March  31,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
279 
Weather  in  London. — On  Thursday  last,  and  throughout  almost 
the  whole  of  Friday,  a  heavy  gale  passed  over  the  metropolis,  bring¬ 
ing  with  it  considerable  quantities  of  snow  and  rain.  The  wind  during 
those  two  days  and  on  Saturday  morning  was  bitterly  cold,  and  pedestrians 
had  much  discomfort  to  put  up  with.  About  midday  on  Saturday  it  turned 
rather  milder,  and  rain  commenced  falling,  continuing  almost  without 
intermission  until  Sunday  night. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — During  the  last  seven  days  a 
bitterly  cold  wind  from  the  N.E.  has  continued,  and  a  good  deal  of  snow 
has  fallen,  both  in  the  northern  and  the  south-eastern  counties. 
Throughout  there  has  been  little  sunshine.  On  the  mornings  of  the 
25th  and  the  26th  there  were  between  3°  and  4°  of  frost.  Monday 
brought  sleety  showers  in  the  morning  ;  the  afternoon  was  dull  but  fair* 
Snow  fell  intermittently  on  Tuesday  morning,  but  it  melted  rapidly  on 
the  lower  grounds. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Gardening  Appointments. — Mr.  George  Ellwood,  for  the 
past  three  years  foreman  at  Lockinge  Park,  Wantage,  Berks,  has  been 
appointed  head  gardener  at  Enbridge  Lodge,  Newbury,  Berks.  Mr.  G. 
Kent,  who  has  resigned  his  position  as  head  gardener  to  the  Earl  of 
Yarborough,  Brocklesby  Park,  Lincolnshire,  has  been  appointed  head 
gardener  to  Lord  Mount-Stephen,  Brockett  Hall,  Hatfield,  Herts,  and 
enters  upon  his  duties  this  week.  Mr.  James  Wyatt,  for  many  years 
head  gardener  to  J.  Perry,  Esq.,  Bradenhurst,  Caterham  Valley,  has 
been  appointed  in  the  same  capacity  to  W.  Oppenheimer,  Esq.,  Riversdale, 
Thames  Ditton. 
-  Primroses  and  Hepaticas. — When  “E.  ’  refers  to  double 
Primroses  as  not  being  readily  propagated  from  seed,  does  he  mean  hardy 
ones  or  Chinese  Primroses  ?  So  far  as  these  latter  are  concerned  it  is 
known  that  the  named  doubles  do  not  seed  at  all  ;  but  the  semi-doubles 
do  fairly  well  when  artificially  fertilised.  But  I  know  of  no  corresponding 
strain  of  hardy  semi-doubles  that  seed.  All  double  hardy  Primroses  are 
quite  devoid  of  fertile  organs,  these  having  in  the  doubling  process  been 
converted  into  petals.  How  seldom  do  we  see  these  Primroses 
in  gardens  southwards  or  round  London  ?  The  hardiest  are  the  white, 
lilac,  and  sulphur ;  but  good  clumps  of  them  are  rarely  seen  in  gardens 
now.  Like  Hepaticas,  they  suffer  much  from  dry,  hot  seasons,  or 
from  cold,  wet  winters.  Both  dislike  a  hot,  arid  atmosphere,  and  a  soil  that 
becomes  waterlogged  in  the  winter.  Both  like  a  deep  sandy  loam  in 
which  is  an  admixture  of  peat,  with  a  gently  sloping  border  somewhat 
shaded,  where  the  foliage  keeps  vigorous  and  green  during  the  summer. 
—A.  D. 
-  Spring  Flowers. — After  a  winter  of  Arctic  severity,  and 
when  for  many  weeks  the  earth  is  held  in  the  iron  grip  of  frost,  early 
spring  flowers  come  as  something  new  and  fresh  to  I’emind  us  that  the 
hard  time  is  over.  The  first  Primrose  and  the  first  Violet  carry  with 
them  a  charm  peculiarly  their  own,  and  envied  indeed  is  the  happy 
3'oungster  who  scours  the  hedgerows  and  gathers  the  first  bunch.  This 
season  the  interest  in  these  harbingers  has  been  small,  as  we  have  had 
them  with  us  more  or  less  all  the  winter.  We  seem  hardly  to  have  been 
without  outdoor  flowers  on  account  of  the  extreme  mildness  of  the  winter^ 
Long  after  we  might  have  expected  frost  and  snow  the  autumn  flowers 
were  blooming  brightly— the  Chrysanthemums,  Roses,  Dahlias,  Asters, 
and  all  the  rest  of  them  j  and  hardly  were  these  over  when  what  are 
usually  called  harbingers  of  the  spring  began  to  make  known  their 
presence.  Violets  have  bloomed  outdoors  in  my  garden  nearly  all  the 
winter,  and  early  in  January  Primroses  were  flowering  freely.  The 
Snowdrop  was  not  to  be  cajoled  by  appearances,  and  did  not  come  much 
earlier  than  usual,  though  its  reign  was  shorter  than  in  previous  seasons. 
Not  only  in  gardens,  but  in  the  woodlands  has  it  been  so,  and  with  the 
new  year  came  the  early  spring  flowers.  On  this  account  the  first  Prim¬ 
rose  and  Violet  have  not  carried  with  them  their  usual  interest,  as  it  is 
difficult  to  say  when  the  first  came.  The  early  beginning  seems  like 
being  continued,  as  fruit  trees  are  showing  abundant  blossom,  and  every¬ 
one  is  pushing  forward  with  work  in  the  garden.  All  will  be  well  if 
Jack  Frost  kindly  hold  aloof. — G.  [‘‘Jack”  has  not  obliged  our 
correspondent,  who  penned  his  note  some  time  before  be  had  to  dig  his 
way  through  the  snow  ;  he  says  he  will  not  be  tempted  to  prophesy 
again — at  least  in  March.] 
- The  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. — We  are  reminded 
that  the  annual  festival  dinner  of  this  most  deserving  charity  will 
take  place  on  Wednesday,  April  20th,  at  the  Hotel  M6tropole,  under 
the  presidency  of  C.  E.  Keyser,  Esq.,  of  Aldermaston  Court,  Reading, 
and  late  of  Stanmore.  Mr.  Keyser  is  so  well  known  as  a  patron  of 
horticulture  that  we  hope  there  will  be  a  large  number  of  gardeners 
present  to  give  Mr.  Keyser  a  cordial  reception. 
-  National  Viola  Society. — The  annual  exhibition  of  this 
Society  is  to  take  place  on  July  2nd  at  the  Crystal  Palace  on  the  same 
day  that  the  National  Rose  Society  will  be  holding  its  Metropolitan 
Show.  In  the  schedule  now  before  us  a  score  of  classes  are  particularised, 
amongst  which  may  be  observed  those  for  small  as  well  as  large  growers 
of  Pansies  and  Violas.  The  Hon.  Secretary  of  the  Society  is  Mr.  R.  T. 
Dougall,  52,  Pembroke  Road,  Walthamstow,  from  whom  schedules  of  the 
show  may  be  had,  and  also  full  particulars  as  to  membership  of  the 
Society. 
-  Hessle  Gardeners’  Society.— A  meeting  of  the  above 
Society  was  held  on  Tuesday,  March  22nd,  Mr.  Geo.  Picker  in  the 
chair.  The  essayist  for  the  evening  was  Mr.  J.  Lambert,  and  the 
subject  “  Hardy  Fruits.”  The  essayist  dealt  with  his  subject  in  a 
masterly  manner,  giving  the  cultivation  of  the  different  kinds  of 
fruits.  He  also  gave  the  most  suitable  varieties  for  market.  A  good 
discussion  followed,  and  several  questions  were  asked,  all  of  them  being 
answered  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  Mr.  J.  T.  Barker  showed  plants 
of  Cypripedium  caudatum,  C.  villosum,  C.  v.  giganteum,  and  some 
Dendrobium  n.  nobilis.  Mr.  J.  P.  Leadbetter,  Tranby  Croft  Gardens, 
showed  Carnations  and  Violets  in  variety.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the 
essayest  terminated  the  meeting.—  G.  W.  G. 
-  Cooking  Potatoes. — The  proof  of  the  pudding  or  the  Potato 
is  in  the  eating,  and  there  are  some  vai'ieties  of  pleasing  appearance 
which  are  well  known  as  prizewinners  at  shows,  that  in  quality  are  very 
much  inferior  to  others  less  attractive  in  appearance.  In  the  case  of 
Potatoes  judging  must  to  a  great  extent  be  done  by  appearance.s,  and 
therefore  the  good-looking  Potato  stands  the  best  chance  of  winning  a 
prize.  There  is  also  something  to  be  said  about  the  cooking  itself,  as 
tubers  in  the  hands  of  one  cook  will  invariably  present  a  different  appear¬ 
ance  than  when  boiled  by  another.  At  many  shows  prizes  are  offered  for 
the  best  dish  of  cooked  Potatoes,  and  this  class  might  be  encouraged 
still  further.  In  the  first  place  it  is  the  quality,  not  the  appearance  of 
the  Potato  that  is  brought  into  question,  as  they  are  judged  by  flavour  ; 
and  secondly,  it  is  an  encouragement  to  housewives  to  mark  the  difference 
between  w-ell  and  badly  cooked  Potatoes.  Anything  that  can  be  done  to 
encourage  the  growth  of  the  best  eating  varieties  of  Potatoes  is  a  right 
step.  A  Potato  to  thousands  is  but  a  Potato,  and  varieties  are  a  myth, 
yet  they  are  not  slow  in  knowing  which  are  the  good  cookers,  and  these 
they  are  anxious  to  purchase.  The  varieties  of  Potatoes  now  in  cultiva¬ 
tion  are  so  numerous  that  something  in  the  direction  of  classification 
might  be  done  for  the  benefit  of  growers,  and  in  the  event  of  this,  the 
[)oint  of  cooking  qualities  should  be  clearly  set  forth. — G. 
_  The  Needed  Rain. — It  is  usually  esteemed  bad  form  to  look 
a  gift  horse  in  the  mouth,  but  badly  as  we  needed  rain,  we  could  have 
wished  that  what  has  recently  fallen  had  come  in  a  warmer  and  more 
acceptable  condition  than  it  did.  Certainly  the  ground  had,  because  of 
such  an  unusually  dry  winter,  become  very  dry,  and  in  many  places  it  has 
moved  on  the  surface  like  dust.  But  much  worse  have  been  the  grave 
complaints  heard  in  many  directions  of  the  shortness  of  the  water  supply, 
wells  and  other  water  sources  having  already  given  out.  No  wonder  if 
in  such  case  those  dependant  upon  uncertain  supplies  of  water  have  felt 
anxious  as  to  their  position  later  should  the  comparative  absence  of 
rain  contiuue.  Even  as  it  is  we  have  not  had  very  much,  for  snow,  even 
if  the  fall  be  heavy,  yet  gives  but  a  very  small  body  of  water  relatively, 
and  the  snowfall  generally  has  been  light.  That  surface  soil  has  been 
moistened  to  the  depth  of  a  few  inches  is  something,  but  it  has  left  that 
soil  extremely  cold,  and  many  who  have  sown  small  or  half-tender  seeds 
have  had  cause  to  wish  they  had  exercised  rather  more  patience.  Such 
weather  as  we  have  recently  experienced,  accompanied  by  such  low 
temperature,  could  hardly  be  otherwise  than  harmful  in  its  effect  on  seeds 
of  many  descriptions,  especially  those  just  bursting  into  growth.  In  spite 
of  the  beautiful  weather  we  have  from  time  to  time  experienced  since  the 
opening  of  year,  yet  there  has  been  ample  evidence  that  summer  is 
not  yet  for  us,  and  a  cold  ordeal  has  inevitably  to  be  passed  through. 
We  now  badly  need  sun  heat  to  warm  the  cold  saturated  surface  soil,  and 
then  also  to  open  and  fertilise  the  fruit  blossom.  But  beyond  that  we  need 
April  showers,  warm  and  abundant,  to  enable  us  to  face  the  coming 
summer  heat,  which  we  shall  doubtless  experience  in  due  course.— A.  D. 
