■12C 



JOUKXAL OF HOKTICUJjTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAUDENEK. [ February u 1865. 



■VTfirmest months both day and night. Tiles and stones being 

 good conductors of heat, they extract it rapidly from the 

 ilow-air currents, and gi-adually p,ass it to the soil above, 

 thus improving the root climate of the Vines. And now for 

 the result, which will be best seen by referring to the success 

 of a few of the finer varieties of Grapes, but whioh are also 

 more difficult to gi-ow well. 



The Muscat Hamburgh, which is generally admitted to 

 be one of the very finest Grapes in cultivation, is also, ac- 

 cording to general report, considered to be one of the most 

 difficult to manage. On its own roots here, in an aerated 

 border, it grows and fruits as freely as the Black Hamburgh, 

 and why should it not, seeing that in some jjarts of America 

 it grows so well ? A friend writes me from near Baltimore, 

 that " the Muscat Hamburgh is a great favourite here, 

 growing freely, and fruiting abundantly." Doubtless, the 

 higher root temperature has to do with this. Tl;e Golden 

 Hamburgh, another Gr.ape difficult to manage, also does well 

 -on ai'rated borders, but requii'es to be some years established 

 before it swells its ben-ies thoroughly. The Black Morocco 

 thus grown, and allowed to hang till the fruit begins to 

 shi'ivel, is not only a very shon'y, but a very delicious Grape, 

 having afine Damson flavour, very different from what it is 

 as generally grown, being then considered a rather coarse i 

 Grape. j 



I shall only notice another variety, which is not generally ! 

 well grown, but which luxuriates on an at-rated border — viz., 

 the Black Barbarossa. I cut it here in December, 1863, 

 8 lbs. 1 oz. in weight ; bunch, berry, and bloom, all that 

 could be desu'ed, as symmetrical as the finest Hamburgh, and 

 when fully ripe not far behind it in flavour. When thus 

 grown we never miss a full crop, the principal drawback is, 

 that it requii-es from eight to ten months to mature its 

 crop. 



Other varieties succeed equally well. I only bring for- 

 ward these important witnesses to assist in proving that 

 much is to be gained by aerating our Vine-borders. — Archi- 

 bald FowLEiJ, Castle Kennedy, Stranraer. 



THE EXHIEITOES' LETTER TO THE COUNCIL 



or THE IIOTAL HOKTICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 



It is with the deepest regret that. I have read in the last 

 Number of The Jouknal of Hoeticultuke a letter from 

 the exhibitors addressed to the Council of the Royal Horti- 

 cultui'al Society. I say it is with regret, because I am certain 

 the cause of horticulture must suffer fro)u such a course of 

 proceeding. I will place myself in the position of a disin- 

 terested looker-on, and, if you will allow me a corner in your 

 valuable journal, attempt to reconcile, or, at any rate, di- 

 minish the objections offered. 



The Council have evidently proposed a new, and, as it 

 appears, objectionable scheme for the exhibition of jjlants 

 for 1865. May they not have had some reason for making 

 this gi-eat change ? Now, it cannot be denied that, excepting 

 for the pleasure of meeting so many friends a,nd tlie general 

 interest excited by so large a concourse of people, especially 

 of the tliie of the land, it has been a very general ob- 

 Bcrvation of late yoai's, " How stale this thing is ! We come 

 to see the same plants exhibited by the same growers not 

 only year after year, but at every and each exhiljition of the 

 aeason." It is well known in the horticultural world who 

 will carry off the principal prizes. Mr. A may do so at oue 

 meeting, Mr. B at another; and why ? It is often the cir- 

 cur itance of the condition of the plants, which even the 

 diflerence of twenty-four hours may decide. It may be 

 asked, Is there no merit in the cultivation of tlicsc perpetu- 

 ally Bucceasful specimens ? Great merit is indeed due : 

 gfreat expense is incurred, and infinite labour and skill is 

 required to produce these magnificent specimens of art. 

 But aft<T all what hag this to do with horticulture ? I am 

 ready to !.dinit that such well-grown specimens tend to the 

 grandeur and effect of our exhibitions; but wo must not 

 forget that a repetition of the same things, whether of plants 

 or any other objects of admiration, may at last loso their 

 attraction. And hero I think somothing may bo said for 

 the new scheme. Dcmiroua of breaking through monopoly 

 and monotony,' the Council geem to liavo doteimined on 

 holding more numerong and special meetings for certain 



classes of plants, forgetting, no doubt, the necessary expense 

 which attends these frequent exhibitions. The simple mo- 

 tive seems to have been to give a new feature to our old 

 worn-out exhibitions, by no means adverse to the success of 

 horticulture. 



I now come to the day on which the exhibitions are to be 

 held. The great objection has been made to Saturdays. 

 I admit, for very many reasons it would not have been the 

 day that I should have proposed ; but it has been thought 

 proper to try that day. The old Chiswick meetings were 

 held on Saturdays. The Crystal Palace meetings have 

 never, that I have heard of, been objected to by the com- 

 plaining exhibitors. But this is not the question. Wliat I 

 would plainly ask is this — Has the Council of the Eoyal 

 Horticultural Society, or the CouncQ of any scientific body, 

 the right to propose any scheme which they may think con- 

 ducive to the advantage of that Society ? I suppose no oue 

 will deny the power and right. Why, then, should the 

 Exhibitors' Society take upon themselves in such defiant 

 terms to refuse to exhibit ? Surely it would have been more 

 generous and courteous to have given credit to the CouncU 

 for having reasons for making this change in the character 

 of the exhibitions ; and if objectionable terms had been pro- 

 posed to the consideration of the exhibitors, it remained 

 optional for them to decide whether they would send their 

 plants or not, without entering into a combination not to 

 exhibit. 



The spirit in which the exhibitors have acted appears to 

 me to bear something of a rebellious character. They seem 

 to have placed themselves in a false position, and have as 

 much as said, "We must have our own terms, or we will not 

 exhibit." I am informed they even prepared, and actuaUy 

 sent, schedules to the CouncU, with their own value of the 

 l^rizes affixed, and in their letter, after proposing a confer- 

 ence if the Council desired it, they, in the concluding para- 

 graph of the same, declare themselves pledged not to 

 exhibit. The insertion of an anonymous letter, however 

 great the a^jthority, does not strengthen their case. You 

 will perhaps say, " What is to be the end of this rigma- 

 role ? " The end is simply this, that if a mistake has 

 been made on the part of the Council (and I am willing 

 to allow ihey have made a mistake) then let the exhi- 

 bitors do what becomes them as mortal men to do, who 

 themselves are liable to make mistakes. Let them overlook 

 the unintentional error on the part of the Council, let them 

 banish all selfish feelings, and disi^lay that noble spirit of 

 good will which is insej)arable from the love of inive horti- 

 culture. However inconvenient the Saturday may be, let 

 them choose the days fixed for the exhibition of their own 

 specialities during the present season, feeling assured thai 

 some adjustment of the present disputed point moj he 

 made. Nor let it be forgotten there are many interests to 

 be considered in the Saturday arrangement. There is 

 a large proportion of Fellows, simply lovers of pleasnre, 

 gay meeting?, and crinolinic exhibitions : Saturday is to 

 them their day of holiday. Of the difliculties and incon- 

 venience attending Saturday exhibitions I am quite aware; 

 but as the exhibitors cannot alter the arrangements for 

 lyfiS, will thoy from personal considerations stand in the 

 way, if their lives be spared, of altering and improving the 

 schemes for 1866 ?— E.K.H.S. 



CHyEEOPHTLLUM BULBOSUM. 



Pebmit mo to ask the readers of The .Toubnal of IIob- 

 TiuuLTUKE, whether any of them can give a favourable 

 accoimt of the Chffirophyllum bulbosum, or Tui'uip-rooted 

 Chervil? 



Unless others have met with greater success in their 

 treatment of tho seeds than has fallen to my lot, I fear 

 the hope I had placed in these roots, as being a vegetable 

 lik('ly to be of gi-eat service in winter, will be disappointed. 



It will be remembered that the introducer of these roots 

 was Mr. William Paul, who oxliibited some. I believe French- 

 grown HpecimenB, at tiie meetings of tho Koyiil Iforticultui'al 

 Society. I am convinced very many, like myself, would be 

 glad to receive any further hints tending to bt^ttor sucoesB. 

 It would seem that tho secret rests, in the seeds not germi- 

 nating. I have tried a variety of ways having this object in 



