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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGS GARDENER. [ November 29, 1864. 



berries at a profit, bought wholesale from Covent Garden 

 fruiterers, is far below the dignity and is totally beside the 

 objects of a national Horticultural Society. What would be 

 said of the Linnajan Society if it bought beetles at sixpence, 

 and had a stall in its rooms for retailing them at a shilling ? 



When Fellows turn to the Society's Exhibitions they cease 

 to wonder that there are no exhibitors, for they find that 

 the prizes are to be dependant in amount upon the money 

 taken at the doors. We have heard of strolling players 

 dividing the entrance money among themselves; but we 

 never heard before of a national Society expecting valuable 

 productions to be conveyed to their exhibitions at a large 

 certain expense and risk, and that the exhibitors, like the 

 players, after certain deductions, were to divide among 

 themselves the shillings taken at the entrances ! That this 

 is not a mode of remuneration befitting the Society needs 

 no argument, and that it is not satisfactory to exhibitors i3 

 demonstrated by their absence. There were two at the last 

 Chrysanthemum show ! 



Such a deficiency in the attractions is soon appreciated 

 by the public; and when to this is added the entire absence 

 of judgment in fixing the exhibition days, we hear it ob- 

 served too often, " We cannot go to-day, nor would it be 

 worth the time and trouble if we could." 



The able lecturers who, gratuitously and at no small 

 expense of time, have responded to the Society's request to 

 deliver lectures in the room at South Kensington, have 

 ample reason for complaint. No man likes to have an ap- 

 parent proof before him, afforded by empty seats, that either 

 he or his subject is not highly esteemed. Yet every lecturer 

 must have been thus benumbed, though the conclusion he 

 drew was not a fair conclusion ; for the real causes of such 

 scanty audiences have been the absence of public announce- 

 ments, and ill-judged selection of times and hours. 



The members of various Committees have ample cause 

 for complaint. The Show Committee's circular asking for 

 a reply to be sent by the loth of October, was not sent at all 

 to many of the Fellows, and to others not until after the 

 first week in November. In another Committee on a subject 

 of taste, meetings were summoned without any hour being 

 named, and reports made without some of the ladies being 

 summoned to the meeting at all. But these are not the 

 worst features in connection with the Society's Committees; 

 for we know of the names of influential members being pub- 

 lished as belonging to those Committees though they were 

 never asked to belong to them, and were never summoned 

 to the meetings. Now, no excuse can palliate this. It was a 

 liberty which should be taken with no member of a society ; 

 and — whether intentionally or unintentionally matters no- 

 thing — it was inducing the public to confide in the Com- 

 mittee having the aid of those distinguished members, 

 though the Committee neither had, nor sought to have, 

 their counsel and assistance. 



With these facts patent, will any one wonder that the 

 Society is rapidly decaying ? Will any one dare to pen a 

 sentence in defence of such mismanagement ? Will the 

 Council not look around and see if there is not some one 

 who, instead of being their pilot and aid, is their misleader 

 and encumberer ? Will they still permit the blundering, 

 neglect of details, and inattention to routine, which has so 

 characterised and so offended in the official conduct ? Will 

 they, in despite of demonstrations of the Society's decline, 

 still cling to expensive musical contests and such irrelevant 

 extravagances, instead of the promotion of the objects of 

 the Society and the benefit of its Fellows ? 



If they do so permit, and do so persist, then the decline 

 of the Society will soon ripen, to its fall ; and it will be ever 

 a subject of sorrow, but of no surprise, to know that vast 

 donations and a noble income have been lost to horticulture, 

 and will leave one more example that wealth only ministers 

 to profusion, and power only gives opportunity for increased 

 folly, when intrusted to the presumptuous incompetent. 



The Trentham Black is a very strong-growing Vine, and 

 retains its foliage in a green state longer than the Black 

 Hamburgh. With me it has set its fruit much better the 

 second year of training than it did in the first. It does not 

 require much thinning, and is, I should think, a very good 

 trusser. I do not think the flavour so rich as that of the 

 Black Hamburgh ; but, then, the Grapes that I have of the 

 latter variety are first-rate. It is, however, exceedingly 

 sweet and good. 



The Chasselas Tibert grows weakly, and has taken three 

 years to reach the top of the house. It is, however, a good 

 bearer, and ripens its fruit very early. Its flavour is excel- 

 lent, and it is a pretty good trusser. The bunches are not 

 large. — M. A., Oxon. 



TRENTHAM BLACK AND CHASSELAS VIBEET 

 GEAPES. 

 In reference to a notice of these two Grapes in your 

 Number of the 22nd inst., I beg to say that 1 have them 

 both in a cold vinery. 



THE i'EW EOSES. 

 I now resume to, I hope, conclude my anatomy of the lists 

 of new Roses, about which I feel more nervous than ever, as 

 I am continually receiving letters from those who say they 

 have trusted to my recommendations for this year's orders, 

 and I should be very sorry to be a blind leader. 



PEENET. 



53. Madame Fresnay. — Very vigorous. Flowers large, 

 well-formed ; beautiful lively rose. 



54. Mesd&mes Sxurs Chevandiers. — "Very vigorous. Flowers 

 large, full ; colour of wine lees with a slaty tinge. 



55. Triom/phedesFrancais. — Very vigorous. Flowers large, 

 nearly full, blooming in clusters. Lively crimson red. 



M. Pernet does not seem over-sanguine as to the first of 

 these, only placing it at 15 francs. The second is hardly a 

 colour for English tastes ; and the third being nearly full 

 will, I fear, put it in the background. 



GTJTNOSSEATJ". 



58. Iieliogabale. — Flowers vigorous, large, blooming in 

 clusters, brilliant velvety red. Very free-flowering. 



A. L. EATTJS1ANN. 



57. Madame James Gi-os. — Very vigorous. Flowers large, 

 well made, clear crimson, lightly bordered with rosy white. 



DEFAUN. 



58. Marechal Bazo.ine. — Flowers medium, cup-shaped, well 

 formed ; shaded rose in the inside, carmine outside of petals. 

 Flowering freely in autumn. 



H. JAMAIN. 



59. Marguerite de St. Arnaud. — Very vigorous. Flowers 

 large, well-formed; white, with a blush tinge, passing to 

 pure white. 



liabatjd. , 



60. Monsieur Boncenne. — Very vigorous. Flowers large, 

 cup-shaped, blackish velvety purple. 



These five raisers are modest ; like single-speech Hamil- 

 ton, they only give us one production ; and I should hope 

 that Jamain, the raiser of Marechal Vaillant, will give us 

 something worth growing again. 



Besides the above, M. Eugene Verdier announces the 

 following, of whose parentage nothing is said ; and the only 

 information is that he has a part of the stock. I hardly 

 think that one would be justified in looking for much from 

 them. These are — 



61. Ardoise du Chalet. — Slaty purple shaded with carmine. 



62. Charlotte Corday. — Purplish red ; reverse of petals 

 lighter. 



63. Dunois. — Carmine red shaded with violet. Somewhat 

 like Vicomte Vigier. 



64. Forster. — imbricated ; fine deep red shaded with 

 violet. 



65. John Keynes. — Scarlet red, shaded with maroon. 



68. L'Avondant. — Very, free-flowering. Fine lively red, 

 with very marked light border. 



67. La Coquette. — Lively shaded red, violet tinge; three 

 or four rows of outside petals fiery red. 



68. liionie. — Currant red ; reverse of petals lilac. 



69. William Bull. — Flowers full, globular ; lively cherry 

 red. Superb. 



M. Lacharme announces two white Roses which he rightly 

 designates as hybrids of Bourbons and Noisettes, I think 



