December 9, 1875. ] 



JOUKNAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



507 



Class 23, for Paterson's Victoria. Here Mr. Thomas P. Taylor, 

 Lymm, Warrington, was lirst and second; and Mr. Samuel C. 

 Pilgrim, The Outwooda, Hinckley, third. 



I [Class 24, for Vermont Beauty or Browuell's Beauty. The 

 first prize was won by Mr. McKinlay, and the second by Mr. 

 Betteridge. 



Class 25, Snowflake, or any other white-skinned American 

 variety. Mr. McKiulay was first, and Messrs. Cooks Brothers 

 Beoond ; Mr. James Betteridge's collection was highly com- 

 mended. The varieties shown in this class were Snowflake, 

 Bresee's Peerless, Bresee's Prolific, and Early Goodrich, the 

 two first taking the honours. 



Class 26, other white-skinned varieties, drew together Waterloo 

 Kidney, Finslaud's Early, King of Potatoes, Webb's Surprise, 

 Sutton's Berkshire Kidney, Edgcote Kidney, and Red Bogs. 

 The Duke of Portland won both prizes ; the first with Webb's 

 Surprise and the second with King of Potatoes. 



Class 27, for other coloured-skinned varieties. Sir Frederick 

 Smythe, Bart., Acton Buruell, near Shrewsbury, was first, and 

 the Duke of Portland second, with Red Flukes. The other 

 kinds shown in this class were Red-skinned Flourball, Extra 

 Early Vermont, Salmon Kidney, Late Rose, and Bexton Hero. 



Class 28, for three distinct varieties. The Duke of Portland 

 was first with American Rose, Wood's Scarlet ProUfic, and Bre- 

 see's Prolific ; Mr. James Betteridge second with Red Fluke, 

 Bresee's Prolific, and Bell & Thorpe's Model ; and Mr. T. P. 

 Taylor third with Flukes, Regents, and Red Bogs (auery, Dal- 

 mahoys by another name ?) 



In Class 29, for six distinct varieties, the first and second 

 prizes were won by the Duke of Portland with Bresee's Prolific, 

 Waterloo, Red Regents, Snowflake, King of Potatoes, and Red 

 Flukes in one collection, and with Red-skinned Flourball, Cli- 

 max, Waterloo, Main Crop, Hundredfold Fluke, and Bresee's 

 Prolific in the other. Messrs. Cocks Brothers won third prize 

 with Peerless, Snowflake, Brownell's Beauty, Bresee's Prolific, 

 Climax, and an unnamed dish, probably American Early Rose. 



Class 30, twelve distinct varieties. 'The Judges report that it 

 was an extra good class. The prizes were awarded as under : — 

 First and extra prize (silver cup value i'o 5s. given by George 

 Wise, Esq.), won by Messrs. G. & J. Perry for a very grand 

 lot, including Red Regents, Carter's Ashleaf Fluke, Bell and 

 Thorpe's Model, Harrison's Red Fluke, Wood's Scarlet Prolific, 

 Snowflake, Sutton's Red-skinned Flourball, Bresee's Prolific, 

 Sutton's American Pink Eye Rusty Coats, Wheeler's Milky 

 White, Perry's New Seedling, and Browuell's Beauty. Mr. 

 McKinlay won the second prize with a high-class collection of 

 medium-sized tubers, the sorts being Scotch Blue, Model, John- 

 son's Seedhng, Early Gem, Late Rose, Snowflake, Early Dim- 

 mick, Salmon Kidney, Vermont Beauty, American Breadfruit, 

 King of Potatoes, and Red Emperor. The third prize was won 

 by the Duke ot VoTt\a,ndL.— {Midland Counties Herald.) 



GKOS COLMAN GRAPE. 



Mb. DonoLAs has alluded to the flavour of this Grape as 

 being esteemed by many. I shall be glad to know if this is 

 really the case, for I am compelled to say that I have never 

 been able to pronounce it otherwise than of unpleasant flavour, 

 and I have never heard anyone say that it is in any degree 

 good. I have had the opportunity of testing it on exhibition 

 tables, and have also tasted it off the Vine in several vineries 

 in which I have seen it growing, but never yet have I con- 

 sidered it, except for its noble appearance, worthy of being 

 placed on the dessert table. It is possible, however, that in 

 certain soils and on some stocks that the flavour may be good, 

 and if so it is very important that the conditions be made 

 known, for in appearance it is the finest of all black Grapes. 

 The Vine has also a vigorous constitution, and is a free bearer 

 and good keeper. 



Mr. Rivers has described it as possessing a " peculiar fla- 

 yonr," and as ripening its fruit in a cool vinery. I agree that 

 its flavour is " peculiar," but I think it is a mistake to re- 

 commend any late Grape for a cool vinery. I have grown it 

 in a cool vinery, but the fruit was positively nasty, and I have 

 never found it even fairly good except when grown under 

 Muscat treatment. 



Dr. Hogg in the new edition of the " Fruit Manual," de- 

 scribes it as a magnificent Grape, the fruit being as large as 

 some Plums, of a dark purple colour, but states that the 

 flavour cannot be called either " rich or agreeable," and adds 

 that it requires a " considerable amount of heat to ripen it." 

 That is precisely my experience, as it is also that of many 

 growers with whom I have discussed the merits of the 

 variety. 



As a considerable amount of experience has now been had 

 with this splendid-looking Grape (for I find that it is fruiting 

 in many vineries), it would be of great value if that experience 



could be placed on record, and especially if the conditions 

 could be stated by which it was esteemed by its flavour as a 

 desirable addition to our present late Grapes. If it can really 

 be produced ot good quality it should find its way into aU 

 Grape-growing establishments. — Ex-Exhibitob. 



THE EOSE ELECTION. 



Since the publication of the perfume poll I have received 

 the following post card addressed to me — " Florist," an addi- 

 tion to my name to which I have not the slightest claim. 



" I share your surprise about La France. Has not Franc.'oia 

 Lacharme, most fragrant of Roses, been accidentally omitted 

 from the list ? It is far more deUciously scented than most of 

 those named. — A Rose Devotee." 



In reply to this, I may state that Frangois Lacharme received 

 only two votes. I share " A Rose Devotee's" surprise at the 

 low position of this deliciously scented Rose ; of the two votes 

 one from the Blandford Nursery placing it Al, the other, my 

 own, placing it in the second category. But as our good friend 

 Mr. Curtis says, the matter is in its infancy ; and if in a year 

 a future returning officer for Roses should try a Perfume 

 Election, I fancy the results will be somewhat different. — 

 Joseph Hinton, Warminster. 



THE EOOT-PKODUCING POWER OF SAWDUST. 



In the cultivation of nearly all tender plants in common 

 flower-pots, gardeners have frequently to deal with subjects 

 that have got into bad health and decline, solely because the 

 soil in which they have been potted has become what is gene- 

 rally termed "soured." It would be about as reasonable to 

 expect a human being to thrive with his blood surcharged with 

 bile as to expect a plant to thrive in a potf ul of soured soil ; and 

 some curative measures are always necessary if the plant is to 

 live and thrive. The derangement is often caused by in- 

 sufficient drainage, overpotting, and overwatering ; and in the 

 case of Pine Apple plants often from an unobserved continuous 

 dripping of moisture into the pot. 



The practice of restoring plants that are so deranged is to 

 shake all the soil from the roots, wash them clean, prune away 

 all decaying portions, and repot into a small pot in rather 

 sandy and fresh soil, and when they attain good health shift 

 them on in the usual way. This season we have experimented 

 on some plants — a good many of which did not absolutely, and 

 some which very much did, require restorative measures. 

 The plants were shaken out and potted — not into very small 

 pots for the sizes ot plants — in pure fresh sawdust, and the 

 rapidity with which in all cases the roots multiplied and 

 gained strength has been such as we never witnessed in a long 

 experience. Pine Apple plants produced such a mass of twiggy 

 white rootlets as we never saw attached to a Pine plant before. 

 The same may be said of Dracenae, Anthurium Scherzerianum, 

 and other plants ; and we shall certainly continue to use saw- 

 dust as a root-restorative for any plant that gets into bad con- 

 dition at the root. They produce as many new roots in a few 

 weeks in it as they do in soil in as many months ; and when 

 the roots are produced it is only necessary to shake them out 

 of the sawdust cleanly, and pot into the soil which suits them. 

 Wo should like our readers and correspondents to try this 

 means with plants in bad condition at the roots, and report 

 their experience. The sawdust we use is from a mill where 

 all sorts of home-grown timber are sawn. We shook out a 

 small Smooth Cayenne Pine a few days ago that had been 

 allowed to remain for two months in the sawdust, and such 

 was the network of roots that it was not possible to rid them 

 of the sawdust without breaking up the ball. It had been 

 allowed to remain too long in the sawdust for the object for 

 which it is recommended. 



On the Continent some nurserymen propagate largely in 

 sawdust, and strike extra-sized cuttings far quicker than by 

 any other means. — (The Gardener.) 



Tbees in Towns. — The Corporation of Birmingham have 

 made a commencement in tree-planting in their busy streets. 

 The spot selected for the initiatory step is Stephenson Place in 

 front of New Street Railway Station. Councillors Parry and 

 Barker, the Town Clerk, the Borough Surveyor, Mr. B. W. 

 Badger, and Mr. E. H. Vertegans who supplied the trees, with 

 a few casual passers-by, were the only persons present. Two 

 fine Occidental Planes were planted, and some hundreds of 



