JOURNAL OF fiORlICULTtJEa AND COTTAGE GABDENES. 



t February 8, 1877. 



yet Bufficiently old to have proved its worth. I planted a tree, 

 of it in 1872, and since it has borne fruit of such splendid 

 appearance and of such superior quality I cannot help regret- 

 ting that I did not plant two trees instead of one. I do not 

 assert that it surpasses Williams' Bon Chretien in flavour, 

 because I believe that good old Pear when in its best condition 

 in unsurpassable; but Souvenir du Corgrc? is equal to the 

 favourite variety named, and is Eomewhat larger than it. I 

 find the new Pear, therefore, equalling the old variety in ono 

 quality and surpassing it in another. The new also conveni- 

 ently succeeds the old in the period of ripening. Souvenir du 

 Congr^s ripens more slowly and keeps longer than Williams' 

 Bon Chretien, and the popular name — "Late Williams" — that 

 is being applied to the new Pear is, I think, appropriate. — 

 A Fbuit-gkowek. 



EXHIBITION PANSIES. 



As planting time will soon be here, and as the improvement 

 of this, at one time, favourite flower has been very rapid of late, 

 a few words upon the subject may not be unacceptable to your 

 readers, more especially as so little is said in horticultural 

 journals of the cultivation and exhibition of this modest 

 flower. It has often occurred to me that in the race after 

 Roses too little attention may be paid to other less pretentious 

 but still beautiful flowers, and it were well if some " Wyld 

 Savaoe " would leave the woods and champion less fashion- 

 able kinds. 



The Pansy in particular has suffered from neglect, and in 

 many — very many — schedules its name is not to be found. 

 Why this should be so I do not know ; but so it is. Our 

 canny friends " o'er the border," however, show no such in- 

 difference, and their National Pansy Society, judging by the 

 vitality shown every year, will long keep alive the interest in 

 the old " Heartsease." 



Then, again, a strong prejudice exists amongst English 

 floriets against the fancy Pansy, or«o-called Belgian varieties; 

 and in some cases the florists carry it to au absurd length. I 

 had a narrow escape of disqualification at the Nottingham and 

 Midland Counties Show last year because my pan contained 

 some of the "irregulars;" but a reference to the schedule 

 satisfied the judges, and I took first from twelve competitors 

 who had confined their selections to the orthodox white and 

 yellow grounds and selfs. To restrict an exhibitor to " show " 

 flowers IS to rob the pan of that distinctness which should 

 appear in every collection ; but I am pleased to say this preju- 

 dice is not so deeply rooted as it once was, and in many cata- 

 logues of florists' flowers " fancies " are now included, and this 

 result has been brought about by the most legitimate of all 

 means — the surpassing beauty of the blooms themselves. No 

 one, however strongly wedded to the old school, could long resist 

 the claims of a flower like Leith Walk Hero, sent out last year 

 by Messrs. Dickson & Co. of Edinburgh, with its solid violet- 

 purple blotches, edged with carmine on all the petals, and a 

 well-defined creamy white margin round each blotch ; or of 

 William Melville, sent out at the same time by Messrs. Downie 

 and Laird, also of the Scottish capital, its back petals being of 

 rosy purple with fine dark blotch, and edged all round with 

 yellow. Than the two named none could look more beautiful 

 or distinct ; but I could mention many others of high merit, 

 such as George Wood, the Hon. Mrs. Beatson, John Currie, 

 Mrs. Crawley (a dark rosy purple, edged all round with a clear 

 margin of pure white), Bonnie Fishwife (maroon, soft violet- 

 purple blotch, solid yellow eye, white brow, and primrose mar- 

 gin), Queen of Yellows, Isa Hampton, Kitie Elliott, Miss 

 Murray (rich carmine, violet-purple blotch, deep yellow eye, 

 ■white brow, and pale yellow edge), Adonis, and Hector (heavy 

 blotch of bright purple on the three under petals, with pure 

 white lacing, and upper petals edged and streaked with rosy 

 purple). The whole of the above were sent out in 1876, and 

 besides being distinct fully reach the standard as regards form 

 and substance. Because they are new I do not prHise them, 

 nor do I praise them at the expense of the older sorts, some of 

 which will long retain their places in select collections. Of these 

 Kirbie, Miss McNutt, Wonder, David Smith, J. B. Downie, 

 Mrs. Neilson, George Vair.William Baird, V.W Fairgreive, Kev. 

 H. II. Dombrain, 'Thos. Grainger, Colonel Wedderburn, David 

 Dickson, Gretchen Eedbraes, Duke of Edinburgh, Gaiety, 

 and W. F. Gunn are well worth growing, and would form a 

 choice collection in conjuuetion with the new varieties enu- 

 merated. 



Thus far I have only written of fancies, and, fearing I have 



already occupied as much of your space as you can spare, shall 

 reserve my remarks upon show Pansies for another article. — 

 M. H. MiLLEB, Leek. 



A COLLECTION OF SELECT FRUITS FOK 

 A SMALL GARDEN. 



I HAVE lately been asked to make out a list of fruits for 

 several amateurs ; and as it appears that information of this 

 kind is wanted before the planting season closes I send the 

 following list of what I selected some years ago privately for a 

 reader of the Journal, who has since told me they have given 

 great satisfaction. 



Grapes. — Early : Black Hamburgh and Buckland Sweet- 

 water. Late : Lady Downe's Seedling and Barbarossa. 



Peaches. — For snooession : Early York, Royal George, No- 

 blesse, and Walburton Admirable. 



Nectarines. — Elruge and Violette Hative. 



Apricots. — Oullins Early and Moorpark. 



Figs. — Brown Turkey and White Marseilles. 



Plums. — Green Gage, Kiike's, Coe's Golden Drop, Goliath, 

 Victoria and Damson. 



^;)^?('s.— Kerry Pippin, Keswick Codlin, Lord Suffield, Blen- 

 heim Pippin, Hawthornden, Bess Pool, and Golden Harvey. 



Pears. — Jargonelle, Williams' Bon Cbii'tien, Louise Bonne 

 of Jersey, Marie Louise, Glou Moroeau, Winter Nelis, and 

 Beurrc de Ranee. 



Cherries. — Royal Duke, May Duke, and Morello. 



Straicberries.— Keens' Seedling, Vioomtesse Herioart do 

 Thury, Elton, and Dr. Hogg. 



Raspberries. — Carter's Prolific and Fastolf. 



Gooseberries. — Ironmonger, Red Warrington, Early Snlphnr, 

 Hedgehog, Keepsake, and Thumper. 



Curreints. — Red: Eaby Castle and Red Dutch. Black; 

 Black Naples. White : White Dutch. 



The above is very brief : so much the better. It is a great 

 mistake to plant too many varieties of fruits about a small 

 garden. If any of your correspondents should feel inclined to 

 criticise the above let them substitute sorts for those named, 

 with their advantages, and not add to them. — Pbaciitioneb. 



CHISWICK. 

 THE EOTAL HOKTIOULTUEAL SOCIETY'S GAEDEN. 



"What's going on at Chiswick '.' ' is a query frequently ad- 

 dressed to those who are supposed to be able to answer it. 

 There can be no doubt whatever that the " old place " pos- 

 sesses a sort of evergreen interest for most people who are 

 connected with horticultural pursuits, and " What's going on 

 at Chiswick?" becomes therefore a very natural question. 



The attention directed to Chiswick is not wholly founded on 

 old associations, old experiments, old triumphs. There is a 

 lingering power about these it is true, but the work of the 

 present absorbs more of public attention than the history of 

 the past. Than the work of the past few years no " Chiswick 

 doings " have been more really useful. 'The vegetable trials 

 have afforded instruction to all — sound reliable instruction 

 both as regards the nomenclature and qualities of the stocks 

 submitted for trial. That, however, belongs to the past, the 

 very immediate past, and "What's going on now;'" is the 

 primary question with many. 



Well, the work now, that is since the beginning of the year, 

 has not much of the picturesque about it, nor is it — in one sense 

 at least — particularly profitable. Pumping water out of stoke- 

 holes is not very scientific employment, but such work has been 

 a prime necessity of late in order that the other work could 

 progress satisfactorily. On account of the inclement season 

 much outdoor work, as is the case in many other gardens, is 

 more or less in arrears. It has been until very lately im- 

 possible to proceed with digging, &c., and some pruning re- 

 mains to be done. Yet many of the trees are pruned at Chis- 

 wick, and fine examples several of them are. The pyramid 

 Pears, for instance, afford a lesson in management worthy of 

 being followed. Many of these trees are about ir> feet high 

 and from 4 to "> feet in diameter at the base, yet so open are 

 the branches placed, and so strong are they withal, that a 

 man might pass between them and climb to the tops of the 

 trees without breaking the main branches. They are now 

 subjected to the closest of close pruning, but are not pigmy 

 trees ; on the contrary, they are stout timber trees bristling 

 with spurs. The collection of Plums is a large one, handsome 



