200 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COT7AGE GARDENER. 
[ August 28, 1884. 
agents show. Neither in France nor Germany is any land allowed to lie 
waste. It must he planted with something, if it is capable of bearing any 
crop. Hence, forest culture is generally practised, albeit the outcry among 
the timber merchants is loud for “ protection” against the influx of foreign 
timber, which reduces their profits. In 1811, about the time when Adam 
Smith’s docrines were replacing the mediaeval dicta about the right of the 
State to interfere with the “ free mobilisation of capital,” Prussia, and, fol¬ 
lowing her lead, most of the other German States, relinquished all control 
over private forests. The result was disastrous. The highlands of Saxony 
wore bared. The plains of the Baltic, once covered with Pines, were con¬ 
verted into desolate heaths. Anhalt was denuded of trees. Oaks 
became extinct everywhere, and no woods of deciduous-leaved trees 
remained. Even the Pine vanished, and only the Larch survived. 
In 184G scarcely an Oak was left in Mecklenburg, and the high 
grounds of Schleswig-Holstein, which, prior to 1811, were clothed with 
Birch woods and Oak coppice, are now in in their barrenness monuments 
of the folly of the course then adopted. In South Germany, however, 
the restraining hand was never withdrawn, and so Nassau, Hesse-Casse), 
Hesse-Homburg, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Baden have never been compelled 
to buy and plant land as Prussia has, owing to the recklessness with 
which her woods were destroyed for the sake of immediate profit. In 
Switzerland, though cantonal interference has been often resented and 
sometimes resisted, the Governments insist on controlling the cutting of 
timber. So do Austria and Bavaria. Whole districts in the Bifel have 
been rendered valueless owing to carelessness on the part of the 
j) 0 asants, and are being slowly recovered, at great cost and labour, by the 
adoption of the very measures the neglect of which brought all the trouble 
on the people. In the Westerwald Oats and Barley once grew on land 
150 to 200 feet above the present corn line. But the wood on the 
mruntain tops was cut down, and the icy storms from the north-west 
have, in consequence, as Mr. Baring Gould tells us, driven cultivation 
further into the valleys. 
Woods protect orchards and fields, and arrest in sandy regions the 
advance of the drifting particles. The impecunious Polish nobles cleared 
off their forests and then sold the land by raffle. The result is that many 
of their estates are now covered with sand, which in some districts 
marches inland at the rate of 30 feet in the twelve months. In Prussian 
Srxony, the town of Diiben celebrates with music and beer-drinking the 
replanting of the woods which stopped the progress of the sand that was 
rapidly overwhelming gardens and corn fields, the forests which had 
previously prevented the inroads having been hewn down for the sake of 
pelf. ■” Vegetables became scarce, pasture for cattle rare, and the most 
serious results were feared, when the forester of the district offered to 
oppose the devastating invasion. Fifty years have elapsed since then. 
Now rich woods of Bobinias, Birch, and Pine wave over the sandy hills, 
and with their fine network of rootlets hold the restless sand in its place, 
and compel it to quiescence.” Even as Mr. Howitz demonstrated to the 
recent Fishery Conferences, the destruction of trees bordering streams 
and lakes, by decreasing the number of branchlets, twigs, and decaying 
vegetation, and the numberless grubs, caterpillars, beetles, flies, and 
other insects which live on trees, lessen the number of fish. The 
farmer hates trees around his fields and in his hedgerows, under the idea 
that they harbour birds and deprive the crops of sunshine. To a certain 
extent they do, especially if Ash is ignorantly planted, as it frequently is. 
But birds keep down insects, and on the whole a moderate amount of 
trees not only impart a charm to the landscape, but benefit the tiller. 
Tree culture is, however, not so popular as it was when an Earl of Seafield 
planted 30,000,000 saplings nd a Countess of Haddington, reversing the 
usual routine, sold her jew s to plant a wood of 1000 acres. In our 
damp isles we are not likely to feel the failure of rainfall due to lack of 
woods as at Payta, south of Panama, where, for this very reason, the 
cultivation of the soil is at an end, or in Ascension, where rain is rare, 
owing to the recklessness with which the trees were cut off what is now 
a mere cinder heap. But the pleasure of taking our ease when the sun 
is strained through green leaves we can all enjoy, even though with the 
sea always near, we may not, like the Germans of whom Riehl writes, 
“ need the forest as man needs wine.” 
THE TAUNTON DEANE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Tour correspondent “D., Deal," as usual has given a very glowing 
description of the late Exhibition of this Society, and, as usual, entirely 
omitted all mention of the extensive exhibits in the fruit and vegetable 
tents, the departments where the Taunton Show proves so much superior to 
all others held in the west of England; and I speak from experience when I 
state that not only do the many exhibitors consider this omission 
a slight on them, but also that your correspondent neglects the most 
generally interesting portion of the Exhibition. We must have speci¬ 
men plants, or at any rate large groups of plants at flower shows, but without 
fruit and vegetables these would prove but poor attraction to innumerable 
visitors. As I am enabled to forward you a list of some of the prizewinners 
in the neglected classes, with a few remarks, I shall be glad if you will 
find room for them. 
There were three classes provided for collections of vegetables. In that 
for ten dishes Mr. W. Iggulden, gardener to the Earl of Cork, Frorae, took 
the lead, and was followed by Mr. W. J. Crossman, gardener to J. Brutton, 
Esq., and Mr. A. Miller, gardener to W. If. Long, Esq., Rood Ashton, all 
having superior fruit. With eight dishes Mr. Crossman was first and 
F. J. C. Parsons. Esq., second. With four dishes the competition was close 
and good ; Mr. Walker was first, W. Iggulden, second, and T. Frost, Esq., 
third. Mr. C. Brooke had the best two Pine Apples, very fine Cayennes, 
and was closely followed by Mr. C. Nicholas, gardener to Earl Fortescue’ 
with the same variety, this exhibitor also staging a number of fine Smooth 
Cayennes not for competition. The best Black Hamburgh Grapes were 
staged by Messrs. C. Collard and G. Lock, gardener to B. W. Cleave, Esq.; 
and any other black variety by Messrs. Crossman and G. Lock, the former 
having fairly good Black Alicante, and the latter immense bunches of 
Madresfield Court. Messrs. Crossman and Lock were also the prizewinners 
with Muscat of Alexandria. With any other white Grapes the winners were 
Messrs. J. Westcott and C. Collard. Mr. Iggulden had the best Melon, and 
was followed by Mr. T. Pauli. Apricots were very fine, Messrs. R. Huxtable 
and G. Lock being the winners with these. Mr. Walker had the best Peaches, 
and was followed by Mr. R. Nicholas, the latter also taking first prize with 
Nectarines. Apples were very fine, the favourite culinary sort being Lord 
Suflield, and Bath Seedling the best dessert sort. The former were well 
shown by Mr. T. Lidbury, and the latter by Mr. J. Rawle. The vegetables 
shown were remarkably fine, and would be hard to surpass anywhere. Mr. 
T. Frost took the lead both with ten dishes and six dishes, Mr. Hill being 
second in the former, and Mr. J. Carver second in the latter. Other success¬ 
ful exhibitors of vegetables were Messrs. W. Greedy, E. G. Hardy, C. R. 
Rodwell, L. Patton, J. Dommett, C. Colgrave, H. F. Manley, C. Collard, and 
C. Vile.— Visitor. 
Errata. —In the account of Taunton Deane Show on page 175 the 
winner in Geraniums, &c., should be Godding, not Gidding, and in Dahlias, 
ifec.. Nation, not Newton.—D., Deal. 
[We are not at all certain that the exhibitors’ names in the supple¬ 
mentary report sent by a “ Visitor ” are correct. Correspondents will 
greatly oblige by writing the names of individuals as plainly as possible. 
If names of plants, fruits, &3., are only half written we can supply the 
deficiency, but it is obviously impossible for us to do so in the case of the 
names of exhibitors.] 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SHOW. 
August 2Gth. 
An admirable display of fruits was again provided in the conservatory at 
South Kensington on Tuesday last, and though the competition was not so 
keen in some of the classes as might have been desired, yet in the majority 
the entries were numerous. Plums, Peaches, and Nectarines were particularly 
abundant, and the collections were most praiseworthy in all respects. Of the 
other classes those for Tomatoes and Potatoes were the most strongly repre¬ 
sented, and the quality of the exhibits throughout were highly creditable to 
the growers. This was the fifth of the series of eight shows so liberally 
provided by the Health E.xhibition Committee, the remaining three being 
fixed for September 23rd and 24th, October 14th, 15th, and IGth, and October 
28th, 29th, and 30th. 
Collections of Fruits. —In the value of the prizes offered—namely, £ 8 , 
£G, and .-£4, for ten kinds of fruits, and the merit of the exhibits, this was the 
principal class in the Show, exciting much interest amongst the horti¬ 
culturists present. Four competitors entered, but the Judges had little 
difficulty in determining which was entitled to premier honours, for the 
collection from J. H. Rolls, Esq., M.P., The Hendre, Monmouth (gardener, 
Mr. T. Coomber), was of extraordinary quality in all respects, and easily 
gained the first position. Every dish was good, and several experienced 
growers did not hesitate to denominate the collection the best they had seen 
this season, an opinion with which we fully concur. The fruits represented were 
as follows :—The Grapes were Alnwick Seedling, large bunches and berries of 
wonderful colour, the bloom densely covering the berries ; and Muscat of Alex¬ 
andria, large even bunches of a fine, clear, handsome colour. A Smooth Cayenne 
Pine Apple weighing lbs., grandly proportioned, with large pips, and 
superbly ripened; Hendre Seedling Melon, a large globular fruit of 6 f lbs., 
and beautifully netted ; Pitmaston Orange Nectarines, large and of fine 
colour; Stump the World Peaches, very large; Negro Largo Figs, well 
ripened : Hemskirk Apricots, handsomely ripened ; Reine Claude Violette 
Plums, beautiful and good; Williams’ Bon Chretien Pears. The second 
place was accorded to Lady Henry Somerset, Eastnor Castle, Ledbury 
(gardener, Mr. W. Coleman), who, though several points behind the first 
collection, had some fine fruits, which rendered Mr. Coomber’s victory the 
more commendable. The Ledbury dishes were Gros Maroc Grapes, large 
even bunches and berries, bearing a dense boom, that was, however, very 
slightly rubbed in one or two parts of the bunches. The Muscat of 
Alexandria Grapes were well ripened, but not quite so large as those in 
the preceding collection ; Smooth Cayenne Pine was large and handsome, 
the other sorts being Moorpark Apricots, Pitmaston Orange Nectarines, 
Brown Turkey Figs, Royal Kensington Peaches, very large ; Kirke’s Plums, 
and Moiello Cherries. The third place was secured by Messrs. Rothschild, 
Gunnersbury, Acton (gardener, Mr. J. Roberts), who had fine Foster’s 
Seedling and Gros Maroc Grapes, and handsome Victoria Nectarines. These 
three collections formed a fine display of well-grown, clean, handsome 
fruits, which were much admired during the afternoon by the numerous 
visitors. 
Pine Apples. —There were not a large number of these shown, but several 
very fine fruits were contributed. The best pair were from H. J. Atkinson, 
Esq., Gunnersbury House, Acton (gardener, Mr. J. Hudson), two superb 
examples of Smooth Cayenne, weighing 7^ and 6 Jibs, respectively, beauti¬ 
fully proportioned, and well coloured. Mr. Coomber had to be content with 
the second place in this class for rather smaller fruits, but finely ripened. 
The third prize was adjudged to Mr. J. C. Mundell, Moorpark Gardens, Rick- 
mansworth, for rather small but well ripened fruits of Black Jamaica and 
Queen. 
Morello Cherries. —The competition was extremely keen in the'class 
for a dish of Morello Cherries, no less than eleven entering. Mr. Coleman 
took the lead with handsome fruits like small Plums, being closely followed 
by the Earl of Harrington, Elvaston Castle, Derby (gardener, Mr. J. H. 
Goodacre), and Egerton Hubbard, Esq., Leonards Lee, Hastings (gardener, 
Mr. S. Ford), all staging good fruits, but slightly smaller than those in the 
first p'ace. 
Figs were poorly shown as regards numbers, the only two dish's being 
from Charles Eyre, Esq., Welford Park Newbuiy (gardener, Mr. C. Ross), 
