January 5, 18C3 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
15 
New Varieties of Apples. 
It is satisfactory to find that the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society is exhibiting mure than ordinary caution in the 
granting of certificates of merit to new Apples. In relation to a couple 
exhibited at a recent meeting, and found to be the best of the 
numerous seedlings submitted, it was agreed that the trees should be as 
it were interviewed by someone deputed by the Committee for that 
purpose. This is some satisfaction. It is very evident that there are 
very many Apples in the country, seedling or unnamed, the which are 
heavy croppers and passably good in quality, but yet are far behind our 
best named varieties. 8till, those who have these unnamed sorts seem 
to assume, possibly through ignorance of what is really good in Apples, 
that they have some of superior excellence. When, however, these come 
before the Fruit Committee few indeed are regarded as meritorious. 
Only something exceptionally good can now hope to find a select place 
in the great roll of named and useful Apples.—D. 
QUORN HOUSE, LOUGHBOROUGH. 
Amidst the stillness and grandeur of the renowned forest of 
Charnwood, and only a few miles from the thriving little borough of 
Loughborough, may be found the historic village of Quorn, the home 
of the celebrated Quorn hounds, and situated in a central position in 
the parish is the delightful residence of W. E. J. B. Farnham, Esq., 
Quorn House. This is a singularly beautiful place, where gardening 
is most successfully practised in all departments. The grounds are 
beautifully undulattd and well timbered. Standing near the lake in 
proximity to the mansion we appear to be far removed from every 
road, from every cultivated field, and from every village where the 
hum and stir of life may prevail, and the silence would indeed be 
oppressive but for the beauty about us. A clump of Cypressus near 
by cut the sky with their feathery boughs, and their pointed tops had a 
golden smile upon them. We speak of the golden autumn as though all 
the leafage were of one colour, but in reality scarcely any two trees 
were alike. From the deepest russet to the palest gold, they presented 
themselves in that variety which is so charming. Amidst an avenue of 
Chestnut trees, one still lingers in the mind by its brilliant leafage, an 
ancient Oak, with limbs wonderful in their massiveness, and clothed 
from head to foot with golden leaves, and besides him his fellow, with 
form as massive, but with every leaf and acorn fallen upon the mossy 
surface beneath. In the distant forest glade. Oak after Oak, Beech 
after Beech, luminous and lovely, caught the eye, and stretches of tall 
silvery Birch appeared as a mist to complete the picture. 
We turn with some reluctance from this delightful scene, and cross 
the wide expanse of well-kept lawn to the right and left of the mansion, 
each point being richly studded with fine examples of shrubs and 
deciduous trees of great rarity, and a noble carriage drive brings the 
visitor to the kitchen garden, with its colony of glass houses, in which 
many splendid examples of skilful culture are worthy of description. A 
well constructed span-roofed house, about 60 feet by 25 feet, is entirely 
devoted to the culture of Nepenthes, which bear every indication of 
careful culture, hundreds of well-pitchered plants being suspended from 
the roof, evidently enjoying the humidity of the atmosphere produced 
by the ornamental tank, which extends along the entire length of the 
house. Amongst the most noticeable varieties are Nepenthes Chelsoni, 
N. Findleyana, N. Hookeri, N. Rafifiesiana, N. Mastersiana, N. robusta, 
N. Williams!, N. Sedeni, N. sanguinea, N. Veitchi, N. coccinea, and 
N. hybrida, each heavily laden with robust pitchers. The tank is 
planted with several varieties of Nymphaja, very noticeable being 
Nymphaea odorata and N. dentata, with their lovely sweet-scented 
blossoms floating upon the surface of the waters. An ornamental 
fernery occupies the extreme end of the house, from which a constant 
flow of water is obtainable, and is constantly dripping amongst the 
Ferns. 
From this house we enter a long range of fine structures devoted to 
the famed collections of Orchids. The first division is occupied with 
some well grown Odontoglossums in various sizes. Many of the plants 
were throwing up strong flower spikes, and some fine varieties of Odonto- 
glossum Rossi majus were in flower. A noticeable feature is that the 
side stages are thickly coated with sphagnum, in which the smaller 
plants are plunged. In the next division of this range are the Cattleyas. 
Many of the varieties are now showing their flower stems, and much 
beauty is promised. On the side stages were some highly coloured 
varieties of the beautiful Cattleya aurea and C. Mendeli. It is in this 
house where that magnificent plant of Cattleya alba (Quorn variety) 
which was recently certificated by the R.H.S. is grown, it apparently 
being in the best of health. We are next led into the Dendrobium 
house, in which there are many specimens in a high state of cultivation, 
the varieties being far too numerous to describe in an article of this 
description, but it is worthy of notice that the specimens of Dendrobium 
Wardianum are remarkable for their immense growth,in many instances 
measuring over 5 feet in length, the earliest now showing immense 
numbers of flowers. Other houses are devoted to the culture of Orchids. 
One house contains a large number of Calanthes in fine order, another 
is required for Ccelogyne, Vandas, Masdevallias, Cypripediums, Lrelias, 
Oncidiums, and the beautiful Cypripedium Spicerianum, all flowering 
freely, and some pretty examples of the curious Peristeria elata were in 
flower. 
The vineries and Peach houses are numerous and well-built structures, 
la the late vinciies tuere were hanging many splendid bunches of well- 
finished Gros Colman, Gros Maroc, Lady Downe’s, Black Alicante, and 
Muscat of Alexandria, all admirably finished, and the berries are an 
immense size. Peaches, Tomatoes, Melons, and all the good things 
necessary for the supply of a large establishment are well grown. 
Several useful span-roofed houses are devoted to a general collection of 
finely grown stove, greenhouse, and other plants in great variety. Mr. 
Cooke, the talented gardener and general manager of the entire estate, 
is to be congratulated on the efficient manner in which he has planned 
and carried out the many improvements that are visible on every hand. 
—J. H. Walker. 
TOMATO LADY BIRD. 
As a visitor to the Royal Horticultural Society’s meeting on 
October 18th, 1892, I was much interested in a dish of a Tomato named 
Lady Bird, shown by Mr. W, C. Leach, The Gardens, Albury Park, 
Guildford. To me it appeared an excellent late variety, and justly 
deserved the first-class certificate awarded it. The fruits exhibited 
were handsome in appearance, and were said to possess an excellent 
flavour. I am told, too, that the variety is a very free setter, producing 
heavy crops of fruit under favourable circumstances. No doubt this 
FIG. 3.— tomato, lady bird. 
Tomato will be extensively grown if you brought it to the notice of 
your numerous readers.—W. G. 
[We described this excellent variety in the Journal of Horticulture 
for October 20th as a promising “ Tomato for the million.” We have now 
pleasure in publishing an illustration of it (fig. 3). In Messrs. J. Veitch 
and Sons’ seed catalogue for the current year the raiser describes it as 
“ setting freely and producing large clusters of unique fruit of medium 
size, nearly round, quite smooth, flesh of great depth with very little 
seed, and of deep crimson colour.”] 
CANKER ON FRUIT TREES—IRON IN SOILS. 
Although the data given by Mr. Kruse, on page 661 last week, as 
to his soil, in which there is much canker on fruit trees, are very full, it 
is difficult to express a definite opinion as to the treatment necessary to 
remedy the defects. The analysis he gives must be an old one, for the 
Dr. Voelcker referred to has been dead many years ; and under any 
circumstances it may be a false guide, as no chemist is capable of defining 
what proportion of the several constituents of a soil is soluble and in a 
condition to be assimilated by plants, therefore there may be deficiencies 
not appearing in the analysis; and since the date of this analysis, as 
Mr. Kruse informs us, the soil in question has had regular applications of 
manure (mostly from horse stables), and also yearly applications of 
chloride of sodium, and recently of nitrate of roda. However, on the 
face of the analysis there appears an insufficient supply of soda, potash, 
and phosphoric acid. 
A wide impression prevails that too much of the oxide of iron may 
be the cause of canker, but the proportion in the soil in question is by 
no means large, as some of the most fertile soils of which analyses have 
been published contain more than 10 per cent, of that constituent, 
