294 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAT.DENER. 



[ October 10, 1865. 



proved the correctness of the opinion expressed so confidently 

 about it. This is a much more easily-managed plant, and I 

 can recommend it very confidently as a decorative plant, and 

 venture to predict for it great popularity. As a dinner-table 

 plant in pots it is very useful, and planted in lines it has just 

 the air and giMce of a compact Fern, while there is but little 

 green in its colouring. — D. Thomson, Archerjicid, N. B., in 

 Scottinh Gardoicr. 



THE EOYAL HOKTICULTUE.\X SOCIETY. 



OOTOBEK '.UXD. 



Floh.vl CoinnTTEE. — Yeiy few specimens were sent to this meet- 

 ing. The collections of cut Roses from Messrs. Paul & Son and Mr. 

 Ttuiier of Slough were extraordinaiT for the time of the year, and 

 more especially for this di-y season. Mr. Turner's collection of Pom- 

 pone or miuiature Dahhas was veiy attractive and much admii'ed. 

 Both of the collections of Roses and miniature Dahlias were awarded 

 special certificates. Mr. RawUngs sent two seedliug Dahhas : — Silver 

 Swan, no use. and Little Beauty, of dwarf habit, small flowers, orange 

 ground, heavily tipped and shaded with red, useful as a bedding vaiiety 

 — first-class certificate. From Mr. Turner, Slough, came fourseedUng 

 Dahhas ; — Le Domino Noir, a white and maroon Faucj' — second-class 

 certificate ; Arrah-ua-Pogue, Artemus Ward, and Arthur. Mr. Turner 

 also exhibited a single cut specimen of a seeedling Rose, Prince of 

 "Wales, a bnght cheiTy red, of excellent form, promising to be a first- 

 class flower. Mr. Pocock, gardener to Mr. Barber, Wincanton, ex- 

 hibited a box of seedling Verbenas of no particular merit, not equal to 

 the best varieties now in cultivation ; and Mr. Meh-ille, gardener to 

 the Earl of Eosebern', Dalmeney Park, four seedliug Tropreolums, by 

 no means novelties ; the flowers were out of condition. Mr. E. Davies 

 sent two seedling Fuchsias — one. Lady Sherborne, with a double white 

 corolla ; the other. Lord Sherbonie, with a double purple corolla, but 

 both were worthless. Mr. G. Smith, Homsey, again exhibited his 

 seedling Nosegay Pelargonium La Grande, which gained a firat-class 

 certificate in June ; it still maintained its good character both for its 

 dwarf habit and splendid large truss of brilliant flowers. Christabel, 

 having a white gioand with deej) salmon centre, a good form and 

 petal, but not equal to Beauty and others of the same class, came from 

 the same exhibitor. Messrs. Downie, Lau'd, & Laing, exhibited an 

 Altcrnanthera with dark variegated fohage, the colour of Iresiue 

 Herbstii. of veiy dwarf habit, but not likely to be useful. From 

 Ml'. F. Priest, ^ardc-ner to E. Wc oil. Esq., Hanger Hill, Acton, came 

 Asplenium dimorphum, a Norfolk Island Fern, the plant producing 

 broad and naiTow sections in the same frond. It is a useful gi-een- 

 house plant. Mr. Earley sent cut specimens of Ipoma^a Bona Nox 

 (I. noctiluca?), also of a vaiiety of Ipomrea Quamoeht. with larger 

 and bright deep crimson flowers. Mr. Bragg, Slough, sent seedling 

 Dahlias Commander, Fair Lady, Lady Geraldine Wellesley, and 

 Model ; and Messrs. Paul it Son a basket of Nerine FothergiUi, a 

 veiy handsome plant, vrith bright scarlet heads of flowers. This plant 

 should be more extensively gi'own, for it is one of the most useful and 

 ornamental flowers for greenhouse decoration at this time of the year, 

 and veiy distinct from the Guernsey Lily. Messrs. Paul & Son also 

 exhibited in their stand of Roses seedling Princess Mary of Cambridge. 

 From Mr. Southby, Clapham, came Cineraria maritima nana, a very 

 dwarf-growing plant. If it maintain its dwai-f habit it will be veiy 

 useful, but some doubts were expressed on this point. Rev. C. Rose 

 exhibited two stands of seedling Dahlias, none of which were thought 

 worthy of distinction ; and Mr. Macldntosh, Hammersmith, sent a 

 basket of his seedling hybrid Solauum capsicastmm covered with 

 scai'let fruits, also hybrid Veronica Jladame Jacotot. These plants 

 came too late to be entered for examination. 



Fruit Co^nnxTEE. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair- 

 Prizes were offered on this occasion for the best collection of Grapes, 

 except Muscats, also for the best collection of white Muscats, but in 

 neither class did ony exhibitors come forward. Prizes were likewise 

 offered for Muscat Hamburgh. Here the only exhibitor was Mr. Os- 

 borne, Kay'sNursery, Finehley. to whom a second prize was awarded, 

 the benies being deficient in colour and flavoiu-. In the class for 

 three dishes of dessert Apples some veiy good fruit was shown. Mr. 

 Earley, gardener to F. Piyor, Esq., Digswell, was first with Cox's 

 Orange and Ribston Pippins, and Sam Young ; and a second collection 

 from the same exliibitor consisted of the last-named, King of the 

 Pipj;ius, and Foam's Pippin, Mr. Cox, Redleaf, was second with splen- 

 di'Hy coloured Ribston Pippin, Cox's Orange Pippin, fi)ie, and Pitmaston 

 Nonpareil. For Pears, three dishes, Mr. Whiting, gardener to Mrs. Hope, 

 The Deejideue, Dorking, was first with Thompson's, Marie Louise, 

 and Comte de Lamy ; and Mr. Earley second with Brown BeuiTe, 

 large and very good, Gansel's Bergamot. and Marie Louise. A second 

 set of thi'ee dishes came from Mr, Wliitiug, and Messrs. Ivery of 

 Dorking and Mr, McLaren likewise exhibited. Of Pearmain Apples 

 only one collection was staged. This was sent by Mr. 'V\Tiiting, and 

 was awarded a first prize. It consisted of Adams' Pearmain. beauti- 

 fully coloured. Parry's, Claygate, Traveller's, Lamb Abbey, Winter, 

 Mickleham, and Manuingtou's. 



Among miscellaneous subjects was a handsome ProWdence Pine of, 

 9 lbs. 6 023., for which a special ceilificate was awarded to Mr. Ruiiett, 



gardener to Lord Palmerston, Brockett Hall ; and Mr. A. Stewart 

 sent Slindon Park Peach, a freestone, as large as the Late Admirable, 

 and of excellent flavour for a late Idnd. A first-class certificate was 

 •i^veu for this ; also to Messrs, Paul it Son for Raspbenies Belle de 

 Fontenay, and October Red and October Yellow, known also as Mer- 

 veUle de (^uatre Saisons Rouge and Jaune. Brinckle's Orange, 

 Cushing, both of which are summer kinds, Large Monthly, and Au- 

 tumn Black, came from the Society's garden at Chiswick. The last- 

 named varit^ty is one of Mr. Rivers's raising, and produces fruit of the 

 colour of the Blackbeiry, from which parentage it has sprung. Fine 

 specimens of Black Piiuce Grapes, and of good flavour, from an open 

 wall, as wkII as a collection of Plums, also came from the Society's 

 garden, Mr. Baxter, gardener to — Kaiser, Esq., sent an amber- 

 coloured somewhat oval Grape, but it was not considered equal to 

 existing varieties. F. J. Graham. Esq., of Cranford, exhibited his Au- 

 tumn NeUs Pear and Cranford Muscat Grape ; and Mr. Ingram, gar- 

 dener to Her Majesty, Frogmore, a white Grape called Napoleon, 

 apparently a better variety cf the Royal Muscadine, and stated to be 

 useful for growing on open walls. Samples of Hands's Freedom Potato, 

 a variety raised by Mr. Hands, of Newcastle-under- Lyue, were also 

 submitted to the Committee, who defen-ed, however, passing an opinion 

 upon its merits tUl it had been seen and tasted later in the season. 



STRAWBERRY ROOTS DECAYED. 



Ix July I planted strong runners of Strawberries British 

 Queen, La Coustante, Froginore Pine, Sir J. Paxton, President, 

 John Powell, and Royal Hautbois in beds, well trenched and 

 manured, and with a quantity of old turfy ioani worked in with 

 the natural soil, which is light. All grew strong and healthy 

 until about the 5th of August when some sorts, especially 

 the British Queen, La Constante, and Frogmore Pine threw up 

 leaves curled and mouldy at the tips, and the growth has since 

 been checked. Can this be attributed to the manure being 

 fresh ? X could get none that was decayed, and used two-thirds 

 horse and one-third cowdung, strong and fi'esb. On taking up 

 some of the plants I found that some of the roots, 6 or 8 inches 

 deep, were rotten. Can anything be done to improve their 

 health ? — A Suescriber. 



[We sent your note to an authority on Strawberry culture, 

 and the following is his reply : — 



" I should not break up the plantations ; they will make new 

 roots in spring. It has been here quite a red spider and 

 fungus season. The mould on the tips of the leaves may 

 possibly be fungus, or the effect of the preceding cause. Water 

 the plants freely while this hot weather lasts. The plants here 

 of ail kinds are most beautiful and healthy,— W. F. Radclyffe, 

 Tarrant Riishton."] 



HAMILTON PiVLACE. 



[Continued fromjyafje 274.) 



I HAVE mentioned that on one of the fronts of the mansion a 

 broad walk, continued by a still broader avenue of fine healthy 

 trees, carries the eye a gi-eat chstance ; I may now state that on 

 the opposite side is" another \'ista, not exactly an avenue in the 

 sense in which that tenn is often used, but a clear opening 

 about two miles in length, affording a view of what appears to be 

 another mansion almost equally spacious T\ith the one near which 

 we stand. This second building, I understood, is a model of 

 one of the Duke's seats in France, for it must be bonie in mind 

 the Duke of Hamilton holds a similar title amongst the Peers 

 of that country, as well as sundiy Enghsh ones besides. This 

 representation of his Cirace's chateau in France, occupies a 

 gentle rising ground on the opposite, side of the river Avon, 

 which, however, is not seen from either position, though it 

 crosses the line, the whole distance appeai-ing, as it in fact is, 

 a continued park. The building in question is ornamented with 

 grass terraces, flower-beds, and the usual accompaniments of 

 an ornamental kind met with as siu'rounding a coimtry gentle- 

 hian's mansion, although it is devoted to other puiposes ; never- 

 theless, the keeping is good. 



As I was told of the great antiquity of some of the remains 

 in that part of the park, I was induced to \dsit it, and through 

 the kindness of Mr. Mitchell, the very able and intelligent gar- 

 dener, who accompanied me the whole way, and pointed out 

 the various objects of interest, we made our way across some of 

 the best park land in the Idngdom, until we approached the 

 river Avon— not the claieic Avon of the EngUsh midland 

 coimties, but a clear pure stream as large as its southern 

 namesake, but exhibiting more diversified features, even in the 

 bounds of the park, than many rivers do in theu- whole course. 



