328 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 15, 1891. 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. W. Cooper, late foreman at 
Normanton Park (Lord Willoughby de Eresby’s), has been appointed 
hea 1 gardener at Somerby Park, near Gainsborough. Mr. Chas. Crooks 
for several years foreman at Impney, has been engaged as head gardener 
to the Dowager Lady Hindlip, Hadzor House, Droitwich. 
- At a recent meeting of the Preston and Fulwood Floral 
and Horticultural Society held in the Legs of Man Assembly 
Rooms, Councillor J. Brown in the chair, Mr. J. Hathaway, 
girdener to the Earl of Lathom, Lathom House, near Ormskirk, read 
an excellent paper on the cultivation of the Chrysanthemum. 
Numerous cut flowers and plants were exhibited. Before the meeting 
was closed it was decided to apply to the County Council for a grant in 
aid of technical instruction in horticulture. 
- Melon Carter’s Amberwood Beauty. — This, in some 
respects, much resembles Hero of Lockinge, but I consider it quite 
distinct from that variety, and well worthy of being given a trial in 
most gardens. It is a moderately strong grower, also free setting and 
heavy cropping, and suitable alike for house and frame culture. The 
fruits with me were of medium size, none weighing more than 3 lbs., 
somewhat oval-shaped, beautifully netted, and of a rich yellow colour. 
It softens more quickly than the Hero of Lockinge, in this respect more 
resembling its other parent Blenheim Orange, and keeps quite as well 
after it is ripe. There is a good thickness of light green flesh, and the 
quality is decidedly first-rate. In this variety Carter’s have an excellent 
companion for their Blenheim Orange.—W. I. 
- Pear Knight’s Monarch. —Like Mr. Iggulden, I also have 
to record the Pear Knight’s Monarch a fai’ure. We have a fine espalier 
trained tree, occupying a south aspect. For the past fifteen years it 
has always been a sure cropper, the fruit has grown to a good size, but 
when approaching maturity it always falls, and we have never had it 
once fit for dessert. Mulching has been tried, and watering as well, but 
all to no purpose, the fruit will still persist in falling. This year the 
tree is marked as one doomed. It grieves me to have to destroy it 
occupying as it does a large portion of our fruit tree arch, and the gap 
will not soon be filled up. If any of your readers could suggest a 
remedy I should be extremely grateful, would try it, and give the old 
tree another year’s lease. 
- Pear Musqu£ d’Automne.—W hilst speaking of Pears, could 
any of your readers give me any information regarding the above-named 
Pear? We have a fine tree of it, which bears excellent crops of fruit 
each year ; in fact, I always look upon it as one of our best early 
autumn Pears. The fruit is medium size, with rather rough skin, and 
of a beautiful pale yellow colour. It is a handsome fruit, and is just 
ripening. Not being able to find a history of it in any catalogue I 
possess, I have often wondered if it has been wrongly named. Any 
history of it would be valued.—R. P. R. 
- The Weather During September at Ripley, Yorkshire. 
—The weather during the first fortnight was very seasonable, fairly 
bright, accompanied by moderate wind, which raised our hopes high in 
regard to the ripening of late Grapes, and the wood of all fruit trees. 
But with the advent of the third week it settled down in the old groove, 
and rain fell almost daily to the end of the month. The total rainfall for 
the month was l'Sl inch, which fell upon seventeen days. Mean reading 
of barometer for month, 30 - 05 ; mean maximum temperature for the 
month, 64’9°; mean minimum temperature for the month, 44’6°; mean 
temperature for the month, 54'7°. Highest maximum temperature 
during the month, 79° on 11th ; lowest minimum temperature during 
the month, 34° on 3rd.— J. Tunnington. 
- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hod- 
sock Priory, Worksop, Notts, for September, 56 feet above 
mean sea level.—Mean temperature of month, 57 - 2°. Maximum on the 
10,h, 80‘6° ; minimum on the 24th, 36 7°. Maximum in the sun on the 
ihb, 133‘1° ; minimum on the grass on the 24th, 31 5°. Mean tempera¬ 
ture of the air at 9 A M., SS’S 0 ; mean temperature of soil 1 foot deep, 
56-9°, Temperature fell below 32° on grass on two nights. Sunshine— 
total duration in month 144 hours, or 38 per cent, of possible duration ; 
we had only one sunless day. Total rainfall 1-07 inch ; rain fell on 
fifteen days. Average velocity of wind 10 miles per hour, velocity 
exceeded 400] miles on six days, fell short of 100 miles on nine days. 
Approxima’e averages for September.—Mean temperature, 55-8°; sunshine, 
110 hours ; rain r all, 2'51 inch. A very dry and warm month, very similar 
to September of last year, but not so warm.— Joseph Mallender. 
- Two Good Cabbage Lettuces for Summer Use.— These 
are Continuity and New York, upon which I shall chiefly rely another 
season. They are both of good quality, heart and blanch well, and 
stand longer than any others I have tried before bolting. In fact not 
one plant of the several batches of Continuity sown have run, and very 
few of New York ; the latter, too, being the most crisp Lettuce I am 
acquainted with. For a frame supply we rely upon Hicks’ Hardy 
White Cos and Hardy Hammersmith Cabbage. These are sown in 
August, and planted in the frames in September, from which we are 
enabled to cut a daily supply (after the outdoor ones are used) all 
through the winter. To succeed these, we sow in January in heat, 
transplant to a frame on a slight hotbed in February, and in this way 
were enabled last spring to cut serviceable Lettuces on April 16th.— 
J. T., Ripley, Yorks. 
- Tomatoes at Normanton Park.—A lthough the past season 
has been far from favourable to the setting of Tomatoes outside, Mr. 
Gilbert has been very fortunate in securing an excellent crop from 
plants trained on the kitchen garden walls. Some fine clusters of 
beautiful even fruits are still hanging on the plants, which will have to 
be cut and taken inside to ripen. Mr. Gilbert’s plan is to grow his 
plants in pots about 10 inches in diameter, plunged to the rim in the 
soil, as by so doing the plants seem less inclined to make grcss shoots 
in wet seasons than when planted out, and consequently a better set of 
fruit is obtained ; it is also much easier to assist plants in pots with 
stimulants when swelling their fruit. An even crop of Lady Downe’s 
Grape is hanging in a late vinery, the colour and finish being sp’endid ; 
the rods on which they are hanging are said to be nearly fifty years old, 
thus amply demonstrating the fact that there is nothing like old Vines 
for finishing black Grapes.—W. H. W. 
- Eremurus himalaicus. —Mr. W. E. Gumbleton writes: “Allow 
me to congratulate you on the excellence of your woodcut of Eremurus 
himalaicus in the issue of October 1st. It is far the best representation 
of this fine plant and its habit of growth that has yet appeared, and 
as the first to bloom it in Europe in 1881 I welcome it. It has bloomed 
regularly without fail with me every year since, the only one of its 
family that can be relied upon to do so, and I think I possess every 
variety of the family that has been introduced and have bloomed most 
of them. They usually die after blooming or split up into a number of 
useless offsets, but E. himalaicus goes on blooming each May from year 
to year. The writer of your description, however, is hardly correct in 
saying that it bears a spike of small white flowers, as each individual pip 
is at least the size of a florin or 2s. piece. My friend and neighbour, 
Mr. J. J. Smyth, was the introducer of this fine plant to Europe by 
seed from India, though one of his seedlings which he gave me was first 
to bloom.” 
- The Fruit Show at the Royal Aquarium, West¬ 
minster, which opened on Wednesday and continues to-day and 
to-morrow, is excellent in all respects, and we regret that a full report 
cannot be given this week. For a collection of fruits of not less than 
twelve dishes, Mr. Peter Blair, Trentham Gardens, is first with twenty- 
eight dishes; closely followed by Mr. G. Reynolds, Gunnersbury Park 
Gardens, Acton; and Mr. C. Davies, Mote Park Gardens, Maidstone, all 
exhibiting extremely well. For a collection of Pears, Mr. C. Davies wins, 
the premier honours, he is also first with eighteen dishes of Apples,, 
grand fruits throughout, and is a prominent exhibitor in several other 
classes. Mr. C. Blick, Hayes Common; Mr. F. Bridger, Penshurst 
Place ; Mr. A. Wyatt, Hatton; Mr. G. H. Sage, Ham House Gardens, 
Richmond, also secure leading prizes in the other Apple classes ; Messrs. 
Reynolds, Griffin, Davies, Iggulden, and Wilson contributing the best- 
Grapes. Vegetables are well shown, especially for Messrs. Sutton and 
Sons’ prizes, and the trade competing and non-competing exhibits from 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Bunyard & Co., J. Cheal & Son, Wm. Paul and 
Son, J. Peed & Son, and R. Smith & Co. occupy considerable space. 
Many new Chrysanthemums were shown and certificated, to which, 
reference will be made in another issue. 
DAMSON BRADLEY’S KING. 
Though Bradley’s King Damson was raised several years ago, it 
is what may be termed a comparatively new variety. The branch 
figured was cut from a young tree in the collection of a Kentish 
fruit grower of wide repute—Mr. A. J. Thomas, Bargains Hill, Sitting- 
bourne. A dozen trees were first obtained for trial, and this having 
proved highly satisfactory, considerably more were planted. 
The trees do not become clustered with fruit so soon as do those of 
the small Crittenden, Cluster, or Farleigh Damson, but still are more 
precocious than the Prune or Shropshire Damsons, and the fruit in. 
