54 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



strawberry: thus, so far, Mr. Pearson has succeeded in com- 

 municating the perfume from the strawberry-grape in a remark- 

 able degree; and to communicate this to our finer varieties would 

 be a great acquisition. The experiment is very interesting ; and 

 no doubt the result will be eagerly watched for. Mr. Pearson's 

 name has long been connected with that old favourite cucumber, 

 the Long Gun; and here are some small span-roofed houses devoted 

 to its culture, principally for seed, of which Mr. Pearson grows a 

 large quantity, possessing, as he does, the true stock, and growing 

 it pure, by not allowing any other variety to be near it. In one 

 of the houses were about 200 fine fruit, ripening olf beautifully, 

 looking like great clubs more than anything else I can compare 

 them to. 



In bedding Pelargoniums Mr. Pearson takes great interest, and 

 is very successful as a cross-breeder. There is here a large quan- 

 tity of seedlings planted out, many of them showing rare merit ; 

 but the season having been so dry was much against their exhibit- 

 ing their true character. 



In the tricolor section, Duke of Wellington, AValter, and 

 Mrs. Reynolds Hole are first-rate ; Duke of Wellington has the 

 very brightest of colours, and in shape and substance of the foliage, 

 with such a clearness of zone, comes nearer to the standard of 

 excellence than any other variety I have yet seen. "Walter is 

 also of the same class, but is a little lighter in colour than its 

 more illustrious brother. Mrs. Reynolds Hole is also a very fine 

 variety, the markings being very distinct, with very bright colours, 

 and is the only variety I have seen that possesses so much white 

 in the outer margin of the leaves. Lady Adeliza Norman is 

 another fine variety of this class, of which there are so many 

 promising seedlings here. In the Nosegay section are also some 

 fine acquisitions in William Hill, Thomas Speed, and Septimus 

 Thornhill. There is also a fine bed here of Bayard, a free-blooming, 

 crimson-scarlet Nosegay, which in the distance looked very bright 

 and gay. A bed of Pearl, a fine creamy-white variegated variety, 

 with very light rose-coloured flowers, was very fine and effective. 

 Chilwell Beauty looked very well ; but amongst the many seedlings 

 are some that completely put this variety in the shade. 



I have one more pleasing duty to perform, that is, to testify to 

 the kind manner in which Mr. Pearson showed me over his 

 establishment and explained his various modes of cultivation, and 

 also to his unbounded hospitality and great personal kindness. 



