148 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I Augu t 1C, '888 
Mr. H. Oxley occupied the vice chair. Owing probably to the unfavour¬ 
able weather, and to the fact that it was the Walton Flower Show, there 
was scarcely an average attendance of the members. Mr. J. Carter, 
nurseryman, of Cowick, near Snaith, and formerly gardener at Outwood 
Hall and Portobello House, near Wakefield, read an interesting and 
thoroughly practical paper on the growth of the Melon. He minutely 
detailed the mode to be adopted from the sowing of the seed to the 
fruiting period of the Melon, in order to cultivate it successfully in 
houses and frames. He also mentioned the best varieties, and gave 
much valuable advice and many useful hints. As the essayist had to 
return home by train shortly after nine o’clock there was not time for 
much discussion, but a few questions were put by Mr. Garnett and Mr. 
Oxley, and these were answered by the reader of the paper. On the 
motion of Mr. Garnett, seconded by Mr. Pye, Postmaster, a very hearty 
vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Carter, who is one of the oldest 
members of the Society, for his valuable paper. Several new members 
were ballotted for, and after they had been duly elected, Mr. G. W. 
Fallas, one of the Honorary Secretaries, made a report with regard to the 
annual Window Garden Show promoted by the Society and held on the 
previous Saturday, from which it seemed that the entries were con¬ 
siderably larger than in any previous year, and, despite the bad weather, 
the Show attracted a numerous attendance of the public. Hearty votes 
of thanks were given to the officers of the Ride Volunteers for the use 
of the Drill Shed, to the Mechanics’ Institution for the use of their 
fountain, to the various ladies and gentlemen who exhibited plants and 
flowers not for competition, to those who had lent tables, stands, flags, 
aud banners, &c., to the decorators, and to Messrs. Fallas and Garnett, 
the Honorary Secretaries, for their indefatigable efforts. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
August 14th. 
The meeting of Fruit and Floral Committees at the Drill Hall, 
Westminster on Tuesday last was not well attended either by exhibitors 
or visitors, but the fine weather and the holiday season may account for 
their absence to some extent. 
Fruit Committee.— Present: T. Francis Rivers, Esq., in the chair, 
and Messrs. W. Warren, R. D. Blackmore, G. W. Cummins, Jos. Cheal, 
John Lee, W. Marshall, A. H. Pearson, James Smith, and J. Wright. 
Mr. J. Southam, Orland, Southampton, a few years ago sent specimens 
of a seedling Apple, of which grafts were requested to be sent to Chis¬ 
wick ; this having been done they were established, and fruits now exhi¬ 
bited from the trees proved to be either identical with or slightly 
inferior to those of the Red Astrachan, brought for comparison from the 
Society’s gardens. Mr. T. Banyard, Poplar Hill, Cambridge, sent a dish 
also bearing haulm of a dwarf Pea, with very large pods but too old. 
11 was considered worthy of being grown at Chiswick, to be examined 
there in due season. Mr. J. Chambers, Westlake Nursery,' Chiswick, 
sent fine and highly coloured Royal George Peaches, for which a cultural 
commendation was unanimously awarded. Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons sent 
a dish also bearing branches of Fay’s Red Currant, an American variety, 
but very similar to the Red Cherry. Although the fruits were large, 
and a dish would show to ladvantage on the exhibition table, it was 
deemed inadvisable to grant any award that might induce persons to 
plant trees extensively for producing fruit for market. Mr. W. Roupell, 
Harvey Lodge, S.W., sent dessert Apples Mr. Gladstone, Red Juneating 
and Early Harvest, all ripe and good, the first named especially so, and 
further, the fruits from trees to which soot and lime had been applied 
were decidedly the more highly coloured. Messrs. W. Lovel A Son, 
Driffield, sent a dish of the true Filbert Pine Strawberry, one of the best 
late varieties, for which a vote of thauks was awarded. Two Melons 
were sent for examination, but they were not superior to existing 
varieties. 
Messrs. Jame3 Veitch & Sons exhibited-'a remarkable collection of 
Gooseberries, comprising a hundred dishes of the leading varieties, also 
cordon and pyramid Gooseberry trees in pots laden with fruit. A silver 
Banksian medal was recommended. Votes of thanks were accorded to 
Mr. J. Walker, Thame, for a collection of Gooseberries, Currants, and 
other fruits ; also to Messrs. Paul A Son, Cneshuut, for several good 
dishes of Gooseberries. 
White Transparent and White Astrachan Apples were exhibited 
from Chiswick, the former having been received from Russia some years 
ago, and though bearing some resemblance to the White Astrachan is 
larger and of better quality, the flesh being very juicy, tender, and 
sweet. Plums, Early Prolific and St. Etienne, also came from the 
Society’s gardens, the former well known and good, the latter a greenish 
yellow companion, rather larger, and the tree an abundant'"’ bearer. 
Some Figs were also shown, Bourjasotte Grise being the richest in flavour. 
Mr. D. Tallerman, of the Leadenliam Market Cold Storage Company, 
attended the meeting, and addressed the Committee on the°preservation 
of fruit. He stated that Strawberries had kept fresh and good in the 
cold chamber for a month, and Cherries placed in when wet a week ago 
were now dry and sound. Mr. Barron had inspected them, and was 
satisfied with the result. Mr. Tallerman thought further action should 
be taken under the advice and inspection of a committee, which he 
would be willing to join, and give all facilities he could in conducting 
further experiments. 
A Committee, consisting of Dr. Hogg, Messrs. John Lee, T. Francis 
Rivers, H. J. Veitch, J. Wright, J. Smith, J. Cheal, D. Tallerman, with 
Mr. A. Barron as Secretary, was appointed, and a vote of thanks con¬ 
veyed to Mr. Tallerman for attending the meeting. 
Floral Committee. —Present, G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the 
chair, and Messrs. W. Wilks. J. Fraser, J. Walker, H. Hertst, W. Gold¬ 
ring, W. Holmes, C. Pilcher, H. Ballantine, J. Dominy, J. O’Brien, E. 
Hill, G. Paul, C. Noble, and Dr. M. T. Masters. 
From the Royal Gardens, Kew, came flowers of Pereskia Bleo, large 
and soft pink, are of the best of the family ; Mucuna imbricata, an 
East Indian climbing plant, with large Pea-shaped, dark, almost black, 
flowers ; the graceful and charming Littonia modesta, bright orange, 
with narrow cirrhose leaves ; and Eueomis bicolor, pale green, edged 
purple, and purple stamens. G. F. Wilson, Esq., Weybridge, sent a 
white flowered variety of Maurandya. raised from seed sent from the 
Sandwich Islands by Mr. Scott B. Wilson. The plant was exactly 
Ihi same habit as the ordinary M. Barclayana, but the flowers 
pure white. The pretty little dwarf Stenogaster concinna, Lilium 
superbum varieties, L. longiflorum, and some pretty Gentians came from 
the same garden. M. S. Cooke, Esq., Coombe Bury Cottage, Kingston 
Hi 1 (gardener, Mr. Cullimore), was awarded a vote of thanks for 
Lmlia elegans, with two racemes of four and eight flowers each. G. C. 
Raphael, Esq., Castle Hill, Englefield Green, Staines (gardener, Mr. W. 
Swan), was accorded a vote of thanks for Oncidium splendidum, a pale 
form of the O. tigrinum type, Cypripedium concolor Regnieri, and C. 
unicolor of a pale yellow tint, and spotless. Mr. Cowley, gardener to 
F. G. Tautz, Esq., Studley House, Hammersmith, sent a plant of Cypri¬ 
pedium Charles Canham, the flower being large with broad purple tinted 
petals. 
Mr. Gordon, Twickenham, exhibited a collection of Iris Kmmpferi 
flowers, comprising some beautiful purple, blue, striped, reticulated, and 
parti-coloured varieties, a pure white one named The Bride being excel¬ 
lent. Flivvers of the yellow and maroon dotted Lilium Leichtlini were 
also sent from the same nursery. Mr. C. Turner, Slough, showed a box 
of Carnation flowers, very fine examples of Almira, yellow with a few red 
streaks ; Dorothy, salmon and red streaks; Agnes Chambers, yellow 
edged rose ; Coloured Beauty, similar to Dorothy, but with rather more 
colour ; Annie Douglas, sulphur streaked bright rose ; and Terra Cotta, 
salmon buff, with a dull mauve edge, curious (vote of thanks). Mr. J. 
Charlesworth, Heaton Bradford, sent a plant of Bifrenaria bicornuta, the 
flowers small, ye low, the sepals and lip barred with brown, the petals 
dotted with a similar hue. A plaut of Odontoglossum Alexandra 
heatoniense, a pretty brown blotched variety on a white ground was 
also shown. 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, showed some handsome double 
Tuberous Begonias—Mrs. F. Jenkins, pale yellow; Mrs. Cornwallis 
West, bronzy yellow ; Mrs. Paget, dark yellow ; Mrs. Hadden, pale rose, 
very large, and C. Showell, which was certificated (vote of thanks). 
Mr. J.Walker, Thame, Oxon, sent a box of cut blooms of Rose La Biche, 
a strong-growing and free-flowering variety, said to be useful throughout 
summer and late autumn. The flowers are pretty and neat in the bud 
stage, white, but when expanded arc semi-double. It has been long 
grown as a pillar Rose. , 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, contributed a large and handsome 
group of Roses, hardy flowers, which nearly occupied one whole side of 
the central table. Phlox decussata La Fille del’Air (vote of thanks), 
white with a pink eye, was also very fine. Gaillardias were good, 
Geum coccineum plenum, Harpalium rigidum, Lilium longiflorum, Pop¬ 
pies, Phloxes, and Carnations added much to the attraction of this im¬ 
portant group (silver-gilt Banksian medal). Mr. W. Williams, Walcot 
Nursery, Ryde, exhibited miniature White Clove, about the size of a 
white Pink, and a buff yellow seedling Carnation, named Jubilee 
(vote of thanks). Mr. G. Davidson, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, sent 
the large white Lobelia Miss Hope, and Mr. T. Williams, Devizes, had 
a plant of a blue and white Lobelia, said to be a sport from Blue Beard. 
Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, was adjudged a bronze Banksian medal 
for a beautiful group of hardy flowers, comprising a collection of early- 
flowering Chrysanthemums, the bright yellow Precocite being one of the 
best. Gaillardias were very handsome, Phloxes, Iceland Poppies, the 
blue I’entstemon heterophylla and Cannas were also notable. Mr. R. 
Dean, Ealing, exhibited a collection of Phloxes, White Intermediate and 
Mauve Beauty Pyramidal Stocks, with several pretty border Carnations, 
Fair Maid being a soft pink variety, and White Lady, pure white. 
(Vote of thanks.) Messrs. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, showed their patent 
wire flower support, recently noted in these pages, which was com¬ 
mended. 
CERTIFICATED PLANTS. 
Croton Aigburth Gem (R. P. Ker A Son, Liverpool).—A graceful 
narrow leaved variety of the interruptus type, the leaves drooping, 
bright red green and yellow, very handsome. 
Begonia C. Showell (Cannell A Sons).—A grand double Tuberous 
Begonia, the flowers of excellent shape, symmetrical, the petals slightly 
undulated, full, and of a bright rose colour. 
Carnation R. II. Elliott (Laing A Mather, Kelso).—A pleasing 
variety, the flower of moderate size, yellowish streaked rosy scarlet. 
Pa paver orientate Blush Queen (T. S. Ware).— Flowers large as 
the ordinary P. orientale. pale blush, with purplish black blotches at 
the base of the petals. 11 lasts well in flower. 
