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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t October 3, 1872. 



stripe down the back a little darker than the ground colour, 

 which is green, or greenish brown. Along the sides of the 

 body are two paler stripes. The species does not appear to 

 occur in the London district, nor in the south-eastern and 

 midland counties. It is reported from Devonshire, Somerset- 

 shire, and certain districts in the north of England, and it 

 occurs plentifully near Dublin. M. albicolor has a partiality 

 for localities near the sea, and, perhaps, has an occasional 

 taste of salt water, though it would hardly attempt to cross 

 the ocean with only the aid of its own wings. — J. B. S. C. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OCTOBEB 2ND. 



The collections of edible and poisonous Fungi were the prin- 

 cipal feature on this occasion, but there was in addition a very 

 good show of Grapes and Potatoes, besides the subjects sub- 

 mitted to the Committees, which were of considerable interest. 



The prizes offered by W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., for the best 

 and second best collections of edible and poisonous Fungi were 

 awarded to Mr. English, of Epping, and Mr. Austen, of 107, 

 Oxford Road, Reading, who bad each very interesting collec- 

 tions ; as also had Mr. W. G. Smith, North Grove West, Mild- 

 may Park. Perhaps the most remarkable of the edible kinds 

 exhibited was Sparassis crispa, which might easily be mistaken 

 for a sponge. The resemblance was perfect in the specimen 

 from Mr. Smith, who considers it to be the most delicious of 

 Fungi. Mr. Austen, however, exhibited a larger example, but 

 the similitude to a sponge was not so strong. Among other 

 edible kinds the Horse Mushroom, Hydnum repandum, Cantha- 

 rellus cibarius, Marasmius oreades, Lactarius deliciosus, Boletus 

 edulis, and the majority of the species exhibited in former 

 years again appeared. For the best collection of edible Fungi 

 the positions of the exhibitors vrere reversed, Mr. Austen being 

 first and Mr. English second. Mr. Smith had also a very good 

 collection of a dozen species, also one of Fungi of botanical 

 interest but doubtful properties. 



Prizes were offered for the best and second best collections of 

 Black Grapes. Messrs. Lane, of Great Berkhamsted, were first 

 with fifteen bunches, many of them of very good size. The 

 second prize went to Mi". E. Morris, gardener to H. F. Salmon, 

 Esq, Gayton House, Northampton, for good bunches of Black 

 Hamburgh, Mrs. Pince, and Lady Downe's, together with Black 

 Prince. For the best collection of "White Grapes Messrs. Lane 

 had a first prize for splendid bunches of Muscat of Alexandria, 

 and very good examples of Buckland Sweetwater, Foster's White 

 Seedling, Trebbiano, and Duchess of Buccleuch. There was no 

 other e xh ibitor. 



For a single bunch of Black Grapes no first prize was awarded, 

 and the second went to Mr. Morris for a large bunch of Black 

 Hamburgh, but not coloured, and much rubbed. The best dish 

 of White Grapes was Muscat of Alexandria, large and beautifully 

 ripened, shown by Messrs. Lane ; the second best, an excellent 

 bunch of the same kind shown by Mr. Cole, gardener to J. S. 

 Eudgett, Esq,., Ealing Park. From Mr. Moms came a large 

 bunch of Foster's White Seedling. 



Messrs. Carter & Co. offered prizes for the best three dishes 

 of round Potatoes and the best three dishes of kidneys, to include 

 Carter's Ashtop Fluke. Mr. Fenn, Woodstock Rectory, Oxon, 

 was first with excellent clean-grown tubers of Fenn's Early 

 Market, Cricket Ball (second early), and Rector of Woodstock 

 (second early), round kinds ; and of kidneys, Fenn's Woodstock 

 Eidney, Bountiful, and Carter's Ashtop Fluke. Mr. Miller, 

 gardener to F. T. Friend, Esq., Northdown, Margate, was second. 

 Mr. Fenn likewise exhibited a collection of seedlings of 1S72, 

 for which he had an extra prize. 



Fruit Committee. — G. E. Blenkins, Esq., in the chair. Mr. 

 Richard Dean, of Ealing, sent a Cauliflower called Early Snow- 

 ball, which the Committee decided should be seen again before 

 giving an opinion upon it. Mr. Dean also sent specimens of 

 Californian Mammoth Radish. Mr. Jones, of the Royal 

 Gardens, Frogmore, sent a brace of Hedsor Cucumber. Mr. W. 

 Cole, gardener, Ealing Park, sent fruit of Hepper's Improved 

 Goliath Tomato, a large and handsome variety, to which a cul- 

 tural commendation was awarded. Messrs. James Veitch and 

 Sons sent plants of thirteen varieties of Endive, to which a cul- 

 tural commendation was awarded. Mr. Robert Fenn sent 

 twenty-one varieties of Potatoes, mostly varieties of his own 

 raising, which also received a cultural commendation. 



Mr. Jones, of the Royal Gardens, Frogmore, sent four splendid 

 fruit of Smooth-leaved Cayenne Pines, to which a cultural com- 

 mendation was awarded. Mr. Wells, of Southend, sent a basket 

 of 16 lbs. of Black Hamburgh Grapes ripened in a ground vinery, 

 remarkably well grown, well coloured, and of excellent flavour. 

 These were much admired, and received a cultural commenda- 

 tion. Mr. Barron sent from the Garden at Chiswiek bunches of 

 Madresfield Court, Alicante and Black Hamburgh Grapes grown 



in - Mr. Fountaine's orchard house without any artificial heat. 

 These were perfectly ripe, but the Madresfield had not the trace of 

 Muscat belonging to it, the Alicante was tasteless, and the Black 

 Hamburgh was sweet. A cultural commendation was awarded. 

 A seedling Pearraised at Frogmore and called Golden Queen was 

 sent by Mr. Jones. It is a small handsome-looking variety, with 

 a pale golden-coloured skin and a high aroma. The flavour was 

 sweet and with a high perfume, but the Committee did not con- 

 sider it of sufficient merit to award it a certificate. Mr. R. 

 Fenn, of Woodstock, sent two samples of fruit of Ribston Pippin, 

 one from a tree upon its own roots, and another from a tree 

 grafted on the Blenheim Pippin. Those from the Blenheim 

 were large and well grown, possessing all the markings of the 

 Ribston, but the texture of the flesh and flavour were similar 

 to the Blenheim, while those from the tree on its own roots 

 were small with tough flesh and inferior flavour. 



Mr. Moral!, gardener to T. B. Horsfall, Esq., Bellamore, 

 Rugeley, sent a seedling Melon called Bellamore Hybrid, which 

 was too much ripe. Mr. James, Redlees, Isleworth, sent two 

 seedlings, neither of which was approved by the Committee. 



The Committee then proceeded to examine the home-made 

 wines of Mr. R. Fenn : — 



Gooseberry, made from green prize Gooseberries ; slightly 

 sparkling, acid, and plain. 



Gooseberry and Rhubarb mixed. A fuller body than the 

 Gooseberry, and more flavour. 



Esperione. This is made from the Esperione Grape, and is a 

 sparkling red wine, the growth of 1870 ; it is an excellent wine. 



Muscadine and Muscat of Alexandria, made in 1870. This is 

 a dry white wine, with an acidulous flavour and an agreeable 

 aroma. 



Muscat of Alexandria and Muscadine, coloured by the Espe- 

 rione ; a thin dry wine. 



Royal Muscadine and Esperione. A clean still dry wine, 

 which Mr. Fenn intends should be drunk with fish. 



The Committee considered the Esperione of 1870 the best, 

 and the last the second best. 



Floral CoinnTTEE. — W. Marshall, Esq., in the chair. From 

 Messrs. Veitch, Chelsea, came three of their fine varieties of 

 Hippeastrum — namely, Pardimrm, Pardinum superbum, and 

 Leopold! Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., 

 Hillfield, Reigate, sent a very fine specimen of Sedum spectabile 

 grown in a border of peat soil under the shade of trees, also- 

 Tupistra nutans in fruit, this being produced close to the base 

 of the leaves. From Messrs. E. G. Henderson, Wellington 

 Nursery. St. John's Wood, came Crocus Pallash, syn. Crocus 

 autumnalis, with fine blue flowers, Sternbergia lutea, and Col- 

 chicum autumnale albiflora plena, with large double white 

 flowers, three very ornamental autumn-blooming plants. A 

 first-class certificate was given to the Colchicum. Mr. Grieve, 

 Culford Hall Gardens, again exhibited his bronze Ivy-leaved 

 Pelargonium Dolly Varden. From ■ Messrs. Standish & Co., 

 Ascot, came Thuja americana aurea and Biota orientalis ascoti, 

 ensis, two beautiful golden- variegated Abor-Vitses; also a num- 

 ber of seedlings raised from Berberis stenophylla (a hybrid 

 between B. empetrifolia and B. Darwinii), exhibiting a wonderful 

 diversity in the form and character of the foliage, which in 

 some of the plants closely resembled that of B. Darwinii, in 

 others B. stenophylla, with many intermediate forms. Mr. W. 

 Ingram, gardener to the Duke of Rutland, Belvoir Castle, ex- 

 hibited a hybrid between Pachyphiton bracteatum and Eche- 

 veria secunda glauca, forming pretty glaucous rosettes. Mr. A. 

 Parsons, gardener to W. Blake, Esq., Danesbury, sent a variety 

 of Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, which was named Serpentini, 

 and received a first-class certificate. An extra prize was awarded 

 to Messrs. Standish for two fine baskets of Bouvardia Vrelandii. 



From Mr. J. Hodgson, Plumstead, came Tricolor Pelargonium 

 Circassian Beauty, the plants apparently of compact habit, the 

 leaves small, and well coloured. Mr. G. Barnett, nurseryman. 

 New Wimbledon, sent six pots of Mignonette, exceedingly well 

 grown. An extra prize was awarded for these. Messrs. Carter 

 and Co., High Holborn, exhibited Philodendron Lindenianum 

 with handsome velvety leaves ; Echeveria scaphylla, a hybrid 

 between E. agavoides and E. lingufefolia, of a peculiar dark 

 green, and which has before had acertificate ; Cyclamen eilicieum, 

 a small kind from Asia Minor ; and Salvia compacta alba. Mr. 

 W. Bull, Chelsea, sent Helminthostachys verticillata, with yel- 

 lowish-green verticillate fronds near the top of the stem, a hand- 

 some plant from the East Indies; CEnoearpus dealbatus, a hand- 

 some Palm with the under sides of the fronds silvery ; Dracama 

 gloriosa, with large, handsome, dark green leaves, banded with 

 bronzy red ; Macrozamia pulchra, a very handsome Palm ; and 

 Colax" jugosus, a pretty little Orchid with white sepals, the two 

 side petals spotted with dark brown, and the lip dotted and 

 veined with bluish purple. To each of the above, except the 

 last, a first-class certificate was awarded — to the first on account 

 of its botanical interest. Mr. Jordan, gardener to J. Boustead, 

 Esq., Wimbledon, sent a handsome plant of a Gymnogramma 

 called Bousteadiana, stated to be a hybrid between G. Lauche- 

 ana and G. ehrysophylla, but closely resembling the latter. From, 



