148 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ Augttst 18, 1892. 
- Catalpa bignonioides.— One cannot help noticing that this 
fine deciduous tree is being planted largely for effect in large borders 
and as specimens on lawns. The tree naturally assumes a good shape 
and attracts notice by means of its large heart-shaped leaves, but those 
who have not seen a good specimen in full flower at this time of the 
year have missed a fine sight. A large tree near the succulent house at 
Kew is flowering finely, and I noticed a good specimen the other day 
in full flower overhanging the main road near Staines Bridge. The 
flowers are white, speckled with purple, and streaked with yellow, borne 
on terminal branching panicles. C. bignonioides was introduced in 
1726, and is a native of the banks of the Ohio and Mississippi, where it 
grows to a height of 40 feet.—C. K. 
- Sixty Tons of Grapes from Hampton Court. — Under 
this sensational heading a daily contemporary says :—“ There will be 
1500 bunches of Grapes to cut from the great Vine at Hampton Court 
this year. The Vine is precisely the same age as the Royal Academy, 
124 years, and while modern art as typified by this institution has 
grown and flourished, the Vine has been bearing more and more until 
by the end of the present century—if no mishap occurs—it will have 
borne nearly 200,000 bunches, or at least 60 tons during its career. 
Only a few bunches are in condition at present, but before the end of 
the month supplies will be sent daily for the use of Her Majesty, who 
with the assistance of the Royal household uses the greater proportion 
of the total yield. On one or two occasions, however, the Queen has 
commanded that supplies should be sent to one or two hospitals, strictly 
for the use of the patients.” 
- Wychbold Flower Show.—A horticultural Show was held 
in the grounds of Wychbold Hall on Saturday afternoon in connection 
with the village Club. The exhibits were of excellent quality, and 
included honorary displays by Mr. Parker, gardener to John Corbett, 
Esq., of Impney, and Mr. R. Holmden Amphlett of Wychbold Hall. 
The following were the principal prizewinners :—Messrs. J. Jones, 
G. Honeybourne, W. Workman, J. Smith, T. Smith, F. Wattis, J. 
Farmer, T. Sproston, C. Cuff, W. Smith, J. Wattis, C. Stevens, J. 
Goddard, W. Pinches, and Mrs. Workman. The following prizes were 
awarded for the neatest and be3t cultivated allotments and cottage 
gardens :—Sir H. F. Vernon’s allotments—1, C. Stevens ; 2, W. Smith. 
3, H. Smith. Mr. R. H. Amphlett’s allotments—1, C. Stevens ; 2, T. 
Sproston; 3, W. Bennett. Wychbold Cottage Gardens—1, G. Honey- 
bourne ; 2, J. Farmer ; 3, S. Sproston. Mrs. Amphlett gave away the 
prizes in the evening. 
- Ripeness in Melons. —A great deal more attention might 
well be bestowed on the indications of ripeness in Melons than appears 
now to be given, judging by the condition of much of the fruit that is 
exhibited. So much of it is either under or over-ripe that the questions 
arise, Are gardeners unable to estimate the ripeness of Melons, or are 
they counting on similar ignorance on the part of the judges ? At a 
recent Show three fruits were tasted, two of which were over-ripe, one 
so much so as to be, in my opinion, positively dangerous to eat. A 
portion of the mouthful taken slipped down my throat unexpectedly ; 
it was fortunate that the greater part did not follow it, but wm 
promptly expelled, for the after effects were not pleasant. To hav« 
partaken freely of fruit in such a condition would probably have led 
to evil results, and it cannot be urged too strongly upon gardeners 
that the utmost care should be taken in sending fruit to table at this 
period of the year.—E. H. M. 
- Features of Morocco. — In one of his despatches Sir 
C. Euan-Smith gives the following interesting particulars of the 
features of the country through which the mission passed :—The 
country which we passed through was, without exception, beautiful 
and fertile; it exhibited a great want of population, towns, and villages, 
though the plains in every direction were dotted here and there with 
tents and huts containing ten or twelve human beings. The main 
characteristics of the country were the entire absence of trees and the 
great quantity of water ; in every direction, and at short intervening 
distances, we met with streams of considerable size. We marched for 
days together over vast plains, surrounded on every side by hilly ranges, 
and covered as far as the eye could see in every direction with fields of 
waving and rapidly ripening grain. No one contemplating the immense 
area of land under cultivation could entertain any doubt as to the 
possibility of Morocco becoming the granary of Europe. I am informed, 
ndeed, that in many districts the harvest of this year has been so 
universally plentiful that labour is altogether wanting to gather it im 
nd that much of the grain will have to remain rotting in the ground. 
- Lithospermum prostratum.— Like “ D., Beall page 97, I 
had for a couple of years some difficulty in establishing this Alpine 
shrub in a satisfactory manner, but I have now overcome all obstacles, 
and am yearly rewarded with a lovely patch of brilliant blue flowers 
almost rivalling the Gentians close by. Our clump is growing on the 
bottom ledge of a rockery about 1 foot high ; the roots run between 
this and a high upright stone at the back of the clump, which is 
favourable to moisture. I find this plant requires abundance, indeed 
during a spell of hot dry weather our plant receives copious supplies 
every week ; were it not so the leaves and young shoots would soon 
exhibit a drooping appearance. The position is quite open to the 
midday sun, but cooler in the morning and evening. Peat only is what 
the plant is growing in. Being rather straggly I layered all the 
branches, using rough lumps of peat only, the result being a compact 
mass of short growths which are annually smothered with the charming 
blue flowers so much appreciated. To two things I attribute my 
success—the use of peat only for the roots to ramble in, and abundance 
of moisture at the roots.—E. M. 
- Royal Botanic Society of London. — The fifty-third 
anniversary meeting of this Society was held on the 11th inst., Mr, 
George W. Bell in the chair. In presenting the reports of the Council 
and Auditors for 1892, the Chairman congratulated the Fellows upon 
the very satisfactory condition of the Society as compared with last 
year, both from a financial point of view and as a Society whose objects 
are the study of botany and horticulture, and the advancement of the 
arts and pursuits connected with it. The receipts show an increase of 
more than £300 over those of last year, a particularly gratifying result 
when the very unfavourable season is taken into consideration. The 
gloom that fell upon society in London at the beginning of the year in 
the peculiarly sad death of the Duke of Clarence was doubly felt by the 
Society, whose connection with the Royal Family has been both long 
and close. The various exhibitions and fetes were successfully carried 
out and large attendances recorded, while the quality of the exhibits 
shown has been m every case above the average, and bears witness in a 
striking manner to the advance in the art and science of horticulture as 
evinced in the last few years. Among the more purely scientific work 
of the Society may be mentioned the botanical lectures given by 
eminent scientific men to all visitors to the Gardens during the summer 
months ; also the facilities offered to students and others engaged in the 
study of botany or medicine, to whom nearly 700 free orders of ad¬ 
mission have been granted for from one to three months each, as well as 
many thousands of illustrative plant specimens. The meeting closed 
with a unanimous vote of thanks to the Chairman and executive 
officers. The Duke of Teck was re-elected President and Mr. H. L, 
Antrobus Treasurer. Among the donations on the table were some fine 
Apples from Mr. S. W. Silver’s estate in New Zealand. 
- Eastwell Park. —A sale has been arranged by Messrs. J. A. 
Lumley & Co., of 35, St. James’s Street, on behalf of the Earl of 
Wincliilsea and Nottingham, of the celebrated Eastwell Park Estate, in 
the county of Kent. The purchaser is Lord Gerard of Garswood, Newton- 
le-Willows, Lancashire, and the price given is close upon a quarter 
of a million pounds. Eastwell Park was for many years the residence 
of the Duke of Edinburgh, and previously was occupied by the Duke 
of Abercorn. The estate comprises 6000 acres, and the park is one of 
the largest in the kingdom, exhibiting in its vast extent of surface every 
variety of scenery. Its noble avenues and forest-like masses of magnifi¬ 
cent timber, tenanted by herds of deer, have a very imposing appearance. 
Eastwell, at the time of the Domesday, formed part of the possessions of 
Hugo de Montfort, who accompanied the Conqueror from Normandy. 
His grandson Robert, favouring the title of Carthose, in opposition to 
Henry I., rather than be called in question for it, voluntarily exiled 
himself and gave up his possessions to the Crown. It afterwards came 
into possession of the eminent family of Carrol, from which it passed to 
Thomas de Poynings, and from this name by a female heir in the reign 
of Edward YI. to the Earls of Northumberland. In the reign of 
Henry VIII. it was purchased by Sir Christopher Hales, whose three 
daughters sold it to Sir Thomas Moyle, who rebuilt the mansion and 
died in 1560. His daughter Catharine carried it as a marriage settle¬ 
ment to Thomas Finch, afterwards Sir Thomas Finch. To Sir Thomas 
succeeded his son Sir Moyle Finch, whose widow, Lady Elizabeth, was 
in 1623 created Viscountess Maidstone, and in 1628 Countess of Win- 
chilsea. She died in 1633. The present Earl of Winchilsea and 
Nottingham is a descendant of this illustrious lady. There is a 
tradition that Richard Plantagenet, a natural son of Richard III., 
after the battle of Bosworth, fled to Eastwell, and lived there in 
