608 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTTOCLTDRUJ  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  189(5 . 
■ -  Florifeeoxjs  Buchaeises. — Having  seen  in  your  paper 
instances  of  flowers  of  unusvial  growth  or  bloom,  I  should  like  to  mention 
two  pots  of  Eucharis  which  I  have  now  in  beautiful  bloom  for  the 
fourth  time  this  season.  The  plants  are  in  lO-inch  pots.  They  stand 
very  near  the  hot-water  pipes  in  my  stove  house.  One  plant  has  now 
■ixteen  spikes  and  the  other  seventeen  spikes  of  bloom,  and  nearly 
all  of  them  five  or  six,  and  one  or  two  with  spikes  of  seven  blooms, 
all  in  full  expansion.  The  foliage  is  of  a  most  healthy  nature,  and 
being  placed  so  near  the  pipes  must  show  that  the  plants  revel  in 
warmth. — Robeet  Sydenham. 
- —  Birmingham  Ohrxsanthemum  Show.— The  annual  dinner 
of  the  Birmingham,  and  Midland  Counties  Chrysanthemum,  Fruit,  and 
FJoricultnral  Society  was  held  recently,  when  upwards  of  sixty  mem\>ers 
and  friends  of  the  Society  assembled.  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham  (the  Cbairman)i 
in  proposing  the  health  of  “  The  Queen,”  alluded  to  the  wonderful 
advances  in  horticulture  which  had  occurred  during  Her  Majesty’s  long 
reign,  and  conspicuous  amongst  which  was  the  marvellous  development 
of  the  Chrysanthemum.  He  also  pertinently  referred  to  the  improved 
status  of  the  gardener  during  the  same  period,  more  especially  in  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century.  Reference  was  made  by  various  speakers  to 
the  proposed  extension  of  the  Birmingham  Chrysanthemum,  exhibition, 
and  the  necessity  for  a  site  exceeding  the  limits  of  the  Town  Hall. 
— ^  NoEtH  Road  Gardens,  Shanklin,  I.W.  —  It  is  true  there 
is  not  a  great  deal  to  see  in  a  market  garden  at  this  time  of  the  year, 
but  it  may  probably  interest  many  of  your  readers  to  know’  that  Mr. 
W.  Downer,  the  owner  of  the  above  gardens,  possesses  the  largest 
amount  of  glass  of  any  market  gardener  in  the  Island.  Of  ten  houses 
three  are  over  100  feet  long  and  20  feet  wide,  which  in  summer  are 
filled,  along  with  several  others,  with  Tomato  plants,  Mr.  Downer 
growing  over  10,000  plants.  The  principal  varieties  are  Large  Red  and 
Challenger.  As  to  the  disposal  of  the  produce  he  informed  me  he  had 
not  the  least  difficulty.  This  .season  he  is  forcing  over  15000  Strawberry 
plants — viz,,  Royal  Sovereign  and  James  Veitch.  Last  year  he  realised 
from  38.  to  fia.  per  lb.  for  his  Strawberries.  In  the  inside  borders  of  the 
houses  he  has  planted  about  ten  bushels  of  Sharpe’s  Victor  Potato. — S.  H. 
-  The  Hesslb  Gabdenees’  Mutual  Improvement 
Society. — At  a  meeting  of  the  above  Society  held  on  Tuesday, 
December  12th,  a  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  Wilkinson,  Elloughton, 
Brough,  on  “Why  Do  We  Prune  Hardy  Fruit  Trees,  and  How  Should 
We  Prune  1  ”  The  essayist  said,  “We  prune  to  maintain  the  health 
and  vigour  of  the  tree,  to  keep  the  trees  within  reasonable  limits — a 
most  important  point  in  gardens,  especially  in  small  ones,  where  the 
most  has  to  bo  made  of  the  ground  available— and  to  improve  the 
quality  and  quantity  of  the  fruit.  To  many,  unitiated,  it  seems  a  perfect 
paradox  to  cut  away  part  of  a  tree  and  expect  more  fruit ;  nevertheless 
it  is  a  fact  any  doubtful  amateur  can  prove  for  himself  by  planting  two 
trees  side  by  side,  pruning  one  but  not  the  other,  the  result  will  con¬ 
vince  him  of  the  utility  and  necessity  of  a  little  timely  attention.” — 
F.  L.  T. 
- Royal  Meteorological  Society.-— The  monthly  meeting  of 
this  Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening,  the  16th  inst.,  at  the 
Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Mr.  E.  Mawley,  F.R.H.S.,  President,  in 
the  chair.  An  interesting  paper  by  Dr.  Leigh  Canney,  on  the  “  Winter 
Climate  of  Egypt,”  was  read  by  the  Secretary.  The  climate  of  Egypt 
dhring  the  winter  is  influenced  by  the  Libyan  Desert,  by  the  Mediter- 
tanean  Sea,  and  by  the  extent  of  cultivated  land.  The  author  gave  the 
results  of  a  series  of  observations  which  ho  had  carried  on  during  the 
past  three  winters.  The  observations  were  started  with  the  object  of 
arriving  at  a  comparative  knowledge  respecting  the  climates  of  the 
various  stations  now  considered  as  health  resorts  in  Egypt,  and  by  a 
strictly  comparable  method  to  arrive  at  the  precise  differences  between 
the  climates  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  all  previous  observations  having 
failed  in  this  respect.  The  stations  at  w’bich  observations  were  made 
Were  Cairo,  Helouan,  Mena  House  Hotel,  Luxor,  Assouan,  Valley  of  the 
Tombs  of  the  Kings,  and  the  crest  of  the  Libyan  Hills.  As  self- 
recording  thermometers  and  hair  hygrometers  were  used  at  each  station, 
valuable  data  has  been  obtained  on  the  diurnal  variation  of  temperature 
and  humidity.  Mr.  R.  H.  Curtis  also  read  a  paper  on  an  “Attempt  to 
Determine  the  Velocity  Equivalents  of  Wind  Forces  Estimated  by 
Beaufort’s  Scale.”  The  author  has  compared  the  anemometric  records 
at  Scllly,  Fleetwood,  Yarmouth,  and  Holyhead,  with  the  wind  forces  as 
estimated  by  the  observers  at  the  same  or  adjoining  stations,  and  has  by 
this  method  obtained  a  satisfactory  table  of  velocity  equivalents  in  miles 
per  hour  for  the  estimated  forces  by  Beaufort’s  scale. 
- Fruits  in  Labrador  and  South  Africa.— -Those  who 
think  Labrador,  that  almost  uninhabitable  strip  of  territory  which  lies 
to  the  north-east  of  British  North  America,  on  account  of  its  latitude 
and  the  Arctic  current,  is  entirely  destitute  of  fruits,  will  be  surprised  to 
learn  that  such  is  not  a  fact.  It  is  the  home  of  much  that  is  delicious 
in  the  berry  world.  On  the  mainland  and  neighbouring  islands  are 
found  Blackberries,  Red  Currants,  Marshberries,  Raspberries,  Curlew- 
berries,  and  the  gorgeous  Bake-apple,  Of  the  last-mentioned  fruit  but 
one  berry  grows  upon  each  plant,  but  it  makea  a  most  delicious 
mouthful.  It  is  the  size  and  form  of  a  large  Raspberry,  of  a  crimson 
colour  when  half  ripe,  and  a  golden  yellow  when  matured. — Oalifobnia 
Fruit  Grower. 
-  Preserving  Cut  Flowers.— In  olden  times  much  thought 
was  given  to  growing  flowers  for  cutting  which  would  keep  some  time 
after  being  cut.  The  Camellia  was  popular  on  that  account,  and  the 
different  forms  of  Bouvardia  were  also  cultivated  for  the  same  reason. 
These  flowers  have  lost,  in  a  great  measure,  their  great  popularity.  The 
Carnation,  says  “  Meehan’s  Monthly,”  now  so  popular,  is  one  of  the  class 
which  keeps  in  good  condition  for  considerable  time  after  cutting.  It 
is  not,  however,  generally  known  that  if  flowers,  after  being  cut,  are 
placed  for  a  few  hours  with  their  stems  in  cold  water,  in  a  comparatively 
cool  place,  will  preserve  their  freshness  when  placed  in  a  (  warm  room 
much  longer  than  without  this  process.  Roses,  especially  if  cut  and 
placed  in  decorative  positions  at  once,  soon  wilt ;  hut  if  cut  and  placed 
in  water  in  a  cellar  for  a  few  hours  before  being  brought  to  the 
full  light,  they  will  continue  fresh  for  double  the  time  they  otherwise 
would. 
- Liverpool  Horticultural  Association.  —  On  Saturday 
evening  the  usual  monthly  meeting  was  held  in  the  Free  Library, 
Wm.  Brown  Street,  Liverpool.  There  was  a  good  attendance  of  members, 
and  the  paper  on  “The  Pear  Tree”  by  the  cele’orated  fruit  grower 
Mr.  A.  Jamieson  of  Weston,  was  listened  to  with  close  attention.  He 
dealt  at  some  length  with  the  planting,  pruning,  and  training,  but 
laid  special  emphasis  on  the  value  of  judicious  root-pruning  and  the 
thinning  of  crops  if  fine  fruit  were  the  desideratum.  Speaking  of 
Pears,  he  said  as  far  north  as  Cullen  House,  Banffshire,  a  splendid 
wall,  260  yards  long  by  15  feet  high,  was  covered  from  end  to  end 
with  splendid  trees,  which  annually  produced  grand  crops  of  fruit, 
A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  proposed  to  the  lecturer.  The  annual 
dinner  of  the  above  Association  is  fixed  to  take  place  at  the  Adelphi 
Hotel,  Liverpool,  on  January  16th,  when  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  there 
will  be  a  full  room  as  in  former  years. 
-  Chester  Paxton  Society.— The  annual  general  meeting 
was  held  in  the  Grosvenor  Museum  on  Saturday,  the  President  of  the 
Society,  Mr.  N.  F.  Barnes,  Eaton  Gardens,  occupying  the  chair.  The 
Hon.  Secretary,  Mr.  G.  P.  Miln,  in  submitting  his  report  for  the  past 
year,  pointed  out  that  since  the  last  general  meeting  twenty-six  new 
members  have  been  added  to  the  Society,  as  well  as  an  additional 
number  of  subscribers.  The  finances  of  the  Society  were  also  reported 
to  be  in  a  satisfactory  condition,  a  substantial  balance  being  carried 
forward  to  next  year’s  account.  The  Chairman  and  other  gentlemen 
afterwards  commented  upon  the  flourishing  condition  of  the  Society, 
and  it  was  eventually  agreed  to  enlarge  the  Committee,  the  following 
being  duly  elected ; — Messrs.  John  Taylor,  J.  D.  Siddall,  Yeates,  Weaver, 
Brain,  Wynne,  Mosford,  Edge,  Wynne  Ffoulkes,  Stubbs,  Hitchcock, 
Pierce,  Flack,  Forsyth,  Gray,  Breen,  Jackson,  and  Whitaker.  Mr.  Barnes 
was  re-elected  President;  Messrs.  Thomas  Weaver  and  R,  Wakefield 
Vice-Presidents,  with  G.  P.  Miln  as  Hon.  Secretary. 
- A  Note  on  Mint.  —  This  native  herb  is  always  in  great 
demand  during  the  spring  and  summer  months,  and  although  so  easily 
grown,  it  is  one  of  those  things  which  it  is  so  easy  to  forget  to  provide 
an  early  supply  of,  and  it  is  needless  perhaps  to  say  that  the  omission 
is  then  a  constant  source  of  annoyance,  hence  this  note  as  a  reminder. 
A  few  roots  taken  up  at  the  present  time,  packed  in  boxes  with  a  little 
soil  around  them,  will,  if  placed  in  various  positions,  keep  up  a  supply 
until  it  can  be  obtained  from  the  open  air.  Hotbeds  are  now  being 
made  up  in  the  majority  of  gardens,  either  in  pits,  or  ready  for  placing 
frames  upon.  Such  positions  are  capital  ones  in  which  to  place  boxes  to 
give  an  early  supply,  a  succession  being  kept  up  by  standing  others  in 
cool  houses.  In  some  soils,  too,  Mint  requires  to  be  frequently  trans* 
planted,  otherwise  it  seems  to  gradually  become  weaker,  till  it  vanishes 
altogether.  The  roots  which  have  done  duty  in  boxes  answer  well  for 
making  new  beds,  and  when  this  method  is  regularly  followed  it  insures 
a  supply  at  all  seasons  when  required. — D. 
