244 



JOUKNAIi OF UOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDfiNEB. 



[ Soptember 23, 1868. 



not, and I ask, Who is to blame ? Aa to the retail price— 8«. Od, 

 per half pint — let anyone who iloubta its being high, search 

 through his old catalogues till he find its liko. 



As to enterprising seedsmen giving £100 per bushel for atock 

 seed, it matters not to the grower whether they give £100 or 

 100 pence ; ho regards what they promifie, what ho pays, and, 

 most of all, what he gets. Unquestionably ench Urms as Messrs. 

 Carter Sc Co., cmn mullis aliis, have done great things in the 

 cause of hortioulture, and every grower muht wish them well ; 

 but their prices for etock ceod ia their aliair, not the grower's, 

 being purely a trade speculation, founded on thtir own expe- 

 rience and acumen. 



As to my "looking at Peas in my neighbour's garden ir stead 

 cf my own," I can only wish that I had had such luck in the 

 case of Laston's Supreme. From all I know of it at present, 

 I am inclined to adopt Messrs. Carter's hint with regard to the 

 other first-class Peas of Mr. Laxton which they intend offer- 

 ing to the public — viz., to look at them in my neighbour's 

 garden before I introduce them to my own, thnngh no one is 

 more willing to pay such a price as will remunerate the labours 

 of crossing, selection, tSrc, whereby our fruits and vegBtables 

 are improved, than— C. C. E. 



EOYAL IIORTICULTUK.VL SOCIETY. 



September 21st. 



Fruit Co^niiTTEE. — George F. Wilsoii, Esq.^ F,R.S., in the cbnir. 

 A prize was offered by H. G. Bobn, Fsq., for a dish of I'caclies growu 

 on standards in the 0])en air, bat there were uo competitors. IVIi-. 

 TViUiam Paul, of Waltham Cross, Eont four sorts of seedling Grapes 

 merely for exhibition, Mr. Paul desiring only the opinion of the Com- 

 mittee as to tho^e varieties which it would he dcGirable to cultivate. 

 Nos. 2, ■!, 10, and 15 were selected by the Committee, and Mr. Paul 

 promised to exhibit them again at nest meeting, when there would be 

 a collection brought from the garden at Chiswich. No. 10 is a very 

 fine Frontignau ; No. 2 a large-bunched variety with a rich Muscadine 

 flavour, as also is No. 15. Mr. Koss, of V.'elford Park, Newbury, 

 sent a seedling Plum which did not possess suflicient merit to warrant 

 a certiBcate. 



G. F. "Wilson, Esq., brought a dish of very handsome fruit of Trans- 

 parent Gage Plums. Mr. ^Vilson also brought a quantity of nuts iu 

 clusters as taken from the trees, all of which were pierced with larpo 

 holes and the kernels abstracted. This was protUiced by the attacks 

 of field mice, which climb up the branches niid attack the fruit. 

 Several of the members have ohserved these mice nttacliius the Filbert 

 and liut plantations. An erroneous impression is abroad that these 

 attacks are due to the Coal Tit (Parus uter), the beak of which co#d 

 not possibly have caused the effects produced. 



Messrs. Bnnyard it Son, Maidstone, sent fruit of a seedling Apple, 

 which was so small and so much decayed that they were requested to 

 send it again another season. The Rev. George Kemp, of Sevenoaks, 

 brought frait of Kivers's Summer Beun-e d'Aremberg, of excellent 

 flavour, though small on account of the season. 



Mr. Gilbert, fjardener to the Marquis of Exeter at Burghley, sent 

 Iruit of Duke of Cornwall Melon, a vci-y large fruit, weighing S\ lbs. 

 It has a clear yellow, smooth skin and a very thick green flesh, and was 

 scarcely ripe, hut it had all the properties of a first-rate fruit. He 

 also sent a seedling raised between the Duke of Cornwall and the 

 Victory of Rath. It is a white-skinned variety with a thick grocn 

 flesh, and very richly flavoured. It was awarded a first-class certifi- 

 cate, and named Burghley Green- flesh. Mr. Goldsmith, gardener, 

 Poleaden Lacy, Dorking, sent fruit of the old "Windsor Prize, a scarlet- 

 fleshed variety of good flavour. Mr. Stacey, the Gardens, South Bank, 

 Ed gbastou, Birmingham, sent a seedhng Melon, which also proved to 

 Jbethe Windsor Prize. 



Mr. Fairbaim, gardener to W. Death, Esq., Bishop Stortford, sent 

 a good specimen of the Blood Pine, weighing lbs. *1 o;:8., to which a 

 special certificate was awarded for meritorious cultivation. Mr. George, 

 of Pntnoy "Heath, sent a Strawben-y plant in a pot hearing fruit on a 

 mnner of the current season. Mr. John Haisman, gai'dener to Horace 

 Martin, Esq.. Oldbury Place, Ightliam, sent very good specimens of 

 Forbidden Fruit. 



Mr. Fcnn, of the Rectory, Woodstock, brought specimens of Eibston 

 Pippin gi-own on trees giafted on the Blenheim Pippin, exhibiting 

 Tei7 remarkable results as to the influence of the stock on the graft. 

 An account of this interesting subject will be found in our nest num- 

 ber. Mr. Feuu aUo exhibited three hinds of home-made wines, onq, 

 from the Espiran, another from the Boyal Muscadine, and a third 

 from Muscat of Alexandria, all grown in the open air. All of them 

 were very well manufactured wines, and the rcsnlt of a persevering 

 course of experiments which Mr. Fenn has been carrying on for a great 

 number of years to ascertain the practicability of producing in this 

 counti-y a cheap and wholesome wino from home-grown Grapes. Mr. 

 Fenna efTorts have at last been crowned with groat success. Tho first 

 sample, which is red, was a very good light wine, with a good deal of 

 body and flavour, and far superior to many of the vi/is du ^mi/s one 

 gets in France and Switzerland. The second was ^aite a first-rate 



wino, somewhat of tho character of n white Bargundy, and this re- 

 ceived a first-class certificate. Tho tliird was a light uparkiiag wine 

 very pleasant to drink, but thin, and would not keep loug ; neverthe- 

 less a great advance cu houio-mado Hpnrkling wines geuerally, 



Mr. Fcnn olso Eent two varieties of seedling Potatoes — one, nnmcil 

 Tho Rector of Wooilstock, a fine flavoured and very prolific Potato, 

 wliich was awarded a fii-flt*clasfl ccrtificato. Tho other was not con- 

 sidered of suflieient merit, it being without much flavour, though very 

 flonn.-. and a fiuo-looking Potato. Besides these, Mr. Fenn hod a 

 collection of what he cousidercd the twelve beat sorts of Potatoes, for 

 which he received a special certificate. From Messrs. Barr iV Sngdeo, 

 King Sti-eet, Covcnt Garden, came a very largo and interesting col- 

 lection of Onions, for which a special certificate was awarded. 



Floral Committee. — Rev. J. Dix in the chair. W. Lacey, Esq., 

 Southampton, sent a seedling bronze Zoual Pelargonium. From Mr. 

 'Warreu, Salisbnry, camo some very neat plants of a dwarf sraall- 

 flowering Veronica, named Bine Gem. This is one of the prettiest 

 plants that have been cUiibited this year; its dwarf, neat habit will 

 make it very useful for bedding and decorative pnrposeii. Mr. Warren 

 also brought a plant of Viola Perfection, aud^owers of the same were 

 sent by Sir. Dobson, of Alton Park, to a previous mLCtinp. A first- 

 class certificato was.awardcd.it as a valuable bedding variety. Mr. E. 

 Bland, Richmond Hill, sent four seedling hybrid Kosegay Pelai^o- 

 niums and others, but of no special merit. Symmetry, a well-formed 

 scarlet llower, was good, but not equal to some others. 



A collection of Orchids from the SociotyH gardens was awarded a 

 special certificate. Among them a C_\pripedinui Reichenbachii, a new 

 plant of no particular beauty, which is reported to produce from 

 twenty to forty flowers on each spike, was awarded a first-class certificate. 



Mr. Wimsett, Chelsea, sent his two hybrid Ivy-leaved Pelargoninms 

 — viz., Willsii rosea, dark bright rose, which hod received a first-class 

 certificate, also Willsii, a lighter and paler rose, to which a first-claas 

 certificate was awarded. Those aro very beautiful jlants, and will, 

 donbtless, be in great request. Mr. Whitchom, Southampton, sent 

 seo31ing Zonal Pelargoniums Queen of tho South, Delicatnm, and 

 Jolly Captain. Mr. Cutbusb, Highgate, exhibited two very well grown 

 specimens of Cockscomb, which were awarded a special certificate for 

 good cultivation. Mr. Nash sent flowers of two seedling Panhiefl, also 

 cut trasses of Zonal Pelargoniums ; tho latter without petals, the Pan- 

 sics of no merit, of the usual character found among any batch oi 

 seedlings. Mr. Cannell sent seedling Zonal Pelargonium Mrs.CanneUt 

 pale pink, of moderate form ; olso W-Uow May, golden-leaved. 



Dr, H. Rogers, East Grinatead, sent an Epidendrum to be named, 

 and C.itHeya Harrisonin?. From Messrs. Bell S: Thoiiie came a col- 

 lection of cut Petunias, many of them vei^ pretty, also double Zonal 

 Pelargonium Miss Evelyn. This beiug the seedling plant, was not 

 eligible for a certificate ; it is very promising, the flower of a bright 

 rose colour. Messrs. Salter sent a very good collection of snccnlcnt 

 plants, for which a special certificate was given ; also Ccntaurea hj- 

 hrida, a seedling of great merit with fiue broad foliage. A first-class 

 certificate was awarded it. Mr. Cripps, Tunbridgo Wells, sent Hy- 

 drangea panicnlata grandiflora, a very ornamental, bardy, Japanese 

 ])lant, producing large erect spikes of white flowers. A first-clasfl 

 certificato was awarded it. Mr. Cripps likewise exhibited Cedrofi 

 verticillata glauca, a glaucous variety of Deodar. From Mr. G. Smith, 

 nurseryman, Homsey Road, came Zonal Pelargonium Formosa, a fine 

 shaded salmon flower. 



Mr. Green, gardener to W. W. Saunders, Esq., brought a new fomj 

 of Agave, Agave pectinata — a first-chvss certificate was given. Messrs. 

 Lee had plants of Cupressus alba-spica ; there was some donbt ex- 

 pressed as to its correct name. A first-class certificate was awarded, 

 and it was requested that it should bo sent again. Messrs. Lee also 

 exhibited Thuja Tom Thumb, a diminutive plant, fit for a glass ca«e 

 or window; a collection of Centaureas, not sufficiently distinct from 

 others, end Altemantheva magnifica, a free-growing variety. Mr, 

 George. Putney Heath, brought several Zonal Pelargoniums, somo of 

 them being seedling jilants, which by one of the Society's rules can- 

 not receive certificiites ; also a collection of cnt flowers of seedling 

 Zonal Pelargoniums, among which were two of considerable merit, 

 these being Mrs. Cannell, a fine, bold, white flower, the centre striped 

 with pink, and King of the Roses, a very promising flower. 



5Ir. Wheeler, Warminster, exhibited a seedling Dahlia, Lord Wey- 

 mouth, a bright yellow, the petals deeply margined with dark red ; the 

 flower is, perhaps, too coarse for the florist's eye, but as a decorative 

 flower for the border it is very useful ; a second-class certificato was 

 awarded it. Mr. C. Turner received a second-class certificate for 

 seedling Dahlia Alice Gair, a first-class certificate for Provost, and a 

 special certificate for a very fine collection of cnt flowers. Mr. Bor- 

 gess. Chelsea, sent seeilling Dahlias Cottage Girl and Mrs. Bargesfl- 

 Mr. Rawliuga had scedlijig Dahlia Royalty, the finest seedling exhi- 

 bited, of excellent form, and bright yellow colour; a first-class certi- 

 ficate was awarded it. Mr. C. Parker, Winkfield, sent two seedling 

 Dahlias. Mr. Cox, gardener to W. Wells, Esq., brought an interest- 

 ing coUootion of cut specimens of Conifers with fine cones on them, 

 some of them having been rarely known to produce cones in thifl 

 country. A special certificate was awarded the collection. 



GeveR-VL Mef.tino.-^T Russell Reeves. Esq., F.R.S., in tho chair. 

 The election of one new Fellow was followed by the usual announce- 

 mcnt of awards, and the Rev. Joshna Dii took tho opportunity to 



