January 27, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



71 



what wag said on the different stages of impregnation at page 

 330, of Vol. XXVII., the part for this time last year. And I 

 think Gartner's idea of hovr the pollen acts is proved both by 

 the Erodiums, including Pelargonium, which is not a natural 

 genus, and the true Geraniums, inasmuch as the footstalk of each 

 Slower in all that mass of species, and in their endless varieties, 

 is the first part that is affected by the pollen. Indeed, I am 

 quite certain of that, for I had at least ten thousand proofs of it. 

 But let me explain. 



Take any of the true species out of all the Geraniacea?, cut off 

 the 6tigma before the pollen can intrude, and the peduncle of 

 that flower will retain its original or natural posture till it 

 decays. A Tom Thumb, or any of the bedders, will prove that 

 very shortly. Take another flower in the same truss, and cross 

 it with the pollen of another species which you know will not 

 cross with it, and the peduncle will turn to the opposite of its 

 natural posture, and will never regain the true position, but die 

 ultimately, as the process of fertilisation went no farther than 

 to affect the footstalk. The next stage is the quickening of the 

 pod, the next that of the lobes of the seeds, and all this may be, 

 and yet no life be given to the embryo of the seeds. 



Early next Slay any one may influence a hundred flowers of 

 the Scarlet Defiance Geranium as far as the footstalk of its 

 flowers, but no farther. Every flower of that one kind which is 

 crossed by its own pollen, or by foreign pollen, will, in eight or 

 ten hours, reverse the posture of the footstalks ; but the seed- 

 pod is not reached by the contents of the pollen, and the con- 

 sequence is no seed and no rising of the peduncle. There are 

 many seedlings which will prove the same as Defiance at' the 

 end of October, and through November. 



Notwithstanding these facts, one can conceive a state of 

 climate which would render the effect of that same pollen active 

 through the three or four stages of impregnation, and produce 

 fertile seed from Defiance. Indeed, the pollen of some kinds or 

 varieties, which will only affect the footstalk very early and very 

 late in the season, will effect a cross in the middle of July ; and 

 I have obtained, and I believe I am the only one who has done 

 so, a real cross from Scarlet Defiance, which is over fifteen years 

 -old ; but I may be mistaken. The case of Cybister, or " The 

 Tumbler" IXosegay Geranium, is a different sport altogether, 

 the truss comes naturally in a reversed position, and takes from 

 three weeks to a month to make a right round change of 

 position. — D. Beaton.] 



THE GEAPE CONTEST. 



-50YAI. HOBTICT/LTUEAL SOCIETY'S FECIT COMMITTEE. 



A special Meeting of the Fruit Committee of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society was held on "Wednesday last, to decide the 

 ■challenge offered by Mr. W. Thomson, of Dalkeith, through the 

 pages of the Florist and Penologist, to Mr. Tillery, of Welbeck. 

 Some discussion had taken place between these two eminent 

 gardeners as to the relative merits of old and new Grapes, Mr. 

 Thomson having succeeded in producing new Black Hamburghs 

 on New Year's-day, and he held that new Grapes were prefer- 

 able to old ones. Mr. Tillery adioeated the merits of the old or 

 hang Grapes against the new, and for some time an interesting and 

 exciting discussion was kept up, one or two other members of the 

 upper stratum joining in the discussion. As if to bring the sub- 

 ject to some tangible form, Mr. Thomson stated at page 70 of 

 the volume of the Florist and Fomologist just completed, "If 

 Mr. Tillery has no objection, and we are spared till the time, I 

 will send newly-ripened Black Hamburghs to any of the January 

 or February Meetings of the Fruit Committee of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, and he can send his best Black Grapes, 

 for Hamburghs and Muscats could not well be compared in 

 point of flavour, and let the Committee decide which are the 

 best Grapes in point of flavour." 



Accordingly, there being no : regular "meeting of the Fruit 

 'Committee in January, this special Meeting was appointed, 

 which wa3 numerously attended both by members and visitors 

 to witness the result of the contest. Mr. Thomson sent three 

 beautiful bunches of new Black Hamburghs which were ripe on 

 Christmas-day. The bunches were of good size, well set, wide- 

 -3heuldered, and shortly ovate. The berries large, and some of 

 them quite hammered; but, though quite black, the colour as a 

 whole was not so intense and even as in the bunch sent to us 

 last year. This, we are told, has arisen from the dark, dull, and 

 gloomy weather they had in Scotland during the whole of the 



autumn, when the season was more unfavourable than any that 

 has been experienced for some years. Nevertheless, the Grapes 

 were so beautiful that the Committee decided first of all that 

 in appearance they had the advantage over the bunches of Black 

 Hamburgh, of Black Tripoli, and of West's St. Peter's that were 

 exhibited by Mr. Tillery. These, too, were as good of their kind 

 as could be seen anywhere, but the shrivelled appearance which 

 had begun to set in contrasted unfavourably with the plump fresh- 

 looking new Hamburghs. Then came the question of all others, 

 the most important in the decision — flavour ; for it was on this 

 point that the issue hung. After a very patient and very close 

 comparison the decision was in favour of the old Black Ham- 

 burghs. Having begun to shrivel, and the juice being inspissated, 

 the sugar was more concentrated than in the new. The question 

 then arose as to the general merits of old and new in regard of 

 appearance and general utility, and the decision was in favour of 

 new Grapes. We confess to a leaning in that direction ourselves, 

 for we think there cannot be a doubt but that fine, plump, 

 and fresh Black Hamburghs, with their fresh, crisp, green, stalks, 

 are more attractive, pleasing to the eye, and much more sightly 

 at table than Black Hamburghs that are shrivelled, and from 

 which the rigidity of the bunch and berry stalks has disappeared. 

 Even in point of flavour the difference is so slight that it has to 

 yield to the other qualifications. Altogether the discussion was 

 a very interesting one, and no doubt the public will duly appre- 

 ciate "the opportunity that Mr. Thomson and Mr. Tillery have 

 given them of coming to a decision on the subject. 



In addition to those exhibited by Mr. Thomson, there was a 

 small box containing several bunches of new Black Hamburghs 

 from Mr. McKenzie, of Kemp Town, Brighton. These, though 

 not so large either in bunch or berry as Mr. Thomson's, were 

 as black as jet and covered with a dense bloom ; a finer " blae " 

 we never saw. But the climate of Brighton is a very different 

 one from that of Dalkeith, and the amount of light in the one 

 place during the winter months is very much greater than in 

 the other, and hence the difference in colour. The flavour of 

 the two was, however, very close ; the very black berries of Mr. 

 Thomson's being equally rich in flavour with Mr. McKenzie's. 



Three magnificent bunches of Muscat of Alexandria were 

 exhibited by Mr. Tillyard, gardener to John Kelk, Esq., of 

 Stanmore Priory. So'large and so beautiful were they that the 

 Committee unanimously awarded Mr. Tillyard a certificate of 

 commendation for meritorious cultivation. 



Mr. Tillery also sent a splendid bunch of Trebbiano and some 

 nice bunches" of Muscat of Alexandria shrivelled nearly to raisins, 

 which were verv rich and sugary in flavour. 



Mr. F. W. Pack, gardener to G. H. Vernon, Esq., Grove 

 Hall, East Retford, sent a fine bunch of Black Barbarossa ; and 

 Mr. James Fowler, gardener to the Earl of Harewood, sent 

 some very nice specimens of the Charlesworth Tokay, from 

 which it is clear that this variety, if at all different from Muscat 

 of Alexandria, is only a slight variation from it. 



Mr. John Cox, of Redleaf, exhibited dishes of a seedling 

 Pear which he has found to be very useful, from its ripening in 

 succession from the beginning of December till now. 



Mr. Francis, of Hertford, exhibited a seedling Apple, which, 

 however, did not possess any merit to recommend it. 



WALKS. 



{Concluded from page 51.) 

 Materials Occasionally Used toe Walks. — I have seen 

 many miles of excellent walks made of 3mall coals, and nothing 

 forms a more compact one. It is also sufficiently porous to 

 allow the water to pass through, and it is infinitely superior to 

 chalk, which, however, ought not to be used alone. Mortar 

 rubbish has been already spoken of, and the waste of quarries of 

 different kinds, some excellent materials being often found on 

 the top of sandstone. Sand itself mixed with a bardermaterial 

 is not unfrequently used ; and where it is sharp and gritty, and 

 of a suitable colour, it makes a good walk for many private 

 places where there are no wheeled carriages and not very many 

 foot passengers. Burnt earths of various kinds are not so good, 

 they get dirty and cling to the feet ; but the fact of a new walk 

 being dirty after the first rain is not enough to condemn it, for 

 the after rains will wash many of the earthy particles to the 

 bottom, leaving at top the sharp and gritty portions, which are 

 clean and do not cling to the feet. This remark, I may observe, 

 holds good with all walks, excepting those, perhaps, that are 



