October 2S, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



309 



a variety of the polymorphous A. pnlcljella, and it differs 

 chiefly from the type in having more numerous and longer 

 leaflets. Several other desu'able forms of A. pulehella are in 

 cultivation, one of which — A. hispidissima of catalogues — is 

 specially deserving of mention on account of the long spread- 

 ing hairs with which the branches are clothed. This variety 

 is also cultivated under the name of A. lasiocarpa. As a 

 companion plant to A. grandis may be recommended A. 

 Drummondii, a plant of more recent introduction, and per- 

 haps somewhat more delicate in habit. Many other desir- 

 able species occur in catatogues, but a large proportion of 

 these flower only when the plants have attained au incon- 

 venient size. 



The .A.cacia lophantha, frequently cultivated in the subtropical 

 garden for its elegant bipinnate foliage, is now placed in the 

 genus Albizzia, which is distinguished from Acacia by its 

 monadelphous stamens. — (IP. 'Thompson's English Flower 

 Garden, Itiviscd by the Author.) 



GOLDEN CHAMPION GRAPE. 



I HAVE a strong impression that, if this Grape were to receive 

 special treatment, the fatal spot which aflects it would to a 

 great extent disappear. It is a Grape that wants time to grow 

 and ripen, and a dry atmosphere. We have it here, grafted 

 on Black Hamburgh, in two different houses. In one house, 

 which has been subjected to a good deal of hard forcing for the 

 last two years to get the crop in at a desii'ed time, the Golden 

 Champion is simply unpresentable. In another early vinery, 

 which is thi'own open day and night as soon as the Hamburghs 

 and others begin to get ripe, by which time the Champion is 

 generally stUl green, it has always finished well. This season 

 a bunch in this house was allowed to hang a month or live 

 weeks after it was quite ripe, and when cut it was still plump 

 and without a blemish. It is such a magnificent Grape when 

 dished-up, if free from specks, that one is to be excused if they 

 fall freshly in love with it, and resolve to keep it on and give 

 it another trial. So far as my experience goes, I should think 

 it is a Grape which wants no more assistance in the way of 

 fire heat or forcing than will just enable it to ripen during the 

 most favourable part of the season. Those who have facilities 

 I would recommend to tr^' what the result would be if allowed 

 to come away naturally about AprU or May, keeping the venti- 

 lators always open, except in wet weather, and in fact giving it 

 little more than the protection of glass, using fire heat chiefly 

 to dispel damp. This plan has at least cheapness to recom- 

 mend it ; and no one will deny that it is a Grape well worth 

 making an effort to grow successfully. Could it be presented 

 at dessert in good form, it would put Muscats to one side for 

 the time, not on account of its appearance only, but its flavour, 

 which is so excellent and refreshing. 



I have an impression that it would do better out-doors in the 

 south, in a warm situation, than inside a vinery ; and I hope 

 those who have opportunities will try it on the hardy system. 



No doubt the " spotting " is due to the very tender skin of 

 the berries. The least thing injures it, and leaves a lasting 

 blemish ; and it is reasonable to suppose that a high and moist 

 temperature will have the same effect upon the berries as upon 

 the leaves of Vines — i.e„ to make them still more tender and 

 ansceptible of injury. Thinning the berries should also be very 

 carefully performed : it should be done twice ; and great care 

 is necessary not to injure the berries that are left with the 

 scissors, which should be clean and smooth. 



The Golden Champion, like some others of its class, does 

 not bear so well when pruned on the close-spur system. It is 

 a good plan to leave a bit of young wood, and a better show of 

 fruit will be the result, which will give a choice of bunches, for 

 they vary much in the setting, some having a greater propor- 

 tion of small berries than others. — J. Simpson. 



'If those who grow this noble Grape will ventilate freely, 

 and keep it dry whenever it approaches the ripening point, 

 they will not be troubled with spot.— En.] — (Tfte Gardener). 



The Meeting of the Baixisn Association in Belfast- 

 Proposed Flobal and Horticultural Show and Exposition 

 OF Local Lsdcstbies.— On the IGth a meeting of the Directors 

 of the Belfast Royal Botanic Gardens and those gentlemen who 

 consented to co-operate with them as a committee to cany out 

 the arrangements for a grand floral and horticultural show and 

 exposition of the staple and other products of the industries of 

 Belfast and neighbourhood (to take place in the Gardens 



during the meeting of the British Association in August, 1874) 

 was held in the Chamber of Commerce, Belfast. Committees 

 were appointed to make the arrangements desirable in the 

 various departments. -There is some misunderstanding be- 

 tween the Directors of the Belfast Botanic Gardens and the 

 Directors of the North of Ireland Horticultural Society, and 

 we earnestly recommend that harmony be at once adopted. 

 We quite agree with Mr. L. Ewart, who, after remarking that 

 he came there prepared to hear some spirit of a desire to siuli 

 difl'erences and unite with the North of Ireland Horticultural 

 Society in preparing for the meeting of the British Association, 

 added that he thought it a great pity that there should be two 

 shows, for one would be interfering with the other, and the 

 interests of both might be affected. 



NOTES ON MR. PEARSON'S GERANIUMS. 

 So much has been written on the merits of Mr. Pearson's 

 Geraniums by many of your correspondents that it is scarcely 

 necessary for me to say more ; however, the very wise remarks 

 of your correspondent, the Rev. C. P. Peach, in " our Journal " 

 of October 2nd, page 248, induce me to offer a few additional 

 notes. I think the Rev. C. P. Peach must make his beds for 

 Geraniums very much richer than we do here, or than Mr. 

 Pearson does at ChUwell ; for those varieties which make very 

 little progress here, grow and bloom abundantly with the Rev. 

 C. P. Peach. Then those which grow moderately strong and 

 bloom freely here, with Mr. Peach run so much into leaves 

 and branches. 



I have made a few notes during the late summer respecting 

 the Geraniums sent out by Mr. Pearson during the last year 

 or two, and on comparing them with my notes of last year, in 

 some cases I have to retract a little, and in others confirm my 

 previous statements. 



I will begin with the various shades of scarlet, and first take 

 the orange scarlets. Here Corsair comes to the front. Last 

 year it was only moderate as a bedder in tho latter part of 

 the summer, this season it has excelled anything I ever saw 

 before. I also saw it at Chilwell after a downpour of rain, and 

 it stood nearly as perfect after the rain as it was before the 

 storm. Besides, the flowers are so perfect in shape, and the 

 plants so prolific in bloom and so fine in habit, that it must 

 become the most popular plant of its time. Mrs. Hetley, 

 rather stronger than Corsair, is also good ; it is a fine, bold, 

 orange scarlet, with a large truss, and I place it next in order 

 of merit to Corsair in this shade of colour. In very dark 

 scarlets the Rev. T. F. Fenn has certainly been magnificent ; 

 the habit of the plant is so dwarf and free, the trusses so bold 

 and grand, rising stately above the foliage, that I feel sur- 

 prised that it has not come up to Mr. Peach's expectations. 



Then come five others in the rosy-crimson section all of 

 sterling worth. I wUl put them down in the order of merit. 

 Mrs. Vincent, a free bloomer, with strong footstalks ; this^ 

 Mr. Pearson thinks, wUl prove one of the very best he has 

 sent out. Shakespeare, dwarf in habit, and of free-blooming 

 properties, of the style and habit of the celebrated Violet 

 Hill Nosegay, though much superior in all resi)ects. Colonel 

 Holden, a great favourite with Mr. Pearson, though rather 

 more robust than Shakespeare, but very good. Dr. Tait, very 

 fine, but not so good as last year ; and F. Bradley. These have 

 all been conspicuous for their fine large trusses and free-bloom- 

 ing properties. As a pot plant Colonel Holden is supremely 

 beautiful, and nearly as good as the Rev. C. P. Peach. 



Of very dark crimsons, Edward Sutton and General Outram 

 were the best; the trusses were large and the flowers bold. We 

 have also a great improvement in the mageuta section. Mrs. 

 Reynolds Hole, bright magenta, with immense trusses freely 

 produced, very dwarf in habit, and when better known likely 

 to become very popular. Frank Miles, magenta rose, more 

 robust than Mrs. Hole, and au improvement on that useful 

 variety Arthur Pearson. Motcalf, salmon rose, is good either 

 in pots under glass or in tho flower garden. Robert Evans, 

 much of the colour of the old Trentham Rose, but as much 

 superior to it as Bayard is to the old Tom Thumb. 



We now come to the pink section, and here the improvement 

 made during the last three or four years is very striking. I 

 cannot speak so favourably about Mrs. Lowe as Mr. Peach does. 

 I have had it growing on a warm border with such sorts as 

 Lady Louisa Egerton, Amaranth, Maid of Kent, and others, 

 but it has not promised to be a useful variety. In a pot in 

 the conservatory it has been most beautiful. In looking over 

 my note-book I do not find any mention made of it during my 



