DECEMBER 3], 1861. 2^9 



season have been as good as could reasonably have been expected, 

 considering bow very partial the crop was in some districts, and 

 hoAv in many, and the great majority, it was a complete failure. 



In the summer months the chief objects of attraction were the 

 forced and the seedling Strawberries. From the exaniinations of 

 both of these subjects the Committee were enabled to arrive at 

 some valuable conclusions regarding the varieties best adapted for 

 early forcing. The details of their observations have already 

 been given in the reports already published ; but for the infor- 

 mation of the Council, it may not be uninteresting to state a few 

 of the more leading features on these, as well as on other fruits. 



The earliest known Strawberry is May ftueen ; the second 

 earliest, Black Prince; the next Eclipse, and then Keens' 



Seedling. May Queen is twelve, and Eclipse three days earlier 

 than Keens' Seedling. Of May Queen and Black Prince little 



can be said in their favour as forcing Strawb^Ties besides their 

 earliness, for like Keens' Seedling, and all other early straw- 

 berries, they have ^no richness of flavour when forced. Eclipse 

 foi'ms an exception in this respect, for the flavour is rich and full, 

 while the fruit is large, handsome, and highly coloured- In this 

 variety, as a forcing strawberry, Keens' has met» not only with a 

 formidable rival, but one which bids fair to dispute with it the 

 high position it has so long occupied in public estimation. A 

 variety called Wizard of the North, which has attracted a good 

 deal of attention, has been fully tried by the Committee, and on 

 every occasion when it has been submitted to their examination, 

 whether at the rooms or in .the Garden, it has invariably failed to 

 elicit aiiy recommendation in its favour. 



Of the many varieties of Seedling Strawberries that were sent 

 for examination by the Committee, there were only two that 

 called for any special notice ; one was Crimson Pine, raised by 

 Mr. Ingram, of Frogmore, and the other, King Arthur, raised by 

 Mrs. Clements, of Wai-leggan Rectory, near Bodmin. 



The new grape, called Ingram's Hardy Prolific Muscat, raised 

 by'^Ir. Ingram, gardener to Her Majesty at Frogmore, has been 

 exhibited on several occasions, and has always maintained the 

 good opinion formed of it by the Committee last year. Though 

 not possessing the powerful Muscat flavour of the Muscat of 

 Alexandria and the Frontignans, it has so marked a trace of the 

 flavour of these varieties that it contributes a musky character to 

 the rich sprightly juice. 



Two Seedling Grapes of considerable merit have been fiub- 



