February  23,  1899. 
145 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTUR 
METEoaoiiOGZCAIi  OBSERVATION'S  AT  CHISWICK. 
— Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens— height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Temperature  of 
Air. 
the  ; 
! 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
i.m 
February. 
At  !)  A.M.  1 
“  Day. 
Night' 
^  : 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deeji. 
v'  5  £ 
c 
y  ^ 
Dry  ! 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
0 
"u 
•t, 
Sunday  .  .12  | 
Monday.  .1.3 
Tuesday  11 
Wed’sday  15 
Thursday  Ifi 
Friday  ..17 
.Saturday  18 
W.S.  W'. 
w.s.w. 
s.s.w. 
s..s.\v. 
w.s.w. 
S.K. 
K.S.K. 
<leg. 
r,l-S 
4fi-« 
47 -fi 
42- 3 
43- 2 
401 
de^.  1 
42T 
48-7 
44- 8 
45- 7 
41-5 
41-0 
3!) -9 
:  deg. 
51-3 
53-7 
.50-0 
50-8 
.  50-5 
1  50-4 
■  52-0 
deg. 
42-8 
44-5 
42-0 
40-5 
38-0 
33-2 
37  •« 
ins. 
0-14 
015 
0-02 
0-31  ; 
i 
deg. 
45*0 
45*2 
44*5 
.  44*8 
44-8 
42-5 
;  42-(i 
deg. 
44-8 
44- 8 
45T 
4.5T 
45- 2 
4.'T 
44-5 
deg. 
44'(i 
44- 8 
45T 
45- 3 
45"5 
45-fi 
45-8 
deg. 
:W8 
.34-8 
30-5 
33-0 
27-2 
29-5 
Mea.vs  .. 
45 -.'1 
44-3 
52  0 
38-8 
i  Total 
0-02 
44-) 
44-8 
45-2 
32.0 
The  first  four  days  of  the  week  were  wet,  and  on  Friday  the  wind 
changed  to  S.E.,  and  brought  with  it  fog.  Saturday  was  also  foggy, 
being  very  dense  at  night. 
-  In  the  Markets. — This  is  but  the  middle  of  February,  yet 
our  fruiterers  are  offering  real  Strawberries,  English  Asparagus,  as  well 
as  E,nglish  new  Potatoes.  The  Strawberries  are  10s.  a  basket  of,  perhaps, 
twenty-four  ;  the  Asparagus  is  7s.  a  bunch  of,  perhaps,  a  dozen  heads,  and 
the  new  Potatoes  are  Is.  a  pound. 
-  Shading  Glass  Houses,  —  Messrs.  Wood  &.  Son,  the  well- 
known  sundriesmen  of  Wood  Green,  London,  have  sent  us  a  .cample  case 
of  the  several  shadings  that  they  stock.  The  importao'.-e  of  due  and 
proper  protection  of  plants  from  too  much  light  cannot  bo  exaggerated, 
while  darkness  is  equally  injudicious.  In  the  samples  before  us,  and  which 
all  readers  may  have  if  they  send  to  the  makers,  there  are  materials  of 
every  texture,  from  the  stoutest  hessian  to  the  widest  meshed  hexagon 
netting,  this  latter  being  particularly  valuable,  as  it  is  wasp-proof.  The 
non-rotting  scrim  will  bo  widely  appreciated  for  various  purposes. 
-  Gladiolu.s  Childsi. — When  Mr.  Max  Leichtlin,  the  celebrated 
German  horticulturist,  turned  his  attention  to  the  finer  varieties  of  ganda- 
vensis,  and  crossed  them  with  the  beautiful  Saundersi,  with  the  result  that 
Childsi  was  produced  in  1892,  very  few  would  have  imagined  that  in  this 
short  space  of  time  such  wonderful  development  could  have  taken  place. 
Yet  so  it  is,  and  at  the  present  time  it  is  questionable  whether  we  have 
anything  to  equal,  and  certainly  nothing  to  supersede,  them  amongst  the 
whole  range  of  Gladiob.  The  main  features  of  the  strain  seems  to  be  the 
vigorous  growth  and  long  spike,  the  individual  flowors  being  remark  a  ile 
for  size,  whilst  even  the  smaller  conns  seem  to  fl  rwer  profus'l/.  In 
colour  every  shade  is  represented,  the  mottled  and  spotted  forms  being 
charming.  Corms  purchased  now,  potted  in  4^-inch  pots  and  placed 
under  glass,  transferring  to  frame  when  growth  commences,  will  he  found 
of  great  use  for  early  work  and  in  condition  for  planting  when  the  frost 
disappears. — K.  P.  li. 
-  Cyclamen  at  Faknham  Royal. — There  is  special  pleasure  in 
seeing  Mr.  W.  .lames’ fine  collection  of  Cyclamen  at  Woodside,  Farnham 
Royal,  because,  unlike  the  market  growers,  none  is  sent  to  market,  and 
they  are  not  unduly  ft)rced.  They  bloom  gloriously  from  Chri.stmas  onward.s, 
and  when  I  looked  into  the  house  a  few  days  since  were  in  superb 
bloom.  Then  there  is  so  much  more  of  fire  and  brilliancy  in  the  dark 
coloured  ones,  when  seen  under  the  clear  pure  light  of  the  Buckingham¬ 
shire  skies,  and  when  now  and  then  a  gleam  of  sunshine  lit  up  the 
flowers  they  glowed  superbl}'.  I  have  nowhere  seen  finer  pure  whites, 
whites  with  red  and  purple  bases,  roses  with  crimson  bases,  rich  reds, 
and  crimson  reds  ns  were  to  be  seen  here.  The  collection  is  not  a  great 
one,  but  it  is  of  the  finest  quality  ;  a  beautiful  salmon-tinted  one  with 
red  base,  blooming  profusely,  is  a  marked  feature.  None,  however, 
excels  in  size,  form,  and  floriferousness  the  pure  whites,  dark  base  whites, 
and  roses  and  the  blood  reds.  Some  of  these  latter  have  flow  ers  quite  up 
to  the  form  and  dimensions  of  the  giganteums,  for  the  giant  form  domi¬ 
nates  all  the  strain.  There  are  a  few  of  the  new  and  oddly  formed 
Papilio  strain,  but  the  plants  arc  not  strong  ;  even  the  best,  how'ever, 
show  blooms  that  look  poor  as  compared  with  the  noble,  erect,  and  finely 
formed  flowers  of  the  older  stocks.  The  prettiest  is  a  red  that  has 
flowers  of  ordinary  Cyclamen  form,  the  edges  of  the  f>etals  being  slightly 
fringed. — Wanderer. 
?  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
-  Dwarf  Kidney  Beans. — Very  interesting  should  be  the  trial 
of  the.se  summer  Beans,  which  is  to  be  carried  out  on  an  extensive  scale 
at  Chiswick  this  year.  It  is  intended  to  sow  all  varieties  having  seeds  of 
similar  appearance  side  by  side,  as  that  will  enable  comparisons  to  be 
more  readily  made.  No  doubt  comparatively  thin  sowings  will  also  b(' 
practised,  as  it  is  only  when  ample  room  is  given  that  plants  can  display 
their  true  characteristics.  There  seem  to  have  l)een  many  additions  to 
our  list  of  Dwarf  Kidney  Beans  made  during  the  past  few  years.  All  the 
same,  because  of  the  nature  of  the  plant,  no  very  striking  variations  can  well 
be  furnished  ;  but  of  tho  newer  ones,  some  may  be  found  fit  to  supersede 
olfl  varieties.  Obviously  the  short-podded  forcing  section  will  make  a  poor 
show  outdoors  compared  with  some  others,  but  their  uses  for  forcing 
cannot  be  too  highly  estimated. — D. 
-  A.merican  Fruit  Growers.  —  The  fruit  growers  of  tho 
United  Siatcs  (chiefly  those  of  the  Pacific  slope)  supply  at  least  feur- 
fifths  of  all  the  green  fruit  consumed  in  Manitoba  and  the  North-west 
Territory  of  Canada  ;  but  there  is  a  likelihood,  owing  to  the  energy  ot 
our  Canadian  cousins,  that  this  practical  monopoly  of  the  market  may  not 
be  maintained  in  the  future.  Dwing  to  the  excellence  of  their  product 
and  the  great  care  they  have  exercised  in  its  selection  and  packing  tor 
shipment,  the  States  fruit  farmers  have  been  able  heretofore  to  defy  thf 
competition  of  Canadian  producers,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the 
latter  have  much  the  advantage  in  shorter  lines  of  transportation.  Now 
Canadians  seem  to  be  wasing  up  to  tho  situation,  and  are  bringing 
urgent  pressure  to  bear  upon  the  Dominion  and  provincial  boards  ot 
agriculture  to  induce  them  to  assist  in  providing  lietter  facilities  for 
preserving,  packing,  and  transporting  Canadian  fruits.  These  bodies 
have  hitherto,  says  the  “Rural  World,”  bent  all  their  energies  toward 
securing  our  own  and  other  European  markets,  but  are  now  making  a 
vigorous  effort  to  capture  tho  home  trade.  Encouragement  is  being 
given  to  the  erection  of  cold-storage  plants  and  packing  houses,  and 
transportation  lines  are  being  worked.  The  United  States  system  ol 
[lacking  fruits  has  been  adopted,  and  altogether  a  much  stronger  bid  will 
be  made  for  these  markets  than  previously. 
-  P'ever  in  Plant.s. — Some  experiments  by  Mr.  H.  M,  Richards 
are  thus  epitomised  in  a  note  in  “Natural  Science;” — ‘He  finds  that 
accompanying  the  increased  rate  of  respiration  is  an  increase  in  the 
temperature  of  the  parts  affectefl.  A  kind  of  fever  supervenes,  and,  as 
in  the  case  of  respiration,  the  disturbance  runs  a  definite  course,  and 
attains  its  maximum  some  twenty-four  hours  after  injury.  It  is  interest¬ 
ing  to  note  that  tho  attempt  to  rally  from  an  injury  is  accompanied  by 
somewhat  the  same  symptoms,  increased  rate  of  respiration,  and  evolution 
of  heat  in  plants  as  in  animals.  Owing  to  the  nature  of  the  case,  tho 
reaction  is  less  obvious  in  the  former  than  in  the  latter,  and  a  delicate 
thermo-electric  element  was  required  to  appreciate  the  rise  in  tempe¬ 
rature  ;  but,  compared  with  the  ordinary  temperature  of  plants  in  relation 
to  the  surrounding  medium,  the  cise  after  injury  is  ‘  as  great,  if  no  greater, 
than  that  in  animals.’  The  maximum  in  all  the  plants  investigated  was 
between  two  or  three  times  ihe  ordinary  excess  above  the  surrounding 
air.  Potatoes  proved  the  most  satislactory  objects  for  experiment,  and  it 
was  found  that  in  massive  tissues  (such  as  Potatoes  or  Radishes  afford) 
tho  effect  of  injury,  was  local,  whereas  in  the  case  of  leaves  (ii.y..  Onion 
bulbs)  much  greater  extent  of  tissue  was  sympathetically  affected.” 
_  Royal  Meteorological  Society.  —  The  monthly  meeting 
of  this  Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening  the  1.5th  inst.  at  tho 
Institution  of  Civil  Engineers  ;  Mr.  F.  C.  Bayard,  LL.M.,  President,  in 
the  chair.  Mr.  E.  Mawley.  F.R.II.S.,  read  his  annual  report  on  tho 
phenologiral  observations,  and  stated  that  tho  weather  of  the  past  year, 
taken  as  a  whole,  had  been  throughout  the  British  Isles  very  warm  and 
dry.  Wild  plants  blossomed  much  in  advance  of  their  average  datc.s 
until  about  the  end  of  March,  but  afier  that  time  until  tho  close  of  the 
flowering  season  they  were  mostly  late.  Favoured  by  the  rains  in  May 
the  crop  of  hay  was  everywhere  a  remarkably  heavy  one,  but  the  long 
drought  which  followed  dried  the  pastures,  and  cau.sed  a  scanty  yield  ot 
roots.  The  dry  season  suited  the  cereals  admirably,  and  e.«pecially  the 
Wheat,  of  which  there  was  a  very  abundant  crop.  The  yield  of  Barley 
was  nearly  as  exceptional,  while  that  of  Oats,  except  in  the  north-east  of 
England  and  in  Scotland,  was  also  unusually  good.  There  was  a  splendid 
crop  of  Potatoes  in  Ireland  and  in  parts  of  Scotland,  but  elsewhere  the 
yield  was,  on  the  whole,  moderate.  Apples,  Pears,  and  Plums  flowered 
abundantly,  but  adverse  weather  conditions,  and  the  dry  subsoil  in  the 
spring,  caused  an  irregular  ‘  sot”  of  fruit,  so  that  in  all  parts  ot  the 
kingdom  these  crops  were,  as  a  rule,  below  average.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  were  good  crops  ot  all  the  smaller  fruits.  A  pnper  by  Professor 
W.  M.  Davis  of  Harvard  University,  U.S.,  on  “The  Circulation  of  the 
Atmosphere,”  was  read  by  the  Secretary. 
