444 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.. 
November  5,  1898. 
-  LI^■EHPOOL  Botanic  Gardens.— The  Curator  of  the  Liver¬ 
pool  Botanic  Gardens,  Mr.  John  Richardson,  who  has  just  retired  after 
thirty-seven  years’  service  under  the  Liverpool  Corporation,  has  been 
made  the  recipient  of  a  handsome  present  by  the  employes  on  his  staff. 
The  gift  took  the  form  of  a  writing  desk  of  the  most  modern  and 
improved  workmanship,  a  silver  plate  handsomely  mounted  on  the  outer 
lid  bearing  a  suitable  inscription. — R.  P.  R, 
-  October  Weather  at  Hodsock  Priory,  Worksop. — 
Mean  temperature,  44  7°,  Maximum  in  the  screen,  62  9®  on  3rd  ; 
minimum  in  the  screen,  27’4°  on  27th  ;  minimum  on  grass,  17'3  on  the 
27th.  Sunshine,  seventy-five  hours,  or  23  per  cent,  of  the  possible 
duration.  Rainfall,  3  68  inches.  Rain  fell  on  twenty-five  days.  A  cold 
and  unsettled  month,  with  a  great  deal  of  showery  weather.  Mean 
temperature  lower  than  for  twenty  years. — J.  Mallender. 
-  October  Weather  at  Driffield. — Mean  temperature  at 
9  A.M.  (corrected),  44  61°;  wet  bulb,  43‘02°;  mean  maximum,  50  89°  ; 
mean  minimum,  37  87°  ;  highest,  62'2°  on  the  2nd  ;  lowest,  26'5°  on  the 
27th  ;  mean  of  maxima  and  minima,  44-38°  ;  mean  radiation  tempera¬ 
ture  on  the  grass,  34  82° ;  lowest,  20'5°  on  the  26th.  Rainfall, 
5-135  inches  ;  number  of  rainy  days,  twenty-eight  ;  greatest  amount  on 
one  day,  0  72°  on  the  11th. — W.  E.  Lovel,  Observer,  York  Road, 
- -  Weather  in  South  Wales— The  following  is  a  summary 
of  the  weather  here  for  the  past  month  : — Rainfall,  6  inches  ;  number 
of  days  on  which  rain  fell,  twenty  ;  maximum,  108  inch.  On  the  first 
seventeen  days  of  the  month  there  was  rain  each  day.  Total  amount 
of  sunshine,  seventy-three  hours  fifteen  minutes.  There  were  seven 
sunless  days.  There  have  been  sharp  frosts  since  the  19th,  with  a 
maximum  of  5°  of  frost,  with  very  cold  winds.  The  wind  has  been  in 
the  W.  and  S.W.  on  seventeen  days,  and  in  the  N.  and  N.E.  on  eleven 
days.— Wm.  M abbot,  Bowlais. 
-  Sussex  Rainfall.  —  The  total  rainfall  at  Abbots  Leigh, 
Hayward’s  Heath,  Sussex,  for  October  was  3-95  inches,  which  is  slightly 
over  the  average.  The  heaviest  fall  was  0  99  inch  on  the  6th.  Rain 
fell  on  twenty  days.  The  maximum  temperature  was  64°  on  the  2nd 
and  3rd,  the  minimum  28®  on  the  28th  ;  mean  maximum,  53-15°  ;  mean 
minimum,  39°;  mean  temperature,  46-07°,  which  is  1-57°  below  the 
average.  This  continuous  wet  weather  experienced  in  September 
continued  till  the  20  th,  Since  then,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  the 
days  have  been  fair  and  cool ;  northerly  winds.  Thunder  on  the  24th, 
25th  (with  hail),  and  29th,  but  without  heavy  rain  in  this  neighbour¬ 
hood, — R.  I. 
-  Exterminating  Ants— In  reply  to  “Ant  Plague  ’’  (page  398) 
in  Journal  of  Horticulture,  October  22nd,  I  venture  to  say  that  if  the 
following  methods  of  dealing  with  ants  do  not  exterminate  them  yet  if 
persevered  in  will  so  reduce  their  numbers  as  to  render  them  fairly 
harmless.  If  their  nests  can  be  located  used  XL  All  insecticide, 
fifteen  parts  water  to  one  part  XL  All,  and  pour  it  amongst  them. 
Where  they  climb  Vines  or  plants  soak  sponges  in  a  solution  of  treacle 
and  water  and  tie  them  on  the  plants  or  Vines,  and  then  periodically 
plunge  the  sponges  in  very  hot  water,  soak  again  in  treacle  and  water,  and 
so  on.  Saucers  containing  sweet  oil  if  set  about,  with  convenience  for 
them  to  get  easily  in,  will  also  catch  many.  The  places  where  they 
disappear  into  the  earth  or  brickwork  to  their  nests  should  be  particularly 
attended  to. — H.  C.  W. 
-  Dr.  Temple  Digging  Potatoes.— At  one  time  Dr.  Temple 
was  Principal  of  Kneller  Hall,  a  training  college  for  masters  “  for  work- 
house  and  for  penal  schools.”  From  an  interesting  sketch  of  the  new 
Primate’s  career  as  an  educationist  in  the  “  Schoolmaster,”  we  gather 
that  in  the  first  report  on  the  college  from  his  pen  Dr.  Temple,  in  the 
course  of  his  remarks  on  the  industrial  training  given,  tells  that  he 
himself  generally  joined  in  the  garden  labour  “  in  order  that  this  essen¬ 
tial  part  of  the  system  might  not  be  undervalued  ;  ”  and  Her  Majesty’s 
Inspector,  writing  regarding  the  work  at  Kneller  Hall  on  one  occasion, 
said,  “  I  have  seen  the  whole  of  the  students  working  in  a  gang  at  spade 
husbandry,  with  the  Principal  in  his  shirt-sleeves  at  their  head.”  A 
correspondent  who  sent  us  the  above  item  observes  : — “  We  know  of  many 
elementary  schoolmasters,  at  least,  who  are  such  enthusiastic  gardeners 
that  they  delight,  where  they  have  garden  plots,  to  work  with  their  lads, 
and  practically  show  them  how  to  proceed.  After  all,  when  such  traits 
in  the  new  Archbishop  of  Canterbury’s  character  are  evidenced  as  in  the 
above  instance,  who  can  wonder  that  such  energy  and  force  so  practi¬ 
cally  utilised  should  have  forced  him  finally  to  the  very  top  of  the 
ecclesiastical  tree  ?  ” 
-  The  Rev.  David  R.  Williamson  writes  ; — “  At  the  recent  . 
‘  Patti  ’  concert  in  Edinburgh  I  had  the  pleasure  of  presenting  to- 
Madame  Adelina  Patti  a  beautiful  bouquet  of  the  famous  Orchid,  Den- 
drobium  phalicuopsis  Schrbderianum,  on  which  occasion  also  I  described 
to  the  great  singer  its  nature  and  characteristics.  The  fiowers  of 
this  remarkable  Orchid,  which  Madame  Patti  wore  when  singing  the 
‘  Jewel  Song  ’  from  Faust,  were  sent  to  me  by  Baron  Schroder  for  pre¬ 
sentation  to  the  queen  of  song,  who  asked  me  to  convey  to  the  distin¬ 
guished  orchidist  her  gratifying  acknowledgments.” 
-  SwAiNSTON,  Isle  of  Wight.— This  is  the  inland  residence  of  ' 
Sir  Barrington  Simeon,  Bart.,  M.P.  The  grounds  are  extensive  and 
well  wooded,  a  full  description  of  which  I  hope  to  furnish  later  on, 
whilst  for  the  present  a  brief  report  of  the  excellent  Chrysanthemums, 
which  are  worthy  of  the  best  efforts  of  Mr.  J.  Gash,  the  able 
gardener,  who  is  an  exhibitor  of  note  in  the  island.  Amongst  the  most 
conspicuous  I  noticed  in  the  Japanese  section  Reine  de  I’Augleterre,- 
Colonel  W.  B.  Smith,  Madame  Carnot,  Mons.  H.  J.  Jones,  Mrs.  Harman 
Payne,  Mdlle.  Marie  Hoste,  Primrose  League,  Duchess  of  Wellington, 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Lees,  and  Mrs.  T.  Wilkins  ;  incurves,  Empress  of  India, 
D.  B.  Crane,  Globe  d’Or,  C.  Curtis,  Mrs.  J.  Kearne,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Kingston, 
and  Baron  Hirsch. — C. 
-  Spring  Bedding  Plants. — The  late  excessive  rainfall  ha» 
proved  most  acceptable  to  the  majority  of  spring  bedding  plants,  which 
suffered  much  during  the  previous  dry  weather.  It  has  also  made  the 
soil  in  a  far  better  condition  for  planting  than  it  was  last  year,  and 
although  the  greater  part  of  the  summer  occupants  look  pretty  here 
yet  planting  is  proceeding  as  fast  as  possible.  Early  planting  gives 
more  time  for  root  formation  before  severe  frosts  occur,  and  the  plante, 
are  thus  able  to  fasten  themselves  securely,  and  are  not  so  liable  to 
suffer.  It  is  a  mistake  to  plant  too  thickly,  especially  in  sheltered, 
positions ;  a  moderate  space  between  the  plants  gives  the  foliage  a  better 
chance  to  dry  in  thick,  foggy  weather.  Inattention  to  this  point  will 
cause  much  loss  by  damping  if  the  winter  is  mild  and  wet.  It  is  well  to- 
remember  also  that  many  of  the  plants  commonly  used  continue  to 
grow  all  through  a  mild  winter,  and  also  spread  considerably  when  they 
develop  their  flower  spikes  in  the  spring.  All  bulbs  should  be. planted 
deeply  and  firmly  ;  they  will  easily  find  their  way  through  6  inches  of 
soil,  and  will  flower  much  more  satisfactorily  than  if  only  covered  with 
2  inches.  Early  planting,  too,  is  of  great  benefit  to  them,  as  their  roots 
commence  to  grow  as  soon  as  they  get  into  the  moist  soil.  It  is  always 
advisable  to  carpet  the  beds  where  they  are  grown  with  some  dwarf 
growing  plant,  such  as  Aubrietias  in  variety,  Arabis,  Violas,  Myosotis, 
Saxifraga  muscoides,  S.  ligulata,  or  S.  Camposi.  The  beds  are  then 
always  green,  and  many  of  the  above  commence  flowering  long  before 
Hyacinths  and  Tulips,  and  thus  lengthen  the  season  considerably. 
— W.  H.  Divers,  Belvoir  Castle  Gardens,  Grantham. 
- A  Century  of  Horticulture. — Oar  earnest  and  enthusi¬ 
astic  friend,  Mr.  H.  Cannell,  is  a  little  previous  as  to  the  sixty  years  of 
the  Queen’s  reign,  as  that  period  will  not  conclude  until  the  end  of  May 
next.  That  Her  Majesty,  as  well  as  Mr.  Cannell,  may  not  only  live  to 
see  May  25fch,  1897,  we  all  earnestly  hope,  but  long  after  as  well.  But 
what  our  good  friend  has  written  naturally  leads  to  the  thought  what  a . 
grand  theme  for  ,  the  horticultural  historian  is  open  in  horticultural 
progress  during  the  nineteenth  century.  What  a  wealth  of  material  is 
at  hand  for  such  a  purpose,  and  what  marvellous  changes  and  develop¬ 
ments  would  have  to  be  chronicled.  How  impossible  would  it  be  in  any 
such  history  to  omit  reference  to  the  great  horticultural  leaders  in  the 
nursery,  seed,  market,  private  gardening,  and  orchard  departments,  as 
well  also  to  the  part  the  Press  has  played  daring  at  least  the  latter  half  of 
the  century.  If  to  many  of  the  older  gardeners  things  seemed  to  develop 
rapidly  up  to  1850,  certainly  the  progress  made  since  then  has  been  by 
leaps  and  bounds.  Anv  work  that  undertook  to  describe  horticultural 
progress  during  the  present  century  would  have  to  be  a  comprehensive 
and  an’  exhaustive  one,  but  then  what  a  splendid  record  of  the  time  would 
it  be,  and  how  exceedingly  valuable  to  future  generations  !  We  have 
no  such  record  at  present  of  any  preceding  century’s  progress  ;  indeed,  up 
to  the  beginning  of  the  present  one  progress  in  horticulture  was  com¬ 
paratively  slow.  The  removal  of  the  duty  on  glass  and  the  introduction 
of  hot-water  heating  has  performed  wonders,  just  as  the  removal  of  the- 
paper  and  advertisement  duties  have  done  so  much  for  the  expansion  of 
the  horticultural  Press.  Mention  of  these  things  to  show  what  great 
benefits  remedial  legislation  can  bestow  on  a  nation.  Only  four  years- 
and  a  few  months  longer  and  the  centnry , will,  be  complete.  It  is  not 
long.  But  now  the  course  is  clear  for  the  compiler  and  historian,  who 
will  need  all  the  remaining  time  to  enable,  him  to  compile  his  history 
ready  for  launching  on  the  world  in  January,  1901. — A.  D. 
