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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  9,  1903. 
Weather  In  the  North. 
The  first  week  of  April  has  brought  somewhat  better  weather 
than  that  of  so  many  preceding,  although  there  has  been  a  good 
deal  of  rain  and  cold  sleety  showers.  The  2nd  was  a  good  day, 
and  the  afternoon  and  evening  were  fine  and  pleasant.  Still,  but 
little  has  been  done  in  the  way  of  furthering  outdoor  operations, 
and  dry  weather  is*  much  to  be  desired. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
Temple  House  Gardens,  Great  Marlow,  Bucks. 
The  register  of  rainfall  for  March,  1903,  was  3.57in,  andl  for 
March,  1902,  1.79in.  There  were  four  foggy  days  during  the 
month  of  March,  1903,  viz.,  on  the  llth,  12th,  14th,  and  15th; 
rough  gales  on  the  1st,  17th,  and  30th,  very  heavy  showers 
between  4.30  a.m.  and  8.0  a.m.  on  the  6th,  thunder  and  lightning 
at  7.0  p.m.  on  the  25th,  and  12.10  p.m.  on  the  30th.  We  are 
situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Thames,  and  105ft  9in  above 
sea  level. — G.  G. 
Sussex  Weather. 
The  total  rainfall  at  Abbot’s,  Leigh,  Hayward’s  Heath,  for 
the  past  month  was  2.86in,  being  0.89in  above  the  average.  The 
heaviest  fall  was  0.65in  on  the  17th.  Rain  fell  on  nineteen  days. 
Total  for  the  three  months,  7.05in,  which  is  a  little  more  than 
the  average.  The  maximum  temperature  was  66deg  on  the 
25th  ;  the  minimum  27deg  on  the  9th.  The  mean  maximum, 
52.10deg;  mean  minimum,  38.03deg;  mean  temperature, 
45.06deg,  which  is  3.96deg  above  the  normal  for  the  ^ronth. 
March  with  us  has  been  stormy,  with -frequent  showers,  and  ha.s 
not  been  very  favourable  for  cropping," especially  on  heavy  land. 
Vegetation  is  very  forward.  The  rainfall  has  been  the  means  of 
keeping  the  springs  up  to  their  winter  flow;  no  fall. — R.  I. 
March  Weather  at  Belvoir  Castle.  * 
The  prevailing  direction  of  the  wind  was  S.,  total  fourteen 
days.  The  total  rainfall  was  3.20in.  This  fell  on  seventeen  days, 
and  is  1.64in  above  the  average  for  the  month  ;  the  greatest  daily 
fall  was  0.75in  (snow  and  rain)  on  the  17th.  Barometer  (cor¬ 
rected  and  reduced :  highest  reading,  30.331in  on  the  8th  at 
9  p.m. ;  lowest  reading,  28.665in  on  the  2nd  at  9  p.m. 
Thermometers:  highest  in  the  shade,  64deg  on  the  25th  ;  lowest, 
27deg  on  the  llth;  mean  of  daily  maxima,  51.58deg;  mean  of 
daily  minima,  37.12deg;  mean  temperature  of  the  month, 
44.35deg;  lowest  on  the  grassj  21deg  on  the  llth  ;  higliest.  in 
the  sun,  109deg  on  the  22nd ;  mean  tetoperature  of  the  earth  at 
3ft,  42.54deg.  Total  sunshine,  122hrs  25min,  which  is 
20hrs  17min  above  the  average;  there  were  two  sunless  days.— - 
W.  H.  Divers. 
The  Weather  at  Hamilton. 
Last  week  was,  upon  the  whole,  perhaps  a  little  better  than 
any  preceding  for  the  last  three  months,  yet  that  does  not  place 
it  very  high  in  the  ordinary  estimation  of  April  weather.  We 
have  the  showers — too  many  of  them  for  the  taste  and  benefit  of 
the  community — but,  alack-a-day !  the  warmth  is  still  to  come. 
We  made  a  bold  start  in  the  garden  to  sow  seeds  on  Thursday, 
the  only  fitting  day  for  the  purpose,  but  the  operation  stands  yet 
unfinished.  Friday  came  on  wet  as  usual,  and  Saturday,  though 
not  a  bad  day,  was,  nevertheless,  indifferent  enough  to  make 
seed  sowing,  if  not  impossible,  an  exceedingly  injudicious  opera¬ 
tion.  The  rainfall  of  March  has  been  as  phenomenal  as  that  of 
February — a  few  tenths  from  the  completion  of  7in.  I  observe 
that  no  statistics  are  available  to  record  such  a  rainfall  for  the 
same  months  in  the  annals  of  the  rain-gauging  of  the  district. 
Royal  Horticultural  Society— Notice  to  Exhibitors. 
The  Council  wish  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  exhibitors  to 
Regulation  2,  on  page  50  of  the  Book  of  Arrangements,  1903, 
which  orders  that  notice  of  intention  to  exhibit  groups  must  be 
given  not  later  than  the  Friday  before.  The  Council  interpret 
this  to  mean  that  the  letter  sliould  reach  the  Superintendent  at 
Cfliiswiok  or  the  Secretary  at  Victoria  Street  on  the  Friday— 
preferably  the  former.  The  rule  further  states  that  exhibitor.s 
must  at  the  same  time  state  the  nature  of  their  proposed  exhibit. 
Notice  will  be  sent  to  the  exhibitors  by  post  despatched  on 
Saturday,  er  by  telegram,  as  to  whether  the  space  they  desire 
can  bo  placed  at  their  disposal.  Exhibitors  are  also  requested 
to  note  that  Lilies  sent  with  the  stamens  cut  out  will  not  be 
allowed  tO'  be  put  on  the  stages,  but  will  have  to  be  taken  back 
at  once. 
Illness  of  Mr.  Barron. 
We  learn  that  Mr.  A.  Barron,  late  Superintendent  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Garden  at  Chiswick,  is  seriously  ill. 
Paignton  Gardeners’  Association. 
Mr.  T.  Gard  read  an  interesting  paper,  and  one  within  the 
scope  of  the  amateur  as  avcII  as  the  professional  gardener,  at 
the  monthly  meeting  of  the  Gardeners’  Association  recently,  on 
“House  and  Window  Gardening,”  Mr.  J.  Webber  presiding  over 
a  good  attendance  of  members. 
Jan  Kubelik,  Violinist. 
Thi.s  renowned  young  violinist,  who  was  born  at  Michle  in 
1880,  is  the  son  of  a  market  gardener.  He  has  given  recitals 
since  1898  in  all  parts  of  Europe,  and  has  had  many  high 
honours  conferred  upon  him.  He  now  resides  in  Vienna,  and  is 
engaged  shortly  to  be  married. 
The  Bate  Mr.  Wiliiam  Edwards. 
Readers  of  the  interesting  autobiographical  notice  of  “  A 
Forty  Years’  Reader”  in  the  spring  number  of  the  “Journal” 
for  1902,  will  learn,  doubtless  with  surprise,  that  the  father  of 
the  gentleman  we  allude  to  (who  is  “Journal”  proof-reader)  was 
alive  until  a  little  over  a  fortnight  ago,  and  died  at  Camberwell, 
London,  on  March  12,  at  the  very  ripe  age  of  ninety-eight  years. 
He  passed  peacefully  away  in  his  sleep. 
The  New  Horticultural  Society  at  Dorchester,  Dorset. 
The  members  of  this  newly  appointed  gardeners’  society  are  to 
be  congratulated  in  having  brought  their  primary  labours  to  suc¬ 
cessful  fruition.  The  first  paper  was  read  before  a  meeting  a 
fortnight  ago,  by  Mr.  Caihpbell,  of  Kingston  House,  the  subject 
being  “The  Preparation  of  Nine  Kinds  of  Vegetables  for  Show 
Purposes,”  and  the  president.  Captain  R.  Dymond,  occupied  the 
chair.  There  was  a  good  attendance,  and  the  lecture  was  exceed¬ 
ingly  Avell  received.  The  society  seems  likely  to  flourish  (as  it 
ought  to  in  such  a  fine  district),  and  we  will  look  ivith  intere.st  to 
its  further  progress. 
Nymphsea  stellata,  the  Blue  Water  Lily. 
The  mention  of  this  plant  always  calls  to-  mind  the  collection 
at  Mr.  Leopold  de  Rothschild’s  Gunnersbury  House  garden,  so 
successfully  cultivated  by  his  gardener,  Mr.  James  Hudson.  Here 
the  plants  are  grown  in  a  span-roofed  frame,  the  M'ater  being 
warmed,  and  a  view  of  the  plants  in  this  frame  wa,s  given  at 
page  315,  October,  1902,  and  we  often  wonder  that  it  has  not 
been  grown  for  market,  as,  under  the  proper  treatment,  immense 
quantities  of  the  noble  blue  flowers,  with  their  long  dark  stalks, 
are  produced  over  a  lengthened  period.  Mr.  Hudson  also  finds 
N.  stellata  to  succeed  in  an  open-air  pool,  which  forms  parti  of  the 
water  scene  in  the  Japanese  Garden  at  Gunnersbury  House.  This 
pool  or  ba.sin  is  supplied  with  water  from  the  stove-pipes,  sO'  that 
it  is  sufficiently  warm,  and  the  general  collection  of  hardy  hybrid 
Water  Lilies  are  grown  in  the  unwarmed  main  portion  of  the 
little  lake.  Our  illustration  of  the  Blue  Water  Lily  on  the  oppo¬ 
site  page  was  sent  from  Dublin  (where  the  plants  were  pboto- 
graphed)  by  Mr.  A.  E.  O’Neill  of  that  city. 
The  Royal  Society  of  St.  George. 
In  enclosing  a  copy  of  their  annual  report,  my  council  de.sire 
to  thank  you  for  your  sympathy  and  assistance  in  the  past  in 
bringing  under  the  notice  of  your  many  readers  the  objects  of 
this  society.  The  King  having  been  graciously  pleased  to  com¬ 
mand  that  henceforth  the  society  shall  be  designated  “  The  Royal 
Society  of  St.  George,”  my  council  express  the  hope  that  His 
Majesty’s  approval  may  prove  of  sufficient  warrant  and  induce¬ 
ment  for  all  loyal  Englishmen  to  fittingly  celebrate  St.  George’s 
Day,  April  23rd,  the  fete  day  of  their  countiy,  and  the  birth  and 
death  day  of  our  national  poet,  Shakespeare.  My  council  will 
be  grateful  for  the  support  of  your  influential  journal  in  making 
known  the  objects  of  this  society,  which  seeks,  by  the  cultivation 
of  national  sentiment,  to  unite  all  classes,  irrespective  of  creed 
or  party,  in  a  patriotic  regard  for  the  memory  of  great  English¬ 
men,  and  to  draw  closer  the  ties  uniting  us  to  our  kindred  beyond 
the  seas.— Howard  Ruff,  Hon.  Secretary,  241,  Shaftesbury 
Avenue  (Bloomsbury),  London. 
