November 16, 1676. 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



425 



lunches, ag in previons years, to perfection in size, colour, 

 bloom, and flavour without a berry burstiDg; but the majority 

 of the berries of Gros Colman burst their skins shortly after the 

 commencement of colouring (many of these berries were as far 

 round as a pennypiece). This defect I can now see arose from 

 my having removed the mulching from the border to accelerate 

 •the ripening of the fruit when several weeks of parching drought 

 was succeeded by copious rains. The consequence was, this 

 .gross-feeding variety gorged itself with the suddenly-supplied 

 sap, and the berries split. Most of the Plums outdoors did the 

 same. I take it that judicious mulching and watering will 

 always prevent Madresfield Court from bursting its skin, and 

 I am confirmed iu this opinion by the significant reply of the 

 Editors of this Journal to an inquirer. After explaining the 

 cause of the defect they add, " Oar Grapes never split." — A 

 Norwich Grape-grower. 



METEOPOLITAN FLORAL SOCIETY. 



Is last week's Journal "D., Deal," expresses surprise at a 

 statement made by me in a previous one in reference to the 

 -above-named Society, and I cannot allow his remarks to pass 

 unnoticed. He says I thought the Society " with an empty 

 exchequer ought to have offered prizes and arranged for an 

 ■autumn show this year." Now, I never thought or said any- 

 thing of the kind. What I thought and might have said is this : 

 That it would be as much to the interest of the Alexandra 

 Palace Company to hold a show in September for flowers and 

 iruit?, as it would be for the same Company to hold one later in 

 the year for Potatoes only. Perhaps I also said that the same 

 Company might have been disposed to encourage the Metro- 

 politan Floral Society if it was worked on the same principle 

 as other societies, including that for the encouragement of the 

 Potato. All of them have rules which admit of the election of 

 a president, vice-presidents, treasurer, secretary, &c. Now, I 

 did write to the Hon. Secretary of the Metropolitan Florail 

 'Sooiety, suggesting that we try to get a few influential names 

 to fill those important and essential offices, to which letter I 

 received a " mind your own business" reply. I certainly did 

 do so, by neither answering the letter nor interfering farther. 



Just one word about a national Auricula show. The 

 northern growers will come to London next year, and meet 

 ■their brethren in the south in friendly rivalry. They ask for 

 no guarantee of £20, but they leave it in our hands to make 

 all arrangements ; and we do hope, notwithstanding the " dis- 

 count" at which florist flowers are held, to offer prizes to the 

 amount of £50. — J. Douglas. 



" D., Deal," says (page 407), referring to the exhibition of 

 Carnations and Picotees at the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 gardens in July last, " there were just five exhibitors — three 

 from the neighbourhood of London, one from Ipswich, and 

 one from Rath — a very poor foundation on which to rest a 

 hope of a revival of the taste." 



He further tells ns the National Auricula Society will not 

 come to London " unles3 some Society guarantees them £20;" 

 and in another paragraph he is good enough to inform us 

 " florists' flowers seem hopelessly at a discount in the south." 

 Permit me to say the exhibitors of Carnations and Picotees at 

 the Royal Horticultural Society's July Show were seven — viz., 

 Mr. Charles Turner, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Hooper, Mr. Cattley, Mr. 

 Hinss, Mr. Buxton, and myself. 



His statement as to the purpose of the members of the 

 National Auricula Society is also incorrect. I have been in 

 repeated communication with the Honorary Secretary of the 

 Society and various of the principal supporters since August, 

 and not one word has passed as to £20 or any other sum. I 

 know ouv northern friends have confidence in their southern 

 brethren, and they will come (I undertake to say this upon 

 my personal responsibility) not to contend for £20— the prizes 

 will be twice or thrice that amount at least — but to demon- 

 strate their devotion to floriculture. 



To " D., Deal," " florists' flowers may seem hopelessly at a 

 discount in the south," but I speak from a much longer and 

 wider experience than he can lay claim to, and he must be 

 very unobservant who cannot see at the present moment pal- 

 pable signs of a wide and lively interest rapidly extending for 

 florists' flowers. 



" D., Deal," says of the Carnation and Picotee at the Royal 

 Horticultural Society's Show above referred to, they " were 

 fine. . . according to the •present notion." I italicise the word 

 41 present "simply to say that "D., Deal," can point to no period 



since the Carnation and Picotee have been subject to the 

 florists' care and objects of his regard, when flowers such as 

 were there shown in the winning stands and in one or two 

 which did not win would not have been thought fine. If 

 " D., Deal," proposed to take exception to the flowers then 

 shown in contradiction to the terms of his report in your 

 number for July 20tb, it would be more in accordance with 

 candour that he should do so openly rather than suggest the 

 thought by the assertion that they were " fine according to the 

 present notion." — E. S. Dodwell. 



In my observations on this subject in last week's Journal I 

 made a mistake, I find, as there were seven exhibitors, not 

 five, of Carnations and Picotees at South Kensington in July, 

 but it does not appreciably alter the matter. The National 

 Auricula Society will not hold its Show in London, but I find 

 that a promising effort is being made to hold a national show 

 on April 25th at the Regent's Park, which I trust may succeed. 

 — D. Deal. 



USEFUL APPLES. 



" What varieties of Apples are best for the months of April, 

 May, and June ?" is doubtless an important question, for good 

 Apples in those months are always scarce and dear, and occa- 

 sionally they can only be had at prices which are quite prohi- 

 bitory to the great majority of those who covet a flupp'y of 

 this useful wholesome fruit. 



While I trust that valuable information will result from the 

 above seasonable question, I can hardly agree with " Wilt- 

 shire Rector" that medium-season Apples Bhould be over- 

 looked simply because " there are plenty of those to choose 

 from." In my opinion that is not so muoh an argument in 

 favour of non-discussion on the merits of Apples coming into 

 use, say from October until February, as a circumstance sug- 

 gesting that special care is requisite in seleotiug kinds which are 

 the most useful for thoee seasons. If we examine large planta- 

 tions or orchards of Apples we find that in most of them some 

 mistakes have been made. A very common mistake, which has 

 been previously pointed out, is the omission of an adequate 

 number of summer Apples. Another mistake, and one arising 

 from the fact of there being " so many sorts to choose from," 

 is that much ground is occupied by varieties whioh are not in 

 the best degree profitable. My experience has taught me that 

 one of the most difficult points to decide by planters of fruit 

 trees, and especially by those who are young and enthusiastic, 

 is the leaving-out of sorts which are included in lengthy cata- 

 logues, and where almost every sort is credited as possessing 

 some special virtue. It is in the great mid-season of the 

 Apple period where careful discrimination is especially re- 

 quired, when it is desired to occupy ground in the rnoBt useful 

 and profitable manner, so that the greatest advantage will 

 result to both producer and consumer, for there is a natural 

 alliance between the two which must not be ignored, and what 

 is best for one is also best for the other. 



Not all growers, however, plant trees with the one object of 

 producing merely a profitable and serviceable supply of fruit; 

 but plant with the object of deriving pleasure from the posses- 

 sion of a great number of varieties, and which will produce 

 fruit adequate to their purpose. Bat beyond these, what may 

 be termed fruit fanciers — a most laudable fancy — there are an 

 infinitely greater number who wish to have the most reliable 

 information possible on the varieties which are the most really 

 useful. Long lists are referred to, but these only add to the 

 perplexity of those who are devoid of experience, and hence it 

 is during the period when varieties are the most numerous 

 that discussion becomes the most necessary and is the most 

 welcome. I would not, therefore, have the mid-season sorts 

 passed by as unworthy of discussion. 



"Wiltshire Rectob" himself affords proof that a little 

 interchange of opinion is needed on mid-season Apples, and 

 cannot resist speaking in terms of admiration of one which he 

 appears to set up as an example of his desideratum — beauty 

 with utility. That variety is the Emperor Alexander. That 

 is undoubtedly a handsome Apple, and the tree is a good 

 bearer. It is particularly suitable for growing as an espalier, 

 being too luxuriant for bush culture, and on standards in 

 exposed places its fruits become bruised if not blown off 

 by the winds. It is an excellent culinary Apple, but (and 

 exceptional " buts " are often of considerable importance) it 

 is perhaps the lightest of all Apples, and on that account I 

 do not consider it one of the most useful and profitable to 



