864 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ October 21, 1886. 
-Last week we noted the display of Canadian Fkuit at 
South Kensington, but since then large consignments have been re¬ 
ceived, and the exhibition is now one of the most comprehensive of its 
kind ever made in Europe. Contributions are made by every province 
of Canada, from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Quebec and Ontario, 
and even by Manitoba and British Columbia, the greater part of the 
exhibits having been collected under the direction of the Canadian 
Government by Professor William Saunders of the Western University, 
London, Ontario, who has taken a keen interest in Canadian fruit culture. 
From Ontario and Quebec excellent specimens are shown of the varieties 
of Apples mostly shipped to British markets, while an excellent display 
of vegetables and outdoor Grapes is made. The Nova Scotia display 
comprises some fifty varieties. The British Columbia and Manitoba 
varieties are also interesting as coming from parts of the Dominion but 
little known in England for their fruit-growing capabilities. It is, more¬ 
over, important to note that the shipment of many of the early soft 
varieties now shown was made from Canada in refrigerators. 
- Apples are very extensively represented, over 2000 dishes, or 
over 15,000 fruits being shown, the varieties we mentioned last week 
preponderating. They are very notable for their bright colour, and in 
this respect perhaps they surpass the display of British produce recently 
held in the conservatory, but with the exception of Emperor Alexander 
and King of Tompkins County, there are no finer samples than were 
then staged. Of Pears, Grapes, Peaches, and Quinces about 300 dishes 
are contributed, the Pears being less notable for size than the Apple?! 
and the Grapes are small generally. The vegetables comprise Carrots ) 
Parsnips, Onions, Potatoes, with Tomatoes, Capsicums, Indian Corn, 
Gourds,‘Hops, and a gigantic Squash weighing 200 lbs. 
- Continental Flowers. —The demand for Italian flowers is 
increasing year by year, and season after season the inhabitants of the 
Biviera are planting more flowers where formerly they grew Olives and 
Grapes. This is particularly the case in the neighbourhood of Nice 
Cannes, Grasse, and Mentone. From the beginning of November til{ 
the end of May, 1885, for instance, no lets than 70,000 boxes of fresh 
flowers were sent away from the Nice railway station, the value of the 
flowers being'£150,000. ^.One of the countries which have taken a hint 
from Italy is Germany, which is [at present diligently endeavouring to 
cultivate, for the manufacture of scents, &c., large quantities of Roses, 
Violets, Lavender, and Rosemary. The experiments have so far proved 
completely successful, and German perfume manufacturers are expecting 
in future to grow their “ raw material ’’ in their own country. 
- The first Exhibition of Cheysanthemums at Leeds is 
announced to be held on Monday and Tuesday, November 22nd and 23rd. 
Good prizes are also offered for groups of miscellaneous plants. The chief 
prize for Cbrysanthemums’is £5 for thirty-six cut blooms. Altogether 
the schedule, which is’well arranged, numbers thirty-five classes, and we 
shall be glad to learn that the\fforts of the Committee to provide a good 
autumn Show will be crownedjwith success. Mr. Featherstone is Chair¬ 
man of the Committee, and Mr. J. H. Clark the Secretary. 
- The monthly meeting of Belgian Hobticulturists was held 
in Ghent on the 11th inst, The members present were MM. P. Blanc- 
quaert, E. De Cock,‘Desmet-Duvivier, J. Hye, Mcens, B. Spae, A. Roseeel, 
A. Van Geert, pere, and Edm. Vervaet. M. A. Peeters of Brussels, 
presiding, and M. Viet. Cuvelier, was Secretary. Certificates of merit 
were awarded for Odontoglossum crispu.m var. de Pacho from MM. 
Vervaet & Co. ; and Calla sethiopica fol. var. from MM. Desbois & Co. 
Cultural certificates for Nepenthes Mastersi var. superba from M. Al. 
Dalliere; Odontoglossum crispum from MM. Vervaet & Co.; and 
Cypripedium Ashburtoniac from M. Hye-Leysen. Honourable mention 
was accorded for Odontoglossum species and Odontoglossum grande from 
MM. Vervaet k Co. ; Warcewiczella discolor from M. Desmet-Duvivier j 
Lasl a Dayana, var., from MM. Boelens, freres; Pear Mikado, a Japanese 
variety, from Louis Desmet, pere ; and a fine plant of Adiantum cuneatum 
from M. B. Spae. 
- Tobacco Culture. —Lord Harris, who has cultivated ten rods 
on his estates near Faversham, states that the crop has been successfully 
harvested. He goes on to say, “ My intention had been to produce the 
yellow or golden colour Tobacco, but I found I could not get the house 
abo\ e 110° in the middle of the day, so T had to be contented with gradual 
drying, resulting only in a brown Tobacco. I have had no one in the trade 
down a< yet to see my crop, so it is impossible for me to say whether my 
experiment has been as successful as Mr. De Laune’s, but to my inexperi¬ 
enced eye there is little difference as to appearance and texture between 
the two crops. I should imagine that it is impossible as yet to draw any 
comparison between our samples and any imported—say American— 
Tobacco, because it is evident that the latter, whatever the process of pack¬ 
ing may be, must undergo some pressure whereby fermentation is set up ; 
and I am inclined to think that it has been the omission of this last pro¬ 
cess which has induced people who have surreptitiously smoked English- 
grown tobacco to declare that it was flavourless. One thing you may be 
satisfied of, that no amount of ridicule, misapplied in my own opinion,will 
prevent this question being probed to the bottom.” 
- The public Chrysanthemum exhibitions at Finsbury Park 
and the Temple Gardens are now open, but the blooms will not be fully 
expanded for a week or more. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. James Hussey has succeeded 
Mr. J. Jones as gardener to T. C. Garth, Esq., Haines Hill, 
- The Liverpool Exhibitions.—W e are informed that two 
gold medals have been awarded to Messrs. Sutton k Sons, Reading, one 
of these being for their extensive exhibit of seeds, grasses, &c., in the 
Main Exhibition Building, and the other for a magnificent display of hor¬ 
ticultural produce, seeds, and grasses in growth at the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Great Provincial Show in the adjoining Wavertree Park on 
June 29th and following days. 
- The schedule of the Liverpool Autumn Show, which is to 
be held in St. James’s Hall on the 23rd and 2!th ult., contains sixty-three 
classes—twenty-four for Chrysanthemums, nineteen for miscellaneous 
plants, &c., and twenty for fruit. The chief prize for Chrysanthemums 
is a silver vase, value 10 guineas (given by Messrs. J. Williams & Co.), 
and £3 ; second prize £7, third prize £5, and fourth prize £2, which 
should, and no doubt will, insure a splendid display. Prizes of £3, £2, 
and £1 are offered for six stove and greenhouse plants, the same amounts 
being provided for twelve dishes of fruit; and “ specimens may be exhi¬ 
bited from any part of the world, and by any person.” Mr. Edward 
Bridge is the Secretary. 
- At the recent meeting of the Wakefield Paxton Society, 
held at their rooms at the Saw Hotel, Mr. A. Willis read a clever and 
nteresting paper in reference to the “ Properties and Functions of Starch 
in Vegetable Economy.” Mr. J. Fryer presided. Mr. Willis, in the 
course of a very able address, pointed out that although the term starch 
was popularly connected with the work of thejlaundry, yet its function in 
Nature was far removed from the common-place character which that 
association implied. x The constitution, the development of starch granules 
within the vegetable cells, and the chemical changes which it underwent 
in the process of nutrifying the growing plant, were clearly explained 
and in conclusion Mr. Wdlis exhibited under the microscope numerous 
samples of starch, showing characteristic diversity of form. The hearty 
thanks of the meeting were accorded the essayist, on the motion of 
Messrs. Winter and Gill. 
- “A Young Beginner,” writing from Hampshire, desires to 
thank Mr. Molyneux for the information on Chrysanthemum culture 
which he has given in his articles. “ It has been a great help to me and I 
have read his instructions with much pleasure. I hive now about eighty 
Chrysanthemums, which are very satisfactory to my employer.” 
- Proposed Park for Hammersmith.—A special meeting of 
the Hammersmith Vestry was held on Monday last to consider a com¬ 
munication from the Metropolitan Board of Works with regard to the 
purchase by the Vestry of Ravenscourt Park as a recreation ground. A 
sum of £50,000 has already been offered by the Vestry for the estate, but 
the Trustees now state that they have received a better offer. Mr. Browu 
strongly advised the purchase of the land, on which, he said, 600,000 
persons could ramble without inconvenience. The park would be a great 
bo n to the neighbourhood; the houses which were now standing empty 
would be quickly filled, and the financial condition of the parish benefited 
by its purchase. Several speakers complained that the Trustees had left 
the Vestry in the dark as to the precise sum they required for the estate. 
On the proposition of Mr. Cook a resolution was passed declaring further 
discussion to be useless until the Trustees of the estate had mentioned 
definitely the amount for which they would b# prepared to enter into a 
provisional contract for the sale of the property. 
- Numerous letters reach us from correspondents in various 
