August  1,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
105 
Campanula  macrostyla. —  This  is  an  annual  species  of  quaint 
characteristics,  whose  likeness  our  illustration  portrays  on  page  99. 
Sow  seeds  in  light  soil  at  the  edge  of  any  hardy  plant  border  early 
in  May,  and  thin-out  the  seedlings.  The  flowers  are  violet-blue ;  or, 
in  dry  summers  such  as  this,  they  are  bright  mauve.  It  is  a  oommend- 
able  little  plant  for  the  front  of  hardy  plant  borders. 
Bulb  Company  Chartered. — The  Amerioan  Bulb  Co.,  Petersburg’ 
Ya.,  has  been  granted  a  charter.  The  company  is  organised  for  the 
purpose  of  planting,  growing,  and  trading  in  bulbs,  blooms,  and  plants 
of  every  kind.  The  capital  stock  is  to  be  not  less  than  10,000  dols.,  nor 
more  than  50,000  dols.  The  amount  of  real  estate  to  be  owned  by  the 
company  in  each  of  the  states  and  territories  of  the  United  States 
shall  not  exceed  500  acres  in  eaoh  state,  and  the  aggregate  value 
shall  not  be  more  than  1,000,000  dols.  The  stockholders  of  the 
company  represent  several  million  dollars. —  (“Baltimore  Herald.”) 
Bankruptcy. — An  inquiry  concerning  the  failure  of  the  British 
Horticultural  Association  (Limited),  which  carried  on  business  as 
nurserymen,  and  which  succumbed  in  October  last  with  liabilities 
£2659,  and  assets  nil,  was  held  on  July  29th  in  the  Bankruptcy  Court) 
London.  Mr.  E.  T.  Morgans  stated  that  he  had  acted  as  secretary  of 
the  Metropolitan  United  Floral  Company  at  a  remuneration  of  10s. 
weekly.  He  accepted  the  post  because  he  was  able  to  do  the  work  in 
the  evening.  It  was  stipulated,  however,  that  he  should  drop  his 
surname  and  use  the  name  of  Edwin  Thomas.  He  had  been  known 
under  the  names  of  Edwin  Thomas  and  Thomas  Morgans.  Some  further 
evidence  was  given  and^the  proceedings  terminated. 
Excerpta. — One  of  the  first  books  on  English  gardening  whioh 
appeared  in  1574  was  written  by  Mr.  Thomas  Hyll,  a  citizen  of  London. 
He  strongly  recommends  gardens  with  “mazes,  labyrinths,  and  knots, 
all  to  be  made  with  scented  herbs.”  *  *  Writing  to  the  “Kidder¬ 
minster  Shuttle,”  a  writer  says  “  I  have  just  seen  a  nice  specimen  of 
that  pretty  wild  flower,  the  Moth  Mullein  (Yerbasonm  Blattaria)  ;  rare, 
except  in  the  West  of  England.  May  I  ask  whether  any  of  your 
numerous  readers  have  met  with  it  ?  The  Greater  Broom  Rape 
(Orobanche  major)  is  common  this  year.”  *  *  The  Holland  corre¬ 
spondent  of  “The  American  Florist”  states  that  with  them  they  have 
lost  a  large  aoreage  of  Turnips  and  Cabbages  on  account  of  the 
severity  of  last  winter.  Some  varieties  have  suffered  more  than  others, 
but  as  muoh  as  one-half  of  Cabbages,  and  even  more  of  the  Turnips 
had  been  lost.  In  consequence  of  the  open  and  severe  winter  Pansy 
plants  suffered  greatly  in  Germany,  particularly  in  the  northern  part, 
and  what  plants  carried  through  the  winter  are  very  backward.  This 
will  retard  and  shorten  the  crop  of  seed.  Other  perennial  plants  have 
suffered  also,  so  that  many  kinds  have  to  be  replanted.  From 
Magdeburg  a  correspondent  reports,  June  24th,  as  follows  : — Peas, 
Beans,  Mangold  Wurtzel,  Parsley,  Lettuce,  Onions,  and  Cucumbers, 
good  so  far;  Carrots,  from  middling  to  bad;  Kohl  Rabi,  poor;  Kale, 
very  bad ;  Cabbage  suffered  greatly  during  the  winter. 
A  Spoiled  Exhibit. — Sheriff-Substitute  Sym,  Perth,  has  issued  his 
deoision  in  a  case  of  unusual  interest  to  the  gardening  profession .  Mr. 
James  Beisant,  head  gardener,  Castle  Huntley,  Longforgan,  as  an 
individual,  and  also  as  an  assignee  of  his  employer,  Mr.  Armitstead,  sued 
the  Caledonian  Railway  Company  for  £100  in  consequence  of  damage 
to  valuable  Chrysanthemum  blooms  entrusted  by  him  to  the  defenders 
for  conveyance  to  the  Edinburgh  Chrysanthemum  Show  in  November 
last.  A  special  van  had  been  engaged  for  the  blooms.  While  the  van 
was  being  shunted  at  Longforgan  it  was  run  into  and  disabled  by  the 
shunting  engine,  with  the  result  (as  alleged  by  the  pursuer)  that  the 
boxes  of  blooms  were  thrown  violently  from  one  end  of  the  van  to  the 
other,  spilling  the  water  supplied  in  tubes  to  keep  the  blooms  fresh,  and 
many  of  the  blooms  were  found  orushed  and  out,  and  many  of  the  petals 
shaken  off.  The  blooms  were  144  in  number,  picked  from  about  600 
plants  of  the  choicest,  newest,  and  costliest  varieties.  Expert  evidence 
was  given  by  Mr.  J.  W.  M'Hattie,  superintendent  of  parks  to  the  Corpo¬ 
ration  of  Edinburgh  (who  was  a  judge  at  the  show  in  question),  Bailie 
Melville,  president  of  the  Dundee  Chrysanthemum  Society,  and  others. 
The  Sheriff’s  finding  was  that  the  damage  suffered  by  the  pursuer 
consisted  of  loss  of  the  chance  of  gaining  the  Edinburgh  City  Cup 
and  other  prizes,  with  the  accompanying  loss  of  money,  loss  of 
professional  distinction  and  advertisement,  and  partial  loss  of  time, 
labour,  and  expense  devoted  to  the  production  of  the  blooms,  whioh 
may  be  moderately  estimated  at  £60,  and  found  the  defenders  liable 
to  the  pursuer,  in  this  sum,  in  name  of  damages. 
Severe  Thunderstorm  in  Glenlivet. — A  heavy  thunderstorm 
passed  over  the  Glenlivet  district,  Perthshire,  on  Thursday,  and  a  good 
deal  of  damage  was  done,  not  only  by  lightning,  but  by  the  heavy 
rainfall.  The  storm  was  most  severely  felt  in  the  lower  district. 
American  Forestry  Association. — The  summer  meeting  of  the 
Amerioan  Forestry  Association,  announced  for  July  10th  to  12th,  has 
been  postponed  until  August  27th  to  29th,  inclusive,  when  it  will  meet 
in  affiliation  with  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science,  at  Denver,  Colo. 
Legal  Notes  :  Stacey  v.  Wm.  Bull. — A  simple  case,  in  which 
varieties  of  Cucumbers  were  the  subject  of  dispute,  came  before  Mr. 
Justice  Kennedy  and  a  special  jury  in  the  King’s  Bench  Division  on 
Monday  and  Tuesday  last.  Mr.  T.  J.  Stacey  of  Caversham,  who  grows 
Cucumbers  on  a  large  scale,  bought  from  Mr.  W.  Bull,  King’s  Road, 
Chelsea,  1000  seeds,  which  it  was  specified  should  be  of  the  true 
Roohford  Market  variety.  They  were  sown,  and  in  due  time 
produced  fruit,  when,  instead  of  the  desired  Rochford  Market 
variety,  the  bulk  of  the  fruits  showed  clearly  that  they  were  nothing 
more  or  less  than  those  of  Telegraphs.  They  were  described  as  “  a 
mongrel  lot.”  Telegraph  Cucumber  was  one  of  the  parents  (seemingly 
prepotent)  of  Rochford  Market.  The  grower  now  asked  for  some 
compensation  for  this  result.  Many  experts  were  called  on  both  sides. 
The  case  ended  in  favour  of  plaintiff,  the  judge  awarding  £75  as 
compensation. 
Weather  In  London. — After  twenty-one  days  of  drought  and 
great  heat,  with  three  cool  days  intervening,  the  elements  entertained 
London  on  Thursday,  July  25th,  to  a  rousing  thunderstorm  that  lasted 
without  abatement  for  three  hours,  and  rumbled  about  the  horizon  for 
two  hours  more.  While  the  storm  was  at  its  worst  (or  at  its  best,  as 
enthusiasts  might  say)  the  whole  artillery  of  the  heavens  got  into 
action.  The  thunder  did  not  boom,  or  peal,  or  clap.  It  broke  over¬ 
head  in  a  series  of  crashes  that  shook  the  walls  of  houses  and  made  the 
firm-set  earth  vibrate.  Scarcely  had  the  echo  of  one  roar  died  away 
when  a  flash  of  fire  split  the  air  for  another.  The  lightning  was  blinding 
in  its  vividness ;  flashes,  sheet,  and  forked,  following  each  other  at  the 
rate  of  a  dozen  or  more  to  the  minute,  while  the  performance  was  in  ful 
swing.  Viewed  from  the  top  storeys  of  City  buildings,  wrote  the 
weather  scribe  of  the  “  Daily  Express,”  the  play  of  the  fire  was  a 
delight  to  see.  The  zig-zag  flashes  seamed  the  leaden  sky  as  with  red 
wire,  and  the  quickness  of  the  eye  discerned  the  irregular  form, 
blueish  colour,  and  direction  of  the  fluid.  At  intervals  the  flashes  came 
so  close  upon  each  other  that  they  couldn’t  be  counted.  To  the 
unsoientifio  observer  the  lightning  appeared  to  have  an  upward,  instead 
of  an  earthward,  tendency.  Throughout  the  storm  it  rained  hard,  not 
so  much  laying  the  dust  as  washing  it  away  in  yellowing  street  rivulets. 
It  was  a  veritable  deluge.  Within  the  space  of  five  hours  the  offioial 
pluviometer  at  Westminster  measured  198  inch,  practioally  2  inohes. 
This  is  almost  a  phenomenal  fall.  The  town  presented  a  desolate  rain¬ 
swept  appearance,  and  thousands  of  pedestrians,  unprovided  with 
waterproofs  or  umbrellas,  got  miserably  drenohed.  It  rained  again 
heavily  on  Friday. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
O 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
© 
u 
O  _ j 
0^3 
. 
®  2  & 
1901. 
£  .2 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
a 
l&o 
2^ 
A 
At 
At 
At 
-j 
5 
-id 
• 
1-ft. 
2-ft. 
4-ft. 
H 
July. 
Dry 
Wet 
9 
,a 
© 
deep. 
deep. 
deep. 
Bulb. 
Bulb. 
& 
if 
5 
A 
Sunday  ..21 
S.E. 
deg. 
72'6 
deg. 
61-4 
deg. 
853 
deg. 
58-5 
Ins. 
deg. 
70-6 
deg. 
65-5 
deg. 
69-7 
deg. 
48-8 
Monday.  .22 
W.N.W. 
66 '9 
60  "8 
74-3 
62-1 
0-04 
70-7 
65-9 
69 -9 
68'0 
Tuesday  23 
w.s.  w. 
67-8 
66'8 
65 ‘9 
52  8 
0  03 
67-8 
65’7 
60  T 
43‘6 
Wed’sday  24 
fe.S.  E. 
60*1 
57'9 
68-0 
54-0 
0-19 
64-7 
64-7 
60’3 
47'6 
Thursday  25 
w.s.  w. 
64 -9 
69-8 
69-7 
54-5 
0-18 
64-0 
63-7 
60-3 
48  2 
Friday  ..  20 
s.  w. 
61-7 
68-4 
62-2 
54-2 
0-40 
63-7 
63-3 
60'1 
50*8 
Saturday  27 
s.w. 
68-8 
67-9 
68-0 
66-3 
0  66 
63'2 
62'8 
00  T 
66T 
Means  .. 
63-3 
59-0 
70-5 
56-1 
Total 
1-50 
66-4 
64-5 
601 
50-4 
A  great  change  in  the  weather  has  taken  plaoe  during  the  past  week, 
and  the  temperature  is  much  lower.  Rain  has  fallen  on  six  days  to  the 
extent  of  an  inch  and  a  half.  The  rainfall  for  the  month  to  date 
is  T70  inoh.  The  rainfall  for  the  whole  of  July,  1900,  was  1*11  inoh. 
