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HORTICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 



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EW PARK AT MiDDLESBOROUGH. — His Royal Highness Prince Arthnr 

 opened the New Park on Tuesday, August 11th, This was presented to 

 the town by Mr. Bolckow, of the firm of Bolckow and Vaughan, the 

 celebrated ironmasters of that town ; he having also spent a large sum 

 of money in laying it out, and making various improvements necessary 

 for the comfort and enjoyment of the thousands for whose benefit it is intended. 



Grand International Exhibition of Fruit. — The managers of the Royal 

 Caledonian Horticultural Society have determined upon holding an " International 

 Exhibition" of Fruit in Edinburgh next year. It is to take place in September ; 

 and, great as was the success of that held in 1865 by this Society, we venture to 

 predict a greater success still, if the management is conducted in the same broad, 

 liberal spirit as was evinced in the above-mentioned gathering. The Gardener 

 says upon this subject: — *' The great London societies are, by the force of circum- 

 stances, compelled to have their exhibitions during the London season, when it is 

 impossible to give such prominence to fruit as could be desired. The English pro- 

 vincial societies generally hold their exhibitions to suit the early summer holidays 

 and fruit-growers felt that, while the greatest possible encouragement is given to 

 plants by the great societies we have referred to, fruit does not receive that amount 

 of encouragement which its importance deserves. To meet this deficiency is the 

 object of the projectors of the Exhibition of 1869 ; and we believe they intend to 

 appeal to the leading growers of the country for that support which they received 

 so readily on the occasion of the previous exhibition of the same character. It is 

 nearly impossible to make an exhibition of plants anything like international, from 

 the expense and difiiculty of transport ; not so with fruit. It can be packed at one 

 end of the kingdom one day, and be at the other the next, at small risk and cost 

 either of money or labour. Under these circumstances, we hope and expect that 

 the directors of the Caledonian Society will receive such liberal support from all 

 fruit-growers as will enable them to eclipse their former exhibition, which was ad- 

 mitted on all hands to have been the greatest display of fine fruit ever seen in one 

 place at one time." 



Mr. D. Higford D. Burr, Aldermaston Court, Reading, has been elected a 

 Member of the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society, in the place of Mr. 

 Henry Cole, C.B., who resigned in May last. 



The Harvest of 1868. — This may be considered to he over throughout the 

 southern and midland counties. Wheat is remarkably fine both in quantity and 

 quality, though in many instances the straw is short. Other cereals, such as barley 

 and oats, are below the average, and beans and peas have suff"ered severely. 

 Potatoes are good, with the exception of those on light soils, which are much 

 smaller than usual. There appears to be no traces of disease. The root crops have 

 suffered more severely from the drought than anything, which is a source of much 

 anxiety to the farmer, particularly those who feed cattle largely for the market. 

 Potatoes are making a second growth. Where they are large enough, take them 

 up at once, and rub off" the secondary tubers. Cool, m.oist weather is better than 

 hright, hot, sunny weather for taking up potatoes. The latter is preferred by some 

 people, but our advice is to tliose who value their crop not to wait. Those that are 

 too small as yet to pay for digging are as well left alone for the present, as the 

 young tubers now forming may, by the aid of the present genial weather, be useful 

 by and by. 



We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. J. E. Lane, jun., of the firm 

 of Lane and Sons, the great rose and fruit growers, Great Berkhampstead, in the 

 thirty-first year of his age. 



The French Vintage.— The Salut Pullic of Lyons says :— " The wine crop 

 offers a splendid aspect everywhere, and is magnificent in Burgundy, Revermont, 

 and Lyons country. In the vineyards of Beaujolais, the vine-stocks literally bend 

 beneath the weight of the grapes, which at present have attained almost their full 

 size, and have begun to redden for the last few days. The owners are in high 

 spirits, and if slight showers and great heat should alternate as hitherto, there are 

 grounds for expecting a very superior yield, in quantity and quality, as compared 

 with that of last year j and, besides, the vintage can be made a month earlier. We 



