30 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
January  9,  1896. 
-  Lord  Aberdeen  is  said  to  be  making  a  genuine  success  of  his 
fruit  and  hop  farms  in  British  Columbia. 
-  Eupatorium  probum. — As  a  flowering  plant  in  the  dull 
months  of  the  year  this  Eupatorium  is  most  useful  for  conservatory 
decoration,  and  equally  so  for  buttonhole  and  bouquet  making.  The 
old  plants  are  scarcely  worth  keeping  two  years,  as  they  are  more 
vigorous  and  flower  more  freely  if  propagated  annually  from  cuttings 
rooted  in  March  or  April.  With  two  shifts,  the  final  one  in  July,  useful 
decorative  plants  are  obtained  by  the  winter.  When  the  pots  are  filled 
with  roots  weak  liquid  manure  must  be  given  two  or  three  times  weekly, 
otherwise  the  foliage  soon  assumes  a  sickly  hue. — H.  WILSON, 
-  Stachys  tuberifera. — We  grow  a  large  quantity  of  this 
excellent  winter  vegetable  here,  and  from  questions  that  I  have  been 
asked  by  ladies  and  gentlemen  staying  during  the  shooting  season 
I  should  think  it  is  not  so  well  known  as  it  ought  to  be.  I  have  been 
frequently  asked,  Is  it  difficult  to  grow,  and  where  can  I  get  the  “  seed  ”  ? 
Some  went  so  far  as  to  Bay  they  preferred  it  to  Asparagus  and  Seakale 
that  was  being  sent  to  the  table  at  the  same  time  (November  and 
December).  It  is  a  real  gardener’s  friend.  Not  at  all  particular  as  to 
soil  or  situation,  we  have  it  equally  aB  good  at  the  back  of  a  north  wall 
as  on  a  west  border.  If  planted  in  Bpring  18  inches  apart,  kept  free 
from  weeds,  it  is  certain  to  do  well,  and  will  stand  any  amount  of  frost 
— T.  H.  Crasp,  Osberton. 
-  Sussex  Rainfall. — The  total  amount  of  rainfall  at  Abbots 
Leigh,  Haywards  Heath,  for  the  past  month  was  3-43  inches,  being 
0-69  inch  above  the  average.  The  heaviest  fall  was  1-28  on  the  16th. 
Rain  fell  on  eighteen  days.  The  total  for  the  year  is  27  62  inches, 
which  is  about  3  inches  below  the  average.  The  maximum 
temperature  in  the  shade  was  56°  on  the  5th,  the  minimum  23°  on  the 
11th  ;  mean  maximum  44'03°,  mean  minimum  34'23°  ;  mean  temperature 
39T3°,  which  is  1-56  above  the  average.  A  mild,  rather  wet  month, 
with  very  little  frost,  with  the  only  snow  of  the  season  on  Christmas 
morning,  but  which  melted  as  it  fell  on  the  lowlands.  The  last  three 
days  of  the  year  were  remarkably  mild,  above  508  in  the  shade,  and 
New  Year’s  Day  was  equally  fine. — R.  I. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  —  Special  Prizes  for 
New  Plants.  —  With  the  hope  of  encouraging  individual  effort  and 
original  research  the  Council  of  the'  R.H.S.  offers  medals  (silver  or 
silver-gilt,  according  to  merit),  for  the  following  :  —  I.  Introduced 
Plants. — A.  The  best  hardy  plant  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the 
Society’s  meetings  (Narcissus  excluded).  —  Amateurs.  B.  The  best 
hardy  plant  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s  meetings  (Nar¬ 
cissus  excluded).  —  Open.  C.  The  best  stove  or  greenhouse  plant 
(Orchids  excluded)  not  previously  shown  at  auv  of  the  Society’s  i 
meetings. — Amateurs.  D.  The  best  stove  or  greenhouse  plant  (Orchids 
excluded)  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s  meetings, — 
Open.  E.  The  best  Orchid  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s 
meetings. — Amateurs.  F.  The  best  Orchids  not  previously  shown  at 
any  of  the  Society’s  meetings.  —  Open.  II.  Plants  'of  Home  Produc¬ 
tion. — G.  The  best  hardy  plant  (raised  and  shown  by  an  amateur),  with 
record  of  parentage,  &c.,  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the  Society's 
meetings  (Narcissus  excluded).— Amateurs.  H.  The  best  hardy  plant 
raised  in  this  country,  with  record  of  parentage,  &c.,  not  previously 
shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s  meetings. — Open,  I.  The  best  stove  or 
greenhouse  plant  (raised  and  shown  by  an  amateur),  with  record  of 
parentage,  &c.,  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s  meetings 
(Orchids  excluded).  —  Amateurs.  K.  The  best  stove  or  greenhouse 
plant  raised  in  this  country,  with  record  of  parentage,  &c.,  not  previouslv 
shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s  meetings  (Orchids  excluded),  —  Open. 
L,  The  best  Orchid  (raised  and  shown  by  an  amateur),  with  record  of 
parentage,  &c.,  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s  meetings.— 
Amateurs.  M.  The  best  Orchid  raised  in  this  country,  with  record  of 
parentage,  &c.,  not  previously  shown  at  any  of  the  Society’s  meetings. — 
Open.  The  above  prizes  may  be  competed  for  at  any  meeting  of  the 
Society,  1896, except  at  the  Temple  and  Crystal  Palace  shows.  The  judging 
will  be  by  points,  which  will  be  duly  kept  and  recorded,  and  the  w’inner 
will  be  announced  at  the  end  of  the  season.  The  Council  reserves  the 
right  to  withhold  all  or  any  of  the  prizes  if  none  of  the  exhibits  is  con¬ 
sidered  worthy  of  marked  honour.  As  many  details  as  possible  should 
be  given  about  the  exhibits,  as  fullness  and  exactitude  of  information 
may  decide  the  prize  in  case  of  equality  of  points.  All  entries  for  the 
above  special  prizes  must  be  made  before  11  a.m.  on  the  morning  of 
the  show  on  a  special  form,  which  may  be  obtained  of  the  clerk  at  the 
table.  A  considerable  number  of  prizes  are  offered  for  Narcissi,  to  be 
competed  for  at  the  several  meetings  held  during  March,  April,  and  May. 
-  December  Weather  at  Driffield. — Mean  temperature  at 
9  A.M.  (corrected),  37-47°.  Wet  bulb,  36-37°.  Mean  maximum,  41-9° ; 
mean  minimum,  33  34°.  Highest,  52  8°  on  the  4th  ;  lowest,  26-5°  on  the 
8th.  Mean  of  maxima  and  minima,  37,62°.  Mean  radiation  tempera¬ 
ture  on  the  grass,  28-43°  ;  lowest,  19  8°  on  the  9th.  Rainfall,  2-33  inches. 
Number  of  rainy  days,  sixteen.  Greatest  amount  on  one  day,  0-5  inch 
on  the  28th. — W.  E.  Lovel,  Observer,  York  Road,  Driffield. 
-  December  Weather  in  South  Wales. — The  following  is  a 
summary  of  the  weather  here  for  the  past  month  : — The  wind  was  in  a 
N.W.  direction  for  fourteen  days  and  in  a  S.E.  direction  for  eleven  days. 
Total  amount  of  sunshine,  30  hours  35  minutes.  Sunless  days,  seventeen. 
Rain  fell  on  twenty-seven  days.  Total  rainfall,  6-01  inches  ;  maximum, 
1T3  inch  on  the  5th  ;  minimum,  0  01  on  the  1st.  Snow  fell  on  seven 
days.  The  12th  was  a  very  stormy  day,  as  we  had  rain,  snow,  hail, 
thunder,  and  lightning.  There  have  been  very  strong  winds  throughout 
the  month.  Total  rainfall  for  the  year,  53-81  inches.  Sunshine, 
1469  hours  50  minutes.  There  were  seventy-three  sunless  days. — 
W.  Mabbott,  Dowlais,  Glamorgan. 
-  Weather  in  December  at  Hodsock  Priory,  Worksop, 
Notts.— Mean  temperature  of  the  month,  38-1°.  Maximum  on  the  6th, 
54  8°  ;  minimum  on  the  22nd,  19-8°.  Maximum  in  the  sun  on  the  13th, 
83°  ;  minimum  on  the  grass  on  the  22nd,  15°.  Mean  temperature  of  the 
air  at  9  A.M.,  37-1°.  Mean  temperature  of  the  soil  1  foot  deep,  40°. 
Nights  below  32°  in  the  shade,  sixteen  ;  on  the  grass,  twenty-seven. 
Total  sunshine  in  the  month,  seventeen  hours,  or  7  per  cent,  of  possible 
duration  ;  we  had  twenty  sunless  days.  Total  rainfall,  2T2  inches  ; 
rain  fell  on  seventeen  days.  Average  velocity  of  the  wind,  12T  miles 
per  hour.  Velocity  exceeded  400  miles  on  eight  days  ;  fell  short  of  100 
six  days.  Approximate  averages  for  December  : — Mean  temperature, 
37-1°;  sunshine,  thirty-two  hours  ;  rainfall,  1-97  inch.  A  dull  and  mild 
month,  with  very  little  frost  or  snow  and  about  average  rainfall. — 
J.  Mallender. 
-  December  Weather. — December  was  cool  and  dull,  without 
much  frost,  excepting  a  cold  period  from  the  20th  to  the  26th.  Falls  of 
snow  occurred  on  the  16th  and  the  24th,  most  of  which  melted  as  it 
came.  The  wind  was  in  a  westerly  direction  nineteen  days.  Total 
rainfall  1-98  inch,  which  fell  on  nineteen  days,  the  greatest  daily 
fall  being  0’36  inch  on  the  12th.  Barometer,  highest  reading  30‘ 186  on 
the  27th  at  9  p.m.  ;  lowest  28-782  on  the  16th  at  9  a.m.  Thermometer , 
highest  in  the  shade  55°  on  the  5th  ;  lowest  20°  on  the  22nd.  Mean  of 
daily  maxima  42‘19°  ;  mean  of  daily  minima  32  61°.  ^lean  temperature 
of  the  month  37-40° ;  lowest  on  the  grass  15°  on  the  22nd;  highest  in 
the  sun  82°  on  the  6t.h.  Mean  earth  temperature  at  3  feet  42  74°.  Total 
sunshine  twenty-seven  hours  forty  minutes.  We  had  sixteen  sunless 
days. — W.  H.  T)x\py&,  BefyQir  C.astle Hardens,  Grantham. 
-  The  Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Association. — The 
members  of  this  Society  heid  their  annual  supper  on  Friday  last,  under 
the  presidency  of  Mr.  Weeks.  A  large  company  was  present,  including 
numbers  of  the  officials  and  members.  After  the  customary  loyal  toasts, 
the  Chairman  submitted  the  toast  of  the  evening.  He  remarked  that 
the  Association  was  formed  four  years  since,  and  that  it  could  compare 
very  favourably  with  other  institutions  in  the  county.  Men  of  loug 
experience  in  the  horticultural  profession,  and  capable  of  giving  the 
very  best  advice,  had  read  before  the  members  many  essays.  In  the 
summer  they  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  day’s  excursion,  and  their  thanks 
were  especially  due  to  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  had  generously 
thrown  open  their  grounds  and,  in  some  cases,  their  mansions.  Another 
object  of  the  Association  was  to  try  to  get  every  member  to  provide 
something  for  himself  in  his  declining  years  by  joining  the  Gardeners’ 
Benevolent  Institution.  Mr.  Hope,  in  responding,  said  he  had  been 
identified  with  the  Association  from  its  inception.  As  a  social,  educa¬ 
tional,  and  horticultural  medium  it  had  been  of  much  value.  The  need 
of  the  Association  had  been  proved  by  its  good  works,  and  the  success 
which  had  followed  the  active  interest  of  the  members.  The  contributors 
of  the  essays  iwere  masters  of  their  subjects,  which  made  the  papers 
valuable.  One  of  the  most  hopeful  features  of  the  Association  was  the 
exceptional  skill  and  ability  with  which  the  younger  members  prepared 
their  papers.  The  Association  held  the  proud  position  of  being  in  the 
very  front  rank  of  similar  institutions  in  the  country.  Gardening  was 
one  of  the  most  honourable  and  one  of  the  oldest  crafts.  Many  illustrious 
names  in  the  world’s  history  had  been  connected  with  it.  In  their 
Association  the  amateur  and  the  professional,  like  the  lion  and  the 
lamb,  lay  down  together  ;  only  honest  aud  friendly  rivalry  existed 
between  them.  Other  toaeta  were  ([received  with  equal  pleasure,  and 
with  these  and  eome  good  music  a  most  enjoyable  evening;  was  spent, 
