458 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 24, 1892. 
- Apples in Belgium.—A ccording to the Illustration Uorticole 
special trains laden with Apples, mostly destined for the English market, 
have been dispatched from Tongres and St. Trond. 
- Importation of Apples. —The United States and Canada 
have, says a reliable salesman of Covent Garden Market, already 
despatched 400,000 barrels of Apples to Liverpool and London this 
season. 
- Gardening Appointment.—A fter eleven and a half years’ 
service with Mrs. Jerome, Holland House, Sutton Coldfield, as head 
gardener, Mr. J. E. Pears has left to be gardener to J. D. Rippingille, 
Esq., Elsinore, Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield. 
-A Californian Fig Orchard. —California claims to possess 
the largest Fig orchard in the world. It is said to occupy 460 acres of 
land, and the crops derived from the trees are simply enormous. An 
American contemporary states that 2160 lbs. of Figs were obtained 
from twelve trees in one season. 
- Flowers from the Scilly Islands. — It is stated that 
“ The latest information from the Scilly Islands is that the flower 
traffic has aready commenced in earnest, and that extensive consign¬ 
ments of Marguerites and Chrysanthemums are being despatched. The 
numerous crops of Narcissi are looking remarkably healthy, and there 
is but little doubt there will be blooms in the market by, if not before, 
Christmas.” 
- Bananas in England. —According to the opinion of Mr. White 
of Covent Garden, Bananas are gradually becoming a popular fruit in 
this country. Still, the English in this respect are far behind the 
Americans, whose partiality for the Banana is such that in August alone 
they imported more than one million and a quarter bunches. We get 
our Bananas from the Canary Islands and Madeira, but it is said that 
very soon we shall have them from Sierra Leone. 
- Good Vegetables.—W e have received from Mr. S. Windsor 
The Gardens, Coed Helen, Carnarvon, some excellent samples of 
vegetables. The Leek sent was particularly fine, the total height of 
the plant being 4 feet, girth of blanched portion 7 inches, and the 
length of same 8 inches. Brussels Sprouts were also good, the stalk of 
“ Aigburth ” being one of the finest we have seen ; “ Bullet ” was not so 
Mg> but well covered with fine firm sprouts. The Beet, Dickson’s 
Reliance, was of excellent shape and colour. An Apple sent is probably 
a locaj needling. 
Californian Pears. —240 tons of fruit have been sent to 
England this season from California, says an American contemporary 
Of this large amount two-thirds were Pears. The fruit colours finely 
during the long voyage, and is in best condition for selling when it 
arrives. No other fruit excepting the Apple and the Orange bears such 
long transportation so well as the Pear. The flavour of Californian fruit 
has improved of late years, the growers having learned that too much 
water for the trees while the fruit is growing increases its size, but 
impairs its quality. 
- Florida Oranges. — With reference to the paragraph on 
Florida Oranges in the Journal last week, a gentleman of Mandarin, 
Florida, writes : “ We have been sending our Oranges to England for 
some years past; but they have been sent in the ordinary Atlantic 
liners—swift, but not fitted for carrying quantities of fruit. The 
shipment referred to by you is a new scheme. A special fruit steamer 
has been chartered by a capitalist interested in Florida, and, as you 
mentioned, sails direct from Fernandina, Florida, to England, thus 
saving the disastrous reshipment in New York. Last year we did not 
receive remunerative returns from the Oranges sent to England, chiefly 
owing to high freights and rotting of the fruit in transit. The new direct 
^Apment is intended to avoid both.” 
- The Wolverhampton Horticultural Society. —A report 
of the Exhibition in July last appeared in our columns, and we then 
stated that with the fine weather success was assured. This was so, for 
a profit of £310 on the Exhibition was added to the Society’s funds. 
It has now been decided to appropriate £74 for the purpose of assisting 
in providing a band during the summer in the Public Park, and £1000 
has been voted for the purpose of building a large conservatory in the 
Park, and this is in addition to benefits already received by the Park 
Committee from the surplus funds of the Floral Fete. A sum of £200 
remains to the credit of the Horticultural Society, in addition to their 
reserve fund, so that for a Society only in existence four years, a great 
success has been achieved. A three-days Exhibition has been decided 
upon for July, 1893. 
- The Loquat in India.—T he Calcutta Englishman says:— 
“ The N.-W. P. Government is obtaining a consignment of grafts and 
seeds of the Maltese Loquat for experimental cultivation in India. 
The cultivation will be tried at the Saharanpur and Lucknow Govern¬ 
ment gardens.” 
- Non-Syringing and Mealy Bug. —Two sentences in my 
letter on page 434 last week are a little ambiguous. They should read, 
“ I do not think one could imagine a house more unlikely to be 
cleaned ; and the Vines were not scraped except about the spurs.” The 
two “ not’s ” were omitted from those sentences.—R. R., Belfast. 
- Horticultural Congress at Chicago. —An horticultural 
Congress will, it is stated, be held at Chicago on August 16th and 
three days following, next year. The Society of American Florists, the 
American Seed Trade Association, and the American Pomological 
Society will hold their meetings in the same city during that month. 
- Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —A successful concert was given 
in the Vestry Hall, Chiswick, recently, in aid of the Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund. An excellent programme was provided, and the hall was filled 
with local horticulturists, gardeners, and others desirous of supporting 
this charitable Institution. A sum of over £20 has been realised 
through this concert for the fund. 
- Tulips at the World’s Fair.—T he Tulip bed in front of 
the horticultural building at the World’s Fair, Chicago, will cover a 
large space, being cut out in the turf, and will make a gorgeous show 
of colour in the early spring. The leading colours will be used in 
masses, always preferable to a mixed border. The bulb borders will be 
the attraction shortly before the great Pansy display. 
- Diseases of Plants and Fruit Trees. — Under the auspices 
of the Technical Education Committee of the Kent County Council, 
Mr, W. B. Bottomley, has been giving, and is now continuing, a course 
of weekly lectures on “ Diseases of Plants and Fruit Trees,” at 
Speldhurst. Mr. Bottomley not only endeavours to enlighten his 
listeners as to facts upon which they are, if not entirely ignorant, at 
least somewhat dubious, but by encouraging them to ask questions 
and relate their own experiences, he seeks to give them information. 
- The National Flower of America. —The Americans are 
yet undecided as to what shall be their national flower. “ Half a 
century ago,” says “ Meehan’s Monthly,” “ intelligent people were 
anxious that there should be some national flower, and Kalmia latifolia 
was generally named in that connection. The Golden Rod has been 
suggested, but there are many plants known by that designation in 
America, and it appears that no one can determine as to which species 
should be chosen.” 
- Examinations in Horticulture.—I n connection with the 
proposed examination by the Royal Horticultural Society of gardeners 
and students who may wish to sit for examination in different centres, 
we are desired to say that application for particulars from all persons 
who are not Fellows of the Society must be accompanied by stamped 
and directed envelopes if replies are expected. Neither societies nor 
individuals from whom information is sought by strangers ought to 
be subjected to a tax in conveying it, or to the charge of a want of 
courtesy if replies are not sent. Particulars of the scheme in question 
can be obtained on the terms suggested from the Secretary, Royal 
Horticultural Society, 117, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W. 
- Large Trees. —The opening meeting of the winter session of 
the Edinburgh Botanical Society was held on November 10th. The 
President (Dr. Christison) in his address, gave a resume of observations 
on the size and rate of growth of trees taken by his late father, Sir R. 
Christison. In mentioning some of the principal British Oaks, he said 
he believed the Newland Oak in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire) 
was entitled to the honour of being called the King of British Oaks. 
The Oak in Scotland rarely reached the size and vigorous look so 
commonly met with in English specimens. The largest was in Lanark¬ 
shire, which was 23 feet in girth at the narrowest part. The Beech at 
Newbattle Abbey was perhaps the grandest tree in Great Britain. Its 
girth at the ground was 43 feet, and 18 feet 2 inches at 8J feet from the 
ground, and the circumference of its foliage 400 feet. It was still quite 
healthy and gave off dense foliage. Notwithstanding the great diffusion 
of the Beech over the country, none remained which had attained the 
giant size of 20 feet in girth at 5 feet from the ground. There were 
no gigantic Scotch Firs remaining now, the largest he had been able 
to hear of being about 13 to 14 feet in girth. There was no Ash, either, 
in Scotland that girthed 20 feet at 5 feet up the stem. 
