318 
NEW FRUITS. 
such varieties as Gustavus, Black Dwarf, 
Eclipse, and Gemellii — or some such name, 
for botanical names are not always written 
plainly, and there is no possible rule to help 
one — we are glad to recognise the improve- 
ment ; perhaps these six, that is to say, the 
two new ones and the four old ones, may be 
adopted by any new calceolaria grower as the 
best he can begin with and seed from for new 
varieties. 
Plants of novel structure, or of scarce pro- 
duction, are rapidly increasing on us. At 
the exhibition were seen Escallonia macran- 
tha, a hardy shrub, with half-tubular half- 
bell -shaped flowers all along the young 
branches, very abundant, and of a dullish 
crimson, produced at Chiswick by Messrs. 
Veitch, and proved by three years' exposure 
in the open air ; Soya imperialis, with im- 
mense flowers, produced by Mr. Glendinning ; 
Li&ianthus pulchra, with brilliant scarlet 
flowers ; Gardenia Fortunii, a plant like the 
old radicans magnified ten times ; Abelia 
Jloribunda, a shrubby plant with hanging 
trumpet flowers of purplish colour. These 
may be considered the most remarkable, un- 
less we travel to the forest of orchids, in 
which we should be lost. 
Pinks have been exhibited, but up to the 
I Surrey show they were not half bloomed. 
We notice, however, two flowers under the 
name of Jenny Lind, of unequal merit. 
Parker's Jenny Lind is not fit to hold a 
"candle to Read's, as we have seen them toge- 
ther. The Surrey show produced a few good 
Ranunculuses, such as Agamemnon, Admetus, 
Edgar, Ascham, Electa, Reliance, Pole, Prince 
of Wales, Belmont, Man-of-War, &c., flowers 
which show that we have but little room to 
improve on this beautiful tribe. Of the Rose 
exhibitors who have figured of late, Mr. Paul 
stands immeasurably before all others but 
Lane, and these are excellent rivals ; other 
exhibitors come in with such ill- contrived 
and ugly supports and growth that the plants 
are hardly tolerable, but Mr. Rowland has 
beaten them all in this respect ; the plants 
have been shrubby and stocky, strong, with 
no supports and no need of them ; we men- 
tion this that others may follow the .example. 
The florists do not seem quite at home ; 
some object to one party, because it is too 
selfish ; others are condemned because they 
are exclusive ; the whole complain that the 
Floricultural interest is not represented. At 
a numerous meeting of the gardeners con- 
nected with their late Journal, it turned out 
that some of them, out of their hard earnings, 
had expended seventy pounds, which they 
had totally lost in the attempt to save the 
paper, and that before they parted with it 
for the small sum of two hundred and fifty 
pounds, the number had declined six or seven 
hundred, and that through the inefficient 
manner in which it had been conducted, and 
especially the personal and offensive manner 
in which some leading florists had been 
treated. It was also stated that the paper 
had become political, and that therefore it was 
time they had some efficient journal as a second 
to the Gardeners' Chronicle. 
NEW FRUITS. 
We gather the following notices of new 
fruits raised in Belgium from the Ghent 
Annates, where the varieties described below 
are nicely figured : — 
De Croe'ds Royal Grape. — This variety, 
which is spoken of as one of considerable ex- 
cellence and beauty, appears to have been 
raised by M. De Croen, a nurseryman at 
Brussels. The bunches are described as 
measuring fully seven inches in length, and 
being somewhat broad or branchy at the 
shoulders, where the diameter is sometimes 
equal to the length. This variety is therefore 
included among those sorts which have a full 
or broad form of the bunch. The berries are 
free, well developed, not compressed, and 
measure from three-quarters to a full inch in 
diameter; they are globular, or somewhat 
ovoid ; the pedicles are firm, and the berries 
hang easy. The skin (epicarp) is firm, 
smooth, and thickish, but not cartilaginous as 
in the grape of the south ; this skin separates 
easily from the flesh. When ripe, the berries 
are of a yellowish-green. The flesh (meso- 
carp) is exceedingly juicy, abundant, full, 
very savoury, sweet, refreshing, and perfumed 
with an indescribable aroma, which is very 
different from that of the Muscat or of the 
Isabella grape ; in fact this aroma is peculiar 
to this sort, and the berries must be tasted in 
order to form an idea of it. This grape was 
exhibited at the grand exhibition in Brussels 
in 1848 ; and the king having requested that 
the most remarkable among the fruits and 
vegetables should be pointed out to him, this 
grape "had the honour" of being included 
among those selected for presentation. This 
circumstance has given rise to the name of 
Royal Grape, by which M. De Croen's variety 
is designated. The origin of this variety is 
not very certain ; because, as it often happens 
in sowing, an exact account of the seeds de- 
posited in the soil is not kept. De Croen's 
Royal Grape is, however, a production from 
seed, the stock of which is unknown. It is 
especially suited to the vinery. 
Gondouin's Red Currant. — This is an 
excellent variety, distinguished by remark- 
able vigour, by the length of its bunches, and 
by the size and flavour of its berries. It is, 
