240 
March  23,  1899. 
JOIJUNAL  Oh' 
llOIlTKnJLTnilE 
I  CHR 
Ul^ 
'I’llK  l\rNClS'I'().V  (JiniVSANTIIKMdM  SocIKTV. 
In  spite  of  sonio  a'iverse  times  ihorc  seenis  to  bo  a  good  deal  of 
life  in  ihiH  old  Soc  oty  yet.  Althou-h  not  (be  oldest  in  the  kingdom, 
\ttitiH  one  ol  the  eailiest  formed,  ami  is  now  in  its  twenty-tldrd 
year  o(  e.xistenco.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  its  members,  lield  on 
the  17th  inst.,  Mr.  W.  Drewett  presiditig,  the  balanee-sheet — thoiiili 
beeaiiso  of  the  severe  illnesH  of  the  Hon.  Scctetaiy,  Mr.  A'.  I).  lOl-iam, 
wa.s  not  cotnjdeto — .showed  that  during  the  past  year  previous 
liabilities,  to  the  extent  of  some  £30,  had  beiii  jiaid,  ami  it  was  hoped 
when  all  assets  we,re  seenred  that  otdy  a  very  trivial  balance  against 
the  1  reasnrer  would  remain.  Had  the  second  day  of  th<?  last  November 
Show  been  jjropitious,  rather  than  vc-ry  wild  and  wet,  no  doubt  a 
balance  on  the  oth(“r  sidt*  would  have  rcMtlled.  d’he  meeting  regrettecl 
to  learn  of  the  resignation  of  the  President,  Mr.  (}.  0.  Sherrard,  but 
hopeil  that  the  ollico  might  be  tilled  by  a  gentleman  of  position  m  the 
county. 
It  was  .agreed  to  hold  the  Show  for  the  present  \ear  on 
November  Hth  and  t>th,  and  thus  not  conflict  with  the  lir-t  day  of 
I  he  National  Society’s  Show  tit  the  Westminster  Aipiarium — viz., 
November  17th.  It  was  also  agreid  to  dis|)ensc  with  any  chidlengt! 
vase,  and  to  have  a  prender  cla.ss  for  thirty-six  .Ja])ane.<e  (lowers  in 
])lace  thenof,  valuable  cash  jirizes  only  being  oil  red.  'I’he  old 
members  of  the  (Jommittee,  with  few  exceptions,  were  re-elected, 
the  additions  being  Mes.srs.  Hibson.  Kingston  Hill,  and  Telsell, 
Surbiton,  gardener.s,  and  Messrs.  Hill  and  Mnssell,  amateurs.  An 
oiler  from  the  Hon.  Secretary  to  organise  concerts  in  connection  with 
the  next  Show  was  cordially  accejited. 
Hhuysanthkmiims  and  d’liKiR  Ctn/ruiii-;. 
Mti.  (i.  Stii.ks,  gardener  to  Miss  b'rij)])  of  the  drove,  'reignmouth, 
and  one  of  the  leading  growers  of  (Jhrys.arithemiim3  in  the  West  of 
b.ngland,  h'ctured  on  the  culture  and  judging  of  the  flower  to  the 
memliers  of  the  Hevon  and  lOxeter  H'irdeners’ Association  recently. 
Ho  pointed  out  th.at  cuttings  for  (‘xhibition  blooms  should  bo  rooted  in 
Hi'cember  if  possible,  and  not  later  than  F<d)ruary,  and  cuttings  ought 
to  be  selected  Irom  those  which  come,  up  fmm  the  soil.  Huttings  tasen 
from  the  wood  were  jirone  to  throwing  Hower  buds.  Those  selected 
(or  KHiting  should  be  short-jointed,  medium-s  zed,  and  healthy.  The 
comp  'st  ought  to  consist  of  loam,  leal  mould,  and  sand  m  cipial  jiarts. 
^1  he  best  way  to  root  cuttings  was  to  put  them  in  shallow  boxes,  about 
2  inches  deep,  and  place  them  in  a  frame  with  a  gentle  bottom  heat  of 
.about  7)5  to  (JO  ,  keejiing  them  as  near  the  glass  as  possible,  and 
be  sprinkled  over  with  warm  water,  care  being  taken  not  to  let  the  soil 
get  too  wet.  .lust  a  little  air  should  bo  given  every  day,  and  they 
oil  ht  to  bo  slightly  shaded  from  the  hot  sun  on  bright  days  for  a 
short  time.  In  about  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks  most  of  the  euttings 
will  bo  noted,  and  more  air  must  bo  given  them  by  taking  off  the 
lights  gradually  every  day  until  on  line  d.ays  they  mig'nt  be  removed. 
By  doing  this  the  plants  would  bo  sturdy  and  strong,  one  of 
the  main  |K)inls  in  Chrysanthemum  culture. 
After  potting  they  should  be  placed  in  a  gimtlo  beat  in  a  frame  or 
house.  As  soon  as  the  roots  bi'gin  to  catch  hold  of  the  now  soil  tliev 
should  be  removed  to  a  cold  I'rame  or  greenhouse,  given  [ilenty  of  air, 
but  protected  Irom  the  frost.  Caie  must  be  taken  not  to  overwalcr. 
Plants  grow  too  soft  if  too  much  water  is  used  over  the  foliaue,  and 
syringing  once  .a  week  is  ipiite  enough.  'I'lieir  next  potting  should 
bo  111  a  compost  of  two  parts  good  loam,  one  leaf  mould,  and  the  other 
part  sand,  lime  rubble  and  charcoal,  with  about  half  a  jiound  of  guano 
to  .a  wheelbarrowful  of  this  mixtuie.  The  pl.aiits  should  be  jilacid  in 
a  cold  frame  till  the  end  of  March,  when  they  could  bo  put  in  'he 
ojien.  About  the  mid'ileol  M.ay  the  linal  potting  ought  to  take  pl.ace, 
and  the  comjxist  should  consist  of  go"d  fibrous  loam  a  little  over  two 
parts,  one  jiirt  leaf  mould,  and  the  remainder  lime  rubble  and  good 
dec.aye  I  manure,  with  a  sprinkling  of  charcoal,  and  about  a  iioiind  of 
guano  to  a  wheelbarrowful  of  tiio  soil.  In  jioiting  the  soil  should  be 
inado  moderately  firm,  excepting  for  a  few  varieties,  which  require  to 
be  potted  rather  lightly.  In  their  summer  (|iiaiters  the  plants  should  be 
([Uite  2  feet  apart  in  ttu*  rows,  in  rows  feet  asunder. 
1  he  first  bud,  which  would  show  itself  about  the  end  of  May, 
must  be  removed,  and  the  number  of  shoots  should  be  left  that  the 
plants  Were  intended  to  carry.  He  seldom  practiced  pincldng.  He 
recommended  for  liipiid  maniiie,  which  lie  commenced  to  use  about 
llie  end  of  .July,  fowls’  manure  and  soot.  After  the  1st  of  September 
sulphate  of  ammonia  could  bo  given  twice  weekly,  about  4  ozs.  to 
■  )  gallons  ol  water.  Dressing  of  bluoms  should  commence  as  soon  as 
Miev  are  half  open,  by  removing  all  crooked  and  deformed  florets  as 
A  NO  CO  TTA  CO  CA  00  ON  Nil. 
they  appeared,  .so  .as  to  let  the  flower  attain  to  its  proper  shape  as  it 
opened.  If  any  of  the  flowers  showed  lnrd  centres,  or  eyes,  in  oji'^nitig, 
these  should  be  gradually  removed,  so  as  to  let  t  'O  inside  florets  come 
up  full  in  the  centie  as  the  tiloom  expanded.  This  applied  to 
the  .Japanese  varieties.  'I’he  incurved  required  much  m 're  attention. 
’I'he  essayist  gave  .advice  as  to  the  treatme  t  of  these,  and  in  refening 
to  the  judi:in'.i  of  the  blooms,  he  called  attention  to  the  importance  of 
jmlges  seeing  that  the  trays  were  of  the  regulation  s'ze.  He  con- 
tendi-d  that  every  exhibitor  should  be  disqualifitai  who  did  not  show 
bis  exhibits  on  the  regulation  sized  tray,  and  when  there  was  any 
doubt  as  to  the  award,  the  trays  shouhl  be  ])laced  si<!e  by  side,  and 
each  bloom  t.iken  out  and  compared.  Mr.  Charle}',  gardener  at 
Wonford  1  louse,  occupied  the  chair — I  tevon  and  Kxetcr  Hax -tte.’’) 
A  TIJANSFORMATION. 
Why  do  wo  allow  our  fruit  tree  hranelo's  aii'l  stems  to  remain  covered 
with  moss  iind  lichen,  swarms  nf  red  spider,  and  hculo  ?  is  a  (pnotion  I 
have  often  asked  inysvlf,  and  could  never  find  a  satisfactory  reply.  As 
these  pests  must  be  detrimental  to  the  welfare  of  the  trtes  I  set  uh'>ut 
their  extirpation.  Early  in  February  I  procured  tJ  lbs.  of  caustic  soils, 
98  per  cent.,  and  .4  lbs.  of  carbonate  of  [lotash,  atid  dissolveil  the  i«o  iu 
00  gallons  of  water.  When  all  was  thoroughly  dissolved  I  added  .4  J  lbs. 
ot  BoftMiap.  Our  fruit  tree  sterns  ami  branches  become  green  in  one  year 
if  nothing  is  done  to  kill  the  lichens,  for  whicli  purpo'^e  1  have  generally 
used  soot  and  lime.  On  occasions  brine  has  been  employed,  as  it  is  useful 
and  inexpensive.  This  season,  however,  the  trees  were  dre.sBcd  wiih  the 
caustic  solution,  and  the  stems  are  now  a  pleasure  to  look  imon.  All  the 
greenness  has  gone,  and  there  are  the  dark  bright  stems,  'J’ho  red  spider 
was  destroyed,  and  the  scale  on  the  branches  of  the  1 'ear  trees  on  the 
walla  are  now  tailing  off  and  leaving  small  white  specks  on  the  bark, 
showing  where  they  have  been  sucking  tlie  life  of  the  trees.  1  applied 
the  dressing  myself  with  an  Abol  syringe,  which  1  found  the  b -st  lor  the 
purpose  I  have  used  or  sien.  'I’he  operator  can  have  a  fine  or  coarse 
spray  at  will  by  simply  turning  a  small  screw.  1  spoilt  two  pairs  of 
leather  gloves  in  applying  the  solution,  which  the  operation  hardened  and 
burned  them,  and  ttiey  afterwards  cracked.  Bools  and  tdothes  were  also 
damuged,  tind  it  was  not  plcti'ant  when  a  light  breeze  of  wind  happened 
to  send  a  little  of  the  sjiray  into  the  face.  'I'he  work  was  tedious,  hut  I 
have  never  done  anything  with  which  I  was  better  satislied.  It  is 
important  that  this  solution  ho  applied  before  the  buds  show  signs  of 
expansion. 
Two  years  iigo  1  dressed  the  trees  with  the  same  tpiantily  of  caustic 
soda  (I  ordered  the  quality  98  per  cent.)  and  carbonate  of  potash,  but 
not  the  soap.  When  Mr.  H.  11.  Cousin’s  “  Chemistry  of  the  Harden” 
was  notified  in  the  Journal  1  [iroeiired  one,  and  I  consider  it  one  ot  the 
most  valuable  little  hooks  in  the  English  lungiiage,  and  it  must  prove  to 
be  a  boon  to  every  British  gardener  who  would  read  and  rtigest  it 
thoroughly.  It  was  in  reading  ihis  primer  that  I  first  learned  the  fact  of 
softsoap  being  advantageous  with  the  caustic  solution.  When,  as  I  have 
said  I  used  the  mixture  minus  the  soap  the  dressing  did  not  pay  for 
the  labour,  partially  perhaps  owing  to  the  chemicals  being  old. 
Fruit  trees  u[)pear  to  be  showing  abumiunce  of  flower  buds  this  year, 
but  we  may  have  several  cheeks  before  the  next  two  murahs  have  gone. 
— Huo.  Fit: K tilt. 
Koyal  METKonor.ODiCAr.  Society.  —  The  monthly  meeting  of 
this  Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening,  the  loth  inst.,  at  the 
Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Hreat  Heorge  Street,  Westminster,  Mr. 
F.  C.  Bayard,  BL.M.,  I’resident,  in  the  chair.  Mr.  F.  J.  Brodie  read  a 
paper  on  *' 'I'he  I’rolonged  Deficiency  of  Bain  in  1897  and  1898.”  For 
several  years  past  there  has  existed  over  Fiiglaiid,  and  especially  over 
the  central  and  south-e.astern  parts  of  the  coimlry,  a  remarkable  tendency' 
in  favour  of  dry  wcatlmr.  'I'lie  dry  wcalber  dealt  with  in  this  p-iper 
conseiiuenlly  came  at  a  most  inopportune  time,  and  itscHects,  wbieh  would 
ill  any  case  have  been  sutllcieiitly  evident,  were  t really  aggravated  by 
the  stale  of  things  existing  so  long  previously’.  Mr.  Bnxlie  discussed  the 
raintall  records  at  civilly  stations,  distributed  over  the  British  Isles,  for 
eighteen  months  —  April.  1897,  to  iJepteniber,  1898;  these  « ere  di\ided 
into  three  iieriods  of  six  monlbs  each.  During  the  period  Ajrril  to 
September,  1897,  the  rti'iifull  was  in  excess  of  the  average  over  pra'  tically 
the  whole  of  Ireland,  the  greiiter  iiart  of  Scotland,  and  the  north-west 
and  south-west  ot  Eiiglind  ami  Wtiles,  while  in  the  north  of  ScoiDiul, 
and  the  central  tiiid  the  whole  of  the  eastern  jtart  of  England  there  was  a 
doliciency  of  rain,  in  some  parts  unmuniing  to  between  tji)  and  70  per 
cent.  During  the  period  October  1897,  to  March,  1898,  with  the  e  cep- 
tion  of  the  north-west  of  Scotland  and  Fngland,  the  raintall  was  below 
the  aver, ago  all  over  the  British  Isles,  the  deficiency  over  the  iiiidlanri 
and  south-eastern  parts  of  Eiiglaml  being  from  50  to  60  [icr  cent,  below 
the  average.  During  the  period  A])ril  to  September,  Ib'JH,  two  of  tli<.‘ 
six  montlis  were  excessively  ilry,  ami  in  the  southern  parts  of  Englunu 
at  least  two  other.s  bad  a  deficiency  of  raintall.  'J'likmg  the  period  as  a 
whole,  the  rainfall  over  the  eastern,  midland,  and  southern  counties 
amounted  to  less  than  80  per  cent,  of  viie  average,  and  in  the  south¬ 
eastern  counties  to  less  than  ‘iO  percent.,  the  simillest  jtroporlmii  ot  all 
being  7)1  per  cent,  m  London.  From  an  cxaiiiiiiiiiioii  of  iliC  Hreenwich 
rainfall  records  since  1841  it  appears  evident  that  tor  length  and  severity 
combined  the  recent  spell  of  dry  weatner  was  the  most  lemarkutile  ex])e- 
rienced  there  during  that  period.  A  i>iiper  on  the  •*  Dlimate  ot  Jersey/’ 
by  the  Kev.  11.  N.  Vo-'k,  M.A.,  was  read  by  the  Secretary. 
