December 1 , 1881 .] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 497 
of corn sown on land in good condition, which was not the case 
a month ago. Early spring 'flowers are coming into bloom in all 
directions, while many wild flowers seem to be deceived by the 
fineness of the weather.” 
-The annual display of Chrysanthemums at Garbrand 
Hall, Ewell, the residence of Mrs. Torr, is this year quite as 
attractive as usual in general effect, although, like many other 
growers, Mr. Child has experienced a difficulty this season in ob¬ 
taining blooms of first-rate size and substance. After inspecting 
the necessarily formal arrangements of Chrysanthemums at the 
numerous exhibitions, a tasteful and unique mode of displaying 
the beauties of those useful plants, such as that under notice, is 
especially welcome. The method adopted by Mr. Child has been 
frequently described, but as some readers may be unacquainted 
with it a brief reference may be useful. A span-roofed Peach 
house 100 feet long has a path down the centre, and on each side 
of this is a trellis about 6 feet high, with arches at intervals of a 
yard or two. Over the trellises and arches the plants are trained, 
and as the majority are flowering very freely the effect is very 
beautiful. Some fine clusters of snowy white Mrs. G. Bundle are 
particularly noticeable, numerous other varieties being represented. 
- “An Inhabitant of Farleigh” writes—“A few days 
ago we lost a horticulturist to whom we are indebted for one of 
the most popular fruits sent to market in its season. Mr. John 
Crittenden of East Farleigh died at the great age of ninety-four, 
who, as the introducer of the’Farleigh Prolific Damson, conferred 
a great boon on the community at large. The deceased was a 
man much respected by all who knew him, and his name has long 
been associated with the Damson in question, of which thousands 
of bushels are yearly sent to market, and it3 popularity is still 
increasing, thousands of trees being sold each year ; but some par¬ 
ticulars regarding it havingjappeared in this Journal a few years 
ago need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say that Crittenden’s 
Damson is one of the'standard fruits of the day and neighbour¬ 
hood, and those having^trees of older varieties are having them 
cut down and grafted with that kind, and even many Plums are so 
treated. So that Mr. CrittendenHived to see his protdge firmly 
■established in public'’estimation 'and widely spread. A near 
neighbour of the writer put in upwards of ten thousand young 
plants of it last winter, andj many others have quite as many, so 
that its popularity is not"expected to diminish. The records of 
some of the stories of its prolificness would almost appear to border 
on the marvellous, yet it is only a matter of plain fact; and in 
the parish where it originated it is both the rich man’s tree and 
the poor man’s also, and the traveller can hardly move 20 yards 
without seeing one.” 
- A presentation of £1000 together with a gold watch 
to Mr. Bruce Findlay, and] another for Mrs. Bruce Findlay, 
was made on the 24th ult. in the Town Hall, Manchester. The 
Mayor (Mr. Alderman]TBaker) presided. The Mayor, in his in¬ 
troductory address, spoke of the progress which had been made 
in connection with the Botanical Society since Mr. Findlay’s 
appointment as Curator in 1858, and congratulated the members 
upon the altered and improved condition of things at the present 
time, as compared with the old regime, at which time he (the 
I Mayor) became a member of the Council of the Society. The 
state of the gardens and the subscription list had undergone a 
considerable change 'for the better, which was owing in a very 
large measure to the labours of Mr. Findlay, aided by the mem¬ 
bers of the Council, and more than all, perhaps, by Mr. Joseph 
Broome. Mr. Broome cordially thanked the Mayor. Mr. Findlay 
had been before the people of Manchester for three and twenty 
years, and a more assiduous man in any position he (Mr. Broome) 
had never known. Subscriptions to the testimonial were sent in 
so bounteously that the Committee began to find the list was 
assuming greater proportions than they had ever anticipated. 
The result was that 270 subscriptions were received, amounting 
altogether to £1106 19.?. 6d. Mr. Broome then read and presented 
the address, which had been engrossed and illuminated on vellum 
and encased in morocco, and likewise handed over to Mr. Findlay 
a purse containing a cheque for £1000, and the two gold watches 
and chains. The following is the text of the i^ddress— 
To Mr. Bruce Findlay, Curator and Secretary of the Royal Man¬ 
chester Botanical and Horticultural Society. 
Dear Sir —Your career as Curator of the Manchester Botanical 
Society commenced in the year 1858, twenty-three years ago. 
The zeal and energy which you have exhibited for the prosperity 
of the Society, as well as for the general extension of the science of 
botany, floriculture, and horticulture, have been watched with 
interest by your numerous friends. 
Your suggestions to the Council of the Botanical Society have 
been characterised by rare judgment. The annual Whitsuntide 
exhibitions converted a small local exhibition into one of an ex¬ 
tensive national character, with the result of giving pleasure and 
instruction to forty or fifty thousand visitors, and also causing a con¬ 
siderable improvement in the financial position of the Society. The 
autumn international display held by the Society in 1873 was only 
second to the grand international Exhibition which took place in 
August of this year in celebration of its jubilee. This latter Ex¬ 
hibition your friends recognise as your crowning achievement. 
In the position of Curator and Secretary of the Manchester Botani¬ 
cal Society you have at all times laboured devotedly, and your friends 
feel that the present year is an appropriate time to mark the esteem 
in which you are held by them, not only by reason of those works to 
which allusion has been made, but for the invincible resolution, quiet 
perseverance, and business-like qualities you have displayed during 
your long and arduous career. Your health suffered somewhat from 
the labour and anxiety for the success of the recent great Exhibition. 
We hope, however, that the beneficial influence of this Show, and 
the appreciation we now acknowledge with pleasure of your work, 
will be some solace to your mind, and will aid you in your restoration 
to health. 
As a token of the esteem of a large circle of friends, we desire your 
acceptance of a purse containing £1000, and the accompanying gold 
watch and chain, which we hope may continue to record for you the 
flight of time during many years of health, happiness, and prosperity. 
We also desire you to present our best wishes to your wife, together 
with the gold watch and chain provided for her.—We are, yours 
faithfully, 
(Signed) Thomas Baker, Mayor of Manchester. 
Jos. Broome, Chairman. 
Samuel Barlow, Treasurer. 
Robert Taitt, Hon. Secretary. 
Town Hall, Manchester , November 23rd, 1881. 
Mr. Bruce Findlay cordially thanked the many most’generous 
friends who sent him so munificent a testimony of their re¬ 
spect and esteem, but stated, however, his future action must 
show such thanks as he could not speak. The substantial and 
beautiful gifts were valued by him and his wife, but they prized 
still more highly the friendship and confidence with which the 
gifts are stamped. 
THEORIES IN GRAPE CULTURE. 
The question raised by your able correspondent Mr. Iggulden 
under the above heading has more than a passing interest for me, 
inasmuch as some eight or ten years ago a short note of mine, 
kindly inserted in your pages, failed to bring forward any cor¬ 
respondence on either side. In that note I tried to point out 
what I considered the folly of encouraging Vines to grow as 
advocated by Mr. Bardney and then cutting it all away in the 
autumn. The storing of sap goes on most at the tips of the 
young rods, as anyone can tell by the thickening of the wood 
and the prominence of the eyes, and therefore when cut away the 
Vine is robbed of nearly the whole season’s work. I generally 
leave theories for abler hands to discuss ; but when we read such 
advice as that given by Mr. Bardney and “ Single-handed,” I 
think practical experience should have something to say as well 
as science. Mr. Bardney grows his Vines on economic principles ; 
he makes them self-supporting by burning the primings and 
manuring the border with the ashes. The little handful of ashes 
his pruning will produce may be very good so far as it goes, but 
it is but a “ drop in the bucket ” of what they require, and will in 
no wise compensate for the stored-up sap he has consigned to the 
flames. “ Single-handed ” contends that the sap is stored in 
the “ underground stems ” (roots is too common a term for some 
folks), but if half the roots die in consequence of cutting off the 
