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JOUBNA.Ii OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 6, 1877. 



Bide a Camellia has grown without any protection for many 

 years. 



Some light well-ventilated structures are employed for grow- 

 ing Vines in pot?. Of these there is a considerable number, 

 and finer canes and cleaner foliage it would be difficult to find. 

 Many of the canes are sold. They are stout, short-jointed, 

 and contain those bold eyes which gardeners delight to see. 

 They have been grown by Mr. Fancourt, the present manager 

 of the glass department, and they do him great credit. Figs 

 are also weil grown in pots, small bushy plants, Negro Largo 

 being one of the most popular. It is one of the best of Figs, 

 and the demand for it increases yearly. Besides the houses 

 there are Eeveral brick pits and all occupied. In the front 

 south wall of one of them the Wall Rue, Aspleniurn Ruta- 

 muraria, appears to be naturalised. In this — the frame depart- 

 ment — a collection of hardy perennials and alpine plants are 

 grown in pots plunged in aBhes ready for safe transport at any 

 time and to any distance. 



A collection, evidently a very old one, of hardy border flowers 

 is growing in the grounds — a favourite collection with Mr. 

 Osborn, both on account of its long-established character and 

 the attractiveness of many of the plants. Amongst them 

 Geranium sylvaticum flore-pleno was very gay, as were the 

 Veronicas maritima, dentata, amethystina, &a. Hieraciums, 

 Potentillas (P. William Rollisson was very fine), Solidagos, 

 Oenotheras, Ly thrums, and other plants of this nature were alto 

 attractive. There is also a collection of hardy bulbous plants 

 in beds, and the best varieties of Clematises are planted by 

 the sides of the walks and trained up poles. 



Fruit tree culture is an important feature of this nursery, 

 and under Mr. Pitman's experienced supervision it is well and 

 extensively carried out. Not more care is exercised in pro- 

 ducing healthy well-balanced trees than is given to their correct 

 nomenclature. Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, &c, are well 

 trained, and to all appearance will sustain the reputation of 

 the nursery. Many trees are also grown in pots for fruiting 

 in orchard houses, the demand for these being considerable. 

 These trees — what there are left of them — are clean and sturdy 

 with well-ripened wood. 



Ornamental deciduous trees and shrubs are also represented 

 in considerable numbers and in good condition, for if this is 

 an old nursery and contains other notable examples of vene- 

 rable trees than those above noticed, it contains also fresh 

 young stock appropriate to the demands of the present time. 

 In a word, the nursery is well furnished in the several depart- 

 ments, and is in admirable working order throughout. — Visitor - 



AMESBURY FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL OP 

 MR. JOHN ROSE. 



On November 19th was observed as the Bicentenary of this 

 school, founded by the gardener to Charles II., and opened on 

 November 19th, 1677, by the Rev. John Shorthose, afterwards 

 rector of Stanton St. Bernard, WiltB. Mr. Rose was gardener 

 at Dorney Court, Bucks, where, on the authority of an oil 

 painting still hanging at Kensington Palace, he is said to have 

 grown and presented to Charles II. the first Pine Apple ripened 

 in England. After this he was gardener to Lord Essex, who 

 sent him to study the gardens at Versailles, and on his return 

 from France he was appointed to St. James's Park Gardens. 

 He was buried at the church of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, Sep- 

 tember 17th, 1677. A special service was held at 2 p.m. in the 

 parish church, on the south Bide of which Mr. Rose placed his 

 school by the permission of the ordinary, and many can re- 

 member when the door of the transept was called still " The 

 School-door." At this about eighty of the Trustees and 

 scholars past and present assembled to thank God for the 

 liberality of the founder of the school. A most suitable sermon 

 from Heb. si. 4 : " He being dead yet speaketb," was preached 

 by one of the Trustees, the Rev. E. Duke, a lineal descendant 

 of one of the original " beloved and trusty friends " to whom 

 Mr. Rose entrusted the care of his new sohool, George Duke, 

 Esq., of Lake ; and a son of the Rev. E. Duke, who for more 

 than forty years took the greatest interest in Rose's school 

 both as trustee of the property and examiner of the scholars. 

 The service waa followed by a dinner given by the Trustei s 

 to the foundation scholars, past and present, of the master 

 Mr. E. W. Flower, and by Mr. Sandell to the other present 

 scholars; and nearly fifty of the "old Roses" joined at their 

 own expense. After the toasts "Church and Queen," "The 

 Preacher, with many thanks for his sermon," " Sir E. Antro- 

 bus, with thanks for the use of the room," where formerly 



Rose's school was held, the Vicar proposed " The Memory of 

 Mr. John Rose," and gave a short sketch of his life mainly 

 taken from the Journal of Horticulture for August 5th, 1875. 

 Mr. Bose was gardener at Dorney Court, and afterwards to 

 Lord Essex in the Strand, who sent him to Versailles to study 

 the gardens there. On his return he became gardener to 

 Charles II. at St. James's Park. In 1672 was published " The 

 English Vineyard Vindicated, by John Rose, Gardiner to Hia 

 Majesty, at his Boyal Garden, St. James, formerly Gardener 

 to Her Grace the DucheES of Somerset," which, it appears, 

 Evelyn reduced to writing from Rose's information. Mr. Bose 

 left by will £10 to the poor of Amesbury, money to pur- 

 chase a set of eilver-gilt Communion plate for Amesbury church,, 

 which is still in use, though remodelled in 1853, and has just 

 been restored ; and an estate at Ditchett to support the school. 

 This was followed by a very interesting paper by one of the 

 Trustees, Mr. Edwards, on the Old Masters (one of whom in 

 1687 was theBev. Thomas Naish.some time tutor to Addison), 

 especially Mr. Wm. Cox, who for nearly fifty years " grounded" 

 not only Rose's scholars, but many of the sons of the most 

 respected families in Amesbury and the villages round, in the 

 rudiments of religion and useful learning. Mr. Booke re- 

 sponded for the Trustees ; and the Treasurer, Mr. F. Melsome, 

 proposed " The Heath of the present Master, and Prosperity 

 to the School," and after Mr. Flower's reply, " The Old 

 Scholars" was responded to by Mr. Sandell, Mr. Hunt of 

 Pewsey, and Mr. Henry Gane of George Town, Canada, and 

 many interesting stories of old times were told. Mr. Sargent- 

 then, on behalf of the Trustees, requested the master to give 

 the boys a holiday the next fine day ; and a social chat, under 

 the genial presidency of an " old Bose," with a few songs, 

 and a reading or two at intervals, brought a very pleasant day's 

 proceedings to a close. — (South Wilts Express.) 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



December 4th. 



Dubing the year that is now approaching its termination we- 

 have bad to record a series of excellent meetings ; and this, the 

 last of the periodical gatherings of 1877, has proved a successful 

 one. The work done at these meetings is important work. 

 New plants, flowers, and fruits are subjected to close examina- 

 tion, and their characters are determined by competent censors. 

 Many new and valuable plants have been honoured, and ex- 

 amples of special and superior cultivation have been recognised 

 during the year. Fruit has been less plentifully exhibited, yet- 

 some new and worthy examples have from time to time been 

 submitted for examination. Vegetables have also been repre- 

 sented, notably collections which have been grown in the 

 Society's garden, with the important object of determining 

 their merits and correcting their nomenclature. The meetings 

 have thus been essentially useful ; yet beyond this many of 

 tbem have been extremely attractive — have been, in fact, exhi- 

 bitions of considerable extent and of exceptional merit. The 

 chief horticultural establishments have poured forth their trea- 

 sures, supporting at the same time the Society and sustaining, 

 their own fame and reputation ; and private cultivators have 

 honoured themselves and the craft to which they belong by the- 

 excellence of their produce submitted to these meetings, which 

 afford the best expression of praotical horticulture to be found 

 in this country. 



Fruit Committee.— Henry Webb, EBq., V.P., in the chair. 

 Five very flue Smooth Cayenne Pines were exnibited by Mr. 

 Miller of Coombe Abbey, and which weighed in the aggregate 

 25 lbs. A cultural commendation was awarded to them. Mr. 

 Miller also exhibited a variety from Pernambuco, which was 

 recognised as that grown in this country as Prince Albert. 

 Mr. Wildsmith, gardener to Lord Eversley at Heckfield ex- 

 hibited three bunches ot Gros Guillaume Grapes, the flavour of 

 which was excellent, and a cultural commendation was awarded. 

 Mr. Atkins, gardener to Col. Lloyd Lindsay, Lockinge Park, 

 Wantage, sent a very fine collection of Grapes. The two bunches 

 of Muscat of Alexandria were the admiration of everyone from 

 the uniformity of the berries and their fine golden colour. The 

 Alicantes were also very large and finely finished ; and the 

 Black Hamburghs, though not large bunches, were equally well 

 grown. The Committee unanimously recommended a silver 

 medal. Mr. Sidney Ford, gardener to W. E. Hubbard Esq., 

 LeoDardslee, Horsham, exhibited two bunches of Mrs. Prace's 

 Grape, one from a Vine grafted on Royal Muscadine and the 

 other on Royal ViDeyard. Those grown on Royal Vineyard 

 produced berries that were quite black and partially shrivelled, 

 the flesh very firm and crackling when eaten, and with a con- 

 siderable briskness of flavour; those from the Royal Muscadine 

 were not thoroughly coloured, the flesh was much more tender, 

 and the flavour very similar to the other. A bunch of Alicante 

 from a Vine grafted on the Raisin de Calabre was also exhibited, 



