98 Domestic Notices. — Scotland. 



request that he will furnish the history of it, and communicate cuttings 

 for the Experimental Garden. The bunch of seedling Grape was likewise 

 regarded as of very superior quality; and the Committee were equally un- 

 animous in recommending the awarding of an extra medal for it, to Mr. 

 James Simpson, gardener to James Wemyss, Esq. M. P., Wemyss Castle ; 

 with a request that the Experimental Garden may be supplied with cut- 

 tings, when a glazed house shall be ready. The seedling Apples were com- 

 municated by Mr. George Bell of Leith, and Mr. Finlay of Milfield; and 

 the seedling Pear was from Ormiston Hall Garden. 



The culture of the Tomato or Love-apple in Scotland seeming to the 

 Committee to deserve encouragement, and six distinct varieties raised at 

 Kennet Garden and ripened in the open air being produced to the meet- 

 ing, the Committee recommended the awarding an extra medal to Mr. 

 Peter Barnet, gardener to Robert Bruce, Esq. of Kennet, for his success in 

 this branch of culture. 



There were produced bunches nearly ripe of the Black Cluster and 

 Greek Grape, from the open wall of the garden of Alexander Cowan, Esq. 

 Lasswade, evincing both good management and a favourable season. 



There were likewise exhibited some specimens of the old John Monteith 

 pear, from an aged standard-tree in the orchard at Ormiston Hall, and 

 also some specimens of the same pear gathered from a graft taken from the 

 aged standard, and placed on a hard stock against a south-east wall ; the 

 former being stunted and scraggy, and the latter large, plump, and beautiful. 



The Wine Committee report, that several of the Wines produced 

 are excellent of their kinds, and at least equal to most of those formerly 

 brought forward in competition. That which particularly attracted 

 notice, and to which they consider the Medal as due, is marked 

 " Melville Island ;" the same competitor producing another excellently 

 prepared Wine, marked " Caucasus." On opening the accompanying 

 sealed letter, the Committee found, that the Melville Island Wine was 

 prepared of White Currants and Refined Sugar, without Spirits ; and the 

 Caucasus Wine from a combination of White Currants and Raspberries, 

 by Mrs. Patrick Torrie, Royal Circus, Edinburgh. 



A Liqueur, prepared from Geans and Cherries, in imitation of the Swiss 

 Kirschewasser, at Troquhair House, and transmitted to the Society by 

 Lord Linton, through the hands of Old Provost Henderson, was produced; 

 and although no medal has been offered for Distilled Liqueurs, yefthe Com- 

 mittee recommended, that an extra,medal be presented for this Liqueur, to 

 shew the anxious desire of the Society to encourage every manufacture 

 connected with the produce of the Garden. 



Sept. 1th. ■ The Secretary read a communication from Mr. George 

 Shiells, gardener to the Right Hon. Lord Blantyre, Erskine House. Mr. 

 Shiells, finding that the Black Damascus Grape did not set freely, took 

 some bunches of the flowers of the Royal Muscadine, a free setting kind, 

 and of which he had flowers to spare, and dusted the pollen over the 

 flowers of the Black Damascus, about eight days after these had expanded, 

 and when the stigmata seemed crowned with globules. Those bunches of 

 the Black Damascus so treated, set very freely ; while those not dusted 

 with the Muscadine pollen, set only a few berries in each bunch. Speci- 

 mens of bunches of both kinds were presented at the meeting. The meet- 

 ing, regarding this practice, whether altogether original or not, (See Gard. 

 Mag. vol. i. p. 308.), as deserving of attention and encouragement, unani- 

 mously voted an extra medal to Mr. Shiells ; whose letter further proved 

 that the practice was, on his part, the result of his own judgment and 

 reflection. 



The Glasgow Horticultural Society was instituted in 1812, for " the en~ 

 eouragement of all attempts to improve our present Horticultural knowledge 



