August 25, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
163 
T. Cumming, Esq., Mr. J. James, High Street, and Messrs. W. Clibran 
and Son, Altrincham and Manchester. In addition to prizes given for 
horticultural subjects, a few good prizes were also given for honey, 
extracted and in supers, a practice which, if continued, will awaken an 
interest in the remunerative study of bees.” 
- Sutton’s Earliest of All Tomato.— “ W. K. W.” writes :— 
“ This valuable new variety is in my opinion more remarkable for its 
productiveness than for its unquestionable earliness. As a heavy 
cropper I hive never grown one to equal it. Sown on the same date and 
treated in all respects exactly the same as Dedham Favourite it ripened 
fruit a week earlier ; but what is to me of more importance is that each 
plant is bearing at the least three times the weight of fruit as are the 
plants of that variety. The fruit is large and of a very bright colour, 
somewhat irregular in shape, and corrugated. For amateur cultivation 
and for market growers it is, I believe, unsurpassed, if equalled, by any 
variety cultivated.” 
- The same correspondent directs attention to the usefulness of 
Tuberous Begonias for Amateurs, observing—“ At each of the 
flower shows I have this season had an opportunity of visiting (and 
they have been numerous), I have been struck with the fine examples 
of these plants shown by amateur growers ; healthy well grown plants 
with good foliage and fine flowers have been the rule. Small groups of 
plants arranged for effect are now very popular at most shows, and no 
class of plants seems to surpass these (especially those with deep and 
bright colours) for brightening and giving effect to these small groups 
for amateur and small growers, and with whom Orchids are as a rule 
unattainable.” 
-“A Yorkshire Gardener” refers to the Potato Crop as 
follows :—“ In spite of the long-continued drought we have experienced 
the Potato crop, in so far as the Ashleaf and other early kinds goes, is 
this season with us exceptionally fine both in quantity and in quality 
of produce. The later, or main crop varieties, are looking exceedingly 
well, and I believe there is little doubt the crop will be heavy and good, 
unless heavy rains set in before they are matured. Evidently the 
Potato does much best in a comparatively dry summer, and will bear a 
great amount of long-continued dry weather with impunity, provid ed 
that the subsoil is of a moisture-holding character ; where it is of a 
gravelly character the Potatoes are this year small and more or less 
scabbed.” 
- Referring to the Apple Crop, the same writer remarks 
“ During the past week I have had opportunities for making observation 
amongst the best fruit-growing districts in the West Riding of York, 
shire, and have been astonished at the heavily laden trees which have 
come under my notice, especially those of the Codlin varieties. The 
fruit will be smaller than usual, as the trees are in most cases badly 
infested with red spider. There is also great complaint of the fruit 
being ■' grub eaten; ’ but notwithstanding these drawbacks, I believe 
the crop will, upon the whole, be a fairly good one.” 
- The annual Exhibition of the Cheadle Horticultural 
Society was opened on the 19th inst. under most favourable circum¬ 
stances, the general display being considered by those qualified to judge 
one of the best held in the provinces. The prizes, which ranged from 
£15 to Is , were mostly well contested, the chief being that for fifteen 
stove and greenhouse plants. This was well won by Mr. R. Mackeller, 
gardener to J. Watts, Esq., Cheadle, with specimens denoting superior 
cultivation. The groups were a conspicuous feature, being circular in 
outline, and in sufficient numbers to fill the centre of a long tent. The 
majority were, however, too formally arranged, a notable exception 
being the one from Mr. Williams, gardener to S.Baerlien, Esq., Didsbury, 
to whom the first prize was most deservedly awarded. In cut flowers 
special mention should be made of the epergne shown by J. Heine, Esq. ; 
Fallowfield, whose exhibit was highly meritorious. Miscellaneous 
plants, fruit and vegetables, were shown in large numbers and excellent 
condition. The arrangements of the Show left nothing to be desired ( 
thanks to the exertions of a good working Committee and the energy 
and enthusiasm of the popular Secretary, Mr. Stone. 
THE FRUIT SUPPLY AND PACKING. 
A contributor to the Daily News, in preparing an account of the 
fruit of the season and its condition as affected by packing, appears to 
have availed himself of the resources of Covent Garden Market for 
information—an excellent “' source of supply,” and some of his remarks 
are interesting and suggestive, therefore we reproduce them as fol¬ 
lows :— 
It is possible now to arrive at an approximate estimate of the year’s 
fruit, and on the whole it seems to have been fairly satisfactory all 
round, or nearly so, and there is good reason to expect that it will con¬ 
tinue so to the end. There is, as usual, great diversity of testimony 
upon the subject amongst those who may be supposed to know the 
market well. The Cherry crop, for instance, the last of which is now 
coming in, is by some declared to have been a good average crop ; by 
others it is pronounced to have been a quarter of a crop at the utmost. 
These are usually sold by the growers as they hang on the trees, and are 
picked by the buyers. It seems generally admitted that crops have not 
been heavy, but they have come to market in excellent condition. In 
the early stages of growth rain is necessary for Cherries, but when they 
have done then- stoning they get along very well apparently in a dry, 
hot summer. It is better for them than showery weather, which no 
doubt tends to plim them out, but is also very apt to crack them and to 
send them to market in a wet and unsatisfactory condition. 
This matter of condition, by the way, is a more important one than 
many growers appear to understand. Those who go thoroughly into the 
trade of course soon get this impressed upon them ; but there are many 
amateurs and small growers who send up fruit to agents at Covent 
Garden, and who do not realise how much depends on condition in these 
days of keen competition. A gentleman’s gardener has a crop of 
Peaches, for instance, which he wishes to dispose of in the market. 
They are first-rate fruit, and the grower thinks they ought to fetch the 
top price. But he gathers them for market just as he would for his 
master’s table—that is, just when they are in the perfection of ripeness. 
He makes no allowance for the time that must elapse before they can 
reach the consumer, nor does he consider the great liability to damage 
incurred by fully ripe fruit in transit. The Peaches come to market 
carelessly packed and a little over-ripe, and perhaps a few of them 
bruised, and then, when they realise something considerably below the 
top price, there is great dissatisfaction. This is a common difficulty 
with all sorts of amateurs who send fruit to market. They fail to appre¬ 
hend that condition, as well as quality, is one of the items that go to 
determine price on the market. 
Generally speaking, this year fruit has come into Covent Garden in 
exceptionally good condition, and, judging by the tone of opinion in 
Covent Garden, dealers and growers have not much fault to find with 
the season. The chief drawback has been the rapidity with which fruit 
has ripened, and the consequent glut of the market with too many kinds 
at once. The trade, of course, likes to get crops in a regular succession, 
one fruit being cleared off before another comes on. This year, how¬ 
ever, all the “ soft ” fruit has come in in a rush, and prices have conse¬ 
quently been lower than they otherwise would have been. But nobody 
seems to be grumbling much, and it is reasonable to assume therefore 
that the season on the whole has been fairly good. The Strawberry 
crop is allowed to have been a good one while it lasted, and for small 
growers who could water their beds it must have been a satisfactory 
year. With abundance of sunshine Strawberries ought always to do 
well in the small garden, because it is always easy to give them the 
moisture they require. By large growers this could only be done by 
some system of irrigation which would not be required most years, and 
which it would not pay to adopt for such exceptional seasons as that of 
the present year. The failure of rain this summer brought the Straw¬ 
berry cropping to a sudden collapse when the first fresh vigour of the 
plants came to an end. The fruit was very abundant for a time, but it 
dropped off a fortnight or three weeks earlier than it would have done 
with an average rainfall. It is described in the market as half a crop 
this year, and of Raspberries about the same is said. Of course_ it pays 
better to have half a crop at a good price than a great glut which will 
fetch next to nothing at all. One grower is mentioned as having sold 
40 tons of Strawberries which he anticipated being able to supply from 
his own beds, but he did not find 20 tons. Black Currants are spoken of 
as about a third of a crop, but in many parts they have been a total 
failure. Red Currants have been generally abundant, Gooseberries only 
about half a crop on the whole, though in some localities the fruit has 
been very plentiful. 
Apples seem to be a very variable crop this year. In many parts of 
the suburbs of London Apple trees appear to be in danger of extinction 
from a pest of caterpillars which attack the leaves as soon as they are 
well developed and devour every scrap of them. When they have fairly 
stripped the tree of every atom of foliage they retire into snug corners, 
where they assume the cocoon state, and after awhile emerge in the form 
of a little silvery white moth, to lay myriads of eggs for next spring. 
Thousands of Apple trees, especially round London, have been subject to 
this pest for several seasons past. The trees throw out a second crop of 
leaves, but of course they are weakened, and the following spring they 
fail to bloom. An Apple tree in fine full bloom is becoming a rarity in 
some quarters of suburban London. It may be useful to amateurs to 
point out that an effectual remedy is found in a sprinkling of paraffin 
oil. If a couple of wineglasses of oil be put in a pail of water and the 
tree be well syringed just where the caterpillars are beginning their 
havoc it will destroy most of them, and one or two repetitions at intervals 
of two or three days will quite clear off the pest. The oil and water 
must be kept mixed up by brisk syringing into the pail. We are informed 
by Mr. Foord of Covent Garden that this mixing may be accomplished 
| more effectually by well combining the paraffin with a quantity of 
