September 17, lS3i J JOURNAL OF HOBTIC0LTUIIE AND COTTAGE GABDESER, 



205 



Ist on tlie Lilium tigtinam BplenJena, there is a Blight error. 

 Mr. Ejlcs BOUt me n single Hower from M. Van Houtte's ; 

 it was Mr. Allcu, of ShcptGU Mullet, a great Lily cultivator, 

 who informed mo tlmt he haj bloomed L. tigrinam splendens, 

 and considered it n Bplendid variety. This description was 

 confirmed by Mr. Waloror, who had Been it at M. Van lloutte's. 

 — George F. Wilsok. 



THE WHORTLEBERRY TOMATO. 



AitoN-a the horticultural noveltiea that have been inlrodrced 

 to this country from the t^nited States is one which i3 called 

 " The Whortleberry Tomato." We are not aware that it has 

 yot found a place in our seedsmen's catalogues ; and lest in the 

 rage for novelties, which is now too much the fashion, it should 

 by any chance be pressed on the notice of our countrymen, we 

 feel it our duty to raise a note of warning of the dEuiger con- 

 sequent on .';uch an event. This "Whortleberry Tomato is 

 neither more nor less than the common Niphtshade (Solanum 

 nigrum), a weed common in waste or cultivated ground, the 

 berries of which have the reputation of being very deleterious, 

 and have in some instances proved fatal to those who have 

 eaten them. It is true that Dunal, of Montpellier, administered 

 the berries without any serious results, and that in the Isle of 

 Ascension tbcy are used in plum puddings ; but when cases 

 are known in which they have caused the death of children 

 who have eaten them, the public cannot be too much on 

 their guard respecting them. All constitutions are not alike, 

 and what would kill one man has sometimes no effect on 

 another. — H. 



leaf, glands, and size of blossoms ; in Strawberries, the cha- 

 racter of the blossoms, whether stamiuate or pistillate ; in 

 Grapes, the form of bunch or berry. — P. Babuy, Chairman. 



RULES OF THE AHIERICAN POMOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY. 



1. No new seedling fruit shall be entitled to the recom- 

 mendation of this Society until its qualities shall be ascertained 

 by at least five years' experience in more than one locality, 

 and which is not at least equal to any similar variety of the 

 first rank already known ; or which, if only of second-rate 

 flavour, is superior in vigour, hardiness, productiveness, or 

 other important quality or characteristics. 



2. No new fruit shall be considered as named nntil it has 

 been accurately described by some person or committee known 

 to be conversant with existing varieties, and such description 

 shall have been published in at least ono horticultural or 

 agricultural journal, or some pomological work of acknowledged 

 standard character. 



3. The originator, or he who first makes known a new variety, 

 shall be entitled to name it ; and such name, if suitable, shall 

 be adopted by the writer describing the fruit for the first time. 

 But if the name proposed is inappropriate, or does not come 

 within the rules of nomenclature, the describer shall be at 

 liberty to give a name. 



When two persons have named or described a fruit, the 

 name and description first published, if accordinf to the rules, 

 shall have the priority. 



4. In giving names to new varieties, all harsh, vulgar, or 

 inelegant names, such as " Sheep's-nose " and "Hog-pen," 

 should be avoided ; and no name should consist of more than 

 two words, excepting only when the originator's name is added. 

 Characteristic names, or those in some way descriptive of the 

 qualities, origin, or habit of fruit or tree, shall be preferred. 

 They may either be of intrinsic properties, as Golden Sweet- 

 ing, Downer's Late ; or of local origin, as Newtown Pippin, 

 Hudson's Gage ; of the season of ripening, as Early Scarlet, 

 Frost Gage ; of the form and colour, as Golden Drop, Blue 

 Pearmain ; or which commemorate a particular place or per- 

 son, as Tippecanoe, La Graug?, Baldwin ; or any other titles 

 which may be significantly applied. 



5. The descriptions of new varieties of fruits shall embrace 

 the following particulars : — 



1st, An account of their ori!>in. 



2nd, The fruit, its size, form, and exterior colour, texture, 

 and colour of the flesh, flavour, and time of ripening ; with the 

 addition, on stone fruits, of the size of the stone, adherence or 

 non-adherence of the flesh, form of the suture, and the hollow 

 at the stem ; and in kernel fruits, of the size of the core and 

 seeds, the length, position, and insertion of the stalk, and form 

 of the eye. 



3rd, The tree, ita marked characters of growth, young and 

 bearing wood, foliage, and blossoms. In Peaches, the form of 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



SEITEMDEn 15TU. 



FriuiT CoMsrrTTEK. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 There was a fjooil display of frait at this meeting, and onpecially of 

 Peaches, though these were not on tho whole of such largo size as wo 

 have seen them in other years. 



Prizes were ofTered for the best and second best dishes of Peaches 

 from an open wall, and these were well contested by several competi- 

 tors. Mr. Karley, gardener to F. Pryor, Esq., Di^'swell, was first with 

 very good examples of Late Admiralile ; and Mr. Whiting, of tho 

 Deepdene, Dorljing, was second with Walburtou Admirable, also good. 

 Late Admirable likewise came from Mr. Bailey, of Shardeloes ; Har- 

 rington, from Mr. Earley, and Mr. liiohhell, gardener to Tj. Heath- 

 cote, Esq.. Tadv.'orth Coart, Epsom, who also sent small fruit of Bel- 

 legarde. Mr. Dixon, Holland Park, Kensington, had Yellow Admirable, 

 splendid iu colonr, but of poor flavour ; and Mr. T.rjircham, gardener 

 to E. Oates, Esq., Ilanwell, Chancellor, of medium size and well 

 coloured. Mr. Mcludoe, gardener to the Archbishop of York, sent 

 excellent examples of Late Admu-able, bat they arrived too late for 

 competition. 



For the best dish of Nectarines no first prize was awarded, the only 

 exhibitor. Mr. Cox, of Ileilleaf, taking a second prize for small but 

 very go^d fruit of Violette Hutive. 



For Apricots, both from walls and orchard houses, prizes were 

 offered, but the date of the meeting was too late for this fruit in such 

 an early season as the present. 



For orchard-house Peaches, Mr. Tillery, gardener to the Duke of 

 Portland, was first with very fine examples of "NYalburton Admirable : 

 and the second prize went to Mr. Martyn, gardener to S. P. Kennard, 

 Esq., Harrow Weald, for Late Admirable, veiy fine as regards sizo 

 and colour, but the flavour tainted by the cotton wadding used ia 

 packing. For orchard-house Nectarines, no first prize was awarded, 

 but a second was given to Mr. Tillery, for Rivers's Victoria. 



The best three dishes of Plums came from Mr. Cos, of Kodleaf, and 

 consisted of Ickworth Imperatrice, Coe's Golden Drop, remarkably fine, 

 and St. Martin's Quetscbo. Mr. ^yhiting was second with Diamond, 

 Coe's Golden Drop, rather small but veiy good, and Reine Claude da 

 Bavay, which though scarcely ripe enough, was richly flavoured. 



Of Figs only two dishes were exhibited, and both were very good. 

 Brown 'Turkey, or Lee's Perpetual, from Mr. Earley, was awarded tho 

 first prize, being rather better ripened th.-ui the same kind from Mr. 

 Bailey, who was second. 



Among miscellaneous subjects, fine, well-ripened Black Hamburgh 

 and Foster's White Seedling Grapes, gi-owu in ground vineries, were 

 exhibited by C. T. Vi'ells, Esq., of Southend, and received a special 

 certificate. A similar award was made to Mr. Chaff, j^ardener to A. 

 Smee, Esq., WalUngton, near Carshalton, for an exceedingly fine 

 collection of Apples, which, in the rich well-watered soil of that place, 

 had attained a very large size. Putt's Seedling, Blenheim Pippin, 

 Lord Derby, Lord Suftield, and Cellini were especially fine. From 

 Mr. Rivers, of Sawbriilgeworth, and Mr. F. Dancer, of Little Sutton, 

 Chiswick, came ve:y fine examples of Belle de Septemhre Plum, a. 

 first-rate variety for culinary purposes, and the latter also exhibited 

 two other varieties, which were to be subjected to farther examination. 

 Transparent Gage, from an orchard house, shrivelled, but of very fine 

 flavour, came from G. F. Wilson, Esq. Mr. Warner, of tho Abbey 

 Nurseries, Leicester, sent Warner's Seedling Apple, a large yellowisli 

 green sort, but it was not considered to possess suiEeient merit to 

 deserve a certilicate. From Mr. Richbell came a preen-flesheJ 

 Melon, but it was unripe ; and from Mr. Rust, Eridge Castle, Ton- 

 bridge Wells, a seedling Peach, called " The Thompsoa." It was 

 raised by Miss Thompson, The Rectory, Frant, was hiRhly coloured 

 and of good flavour, and was stated to be very hardy. Very good ex- 

 amples of Beurri- Hardy Pear, and of excellent flavour, were shown 

 by Mr. Whiting, likewise Ingi-am's Golden Russet Pear. Mr. Turner, 

 of Slough, sent tine samples of Paterson's Victoria and Regent Pota- 

 toes, which it \ras requested should be sent again, when they could bo 

 cooked ; and Messrs. Stuart & Mcin, Kelso, a Kidney Bean with large 

 deep violet purple pods, which is said to be very ornamental and pro- 

 lific, besides being useful. Its colour when cooked is said to be brown. 

 ,T. K. Reeves, Esq., Woodhayos, Wimbledon, exhibited two gigantic 

 Puffballs (Lycoperdon borista?), grown in the kitchen garden there, 

 and measuring at least ti or 10 inches in diameter. 



Fi.OB,\L CoiiMiTTEE. — On this occasion there was a varied and 

 interesting lot of plants staged, though not so numerous as at the past 

 two or t'iree meetings. From Mr. J. Wood, Hockliffe, Dunstable, 

 came a variegated form of Solanum dulcamara, or the Bittersweet, 

 tho leaves broadly edged with pale yellow, as in the case of Agera- 

 tum mexicanum variegatnm ; it was awarded a second-class certifi- 

 cate. From Mr. W. Bull came an interesting collection of plants, in- 

 cluding Alteruantbera amabilis, which appeared to be a larger and 

 mors robust form of A. spathnlata, and the Committee desired to see 

 1 it again ; Skimmia oblata in beny, which is quite hardy and makes a 



