368 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 14, 1878. 
let the ingredients come to boiling point. Have ready jars or [ over every day, and any berry showing the slightest sign of 
bottles in which sulphur has been burnt for fifteen minutes. 
When the fruit is cold, pour on the top some hot mutton fat ; 
then tie down with bladders, and keep the jars in a dry cup- 
board. Raspberries and Currants do not require so much water 
as stone fruit. 
THE new Orchid DENDROBIUM SUPERBIENS proves to 
be a valuable addition, for besides its handsome spikes of 
richly coloured blossoms, lasting as they do individually nearly 
three months in perfection, it appears to flower very freely. 
At Mr. Wiliiam Bull’s establishment a dozen fine spikes will 
be in bloom shortly, some of them with as many as twenty 
flowers on a spike. 
WEST OF SCOTLAND ROSARIANS’ SocieTy. — The 
annual meeting of the West of Scotland Rosarians’ Society 
was held recently in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Colquhoun Square, 
Helensburgh. There was a good attendance of members, 
including many of the most enthusiastic rosarians in the dis- 
trict. Mr. Galloway (of Messrs. Galloway & Graham) was 
called upon to preside. The annual report of the Society was 
read by Mr. John Mitchell, and the Treasurer’s report by Mr. 
Barron, both of which were of a highly satisfactory nature, 
and, as usual, the reports were ordered to be printed and cir- 
culated among the members. Owing to the unprecedented 
success which has hitherto attended the exhibitions of the 
Society, and taking into account the liberal and hearty sup- 
port which has uniformly been given to it by the inhabitants 
of Helensburgh and Gareloch, as well as by many patrons in 
other parts of Scotland and England who interest themselves 
in the cultivation of the Rose, the meeting unanimously re- 
solved that the next Show should be held at Helensburgh in 
July, 1879. The schedule of prizes to be competed for on that 
occasion will be published with the annual reports probably 
about the end of December. The following are office-bearers 
elected at the annual meeting of the Society :—President, 
John Stuart, Esq., Provost of Helensburgh; Vice-Presidents, 
Alex. Barrow, Esq., Gowanlea, and John Few, Esq., Elmwood ; 
Secretary, Mr. James Spalding, Princes Street ; Treasurer, Mr. 
John Mitchell, Charing Cross, Helensburgh. Four Directors 
retire annually by rotation, of these three were re-elected— 
viz., Messrs. George Galloway, Iric Holm, Helensburgh ; Daniel 
M‘Lean, West Shandon ; and Harry Lister, Inshalloch, Row; 
the only new Director being Mr. David Roberston, Helens- 
burgh. The usual votes of thanks were cordially awarded to 
the Secretary and Treasurer for their services during the past 
year, and also to the Chairman. 
— “C. T.” writes from the neighbourhood of Petworth, 
Sussex : “Can any correspondent of the Journal say what is 
the largest EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS growing in England out 
of doors? There is one here in West Sussex growing on the 
north-east side of a high wall; this winter will be the fourth 
it has been out in the open ground without any protection. 
It was 3 feet high when planted and is now 17 feet high, and 
at 1} foot from the ground the stem is 9 inches in circum- 
ference. As yet it has not flowered.” 
— HOvSsE-TOP GARDENING.—We learn from the City 
Press that ‘some Maize (or Indian Corn) has recently been 
successfully cultivated by Mr. R. Oastler on the top of the 
house of Messrs. Jackson & Sons, 17, Sun Street. We have 
seen a couple of the spikes or ears, and one of them is remark- 
ably well formed and full. This is the second attempt made 
by Mr. Oastler to raise Indian Corn on the top of a house, the 
first not having been successful; but the holder of several 
prizes from the City of London Flower Show was not to be 
deterred by a first failure, and he tried again and succeeded. 
During the past season we haye seen some fine specimens of 
Figs, Strawberries (from the top of a warehouse near Cheap- 
side), and Grapes all grown in the City; and we believe 
Cherries haye also grown and ripened ‘ within the walls.’”’ 
GRAPES DECAYING. 
NOVEMBER is generally admitted to be about the worst 
month in the year for keeping Grapes. With heavy autumn 
rains outside, and leaves decaying and falling inside. it is no 
easy matter to keep the atmosphere of a vinery dry, especially 
where the roof is not good and the heating power or drying 
agent deficient. 
Few Grapes will decay if the air about them can be kept 
dry, except when the fruit is not well ripened. 
As,a first prevention of decay let every bunch be looked 
| was to imitate Nature. 
mould be promptly cut out. One decaying berry will often 
cause half a dozen others to decay in a single night; and if 
the weather be damp this half dozen will spoil the entire 
bunch in a couple of days. Another good plan is never to 
allow any decayed leaves to touch the berries or to lie long in 
the house. We are so particular about this that we pull off 
nearly all the leaves at the present time just before they fall. 
When plants have to be watered in vineries it should be 
done in the morning, and, if possible, on fine days, when the 
ventilators at back and front can be left wide open for some 
hours afterwards. Ventilating to any extent should only be 
done on fine days, but unless the atmosphere is very dry the 
top ventilators should never be quite closed. When this is 
done, even during the night a dampness rises in the house and 
settles on the Grapes, causing them to decay rapidly. A 
little dry fresh air keeps the atmosphere clear and in motion. 
When fires are employed to dry the house the temperature 
should only be raised to any extent on fine days, when the ven- 
tilators can be fully opened. A fire twice a week should keep a 
well-glazed house dry. To keep the pipes hot continually about 
this time is only a waste of firing. Those who have not thinned 
their bunches sufficiently will observe that where the berries 
are closest damping is worst. This should be a lesson to be 
remembered next year at thinning time.—M. M. 
SCOTTISH HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
THE monthly meeting of this Association was held on the 5th 
inst. at 5, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh. There was a large 
attendance, over a hundred members being present. Iv being the 
annual meeting of the Scottish Arboricultural Society many 
foresters attended. The President occupied the chair. 
Mr. C.S. France read a paper on “ Ornamental Planting.” He 
said that the planting of trees was a science, and had beenso from 
an early date, it having engaged the attention of the Greek philo- 
sophers. For embellishing rural scenery with the best objects of 
Nature they were indebted to Kent in the beginning of last 
century for having been among the first to lay down principles 
for guidance of the planter for landscape effect. He also touched 
upon the part which Bacon performed in realising the true beauties 
of the garden, spoke of the proper distribution of trees, and re- 
ferred to the particular schools of landscape planting and their 
various peculiarities. The principle underlying the styles of the 
different nations was found in the outward features of each 
country. The primary rule to follow by all planters for effect 
To have unbroken plantations and at 
other points vistas, so as to make the ground appear as large as 
possible, was an important principle to be borne in mind by all 
who plant to improve the beauties of the landscape. 
Mr. Alexander Mackenzie read a paper on “ Harly-flowering 
Pelargoniums.” He described the mode of propagation from 
cuttings and from roots which he adopts in the Warriston Nursery, 
and explained the treatment followed by him in every particular, 
from the cutting pot to the flowering specimen plant. The result 
of Mr. Mackenzie’s culture of this valuable plant was that he had 
a house of them in excellent health bearing a profusion of bloom 
for twelve or thirteen months, a result which he could not produce 
with any other plant. The principal sorts of his collection were 
the following :—Madame Toulegeon, Digby Grand, Madame Le- 
moine, Triomphe de St. Maud, Bridal Bouquet, Annie, Fire King, 
Mrs. Bradshaw, Magnet or Marchioness of Lothian, Grandis, 
Floribunda, and Red Gauntlet. 
Mr. James Gordon also read a paper on the “ Osmunda regalis ” 
in its native habitat at Camstraddan, where many acres of this 
much-prized Fern were to be found. He stated the different con- 
ditions under which it luxuriated on the banks of Loch Lomond, 
the fronds attaining the length of 6 feet. 
Messrs. Dickson & Co. exhibited flowers of the Schizostylus 
coccinea fully expanded, growing in the open air, and blooms of 
Veronica speciosa and Violas Golden Gem and Lilacina. Messrs. 
Todd & Co. showed flowers of the crimson East Lothian Stock. Mr. 
Henry Kintoul sent blooms of Vallota purpurea in great beauty 
at this season, and Mr. Chisholm sent some Gooseberry roots 
infested with a parasite. Mr. George Donaldson sent a new seed- 
ling late kidney Potato, which was highly commended by the 
New Vegetables Committee. 
TOMATOES. 
I QUITE concur with Mr. Harding respecting the advantage 
of growing Tomatoes against walls. For the past five years I 
have grown Tomatoes under glass and in the open for market. 
Last year I planted about two hundred plants against a south 
wall, and I had not a dozen diseased fruits to the hundred. 
The variety was an old one, name unknown. Up to the last 
two years I have been very successful, but. this year and last 
cas 
