276 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  17,  1896. 
- AUGUST  Weather  atiEodsock  Priory,  Worksop.— 
Mean  temperature,  57'3°.  Maximiim;m  the  screen,  72  0°  ;  minimum  in  the 
screen,  39  4° ;  minimum  on  the  grass,  28'9°  on  the  26th.  Frost  on  the 
grass  on  four  nights.  Sunshine,  seventy-three  hours,  or  16  per  cent, 
of  the  possible  duration.  Rainfall,  1'67  inch  ;  rain  fell  on  ten  days.  The 
first  cold  month  after  nine  consecutive  warm  ones.  Lower  mean  tem¬ 
perature  and  less  sunshine  than  in  any  previous  year  since  observations 
commenced  here.  Harvest  generally*  finished  during  the  last  week. — 
J,  Mallekder. 
-  Kew  Gardens. — The  Richmond  Town  Council  have  received 
a  letter  from  Her  Majesty’s  Office  of  Works,  stating  that  the  First  Com¬ 
missioner  has  carefully  considered  ithe  points  raised  by  a  deputation 
which  recently  waited  upon  him'Jin  reference  to  a  proposal  for  earlier 
opening  of  Kew  Gardens,  and  that  while  fully  appreciating  the 
advantages  which  would  accrue  to  the  public  by  advancing  the  hour  of 
opening  he  is  not  prepared,  in  view  of  the  interference  which  would  be 
occasioned  to  those  engaged  in  scientific  research,  to  make  the  order 
desired  under  present  conditions,  He  will,  however,  most  carefully 
reconsider  the  whole  matter  beforejnext  year,  ter  see  if  any  arrange¬ 
ments  can  be  made  which  would  :|secure  the  quiet  of  the  gardens  for 
students  and  at  the  same  time^meet^the  withes  of  the  public  generally, 
-  The  Potato  Crop, — The  Potato  crop  is  giving  rise  to  con¬ 
siderable  anxiety  on  the  part  of  growers  on  a  large  scale  for  market,  but 
at  present  it  has  the  promise  of  proving  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  of 
the  past  five  years.  In  twenty-four  English  counties,  all  of  which  are 
north  of  London,  Potatoes  are  hardly  so  promising  now  as  they  were  at 
the  beginning  of  August  ;  in  .four  they  have  improved,  and  in  eleven 
counties  there  has  been  a  material  improvement  in  the  crop  during  the 
past  month.  Taking  100  points  as  representing  a  full  crop,  the  estimate 
for  England  is  91'5,  97 -o  for  Wales,  and  100  3  for  Scotland,  or  an  average 
of  94  for  Great  Britain.  In  the  four  years  preceding  this  the  averages 
at  the  corresponding  period  were  ;  1895,  98’9  ;  1894,  88  9 ;  1893,  39‘4  ; 
1892,  88-2.  As  compared  with  last  year,  when  we  lifted  the  heaviest 
crop  on  record,  there  is  a  decrease  of  4  9,  but  as  compared  with  the  three 
previous  years  there  is  an  increase. 
-  Wellingtonias. — The  tendency  of  these  well  known  Pinuscs 
to  form  huge  boles  near  the  ground,  whilst  tapering  in  to  a  small  stem 
almost  abruptly  at  some  10  to  12  feet  in  height  is  well  known.  I  have 
seen  two  trees  recently  that  show  this  feature  markedly.  One  is  the 
noble  specimen  at  Strathfieldsaye,  the  girth  of  the  stem  at  3  feet  from 
the  ground  being  17  feet,  and  the  other  a  very  fine,  though  not  so  tall 
a  tree  at  Basing  Park,  the  bole  at  the  same  height  being  14  feet  6  inches. 
The  stem  of  this  latter  tree  really  looks  larger  than  does  that  of  the 
first  named,  because  it  does  not  very  high  up  contract  remarkably.  It 
would  be  interesting  to  learn  whether  these  girths  are  materially 
exceeded  elsewhere.  So  far,  the  Strathfieldsaye  specimen  is  the  noblest 
and  handsomest  Wellingtonia  I  have  seen.  The  way  these  trees  grip 
hold  of  the  soil  shows  their  capacity  to  withstand  strong  windstorms. — 
Wanderer. 
-  Giant  Onions. — Hackwood  Park  seems  likely  to  furnish  the 
finest  Onions  again  this  season,  although  they  may  not  quite  rank  with 
the  samples  produced  last  year.  Had  the  season  been  more  favourable 
the  product  would  no  doubt  have  eclipsed  all  previous  records.  Already 
have  these  bulbs  won  a  gold  medal  for  the  finest  at  Banbury,  and  that 
other  honours  will  be  won  presently  there  can  be  no  doubt.  Still  the 
very  same  ground,  retrenched  and  manured,  is  used  for  growing  the 
bulbs  as  has  produced  fine  samples  for  some  five  or  six  previous  years, 
and  the  capacity  to  create  huge  bulbs  seems  to  increase.  The  varieties 
grown  this  year  are  Ailsa  Craig,  Lord  Keeper,  Record,  Cocoanut, 
Excelsior,  Eclipse,  and  Golden  Globe.  I  saw  some  bulbs  of  the  first 
named  weighed,  and  they  were  2  lbs,  14  ozs.  and  2  lbs.  15  ozs.  respec¬ 
tively,  and  they  did  not  seem  the  biggest.  One  fine  flatter  bulb,  not  yet 
pulled,  measured  22^  inches  round,  and  will  probably  enlarge  yet.  There 
are  not  a  few  dozens  of  these  fine  samples,  but  rather  several  hundreds. 
All  are  obtained  by  sowing  seed  about  Christmas  in  shallow  boxes, 
raising  it  under  glass  in  gentle  warmth,  pricking  the  young  plants  out 
later  into  other  shallow  boxes  thinly,  getting  them  well  exposed  to  light 
and  air,  and  well  seasoned,  then  planting  out  into  rows  about  16  inches 
apart  on  ground  thpt  has  been  previously  prepared  for  the  purpose. 
The  plants  usually  have  a  mulching  of  old  hotbed  or  Mushroom  bed 
manure  given  them  in  the  summer,  and  in  drought  are  occasionally 
liberally  watered.  There  are  no  secrets  in  relation  to  culture,  which  all 
now  may  know.  The  soil  at  Hackwood  is  in  fine  condition,  but  then  it 
has  been  made  so  by  working  and  manuring. — A.  I). 
-  Trade  Kotice, — We  are  informed  that  Mr.  W.  R.  Orr,  formerly 
with  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  &  Sons,  Belfast,  has  commenced  business  as- 
horticultural  and  general  commission  agent  at  9,  Glenravel  Street,. 
Belfast. 
-  Hints  on  Heating.  —  We  have  received  from  Messrs, 
W.  Richardson  &  Co.,  heating  engineeers,  Darlington,  a  well  printed 
and  highly  finished  little  book  bearing  the  above  title.  The  book  is 
profusely  illustrated,  and  is  a  good  practical  treatise  on  the  artificial 
heating  of  buildings  of  all  kinds.  The  question  of  warming  dwelling- 
houses  and  large  buildings  on  modern  and  scientific  principles  is  one 
now  claiming  much  consideration,  and  a  good  knowledge  of  the 
workings  of  the  various  systems  may  be  obtained  by  a  perusal  of 
Messrs.  Richardson’s  publication. 
-  Gold-leaved  Pelargoniums,— The  taste  for  golden  tricolor 
as  bedding  plants  has  of  late  revived.  Still,  with  but  few  exceptions,  we 
seem  to  have  nothing  better  fitted  for  outdoor  purposes  than  Mrs.  Pollock, 
the  original  break  of  the  family.  The  best  exception  without  doubt  is 
Mr,  Henry  Cox.  This  is  a  variety  with  respect  to  which  it  is  but  to  say 
that  once  having  enough  no  one  would  employ  any  other.  I  saw  it  at 
Maiden  Erleigh  recently  in  beautiful  form  outdoors.  There  were  four 
distinct  colours  in  the  leaves,  and  the  foliage  was  large,  stout,  well 
formed,  and  of  the  most  beautiful  description.  The  variety  is  a  good 
grower.  It  makes  a  striking  bed  without  addition.  That  cannot  be 
said  of  the  golden  bronze  forms,  of  which  Black  Douglas  and  M.  McMahon 
are  still  the  best,  as  a  full  bed  of  these  without  any  top  or  dress  plants  is 
rather  monotonous.  Silver  tricolors  are  quite  failures  outdoors.  Silver 
bicolors,  shaded  with  blue  Violas,  on  the  other  hand,  give  charming 
effects.— Nemo. 
-  The  Russian  Thistle  in  America. — The  Russian  Thistle 
is  gradually  working  eastward,  specimens  having  been  found  all  the 
way  from  the  Dakotas  west  and  south.  The  seed  is  distributed  through 
manure  taken  or  dropping  from  stock  cars ;  Millet  seed.  Flax  seed,  ;n, 
fact  all  grain  and  grass  seeds  are  liable  to  carry  it.  While  the  pest  will 
never  be  as  serious  where  cultivated  crops  are  produced  as  in  the 
spring  Wheat  growing  sections,  every  effi  ri  should  be  made  to  kill  it 
and  prevent  its  further  spread.  Plough  all  land  at  once  upon  which 
the  Thistle  is  liable  to  be  growing.  The  plant  will  thus  be  killed  and 
any  seed  now  dormant  started,  but  cannot  come  to  maturity  before 
frost.  Cut  off  all  plants  in  waste  places.  This  must  be  done  soon, 
before  the  seed  matures.  Do  not  use  manure  from  stock  cars,  in 
addition  to  Thistle,  they  usually  contain  seeds  of  many  other  kinds  of 
weeds.  Examine  carefully  all  grain,  grass  and  Clover  seed  before 
sowing.  Road  commissioners  should  keep  them  out  of  the  highways. 
Sheep  eat  the  young,  tender  plants  quite  readily,  but  after  becoming 
woody  they  will  not  touch  them.  Rotation  of  crops,  clean  culture,  and 
the  growing  of  hoed  crops  will  get  rid  of  the  Russian  Thistle. — 
(“  American  Agriculturist.”) 
-  Kilbarchan  Jubilee  Flower  Show.  —  On  Saturday,  the 
12th  of  September,  the  Jubilee  show  of  the  Kilbarchan  Horticultural 
Society  was  held,  and  for  many  reasons  it  deserves  more  than  a  passing 
notice.  Kilbarchan,  though  known  to  few  of  our  English  readers,  was 
at  one  time  the  centre  of  a  very  important  industry — that  was  in  the 
days  of  handloom  weaving,  when  the  weavers  sat  at  the  loom  and. 
watched  their  pet  flowers  in  the  garden.  Fifty  years  ago  there  were 
few  persons  in  Scotland  could  grow  Pansies,  Auriculas,  Sweet  Williams, 
and  Pinks  like  the  Kilbarchan  weavers^;  and  although  the  handloom 
weavers  are  now  very  few,  their  ancient  love  of  flowers  has  not 
departed,  as  the  show  held  last  Saturday  gave  evidence.  Portraits  of 
tw'o  of  its  noted  growers  have  appeared  in  our  columns — that  of  the 
late  Mr,  John  Love,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Society  and  a  great 
Pink  enthusiast ;  and  of  Mr,  Peter  Lyle,  who  for  fifty  years  has  been 
a  well-known  Pansy  grower.  Mr.  Lyle  was  one  of  those  present  at 
the  dinner  on  the  occasion  of  the  Jubilee.  This  dinner  was  a  very 
interesting  function.  Mr.  Thos.  McCrorie  occupied  the  chair,  and  was 
supported  by  the  Judges,  amongst  whom  were  such  well-known  growers 
as  Mr.  D.  McBean,  Mr.  Thos.  Hogg,  Mr.  M.  Smith,  Prestwick;  and 
Mr.  Mason,  Bridge  of  Weir.  Amongst  others  present  were  Mr. 
W.  Cuthbertson  (of  Dobbie  &  Co.,  Rothesay)  ;  Mr.  Smellie,  Busby  ; 
Mr.  Meeklem,  Bridge  of  Weir  ;  Mr.  McFie,  nurseryman.  Paisley. 
“  Continued  Success  to  the  Society  ”  was  proposed  by  Mr.  McFie,  and 
responded  to  by  the  Chairman.  Amongst  the  toasts  was  one  pledged 
.n  silence,  "  To  the  Memory  of  the  Old  Florists,  the  Founders  of  the 
Society.”  The- exhibition  was  of  very  highest  excellence,  the  competi¬ 
tion  for  the  Jubilee  gold  medals  being  very  keen,  the  prizetakers  being 
well-known  local  men. 
