158 REPOETS OF THE FRdIT COMMITTEE, 



Open Class : Kitchen Sorts. — The competitors were : Mr. 

 Smith, Suuninghill : Dutch Mignonne ; Messrs. Iveey & Son, 

 Dorking: Norfolk Beefing; Mr. Whiting, Deepdene : Bedford- 

 shire Foundling. These were reserved to be baked, and tested 

 at the next meeting. 



The Kitchen Apples exhibited for competition at the last 

 meeting, namely— from Mr. Walter Reid, gardener to J. Hunt, 

 Esq., Sydenham : Lemon Pippin ; Mr. John Hodge, nursery 

 and seedsman, St. Austell, Cornwall: Smith's Pippin; Mr. John 

 Pottle, gardener to B. D. Colvin, Esq.: Norfolk Beefing; 

 Mr. Samuel Evans, Arbury : Dumelow's Seedling— having 

 been cooked, were now tasted, and the prizes awarded as follows : — 

 First Prize to Mr. I Hodge, for Smith's Pippin ; Second Prize 

 to Mr. Reid, for Lemon Pippin. 



GRAPES.— From Mr. James Fkyek, gardener to R. Ceawshay, 

 Esq., Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydvil : Muscat of Alexandria, 

 Black Barbarossa, and a third sort said to be Black Prince. 

 The two former were completely shrivelled, and the first was so 

 far advanced in decay, as to have become discoloured and to have 

 lost its muscat flavour ; the stalks of both being quite withered 

 and brown. In the variety called Black Prince, the berries were 

 quite plump, and the stalks green and fresh. As these had all 

 been grown in the same house, under the same circumstances, it 

 was doubted whether the so-called Black Prince was really that 

 variety, which does not usually keep so long, nor in better con- 

 dition than the Mxiscat of Alexandria or the Barbarossa, though 

 the bunch and berries had the characters oi Black Prince, in regard 

 both to shape and flavour. Mr. FErER stated that they had 

 been growing by the side of Barbarossa, and treated the same 

 in every respect. The house had been kept cool, no fire having 

 been used except in very severe weather. The object in sending 

 them was to show that the variety appeared to be far superior to 

 Barbarossa as a keeping grape. 



RHUBARB.— From Mr. Newton, gardener to J. G. Graham, 

 Esq, Enfield Chase: Baldry's Scarlet Defiance. The stalks 

 were about nine inches long, and over an inch broad, fine deep 

 red externally, crisp, tender, and free from fibre. The variety 

 was highly approved as being well adapted for forcing. Mr. 

 Newton stated that it had been grown for the last six years by 

 Mr. Baij)ry of Enfield Chase, who has always realised from Is. to 

 •^s. per dozen bundles more for this than for any other kind in 

 ilie market., This is the first season in which it has been forced. 



