20S 



JOITRNAX OF HORTICULTITRE AND COTTAGE GAEDEN^E. [ September 15, 186S. 



than that produced by the floral depai-tment, and there was 

 an aspect of order about it, combined with variety, which 

 was Tery pleasing. Still, as an Exhibition of fi-uit, it -was far 

 from complete, and no exhibition can be considered so where 

 such important articles of the dessert as Pines, Grapes, and 

 Melons are escluded fi-om competition. There is certainly 

 less merit in producing these fine now than at an earlier 

 period of the season; still we think it was a mistake to 

 entirely exclude the above fruits from competition, and to 

 restrict the prizes to out-door fi-uit only, and that at a time 

 when Ajiples and Pears are for the most part tinripe. Grapes 

 in particular, had they been invited, would have afforded a 

 useful field of observation as regards their comparative 

 earliness and lateness. It would have been desii-able, for 

 mstance, to have seen whether we could not have really ripe 

 Muscat Grapes in September ; for, with the exception of those 

 shown by Mr. Dronmond at the Crystal Palace, none have 

 been seen this year at the metropolitan shows exhibiting 

 that beautiful russeted amber colom- which is indicative of 

 perfect ripeness. The ripening, too, of the Grapes in the 

 conservatory at Chiswick would also have afforded an ex- 

 cellent opportunity of comparing different varieties, with 

 which view prises might have been offered for collections of 

 these. 



The collections of eight dishes, notwithstanding that good 

 fruit was shown, looked meagi'e when confined to out-door 

 productions only, and none of them could be considered as 

 furnishing a good dessert. Mr. Turner had first prize for 

 Peaches, Nectarines, "Williams' Bon Chretien Pears, MoreQo 

 Cherries, Washington Plums, Brown Tirrfcey Figs, and Bed 

 Currants. Mr. Henderson, of Treutham, was second, with 

 Teton de Venus and Barrington Peaches, Pitmaston Orange, 

 and Ebnige Nectarines, Moorpai-k Apricots, Brown Tiu'key 

 Figs, Morello Chen-ies, and Eeine Claude de Bavay Plnms. 

 Mr. Kaile was third ; and collections also came from Mr. 

 Bousie, gardener to Lord Taunton. Mr. Brush, and Mr. 

 Sandford. 



PEACRES.^There were Classes for four dishes, and for 

 single ones, forty-five dishes in all being shown. Grosse 

 Mignonne, Violette Bative, BaiTington, BeUegarde, and 

 Walburton Admirable, were the chief kinds. In tbur dishes. 

 Ml-. Dawson, gardener to Eai-1 Cowper, was fii-st with Vio- 

 lette Hative and Bamngton (large and fine). Champion, 

 and Teton de Venus -. and Mr. A. Henderson was second 

 with BeUegarde, Madeleine de Corn-son, Bairrington, and 

 Late Admirable, in single dishes, equal first prizes were 

 awarded to Mr. Eust and Mr. KaOe ; to the one for Wal- 

 burton Admirable, to the other for immense fruit of what 

 was stated to be Ban-ington, but more like the Shanghae. 

 Ml-. Dawson was second with good well-coloured fruit of 

 Violette Hative ; and Mr. S. SnoV third with BeUegarde. 



Nbctaeinss, for the most part, consisted of'violette 

 Hative, Eh-uge, and Pitmaston Orange, and were very 

 ordinary in appearance. Mr. Dawson was first in four 

 dishes with Pitmaston Orange, Violette Hative, Elruge, and 

 Balgowan; Mr. Henderson second. In single dishes G. 

 Wilson, Esq., Weybridge, had the first prize for the Stanwicfc 

 grown in pots in an orchard-house ; and third prizes were 

 awarded to Mr. BaUey. of Shardeloes, for Eh-nge, and to Mr. 

 Snow for Violette Hative. 



Fios. — Only twelve dishes were shown. Brown Turkey 

 being almost the only kind. In three dishes Mr. Bousie 

 had fii'st prize for Broivn Tm-key, Brunswick, and Wliite 

 Genoa ; and in single dishes Mr. BaUey had Brown Turkey 

 (exceUent), and Mi-. Savers and Mr. Snow were second and 

 tliii-d with the same kind. 



Cherries. — Only fifteen dishes were shown, and. with the 

 exception of Kentish from BIr. Earley, and Florence, they 

 were aU MoreUos and generaUy very fine. Mr. Snow was 

 first; Mr. Tiu-ner second; JIi-. Bndd, gardener to Lord 

 Damley, third. 



Plums were both numerous and good. Some very fine Jef- 

 ferson and Washington were shown, also Victoria, GoUath, 

 Goe's Golden Drop, Green Gage, Ku-ke's, White Magnum 

 Bonum, Diamond, and some others. In four dishes Mr. 

 Snow was fii-st, Mr Cox, Sedleaf, second, and Mr. BaUey 

 thii-d ; and from Mr. Wilson came some exceUent fi-uit from 

 an orchard-house. Mi-. Sayer had Pond's Seedling, fine ; Mr. 

 Budd, Jefferson and Washington, very good. Extra prizes 

 were awarded to both of the last-named exhibitors. In 



single dishss Mr. Snow was first with Jefferson, large and 

 ■finely ripened ; Mr. Knight, Twickenham, second -with Coe's 

 Golden Drop; and Mr. Alves, Bromley, third with White 

 Magnum Bcnum, very large. 



Apples. — More than a hundred dishes were brought for- 

 ward. Neai-ly aU were um-ipe, and therefore could not be 

 said fairly to represent the varieties to which they belonged. 

 There were some weU-coloured examples of Feam's and 

 Cox's Orange Pippins, Ken-y Pippin, and Bed Quarrenden. 

 We noticed that some of the exhibitors had evidently been 

 poUshing up their Apples with the hand or othei-wise, the 

 efi'ect of which proceeding was to remove the bloom ; and 

 we -would recommend to then- consideration how their Black 

 Hamburgh Grapes would look if subjected to the same 

 process. 



In dessert kinds the first prize was awarded to Mr. Bousie 

 for Feai-n's, Cox's Orange and Eibston Pippins, aU of which 

 were very good ; the second to Mr. Mortimore, who had 

 Cox's Orange, Old NonpareU, and Eibston Pippin. Mr. 

 Wren, of WaUington, was thii-d with Kerry and Eibston 

 Pippins and Nonsuch. Mr. Grover, of Hammersmith, had 

 Kii'ke's Incomparable beautifuUy coloured. 



Of kitchen Apples large fruit of Eeinette du Canada, 

 Alfriston, HoUandbury. Alexander, Dutch Codlin, Dumelow's 

 SeedUng, Hawthomden, Torkshfre Greening, and some others 

 were brought for competition. Mr. Snow was first with 

 Alfriston (vei-y large). Golden Noble, and Cumberlean ; Mr. 

 Anstiss, Chiswick, second with Blenheim Pippin, Holland- 

 bury, and Lord Nelson ; Mr. Lane, St. Mai-y's Cray, was 

 third with Alfi-iston, Blenheim, and ChanceUor (a large 

 showy yeUow and red kind). Gi-enadier and Cox's Orange 

 Pippin from Mr. Bousie ; Lord Derby, Lord Sufheld, and 

 Eoyal EuBset fi-om other exhibitors, were also large. 



Pears. — Williams' Bon Chretien, Louise Bonne, Gansel's 

 Bergamot, Chaumontel, and BeiuTe Bosc were the princi- 

 pal. A first prize was taken by G. WUson, Esq., with fruit 

 grown in pots in an orchard-house, and which were certainly 

 large and verj- fine. The varieties were Louise Bonne 

 (the best in the Show), Beurre d'Anjou, and ConseUler de 

 la Cour. First pi-ize was also awarded to Mr. Wren for 

 Mai-ie Louise, Crasanne, and Chaumontel, also remarkably 

 fine. Mr. Beasley, Twyford Abbey, was second with BeUe 

 et Bonne, Williams' Bon Chi-etien, and Beui-re Diel. Some 

 very good fruit of Gansel's Bergamot and Marie Louise 

 were aJao sho-n-n. 



Miscellaneous. — A coUection of about forty kinds of 

 Grapes from the Society's Chiswick gai-dens atti-acted great 

 interest. It contained most of the varieties exhibited in a 

 simUar coUection at the great October Show last year. 

 There were some fine bunches of Muscat of Alexandria ; 

 Golden Hamburgh, very fine ; Frankenthal ; Dutch Ham- 

 burgh : Saisin de Calabre, which by-the-by, though not first- 

 rate, is exceUent for late keeping ; Ahbee, vei-y beautiful ; 

 De CandoUe, and Chasselas Eose de FaUoux, also very 

 pretty kinds ; Bai-barossa ; and many others which may be 

 seen growing at Chiswick, where the conservatoi-y hanging 

 with bunches of aU kinds and colours is a sight weU worth 

 going to see. Messrs. Lane & Son had some Vines in pots 

 bearing splendid bunches for that mode of oiUture, also 

 good Pears, Cherries, and other fruit in pots. Mr. Hender- 

 son had a fine box of Moorpark Apricots, for which he 

 received a first prize ; and Mr. Ten-y, the Hyde, St. Albans, 

 had second for six kinds of Currants, of which Eaby Castle 

 were very fine. Mr. HaU, gai-dener to Lord Scarborough, 

 sent a Queen Pine of SJ lbs., but over-ripe. Some good 

 Melons, consisting of Golden Perfection, Egyptian Green- 

 fleshed, Beechwood, and Scarlet Gem were also shown. 

 Melon Apple, an American kind, from G. Wilson, Esq., was 

 of large size and had been grown in a pot ; and some very 

 fine Eidge Cucumbers came from Mr. LesUe. 



Plovtering of the American Aloe. — I have just read 

 ,an article from the Chcford Jonriml about the American Aloe. 

 I thought long since that English gardeners had given up 

 the idea of the Aloe only blooming once in a hundred years. 

 I saw the Aloe in bloom at New Orleans in the garden 

 attached to the Mint, and ten years before that it had 

 bloomed. I also was in Mexico for two years, from 1845 to 

 1847, and had the opportunity of seeing many young plants 



