October 13, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CERONICLE. 



419 



appears to me to show a lamentable want of sound 

 logic. Why are we being beaten in the home market? 

 one may ask, and as readily answer, from causes be- 

 yond human control, viz., climatic conditions. Those 

 who live the longest will learn the most on this par- 

 ticular point, and I can only hope that those who 

 hold a contrary opinion to myself may prove to be 

 right, and that I may be wrong. That there is room 

 for a further extended profitable culture of small 

 fruits in this country goes without saying, and it is 

 impossible to see at present what the end of it will 

 be, but the probabilities seem to be that when we 

 have grown sufficient for our own requirements we 

 may do an export trade. These remarks, I trust, 

 will not be taken as emanating from a dogmatic 

 spirit, and must be accepted for what they are worth. 

 Young Crab. 



THE OLD MUSCAT OF ALEXANDRIA VINE AT 

 HAREWOOD CASTLE.— This fine old Vine, which 

 may be termed the Hampton Court Vine of the North, 

 so far as age and size are concerned, is this year 

 producing a good crop of nice, well set, useful 

 bunches. They are fully a month later in ripening 

 than usual in more genial seasons. The house it 

 fills is a lean-to, some 60 feet long by about 26 feet 

 wide. It is planted outside, about the centre of the 

 house, the main 6tem being brought in under the 

 "pan" of the front-lights, at the top of which a 

 branch has been taken horizontally to each end ; 

 from these other branches are taken vertically under 

 each rafter to the top of the house. Owing to the 

 size of the house and the extensive root-run in the 

 border it is practically impossible to push it on in 

 the usual sense of the term amongst gardeners, hence 

 Mr. Fowler's anxiety to get the fruit fully ripe, 

 so as to be able to keep them well into the new 

 year, as is usual in more genial seasons. From an 

 inscription on a stone let into the back wall of the 

 house, I found it had been planted lUo years. H. J. 

 €., Griniston, October 1. 



HEAVY CROP OF GROSSE MIGNONNE PEACH — 

 In these days of progress Fruit Conferences have been 

 held in different part of the country, in order to 

 stimulate increased interest and culture in home 

 fruits. While visiting gardens this season I have 

 given more than usual attention to the condition of 

 fruit trees. The other day, at the seat of the Earl 

 of Galloway, Galloway House, I had an opportunity 

 of inspecting the crop of outdoor fruits, and was 

 much gratified to find excellent wall fruit, especially 

 of Peaches, which were ripening well. The most 

 notable tree there is one of Grosse Mignonne, bear- 

 ing fine fruit. Mr. Day, the gardener there, whose 

 heart is in his profession, and whose skill as a fruit 

 grower has been recognised at the Edinburgh and 

 Glasgow shows this season, and also on former occa- 

 sions, weighed one of these in my presence, and 

 which fruit turned the scale at 5.J oz. This tree was 

 in good health, and bore a large crop of Peaches 

 finely finished. Such fine samples are not often seen 

 growing out-of-doors so far North. While visiting 

 the neighbouring garden at Glasserton I saw an 

 ■excellent crop of Figs outside^ on the wall ; many of 

 the fruit weighed 7 oz. This tree covered 611 square 

 feet of the wall, and always bears a fine crop of large 

 Figs. A. Milne. 



Societies. 



SOYAL HORTICULTURAL. 



Tuesday, October 9. — The meeting held in the 

 Drill Hall, James Street, Westminster, on Tuesdav 

 last was but meagrely attended by exhibitors, and 

 the exhibits were few in number, if we except the 

 magnificent display of Ferns made by Mr. H. B. 

 May, of Edmonton. These filled up most effec- 

 tively a broad table on one side of the Hall, and 

 elicited unaffected admiration from the visitors. A 

 little fruit was shown, viz., Plums, from the nurseries 

 of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons ; Grapes, from Messrs. 

 Roupell, C. Ross, Bradshaw, and the Society's 

 garden. 



Floral Committee. 



Present : G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair ; 

 and Rev. W. Wilks, Messrs. J. Laing, H. Herbst! 

 W. Goldring, J. Walker, B. Wvnne, W. Wildsmith, 

 W. Holmes, R. Dean, C. Noble, C. Pilcher, J. 

 Dominy, H. Ballantine, H. M. Pollett, J. O'Brien, 

 E. Hill, Shirley Hibberd, G. Duffield, and t! 

 Baines. 



From Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Royal Exotic 

 Nursery, Chelsea, S.W., there were a few exhibits, 

 the central object being a new and very fine hybrid 

 Nepenthes. Pollen of N. Veitchii was sent by Messrs. 

 Veitch to Mr. Lindsay, of the Royal Botanic Garden, 

 Edinburgh, who happened to have female flowers of 

 N. Rafflesiana in bloom at the time. The hybrid is 

 named Dicksoni, after the late Prof. Dickson, of 

 Edinburgh. The plant bore five fully developed 

 pitchers, which are about 9 inches long, or more, 

 cylindrical in shape, and pale apple-green, heavily 

 splashed with purple-brown, the lid being marked 

 with the same colour on the inferior surface; the 

 ring at the mouth very prominent and dark red. The 

 foliage, and the rim of the pitcher, clearly show 

 the parentage of N. Veitchii, while the general 

 form of the pitcher is like Rafflesiana. It is a 

 remarkably handsome variety, although the first 

 pitchers that were produced were so poor that it 

 was almost determined to throw the plant away. 

 From the same nurseries there also came specimens 

 of Bouvardia President Cleveland, rich scarlet ; 

 Amasonia punicea, the scarlet bracts and stem, &c, 

 well displaying the cream-coloured flowers ; Ama- 

 ryllis Autumn Beauty, a pretty flower white netted 

 with rose, as in A. reticulata, but paler, the leaves 

 variegated, and the whole plant dwarf; several 

 plants of the hybrid Begonia, John Heal, and 

 Canna Ulrich Brunner, a plant of moderate height, 

 with green leaves and large flowers of deep rich 

 scarlet, 



Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent, sent 

 plants of double tuberous Begonias : Mrs. Stark, 

 with light yellow flowers, and General Chichester, 

 warm rose, were certificated. Cut blooms of single 

 varieties were sent by Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, 

 Forest Hill. 



Cut blooms of a Rose (H.P.) Denmark was 

 shown by Messrs. William Paul & Son, Waltham 

 Cross. Herts. Messrs. Paul had received the Rose 

 from Messrs. Teiner, Lassen & Dithmer, of Elsinore, 

 who hold the stock. It resembles somewhat 

 Baroness Rothschild in colour, and apparently forms 

 a good solid flower. 



Mr. Ballantine, gr. to Baron Schroder, The Dell, 

 Egham, contributed a specimen of Loelia porphy- 

 rias ; the plant was about 8 inches in height ; sepals 

 and petals dull rose, faintly reticulate ; lip deep 

 purple-crimson, white at the base ; column crimson 

 at the apex. 



Mr. G. Stevens, St. John's Nursery, Putney, S.W., 

 sent Chrysanthemum Elsie, a reflexed variety, very 

 lax, pale cream, deeper in the centre : a very pretty 

 flower. 



Adiantum Waltoni diffusum from Mr. A. Walton, 

 Edge Hill Nursery, Burnley, was Certificated. It 

 differs from A. Waltoni in having smaller, more 

 cuneate pinnules, and the whole habit is more 

 spreading. Mr. Walton also had several plants of 

 A. Farleyense, raised from spores collected from a 

 plant in the possession of E. Eckroyd, Esq., Edgend 

 House, Burnley, Lancashire. 



Mr. C. Fardy, Warkworth, Northumberland, had 

 Gladiolus ; and Mr. S. Ford, Leonardslee, Horsham, 

 sent Nerine coruscans. 



In the collection of Ferns exhibited in such 

 capital condition by Mr. H. B. May, Dyson's Lane 

 Nurseries, Edmonton, were many well grown large 

 plants ofAdiantum species and varieties, Aspleniums, 

 Pteris serrulata, P. tremula, Davallia tenuifolia, 

 Woodwardia, Nephrolepis in variety, &c. We may 

 specify a few of the more striking or novel of 

 these. The Adiantum group included — of Capillus- 

 veneris varieties, Daphnites, cornubiense, Draperi, a 

 fine tall grower; Fergusoni, slender in habit, and 

 also tall ; fissum, neat, and low of stature, with 

 divided pinnae; Veitchii, young foliage very bright — 

 one of the prettiest ; Adiantum cuneatum grandiceps 

 is of good height, and possesses tufted fronds; A. 

 tetraphyllum gracile has young fronds of a crimson 

 tint, while the old ones are green in colour — 8 inches 

 high ; A. Lathomi, A. Farleyense, A. Legrandi, and 

 A. Bausei, a variety with graceful pendulous pinnae 

 and fronds. Of Asplenium mention may be made 

 of flaccidum, nobile, a pretty subject, with small 

 linear pinnie ; laxum, a Fern of light habit, and 

 much divided compound fronds ; cicutarium is a 

 beautiful lace Fern, 1 foot in height, with a dense 

 habit of growth. Lastreas were many ; the best 

 were aristata, of dense habit, and a slight variega- 

 tion on the centre of the more subordinate portions 

 of the frond ; and erythroides, the young fronds of 

 which have some bronze, some crimson tints. It is 

 of a distinct spreading habit. In Davallias were 

 observed — fijiensis, a dense umbrose species with a 

 short triangular trond ; foeniculaceum, a lace-like 



frond, boldly arching. 3 feet in height ; tenuifolia 

 var. Veitchii, with a frond similar to the last-named, 

 but less tall ; elegans, a well-known species — a good 

 basket plant. Nephrolepis davalloides furcans is a 

 fine species ; N. Duffi has a very dense habit of 

 growth ; N. pectinata has a simple frond, having 

 simple pinna; of almost equal length and breadth on 

 its entire length. It is 1^ foot in height. Varieties 

 of Pteris tremula were numerous, Mr. May possessing 

 the whole stock of many of these. We mayspecifv 

 the followingas beingthe most distinct : — Grandiceps, 

 tall and slender, inclining to be plumose at the ex- 

 tremities of the fronds ; a variety with deep fronds. 

 3 feet high, not far distant from the original form : 

 flaccida, 4 feet high, distinct, with arching fronds, 

 and .club-shaped twisted pinnae; in the best forms 

 the twisting is very marked. Of Pteris serrulata 

 there were several new forms, also of P. cretica. 

 Nothoclsena chrysophylla is a very neat dwarf plant, 

 good for the Fern case, as are likewise Gymno- 

 gramma Parsonsii, a dwarf golden Fern ; Chei- 

 lanthes hirta var. Ellisi, and Pteris geranifolia. 



First-class Certificates. 



Adiantum Waltoni diffusum, from Mr. A. Walton. 



Canna Ulrich Brunner, from Messrs. J. Veitch & 

 Sons. 



Nepenthes DicksonianaX , from Messrs. J.Veitch & 

 Sons. 



Chrysanthemum Elsie, from Mr. G. Stevens. 



Double Begonia General Chichester, from Messrs. 

 II. Cannell & Sons. 



Double Begonia Mrs. Stark, from Messrs. H. 

 Cannell & Sons. 



La:lia porphyrites, from Baron Schroder. 



Medal. 

 Silver-gilt Bonlsian.— To Mr. II. B. May, for group 

 of Ferns. 



Fruit Committee. 



Present: Dr. R. Hogg, in the chair ; and Messrs. H. 

 J. Veitch, J. Lee, S. Ford, A. H. Pearson, J. Bur- 

 nett, R. D. Blackmore, W. Warren, J. Cheal, and G 

 T. Miles. 



Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, S.W., contri- 

 buted the chief exhibit, namely, a collection of 

 twenty-seven dishes of Plums, all fine clean 

 specimens, White Magnum Bonum, Jefferson and 

 Pond's Seedling were specially fine; and Decaisne, 

 Kirke's, Archduke, and Coe's Golden Drop were also 

 good examples. 



Seventeen varieties of Plums were sent from 

 from the Society's gardens at Chiswick, comprising 

 such varieties as Mirabelle Tardive, Drap d'Or, 

 White Bullace, Blue Damson, and White Damson. 



There were several exhibits of Grapes. W. Rou- 

 pell, Esq., Harvey Lodge, Roupell Park, S.W., showed 

 specimens of Black Hamburgh from an unheated 

 house. They were freely coloured and of good 

 appearance. Similar specimens were also sent from 

 Chiswick. Mr. Roupell also had Uros Colmar, 

 finely coloured and heavily bloomed, which success 

 he attributes to allowing the plants to retain more 

 leaves than is generally the case ; and a bunch of 

 Cannon Hall Muscat, handsome and finely flavoured. 

 Both Vines had been grown in pots. 



Mr. T. Bradshaw, Downshire Gardens. Hills- 

 borough Castle, Co. Down, and Mr. C. Boss, Welfonl 

 Park Gardens, Newbury, also contributed Grapes. 



Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn, London, 

 W.C., showed Onion New Model, a cross between 

 Rousham Park Hero and Magnum Bonum, a large 

 almost round yellow-skinded variety. 



Laxton's Open Air Tomato was "shown bv Mr. R. 

 Dean, Ealing, some of the finest being ripe, others 

 not. It is a medium-sized fruit, and has stronglv 

 marked ribs. 



Samples of the ' Planet" garden tools for kitchen 

 and market garden work were shown by Messrs. 

 Lloyd, Lawrence & Co., 34, Worship Street, E.C. 

 They are drills, hoes, ploughs, &c, in combination, 

 apparently well suited for what they are intended to 

 do. They will be shortlv tried at Chiswick, when 

 we shall again refer to them. 



Medal. 

 Silcer Banlsian,— To Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 

 for a collection of Plums. 



Council Meeting-. 



At a meeting of the Council it was resolved that 

 a special general meeting of the Fellows be held at 

 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13, in the Council- 

 room of the Society, 111, Victoria Street, to discuss 



