100 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  3,  1899. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AT  CHISWICK. 
— Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
•  Rain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1899. 
July. 
•At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
-O 
CO 
<X) 
& 
M 
* 
<D 
tt 
o 
h-3 
deg. 
deg. 
deg, 
deg. 
ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
Sunday  .  .23 
N.N.  E. 
64-5 
62-9 
67-7 
01-9 
0-03 
68-6 
65-5 
60-6 
61.5 
Monday.  .24 
N.N.VV. 
64-8 
59-6 
72T 
58-0 
66-4 
65-1 
60-9 
56-8 
Tuesday  25 
N.  N.W. 
647 
56-0 
78-1 
5D5 
_ 
66-2 
64'7 
60-9 
44-9 
Wed’sday  26 
W.N.W. 
67'4 
627 
78-8 
61-0 
0-01 
67-2 
64-7 
60-9 
55-2 
Thursday  27 
W.N.W  . 
63-7 
54  T 
71-2 
57-9 
68-1 
64-9 
00-9 
51-5 
Friday  ..28 
N.N.W. 
65'0 
56-8 
75-2 
47-4 
_ 
66-8 
654 
60-9 
38-1 
Saturday  29 
W. 
67-7 
58'1 
80-1 
48-5 
— 
66-9 
65-0 
61-1 
41-2 
- 
Total 
Means  .. 
65  "4 
58-6 
74-7 
55-6 
0-04 
67-2 
65-0 
60-9 
49 '9 
The  weather  has  again  been  hot  and  dry,  with  strong  winds  from  the 
north  and  west. 
-  Nectarine  Early  Rivers. — Every  year  this  grand  Nectarine 
increases  in  favour,  and  it  has  quite  established  itself  as  a  popular  variety. 
It  does  not  seem  to  have  a  bad  point  ;  at  all  events,  I  have  not  discovered 
it,  as  long  as  it  is  properly  treated.  Like  many  another  good  plant  it 
wants  growing  ;  and  it  would  not  be  reasonable  to  expect  any  variety 
to  perfect  the  immense  crop  of  fine  fruit  that  this  does  without  being 
properly  fed  and  nurtured.  But  keep  it  in  health  by  keeping  its  roots 
near  the  surface,  feed  it  liberally',  and  it  is  capable  of  carrying  a  heavier 
weight  of  fruit  than  any  other  variety  I  know,  net  excepting  the  well- 
known  Lord  Napier,  w'hile  the  individual  fruits  are  magnificent. — R. 
-  Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improve¬ 
ment  Association. — A  very  enjoyable  day  was  participated  in  by 
about  fifty  members  of  this  Association  when  recently  a  visit  was  made 
to  Gunnersbury  aud  Ivew.  Much  interest  was  manifested  in  the  Water 
Lilies  and  fruit  houses  at  Gunnersbury  House,  whilst  the  floral  decora¬ 
tions  at  Gunnersbury  Fart  were  greatly  admired,  as  were  also  the  large 
Grape  and  Peach  houses,  all  filled  with  excellent  crops  of  fruit.  Before 
leaving  Gunnersbury,  Mr.  C.  B.  Stevens,  the  President  of  the 
Association,  proposed  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Messrs.  Hudson  and 
Reynolds  for  the  interest  they  had  taken  in  the  party,  and  to  Mr. 
Leopold  de  RothschilJ  Lr  his  kindness  in  allowing  them  to  inspect 
his  beautiful  gardens,  and  for  the  hospitality  so  unexpectedly  shown. 
Afterwards  three  or  four  hours  were  spent  in  Kew  Gardens.  The 
arrangements  were  carried  out  by  Mr.  Woolford,  the  Chairman  of  the 
Association. 
-  Gooseberries  at  the  Drill  Hall.— Messrs.  J.  Veitch  and 
Sons  seem  to  be  always  beating  records,  and  last  week  they  sent  to  the 
Drill  Hall  the  most  excellent  aud  representative  collection  of  Goose¬ 
berries  probably  seen  at  any  time.  It  was  interesting  to  learn  from  their 
representatives  that  a  table  of  four  times  the  area  could  have  been  filled 
had  space  been  at  disposal.  Gold  medals  are  seldom  awarded,  but  one  wa3 
thoroughly  merited  in  this  case.  I  do  not  know  whether  Messrs.  Veitch 
are  the  sole  growers  of  so  great  a  collection,  but  they  seem  to  have  every 
known  variety.  Of  course  no  one  wants  more  than  a  tithe  of  them  ;  but 
whilst  a  Gooseberry  bush  occupies  relatively  little  space,  there  is 
undoubted  advantage  in  being  able  from  a  limited  area  to  produce  great 
variety  in  size,  form,  colour  and  taste  for  the  .dessert  table.  But  the 
Gooseberry  has  a  special  merit,  for  it  is  practically  everybody’s  fruit. 
The  gardener  to  the  Queen  cannot  grow  better  or  finer  fruits  than  a 
cottager,  if  the  latter  has  the  desired  varieties  and  needful  cultural 
skill.  Throughout  the  whole  range  of  cottagers’  summer  exhibitions  the 
Gooseberry  is  always  found  prominent  amongst  fruits.  It  is  certainly 
one  of  the  most  wholesome,  and  probably  is  of  all  hardy  fruits  the  most 
profitable.  Varieties  only  vary  moderately'  in  ripening  periods,  but  it  is 
easy  to  cover  bushes,  and  thus  cause  tho  fruits  to  hang  late  if  desired.  But 
after  all,  attractive  as  were  the  100  dishes  of  varieties  of  fruits,  the  back¬ 
ground  of  bushes  trained  as  fans,  columns,  and  cordons  seen  at  the  Drill 
Hall  was  not  least  interesting.  The  fans  had  five  stems,  the  columns  or 
cylinders  six  stems,  each  one  a  cordon,  and  the  true  cordons  but  one  stem. 
All  these  plants  were  heavily  fruited,  and  indicated  methods  of  trellis, 
stake,  or  wall  training  of  the  most  desirable  kind.  Such  an  exhibit  as 
this  w'as  should  give  a  great  stimulus  to  Gooseberry  culture,  especially 
for  the  production  of  fruit  for  home  consumption. — A.  D. 
-  Rondeletia  SPECICSA. — At  one  time  very  common  in  stoves 
and  warm  greenhouses,  this  bright  and  effective  plant  is  not  at  present 
grown  as  much  as  it  should  be.  The  brilliant  flowers  are  nice  for  button¬ 
holes  and  various  other  decorations,  and  in  a  moist  warm  house  the  plants 
grow  free.}’.  It  likes  a  firm  compost  of  peat  and  loam,  with  a  little 
manure  and  a  good  sprinkling  of  silver  sand. — S.  E. 
-  The  Ferns  of  North-Western  India. — Mr.  C.  W.  Hope, 
late  of  the  Public  Works  Department,  Government  of  India,  who  devoted 
much  of  his  leisure  time  while  in  India  to  the  study  of  Ferns,  has,  since 
his  retirement,  continued  his  studies  at  Kew,  and  is  on  the  eve  of 
publishing  a  detailed  account  of  all  the  species  inhabiting  the  North- 
Western  Provinces  and  adjoining  territories.  This  partially  descriptive 
enumeration  will  shortly  appear  in  the  Journal  of  the  Bombay'  Natural 
History  Society,  and  will  be  illustrated  by  a  number  of  plates. — (*•  Kew 
Bulletin.”) 
-  Genista  ^ethnensis. — This  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  tall- 
growing  hardy  Leguminosac,  and  also  one  of  the  latest  to  flower,  com¬ 
mencing  in  July  and  lasting  into  August,  making  a  good  display  with  its 
bright  yellow  flowers,  borne  on  slender  pendent  branches.  Although  it 
will  flower  in  a  small  state,  the  best  effects  are  obtained  when  it  is  allowed 
to  grow  to  its  full  size,  forming  a  slender  bush  15  to  20  feet  high.  The 
branches  are  long  and  whip  like,  and  nearly  leafless,  each  bearing  a  large 
number  of  small  golden  yellow  flowers  which  have  a  scent  strongly 
suggestive  of  Clover.  From  its  slender  habit  it  is  of  no  use  as  a  screen 
plant,  as  even  a  well-grown  specimen  can  be  seen  through  quite  easily  p 
but  it  is  admirable  for  brightening  a  heavy  mass  of  evergreens  or  to  break 
the  flatness  of  any  particular  part  of  a  garden.  Almost  any  soil  will  suit 
it.  and  it  also  stands  drought  better  than  most  plants  do.  G.  sethnensis  is- 
easily  raised  from  seed,  which  ripens  freely  in  this  country,  and  forms 
better  plants  than  those  which  are  grafted  or  raised  from  cuttings.  It 
will  not,  however,  bear  transplanting  very  well,  so  the  plants  should  be 
put  in  their  permanent  places  as  soon  as  they  are  large  enough.  It  is  a 
native  of  Sicily  and  Sardinia. — C. 
-  Notes  from  Dublin. — Exhibitors  will  note  that  the  date  of 
holding  the  autumn  show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  is  changed 
from  August  the  25th  to  the  Tuesday  previous,  22ud.  The  prize  list 
includes  many  cup3  and  money  awards.  For  a  stand  of  forty-eight 
tuberous  Begonias,  composed  of  twenty-four  double  and  a  similar  number 
of  singles,  and  at  least  eighteen  distinct  varieties,  Lady  Ashtow  n  presents 
a  silver  challenge  cup  value  £10,  Lord  Ardilaun  (President)  gives  a. 
challenge  cup  value  £10  for  tho  best  stand  of  hardy  cut  flowers.  A 
challenge  cup,  value  5  guineas,  is  presented  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
H.  Jervis  White,  J.P.,  for  twenty-four  bunches  of  Carnations  or  Picotees  7. 
J.  Hume  Dudgeon,  Esq.,  Merville,  Booterstown,  offers  a  silver  cup  for  a 
collection  of  sixteen  dishes  of  fruit,  two  dishes  the  limit  for  each  varietj'. 
In  all  there  are  fifty-eight  classes  to  be  competed  for,  and  the  money 
prizes  given  by  the  Society  amount  to  £92.  Uncertain  weather  rendered 
Mr.  Benson’s  open  air  performances  of  Shakespeare  at  Lord  Iveagh’s 
gardens  practically  abortive.  It  w  as  sad,  though  amusing,  to  see  the  bustle 
when  the  rain  descended  rather  heavily,  actresses,  actors,  and  the  public, 
fleeing  to  some  nooks  for  shelter. — A.  O’Neill. 
-  The  Eucalyptus  in  the  Transvaal. — In  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Johannesburg  and  Pretoria  large  areas  of  land  are  being 
planted  with  the  Australian  Eucalypti.  The  gold-mining  companies  have 
been  for  some  time  getting  short  of  timber  for  their  mints,  and  as 
the  Australian  Gums  grow  so  rapidly,  producing  good,  elastic,  and 
durable  wood,  they  have  been  planted  in  preference  to  ar.y  other  trees- 
One  plantation  of  1000  acres,  planted  twelve  years  ago,  had  produced 
trees,  twro  and  a  half  years  ago,  ranging  up  to  40  feet  in  height,  supplying 
good  pit  wood,  girthing  from  12  inches  to  18  inches,  and  from  20  feet 
to  25  feet  long  :  these  were  merely  thinnings.  The  predominant 
species  planted  was  Blue  Gum  (E.  globulus),  E.  viminalis  (the  Manna- 
Eucalypt  of  the  Dandenong  ranges)  ranking  next  in  value.  E.  robusta, 
resinifera,  and  diversicolor  havo  also  been  tried.  In  the  winter  of  1894 
the  young  shoots  of  globulus  were  pretty  severely  cut  with  the  cold, 
while  viminalis,  growing  alongside,  was  not  touched  with  15°  to  20°  of 
frost.  The  plantations  referred  to  are  all  situated  on  elevations  varying 
from  4500  feet  to  6000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  soil  is  generally  a  poor 
red  loam,  much  impregnated  with  iron.  At  an  estate  twenty  miles  from 
Johannesburg  is  a  row  of  Eucalyptus  trees,  planted  about  twenty  years.. 
The  largest  specimens  were  15  feet  in  circumference  at  5  feet  from  the 
ground,  with  clear  stems  of  about  55  feet  without  a  branch,  tho  full 
height  being  about  80  feet.  The  black  and  silver  Wattles,  also  the  Back- 
woud,  are  being  grown  in  the  Transvaal. — (“Indian  Gardening.”) 
