October  5,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
291 
-  A  New  Lawn  Sweeper.— Mr.  T.  Challis,  Wilton  Park 
Garden?,  sends  us  beautiful  photographs  of  an  improved  lawn  sweeping 
and  collecting  machine,  fitted  with  his  patent  side  delivery  apparatus. 
The  appliance,  which  appears  strong  and  serviceable,  is  drawn  by  a 
horse,  and  a  clean  sweep  with  snug  heaps  of  leaves  are  shown  on  the 
capacious  lawn  at  Wilton,  where  a  good  deal  of  work  is  required  to  be 
well  done  in  a  little  time. 
-  Twin  Apples. — Apropos  of  the  description  and  illustration  of 
what  i3  called  the  Bedfordshire  Twin  Apple,  this  freak  of  Nature  appears 
not  to  be  confined  to  one  variety  alone,  and  I  have  occasionally  found 
it,  especially  in  the  Codlin  section,  while  at  the  present  time  I  am 
possessed  of  one  or  two  examples  of  Lord  Sufifield  as  clearly  defined  as 
that  illustrated  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  for  September  14th,  page  237. 
Cucumbers  occasionally  may  bo  seen  exhibiting  the  freak  in  question. 
-G. 
-  Lowdham  Nurseries. — Intending  fruit  tree  planters  would 
do  well  to  pay  a  visit  to  Messrs.  Pearson  &  Sons’  new  nursery  this 
autumn.  It  is  situated  at  Lowdham,  about  eight  mile3  north-east  of  the 
town  of  Nottingham,  on  breezy  hills  which  doubtless  at  one  time  formed 
the  southern  fringe  of  the  famous  Sherwood  Forest.  The  nursery,  on 
strong  clay  soil,  is  about  fifty  acres  in  extent,  and  contains  a  grand 
assor'ment  of  young  fruit  trec3  to  suit  every  possible  requirement.  All 
are  in  clean  vigorous  condition,  including  the  best  of  the  new  varieties. 
-J.  C. 
-  Apple  Kerry  Pippin. — Thriving  well  in  almost  any  kind  of 
soil  and  situation,  this  Apple  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  useful  in 
October,  its  brisk  pleasant  flavour  making  it  much  relished  after  the 
rather  mealy  flesh  of  the  earlier  dessert  kinds.  By  any  soil  I  do  not, 
of  course,  mean  badly  drained  or  very  poor  stations,  but  it  will  thrive 
equally  well  in  a  heavy  as  in  a  light  soil,  provided  each  is  properly 
cultivated.  Nor  does  the  form  of  tree  make  much  difference,  for  I  have 
seen  splendid  crops  on  restricted  trees  of  the  espalier  order,  though  of 
course  much  better  results  follow  a  more  natural  system. — II, 
-  Dwarf  Kidney  Beans.— Having  sown  numerous  varieties  of 
dwarf  Beans  in  two  places  for  trial,  I  found  one  to  be  a  comparative 
failure,  and  the  other  quite,  for  the  season,  a  success.  The  difference 
seems  to  have  been  due  to  the  first  being  on  a  cold  soil  and  bleak  aspect, 
and  a  soil  that  baked  hard  and  dry  later,  whilst  the  other  was  on  a  warm 
porous  soil,  which,  whilst  dry  enough,  did  at  least  keep  the  plants  fairly 
well  growing.  The  varieties  were,  of  speckled  seed,  Sutton’s  Perfection 
Mohawk,  Progress  (Veitch)  ;  of  self-coloured  dark,  Negro,  Canadian 
Wonder,  Ne  Plus  Ultra,  and  Canadian  Glory  or  Stringless  (Carter),  and 
Magnum  Bonum  (Sutton)  ;  white  with  dark  eye,  Victoria  White  (Webb), 
White  Advancer,  Carter’s  Everbearing  ;  and  a  Butter  Bean — twelve 
varieties  in  all.  The  earliest  to  ripen  off,  and  all  remarkably  abundant 
croppers,  were  Ne  Plus  Ultra,  Everbearing,  and  Perfection.  All  the  rest 
were  rather  later  and  stronger  growing,  and  really  showed  so  little 
difference  in  productiveness  that  there  seemed  nothing  to  choose.  It  was 
quite  a  case  of  feeling  happy  with  either  were  all  tho  others  absent. 
Perhaps  the  Butter  Bean  is  not  properly  put  into  comparison  with  the 
rest,  but  it  cropped  remarkably  wTcll  all  the  same.  My  only  opportunity 
of  testing  productiveness  was  found  in  complete  seed-pod  production, 
on  tho  whole  a  very  good  test.  I  think  dwarf  Beans  are  so  good  that, 
with  the  haulm  still  dwarf,  it  will  be  difficult  to  excel  existing  leading 
varieties. — A.  D. 
-  Ladies  and  the  Learned  Societies. — A  correspondent 
writes:— “The  views  expressed  in  a  paper  by  Mrs.  Farquharson  of 
Ilaughton,  which  was  read  by  Lady  Marjorie  Gordon  at  the  Inter¬ 
national  Congress  of  Women  a  few  months  ago,  with  regard  to  tho 
admission  of  ladies  into  the  learned  societies,  have  evidently  commended 
themselves  to  some  of  the  more  thoughtful  and  influential  women  in 
the  country,  and  tho  subject  will  again  be  discussed  at  the  first 
annual  general  mrcting  of  Lady  Warwick’s  Agricultural  Association 
for  Women,  to  be  held  in  London  about  three  weeks  hence.  Mrs. 
Farquharson  complained  that  the  Royal,  tho  Linnaean,  and  the  Royal 
Microscopical  Societies  did  not  admit  women  to  full  membership,  and 
pointed  out  that  the  last  mentioned  society  permitted  the  election  of 
women  as  members,  but  wmuld  not  allow  them  to  attend  the  meetings. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Agricultural  Association  for  Women  a  resolution 
embodying  this  opinion  will  be  submitted  for  approval,  and  if  carried,  the 
ladies  will  find  the  means  of  placing  their  views  before  the  heads  of  tho 
societies,  who  will  find  it  difficult  to  refuse  such  a  modest  and  reasonable 
request.  The  meeting  will  take  place  in  Stafford  House,  tho  London 
residence  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Sutherland.” 
-  IIarborne  Vegetable  Marrow  Society  Show,  Septem¬ 
ber  25th. — This  extensive  village  enjoys  tho  ’distinction  of  possessing 
the  oldest  Gooseberry  Society  in  the  kingdom,  being  upwards  of  e'gaty 
years  old,  while  the  Horticultural  Society  is  thirty-six  years  old.  The 
heaviest  Marrow  exhibited  on  the  recent  occasion  weighed  40  lb3.  13  ozs., 
and  it  wmuld  be  interesting  to  learn  what  was  the  weight  of  the  heaviest 
recorded  elsewhere.  The  fruit  in  question  was  sold  for  1  guinea. 
-  Spraying  with  Spimo. — Some  few  weeks  since  Mr.  G.  Crook 
of  Forde  Abbey’,  Chard,  sent  to  the  Drill  Hall  for  the  Fruit  Com¬ 
mittee  haulm  of  Ne  Plus  Ultra  and  Chelsonian  Peas  that  he  had  sprayed 
with  what  he  called  “improved  spimo.”  I  was  much  interested  with  the 
results  of  its  application,  as  badly  infested  Pea  haulm  with  thrips  was 
after  one  or  two  dressings  or  sprayings  converted  into  beautiful  green 
growth,  vigorous  and  healthy.  When  at  Fordo  Abbey  early  last 
month  I  saw  a  late  row  then  standing  that  had  been  thus  sprayed,  and 
it  was  singularly  green  and  healthy.  As  growers  constantly  suffer  so 
much  from  thrips  on  cn  p*  as  veil  as  cn  Peas,  they  should  give  this 
ipimo  a  thorough  testing  next  season.  It  has  been  advertised  in  the 
Journal  by  Mr.  White,  of  Beltring,  Paddock  Wood,  Kent. — D. 
-  Apple  Blenheim  Pippin.— I  strongly  disagree  with  tho  aim 
of  the  R.II.S.  Council  in  relation  to  this  fine  Apple  in  requiring  the 
prizes  at  the  Palace  Show  to  be  given  to  compara  ively  small  fruits^ 
rather  than  to  those  of  good  medium  sized,  beautiful  samples  that 
were  ignored,  everybody  wondering  why.  Surely  in  offering  prizes 
for  any  variety  the  fullest  consideration  should  bo  given  to  its  average 
size,  anl  everybody  knows  that  Blenheim  Pippin  is  a  large  Apple.  That 
the  largest  fruits  are  too  large  for  dessert  there  can  be  no  doubt  ; 
but  such  medium  samp'es  as  were  ignored  at  the  Palace  were  ot 
their  kind  perfect  for  dessert.  It  was  again  so  incomprehensible  that 
some  other  dessert  varieties  had  prizes  awarded  to  quite  big  fruits, 
showing  that,  untrammelled  by  footnotes,  judges  d,d  recognise  average 
character.  I  hope  another  year  judges  will  bo  allowed  a  free  hand  in 
relation  to  Blenheims. — A. 
-  Sussex  Weather. — The  total  rainfall  at  Haywards  Heath  fur 
September  was  3’38  inches,  being  0-25  inch  above  the  average.  Tho 
heaviest  fall  was  1’75  inch  on  the  29th.  Rain  fell  on  fourteen  days. 
Total  for  the  nine  months  21  95  inches,  which  is  P68  inch  above  the 
average.  The  maximum  temperature  war  8CP  on  the  5th  ;  the  minimum 
353  on  the  29ih.  Mean  maximum,  65  08°  ;  mean  minimum,  46'04°.  Mean 
temperature,  55  56°  ;  1-35°  below  the  average. — R.  I. 
-  September  Weather  at  Dowlais.  —  Rainfall,  3-82  inches, 
which  fell  on  twenty  days  ;  greatest  fall,  0  83  on  the  (3th  ;  total  for 
tho  last  quarter,  6  97  inches  ;  for  tho  year,  38'23  inches  ;  (or  tho 
same  periods  1898,  1’78  inches,  7  62  inches,  and  25  25  inches.  Mean 
maximum  temperature,  60’2G6°  ;  highest  reading,  77°  on  the  5th,  and 
only  rising  to  43°  on  the  30th.  Mean  minimum,  42’G6(i°  ;  lowest 
reading,  29°  on  the  27th  and  28th,  with  the  highest  night  temperature 
of  56a  on  the  5th  ;  below  freezing  point  on  four  nights,  There  were 
five  sunless  days.  The  wind  was  in  the  S.W.  and  W.  on  twenty- 
two  days.  The  wind  was  very  quiet  the  first  part  of  tho  month. 
Tho  temperatures  were  even,  but  from  the  15th  there  has  been  a  very 
decided  drop,  the  wind  at  times  being  very  strong  and  cold. — Wm. 
Mabbott. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AT  CHISWICK. 
—Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens— height  above 
jea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of 
Air. 
the 
Rain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1899. 
September. 
At  9  a.m.  Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At  At 
2-ft.  4-ft. 
deep,  i  deep. 
-O 
Dry  '  Wet  1  J 
Bulb.  Bulb. 
a 
Lowest. 
deg.  deg.  deg. 
deg. 
ins. 
deg. 
deg.  |  deg. 
deg. 
Sunday  ..24 
W.N.W. 
54’0  !  47  -9  00-9 
45’7 
0  02 
54-5 
58’1  59’2 
38*3 
Monday.  .25 
W.S.W. 
58  0  52’8  61 T 
51-5 
O’Ol 
559 
57 ‘7  59-0 
48’8 
Tuesday  26 
w.s.w 
581  51’9  61-7 
48-4 
— 
57’1 
5S'l  58’9 
40 ’3 
Wed’sday  27 
s.  w. 
54’5  50-0  60’2 
47-9 
0T1 
55-6 
58  T  58'6 
40'2 
Thursday  28 
w.s.w. 
47’5  1  44’3  |  58’8 
36*6 
— 
53’9 
57’6  58'4 
28 ’1 
Friday  ..29 
S.S.W. 
45'0  44T  ’  £7 '3 
32-9 
0  98 
52T 
57  T  08-2 
244 
Saturday  30 
s.s.w. 
47-2  45-9  55-8 
44’9 
0'02 
53’9 
53’3  i  58 T 
35 ’6 
- -  — ' 
Total 
Means  .. 
520  48’2  59  4 
44-0 
1-14 
54-7 
57 ’6  58’6 
36’5 
Cold  showery  weather,  with  a  thunderstorm  on  the  27th  and  a  heavy 
fall  of  rain  on  the  29th. 
