210 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  7,  1899. 
-  Rudbeckia  purpurea. — It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  reply  to 
“R.  P.  R.'s  ”  request  in  the  Journal  of  39th  August.  From  what  I  saw 
of  your  correspondent's  treatment  of  plants,  when  I  had  the  privilege  of 
visiting  the  gardens  under  his  charge  some  years  ago,  I  am  of  opinion 
that  the  cause  of  his  disappointment  is  not  impr  per  cultivation,  but 
arises  from  growing  an  inferior  variety.  RudbecAa  purpurea  varies 
considerably  in  length  and  breadth  of  peta’s,  and  in  brightness  of 
colouring.  I  have  in  view  several  gardens  in  which  plants  procured  at 
different  times  or  from  other  sources  show  a  marked  difference  in  quality*. 
Probably  raising  from  seed  is  the  cause  of  the  variation,  and  it  is  uufor- 
tunate  that  some  nurserymen  do  not  bhom  their  seedlings  before  sending 
them  out,  or  do  not  propagate  from  the  best  forms  only.  This  liudbeckia 
well  deserves  all  that  “  R.  P.  R.”  says  in  its  favour.  As  an  autumn 
flower  its  merits  are  so  great  that  I  may  be  pardoned  for  the  length  of 
this  reply.— S.  Arnott. 
-  Dumfriesshire  and  Galloway  Show.— This  Society  held 
its  first  show,  since  its  resuseita-.ion,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Dumfries,  on 
August  30th.  Some  unfortunate  and  confusing  changes  in  the  date  of 
the  Show  at  the  last  moment  militated  greatly  against  its  success.  The 
outstanding  feature  of  the  Show  was  the  cut  flowers,  which  were  of  high 
quality.  Among  the  best  were  the  Cactus  Dahlias,  Asters,  Sweet  Peas, 
and  Gladioli.  Table  plants  and  fruits  were  limited  in  numbers,  but 
vegetables  made  a  good  show  for  the  season,  and  were  as  a  rule  of  high 
excellence.  The  leading  prizetakers  in  the  open  class  were  Messrs.  Kerr 
Bros.  aDd  T.  Kennedy  &  Co.,  Dumfries  ;  G.  Mair  an  1 J.  Carnegie,  Prestwick  ; 
and  W.  Caldon,  Summerville,  Dumfries,  the  latter  also  securing,  without 
competition  the  championship  cup  for  table  of  horticultural  produce.  Ia 
the  gardeners’  class,  Mr.  J.  Day,  Galloway  House  ;  Mr.  A.  Murray, 
Munches;  Mr.  J.  Allan,  Arundel ;  Mr.  W.  Scott,  Broomrigg  ;  Mr.  W. 
Scott,  Drumpark  ;  Mr.  J.  Houston,  Conheath,  and  Mr.  W.  Caldon  were 
among  the  most  successful.  Mr.  J.  Thomson,  Sanquhar  ;  Mr.  J.  McLeod, 
Newbridge,  and  Messrs.  T.  &  J.  Twcedie,  Mouswald,  gained  a  number  of 
prizes.  Mr.  G.  W.  Iveir  made  un  efficient  Secretary. 
-  ISLE  of  Wight. — On  Wednesday  and  Thursday  last  the  Cowes 
Horticultural  Improvement  Society  held  its  first  exhibition  of  fruit, 
flowers,  vegetables,  and  plants  in  the  Foresters’  Hall.  The  exhibition  was 
opened  on  the  first  day  by  Mrs.  Godfrey  Baring,  and  on  the  second  day 
by  Mr.  Godfrey  Baring,  J.P.,  C.C.,  D.L.,  Chairman  of  the  I.W.  County 
Council.  Mr.  Baring,  who  is  an  ardent  lover  of  horticulture,  spoke  of 
the  benefits  to  be  derived  by  engaging  in  the  cultivation  of  garden 
produce,  to  encourage  which  he  offered  three  silver  cups  to  be  comped  d 
for  next  year,  one  to  be  given  to  cottagers,  one  to  amateurs,  and  one  to 
professional  gardeners.  The  first  show  augurs  well  for  future  success, 
over  200  exhibits  being  staged,  and  these  of  a  high  standard  of  excellence. 
The  principal  exhibitors  were  in  thegardeners’  classes  Messrs.  A.  Saunders, 
gardener  to  Lady  Harrington  ;  J.  Hygate,  gardener  to  S.  P.  Mumford. 
Esq.  ;  S.  Banks,  gardener  to  Lady  Atherley  ;  and  F.  Herbert,  gurdener 
to  Major  Marsham.  Jhe  nurserymen’s  classes  were  repiesented  by 
Messrs.  Keynes,  Williams,  &  Co.,  W.  A.  Kent,  R.  Saunders,  A.  Hills^ 
H.  Webber,  and  C.  Orchard.  In  the  amateur  classes  Messrs.  E.  C. 
Rashley,  J.  Love,  C.  E.  Cieighton,  A.  Hobbs,  F.  Shirley,  P.  Guy, 
W.  Tutton,  W.  H.  West,  and  F.  Greenham  were  the  leading  exhibitors. 
The  Isle  of  Wight  Horticultural  Improvement  Association  certificates 
were  won  by  Messrs.  Niblett,  Rashley  and  Orchard.  Medals  were  wen 
by  Messrs.  Hygate  and  Saunders  tor  their  respective  exhibits.  On 
Thursday  last  a  number  of  members  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  Horticultural 
Improvement  Association  visited.  Cadland  Park,  Southampton,  by  the 
kind  permission  of  A.  Drummond,  p5q.  Those  who  availed  themselves 
of  this,  the  last  excursion  of  the  season,  were  delighted  with  the  large 
and  well  kept  horticultural  establishment,  the  condition  of  which  reflects 
great  credit  on  the  able  and  genial  gardener,  Mr.  Geo.  Gainer.  On 
Saturday  last  the  Isle  of  Wight  Horticultural  Improvement  Association 
held  its  monthly  meeting  at  Newport.  The  chair  was  taken  by  Dr.  J. 
Groves,  B.A.,  J.P.  Mr.  Fred  Pearson  prepared  an  excellent  paper  on 
“  Moths  and  Butterflies,”  and  showed  a  large  number  of  both  useful  and 
injurious  kinds.  The  Chaiiman  read  the  paper,  after  which  he  pre  posed 
a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Pearson  for  his  admirable  paper  and  for  the 
specimens.  This  was  earned  w'th  acclamation.  The  exhibits  staged 
consisted  of  a  fine  dish  of  Victoria  Plums  from  Mr.  J.  Newnham,  of 
Wroxall,  a  dish  of  Duchess  ot  Oldenburg  Apples,  and  a  dish  of  Veitch’s 
Golden  Jubilee  Tomato,  staged  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Cole,  gardener  to  G.  W. 
Rendel,  Esq.,  Broadlands,  Sandown.  These  latter  exhibits  were  considered 
by  the  Judges  (Messrs.  Richards  and  Hygate)  worthy  of  the  Association 
certificate  for  cultural  merit.  The  business  portion  consisted  of  the 
election  of  several  new  members  and  the  arrangements  for  the  fruit 
exhibition  which  will  be  held  at  Ryde  the  first  week  in  October. 
-  Death  of  Mr.  A.  Johnson. -We  regret  to  have  to  announce 
the  death,  on  the  2nd  inst ,  of  Mr.  Alfred  Johnson,  the  head  of  the  firm 
of  W.  W.  Johnson  &  Son,  Limited,  Brston.  •  The  deceased  had  suffered 
for  some  years. 
-  The  Dartmouth  Crab. — Tiffs  beautiful  Crab  I  have  noted 
in  one  or  two  places  during  the  week,  and  though  in  no  case  have  I 
seen  such  heavy  crops  ot  fruits  as  last  season,  those  produced  are  of 
magnificent  colour.  Why  so  muny  shrubberies  should  be  given  over  to 
Laurels  and  other  common  shrubs,  when  such  beautiful  plants  as  this 
would  thrive  as  well,  is  difficult  to  understand  ;  and  this,  of  course,  is 
only  one  out  of  the  many  lovely  plants  that  are  available. — C.  H.  B. 
-  Penny  Post  to  the  Cape.— It  is  officially  announced  that 
the  postage  to  be  prepaid  on  letters  from  this  country  for  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  is  now  Id.  per  ^  oz„  instead  of  2^d.  as  at  present.  The 
postage  on  letters  for  the  Australian  Colonies,  New  Zealand,  and  Rhodesia 
will  continue  to  be  2|d.  per  ^  oz.  These  are  now  the  only  British 
possessions  of  importance  which  have  not  adopted  the  penny  postage 
scheme. 
-  August  Weather  at  Dowlais.— Rainfall,  2  25  inches, 
which  fell  on  seven  days  ;  greatest  fall,  0*65  on  the  29th  ;  for  the 
same  period,  1898,  4-82  inches.  Temperatures  :  mean  maximum, 
71-709°  ;  highest  reading  in  the  shade,  83°  on  the  loth  ;  mean  minimum, 
49-709°  ;  lowest  reading,  42°  on  the  10th.  The  wind  was  in  the  N.  and 
N.E  for  sixteen  days,  and  in  the  S.W.  the  last  eight  days  of  the  month. 
There  was  only  one  sunless  day,  the  29th.  A  very  hot  dry  month  until 
the  last  five  days,  when  the  long-continued  drought  broke  up.  Total- 
rainfall  for  the  last  three  months,  4*78  inches,  against  8*35  inches  for  the 
same  period  1898. — Wm.  Mabbott, 
-  Sussex  Weather — The  total  rainfall  at  Stonehurst,  Ardingly, 
for  the  past  month  was  0-72  inch,  being  1*58  inch  below  the  average.  The 
heaviest  fall  was  0*30  inch  on  31st.  Rain  fell  on  seven  days.  From  the 
23rd  July,  when  we  had  a  heavy  thunderstorm,  to  the  27th  Augus'r 
there  has  virtually  been  thirty-four  consecutive  dry  days,  the  total  during 
that  time  being  0-03  inch,  which  fell  on  the  5th  and  6th  August.  During 
the  last  week  there  were  frequent  showers  and  a  considerable  reduction 
of  temperature.  The  maximum  temperature  was  91°  or  the  26th,  the 
minimum  48°  on  the  29th.  Mean  maximum  79°,  mean  minimum  55.25° 
mean  temperature  67‘12°,  which  is  5*61°  above  the  average. — R.  I. 
-  August  Weather  at  Belvoir  Castle. — The  wind  was  in 
a  northerly  direction  seventeen  days.  The  total  rainfall  was  0*89  inch,, 
which  fell  on  eight  days,  and  is  1-77  inch  below  the  average  for  the 
month.  The  greatest  daily  fall  was  0*35  inch  on  the  15th.  Barometer 
(coriectcd  and  reduced)  :  highest  reading  30-423  inches  on  the  1st  at 
9  A.M.  ;  lowest  29-669  inches  on  the  31st  at  9  P.M.  Thermometers  : 
highest  in  the  shade,  87°  on  the  25th,  lowest  40°  on  the  11th.  Mean  of 
daily  maxima  73-19°,  mean  of  daily*  minima  52  64°.  Mean  temperature  of 
the  month  62-91°  ;  lowest  on  the  grass  38°  on  the  lltb,  highest  in  the  sun 
138°  on  the  2nd.  Mean  temperature  of  the  earth  at  3  feet  62-19°.  Total 
sunshine  256  hours  55  minutes  ;  there  were  no  sunless  days  in  August, 
and  the  total  amount  was  9S  hours  7  minutes  above  the  average.— 
W.  II.  Divers. 
MSTEOROLOCICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AT  CHISWICK. 
— Taken  in  the  Rjyal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens— height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
® 
S-> 
^5  to 
©  g  c§. 
o 
►J  2  5 
©  o 
1899. 
August 
and 
September. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
-O 
CO 
■c 
fcdQ 
S 
■+3 
CO 
fcs 
© 
h! 
Sunday  .  .27 
Monday.  .28 
Tuesday  29 
Wed’sday  30 
Thursday  31 
Friday  . .  1 
Saturday  2 
S.S.E. 
w.s.w. 
w.s.w. 
w. 
S.W. 
S.W. 
w. 
deg. 
69-6 
6S-5 
64-0 
64-7 
63-9 
62'7 
63.7 
deg. 
65-4 
64-6 
59-9 
59-2 
58-8 
56- 6 
57- 9 
deg. 
80-6 
71- 8 
66-8 
72- 9 
68'8 
71-9 
69-7 
deg. 
56'7 
58-7 
47-5 
58  "9 
50  o 
54- 6 
55- 0 
ins. 
0-04 
0-19 
0-29 
0-06 
006 
deg. 
68-3 
68-6 
65-1 
64-7 
64  1 
62- 5 
63- 5 
deg. 
65-4 
65-7 
65-3 
64-5 
64-3 
63-8 
63-5 
deg. 
62-1 
62-1 
62-2 
62-3 
62-2 
62-1 
61-9 
deg. 
48- 5 
60-7 
39- 6 
53-5- 
40- 0. 
49- 2 
49-9 
Means  .. 
65-3 
C0  3  71-8 
54-6 
Total 
046 
65-3 
64-6 
62-1 
473 
The  weather  hus  been  much  cooler  ;  small  quantities  of  rain  fell  on 
five  days.  The  wind  has  been  cool,  and  most!)*  from  the  west. 
