m 



JOOENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ November 2, 1S76. 



but I always understood that the small yellow Trefoil which 

 bears a very small blossom in waste place3 and little- frequented 

 fields was the true symbol of Ireland, the finding of a leaf 

 having four segments being considered a piece of luck insuring 

 lasting happiness to the finder. 



" I'll seek the four-leaved Shamrook 

 Through all the fairy dells, 

 And if I find the treasure, 

 Oh 1 how I'll weave its spells." 



Even at the very end of the month some plants still put 

 forth flowers. The little modest Chickweed blossoms in 

 autumn as in spring, pushing its tiny leaves through the earth 

 and forming a verdant carpet in every available Bpot, The 

 Daisy, too, we have always with us; less numerous than in 

 summer, " the wee crimson-tipped flower" still " cheers chill 

 October on its way." It is true 



11 We look abroad into the world, and see 

 But few familiar faces peeping forth 

 From hood or mantle. Spring's bright flowery train 

 And Summer's matron sisters, Autumu's too, 

 Are mostly gone ; yet still in mead or glen 

 Linger some loved ones, smiling to the winds 

 That come and go, and hurry forth eera leaves 

 From out their haunts." 



And even now we find many charms in country rambles. The 

 commons are still bright with a covering of golden Bracken, 

 and here and there the purple Heath has not quite faded from 

 the moorland, and the now sparse blossoms of the golden 

 Gorse speck the open landscape, while 



" The fading many-coloured woods, 

 Shade deep'ning over shade, the country round 

 Inibrown ; a crowded umbrage, dusk and dun, 

 Of ev'ry hue, from wan declining green 

 To sooty dark." 



— T. S. J. 



JfJDGING VEGETABLES. 



Many thanks to Messrs. Taylor and Fairweather for intro- 

 ducing this subject for discussion ia the columns of your 

 Journal. Mr. Fairweather concludes by calling on those able 

 to discuss the question. I, for one, do not presume to respond 

 in the above terms ; but as the matter has given me much 

 thought, I would on this occasion avail myself of the oppor- 

 tunity of stating my opinions. 



Mr. Fairweather cites a case where Cucumbers, Tomatoes, 

 and Vegetable Marrows in a collection beat Potatoes, Peas, and 

 Cauliflowers. I admit there is great difficulty in judging col- 

 lections where the exhibitor can put in what he likes, and 

 where nearly all the collections are different; but this could 

 be amended. In the exhibitions of fruit who would think 

 cf staging a collection in September without having Grapes, 

 Peaches, Pears, Apples, Plums, and a Melon? Now I think 

 this is pretty generally understood. Then why not with vege- 

 tables have five or six of the leading and most useful kinds, 

 and let the rest in the collection (as in the fruit) go for what 

 they are worth? 



There are one or two more points in judging I would like to 

 call attention to. There are few who have attended shows 

 and paid cloee attention, but who have been struck with the 

 nature of the awards. I have seen Peas not at all fit for table 

 use placed first instead of Peas of superior merit, because. the 

 former was a newer variety. Again, in Potatoes, I have seen 

 a dish of large but ill-shaped tubers placed first, when another 

 dish of the same variety, well shaped, of medium size was placed 

 second. Cauliflowers, too, I think are often imperfectly judged. 

 Large heads— simply because they are large — are placed first, 

 when smaller compact heads of superior quality are passed 

 over. Beet is another vegetable the merits of which are not 

 always recognised. I have seen first-prize roots little better 

 than Mangold Wurtzels, while smaller roots sweet and young 

 were lying on the same board dishonoured. Prizes are gene- 

 rally offered for the best six or twelve Onions. A good Onion 

 ought, in my opinion, to be solid, well ripened, of good form, 

 thin-skinned, and without neck. Onions of this description I 

 have seen exhibited against others twice as large, with white 

 roots sticking to them, with necks projecting 2 or 3 inches, 

 and the large specimens were placed firBt. I conclude by de- 

 siring that less attention be paid to mere size, and more to 

 real quality in the judging of vegetables. — B. G., Co. Down. 



FLOWERS IN LIBERIA. 

 Most of the African flowers differ from those of temperate 

 climates in three striking characteristics — viz., brilliancy of 



colour, luxurianey of growth, and in emitting their odour after 

 sunset. 



The last peculiarity has been admirably described by Moore 

 in speaking of that lovely native of India — the fragrant 

 Jasmine — 



11 The flowers that wake while others sleep, 

 The timid Jasmine buds, that keep 

 Their fragrance to themselves all day. 

 But when the sunlight drives away 

 Let their delicious secret out." 



A rare and very beautiful species of the Jasmine grows in 

 our African foreBts. The bushes sometimes rise to the height 

 of 10 feet, and are densely covered with large, pinnate, oval 

 leaves. The starry white flowers, with bright pink stems 

 (clustered on what botanists term a cyme), raise their delicate 

 heads in striking contrast with the heavy masses of glossy 

 dark green leaveB. Their fragrance is delightful. If we happen 

 to awaken at night in a room where a sprig of this odoron3 

 flower has dropped, we are almo3t inclined to imagine that, 

 instead of the dreadful malaria we strive so much to keep out, 



" The sweet south wind 

 That breathes upon a bank of Violets, 

 Stealing and giving odour," 



has, by some miraculous means, penetrated our closely-shut 

 African chambers. Most aptly did the ancients call this sweet 

 flower the " Odorous Violet." 



So much has been written about the majestic Lilies of the 

 tropics that it is only necessary to say that many finer va- 

 rieties flourish on our coast. Perhaps the most remarkable of 

 these is the White Chandelier Lily, so called from having six 

 narrow petals 4 inches long, pendant from beneath, and six 

 stamens an inch shorter, growing out of the margin of a 

 delicate funnel-shaped corolla. 



The Acacia mimosa, said to be a native of the Nile, is a beau- 

 tiful but fragile-looking tree, from 15 to 20 feet high, with 

 small yellow flowers peeping out from among its branches of 

 fine sensitive leaves, and giving forth a most delicious fra- 

 grance. 



In passing through the forests we are continually struck by 

 the number and variety of luxuriant vines, so closely inter- 

 woven with the branches of tall trees as to form a complete 

 canopy. Moat of them are covered with small white flowers, 

 apparently almost too delicate to touch. 



Many of the flower-hearing shrubs of temperate climes when 

 transplanted here attain to the height of trees. Some years 

 sines a member of our mission brought across the Atlantic a 

 small cutting of the Oleander, from which has sprung a number 

 of stately trees. Some in the garden at Cavalla have already 

 grown fall 20 feet high, and are almost constantly covered 

 with doable pink flowers, which for richness and beauty 

 surpass anything we have ever seen. A lovely Eight it is to 

 see these magnificent trees circled by birds of brilliant plumage. 



Enough has been said to convince our readers that flowers, 

 so appropriately styled "the smiles of God," have not been 

 withheld from this land of moral darkness. We earnestly 

 pray that the day may come when these beautiful gifts of our 

 Heavenly Father may be appreciated by a redeemed and en- 

 lightened people, and that Africa spiritually as well as natur- 

 ally, may "rejoice and blossom as the Eose." — (West African 

 Record.) 



GKAPE-GROWTNG— INFLUENCE OF THE STOCK 



UPON SCION. 



Ciecuhstances alter cases, and a noteworthy illustration of 

 the truth of the aphorism is the divided opinions of practical 

 men as to the behaviour and merits of the Madresfield Court 

 Grape. With some it is only a midseason variety, and tho 

 season, too, of briefest span; with others it has been known 

 to hang well and in good condition even into the new year. 

 In a dozen places it is convicted of its besetting fault of crack- 

 ing ; whilst in others it is voted to be perfectly free from that 

 6tain upon its character. A minute and careful inquiry into 

 the particulars of soil, situation, and general treatment in 

 each case would doubtless afford the "reason why" this dif- 

 ference of behaviour should manifest itself. Setting aside the 

 consideration of its propensity to splitting, it is unquestionably 

 one of the most desirable Grapes in cultivation .when well 

 grown. For size of berry, bloom, and appearance, combined 

 with delioious flavour, a combination of Frontignan and Muscat, 

 it has in our opinion few equals, scarcely a superior. Well, so 

 much for its fruiting properties and fruit value : what is more 

 immediately in hand is something more novel — namely, its 



