July  20,  1199. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
'55 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATION'S  AT  CHISWICK, 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
I  1 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Rain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperatuie 
on  Grass. 
1899. 
July. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
BulD. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
CG 
£ 
Iri 
’  i 
-  <D 
£ 
O 
Sunday . .  9 
Monday.  .10 
Tuesday  11 
Wed’sday  12 
Thursday  13 
Friday  . .  14 
Saturday  15 
N.N.W. 
5.5. W. 
5.5. K. 
5.5. E. 
w.x.w. 
5.5. W. 
w.s.w. 
deg. 
68-8 
65- 7 
71-8 
74  9 
62-8 
66- 9 
66-7 
deg. 
62-0 
61T 
04  "G 
65  ‘8 
57- 5 
58- 2 
56  "6 
deg. 
77  "D 
72-9 
82-6 
76-9 
73T 
70'5 
71-7 
deg. 
56- 4 
57- 9 
59-9 
64-9 
57-7 
48-3 
57  "5 
ins. 
0*11 
deg. 
67-7 
67-8 
67-2 
69-4 
67'4 
65-8 
66 '2 
deg. 
63-2 
63-6 
63- 7 
64- 2 
64-5 
64  T 
63  "7 
deg. 
58T 
58'5 
58'8 
58- 9 
59- 2 
59-5 
597 
deg. 
48 ‘I 
51  "5 
56'5 
57 '5 
54-8 
39  T 
61 T 
Means  .. 
i  68-2 
60'8 
75  T 
57'5 
Total 
Oil 
67'4 
63-9 
59-0 
51-2 
The  weather  during  the  week  has  been  very  hot,  Tuesday,  the 
•11th  iust.,  being  one  of  the  hottest  days  experienced  this  summer,  as 
only  on  one  occasion  has  the  glass  registered  a  higher  temperature^ 
which  was  on  the  5th  ult.,  when  it  read  82'7°  in  the  shade.  A  little  rain 
fell  on  the  10th  inst. 
-  Utricularia  Endresi. — This  pretty  stove  plant  is  not  as 
often  seen  as  it  might  be,  for  without  a  doubt  it  is  well  worth  growing, 
and  provided  sufficient  heat  and  moisture  are  forthcoming  no  great 
amount  of  skill  is  needed  in  its  culture.  The  habit  ol  the  plant  is  to 
throw  up  its  leaves  and  flowers  from  a  slender  creeping  rhizome,  and 
■for  this  reason  broad  shallow  baskets  with  a  thin  compost,  a  good  deal  like 
-that  used  for  Orchids,  may  be  allowed.  While  growing  and  flowering  a 
large  quantity  of  water  is  needed,  but  when  at  rest  much  less  is  required 
though  no  greater  or  more  frequent  mistake  is  made  than  drying  the 
roots  severely  at  this  season. — H. 
-  Cauliflowers. — With  regard  to  the  Cauliflowers  alluded  to  on 
page  44,  I  send  you  a  sample.  I  regret  that  it  is  not  a  good  one,  but  it 
is  the  best  I  have  now,  the  crop  being  about  done.  The  largest  of  these 
heads  have  been  lifted  ten  days,  and  placed  in  a  cool  shed.  Possibly  I, 
like  “  A.  D.,”  on  page  33,  exaggerated  a  trifle  in  saying  they  averaged 
•6  inches  in  diameter,  but  you  can  decide  for  yourself.  I  had  several 
heads  both  larger  and  smaller  than  the  sample.  They  were  grown  on  a 
south  border,  and  treated  in  the  usual  way  tor  Cabbage.  I  considered 
■the  frost  of  the  third  week  was  very  severe,  over  20°  being  registered. 
The  plants  were  very  much  cut  then,  but  came  on  rapidly  afterwards. 
I  shall  certainly  try  the  plan  another  year  again. — R.  M.  D.  [The 
larger  of  the  two  Cauliflowers  received  was  7  inches  in  diameter,  but 
measured  9  inches  following  the  contour  of  the  close  white  head.  That 
it  had  kept  so  close  for  ten  days  in  a  cool  shed  affords  evidence  ot  the 
usefulness  of  cool  storage  for  retarding  for  exhibition  or  otherwise.  We 
have  many  times  tried  the  plan  by  which  “R.  M.  D.”  was  so  fortunatet 
and  sometimes  with  a  measure  of  success  when  the  winters  were  the 
reverse  of  severe.  Our  correspondent  is  not  particularly  elucidatory  as 
to  the  date  of  his  solitary  severe  frost,  which  occurred  during  the  “  third 
week.”] 
-  Where  Our  Fruits  Come  From. — Last  week  the  new  Pear 
season  may  be  said  to  have  opened,  as  the  first  arrival  of  new  fresh 
Pears  came  to  London  from  Portugal,  and  were  at  once  bought  from 
dhe  auctioneers  who  received  them.  It  may  be  added  that  at  the  present 
time  we  are  receiving  Peaches,  Plums,  and  Strawberries  from  France, 
also  Apricots.  Oranges  come  from  Italy,  Portugal,  and  Spain.  Many 
Londoners  are  astonished  at  what  may  be  termed  the  curious- looking 
new  fruits  now  on  show  in  the  windows  of  the  high-class  fruiterers. 
They  are  of  a  flatish,  oblong  shape,  and  when  ripe  carry  a  deep,  mellowed 
apricot  colour.  These  are  Mangoes,  and  they  come  from  the  East  Indies. 
Huge  vanloads  of  curiously  packed  crates  may  be  seen  daily  passing  at  a 
rapid  pace  through  Fleet  Street,  westwards.  Each  crate  contains  a  bunch 
of  Bananas,  and  these  come  from  the  Canaries.  Never  were  such  large 
quantities  of  these  dainty,  yellow-fingered  fruits  sent  into  London  before, 
and  it  is  predicted  that  in  time  the  best  of  them  will  be  obtainable  as 
cheaply  as  four  a  penny.  For  every  hundredweight  eaten  in  London 
twenty  years  ago  a  ton  at  least  is  consumed  now.  The  cheap  black 
Grapes  now  on  show  come  chiefly  from  Guernsey  and  some  from  Belgium. 
The  really  choice  Grapes  are  home  grown,  and  are  mow  in  perfection. 
Pine  Apples  come  from  the  Azores. — (“  Westminster  Gazette.”) 
-  Sweet  Peas. — Sweet  Peas  are  very  prolific  in  flowering,  but 
their  period  of  blooming  is  soon  past  if  pods  are  allowed  to  form.  In 
order  to  extend  the  period  during  which  flowers  may  be  picked  the 
cutting  should  be  free,  or  pods  removed  before  the  seed  swells. — C.  S. 
-  Salt  as  a  Weed  Killer. — Although  there  are  many  excellent 
weed-destroying  preparations  on  the  market,  it  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
salt  acts  promptly  in  destroying  the  growth  of  weeds  on  walks.  The 
common  or  agricultural  salt  dees  for  the  purpose,  and  it  should  be  spread 
evenly  on  the  walks  in  dry  hot  weather.— E. 
-  Seedling  Wallflowers. — The  transplanting  or  pricking  out 
of  young  Wallflowers  must  now  be  done  if  sturdy  bushy  plants  are  needed 
for  autumn  planting.  If  placed  out,  4  to  6  inches  apart,  in  good  soil  they 
will  develop  into  nice  plants.  They  are  commonly  left  too  long  in  the 
seed  beds  and  their  tissues  made  tender  by  crowding  ;  then  people  wonder 
why  the  plants  die  in  winter. — B.  H. 
-  Strawberry  Fillbasket. — We  notice  Mr.  Pearson’s  remarks 
on  page  33  last  week,  and  particularly  so  as  to  Fillbasket.  Now,  we 
and  others  consider  the  flavour  very  good,  and  as  we  have  not  sent  this 
Strawberry  out  to  the  trade  at  present,  the  stock  being  small,  we  do  not 
think  he  can  have  this  variety.  It  was  only  issued  retail  last  year.  It  is 
a  prodigious  cropper,  and  we  consider  a  grand  variety — Royal  Sovereign 
crossed  by  Latest  of  All. — Laxton  Bros. 
-  Plant  Mimicry. — There  are  a  few  instances  of  protective 
mimicry  in  plants,  though  in  general  plants  protect  themselves  by 
spines,  hairs,  and  poisonous  secretions.  The  “Stone  Mesembryamhemum 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  resembles,  says  a  transatlantic  contemporary, 
the  stones  among  which  it  grows,  and  thus  escapes  the  notice  of  wild 
herbivorous  animals.  It  has  also  been  observed  that  many  plants  growing 
in  the  stony  soil  of  the  Karoo  have  their  tubers  so  like  the  stones  around 
them  that  when  the  plant  is  not  in  leaf  one  cannot  be  distinguished  from 
the  other. 
-  Adiantum  capillus  Veneris  fissum. — The  finely  cut 
fronds  of  this  variety  are  very  distinct  lrom  those  of  any  other  kind. 
Each  of  the  leaflets  is  cut  up  Into  a  large  number  of  very  narrow 
divisions,  and  this  gives  the  plant  a  very  light  and  pretty  effect  quite 
distinct  from  crested  kinds,  which  are  not  always  beautiful.  It  is  not 
much  known,  and  one  may  enter  a  number  of  collections  without  seeing 
a  plant  of  it,  but  one  occasionally  sees  it.  It  is  of  very  easy  culture 
in  a  rather  warmer  house  than  suits  the  typical  form,  as  if  grown  in 
a  very  cool  structure  the  fronds  are  apt  to  damp.— C.  H. 
-  Methods  of  Heating. — The  time  for  considering  the  question 
of  providing  and  maintaining  desired  temperatures  in  the  winter  is  un¬ 
doubtedly  the  summer,  but  the  consideration  is  often  deferred  too  long. 
We  are  reminded  of  this  subject  by  the  following  pertinent  observations 
in  the  latest  issued  trade  list  of  the  Thames  Bank  Iron  Company. 
The  efficient  warming  and  ventilation  of  large  public  buildings  and 
dwelling  houses  is  a  subject  which  is  now  receiving  much  more  attention 
than  formerly,  and  no  one  will  dispute  the  necessity  of  artificial  heating 
during  the  winter  months.  There  are  a  great  many  ‘systems,’  some 
simple  and  some  very  complicated,  but  our  experience  is  that  as  a  rule 
the  most  simple  is  the  most  efficient,  and  while  admitting  that  a  system  of 
low  pressure  hot  water  is  not  always  the  most  convenient,  but  that  hot 
air  is  convenient,  we  give  the  preference  to  hot  water.  Ihe  majority  of 
practical  men  will,  we  suspect,  agree  with  the  preference  indicated,  and 
assuredly  the  Company  provides  ample  and  varied  means  in  the  several 
apparatus  illustrated  for  accomplishing  the  object  in  view. 
_  <•  one  and  All  ”  Flower  Show.— The  new  schedule  has 
been  issued  for  the  “  One  and  All  ”  Flower  Show,  to  be  held  at  the  Crystal 
Palace  in  August.  The  schedule  this  year  is  in  two  parts,  and  contains 
offers  of  prizes  calculated  to  stimulate  every  kind  of  horticultural  excel¬ 
lence  amongst  working  people  throughout  the  kingdom.  Ihe  prizes, over 
1000  in  number,  include  a  silver  champion  cup  by  Countess  Grey  ;  gold, 
silver,  and  bronze  medals  by  the  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Society  ; 
a  silver  cup  by  Miss  Wilmott,  V.M.H.  ;  an  original  water-colour  drawing 
by  Miss  Marie  Lowe  (Mrs.  Hensley)  ;  special  prizes  offered  by  many 
Co-operative  Societies  ;  £150  by  the  Crystal  Palace  Company;  and  £200 
by  the  Council  of  the  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Association.  The 
increase  in  the  number  and  variety  of  classes  is  very  notable.  One  new 
class  is  a  novel  departure  in  the  direction  of  educational  judging.  'Ihe 
judges  are  to  announce  the  points  of  excellence  upon  which  these  particular 
awards  will  rest,  the  object  being  to  instruct  exhibitors  and  growers  in 
what  is  good  and  what  bad  in  each  kind  of  garden  production.  Copies  of 
schedules  may  be  obtained  free  of  charge  from  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Mr. 
E.  O.  Greening,  3,  Agar  Street,  Charing  Cross,  W.C. 
