214 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  16,  1899. 
IVIETEOROIiOGXCAI.  OBSERViVTXOltTS  iVT  CHXSWZCR. 
— Taken  in  the  Koyal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens— height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
'o 
Temperature  of 
Air. 
the 
Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
.2^ 
1899.  i 
5 
March. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
-O 
cn 
a> 
rC 
be 
S 
O 
o 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Sunday..  o^N.N. B. 
35-8 
33-3 
41-5 
29-5 
_ 
38-3 
40-2 
43'0 
20-3 
Monday. .  6  ,  S.S.E. 
39-4 
34-5 
44-9 
23-9 
_ 
36-7 
40-1 
43-3 
16-0 
Tuesday  ..7  ’  S.S.W 
37-8 
32-4 
60-3 
22-9 
_ 
36-5 
39-9 
43-6 
15-0 
Wed’sday  8  \V. ,S.  W. 
40-4 
38-6 
50-2 
34-9 
0-08 
37-4 
39-9 
43-2 
23-2 
Thursday  9  S.S.W. 
41-0 
39-3 
49T 
38-5 
39-9 
40-3 
43-2 
31-8 
Friday  ..10  W. S.W. 
41-4 
38-8 
53-3 
29-5 
_ 
39-3 
41 T 
43-2 
20-2 
Saturday  11  iN.N.W. 
41-8 
41-6 
53  T 
32-6 
— 
40-2 
41-4 
43-2 
24-5 
Total 
Means  .. 
39-7 
36-9 
48-9 
30-3 
o-os 
38-3 
40-4 
43-3 
21-6 
The  week  has  been  remarkable  for  clear,  bright,  spring-like  weather. 
Once  only  has  there  been  any  rain — viz ,  on  the  evening  oi  the  8th. 
-  Tebeuary  Weather  at  Hodsock  Priory. — Mean  tempera¬ 
ture  40°.  Maximum  in  the  screen,  60°  on  the  loth  ;  minimum  in  the 
screen,  19’9°  on  the  27th;  minimum  on  the  grass,  10'3°  on  the  28th. 
Number  of  frosts — in  the  shade,  fourteen  ;  on  the  grass,  twenty-two.  * 
Sunshine  seventy-one  hours,  or  26  per  cent,  of  the  possible  duration. 
Difference  from  average,  +  11.  Rainfall,  1'47  inches.  Difference  from 
average,  —  0T9.  Ram  fell  on  ten  days.  Rainfall  from  January  Ist, 
3*37  inches.  Difference  from  average,  —  0’09.  Some  stormy  and  showery 
weather  from  the  6th  to  the  15th,  the  rest  of  the  month  fine  with  a  good 
many  white  frosts. — J.  Mallender. 
-  Pebruary  Weather  at  Doiylats. — Rainfall,  6'04  inches. 
which  fell  on  fourteen  days  ;  greatest  fall,  1-31  inch  on  the  9th.  Tempe¬ 
rature  :  mean  maximum,  46'285°;  highest  reading,  60°  on  the  19th  ;  mean 
minimum,  30‘142°  ;  lowest  reading,  16°  on  the  2nd.  Below  freezing  point 
on  seventeen  days.  The  wind  was  in  the  E.  and  N.E.  on  seventeen  davs, 
and  in  the  S.W.  on  five  days.  There  were  nine  sunless  days.  A  very 
stormy  month  until  the  15th.  Heavy  snowstorms  on  the  4th,  5th,  and 
6th,  fully  15  inches  of  snow  falling  on  those  dates;  but  the  rain  soon 
cleared  it  away.  Thunderstorm,  accompanied  by  heavy  rain,  on  the  7th. 
A  furious  gale  of  wind  on  the  12th,  and  very  heavy  hailstorms  on  the 
13th.  Since  the  25th  we  have  had  brilliant  sun  in  the  day  with  very 
sharp  frosts  at  night,  with  no  rainfall,  and  wind  very  quiet. — 
Wm.  Mabbott. 
-  Aucuba  Fertilisation. — Few  things  serve  to  show  how 
subtle  and  volatile  are  pollen  grains  than  do  Aucubas,  for  fertilisation  of 
flowers  seems  absolutely  certain  every  year  when  a  pollen-producing  plant 
is  thirty,  forty,  or  even  more  yards  away.  It  is  possible  that  insects  aid 
in  this  interesting  result,  but  it  almost  seems  as  if  the  atmosphere  was  the 
chief  agent.  Certainly  we  have  made  a  wonderful  addition  to  the  beauty 
of  what  was  once  an  uninteresting  race  of  shrubs  by  the  introduction 
to  gardens  of  the  male  form.  I  notice  that  while  berries  are  showing 
abundantly  in  all  directions,  they  seem  to  be  later  than  usual  in  colouring. 
Perhaps  the  flowering  period  was  last  year  later  than  usual,  or  the 
drought  may  have  retarded  fecundation.  No  d  ubt,  also,  fruiting  has 
helped  to  dwarf  them,  as  huge  specimens  are  now  seldom  seen. — Observer. 
-  Acacia  veeticillata. — In  large  cool  conservatories  or  green¬ 
houses  where  space  can  be  given  for  planting  out  Acacias,  there  are  a 
number  of  species  which  could  be  grown  with  the  greatest  possible 
success  that  thrive  indifferently  if  confined  in  pots.  The  above 
mentioned  is  one  of  this  number,  and  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  the 
beauty  of  specimens  15  to  20  feet  high  by  8  or  10  feet  through, 
smothered  with  their  pretty  yellow  blossoms.  The  flowers  of  this 
species  are  borne  in  short  cylindrical  racemes  all  over  the  previous  year’s 
growth.  The  colour  varies  on  different  plants  from  pale  to  bright 
yellow.  It  is  extremely  easy  to  cultivate,  for  if  planted  out  in  a  well- 
drained  border  of  half  peat  and  half  loam,  there  will  be  found  to  be 
little  more  trouble  connected  with  it  than  keeping  it  well  supplied  with 
water  and  air  while  growing,  and  keeping  a  little  dry  during  winter. 
By  this  treatment  a  splendid  supply  of  flowers  may  be  expected  during 
February  and  March.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  cut  it  back  fairly  hard  after 
flowering,  as  young  growths  will  then  be  made  from  3  to  5  feet  long, 
which,  when  covered  with  flowers,  will  be  found  useful  where  quantities 
of  ent  flowers  are  wanted. — D.  K. 
-  Maidenhead  Gardeners’  Society.  —  At  the  fortnightly 
meeting  of  this  Society  on  the  23rd  ult.  Mr.  Roberts  of  Ealing  read  a 
very  interesting  paper  entitled,  “A  Chat  on  Exhibitions,”  and  Mr.  Stone. 
Maidenhead,  read  a  paper  “On  Some  of  the  Medical  Uses  of  Herbs,” 
w'hich  were  very  much  appreciated  by  the  members.  Mr.  Ingamells  was 
in  the  chair.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  each  essayist.  There  was 
a  large  attendance,  and  several  new  members  were  enrolled. — W.  M. 
-  Native  Guano. — For  some  considerable  time  the  Native  Guano 
Company  has  favoured  us  early  in  each  year  with  a  pamphlet  of  letters 
testifying  to  the  value  of  Native  Guano  for  manurial  purposes.  The  one 
sent  this  season  embodies  upwards  of  sixty  pages,  and  contains  testi¬ 
monials  from  every  part  of  the  country.  Some  of  the  writers  refer  to 
certain  specific  crops,  and  others  take  a  wider  base  and  speak  in  general 
terms.  There  is  throughout  a  striking  consensus  of  opinion  of  the 
utility  of  the  material,  and  after  perusing  them  no  one  can  be  surprised 
at  its  popularity.  The  address  of  the  Native  Guano  Co.  is  29,  New 
Bridge  Street,  Blackfriars. 
-  Ericas  hyemalis  and  Willmorei. — It  may  be  interestirg 
to  remark,  apropos  of  the  origin  of  the  double  forms  of  Pelargoniums  as 
mentioned  m  “  The  History  of  the  Pelargonium  ”  in  the  Journal 
(page  172),  and  relative  to  Willmore’s  Surprise,  that  those  popular  garden 
hybrid  Heaths  (Ericas  hyemalis  and  Willmorei)  were,  I  believe,  raised  by 
Mr.  Willmore’s  gardener  at  Strawberry  Vale,  Edgbaston,  and  conse¬ 
quently  controverting  the  inclusion  of  the  latter  in  the  Index  Kewensis  as 
a  species.  It  would,  however,  be  interesting  to  learn  the  real  origin  of 
the  varieties  in  question,  and  I  have  myself  made  repeated  inquiries,  but 
without  success,  and  now  I  fear  their  further  history  is  buried  in  the 
past.  Can  any  of  the  other  correspondents  ot  the  Journal  afford  the 
required  information  ? — W.  G. 
-  PiTTOSPORUM  CRASSIFOLIUM.  —  A  few  plants  of  this  New 
Zealand  species  will  be  found  useful  for  the  greenhouse  in  spring,  as  in 
addition  to  flowering  treely  during  February  and  March  it  makes  a  good 
foliage  plant  to  use  among  plants  that  have  been  forced  into  flower  before 
foliage  appears.  It  has  a  compact  sturdy  habit,  and  makes  good  sized 
plants  in  comparatively  small  pots.  The  leaves  are  2  to  2^  inches  long, 
obovate,  deep  glossy  green  on  the  upper  surface,  and  covered  with  a 
thick  white  tomentum  on  the  under  side.  The  flowers  are  reddish  purple 
and  drooping,  A  figure  of  it  is  given  in  the  “  Bot.  Mag.,”  t.  5978.  In  the 
south-western  counties  it  is  hardy,  and  about  London  it  can  be  grown 
outside  if  given  the  protection  ot  a  wall. — W.  D. 
-  Reading  Gardeners’  Association.  —  A  very  interesting 
lecture  on  “  The  Onion  ”  was  given  by  Mr.  A.  Dean  ot  Kingston-on- 
Thames,  on  Monday  evening,  before  the  members  of  this  Society,  the 
President,  Mr.  C.  B.  Stevens,  presiding  over  a  good  attendance  ot 
members.  The  classification  of  the  Onion,  its  various  divisions,  and  the 
different  varieties,  were  treated  in  a  very  able  manner,  followed  by  many 
practical  hints  on  the  preparation  of  the  ground,  manuring,  time  of 
sowing,  and  a  few  remarks  ou  the  enemies  of  the  Onion  and  their  treat¬ 
ment,  judging  at  shows,  and  the  uses  of  this  most  useful  vegetable.  A 
discussion  followed.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  Mr.  Dean  tor  his 
paper.  The  exhibits  included  some  well  kept  specimens  of  Onions, 
splendid  Freesias,  and  several  vases  of  blooms  of  Primula  obconica. 
-  Great  Soil  Makers. — Glaciers  were  and  are  important 
agencies  in  soil  making  and  distribution.  Whenever  the  climatic  con¬ 
ditions  of  a  country  are  such  that  more  snow  and  ice  are  formed  in 
winter  than  melts  in  summer,  this  surplus  must  accumulate  year  by 
year.  After  a  while  this  pile  of  ice  and  snow  becomes  so  deep  and 
heavy  that  a  great  pressure  is  exerted  on  the  lower  layers  and  the 
ice  begins  to  flow  from  underneath.  The  additions  on  the  top  of  the 
pile  increase  the  weight  and  cause  the  flow  to  continue.  This  was 
precisely  the  condition  of  affairs  over  northern  regions  in  earlier  geologic 
times.  This  ice  flow  extended  down  over  the  northern  portion  of  the 
United  States  as  far  as  the  Ohio  river.  As  this  ice  flow  advanced  it 
ground  up  and  pulverised  everything  in  its  path.  In  fact,  it  is  claimed 
by  some  authorities  that  the  great  lakes  were  scooped  out  by  this  gigantic 
ice  flow.  When  the  ice  sheet  reached  down  into  our  warmer  climate 
it  began  to  thaw.  As  it  thawed  and  receded  vast  quantities  of  soil, 
boulders  and  debris  were  deposited.  The  region  over  which  this  deposit 
took  place  is  known  as  the  “drift  area,”  and  the  land  over  which  it 
did  not  extend  is  known  as  the  “driftless  area.”  Drift  soil  is  the  most 
fertile  soil  that  we  know,  because  it  is  deep  and  composed  of  a  large 
variety  of  elements,  while  the  driftless  soil  has  only  the  elements  that 
are  to  be  found  in  the  underlying  rocks,  which  in  many  cases  are  near 
the  surface. — W.  D.  Gibbs  (in  “American  Agriculturist.”) 
