Soptomber 28, 1865.1 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



253 



DuriiiK tlio tliiril week of August Triucess of Waloa Poftcli, 

 Dc Sables Nectarine, Bergen's Yellow (au American Peach), 

 unci Urugnon Violet ripened. The end of August brought us 

 the Stanwicli on early walls, Alexina Chnupin (new), Chauviero 

 Nectarine, Kensington, and Tardive Belle Fleur, a new Ame- 

 rican variety, all good, but sustaining severe competition with 

 the open wall at the moment. 



An account of the September I'eachos will l)e given hereafter. 

 By the <'nd of tho month Peaches on the open wall become 

 rare, and the houses resume a marked superiority. One liouse, 

 growing late Peaches, easily outnumbers tlio produce of the 

 islands then. This succession is of great value. 



During this warm season the Peaches on the open wall 

 have been very numerous, but small. They ripened simulta- 

 neously, and became, .at those times, a nuisance rather than a 

 pleasure. No Peach which touches the ground is worth eating, 

 and the supply is too great at one period, and waste ensues. — 

 T. C. Bbehaut, liiclimvml IIounc, Gitcriisfi/. 



WHERE BANANAS, TINE APPTiES, AND 

 ORANGES COME ERO]M. 



The vessels engaged iu collecting and bringing fruit to this 

 port are mostly British bottoms and are not at all regular 

 traders. Some' of these peculiar craft are rejiresented to be 

 wreckers from Nassau, Cuba, Windward Islands, &c., and they 

 are large dealers in ol.l junk. Wrecked goods, vessels, cottons, 

 and iron-work are their customary plunder, the supply of 

 which proving short they betake themselves to the fruit-gi-ow- 

 ing districts, and load their vessels with Bananas, Pine Apples, 

 Cocoa-nuts, Oranges, and Lemons. Loaded with a rich cargo 

 of these edibles, the vessels are put for New York, or whatever 

 port seems most desirable, and forthwith their freight is placed 

 in the hands of commission merchants, who see to the dis- 

 posing of the cargo. A number of American vessels are, how- 

 ever, yearly chartered by the merchants dealing iu such 

 commodities, and these latter trade regularly and in an or- 

 thodox manner. Payments for fruit at the plantations are 

 generally made in specie, occasionally varied, however, by 

 bar-tering of goods, when a captain goes out on a speculating 

 toui- of his own. In such cases flour, sugar, tea, and New 

 England rum form the leading articles of merchandise — the 

 rum preponderating. Some cotton and ginghams for the 

 natives form a part also. 



These vessels trade along the South American coast, touch- 

 ing at Cuban and West Indian ports, including Kingston, 

 Jamaica. Bananas mostly come from Baracoa, liustan, and 

 Matauzas ; Cocoa-nuts from Brazil ; Pine Apples from Cuba, 

 Matanzas, and Nassau. 



It is astonishing how much waste ensues from the fruit de- 

 caying while in transit for this port, whole cargoes sometimes 

 being lost in this manner, and the crew are always engaged, 

 while on the voyage homeward, in culling out the diseased 

 fruit ; still sometimes they do not succeed in checking this 

 great drawback to a cheap supply. Each vessel carries from 

 3000 to .5000 bunches of Bananas, and from 12,000 to 45,000 

 dozen Pine Apples or Cocoa-nuts on each trip. They fre- 

 quently bring a few barrels of rare sea shells, half a dozen or 

 so of tm-tles or terapins, and, in the case of foreign vessels 

 already alluded to, a considerable quantity of junk and old iron 

 constitutes a portion of their cargo. The voyage of a fruit- 

 drogher generally occupies ten or fifteen days, although from 

 Cuba the trips are naturally much shorter. 



Box fruit — consisting of Oranges, Lemons, Limes — come 

 mostly from the Island of Sicily, and the vessels are most 

 laden at the ports of Palermo and Messina, and the fruit is 

 conveyed to this port in sailing vessels of the larger class and 

 steam vessels. The Montown Lemons, usually known in trade 

 as " French Lemons," generally begin to come in about the 

 middle of February, and their season ends in the latter part of 

 Jane or the first of July, sometimes lasting until August, in 

 imusnally prosperous seasons. The Malaga Oranges and 

 Lemons come into the market about August and last until 

 January, thus completing the year. 



In Cuban fruits the trade is always lively on account of the 

 regularity of the supplies and the ready sale always foimd for 

 such fruit. Havana Oranges generally make their first appear- 

 ance in November, and last through the winter until March. 

 Limes also arrive in large quantities from Cuba, and form no 

 inconsiderable part of the trade. 



Baracoa Bananas and Cocoa-nnts have their season from 



March to July, when the Carthagena fruit assumes lull sway. 

 Matanzas Pine Apples last from May thr.jugh to July, and the 

 Nassau fruit, tho Sugar-loaf kind, come iu from May until the 

 end of August. 



An instructive lesson might bo learned regarding the mys- 

 tery of the cheaj) fruit constantly hawked about tho streets of 

 the" city, by a visit to one of the 'schooners discharging its fra- 

 grant cargo. Pine Apples now range from 10 to l(i dols. per 

 hundred, according to tho quality and size. But it is easily 

 seen how tho Apple-women manage to make a living, when the 

 spectator ohserves several of these enterprising dealers buy 

 " specks " at G and 8 dols. per hundred. A little lower grade 

 is reached hy paying 2 dols. per bushel for Pine Apples almost 

 half rotten. Bananas are cidlcd and sold in the same manner. 

 — {NetiJ York Times). 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



SErTKMIiEU I'.llH. 



Floral Committee.— The subjects exhibited at this meeting were 

 uot numerous. Mr. Turaer, Koyal Nursery, Slough, sent several 

 hcautiful stands of DnhUns, of which Bullion, golden yellow, received 

 a secoud-elass cei-tllicato ; and similar awards were made to Mr. Eaw- 

 lings, Bethual (rreon, for Sambo, dark crimson, a large well-formed 

 flower ; .and to Mr. Legge, Edmonton, for Lihic Perfection, small, 

 bright lilac, shaded with crimson, and Golden Emperor, bright yellow, 

 fine fomi and substance. Fanuy Sturt, a VCI7 ju-omisiug Fancy, was 

 again shown hy Mr. Pope, Ch'elsea ; and Mr. Eckford, Coleshill, 

 showed Lady Mary Wilde, and cut Verbenas. Mr. Shortt, FuUiam, 

 sent Litobrochia tripartita, which was commended, and a chai-ming 

 Lomaria, called Bellii. for which a first-class certificate was given. Mr. 

 Earley, gardener to F. Piyor, Esq., Uigswell, contributed a handsome 

 variety of Polvstichum augularo w.th large gi-.-vceful fronds. This 

 received a first-class certificate. Mr. Howard, gardener to J. Braude, 

 Esq., Balliam, had a special certificate for two plants of Dendrobinm 

 foi-mosum giganteum, with large white flowers and an orange throat ; 

 louopsis paniculata and Cattleya hicolor also came from the same 

 exhibitor. Mr. AVills, gardener to Sir P. G. Egerton, Bart., Oulton 

 Park, Tai-porlcy, contributed a cut spike of a handsome unnamed 

 Oncidium, aud a Cattleya sent home hy Mr. Weir. Cedronella cana, 

 with numerous spikes of purijUsh red flowers, was shown by Mr. 

 Thompson, Ipswich ; and Melia japonica, with handsome foliage, by 

 Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith. 



FariT Committee. — Mr. Oshom in the chair. Prizes were offered 

 at this meeting for the best dish of Peaches from the open wall ; the 

 first was taken by Mr. Whiting, of the Deepdene, with Walburtou 

 Admirable, and the second hy Mr. Turner, of Slough, with the same 

 variety. F'or the host dish of Nectaiines from the open wall, Mr. 

 Turner was first, with Stanwick. For tho best dish of Peaches from 

 the orchard-house, Mr. Westcott, gardener to Mis. Lett, Dulwich 

 House, obtained the first prize, with Late Admirable, aud he was the 

 only competitor. For the best dish of Plums, Mr. Whiting was first 

 with Reine Claude de Bavay, Coe's Golden Drop, and Ickworth Im- 

 peratrice, the latter quite shrivelled, and a delicious sweetmeat ; and 

 Mr. Earley. of Digswell, was second, with Golden Drop, Impi-ratnce, 

 and Autumn Gage. 



Messrs. Rivers, of Sawhridgeworth, sent a seedling Peach, named 

 Lord Palmerston, of such merit as to receive a first-class certificate. 

 It is of large size, and rather p.ale colour, having only a little red on 

 tho side next the sun, and the flesh is remarkably finn, aud richly 

 flavoured. It was raised from a variety obtained from the Pa vie de 

 Pompone, and retains iu some measure the character of its gi-and 

 parent, iu beinj very deeply stamed with red at the stone, and 

 having the flesh rather adherent. This will prove one of the best, as 

 it is one of the largest late Peaches. Messrs. Rivers also sent the 

 following :— Plums.— BeUe de Septembre, a valuable cttlinai? Plum, 

 its usual time of ripening is towards the end of September. Autumn 

 Compote, a seedling raised by Mr. Rivers from La DeUcieuse. Those 

 sent were smaller than usual. This is also a valuable cuUnaiy Plum, 

 ripening a week before the above, and much resembling the A ictoria 

 in the habit of the tree, aud in bearing abundantly. Cheny.— Belle 

 Agathe, a late sort of Bigarreau. Apples.— The old Golden Pippm, 

 from the orchard-house ; the tree has been under glass all the 

 summer ; and Keinette Van Mons, from the orchard-house. This ls 

 generally veiy rich when gi'own under glass. 



A seedling Apple and a seedling Plum were exhibited by Jonathan 

 Clarke, Esq., but they did not possess any merit to entitle them to an 

 award. Mr. William Paul sent a large collection of Apples, one sort 

 of each, which .attracted considerable attention ; and Mr. Turner, of 

 Slough, sent a dish of magnificent Cox's Orange Pippms ; Messrs. 

 Osborn & Sous, of Fulham, sent fruit of Psidium Cattleyanum, the 

 flavour of which was very fine ; aud Mr. Wills, of Oulton Park, Tar- 

 porlev, a box of dried crystallised Apricots, equal in eveiy respect to 

 those'imported from abroad, and with a much fresher Apricot flavour. 

 The Committee considered them worthy of very high commendation. 

 George F. WUson, Esq., of (Jishurst Cottage, Weybridge. exhibited a 

 basket of extraordinary specimens of Marcchal de la Com- Pears, grown 

 in an orchard-house. 



