FRUIT AND VEGETABLE COMMITTEE, JUNE 9. Ixi 



as Mr. Hudson had grown the trees of 'Early Rivers' and 

 • Lord Napier ' nectarines side by side under absolutely the same 

 conditions, the trees selected for the experiment being of the 

 same age from the graft, and of identical treatment from the 

 very first. The object was to test the relative merits of the 

 two varieties on the point of earliness, and the result was 

 manifest, for the fruits on the ' Early Rivers ' trees were fully 

 ripe ; indeed, a dish had been taken off them on June 2, whereas 

 the fruit on the ' Lord Napier ' was still hard, and wanted yet 

 at least ten or twelve days more to mature, thus proving 

 ' Early Rivers ' to be under precisely and exactly similar con- 

 ditions a full fortnight or nearly three weeks earlier than ' Lord 

 Napier.' 



Silver Banksian Medal. 



To Her Majesty the Queen, Windsor Castle (gr. Mr. Owen 

 Thomas), for a collection of twenty-four varieties of early Straw- 

 berries grown in the open air. The earliest to ripen this year 

 at Windsor was 1 Laxton's No. 1,' a few of which were gathered 

 on May 19, and a dishful on May 21. The plants were last 

 year's runners, and planted in August on a warm border. 

 4 Noble ' came in a week later, and ' John Ruskin ' a few days 

 only later. 1 Leader ' is an enormous berry, a strong grower, 

 and a fine cropper, but it is lacking in flavour. 



To Mrs. Wingfield, Ampthill (gr. Mr. Empson), for a collection 

 of Fruit and Vegetables. 



To Messrs. E. J. Dargeant, Stratton Vineries, Worthing 

 (gr. Mr. W. Kemp), for a collection of Melons and Capsicums. 

 Some of the Melons were very remarkable for the amount and 

 size of the netting, which exceeded anything ever seen in that 

 way before, though the flavour of the less netted ones was far 

 better. 



Bronze Banksian Medal. 

 To A. J. Howard, Esq., Worton Hall Gardens, Isleworth 

 (gr. Mr. A. Pentney), for a collection of vegetables. 



First Class Certificate. 



To Melon ' Anthony's Favourite ' (votes, 11 for, 3 against), 

 from Mrs. Wingfield, Ampthill (gr. Mr. Empson). 



To Melon ' Freston Tower ' (votes, unanimous), from Mr. 



