The  wind  was  in  a 
southerly  direction  twenty-one  days.  Total  rainfall,  3  02  inches,  which 
fell  on  twenty-four  days,  the  greatest  daily  fall  being  O' 40  inch  on  the 
22nd  and  29th.  Barometer — highest  reading,  30  280  at  9  P.M.  on  the 
1st;  lowest,  28  812  at  1  A.M.  on  the  12th.  Thermometers — highest  in 
the  shade,  62°  on  the  16th  ;  lowest,  29°  on  the  13th.  Mean  of  daily 
maxima,  50'40°;  mean  of  daily  minima,  39-23°.  Mean  temperature 
of  the  month,  44‘81° ;  lowest  on  the  grass,  23°  on  the  18th;  highest 
in  the  sun,  99°  on  the  13th;  mean  temperature  of  the  earth  at  3  feet, 
46"  80°.  Total  sunshine,  44  hours  55  minutes.  We  had  thirteen  sunless 
days.  The  total  rainfall  is  now  6'20  inches  below  the  average  for  the 
year. — W.  H.  Divees,  Belvoir  Castle  Gardens,  Grantham. 
-  Novembee  Weathee  at  Hodsock  Peioey,  Woeksop, 
Notts. — Mean  temperature  of  the  month,  44-8°.  Maximum  on  the 
16th,  62'2°  ;  minimum  on  the  19th,  23‘8°.  Maximum  in  the  sun  on  the 
6th,  95-9°  ;  minimum  on  the  grass  on  the  19th,  17  9°.  Mean  temperature 
of  the  air  at  9  a.m.,  44-0°.  Mean  temperature  of  the  soil  at  1  foot 
deep,  44'5°.  Nights  below  32°,  in  the  shade  five,  on  the 
grass  fourteen.  Total  duration  of  sunshine  in  the  month,  thirty-four 
hours,  or  13  per  cent,  of  possible  duration.  There  were  eleven 
sunless  days.  Total  rainfall  in  the  month,  3  07  inches.  Eain  fell  on 
twenty  days.  Average  velocity  of  wind,  11'4  miles  per  hour.  Velocity 
exceeded  400  miles  on  six  days  ;  fell  short  of  100  miles  on  six  days. 
Approximate  averages  for  November : — Mean  temperature,  42  3°. 
Sunshine,  fifty  hours.  Rainfall,  2'03  inches.  A  dull,  mild,  and  rather 
wet  month  ;  the  night  temperatures  were  warmer  than  in  October. 
There  were  some  strong  winds  but  not  much  damage  was  done. — 
J.  Mallendee. 
-  A  Mild  Novembee. — The  weather  of  last  month  was 
exceedingly  mild  in  all  parts  of  England,  and  especially  so  over  our 
southern  counties.  In  London  the  mean  temperature  was  nearly  4° 
above  the  average,  and  although  very  slightly  in  excess  of  that  registered 
last  year  or  in  1888,  it  was  actually  higher  than  in  any  November  of 
the  past  twenty-five  years,  with  the  exception  of  the  phenomenal  season 
of  1881.  On  an  average  of  twenty  years’  observations  the  mean 
maximum  temperature  in  London  for  November  comes  out  a  little 
above  49°.  In  1881  there  were  no  fewer  than  twenty-seven  days  with 
a  temperature  exceeding  50°.  On  eighteen  of  these  days  the  thermo¬ 
meter  exceeded  55°,  while  on  five  of  them  it  rose  to  60°  or  more,  the 
highest  reading  of  all  being  64°.  Last  month  there  were  twenty-three 
days  with  a  maximum  temperature  exceeding  50°.  On  ten  of  these  the 
thermometer  rose  to  45°  or  more,  and  on  four  of  them  to  60°  or  more. 
Last  month  there  were  only  two  nights  on  which  the  sheltered  thermo¬ 
meter  in  London  fell  as  low  as  the  freezing  point,  but  in  1879  there  were 
as  many  as  fifteen. — (“  Echo.”) 
-  Peesentation  to  Me.  A.  F.  Upstone. — On  leaving  Norwich 
to  take  charge  of  the  seed  department  of  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  «Sc  Sons, 
Chelsea,  Mr.  Upstone  was  presented  with  a  marble  clock  and  a  purse 
of  money  by  the  East  Anglian  Horticultural  Club,  of  which  he  was 
honorary  secretary  for  five  years. 
-  Miceomeeia  eupesteis. — During  the  warm  days  of  the  past 
week,  says  a  transatlantic  publication,  the  delicate  little  lilac  and  white 
flowers  of  Micromeria  rupestris  opened  as  cheerfully  as  they  did  in 
July.  Among  the  low-growing  sub-shrubs  in  the  rock  garden  few  are 
more  valuable  than  this  little  Mint,  with  its  long  succession  of  flowers 
and  its  neat  foliage,  with  the  odour  and  taste  of  Pennyroyal.  Its 
prostrate  stems,  which  turn  up  at  the  extremities,  make  a  rounded  mass 
less  than  a  foot  high  at  the  centre,  and  in  old  specimens  spreading  over 
a  diameter  of  2  feet.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  altogether  a  cheerful 
and  useful  little  plant. 
-  CiDEE  Making  in  Kent. — Some  Apple  growers  in  Kent, 
burdened  with  a  heavy  crop  of  fruit,  decided  to  convert  their  surplus 
produce  into  cider.  Their  efforts  have  been  attended  with  considerable 
success,  and  some  fine  cider  has  been  produced  from  Apples  that  would 
have  been  hardly  saleable  as  fruit.  A  Gloucestershire  cider  maker  was 
invited  to  make  the  experiment  on  behalf  of  these  go-ahead  growers, 
and  teach  them  the  latest  methods.  The  success  obtained  is  likely 
to  be  the  means  of  establishing  the  cider  industry  in  Kent,  where, 
until  recently,  it  was  considered  the  home-grown  Apples  were  unsuitable 
for  cider  making. 
-  Kettle  and  Boilee  Inceustation. — Fill  these  overnight 
with  a  15  per  cent,  (a  little  more  or  less  is  of  no  moment)  solution  of 
sulphuric  acid  and  water  ;  this  will  to  a  certain  extent  disintegrate  the 
deposit,  and  a  good  deal  of  it  may  be  removed  mechanically  ;  after 
which  place  half  a  dozen  clean  oyster  shells  in  the  vessels  and  let  them 
remain.  The  affinity  of  the  shells  for  the  calcareous  and  silicious  salts 
in  the  water  will  cause  it  to  deposit  to  an  extraordinary  extent ;  in  my 
case,  with  New  River  water,  in  two  years  a  shell  weighing  1 J  oz.  received 
the  deposit  of  2J  ozs.  in  an  ordinary  domestic  kettle.  Since  then  I 
have  kept  them  in  the  kitchen  boiler,  and  find  such  deposit  as  was 
there  has  been  scaled  off,  and  I  am  practically  free  from  these  incrusta¬ 
tions.— Blenneehasset  ('‘Echo”). 
-  IMPOETED  Feuit.— In  the  past  ten  years  (1885  to  1894)  the 
total  amount  of  imported  Apples  has  exceeded  33^  millions  of  bushels, 
valued  at  over  9J  millions  sterling,  or  an  average  of  about  5s.  6d.  per 
bushel.  In  the  same  period  the  area  under  orchards  in  Great  Britain 
has  increased  by  20,000  acres,  the  total  for  1894  being  returned  at 
214,187  acres.  The  area  under  small  fruits  is  65,487  acres.  From 
France,  Italy,  Holland,  Belgium,  the  Channel  Islands  and  Canary 
Islands,  nearly  all  the  consignments  of  fruit  come  in  light,  strong  boxes 
of  convenient  size,  with  scarcely  any  packing  beyond  paper  shavings  or 
a  sheet  or  two  of  thin  coloured  paper.  American  Apples  come  in  barrels 
without  any  picking  material  whatsoever,  and  the  secret  is  the  strict 
exclusion  of  damaged  or  over-iipe  fruit,  and  very  firm  but  careful 
packing. 
-  Steawbeeeies  in  Kent  and  Hampshiee. — As  to  special 
centres  of  cultivation  for  particular  crops,  perhaps  the  most  remarkable 
is  afforded  by  the  Strawberry  regions  near  Swanley  in  Kent,  and  Botley 
in  Hampshire.  At  the  latter  place  about  300  acres  are  almost  exclusively 
devoted  to  this  fruit.  Enormous  quantities  of  fruit  are  despatched  from 
this  part,  as  can  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  in  one  week  no  less  than 
200  tons  have  been  forwarded  by  train.  From  Swanley  over  600  tons 
have  been  despatched  in  one  month. 
-  Nepheolepis  exaltata  plumosa. — The  Sword  Ferns  are 
among  the  most  popular  plants  for  home  decoration,  attractive,  healthy 
and  easily  grown.  They  will  do  well  under  almost  any  condition 
provided  they  are  kept  moderately  warm  and  in  a  partial  shade.  The 
beautiful  fronds  of  the  old  Nephrolepis  exaltata  are  here  divided  into 
numerous  feathery  segments,  which  form  large  masses  of  greenery  at 
the  apex  of  the  leaf.  The  lower  pinnae  are  more  or  less  furcate,  while 
the  upper  ones  are  cut  out  into  numerous  fringes.  Because  of  these 
heavy  tops  the  foliage  is  more  spreading  than  is  that  of  the  typical 
form,  and  the  habit  is  more  bushy.  The  peculiar  thread-like  runners 
or  stolons,  which  form  numerous  young  plants,  hang  down  over  the 
baskets  in  which  the  plants  are  generally  grown,  and  add  considerably 
to  their  ornamental  value.  A  soil  composed  of  fibrous  peat  and  loam  is 
the  best,  and  the  plants  show  off  to  the  best  advantage  when  grown  in 
wire  baskets  suspended  from  the  roof  or  ceiling. — ("Garden  and 
Forest.”) 
