160 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ September 1, 1870. 



list of the Society had gradually risen from £400 to £500, -whilst 

 the local subscription list had been from £250 to £390. With 

 regard to the local list, he thought the sum was so small, that 

 when spread over so large an area there could be no difficulty 

 in getting it; and with respect to the £700 required as a 

 guarantee fund, when they considered the importance of the 

 exhibition, and the fact that it was kept open for four days, 

 they would see that there was little, if any, of that money 

 really needed. He believed none was required at Manchester, 

 and he did not know what would be required at Oxford this 

 year. Such a show as the Royal Horticultural Society's now 

 was Nottingham ;had not yet witnessed. Two yeara ago the 

 Society held a meeting with the Agricultural Society at Leicester, 

 but that was at a time when plants were out of their glory. 

 When the Society came forth into the provinces when plants 

 were just in perfection, he was not exaggerating if he said that 

 the show would be one which if once seen would never be for- 

 gotten. He was a strong advocate for Nottingham to receive 

 the Horticultural Society, for he thought it would be a great 

 honour for tbem to get the first independent meeting of the 

 Society held here. He hoped they should succeed in doing so. 

 (Applause). 



Mr. Thackeray moved " that the present meeting considers 

 it desirable to invite the Eoyal Horticultural Society to hold 

 their great provincial flower show in Nottingham in 1871, and 

 that the Lord-Lieutenant, as chairman, be requested to com- 

 municate this wish to the President of that Society." He con- 

 sidered that it would be a great honour if they could get the 

 Society to hold its meeting there. He had no doubt as to its 

 financial success, and should have no objection to becoming 

 one of the guarantors, so confident did he feel on the subject. 

 There were few towns where the artisan class were greater culti- 

 vators of flower3 than in Nottingham, and it would be a means 

 of great instruction, as well as a treat, to them to inspect the 

 show of such a Society. As regarded the site, he thought the 

 best place would be the Arboretum ; and he did not see any 

 difficulty in setting it apart for such an occasion. (Hear, hear.) 



Mr. Lee seconded the resolution, and said he sincerely trusted 

 that the application to the Society might be successful. — The 

 motion was carried unanimously. 



Mr. Barber said he supported the movement which had been 

 started. Like all other movements, however, it required the 

 sinews of war. As Mr. Lowe had explained, the amount of 

 subscription required was not very large, and he thought there 

 would be no difficulty in getting the necessary fund. Besides 

 the subscription, a guarantee fund of £700 was required to be 

 raised, and should any portion be Eeeded, those gentlemen who 

 guaranteed the money would be called on pro rata, according to 

 the amount of their guarantee. In some cases no portion of 

 the money was required, as for instance, at Manchester. He 

 begged to move " That a guarantee and local subscription list 

 be at once commenced, as an evidence that Nottingham is pre- 

 pared to give the Eoyal Horticultural Society a proper recep- 

 tion." (Hear, hear.) 



Mr. Starey seconded the motion, and remarked that the show 

 would be a means of pleasure to a great many in the neighbour- 

 hood who were fond of horticultural pursuits. The amount 

 required was very little when spread over the town and county, 

 and if they all did a little towards it, there would not be the 

 slightest difficulty in obtaining it. For his own part, he could 

 only say that he should ba very pleased to assist. (Hear, hear). 



The motion was carried nem. dis. 



Mr. Leivers proposed that a committee be formed, consisting 

 of the Mayor, chairman ; Mr. J. Smith Wright, treasurer; and 

 Mr. Lowe, secretary, together with Mr. Sherbrooke, Mr. Mil- 

 ward. Mr. Edge, Mr. Ssely, M.P., Mr. Smith, M.P., Mr. Akroyd, 

 Mr. Newton, Rev. S. E. Hole, Dr. Eobertson, Sir H. Bromley, 

 Messrs. Windley,Birkin,jun.,Forman, Farmer, Shilton, Knight, 

 Davy, Gadd, Ingram, Speed, Cruickshank, Pearson, Evans, Hen- 

 derson, Tillery, and Lamb, with power to add to their number ; 

 also that the Mayors of Derby, Leicester, Grantham, Retford, 

 and Newark be invited to form district committees, to co-operate 

 with that at Nottingham. 



Mr. Goodall seconded the motion, and it was carried. 



The assemblage, presided over by the Lord-Lieutenant (Lord 

 Belper) was a most respectable one, representing all classes, 

 and with a large sprinkling of the practical gardening element. 

 Nothing could have been more unanimous than the tone of the 

 meeting. Every person seemed willing and anxious to do all 

 that he eoukl, and the offers of material support were such as 

 to leave nothing to be desired. One special feature may be 

 noted, and that was, Sir Henry Bromley, who was unable to 



get to the meeting in proper time, suggested that a ten-guineas 

 cup should be given to artisans for Eoses, to which he offered 

 to subscribe five guineas. This is a very good beginning, and 

 in the right direction, and though it was not announced at the 

 meeting, we have reason to know that, should the exhibition be 

 held here, Lord Belper has promised twenty guineas towards 

 the special prizes. We therefore think it is only necessary 

 for us to make a united effort, and success is certain to crown 

 it. Other towns, York, Manchester, and Leeds, are competing 

 against u3 ; but there is no doubt the Council will recollect 

 that these towns for years past have had their large flower 

 shows, while in this locality a really first-class show would be 

 an entire novelty, and hence we assert the chance3 of complete 

 success are greater here than they can be in any place where 

 large flower shows are common. Then, as a gardening centre, 

 there is no town in England that can compare with our own. 

 Every second man you meet, whether dressed in fustian or fine 

 linen, is a gardener, and many of them cultivators of superior 

 skill. Where great flower shows are common, success cannot 

 be so certain as where there is novelty added to the attraction ; 

 and here, anything really great, such as the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society could place before the visitors, would be something 

 that must command success. — (Nottingham-shire Guardian.) 



BLOOMING GLOXINIA SEEDLINGS. 



Let me add, as a corollary to Mr. Lnckhurst's article on 

 Gloxinias, that where there is a stove, or even, I should ima- 

 gine, any kind of forcing pit, there is not the slightest occasion 

 to keep Gloxinia seedlings for twelve months before blooming 

 them. On the 28th March last I sowed a pan of Gloxinia seed, 

 which produced many hundreds of seedlings. At our flower 

 show on Jaly 10th I had two of these in bloom, and since then 

 I have had scores in fine bloom and in endless variety. All 

 that was done was to give them one or two shifts and bring 

 them on in the Cucumber house. I came to the conclusion 

 that the Gloxinia was the most satisfactory florists' flower to 

 raise from seed that I had ever sown. — Aured O. Waieee. 



PICKING AND MARKETING FRUIT. 



Nothing adds so much to the profits of fruit culture as a 

 good system of picking and marketing. Often a single ship- 

 ment of Strawberries will vary from 40 to 100 dols. in price, 

 according to the neatness of the appearance of the fruit, its 

 quality, and its condition. 



Josiah Hoopes, in the Delaware Republican, in a series of 

 articles on fruit culture, gives many judicious hints on this 

 important subject. In regard to the gathering of ripe fruits of 

 different kinds, he says that no fruit should be taken from the 

 tree or plant during a damp time, and especially when the dew 

 is plentiful in early morning. Each specimen should be taken 

 from the tree one by one, handled as if they had been so many 

 eggs. The slightest bruise or even abrasion of the skin is the 

 sure forerunner of a dark spot, which will eventually change 

 into some form of rot. The spores or seed of fungi are always 

 ready to assist in the work of dissolution, and the slightest 

 scratch gives them a foothold for their destructive work. 

 Scarcely any varieties of the largest fruits colour and ripen so 

 well if left to perfect themselves on the tree, and especially is 

 this true in respect to Pears. Summer varieties, as they ap- 

 proach maturity, loosen their hold somewhat on the limb, and 

 by gently raising the fruit they will easily detach themselves at 

 the proper period. This is an excellent test, and may always 

 be relied on. To colour up fruit nicely, all that i3 necessary 

 will be to spread a blanket on the floor of a cool room, and 

 then thinly and evenly place the fruit on the floor. A second 

 blanket must be spread over them, and in a short time the 

 effect of this treatment will be apparent. Pears perfected in 

 this manner rarely have the mealiness of their naturally- 

 ripened companions ; nor do they prematurely decay at the 

 core as when left on the tree. Peaches are too frequently 

 gathered before attaining full size, and when this is the case 

 we need not expect good flavour. They must obtain this re- 

 quisite before gathering ; although it is not necessary to delay 

 picking until very mellow. As a general rule, all small fruits 

 are gathered too early ; and, as high colour is not a sign of 

 maturity, many experienced fruit growers are frequently mis- 

 led. N^ver pick Strawberries because they are red, nor Black- 

 ben ies solely on account of their dark appearance. Each 

 should remain on the plant for some time thereafter. Straw- 



