November 23, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
469 
— We regret to have to announce the death of Monsieur Antoine 
Besson, of Marseilles, on the 15th of this month. Monsieur Besson was 
sixty-eight years of age. He was a Knight of the Legion of Honour, 
and Vice-President of the Society of Horticulture and Botany, 
- The Gale in Scotland.—W riting under date November 18th 
Mr. K. P. Brotberston, Tynninghame, Prestonkirk, N.B., says :—“ We 
have a fearful gale raging here, and great damage done to trees, both 
deciduous and coniferous.” 
- The East London Floeicultural Society, that has up 
to now had to seek hither and thither for halls in which to make 
displays, has at last found a habitat at the People’s Palace, which ought 
to be permanent. The large establishment in the Mile End Road ought to 
make itself the natural centre for all the amenities as well as the 
realities of East London life. The flower shows are a move in the right 
direction. 
THE ORIGINAL HESSLE PEAR TREE. 
I PROMISED to send you an account of the old original Hessle Pear 
tree. As there has been so much dispute about the name of the Pear, 
whether it should be Hessle or Hazel, I think when you have read this 
note you will agree with me it should be the “ Hessle.” 
The tree is situated close to my house, in the garden of Mr. Ripling- 
ham, the owner. Mr. Riplingham’s father and I have had many a talk 
about the tree. The family has been in the village for several genera¬ 
tions, some 300 years. From what I could gather from him it seems to 
be supposed that the tree in its young state was brought over here by 
the Flemings, people who came up the Humber for the purpose of 
trading some 300 or 400 years ago. I have always said the tree could 
not be less than 300 years old. 
The old trunk, which was some 3 or 4 feet in diameter, blew down, or 
at least the greater part of it, on the 1st day of August, 1890, It was 
quite hollow and decayed, with a large wasp’s nest inside ; but about 
16 inches from the old trunk there is a young tree which has sprung up, 
no doubt a sucker from the original This young tree, 3 feet from the 
ground, is 37 inches in circumference ; 6 feet from the ground it is 
34J inches. When the old tree bore fruit as well as the young one I 
compared the two, and could not tell one from the other. This proves 
that the old tree must have been a seedling. 
Some time ago I had a conversation with one of the oldest men in the 
village. I said to him, “ Robert, do you know the old Pear tree ? ” 
“Old Pear tree?” he repeated; “I should thmk I do. Why, I was 
born close to it. I worked ior Mr. Riplingham’s grandfather. I can 
remember the top of the tree blowing off one stormy night, and that 
will be nearly eighty years ago. Why, it was an old tree then. Old 
tree ! I should think I do,” and the poor old man’s eyes fairly glistened 
with delight. 
I have been trying to find out the period when the Flemings traded 
in this neighbourhood. I wrote to Alderman Symon, the antiquarian 
of Hull, and he says that in 1290, the eighteenth year of Edward L, 
Toricius, a Fleming of York, was appointed to price the wine imported 
into Hull and to gauge the same. I find the same also stated in the 
History of Hull. So the Flemings must have been here at that time. 
In the year 1300 King Edward 1. crossed over the Humber from Barton 
in Lincolnshire to Hessle on his way to the north, there being no ferry 
to Hull at that time. The first ferry from Lincolnshire to Hull was 
begun in 1316. From these facts I should say that the Flemings would 
often land at Hessle, and it is quite feasible, that they might have 
brought the Hessle Pear, I cannot find out any more about the old tree. 
—Edwin Lord, Hessle. 
[We are obliged by this communication, Hessle is the name to which 
this useful hardy Pear is entitled. M. Decaisne, a French authority, 
thought the Pear was of German origin, and says he preferred using the 
German name Haselnuss (hazelnut) to the French translation—Noisette. 
The tree as a seedling fruited at Hessle is the Hetsle Pear.] 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
November 14th. 
Scientific Committee. —Present: Dr. M. T. Masters (in the 
chair) ; Mr. McLachlan, Dr. Bonavia, Rev. W. Wilks, Prof. Church, 
Mr. Veitch, Prof. Muller, Prof. Green, Mr. Michael, and Rev. G, 
Henslow, Hon. Sec. 
Onions Diseased. —Mr, Massee reported as follows upon the samples 
brought to the last meeting :—“ The Onions are attacked by a Botrytis, 
the same species as the one described by Prof. Marshall H. Ward in 
‘A Lily Disease’ (Ann. of Bot., vol. ii.). The bulbs cannot possibly be 
saved now, the fungus having spent its active period on the leaves ; while 
the hypbae are now passing into the bulb to form sclerotia. If the 
foliage had been sprayed with a fungicide the mischief would have been 
kept within bounds. The diseased Onions should be bvrnt and not 
thrown on to the manure heap.” 
Daffodil Bulb Diseased .—He also reported upon the specimen 
brought by Mr. Wilks, that a saprophytic fungus was now present, 
which had followed a disease induced by some other unascertainable 
cause. 
Pears Diseased. —Mr. Massee sent the following additional remarks 
upon the fruit reported upon at the last meeting :—“ The fungus 
attacking the Pears first appears upon the leaves, and from thence it 
passes on to the fruit. The tree should have been sprayed with a fungi¬ 
cide previous to the appearance of bloom, and once or twice after 
the fruit had set, Bordeaux mixture has been proved effective.” A 
unanimous vote of thanks was given to Mr. Massee for his interesting 
and valuable reports. 
Job's Tears (^Coix lachryma, L.'). —Mr, McLachlan exhibited a 
specimen of this Grass, grown in Devonshire in the open air. It is 
remarkable for the stony involucres, often used as beads. Prof. Churchdrew 
attention to another species, C. gigantea, Boxb., which is cultivated in 
the Khasia hills, and elsewhere in Bengal. C. lachryma is not cultivated, 
though the grain of wild plants is eaten. Prof. Church’s analysis of the 
grain of C, gigantea shows that it contains 16-8 albuminoids, and 59'9 
starch, &c., so that its “ nutrient value” is very high, being 90 per cent. 
(“ Kew BuL,” 1888. p. 267.) 
Sjjhceria Itobertsii. —Mr, James Veitch exhibited specimens of this 
well known parasitic fungus of New Zealand issuing from the neck of a 
large caterpillar (Hipialis virescens). It is called aweto or “ vegetable 
caterpillar.” The latter frequents particularly, if not quite exclusively, 
the Rata tree (Metrosideros robusta), and when the pupa burrows into 
the ground at the foot of the tree, the spores of the fungus attack it, 
the mycelium ramifying through the body, while the stem bearing the 
sporiferous asci issues erect from between the folds in the neck of the 
caterpillar. 
Planorbis Shells Sjolit. —Mr. Wilson sent specimens split trans¬ 
versely, with the following observations :—“ The shells are deposited in 
large numbers on the bent-down rushes at the water’s edge of one of 
our ponds at Oakwood, Wisley. There are no signs of rats near. I 
much wish to know what cuts them, whether beast or bird.” It was 
suggested by Mr. Michael that if the shell lay half in water a severe 
frost might possibly have effected it ; but they appeared to be quite 
fresh shells Mr. M‘Lachlan suggested herons as having perhaps done 
it. The cause of the peculiarity, however, was recognised generally as 
obscure. 
Winter Moth. —Mr. Wilson sent the following observations on this 
insect :—“ On tbe 3rd of this month there were fifty-four females on 
the greased bands on our fruit trees at Oakwood. They do not usually 
appear so early with us. Great quantities of both females and males 
have been caught since the above date. Perhaps the wood and ponds 
are attractive to them. We have so few at Weybridge that it is not 
worth while to band the trees.” 
Clitoria Ternatea, peloric, —Dr. Bonavia showed photographs and a 
coloured drawing (by a native) of this plant from India, illustrating 
transitions from the normal “ Pea-like ” blossom to the regular or peloric 
condition, much resembling a Periwinkle. The colour is a bright blue. 
It appears to be not uncommon in this species. 
Casuarina dimorphic. —Dr. Masters exhibited a specimen received 
from Baron Von Muller, in which a portion had developed sharp-pointed 
leaves exactly similar to the pointed-leaved form of Juniperus, which is 
often dimorphic in the same way. Mr. Henslow mentioned that these 
changes are paralleled by the Thuja-leaved forms of Veronica, which 
grow at great altitudes in New Zealand, and observed that analogies 
seemed to suggest varying degrees of drought or moisture as likely to 
be the direct cause of the different kinds, respectively. 
Wheat-eared Sweet William. —Dr. Masters also showed a specimen 
of this well-known malformation, in which while the flowers are sup¬ 
pressed, the small bracts at the base become multiplied excessively. 
Mr. Veitch observed that it is very common and difficult to eradicate. 
No cause could be suggested for its occurrence. 
Canna, Madame Crozy. —Dr. Masters observed that it has been stated 
that this variety of Ganna was really a very old form, having been 
figured in Loddiges’ Cabinet, No. 449 ; but, as he pointed out, though the 
colours were similar, the petals having a yellow rim, the size was very 
different, the modern form very probably having originated from that 
older variety. 
Germinating Cocoa-nut. —Dr. Masters showed a drawing of the 
globular cotyledon developed within the cavity and applied against the 
edible endosperm. With reference to its power of secreting a ferment 
to digest the food. Prof. Green remarked that he had not succeeded in 
isolating the ferment: but the epidermis of the cotyledon was quite of 
the character suggesting the presence of one. He noticed a fatty acid 
present, apparently indicating reactions produced by some ferment. 
Protests at Shows. 
I THINK exhibitors in many cases do not properly understand 
on what grounds a protest can be successful. It is not intended as a 
means of securing a revision of the Judge’s award in matters of mere 
opinion or pointing, but merely as a safeguard against fraud, non-com¬ 
pliance with the terms of the schedule, questions as to distinctness or 
otherwise of varieties, or anything of an unexpected nature not within 
the knowledge of the Judge.— Secretary. 
