4G4 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  22,  1900. 
Recent  AVeatber  In  Iiondon. — Unsettled  weather  has  prevailed 
in  the  metropolis  throughout  the  past  few  days,  and  a  considerable 
amount  of  cold  rain  has  fallen.  This  is  much  wanted  in  some  districts, 
but  in  others  drier  conditions  would  be  welcomed  by  land  cultivators. 
When  going  to  press  on  Wednesday  morning  it  was  dull  and  cool. 
IVeatber  In  the  irorth. — For  several  months  there  has  been  an 
almost  uniform  course  of  wet  weather,  with  only  an  occasional  dry  day. 
Now  and  then,  since  the  middle  of  October,  there  has  been  a  slight 
frost,  and  latterly  the  hills  have  had  frequent  coatings  of  snow.  Satur¬ 
day  was  fine,  and  frost  set  in  during  the  night,  5°  being  registered  on 
the  morning  of  Sunday  and  11°  on  Monday.  The  afternoon  threatened 
either  snow  or  a  thaw. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
^rational  Chrysanttaemum  Society. — The  annual  dinner  of 
the  above  society  will  take  place  in  the  Venetian  Hall,  Holboru 
Restaurant,  High  Holborn,  W. C.,  on  Wednesday,  November  28th,  at 
6.30  p.m.  sharp.  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders,  has  consented  to  take  the  chair. 
The  challenge  trophy.  Holmes’  memorial,  and  other  cups  will  be 
presented  to  the  winners  during  the  evening.  Tickets  5a.  each 
(exclusive  of  wine).  On  this  occasion  the  presence  of  ladies  is  most 
desirable.  Morning  dress.  —  Richard  Dean,  V.M.H.,  42,  Ranelagh 
Road,  Ealing. 
iVllotmeats  Association.  —  Sir  Walter  Foster,  M.P.,  was 
re-elected  chairman  of  the  Allotments  and  Small  Holdings  Association, 
whose  annual  meeting  was  held  at  Birmingham  the  other  day.  In 
moving  the  adoption  of  the  report,  the  hon.  Member  remarked  that 
legislation  which  the  association  has  been  the  means  of  putting  on 
the  Statute-book  had  somewhat  narrowed  its  sphere  of  work,  but 
from  time  to  time  it  had  been  able  to  be  of  much  use  both  in  advice, 
negotiation,  and  in  calling  the  attention  of  Parliament  to  defective 
administration.  We  should  never  get  further  land  reform  till  the  people 
woke  up  from  their  present  lethargy. 
Cbrysantbemums  at  the  People’s  Palace. —  The  seventh 
annual  Chrysanthemum  show,  which  was  opened  on  Thursday  at  the 
People’s  Palace,  reflected  the  highest  credit  on  the  members  of  the 
East  London  Horticultural  Society.  Altogether  there  were  272  exhibits, 
being  an  increase  of  fifty  on  the  number  for  the  preceding  year.  The 
exhibits  were  of  a  fine  quality  ;  indeed,  says  a  daily  contemporary, 
some  of  the  cut  blossoms  equalled,  if  they  did  not  surpass,  similar 
exhibits  at  the  most  important  horticultural  shows.  Some  creditable 
Ferns  in  pots  were  shown  in  the  children’s  sections,  and  several  of  the 
arrangements  of  cut  flowers  for  the  purposes  of  table  decoration  were 
marked  by  great  good  taste.  Some  fine  exhibits  of  flowers  and  fruit 
had  been  lent  by  the  Duke  of  Fife,  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  Mr.  C.  E.  Shea, 
Mr.  F.  A.  Bevan,  Mr.  C.  B.  Hayward,  and  Messrs.  B.  8.  Williams  and 
Son.  The  show  was  formally  opened  by  Mr.  G.  Croft,  who  also  presented 
the  medals  to  the  successful  exhibitors. 
Music  and  Plants.— -That  certain  animals  love  music  is  beyond 
question,  but  it  has  not  yet  been  proved  that  they  love  harmony  much 
better  than  discord.  Donkeys  have  been  said  by  a  naturalist  to  possess 
a  natural  affection  for  the  penny  flute ;  but  a  musician  in  New  York 
has  gone  much  further  than  the  naturalist.  He  asserts  that  not  only 
animals  but  plants  have  nothing  less  than  a  passion  for  sweet  music. 
This  notion  has  appealed  to  the  American  sense  of  the  extravagant^ 
and  has  found  several  supporters,  the  most  advanced  of  whom  is  a 
Bostonian  musician.  Not  to  be  outdone  by  New  York,  he  avers  that 
when  he  plays  harmonies  his  Sensitive  Plant  “  stretches  abroad, 
drinking  in  the  music  like  sunshine.”  If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  strikes 
a  discord  the  plant  trembles  and  closes.  He  goes  on  even  to  hint  that 
if  the  vibrations  are  very  harmonious  the  juices  of  the  plant  may  be 
stirred  to  great  and  noble  impulses.  The  theory  has  been  welcomed 
in  America  as  new  ;  but  unfortunately,  says  a  contemporary,  the 
precedent  of  Orpheus  seems  to  have  been  forgotten  altogether.  If  it 
had  been  remembered  we  should  have  heard  of  some  Chicago  musician 
who  had  surpassed  Orpheus  and  other  rivals  by  making  the  tree  dance 
a  sohottische. 
A  Boulevard  for  Reading. — It  was  stated  at  a  council  meeting 
of  the  Thames  Preservation  League  that  the  Reading  Corporation  was 
on  the  verge  of  completing  arrangements  by  which  they  would  acquire 
a  long  lease  of  a  strip  of  riverside  land  100  feet  wide,  and  extending  on 
the  Berks  side  of  the  river  above  the  town  for  a  distance  of  two  miles. 
The  land  is  to  be  used  as  a  boulevard  and  open  space. 
Great  Chapters  In  the  Book  of  ATature. — The  annual  course 
of  Christmas  lectures,  specially  adapted  to  young  people,  at  the  Royal 
Institution,  will  be  delivered  by  Sir  Robert  S.  Ball,  Lowndean  Professor 
of  Astronomy  in  the  University  of  Cambridge,  whose  subject  is  “  Great 
Chapters  in  the  Book  of  Nature.”  The  first  lecture  will  take  place 
on  December  27th,  and  the  remaining  lectures  will  be  delivered  on 
December  29th,  and  on  January  Ist,  3rd,  5th  and  8th. 
Gold  In  Trees. — The  impecunious  man  may  soon  be  seen  grappling 
with  the  monarchs  of  the  forest  for  the  wherewithal  to  pay  his  way. 
In  the  “Zeitschrift  fur  practische  Geologie”  Herr  Lungwitz  writes  of 
the  gold  in  trees.  It  only  amounts  to  from  about  5d.  to  Ss.  per  ton  of 
ashes.  The  metal  tends  to  collect  in  the  trunk  near  the  roots.  Of 
course  the  quantity  is  greater  according  to  the  auriferous  character  of 
the  soil,  and  probably,  too,  the  intensity  of  growth,  so  that  in  tropical 
countries  gold  may  exist  in  many  plants. 
The  Ashford  Collection  of  Orchids. — Among  the  principal 
plants  sold  on  the  first  day  of  Mr.  G.  Shorland  Ball’s  Orchids  at 
Ashford,  Wilmslow,  were  Cattleya  labiata,  85  guineas  ;  Laelia  praestans 
alba,  unflowered,  60  guineas;  Cypripedium  insigne  Sanderae,  100 
guineas;  0.  callosum  Sanderae,  120  guineas;  C.  insigne  Harefield  Hall 
variety,  40  and  45  guineas  respectively  for  the  best ;  C.  insigne  Luciani,. 
90  guineas;  C.  Lawrenceanum  Hyeanum,  55  guineas;  C.  venustum 
Measuresianum,  48  guineas.  Buyers  both  from  the  north  and  south 
were  represented.  Mr.  Harold  Morris  (Messrs.  Prothero  &  Morris)  was 
the  auctioneer. 
Exports  of  Servian  Plums. — From  Belgrade  during  the  present 
year  dried  Plums  to  the  value  of  6,000,000  francs  have  been  exported 
from  Servia,  and  Plum  jam  to  the  value  of  2,400,000  francs.  In  the 
year  1890  dried  Plums  were  exported  to  the  value  of  7,300,000  franc  t, 
and  jam  to  the  extent  of  1,300,000  francs.  In  addition  to  all  this,  says 
a  contemporary,  considerable  quantities  of  fresh  Plums  for  use  as  table 
fruit,  or  for  the  manufacture  of  soirits,  are  exported  each  year.  A 
considerable  trade  at  one  time  existed  with  this  country  in  dried  Plums, 
but  that  has  been  swept  away  by  exports  from  France  and  California 
of  fruits  which  have  undergone  a  double  drying  process. 
Vegetation  InEondon. — The  London  Plane  trees  are  shedding  their 
bark  with  great  unanimity  and  vigour.  Soon  the  grime  will  have  made 
the  process  less  conspicuous,  but  at  present,  according  to  a  contemporary » 
the  Planes  in  New  Square,  Lincoln’s  Inn,  and  elsewhere  are  as 
brilliantly  piebald  as  the  drum-horse  that  led  the  Guards’  Band  through 
the  streets  on  Lord  Mayor’s  Day.  In  Lincoln’s  Inn  a  touching  relic 
of  the  summer  lingers  on  the  walls  of  No.  12.  The  Vine,  which  covers 
the  lower  part  of  the  house,  has  shed  all  its  leaves,  but  against  the 
grimy  brick,  inconspicuous  except  at  a  short  distance,  hang  two  fine 
clusters  of  ripe,  black  Grapes.  Apparently  the  Benchers  are  so  struck 
by  the  reports  of  the  enormous  French  vintage  that  they  have  not 
thought  it  worth  while  to  turn  their  own  to  account. 
Memorial  to  the  Ziate  Mr.  G.  J.  Symons,  F.R.S. — On  May  31st  a 
meeting  was  held  at  the  rooms  of  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society  to 
consider  the  question  of  a  memorial  to  the  late  Mr.  G.  J.  Symons,  P.R.S., 
the  distinguished  meteorologist  and  founder  of  the  British  rainfall 
organisation.  It  was  resolved  unanimously  that  the  memorial  should 
take  the  form  of  a  gold  medal  to  be  awarded  from  time  to  time  by 
the  Council  of  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society  for  distinguished  work 
in  connection  with  meteorological  science.  An  executive  committee 
was  appointed  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  raise  a  fund  for  that 
purpose.  We  have  now  much  pleasure  in  stating  that  their  appeal  has 
been  very  heartily  responded  to,  not  only  by  meterologists’  engineers 
and  representatives  of  other  branches  of  science  and  industry,  but 
also  by  personal  friends  and  admirera  of  the  late  Mr.  Symons  in  all 
classes.  The  committee  have  decided  to  keep  the  list  open  until  the 
end  of  January,  1901,  in  order  to  allow  all  who  have  in  any  way  benefited 
by  Mr.  Symons’  advice  and  assistance  to  contribute  to  the  memorial 
fund. — R.  Meldola,  F.R.S.,  Wm.  Marriott,  Secretaries,  70,  Victoria 
Street,  Westminster,  S.  W. 
