March  7,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
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■Weather  In  London. — The  weather  in  and  around  London  during 
the  past  seven  days  has  been  at  least  mild.  For  pedestrians,  however, 
the  state  of  the  streets  and  roads  has  been  frightful.  Rain,  and  on  one 
or  two  occasions  an  inkliDg  of  snow,  has  fallen.  Early  flowering  trees, 
such  as  the  Bird  Cherry,  are  bursting  into  leaf. 
Weather  In  the  North. — Only  on  one  morning  of  the  past  week 
was  there  a  slight  touch  of  frost.  The  days  have  been  generally  dull, 
and  showers  have  been  frequent.  Both  Sunday  and  Monday,  with 
occasional  showers  and  gleams  of  sunshine,  were  spring-like  though 
somewhat  cold. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
Weather  in  Ireland. — The  genial  conditions  of  the  past  few 
weeks,  with  a  cessation  of  rain,  but  an  occasional  light  frost,  has 
enabled  our  bulbous  types  to  advance,  whilst  fruit  trees  have 
commenced  to  break  away  in  several  quarters ;  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  severe  weather  will  not  start.  March  has  held  its  reputation  of 
“  month  of  many  weathers  ”  by  raining,  but  the  clouds  have  seemingly 
vanished,  leaving  climatic  conditions  pleasant. — A.  O’N. 
Appointment.- — Mr.  T.  Parkin,  for  the  last  nine  years  head 
gardener  to  Wm.  Mitchell,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Fern  Hill,  Stackstead,  Bacup, 
has  been  appointed  in  a  similar  capacity  to  J.  J.  Hunt,  Esq.,  Grimston, 
York.  He  is  succeeded  at  Fern  Hill  by  Mr.  Wm.  Chapman,  who  has 
been  four  years  foreman  at  Sand  Hutton,  York. 
Sweet  Pea  Society. — A  meeting  will  be  held  at  Winchester 
House,  Old  Broad  Street,  E.C.,  room  21,  on  Tuesday,  March  12th,  at 
5.30  p.m.,  with  the  view  of  forming  a  National  Sweet  Pea  Society. 
The  chair  will  be  taken  by  N.  Sherwood,  Esq.  Anyone  interested  but 
unable  to  attend  should  communicate  with  the  hon.  sec.  (pro  tern.), 
C.  E.  Wilkins,  19,  Lyndhurst  Road,  London,  S.E. 
Royal  Scottish  Arborlcultural  Society. — The  first  meeting  of 
the  new  council  was  recently  held  at  5,  St.  Andrew  Square,  Edinburgh, 
Mr.  D.  P.  Laird,  vice-president,  presiding.  Twenty-nine  proposals  for 
membership  were  read  a  second  time  and  accepted,  and  four  proposals 
were  intimated  for  acceptance  at  next  meeting.  Committees  and 
conveners  were  appointed,  the  dates  of  future  meetings  fixed,  and  other 
routine  business  transacted. 
Royal  Meteorological  Society. — The  last  monthly  meeting  of 
this  society  was  held  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Westminster, 
Mr.  W.  H.  Dines,  B.A.,  president,  in  the  chair.  A  loyal  and  dutiful 
address  of  condolence  and  homage  to  his  Majesty  the  King  was  agreed 
to.  Mr.  E.  Mawley  presented  his  report  on  the  phenological  observa¬ 
tions  for  1900.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  winter  and  spring  the 
weather  proved  cold  and  sunless,  but  in  the  summer  and  autumn  the 
temperature  was  as  a  rule  high,  and  there  was  an  unusually  good  record 
of  bright  sunshine.  As  affecting  vegetation,  the  two  most  noteworthy 
features  of  the  phenological  year  ending  November,  1900,  were  the  cold, 
dry,  and  gloomy  character  of  the  spring  months  and  the  great  heat  and 
drought  in  July.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  flowering  season  wild 
plants  came  into  blossom  much  behind  their  average  dates ;  indeed, 
later  than  in  any  year  since  1891.  Such  spring  emigrants  as  the 
swallow,  cuckoo,  and  nightingale  were  also  later  than  usual  in  visiting 
these  shores.  Taking  the  British  Isles  as  a  whole,  the  crops  of  Wheat 
Barley,  and  Oats  were  all  more  or  less  under  average.  The  yield  of 
hay  was  poor  in  the  southern  half  of  England,  but  elsewhere  varied 
from  a  fair  to  an  abundant  crop.  Turnips  and  Swedes  were  almost 
everywhere  deficient,  but  there  was  a  heavy  crop  of  Mangolds.  Potatoes 
were  under  average.  This  was  a  bountiful  year  as  regards  fruit,  the 
yield  of  Apples,  Plums,  and  all  the  small  fruits  being  in  exoess  of  the 
average.  Mr.  A.  E.  Watson  read  a  paper  entitled  “  A  Review  of  Past 
Severe  Winters  in  England,  with  Deductions  Therefrom.”  From  an 
examination  of  the  records  of  the  severe  winters  of  the  last  300  years 
he  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  most  frequent  in  the  years 
with  the  numbers  0-1  and  4-5.  He  is  also  of  opinion  that  the  severe 
winter  in  the  middle  of  each  decade  is  generally  a  late  one  (January 
to  March),  while  that  at  the  beginning  or  end  of  eaoh  decade  is 
generally  an  early  one  (November  to  January). 
An  Educational  Flower  Show. — We  learn  that  Lady  Warwick 
has  schemes  for  what  is  termed  an  Educational  Flower  Show,  to  be 
held  at  Reading  during  August  next. 
®*r.  W.  Xggulden,  F.R.H.S.,  is  the  subject  of  an  appreciative 
article  in  the  current  issue  of  “  The  Agricultural  Economist.”  His 
experiences  and  work  in  commercial  horticulture  is  interestingly 
detailed. 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. — 
The  annual  meeting  of  the  above  society  will  be  held  at  the  Caledonian 
Hotel,  Robert  Street,  Adelphi  Terrace,  Strand,  W.C.,  on  Monday 
evening  next,  March  11th,  at  8  o’clock.  W.  Roupell,  Esq.,  will  preside. 
Glasgow  Botanic  Gardens  Management. — With  a  view  to 
secure  greater  unity  of  management  in  the  work  of  the  department  as 
a  whole,  it  is  recommended  by  the  Parks  Committee  that  the  duties  of 
Mr.  James  Whitton,  the  superintendent  of  parks,  should  be  extended 
to  the  Botanic  Gardens,  which  are  at  present  under  the  charge  of  Mr. 
Daniel  Dewar,  curator. 
Presentation  to  Mr.  Wm.  Smythe. — We  learn  with  interest 
that  Mr.  Wm.  Smythe,  who  for  long  was  head  gardener  at  Basing  Park, 
Alton,  and  who  has  retired,  was  presented  on  February  19th  with  a 
purse  of  sovereigns  subscribed  to  by  his  late  garden  assistants,  and  also 
by  the  working  men  on  the  estate,  as  a  mark  of  their  esteem.  We  trust 
Mr.  Smythe  will  be  spared  for  a  long  time  to  enjoy  a  happy  leisure. 
The  Wood  Leopard  Moth  (Zeuzera  aescull). — As  my  note 
regarding  the  destruction  to  timber  of  trees  in  the  London  parks  by 
the  caterpillar  of  above  moth  has  caused  a  considerable  amount  of 
public  and  private  correspondence,  might  I  ask  you  to  state  that  I  have 
forwarded  to  the  Forestry  Museum,  Surveyors’  Institution,  Westminster, 
specimens  of  wood  showing  the  caterpillar,  chrysalides,  and  tunnels 
made  by  the  former  ?  Incidentally  I  might  mention  that  around 
London  the  wood  leopard  moth  is  equally  abundant  with  the  goat 
moth,  though  more  difficult  to  deteot. — A.  D.  Webster. 
The  Fruit  Growers’  Year-Book. — We  take  the  opportunity  to 
mention  that  the  ninth  issue  of  this  book  has  now  been  issued.  The 
number  is  bulkier  than  any  of  the  issues  preceding  it,  consisting  of  no 
fewer  than  376  pages,  everyone  of  which  contains  information  of  peculiar 
value  to  the  British  fruit  grower  and  market  gardener.  Particular 
mention  should  be  made  of  the  invaluable  schedule  of  labour  prices  for 
fruit  growing  and  market  gardening — a  schedule  much  wanted,  as  no 
recognised  scale  for  payment  of  work  of  this  character  has  hitherto 
been  in  vogue.  Mr.  Monro,  the  well-known  Covent  Garden  salesman, 
writes  interestingly  of  the  growth  of  Covent  Garden  Market,  and  others 
contribute  information  concerning  profitable  varieties  of  fruit  and 
vegetables,  and  the  new  varieties  of  1900.  We  may  have  occasion  to 
refer  again  to  this  little  publication. 
Obituary. — It  is  with  deepest  regret  that  I  have  to  send  you  the 
announcement  of  the  death  of  Mr.  John  James  Alliston,  who  for  twenty- 
six  years  held  the  appointment  as  head  gardener  at  Hazlegrove  House, 
Sparkford,  Somerset,  where  his  valued  services  were  highly  appreciated. 
He  was  a  friend  of  the  late  Mr.  Wildsmith,  and,  like  him,  certainly 
belonged  to  the  go-ahead  brigade,  and  in  garden  subjects  generally 
had  few  equals.  Much  credit  is  due  to  him  for  the  taste  he  displayed 
in  reorganising  the  kitohen  garden  and  planting  the  now  beautiful  Yew 
and  Cupressus  hedges  running  north,  east,  south,  and  west,  with  an 
accompaniment  of  herbaceous  borders,  which  remain  to  perpetuate 
his  memory.  Violets  and  Begonias  were  his  favourites.  His  end  came 
peacefully  on  Sunday  morning  last  at  the  age  of  seventy-two,  after  a 
somewhat  lengthened  illness,  caused  by  the  rupture  of  a  blood  vessel, 
which  caused  partial  paralysis  of  the  brain.— G.  Gregory,  Hazlegrove. 
Tbe  Forest  of  Bean. — The  replanting  of  certain  areas  of  the 
Forest  of  Dean  is  in  progress.  Some  600,000  two-year-old  Larch  trees 
were  planted  on  a  system  of  rough  nurseries,  with  such  good  results 
that  the  same  plan  will  be  followed  wherever  possible.  The  system  is 
as  follows: — In  vacant  spaces  rows  were  dug  in  which  two-year-old 
Larch,  or  seedling  Oak,  were  planted  about  a  foot  apart.  The  rows 
were  then  left  untouched  for  two  years,  with  the  exception  of  having 
the  Ferns  and  grass  out  from  between  them  in  the  summer.  At  tbe 
end  of  two  years  the  rows  were  gone  through,  and  about  four  out  of 
every  five  of  the  trees  were  taken  up  and  planted  in  pits  in  other 
vacant  spaces,  thus  leaving  a  full  stock  for  crop  in  the  rows.  This 
method,  which  was  followed  as  a  matter  of  necessity  to  begin  with,  has 
found  considerable  favour  with  the  deputy  surveyor. 
