JOURNAL  OF  HORTTOULTUR  'E  AND  COTTAGE  '  GARDENER, 
June  23,  1904. 
r:46 
hurdles,  A'c.,  were  so  strong  and  substantial  as  to  seem  destined 
to  last  ’  for  ever.  Messrs.  Daniel  de  Pa.ss,  1,  Fenchorch 
Buildings,  E.C.,  had  samples  of  their  pure  guano  and  other  fer¬ 
tilisers.  Messrs.  .1.  Edgington  and  Co.,  108,  Old  Kent  Road, 
iS.E.,  had  garden  .seats,  tents,  Arc. 
On  this  occasion  the  Forestry  Committee  organised  a  Bidtish 
l''orestry  exhibition,  which  appeared  to  have  fair  success,  and  of 
this  and  the  kindred  agricultural  education  exhibition  we  may 
have  a  fuller  record  in  our  next  issue.  The  latter  was  organised 
by  the  Education  Committee  of  the  society,  in  co-operatipn  with 
tile  Lawes  Agricultural  Trust  and  Agricultural  and  Univer.sity 
colleges.  This  we  found  last  year  to  be  one  of  the  be.st  features 
of  the  fixture,  and  on  this  occasion  it  was  very  well  attended. 
Specimens  of  fruiting  bushes,  Ac.,  infested  with  insects  and 
Newport  (Mon.)  Gardeners’. 
The  usual  meeting  of  the  above  association  was  held  on  .J une  8, 
when  Mr.  D.  Powell,  gardener  to  Colonel  C.  T.  "Wallis,  read 
a  very  practical  paper  on  the  culture  of  Achimenes.  Mr.  Powell 
(who  has  taken  many  first  prizes  at  the  local  shows  lor  these 
plants)  said  the  Achimenes  was  a  most  chai-ming  plant  for  con¬ 
servatory  decoration,  being  very  beautiful  when  well  grown  and 
flowered,  and  ought  to  have  a  place  in  every  gentleman’s  e.stab- 
lishihent.  They  are  vei'y  attractive  for  hanging  baskets  and 
brackets  against  the  wall  of  the  conservatory,  not  tying  them 
up,  but  letting  them  droop  of  their  ow]i  sweet  will.  They  may 
be  grown  in  pots  oj-  in  ])an.s  for  exhibition,  which  should  be  quite 
clean  and  well  drained.  The  .soil  would  l)e  two  parts  fibrous 
loam,  one  part  fibrous  peat,  and  one  itart  well 
decayed  oak-leaf  .soil,  a  small  quantity  of  wood 
ashes,  and  sufficient  sand  to  make  the  com- 
po.st  porous. 
Fill  the  pots  or  pans  to  about  l^in  from 
the  top,  pressing  the  soil  firmly,  then  place 
the  conns  over  the  surface,  about  l^in  apart, 
placing  nearly  lin  of  soil  on  top ;  then  place 
them  in  .stove  or  warm  greenhouse.  AVater 
very  sparingly  until  they  commence  to  grow. 
AVhen  about  bin  high  tie  them  up,  using  neat 
privet  .sticks,  giving  them  more  light  and  air. 
Fse  the  syringe  night  and  morning  on  bright 
sunny  day.s.  this  will  tend  to  keep  down  thrip 
and  red  spider,  keeping  a  moist  atmosphere. 
They  must  be  shaded  from  bright  sun.  "Weak 
soot-water  given  when  the  flower-buds  are 
showing  IS  very  beneficial  once  or  tAvice  a  week. 
After  blooming,  remove  to  a  cool  and  airy 
.Treenhouse,  and  Avhen  the  foliage  begins  to  de- 
ca.v,  gradually  withhold  Avater  until  quite  diy, 
A\  hen  the  conns  may  be  picked  out  and  pAit  into 
small  pots,  covered  Avith  dry  sand,  and  stored  in 
a  drv  place  in  a  temperature  of  about  50deg. 
The  best  time  for  potting  them  Avould  be  the 
end  of  February  and  beginning  of  March.  If 
attacked  by  thrip  or  green  fly,  fumigate  at  one.' 
Avith  XL  All.  Achimenes  may  be  lAi’opagated 
by  the  conns,  cuttings,  and  leaA'es,  Avhich  root 
readily  in  good,  moist  heat,  also  by  seed.  A 
good  discussion  folloAved,  in  Avhich  the  chaii’- 
man,  Me.ssrs.  Harris,  ^VoodAvard,  AViggins, 
Daniels,  .lones,  and  .  Mitchell  took  part.  Mr.  PoAvell  AA  as 
accorded  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  for  his  intere.sting  paper.  Mr. 
J.  Duff  pre,sided. — J.  Pegler. 
A  Petrol-Driven  Spraying  Pump. 
The  pre.sent  figure  .sIioaa’s  the  “  XoAmlty  ”  patent  portabltA 
petrol-driven  pump  for  spraying,  hop  Avashing,  Avatering  Ac.  It 
is  driven  by  a  petrol  high  speed  motor,  Avith  gun-metal  rotai’v 
pump,  coupled  direct  to  the  motor  sliaft,  the  Avhole  machinery 
mounted  on  a  30  gallon  tank,  carried  on  tAvo  light  iron  wheels, 
and  provided  Avith  handles.  The  ])etrol  su])ply  is  canued  for  10 
to  12  hours  Avorking,  and  the  ignition  is  by  battery  and  coil.  The 
jAump  can  draAv  from  the  tank,  in  Avhich  an  insecticide  can  be 
mixed  for  spraying ;  or  a  suction  pipe  can  be  employed  to  draAA: 
from  a  pond,  stream,  or  other  supply.  A  pressure  of  601b  per 
square  inch  can  be  maintained,  the  delivery  being  sufficient  to 
keep  three  or  four  sprays  going  at  once.  The  motor  can  be 
started  instantly,  and  the  apparatus  Avill  do  the  Avork  of  several 
men  at  less  cost,  Avhile  being  lighter  in  Aveight  and  more  portable 
than  .steam  apparatus.  It  is  offered  by  Messrs.  AIcrryAveather 
and  Sons,  Ltd.,  of  GreeiiAA'ich  Road,  liondon. 
Concentrated  Fertilisers. 
If,  in  addition  to  nitrate  of  soda,  other  concentrated  nitro¬ 
genous  fertili.sers  are  used,  such  as  sulphate  of  ammonia,  fish 
guano,  dried  blood,  rape  dust,  Ac.,  these  should  be  put  on 
earlier  than  the  nitrate  of  soda ;  and  in  this  case  the  quantity 
of  nitrate  AA-ould  be  decreased.  It  must  be  remembered,  hoAv- 
ever,  that  tlie  nitrogen  in  nitrate  of  .soda  is  immediately  avail¬ 
able  for  plant  use,  and  that  the  nitrogen  in  IcAvt  of  nitrate  of 
soda  goes  fartb.er,  for  the  immediate  crop,  than  the  same 
quantity  of  nitrogen  in  the  form  of  fish  guano  or  rape  dust  or 
dried  blood,  or  even — except  in  a  AAet  season — of  sulphate  of 
ammonia.  In  fact,  the  choice  betAAeen  nitrate  of  soda  and 
sulphate  of  ammonia,  and  their  proportion  to  any  other  nitro¬ 
genous  fertilisers  used,  is  to  be  determined  in  individual  cases 
by  circumstances  of  soil,  climate,  and  cost. 
Merryweather’s  “Novelty”  Spraying  Machine. 
fungoid  attacks  Avei’e  on  shoAv.  together  with  soils  and  crops, 
showing  the  effects  of  various  manures,  Ac. 
Next  to  the  educational  section  Avere  open-air  groups  of  orna¬ 
mental  deciduous  and  evergreen  shrubs  from  Messrs.  Dicksons, 
of  Chester ;  Little  and  Bailantyne,  Carlisle ;  and  Mr.  L.  R. 
Russell,  Richmond.  All  the  subjects  AA'ere  clearly  named,  and 
these  formed  an  intere.sting  and  instructive  feature. 
A  forestry  exhibit,  comprising  seedling  Pines  and  Conifers, 
Ac.,  each  in  trays  and  narroAv  boxes  by  it.self,  and  backed  by 
taller  shrubs,  came  from  Hon.  Mark  Rolle,  Stevenstone  and  Bic- 
ton,  DeA'on.  The  foresters  (Mr.  Barrie  of  Stevenstone  and  Air. 
Aluirhead  of  Bicton)  are  to  be  congratulated  on  the  neatness  and 
high  genei’al  excellence  of  the  Avhole  display.  So  many  as  153 
different  kinds  AA'ere  on  view.  Another  exhibit  aars  that  of 
German  fqre.stry. implements,  and  of  piles  of  different  AAoods,  to 
(U’ove  their  durability  as  fencing  posts. 
‘  Royal  Meteorological. 
'J'lie  second  of  the  afternoon  meetings  for  the  present  session 
wa.s  lield^  on  "NVednesday,  the  15th  inst.,  in  the  rooms  of  the 
society,  70,  Victoria  Street,  M^estminster,  Capt.  D.  AVilson 
Barker,  president,  in  the  chair.  The  Rev.  C.  F.  Bax  gave  an 
account  of  some  curious  “  Effects  of  a  Lightning  Stroke  at 
Earl’s  Fee,  BoAA^ers  Gifford,  E.ssex,  April  13,  1904.”  A  thunder¬ 
storm  occurred  during  the  early  morning  hours,  and  about  three 
a.m.  there  Avas  a  blinding  flash,  lighting  up  the  Avhole  neigh¬ 
bourhood  for  miles  around,  folloAved  immediately  by  a  crashing 
explosion.  One  person  stated  that  he  saAv  what  appeared  to  be 
a  cylinder,  and  another  person  a  ball  of  fire  descend  and  then 
explode,  “  casting  darts  ”  in  all  directions. 
On  careful  examination  in  daylight,  it  AA'as  found  that  in  an 
Oat  field  Avhich  had  recently  been  dredged,  there  AA'ere  three  dis¬ 
tinct  .sets  of  holes  ranging  from  Din  doAAm  to  about  lin  in 
diameter.  The  holes,  AAdiich  Avere  perfectly  circular,  diminished 
in  .size  as  they  went  downAvards,  and  remained  so  on  to  the 
j^erfected  rounded  ends  at  the  bottom.  Upon  digging  section- 
ally  into  the  soil,  which  is  stiff  yellow  clay,  it  Avas  found  that 
the  holes  Avere  “  as  clean  cut  as  though  bored  Avith  an  auger.” 
An  interesting  discussion  folloAved  the  reading  of  this  paper. 
A  paper  by  Mr.  A.  Lawrence  Rotch,  of  the  Blue  Hill  Observa¬ 
tory,  U.S.A.,  describing  ‘‘  An  Instrument  for  Determining  the 
I  rue  Direction  and  Velocity  of  the  Wind  at  Sea  ”  Avas,  in  the 
a-|j;sence  of  the  author,  read  by  the  secretary. 
