PROCEEDINGS. 



ix 



supply of fruit. Mr. Groom, gardener to Mrs. Bentley, 

 Eshald House, Oulton, near Leeds, sent good bunches of 

 Black Hamburgh Grapes, from an open-flued wall. They 

 received no protection except what a net, put on to keep 

 the birds off them, afforded. The Vine on which they 

 grew was stated to cover a piece of wall 67 feet long and 

 11 feet high. Last year it produced 300 bunches, this 

 year the crop is quite 400 bunches. The Vine is about 

 17 years old, and is stated to have doubled its size during 

 these last 3 years. It rises from the ground with a clean 

 straight stem 15 inches in length. A branch is then 

 trained horizontally on either side of the stem, and the 

 bearing shoots are led off this perpendicularly, 15 inches 

 apart. The young shoots grow the height of the wall in 

 one season, and ripen perfectly to the very top. In this 

 situation good average Grapes are produced, but the rain 

 and frost spoil many of them before they can be used ; it is 

 therefore contemplated to put a temporary roof over them 

 next season. W. S. Grey, Esq., Norton, Stockton-on- 

 Tees, Durham, sent a Jargonelle Pear, ripe and of a fair 

 size, the produce of a second crop from the same tree this 

 year. The tree was stated to grow 8 miles north of Nor- 

 ton, against the south side of a house ; it is about 25 years 

 old, and was removed into its present place when it was 

 about six or seven years old* After the fruit has well set 

 in summer it flowers again on the young wood, and perfects 

 a second crop, consisting this year of between two and three 

 dozen fine Pears spread all over the tree. These Pears 

 swell and ripen well ; but are seedless — at least the one 

 shown was in that condition. J. Mannington, Esq., of 

 Uckfield, again sent specimens of his Seedling Apple, called 

 Mannington's Pearmain. It is a nice-looking sort, Pear- 

 main shaped, tinged with red on the sunny side, well 

 flavoured, and said to bear and keep well. Specimens of 

 Forty-day Maize and of Cobbett's Corn were exhibited by 

 Mr. Charlwood, of Covent Garden. They had been sown 

 in a garden at Putney, in the middle of May, and raised 

 without heat. They had ripened well, as Indian corn will 

 generally do in warm sunny spots in a favourable season 

 like the past ; but it was remarked that it would never 

 become a profitable crop in the climate of England. The 

 nature of Indian Corn is well known. Boussingault's de- 

 scription of it is one of the latest and best. " Maize," 

 says this great authority, " succeeds in all kinds of soil, 

 provided they are suitably manured ; I have seen excellent 

 fields in sandy land and in the heaviest clay. The treat- 



