JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
328 
[ October 7, 1880. 
well-known London firm ” the present writer was told by another 
well-known “head” that he considered these Eoses a valuable 
addition; “but,” said he, “ Mr. Bennet has stolen a march on 
some of our Rose-growers, and his Roses are viewed with some 
hostility by them.”— Wild Rose. 
GRIZZLY BOURJASSOTTE FIG. 
This is the most delicious of Figs, and it has well maintained 
its high character this year. A small tree trained upon a south 
wall had a full crop of fruit, almost as abundant as the Brown 
Turkey, and infinitely superior to it in flavour. The fruit is hand¬ 
some, of medium size, of a curious colour which I see is termed 
chocolate in the “ Fruit Manual,” very soft and apt to shrivel 
slightly, but not to crack as it ripens. It is so rich as almost 
to clog the palate with its sweetness, and in this respect surpasses 
every other Fig I have tasted. The tree is moderately vigorous, 
somewhat apt to lose a few inches of the tips of the leading shoots 
by frost, but in other respects it is quite hardy.— Edward 
Luckhurst. 
The following letter has been sent to us for publication by 
“An Artist” —“Under the heading of ‘Our Illustrations,’ 
I observe that the Gardeners' Chronicle of the 23rd ult. delivered 
a brief lecture on journalistic honour, in which it was distinctly 
implied, if not actually stated, that you had mutilated the block of 
Rubus rosaefolius var. coronarius that had been supplied to you 
from Messrs. Yeitch & Sons. I wish to point out, not only that this 
was a most unjust accusation, but that the directors of your con¬ 
temporary had the means of knowing it was so, as the engraving 
had appeared in precisely the same condition some time before 
you published it : that charge therefore fails totally. On the 
question of borrowing and lending blocks, let us see how rigidly 
the Editors of the Gardeners' Chronicle have adhered to the 
honourable rule of acknowledging the favours of those to whom 
they are indebted. From the beginning of last June to the present 
time at least twelve large borrowed nurserymen’s blocks have 
appeared in the Chronicle, five of which are not acknowledged 
and two are wrongly named. On June the 12 th, 1880, page 745, 
Mr. Bull’s block of Dieffenbachia regina appears under the name 
of Dracaena regina without the slightest acknowledgment of 
indebtedness to the lender. On June the 19th, 1880, pages 776, 
777, and 781 are three borrowed blocks of Cypripediums, one 
being wrongly named. Two of these blocks are acknowledged 
as if the other was the Chronicle's own property, whereas all 
three were Messrs. Yeitch’s property. On July 10th, 1880, pages 
40-41 are illustrations of four of Mr. B. S. Williams’s new Ne¬ 
penthes on two blocks. The descriptive matter is taken from 
Mr. Williams’s catalogue, but there is not a word to the effect 
that the blocks were borrowed. Also on August 28th, 1880, page 
278, is an illustration of some new Coleuses which are stated to 
represent some of Mr. Bull’s varieties, but there is no mention 
that the block was Mr. Bull’s too. If you refer to the numbers 
quoted you will find that what I have stated is correct, and the 
Chronicle's future complaints on a subject of this nature can have 
no weight whatever.” 
[It is not our custom to search for faults and inconsistencies 
in the columns of our contemporaries, as errors from various 
causes are liable to creep into all journals ; but in this instance 
we have verified our correspondent’s statements, and under the 
peculiar circumstances of the case we feel justified in publishing 
his letter.— Eds.] 
- A good deal has been written on the shanking of 
Grapes lately, and various theories have been advanced respecting 
the cause of the evil. Deficient root-action, overcropping, hard 
forcing, and a fungus attack have all had their advocates. There 
is, however, a case of Grape-shanking at Chiswick that does not 
appear to be directly traceable to any of those causes, yet, not¬ 
withstanding, one or more of them may exist even if they are not 
plainly visible. This instance of shanking is in the middle of as 
grand a house of young Vines as is probably to be seen in England. 
The wood is as stout, strong, and apparently as satisfactory as 
can be desired ; the foliage is of remarkable texture, as thick as 
the thickest Fig leaves that were ever grown ; the crop is light— 
from two to four bunches on a Vine strong enough to bear three 
times the quantity. The varieties are Gros Colman and Alicante. 
Only about the centre of a house 200 feet long are there any signs 
of shanking, and the berries in the house are generally magni¬ 
ficent in size and colour. There is apparently no debility here, 
no excessive luxuriance, no forcing, and apparently no lack of 
root-action ; yet the Grapes on a few of the Vines shank. Who 
can explain this ? Does the fungus theory apply ? 
- A Kirkcudbright correspondent of the “ Entomologist ” 
referring to wasps v. scale on fruit trees, states that even 
the oldest inhabitant cannot remember such swarms of wasps as 
have been observed this season. In one instance he counted 
along an avenue of 300 yards nearly seventy nests, and in the 
woods it was scarcely safe to quit the trodden paths. But as 
a set-off, he remarks that the wasps have helped to clear the 
fruit trees of “ mussel scale,” and he considers that they have 
destroyed quantities of aphides and many flies. 
- “ W. K ” writes —“ In the Begonia House at Kew may 
now be seen some fine plants of Bredia hirsuta. The plants 
are about a foot high and nearly as much m diameter, grown 
in 48-size pots. The flowers are light rose, contrasting ad¬ 
mirably with the dark brown foliage. It occurred to me at 
the time I saw it that it would make a very desirable plant for 
decorative purposes. This appears to be one of the many Melasto- 
maceous plants that is much neglected at the present day. By 
its free flowering qualities and robust growth, one would be 
inclined to imagine that under liberal treatment it would well 
repay all trouble bestowed upon it.” 
- Nature states that “ Mr. McGibbon, who has been many 
years Superintendent of the Botanic Garden, Cape Town, 
South Africa, retires on a pension of £150 a year. A move¬ 
ment is on foot to remove the Gardens from their present con¬ 
tracted site in Cape Town itself, and to create in the neighbour¬ 
hood of the city a botanical establishment more worthy of the 
seat of South African Government. As a first step the appoint¬ 
ment of Director has been offered to the well-known Cape 
botanist, Professor MacOwen of Gill College, Somerset East. It 
is, however, doubtful whether the state of his health will allow of 
his undertaking it.” 
- A correspondent, referring to the value of AUTUMN- 
SOWN Sweet Peas, strongly advises everybody to sow a row or 
two during the present month. They are not hurt by frost, and 
the early blossoms are much valued as cut flowers. If possible 
sow one row near a south wall to accelerate growth in spring, 
and thereby gain a week in the opening of the flowers. 
- “ No one ” writes an “ Old Grower,” “ can visit Messrs. 
Veitch’s nursery without observing the value of SMALL POTS FOR 
Orchids. The growth of Dendrobiums is wonderful. One plant of 
D. nobile, growing in an ordinary C-inch flower pot saucer half filled 
with crocks, has produced thirty growths this year, some of them 
2 feet in length and all exceptionally vigorous. Phalaenopses 
Schilleriana, amabilis, and others are similarly luxuriant both in 
very small pots and saucers. A great number of Orchids are 
undeniably overpotted and consequently unhealthy, and a removal 
