THE ILLUSTRATION HORTICOU 



HORTICULTURAL CHRONICLE. 



— Teopigal Fruits. — Several new kinds of tropical 

 fruits are beginning to be sold in some of the principal Eu- 

 ropean cities. New, of course, so far as Europe is concer- 

 ned. We lately saw some Peruvian and West-Indian Cheri- 

 moyers at Hediard's, in Paris ; and we know, too, that they 

 are sold in Covent Garden. The Sour-sop of the West-Indies, 

 Anona muricata, weighs upwards of two pounds. It is of a 

 greenish colour, and covered with prickles, and the white 

 flesh possesses an agreeable sub-acid flavour. Anona squa- 

 mosa, or the Sweet-sop, is the one we saw offered for sale. 

 It is extensively cultivated in the tropics and affords a most 

 delicious fruit. The Custard Apple, A. reticulata, has yel- 

 lowish pulp of a less delicate flavour, but it is , nevertheless, 

 esteemed in the West-Indies. In London the Sapodilla Plum, 

 the fruit of Sapota achras, is sold, under the name of 

 Nespras Nepalica, as well as the fruit of Euphoria litchi, 

 to which we quite recently alluded. We shall be glad to see 

 this trade increase , and bring us fresh flavours wherewith 

 to refresh our surfeited palates. 



— School or Horticulture at Versailles. — This insti- 

 tution is now organised ; Mr. Hardy, junr. having been named 

 Director. The classes will open October 1 , 1874. We shall 

 return to this subject when making known the programme 

 of the courses of instruction. In the meantime we may con- 

 gratulate the French Government upon having entered upon 

 the path, long since opened in Belgium, and which, in a 

 great measure , has led up to the acknowledged superiority 

 of the latter country in gardening matters. 



— Persian Asparagus. — It appears that gardening 

 quacks and vendors of marvellous things are not exclusively 

 confined to the continent. The Gardeners' Chronicle for April 

 18, publishes a circular worded almost as follows : 



Persian Asparagus 



2s. per package. 



This is a 



New and rare variety 



surpassing all others for 



its size, Tenderness and 



Delicacy. 



It is fit for table in three months after Planting, each 



seed at this short period producing Three Stalks as large 



as a Candle, and will, during the year, produce at least 



half a bundle. 



It is fit for use all the year, except the Winter months, is 

 not susceptible to frost , and will grow in any country or soil. 

 Any comment from us would be superfluous. 

 — Masdevallia Lindeni and Harrtana. — At one of 

 the recent meetings of the Koyal Horticultural Society of 

 London, M r Denning, Lord Londesborough's able gardener, 

 exhibited three splendid large-flowered Masdevallias name- 

 ly : M. Lindeni, M. Harry ana and an intermediate form 

 connecting these two plants. When relating this fact in the 

 Garden, our colleague, M r Robinson, adds that these sup- 

 posed species are specifically identical , thus bearing out our 



view of their al 

 Harry ana 



The plant tha 

 is, therefore. a* 

 form, to which. 



plant in M r Micholl's collection letch, I s_ ,,,» .,, :i pu l,ljr 

 auction. This grand plant, in addition to its onotoal size, 

 possessed the more important quality of largo and brilliantly 

 coloured spathes. 



— A Crystal Palace at Liverpool. — Tha 



talk of erecting a Crystal Palace at Liverpool, after the 

 style of that at Sydenham, including a largo Winter Garden, 

 an Aquarium, and a Zoological Garden. Wry probably 

 SeftonPark, which we had the honour of designing, will lie 

 the place chosen for this new establishment, as there alone 

 a suitable site could be found. 



- The Melon-Cucumbek. — In M r Watson 1 ! Nursery, 

 at St. Albans, a very curious freak of Nature was played on 

 a Cucumber plant last Summer, and the plant 



and described by M r W. G. Smith in the Journal of Horti- 

 culture; the figure and article sub-' 



the Gardeners' Chronicle. The case was something analo- 

 gous to what occasionally happens to the Peach, when we 

 have Peaches and Nectarines produced on the same branch. 

 The plant in question bore not only very fine fruit of the 

 normal club-shaped true cucumber, but also a perfectly 

 formed melon, which at the time the description was written 

 was between four and five inches long and eight round. 

 Whether this was a natural sport or a hybrid was not cer- 

 tain, but M r Watson held it to be a hybrid between Munro's 

 Little Heath Melon (which was growing near) and Watson's 

 Antagonist Cucumber. At the time when it was drawn, the 

 fruit was not ripe, and hence it could not be known whether it 

 contained perfect seeds and possessed the true melon flavour. 

 We are reminded of this strange production by the appear- 

 ance of a figure and description in the Revue Horticole , 

 and it would be extremely interesting to know whether it 

 matured seeds, what the projeny is, if any, and other par- 

 ticulars. Perhaps some of our correspondents may know what 



the t 



1 of I 



Distinction awarded to M r . Ed. Andre. — y 

 glad to learn that H. M. the king of Holland, has r 

 decorated M. E. Andre, editor of the Illustration ho 

 wilh the order of the Couronne de Chene, in reco| 

 of the valuable services which he has rendered dur: 

 last four years in superintending the important in 

 wu of Luxembourg. J- 



