Angnst 5, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



1«5 



aronnd it. It seemed lihe the last effort of expiring nature to 

 fringe the limit of eternal snow with life. 



"On this hill [Mont Chenaletta], composed of very friable 

 schistose rock, I gathered a considerable nnm'ner of very inter- 

 esting plants peculiar to the Alps. The Arnica monlana dis- 

 played its large yellow composite flowers ia the shady recesses 

 of the rocks ; and, as if to illnstrate the proverb that the anti- 

 dote is ever beside the evil, I found its juicy stems very service- 

 able in healing a bruise on the leg which I got from a falling 

 stone when gathering specimens. Another composite plant, 

 the Chrysanthemum alpinum, whitened in thousands the slopes 

 of debris. It has been observed, with Pbvteuma pauciflora, 

 beside the Lys glacier on Monte Bosa, at 11,352 feet. Nothing 

 could exceed the beauty and luxuriance of the patches of 

 Linaria alpina, covered with a profusion of orange and purple 

 labiate blossoms, which spread everywhere over the loose soil. 

 No less striking were the sheets of Forget-me-not-like flowers, 

 blue as the sky itself, produced by the Eritrichium nanum, 

 growing in the moist sunny fissures. At the base of the hill 

 on the Italian side, where there was a slight tinge of grassy 

 verdure, the yellow Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum fistulo- 

 snm) and the Nigritella angustifolia struggled into existence. 

 The former rises an inch or two above the soil, and produces 

 two or three brilliantly-yellow flowers on each stem ; while the 

 compact showy heads of deep blackish crimson flowers of the 

 latter, springing from very short and very narrow leaves, 

 diffuse a fine vanilla-like fragrance. At lower elevations they 

 grow in great profusion, and form the finest ornaments of the 

 Alpine pastures. Among the Saxifrages which I observed 

 growing more or less plentifully were the S. androsacea (of 

 which I could get no specimen perfect, for the marmot is so 

 fond of it that it nibbles its stems, leaves, and flowers all 

 Toond), the S. bryoides, Aizoon, biflora, csesia, and muscoides. 

 A short distance below the summit there were several large 

 snow-wreaths. Their perpetual drip nourished a glowing little 

 colony of the nnrivalled Gentiana bavarioa, and the compact 

 sheets of the Androsaoe glacialis, sprinkled over with bright 

 pink solitary flowers. In one place there was a curious natural 

 conservatory. The under surface of the snow having been 

 melted by the warmth of the soil — which in Alpine regions is 

 always markedly higher than that of the air — was not in con- 

 tact with it. A snowy vault was thus formed, glazed on the 

 top with thin plates of transparent ice ; and here grew a most 

 lovely cushion of the Aretia helvetica, covered with hundreds 

 of its delicate rosy flowers, like a miniature Hydrangea blos- 

 som. The dark colour of the soil favoured the absorption 

 of heat ; and, prisoned in its crystal cave, this little fairy 

 grew and blossomed securely from the very heart of winter, 

 the nnfavonrable circumstances around all seeming so many 

 ministers of good, increasing its strength and enhancing its 

 loveliness." — G. 



EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



August 3rd, 



Fruit Committee. — George F. Wilson, Esq., F.E.S., in the chair. 

 Prizes were offered at this meeting for Peaches and Nectarines grown 

 imder glass. The first class was for the best dish of Peaches grown 

 in pots. Mr. Donglas, Rardener to F. Whitboume, Esq., Loxford 

 Hall, nford, sent a fine dish of Royal George, and well ripened ; and 

 as this was the only exhibition, it was awarded the first prize, to which 

 it was well entitled. The second class was for a single dish of Peaches 

 grown on planted-out trees under glass. Mr. Tillei-y, of Welbeck, 

 sent Early Grosse Mignonne ; Mr. Turner, of Slough, Violette 

 Hative, and Mr. Beach, of Kingswood Warren, Epsom, sent a variety 

 without a name. The first prize was awarded to Mr. Tillery, and the 

 second to Mr. Turner. Class 3 was for a single dish of Nectarines 

 grown ;iu a pot under glass. Mr. Douglas and Mr. Tillery were again 

 the competitors. The first prize was given to Mr. Tillery for Elruge, 

 misnamed Murrey, and the second to Mr. Douglas for Rivera' Orange. 

 In Class 4, for Nectarines from trees planted-out under glass, there 

 was no competition. In Class 5, for the best collection of Peaches 

 and Nectarines, Mr. Douglas sent five very fine dishes of Peaches, and 

 six of Nectarines, and these received the first prize. Mr. Earley, 

 of Digswell, exhibited a dish of Moorpark Apricots from the open 

 wall, the flavour of which was exquisite, being perfectly ripened all 

 Totmd. 



Mr. Turner, of Slough, sent a dish of very handsome fruit of Bigar- 

 jeau Napoleon Cherries. Messrs. Bell & Thorpe, of Stratford-on- 

 Avon, sent a seedling Bigarreau Cherry raised by Mr, Haydou, but it 

 does not possess any merit superior to others in cultivation. Mr, 

 Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, sent fruit of Late Purple Guigne and Noir 

 de Gennersdorf ; the former a rather hard-fleshed Cherry, and the 

 latter deUcions and melting, Mr. Rivers also sent Florence and Bigar- 



rean Napoleon. Mr. Rivers sent fruit of a seedling Plnm raised from 

 Braby's Green Gage crossed with July G.-cen Gage. It is larger than 

 the Early Rivers (Early Prolific), and v.'itb a wcU-maiked flavour of 

 the Green Gage. It was remarked by the Committee that this, if an 

 early Plum, will be a valuable addition to onr collections. It is re- 

 markable that by the crossing of these two ronud greeu Plums the 

 result should be an oval purple one. Another interesting exhibition 

 from Mr. Rivers was a collection of twelve little Apple trees, not a yard 

 bif:;b, laden with fruit, which were packed as closely as Onions on a 

 rope. These trees were produced by being grafted on the Nonesuch 

 stock, largely used by Mr. Rivers for the purpo.se of dwarfing the Apple, 

 and its adaptation for the pui-pose is jjrovcd by the result. G. T. 

 Davey, Esq., Colston Bassett, Bingham, Notts, received a special cer- 

 tificate for two good bunches of Muscat Champion, uuusnaUy well 

 coloured. 



A special certificate was awarded to Mr. Mclndoe. gardener to the 

 Archbishop of York, for remarkably well-grown specimens of Muscat 

 St. Laurent. These were fully 8 inches long in the bunches, which is 

 double the size to which this variety is usually grown, and the plant 

 was grown in the pot with fifteen bunches. 



G. F. Wilson, Esq., exhibited excellent fruit of Bcurre Giffard Pear, 

 ripened on pot trees turned out in the open ground. They were 

 rich in flavour. Mr. CoolinR, of Broad Street, Bath, sent fruit of 

 Brailbrook Seedling Apple, but it was not ripe. Mr. Sidney Ford, 

 Leonardslee, Horsham, sent a fine dish of Knight's Lonp-bunehed 

 Red Currants. Mr. George Lee, of Clevedon, sent bir.nche3 laden 

 with fruit of a seedling Black Currant, and a dish of bunches. The 

 Committee approved so highly of this Curi-ant that tbey named it 

 Lee's Prolific Black, and awarded it a first-class certificate. The 

 merit of this variety is its great fertility, the branches being thicldy 

 set with large bunches of verj' largo berries ; the firmness with which 

 the berries adhere to the stalks, a tolerably violent sbaUing having 

 failed to remove them ; and the unusual mildness and richness of 

 flavour. This is, without doubt, the finest-flavoured of any of the 

 varieties of Black Currant, and may be used as a dessert fruit. Mr. 

 Turner, of Slough, received a special certificate for a collection of 

 Potatoes ; and Messi-s. Bell it Thorpe, of Strat'ord-on-Avon, exhibited 

 a coUection of seedling Potatoes, of which the Committee could not 

 form an opinion without having tried them. 



Plant labels were exhibited from Messrs. Maw & Sons, BenthaU 

 Works, Broseley, Salop, improved by leaving out the name of 

 the firm, the lettering of which formerly took up one side of the 

 Ubel, 



Floral Committee, — Rev, J, Dlx in the chair, Messrs, Jacksoii, 

 of Kingston, exhibited a fine specimen of Allamanda Eendersoni, 

 which was awarded a special certificate. This specimen completely 

 sets at rest the vexed question of A. Wardleana, which specific name 

 the Committee now ignore. The same firm sent six fine specimens of 

 Erica, which received a special certificate, Mr. Bull sent a specimen 

 of Odontoglossnm SchUeperianum, for which a second class certificate 

 was awarded ; Calamus intermedins, which had a first-class certificate ; 

 Colons atropurpureus, &c. 



Messrs. A. Henderson, of Pine Apple Place, sent AlUum acumi- 

 natum, an old plant ; Triteleia laxa, Ukewise old. From Mr. R. 

 Debron came a variety of Lilium auratum. Mr. Dawson, The Cedars, 

 Chiswick, sent seedling Nosegay Pelargoniums Elizabeth, and Chiswick 

 Beauty, a SUver Bicolor. Mr. ReiJ, Sydenham Hill, sent Nosegay 

 Pelargonium Mrs. Reid ; Mr. T. Ford, Horsham, seedling Zonal 

 Pelargoniums Sussex Rival and Orange Boven, far behind the flowers 

 of this class. 



Messrs. Chater sent nine spikes of seedling Hollyhocks ; Constance, 

 Walden Queen, Cams Chater, and Leah, received first-class certifi- 

 cates ; three cut blooms of Juno, a first-class certificate. A special cer- 

 tificate was awarded for two beautiful boxes of cut flowers. Messrs. 

 Chafer's flowers were all good and up to the mark, but required 

 novelty, which we believe is difficult to be obtained in Hollyhocks as 

 well as many other flowers. It will be a new era for the florist to be 

 introduced to a sensation flower. Mr. C. J. Perry sent seedhng 

 Verbenas. Here, again, we have nothing strikingly or distinctively 

 new. They were E. H. Vertegans, dark purple ; Thos. Hyatt, shaded 

 red; Joseph Sanders, bright scarlet; Rev. J. Dix, pale blush with 

 intense dark eye. Each received a first-class certificate. Messrs. 

 Bell & Thorpe sent Tricolor Pelargonium Macbeth, which, being very 

 distinct, received a fii-st-class certificate. Among a box of cut Petunia 

 flowers, Single Beauty, a distinct variety, was awarded a first-class 

 certificate, 



Messrs, Veitch received a first-class certificate for a new distinct 

 Dieffenbachia, and a special certificate for a veiy beautiful collection: 

 of plants. 



Mr. J. Hally, Blackheath, exhibited a double rose-coloured Pelar- 

 gonium called Mrs. Hally, far inferior to Marie Lemoine. Mr. H. 

 Tir,:bnck, Luton, sent seedling Nosegay Pelargoniums Mrs. Fish, Mrs. 

 Ames, Miss Sowerby, Madam Griai,"and Gustavo do Rothschild, a. 

 pink full-ti-ussed variety, which last received a first-cl.ifs certificate as 

 being promising for bedding purposes. He also sent Empress, silver- 

 variegated. From Mr. Eckford, g.ardener to the Earl of Radnor, came 

 Zonal Pelargonium Coleshill, bright scarlet, which received a first- 

 class certificate. He also exhibited a seedling Ivr-Ieaved called 

 Lady Edith, a pretty rose-coloured flower, but not equal to Mr. 

 Wills's variety. Mi-. Groom, of Ipswich, sent white Zonal Mr. Saeh, 



