212 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 13, 1864. 



Stafford had the third. The best fruit of Any other variety 

 was a Providence of 10 lbs. Mr. C. Smith, Norwood, took 

 the second and third prizes in the same class. Mr. Drewett, 

 Denbies, exhibited a curiosity, being a hen-and-chickens 

 Pine from Penang, having a double crown and seven small 

 Pines coming from the base, the whole weighing 4 lbs. 

 2 ozs. 



Grapes, though not shown in such abundance as we ex- 

 pected, were in some instances in great perfection, Mr. 

 Meredith, as usual, taking the lead. In the class for boxes 

 of not less than 12 lbs. weight he was first with large and 

 beautifully-coloured Black Hamburghs; Mr. A. Henderson 

 and Mr. Wills, Oulton Park, being second with Lady Downe's 

 in fine condition ; and he was again first in the class for the 

 best three bunches of Black, his Black Hamburghs being of 

 the extraordinary weight of 11 lbs. 4 ozs., the bunches re- 

 markably compact and dense, and the berries finely coloured. 

 Mr. Ford was second, and Mr. Omant third with good bunches 

 of the same kind. 



In White Grapes Mr. Dwerrihouse was first with splendid 

 bunches of a seedling variety, the berries of which had an 

 amber tinge, and the largest bunch must have been a foot 

 long and 8 inches across at the shoulders. Mr. Budd, Cob- 

 ham Hall, was second with well-coloured Muscats ; and Mr. 

 Wills third with Trebbiano. 



For the largest bunch of any kind, Mr. Meredith was again 

 first with Child of Hale, noticed some time ago in our Fruit 

 Committee Reports. This was a magnificent bunch of SJlbs. 

 Mr. Dwerrihouse was second with his seedling weighing 

 nearly 5 lbs., and Messrs. Lane & Son third with Muscat 

 Hamburgh 2 lbs. 3 ozs. Marchioness of Hastings from Mi-. 

 Henderson weighed 4 lbs. 14 ozs., but was not ripe. 



Peaches and Nectarines were not generally large, a 

 result of the season. Of the former, the principal varieties 

 were Barrington, Royal George, Noblesse, Grosse Mignonne, 

 and Violette Hative. Mr. Cross, Alresford, was first with 

 Barrington, very fine ; and second with Royal George ; Mr. 

 Spivey third with Monstrueuse de Doue. 



Of Nectarines, the kinds shown were Elruge, Violette 

 Hative, Pitmaston Orange, and Red Roman. Mr. J. Fraser, 

 Lea Bridge, took the first prize with Murrey ; Mr. Hender- 

 son second with Violette Hative ; and Mr. Woodward third 

 with Pitmaston Orange. 



Melons were extensively shown, and many of them were 

 very fine as regards size and appearance. Scarlet Gem was 

 almost the only kind shown in the Scarlet-fleshed class ; and 

 in the Green-fleshed, Golden Perfection, Golden Drop, Tren- 

 tham Hybrid, and Hybrid Cashmere were the principal. Mr. 

 Young, Havant, was first ; Mr. Blair second, and Mr. Godfrey 

 third, all with Scarlet Gem; and in the other class, Mr. 

 Bailey, Shardeloes, was first with Bailey's Gem ; and Mr. 

 Rust second with Bromham Hall. 



Cherries are now generally over, but several good dishes 

 of Morello were shown. Mr. Dawson, Panshanger, was first 

 with that kind and Belle Magnifique; Mr. Holder, Reading, 

 second with Morello and Flemish, very good ; and Mr. 

 Bailey third with Morello and Bigarreau. 



Plums were both numerous and fine. Coe's Golden Drop, 

 Washington, Jefferson, Magnum Bonums, Goliath, Kirke's, 

 and Denyer's Victoria were shown in excellent condition. 

 The first prize was awarded to Mr. Bailey for Jefferson and 

 Washington, beautifully coloured ; and Prince of Wales, 

 which is generally considered a second-rate fruit. Mr. Wood- 

 ward was second with Nectarine, Jefferson, and Denyer's 

 Victoria; Mr. Kaile third with the first two and Wash- 

 ington. 



Apples, both for dessert and kitchen use, occupied a great 

 extent of tabling, but though mostly well grown were not 

 remarkable for their size. Of the former, King of the 

 Pippins, Kerry Pippin, Ribston Pippin, Blenheim Pippin, 

 ^Cornish Gilliflower, Red Astrachan, and Devonshire Quarren- 

 den (both finely coloured), Cox's Orange Pippin, Cellini, 

 and Fearn's Pippin were the principal kinds. Messrs. Lane, 

 St. Mary's Cray, took the first prize with Colonel Vaughan, 

 Red Astrachan (beautifully coloured), Kerry Pippin, Cellini, 

 Fearn's Pippin, and Maynard's Bearer. Dr. Cooper was 

 second; Mr. Webb, Reading, third. In kitchen Apples, 

 Hawthornden, Alexander, Keswick Codlin, Catshead, Blen- 

 heim Pippin, Golden Noble, Kentish Fillbasket, Lord Suf- 

 field, and New Hawthornden were numerously shown. The 



first prize in this class also was taken by Messrs. Lane, St. 

 Mary's Cray, with Alexander, Blenheim Pippin, Keswick and 

 French Codlins, Catshead, and Summer Tambour, all of 

 which were fine. Mr. Mortimore, gardener to A. Smee, Esq., 

 Carshalton, was second ; Mr. Wren third. 



Pears were likewise very numerous, but did not present 

 anything very remarkable. As might be expected Williams's 

 Bon Chretien, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Duchesse d'Angou- 

 leme, and Beurre d'Amanlis were the predominant sorts. 

 The first prize for three dishes was awarded to Mr. J. Wilson, 

 gardener to Sir R. Howard, Fulham ; the second to Mr. 

 Fraser, Lea Bridge; the third to Mr. Nicholls, Hammer- 

 smith. The heaviest single dish was shown by Mr. Dwerri- 

 house, the kind being Grosse Calebasse, which we have seen 

 much larger. Uvedale's St. Germain, from Mr. Goldsmith, 

 weighing 10-J- lbs., was second; Catillac, 7i lbs., from the 

 same, third. The best dish for flavour was Louise Bonne, 

 grown in an orchard-house by G. Wilson, Esq., Weybridge ; 

 Williams's, from Mr. Heather, Ember Grove, being second. 



Miscellaneous. — Excellent pot Vines came from Messrs. 

 Lane & Sons, Berkhampstead; Mr. Giers; and Mr. W. 

 Paul, the latter being exhibited to show the comparative 

 time required for ripening the different varieties, all being 

 placed under glass at the same time, the middle of April. 

 Peaches, Apples, and Pears in pots were sent by Mr. Fraser; 

 Figs, Cherries, &c, by Messrs. Lane ; the fruit of Passiflora 

 edulis by Mr. Scorer; Granadillas by Mr. Blair; large and 

 fine Oranges by Mr. Hutcheson ; good Red and White 

 Currants by Mr. Milton ; Apricots by Mr. Henderson ; Cob 

 Nuts and Filberts by Mr. Webb, Reading ; and Capsicums, 

 3i inches long by 2J- to 3 in diameter, by Mr. Scorer. Lastly, 

 a beautiful wax-like dessert Apple, varying in colour from 

 rose to carmine, came from Mr. Taylor, Nursling, South- 

 ampton. 



EAETHLNG-TTP CELEET. 



About half a score of correspondents have written wishing 

 for a short account of the reasons why we disapprove of the 

 general directions in standard works, "Keep putting a 

 little earth to the Celery in dry weather." In other words, 

 why we disapprove of this frequent bit-by-bit earthing-up. 

 Our reason, which applies to early Celery chiefly, is simply 

 this, that the bit-by-bit system of earthing-up is just the 

 best means for securing what we do not want, bolted Celery 

 — that is, plants running and throwing up their flower- 

 stalks, when they are deemed unsuitable for sending to 

 table . 



The Celery is naturally a ditch or swamp plant, and as 

 such rejoices in moisture. Few plants in a kitchen garden 

 need an equal supply of moisture. When it can be had, a 

 short time before earthing-up, therefore, most people give 

 a good watering. Some days afterwards, and when dry 

 overhead and the leaves are dry, they give the plants 

 3 or 4 inches of earthing-up ; in a week or ten days a little 

 more, and at another interval a little more. If a good rain 

 does come, it will not penetrate more than an inch, if it does 

 for a quarter of that depth. Provided the weather is sunny 

 the large leaves soon exhaust the moisture given at the 

 roots before earthing-up. They can get no more unless 

 what falls in the shape of dew or rains, which merely aff=ct 

 the foliage, not the roots. Hot sunny days continuing, ilie 

 leaves throw off moisture by evaporation as long as they 

 receive a supply; and at last, when from the demands 

 made upon them the roots are pretty well as dry as if they 

 were in a fresh ash-heap, the plants in self-defence and for 

 the purpose of perpetuating the race, throw up their flower- 

 stalk as a reproach to us for want of thought and consider- 

 ation. We thus treat the Celery as we would any other 

 plant we wish not to grow fast, but to flower and seed 

 quickly — namely, we curtail the root-action, and deprive the 

 roots of the moisture necessary for vigorous growth. We 

 could hardly adopt a better plan than we do with the Celery 

 if we wished a Cabbage, a Cauliflower, or a Turnip to bloom 

 prematurely, instead of to grow vigorously, only the Celery 

 is naturally more sensitive to dryness. 



On the other hand, suppose the Celery plants are growing 

 to a nice size, we go over them, pick out all suckers, and 

 remove all bad leaves, and then after watering, and the 

 plants have got over this doctoring, we tie each plant with 



