94 Provincial Horticultural Societies: — Scotland^ 



one tree, and were superb fruit. We think we are correct in saying that Mr. 

 Calvert Jones was the gentleman who introduced the Ribston pippin into this 

 county, upwards of 40 years ago. Twenty-two cottagers exhibited flowers, 

 fruit, and vegetables, for rewards, in the year, and they received amongst them 

 56 prizes, amounting to 91. 5s. Last year there were but 13 exhibiters, an.d 

 the amount of their prizes was 4/. 10?. (Cambrian. Nov. 30. 1833.) 



SCOTLAND. 



Fifeshire. — The Dunfermline Ancient Society of Gardeners is among the 

 most ancient horticultural societies in Scotland ; its first minute is dated 

 Oct. 16. 1716 j and among its members it has possessed one duke, one marquess, 

 six earls, seven lords, eight knights, two colonels, six captains, three lieu- 

 tenants, four ensigns, one professor, six ministers, seven advocates, two writers 

 to the signet, twenty-one doctors and surgeons, and one hundred and ten 

 gentlemen of landed property. This enumeration will serve as much as any- 

 thing to show the estimation in which it was held in its early days : and we 

 find on the 10th of October, 1722, the following subject for an essay given 

 out to David Bowie, gardener : — " On the circulation of the sap in vege- 

 tables, and a reason why brambles, allars (alders), and sallows are of such 

 large pith, and put forth larger growth the first year than those of smaller 

 pith, such as oaks, box, &c." Nothing more is said than that the thanks of 

 the meeting were given to the orator. How Mr. Bowie acquitted himself we 

 can only guess : the subject given him would be a puzzler to the vegetable 

 physiologists of the present day. We likewise find that there were committees 

 of this Society held in Edinburgh and Cupar ; from which it would appear 

 that there were at that time no horticultural societies in these towns. (Scots- 

 man, July 6. 1833.) 



At the October meeting of this Society, prizes were awarded for vegetables 

 and fruit as follows : — Carrots : for the heaviest 3, which weighed 7 lbs. 

 10 oz., Mr. Fowlis, Fordel; for the next 3, 7 lbs., Mr. Hogg, Pitfirrane : — 

 Apples : 3 Yorkshire Green, weighing 2 lbs. 5 oz. ; 3 Stoup Leadingtons, 1 lb. 

 15oz. ; 3 Gansel's Bergamot pears, weighing 2 lbs. H oz. j the largest one 

 13|oz., and measuring in circumference Hi inches; the largest apple mea- 

 suring 12^ inches in circumference. Mr. John Reid, Pittencrieflf, exhibited a 

 bottle gourd, weighing 15f lbs. (Ibid. Nov. 20. 1833.) 



The Kirkaldy Horticultural Society was established on the 1st of August, 1833, 

 by twelve practical gardeners. Their first meeting was held Sept. 12., when 

 seventy members were present (chiefly amateurs), and prizes were awarded 

 for a great number of floricultural and culinary articles. The prize schedule 

 for 1834 enumerates the article for which prizes will be given, and concludes 

 with the following excellent subject of competition for young gardeners : — A 

 prize will be given to " the apprentice or journeyman gardener, employed by 

 any member of the society, who produces the largest collection of species 

 (excluding varieties) of British or exotic plants, gathered and dried in flower 

 or fruit, and named and arranged according to the natural system : the collec- 

 tion to be delivered to the secretary before the 1st of September, accompanied 

 by a sealed note (motto outside), enclosing the address of the competitor, and 

 a declaration that the plants were gathered by him since the 24th of September, 

 1833. The collections to be returned." — John Sang, Sec. 



Lanarkshire. — Glasgow Horticultural Society. June 2 1 . Several specimens 

 of the choicest flowers were shown, the vegetables were early, and excellent; 

 and the fruits were of the finest quality. A new and splendid amaryllis from 

 the botanic garden, and some very fine May duke cherries, from Erskine 

 House, excited much attention. The latter did great credit to the very 

 excellent gardener, Mr. Shiells. 



Mid-Lothian. — Edinburgh Horticultural Society. Dec. 12. The secretary 

 exhibited several large blanched specimens of the prickly cardoon, or cardon de 

 Tours, from the garden of Thos. Guthrie Wright, Esq., Duddingstone Cottage 

 (Mr. John King, gardener), and stated that the blanching had been accom- 



