886 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 28, 1886, 
the Zonal Pelargoniums are in other houses, the Begonias in comparison 
render them almost dull. For a really effective display of varied 
colours nothing can surpass a first-rate strain of Tuberous Begonias. 
- The first annual Chrysanthemum Show at Hitchin will be 
held in the Corn Exchange on Thursday, November ISth, this year. 
Twenty classes are enumerated in the schedule, the prizes ranging 
from 20s. to Is. 
- We are requested to state that the death of Mr. Geo. Knight, 
gardener to W. Peachey, Esq., of Ebernoe occurred on the 22nd of 
September at the age of seventy-seven. He was gardener at Ebernoe 
fifty-two years, and is succeeded by Mr. H. Williamson from the Royal 
Gardens, Kew. 
- The Honorary Secretary of the proposed Sutton (Surrey) 
Chrysanthemum Show informs us that in consequence of the in¬ 
ability of the Committee to obtain a suitable place the exhibition that 
was announced cannot be held. 
- “ Foreman ” writes, “ Having a fancy to test novelties that 
are sent out every year, I obtained seeds of A New Melon from ono 
of our leading nurserymen called La Favourite, a green-fleshed variety. 
The seed was sown on the 1st of May, and the plants when fit were 
pricked off into 3-inch pots. When ready to he planted out they were 
placed in two different position, three in 12-inch pots facing the west, two 
in a Melon frame facing south-east. The fruits grew rapidly to the end 
of July, when they ought to have begun to change their appearance, but 
strange to say, out of fourteen fine even fruits not one seemed inclined to 
change. I let them hang till the end of August, with no change whatever, 
and so they were cut off from the plants. Those in the frame were left till 
the second week of September, with the same result, quite green and 
unfit for table. I should like to know if any gardeners who have been 
growing this variety have experienced any difficulty in getting it to such 
perfection as described in the catalogues. I must state that other sorts 
have done remarkably well placed in a similar position. Just to mention 
a few of the best—William Tillery, Read’s Scarlet Flesh, Mclndoe’s 
Best of All, and Scarlet Premier, the last-named coming in very quickly. 
-We have received the first number of a new weekly gardening 
paper published at Berlin, entitled Der Pralttische Gartenfreund, which 
appears to have the literary support of a number of the most important 
gardeners in Germany. It is edited by Mr. Th. Lange. We wish it 
success. 
- Zonal Pelargoniums for Winter Flowering.— “ G.” 
writes:—“ For brightness and enlivening other flowers these are indis¬ 
pensable. Having tried most of the varieties, 1 find the following are the 
bestJohn Gibbons, orange scarlet; Henry Jacoby, crimson ; Surprise, 
salmon ; Aida, white, suffused rosy pink; Lady Bosworth, bright rose ; 
Lady Sheffield, pink ; Queen of the Belgians, white. Those have single 
flowers. Of doubles, F. V. Raspail, scarlet; Emile de Girardin, rose pink . 
the Lord Mayor, purple pink ; President Leon Simon, orange scarlet ; 
Grand Chan Faideherbe, crimson ; Etendard, claret; Belle Nancienne, 
salmon red, white margin ; Le Cygne, white. In autumn and winter 
there is nothing that can vie with Zonal Pelargoniums. The following 
are very fine :—Lord Rosebery, cerise red ; Swanley Gem, rosy salmon, 
white centre ; Kentish Fire, crimson scarlet; Lord Chesterfield, magenta; 
Edith Pearson, rosy red, tinted salmon ; Golden Glory, scarlet suffused 
orange; Commander-in-Chief, rich scarlet; Atala, orange scarlet; Mrs. 
Gordon, crimson, white eye; Ajax, scarlet; Metis, crimson; and 
Favourite, cerise scarlet. In a temperature of 50° to 55° they bloom all 
the winter.” 
-A Hint to Planters,—I t has been brought to our notice that as 
the prices of trees are generally low this year and labour also cheap, the 
ciicumstances are favourable for extensive operations in planting. There 
is no doubt that a great deal of planting might be done to ultimate 
advantage, and the sooner the work is in progress the better. 
- “ J. A. W., Alder minster," writes as follows on Judging 
Fruit and Potatoes. “ We are now in the Rose and fruit catalogue 
season. My letter bag is ‘ bulged out ” every morning with catalogues. 
I do not consign them to my waste paper basket, for one can learn much 
from them. But there is something which I object to to be found in 
every catalogue — e.g., say it is the description of an Apple, ‘Largo, 
highly coloured, free bearer, good keeper; second quality only, hut 
indispensable for exhibition.’ Potato this time. Well, we all know how 
many prizes International Kidney has won ; but I ask, On how many 
soils can it be grown fit for culinary use? Surely fruit and vegetables 
are meant to be eaten rather than looked at and admired, and I am 
strongly of opinion that, cceter is paribus, quality should in every instance 
take priority of size, appearance, or shape. Boauty is only skin deep. 
When will judges refuse to be attracted by the pretty face ? ” 
-- The Autumn Show of the Winchester Horticultural 
Society will be held on November 16th and 17th. The chief prizes for 
Chrysanthemums are 60s., 40s., 25s., and 15?., for groups of plants 
arranged for effect, and similar amounts for twenty-four cut blooms in 
not less than eighteen varieties. We observe a class for twelve blooms in 
not less than eight varieties for persons who have not won a prize for 
Chrysanthemums in the open classes at any exhibition. Prizes are also 
offered for fruit, miscellaneous plants, and floral decorations. 
-Mr. Stephen Castle has sent us from the West Lynn 
Vineyard, King’s Lynn, some interesting samples of VARIATIONS IN 
Gros Maroc Grape. Three bunches are before us of this variety, 
and between two of them the difference, both in size and shape of the 
berries, are equally as pronounced as in Mr. Chaffin’s two bunches of the 
same variety as grown by Mr. William Taylor and exhibited at the 
Crystal Palace and South Kensington this year. The larger of the two 
bunches from Bath was regarded as Gros Colman by not a few gardeners 
who inspected the exhibit and compared the Grapes with others in the 
classes for the two varieties mentioned. In that case Mr. Taylor informs 
us that Mr. Mclndoe has indicated the cause of the variation. The 
largest hunch sent to us from West Lynn almost exactly resembles the 
supposed doubtful Gro3 Maroc bunch from Bath. The berries are as large 
and as round as good average samples of Gros Colman, and two expe¬ 
rienced Grape growers who inspected the bunch pronounced it Gros 
Colman. This bunch of Gros Maroc was cut from a Vine inarched on 
a Hamburgh in apparently robust health, but which produces red 
Grapes—that is to say, the fruit on the Hamburgh rod is not coloured, 
while Gros Maroc supported by the same roots is excellently coloured. 
How is that ? The other two bunches of Gros Maroc are from Vines on 
their own roots. The berries of one are round, or nearly so, and small, 
resembling in appearance second-rate Black Hamburghs, while the berries 
of the other bunch are distinctly oval, quite as much so as characteristic 
examples of Mrs. Pince are. The Vine bearing these oval-shaped 
berries has been fed with chemicals, that producing the smaller and 
round berries not having had such assistance. As regards quality, the 
oval-shaped fruit far exceeds the other from the Vine on its own roots, 
and is quite equal, if not superior, in flavour to the very fine Gros Colman- 
like Grapes cut from the Vine worked on the “ red ” Hamburgh. This, 
and Mr. Chaffin’s bunch that has been the subject of discussion, are the 
finest examples of Gros Maroc we have seen, and the berries of both, 
with the exception of one or two in each hunch, were round. Mr. Castle 
does not say the whole of the bunches on the three Vines are like those 
before u?, but we presume such is the case, and not one of them exactly 
represents Gros Maroc in its typical or normal form, though we have no 
doubt that all of them are of this variety. It is very evident that this 
Grape is subject to considerable variation, and that the shape of the 
berry alone is not a sufficient test of identity. We are obliged to Mr. 
Castle for the samples referred to. 
- The prices of fruit and vegetables have fallen con. 
siderably this season, as can be judged by the following figures supplied 
by a Covent Garden firm. Of course, the fruit market is especially 
liable to fluctuations, and it must not be assumed that the prices of 
this year will be the prices of next. But irregularities are becoming 
less. A glut of fruit of any particular kind in this country nowadays 
means the stoppage of importations, and, on the other hand, any deficiency 
of our own crops immediately sets up a stream from abroad. Though 
prices go up and down a good deal therefore, they do not vary as they 
once did, and there is a constant tendency downwards, due to greater 
competition, more extensive growths, and the opening up of new sources 
of supply. The criterion pointed to is that afforded by the average prices 
paid by the jam manufacturers. In 1878 to 1880 these manufacturers 
had to pay £18 to £20 a ton for Gooseberries; this year they have been 
buying them at from £4 to £6 a ton. Black Currants they bought at 
£28 t) £32 a ton ; this year at £10 to £12. Red Currants formerly 
fetched £18 to £26; this year £10 tr £12. Strawberries, which a few 
years ago fetched £28 to £35, have this year averaged £16 to £20; Rasp¬ 
berries have fallen from an average of from £35 to £42 to an average of 
