October 6, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



265 



"France possesses 2,500,000 hectares of mintage ground, this 

 new utilisation of material will furnish food for a great number 

 of cattle. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OCTOEES 5TH. 



This was one of the most crowded meetings ever held at South 

 Kensington. There was a fair display in the lloral department, a 

 large and excellent display in the fruit department, but, after all, the 

 great attraction, there can be no doubt, was the exhibition of Fungi. 

 Hound these during the afternoon the visitors flncked, and it was only 

 with great difficulty that a glance of them could be obtained. The 

 value of Fungi as an article of food has never yet, save by a few, been 

 fully recognised. They are rich in that most valuable constituent of 

 all articles of food — nitrogen, that constituent which least abound3 in 

 -the food of the people, that which is the most nourishing, and that 

 which is also in many of its combinations the most poisonous. For 

 this reason Fungi, with the exception of the common Mushroom, the 

 Truffle, and the Morel, are ever looked upon with distrust, and justly 

 so too, for even some of those best acquainted with tho family have 

 made mistakes which have nearly had serious consequences ; but there 

 are many species with well-marked characters — characters which 

 ■cannot readily be mistaken when once known — that might be utilised 

 as articles of food by those who seldom taste butcher's meat — aud 

 their number is too many — besides being dainty morsels for the rich. 

 But, as Mr. Wilson Saunders well remarked, we must educate the eye to 

 ■distinguish that which is wholesome from that which is unwholesome, 

 and there is no better means of doing so than exhibitions such as that 

 we now record ; aud it is only to be regretted that all who came to see, 

 irom the very fact of their number, could not see so well as it might 

 another year be arranged that they should see. The table on which 

 the Fungi are arranged might be so placed that it might be inspected 

 from both sides, instead of from one only, and it might be stipulated 

 that after the close of the meeting the exhibitors should not a 1 ", once 

 carry off their collections without affording the visitors a chance of 

 Inspection. 



Prizes of £2 and £1 were offered for the best collection of edible 

 Fungi shown in Class 1 ; and a prize of £o was offered by W. Wilson 

 Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., for the best collection of edible and poisonous 

 Fungi arranged separately. There was no exhibition in Class 1, but 

 there were three collections shown in Class 2. The Judges decided 

 on giving equal first prizes of £3 to W'orthiugton G. Smith, Esq., and 

 Mr. English, of Epping. Mr. Smith's collection contained of edible 

 kinds : — Fistulina hepatica, or the Vegetable Beefsteak, Agaricns 

 Prunulus, A. pantherinus, A. rubescens, A. grammopodius, A. procerus, 

 A. _ nebularis, Boletus scaber, B. edulis, and Lactarius deliciosu3. 

 Poiso7io*is kinds : — A phalloides, A. muscarius, A. melleus, A. squar- 

 rosus, A. fascicularis, A. sinuatus, Russula rubra, Lactarius contro- 

 versy, L. vellereus, L. torminosus, Boletus luridus, Cautharellus 

 aurantiacus, and a few others. In addition Mr. Smith exhibited a 

 number of Fungi not known to be either edible or positively poisonous. 

 Mr. English's collection consisted of t(W>le : — A. melleus, Prunulus, 

 campeBtris, nebularis, personatus, rachodes, Boletus scaber, B. edulis, 

 Fistulina hepatica, A. nebularis, Russula alutacea, Hydnum repan- 

 dum, Amanita rubescens, Marasmius oreades. Poisonous: — Amanita 

 muscarius, Boletus bovinus, Lactarius vellereus, Amanita phalloides, 

 torulosus, Amanita pantherinus, Russula rosacea, Pholiota squarrosa, 

 Polyporus rufescens, Boletus luridus, Tricholoma nudus, &c. 



The second prize went to G. W. Hoyle, Esq., and Mr. Austin, 

 Reading, for about sixty species, many of the specimens of which were 

 very fine. Mr. Orchard, gardener at the Priory, Wimbledon, sent a 

 beautiful specimen of Hydnum coralloides, found growing on an Ash ; 

 and Messrs. Cripps, Tunbridge Wells, a fine specimen of Merulius 

 laerymans, the dry-rot Fungus, which will be alluded to hereafter. 

 Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son had a fine dish of Agaricus comatus. 



Fruit _ Committee.— G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 Mr. William Paul, Waltham Cross, again sent examples of his seed- 

 ling Grapes, which, however, the Committee failed to appreciate. 

 W. Looke, Esq., Cleve House, Seend, Wilts, sent a curious sport 

 from the Muscat Citronelle Grape, which is a small white one ; some 

 of the berries on the bunches were black, some white, and some 

 striped black and white. Mr. Bogue, gardener, Gorhambnry Park, 

 St. Albans, sent a bunch of a seedling black Grape, which was not 

 considered of any merit. Mr. C. T. Wells, Southend, Essex, sent 

 two large baskets of Muscat Hamburgh and Black Hamburgh Grapes 

 grown in his ground vineries. The Grapes were of excellent flavour, 

 and were awarded a special certificate. Mr. J. Colborn, gardener to 

 J. Blyth, Esq., Woolhampton, sent some fine large examples of Sal- 

 way Peaches, which were awarded a special certificate. Mr. Prentice, 

 gardener to the Earl of Lichfield, Shugborough Park, Stafford, sent 

 beautiful examples of Barrington Peaches, which, however, had but 

 little flavour. Mr. Cornford, gardener to H. Streatfield, Esq., Chid- 

 dington, Kent, sent excellent examples of Walburton Admirable 

 Peaches, which were awarded a special certificate. Fair examples of 

 Late Admirable Peaches were likewise shown by W. Dodson, Esq., 

 Wildernesse Park, Sevenoaks. 



Mr. Thomson, gardener to Mrs. Dixon, Stanstead Park, sent good 

 examples of Black Hamburgh Grapes grown in an orchard house. 



Mr. Foster, Pillington House, Leigh, Essex, sent large fruits of the 

 Salway Peach, but quite unripe. Examples of Madresfield Court 

 black Grape were sent from the Society's garden, Chiswick, and 

 met with tho high approbation of the Committee. A dish of Fig 

 Monaco bianco, a green -skinned sort with a deep red flesh, and of 

 most excellent flavour, was also sent from Chiswick. 



Messrs. Rivers & Son, The Nurseries, Sawbridgeworth, exhibited an 

 interesting collection of small Apple trees on the Nonesuch Paradise 

 stock, heavily laden with fruit, and of very fine quality ; a special 

 certificate was awarded. Mr. H. Moore, Bradley Green, Congieton, 

 sent examples of some seedling Pears, which were not considered of 

 any particular merit. Mr. J. Dennis, gardener, Dresden, near Long- 

 ton, Staffordshire, sent a small seedling russet Apple. Mr. J. Wade, 

 gardener to W. Napier, Esq.. Ardmore Lodge, Isleworth, sent some 

 fine examples of Cellini aud Gloria Mundi Apples. Mrs. R. C. Halse, 

 Addison Road, Kensington, sent some splendid examples of Blenheim 

 Orange and Alfriston Apples, for which a special certificate was 

 awarded. Mr. Cornford, gardener, Chiddmgion. Kent, sent a collec- 

 tion of six sorts of Apples of high merit, for which a special certificate 

 was awarded. Mr. Garland, gardener to Sir T. D. Ackland, Killer- 

 ton, Exeter, sent an example of Doyenne du Cornice Pear, weighing 

 1 lb. 4 ozs. Mr. Beech, gardener to the Marquis of Northampton, 

 sent some curious malformations of Manks Codlin Apple. Mr. Fenn, 

 Woodstock, sent a pie, made of his grafted Ribston Pippin Apple, 

 which proved rather flat. 



Messrs. Cripps & Sons, nurserymen, Tunbridge Wells, seut a dish of 

 j Surpris d'Automue yellow Raspberries. From Mr. Dancer, Chiswick, 

 I came examples of Sandall's Late Plum. Mr. J. Welsh, Holley 

 I Combe, Liphook, Hants, sent an example of Prince of Wales Melon, 

 ! which proved of fair quality. Mr. Heath, Newton Lodge, Middlewich, 

 i Cheshire, also sent a seedling Melon. 



Mr. Scott, nurseryman, Crewkerue, Somerset, sent a splendid col- 

 I lection of one hundred and forty sorts of Pears, all very correctly 

 ' named, for which a special certificate was awarded. Mr. Hepper, 

 1 aardener to C. P. Millard, Esq., The Elms, Acton, sent a dish of 

 i Tomatoes of enormous size, for which a special certificate was awarded. 

 | Messrs. Carter & Co., High Holbom, sent a very large and fine 

 : collection of Gourds, Potatoes, Carrots, Beet, &c, for which a special 

 j certificate was awarded. 



On thi3 occasion prizes of £3 and £2 were offered by the Rev. G. 

 ! Kemp, for six bunches of Grapes grown in the open air without pro- 

 tection. The first prize was awarded to Mr. Hepper, gardener to C. 

 P. Millard, Esq., The Elms, Acton, for fine and well-flavoured ex- 

 amples of the Royal Muscadine. To Mr. J. N orris, Francis Court, 

 Broadclyst, Devon, was awarded the second prize for good bunches of 

 the same variety. This class was exceedingly well represented, many 

 of the Grapes shown being well-coloured and possessed of good flavour. 

 Amongst the most meritorious may be mentioned large and well- 

 coloured examples of Black Hamburgh, sent by Mr. W. Wood, High 

 Street, Ewell, Surrey; also large bunches of the same variety from 

 Mr. Davis, gardener to P. Gaulway, Esq, Roehampton Park, Surrey. 

 Examples of Royal Muscadine cairn; from Mr. Garland, gardener to Sir 

 T. D. Acland, Bt., KUlerton, Broadclyst, Devon ; from Mr. J. Tranter, 

 Upper Assenden, Henley-on-Thames; from Mr. Miller, gardener 

 to J. T. Friend, Esq., Nortbdown, Margate; Mr. R. Lloyd, Brook- 

 wood Asylum, Woking; Mr. W. Earlay, Digswell, Welwyn; and Mr. 

 Gaytou, Chesham. Good examples of Bidwell's Seedling and West's 

 St/Peter's were sent by Mr. W. White, gardener, Crossmead Gardens, 

 near Exeter. 



By the Society prizes were offered for a collection of Black Grapes, a 

 collection of White Grapes, a single bunch of Black Grapes, and a single 

 bunch of White Grapes. For a collection of Black Grapes Mr. Ban- 

 nerman, gardener to Lord Bagot, Blithefield, Rugeley, was awarded 

 the first prize for fine examples of Black Hamburgh, Lady Downe's, 

 Gros Guillaume, Mrs.Pince, Alicaute, Black Prince, Blithefield Seedling, 

 and West's St. Peter's. Messrs. Lane & Sons, Great Berkhampstead, 

 were placed second with very fair examples. For the collection of 

 White Grapes Mr. Douglas, gardener, Loxford Hall, Ilford, Essex, 

 and Messrs. Lane & Son, were placed equal second, the first prize 

 being withheld. 



For the best single bunch of Black Grapes Mr. Mattam, gardener 

 to C. Longman, Esq., was first with a splendid example of Black 

 Alicante. Mr. Laytham, gardener to Messrs. Bertram & Roberts, 

 Rockhills, Sydenham, was placed second for the same variety, a fine 

 large bunch. For the best white bunch Mr. C. Turner, Slough, was 

 first with a remarkable example of Muscat of Alexandria, perfectly 

 ripened ; and Mr. Mattam second with the same variety. 



Floral CorsraiTTEE. — Mr. J. Fraser in the chair Mr. William 

 Paul sent a remarkably fine collection of Tea Roses, the majority of 

 them in 6 to 9-inch pots. These were in beautiful bloom, and this for 

 the third time during the present year. Souvenir d'un Ami and 

 Madame Willermoz were very fine ; and conspicuous among the others 

 were Madame de Vatry, Julie Mansais, Madame Maurin, Marechal 

 Niel, Madame Falcot, and Vicomtesse de Cazes. To these reference 

 will be made hereafter. A special certificate was given. Mr. W.Paul 

 also sent boxes of cut blooms, which were fine for any season, and par- 

 ticularly so for the present advanced period of the year. Marechal 

 Niel, Souvenir d'un Ami, and Bougere were very beautiful, and 

 Madame Falcot and Madame Pauline Labonte were also noticeable 

 as forming richly-coloured masses. A special certificate was awarded. 



