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ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S FRUIT AND 

 VEGETABLE SHOW, Oct. 19, 20, 21. 



This was a small but highly interest- 

 ing exhibition. Two long tables in 

 the conservatory and the arcade 

 adjoining on the western side were 

 occupied with a beautiful display of 

 fruits and vegetables, the choicer 

 subjects in the former class being 

 located in the conservatory, which 

 presented a beautiful scene. The 

 arrangement of subjects was accord- 

 ing to established routine ; there were 

 no trophies, no attempts at " sensa- 

 tional " effects, yet every depart- 

 ment of pomology was fairly repre- 

 sented, and the visitors consisted for 

 the most part of practical horticul- 

 turists, amateur and professional. 



GfiAPBS. — The most interesting 

 contribution to this class was the 

 collection of pot vines from Messrs. 

 H. Lane and Son, of Great Berk- 

 hampstead. These made a grand 

 feature on the table appropriated to 

 grapes. These were all compactly 

 trained, and loaded with fine bunches, 

 showing in every feature the evidence 

 of most skilful cultivation. In the 

 class for three bunches of Black 

 Grapes, there was a spirited competi- 

 tion, and Messrs. H. Lane and Son 

 took first place with magnificent 

 samples of Black Hamburgh. Mr. 

 J. W. Potts, gardener to M. Philips, 

 Esq., Stratford-on-Avon, took second 

 place with Birbarossa, the three 

 bunches weighing 12f lb., and in 

 beautiful condition as to symmetry 

 and colour. Equal second, Mr. W. 

 Mead, gardener to R. Currie, Esq., 

 Farnborough, with Muscat Ham- 

 burgh, weight 7 lb. 3 oz. In this 

 class Miss Mary Plinke, F.R.H.S., 

 of 2, Addington Terrace, Kensington, 

 exhibited three bunches of Black 

 Frontignan grown on an open wall. 

 These were excellent examples of 

 outdoor grapes, the bunches large, 

 slightly shouldered, the berries 

 tolerably uniform in size, small, but 

 in perfection as to colour. White 

 Grapes were also well shown ; first, 

 Mr. W. Mead, with Muscat of Alex- 

 andria, 11 lb. 13 ozs.; these bunches 



were particularly handsome, uniform, 

 and faultless in colour. Second, Mr. 

 A. Ingram, gardener to J. J. Blandy, 

 Esq., Highgrove, Reading, fine 

 bunches of the same. Third, Mr. J. 

 Pottle, gardener to B. D. Colvin, 

 Esq., Woodbridge, with the same 

 variety, the bunches fine in quality 

 of berry, but not handsome. In 

 this class Messrs. Lane and Son 

 exhibited Buckland Sweetwater. 

 These were rather small, loose 

 bunches ; the berries small, round, 

 on long peduncles ; the colour a not 

 very pleasing pale amber. 



In the Miscellaneous Class, 

 Messrs. H. Lane and Son exhibited 

 a fine collection of cut grapes, which 

 was deservedly awarded a first place. 

 In this collection there were fine 

 examples of West's St. Peter's, the 

 berries below the average size, but 

 remarkably uniform, the colour and 

 bloom exquisitely beautiful. Golden 

 Hamburgh, bunches rather loose, 

 berries large, and in that exact 

 degree of ripeness at which the 

 colour begins to change from greenish- 

 yellow to clear pale amber. Black 

 Hamburgh, the best of all black 

 grapes, superb in size of bunch and 

 berry, and black as death with ripe- 

 ness. Black Morocco, a not very 

 valuable grape, though difficult to 

 grow to exhibition standard: these 

 were grand bunches, as well ripened 

 as the Black Hamburghs. Lady 

 Downes, the most beautiful of all 

 black grapes, as it is also one of the 

 very best. Dutch Hamburgh : this 

 is a very distinct grape, and no judge 

 of fruit need confound it with Black 

 Hamburgh, unless he had first taken 

 a " Dutchman's draught," and then 

 the blunder would be pardonable. 

 This never attains to the uniform 

 blackness of most other grapes of the 

 class ; there is invariably some trace 

 of purplish-red next the peduncles, 

 and the berries are hammered. 

 Black Prince, slightly shouldered, 

 long bunches, berries large, uniform, 

 deeply coloured, and with a beautiful 



