April  23,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GAR  DP  Is  UN 
371 
Weather  in  London.  —  The  temperature  and  the  climatic 
conditions  have  varied  considerably  since  our  last  issue  went  to  press. 
On  Thursday  rain  fell  heavily  at  intervals,  while  Friday  and  Saturday 
were  dull  and  rather  cold.  On  Sunday  the  weather  wag  magnificent, 
the  sun  shining  with  great  power  and  brilliancy.  Monday  was  dull, 
and  a  cold  wind  blew  in  the  evening  ;  but  Tuesday  brought  another 
pleasant  change,  for  it  was  bright  and  warm  throughout  the  day, 
with  frost  at  night,  the  bright  conditions  extending  until  midday  on 
Wednesday. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — A  sharp  snap  of  frost  with  rather 
dense  rime  on  the  morning  of  the  15th  ;  a  very  wet  forenoon  on  the 
following  day,  followed  by  a  very  showery  night  and  morning  on  the 
17th.  Since  then  delightful  spring  weather  of  mingled  shade,  shower, 
and  sunshine  is  the  record  of  the  week  ending  on  Tuesday  morning. 
Hedges  and  trees  are  fast  becoming  green,  and  the  face  of  the  country 
is  beautiful  from  the  fresh  state  of  pastures  and  grain  braird. — B,  D., 
S.  Perthshire. 
-  Essays  on  Fruit  Growing.  —  The  prize  essays  on  “  Hardy 
Fruit  Growing,”  written  by  Messrs.  Lewis  Castle  and  S.  T.  Wright,  and 
read  at  the  great  show  of  fruit  held  in  the  Crystal  Palace  last  autumn, 
have  been  published  in  book  form  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
and  may  be  had  from  117,  Victoria  Street,  S.W.,  for  Is.  6d.,  post  free. 
As  there  is  a  great  amount  of  valuable  information  in  each  essay  fruit 
growers  would  do  well  to  procure  and  study  them,  as  they  cannot  but 
be  of  great  benefit  to  all  who  do  so.  Between  the  same  covers  is 
published  a  report  of  the  exhibition  of  and  Conference  on  Fruit  held  at 
the  show  mentioned  above. 
-  The  Hessle  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
— The  annual  dinner  of  the  above  Society  took  place  on  Thursday, 
April  ICth,  W.  J.  Wharwick,  Esq.,  the  President  of  the  Society, 
in  the  chair.  Sixty-one  members  and  friends  sat  down  to  the 
good  things  provided  by  the  host,  which  were  much  appreciated.  The 
usual  toasts  were  proposed  and  duly  responded  to,  amongst  which  was 
the  “  Press,”  with  special  mention  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  pro¬ 
posed  by  Mr.  Murchison,  aud  responded  to  by  Mr.  F.  L.  Thurston.  The 
musical  programme  was  rendered  by  Mr.  A.  Newton  and  party,  who  dis¬ 
played  great  talent  and  were  encored  repeatedly.  The  evening  was  a 
success  in  every  respect,  and  everyone  thoroughly  enjoyed  themselves. 
-  Bolting  Cabbages. — Although  complaint  with  respect  to 
the  running  to  flower  of  Cabbages  is  so  general,  yet  there  are  many 
exceptions.  Only  a  few  days  since  I  saw  extensive  breadths  in  the  West 
Middlesex  market  fields,  of  which  not  2  per  cent,  had  bolted  ;  whilst 
the  smaller  and  earlier  plants  were  hearting-in  admirably,  plenty  being 
ready  for  cutting.  The  stock  may  not  have  been  absolutely  true,  but  it 
was  fairly  so.  It  was  in  each  case  sown  as  Early  Ofl'enham,  which  is, 
when  true,  without  doubt  one  of  our  best,  early  Cabbages.  Some  of  the 
plants  might  well  have  done  for  Ellam’s  Early.  However,  if  somewhat 
varied,  there  was  a  good  prospect  of  long  successional  cutting,  which  is 
an  element  of  usefulness  and  profit  when  breadths  several  acres  in 
extent  are  concerned. — Wanderer. 
-  Journal  op  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. —  The 
latest  Journal  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  has  reached  us,  and 
forms  quite  a  bulky  volume.  Much  useful  matter  relative  to  the  Society 
is  well  printed  therein,  while  the  publication  of  the  papers  on  the 
“Etiolation  as  a  Phenomenon  of  Adaptation,”  by  Mr.  Francis  Darwin 
F.R  S.,  F.R  H.S.  ;  “  The  Carnation  in  Scotland,”  Mr.  R.  P.  Brotherston  ; 
“Hardy  Bamboos,”  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Freeman-Mitford,  C.B.  ;  “  Codiaeums 
(Crotons)  and  Dracaenas,”  by  the  late  Mr.  C.  F.  Bause,  F.R. H.S.  ;  “Nut 
Growing  in  England,”  by  Mr.  J.  Omer  Cooper,  F.R.H.S.  ;  “  Potatoes,”  by 
Mr.  A.  W.  Sutton,  F.L.S.,  F.R.H.S. ;  “  Substitutes  for  Larch,”  by  Dr. 
Maxwell  T.  Masters,  F.R.S.,  F.R.H  S.  ;  “Asparagus  Culture,”  by  Mr. 
James  Mason  ;  “  Brunswick  Method  of  Asparagus  Culture,”  by  Mrs. 
Johns(on,  F.R.H.S.  ;  and  “A  Few  Notes  on  Rock  Gardens,”  by  Mr.  H. 
Selfe  Leonard,  F.R.H.S.,  which  have  been  read  at  the  various  Drill  Hall 
meetings,  imparts  a  peculiar  interest  to  the  work,  which  may  be  had 
from  the  offices  of  the  Society,  117,  Victoria  Street,  S.W.,  for  5s. 
-  Mr.  W.  T.  Thiselton  Dyer. —  We  are  informed  that  the 
University  of  Glasgow  has  conferred  the  honorary  degree  of  LL.D.  on 
the  Director  of  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew. 
-  Vegetation  in  the  South  of  Ireland.  —  The  roads  and 
fields  in  the  South  of  Ireland  just  now  present  a  scene  of  surpassing 
loveliness.  It  is  a  particularly  early  season,  even  in  the  South  of 
Ireland,  and  the  golden  Gorse  and  the  white  blossom  of  the  Blackthorn 
are  exquisitely  enchanting.  Go  wherever  you  may  just  now,  says  a  writer 
in  a  Bristol  paper,  the  golden  bouquets  of  the  Gorse  will  meet  your 
eye  in  all  directions. 
-  American  Weather. — Mr.  A.  Outram,  who  is  travelling  in 
America  for  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons,  writes  under  date  of  April  10th 
“1  have  unfortunately  struck  the  very  worst  weather  I  have  ever 
experienced,  only  this  last  day  or  so  having  been  at  all  decent.  Snow 
storms,  strong  winds  intensely  cold,  and  so  very  changeable — really 
awful.  I  have  seen  nothing  startliDg  in  horticulture  worthy  ot  record¬ 
ing,  but  some  curious  freaks  now  and  then  occur  which  are  peculiar.” 
- Death  of  Miss  Thorne.  —  It  is  with  deep  regret  that  we 
record  the  demise,  on  Sunday  last,  of  Miss  Thorne,  daughter  of  Mr. 
F.  J.  Thorne,  the  well-known  and  highly  respected  gardener  to  Major 
Joicey  at  Sunningdale  Park,  Berks.  The  deceased  was  only  in  her 
sixteenth  year,  death  being  due  to  heart  disease  and  rheumatic  fever, 
after  only  a  short  illness.  All  our  readers  who  know  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thorne  will,  we  are  sure,  unite  with  us  in  tendering  to  them  the  sincerest 
sympathy  in  their  sad  bereavement. 
-  Spring’s  Promises. — The  promises  of  the  present  spring,  here 
in  the  centre  of  the  Midlands,  are  glorious,  but  whether  the  fulfilment  of 
the  summer  and  autumn  will  be  in  accordance  therewith  only  time  will 
disclose.  After  a  phenomenally  mild  winter  we  are  being  favoured  by 
as  genial  a  spring,  and  as  far  as  our  fruit  prospects  are  concerned  the 
outlook  is  one  of  great  hope  and  cheerfulness.  In  the  enclosed  garden 
the  Pear  bushes  are  almost  without  exception  just  now  perfect  garlands 
of  snowy  whiteness,  the  Plums  have  been  so  and  are  setting  well ;  the 
Apricots  also  are  setting  well,  whilst  the  bu9h  fruit  trees  show  an 
abundance  of  bloom.  Altogether  in  the  enclosed  garden  everything  is 
of  the  brightest.  In  the  orchards  there  is  not.  quite  so  bright  an  outlook. 
Pears  are  blooming  oddly,  some  not  at  all,  some  in  patches,  and  some 
well.  Apples  are  shy  and  also  odd  ;  some  of  these  are  destitute  of  bloom, 
and  strange  to  say  they  are  the  varieties  which  usually  bloom  regularly 
and  well,  whilst  others,  ordinarily  shy  bloomers,  are  partially  or  full  of 
bloom  without  exception.  Plums  here  (in  the  orchard)  are  on  the  whole 
a  good  head  of  bloom.  Taking  everything  together  the  fruit  harvest 
will  be  a  good  one  if  the  promises  of  spring  bulk  out  in  a  summer  and 
autumn  fulfilment. — P.  H.  N. 
-  Cheap  Potatoes. — I  do  not  know  how  seedsmen  may  be 
finding  trade  in  seed  Potatoes,  but  it  is  evident  that  growers  for  market 
are  finding  prices  low  enough.  I  heard  the  other  day  in  Middlesex  of 
good  “Magnums”  selling  at  from  6d.  to  Is.  per  bushel.  It  is  not 
enough  to  say  in  such  case  that  it  is  far  too  cheap,  it  is  ruinous.  It 
seems  to  be  impossible  to  find  auy  explanation  of  this  extreme  cheapness 
except  on  the  score  of  exceptional  abundance.  That  is  no  doubt  the 
actual  cause.  I  fear  there  is  little  prospect  of  being  enabled  to  plant 
Potatoes  at  midsummer  to  lift  in  the  winter  and  sell  as  new  Potatoes  ; 
our  climate  and  the  Potato  disease  will  not  admit  of  any  such  treat¬ 
ment.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  our  town  populations, 
because  of  the  conditions  under  which  they  exist,  do  soon  tire  of  old 
Potatoes  and  long  for  new  ones,  and  thus  it  is  that  as  the  spring 
advances  old  Potatoes  become  a  drug.  Out  in  the  country  old  ones 
are  consumed  much  later  into  the  season,  but  then  so  many  persons 
have  those  of  their  own  growing  to  consume.  Raisers  of  new  varieties 
of  Potatoes  are  partially  responsible  for  this  excessive  plenty  now, 
because  the  varieties  put  into  commerce  during  the  past  twelve  or 
fifteen  years  have  been  such  great  croppers.  Then  growers  for  market 
or  farmers  have  taken  so  largely  to  Potato  culture  that  the  production 
seems  greatly  to  have  exceeded  the  demand.  0 a  the  other  hand,  those 
who  cultivate  the  land  hardly  know  what  to  grow  to  form  paying 
crops.  But  in  spite  of  this  present  cheapness  of  Potatoes  I  observe 
that  planting  is  going  on  as  extensively  as  ever,  doubtless  in  the  hope 
that  prices  have  touched  the  bottom.  We  may  well  hope  so,  because 
unremunerative  prices  benefit  no  one,  not  even  the  consumer,  who  i3 
very  apt  with  such  cheapness  to  become  wasteful.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  Great  Britain  is  in  every  way  the  beBt  fed  country  in  the 
world,  and  probably  nowhere  can  such  good  living  be  furnished  so 
cheaply. — A.  D. 
