Report of the Meetings for 1894. 61 



very few Pears." Breadths of Gooseberry bushes, growing in 

 the open, have yielded five or six tons instead of thirty ; when 

 they grew in an orchard of mixed fruit trees, the oop has 

 been not much short of an average. While Pear and Apple 

 blossom were nipt by the severe frosts of May, the overtopping 

 branches of the trees proved an awning and shelter to the 

 Gooseberry bushes below. 



Knowing well the vicissitudes and uncertainties that attend 

 tree-fruit growing in the open in Morpeth and its neighbourhood, 

 Mr Hopper determined to resort to the protection of ^lass. 

 The members had the pleasure of seeing some results of his 

 experiment, for it can hardly be said to have gone beyond 

 that stage yet. The following Pear trees, growing in 10 inch 

 pots, had as many as sixteen fruits on some of them: — Louise 

 Bonne; Clap f 8 Favourite; Bearre Diel ; Durdondean ; Pitmaston 

 Duchess. These Apple trees, in 9 and 10 inch pots, 

 were equally successful: — Blenheim Pippin; Ribston Pippin; 

 Washington; and Worcester Pearmain. It was noticed also 

 that the borders — the garden consists solely of glass-houses, 

 lawns, and borders — were well stocked with herbaceous plants. 

 Mr Fergusson informed the company that Mr F. E. Schofield, 

 Chemist, had, in his garden in Castle Square, quite a note- 

 worthy collection of herbaceous plants, the getting together 

 of which he had made a speciality for years ; and that Mr 

 George Brumell, in his grounds at The Willows, had a very 

 interesting rock garden, to which he had recently added a 

 small bog garden. 



The start for Bothal was made punctually at ten. At the 

 east eu'l of the town the remains of what was once the Chantry 

 of All Saints were passed. It was a " Maison Dieu" at the 

 north end of the old bridge of two arches, which was wantonly 

 sold by the bailiffs and blasted with gunpowder. It was a 

 picturesque structure of the old narrow type, the roadway and 

 ledges rising in a graceful curve to the middle, which, however, 

 was not over a keystone. The buttresses and middle pier are 

 still standing. The pier is built upon a framework of great 

 oak beams, which are plainly visible. More than once a stage 

 coach went over that bridge into the river. This led to the 

 passing of an Act of Parliament for the erection of the stone 

 bridge a few yards eastward. The site first was chosen by 

 the eminent engineer, Mr Telford, and the plans for it were 



