148 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ AuguBt 17, 1893. 
- Bottesford Horticultural Society. — Like many other 
horticultural societies, the members of above held their annual 
Exhibition on August 7th. It was a successful gathering, there being 
upwards of 600 entries in the classes for fruit, flowers, and vegetables. 
In every section the exhibits were of good quality and reflected credit 
upon the respective growers. 
- Early Apricots.—M r. B. G. Jenkins, West Dulwich, S.E., 
writes :—“ I enclose three or four fruits from an Apricot tree I have 
growing on an open standard in my garden. The tree, which has not 
had the slightest attention, is carrying upwards of 600 fruits, all in 
good condition.” [Shipley’s Apricot is the name of the fruits our corre¬ 
spondent sends, the colouring and flavour of which are alike excellent.] 
- Hailstones in Lincolnshire. —A correspondent writes:— 
“ A heavy thunderstorm prevailed in South Lincolnshire on Thursday 
morning, August 10th, during which hailstones of an enormous size fell. 
At Grantham some pieces of ice as large and as square as ordinary lump 
sugar were picked up. Much damage has been done in the neighbour¬ 
hood to glass houses, and Apples and Pears are injured in some gardens.” 
- Melon Ingestre Hybrid. —Last week in visiting the gardens 
at Ingestre, where fruits of all kinds are so well grown, I was much 
impressed with the new Melon Mr. Gilman has raised by crossing Hero 
of Lockinge with Countess, the result being a new variety of great 
excellence. The constitution of the plant is strong, and it is a free 
setter. The fruit is beautifully netted, of a bright goldenyellow colour,skin 
thin, and shows no tendency to crack ; flesh greenish white, and flavour 
of the highest type. In one house containing eight plants there were 
from thirty to forty ripe fruits, averaging from 3 to 5 lbs. each. This 
Melon was awarded a certificate of merit at the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, May the 9th.— Robert Cock, F.R.H.S. 
- Grand Yorkshire Gala. —At the general meeting of the 
guarantors and life members of the above held last week, the recom¬ 
mendation of the Council that the sum of £251 be handed over to the 
Tork charities was approved. The sum of £175 was added to the 
reserve fund, bringing it up to £2000, and the remaining balance 
carried forward to next year’s account. The following grants were 
made:—York County Hospital, £50; the Dispensary, £50; Blue and 
Grey Coat Schools, £30; Bootham Asylum, £25; Yorkshire Society’s 
School, London, £21; the Industrial Schools, £20; Wilberforce School 
for the Blind, £10; the Penitentiary, £10; the Invalid Kitchen, £10; 
the Nurses’ Home, £10; Girls’ Friendly Society, £10; Society for the 
Prevention of Cruelty to Children, £5 ; total, £251. 
- Jam Sharpers.—S ome revelations made in the columns of 
" Food and Sanitation ” seem to show that some of the smaller jam 
manufactories in London are badly in want of inspection by the public 
health officers. Good jam can be, and is, sold at a very low price, but 
some of the jam eaten by the poor is made of disgusting ingredients. 
The other day several tons of fruit, described as in a revolting state, 
were seized at one factory in North London. It included three vanloads 
of tinned Pine Apples, quite rotten, and some tons of Gooseberries, 
Apples, Oranges, and other fruits, as well as a lot of Onions and 
Walnuts, mostly putrid. A strange find was a quantity of Plum stones, 
dirty, as if gathered in the streets. There can be little doubt that 
these were intended to be mixed with so-called Plum jam, which is not 
made of Plums at all, but of Marrows, Apples, and other vegetable 
matter in a more or less useless condition. In some instances poisonous 
colourings are used to give the manufactured article an attractive 
appearance. 
- Golden Rathripe Peach. —Mr. E. Trollope writes from 
Coombe Park, Reading :—“ I send a sample of Peaches gathered from 
a south wall, outdoors, labelled Golden Rathripe. It is a variety which 
I think is not generally grown, but appears to do remarkably well here. 
It is a good cropper, one of the finest-looking Peaches, and the flavour 
is much liked. We have had a wonderful crop of fruit of all kinds this 
year. Apricots and Plums especially. We face due south, and everything 
was quite a month earlier than I ever knew it.” [We think the name 
of the Peach is incorrect, yet although the Golden Rathripe may be 
regarded as one of the best of the yellow-fleshed American Peaches in 
quality, it cannot be compared with our best established varieties. We 
have known more than one instance of Golden Rathripe being removed 
from Peach houses as disappointing after occupying valuable space for 
years. It may possibly be better in favourable positions outdoors, and 
especially, perhaps, during a season like the present one. Tastes also 
vary, and there may be palates to which these pasty yellow-fleshed 
Peaches are agreeable. The one sent is the clingstone, Pavie Jaune.] 
- Nelumbium speciosum nuciferum. —This very scarce plant,. 
the Sacred Bean of Egypt, so rarely seen in flower, is now in bloom 
in one of the stoves at the Royal Gardens, Frogmore, and was an 
object of great interest to the Birmingham Gardeners’ Association on. 
the occasion of their recent visit. It is a tall growing species, with 
large bold foliage, and the flowers pure white and deliciously 
fragrant. It is growing in a pan of water. 
- The annual report of the Royal Botanic Garden, Cal¬ 
cutta, of which Lieut-Colonel G. King, F.R.S., is Superintendent, has 
been issued. From it we learn from “ Nature ” that all the efforts to 
introduce the cultivation of the Japanese Paper Mulberry have failed, 
As the Superintendent points out, this Mulberry yields a beautiful fibre, 
which is naturally so white that it requires very little bleaching, hence 
it seems a pity that no wealthy landowner has taken up its cultivation 
on a large scale. 
- Grantham and District Horticultural Society.— 
The first annual Exhibition of the above Society was held at Grantham 
on Monday, August 7th. Upwards of eighty classes were provided, and 
on the whole these were well filled, the exhibits being of excellent 
quality. Messrs. J. R. Pearson & Sons, Chilwell Nurseries, Beeston, 
Notts, sent some splendid floral designs and bouquets. Messrs. J. W, 
Brown & Sons, Grantham and Stamford, also sent miscellaneous exhibits, 
as likewise did Lord Brownlow, Sir Hugh Cholmeley, Sir J. Thorold, 
and others. 
- Torquay District Gardeners’ Association.—T he first 
annual excursion of the above Society took the form of a visit to 
Taunton Show on the 10th inst. The party, consisting of eighty mem¬ 
bers, left Torquay by special train, arriving at Taunton soon after 10 A.M. 
Luncheon was partaken of at the George Hotel, Mr. \V. B, Smale pre¬ 
siding. In addition to visiting the Show several of the party inspected 
Mr, W. H. Fowler’s Chrysanthemums at Claremont, and admired the 
splendid condition of the plants. Taunton Castle was also visited, and 
the party returned home well satisfied with their day’s enjoyment. 
- Turning Natural Advantages to Account^—P rofessor 
Massey of the North Carolina Experimental Station writes that he can 
see no reason why the cultivation of vegetables under glass should not 
be profitable in the Southern States at points where quick transportation 
northward is possible. “ If Boston growers can force Cucumbers at a 
profit by using double sashes and heavy coal bills, why could not this 
be done better still in North Carolina, with cheaper houses and half the 
expense for fuel 1 If Lettuce is grown at a profit with fire heat, and sent 
from Boston to Washington, why should not a man in North Carolina 
grow it at a profit when he can raise equally good Lettuce in a simple 
cold frame ? ” These remarks are suggestive, and have wide application. 
- Painted Fruits. —The “Evening News ’’says the ingenuity 
of the “ bird faker ” who could hide russet coats under all the hues of 
the rainbow is being applied by Parisians in another sphere. Ingenious 
fruit dealers have invented a way of colouring their wares in order to 
improve their market value. They stain ordinary Oranges a deep red, 
making them look like Mandarins, which fetch much higher prices. 
They also tint Pine Apples to make them look more attractive, and dye 
the common white Strawberries a lovely red. Melons are now being 
treated in a similar way, and tinted a fine orange, their flavour being 
increased by injecting an essence of Melon. The latest development 
of this business is in connection with Pears, which are dyed red for a 
third of their size, and blue below, thus presenting the national colours 
when peeled. These are said to be in some demand for dessert fruit on 
account of their novelty, 
- The New York Fruit Market. —The “ Garden and Forest ’ 
says —“ Cherries from California seem as beautiful and abundant aa 
they were two months ago. The varieties. Royal Anne and Black 
Republican, are the popular favourites. Congress Pears are coming 
from the same State and cost a little more than the Bartletts and 
Howells. Crawford’s and Hale’s Early are the principal varieties of 
Peaches which are now coming from the Pacific coast. Plums are still 
abundant and cheap. From the Southern States Le Conte Pears are 
coming of rather lower than ordinary quality. Peaches from the far 
southern points are becoming rare, and those from Maryland and 
Delaware are taking their places, and are of fair quality for early varieties. 
Raspberries are practically out of the market. Astrachan and Sweet 
Bough Apples are 1‘75 dols. a barrel. Pocono Mountain Huckleberries 
are twelve cents, a quart. Good Gooseberries are worth two dols. a 
bushel. Florida continues to send Delaware Grapes and some choice 
Grape fruit.” 
