November 11, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 439 
appellation referring to the exudations of resin that are found 
upon the young cones. 
-A graceful and distinct Fern is Asplenium cicutariuh, 
with elegantly divided fronds somewhat triangular in outline, the 
pinnules being very neatly and regularly cut. It is a West Indian 
species and requires a stove temperature, but is otherwise easily 
grown. 
- In the current number of the Journal of Forestry is pub¬ 
lished an excellent portrait of Mr. William M’Corquodale, 
the well-known forester at Scone, who was presented by the 
Scottish Arboricultural Society with a handsome testimonial on 
October the 5th as “a mark of respect and esteem on his attaining 
the fiftieth anniversary of his career as a practical forester.” 
The testimonial comprised a gold watch and a purse of one hun¬ 
dred sovereigns, with a brooch for Mrs. M’Corquodale. 
- At the ordinary meeting of the Meteorological 
Society, to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on 
Wednesday, the 17th instant, at 7 r.M., the following papers will 
be read :—•“ Table of Relative Humidity,” by Edward E. Dymond, 
F.M.S. ; “ Rainfall in South Africa,” by John G. Gamble, M,A„ 
M.Inst.C.E., F.M.S.; “The Meteorology of Mackay, Queensland,” 
by Henry L. Roth ; “ Thermometrical Observations on Board 
Ship,” by Captain W, F, Caborne, F.M.S. 
- In reference to the rapidly increasing importance of the 
fruit crop of the United States the following facts con¬ 
cerning the fruit farm of Robt. McKinstry, of Hudson, N.Y., will 
be instructive. His orchard contains about 33,000 trees, chiefly 
Apples, and he exports nearly 20,000 barrels of the latter fruit 
every year. Besides Apples "and Pears he grows Cherries to a 
large extent, which are chiefly sold in the New York market at 
prices ranging from 7 to 18 cents a pound. Some of the Apples 
weigh 1 lb. each, and testify at once to the remarkable fertility of 
the soil and the skill of the cultivator. 
- In reply to the Rev. A. Fitch relative to the origin of 
the Lapstone Kidney Potato, a correspondent obligingly 
directs attention to the following letter, which we reproduce from 
vol. xxv. of this Journal— 
“ Bramham, near Tadcaster, May 22nd, 1866. 
“ I, Joseph Hague, in the year 1827, then residing at Thorner near 
Leeds, planted two pecks of Potatoes, which I had sent me from 
Clap Gate near Harewood. These Potatoes produced an extraordi¬ 
nary quantity of fine berries, which induced me to try to raise seed¬ 
lings from them. In that I succeeded, and selecting the two best 
from among the quantity I again planted the seedling tubers, but 
subsequently removed to Bramham, where I now reside. Having no 
garden connected with the house I then occupied, I took my seedlings 
over to Bardsey, and they were planted in my father’s garden ; and 
as he was the first to propagate them the general impression was, 
and is now, and is with many people to this day, that he raised them 
himself, but he never at any period of his life attempted to raise 
seedling Potatoes. I have five brothers who can all testify to the 
accuracy of the above statement. Mr. Fuller, florist, <fec., Headingley 
near Leeds, but at the time gardener to G. Lane Fox, Esq., of Bramham 
Park, gave the Lapstone Kidney its name.— Joseph Hague.” 
Mr. Hague was a shoemaker, and was commonly called “ Major ” 
Hague. He died in 1850. His name is generally spelled and 
printed Haigh, but we presume incorrectly. 
- The same correspondent also gives a reference to the 
origin of Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf Kidney on page 173, 
vol. xx., where it is stated by “ D., Deal as being “ probably a 
selected strain of Myatt’s Prolific, raised by J. Ashwin, Esq.; and 
Mr. Rivers having carefully grown and selected the stock, it is 
now better known as Rivers’ Royal Ashleaf.” In 1870, page 124, 
vol. xviii., Mr. Rivers, in disclaiming the right of his name being 
attached to this Potato, gives the following as its history—“ Some 
year or two prior to 1860 I was on a visit to the late James Ashwin, 
Esq., at Bretforten Hall near Evesham, who was an enthusiast in 
horticulture and agriculture. On passing by some Potatoes he 
asked me if I had ever raised any seedlings in the course of my 
practice, and added that those I saw at our feet were seedlings 
raised from the old Ashleaf, and that they might prove of value. 
He had distinguished them as A, B, and C, and told me I was 
welcome to some tubers : these I received in the autumn. I 
found A was quite a curiosity, a true Ashleaf in miniature, not 
growing more than 6 or 7 inches high, and bearing a cluster of 
beautiful tubers. In the wet summer of 1860 this charming 
variety perished from the disease. B and C proved most robust 
and distinct, and one day attracted the notice of Mr. John Spencer 
of Bowood, who was walking with me. I at once called a work¬ 
man to examine their roots, as they looked so promising. The 
end of it was our decision in favour of B, as the tubers were more 
regular in shape than those of C (I am quoting from memory). 
B was accordingly selected as a good Potato ; and as Mr. Ashwin 
was deceased I decided to call it the Royal Ashleaf, fearing that the 
relatives of Mr. Ashwin might object to the prefix of his name,” 
RAISING GLADIOLI FROM SEED. 
I AM sure Mr. Slater will not accuse me of captiousness if I 
venture to dispute the advice given by him as to raising seedling 
varieties of this beautiful autumn flower. He gives a list of varie¬ 
ties from which he advises seed to be saved. Now, there are only 
two of these that I would grow in my garden—Meyerbeer and 
Madame Furtado : the former still one of the most beautiful, 
although not so large as some of more recent introduction ; and 
the latter I shall probably after this season discard. The fact is, 
that so great has been the improvement made both by Mons. Souchet 
and Mr. Kelway that the older varieties have been surpassed, and 
as Mr. Slater has discontinued their culture for some years he has 
not, of course, kept pace with the novelties that have been 
introduced. As I hope to give some fuller notes by-and-by before 
it will be necessary to purchase corms, I would merely say now 
that such varieties as Adolphe Brongniart, Horace Vernet, Baroness 
Burdett Coutts, Le Yesuve, Ovide, and Pygmalion would be much 
more likely to give satisfactory results than those which Mr, 
Slater recommends.—D., Deal. 
THE NEWTON NURSERIES. 
Horticulturists can scarcely pay a visit to the ancient city 
of Chester without inspecting the old-established nurseries of 
Messrs. James Dickson & Sons, which is situated close to the 
railway station, and can be reached in ten minutes’ walk from 
the principal passenger station, and also in a few minutes from 
the North gate Street station. 
The main entrance to the nurseries for visitors is from Brook 
Lane by a broad and well-kept drive tastefully planted on each 
side with Gold, Silver, and green Hollies, which form a beautiful 
ribbon border with a background of Weeping Elms. The Hollies 
are most noticeable on account of their fine pyramidal shape and 
1 ‘obust health. This main entrance leads to the offices, packing 
sheds, and glass houses. Before reaching them I was attracted 
by a large plot of Gladioli, which were in their best condition and 
very effective ; numbers were also planted amongst choice orna¬ 
mental shrubs. In the immediate vicinity of the offices the 
borders were gay with flowering and ornamental-foliage plants. 
I inspected the houses, and found a large collection of stove 
flowering and fine-foliage plants in robust health, all being in 
small pots. Small Palms are grown suitable for decoration, and 
for these Messrs. J. Dickson & Sons have a large sale. One house 
was devoted to Orchids, healthy and well-established specimens 
in 5 and 6-inch pots. Tree Ferns occupied a long house, princi¬ 
pally Dicksonia antarctica, with a few plants of D. squarrosa and 
Cyathea, the former having noble trunks with a fine spread of 
fronds. Three or four houses were devoted to the cultivation of 
dwarf Ferns, all in excellent condition. Another house was filled 
with succulents in variety and of different sizes. Other houses 
were devoted to Heaths, Epacrises, Azaleas, and Camellias, as well 
as a general collection of greenhouse plants. 
Vines in pots are largely grown, and about two thousand fruit¬ 
ing canes are annually prepared for sale. Frames and hand- 
lights are very numerous, as is necessary in nurseries of such 
magnitude, where Hollies, Rhododendrons, and other evergreen 
shrubs are propagated in such enormous numbers. 
Near to the houses are the grounds appropriated to herbaceous 
and alpine plants, for which the nurseries are famous. The large 
stock of these plants both in pots and in the open ground alone 
