346 



JOOUNAIi OF HOBTIOUIiTUBE AND OOTXAQB GABDQNEB. 



[ M»y 10, 1877. 



remain in the soil, bat their roots take possesBion of it bo com- 

 pletely that it cannot be stirred or broken np. We therefore 

 take care to drain it in the first instance in order to prevent 

 any accamulation of stagnant water, and to incorporate some 

 hard gritty substance with it to render it permanently open to 

 the action of the air, and that water may find a free and ready 

 passage tbrongh it. To enrich it and draw the roots to the 

 surface we give an annual top-dressing of manure, such as is 

 generally to be had from the farmyard, piggery, or stable, and 

 with the exception of watering nothing more is really necessary 

 to retain the Vines in fall vigour for many years ; avoid, there- 

 fore, any exceseive application of stimulants. Large clusters 

 of Grapes are only to be had by devoting Vines specially to 

 their production, letting three or four bunches constitute the 

 crop of each Vine instead of twenty or thirty, which is obvi- 

 ously an impracticable plan when a daily supply of Grapes ia 

 required for the table. Go to any of our largest gardens 

 where Grapes are grown by the ton and the fruit ia brought 

 to a high degree of excellence, and you will find no sensa- 

 tional clusters, but any number of " two-pounders" with fine 

 large plump berries. That is the point at which our best 

 growers aim. Give them plenty of large berries and they 

 are satisfied, not caring much about size of bunch. It is 

 npon the berries that judgment is passed, and not upon the 

 bnnohee. 



Within the vinery itself we should strive to maintain a tole- 

 rably steady progressive temperature, an avoidance of crowding 

 of wood, foliage, bunches, or berries, great cleanliness (I have 

 strong faith in the efBcaoy of clean water), and close attention 

 to detail. Take an ordinary example of good Grape oolture as 

 your atandard of excellence, and if yon attain to it rest con- 

 tent and leave the sensational bunches to those having means 

 and time at their disposal for a process which after all is more 

 interesting than useful. — Edward LncKHnKSi. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We remind our readers that the next exhibition of the Eoyal 

 HoETiccLTDRAL SociETT and meetings of the Scientific and 

 Fruit and Floral Committees will be held on Tuesday, May 

 15th. The change of the day could not have occurred at a 

 more opportune time, since it leaves exhibitors and visitors 

 free to patronise without inconvenience the first summer show 

 of the Eoyal Botanic Society, which occurs on the day follow- 

 ing. The meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society will in 

 future be held on Tuesdays, except at any time the Council 

 ahould have special reasons to select another day. Practically, 

 however, the absurd clashing of the shows of the two great 

 Societies — the Boyal Horticultural and the Royal Botanic — is 

 at an end. 



The following letter haa been received by the President 



of the Royal Hobticultoral Society : — " Buckingham Palace, 

 May 2nd, 1877. Dear Lord Aberdare, — I have been desired by 

 the Queen to express to you and to the Council of the Horti- 

 onltural Society, how much Her Majesty admired the mag- 

 nificent exhibition of flowers and fruit displayed in the gardens 

 to-day, when Her Majesty visited them with Princess Beatrice 

 and the Duchess of Edinburgh. The Queen also was much 

 satisfied with the arrangements made for her reception. I am, 

 truly yours, T. M. BioDDLrn. — The Lord Aberdare, &c." 



At the general meeting of the Royal HoRxicnLTURAL 



Society held on May 2Dd, Lord Alfred S. Churchill, V.P., in 

 the chair, the following candidates were duly elected Fellows 

 of the Society — viz., A. Austin, John Barran, M.P., Alfred 

 Bedborough, Duchess of Bedford, Mrs. Belli, B. Blenkinsop, 

 H. J. Smith-Bosanqnet, Lieut.-Col. Bousfield, M.P., Mrs. 

 Lewis Enight-Bruoe, Hon. A. C. G. Calthorpe, E. B. Cater, 

 W. J. R. Cotton, Mrs. Denison, Mrs. G. Dowdeswell, Mrs. 

 Entwisle, John Trew Gray, John Grieve, J, S. Grimshaw, 

 Mrs. Halsey, Henry Nye, J. T. Oswald, C. E. Pearson, Mrs. 

 Poole, Colonel J. F. Porter, J. H. Pounce, Thos. Pyke, John 

 Reeves, Rowland Robbins, Mrs. T. Skinner, Mre. Eowland 

 Smith, Mrs. Stephenson, Miss Towers, Miss Harriet Towers, 

 James Webber, Thomas Whitburn, Mrs. Williams, W. W. 

 Worth, Ac. The Bristol Chrysanthemum and Spring Show 

 Society, Grand Yorkshire Gala Floral and Musical Exhibition, 

 and the Eoyal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society, 

 were admitted into union. A list of nineteen guinea members 

 elected by the Council was also announced. 



The Leeds Horticdltcral Society having obtained 



by Fellowship with the Boyal Horticultural Society a number 



of the Society's medala, we hear that these wUl be awarded as 

 follows at the annual Exhibition on the 27th, 28th, and 29th 

 June: — The silver Banksian to the best grown plant in the 

 Exhibition ; the silver Knightian to the most worthy speci- 

 men of fruit exhibited. A bronze Banksian and bronze 

 Knightian will be awarded at the discretion of the Judges. 



We ought not to omit to mention a cariosity exhibited 



by Mr. Cutbush at South Kensington last week — namely, a 

 new Tulip, named Mrs. Cutbush, stated to be the " first blub 

 Tulip." This is a novelty, and an interesting one. It is not 

 the amount of blue in the petals, but the fact of ita presence, 

 that haa warranted the above appellation. The blue appears 

 to rise like a clond from the base of the white petals, and break 

 upwards in irregular streaks. The flower is not only undoubt. 

 edly novel from the unusual combination of colours, but 

 attractive. It will be looked for again. It should be stated 

 that several blooms were exhibited, all of which were alike 

 tinged with blue. 



Writing to us on early Melons, a correspondent states 



that Mr. Jordan, gardener to J. Boustead, Esq., Cannizaro 

 House, Wimbledon, has cut very fine fruit from plants raised 

 from seed sown on January 20th of the present year, and 

 planted in a small pit early in April. The first to ripen was 

 Sutton's Horticultural Prize, which was cut April 30th, and 

 weighed nearly 3 lbs. Several others are nearly ripe which will 

 weigh 4 and 5 lbs. Considering the earliness of the season at 

 which they are ripe and the character of weather experienced, this 

 instance of " expreaa Melon growing " is deserving of record. 



• Many letters have reached na controverting the state- 

 ment of " A Master Gardener " relative to hedgehogs sucking 

 oows. We can only give one extract from the letter of " A 

 Countryman," which appears to dispose of the matter. " In 

 the first place," says our correspondent, " it is impossible for 

 a hedgehog to get a cow's teat into ita mouth ; and in the 

 next place, if it were possible, the cow would not allow it to do 

 BO on account of its very sharp teeth." 



We are glad to hear that Mr. E. E. Cutler, the Secre- 

 tary of the Gardeners' Eoyal Benevolent Institution, has 

 retired from the Westminstar Fire Insurance Oflice, in which 

 he has held a high appointment for many years, with a liberal 

 pension and the highest esteem of the directors. Mr. Cutler 

 informs us that he will now be " a free man," and that it is 

 his intention to devote his time to the Gardeners' Royal Bene- 

 volent Institution, 



At the great exhibition that was held at South Ken- 



singtou on the 2nd inst. Lady Dorothy Nevill exhibited 

 several articles made of oak stained with the mycelium of 

 Peziza leruginosa, which gives it the appearance of Malachite, 

 But the most interesting portion of her ladyship's exhibition 

 was the living fungus, which is cultivated in one of the Fern 

 houses at Dangstein by Mr. Vair, the skilful gardener there. 

 These specimens were objects of great interest to Her Majesty 

 and the other Eoyal visitors, to whom they were explained by 

 Dr. Hogg, Secretary of the Society. 



— — • The long corridor in the nurseries of Meaara. Veitoh 

 and Sona, Chelsea, is exceedingly gay with Ehododendrons iu 

 pota and baskets. The shrubs have been grown and forced in 

 the Coombe Wood Nurseries. They vary from 1 to 3 feet in 

 diameter, and their massive fiowers and varied colours produce 

 a striking effect. One of the finest of them is The Queen. 

 Its colour is blush suSused with lilac, the upper petals being 

 spotted with orange. Other excellent light varieties are Mrs. 

 John Clntton, Purity, and Onslowianum. Lady Eolle is also a 

 splendid flower, but more heavily blotched than the preceding. 

 Of the rich-coloured sorts Michael Waterer, Miss Duller, and 

 Brougbtonianum are the most noticeable; and Everestianum 

 is extremely gay with its profusion of fine lilac trusses of 

 fringed fiowers. The few varieties named are especially worthy 

 of cultivation for in or outdoor display. 



We regret to announce the death of a fine old British 



gardener — Mb. Alexander Cramb, who died suddenly at Tort- 

 worth on the 27th ult. in the sixty-eighth year of his age. 

 Mr. Cramb was well known as a highly successful fruit-grower. 

 He was a trusted servant of Earl Ducie, and a friend to all 

 with whom he was associated. 



The collection of Roses in pots to which a silver-gilt 



medal was awarded at the Royal Horticultural Society's Show 

 last week was staged by Messrs. Lane & Son, Berkhampstead, 

 and not by Mr. Turner as inadvertently stated in our report. 

 Medala were also awarded to the following exhibitors for 



