ICO 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Angiitt 15, 1887. 
to Messrs. Kelway & Sons, and Bilver Banksians to Messrs. Cannell, Mr. 
Gordon, and Mr. Ware. 
Fruit Committee. —T. F. Rivers, Esq., in the chair. Present:—Messrs. 
Warren, Willard, Lee, Rutland, Norman, Fitt. Bunyard, Pearson, Crowley, 
Burnett, Blackmore, and Dr. Hogg. Mr. Miller, gardener, Rood Ashton, 
Trowbridge, sent a seedling Melon called Rood Ashton Hybrid, raised from 
a cross between Scarlet Premier and Cashmere. It was possessed of very good 
flavour, but it was not better than others already in cultivation. The same 
may be said of another variety without a name shown by Mr. William 
Palmer, The Gardens. Thames Ditton House. Mr. William Taylor, 
Hampton, sent dishes of Early Harvest and Dutch Codlin App'es. 
Messrs. James Yeitch <fc Sons exhibited twelve Plums and Peaches in pots 
well supplied with excellent fruits, and also twenty-seven dishes of various 
fruits, to which a vote of thanks was awarded. 
Floral Committee. —George F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair; also 
present Messrs. Hill, O’Brien, Pollett, Ballantyne, G. Paul, Noble, Walkir, 
Fraser, Wilke, Douglas, Lendy, Baines, Holmes, Hibberd, H. Turner, and 
Dr. Masters. The following plants were certificated:— 
Asplenium scandens (Yeitch).—Fronds upwards of a foot long, borne on 
a long rhizome, deeply cut and very elegant, it will make a fine basket 
Fern. A nativs of Sumatra. 
Cypripedium prtestans (Linden).—A small plant but vigorous ; pos¬ 
sessing somewhat of the character of C. Stonei; top and bottom eepals 
clearly striped or barred with maroon on a light ground; tails spotted, 
droopiDg, 4 to 5 inches long, and twisted. It was introduced from New 
Guinea, and is said to be the first from that region. The small Bpike had 
two flowers and a bud; and with strength there is little doubt that several 
flowers will be borne on a stem. 
Dahlia Miss Gordon (Ware).—Flower round, with smooth overlapping 
florets, brif ht crimson in colour, the lower half clear orange, very bright. 
Gaillardia Admiration (Ware).—Very large, with broad florets, clear 
yellow, with a crimson base. 
Scolopendrium crispum Jlmbriatum (Stansfield).—A strong plant with 
large thick fronds, deeply cut, and beautifully fringed. 
Gladioli. —All the following certificated varieties were exhibited by 
Messrs. Kelway -.—John Dominy. —Flesh tinted and delicately streaked with 
rose, large and smooth. Halle. —Very large, soft scarlet, veined carmine, 
dark throat. Mary Anderson. —Large blooms, of a lovely mauve colour, a 
white stripe on each petal and white throat. Mrs. Edgar Wild. —A massive 
spike of large blooms, French white, heavily flaked with rosy carmine ; and 
Bonavia. —Very large indeed, mauve,freely flaked with darkrose. Elton.— 
Rich scarlet, faintly tinted with maroon. Sullian.—Coppery crimson, 
with a velvety blotch in lower petal, the parentage of Lemoinei being 
apparent in the character of the flowers. Paget.—Large open flower, 
salmon veined with red. Stanley.—Very clear scarlet, white blotch on 
lower petal and dark throat. Frank Miles.—Deep salmon heavily flaked 
with crimson. 
A botanical certificate was awarded to Disa cornuti, exhibited by Mr. 
G. W. Cummins, gardener to A. H Smee, Esq., The Grange, Hackbridge. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON HARDY PLANTS. 
The recent deluge of rain has placed many things in the garden on 
a very different footing to what they were prior to the storm, and much 
work so requisite at this season of the year can now be energetically 
done. For example, any clumps of Lilium candidum that are deterior¬ 
ating in strength, and that appear to need fresh nourishment, should be 
seen to without delay. Consequent upon the excessive and continued 
drought this Lily has been dormant longer than usual this summer ; in 
fact it died off very quickly after flowering. Now that rain has come 
it will quickly commence root-action, and any new plantations which 
are destined to be made should be speedily taken in hand. Like all 
other members of its genus this species cannot endure constant removal, 
so that the deep planting is advised—that is, plant the bulbs 6 or 8 inches 
deep, allowing plenty of room for their increase in deeply worked and 
well-manured ground. 
The nemorosa section of Anemones should be examined. In these 
for convenience I will include trifoliata and Robinsonia. All such as 
these having a rhizomatous root-stock are not calculated to endure the 
periodical drying-off process, so liberally bestowed on such kinds as A. 
fulgens, hortensis, coronaria, and the like, so that all the former should 
receive attention if requisite ; the same remark applies to several species 
of Crocus, which will be soon making fresh roots. 
Chionodoxa Luciliae and C. sardensis are now in splendid form for 
removal. Only the other day I moved a large bed containing many 
hundreds of bulbs. These had occupied one position for three seasons, 
and consequently had made some fine bulbs. Other things in the 
bulbous line are Erythroniums, Scillas, Narcissus, to which the same 
remark applies. Then we have to consider English and Spanish Iris, 
which, while keeping capitally in the beds or borders, seem to soon 
become affected with a dry rot if they are kept out of the ground for 
any length of time. I mention this fact that those about ordering them 
may do so soon, and when they come to hand plant at once, and also to 
warn those who are about lifting old stocks to plant them again as 
speedily as possible.—J. H. E. 
TRANSIT OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS. 
Of late years we have frequently had the best of advice as how 
to pack fruits and flowers, and probably no one has written more 
explicitly in details than Mr. Bardney, and such corresponds well 
with our earliest recollections of our business connections with 
Covent Garden, where packing by the salesmen there has always 
been a speciality. Our latest observations there last season are 
much as they were when we had lessons from Mr. Garcia about 
thirty years ago. However, it is not necessary to criticise methods 
of packing, but to refer to the mischief often done to fruit in 
transit. Extensive growers for market have arrangements with 
railway companies to exercise special care with fruit and flowers, 
and have them met at the railway terminus and conveyed to market 
with safety. With private growers it is generally different, the 
quantities being small, and left in the hands of railway servants. 
When a trans-shipment takes place it is then one sees the rough 
handling which goods undergo, and loose inferior packing is tested 
to the utmost. Baskets and boxes placed endwise or upside down 
is common enough, to say nothing of the jolting to goods when 
thrown from the goods vans. 
Years ago, when we competed somewhat extensively, we often 
had our patience severely tried by the rough-and-ready transit »f 
produce, which induced us to adopt means which in a great measure 
prevented coaise handling of the parcels—simply tying three or 
four boxes on the top of each other. The largest is at the bottom, 
and each is narrower and shorter as the pile is formed upwards, 
which effectually prevents the placing of it on either ends, sides, 
or tops, but on the bottom only, and the parcel cannot be with 
impunity thrown about carelessly. 
Having to send large quantities comparatively of fruits, flowers, 
and vegetables long distances by rail, and sometimes by water, as 
well as overland transit by horse conveyances, we have to use the 
best means under our control to insure safety. From Edinburgh, 
Glasgow, or any station where there is through carriage to London, 
matters invariably go well, but when they first go by cart, then by a 
j unction line of rails, then changing, perhaps to the Highlands, Ireland, 
or crossing to the Continent (as is sometimes the case) it is then 
that extreme care in packing is called into requisition. The usual 
notices in red ink of “ This side up,” “ Care,” &c., are of no 
avail when goods are moved and replaced by men under high 
pressure for time. We have seen the various boxes of produce 
placed securely in one large square hamper, and a peep into the 
van showed that it was placed in the most convenient manner io 
monopolise as little space as possible by being stood on its end. 
We notice that undue wetting of flowers is often practised, to 
the destruction of many of them, and market people fall frequently 
into this error as well as others. Instead of drenching the flowers, 
we have found that when they are in a close airtight box, it is 
enough to moisten slightly the green leaves, which are placed 
generally under the flowers in a compact layer, and enough is 
emitted to keep the flowers fresh. Sending by night train to 
London or other long distances is a judicious practice. — 
A Scot. 
INDIAN EXPERIENCES. 
(Continued from page S9.~) 
Before entering upon my remarks on the Neilgherry Hills proper,- 
I may be permitted to say a few werds on a famous valley, which, if not 
forming part of the plateau of the Neilgherry range, is situated at the 
foot of its north-western slopes and within its jurisdiction. The Coffee 
tree has been cultivated in this valley since the year 1842, and has 
always had a wide-spread reputation of being by far the finest Coffee- 
producing district of southern India. This tract is called the “ Auch- 
terlony ” Valley, from the fact that in 1842 the late Mr. James 
Auchterlony, then a member of the Madras Civil Service, obtained from 
the Rajah of Nellumboor (who was at that time in possession of a vast 
extent of country lying at the base of the west and north-western slopes 
of the Neilgherries) some forty square miles of this valley, portions of 
which he subsequently resold for the purpose of Coffee planting, the 
remainder being cultivated by himself. The history of Coffee planting 
in this wonderful and delightful valley of South India, from the year 
1842 to the present time is, I venture to think, a deeply interesting one, 
as illustrating the sad fact of how tracts of magnificent and fertile 
virgin land may be permanently ruined from the combined influences of 
mismanagement, want of knowledge of the first principles of agri¬ 
culture, and the thirst for immediate gain. 
As stated above the valley lies at the foot of the north-western 
slopes of the Neilgherry Mountains, and is surrounded on two sides by 
precipitous hornblendic gneiss rocks, the detrition of which in the course 
of ages has formed in the valley below a soil of wonderful depth and 
richness. The elevation above the sea of this valley ranges from about 
3500 feet to 4250 feet. The climate is therefore much more cool and 
agreeable than that of the neighbouring district of Wynaad. The rain¬ 
fall, too, is very moderate, not exceeding perhaps an average of 75 inches 
per annum. With all these advantages therefore it is not surprising to 
find that the yield of Coffee for some years after the purchase of the 
tract by Mr. Auchterlony frequently reached the enormous figure of 
20 cwts. per acre, and this without manuring or any cultivation save the 
keeping of the plantations as clear of weeds as possible, and pruning in 
a variety of ways according to the caprice of the various superintendenta 
Some 4000 acres of the valley are at the present time under cultivation 
of Coffee in the hands of the Auchterlony family, wh le other largt 
areas are cultivated by others who had the good fortune to obtain land 
