February  24,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
167 
Weather  in  London. — Snow,  hail,  rain,  frost,  and  sunshine  haye 
all  visited  us  in  the  metropolis  since  our  last  issue  went  to  press,  and 
still  winter  is  not  yet.  Thursday  last  was  a  fine  day,  but  Friday,  but 
all  the  above  climatic  conditions  except  frost,  which  came  on  Saturday 
morning.  Traces  of  it  were,  however,  early  dispelled  by  the  brilliant 
sunshine  of  the  early  morning  and  afternoon.  The  air  was  again  frosty 
at  night,  but  changed  during  the  early  hours  of  Sunday  morning  to  rain, 
which  was  followed  by  wind,  snow,  rain,,  hail,  and  sunshine.  On  Monday, 
though  storm  was  announced  in  the  “  dailies,”  we  had  calm  ;  on  Tuesday 
it  was  fine  but  cold,  these  conditions  prevailing  until  the  time  of  going  to 
press  on  Wednesday. 
- -  Weather  in  the  North. — Since  the  16th  there  has  been  a 
cessation  of  the  high  winds  so  prevalent,  and  the  weather  has  been 
variable,  with  latterly  another  snap  of  winter.  Sa^turday  brought  drizzly 
rain  in  the  forenoon,  and  the  evening  was  dull.  On  Sunday  the  ground 
had  a  good  coating  of  snow,  and  5°  of  frost  were  registered.  Monday 
morning  showed  8°  of  frost,  which  gave  way  in  the  afternoon,  and  3°  were 
recorded  on  Tuesday  morning,  which  was  bright  and'clear.  A  pretty 
severe  snowstorm  is  reported  from  the  northern  counties.  As  an  instance 
of  the  forward  state  of  things  I  may  mention  that  I  cut  the  first  Daffodil 
(pallidus  prsecox)  in  my  garden  on  the  16th  inst.  Others  are  at  least  a 
month  ahead  of  the  usual  stage. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Pot  Root  Dahlias. — It  is  not  always  easy  or  practicable  to 
obtain  Dahlia  cuttings  just  at  the  right  time  for  propagation,  but  pot  roots 
may  be  procured  along  with  the  general  seed  order  from  most  of  the 
leaching  seedsmen,  and  these  are  of  a  suitable  size  for  starting  in  small  pots 
in  a  genial  atmosphere  between  50°  and  60°.  They  may  if  necessary  be 
placed  in  a  size  larger  pot,  keeping  close  to  the  glass  in  an  airy  green¬ 
house,  and  later  in  a  frame,  preparatory  to  planting  out  in  late  May. — S. 
-  Bournemouth  Gardeners’  Improvement  Association. — 
On  the  15th  inst.,  before  a  large  attendance  of  members  and  friends,  Mr. 
Arthur  W.  Sutton,  F.L.S.,  delivered  his  lecture,  entitled  “  Potatoes — 
Past,  Present,  and  Future.  ’  In  the  absence  through  illness  of  the 
President,  Mr.  T.  J.  Hankinson,  the  chair  was  taken  by  Mr.  A.  Skinner, 
Highcliffe  Castle  Gardens,  who  briefly  introduced  the  lecturer.  A  large 
number  of  limelight  illustrations,  including  various  species  and  varieties 
of  Solanum,  experiments  in  grafting  and  disease  prevention  carried  out  at 
Reading,  and  examples  of  some  of  the  highest  types  of  Potatoes  in 
cultivation  at  the  present  time,  gave  additional  interest  to  the  lecture. 
Mr.  Sutton  was  throughout  listened  to  with  much  attention,  and  on 
concluding  was,  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  J.  Spong,  seconded  by  Mr.  J.  B. 
Stevenson,  accorded  a  very  hearty  vote  of  thanks.  We  are  glad  to 
observe  from  the  balance-sheet  supplied  A.hat  the  Association  is  in  a  sound 
financial  state,  but  sorry  to  note  the  Committee’s  regret  that  “  the 
meetings  are  not  so  well  attended  as  they  ought  to  be.” 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society.— The  last  monthly  meet¬ 
ing  of  this  Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening,  the  16th  inst. 
F.  Campbell  Bayard,  President,  in  the  chair,  Mr.  E.  Mawley,  F.R.H.S., 
gave  a  report  on  the  phenological  observations  for  1897,  from  which  it 
appeared  that  there  had  been  a  marked  absence  of  very  exceptional 
weather  during  the  past  phenol  igical  year,  the  most  noteworthy  features 
affecting  vegetation  being  the  persistent  rains  in  March  and  the  three  dry 
periods  of  May,  July,  and  October.  Until  about  the  middle  of  May  wild 
plants  appeared  in  blossom  in  advance  of  their  usual  time,  but  throughout 
the  rest  of  the  flowering  season  they  were  all  somewhat  behind  their 
average  dates  in  coming  into  bloom.  The  heavy  rainfall  in  the  early 
spring  favoured  the  hay,  which  proved  the  only  really  abundant  farm 
crop  of  the  year,  but  greatly  impeded  the  sowing  of  spring  corn.  The 
cereals  were,  however,  much  beneSted  later  on  by  the  warm,  dry,  and 
brilliant  weather  of  the  summer.  Taking  the  country  as  a  whole  Oats 
proved  a  good  crop.  Barley  an  average  one,  while  the  yield  of  Wheat  was 
somewhat  under  average.  There  were  also  fair  crops  of  roots  and 
Potatoes.  It  was  owing  more  to  the  dry  spring  and  summer  and  the 
sunless  autumn  of  the  previous  year  than  to  the  moderate  frosts  and  cold 
winds  of  the  spring  of  1897  that  the  fruit  crop  was  such  a  very  light  one. 
Apples,  Pears,  and  Plums,  and  especially  the  latter,  yielded  badly,  while 
the  small  fruits  were  in  most  districts  only  average  crops. 
-  Utilising  Tree  Prunings. — In  removing  branches  from 
deciduous  trees  such  as  Lime,  Sycamore,  Oak,  Beech  and  Birch,  the 
most  suitable  portions  may  be  prepared  for  Pea  and  Bean  sticks.  Shape 
and  point  them  now  while  the  wood  is  soft.  They  will  then  be  ready  for 
use,  which  will  be  an  advantage  at  a  busy  time. — E.  D.  S. 
-  A  Ripe  Wild  Strawberry. — It  may  be  interesting  to 
your  readers  to  know  that  on  February  14th  I  picked  from  the  hedge 
bank  a  beautiful  ripe  Strawberry,  the  fruit  well  developed,  fairly 
coloured,  but  lacking  in  flavour.  Is  not  this  evidence  of  the  mild 
winter  we  are  passing  through  ?  May  I  claim  to  be  the  first  to  have 
picked  a  ripe  Strawberry  in  the  open  air  in  the  year  1898  ? — S.  Paul, 
Castleton,  Cardiff. 
-  Narcissus  minimus.  —  The  first  flower  opened  here  on 
February  17th,  which  is  twenty -three  days  later  than  Mr.  Arnott’s  at 
Dumfries,  N.B.  (page  146).  Perhaps  your  correspondent’s  plants  are 
growing  in  an  exceptionally  warm  corner,  or  how  are  we  to  account  for 
this  great  difference  ?  Mine  have  only  the  shelter  of  a  wall  on  the  east 
side  12  feet  high,  and  10  feet  from  the  plant  in  question,  and  they  have 
been  established  there  for  several  years.  I  do  not  find  this  Narcissus 
flower  earlier  when  lifted  and  dried  off,  as  your  correspondent  suggests. 
Unfortunately  1  have  very  few  bulbs  of  it  to  experiment  with,  but  half  a 
dozen  had  to  be  removed  last  year.  They  were  dried  and  replanted  early  ; 
nevertheless  they  will  be  eight  days  later  before  they  open  the  first 
flower,  although  practically  side  by  side  with  the  others. — W.  H.  Divers, 
Belvoir  Castle  Gardens,  Grantham, 
- The  Great  Paris  Exhibition  op  1900. — The  first  meeting 
of  the  Royal  Commission  for  the  Paris  Exhibition  of  1900  took  place 
on  Friday  last  at  Marlborough  House,  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of 
Wales  in  the  chair.  In  describing  the  scope  and  magnitude  of  the 
Exhibition,  his  Royal  Highness  said  provision  will  be  made  for  the  dis¬ 
play  of  every  kind  of  art,  industry,  and  manufacture.  The  guiding 
principle  is  that  similar  products,  from  whatever  part  of  the  world  they 
may  come,  shall  be  shown  side  by  side,  and  in  this  respect  the  Exhibition 
of  1900  will  differ  from  its  predecessors,  in  which  the  products  of  each 
country  have  usually  been  collected  together.  It  was  further,  stated  that 
while  a  grant  for  the  encouragement  of  and  representation  of  national 
industries  had  been  made  by  Germany  of  £250,000,  and  by  the  small 
State  of  Switzerland  £66,000,  the  grant  by  the  Treasury  of  the  United 
Kingdom  is  only  £75,000,  and  a  considerable  increase  is  hoped  for.  A 
number  of  sectional  sub-committees  were  announced,  and  under  the 
head  of  “  Agriculture,  Food,  Horticulture,  Forestry,  Fisheries,  and  Wild 
Crops”  we  find  the  members  comprise  the  Earl  of  Crewe,  Duke  of  Fife, 
Earl  of  Dudley,  Earl  of  .Jersey,  Earl  Spencer  (Chairman),  General  Sir 
Redvers  Buller,  V.C.;  Mr.  Horace  Plunkett,  M.P.;  Sir  Edward  Grey, 
M.P.;  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Sir  George  Russell,  Sir  Jacob  Wilson,  Mr. 
Thistleton  Dyer,  IMr.  Laurence  Grattan,  and  Mr.  Paul  J.  Madden. 
-  The  Shrewsbury  Prize  Schedule. — Between  the  familial- 
buff  covers  of  the  schedule  for  the  present  year  we  find  that  the  sum  of 
£950,  apart  from  medals,  is  offered  for  prizes.  The  great  summer  show 
will  be  held  on  August  17th  and  18th,  entries  closing  on  August  10th. 
The  schedule  comprises  196  classes,  and  apparently  some  800  prizes. 
Provision  seems  to  be  made  for  practically  everything  ornamental  and 
useful  that  is  produced  in  gardens.  Besides  allocations  of  £52  in  each 
of  the  two  large  group  classes,  and  £45  in  the  specimen  class  (thirty 
plants),  a  silver  cup,  value  £25  or  cash,  is  provided  for  a  new  class  of 
twenty  stove  and  greenhouse  plants,  not  less  than  twelve  to  be  in  bloom. 
A  change  is  made  in  the  “  floral  designs  ”  class,  which  now  reads  “  six 
bouquets  and  six  baskets  of  cut  flowers,  plants,  Ferns,  and  cut  foliage 
allowed  for  decoration  ;  space  10  feet  by  5  feet.  Prizes  £15,  £12  10s., 
and  £10;  a  silver  cup,  given  by  the  President,  T.  Ivynnersley,  Esq., 
with  the  first  prize,”  Combinations  of  great  beauty  may  be  anticipated. 
The  “  decorative  dessert  table  ”  class,  of  fruit,  plants,  and  flowers, 
which  was  one  of  the  great  successes  of  last  year,  is  to  be  repeated  ; 
and  the  sum  of  £45  distributed  pro  rata  with  the  points  awarded,  as 
five  prizes,  the  number  of  points  to  be  placed  on  the  exhibits.  On 
the  same  principle  £25  is  offered  for  distribution  in  five  prizes  in  the 
re-introduced  “  garden  produce  ”  class  of  fruits,  plants,  vegetables, 
and  flowers  (according  to  the  stipulations),  arranged  in  a  space  of 
8  feet  X  4  feet  by  4  feet  6  inches  of  tabling.  The  competitions  in  this 
class  were  too  crowded  two  years  ago — not  in  themselves  so  much,  as  in 
being  crushed  against  each  other,  which  detracted  from  their  individuality. 
They  should,  like  groups  of  plants,  have  clear  spaces  between  them. 
Valuable  prizes  are  offered  by  Messrs.  Carter,  Sutton,  Webb, 
Sydenham,  Eckford,  and  others.  The  show  in  its  entirety  is  bound  to  be 
of  great  diversity  and  magnitude. 
