118 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
Royal  Meteorological  Society. 
The  next  ordinary  meeting  of  the  society  will  he  lield  at 
the  Institution  of  Civil  Knginc-ers,  Great  George  Street,  West¬ 
minster,  S.W.,  on  Wednesday,  the  17th  instant,  at  7.30  p.m., 
when  the  following  papers  will  be  read;  “Report  on  the 
Phonological  .Observ’ations  for  1903,”  by  Rdward  Mawley, 
r.R.Mct.Soc.,  r.R.H.S.  “Observations  by  means  of  Kites  at 
Crinan  in  the  Summer  of  1903,”  by  W.  H.  Dines,  B.A., 
r.R.Mct.Soc. 
Rugby  and  District  Horticultural  Society. 
Mr.  Win.  Bryant,  the  secretary,  writes  to  say  tliat  his 
committee  have  fixed  the  dates  ior  the  next  shmv  on  Nov.  1(5 
and  17.  Tlie  balance-sheet  for  1903  shows  a  small  deficit,  but 
the  ladies  wlio  have  a  .stall  in  aid  of  the  Royal  Gardeners’ 
Orphan  Fund  were  enabled  to  send  a  cheque  for  £7,  making 
the  total  sent  from  this  source  during  the  society’s  existence 
£93  18.S.  8d. 
Scottish  Horticultural  Association. 
At  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association’s  meeting  on 
February  il,  exhibits  were  few  but  interesting.  Mr.  Smale, 
Blackford  Park,  showed  beautiful  branches  in  most  proliferous 
bloom  of  Clematis  indivi.sa.  Mr.  T.  A.  Scarlett  exhibited 
specimens  of  selected  Northern  Star  Potato  ;  also  a  single  tuber 
of  Eldorado  said  to  be  worth  £2o.  Lycaste  lanipes  lasioglossum 
was  shown  by  Mr.  James  Hunter,  Bangholm  Bower,  Trinity 
From\Mr.  Comfort  a  pot  of  Iris  histrioides  and  cut  specimens 
of  Gan-ya  elliptica.  ]jaurustinn.«,  .  and  Jasminum  nudifloruni. 
Votes  of  thanks  wei'e  awarded  the  exhibitors.  A  paper  entitled 
“  Scotti.sh  -  Plant  Names,”  by  Mr.  Brotherston,  Tyningham 
Hardens,  was  announced  foi-  next  month. 
Lecture  on  Sweet  Peas  at  Dulwich. 
At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Dulwich  Chrysantiiemum  Society 
Mr.  Percy  Watcrer  read  a  mot  interesting  and  instructive  paper 
on  “  Sweet  Peas.”  He  dwelt  cn  the  necessity  for  a  standard  in 
form  ;  for  example,  the  bold  upright  standard  of  Black  Knight 
and  the  hooded  .standard  and  wings  of  Lady  Grisel  Hamilton. 
The  double  form  was  hardly  desirable,  but  the  Cupid  and  Bu.sh 
varieties  will,  no  doubt,  become  popular.  The  imirortance  of 
four  flowers  on  a  stem  is  over-estimated,  as  they  are  seldom 
evenly  developed.  Early  planting  is  strongly  advised,  good  root 
action  being  encouraged  by  cool  weather,  and  deep  trenching  is 
important.  It  is  doubtful  if  change  of  soil  is  so  important  as 
generally  considered,  but  a  change  of  seed  is  occasionally  desir¬ 
able.  Natural  manures  are  advised  in  preference  to  artificial, 
especially  in  a  liquid  state.  After  giving  a  list  of  desirable 
varietie.s  the  lecturer  suggested  a  rselcction  of  eighteen,  consisting 
cf  Dorothy  Eckford,  Blanche  Burpee,  King  Edward  VII.,  Hon. 
Mrs.  Kenyon,  Prima  Donna  or  Lovely,  Coccinea,  Navy  Blue, 
Lady  Grisel  Hamilton,  Black  Knight,  Dorothy  Tennant,  Miss 
Willmott,  Lord  Rosebery,  Prince  of  Wales,  Triumph,  Prince 
Edward  of  York,  Lord  Kenyon,  Salopian,  and  America.  The 
lecturer  proceeded  to  advise  planting  seeds  in  pots  the  first  week 
in  February,  growing  on  and  planting  out  after  first  week  in 
April.  The  difficulty  in  Sweet  Peas  not  always  coming  true  is 
pjrobably  to  be  traced  to  incomplete  fixing,  as  experiments  showed 
that  a  variety  often  varied  through  difference  of  soil.  It  may 
also  follow  on  the  visit  of  a  species  of  bee  which  is  more  prevalent 
now  than  formerly.  The  Sweet  Pea  has  advantages  and  dis¬ 
advantages  in  hybridising  and  crossing  when  compared  with  other 
plants,  as,  for  instance,  tire  t'hrysanthemuni.  When  once  a 
variety  has  been  fixed  it  is  practically  inexhaustible,  but,  of 
course,  it  cannot  be  produced  by  bud  propagation.  The  lecturer 
carefull.y  explained  the  difficult  points  in  cultivation,  and  incited 
his  hearers  to  endeavour  at  any  rate  by  selection  to  improve  the 
existing  varieties  as  far  as  pos.sible.  Many  difficulties  which  had 
presented  themselves  to  members  were  satisfactorily  .‘.moothed 
away,  and  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Waterer  and  to  the  chairman, 
iMr.  Humphreys,  who  was  evidently  an  enthusiastic  Sweet  Pea 
grower,  closed  the  proceedings. 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.,  February  11.19C4.- 
Founder  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
The  remains  of  .Tames  Smithson,  the  Englishman  who  founded 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  (National  Museum  of  the  J'nited 
State.s)  in  Washington  reached  New  Yoi'k  on  January  20,  having 
been  conveyed  from  Genoa.  The  remains  were  conveyed  to  the 
Sniitlr^onian  In.stitution,  where  a  suitable  tomb  will  be  erected. 
Scottish  Challenge  Trophy  for  Grapes. 
Full  particulars  of  a  great  Grape  competition  for  a  challenge 
trophy  valued  at  50  guineas  will  be  found  on  page  40  of  the 
prize  list  for  th?  spring  show  of  the  Royal  C'aledonian  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society,  the  srid  show  taking  place  on  May  25  and  26 
this  year.  Eight  bunches  of  Grapes  are  wanted  (not  more  than 
two  of  any  variety),  and  with  the  challenge  trophy  a  gold  badge 
and  £15  in  cash  are  given.  The  secr?tarj’’,s  address  is  5,  Yoidc 
Place,  Edinburgh. 
Soettish  Forestry. 
The  Royal  Scottish  Arboricultural  Society’s  Excursion  Com¬ 
mittee  reports  that  permission  to  visit  the  State  Forest  School  at 
Nancy,  and  various  State  forests  in  France  had  been  granted  by 
the  French  Government.  The  committee  was  authorised  to 
proceed  with  the  necessary  arrangements.  It  has  been  agreed 
that  the  irroposed  conference  should  be  postponed  till  the  time 
of  tho  forestry  exhibition  in  the  Highland  Society’s  showyard  at 
Perth  in  July  next. 
New  York  Botanical  Carden. 
In  his  report  Dr.  Britton  .states  that  the  herbaceous  ground.s 
liave  about  3,000  different  kind  of  plants.  Considerable  addi¬ 
tions  were  made  last  year  to  the  fruticetum,  which  now  contains 
about  GG5  kinds.  In  tho  Salicetum,  or  collection  of  Willows, 
Poplars,  and  other  water-loving  trees,  the  number  of  species 
cultivated  is  about  tliirty.  In  all,  the  number  of  kinds  of 
hardy  trees  now  in  the  garden,  including  .some  still  in  the 
nursei’ios  and  too  small  to  be  .set  out,  is  about  450.  The  number 
of  species  now  exhibited  in  tlie  pa.blic  conservatories  is  about 
G,600,  as  against  5,800  a  year  ago.  At  present  the  total 
number  of  kinds  of  plants  represented  in  all  the  irlantations 
and  conservatories,  including  the  native  flora  of  the  garden 
tract,  is  about  11, GOO,  vhich  shows  a  gain  during  tlie  year  of 
about  1,000  species. 
Notes  from  Newton  Mearns,  N.B. 
January  has  gone,  and  itrs  peculiar  features  wore  (1)  low 
rainfall;  (2)  no  snow;  (3)  little  frost;  (4)  high  temperature. 
Seldom  have  we  seen  such  a  mild  January  ;  in  fact,  some  ,  of 
its  daj’s  were  much  superior  to  some  we  had  in  May  and  Jupe 
last  year.  Although  we  should  have  liked  to  have  seen  some 
frost  and  sn.ow  ere  this,  still,  we  are  satisfied,  for  we  have  been 
able  to  have  the  land  tilled ;  and  should  frost  now  come,  so  much 
the  better.  All  around  the  country  wo  see  numerous  patches 
of  land  turned  up.  and  thisjve  seldom  see  so  early  in  the  year. 
Should  dry  weather  prevail  in  March  early  sowing  will  be 
accomplished,  for  there  is  nothing  to  keep  it  back.  In  the 
garden  all  removals  and  replanting  have  been  accomplished,  and 
we  now  await  spring.  The  extreme'y  mild  weather  in  January 
has  pushed  on  vegetation  to  a  considerable  extent;  but  with 
the  advent  of  February  a  check  may  bo  looked  for. — N.  B. 
Land  Rents  Round  Prestonpans,  Mid-Lothian. 
One  cannot  help  remarking  on  the  extraordinary  demand  for 
land  for  market  gardening  purposes  in  the  Prestonpans  di.strict. 
No  doubt  the  land  in  that  quarter  is  very  good  naturally,  and 
tlie  district  has  an  ample  and  conveni..nt  service  of  trains  to  the 
Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  markets.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
Prestonpans  district  possesses  no  particular  advantages  in  regard 
to  earliness  or  climate.  It  is  about  eight  miles  from  Edinburgh, 
and  it  is  outwith  the  limit  for  the  cheap  Edinburgh  rate  to 
Glasgow.  And,  besides  that,  the  railway  companies  are  thr.'’aten- 
ing  trouble  just  now  by  affirming  that,  from  and  after  a  certain 
date  to  be  afterwards  fixed,  they  will  refuse  to  carry  parcels  of 
perishable  produce  under  one  ton  in  weight  by  goods  train  except 
at  “owner’s  risk.”  The  rents  of  land,  e.eu  where  unprovided 
with  any  buildings  whatever,  are  .stated  to  range  up  to  £10  per 
acre.  It  would  seem  that  there  is  either  a  good  deal  of  money  to 
be  made  at  the  market  busines.^,  or  else  there  are  plenty  of  men 
with  money  who  are  ready  to  try  their  hands  at  market  garden- 
iirg  in  the  vicinity  of  tiie  scene  of  Johnnie  Gone’s  defeat. 
