AogiiBt 13, 1868. ] 



JOUBNAIi OP HORTICDIiTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



107 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



Day 



of 



Month 



13 

 14 

 15 

 16 



n 



18 

 19 



D»y 



Th 



F 



8 



Stm 



M 



Tw 



w 



AUGUST 18-19, 1868. 



Taonton Deane HorticnlturiU Show. 



10 Sunday after Trihity. 



Royal Horticultural Society, Fruit, Floral, 

 (and General Meeting, 



dooh 



before 



Snn. 



4 88 



4 22 



4 lO 



8 58 



8 46 



8 as 



B 19 



Day 



frf 

 Tear 



226 

 227 

 228 

 229 

 230 

 231 

 232 



From observations taken near London daring the last forty-one yeara, the average day temperature oJ the week is 72.7' ; and itR night 

 mperature 60.0\ The greatest heat was 92', on the 16th and 18th, 1842 ; and the lowest cold 86°, on the 18th, 1866. The greatert Jail 



temperata 



of rain wsa 1.14 Inch. 



STRAWBERRY RAMBLES IN ENGLAND. 



' N the Ultli of June I left this on a visit to 

 old England, with a view to see once more 

 my kind friends in that hospitable country, 

 and at the same time to renew acquaintance 

 with my pet the Strawbeny, so successfully 

 grown there. 



With us in France the Strawberry season 

 has been the sliortest on record, not lasting 

 beyond three weeks, and in consequence of 

 the extraordinary drought and intense heat 

 (no rain having fallen here ever since the end of April, 

 whilst waterings, however copious, had no effect beyond 

 keeping the plants alive), the greater part of the berries 

 were roasted by the tropical sun, without attaining tlieir 

 proper size. 



On my arrival in London I hurried ofl' to Kidderminster, 

 upon the invitation of my esteemed friend Dr. Roden. 

 Strawberries there appeared to be in a very advanced 

 state, and many seedlings of his own either past their 

 best or just in proper condition to be seen, which was 

 naturally a matter of great interest to me. There, like- 

 wise, the drouglit and heat were very troublesome, and 

 threatened to annihUate the fine prospect of a fair crop; 

 still the earlier kinds were very fine, and foremost of these 

 was Dr. Roden's wonderful seedling Enrhi Pmlijti; I dare 

 to say the noblest-looking plant of the whole collection, 

 and altogether worthy of the high character which was 

 attributed to it in the columns of tliis Journal. The plants, 

 forty in number, all last year's runners, were in beautiful 

 health, and literally covered with fruit, though many of 

 the largest berries had already been gathered. Tliis sort 

 will be invaluable as a very early one, nothing in the same 

 way having as yet been raised to approach it. The beauty 

 of the plants and their numerous clusters of fruit, all of 

 the finest shape and quality, were well worth a long 

 journey. 



Then comes Duke of Edinhiiri/h, a noble and very large 

 kind, of roundish shape, with quite prominent seeds, and 

 a glossy neck. This succeeds Early Prolific, and, I am 

 inclined to believe, will be much later in an ordinary 

 season. The same may be said of iSiillicii, a magnificent 

 Strawberry of the largest size, red throughout, and of 

 exceedingly rich flavour. 



Dr. Roden has many other promising seedlings which 

 he will be able to speak of next year. AH the older kinds 

 which he grows in perfection, such as Carolina superba, 

 British Queen, Cockscomb, President, La Constant o, Rifle- 

 man, Alice Nicholson, and many otliers were in \ "ry fine 

 condition, and had large crops. I fear, howevr.-, that, 

 owing to the unfavourable weather, my friend will not 

 have had the satisfaction he was entitled to after so much 

 care and labour that he bestows on Ms fruit garden during 

 his leisure hours. 



Whilst at Ividderminster we went on a visit to W. Lea, 

 Esq., at Droitwitch, another keen and successful fruit- 

 amateur, who gave us a regular Strawberry feast, composed 

 of beautiful dishes of the finest kinds, such as Sir .Joseph 



No. 385.-V0L. XV., New Seeieb. 



Paxton, Frogmore Late Pine, Dr. Hogg, Mr. P..adclyffe, 

 and others, aU great favourites, and of these the finest 

 specimens. 



During a visit to the Royal Gardens at Frogmore I met 

 with the kindest reception, as usual, from Mr. John Powell : 

 but here, as everywhere else, and in spite of the greatest 

 facilities at hand as regards water, Strawbonies were 

 suffering, and by no means so large and handsome as one 

 is accustomed to see here. On the day of my visit the 

 sorts still in bearing were Frogmore Late Pine, Cockscomb, 

 and John Powell, tlie latter evidently a very useful sort, 

 inasmucli as it seemed to stand the drought better than 

 most others. 



Leaving London again, I directed my steps to Eagles- 

 clifle, near Yarm, in Yorkshire, where the widow of my 

 late friend, Mr. Nicholson, successfully assisted by an 

 intelligent gardener, continues the special culture of the 

 Strawberry, always a favourite occupation of her regretted 

 husband. I was much pleased after an interval of six years 

 to find that the usual order and tidiness prevailed, and but 

 for the effects of the long-continued drought an enormous 

 crop of Strawberries would be gatliered. I noticed several 

 promising seedlings, one of which seems to deserve par- 

 ticular attention, and which is intended to be called William 

 James Nicholson. This is a very large, handsome, late 

 kind, of beautiful appearance, and of the richest flavour, 

 quite distinct from any we already possess. 



From the north I proceeded westward, on a visit to 

 my friend the Rev. Dalston Clements, at Warleggon 

 Rectory, in Cornwall, the gardens of which are famous for 

 the large specimens of Rhododendrons, such as are not 

 often to be found. Here, owing to the peculiar climate of 

 the country and the neighbourhood of the sea, although 

 the heat was likewise very intense, vegetation did not look 

 so dried up as elsewhere, and my eyes were gladdened by 

 verdure. 



Mrs. Clements has always taken a great interest in 

 raising Strawberries from seed, and we are indebted to 

 her for, among others, Gweniver, Sabreur, and Her Ma- 

 jesty, all noble fruits, and quite distinct. As a matter of 

 course, in Comwall Strawberries were things of the past ; 

 still Mrs. Clements managed to surprise me with a fine 

 basketful of Her Majesty on the day of my arrival. 



Before concluding, I cannot but name a man to whom 

 we fragarians owe a great deal of gratitude — I mean Mr. 

 Samuel Bradley, late gardener to Lady Norton, at Elton 

 Manor, near Nottingliam, the raiser of Oscar, Sir Joseph 

 Paxton, and Dr. Hogg, three of the most valuable Straw- 

 berries ever raised. I shall here particularly allude to 

 Sir Joseph Paxton, one of the greatest achievements in 

 Strawberry culture, and for which, according to my opinion, 

 the British lovers of this fruit ought to grant a national 

 award. With Sir Joseph Paxton in our gardens, it will 

 henceforth be no longer permitted to grow Black Prince, 

 Keens' Seedling, and similar varieties of the past. 



On my way home I called upon the Messrs. Rivers, at 

 Sawhridgewortli, and I must confess that my most sanguine 

 expectations were surpassed. I know it is useless to say 

 anything in praise of Messrs. Rivers' establishment, and 



No. 1037.- Vol. XL. Old Sbmbs. 



