128 EEPORTS OF THE FRUIT COMMITTEE, 



SHADDOCKS, &c.— John Llscombe, Esq., F.H.S., exhibited 

 a basket containing two varieties of Sliaddock, Citrons, Limes, 

 Lemons, Oranges, Seville Oranges, and Bergamot Lemons, all 

 very splendid, and grown in the open air in South Devon The 

 circumstances under which they were produced are described by 

 Mr. Luscombe as follows:— The locality of Combe Royal, South 

 Devon, is one mile from an estuary at Kingsbridge, four miles 

 from the open sea. The garden is situated in a valley, sheltered 

 from the west, north, and east, but sloping to the south-east. 

 The soil is moderately light, on slate. The fruit was produced 

 in the open ground, on south and east walls, without the aid of 

 artificial heat or glass, protected only by reed or bunting frames 

 in winter. The trees are of various ages, nearly all most 

 vigorous. One Seville Orange tree is known to be more than 

 two centuries old, and is luxuriant. The Citron exhibited was 

 more than a foot in length from the stem to the eye, and 19 

 inches in circumference ; one Shaddock was 19 inches in length 

 and 17 inches in circumference; and the circumference of one 

 Golden Shaddock was 13 inches, and of Bergamot Lemons, three 

 in a bunch, respectively 13, 11, and 11 ^ inches. 



NUTS.— Messrs. J. & C. Lee, Nurserymen, Hammersmith, 

 exhibited a few specimens of Monstrous Cob, a large variety 

 resembling the Downton Large Square Nut — Richard Webb, 

 Esq., also exhibited a nut, which was unnamed, and proved to 

 be of inferior flavour, 



POTATO.— Specimens of Imperial Kidney were again exhi- 

 bited by R. Webb, Esq. ; these on being cooked proved much 

 better than those of the same sort exhibited on a former occasion, 

 (see p. 1 14.) They were about 4^ inches long, tapering, a little 

 curved and flattened ; skin white ; eyes very flat, 



CHINESE YAM.— Messrs. Ivery & Son, Nurseryman, 

 Dorking, exhibited some fine specimens of Dioscorea Batatas, 

 accompanied by the following account of the mode of cultivation 

 employed :— " The three largest were obtained from whole roots 

 planted the last week in March, and weighing about 1^ lbs. each ; 

 the other three roots were obtained from cut sets, from 1^ to 

 2 inches in length, planted at the same time. The ground was 

 trenched to the depth of 3 feet, and had a good coat of hotbed 

 manure. The sets were planted in two rows, 1 foot apart in the 

 row, and 2^ feet between the rows. When they had grown 

 about 6 inches, they were staked with the largest pea-sticks that 

 could be got; the strongest plants soon reached the top of these/ 



