882 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 5, 1892. 
are the giants of the farm, and, with a mantle of snowy blossom around 
them, have all the ripe dignity of age. A ton of fruit has been gathered 
from one of these trees. Gathering is one of the greatest difficulties 
with them ; but experienced women pickers mount the tall ladders 
and gather the fruit without fear. Early Rivers, Bigarreau Napoleon, 
and Cluster are three varieties that are largely grown. The latter 
is not known everywhere, but is a free grower, a great bearer, and 
sells well. 
Of Apples, there are many acres, and a considerable number of 
varieties are grown. Mr. Thomas is not a believer in the one-variety 
system, and new ones are constantly being tried. Trees headed down 
and garnished with grafts indicate what happens if one variety does not 
give satisfaction and it is desired to try another. Pride of place is given 
to Ecklinville, a splendid market Apple without doubt, and Bramley’s 
Seedling, Domino, Lady Henniker, and Lane’s Prince Albert may be men¬ 
tioned as others that are highly esteemed. The trees are first planted with 
Hops, these paying their way until the trees require more room, when 
they are at once dispensed with. A careful system of cropping is pur¬ 
sued. Gooseberries are the leading undercrop, and Strawberries are, in 
some cases, grown between them ; but no doubt if the land were moist 
and holding. Black Currants would be substituted for Gooseberries. 
Several acres of the Currants are grown, the leading variety being 
Baldwin’s, Mr. Thomas is, in every respect, endeavouring to keep up 
with the times, and is not content to jog along in the old grooves. He 
was struck by the advice in Profitable Fruit Growing to avoid the 
severe annual pruning too often practised with the result of inducing 
more and more fruitless growth, and to jiractise thinning and summer 
pinching instead, put it into operation, and is fully satisfied with the 
results. Similarly, a suggestion from the author of the book to apply a 
dressing of chemical manure for the support of trees that seemed 
incapable of developing their crop was acted upon with great success. 
It is certain that in future the application of fertilisers, such as 
kainit, superphosphate, and nitrate of soda, for the assistance of 
fruit trees, will be closely studied, and improved crops will doubtless 
result. 
Mr. Thomas fully recognises the importance of marketing fruit well. 
He grades his consignments with scrupulous care and exactness. The 
system of sending mixed fruit to market, with the result that the 
inferior portions of the consignment drag down the superior to their own 
level, is not believed in, nor is that of placing poor fruit at the bottom 
and facing it with good specimens in order to hoodwink the buyer. 
This suicidal policy has already done enough damage to English fruit 
growing. He finds it profitable to pay for labour in sorting, grading, 
and packing well, for it has gained him a reputation that sells his fruit 
readily in the markets to which it is consigned. Hundreds of tons are 
annually disposed of without difficulty, for buyers have confidence in 
being treated fairly and well. Nor are the choice Pears, to which 
reference is made above, tumbled roughly together and thus disposed of. 
The fruit is carefully packed in small boxes and tastefully displayed, its 
value being thereby materially enhanced. Choice fruit will no more 
fetch its best price when sent to market in a rough state than fancy 
soaps would if, instead of being placed before the public in attractive 
boxes with lace-paper accompaniments, they were sold in bars like 
the common yellow or mottled. In this respect, as in many others, 
Mr. Thomas is setting an example that might be followed with immense 
advantage to England as a fruit-growing nation.—W. P. W. 
A NOTE ON CABBAGES. 
“Never place all your eggs in one basket” is an old adage with 
much truth in it, and I find there are many gardeners, both amateur 
and professional, who are this season regretting that they did not 
act upon the precept contained in this hackneyed saying when sowing 
the Cabbage seed which was intended to produce a good spring 
crop. 
I made a sowing of Ellam’s Early the second week in July last, the 
weather being favourable. The plants from this sowing grew very fast. 
When planting them out in their winter quarters several of my gardening 
friends assured me they would inevitably “ bolt,” but after the expe¬ 
rience of the previous severe winter I considered it was worth risking 
something to obtain a good bed of early Cabbages. I am now rewarded 
by having what I consider to be one of the earliest beds of Cabbages in 
Warwickshire. By the first week in May I shall have Cabbages fit for 
table, and out of 400 plants set out in September last only two have 
succumbed to the severe winter we have passed through. Just before 
the severe frosts set in in December the plants were hearting well, and 
the only effect the frost had upon them was to suspend growth and 
turn the edges of the outer leaves brown. From this check they 
quickly recovered when the weather improved and have grown steadily 
since. 
Our plants from a sowing made the second week in August have 
fared but badly, two-thirds of them having been killed ouiright, while 
those left are very late, and in marked contrast to the plants from the 
early sowing growing beside them. All who wish to be on the safe side 
in the matter of Cabbages should make one early sowing in July and 
another in August. Our soil is light and sandy. 
It would be interesting to know how Cabbages have fared on heavy 
soils in various parts of the country, and notes on the subject from 
correspondents would, I think, be interesting to readers of the Journal. 
—H. Dunkin. 
Rose Show Fixtures in 1892. 
June 21 (Tuesday).—Westminster (N.R.S.). 
,, 23 (Thursday).—Ryde. 
„ 28 (Tuesday).—Maidstone. 
„ 29 (Wednesday).—Brighton*, Farningham, Ipswich, King’s Lynn*, 
and Windsor. 
„ 30 (Thursday).—Canterbury, Eltham, and Winchester. 
July 2 (Saturday).—Crystal Palace (N.R.S.) 
„ 5 (Tuesday). — Bagshot, Diss, Earl’s Court*, Gloucester, and 
Sutton. 
„ 6 (Wednesday).—Brockham, Croydon and Hitchin. 
„ 7 (Thursday).—Bath, Lee*, Norwich, and Woodbridge. 
„ 9 (Saturday).—Reigate. 
„ 12 (Tuesday).—Hereford and Wolverhampton.f 
„ 14 (Thursday).—Chester (N.R.S.), and Helensburgh. 
„ 19 (Tuesday).—Moseley* (Birmingham). 
„ 21 (Thursday).—Trentham and Worksop. 
„ 23 (Saturday).—Bedale and New Brighton. 
„ 28 (Thursday).—Halifax and Southwell. 
„ 30 (Saturday).—Ripley. 
* R: se Shows lasting two days, f Rose Show lasting three days.— 
Edward Mawley, Rosebank , Berkkamsted , Herts . 
Judging Roses. 
I AM glad to see the question of faded Roses has come to the front. 
Most judges, I apprehend, will recollect difficulties of deciding between 
a fine box rather gone off and another of smaller, but brighter, blooms. 
I do not mean of undersized Roses, those now-a-days can seldom expect 
to be “ in it.” Would the question be better put, not “ What is a faded 
Rose ? ” but “ When should a Rose be condemned as faded ? ” In 
judging twelve of one kind I have generally found “colour gone off” 
very fatal to them. Some Roses show fading and over-keeping more 
than others, especially those “ W. R. Raillem” mentions ; whereas, as he 
says also, there are Teas which can almost lose colour with impunity. I 
have seen Tea blooms which had been the best blooms at several shows 
in succession. It is hard to define, but there is a rule of thumb soon 
observed to exist with good judges ; if one of the three says “ That is 
faded,” he is little likely to find the point contested.—A. C. 
I THANK my friends “ D., Deal," and “ W. R. Raillem,” also “ J. B.,” 
for their letters, and I hope that others may be induced to give their 
views of this matter. In answer to “ D., Deal's inquiry I would say 
that my definition of a faded Rose would be “ a Rose sufficiently dis¬ 
coloured as to lose its distinctive character.” 1 wish “ J. B.” and Mr. 
“ Raillem ” would again read the paper I referred to, “ Rosarian’s Year 
Book, 1889,” page 10. They will find there four examples of bad Roses. 
First, undersizedness—say, “ a Charles Lefebvre the size of a Duchesse 
de Caylus.” Second, past colour or fadedness—say, “an Alfred Colomb, 
still good in shape but with faded colour.” Third, bad shape—say, 
a Perle des Jardins with a folded split at the side of the flower.” 
Fourth, an over open flower—say, “ Thomas Mills showing its eye.” 
I can hardly conceive a more complete or cutting definition of a 
bad Rose than example 3, that of a deformed Perle des Jardins. 
Surely there can be but one opinion of such a flower. And yet it has 
most likely colour and probably size. Would “ J. B.” give such a 
monstrosity one cr two points ? I can hardly think so. But is there 
to be one law for the rich and another for the poor in Rose judging ? 
Mr. “ Raillem ” would give one or two points to a faded Alfred Colomb 
still of good form. “J. B.” is even more generous, and should there 
be still good form would give one point to a Rose that is undersized as 
well as faded. I ask again. Would either of these good judges (they are 
both, I say without the slightest flattery, excellent judges) give one or 
two points to such a flower as the Perle des Jardins, with a folded 
split in its side ? I cannot bring myself to think so, and yet if Mr. 
“Raillem’s” interpretation of the passage in the “ Rosarian’s Year Book,” 
mentioned above, be correct, and if “J. B.’s” interpretation of the 
points of a Rose be accepted, this monster (I use the term in its classical 
sense) must receive one or two points. 
I quite agree with Mr. “ Raillem” that the medal is only too often 
given to an “ over-cooked ” Tea bloom, but that is, I confess, a matter 
of regret to me. I would only give a medal to a bloom that possesses 
all the essential qualities of a good Rose.—“ Form, size, colour, and 
being at the time of judging in the most perfect shape of its possible 
beauty.” I have won many medals, often, I feel, without these 
essentials ; sometimes, I feel proud to say, when the flower possessed 
them all. If medals were given to flowers of only such excellence they 
would be really valued, and I believe would more often than now be 
won by such flowers. As it is, exhibitors know that size when with 
forms wins, and consequently size, especially in Tea Roses, is sought for 
and obtained only by overblooming. I must apologise for the length of 
this letter, as I only intended to answer my friend, “ D , Deal's," query, 
but I hope my garrulity will be graciously pardoned.— Henry B. Bieon, 
