November 15,1SS8. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
447 
as blanching for salad or cooking green as a vegetable. Mr. Tozer, 
Leamington, had a dish of a seedling Potato. A first-class certificate 
was awarded to Messrs. Carter & Co. for tubers of Stachys tuberifera, 
cooked specimens also being sent. These somewhat resemble Artichokes 
in flavour, and with the proper accessories would be by no means bad. 
A certificate was also awarded to Onion Southport Red Globe. This 
was exhibited in the collection from Chiswick referred to above, and 
was under trial for Messrs. Yeitch & Sons. It is a globe-shaped variety, 
of medium size, and very highly coloured. 
Floeal Committee. —G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair. Present : 
—Messrs. J. Laing, Wynne, Dominy, Pollett, O’Brien, Walker, Dufneld, 
Herbst, Noble, Pilcher, Ballantine and Wilks. 
Messrs. James Veitch & Sons exhibited a box of hybrid greenhouse 
Rhododendrons, for which a vote of thanks was awarded. The most 
noticeable of the varieties was Primrose, a beautiful canary coloured 
bloom of admirable form ; it is a seedling from Teysmanni. A form of 
the multicolor type named Hippolytc was also noteworthy. The truss, 
which is of close and handsome form, bore sixteen flowers of a rich 
scarlet crimson hue. The other varieties comprised hybrids of the 
javanicum group. Mr. Herrin, The Gardens, Dropmore, Maidenhead, 
exhibited a pair of fine cones of Pinus Lambertiana, for which he was 
accorded a vote of thanks. A. H. Smee, Esq., The Grange, Hackbridge 
(gardener, Mr. Cummins) exhibited Disa ecelestis (? graminifolia), and 
R. I>. Knox, Esq., Gaversham, Reading (gardener, Mr. Lawrence), 
showed Oncidium cornigerum. Mr. Herrin showed some Chrysan¬ 
themum blooms with smaller clustering around them, under the name 
of “ Hen and Chickens.” 
A fine group of Cyclamens came from Mr. Warren, Worton Gardens, 
Isleworth, and a silver Banksian medal was deservedly awarded. The 
plants numbered upwards of 200, and formed a pleasant feature of an 
otherwise dull gathering. The plants were healthy and well flowered. 
First-class certificates were awarded to the following :— 
Chrysanthemum Mr. Garnar. — This was exhibited by Mr. Stevens, 
of Putney, and has been several times previously honoured and de¬ 
scribed. It is a Japanese of a bronzy yellow hue, with narrow fluted 
florets. 
Chrysanthemum, Avalanche. — This was also shown by Mr. Stevens, 
and is illustrated and described in another column. The blooms shown 
on the present occasion were distinguished by the breadth of floret and 
singular purity of hue which are the characteristics of this charming 
variety. The blooms, however, were small. 
Lcelia Victoria. —This was exhibited by Baron Schroder, The Dell, 
Egham (gardener, Mr. Ballantyne), and is a hybrid between L. crispa and 
L. Domini. The flower resembles L. crispa in the petals and sepals, and 
is deliciously fragrant. The sepals are much recurved, and give the 
flower somewhat too light an appearance, but the lip was magnificent, 
being deeply coloured with rich rosy purple from the tip to the throat. 
This grand variety aroused considerable interest amongst the orchidists 
present. 
SPECIAL MEETING. 
Subsequent to the Committee meetings ah the Drill Hall a special 
meeting of the Fellows and the public was held at the Council rooms, 
111, Victoria Street, Westminster, to consider the question of where to 
hold the meetings of the Society in the future. The chair was taken by 
the Rev. IV. Wilks. Dr. Masters was of opinion that much more might 
be done with Chiswick, and in this he was supported by Mr. Shirley 
Hibberd. Subsequently Dr. Masters proposed the following resolution : 
“ That the Council be requested to hold a certain number of meetings in 
the summer and autumn at Chiswick.” This was supported by Mr. 
Hibberd, and carried with one dissentient. The Chairman stated that 
those who were unable to attend the meeting had been invited to state 
their views in writing, with a view to their consideration by the Council. 
Amongst those who had acted upon this suggestion were Messrs. Ware, 
Cannell, Cypher, Rumsey, Miles, Ryder, Mayer, Barnes, Crowley, W. S. 
Walker, Henwood, Arbuthnot, Pragnell, Phillips, Baines, Dean, Sutton, 
Ross, Holmes, Wright, &e. The general opinion appeared to be that 
Chiswick would not be a suitable place to hold the exhibitions of the 
Society, being less easily accessible than a central place in London. 
Several spoke in favour of a fewer number of exhibitions, and Mr. 
Cheal suggested that they should be divided between London and Chis¬ 
wick. Messrs. Bunyard and Pearson expressed a hope that a later hour 
could be selected for the meetings of the Committee. Mr. G. Paul said 
that he did not consider the Drill Hall a failure, there had been larger 
attendance there than at South Kensington before the Great Exhibition 
years. Speaking as a tradesman he had found it to answer well. 
Opinions as to the suitability of the Drill Hall were then invited by the 
Chairman, and after some discussion it was proposed by Mr. May and 
seconded by Mr. Bunyard that the Council be advised to retain the 
Drill Hall for another twelve months, and on a show of hands being 
taken this was declared carried by a majority of twenty to four. The 
proceedings then terminated. 
HORTICULTURE IN MALTA. 
The “ Kew Bulletin ” for the current month continues the interesting 
reports on colonial fruit. Amongst them are the following notes on 
Malta and its wild fruits, an elaborate account of the cultivated fruits 
in the island, extending over six pages, being added. 
The inquiry into the fruits of Malta was entrusted by the Govern¬ 
ment to a special board. For this board the following exhaustive 
report has been prepared by Professor Gavino Gulia,'M.D., Director 
of the Botanic Gardens :— 
The Maltese islands have been from time immemorial celebrated for 
their fertility. The spikes of corn on ancient Maltese coins denote the 
fecundity of Malta, the agricultural produce of which has often been 
praised by Roman writers. Rich and very productive plantations 
which covered this country were destroyed by the Saracens who took 
possession of these islands (A.D. 870—i090). It was in the fifteenth 
century that our countrymen began to repair the great damage thus- 
caused by these enemies of Christendom and civilisation. Unluckily, 
afterwards the cultivation of Cotton and Wheat, and in modern times 
that of Potatoes, which to our husbandmen seemed more profitable, was 
the cause of their putting aside the planting of trees. The extensive 
plantations were no more cared for, the trees were felled for timber to- 
make room for other economic products, a fact which is greatly to bo 
regretted, for, owing to its excellent climate and fertile soil, trees and 
shrubs of different kinds grow in Malta wonderfully and produce fruit, 
which being of an exquisite sort, would well repay exportation. It is 
desirable that the Agrarian Society of Malta and the wealthy pro¬ 
prietors of lands should do their utmost to have these islands once more 
covered with productive plantations, giving preference to the Olive, the 
Almond, the Vine, and Orange trees. 
The long-felt need of water supply in rural districts has lately, 
fortunately, been a subject of careful research. The water supply of 
these islands is derived from rainfall, part of which is directly absorbed 
by plants, part is re-evaporated, part runs into the sea through numerous 
ravines, and part sinks into the soil and occupies natural reservoirs, or 
runs between the strata that form the geological structure of the 
Maltese group. By digging deep wells a considerable amount of water 
has already been obtained. By the laws lately enacted our ground 
tillers will no more depend simply on the rainfall, as a reasonable 
supply of water will be pretty equally distributed to all parts of the 
island. In a place like Malta, subject to droughts from periodical want 
of rain, tanks are indispensable to the agriculturist; it would there¬ 
fore be advisable to force, by law, landlords to dig a tank in each field, 
the dimensions of which to be proportionate to the extension of the 
field itself. With the view of encouraging agriculture, prizes for the 
best plantations should be awarded to farmers ; and whilst an easy way 
of obtaining young trees is afforded them, the expense of obtaining 
water for irrigation should be as moderate as possible. 
The art of manuring is very little understood by our farmer, who 
chiefly uses rotten animal and vegetable manures after having exhaled 
their best constituent parts whilst lying in a corner of his field. He 
knows nothing of liquid manure, “ which,” as Professor Lindley re¬ 
marks, “ works the wonder, and operates like the overflow of the Nile or 
the Indus.” The large quantity of nightsoil, which is now lost in the 
sea, would become a most valuable manure to our gardeners were they 
taught how to employ it properly. Owing to the unchanging habits of 
our country people, the Maltese farmer does not differ greatly from his 
ancestors. Very little, if any, novelty has been introduced into the old 
farming customs of Malta. Owing to the want of sound knowledge of 
horticulture and of proper agricultural implements, the work of our 
farmers is laborious, tedious, expensive, and often unsuccessful. As a 
modern writer remarks, “Farming in Malta and Gozo is a battle and 
victory of labour. The 144 square miles comprised within the insular 
area are partly barren rock and in many respects a geographical riddle. 
Cultivation has asserted its sway over 54,710 acres, the remainder being 
sterile rocks.” It is to be hoped that a large portion of the waste open 
spices some day or other will be brought under cultivation, that the 
primitive implements of agriculture still in use will be superseded by 
proper machinery suitable for our soil, and that, as books for our farmers 
are useless, lectures on horticulture will be given them in each casal, 
with the view of teaching them how to improve their old methods of 
cultivation and lead them to the discovery of better modes. It would 
be then possible to introduce and largely cultivate many exotic trees- 
and shrubs, bearing excellent fruit both for the home market and for 
exportation ; and to improve at the same time the products of those 
species which are now more or less successfully grown. 
Wild Fruits .—Under this term we include the Rubus discolor, or 
common Bramble, called Ghollick by the Maltese, plentiful both in 
Malta and Gozo. The small acid drupes are grateful to most palates. 
Our ancestors used to make of them jams, tarts, and a syrup which, 
being sub-acid and cooling, was recommended to allay the heat and 
thirst of patients suffering from fever. The Fig tree, Ficus carica (tin 
salvagg). is also a native of these islands. The wild variety produces 
small and delicate fruits. As many varieties of this tree have been in¬ 
troduced to Malta from abroad, we th n c proper to include them among 
the cultivated species. Of the Olive, the wild variety of which is also a 
native of these islands, we shall speak hereafter, and also of the Pear, a 
variety of which grows wild in several gullies of Malta. Also indigenous 
is the Azarole Hawthorn, Cratasgus azarolus, called Ghanzalor by the 
Maltese, the fruit of which, yellow or red, has an agreeable taste, and is 
by some much esteemed for making tarts. The fruit of the common 
Hawthorn, Crataigus monogyna, is very small, and only eaten by 
children and birds. It is known under the name of Zgharun. The- 
Mespilus germanica, which used to abound in several ravines, especially 
in the neighbourhood of the Boschetto, belongs now only to the flora of 
Gozo, where it grows seemingly wild among bushes. It is called romm 
el lip. The fruit of the wild variety is middle-sized and worthless, the 
Medlar is cultivated in some gardens, where it produces a fruit which,, 
like that of the Sorbus domestica, is eaten in a state of incipient decay. 
