October 15,1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
381 
the “ dry rot,” remarkable for the development of well-formed pilei. 
Such are seldom seen ; they are flat, orange colour, and spreading over 
the cushion-like mass of the fungus. 
Apple Canker. —Dr. Plowright also forwarded specimens of this con¬ 
dition ; but as is usual in the advanced stage it is impossible to assign a 
cause ; probably some ancient irritation having been set up, the organism 
having long since disappeared, the abnormal growth continued. 
Chrysanthemum Notes. 
Once again has the season come round for to record the prospects 
of the Chrysanthemum. That there is no abatement in the interest they 
create is manifest from the many excellent collections to be seen on 
every side. What we should do without them throughout the dreary 
months of winter is a puzzle which would require a great amount of 
solving. The varied form of the flowers, combined with the gorgeous 
hues of some of the later introductions, and the lasting properties, 
stamps it at once to be the proud holder of the title “ Queen of Winter.” 
I have heard it said that the trouble taken to bring them to the highest 
state of perfection is more than they are entitled to, but 1 fancy the 
thought must pass away when they are confronted with a houseful of 
well-grown specimens. As with all other things successful, we forget 
in a great measure the labour which has been bestowed upon them when 
we reap the benefit. Here in Liverpool the early varieties are not so 
much grown, but Japanese and Incurved varieties are represented by all 
the finest varieties. The strong winds of the past month have robbed 
many growers of shoots which would have given flowers of the best 
quality. Japanese varieties are much about as usual, but incurved do 
not appear to be so good up to the present as they were last year. A 
great many new varieties are being grown, but it is yet too early to 
judge of the merits of any of them. I shall endeavour, with the aid of 
kind friends, to give some notes on the more noted collections here in the 
course of two or three weeks. Our Liverpool Show ought to be the best 
we have ever had, if we may take the excellent schedule as our guide. 
In addition to our ordinary prizes, we have this year two silver cups 
added, so that we may expect a lively time of it. The Treasurer, Secre¬ 
tary, and Committee are using every endeavour to make it a success, 
which I truly hope it will be.—R. P. R. 
Chrysanthemums at Lewisham. 
Mr. H. J. Jones has made Chrysanthemums the leading feature at 
the Ryecroft Nursery, Hither Green Lane, Lewisham, and this season he 
will have a display that is certain to attract an even larger number of 
visitors than last year. Already one lean-to house or shelter, 100 feet 
long, is filled with early flowering varieties in excellent condition, and 
such a bright varied floral exhibition in the middle of October is a most 
agreeable surprise, well proving what useful plants these are for decora¬ 
tive purposes. In the structure named the plants are arranged to form 
a bank sloping to the path at the back, and with a large general selec¬ 
tion of the most effective early Japanese varieties of proved merit, such 
as W. Holmes, Madame Desgranges, and its forms ; some scores of novel¬ 
ties are included, many of which are very promising, the colours 
distinct, the habit free, and the blooms of good substance. We cannot 
enumerate these in the present issue, but shall take an early opportunity 
of referring to the best amongst them, for a large proportion bid fair to 
take a prominent place in the section. 
The plants for the November display are all under cover, and form a 
fine bank over 100 feet long and about 20 feet wide, nearly filling a spacious 
lofty light span-roofed house admirably adapted for a show of this 
character. The plants are in first-rate condition, vigorous, healthy, well 
clothed with rich green foliage, dwarf and showing substantial buds of an 
extremely promising appearance. Mr. Jones thinks the season likely to 
prove very favourable to the incurved varieties, as all his plants of “ the 
Queen family” are very satisfactory, and he rightly considers that 
excessively hot dry summers are by no means what these varieties 
require. Chrysanthemum growers and lovers who take the round of the 
nurseries and gardens during the next few weeks will find ample to 
interesc them in the Ryecroft Nursery, which is easily reached from 
Ladywell or Lewisham stations on the South-Eastern line from London 
Bridge or Cannon Street. 
THE USE AND ABUSE OF WATER. 
Under the above head, at page 305, in the last issue of the 
Journal, appears a letter by a correspondent—“ Yorkshire Bite ”—taking 
exception to an extract of a paper by me recently read at Preston. I am 
not sorry “ Yorkshire Bite ” has made reference to a few points, one or 
two of which certainly have been incorrectly reported, thus causing a 
wrong impression. 
I think, howr ver, your correspondent has stepped outside the limit 
of prudence by disputing my practice, and questioning my opinion of 
young gardeners before ascertaining whether I had any explanation to 
offer upon the points raised. Let me assure him that watering Heaths 
with the syringe is just as “ new” to me as to himself,also the syringing 
of Peaches when ripening ; no such lines of procedure have been laid 
down or in any way advocated by me. 
I have advised a light syringing upon softwooded Heaths while 
breaking and developing new growth each year for a short period, for 
Epacrises also, and to this practice I adhere. If “ Yorkshire Bite ” has 
not made the acquaintance of hardwooded plants that have been ruined 
by mistakes in watering it does not follow that I have not. 
In respect to my opinion of young gardeners, I may inform your 
correspondent that he could not, if he desired, point to any place in 
the kingdom where young men work more ardently or with a deeper 
sense of respect than they do with me. Doing our best for each other, 
and to make as far as possible the duties of life a pleasure, is the order 
of things here. 
In respect to my treatment of Peaches, your correspondent may yet 
learn that many fruit borders, both of Peaches and Yines, are much too 
liberally watered. This applies more particularly to forced trees than 
to later and successional houses. I have satisfied myself long ago on 
this point, not from theory, but by results, which have been approved by 
high practical authority. 
“Yorkshire Bite” apparently is endeavouring to under-rate my 
system of Peach culture by informing your readers that an early house 
has produced several fruits of nine and ten ounces. Good Peaches I 
grant, but how many or how few did the tree produce ? I will quote 
one result out of many as the result of my treatment. One day I 
gathered sixty fruits from an early house, the fruits weighing from 
eight to eleven ounces each, three turned the scale at the higher figure. 
These fruits formed part of the dessert at a Major’s banquet in honour 
of a visit by the Prince of Wales to a provincial town. 
With these few observations I leave the subject to the discretion of 
readers, feeling that your correspondent would probably have made a 
more successful “ Bite ” at an eleven-ounce Peach than he has at my 
reading.— A. Waters. 
FRUIT AT THE MANSION HOUSE. 
The Court of the Fruiterers’ Company made their annual presentation 
of fruit to the Lord Mayor on Wednesday the 7th inst. The drawing-room 
of the Mansion House, where, in accordance with custom, the ceremony 
was performed, was well filled by an influential company of ladies and 
gentlemen, including many members of the Fruiterers’ Company and 
their ladies. The presentation fruit adorned the table, and, of course, 
attracted considerable attention. It was of the choicest description, and 
was all English grown—a fact which those who saw it must admit 
dispels the idea entertained in many quarters that really good fruit 
cannot be grown in this country. A portion of it had been, as Sir 
James Whitehead afterwards announced, grown within the sound of 
Bow Bells—and, in fact, in Sir James’s own garden. 
The presentation was made, on behalf of the Fruiterers’ Company, by 
Sir James Whitehead, who said that as Master of the Company for thi3 
year, and in accordance with ancient custom, it was his privilege to 
present to his Lordship the usual offering of the Company. In past 
years the ceremony had been more or less of a formal nature, but 
within recent years it had had attached to it associations of a very 
practical character. Each Lord Mayor during the last three or four 
years had more or less given a portion of his time and his influence in 
the promotion of what the Fruiterers’ Company felt to be a great 
national object, and they were very glad to recognise that the Lord 
Mayor had this year given them the weight of his personal character 
and the weight of his office in the furtherance of their scheme. 
The Lord Mayor, in reply, said he accepted with great pleasure the 
magnificent present which the Company had offered to himself and the 
Lady Mayoress that evening. They looked with wonder and amazement 
on the beautiful samples of fruit which adorned that drawing-room. He 
understood that a dish which was immediately before him contained 
specimens from Sir James Whitehead’s own garden, grown within the 
sound of Bow Bells, and he thus had given practical proof of what it 
was possible to do in one’s own garden, if only attention and skill were 
bestowed upon the trees. He again tendered the Company the warm 
chanks of himself and the Lady Mayoress for their magnificent and 
bountiful present. 
The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress afterwards entertained the 
Fruiterers’ Company and the General Purposes Committee at dinner in 
the Egyptian Hall. The company present included :—Lord Brassey and 
Lady "Brassey, the Master of the Fruiterers’ Company (Alderman Sir 
James Whitehead, Bart,) and Lady Whitehead, Mr. Warden Brockles- 
bury and Mrs. Brocklesbury, Mr. Warden Martin and Miss Martin, the 
Chairman of the General Purposes Committee, Mr. H. R. Williams, P.M., 
Mr. J. Eagleton(Clerkof the Fruiterers’ Company), and about 250 others, 
including Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, M.P., Rev. W. and Miss Wilks, 
Mr. P. and Mrs. Crowley, Mr. N. N. Sherwood, Mr. T. Francis and 
Mrs. Rivers, Mr. Clieal, and Mr. and Mrs. J. Wright, Mr. G. Bunyard 
being unable to attend through illness. The loving cups having been 
circulated, and the loyal and patriotic toasts honoured with the 
customary enthusiasm, 
The Lord Mayor then submitted “ The Houses of Lords and Com¬ 
mons,” and Sir Trevor Lawrence, in replying for the latter House, 
observed that the Royal Horticultural Society, of which he was Presi¬ 
dent, had taken the greatest interest in the work, which had been 
so admirably and so praiseworthily prosecuted by the Fruiterers’ 
