I873-] CHILWELL STRAIN OF PELARGONIUMS. 427 



be saved in fuel will be lost in earliness — and in many cases tbis is of 

 more consequence than the coal or coke bill : for my part, I would 

 not care to have a lower minimum temperature than 60° to 65° for 

 early forcing, nor do I think it necessary, in order to insure the setting 

 of the crop, to raise the temperature any higher. I cut Black Ham- 

 burgs in twenty-four weeks from the time the house was shut up, 

 and 65° was rarely exceeded until colouring commenced, nor was the 

 heat many times lower than 60°, though no attempt was made to keep 

 to a fixed temperature. From the time colouring commenced, from 

 68° to 73° was the minimum range, with air continually *' on " — the 

 Grapes were sweet though not ripe. We made the most of sun-heat 

 all through, running up to a figure in the day-time which would 

 alarm a good many. Coke is more than four times the price it was 

 last year at this time. I, for one, wish we could get things to succeed 

 in a lower temperature, but doubt it very much. E. P. B. 



COIiSTOlSr BASSET MELON. 



As they say in sporting circles, this is ''a real good thing." I do not 

 know that I have ever tasted a better Melon. The fruit is of good 

 size and appearance, sometimes large, a good keeper, and the flavour 

 first-rate. When fully ripe there is a juiciness and sugary crispness 

 about the flavour that very few Melons possess in any degree. It is a 

 somewhat shy bearer, and not an early Melon, but the plant is very 

 vigorous, and will bear a second and third crop much better than some. 

 It is a variety that should be grown by every one for the general crop. 

 *' Little Heath" we have tried, and find it comes in pretty early, but it 

 cannot bear comparison with the Colston Basset in any other respect; 

 in fact it is only a second-rate variety in our estimation. 



J. Simpson. 



THE CHILWELL STRAIN OE PELARGONIUMS. 



Mr J. R. Pearson of the Chilwell Nurseries, Nottingham, has made 

 his name famous through his indefatigable and most successful efi'orts 

 in producing so many new and improved varieties of Bedding Pelar- 

 goniums for summer flower-garden decoration, and for pot-culture. 

 What a host of fine ones we are indebted to him for ! — Milton, Shake- 

 speare, William Thomson, Duke of Devonshire and his gardener 

 Thomas Speed, Major Clarke, Lady Belper, Chilwell Beauty, Alfred, 

 and Bayard, all eminent names and eminent varieties, as well as many 

 others of more or less merit, yet none at all equalling Amaranth in the 



