July 12, 1804. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



country, who may be in true misfortune, may have to ask 

 twice, or ask in vain, for its sheltering protection. 



The Lord Pkovost said — The nest toast which I have 

 the pleasure to propose, is one to which I am not sure 

 whether I should allude in its official or private capacity. I 

 beg leave to propose "The Health of the excellent Treasurer 

 of this Institution, an esteemed friend of my own, Mr. 

 Wrench." In the particular branch of commerce in which 

 I and many around me have been engaged, it is well known 

 that Mr. Wrench's name is a kind of household word ; and 

 I am sure I only say with truth, that both his own name, 

 and the name of his father before him, are held in an esti- 

 mation which reflects the very highest credit upon the firm 

 and upon every individual member of the family which 

 raised, by their talent, industry, and high sense of honour, 

 that firm so high in public opinion. It is most creditable to 

 Mr. Wrench to find him, while even yet immersed in the 

 anxieties of business, holding a responsible office in this 

 benevolent Institution; and I well know that he holds it 

 with great credit to h im self, and that he has spared no 

 effort to bring his services to bear successfully on the pro- 

 sperity of the Institution. I know that for the success of 

 the Gardeners' Benevolent Institution we must also look to 

 others than the Treasurer; but I always think it good to 

 have a lucky Treasurer, and, as I cannot but regard Mr. 

 Wrench as a lucky man this evening, surrounded as he is 

 by so many munificent benefactors to the Institution, I 

 congratulate the Institution in possessing so fortunate an 

 omen of its future prosperity. 



The Lord Provosf s health was next drunk most enthusi- 

 astically, when in returning thanks he said : — I am quite at 

 a loss how to thank you adequately for the very kind manner 

 in which my health has been proposed, and the more than 

 kind manner in which it has been received. I assure you 

 when I was asked to preside at the dinner I felt myself 

 much complimented, for I knew how many more distin- 

 guished persons and more deserving might have been chosen 

 for such an honour ; still, from a feeling of pride I suppose, 

 I could not refuse the compliment, and I have now had the 

 intense satisfaction of presiding at an English dinner in 

 your own English metropolis. Permit me before I sit down 

 to say a word in praise of what I consider a noble feature 

 in the English character — it is free from all prejudice, and 

 in this forms a brilliant example to your neighbouring fellow 

 countrymen north of the Tweed and across the Channel. 

 In this great city you invite all and sundry — Scotch, Irish, 

 foreign — no matter where they come from they are all 

 welcome, and welcome to do as thc-y choose. I call this a 

 grand national characteristic, and to it London is in no 

 small measure indebted for the proud position she holds 

 among the nations of the world, even England herself, indeed, 

 for her greatness ; and, to compare great things with small, 

 I am indebted for appearing here this evening. I shall 

 long remember the agreeable entertainment we have just 

 had, and again thank you most warmly for your kindness 

 to me. 



The health of the Ladies, who mustered strongly in the 

 gallery, was next given. 



The musical arrangements were admirably carried out by 

 Miss Poole, Mi-. W. H. Cummings, Mr. Montem Smith, and 

 Mr. Lewis Thomas. Mr. W. H. Thomas acted efficiently at 

 the grand pianoforte ; and our old friend Harker as usual 

 made an able toastmaster. The dinner was of a most 

 recherche character, and gave great satisfaction. 



SKELETONISING LEAVES. 

 Soak the leaves in soft water until the green parts are 

 perfectly decomposed. Pour off this water and fill the basin 

 with fresh water. The basin must be large enough to hold 

 the hand comfortably. Put the hand into the basin, and, 

 holding the leaf under the water, gently manipulate it be- 

 tween the fingers and thumb (using only the tips of the 

 fingers), until every particle of green comes away. If it 

 does not do so easily, the leaf requires more soaking. Fingers 

 have a far more delicate touch than any brush. A piece of 

 white blotting paper raises the leaf out of the water better 

 than writing paper. Pass the leaf once or twice through 

 a solution of chloride of lime, half a teacupful of the powder 



to a pint of water. Dry them gradually between folds of 

 blotting paper not too much pressed, and remove them 

 either to mount or to preserve in any manner you please 

 before they are quite dry. 



MUSCAT GKAPES. 



As the interesting and instructive remarks on "Choice of 

 Grapes" by Mr. Pearson (page 454), were offered partly for 

 the purpose of eliciting the opinion of others, I am induced 

 to offer a few remarks on the choice of Muscat Grapes. 



When Mr. Pearson says that it signifies very little which 

 variety of Muscat, excepting the Canon Hall, is planted, I 

 have no doubt he speaks from his own experience ; and 

 there is no doubt that under skilful management and favour- 

 able circumstances he is, to a certain extent, correct. There 

 are, however, varieties of the Muscat which are not attended, 

 under ordinary circumstances, with that precariousness in 

 setting which belongs to what is generally known as the old 

 Muscat of Alexandria, and which results in the many samples 

 of that Grape which are to be met with having irregularly 

 set or stoned berries, and which greatly disfigure the bunches. 

 First-class management can and does overcome this objec- 

 tionable tendency in the old Muscat ; but there are many 

 instances in the present day in which Muscats are planted 

 and fruited at the hot end of comparatively cool vineries, 

 and under other circumstances not favourable to complete 

 success in setting and maturing the berries. 



Under such circumstances I think the selection of varie- 

 ties of the very greatest moment, because I have found that 

 there are one or two varieties of Muscat, every berry of 

 which sets and ripens in a temperature where the same 

 success does not attend the old Muscat, and which are in 

 size of berry and flavour, more particularly in the former 

 point, more than equal to any of the Muscat section. 



The varieties I allude to are the Tynningham and Bo- 

 wood Muscats, both of which set as freely, and can be 

 thinned as freely, as the Black Hamburgh in a temperature 

 lower than is necessaiy to secure the same result with the 

 old Muscat. Moreover, both these varieties, with me at 

 least, make finer berries than the old Muscat, while they 

 ripen sooner, and are easier brought to that amber pitch 

 characteristic of first-class Muscats. They can be shut up 

 for forcing the first week of February, and placed ripe on 

 the table in the last week of June. 



I think these are points well worthy of the attention of 

 those who grow Muscats in a mixed collection, or who have 

 not the command of a high temperature. The two sorts I 

 recommend I am certain will give more satisfaction in setting 

 and ripening in a moderate temperature than the old Muscat. 



What Mr. Pearson says about their general appearance 

 when ripe and placed on the table may be, to a certain 

 extent, correct. But I have for some time grown the three 

 sorts to which I refer, and I would never think of planting 

 the old Muscat while I could obtain the other two. 



Some time ago an effort was made to prove the Tynning- 

 ham and Bowood varieties identical, but some who enter- 

 tained that opinion think differently now ; and they are, 

 with me, more distinct in wood, foliage, and general cha- 

 racter, than are some of the Black Hamburgh varieties of 

 Grapes, which are, nevertheless, varieties. — D. T. 



ME. TOWNSEND'S SEEDLING CLEMATISES. 

 My attention has been directed to the concluding para- 

 graph of the proceedings of the Floral Committee of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society of June 29th, as reported in the 

 last Number of your Journal. The insinuation contained in 

 this paragraph is calculated to seriously damage my character 

 as a florist, and, therefore, I beg to be allowed to occupy a 

 small space to furnish the gentlemen composing the Floral 

 Committee (and of whose names I am entirely ignorant), 

 with some information respecting the seedling Clematises 

 submitted by me for their judgment. 



The seed from which these Clematises were raised was 

 hybridised and gathered by me. I came to St. Mary's 

 Nursery, Hornsey, at Christmas, 1862, immediately after 

 which the seed was sown. The plants exhibited were the 



