January  2,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
19 
because  of  the  combination  of  the  “  dulce  et 
utue  practised  in  China  and  Japan. 
Here,  I  find  that  it  requires  a  warm  and  dry  position,  either 
on  the  top  of  a  sheltered  rockery,  w'all,  or  roof;  on  the  latter, 
however,  it  will  not  flower  well  if  in  an  exposed  position.  Two 
or  three  inches  of  soil  are  quite  enough  when  it  is  on  a  wall  or 
a  slated  roof.  Like  most  other  Irises  of  its  character,  it  can 
stand  a  great  deal  of  drought  without  injury. 
In  appearance  I.  tectorum  is  a  handsome  Iris  when  in  bloom. 
The  flowers  are  large  to  be  produced  on  such  a  small  plant,  and 
are  noticeable  also  from  their  flat  form,  which  reminds  one 
largely  of  that  of  the  varieties  of  I.  Isevigata  or  Ktempferi,  but 
on  a  rather  smaller  scale.  The  colour  is  generally  lilac,  with 
white  markings  on  some  parts  of  the  flower ;  but  there  is  also  a 
rare  white  variety.  The  stem,  which  bears  one  or  more  heads, 
with  from  two  to  three  flowers  in  a  spathe,  is  from  a  foot  to 
a  foot  and  a  half  long,  and  rises  a  little  above  the  leaves.  Tliia 
Iris  is  sometimes  to  be  met  with  under  Hance’s  name  of  I. 
tomiolopha,  and  in  some  Continental  catalogues  I  have  met  with 
both  names,  as  if  referring  to  different  plants,  but  as  they  were 
priced  the  same  I  imagine  that  one  plant  does  duty  for  both 
names.  I.  tectorum  is  the  name  given  by  Miquelon,  and  has 
been  preferred  by  Mr.  J.  G.  Baker  in  his  handbook  of  the  genus. 
This  Iris  is  well  worth  the  attention  of  those  who  admire  a 
class,  or  rather  genus,  of  plants  possessing  so  many  claims  upon 
those  who  like  flowers  of  the  highest  types  of  floral  beauty. — 
S.  Arnott,  Dumfries. 
- - 
Seedling  Carnations. 
As  Winter  Flowering  Plants. 
About  three  weeks  ago  we  received  from  Mr.  Camm  a 
charming  boxful  of  seedling  Carnation  flowers,  about  which 
a  note  appeared,  and  the  sender  of  the  beautiful  flowers  now 
contributes  the  following  cultural  notes,  which  we  trust  will 
be  of  service  to  others  hoping  also  to  produce  good  Carna¬ 
tions  during  winter :  — 
The  following  method  I  can  commend  to  anyone 
desirous  of  having  a  profusion  of  Carnation  blooms  to  cut  in 
winter,  or  to  use  as  decorative  plants  for  the  conservatory, 
at  a  very  small  outlay  of  labour,  and  which  I  have  found  very 
satisfactory.  The  variety  found  most  productive  of  bloom 
in  winter  is  Riviera  Market,  and  if  the  seeds  are  obtained 
from  a  good  firm,  at  least  90  per  cent,  of  the  flowers  will  be 
double.  The  colours  range  from  pure  white  to  scarlet,  and 
all  shades  of  pink,  salmon,  and  blush,  with  a  few  yellows  and 
yellow  grounds. 
The  seeds  should  be  sown  early  in  March,  and  raised  in  a 
warm  house,  nursing  them  carefully  through  the  early  stages 
of  growth.  When  the  seedlings  are  strong  enough  to  handle, 
they  must  be  pricked  off  into  pans  or  boxes  of  light  soil. 
Place  them  deep  enough  for  the  seed  leaves  to  touch  the  soil, 
and  keep  them  in  a  warm  house  or  pit  until  well  established, 
when  they  may  be  removed  to  a  cold  frame  to  harden  before 
planting  outside.  About  the  middle  of  May  is  a  good  time 
to  put  them  in  their  summer  quarters,  which  should  be  a 
sunny  border,  previously  well  manured  and  deeply  dug, 
allowing  a  space  of  18in  from  plant  to  plant.  Keep  the  soil 
well  stirred  with  the  hoe  to  keep  down  weeds  and  the  surface 
from  becoming  hard. 
When  they  have  begun  to  grow  well,  pinch  out  the  point 
of  the  leading  shoot,  which  will  cause  them  to  break  out 
freely,  and  make  bushy  plants.  Attention  must  be  given 
them  in  tying  to  neat  sticks,  to  prevent  them  being  broken  by 
the  wind,  and  if  the  weather  is  hot  and  dry  a  mulching  of 
spent  Mushroom  dung,  or  other  light  material,  is  beneficial 
to  them,  when  they  will  grow  very  fast.  About  the  end  of 
September  they  will  be  ready  for  lifting,  and  potted  into  pots 
suitable  to  their  size.  The  best  will  take  one  of  lOin,  and 
smaller  in  proportion  to  the  plants.  They  will  be  full  of  buds 
at  the  time  of  lifting,  when  any  single  ones  can  be  weeded 
out.  Afterwards  keep  in  a  close  house  dr  frame,  and  fre¬ 
quently  syringe  on  bright  days,  when  they  will  soon  become 
well  rooted,  when  they  may  be  placed  in  a  gre'enhouse,  or  any 
light  position  with  a  night  temperature  of  not  less  than  45deg. 
A  little  will  make  them  open  quicker  ;  but  the  bloom  does 
not  stand  so  well  as  from  a  cooler  temperature.  If  this  treat¬ 
ment  is  followed,  a  liberal  reward  will  recompense  the  culti¬ 
vator  for  his  trouble,  in  having  abundance  of  bright  flowers 
through  the  winter  of  this  popular  flower. — Wm.  Camm, 
Battle  Abbey,  near  Hastings. 
Societies. 
Royal  Meteorlogical  Society. 
Tiie  monthly  meotiiig  of  this  society'  was  held  on  Wednesday, 
the  18th  inst.,  at  the  Listitution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Westminster, 
Mr.  W.  H.  Dines,  B.A.,  president,  in  the  chair.  The  Hon.  Hollo 
Russell  read  a  paper  entitled  “  Further  Observations  and  Con¬ 
clusions  in  Relation  to  Atmospheric  Transparency.”  For  a 
number  of  years  past  he  made  daily  observations  on  the  clearness 
of  the  atmosphere  at  Haslemei'e,  Surrey,  and  in  the  paper  he 
gave  the  results  of  the  same.  The  principal  conclusions  derived 
from  these  observations  are:  Haze  and  fog  are  commonly  caused 
by  the  mixture  of  cm-rents  at  different  temperatures.  These 
currents  may  be  local  or  general,  high  or  low.  Thick  haze  or  fog 
not  dependent  on  differing  currents  ls  rare  ;  but  differing  currents 
frequently  come  into  contact  without  producing  haze  or  fog,  and 
fairly  clear  weather  under  opposite  currents  is  not  uncommon. 
A  fog  may  generally  be  taken  ipso  facto  as  evidence  of  the 
existence  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  conflict  of  currents,  and  pre¬ 
valent  fog  or  haze  commonly  signifies  that  a  different  wind  exists 
at  a  high  level  from  that  on  the  surface  or  at  a  slight  elevation. 
Hie  production  of  fog  or  haze  by  mixing  currents  depends  chiefly 
on  differences  in  their  temperature.  Broadly  extended  westerly 
winds  with  westerlv  upper  currents  are  the  clearest,  and  visibility 
may  reach  the  highest  figures  during  their  prevalence,  whether 
they  are  dry  or  nearly  saturated.  Easterly  and  north  winds  are 
the  most  hazy,  owing  to  the  ordinarj^  upper  current  from  the 
west  being  seldom  displaced  by  them,  and  to  the  mixture  of  these 
masses  of  air  of  different  temperatures.  When,  as  an  exception, 
east  and  north  winds  are  clear,  it  may  be  iiresumed  without 
direct  evidence,  that  the  upper  current  coincides  with  them  in 
direction.  In  winter,  therefore,  unusual  clearness  in  these  winds 
often  signifies  a  long  spell  of  frost.  The  other  papers  read  were; 
“  Remarkable  Phosphorescent  Phenomenon  Observed  in  the 
Per.sian  Gulf,  April  4th  and  9th,  1901,”  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Hoseason  ; 
and  “The  Mechanical  Principle  of  Atmospheric  Circulation,”  by 
Captain  R.  A.  Edwin,  R.N. 
Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’. 
Mr.  Sidney  Baker,  gardener  to  Sir  Dudley  Duckworth-King, 
read  a  paper  at  last  meeting  of  the  Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’ 
Association,  held  at  the  Guildhall,  Exeter,  on  “  Melons  and 
Cucumbei-s.”  Dealing  with  the  culture  of  Melons,  he  said  that 
fruit,  in  his  opinion,  was  the  most  difficult  to  culture,  as  the 
young  plants  were  so  apt  to  be  crippled  either  with  black  or 
green  fly,  or  by  mildew.  As  to  the  raising  of  the  plants,  he 
thought  it  was  best  to  do  so  in  small  pots.  The  seeds  should  not 
be  watered  until  they  appeared,  and  then  with  lukewarm  water, 
for  the  soil  from  the  loam  stack  was  generally  moist  enough  to 
cause  germination.  Having  alluded  to  the  preparation  of  the 
ground  for  the  reception  of  the  plants,  the  question  of  their 
training  was  dealt  with,  the  opinion  being  expressed  that  that 
attention  was  not  bestowed  on  them  wdiioh  tliey  deserved. 
They  were  often  allowed  to  make  too  much  vine,  had  to  be 
mutilated,  and  as  a  consequence  received  a  severe  check.  The 
best  plan  was,  if  growing  in  a  house,  to  pick  out  all  side  shoots 
until  the  trellis  was  reached,  when  the  leading  shoots  should 
be  allowed  to  grow  to  the  top  of  the  house.  Before  that,  how¬ 
ever,  if  it  was  desired  to  get  five  or  six  Melons  on  a  plant,  the 
first  two  or  three  side  shoots  must  be  stopped  at  their  second 
leaf.  The  lateral  shoot  that  came  would  throw  a  Melon,  which 
would  open  its  flowers  as  the  same  time  as  the  shoots  on  the  top 
of  the  plant.  They  would  then  have  a  crop  of  five  or  six  Melons. 
Touching  on  the  ripening  of  the  fruit,  Mr.  Baker  remarked  that 
when  ripening  commenced  the  more  air  that  was  admitted  in  a 
reasonable  way,  so  as  not  to  lower  the  temperature  too  much, 
the  better  flavour  the  fruit  Avould  be.  In  fact,  as  soon  as  the 
fi'uit  commenced  to  change  colour  a  little  air  should  remain  in 
the  house  or  frames  all  night.  The  house  and  plants  should  t  o 
kept  reasonably  dry,  or  the  fruit  was  very  apt  to  crack.  The 
subject  was  admirably  dealt  with,  sound  advice  being  given  as 
to  the  treatment  of  the  Melon  plant  in  all  its  stages.  On  tlu' 
subject  of  Cucumber  growing,  Mr.  Baker  said  the  growing  of 
this  plant  was  something  the  same  as  the  other ;  but  the 
Cucumber  did  better  in  a  stronger  mixture,  and  was  not  (juite 
.so  faddy  about  the  loam  being  fibry  and  lumpy.  As  regarded 
sunshine,  the  Cucumber  must  be  treated  ((uite  differently  to  the 
Melon,  for  whereas  the  latter  could  do  with  all  the  sunshine  it 
could  possibly  have,  the  Cucumber  must  have  partial  shade. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  Cucumber  house  or  frame  must  be  kept 
much  more  moist,  and  in  this  respect  Avas  the  great  difficulty  of 
groAving  the  tAvo  plants  in  one  house.  The  Cucumber  A\ns  trained 
differently  to  the  Melon,  being  alloAved  to  make  as  much  vine 
as  possible  until  the  frame  or  trellis  Avas  covered.  Some  people 
hardly  gave  Cucumbers  any  air,  but  he  did  not  favour  that 
method,  believing  it  Avas  better  to  give  them  air  early  in  the 
