September 15,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 245 
time is the quantity of scaelet Siberian Crabs or Cherry 
Apples exposed for sale. These pretty little fruits are the pro¬ 
duce of a species of Pyrus, P. baccata, and are valued by many 
persons for the pleasant preserve prepared from them. In Siberia, 
the native country of the tree, a kind of punch is made from 
them. A dish of well-ripened fruits is a decidedly ornamental 
addition to the dessert at this season of the year, and the flavour 
though slightly acid is by no means unpleasant. 
- A French writer, M. Roman, has recently stated that the 
cultivation of the Soja hispida has of late years been largely 
developed in Austria-Hungary, Italy, and parts of France. It is 
said to grow in any soil, and while the leaves and stems make an 
excellent fodder for cattle, the beans form a nutritious food for 
man. When roasted the seeds form an excellent substitute for 
coffee, and M. Roman thinks that the plant will pay better than 
the Potato. At present the retail price of the Soja Beans is 
6d. per lb., but as the plant becomes more extensively cultivated 
they will no doubt be reduced in price. 
- A Monthly Meeting op the Scottish Horticul¬ 
tural Association was held on Tuesday evening the Gth inst. 
in St. Andrew’s Hall, Edinburgh. A paper was read from an 
Australian gentleman on the culture of florist flowers ; and Mr. 
Priest, Newbattle Abbey Gardens, read a paper on the colouring 
of Grapes, his opinion being that the more equable and uniform 
the temperature the better would the fruit be in colour and quality. 
The insufficient ventilation of hothouses came in for a share of the 
blame in the discussion which followed ; while the nature of the 
soil, it was pointed out, had a very great effect indeed, some 
Grapes thriving on a given soil where others could not be induced 
to flourish. 
- The correspondent of a daily contemporary describing 
the Electrical Exhibition in Paris, thus refers to the influence 
of electricity on plants —“Flowers appear to be in sympathy 
with Queen Electricity. The tall Palms and tropical Ferns look 
to peculiar advantage when she is holding her court at the Palais 
de l’lndustrie at night. There is a greenhouse of black glass 
into which no solar ray penetrates. Electricity stimulates the 
vitality of plants there and brings them to bloom and bear flowers. 
They are in a thoroughly healthy condition, and do not appear 
as if they ever wanted to go to sleep at night. All the twenty- 
four hours they are exposed to the rays of strong electrical lamps. 
It would appear that to some extent the chemical action of this 
light will enable gardeners to dispense with manure. In another 
example the light is produced in elegant vases suspended from 
the ceiling at a height of about 8 feet above the floor, and out of 
which beautiful plants are growing, made doubly luxuriant by 
the powerful properties of the light. The light being thus con¬ 
cealed in the midst of the vase does not reach the eye directly, 
but is reflected to a white tightly stretched circular sheet in the 
ceiling, from which it diffuses a mild and yet powerful light 
through the whole room.” 
- An excellent herbaceous plant flowering in August and 
September is Achillea rigida ; the flower stems rise to about 
5 feet in height, and its large flat flower heads at the top are 
from 3 to 6 inches in diameter. The flowers are golden yellow, 
and the plant thrives in ordinary garden soil. 
- A CORRESPONDENT, “ W. M. S.,” will be obliged if any 
of our readers can give a good receipt for preserving Melons 
in an early issue of the Journal. 
- We are informed that the Autumn Exhibition held by 
the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland last week proved very 
satisfactory, plants, cut flowers, fruit, and vegetables being well 
represented. In the plant classes some of the principal prize- 
takers were the Rev. F. Tymons, Mr. Smith of the Vice-Regal 
Gardens, and Messrs. Westby, Wilson, Vaughan, and Watson. 
Cut flowers were contributed by Messrs. Dickson of New- 
townards in fine condition, Messrs. Rodger, M’Clelland & Co., 
Newry, staging a tine group of new and rare plants. Grapes were 
especially good in the fruit classes. 
- The September issue of the Gardener gives the following 
particulars of the large Vine at Speddock, Dumfriesshire. 
“ At Speddock, near Dumfries, there is a very remarkable specimen 
of the Black Hamburgh Vine. It is distinguished for its size, but 
not more so than for the splendid Grapes it bears annually. As 
far as we are aware it has no equal in this country, if its size and 
the quality of its produce are considered. The Vine at Hampton 
Court, as well as those at Cumberland Lodge and Finchley, are all 
larger ; but the produce of these is not so fine as the Speddock 
Vine. This Vine is about eighty years old, and until a few years 
ago it occupied a much smaller vinery than the one it has now 
nearly filled, and which is something over GO feet long and 20 feet 
wide, with a lofty back wall, and consequently a long rafter. 
The Vine is planted at the extreme east end of the house, so that 
its growth is entirely to the west. Last year it bore GOO lbs. of 
Grapes of superb quality both as to size and finish. This year it 
has fully 700 lbs., every bunch from end to end and top to bottom 
being a model one ; and while some are quite 3 lbs. weight, they 
will average at least 2 lbs. each. They are large in berry, conical 
in shape, and jet black. Mr. Smith, who manages all his Vines 
in four vineries with great care and skill, wings all the bunches, 
so that they are all remarkably uniform in shape. This grand 
Vine is in a most vigorous condition, and if the vinery were added 
to GO feet to the east, it would soon fill it all; but the nature of 
the ground prevents extension in that direction. The border is 
liberally manured annually.” 
- The following gardening appointments havedbeen 
recently made—Mr. S. Burge, recently gardener to Col. Calvert, 
Ockley Court, Dorking, is now gardener to D. Davidson, Esq., 
Somerset Lodge, Wimbledon Common ; Mr. J. Robinson, late 
gardener to Baron de Worms, Milton Park, Egham, succeeds Mr. 
Pierce as gardener to the Dowager Lady Howard de a Walden, 
The Mote Park, Maidstone ; Mr. James Jordan, late foreman at 
Oakfield, Wimbledon Park, has been appointed gardener to J. 
Moray Browm, Esq., Florian, Torquay ; and Mr. J. Gadd, late of 
Thorndon Hall, has been appointed gardener to Sir T.] Barrett 
Lennard, Bart., Belhus Park, Aveley. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL] SOCIETY. 
September 13th. 
One of the best meetings that has been held for some time was 
that of Tuesday last, when numerous members of both Committees 
attended, and the exhibits in each department were sufficiently 
numerous to keep them well employed for an hour or more. Dahlias 
were, however, the great feature of the Meeting, and better repre¬ 
sentative collections have rarely been seen. The Council-room and 
vestibule were fully occupied, the numerous bright and varied flowers 
affording a pleasing and attractive display that has not been ex¬ 
ceeded at some exhibitions held this year. 
Fruit Committee. —Henry Webb, Esq., in the chair. Mr. G. 
Hawkins, gardener to Col. Turbervill, Ewenny Priory, Bridgend, 
Wales, was awarded a cultural commendation for some dishes of fine 
fruits gathered from trees in pots. Beurre Hardy Pears were good, 
said to be from a tree with four dozen fruits. Coe’s Golden Drop and 
Reine Claude de Bavay Plums were both finely ripened, the former 
from a tree with six dozen, the latter from one with nine dozen fruits, 
both in cold houses. Lord Palmerston Peaches were also large. 
Messrs. G. Bunyard & Son, Maidstone, were accorded a vote of thanks 
for the following fruits—Frogmore Prolific Damson, a small black 
variety, comparatively sweet. Worcester Pearmain Apples were very 
notable for their even shape, good size, and bright colour, and it was 
stated that they were gathered from trees two years old in the 
nursery rows. The same was stated of some Grenadier and Ecklin- 
ville Apples, both fine. A vote of thanks was also accorded to 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, for fruits of three varieties of 
Raspberry Belle de Fontenay, October Red, and October Yellow. A 
similar recognition was accorded to Mr. Gilbert, The Gardens, 
