318 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  ANT)  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  20,  1899. 
nzi:Tz:oRoi.ocicAi.  observation's  at  chzswzck. 
— Taken  in  the  Iloyal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens— height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
V 
o 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A..M. 
(D 
U 
1899. 
ection 
iViiul. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
Rain. 
At 
At 
At 
u  e 
o 
April. 
s 
Dry 
Eillh. 
Wet 
Mulh. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
1-ft. 
deep. 
2-ft. 
deep. 
4-ft. 
deep. 
S  5 
Siind-a.v  . .  9 
W.N.VV. 
deg. 
45-8 
deg. 
42-(l 
<leK. 
r>i  •  i 
deg. 
24-5 
ins. 
0*;i0 
deg. 
45-5 
deg. 
47-2 
deg. 
40-5 
deg. 
24-5 
Moiida.v.  .1(1 
S.\Y. 
54-8 
51 -fi 
59-8 
42-9 
0.25 
47-8 
40-9 
4(1-5 
42-2 
Tuesduy  11 
N.N.W. 
42-9 
40-7 
47-(i 
40-1 
0-02 
47-8 
47-4 
4(1-5 
28-5 
Wed’sday  1  •! 
\V. 
41-5 
27 -8 
.MT) 
20-9 
0-05 
45-5 
47-2 
4(1-8 
22-5 
Tlmrsdiiy  i:i 
S.  E. 
W.N.W. 
4:i-o 
41-9 
49-5 
28-!) 
0-22 
4(;’2 
471 
40-8 
21-5 
Friday  ..Lt 
42-7 
4  -f) 
47-1 
41-0 
0-12 
4(!-5 
40-8 
40-8 
28-1 
Saturday  15 
W.N.W. 
4.5-8 
4;i-l 
51-9 
40-0 
40-2 
40-8 
40-8 
25-5 
Means  . . 
45-2 
42-7 
5I-(i 
28-0 
Total 
0-90 
40-5 
47-1 
40-7 
32-0 
1 
A  dull  and  almost  sunless  week,  with  cold  winds  and  much  rain. 
-  Tiik  New  Penny  Paper. — We  have  been  requested  to  say 
what  we  think  of  the  “Gardener,”  that  was  advertised  in  our  columns  a 
few  weeks  ago.  After  looking  through  copies  which  wo  received  from  the 
publisher  too  late  for  reference  last  week,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  stating 
that,  in  our  opinion,  the  new  comer  supplies  good  value  for  money,  and  is 
likely  to  make  its  way  in  the  world.  It  has  already,  we  have  no  doubt, 
found  its  way  into  the  hands  of  persons  who  have  not  hitherto  read  a 
gardening  paper,  while  two  of  our  friends  say  they  regard  it  as  a  good 
auxiliary  to  the  Journal  of  Horticulture. .  There  is  so  much  to  be  said  on 
gardening,  that  no  paper  can  say  it  all,  nnd  we  believe  there  are  plenty  of 
readers  for  all  that  can  be  said  on  various  points,  and  in  various  ways,  on 
the  peaceful  art,  which  is  alwa3’s  growing,  in  our  garden-loving  country, 
- Camrridgeshire  Horticultural  Society. — For  upwards  o^ 
threescore  years  and  ten  has  this  Society  been  in  existence,  and  yet  the 
fact  that  it  is  this  season  liDlding  three  distinct  exhibitions  proves  that  it 
has  not  lost  the  vigour  of  youth.  The  first  show  is  fixed  for  June  13th^ 
when  the  classes  number  over  six  dozen.  It  is  on  this  date  that  special 
prizes,  open  to  all  comers,  are  accorded  for  Hoses,  10  guineas  being  offered 
in  three  jirizes  for  thirty-six  distinct  varieties.  On  September  7th  there 
are  classes  for  plants,  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables.  Dahlias  occmiying  a. 
conspicuous  po.sition.  The  third  and  last  show  comes  on  November  8th 
and  !»th,  when  the  Chrysanthemum  will  reign  supreme.  In  an  open 
class  for  thirty-six  Japanese,  distinct,  £12  is  offered,  and  for  twenty-four 
incurved,  in  not  less  than  eighteen  varieties,  £6  is  allotted,  there  being 
three  prizes  in  each  instance.  Mr.  Arthur  Matthew,  20,  Trinity  Street, 
Cambridge,  is  the  Hon.  Secretary,  and  from  him  schedules,  entry  forms, 
and  other  necessary  information  can  be  obtained. 
-  Weather  and  Crop  Prospects  in  Guernsey,  —  An 
uneventful  winter,  broken  only  by  the  awful  disaster  to  the  s.s,  “Stella,” 
the  day  before  Good  Friday,  which  has  cast  a  cloud  of  sorrow  over  the 
Channel  Islands,  has  kept  me  silent  longer  than  usual.  The  weather,  on 
the  whole,  excepting  for  about  a  fortnight  early  in  March,  has  been  very 
mild.  On  Friday  and  Saturday,  7th  and  8lh  of  this  month,  there  came  a 
severe  gale  of  wind,  which  did  great  damage  to  the  Daffodils  and  other 
flowers.  Now  the  w'eather  is  of  a  typical  April  character — showers  and 
sunshine.  Our  winter  crops  of  Broccoli  and  Radishes  have  been  anything 
but  satisfactorv'.  Broccoli  heads  being  generally  very  small,  but  that  of  good 
quality  has  realised  fair  prices.  Greenhouse  Potatoes  are  running  very 
small  in  size,  and  crops  are,  on  the  average,  light,  the  almost  entire  absence 
of  sun  during  the  months  of  December,  January,  and  the  earl}’  part  of 
February  being  much  against  their  growth.  The  same  cause  has  operated, 
to  a  great  extent,  on  the  crops  of  French  Beans  and  Pens,  the  later 
sowings  having  done  much  the  best.  The  early  Daffodils  have  been  fine, 
and  have,  considering  the  quantity  both  here  and  in  the  Scillies,  sold  at 
very  fair  prices.  The  Ornatus,  just  coming  out  in  their  full  beaut)’,  have 
suffered  most  from  the  effects  of  the  gale.  The  prospects  of  the  Tomato 
crop  in  the  heated  houses  are,  so  far,  very  good,  plants  generally  looking 
the  p'eture  of  health,  and  with  fruit  well  set.  A  few  parcels  have  already 
been  sent  to  Flngland,  but  picking  will  not  be  general  for  about  another 
fortnigh*  or  three  weeks.  The  genial  rain  we  have  had,  lately  has  done 
great  good  to  all  outdoor  crops,  which  have  now  got  a  good  start.  There 
is  a  very  abundant  show  of  Pear  blossom.  Plums  and  Cherries  are  little 
groan  here. —  X. 
-  Gardening  Appointments. — Mr.  Frederick  Bulford  has  beei> 
appointed  gardener  to  Sir  G.  J.  Dashwood,  Bart.,  Kirtlington,  Oxford  ; 
Mr.  Alfred  Smith  in  a  similar  capacity  to  J.  Jaffray,  Esq.,  The  Skills, 
Studley,  Warwickshire,  both  of  whom  have  lately  been  foremen  under 
Mr.  A.  D.  Christie  at  Kagley  Gardens,  Alcester. 
-  For  Cricketing  Gardeners. — We  read  in  a  London  daily 
that  at  Boreham,  near  Chelmsford,  hard  by  the  fertile  stream  of  the 
Chelmer,  a  red  Willow  tree  was  planted  in  1835.  In  a  little  over  sixty 
years  this  tree,  which  has  recently  been  felled,  was  found  to  weigh 
11  tons  ;  it  was  101  feet  long  and  feet  in  diameter.  Messrs.  Warsops 
and  Son, of  St.  John’s  Wood,  were  the  purchasers,  and  made  1179  cricket 
bats  out  of  the  “prime”  cuts.  One  of  our  young  “Graces”  says  it  is  a 
pity  the  tree  did  not  grow  cricket  balls  as  well. 
r 
-  Poisonous  Plants,— The  Consulting  Botanist  of  the  Royal 
Agricultural  Society  has  just  presented  a  report  to  the  Committee  dealing- 
w’ith  the  danger  to  animals  and  stock  which  arises  from  poisonous  planta 
growing  on  or  near  pasture  land.  The  familiar  Buttercup  comes  under 
the  ban  as  “a  worthless  and  dangerous  weed,”  all  its  varieties  being  more- 
or  less  acrid,  and  farmers  are  warned  that  it  should  not  be  allowed  to  exist 
in  any  pasture.  The  Cypress  has  apparently  been  badly  libelled,  lor 
common  opinion  puts  it  down  as  rank  poison  for  cattle,  whereas  the  report 
declares  that  although  it  is  astringent  no  record  exists  of  its  having 
caused  any  injury  to  stock.  Yews,  Laurels,  and  Rhododendrons  are- 
very  poisonous,  the  two  latter  yielding  an  essential  oil  rich  in  prussic- 
acid.  Cattle  having  access  to  them  die  with  all  the  characteristic- 
symptoms  of  prussic  acid  poisoning — laboured  breathing  and  suffocating 
convulsions — and  should  never  be  allowed  near  them. 
-  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association. — At  a  recent  fort¬ 
nightly  meeting,  Mr.  Walter  Jones  in  the  chair,  an  interesting  lecture, 
entitled  “Hardy  Spring  Flowering  Plants,”  was  given  by  Mr.  W.  IL 
Child,  Acock’s  Green.  The  interest  was  also  enhanced  by  a  small 
collection  of  plants  in  flower  of  such  as  Polyanthuses,  Primroses^ 
Anemones,  Heaths,  and  Doronicums  brought  by  the  essayist.  Mr.  C.  IL 
Bick,  gardener  to  Walter  Chamberlain,  Es(i.,  brought  several  examples  of 
berried  branches  of  Aucubas.  Mr.  Child,  in  the  course  of  his  remarks, 
drew  attention  to  Nature’s  disposal  of  Alpine  and  spring  flowering  plants- 
as  a  study  for  the  planter,  advocating  massing  in  preference  to  the- 
“ dotting”  system  lor  a  larger  proportion  of  the  plants  than  is  generally 
seen.  He  also  recommended  the  imitation  of  natural  rockery  as  far  as- 
feasible.  Naturalising  bulbs  on  the  turf,  amongst  shrubberies,  and  other 
suitable  sites,  was  referred  to.  An  animated  discussion  ensued,  and  men¬ 
tion  was  made  by  one  of  the  m'^rabef’s  of  the  two  large  groups  of  Grape 
Hyacinths  (Muscaris  botryoldes  and  album)  noticed  by  hitn  a  few  weeks 
ago  on  each  side  of  the  drawing-room  entrance  of  the  conservatory  afc 
Highbury,  and  which,  in  conjunction  with  a  mass  of  white  IJlacs  in  close 
proximity,  produced  a  chaste  and  charming  effect,  an  additional  feature 
being  the  delightful  fragrance  of  a  long  row  of  yellow  and  rose  coloured 
double  Wallflowers  on  the  aide  stages,  amongst  Cinerarias,  Primulas,. 
Ilepaticas,  Hyacinths,  and  other  bulbs. 
-  College  of  Agriculture,  Downton. — The  winter  session- 
of  this  College  terminated  recently,  when  the  following  awards  were 
made  : — The  di])loma  or  certificate  of  membersh  p  of  the  College  after  two 
years’  residence,  and  passing  in  all  the  subjects  taught,  to  L.  E.  Clarke, 
9,  Chichester  Street,  London  ;  T.  P.  Goodchild,  Pidneil  House,  Farring- 
don  ;  D.  A.  Drummond,  Blinkinsop  Castle,  Northumberland.  Certificates 
of  practical  proficiency— D.  H.  Wood,  Elim,  Lj’ndhurst  Gardens,  Hamp¬ 
stead  ;  G.  W.Carpenter-Garnier,  Rookbury  Park,  Wyckham  ;  C.  Mitchelk 
Longnor  Hall,  near  Penkridge,  Staffordshire.  Prizes  were  also  given  in 
various  subjects  as  follows  :  — L.  E,  Clarke,  agriculture,  knowledge  of  live 
stock,  butter  making,  estate  management,  book-keeping  and  forestry  ; 
H.  R.  Board,  Farley,  Westerham,  agriculture,  valuation  of  farm  stock.- 
estate  management,  building  construction,  book-keeping,  veterinary 
science,  chemistry,  and  practical  chemistry  ;  H.  W.  Elhelston,  Hinton, 
Whitchurch,  Salop,  agriculture,  valuation  of  farm  stock,  building  con¬ 
struction,  and  book-keeping  ;  D.  A.  Drummond,  valuation  of  farm  stock 
and  ploughing  ;  G.  W.  Carpenter-Garnier,  valuation  of  farm  stock  ; 
T.  S.  Bliss,  36.  Via  do  Delfini,  Rome,  farm  machinery  and  practical 
chemistry  ;  K.  B.  Foyster,  All  Saints’  Rectory,  Hastings,  milking ; 
G.  W.  Orr,  Cowdon  Hull,  Neilston,  N.B.,  milking  and  estate  management; 
A.  C.  Shakerley,  Leatcn  Knolls,  Shrewsbury,  waggon  driving  ;  T.  P. 
Goodchild,  building  construction,  veterinary  science,  and  chemistry . 
O.  F.  C.  Yarborough,  Camp  Mount,  Doncaster,  veterinary  science; 
J.  Benson,  Harnago  House,  Shrewsbury,  chemistry,  practical  chemistry, 
and  physics. 
