242 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 14, 1893. 
kind of plants. Those at the back are chiefly filled with Gannas, Sweet- 
scented Tobacco, and other tall plants, the beds near the front being 
devoted to dwarfer plants and carpet bedding. The latter is very fine, 
the designs being well worked and the foliage of the plants richly 
coloured. One bed is so good that it may be individualised. The ground 
is covered with Antennaria tomentosa and the design made with 
Alternanthera versicolor and A. aurea nana. The centres of the division 
are occupied with Dracmnas and Grevillea robusta, and there are also 
dot plants of Sempervivums and Pachyphytums. An edging of Echeveria 
secunda glauca completes the arrangement, which is most effective. 
Other beds in this portion of the park are also specially attractive, 
and are much admired by visitors. A circular bed of Begonias, Grevillea 
robusta, and Ageratum is noticeable as being an excellent arrange¬ 
ment—simple though effective. The same can be said of a Begonia 
semperflorens rubra, Veronica Andersoni, Ageratum, with an edging of 
blue Lobelia and Mesembryanthemum cordifolium variegatum. Some 
beds planted with Centaurea candidissima and Verbena venosa are also 
pleasing in appearance, and one filled with pink Ivy-leaved Pelar¬ 
goniums pegged down, mixed with Acacia lophantha and Begonias, is 
unusually showy. _ 
Dahlias are grown in huge clumps, and are flowering well this year, 
the double forms being particularly good. The borders are very gay 
with large masses of Portulacas, Phloxes, Helianthuses, Liliums, and 
other autumn flowers, whilst during the summer the annuals are 
generally seen to advantage here. On the grass some fine clumps of the 
autumn flowering Crocuses are noticeable, these being in full flower. 
Notwithstanding the trying summer Finsbury Park has well maintained 
its reputation for bedding this year, and the whole reflects credit upon 
Mr. Melville the Superintendent.— Observer. 
ABOUT APPLES AND PEARS. 
As there is nothing more important in connection with hardy fruit 
growing than the knowledge of local suitability, it may be well to say 
that we are midway between Durham and Newcastle, or between the 
Tyne and Wear. This also might be noticed, that we are some ten days 
later than are districts that lie on the southern suburbs of Edinburgh. 
The years 1891 and 1892 being each cold and wet makes the present 
year’s results of more than average value, as it has proved to us which 
varieties of Apples and Pears require the least sun to mature their fruit 
Duds. Hereabouts, where there has been failure, it has not been owing 
to heavy cropping last year, as we were not so favoured, but solely due 
to weakness in resisting frost or to unripe wood following the previous 
sunless season. 
The Cellini, which I consider the hardiest of all Apples, has once 
again demonstrated that it knows nothing of bad years. With us this 
useful Apple is an unfailing bearer. Kegarding Lord Suffield, which is 
frequently alluded to as subject to canker, it is surprising to find how 
short a distance between orchards evidences this failing. On my place 
it does remarkably well, whereas with my neighbour, who has a thinner 
soil with a dry gravelly subsoil. Lord Grosvenor is his continuous 
sheet anchor. I prefer Lord Suffield, as the fruits are more shapely, 
and up to the present on my forty sixteen-year-old trees they remain 
healthy and clean. Stirling Castle is also a great favourite, but, being 
a tree of slow growth, it not only (like Lord Suffield) requires a free 
stock but may be planted closer than many others. Of course, both 
these Apples also do well on the Paradise, but for market growing I 
prefer the former. This year Potts’ Seedling, another sterling variety, 
has been a failure, and I am of the opinion the failure has been solely 
due to insufficient sun last season. The more vigorous trees have not 
only been quite barren but the fruit on those more matured has been 
much short of its true character. Here Warner’s King has failed through 
the same cause, the trees making far too much growth for bearing after 
such conditions. Bramley Seedling has likewise had no chance this 
year, but from what I saw of it at Mr. Merryweather’s Southwell 
nurseries, this most certainly is an Apple that I shall not willingly 
discard. 
Following such a summer as the present these two grand Apples 
will, I expect, next year amply compensate. After ten years’ fair trial 
I am quite out of heart with Worcester Pearmain, but I am glad to 
find, with a more congenial home in the sunny south it continues to 
give satisfaction. It crops far too lightly for market purposes in this 
neighbourhood. Just noticing that Beurrd de I’Assomption, Souvenir du 
Congr^s, Marie Louise, and Marie Louise d’Uccle Pears have done best 
on the wall, and that the latter with Williams’ Bon Chretien and the 
Hessle have done best in the open, I shall at present conclude, leaving 
a few further remarks on Apples to a future occasion.— Joseph 
Witherspoon. 
Scarcity of Dessert Apples—Benoni. 
Amongst fruiterers in the southern towns there has been for the 
past few weeks a great demand for good dessert Apples. Quarrendens 
and Irish Peach were soon over. The last-named is not much cared for, 
being too soft and not bright enough in appearance. No matter how 
good in quality an Apple may be, if it has not colour as well it does not 
^^th favour in the market. Growers for sale have not in the past 
paid nearly as much attention to dessert varieties as they have to those 
belonging to the kitchen section. The result is that where really good 
cooking Apples could be bought for Is, 6d. per bushel, dessert sorts were 
fetching 6s. for the same quantity. A large grower and dealer had to 
commence selling his Blenheims and King of the Pippins three weeks 
ago. Even Cellini has been in great demand. All the Worcester Pear- 
mains and Lady Sudeley were snapped up at once. A variety named 
Nanny Apple meets with mqch favour. Dr. Hogg describes it as being 
found about Havant and other districts in West Sussex and the borders 
of Hampshire. It is an Apple deserving attention; it has a bright 
cheek and is really good in flavour. Dr. Hogg says it is in use during 
October. This year it was used in August — another proof of the 
peculiarity of the season. Pineapple Russet deserves more attention 
than it receives ; it has a flavour peculiarly its own. The tree is a 
straggling grower, and does not fruit freely until it attains some age. 
There is a splendid opening for an enterprising person to plant 
dessert Apples to follow the earlies and be out of the way of the usual 
autumn and winter kinds, such as Cox’s Orange Pippin. One of the 
best dessert Apples that I know [for filling the blank in late summer is 
Benoni, the American variety figured last week. With me it carried an 
extremely heavy crop of handsome fruit. In shape it resembles well 
grown fruit of King of Pippins, but is perhaps rather broader at the 
base while it is heavily striped with red on a yellow ground. It was 
ready to gather this year early in August. The fruit is crisp yet sweet, 
in fact it has almost all the properties required in a dessert Apple. 
The habit of growth is of the right kind, upright, yet vigorous. It is 
just the sort to plant numerously in a limited space, and with a prospect 
of a good return for capital and labour expended.—E. Molyneux. 
FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFFS BILL. 
The following correspondence has been sent to us on the above 
measure, and we place the letters before our readers. There are 
obviously two sides to the question, and both of them important :— 
30, Wood Street, Cheapside, London, E.C. 
21st August, 1893. 
Sir, —As Solicitor for the Nursery and Seed Trade Association 
(Limd.), which was formed for the protection of their trades, I have 
been requested to inquire whether the “ Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs 
Bill,” which has been before the Standing Committee of Trade, is likely 
to become law this session, and whether it applies to horticultural 
manures. If the latter is the case, I am instructed to point out to you 
that such manures are sold by the wholesale and retail seedsmen, 
florists, and nurserymen in packets, varying in price from 6d. to £1, in 
the same condition as they receive the same from the manufacturers of 
such manures. 
If the Bill does apply to such horticultural manures as sold in 
packets, and every retailer is bound to give a certificate according to 
the first section of the Act, please permit me to point out that the 
trouble in so doing will be so great that it must put an end to the 
retail packet trade. I am also instructed to inquire whether it is not 
possible that the Act can be amended by providing that the certificate 
by the retailer shall be dispensed with if the packets are sold with the 
name and trade mark of the manufacturer thereon. 
It will be impossible for a retailer of such packets to have them 
analysed at his own cost. 
I enclose you the names and addresses of the President and Com¬ 
mittee of the Nursery and Seed Trade Association (Limd.), and I am 
requested to ask whether you are willing to receive a small deputation 
from them upon the subject in question if the proposed Act of Parlia¬ 
ment is intended to include horticultural manures. Your reply will be 
esteemed a favour.—I am. Sir, Your Obedt. Servant, Charles Butcher, 
The President of The Board of Agriculture, 
4, Whitehall Place, S.W. 
Board of Agriculture, 4, Whitehall Place, London, S.W 
24th August, 1893. 
No. 23,877. 
Sir, —I am directed by the Board of Agriculture to advert to your 
letter of the 2l8t inst., addressed to the President on behalf of the 
Nursery and Seed Trade Association, and in reply I am to say that the 
President was inclined to view with favour a proposal to exclude sales 
of very small quantities of horticultural manures, say not exceeding half 
a hundredweight, from operation of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs 
Bill ; but the general feeling of the Standing Committee, to which the 
Bill was referred, was so distinctly adverse to any such limitation that 
an amendment moved in that direction was negatived without a 
division. 
The Board have reason to think that the matter will again be 
brought forward at a later stage of the Bill, and in that event the 
matter will certainly command very careful consideration at the Presi¬ 
dent’s hands. In the circumstance the Board do not think it is necessary 
that the Association should be put to the trouble of personal attendance. 
They are well aware of the importance attached in many quarters to 
secure such limitation of the operation of the Bill as is above suggested, 
and the fact that the Association concur in thinking that some such 
arrangement is necessary will be kept fully in mind.—I am, Sir, Your 
Obedient Servant, T. H. Elliott, Secretary, 
Charles Butcher, Esq., 30, Wood Street, Cheapside, E.C. 
[This measure, brought forward by the President of the Agricultural 
Department (Mr. Gardner), was on Wednesday, Sept. 6th, revised by the 
Grand Committee of the House of Lords, Viscount Cross in the chair. 
