JOUKNAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 1, 1875. 



been to the cellar and brought np my last ; they are the Sassex 

 Duck's Bill, or Winter Queening, a very good Apple both to 

 cook and eat. They are of medium size. — G. G. 



NEW DISEASE OF POTATOES. 

 I SEE in your Journal communications, or warnings, of a new 

 Potato disease. I am sorry to say that it has appeared in this 

 district, as in my own cottage garden I have it, but mine are 

 Paterson's Victorias. They are affected exactly as the Kev. 

 Mr. Berkeley says, and I have been told of others in the same 

 way, and I am afraid that if it grows worse there will be no 

 Potatoes where it is at all, whereas in other years there have 

 been abundant crops. — G. C. 



I FIND Early Rose to have nearly escaped ; perhaps one 

 haulm in a dozen gone, but the rest have a somewhat suspi- 

 cious appearance on the leaf — dark ydlow spots, which appear 

 to increase, otherwise the haulm looks healthy. Bresee's 

 Prolific is very bad, but seems to have been attacked at a later 

 stage than you speak of at Chiswick. When the haulm had 

 become more than half grown the leaves assumed a spotted 

 burnt appearance, and are gradually leaving bare poles. These 

 were planted early (beginning of March). Do you think that 

 makes the difference ? The seed was cut — a plan I am much 

 against, but it was mostly composed of what Mr. Fenn styles 

 " whoppers," but they were allowed to dry before planting. — C. 



I HAVE grown the American Early Rose for five years, and it 

 has always been affected in the way you describe, but this season 

 it is so much so that I do not intend planting it again ; fully 

 one-third are gone. Other sorts, such as Wheeler's Milky White 

 and Victoria, are sound. — 9. Wells, Osborne Park Gardens. 



Seeing yonr announcement of a "new disease" amongst 

 Potatoes, and the letters of Mr. Fenn and Mr. Douglas, and 

 your own observations on the same, I feel it may be of some 

 service it I state that it is not quite new here. My Early 

 Rose Potatoes were affected to the extent of about one-eighth 

 in the year 1872. In 1873 they were still worse. In 1874 they 

 were not alone, as my Early Vermont, obtained of Messrs. 

 Veitch, were affected too. This year the Early Rose, Vermont, 

 and Late Hose are all affected, the latter the worst. Brownell's 

 Beauty being alongside, but quite sound, as it was with me 

 last year. I have about eleven other Americans, all at present 

 sound ; nor have I seen it in any of my English varieties, of 

 which last year and this I grew upwards of fifty sorts. I have 

 inspected many hundred gardens in this division, and find the 

 disease affecting the same sorts only as my own. Whether 

 the fungi are the cause or the effect is a problem for the horti- 

 cultural doctors, which I hope will be solved. — C. W. Howaed, 

 Canterbury. 



EOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 



June 30th. 



A SEEiEs of Bucceeeful shows was brought to a close with this 

 Exhibition, which was devoted to fruit and cut flowers. In 

 neither department were the collections remarkable either for 

 extent or uniform merit. We must speak of it as a small show, 

 for several classes were empty; yet there was some good fruit. 

 In the four claeaes for pot Vines Messrs. Lane & Son, Great 

 Berkhampstead, were the only contributors with Foster's White 

 Seedling, carrying about thirty bunches, and Bucklaud Sweet- 

 water, with a fewer number of hunches but of better quality. 

 For a collection of fruit there was no entry. lu Pine Apples 

 was scarcely any competition. For two Queens Mr. Brown, 

 The Beeches, Weybridge, had the beet, but nearly equal were 

 those from Mr. Landford, gardener to the Earl of Bective. The 

 fruits averaged about 4 lbs. weight. Mr. Ward, gardener to the 

 Earl of Kaduor, exhibited Providence of 9} lbs. ; Mr. Davies, 

 gardener to W. IJooker, Esq., Cardiff, had a large unripe fruit 

 of the same kind ; Mr. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitboutn, Esq., 

 putting up a nice Charlotte Rothschild. 



In the Grape classes very good fruit was elaged. For baskets 

 of 12 lbs. there were, iu blacks, eight competitors. Mr. Ginnett, 

 gardener to F. Wilmot, Esq., iBleworth, bad Hamburghs, perfect 

 in colour but not large; Mr. Bones, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Johnson, 

 Mr. Bridgman, and Mr. Akehurst having collections of nearly 

 equal merit. In the corresponding class for whites the best 

 basket came from Mr. Douglas; Mr. Fiest, Mr. Bond, and Mr. 

 Bannermau had also very good coUcctions. For three bunchf s 

 of Black Hamburgh five lots competed, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Jack- 

 burst, Mr. Douglas, andMr. Sage each setting up good examples. 

 Splendid Madresfield Courts came from Mr. Ginnett, and well- 



finished Royal Ascots from Mr. Douglas. For three bunches 

 of Muscat of Alexandria Mr. Fiest sent highly- finished medium- 

 sized bunches, Mr. Bannerman and Mr. Bond competing with 

 larger and also good examples of culture. Other white Grapes 

 were Buckland Sweetwater from Mr. Douglas, and Foster's 

 White Seedling from Mr. Ssge. 



Peaches were very good. Bellegarde and Noblesse from Mr. 

 Bones ; Teton de Venus and Violette Hative from Mr. Johnson; 

 and Royal George and Grosse Mignonue from Mr. Lake. Necta- 

 rines were also good. Elruge and Violette Hative from Mr. 

 Lake ; Downton and Violette Hative from Mr. Bannerman and 

 Mr. Grant; and Violette Grosse and Elrnge from Mr. Johnson. 

 Melons were few and very irregular iu size. Mr. Coleman's 

 Eastnor Castle, green flesh, was the be-t Mnlon in the exhibition. 

 He had also Read's Scarlet Flesh. Mr. Harvey had a seedling 

 and Duke of Edinburgh ; Mr. Chard and Mr. Douglas also com- 

 peted. In the class for the heaviest and best-shaped scarlet 

 flesh, Duke of Edinburgh, oval, from Mr. Sage, weighed 71 lbs.; 

 Duke of Edinburgh, round, from Mr. Harvey, and a very nice 

 netted fruit from Mr. Goldsmith, competed. 



Very good black and red Cherries came from Mr. Musk ; ex- 

 cellent whites — Elton and Biga^reau — from Mr. Douglas ; and 

 Governor Wood and Bigarreau from Mr. Chard. Theonly Plums 

 we noticed were Prince Englebert and McLaughlin's Gage from 

 Mr. Sage. 



In the class for four dishes of Strawberries six very fine lota 

 competed. Mr. Douglas had Dao de Magenta, "Seedling," 

 Amateur, and Admiral Duudas, all of good size and colour. Mr. 

 Clarke had President, Sir J. Paxton, Dr. Hogg, and British 

 Queen ; Mr. Turner, Slough, had James Veitch, very large, and 

 Leon de St. Janier; Mr. Meadows and Mr. Smith, Romford, 

 had also capital dishes. Figs came from Mr. Sage, who had 

 Brown Turkey very good, and Early Violet; Mr. Pottle com- 

 peting with Brown Turkey and White Marseilles. In the class 

 for any fruit not mentioned in the schedule Mr. Sage had a 

 bunch of Musa Cavendishii weighing 80 lbs., in fine colour and 

 uniformly ripe. 



Roses were not extensively shown. In the nurserymen's 

 classes Messrs. Turner, Panl & Son, Cant, Keynes, Eraser, and 

 Bennett competed with the well-known popular varieties, 

 Captain Christy and Mr. Chard being the principal amateur ex- 

 hibitors. Capt*in Christy had a very good box of Madame 

 Lacharme, and Mr. Cant another still better — indeed, the best 

 we have seen of this variety. Besides these the most noticeable 

 boxes were Devoniensis from Mr. Turner, and Niphetos from 

 Mr. Keynes. Mr. Bennett had Mdlle. Marie Cointet; Mr. Wm. 

 Paul Magna Charta, Star of Waltbam, and other seedlings; and 

 Messrs. James Veitch & Sons blooms of great merit. Mr. 

 Turner and Mr. Douglas had boxes of Pinks, and Mr. Wheeler 

 collections of tender and hardy cut flowers. 



The whole of the large marquee was furnished by the Pine 

 Apple Place Nursery Company, and the plants, both for numbers, 

 variety, and condition, gave an admirable idea of the resources 

 of that well-known establishment. Striking amongst the plants 

 was Lobelia pumila magnifica, which cannot fail to take a fore- 

 most rank in our gardens ; it is exceedingly rich and free. Lo- 

 belia Sparkle is also very attractive, and Blue Stone gives pro- 

 mise of usefulness. The awards were not completed on our 

 departure from the gardens. 



THE CHISWICK GARDEN OP THE ROYAL 

 HORTICULTDRAL SOCIETY. 



Always interesting, and much more than interesting, are 

 these renowned gardens. They are in the highest degree in- 

 structive, being the national testing ground of flowers, fruits, 

 and vegetables. They are emphatically useful by the quiet 

 progress of important work which is ever going on under Mr. 

 Barron's able superintendence. 



With this practical testing ground whereon to found their 

 judgments the Committees of the Royal Hortioultnral Society 

 possess a means of arriving at a sound decision unequalled by 

 any other body of censors. In the best interests of national 

 horticulture these gardens should be sustained. As a supply 

 ground for the ornamental appendage of South Kensington 

 they fulfil an important mission, but of immeasurably greater 

 moment is the quiet work done there of accurately proving the 

 qualities of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and determining an 

 authoritative nomenclature. That is and should be the great 

 object kept in view at Chiswick. 



The soil is good, the site good, and the management un- 

 questioned ; added to these main conditions is the large body 

 of practical and scientific men forming the Garden Committee, 

 whose object is to elicit truth, and who constitute a jury which 

 should command the respect of the horticultural world. 



The gayest part of the gardens are the beds of Violas. 

 These beautiful hardy spring and early summer flowers have 

 been sent by different growers from various parts of the 



