November  5.  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
429 
not  fall,  and  in  consequence  these  were  the  only  days  on  which 
any  corn  was  cut  or  gathered.  And  during  the  month  about 
8ins  of  rain  fell.  This  is  phenomenal,  especially  so  for  October, 
which,  as  a  rule,  is  not  a  wet  month.  The  foliage  keeps  green. 
Still,  many  trees  are  partly  denuded,  as  much  by  the  stress  of 
recent  wind  storms  as  by  natural  causes.  The  temperature, 
upon  the  whole,  has  been  high,  with  the  result  that  growth  i,n 
soft  wooded  subjects  was  unchecked.  Outside  things,  such  as 
Dahlias,  arc  still  flowering  as  if  in  the  month  of  August. — 
D.  C.,  Hamilton,  N.B. 
Sussex  Weather. 
The  total  rainfall  at  Abbots  Leigh,  Hayward’s  Heath,  for 
the  past  month  was  7.21ins,  which  is  3.61ins  above  the  average. 
The  heaviest  fall  was  lin  on  the  12th  ;  rain  fell  on  twenty-seven 
day.s.  The  amount  of  rain  this  month  has  been  exceeded  twice 
in  our  record  of  twenty-three  years,  viz.,  October,  1880,  with 
8.23ins,  and  1891  with  7.83  ins;  but  it  has  broken  the  record 
as  to  the  number  of  days  on  which  rain  fell.  The  maximum 
temperature  was  67deg  on  the  3rd,  the  minimum  33deg  on  the 
24th  and  31st.  Mean  maximum,  59deg ;  mean  minimum, 
46.01deg;  mean  temperature,  52.50deg — 3.85deg  above  the 
average.  “  Too  wet  for  anything  ”  has  been  the  general  verdict 
on  October.  Much  work  in  arrears,  and  vegetation  not  in  a 
good  state  to  resist  hard  frost  should  it  occur. — R.  I. 
Temple  House  Gardens,  Great  Marlow,  Bucks. 
The  register  of  rainfall  here  for  the  month  of  October,  1903, 
was  8.83ins,  and  for  October,  1902,  1.79ins.  During  the  past 
month  rain  fell  on  twenty-nine  days;  quite  a  deluge  during  the 
night  of  the  27th  and  early  morning  of  the  28th,  when  1.26ins 
was  registered.  There-  were  four  foggy  mornings,  viz.,  on  the 
1st,  8th,  24th,  and  31st;  thunder  on  the  1st  and.  22nd;  heavy 
thunder  and  hailstorm  on  the  evening  of  the  25th ;  thunder  on 
the  26th;  and  heavy  hailstorm  on  the  15th.  There  were  rough 
winds  on  the  5th,  6th,  and  16th,  and  a  gale  on  the  25th.  The 
maximum  temperature  for  October,  190^  was  66deg  on  the  1st, 
and  the  minimum  32deg  on  the  30th.  The  maximum  tempera¬ 
ture  for  October,  1902,  was  64deg  on  the-  10th,  and  the  jninimum 
30deg  on  the  18th.  We  are  situated  close  to-  the  river  Thames, 
105ft  9ins  above  sea  level,  and  our  average  yearly-  rainfall  is 
27.50ins. — G.  G. 
Heavy  Rainfall  at  Alton,  Hants. 
The  rainfall  as  registered  at  Rotherfield  Park  for  October 
has  been  exceptionally  heavy.  Total  for  the  month,  11.37ins, 
more  than  double  the  cjiuantity  that  has  fallen  in  any  previous 
month  of  the  present  abnormally  wet  year.  It  rained  every 
day  exceiit  three,  viz.,  13th,  17th,  and  30th.  Our  heaviest  fall 
was  on  tlie  11th,  when  1.90in  fell.  Over  an  inch  also  fell  on  the 
27th,  when  we  registered  1.21in.  For  the  ten  months  ending 
October  31  the  total  rainfall  here  has  been  42.54ins. — Wilmot 
H.  Yates,  Rotherfield  Park  Gardens,  Alton,  Hants. 
This  short  weather  note,  being  of  more  than  ordinary  in¬ 
terest,  I  venture  to  send  it  for  the  Journal.  Rainfall  for  the 
month  of  October :  Total  of  10.17ins,  falling  on  twenty-seven 
days.  The  greatest  fall  was  on  the  11th,  1.54in. — E.  Platt, 
The  Gardens,  Borden  Wood,  Liphook,  Hants. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  Braiswiek  Rose  Gardens,  Colchester. — Boses. 
Clibrans,  Altrincham. — Trees  and  Shrubs,  Boses  and  Fruits. 
John  Cowan,  Gateaere  Nurseries,  Liverpool. — “  Ilarefield  Hall  ” 
collection  of  Orchids,  duplicates  sold. 
Dammann  and  Co,,  Naples,  Italy. — Novelties  for  1904. 
Dicksons,  Chester. — Trees  and  Shrubs. 
M.  Herb,  Via  Trivio,  24-36,  Naples. — Novelties  for  1904. 
Harlan  P.  Kelsey,  Boston,  Mass.,  U.S.A. — Hardy  Bhododendrons. 
Little  and  Ballantyne,  Carlisle. — Trees,  forest  and  ornamental. 
J.  Peed  and  Son,  West  Norwood,  London,  S.E. — Chrysanthemums. 
Illustrated  Catalogues  of  Buildings. 
Boulton  and  Paul,  Ltd.,  Rose  Lane  Works,  Norwich. 
W.  Duncan  Tucker,  Lawrence  Road,  Tottenham,  London,  N. 
Foster  and  Pearson,  Beeston,  Notts. 
Portable  Building  Co.,  Ltd.,  Fleetwood. 
J.  Weeks  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  Fernshaw  Road,  King’s  Road,  Chelsea,  S.W. 
Communications  Received.— F.  W.  C.,  B.  Cowan,  Board  of 
Agriculture,  G.  H.  H.,  W.  H.  S.,  R.  C.,  J.  U.,  Weichel  and 
Co.,  M.  W.,  S.  H.,  J.  B.  S.,  A  Reader  (the  letter  had  been 
overlooked),  J.  S.,  C.  J.,  Librarian  of  the  Smithsonian  Insti¬ 
tute,  Washington,  U.S.A. ,  R.  C.,  A.  F.-M.  (we  relied  on  a 
Glasgow'  representative),  R.  H.  and  Co.,  James  Gray,  Thames 
Bank  Iron  Co.,  E.  M.,  H.  D.,  Sec.  Board  of  Agriculture, 
A.  O’N.,  M.  A.,  W.  G.,  S.  and  S.,  W.  H.  Y.,  G.  A.,  W.  B., 
and  S. 
HE  BEE-KEEPE 
■  1  -  I .  I  -T- 1  •  I  -  1  - 1  -T  - 1  -  I  -• 
Hive  Roofs. 
It  is  most  important  that  hive  roofs  should  be  watertight, 
and  they  sliould  receive  particular  attention  at  this  time  of  the 
year.  It  is  highly  probable  that  more  colonies  are  ruined  and 
more  weaklings  oome  through  the  winter  caused  by  the  damp¬ 
ness  of  quilts  than  from  starvation.  Evidence  of  leakages  in 
roofs  may  be  obtained  by  examining  the  quilts  after  a  wet  spell, 
and  any  hives  which  are  suspected  should  have  the  roof  removed 
some  fine  warm  day,  and  the  upper  quilts,  if  wet  or  damp,  re¬ 
placed  by  dry  and  comfortable  ones.  This,  if  done  carefully, 
need  not  disturb  the  bees.  Dryness  is  essential  to  prosperity. 
If  the  damp  penetrates  through  cracks  it  may  be  stopped  by 
putting  pitch  along  them,  and  then  covering  with  a  sheet  of 
brown  paper,  over  which  rub  a  heated  iron.  The  heat  melts 
the  pitch,  and  it  runs  and  fills  all  crevic,es  splendidly,  and  is  very 
inexpensive.  Putty,  after  exposure  to  the  weather,  very  often 
dries  and  falls  out,  and  sawdust  and  glue  paste  for  the  purpose 
is  seldom  satisfactory.  If  the  roof  is  past  the  pitch  method  of 
renovation  it  must  be  covered  with  sheet  zinc,  turning  the  edges 
under  and  nailing  on  the  under  side.  The  reason  wdiy  nailing 
on  the  under  side  is  advisable  is  to  avoid  nail  holes  on  the 
upper  side,  which,  no-  matter  how'  small  they  may  be,  allow 
the  rain  to  percolate  by  wdiat  is  termed  capillary  attraction. 
Of  course,  damp  may  arise  through  the  kind  of  wmod  used 
in  the  construction  of  the  hive,  some  being  more  porous  than 
others,  and  consequently  less  suitable  for  hive  making.  There 
is,  how’evef,  no  doubt  that  all  hives  should  be  painted  once  a 
yeari  One  of  the  few  deadly  diseases  to  which  bees  are  liable, 
viz.,  dysentery,  is  often  caused  by  dampness  and  lack  of  .suffi¬ 
cient  ventilation.  The  latter  is  ensured  by  having  cones  or 
hole-s  in  the  roof  back  and  front,  which  w’ill  allow  a  circulation 
of  air  around  the  quilts,  thus  permitting  the  noxious  vapours 
generated  by  the  bees  to-  pass  from  the  hive.  If  there  is  no 
upward  ventilation  the  ciuilts  become  damp,  and  not  only  do  the 
ciuilts  become  wet,  but  the  inside  walls  of  the  hive,  and  for  this 
reason,  therefore,  it  ivould  be  quite  wwong  to  prevent  ventilation, 
like  some  apiarists  do-  under  the  misapprehension  that  they  are 
thereby  retaining  the  heat. — E.  E.,  Sandbach. 
- - - — - 
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. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
October. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
OQ 
<0 
A 
bO 
s 
49 
CO 
0) 
s 
o 
J 
Sunday  ...18 
Monday  ...19 
Tuesday  ...20 
Wed’sday  21 
Thursday  22 
Friday  ...23 
Saturday  24 
W.N.W. 
S.E. 
5.5. E. 
W.N.W. 
5.5. W. 
W.S.W. 
S.E. 
deg. 
49- 2 
50- 5 
53-7 
54  4 
51- 6 
47-7 
43-7 
deg. 
46-9 
49- 7 
51  9 
52'5 
50- 6 
45-8 
42-4 
deg. 
521 
56-0 
55-9 
55-5 
59T 
52-8 
55"6 
deg. 
43-8 
45-8 
50-3 
50-2 
42  2 
41-0 
35  0 
Ins. 
Oil 
0-04 
0-03 
0-25 
0-23 
0-17 
deg. 
52-2 
52- 3 
53- 3 
53-5 
52-3 
51  7 
50-3 
deg. 
55  0 
54-7 
54-5 
54-7 
54  5 
54  2 
53*7 
deg. 
56-3 
56-1 
5e‘J 
55-8 
55-6 
555 
55-3 
deg. 
34'3 
40-5 
46-8 
42-5 
34-0 
33'8 
27-5 
Means  ... 
50'1 
48-5 
55-3 
44  0 
Total. 
0-83 
i  52-2 
54-5 
55  8 
37  1 
There  is  no  change,  simply  a  continuation  of  the  dull,  w'et  weather 
we  have  been  recording  for  several  weeks  past. 
Sunday  ...25 
Monday  ...26 
Tuesday  ...27 
Wed’sday  28 
Thursday  29 
Friday  ...30 
Saturday  31 
S.E. 
5.5. W. 
5.5. E. 
S.W. 
5.5. W. 
5.5. W, 
S.W. 
deg. 
52-0 
57-5 
48-4 
48-5 
54-7 
50-7 
42  5 
deg. 
51-3 
53-5 
47-8 
47-6 
520 
47-9 
41-6 
deg. 
54- 3 
581 
57-3 
55- 6 
58  6 
55  8 
54-3 
deg. 
44  0 
51'8 
43’3 
48-2 
44-0 
46-8 
36  0 
Ins. 
018 
0-51 
0-36 
0-02 
0-29 
deg. 
51- 2 
52- 2 
52-2 
52-9 
51  7 
51-8 
50  0 
deg. 
53  2 
53  2 
53-3 
53-3 
53-3 
53-2 
53-1 
deg. 
55T 
54-9 
54-8 
54-8 
54  5 
54-5 
54  4 
deg. 
34-8 
43-8 
33-5 
48  5 
32  5 
36-5 
27-5 
Means  ... 
50-6 
48-8 
56-3 
44  9 
Total. 
1-36 
51-7 
53-2 
54-7 
36  7 
The  weather  has  again  been  dull,  with  rain  on  five  days. 
