July 18, 1S72. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



55 



is one of the best flavoured sorts with very large fruit, and one 

 of the very best for filling the basket quickly. Black Bess 

 was kindly sent me by Mr. Gilbert, gardener to the Marquis 

 of Exeter. I fruited six plants in pots, and I think highly of it, 

 but will reserve my opinion of it and likewise of Amateur until 

 next year. All the varieties named above I can recommend to 

 those who have not grown them. They may not all give the 

 same satisfaction in other classes of soil that they have done 

 here, but all are worthy of a trial. — J. Douglas. 



NEW PEA, DR. HOGG. 

 The vast number of new Peas that have emanated from the 

 skilful cross-breeding of Mr. Laxton, of Stamford, bid fair to 

 supplant many of the old varieties, with the names of which we 

 have long been familiar. The great merit of these new varie- 

 ties is, that they possess qualities far superior to the old ones, 

 with every stage of earliness. Some there are which, being 

 wrinkled Peas, are as early as Dillistone's, and there is no form 

 of the old classes of Peas which has not its representative 

 among the wrinkled Marrows of Mr. Laxton's novelties. 



Tea., Ir. Hjgg. 



One of the best of these new varieties bears the name of 

 " Dr. Hogg." It may be described as a dwarf and early Ne 

 Plus Ultra. No higher recommendation could be given to it 

 than to introduce it as a competitor of Ne Plus Ultra. The 

 plant grows about 4 feet high. In dry seasons it will not, 

 perhaps, be taller than 3 feet, and in wet ones such as the 

 present it will reach 5 feet. The stem is simple, and well 

 covered with pods, which number from nine to ten. These 

 are 4 inches long and over three-quarters of an inch wide, of a 

 dark blue green, like those of the early Green Marrows and 

 Ne Plus Ultra, much curved like Auvergne, and containing 



nine very large Peas, which are of a deep green colour. The 

 ripe seed is green and wrinkled. 



The seed was sown on the 23rd of February, and the plants 

 were in full bloom on the 24th of May. The pods were fit for 

 use on the Kith of June. Or, to sum up the whole, it is a fine 

 Ne Plus Ultra, coming-in one week after Dillistone's, the 

 earliest of all Peas, and thirteen days earlier than the old 

 Ne Plus Ultra. This is a valuable acquisition. 



ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. 



MEMOTOALS TO MR. GLADSTONE. 



The following memorial to the Premier respecting the Boyal 

 Gardens, Kew, was forwarded yesterday by the Council of the 

 Boyal Horticultural Society : — 



" The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society, being con- 

 vinced of the admirable manner in which the Boyal Gardens at 

 Kew have been conducted for so many years by Dr. Hooker, and 

 of the great benefits to horticulture and botany which have re- 

 sulted from his highly cultivated scientific attainments, venture 

 to hope that Mr. Gladstone may be able to take such steps as 

 will confirm and uphold Dr. Hooker in his present appointment, 

 and enable him to continue his labours with satisfaction to him- 

 self and advantage to the country. 



" W. W. Saunders, F.R.S., Chairman." 



Memorials to the same effect were sent by the Scientific, 

 the Bruit, and the Floral Committees of the Society. 



At a meeting of horticulturists and botanists, held at 41, 

 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, on Tuesday, July 16th, for 

 the purpose of taking into consideration the present state of 

 affairs as regards the management of the Royal Gardens, Kew, 

 James Bateman, Esq., F.B.S., in the chair, it was' resolved 

 that the following communications be sent to the Bight Hon. 

 W. E. Gladstone, First Lord of the Treasury : — 

 " To the Bight Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., First Lord of the 

 Treasury. 



"41, Wellington Street. 



" Sir, — I have the honour to forward you the enclosed memo- 

 rial, agreed to this day at a meeting of horticulturists and 

 botanists, convened for the purpose of considering the present 

 condition of affairs as regards the management of the Boyal 

 Gardens, Kew. — I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obe- 

 dient servant, " Jame£ Bateman, Chairman." 

 " To the Bight Eon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., First Lord of the 

 Treasury. 



" We, the undersigned, being personally interested in botany 

 and horticulture, and conscious how intimately the progress 

 of those branches of knowledge and industry is connected with 

 the proper administration of the Boyal Garden, Kew, and of 

 the museums and herbaria thereto belonging, venture to call 

 your attention to the present unsatisfactory condition of affairs 

 as regards the management of that establishment. 



" We respectfully submit that the system of making one 

 official responsible for the cultivation of the plants, and another 

 responsible for the conduct of what repairs may be requisite in 

 the apparatus used for heating the houses that contain them, is 

 likely to be in the highest degree detrimental to the public in- 

 terest, while the harmonious co-operation of the officials engaged, 

 and which is so essential in such a case, can hardly be looked 

 for under such a system. 



''We beg leave respectfully to state our opinion that the full 

 control over all details of management, of whatever kind, should 

 be left to the Director. 



" We venture to suggest that the Board of Works is not the 

 most appropriate body to exercise supervision over such an 

 establishment as Kew, where great scientific interests are at 

 stake, as well as the instruction and recreation of the people. 



"We would, therefore, respectfully urge upon you the expe- 

 diency of placing the direetorate of Kew directly under some 

 other department of the Government. And, lastly, we would 

 express our hope that you will be pleased to take such measures 

 as shall in future secure that the Director of a large public estab- 

 lishment shall, if for no other reason than the respect due to his 

 office, be treated with fitting consideration. — Signed, on behalf 

 of the meeting, 



"James Bateman, F.B.S., Chairman. 

 "Maxwell T. Masters, M.D., F.R.S., Hon. Sec. 



"41, Wellington Street, W.C." 



TRIAL OP BOILERS AT BIRMINGHAM- 

 DECISION OF THE JUDGES. 



The trial of the heating apparatus at the recent Exhibition 

 held in the Aston Lower Grounds, did not terminate until Satur- 

 day week, and it is consequently only within the last few days 



