JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 461 
November 20, 188». ] 
-The Secretary of the South Shields Chrysanthemum and Winter 
Flower Show will be glad to receive all flowers and plants at the station, 
stage them, and return them as safely as possible free of charge, 
- Gardening Appointment, —Mr, George Povey, gardener to 
the late Alexander Gillespie, Esq., Weybridge, has been appointed 
gardener to W, Graham, Esq,, Manor House, Crayford, Kent, 
- Mr. W. Day sends us a sample of very fine Mushrooms 
gathered in the open field on November 11th. He has gathered half a 
bushel a day since the end of July. We learn that Mushrooms have been 
unusually plentiful this year in many parts of the country. 
- Unripe Figs. —“A. F. M.” writes :—“ My Fig trees are covered 
with small immature Figs about an inch or two long. Is there any way 
of cooking or preserving these to make them edible ? If not, these seem 
to be the only fruit unfitted for such treatment.” 
- We are informed that a very successful Chrysanthemum Show 
was held at Cranbrook last week under the auspices of the Weald of Kent 
Gardeners’ Society, Messrs. Todd, J. Doughty, F. Dean, A. Feaver, and 
C, Growns being among the leading prizetakers. Mr. Stalker, gardener 
to Lord Cranbrook ; Mr. Parkhurst, gardener to Kev. A. H. Harrison, 
and others contributing effectively to the display ,by products not for 
competition. 
- Much has been published in the newspapers on the wonderfully 
mild autumn and the consequent abundance of outdoor flowers. We 
also have had several notes on the same subject, and at the Tun¬ 
bridge Wells Show on the 13th inst. we are informed that an exhibitor 
staged eighty-four varieties of flowers gathered in the open air. The flower 
season is, however, about over now, the last few nights having been 
sufficiently severe in the south to cut down Dahlias and similar tender 
plants. 
- The Shrewsbury Chrysanthemum Show was held on the 
13th and 14th inst., and proved to be a great success. The chief prize 
winners in the open classes were Messrs. West, Corbett, Battle, Wingfield 
Giddens, and Lord Trevor ; the first-named exhibitor showing remark¬ 
ably good blooms. In the fruit classes Colonel Wingfield and Messrs. 
Watson, Goodill, and Townsend were the principal prizetakers. As this 
is only the second annual exhibition held by the Society its success is most 
encouraging. 
NOTES ON THE SEASON AND FRUIT TREES. 
Hebe m the south of Ireland this has been a very dry season, as the 
rainfall will show—7-94 inches from 8th of April to November 1st. It 
would be interesting to know if less has fallen in the same time in any 
other place. This proverbially being one of the wettest districts in the 
British Isles makes it all the more strange. 
The effect of the very dry season upon fruit trees and fruit has been 
very interesting, and I think has proved in a marked manner that season 
and locality or climate have much more to do with our fruit crops than 
soils, however well adjinted for the requirements of the different kinds. 
Apples have been a light crop, hut the fruit was of first-rate quality and 
very large ; Tower of Glamis 19^ ozs., Blenheim Pippin, Waltham Abbey 
Seedling, and several others over 16 ozs. About seventeen years ago, on 
taking charge of the garden here, I found a lot of old, worn-out, and 
decaying Apple trees, I commenced by uprooting half of the trees in the 
orchard, and not having any other suitable site I had to replant in the 
same ground—a practice not to be recommended ; but not until I had 
made drains 4^ feet deep with pipe tiles at the bottom, and 1 foot of stone 
about the size of road metal over the pipes, and then a tough sod over the 
stone to keep out all particles of soil. The ground was then trenched 
2^ feet deep, and as the work proceeded every piece of root was carefully 
removed, and a good dressing of vegetable matter and lime rubbish well 
worked into the soil to give a little new life to it, and having had experience 
in some of the best fruit gardens in England I was able to make a pretty 
good selection. Amongst the dessert kinds I had several varieties of 
Pearmains. I also had a number of Cox’s Orange Pippin, believing this 
to be the best variety grown. By this time I had learned by experience 
the wetne'^3 of the climate. I planted the trees upon the surface after 
well treading the loose trenched soil at every station we were about to 
plant a tree upon, and mounds of earth were formed over the roots of each 
tree. 
After a few years I was greatly disappointed to find that my favourite 
kinds of dessert Apples proved almost useless, and amongst many others 
the Pearmains and Cox’s Orange Pippin proved worse than many other.a. 
What fruit came was always cracked and deformed, and quite unfit for the 
table. Most of these have long been uprooted or grafted with other kind-<. 
Last autumn I went to the orchard with saw in hand to take the heads off 
the last of my once most favourite dessert Apple trees to graft with other 
kinds, but coming to two frees which I thought models of shape I spared 
them for another year, with the result that I have this year gathered a 
good crop of beautifully coloured fine fruit—more from my two trees than 
from six in sixteen years. 
I have written the above notes to try and prove that season and 
locality or climate have more to do with successful fruit-culture than soils 
in which the trees grow, and that fruit trees have the capacity of adapting 
themselves to seemingly unsuitable soils, all other things being favourable 
to their development. 
Just another word upon the growth of the trees, which has been very 
little, and especially where the trees were root-pruned last autumn. Almost 
every branch of last year’s wood is studded with flower buds at every joint, 
and in the case of the root-pruned trees, which have only made from 5 to 
7 inches of growth, a terminal flower bud is upon almost every shoot. 
Judging from the present appearance of the trees we are almost led to 
think that their whole energies will be exhausted in producing flowers. 
The Pear crop, like the Apple, has been very light, but generally of 
very good quality. Perhaps the strangest part of their growth has been 
the large second crop of several kinds, a few of which I have sent as fair 
samples of the kinds—viz., Williams’ Bon Chretien, Duchesse d’Angou- 
leme, and Madame Treyve. There are many other sorts with quite half a 
crop upon them, which I hope to gather for dessert. It is quite common 
to see a few small fruits, but not so general as this season. 
Beurr6 d’Amanlis, which is generally not fit to eat, has been this 
season very large and of good quality, and quite free from the usual 
cracked deformed fruit. Glou Mor 9 eau has been much smaller than 
usual, but of good quality ; Marie Louise and Beurre Diel were of good 
quality. Several other varieties have been much influenced by the dry 
8 eason, and chiefly for the better.—W. O., Ahfa Island, Curh. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
ON TAKING AND ESTABLISHING SPORTS. 
Now that Chrysanthemums are in full beauty with most cultivators 
I thought a few notes would not be out of place. Chrysanthemums are of 
a very sportive nature, and it not unfrequently happens in collections of 
Chrysanthemums that some flowers come quite difl’erent from their true 
character. Perhaps one bloom on a certain plant may come a much 
lighter or darker shade of colour than the rest. In that case I would 
advise anyone to at once secure it. 
Now, to take the cuttings from the base in the usual way would be 
quite useless, as no doubt many sports are lost in that way. But the best 
way I have found to secure them is to take off the shoot, say 9 inches or a 
foot long, and if a slight bottom heat is at command so much the better. 
Put the lower end of the stem firmly into the plunging material in a 
slanting direction, so that the stem lies flat on the plunging material, and 
partially cover the stem with some light soil. In this position it will soon 
throw out side shoots, and when they are 2 inches long must be struck in 
the usual way and grown on to the following year, when they would 
flower. At this period it would be found that some would be better than 
others, and the best and most distinct should only be retained to be propa¬ 
gated from and grown on a second year, when it would be well esta¬ 
blished, provided the best and most distinct cuttings had been u-ed and 
well cultivated. 
I enclose blooms of a sport from Guernsey Nugget taken three years 
ago—taken and treated the same way as herein described—and I believe 
you will think, as I do, that this is quite distinct from the parent 
plant.— W. A. Walter, Lillingstone House, near Buchingham, 
THE GRAPE SEASON. 
Regarding Mr. Iggulden’s inquiry as to whether any readers of the 
Journal have Gros Maroc on its own roots and doing well, the writer can 
state that he has one Vine on its own roots and doing very well. This 
season it grew strongly and fruited freely. The flavour, however, was 
not superior. 
Other Vines of Gros Maroc, grafted on Black Hamburgh, excel the 
one on its own roots considerably. The bunches are finer, bloom better, 
and flavour much superior. In both cases, and more especially in the 
case of those on Hamburgh stocks, the treatment has been comparatively 
cool, and that seems to suit Gros Maroc very well. When well grown 
there can be no doubt that this is a very handsome Grape, and makes a 
very pretty dish. 
Regarding Mrs. Pince, Mr. Iggulden entertains a far higher estimate 
than my experience and observation enable me to entertain. In many 
cases it is badly coloured and keeps far from satisfactorily. There 
can be no doubt that it is a high-class Grape when well produced, 
the flavour being good and appearance fine ; but certainly thoroughly 
ripened samples are far from being frequently seen. I cannot endorse the 
opinion that it is “ the best late Grape we have.” 
Lady Downe’s, no doubt, has some peculiarities, but when these are 
known and guarded against there can be few, if any, late black Grapes 
found that can compare with it. Its crackling freshness of berry when 
kept till February or March makes it exceedingly refreshing. Gros Col- 
man has been steadily winning its way into favour, and many gentlemen who 
at first despised it on account of its reputed want of flavour have found 
that when thoroughly ripened, and kept till December or January, it is 
very pleasant to the taste. Its noble appearance on a table claims for it a 
high position in general favour, even were its edible qualities inferior to 
what they are. As Mr. Iggulden says, it requires to be started early in 
the season in order that it may be well ripened ere autumn.^ |When such 
is the case it keeps remarkably well. 
