S82 



JOURNAL OF HORTICOLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 19, 1868. 



not very large, is extremely beautiful. Other new varieties in 

 good bloom consist of Baron Beust, reddish chestnut ; Staffa, 

 yellow ; Mrs. G. Rundle, pure white ; Volunteer, dark purplish 

 crimeon ; Miss Mari^chaux, white, tipped with lilac ; and 

 Jlnamel, blush. Lady Godiva and Le Grand when we saw them 

 ^7ere not fully out. 



The Japanese varieties which are so singular in their various 

 forms, and which promise to become so useful and ornamental 

 ior conservatory decoration, though veritable abominations to 

 those who judge by the florists' standard, being later, many of 

 them were not so far advanced in blooming as to admit of 

 description. Red Dragon and Daimio were extremely showy, 

 and left no room to doubt what a splendid efifect they were 

 capable of producing in conservatory groups. Eoseum album, 

 another, was beautiful in colour, crimson tipped with white 

 "when in a young state, but afterwards becoming paler. Teddo 

 Iiilac, with the ribbon-like florets curving inwards and forming 

 a ball; and Sulphureum, of similar form, are also effective. 

 "Wizard, dark maroon ; and Robert Fortune, were not out. 

 Others consisted of Nagasaki Yiolet, rosy violet spotted with 

 white ; Prince Satsuma, very large, yellow ; Ne Plus Ultra, flat, 

 orange red ; and Tarantula. Gold Thread, a quilled variety, 

 iilac at first, but becoming yellow was scarcely sufficiently for- 

 ward to exhibit its true colours ; but Dr. Masters and Dr. 

 James Salter, two new varieties, were both in excellent con- 

 dition. The former is very large and showy, orange, tipped 

 and rayed with yellow, and of stiff upright growth ; the latter 

 cne of the tasselled kinds having broad ribbon-like florets of a 

 delicate lilac colour. It is very free-flowering and would form 

 a handsome specimen plant for conservatory decoration. Hero 

 of Magdala, blood red, promises to be very showy ; and of 

 Giantess, pale lilac fading-off to white, the same may be said. 



Near the entrance to the show house is a pretty piece of 

 what bears considerable resemblance to mosaic work formed of 

 various Echeverias, Sedums, Sempervivums, the pretty blue- 

 linged Kleinia repens, and Pachyphitou bracteosum, with the 

 grey green Thymus lanuginosus', and the bright green Saxi- 

 iraga hypnoides minor, as a ground carpeting. The variegated 

 common Stonecrop was very ornamental out of doors in the 

 alpine garden ; also, the larger variety of Saxifraga hypnoides, 

 which keeps green in summer on banks where grass is burnt up. 



KOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



No\'EMEER ITtH. 



FnriT CosniiTTEE.— G. F. 'Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. At 

 Ihis meeting there Tvere various prizes for fruit offered. In Class A, 

 for the best three dishes of dessert Apples there were eight exhibitors. 

 Ihe beauty of the specimens in all the collections was greater than is 

 aisually seen, and some of the specimens were veiy handsome, but it 

 jvas remarked that for fruit of so much beauty there was not a pro- 

 jioi-tionate amount of flavour. The first prize was awarded to Mr. 

 Euffett. f^ardener to Lady Palmerston, Brockett Hall, Herts, for Cos's 

 Orange Pippin, Cockle Pippin, and Cornish Gilliflower ; and the 

 second to Mr. Earley. Digswell, near Welwjn, Herts, for Cockle 

 Pippin, Cox's Orange Pippin, and Sam Young. 



In Class B, there were five exhibitors for the prize ofi'ered for the 

 Jjest dish of Knight's Monarch. One dish was disquahfied, being 

 found to be Ne Pins Menris, and another for being decayed. Those 

 exhibited by Mr. Sidney Ford, of Leonardslee, were magnificent 

 Specimens, but, nnfoi-tunately, unripe, and to them a special certificate 

 was awarded, and no other award was made. 



Class C, was for Huyshe's Victoria. There were only two ex- 

 iibitors, and the second prize was given to that shown by Mr. John 

 Garland, gardener to Sir T. D. Acland, Killerton, Exeter, the first 

 fceing withheld. 



Class E, the best dish of any variety of dessert Pears. There were 

 310 less than 22 exhibitors, and the specimens generally were very 

 good. The six "WiHter Kelis of Mr. Garland, of Killerton, weighed 

 2 lbs. 11 ozs,, which for that variety was a great weight; and a fruit 

 cf the Doyenne du Cornice shown by the same gentleman weighed 

 3.5^ ozs. The first prize was awarded to Mr. Garland, for Dovenne 

 du Cornice, and the second to Mr. Mills, "Wycombe Abbey, for "rt'inter 

 Kelis. 



Mr. Jackson, Nurseryman, Blakedown, Kidderminster, sent a col- 

 lection of seedling Apples, but as nout- of them possessed any pro- 

 j)erties that were considered as acquisitions, the Committee did not 

 approve of them. Mr. Brown, Elmdon Hall, Birmingham, sent two 

 ilishes of Blenheim Pippiu, one containing fruit much larger and 

 earlier than the other, being a month difi'erence in the time of ripen- 

 ing. This can only be accounted for by the influence of the stock. 



Mr. Gilbert, gardener to the Marquis of Exeter, Burghley, sent a 

 jbrace of the Telegraph Cucumber, which for the season was cou- 

 Eidered very good, and received a special certificate. Mr. Osman, 

 gardener to E. Holland, Esq., Stanmore Hall, gent a Green-fleshed 



Melon, the fruit of the Guava, and a dish of Quinces. The Melon 

 for the season was very well flavoured. Mr. Foster, Pittiugton 

 House, Leigh, Essex, sent good bunches of Koyal Muscadine and 

 Miller's Burgundy Grapes, grown in the open air, and which were well 

 ripened and of excellent flavour. Mr. Forsyth, gardener to Baron 

 llothschild, Gnnuersburj', pent a fruit of Smooth Cayenne Pine 

 Apple, and Mr. Westcott, gardener to the Duke of Cleveland, at Raby 

 Castle, sent a fruit of the same variety, and both being ver}- handsome 

 specimens, they each received a special certificate. Mr. Westcott, sent 

 a Scarlet-fleshed Melon called Raby Castle. 



Messrs. Lane & Son, of Berkhampstead, sent a splendid collection 

 of Grapes grown in a cool orchard house, which for size of bunches 

 and berries could not be surpassed, and a special certificate was 

 awarded. Messrs. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, sent a dish of very fine 

 Tangieriue Oranges, fully ripe and of delicious flavour, which received 

 a special certificate. W. L.Banks, Esq., Ealing, exhibited the fruit of 

 Ficus elastica, and a drawing of the plant showing the mode of fructifi- 

 cation. Mr. Downing, gardener to T. Grissell, Esq., Norbmy Park. 

 sent pood specimens of Pomegranates. Mr. JRnffett exhibited fruit 

 of St. Martin's (Juetsche Plum, which was rather past. Mr. Stevens, 

 of Trentham, exhibited Fleming's Seedling Pear, which the Com- 

 mittee did not consider equal in merit to other sorts sent along with it. 

 Mr. J. Snow, of Saltram, exhibited a seedling Pear which proved to 

 he Vicar of Wiukfield. Mr. Eekford, of Coleshill, sent four vei*y nice, 

 small, whito-spinod Cucumbers named Winter Eavonrite. 



Messrs. Barr A: Sugden filled a table the entire length of the exhi- 

 bition-room, with a very complete and interesting collection of orna- 

 mental Gourds, to which a special certificate was unanimously 

 awarded. 



The Chairman read a communication from Mr. Dewdney, PJgham 

 Mill, Dorking, relative to the Black and White Grapes gi-own on an 

 open wall, which he exhibited at the meeting of October 20th. In 

 this Mr. Dewdney stated, that at the conclusion of the meeting, having 

 had a conversation with a member of the Council, he was asked to 

 write an account of his mode of cultivation, and he had done so, not with 

 any view of pointing out how to grow Grapes, but simply to relate the 

 following facts : — 



" In thfi years 1830 and 1840 I built the house I now live in ; against an 

 angle of this house some 15 yards long, and with a south-east aspect, I made 

 a Vine border by removing the soil and filling in with brick and mortar 

 rubbish from a very old building, whole bones, and old shoes, to the thick- 

 ness of 1 foot. I then put 8 inches of the soil on this mixture. In this 

 border I planted a Black Grape (the Black Prince), a White Frontignan 

 Grape, and a Fig tree, all of which have thriven entirely to my satisfac- 

 tion. In 1846 I gained the 2nd prize for Black Grapes at a local show, 

 beating three men who exhibited Grapes grown under glass. On the end 

 of this border, in 1641, 1 made a bed 8 feet square and 22 inches deep ; the 

 sides were slate (one slab), and the bottom was paved with similar slate 

 slabs, so that the roots of a Vine could not escape. I filled in this bed 

 as follows : — In the bottem I put pieces of chalk to the depth of from 4 to 

 6 inches, and broken bricks for drainage ; I then filled up with broken 

 bricks, and mortar rubbish, whole bones, old shoes, pig's hair, and about 

 ^ bushel of charcoal, and in this bed I planted a White Frontignan Grape 

 which has produced a good crop eveiy j'oar. Some bunches from this 

 Vine I exhibited on the 20th of October. I should observe that I did not 

 mix any earth with the compost. This Vine has thrown, and continues 

 to do so, rods from 15 to 23 feet long every year, a specimen of which, cut 

 10 feet from the gi'ound, I send with this paper. 



*' I also send for the inspection of the Council, the soles of some old 

 shoes, which, on removing a Pear tree last Saturday, were dug from under 

 its roots, and which tree was planted five yearsago ; andthc examination 

 will, I think, establish beyond doubt the great fertilising and lasting 

 power of leather as a manure. A few years since I laid bare a Vine 

 border when I fiiund some soles of shoes similaily encompassed by the 

 roots of the Vine. 



" Mr. Whiting, I believe, will fully corroborate mo as to the luxuriant 

 growth of my Vines." 



Floral Co^nnxxEE. — This was one of the best meetings of the 

 season, both fruit and flowers were excellently represented. Mr. 

 Turner, of Slough, introduced some new variegated Zonal Pelargo- 

 niums, which astonished the meeting. This successful exhibitor has 

 shown himself iu this, as in every other class of plants which he 

 cultivates, a perfect master. His collection was certainly for distinct- 

 ness and high colour much in advance of what has been before exhi- 

 bited, and, considering the time of year, most beautiful. One fact 

 has been decidedly confirmed, that for decorative purposes the autumn 

 and spring are the best seasons for developing the rich colours of the 

 foliage. Eii'st-clasB certificates were awarded to three of the finest 

 specimens, of which there were duplicates — Mrs. Headley, Miss 

 Kutter, and Mdlle. Christine Nillson. In the collection were Hayes 

 Kival. Mrs. HughBerners, GrandMaster.veiy distinct. Senior Warden, 

 Mr. Rntter, and Echo, golden-edged varieties: Excellent and May 

 Queen, two good examples of the ^veredged Tricolors, and Bright 

 Star, a Bicolor, with brilliant scarlet flowers and white-edged foliage, 

 also May Queen of the same class. Mr. Turner also sent a small 

 basket of young plants of Zonal Pioneer, which he sent out in the 

 spring, and which proves itself to he a plant of first-rate quality. A 

 special cei-tificate was awarded for the collection. A group of Chinese 

 Primulas of various tints of colour was likewise exhibited by Mr. 

 Turner. 



Messrs. Veitch exhibited a veiy fine collection of Orchids, several 

 beautiful hybrids, the result of Mr. Dominy's persevering sliill. 

 Phajus irroratus, one of the seedlings, received a first-class certificate ; 

 Oncidium cucuUatum phalaenopsis, a first-class cei-tificate ; Pleione 



