Scotland. 613 



stand, it was of excellent flavour. The season was too late to expect much of 

 a show in forced melons ; and we observed only two or three, and those not 

 particularly fine. The exhibition for winter fruits will be the most interesting 

 to the Jersey horticulturist, and that is fixed for the 15th of October. Sir John 

 De Veulle showed some very fine peaches ; and the pears and apples from his 

 gardens were also good specimens. The show of vegetables was, in our judg- 

 ment, the most satisfactory part of the day's exhibition. The carrots, parsneps, 

 and onions were particularly good ; and three heads of celery that were 

 shown were as fine as any we have ever seen so early in the season. In 

 the list of prizes, we observe the weight of some of the vegetables, two 

 examples of which we shall give, as we have already given some of those 

 of Guernsey: fifty onions weighed 19 lb.; and twelve parsneps, 261 lb., 

 &c. We were rather surprised to find a list of the charges of a veterinary 

 surgeon appended to the list of horticultural prizes ; but this was accounted 

 for, by the Society being for the encouragement of agriculture as well as hor- 

 ticulture. {Ibid., Sept. 9.) 



Oct. 15. This was a most brilliant show of autumnal fruits and flowers. 

 The specimens of apples and pears were, perhaps, the finest ever produced; 

 and many deserved particular notice. Some Belles de Jersey pears, of extra- 

 ordinary magnitude, were placed there by Col. Le Couteur as a present to His 

 Majesty. Some Chaumontel pears were exhibited by Mr. P. Langelier, fifty 

 of which weighed 41 lb.; two weighed 96 oz. ; twelve Beurre d'Aremberg, by 

 Mr. James Hammond, weighed 9£ lb. ; twelve Crassane, 7 lb. 14 oz. ; twelve 

 Duchesse d'Angouleme, 13^ lb.; twelve Bon Chretien d'Espagne, 9i lb. ; 

 and two bunches of out-door grapes, 5 lb. {Ibid., Oct. 17.) [We were sorry 

 to observe no cottagers' prizes mentioned in these accounts,] 



SCOTLAND. 



Caledonian Horticultural Society. — Dec. 6. 1833. The various fruits* 

 flowers, and roots exhibited were never, we believe, surpassed for beauty or 

 excellence ; but, owing to the inclement season, and the distance of the exhi- 

 bition from the city, the attendance of company was less than usual. It has, 

 therefore, been suggested that the winter meetings of the Society should, as 

 formerly, be held in town. Among the prizes was one for a collection of pears, 

 produced from grafts obtained from the experimental garden, which appeared 

 to the committee so uncommonly fine, that they thought it right to award an 

 extra medal for them to Mr. John Young, gardener to Sir James Gibson 

 Craig, Bart., of Riccarton. The secretary exhibited several large blanched 

 specimens of the prickly cardoon, or Cardon de Tours, from the garden of 

 Thomas Guthrie Wright, Esq., Duddingstone Cottage ; and stated that the 

 blanching had been accomplished by using hypnum moss in place of straw 

 ropes, the former material being preferable, as communicating no bad flavour 

 to the cardoon. He added, that the committee regarded this as a meritorious 

 practice, deserving of attention ; and recommended that a medal should be 

 awarded to Mr. John King, gardener to Mr. Wright ; which was agreed to. 

 The Society having offered a premium for the best collection of seeds of ever- 

 green trees and shrubs saved in Scotland, the committee reported that it was 

 due to Mr. John Street, gardener at Biel ; who had sent a parcel containing 

 considerable quantities of common laurel, Portugal laurel, and laurustinus, 

 with? small quantities of the seeds of Chinese arbor-vita? and sweet bay. Very 

 fine bunches of black Hamburgh and white muscadine grapes were then placed 

 on the table ; the produce of a flued wall at Erskine House garden, without 

 the aid of glass, and gathered on the 4th inst. A letter from Mr. George 

 Shiells was read, mentioning that the family had been supplied with such 

 grapes since the end of October; and that there were still about thirty bunches 

 remaining. The committee, lastly, called the attention of the meeting to 

 several excellent articles, both fruits and roots, the produce of the Society's 

 experimental garden ; and which did great credit to Mr. Barnet as a cultivator. 

 A communication was read to the meeting on the forcing and blanching of 



Vol. X. — No. 57. xx 



