August  14,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND 
COTTAGE  .GARDENER. 
153 
An  Aloe  in  Flower. 
Iii  cne  cf  the  enclosures  in  Parliament  Hill  Fields,  near 
Highgate  Road,  there  is  now  to  be  seen  an  Aloe  in  full  bloom, 
and  the  rare  sight  attracts  a  considerable  amount  of  attention. 
In  this  country,  even  in  greenhouses,  the  Aloe  does  not  flower 
until  it  reaches  an  advanced  age,  whence  arises  the  gardeners’ 
fable  cf  its  flowering  cnly  cnce  in  a  hundred  years. 
Cider  as  a  Drink. 
It  appears  that  there  are  ciders  and  ciders.  Some  are  free 
from  acid  and  sugar,  and  being  cf  a  low  specific  gravity  are  suit¬ 
able  for  gouty  people.,  and  are  adapted  for  everybody.  The 
other  class  of  ciders,  sweet  in  character,  are  not  at  all  beneficial 
or  healthful.  “Rough  cider”  is  the  beverage  to  be  commended. 
The  sweetened  ciders  and  those  termed  “  champagne  ”  bi'ands 
should  be  avoided. 
Kewabbey,  N.B. 
This  energetic  society  was  not  so  well  supported  as  usual  in 
the  way  of  entries,  and,  consequently,  their  show  on  August  9 
was  not  so  attractive  as  usual.  The  leading  feature  of  the  show 
was  the  pot  pflants,  the  Begonias  and  Petunias  being  the  best. 
In  the  open  class,  Mr.  W.  Carruthers,  Shambellie  Gardens,  had  it 
practically  all  his  own  way  with  cut  flowers,  his  hardy  flowers 
being  especially  good.  His  Begonias  were  the  finest  he  has  yet 
shown  here.  Miss  Wilson,  Newabbey  Manse;  Mr.  E.  M’Currach, 
the  Schoolhouse;  and  Mr.  W.  Bell  and  Mr.  J.  Waugh,  Newabbey, 
were  among  the  other  leading  prizetakers.  The  vegetables  were 
good  for  the  season. 
Tea  Under  Cultivation 
In  India  and  Ceylon  at  recent  periods,  together  with  the 
crops  produced,  based  on  official  records.  In  1890  there  were 
344,800  acres  under  cultivation  in  India  and  250,000  acres  in 
Ceylon,  India  producing  112  million  pounds  of  Tea,  and  Ceylon 
47  million  pounds,  the  total  crop  being  159  million.  In  1895, 
with  a  cultivation  in  India  of  415,700  acres  and  in  Ceylon  of 
305,009  acres,  the  respective  crops  were  143  and  93  million 
pounds,  total  241  million  pounds.  In  1900  the  cultivation  was 
in  India  522,000,  and  in  Ceylon  384,000  acres,  producing  197 
and  148  million  pounds  of  Tea  respectively,  or  a  total  of  345 
million  pounds.  The  average  annual  increase  in  the  Indian 
crop  for  the  last  ten  years  has  been  8£  million  pounds,  and  in 
that  of  Ceylon  10  million  pounds.  The  home  consumption  for 
British-grown  Tea  for  the  last  calendar  year — 1901 — was  238J 
million  pounds  ;  the  consumption  in  foreign  markets  and  ship 
stores  95f  million  pounds,  making  together  334|  million  pounds. 
Echoes  from  Hamilton. 
Yet  another  month  of  few  redeeming  points  has  passed  away 
from  the  stage  of  time  which  brings  us  now  face  to  face  with 
the  realities  of  autumn,  and  still  but  little  prospects  of  the 
summer.  As  we  write  (7th)  the  elements  are  as  uncongenial  as 
well  could  be,  without  the  actual  presence  of  frost  or  snow. 
The  last  two  days  have  been  phenomenal  August  weather.  On 
both  the  clouds  were  exceedingly  angry  and  surcharged  with 
moisture.  This  scene  was  intensified  by  a  sweeping  semi-gale  of 
east  wind,  all  very  unlike  the  ideal  month  of  August.  This  has 
been  much  the  nature  of  our  weather  throughout  in  these  north¬ 
western  climes,  with  the  result  that  most  things  have  suffered 
considerably.  Strawberries  and  small  fruits  are  both  late  and 
poor.  Apples,  Pears,  and  Plums  are  not  only  scarce,  but  the 
quality  is  indifferent.  Lord  Sufficlds  and  Stirling  Castles  have 
scarce  reached  the  size  of  fairly  grown  Walnuts!  and  forcibly 
remind  one  of  the  samples  one  sees  from  an  Arcadian  garden. 
Vegetables  generally  are  good,  though  a  trifle  later  mayhap  than 
usual.  Hay  crops  are  heavier,  and  altogether  better  than  were 
at  cne  time  anticipated.  Cereal  crops,  too,  are  heavier,  but  still 
quite  green.  Grazing  is  good,  and  has  pulled  up  immensely, 
though  long  in  moving  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  season.  Farmers 
and  gardeners,  on  the  whole,  are,  notwithstanding  the  general 
backwardness  of  things,  fairly  contented.  In  the  department  of 
the  forester  there  also  appears  to  be  little  calling  for  serious 
grumbling.  Young  plantations  are  making  wonderful  growths. 
We  measured  young  Norway  Spruce  growths  over  18in,  and 
Rhododendrons,  which  is  not  probably  so  good,  are  making 
incredible  growths,  too  much  to  guarantee  abundant  bloom  next 
year.— D.  C. 
The  Scottish  Summer. 
The  enervated  Southerner,  who  is  now  languishing  under 
the  debilitating  breezes  of  the  North  Foreland,  will  I  pi  ised 
to  hear  that  his  Scottish  brothers  in  tin  m-ighbourtirnd  of 
Hawick  have  been  enjoying  5deg  of  frost. 
Correction. 
We  are  requested  to  state  that  in  our  report  of  Leicester 
Show  we  described  Mr.  Amos  Perry,'  who  won  a  Gold  M  dal, 
wrongly  as  of  Tottenham,  and  not  as  of  Winchmore  Hill,  with 
which  latter  place  he  is  now  identified. 
The  Hamilton  Horticultural  Association. 
At  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  Hamilton  Horticultural 
Association,  Mr.  MacMillan,  head  gardener,  the  “Orchard,” 
Hamilton,  read  selections  from  the  Journal  of  Horlicultun , 
which  were  very  much  appreciated,  and  for  which  he  was 
accorded  the  cordial  thanks  cf  the  meeting.  The  president, 
Rev.  Mr.  Paterson,  was  in  the  chair. — I).  C. 
College  of  Agriculture,  Downton,  Salisbury. 
The  twenty-second  summer  session  of  this  college  end  d  on 
Friday  with  the  usual  distribution  of  certificates  and  prizes. 
Professor  Wrightson  presided,  and  in  his  address  spoke  of  the 
connection  between  Nature-study  and  agriculture,  especially  as 
regarded  trees  (forestry),  grasses,  animals,  both  useful  and  pre¬ 
datory,  insect  attacks,  and  weeds.  He  also  commented  on  the 
attention  of  their  American  and  Australian  students.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  the  prizemen  : — The  Blcs  Scholarship  of  £10, 
given  to  the  best  man  who  has  completed  one  year,  F.  G.  Bate¬ 
man,  of  Somerset  Road,  Ealing,  W.  The  diploma,  given  to  two 
years’  residents  who  pass  in  all  subjects  taught  at  the  college, 
J.  C.  Thompson,  of  Knighton  House,  Leicester;  A.  J.  H.  W  'right- 
son,  of  the  College  of  Agriculture,  Downton;  F.  R.  Kelly,  ot 
Ballantlea  Park,  co.  Clare,  Ireland ;  N.  D.  Stewart,  of  Bryn- 
tirion,  Vaynol  Park,  Port  Dinorwie,  North  Wales;  and  C. 
Crowley,  of  Banghurst  Rectory,  Basingstoke. 
July  Weather  at  Belvoir  Castle. 
The  prevailing  direction  cf  the  wind  was  W.  ;  total  eleven 
days.  The  total  rainfall  was  1.24in,  this*  fell  on  eleven  days, 
and  is  1.58in  below  the  average  for  the  month;  the  greatest 
daily  fall  was  0.28in  on  the  25th.  Barometer  (corrected  and 
reduced:  highest  reading  30.302in  on  the  2nd  at  9  p.m. ;  lowest 
reading  29.305in  on  the  26th  at  9  p.m.)  Thermometers  ;  highest 
in  the  shade,  81deg  cn  the  14th  ;  lowest,  39deg  on  the  25th  ; 
mean  cf  daily  maxima,  66.93deg ;  mean  of  daily  minima, 
49.83deg ;  mean  temperature  of  the  month,  58.3Sdeg;  lowest 
on  the  grass,  35deg  cn  the  25th;  highest  in  the  sun,  131deg 
on  the  16th;  mean  temperature  of  the  earth  at  3ft,  57.9Gdeg. 
Total  sunshine,  162  hours  30  minutes ;  which  is  30  hours 
12  minutes  below  the  average  for  the  month;  there  were  two 
sunless  days.  The  mean  temperatures  are  the  lowest  we  have 
had  in  July  for  several  years.- — W.  H.  Divers. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick, 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chis¬ 
wick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Rain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
o 
J-f  -. 
r-  CD 
2  £  * 
*  «>o 
o  a 
^  s  § 
a>  » 
EH 
1902. 
August. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4- ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
C/3 
ffi 
A 
to 
s 
Lowest. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Sunday  ...  3 
W.SAV. 
£0-7 
559 
670 
539 
0'03 
60  6 
59-5 
57-5 
48-6 
Monday  ...  4 
S.W. 
555 
54  0 
67  3 
51-7 
007 
603 
59-5 
575 
44-8 
Tuesday...  5 
W.S.W. 
64-1 
59  1 
720 
54-0 
017 
61-8 
597 
57'5 
515 
Wed’sday  6 
S.E. 
61-6 
60  8 
68  0 
58-5 
0-61 
627 
602 
575 
51-4 
Thursday  7 
S.W. 
63  7 
60  2 
69-8 
54-2 
0-02 
61-8 
60-3 
575 
46*2 
Friday  ...  8 
W.S.W. 
61'9 
58-3 
67'4 
57-9 
0-02 
62-8 
60  5 
577 
54-5 
Saturday  9 
W.S.W. 
566 
52-2 
606 
48-2 
0-02 
61-0 
60-6 
57'8 
41-9 
Total. 
Means  ... 
;  60-6 
573 
67  A 
54T 
0-94 
61  6 
600 
57-6 
48-4 
The  weather  during  the  past  week  has  been  dull  and  cold  ;  rain  till 
every  day,  and  was  very  heavy  on  the  afternoon  of  the  6th. 
