154 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  February  21  woi. 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  fruit  and  flower  show 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  Feb.  26th, 
in  the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham  Gate,  Westminster,  1  to  4  p.m.  A 
lecture  on  “  The  Making  and  Unmaking  of  Flowers  ”  will  be  given  by 
the  Rev.  Prof.  G.  Henslow,  M.A.,  at  3  o’clock. 
Bristol  Gardeners’  Association. — The  fortnightly  meeting  of 
the  society  was  held  at  St.  John’s  Parish  Room,  Redland,  on  Thursday, 
14th  inst.,  a  good  attendance  being  presided  over  by  Mr.  G.  Brook.  Mr. 
W.  G.  Smith,  of  Knowle,  was  the  lecturer,  on  the  interesting  subject 
“  Insect  Pests.”  The  leoture  was  illustrated  with  a  iantern  exhibition 
of  slides  prepared  for  the  Board  of  Agriculture  by  Miss  G.  E.  Ormerod. 
Mr.  Smith,  who  is  an  expert  in  the  science  of  entomology,  dealt  with 
the  subject  very  fully,  giving  in  each  case  the  life  history  of  the  insect 
under  discussion,  the  particular  kind  of  crop  most  liable  to  attack,  and 
the  methods  most  likely  to  prevent  or  eradicate  the  pests,  in  which  the 
judicious  use  of  lime,  soot,  and  salt  played  a  considerable  part.  Amongst 
the  wide  range  of  insects  treated  were  the  wireworm,  crane  fly,  carrot 
fly,  turnip  fly,  cherry  saw  fly,  clover  weevil,  cabbage  butterfly,  wheat 
butterfly,  the  many  forms  of  aphis,  rose  fly,  mole  cricket,  wood  wasp, 
scale,  thrips,  garden  chafer,  and  earwig.  Several  questions  were  asked 
Mr.  Smith,  to  all  of  which  he  kindly  and  clearly  replied,  and  the  hearty 
thanks  of  the  meeting  were  accorded  him  for  his  attendance.  Prizes 
offered  by  the  chairman  for  two  Cyclamens  caused  keen  competition, 
the  awards  being  to  Messrs.  Clarke,  Raikes,  McCulloch,  and  Price. 
[Kindlv  address  *your  communications  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street,  London,  in  future.] 
Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement 
Association. — The  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  above  association  was 
held  on  Monday,  the  11th  inst.,  when  the  president,  Mr.  Leonard  G. 
Sutton,  presided  over  a  large  attendance  of  members.  The  paper  for 
the  evening  was  “Greenhouse  Flowering  Plants  for  Summer  Bedding,’’ 
by  Mr.  F.  Townsend  of  Sandhurst  Lodge  Gardens  (son  of  Mr.  W. 
Townsend,  the  head  gardener).  The  subject  was  ably  dealt  with,  and 
the  following  varieties  were  strongly  recommended  for  the  purpose — 
viz.,  Abutilons,  Aloysia,  Begonias,  Bougainvillea,  Cannas,  Diplacus, 
Erythrinas, Fuchsias,  Heliotrope,  Habrothamnus, Hydrangeas,  Lasiandra, 
Lobelia  cardinalis,  Nicotiana,  Plumbago,  Streptosolen,  Salvias,  Swain- 
sonia,  Scented  Pelargoniums.  During  the  discussion  which  followed 
Mr.  Townsend  was  congratulated  on  the  able  manner  in  which  he  had 
presented  his  subject,  and  also  on  being  the  youngest  member  who  had 
as  yet  read  a  paper  before  the  association.  Mr.  E.  S.  Pigg,  The  Gardens, 
Samoa,  Reading,  and  Mr.  H.  Wilson,  The  Gardens,  Lower  Redlands 
Reading,  were  awarded  the  association’s  certificate  of  cultural  merit, 
the  former  for  a  beautiful  batoh  of  Narcissus  Van  Zion,  and  the  latter 
for  a  collection  of  Apples,  including  Newton  Wonder,  Wellington, 
Baxter’s  Pearmain,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  Ribston  Pippin,  Sturmer 
Pippin,  Reinette  du  Canada,  Gascoyne,  and  Scarlet  Seedling.  Mr. 
W.  Townsend,  Sandhurst  Lodge  Gardens,  made  a  most  interesting 
exhibit  of  plants  of  Centradenia  rosea.  This  was  not  entered  for  the 
certificate.  Four  new  members  were  alected. 
Newport  (Dundee)  Horticultural  Association. — A  lecture 
was  delivered  last  week,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Newport  Horti¬ 
cultural  Association,  by  Professor  C.  R.  Marshall  of  University 
College  on  “  Poisonous  Plants.”  The  lecturer  first  dealt  with  the 
meaning  of  the  word  poison,  and  afterwards  went  on  to  consider  the 
various  common  plants  possessing  poisonous  properties.  An  important 
group,  not  usually  regarded  as  poisonous  in  the  ordinary  sense,  contains 
such  plants  as  produce  irritation  of  the  skin  when  touched.  The 
Primula  obconica,  if  we  discard  the  common  NettleB,  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  this  type.  Its  action  has  been  attributed  to  its  hairs, 
but  it  seems  muoh  more  likely  to  be  due  to  a  poison  secreted  by  the 
plant.  The  juices  of  numerous  other  plants  possess  irritant  properties 
— one,  the  “  Poison  Ivy,”  being  extremely  powerful.  The  influence  of 
climate  and  mode  of  growth  on  the  production  of  poisons,  the  various 
kinds  of  poisons  found  in  plants,  and  the  part  these  played  in  its  life 
history,  were  next  considered.  One  kind  of  poison,  which  only 
developed  after  the  leaves  or  seeds  of  the  plant  were  taken,  had  a 
peculiar  interest.  This  happens  with  Peach  kernels,  which  it  was 
said  were  used  by  the  anoient  Egyptians  as  a  State  poison.  After¬ 
wards  the  effects  of  a  number  of  common  and  garden  plants — the 
Foxglove,  Lily  of  the  Valley,  Monk’s-hood,  deadly  Nightshade,  &o., 
were  described,  and  the  lecturer  oonoluded  by  a  reference  to  the  part 
played  by  plants  in  the  production  of  poisonous  honey.  The  usual 
votes  of  thanks  terminated  the  proceedings. 
Irish  Gardeners’  Society. — The  usual  monthly  meeting  of  the 
above  society  was  held  recently  in  D’Olier  Street ;  the  ohair  was 
occupied  by  Mr.  O’Kelly.  The  secretary,  Mr.  Hall,  read  the  report 
showing  the  result  of  their  year’s  working,  also  the  balance-sheet,  which 
told  of  an  increase  in  the  assets  of  their  society.  After  the  adoption 
of  the  report,  the  election  of  officers  was  proceeded  with,  the  chairman 
Mr.  O’Kelly,  being  unanimously  re-elected.  Mr.  Richardson  was  elected 
vice-president.  The  committee  remain  unaltered,  with  the  single 
exception  of  Mr.  Harris,  whilst  Mr.  Campbell  was  appointed  assistant 
secretary.  Mr.  Cottier  placed  a  sovereign  to  the  executive  as  a  prize 
for  a  pruning  competition,  the  contest,  which  is  dated  for  March,  being 
confined  to  apprentices.  Afterwards  Mr.  Shaw  volunteered  to  read  a 
paper  on  the  essentials  of  botany  from  a  gardener’s  standpoint. 
Beckenham  Horticultural  Society. — On  Friday,  the  16th, 
a  paper,  entitled  “  Fifty  Years’  Stoking  Experience,”  was  given  by  Mr. 
H.  Cooper,  the  chairman  of  the  Beckenham  Horticultural  Society.  The 
essayist  took  his  hearers  back  to  the  time  of  the  old  flues  and  the  early 
stages  of  heating  by  hot  water,  he  having  served  where  peat  was  used 
for  fuel,  also  where  twelve  fires  were  in  use,  located  at  long  distances 
apart  (500  yards),  which,  by  reason  of  their  diminutive  size,  necessitated 
constant  attention,  and  in  sharp  weather  to  be  about  till  the  small 
htucs  of  the  morning.  Mr.  Cooper’s  comparison  of  the  present  with 
the  past  was  convincing  to  his  younger  hearers  that  they  had  much  to 
be  thankful  for.  There  followed  a  good  discussion,  in  which  it  seemed 
generally  agreed  that,  whatever  the  form  of  boiler,  the  proper  setting  of 
the  same  is  of  vast  importance,  and  should  be  thoroughly  understood 
by  the  operator.  On  Friday  evening  next  we  have  Mr.  E.  Beckett,  on 
“  Vegetables  for  Exhibition. ”^-T.  C. 
February  Sunshine.  —  February  may  doubtless  sustain  its  repu¬ 
tation  as  a  rainy  month  and  give  us  as  much  as  4  inches,  as  in  1866> 
though  the  mean  rainfall  is  only  1^  inch.  The  mean  temperature  for 
the  month  is  about  40°.  We  may  hope  for  a  distinct  increase  in  the 
amount  of  bright  sunshine,  fifty  hours  being  the  average.  In  1899  we 
had  an  exceptional  record  of  ninety-nine  hours.  Jersey  and  Guernsey 
with  ninety-five  and  ninety  hours  respectively,  Hastings  and  Tenby  with 
about  eighty-five,  Brighton  with  seventy-seven,  and  Eastbourne  seventy, 
two  hours  of  bright  sunshine  will  prove  most  attractive  to  sun-seekers 
who  cannot  go  to  sunnier  climes. 
Weather  and  Crops  In  Guernsey. — We  have  just  emerged 
frcm  a  long  dreary  three  months  of  heavy  damp  weather  with  very 
few  intervening  dry  days,  and  those  were  generally  accompanied  by  a 
biting  east  wind  ;  it  is  still  cold,  but  dry  and  bracing.  On  Thursday 
morning  last  the  thermometer  registered  10°  of  frost,  which,  for 
Guernsey,  is  severe,  and  on  the  same  day  we  had  some  snow,  which, 
however,  soon  disappeared.  Our  shipments  since  November,  owing  to 
the  forbidding  price  of  coal  for  winter  forcing,  have  been  small.  Coal 
is  now  becoming  cheaper,  but  the  reduction  has  come  too  late  for  the 
earlier  work.  The  soddened  state  of  the  ground  has  retarded  the 
blooming  of  Narcissi,  few  of  which  will  be  fit  to  cut  for  another 
fortnight  or  three  weeks.  Growers  are  now  busy  getting  in  their 
Tomato  plants,  that  is,  in  the  heated  houses. — X. 
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. 
Rain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1901. 
February. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
-12 
00 
0 
43 
bC 
5 
42 
OB 
© 
& 
0 
>2 
Sunday  . .  10 
Monday.  .11 
Tuesday  12 
Wed’sday  13 
Thursday  14 
Friday  . .  15 
Saturday  16 
N.N.E. 
N.N.E. 
N.N.W. 
N.N.W. 
N.N.W. 
N  N.E. 
w.s.w. 
deg. 
39-0 
36  7 
31  1 
33-1 
28-0 
32-0 
34  0 
deg. 
37-8 
34-6 
28-0 
32 ’0 
25-7 
30-2 
32-9 
deg. 
43-1 
38  6 
37-9 
36  2 
33-9 
34'5 
43-1 
deg. 
35- 6 
36- 2 
25-1 
30-6 
207 
287 
25-1 
ns. 
0  07 
deg. 
38-4 
392 
37-8 
36  4 
358 
35  4 
35-3 
deg. 
40- 5 
41- 0 
41-0 
40'5 
40-1 
39-5 
39-4 
deg. 
44-1 
43-9 
43-9 
43'9 
43  9 
43'6 
43-6 
deg. 
251 
33-6 
167 
23-6 
14  6 
20-0 
17-9 
Means  .. 
33-4 
31-6 
38-2 
28-9 
Total 
0-07 
36-9 
40  3 
43-8 
21-6 
The  weather  continues  dull,  dry,  and  very  cold.  A  small  quantity 
of  rain  fell  on  the  16th  inst. 
