November  8,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
419 
Secretaries  of  All  GardenlngT  mutual  Improvement 
Societies  are  requested  to  send  address  and  title  of  their  organisations 
to  the  Editor  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  at  12,  Mitre  Court 
Chambers,  Fleet  Street,  London,  for  insertion  in  the  coming  edition  of 
the  “  Horticultural  Directory,”  which  is  published  at  the  beginning  of 
December, 
The  Soyal  Botanic  Society, — It  has  been  decided  by  the 
Council  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society  not  to  proceed  with  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  the  proposed  Botanical  Institute  at  Regent’s  Park  until  the 
commencement  of  the  new  lease  of  the  gardens  in  April  next.  This  will 
in  all  probability,  says  the  “  Daily  News,”  be  founded  on  mnch  the 
same  lines  as  those  already  existing  in  connection  with  the  Botanic 
Gardens  in  Dublin,  Edinburgh,  Oxford,  Cambridge,  and  elsewhere. 
There  are  at  present  in  Regent’s  Park  a  museum,  lecture  theatre,  and 
small  library  and  herbarium,  which  will  form  an  important  nucleus  for 
any  such  undertaking,  the  "need  of  which  is  greatly  felt  by  intending 
emigrants  who  now  obtain  their  instruction  in  Germany,  Among  the 
London  institutions  whereat  botany  is  taught  are  the  Royal  College  of 
Science,  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  University  and  King’s  Colleges, 
the  Royal  Veterinary  College,  the  Birkbeck  and  Polytechnic  Institutes, 
the  Hospital  Medical  Schools  (?),  and  a  number  of  private  schools,  but 
to  none  of  these  is  there  any  garden  attached.  It  is  hoped  that  the 
new  institute  may  be  affiliated  with  the  London  University, 
Bournemoutb  Gardeners’  Association,  • —  The  following 
arrangements  have  been  made  for  the  meetings  of  this  society  during 
the  winter.  The  meetings  are  held  at  7.30  on  Tuesdays  in  the 
Wilberforce  Assembly  Rooms,  Holdenhurst  Road,  Bournemouth. 
November  20th,  “  Iron  in  the  Soil  and  in  Plants,”  A.  Key,  Esq.,  M.A., 
Oxon. ;  December  4th,  lecture,  arranged  by  the  Director  of  Technical 
Instruction,  Hants  C.C.  (subject  to  be  announced)  ;  December  18th, 
“  Our  Gardens ;  How  to  Secure  a  Succession  of  Flowers,”  J.  B.  M. 
Camm,  Esq.  January  1st,  1901,  annual  supper;  January  15th, 
“  Experiments  with  Chemical  Manures,”  F.  W.  E.  Shrivell,  Esq.,  F.L.S,, 
Thompson’s  Farm,  Tonbridge  ;  and  February  5th,  annual  meeting. 
Members  are  invited  to  bring  specimen  plants  to  the  meetings,  which 
must  be  staged  not  later  than  7.15  p.m.  If  these  are  brought  with  the 
view  of  obtaining  a  certificate  notice  should  be  given  to  the  secretary 
two  days  previous  to  the  meeting.  The  secretary  is  Mr.  J.  B,  Steven¬ 
son,  Chine  Gardens  Cottage,  Bournemouth. 
Croydon  and  District  Horticultural  Mutual  Improvement 
Society. — A  special  meeting  of  the  society  took  place  in  the  lecture 
hall  of  the  Croydon  Public  Library  on  Tuesday  evening,  October  23rd, 
when  there  was  an  exhibition  of  the  books  on  botany,  horticulture, 
agriculture  and  kindred  snbjects,  in  the  Central  Library.  Mr.  E. 
Kromer,  Bandon  Hill,  occupied  the  chair,  and  Mr.  W.  J.  Simpson, 
Falkland  Park  Gardens,  the  vice-chair.  Mr.  Alderman  Foss,  chairman 
of  the  Croydon  Public  Libraries  Committee,  welcomed  the  members  of 
the  society  and  invited  them  to  inspect  the  fine  collection  of  books 
arranged  on  the  table,  and  expressed  the  wishes  of  the  Libraries 
Committee  that  the  books  provided  by  them  should  be  read  to  the 
fullest  extent.  The  chairman  next  introduced  Mr.  John  Weathers,  of 
Isleworth,  who  gave  an  excellent  exposition  of  his  views  on  “  Horti¬ 
cultural  and  Botanical  Books,”  pointing  out  their  principal  contents 
and  those  specially  useful  to  the  horticulturist  and  botanical  student. 
Mr.  Weathers,  having  complimented  the  borough  on  the  fine  collection 
of  books  in  the  Public  Library,  then  divided  his  subject,  treating  of  the 
various  branches  of  horticulture,  soils,  manures,  hardy  perennials.  Ferns 
exotic  and  hardy.  Bamboos,  trees,  shrubs.  Palms,  Orchids,  fruit,  vege¬ 
tables,  landscape  gardening,  plant  diseases,  insect  friends  and  foes. 
Mr.  Weathers’  extensive  knowledge  of  horticultural  and  botanical 
literature  enabled  him  to  give  to  the  members  that  advice  frequently 
required,  and  on  the  proposition  of  the  chairman  a  vote  of  thanks  was 
given  to  Mr.  Weathers.  The  secretary,  Mr.  Gregory,  called  the 
attention  of  members  to  the  excellent  and  valuable  catalogue  of  books 
compiled  by  Mr.  Jast,  chief  librarian,  and  his  assistant,  Mr.  Savage^ 
and  published  by  the  society,  which  is  being  distributed  to  the  members, 
Mr.  Gregory  pointing  out  that  probably  this  was  the  first  occasion  a 
horticultural  mutual  improvement  society  had  published  a  catalogue  of 
books  on  special  subjects  in  a  public  library.  Mr.  Jast  kindly  gave 
some  very  useful  information  as  to  the  lending  and  reference  libraries 
under  his  charge,  and  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  him  for  his 
valuable  services  to  the  society,  also  to  Mr.  Alderman  Foss  and  the 
Libraries  Committee  for  the  use  of  the  hall  and  the  warm  welcome 
given  to  the  society. 
OardenlniT  Appointment. — Mr.  Alfred  Bayford,late  of  Brandries 
Gardens,  Beddington,  Surrey,  has  been  appointed  as  head  gardener  to 
W.  Fletcher,  Esq.,  Oakham,  Edenbridge,  Kent.  Mr.  Bayford  left 
Brandries  owing  to  the  death  of  his  employer,  and  took  up  his  new 
appointment  on  27th  inst. 
The  Weather  In  October  at  Hodsock  Priory,  Worksop, 
Hotts. — Mean  temperature,  49'4°  1"7°;  maximum  in  screen,  68  3°  on 
the  7th  ;  minimum  in  screen,  29  3  on  the  4th  ;  minimum  on  grass,  20‘9° 
on  the  16th.  Number  of  frosts  in  shade,  2 ;  on  grass,  15.  Sunshine, 
86  hours,  or  27  per  cent,  of  possible  duration  ;  difEerenco  from  average, 
-f-  2.  Rainfall,  2’62  inches ;  difference  from  average,  —  0T6.  Rain 
fell  on  nineteen  days  ;  maximum  fall,  0’93  on  the  26th.  Rain  from 
January  Ist,  22T7  inches;  difference  from  average,  -j-  1’08.  A  mild 
month,  with  normal  rain  and  sun.  The  bulk  of  rain  fell  in  the  last 
week. — J.  Mallender. 
Sussex  'Weather. — The  total  rainfall  for  the  past  month  at  Abbot’s 
Leigh,  Haywards  Heath,  was  1‘99  inch,  being  1’88  inch  below  the 
average.  The  heaviest  fall  was  0‘40  inch,  on  the  29th  ;  rain  fell  on 
fifteen  days.  The  maximum  temperature  was  67'^,  on  the  7th  and  18th ; 
the  minimum,  35°,  on  the  23rd,  27th,  and  28th.  Mean  maximum, 
57-270 .  mean  minimum,  42T3° ;  mean  temperature,  49'70°,  which  is 
1’34°  above  the  average.  A  fine  pleasant  month,  but  not  quite  satis¬ 
factory,  in  that  the  soil  is  much  too  dry  with  us  for  planting  operations 
and  for  the  swelling  of  fruit  buds.  No  frost  has  occurred  to  injure 
Dahlias  or  Beans,  and  Chrysanthemums  outdoors  are  supplying  good 
cut  flowers  in  abundance. — R.  I. 
October  Weather  at  Belvoir  Castle. — The  wind  was  in  a 
westerly  direction  twenty-seven  days.  The  total  rainfall  was  1’98  inch, 
this  fell  on  twenty-one  days,  and  is  1*10  inch  below  the  average  for 
the  month ;  the  greatest  daily  fall  was  0'52  inch  on  the  26th. 
Barometer  (corrected  and  reduced)  :  highest  reading,  30‘603  inches  on 
the  22ad  at  9  a.m.  ;  lowest  reading,  29*220  inches  on  the  26th  at  9  p.m. 
Thermometers  :  highest  in  the  shade,  70°  on  the  9th  ;  lowest  29°  on  the 
22Dd;  mean  of  daily  maxima,  55  77°;  mean  of  daily  minima,  41  *87° ; 
mean  temperature  of  the  month,  48 '82°;  lowest  on  the  grass,  24°  on  the 
22nd;  highest  in  the  sun,  114°  on  the  8th ;  mean  temperature  of  the 
earth  at  3  feet,  48*06°.  Total  sunshine,  119  hours  35  minutes;  there 
was  one  sunless  day. — W.  W.  Divers. 
A  Sunny  October. — On  only  five  days  during  the  month  have  we 
had  an  entire  absence  of  sunshine,  with  the  result  that  instead  of  only 
seventy-eight  hours  of  bright  sunshine  we  have  to  record  ninety- 
eight  hours,  and  a  deficit  in  rainfall  of  over  an  inch  in  the  metropolis. 
Our  share  has  doubtless  been  transferred  to  the  West  of  Scotland, 
where  the  rainfall  is  largely  in  excess,  or  the  North-east  of  England, 
whence  reports  come  of  heavy  floods.  At  Stornoway  the  rainfall 
measured  8  inches  for  the  month,  and  inches  at  Blacksod  Point,  two 
of  which  fell  on  one  day  alone.  The  temperature  during  the  month 
was  rather  above  the  mean,  and  rose  to  75°  on  the  9th,  the  lowest 
reading  in  London  being  35°.  In  Paris,  between  the  20th  and  23rd,  the 
thermometer  fell  to  32°.  November  brought  with  it  a  decrease  of 
temperature,  44°  being  the  mean  for  the  month,  while  most  stations 
show  the  sunshine  records  to  be  only  half  those  of  the  previous  month. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
;  on  Grass. 
1900. 
October 
anil 
November. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry  Wet 
Bulb.  Bulb. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
1 
deg.  i  deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Sunday. .  28 
w.s.  w. 
42-5  40*8 
56  6 
34  5 
0*20 
46*5 
61  7 
63'9 
24-7 
Monday.  .29 
\v. 
53-2  48  8 
54-4 
42*3 
0*50 
49-2 
61-3 
53  7 
41*8 
Tuesday  30 
W.N.W. 
47*7  47  2 
58-1 
45-8 
0*08 
49-2 
61  5 
53*5 
42  1 
Wed’sdaj  31 
s.s.vv. 
57  9  ^  6(i-8 
04  7 
47 '5 
0*03 
50-3 
61  7 
53*5 
400 
Thursday  1 
.S..S.E. 
56*9  50*1 
61  7 
51-5 
0*03 
51  9 
62  0 
53-2 
42-3 
Friday  ..  2 
N.  \V. 
64*7  53*0 
56 -4 
.52-3 
_ 
631 
52  5 
53*2 
44*8 
Saturday  3 
N.  K. 
52*8  61 -G 
56*2 
51  4 
52  9 
52  9 
53-2 
49-3 
Total 
Means  .. 
52-2  60  7 
58-2 
46-5 
0*84 
60'4 
61-9 
63*5 
40-7 
Wet,  mild  weather  has  prevailed  during  the  past  week,  Wednesday 
and  Thursday  being  exceptionally  mild  for  the  time  of  year.  Rain  fell 
on  five  days. 
