Novembee 17. 1888.] 



THE GAXDENEBS' CHRONICLE. 



581 



numbers. For the former Mr. Wickham, gr. to J. 

 Humphrey, Esq., Keymer, was 1st, with twelve whites 

 in capital order. 



For double kinds, Mr. Tullett, foreman at the 

 West Brighton Nurseries (Mr. W. Miles), was placed 

 1st, with twelve grandly flowered plants ; Mr. 

 Bunney being a good 2nd. 



For twelve Cyclamens, Mr. Tullett was an easy win- 

 ner, with very floriferous examples of the best strains. 



Mr. Meachen secured a 1st for six pots of Mig- 

 nonette among several good exhibits. 



With six table plants, Mr. Snow gained the 1st 

 award, with plants of medium size ; Mr. Turner 

 being 2nd, with very light examples. 



Fruit : Grapes. — Muscat of Alexandria was shown 

 in fine condition by Mr. Goldsmith, gr. to Mrs. 

 C. A. Hoare, Kelsey Manor, Beckenham ; being 

 followed by Mr. Spottiswood, with larger bunches, 

 but not quite so well up in colour. 



Black Grapes were best represented by Black 

 Alicante, the 1st award going to Mr. Buxton, gr. to 

 3. Butler, Esq., Withdrane ; Mr. George Miles, Vic- 

 toria Nursery, following him closely. Some well- 

 kept Black Hamburghs were shown by Mr. Godby. 



Mr. Goldsmith was 1st with four dishes of Pears, 

 showing fine examples of Pitmaston Duchess, 

 Duchesse d'Angoul^me, Durondeau, and BeurreDiel ; 

 Mr. Cornwell, gr. to F. G. Courthorpe, Esq., Lewes, 

 being a good 2nd. 



With dessert Apples, Mr. Goldsmith was 1st, 

 showing standard varieties, in good form. Messrs. 

 Goldsmith, Duncan, and Bunney showed good fruit. 



I'egetables. — These were shown in large numbers, 

 and of first-rate quality, the 1st prize winners being 

 Mr. W. May, gr. to G. Neame, Esq., Littlehampton, 

 who was strong in roots ; and by Mr. Goldsmith, 

 who had a good all-round collection in the class for 

 Messrs. Sutton & Sons' prizes ; in the latter class 

 Mr. Spottiswood staged a capital lot, and secured the 

 2nd prize. 



Miscellaneous Exhibits were shown in good num- 

 bers, the chief of which were a group of large 

 decorative plants, in which some finely grown Tree 

 Ferns were most conspicuous. These v/ere finished 

 off with small flowering and foliage plants, and 

 formed the central point of decoration in the dome 

 on the orchestral platform, and came from the West 

 Brighton Nurseries, being arranged by Mr. 

 Longhurst. 



Messrs. Balchin, of Cliftonville and Hassocks, had 

 groups of finely-grown Ericas, foliage plants, and 

 some forty or more dishes of the best varieties of 

 Apples of Sussex growth. 



Messrs. Cheal & Son also showed from their 

 Crawley Nurseries between eighty and ninety dishes 

 of Apples and Pears of the best kinds. 



Some fine Grapes and a huge cross in white 

 Chrysanthemums came from Mr. W. Miles ; the cross, 

 being arranged on black velvet, produced a splendid 

 effect. 



The Colonies were represented by many fine dishes 

 of Apples, remarkable for their colour ; these were 

 exhibited by Mr. Starr, of Port William, Nova 

 Scotia. 



DEVIZES CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



November 13. — This took place as usual in the 

 Corn Exchange, in connection with the annual 

 bazaar in aid of the Benevolent Society, the exhibits 

 being as usual admirably arranged by Mr. T. King, 

 of Devizes Castle Gardens. The exhibition has to 

 be kept within certain bounds, but the plants were 

 very fine indeed, and the cut flowers, both incurved 

 and Japanese, highly finished. 



Plants. — The best four specimens, grandly grown 

 and flowered, came from Mr. Hale, gr. to C. X. May, 

 Esq., The Elms, Devizes, the varieties Empress of 

 India, Mrs. Dixon, G. Glenny, and Lord Alcester ; 

 2nd, Mr. Clack, gr. to C. E. Colston, Esq.. Roundway 

 Park, Devizes, his best specimens being Barbara and 

 Mrs. G. Rundle. Mr. May was also 1st with a plant 

 each of Mrs. G. Bundle, Mrs. Dixon, and G. Glenny. 

 superbly grown and bloomed. Mr. Colston being 

 2nd. With four specimens of Japanese varieties Mr. 

 May was again 1st, having admirable grown and 

 flowered specimens of Blanche Fleurie, Bouquet 

 Fait, Soleil Levant, and Madame Bertha Rendatler. 

 2nd, Mr. Colston, his two best specimens being 

 Madame S6vin and Madame Bertha Rendatler. 

 Mr. May had the best four specimen Pompons ; the 

 varieties being Mdlle. Marthe, Golden Mdlle. 

 Marthe, Sceur Melaine, and Black Douglas. 2nd, 

 Mr. Colston. 



Cut Blooms. — There were six collections of twenty - 



four blooms of incurved varieties in eighteen varie- 

 ties, and here Messrs. W. and G. Drover, nursery- 

 men, Fareham, were placed 1st, having large and 

 finely finished flowers of Lord Alcester, Alfred 

 Salter, Empress of India, Queen of England, Golden 

 Queen, Lord Wolseley, Jeanne d'Arc, Princess of 

 AVales, Nil Desperandum, and Mr. W. Shipmau. 

 2nd. Mr. J. Horsefield, gr. to Lord Heytesbury, 

 Wiltshire, who also had some excellent blooms, his 

 best flowers being Empress of India, Jeanne d'Arc, 

 Golden Empress, Queen of England, Bronze Queen, 

 Mrs. W. Shipman, Mrs. Heale. Jardin des Plantes, 

 and Alfred Salter. 



The best twelve varieties, distinct, came from Mr. 

 W. Thomas, gr. to Wilfrid Marshall, Esq., Taunton, 

 a very good lot, the leading varieties Golden Queen, 

 Jeanne d'Arc, Baron Beust, Lord Wolselev, &c. ; 

 2nd, Mr. G, Iugleford, gr. to Sir J. W. Kel'k, Bt., 

 Tedworth, Wilts. 



Mr. May had the best twelve shown with 4 inches 

 of stem and foliage, having excellent examples, some 

 of the varieties already named, including Mr. Bunn. 

 There was no other exhibitor in this class. 



Mr. May also exhibited the twelve best Anemone- 

 flowered varieties, not less than four varieties, show- 

 ing good blooms of Lady Margaret, Fabian de Medi- 

 ana, Sceur Dorothee Souille, Gluck, and Mrs. Pethers. 



The cut blooms of Japanese varieties were 

 numerous and very fine. Messrs. W. & G. Drover 

 were again 1st, with finely finished blooms of Mar- 

 guerite Marrouch, Gloriosum, Belle Paule, Jean 

 Delaux, Edwin Molyneux, Ralph Brocklebank, Ava- 

 lanche, &c, ; 2nd, Mr. G. Inglefield. 



Mr. May also had the best twelve reflexed varie- 

 ties, showing some very fine blooms of Amy Furze, 

 Chevalier Domage, King of Crimsons, Cullingfordi, 

 Mr. Forsyth, and Dr. Sharpe ; 2nd, Mr. W. Allen, 

 The Gardens, Shallowfield Park, Reading. 



Baskets of hardy autumn foliage, including berries, 

 were a charming feature, a goodly number of baskets 

 being prettily arranged. The best came from Mr. 

 Thomas Lewis, Devizes ; Messrs. K. J. Medlicott, 

 Devizes, being 2nd. 



Primulas, both single and double-flowered, formed 

 a pleasing exhibition of themselves, but space for- 

 bids our mentioning the names of the exhibitors of 

 these. 



THE BRITISH FRUIT GROWERS' 

 ASSOCIATION. 



A meeting of the above Association was held in 

 the Royal Aquarium, on Thursday last, November 

 8, to discuss the subject of railway rates in relation 

 to fruit transit. Mr. T. F. Rivers took the chair at 

 5 p.m. In the course of a few introductory remarks 

 the Chairman congratulated the Association on the 

 encouraging success which has attended its formation. 

 We have, he said, succeeded in drawing public 

 attention to the necessity of thoroughly examining 

 the possible outcome of the decadence of industrial 

 fruit-growing in this country, and I hope of arresting 

 the serious loss which would undoubtedly occur if 

 measures were not taken to arrest such loss before 

 the evil had gone too far to mend. It is proposed 

 in the ensuing year to hold meetings in the pro- 

 vincial districts to invite the co-operation of all who 

 are willing to help us in the good work by reading 

 papers and assembling to discuss matters which are 

 of vital importance to this particular industry. 

 We intend to deal with matters of important interest 

 in a thoroughly impartial spirit. One of the im- 

 portant points is the cost of the conveyance of fruit, 

 and we shall be glad if we can, by obtaining infor- 

 mation, enable growers, handicapped by distance 

 from the centres of distribution, to compete with 

 those more happily situated. We trust that we shall 

 be able to obtain by reports from competent persons 

 sufficient knowledge on this head to submit our case 

 to the Board of Trade. There are good grounds for 

 believing that the cost of the transport of fruit is 

 much greater than it need be, and that this cost 

 presses heavily on one of our native industries. I 

 must remind those who make the reports that the 

 facts must be accurate, and that a case which is to 

 be submitted to the Board of Trade must be very 

 clear and distinct. 



We also hope by inquiry and discussion to raise 

 the standard of quality of fruits sent to market, and 

 as planting is likely to be carried on for some years 

 on a more extensive scale than has hitherto been 

 known, any information as to the relative value of 

 sorts in different districts will be of very great 

 importance to the planter, and it will, I hope, be one 

 of ,the aims and objects of the Society to classify 



and determine as far as possible the suitability of 

 sorts of fruits to different localities ; the fewer sorts 

 the better, both for the fruit tree grower and the 

 planter. It is, I think, known to many that a very 

 decided liking is exhibited by certain fruits to par- 

 ticular districts. I may instance the Winesour Plum 

 in Yorkshire, the Apple orchards of Herefordshire 

 and Devonshire, the Bullaces of East Anglia, and in 

 my own district the singular success of the Early 

 Prolific Plum. A society which can visit the dif- 

 ferent fruit-growing districts will be able to gather 

 more facts than a society which is fixed permanently 

 in any one locality, and will, I imagine, much extend 

 its sphere of usefulness. 



Mr. Watkins of Hereford remarked in a letter 

 that the present rates are amongst the greatest 

 hindrances to the extension of fruit-cultivation. 

 Mr. J. Udale, Tamworth, wrote — " Railway rates for 

 the transit of fruit and vegetables under some cir- 

 cumstances are quite prohibitive. Twelve months 

 ago I was in the habit of sending all classes of fruit 

 to two fruiterers in Birmingham. Choice fruit was 

 sent by passenger train, coarse fruit and vegetables 

 by goods train, thinking it would be much cheaper. 

 However, after one or two consignments had been 

 delivered at the ordinary goods rate, I received 

 notice from my customer that the railway company 

 had a higher tariff for fruit and vegetables, and that 

 they demanded extra payment of either Is. 3d. or 

 Is. &d. on previous payments for the same weight of 

 the same class of goods in the same hamper. This 

 additional charge, in conjunction with the rate upon 

 returned empties, caused me to cease sending such 

 goods to Birmingham, and I dispose of them nearer 

 home. This excessive charge by the railway com- 

 pany causes a direct loss to four classes of the 

 community : — 1st, the grower ; 2nd, the railway 

 companies themselves; 3rd, the fruiterer ; 4th, the 

 public. My experience is, that the railway rates are 

 prohibitive of the rapid transport and wider distri- 

 bution of all classes of garden produce except fruit 

 and flowers of the highest quality, beyond a distance 

 of twenty miles ; and I have long been of opinion 

 that the time had come when it was desirable that 

 growers should combine for the purposes of dealing 

 with railway rates, selecting the most suitable mar- 

 kets, and disposing of their own produce, if possible, 

 direct to the consumer.'' 



From Mr. W. E. Bear a suggestive letter was re- 

 ceived in which he said — " It seems to me that the 

 only really important thing for your Association to 

 do in this connection, is to form a Parliamentary 

 Committee, and to get the Association recognised as 

 a body entitled to be represented before the Board 

 of Tracle. All members who have real grievances 

 should send details to the Committee, and those that 

 prove on examination to be valid should be brought 

 before the Board of Trade. It is no use to read a 

 paper showing that rates on fruit are too high ; 

 everybody knows that. The time has come to get 

 such rates reduced." 



Mr. Albert Bath said he had made some careful 

 comparisons between the rates per ton for fruit con- 

 veyed by rail from different stations at an equal 

 distance from London, and he showed, by a series of 

 figures, the extraordinary disproportion that existed 

 on some lines. He contended that a system of 

 equalisation was needed in the interest of growers 

 who had to send their fruit long distances. 



Mr. R. Dean followed with some facts and figures 

 relating to the irregularities of railway charges, 

 showing how the foreign preferential rates press 

 very heavily on the home producer, the difference 

 in a railway rate often meaning the whole of the 

 profit. It was stated that English Potatos and fruit 

 cost 23s. 4d. per ton to bring from Selling (near 

 Faversham) to London, yet foreign produce of the 

 same character were brought to London via Selling 

 for 20s. per ton. 



Mr. Figgures, of the Railway Clearing Office, re- 

 marked that the railway companies were mostly 

 willing to make any reasonable concessions, and that 

 there was a danger if rates were much decreased it 

 would have a tendency to flood some markets, with 

 a consequent reduction in prices to the producers. 

 He thought the best plan was to encourage people 

 to send their goods to the nearest markets. The 

 business of the meeting was concluded by a resolu- 

 tion, to the effect "that the Executive Committee 

 of the British Fruit Growers' Association be re- 

 quested to collect all available information on the 

 subject of railway rates in fruit transit and distribu- 

 tion, to enter into communication for this object 

 with the Railway and Canal Traders' Association, 

 and to submit the results in the form of a report at 

 the earliest convenient meeting." 



