324 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  14,  1898. 
-  PROPA&ATiifG  Blue  and  White  Lobelias.— The  old 
plants  of  Lobelias  divided  a  few  weeks  since,  and  the  divisions  placed 
in  boxes  and  pans,  have  grown  so  freely  in  the  warm  moist  atmosphere 
of  a  vinery  that  stout  cuttings  are  obtainable.  These  are  most  useful  for 
increasing  stock,  as  they  root  quickly  in  sandy  soil  under  warm,  moist 
conditions,  forming  nice  plants  by  bedding  out  time. — E.  S. 
-  Outdoor  Spring  Flowers. — The  present  seasonable  weather 
is  suiting  the  Hyacinths  in  lieds  and  borders,  and  they  are  making 
attractive  displa3'8  in  public  parks  and  private  gardens.  Primroses  and 
Polyanthuses  have  advanced  into  riower  rapidly  since  the  month  came  in. 
The  main  display  of  Wallflowers  will  shortly  be  in  full  beauty.  Double 
Daffodils  brighten  beds  and  borders,  and  the  earliest  Tulips  are  showing 
colour. — E.  D.  S.,  Gravesend. 
-  Eoyal  Meteorological  Society. — At  the  ordinary  meeting 
of  the  Society,  to  be  held  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,' Great 
George  Street,  Westminster,  on  Wednesday,  the  20th  inst ,  at  7.30  P.M.j 
the  following  papers  will  be  read  :  -  “  Anticyclonic  Systems  and  Their 
Movements,’"  by  Major  H.  E.  Eawson,  E.E.,  F.E.Met.Soc. ;  “Eesults  of 
Observations  on  Haze  and  Transparency  in  1897,”  by  the  Hon.  F.  A. 
Rollo  Russell,  M.A.,  F.R.Met.Soc. 
-  Not  a  Paradise  for  Market  Gardeners. — Miss  Sykes, 
in  her  travels  through  Persia  with  her  brother.  Captain  Molesworth 
Sykes  (Messrs.  A.  D.  Innes  &  Co.),  states  that  living  in  Kerman  was  by 
no  means  expensive,  as  meat  and  bread  were  under  Id.  a  pound,  eggs  ten 
a  Id.,  chickens  2d.,  a  minute  lamb  I^d.,  and  all  the  ordinary  articles  of 
food  in  the  same  proportion.  We  paid  Id.  daily  for  our  vegetables  to  the 
old  gardener,  who  rented  the  garden  from  our  landlord,  advancing  to 
2d.  in  the  fruit  season,  when  we  consumed  any  number  of  Mulberries, 
Apricots,  Peaches,  Melons,  Figs,  and  Grapes. 
- A  Remarkable  Case  of  Correlation. — It  has  occurred 
to  me  that  the  following  extract  from  “  Nature,”  March  31st,  1898,  might 
interest  especially  some  of  the  Pine  Apple  cultivator  readers  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture.  “  A  very  interesting  case  of  correlation  is  recorded 
in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Botanical  Department,  Jamaica,  for  December, 
1897.  Particular  attention  has  been  paidi lately  to  the  selection  of  good 
Ripley  Queen  Pine  Apples,  and  it  is  found  that  if  there  is  a  broad  red 
stripe  in  the  centre  of  the  leaf,  the  fruit  will  turn  out  good  ;  in  other 
cases  the  fruit  goes  into  holes  at  the  bottom  and  is  attacked  by  ants. 
-  Chou  de  Milan.- — On  an  allotment  at  Surbiton  a  week  or  two 
ago  I  saw  a  patch  of  this  most  useful  hardy  Kale,  that  I  verily  envied, 
it  was  so  clean,  green,  and  beautifully  fresh,  the  spring  sprouts,  that 
form  so  delicious  a  product  when  well  cooked,  having  pushed  a  few  inches 
long.  Striking  was  the  contrast  presented  by  the  dark  curled  leafage 
of  the  tall  and  other  Scotch  Kales,  so  generally  grown,  for  these  were  all 
more  or  less  browned  or  burnt  with  fog,  and  were  unfit  for  use  ;  but,  of 
course,  the  stem  sprouts  were  yet  unharmed.  A  more  perfect  piece  of 
hardy  Kale  for  the  time  of  year  I  cannot  hope  to  see,  and  I  longed  to  be 
able  to  gather  sprouts  from  it ;  yet  in  how'  few  gardens  relatively  is 
Chou  de  Milan  grown.  Perhaps  it  wants  a  new  name  to  make  it 
eagerly  sought  after.  One  feature  noticeable  was  that  the  soil  had  not 
been  manured,  but  having  been  an  old  pasture  with  the  turf  removed, 
then  dug,  it  had  produced  these  capital  plants.  Do  we  really  not  often 
create  fungoid  diseases  in  Brassica  by  giving  them  too  much  manure  ? 
—A.  D. 
Double  Primroses. — The  double  Primroses  are  deservedly 
favourites,  and  whenever  seen  usually  attract  much  admiration.  Those 
most  frequently  seen  are  the  double  white  and  the  double  lilac.  These 
are  both  of  vigorous  growth,  and  in  this  respect  compare  favourably  with 
some  of  the  others.  There  are  at  least  two  forms  of  the  white.  There 
are  also  two  or  three  yellows,  one  being  deeper  in  colour,  but  less  free  in 
growth  than  the  double  sulphur.  Purple,  blush,  and  several  other  shades 
are  now  ixqiresented.  The  worst  fault  the  double  Primroses  have  in  the 
garden  is  that  they  are  so  liable  to  be  lost  from  drought  or  severe  frost. 
They  are  hardj',  but  are  often  lifted  partly  out  of  the  ground  by  frost, 
and  if  not  attended  to  become  lost.  They  suffer  much  in  dry  weather, 
and  it  is  common  ^enough  after  a  dry  season  to  see  that  some  of  the 
southern  growers  are  unable  to  offer  plants  of  some  of  the  scarcer  forms. 
They  thrive  splendidly  during  summer  in  a  frame  placed  on  a  shady 
border,  the  glass  being  shaded  with  summer  cloud  or  other  material. 
The  frame  should  not  be  close,  and  the  plants  ought  to  be  watered 
regularly  with  a  fine  rose.  This  will  keep  down  green  fly,  to  which  they 
are  subject  if  grow'n  in  a  confined  atmosphere.  Annual  division  and 
replanting  are  almost  necessary  for  these  Primroses  when  large  plants 
are  grown. — S.  Arnott. 
-  Top-dressing  Mint. — May  I  recommend  those  who  top-dress 
Mint  to  make  a  new  bed  every  year  in  April  from  cuttings  made  from 
the  tops  inserted  about  1  foot  by  9  inches  apart  ?  When  the  time  comes 
for  boxing  roots  for  forcing  they  will  be  delighted  with  the  plants  so 
treated.  The  above  is  the  practice  of  most  market  growers,  who,  I 
find,  can  give  us  gardeners  in  private  places  many  wrinkles.  — 
Jas.  Hamilton  Burton- on- Trent. 
- March  W eather  at  Driffield. — Mean  temperature  at  9  a.m. 
(corrected),  39'3°.  Wet  bulb,  37'49'’.  Mean  maximum,  45'93°  ;  mean 
minimum,  32'96°.  Highest,  57-8°  on  the  18th  ;  lowest,  26'0°on  the  loth* 
Mean  of  maxima  and  minima,  39'45°.  Mean  radiation  temperature  on 
the  grass,  29'27°  ;  lowest,  21 '5°  on  the  21st.  Rainfall,  2*07  inches* 
Number  of  rainy  days,  eighteen  ;  greatest  amount  on  one  day,  0'46  inch 
on  the  26th. — W.  E,  Lovel,  York  Eoad,  Driffield. 
-  Sussex  Rainfall.— The  total  rainfall  at  Stonehurst,  Ardingley, 
for  March  was  1'29  inch,  being  0  79  below  the  average.  The  heaviest 
fall  was  0'38  inch  on  the  3rd.  Rain  or  snow  fell  on  eleven  days.  Total 
fall  for  the  quarter  3'45  inches,  which  is  3'21  inches  below  the  average* 
The  maximum  temperature  was  53°  on  the  22nd,  and  the  minimum 
27°  on  the  13th  and  25th.  Mean  maximum,  46'16°  ;  mean  minimum, 
33'19°  ;  mean  temperature,  39'67° — !•  19°  below  the  average.  The  storm 
of  the  25th  and  26th  was  severely  felt  here,  snow  falling  continuously 
both  days,  with  strong  N.E.  wind.  Maximum  temperature,  35°  and  36° 
respectively,  falling  to  27°  on  the  former.— R.  I. 
-  March  Weather  .at  Hodsock  Priory.— Mean  tempera¬ 
ture,  39'9°.  Maximum  in  the  screen,  61°  on  the  18th  ;  minimum  in  the 
screen,  20-2°  on  the  7th.  Minimum  on  the  grass,  11 '8°  on  the  7th.  Frosts 
in  the  shade,  seventeen  ;  on  the  grass,  twenty-four.  Sunshine,  seventy- 
nine  hours,  or  22  per  cent,  of  the  possible  duration  ;  twenty-seven  hours 
below  the  average.  Rainfall,  1-49  inch  ;  below  the  average,  0'16  Rain  fell 
on  sixteen  days.  Maximum  fall,  0'33  inch  on  the  26th,  Rainfall  since 
.Jannary  1st,  2'62  inches  ;  2'49  Inches  below  the  average.  A  rather  cold 
month.  White  frosts  at  the  commencement,  and  snow  squalls  near  the 
end.  Vegetation  made  little  progress,— J.  Mallender,  Worksop. 
-  Arrears  in  Rainfall. — Mr.  T.  P.  Newman,  Hazelhurst, 
Haslemere,  directs  attention,  through  the  “  Surrey  Times,”  to  the  serious 
outlook  for  the  summer.owing  to  the  very  little  rainfall  that  we  have  had 
for  months.  The  statistics  which  Mr.  Newman  quotes  are  significant. 
During  the  first  three  months  of  this  year  only  4-08  inches  of  rain  were 
registered,  as  compared  with  13’45  inches  in  the  corresponding  period  of 
1897.  Moreover,  the  closing  months  of  last  year  were  almost  equally 
dry.  The  seven  months  from  September,  1897,  to  March,  1898,  inclusive, 
produced  14-04  inches  of  rain  against  34  68  inches  in  the  same  period  of 
1890-7.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  winter  of  1896-7  produced  enough  rain  for 
a  whole  year,  whereas  this  last  winter  has  only  produced  about  one-third 
of  that  quantity  in  the  beautiful  district  of  Surrey,  where  the  amounts  were 
carefully  registered. 
-  The  Weather  Last  Month. — March  was  much  colder  than 
-Tanuary,  and  snow  fell  on  several  occasions,  but  melted  as  it  came.  The 
wind  was  in  a  westerly  direction  eighteen  days.  Total  rainfall  1'46  inch, 
which  fell  on  eighteen  days,  and  is  O'lO  inch  below  the  average  for  the 
month.  The  greatest  daily  fall  was  0  42  inch  on  the  26th.  Barometer 
(corrected  and  reduced),  highest  reading  30'293  inches  on  the  10th  at 
9  P.M. ;  lowest,  29-426  inches  on  the  28th  at  9  A.M.  Thermometers  : 
highest  in  the  shade  61°  on  the  18th  ;  lowest,  22°  on  the  lOth  ;  mean  of 
daily  maxima,  46-09°  ;  mean  of  daily  minima,  3T61°  ;  mean  temperature 
of  the  month,  38-85°;  lowest  on  the  grass,  16°  on  the  7th  and  10th  ; 
highest  in  the  sun,  118°  on  the  18th.  Mean  temperature  of  the  earth 
3  feet  deep,  40-38°.  Total  sunshine,  107  hours  50  minutes.  There  were 
four  sunless  days.— W.  H.  Divers,  Belvoir,  Grantham. 
-  Weather  at  Dowlais.— Gbservations  here  for  the  past 
month  show  a  total  rainfall  (including  snow),  1-69  inch.  Snow  alone, 
0-62  ;  which  fell  on  six  days.  Rain  and  snow  on  three  days.  Rain  alone 
on  six  days.  Greatest  rainfall,  0-28  on  the  19th  ;  greatest  snowfall,  0*28 
on  the  6th.  Mean  maximum  temperature,  47°  ;  highest  reading,  63°  on 
the  21st.  Mean  minimum,  26-9"’ ;  lowest  reading,  18°  on  the  6th.  Below 
freezing  point  on  twenty-seven  nights.  There  were  nine  sunless  d'.ys. 
The  wind  was  in  the  N.  and  N.W.  on  fifteen  days,  and  in  the  S.W.  on 
nine  days.  A  terrible  gale  was  raging  here  from  the  24th  to  the  27th 
inclusive,  with  blinding  snowstorms  on  the  24th  and  26th.  On  the  3rd 
we  had  a  fair  sample  of  weather,  starting  first  thing  with  about  three 
hours’  sunshine  ;  heavy  clouds  came  up  from  the  N.W.,  a  very  heavy  hail 
storm,  with  a  slight  fall  of  snow,  accompanied  by  thunder  and  lightning, 
and  finishing  with  9°  of  frost. — Wm.  Mabbott. 
