November 4, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
419 
fruit weighing 7 lbs. 14 ozs. M. Benoit was second, his weighing 
G lbs. 8 ozs. ; and Mr. Barnes of Gloucester was third, his weigh¬ 
ing G lbs. 7 ozs. 
As was natural, the classes including the vintage fruit had a par¬ 
ticular attraction for Herefordshire growers. In the class for early 
varieties of cider Apples Mr. Watkins of Wistaston, Mr. Hill of 
Eggleton, and Mr. Grove of Tupsley were respectively first, second, 
and third, and Mr. Davis of Venn’s Green, Hereford, had an extra 
prize. For the late varieties of cider Apples Mr. John Watkins was 
first, H. Jenkins, Esq., of Canon Pyon second, and Mr. Hill of Eggle¬ 
ton third. For the collection of perry Pears Mr. John Watkins was 
first, Mr. John Ford, Withington, second, and Mr. W. Hill of 
Eggleton third. Prizes were offered for cider Apples not grown in 
Herefordshire, the first being taken by Mr. Randell of Devonshire, 
and the second by Mr. Barnes of Gloucester. For the perry Pears 
not grown in Herefordshire the first was taken by Mr. Barnes of 
Gloucester, the second by H. B. Strangways, Esq., and the third by 
Mr. Charles Ford, Pitt House, Dymock. 
We observed a large quantity of that beautiful Apple the Wor¬ 
cester Pearmain, exhibited by Messrs. It. Smith & Co. of Worcester. 
These were not for competition, nor was a miscellaneous collection 
of Apples sent by the Cranston Nursery Company. 
With the exception of four classes for cottagers the above formed 
the substance of this most interesting Exhibition. Among the advan¬ 
tages that are derived from bringing together these collections of 
fruit, one of the most important is the opportunity it offers for 
selecting specimens for the “ Herefordshire Pomona,” upon which the 
Woolhope Club have concentrated so much energy. All over the 
room might be seen tickets intimating that the dish has been selected 
by the Pomona Committee for supplying portraits of fruits to the 
“ Pomona,” and it never happens that the request has been denied. 
Thus it is that this magnificent work is supplied with faithful 
representations of the fruits which it illustrates. 
Two special prizes were offered by Dr. Bull, one for the largest 
Pear in the Show, which was taken by Uvedale’s St. Germain, weigh¬ 
ing If tb.; and the other for the largest Apple, which was taken by 
Gloria Mundi, weighing 1 lb. 11 ozs., and measuring 1G inches in cir¬ 
cumference, both exhibited by M.-Benoit of Havre, France. 
It is but justice to record the untiring application given to this 
Exhibition by the two Honorary Secretaries, Mr. Reginald Symonds 
and Mr. Henry Moore, ably assisted as they are by Mr. D. R. 
Chapman, the Librarian of the Free Library. 
DISASTROUS GALE. 
Following the severe weather of the previous week, 14? below 
freezing point having been registered at 4 feet from the ground 
on the morning of October 20th, and 12° below freezing point 
on the 24th, snow, sleet, and hail falling more or less during the 
week in fitful showers. The weather set in bad at noon on 
Wednesday, October 27th, rain falling heavily, intermingled with 
snow and hail, continuing through the night with the wind north¬ 
east and blowing strongly. By nine o’clock on the 28th 2'13 
inches of rain were recorded ; and by noon, or during the previous 
twenty-four hours, 2-85 inches of rain had fallen, the wind con¬ 
tinuing a hurricane from the north-east, reaching its strongest 
blast at about 11 A.M., when it drove through plantations of Larch, 
Scotch Fir, and Pines, laying them as flat as if felled, also doing 
great damage amongst those of about a dozen years’ growth. 
Large trees of Scotch Fir and Larch were uprooted, tons of soil 
being upheaved with the roots. Austrian Pines were in some 
instances snapped off at the ground, those and Scotch Firshaving 
suffered the most. Corsican Pines are also anything but perpen¬ 
dicular, and specimens of Cupressus Lawsoniana about 20 feet in 
height were blown down. Spruce, especially young trees, have 
fared better, but many over 100 feet in height are down. The 
saturated state of the ground no doubt aided in the downfall of 
the trees, the devastation among trees being very great along the 
coast of the North Riding of Yorkshire.—G. Abbey. 
Gros Colman was sent to Sawbridgeworth by M. Vibert about 1848 
as a present, and being a •* gift horse ” was not much thought of for 
many years, but its hidden virtues have at last brought it into 
notice as one of the largest late Grapes. Gros Maroc has gone 
through the same career, and its merits are now recognised. Like 
the Black Hamburgh the fruit of the variety in question is not 
likely to cloy the palate, and it is no worse for being an old 
Fig. 78.—Gros Maroc (part of a bunch). 
variety. It was first exhibited at one of the meetings of the 
British Pomological Society—namely, in August, 1857. The fruit 
was in an unripe state. The variety was then determined to be 
the Damas Bleu, Gros Damas, Merbregie, or Gros Maroc, which 
was grown and esteemed in the south of France for its fine appear¬ 
ance and good quality. It is known in Italy as Uva Damascena. 
GROS MAROC GRAPE. 
This very imposing Grape, a portion of a bunch of which is 
represented in fig. 78, was obtained by Mr. Rivers in 1850 from 
M. Yibert of Angers, a very enthusiastic and skilful viticulturist, 
who raised and sent out many seedlings, but did not raise the 
variety in question. A Vine of the Gros Maroc grown in a pot in 
a forcing house at Sawbridgeworth first attracted attention by 
its great fertility, and the colour and late-keeping properties of 
the fruit. As soon as room could be given it was planted out in 
a vinery, and it has now developed into a very valuable black 
late-keeping Grape. The berries are large, deep blue black, 
carrying a very dense bloom, flavour very sprightly and rich. 
It is rather singular that when grown in a pot the Vine pro¬ 
duces bunches at every joint, but when planted out the growth 
is so vigorous that it will not submit to spur-pruning ; Mr. Rivers 
therefore recommends growing it on the rod or extension system. 
BURNING CLAY. 
Of the value of burned clay or charcoal soil there can be no 
doubt whatever, and the plan recommended at page 380, as having 
been practised by Mr. David Thomson, was, of course, successful, 
or that excellent cultivator would not have advised others to 
follow it. But times have changed since Mr. Thomson was gar¬ 
dener near Barnet, and I question if there are many landlords 
now who would consent to pay for burning soil 2 feet deep. If 
anyone contemplates doing such a thing and thus benefiting many 
future generations, he had better count the cost first, for it is some¬ 
thing very considerable ; and if the work can be only half done 
little or no good will result, aDd it is worth considering whether 
the desired end cannot be attained by another and less expensive 
method. 
I know a plot of ground on which something of the kind was 
attempted many years ago. Much labour was spent on it and a 
great amount of fuel was burned ; but as the work was not done 
