October  12,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
313 
-  The  Ash  as  a  Street  Tree.— Maples  and  Poplars  have 
become  the  staple  street  trees  in  many  towns  and  cities.  Their  chief 
recommendation  is  that  they  grow  fast,  and  can  be  raised  and  sold  for 
low  figures.  But  thoy  soon  become  larger  than  the  owner  wants  them. 
One  can  learn  useful  things  from  trees  in  public  places.  In  Philadelphia, 
says  Mr.  Meehan,  the  Ash  seems  to  be  able  to  hold  its  own  against  all 
enemies.  The  true  white  Ash  is  the  best — the  red  and  black  do  very 
well.  The  white  is  known  by  the  very  dark  upper  surface  of  the  leaf. 
-  Peach  Princess  op  Wales. — Few  have  said  more  disparaging 
things  than  myself  of  this  Peach  ;  but  I  must  say  that  this  year  it  is 
far  better  than  I  ever  had  it  before.  It  is  not  up  to  Grosse  Mignonne 
form  of  course,  but  it  is  really  very  good  for  a  late  variety,  and  beyond 
a  slight  woolliness  in  over-ripe  fruits  it  is  at  least  as  good  as  Sea 
Eagle  and  other  late  sorts.  Like  many  other  large-fruited  varieties, 
Princess  of  Wales  must  not  be  overcropped.  If  it  is,  there  will  be  a 
loss  of  quality  as  well  as  size,  and  the  tough  tasteless  flesh  will  be  in 
evidence.  A  warm  sunny  place  in  an  unheated  house  is  where  Princess 
of  Wales  shows  at  it  best. — II.  Richards, 
-  Beet  Seed  Sowing. — When  recently  at  Clandon  Park,  Guild¬ 
ford,  I  remarked  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  Beet — Sutton’s  Blood  Red — 
that  I  had  seen  anywhere  this  season.  I  mentioned  to  Mr.  Blake  that  he 
had  been  very  successful  in  securing  good  germination.  He  replied  that 
it  was  his  practice,  as  the  ground  was  usually  dry  when  sowing  Beet,  to 
soak  the  seed  for  some  fifteen  hours  in  water,  and  in  weak  liquid  manure 
for  preference,  then  after  sowing  mixing  some  very  dry  soil  or  sand  with 
the  seeds  first,  to  cover  them,  aud  run  a  broad-wheeled  barrow,  having 
in  it  two  or  three  bricks,  along  over  the  drills.  The  result  was  invariably 
good  growth,  because  the  soil  was  well  sottled  about  the  seeds. — 
Traveller. 
-  New  Jersey  Apple  Crop. — This  promises  to  be  a  good 
one  in  the  aggregate,  although  reports  to  the  “  American  Agriculturist  ” 
show  in  a  few  counties  there  is  an  indifferent  yield.  Mr.  II.  I.  Budd  of 
Burlington  Co.,  who  is  well  acquainted  throughout  the  State,  reports 
the  condition  high,  particularly  Ben  Davis  and  Russet ;  as  for  summer 
varieties  he  says  the  crop  is  proving  more  than  an  average  one,  market 
Apples  worth  about  l  dol.  25  c.  p  bbl.  ;  cider  stock  50  c.  The  crop 
was  damaged  in  Sussex  rCo.  from  June  drought.  Another  correspon¬ 
dent  in  Burlington  Co.  reports  an  exceedingly  heavy  crop  of  summer 
fruit.  Warren  Co.  will  have  only  a  moderate  crop,  and  perhaps  half  a 
crop  of  summer  varieties. 
-  Fruit  Industry.  —  An  important  business  is  now  being 
developed  with  Iruit  pulps,  which  are  being  imported  into  this  country 
by  ton  lots,  packed  in  barrels  and  tins.  The  shippers  are,  in  fact,  so 
satisfied  with  recent  sales  that  arrangements  are  being  made  to  cope  with 
a  largely  increased  output  next  year.  The  pulps  are  not  only  sent  from 
France,  Italy,  aud  Spain,  but  the  colonial  merchants  have  now  entered 
the  field,  and  as  an  instance  of  how  the  business  has  grown  in  Australia, 
it  may  be  mentioned  that,  whereas  three  years  ago  30  tons  were  sent 
from  Victoria,  last  year  the  quantity  had  grown  to  300  tons,  and  this 
season  no  one  can  gauge  the  total  that  may  be  reached.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  in  time  the  colonial  fruit  pulps  will  knock  their  foreign 
competitors  out  of  the  market.  The  colonial  pulps  are  much  superior  in 
quality,  and  the  jams  made  from  them  possess  a  fine  flavour,  unobtainable 
from  the  foreign  products.  When  home  growers  realise  that  there  is 
money  to  be  made  in  the  business  they  may'  possibly  follow  the  example 
of  their  colonial  competitors. — (“Daily  Mail.”) 
-  Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association. — The  session  of  1899-90 
of  the  Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association  was  opened  on  Tuesday  evening, 
October  3rd.  There  was  a  large  and  representative  attendance,  and  the 
Society  promises  this  winter  to  enter  upon  a  very  successful  session.  As 
many  as  thirteen  papers  dealing  with  the  various  branches  of  horticulture 
will  be  read  to  the  Society  by  gentlemen  who  are  experts  in  their  respec¬ 
tive  subjects,  and  in  many  cases  the  lectures  will  be  illustrated  by  lantern 
slides.  In  the  absence  of  Councillor  Brain  the  chair  was  occupied  by 
Mr.  James  J.  Graham  (Chairman  of  the  Association)  and  subsequently 
by  Councillor  J.  M.  Gerhold.  Mr.  Gerhold  welcomed  the  members,  and 
called  upon  Mr.  Graham  to  make  a  presentation  to  Mr.  John  Julian,  the 
Hon.  Secretary  of  the  Association,  of  a  beautiful  silver  mounted  Malacca 
cane  walking  stick  with  a  suitable  inscription.  In  so  doing  Mr.  Graham 
spoke  in  eulogistic  terms  of  Mr.  Julian’s  services  to  the  Society.  Mr 
Gillet  (Secretary  of  the  Cardiff  Horticultural  Society)  on  behalf  of  the 
Gardeners’ Association,  then  read  and  presented  to  Mr.  Julian  an  illu¬ 
minated  address.  Mr.  Julian  returned  thanks  for  the  presentation.  Sub¬ 
sequently  Mr.  Thomas  Coomber,  F.R.H.S.,  gardener  to  Lord  Llangattock, 
read  an  interesting  paper  on  the  root-pruning  of  fruit  trees. 
-  Origanum  iiybridum. — One  of  the  most  elegant  and  prettiest 
plants  that  the  Messrs.  Cypher  have  for  several  years  past  introduced 
into  their  “groups  of  plants  arranged  for  effect”  at  flower  shows  is  one 
of  the  Marjorams,  and  which  variety,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  is 
O.  hybridum,  also  known  as  pulchellum  and  Tourneforti,  or  the  Dittany 
of  Amorgos.  I  have  frequently  heard  at  flower  shows  where  the  plant 
has  been  exhibited,  visitors,  also  florists  and  gardeners,  inquire  as  to  its 
name.  Especially  was  this  the  case  at  the  recent  Wolverhampton  and 
Shrewsbury  Shows,  where  others  utilised  it  for  the  purpose  indicated, 
and  who  also  when  first  used  by  them  were  ignorant  of  its  real  name.  It 
has  also  been  called  the  Japanese  Hop,  owing  to  the  similarity  of  its 
bracted  inflorescence  to  that  of  the  common  Hop. — W.  G. 
-  National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association  (Liver¬ 
pool  Branch). — The  usual  monthly  meeting  of  the  above  branch  was 
held  last  Thursday  evening,  the  attendance  of  members  being  an  excellent 
one.  As  is  usual  at  this  time  of  the  year,  the  prize  list  was  largely  com¬ 
posed  of  classes  for  Apples,  and  very  good  they  were,  Mr.  Tinsley  taking 
first  honours  in  culinary  varieties  with  Warner’s  King  in  capital  condi¬ 
tion,  and  Mr.  Dobson  came  second  with  same  variety.  The  prizes  in 
smaller  classes  fell  to  Messrs.  Robins  and  Cangley.  The  dessert  classes 
were  only  moderate  in  quality,  Mr.  W.  Muir,  Mr.  Dobson,  and  Mr.  Drake 
winning.  Plants  and  cut  flowers  were  nicely  staged,  Mrs.  McGregor  took 
the  table  plant  class,  and  Mr.  Dale  for  cut  blooms  of  Chrysanthemums. 
A  most  interesting  paper  on  “  Early  Chrysanthemums,”  and  for  which  he 
was  warmly  welcomed,  was  read  by  Mr.  D.  W.  Cangley. — R.  P.  R. 
-  Where  Rubber  Grows. — Her  Majesty’s  Consul  in  Guatemala, 
in  his  annual  report,  tells  of  the  Rubber  tree  which  grows  wild  in  large 
quantities  in  Guatemala  and  throughout  Central  America.  The  Rubber 
which  this  tree  produces  is  said  to  be  of  the  best  known  quality  for 
industrial  purposes.  The  tree  is  tall,  with  smooth  greenish  white  bark, 
aud  the  fruit  consists  of  nuts  contained  in  a  pod.  The  milk  of  the  tree 
is  contained  principally  in  the  fibres  between  it  and  the  bark.  Great 
caution  must  be  observed  in  the  making  of  incisions  in  the  bark  to  obtain 
the  milk.  The  milk  contains  about  60  per  cent,  of  water  and  other 
substances,  while  the  remaining  40  per  cent,  represents  the  saleable 
product,  of  which  again  about  33  per  cent,  is  said  to  be  rubber  of 
superior  quality.  Until  the  last  few  years  rubber  brought  to  market  was 
obtained  in  a  great  degree  from  wild  trees  found  in  America  and  Africa, 
but  the  enormously  increased  demand  and  the  unsystematic  destruction 
of  the  trees  has  now  driven  the  price  of  superior  rubber  up  to  a  high 
figure. 
-  September  Weather  at  Belvoir  Castle. — The  wind  was 
in  a  westerly  direction  twenty-two  days.  The  total  rainfall  was 
2'63  inches.  This  fell  on  nineteen  days,  and  is  0  31  inch  above  the 
average  for  the  month  ;  the  greatest  daily  fall  was  077  inch  on  the 
29th.  Barometer  (corrected  and  reduced)  :  highest  reading,  30-207  inches 
on  the  10th  at  9  P.M.  ;  lowest  reading,  29-244  inches  on  the  30th  at 
9  A.JH.  Thermometers  :  highest  in  the  shade,  82°  on  the  5th  ;  lowest, 
32°  on  the  29th.  Mean  of  daily  maxima,  63  06°  ;  mean  of  daily  minima, 
47'00°.  Mean  temperature  of  the  month,  55  03.  Lowest  on  the  grass, 
28°  on  the  29th  ;  highest  in  the  sun,  129°  on  the  2nd.  Mean  temperature 
of  the  earth  at  3  feet,  SS'SS0.  Total  sunshine,  151  hours  45  minutes. 
There  were  three  sunless  days. — W.  H.  DIVERS. 
METEOROLOGZCA1  OBSERVATIONS  AT  CHISWICK.. 
— Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
O 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
© 
M 
1899. 
fl  ! 
.2  a 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
iain. 
At 
At 
At 
Lowest 
Temperat 
on  Grasi 
October. 
3 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
1-ft. 
deep. 
2-ft. 
deep. 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Sunday  ..  1 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
E.S  E. 
51-9 
50  0 
63-2 
42-5 
0-17 
52-1 
55-8 
57'8 
32-4 
Monday..  2 
W.S.VV. 
51-8 
50-7 
52-7 
50-8 
— 
53-2 
55-0 
57  "5 
42-1 
Tuesday  .  .3 
w.s.w 
52-9 
49-1 
61-6 
37-4 
0-05 
51-2 
55-3 
57-2 
27-1 
VVed’sday  4 
N.  N.  E. 
51-2 
50-6 
51-9 
50-9 
0-15 
541 
55-1 
53-9 
50-4 
Thursday  5 
E.N.E. 
51-1 
47-0 
52-6 
47-5 
_ 
53-5 
55  3 
56-9 
47-5 
Friday  ..  6 
E.N.E. 
53-6 
45-4 
53-3 
37-5 
_ 
51-8 
55-1 
56-9 
27-5 
Saturday  7 
S.S.E. 
45-6 
44-0 
50-1 
34-9 
— 
50-2 
54-6 
50-7 
20-2 
Means  .. 
51-2 
48'1 
55-9 
43-1 
Total 
0-37 
52-3 
55-3 
57-1 
36-2 
Dull,  cold,  misty  weather,  with  frequent  showers  and  frost  on  the  grass 
on  several  mornings. 
