460 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ Deoembet 17. 1888. 



and I regret to Bay that professional gardeners as a rule are 

 inclined to snnb the matter altogether, as something below 

 their dignity, and if called on to dress a Vino, do it, certainly, 

 though not con amore, but rather in a well-if-I-must-I-must sort 

 of way, and as they would their Vines under glass. 



Is there none of your numerous and able contributors who 

 wiU condescend to lay down the system best adapted for pro- 

 ducing good and well-ripened Grapes, not in a season such as 

 the last merely, but in four seasons out of five ? Is there no 

 second Hoare will arise to point out to the thoughtless the 

 folly of allowing a dozen bearing rods to remain on a Vine out 

 of doors, when if they made use of their eyes they would find 

 one or two only left on those grown under more favourable 

 circumstances under glass, and that they had better take a 

 lesson out of their own books in their treatment of their Rasp- 

 berries, and cut out the long rods that have borne fruit, and 

 leave the new ones that have been growing during the time ? 



" Archambacd " advocates the cultivation of the Vine it is 

 true, but he is a very lukewarm advocate, and holds out but 

 little hope of success or satisfaction from it. He appears to 

 think that one can only aspire to the production of a " tolerably 

 decent lot of Grapes " which can be obtained by a " little ordi- 

 nary attention," but I should like to see some one teach us to 

 aspire to much more than this, as I must maintain that -with a 

 little crlraordinary attention, certain success and great satis- 

 faction will be obtained. 



I am an old disciple of Hoare of five-and-twenty years' stand- 

 ing, and some years ago was complimented by you for Grapes 

 which I was bold enough to send for your opinion. The white 

 Grapes everyone can ripen, but as a rule I ripen the Black 

 Hamburgh, although, I confess, not with what would be called 

 " ordinary attention," for I bestow almost as much time on the 

 stopping of the shoots, the removal of laterals, and the thin- 

 ning of the berries as would any gardener in his vinery ; but 

 what a pleasant occupation ! and how suited for ladies if they 

 ■would but take a little trouble to acquire a knowledge of what 

 is to be done. This year is, of course, exceptional, but I have 

 been told by many "of my friends that they have tasted no 

 sweeter or finer-flavoured fruit than mine, whether grown in 

 greenhouse, hothouse, or otherwise. I allowed some of the 

 rods to remain on the Vine, covered with nets to protect them 

 from birds, until ten days ago, when I cut them clean down, with 

 the bunches attached, and I hope to have a few dishes for 

 dessert during the Christmas week. 



I hope that some one of your able correspondents will take 

 this matter up. — H. S. Watson, Old Charltmi. 



[We quite agree with our correspondent in thinking that the 

 subject of ripening Grapes on open walls is deserving of more 

 attention. Mr. Weaver, gardener to the Warden of Winchester 

 College, ripens Black Hambnrghs without any protection againft 

 the walls of his garden in Winchester. We wish that he, and 

 any other of our readers who has been successful in this prac- 

 tice, would send us full details of their modes and times of 

 pruning, &c. Why should not our present correspondent relate 

 his successful mode of culture? — Eds.] 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



December 15th. 

 Feoit Committee. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair. The list of 

 the Committee was revised, and Mr. Rose, of Frogmore, Mr. Eeole 

 (Messrs. Carter & Co.), and Mr. Fenn, of the Rectory, Woodstock, 

 ■were elected. A letter was read from Rev. George Kemp, offenuR two 

 prizes of £.3 and £-2 for out-door Grapes grown in the open air against 

 a wall irithout any protection whatever. Mr. Melville, of Dalmeny 

 Park, sent plants of his new shrahhy variegated Kales, which he 

 obtained by crossing the old perennial Woburn Kale with the varieties 

 of the biennial which he has grown for some years, his object being to 

 obtain a variegated Kale of a shmbby character for the decoration of 

 ahmbberies in winter. By a prosecntion of these experiments there is 

 every appearance that Mr". Melville will succeed in his laudable object. 

 Mr. Lee, of Clevedon. near Bristol, sent a noble head of Cauliflower 

 raised from plants which stood the severe winter of 1866-67, and it 

 received a special certificate. Messrs. Catbush and Son, of Highgate, 

 aent specimens of Cntbush's Crimson Beet. Mr. Barley exhibited 

 good specimens of Williams' Improved Matchless Celery, which was 

 considered similar to Cole's Defiance. Mr. Farley also sent dishes of 

 very handsome Mushrooms and of forced Sea-Uale, which received a 

 special certificate. He also exhibited a very fine dish of Bergamotte 

 Esperen Pear, Feara's Pippin, Cockle Pippin, and Sam Young, as well 

 as a fine dish of Tangierene Oranges, which also received a special 

 certificate. Mrs. Allen, of Netting Hill, sent a dish of the Crown or 

 Mommy Pea. 

 Mr. Whiting, of the Deepdene, showed a bunch of a Black Grape 



from Italy, grown at Bury Hill. It is of an oval shape, with a dense 

 blue bloom, and agreeable flavour. He also exhibited dishes of very 

 handsome Alfreton and Small's Admirable Apples, and Bergamotte 

 Esperen and Dr. Bretonneau Pears, all of which were in good con- 

 dition, and received a special certificate. Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridge- 

 worth, sent a collection of Oranges grown in 10-inch pots, standing on 

 slates on two hot-water pipes, the pots plunged in cocoa-nut fibre, the 

 heat constant and gentle. The trees blossomed in February and 

 March. Since October the air of the house has been heated to 60° 

 and 6,1'' by two 4-inch surface pipes. The varieties were Bittanconrt, 

 Maltese Blood, Sustain, and two varieties of St. Michael's. To this 

 collection a special certificate was awarded. Mr. Forsyth, of Gun- 

 nersbury, sent a large frnit of Smooth-leaved Cayenne Pine Apple, 

 which received a special certificate. Mr. Jennings, of Shipston-on- 

 Stonr, sent a small seedling Apple, raised from Siberian Crab. Mr. 

 Haines, of Rothcrhy Hall, Leicester, sent specimens of Bess Pool 

 Apple, from a tree grafted on the Crab stock, and others from a tree 

 double-grafted on a Pearmain. The eilect of this donblegrafting was 

 to enlarge the fruit to nearly double the size of that grown on the 

 Crab. Mr. Gilbert, gardener to the Marquis of Exeter, sent specimens 

 of Lord Burghley Apple of very exceUent quality, also a seedling 

 kitchen Apple. Mr. Cox, of Rfdleaf, sent a dish of Wmter NeUa 

 Pear, grafted on the Chaumontel, the fruit of which partook of the 

 flavour and character of both. Mr. Mnir, of Oulton Park, sent speci- 

 mens of Oulton Park Russet Apple, which was considered inferior in 

 flavour. Mr. W. G. Pragnell, gardener to G. W. Digby, Esq., Castle 

 Garden, Sherborne, sent a White Celery, which proved of very poor 

 flavour, inferior to others in cultivation. 



Floral Committee.— This was the last meeting of the season, and 

 by no means an uninteresting one. The Orchids were as pood as in 

 the summer months, though not quite so numerous. Mr. J. Hodges, 

 gardener to E. Wright, Esq., exhibited a cut specimen of a variety of 

 Oncidium macranthum ; and Mr. C. Garland, gardener to Sir T. D. 

 Acland, cut specimens of Camellia Imbricata, with white stripes, 

 not an uncommon occurrence. Mr. C. Osman, gardener to R. Holland, 

 Esq , Stanmore Hall, sent a cut specimen of DahUa imperiabs ; a 

 special certificate was awarded to it. Mr. J. Davidson, gardener to 

 R Ralli, Esq., Putney Heath, exhibited a small specimen of the same 

 plant. Messrs. Veilc'h, of Chelsea, sent a fine collection of Orchids, 

 among which were MasdevaUia Candida— first ckss certificate ; Lffiha 

 albida rosea, a very pretty Orchid, Denedrobinm Fitcbiannm (.')— 

 second-class certificate ; Pleione bumile- first-class ; Ptens cretica 

 albo-lineata angusla— first-class ; Mormodes Skmneii, and sevOTj 

 others A special certificate was awarded for the collection. Mr. 

 Tanton brought cut specimens of his AUamanda Wardleiana, to prove 

 its continuity of winter-blooming. Mr. A. Henderson, Pine-Apple 

 Place, exhibited Agnostus integrifolius. . , -j o i 



Mr. Weatberill. Finchley, exhibited a collection of his hybrid boia- 

 nums', the plants well covered with fruit, and many of them very showy 

 and handsome ; one was called robustum, but not sufficiently diilenng 

 from the named sorts of last year. A special certificate was awarded 

 the coUection. From the same exhibitor came also Primula smcnsia 

 Wonderful, a very large-flowering pnrpUsh white seedhng, very dis- 

 tinct ; this received a first-class certificate. Mr. Bull exhibited three 

 varieties of Dammara. D. Moorei bad received a first-class certificate ; 

 D. hvpoleuca and robusta were not so good ; Bignonia erecta multi- 

 flora; three small plants of Begonia sagittata, with beautiful spotted 

 foliace, and B. foliosa, a useful plant for hanging-baskets. It was 

 requested that the latter two should be sent agam. The same exhi- 

 bitor had in addition Odontoglossnm cristatnm ; Geonoma Seemanm, 

 a very handsome Palm-first-class cerUficate ; Ptychosperma lacerata, 

 another Paba— the plants too young to show their merit, requested to 

 be seen again ; Richardia melanoleuca, a cunons form of Aroid wittt 

 a small scape and dark centre— second-class certificate ; a amaU seed- 

 hns plant of Alsophila atrovirens, to be seen agam. 



Dr Rogers, East Grinstead, sent a new species of Oncidium, named 

 bv the Rev. M. J. Berkeley Oncidium Rogersii, the largest and finest 

 of its race, with beautiful large yellow flowers. Mr. Wilhama, of 

 Hollowav, received a special certificate for a large collection of Sola- 

 nums co"ntaining Mr. WcatberUl's best seedlings of last year and two 

 fine Orchids, Angrrecum peUucidum and A. eburnenm. A special 

 certificate was awarded them. Mr. PUcher, gardener to S. Knctoj. 

 Esq., exhibited two splendid specimens of Orchids, each of which re- 

 ceived a special certificate-namely, Epidendrnm vitelhnum, with 

 brieht scarlet flowers, and Lielia autnmnalis. very love y. 



Mr. Allen, gardener to Capt. Glegg, sent a box of cut CameUias and 

 Roses. Among the CameUias was one exbibited last y"". J^^P»«* 

 after Miss Glegg, a very beautiful scarlet and white flower. The whole 

 collection contained many good flowers. A special certificate waa 

 awarded. W. Marshall, Esq., brought a specimen of Hajmanthua, 

 which was found to be H. tenuiflorus. Mr. Parker, Tooting, brought 

 a specimen of Ixora amabiUs, which had ''^<''^<=\<'^'f:f''f^'^±^ 

 cate. There was also a very good coUeetion of Orchids from the 

 Society's gardens, containing Cjpripediums and Lycaste Skumen. 



General MEETrec.-James Bateman, Esq., F^R.S., m the cl^. 

 After the election of nine new FeUows, and the admission of the West 



(Tai-bury Agricultural Society into union, the Committee awards were 

 reported. The Rev. Joshua Dix r--' =- 



^^^^„„ . next exhibited some artificial flowerg 



minnfactnred bv Mr. T. Robinson, which, though presenting a dried-up 

 "pTear^oetben dipped for a moment in water and then withdrawn. 



