Ootober U, 1876. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICtLTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



330 



blossom is prodaced, while stubby shoots of halt that length 

 almoEt invariably flower if the temperature is sufficiently 

 high to mature the wood. The I'oinegranate is, apart from its 

 flowers, ornamental by its bright green Myrtle-like foliage. 



It is adapted for pot culture, and is extensively used as a 

 terrace plant in continental gardens. It rfijuires the full 

 force of the summer's sun, and to be kept rather dry at the 

 roots in autumn and through tho winter, when it will generally 

 flower freely. The fruit of this plant is imported from the 

 shores of the Mediterranean, and varies in size and quality. 

 The pulp is pleasantly acid, and is used for tho same purposes 

 as the Orange. The bark and root are used for medicinal 

 purposes, and in countries where the tree abounds it is used 

 for tanning leather. 



A poor soil, warm site, and thin training of the shoots are 

 the main points to be attended to in cultivating the Pome- 

 granate in England. 



GRAPES AT THE EDINBURGH SHOW. 



Mn. Dickson in bis letter distinctly says that he saw and 

 examined the bunch of Grapes from Eskbank, and that it was 

 two bunches, also that six of the best Grape-growers saw and 

 believed the same. If this is correct (and as yet I must believe 

 it is, for Mr. Curror in his letter did not deny it), I think it is 

 the duty of the Secretary and Committee of the Show to make 

 a most searching inquiry into the matter. 



It is natural enough to suppose that if the Eskbank Grapes 

 were only one bunch Mr. Curror would have come forward 

 boldly and publicly denied the accusation, but instead of doing 

 that he merely says that the " character and position of the 

 gentlemen who acted as judges are sufficient guarantee that 

 nothing was wrong." That is no denial. No one doubts the 

 honesty and character of tho gentlemen who acted as Judges, 

 and no doubt if they had discovered that it was two bunches 

 they would at once have disqualified it ; but in the hurry and 

 generally short time that judges have to do their work (and on 

 this occasion in a singularly dark room), they might easily not 

 observe whether it was one or two bunches, for judges are not 

 there to act as detectives, but to award honour to whom 

 honour is due. 



Another thing worthy of remark is contained in the letter 

 from "An English GiiArE-GuowER " — viz., that " the Arkle- 

 ton bunch was much rubbed, and appeared to have received 

 injury in transit ;" now, I know for a fact that the bunch was, 

 when it was laid on the table at Edinburgh on Tuesday night, 

 in splendid and perfect condition. As " D. E." appears to 

 have been present at the weighing, perhaps he may be able 

 to give some information whether he noticed the bunch 

 rubbed before it was weighed. — Justice. 



With regard to this controversial matter, it appears to me 

 to be of very easy solution. Surely the fruit stems of these 

 celebrated bunches are preserved and can be submitted for 

 examination. I suggest that they be forwarded to the Fruit 

 Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society of London. 

 That body is unquestionably unprejudiced and undoubtedly 

 competent to determine, on that data, whether Mr. Curror or 

 Mr. Dickson exhibited more than one bunch for the prize at 

 Edinburgh. — A Noethekn Gakdenek. 



All Grape-growers have an interest in knowing what con- 

 stitutes a bunch of Grapes, and perhaps you will allow a pretty 

 old Grape-grower, exhibitor, and frequent judge, to state that 

 he has always been accustomed to regard a cluster with two 

 distinct footstalks as two bunches, and never heard this defi- 

 nition questioned. It is a weU-known fact that two bunches 

 are often produced from the same eye. Sometimes they come 

 with a fasciated stem, and sometimes the footstalks are quite 

 distinct. Both examples are common in the Black Alicante ; 

 and though with us such bunches are always the largest — in 

 fact generally twice as large as the others, we never yet thought 

 of exhibiting such as a single bunch. 



Now, putting aside personalities, Mr. Dickson's charges 

 (page 323) on this head are distinct enough, and if false they 

 are easily refuted. The question can be put in a nutshell : 

 Had the Eskbank bunch of Grapes two footstalks, and were 

 the Judges aware of it ? If they were, then they have set the 

 usual rule aside, rather unwarrantably it would appear ; and 

 if they failed to ascertain the fact, after what has been said on 

 the subject of big bunches before, as regards their bond fide 

 character, they made a grave omission. 



If the facts are comeatable let us have them. It is an awk- 

 ward way of answering a straightforward question by referring 

 to the immaculate character of the Judges. One is not disposed 

 to doubt them, but let us have the facts; and while on this 

 subject it is not too much, I think, to ask Mr. Dickson for the 

 names of the gentlemen who are able to corroburnte bis state- 

 ment. It would strengthen his case, and do them no harm 

 whatever, — Gkai'E-Ctkoweh. 



STANHOPEA BASKET. 



All Orchid-growers have experienced the inconvenience of tho 

 unendurable nature of the wooden 

 and wicker baskets which are or- 

 dinarily used for the cultivation 

 of] their epiphytal plants. They 

 need no longer experience that 

 inconvenience, for Mr. Matthews, 

 the Royal Potteries, Weston-super- 

 Mare, the well-known manu- 

 facturer of flower-pots, has pro- 

 duced a basket at once neat, light, 

 and imperishable, and which 

 mu3t>upersedo the usual wooden 

 baskets for the cultivation of 

 Stanhopeas and kindred plants. 

 This basket needs only to be 

 seen for its merits to be appre- 

 ciated. It should find its way 

 into all Orchid houses. The ac- 

 companying figure gives a true 

 representation of this useful aid 

 to the cultivation of Orchids.— J. 



Earthenware Stanhopea Basket. 



POND'S SEEDLING PLUM. 

 I Exmr.iTEn at Daventry Hor- 

 ticultural Show, September 7th, 

 six Piums that weighed 1 lb. 

 7 0Z3. The tree grows on a south 

 wall. In 1873 I gathered my 

 firpt ripe Plums, August 2Qd, from 

 Early Favourite, and my latest from Pond's Seedling. In 1871 

 I had fruit from these varieties from July 20lh to October 

 10th, and this year from July 22ud to the present time. Pond's 

 Seedling is an excellent late variety. The hive bees have 

 been much more troublesome this year than the wasps in 

 destroying fruit. Can any of your readers give me the name 

 of the dark Plum that took the first prize at the Stamford 

 Show?— C. E. Beacebeidge, Manor House, Kihbij. 



OLLA PODRIDA— A CONTINENTAL TOUR.— No. 5. 



I LEFT oif in my last at Baveno : from there we started to 

 cross into Switzerland by the St. Gothard Pass. And here 

 let me give a word of warning to any who wish to take this 

 Pass by diligence, which starts now from Biasco, not to trust 

 to the truthfulness of Italian hotel-keepers. We wanted to 

 secure three places in the coupe of the diligence, and wrote to 

 the landlord of the principal hotel at Biasco, asking him to 

 secure them for us. We received no answer ; so, after three 

 days, we telegraphed, and had as a reply that all the places in 

 the coupe were taken, but that there would be, most probably, 

 a supplementary diligence, in which case he would try and 

 secure the coupe seats; but— and here was the gist of the 

 whole matter— he could be certain to secure a return voitnre 

 at but little greater cost than the diligence. We started late 

 in the evening, took the steamer to Locarno, and then went by 

 train to Biasco, where the landlord met us, and again assured 

 us that there were no coupe places to be had in the diligence, 

 and wished us to make arrangements for a voiture with a per- 

 son who entered the train at Bellinzona, and had immediately 

 tried to make us hire his voiture, for which he wanted at first 

 200 francs. We refused point blank to have any dealings at 

 all ; and I rose up early in the morning, went down to the 

 office of the diligence, and found that the whole story of the 

 coupe places being taken was a fabrication, as no places had 

 been booked at all. I consequently booked three places, and 

 went back to the inn, when the landlord met me, and was very 

 Bcrry no places could be had, and he could supply a return 



