October 29, 189L ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
371 
since it contains no tartaric acid, the place of which is supplied 
in the Apple by malic acid. The latter acid is also found in Grape 
juice, with tartaric, but it has not the power to form precipitates 
with lime like the tartaric. Malic acid is the principal acid in 
Cranberries, Rhubarb, Cherries, and also a component of a large 
number of the most wholesome fruits and plants. Cider should be 
nothing more nor less than a true Apple wine ; that, and nothing 
else. But, like Grape wine, it may be well or ill made, and it may 
be agreeable or disagreeable, and yet be pure.” 
The pi’operties of cider are temptingly pourtrayed as follows :— 
“ A pure article of cider, skilfully made from select fruit in 
perfect condition, should have perfect limpidity and brightness, 
even to sparkling in the glass ; it may vary in colour from a 
delicate straw to a rich amber colour, more or less deep, but should 
never be a bright red, nor, indeed, show much of a roseate tinge. 
It should be fragrant, so that when a bottle is freshly opened and 
poured into glasses an agreeable fruity perfume will arise and 
diffuse itself through the apartment, ‘ with a benison on the giver.’ 
It should be tart, like Rhine wine, and by no means sharp or harsh. 
It should have a pleasant, fruity flavour, with aromatic and vinous 
blending, as if the fruit had been packed in flowers and spices. It 
should have mild pungency, and feel warming and grateful to the 
stomach, the glow diffusing itself gradually and agreeably through¬ 
out the whole system, and communicating itself to the spirits. It 
should have a light body or substance about like milk, with the 
same softness and smoothness, and it should leave in the mouth an 
abiding agreeable flavour of some considerable duration, as of rare 
fruits and flowers. These qualities are all attainable, but they 
demand the knowledge and skill which come by practice, thought, 
assiduous painstaking care, and, above all else, the most rigorous 
cleanliness. With these and proper matei’ial, any intelligent 
person can make good cider. There is no mystery about it and no 
secret.” 
The handbook is illustrated, and the details for making cider 
are given in its 117 pages. 
The Rose Season op 1891. 
On all sides we hear of the disappointing character of the harvest 
Money articles in the Times , reports from correspondents in other papers 
all tell the same story. There was a goodly prospect in the early 
summer. May and June brought on everything, but then came a wet 
July, and the wettest August known for many years, and the hopes of 
the farmer were considerably diminished. September gave some relief, 
but on the whole “ disappointment ” has been the word which most 
fully describes his position. The same may be said of the flower harvest, 
and especially of the Rose—a season when everything was three weeks 
or more behind, when Mr. Horner could not show Auriculas at the usual 
date because his plants were not in flower, when some of our best 
Carnation and Picotee growers were prevented from exhibiting from the 
same cause, when Mr. Lindsell and myself—he partially and I entirely— 
were prevented from putting in our usual appearance with Gladioli at 
the Crystal Palace, for at that time I could not to save my life have cut 
a dozen spikes ; and this character of the season very naturally influenced 
both exhibitors and exhibitions. Take for example two of the most 
successful exhibitors of 1890—the Rev. P. R. Burnside, who swept all 
before him in Teas that year, and Messrs. Harkness, who were the 
winners of the trophy. In the earlier shows of the year they were 
absolutely nowhere, and it was not until the third week in July that the 
former showed at all in his usual form, while the latter even then had 
not his plants in flower. It may be said that they were far north ; 
true, but on the 7th of July I was in the garden of my friend Mr. 
Lindsell at Hitchin—he grows somewhere about 3000 plants—there 
were whole quarters without a flower, and he had the greatest possible 
difficulty in cutting twelve trebles for the Bath Show, and they were 
indifferent. Some people shake their heads incredulously when we 
affirm such things. “ What,” said a west countryman to me, when I was 
expatiating on the lateness of our season, “ and you in the Garden of 
England 1 ” Yes, in truth, and so it is, we say against all comers, but 
for all that not so favoured as many places. 
Now this perversity of the season led to some very disastrous effects. 
Some Committees of Rose societies were constrained to alter their dates, 
and as the Rose exhibition season is a short one this led to more 
clashing and confusion than was usually the case, and it made the 
great metropolitan show of the National the worst that they had ever 
held, with perhaps the exception of that disastrous year 1879. This was 
seen both in the extent and quality of the exhibition. Large as it seemed 
to be, it fell far short of those preceding it, while the whole character 
of the blooms was mediocre. Nothing could show this better than the 
fact that where boxes had to be taken in detail, and judged by points, i 
was very rare that three points could be given to a bloom ; and as a 
consequence, there were no such pleasant memories to look back upon as 
when some grand box or some magnificent single flower rests on the 
memory. But I do not think that we must lay all the blame of this on 
the lateness of the season. I think the terribly severe winter had a good 
deal to do with it. I took a good deal of pains in the spring to ascertain 
what had been the effect of the terribly severe frost that we experienced, 
and for this purpose I wrote to most of the leading growers, especially 
amongst amateurs, obtaining answers as to the effect on Teas and Hybrid 
Perpetuals. These, of course, varied much through the differences of 
soil and situation, but there was a general concensus of fact that they 
had been very hard hit, that hard pruning was necessary, and that in 
the case of Teas in most places they had been cut to the ground, while 
the deaths were not so numerous as might have been expected. Now, 
where this is the case, it must take a longer time for the Rose to make 
its growth than when they have not suffered much, and this, I think, 
was fully borne out by the results of the Hereford Show of the National, 
where the quality of the flowers was excellent, and making it the very 
best provincial show that the Society has ever held, and where exhibitors 
who had made but a sorry appearance ten days before showed admirably. 
Take, for example, Mr. Burnside, who last year swept all before him at 
the Palace, but “ took a back seat ” there this year, yet at Hereford he 
came out in his usual form, and occupied the foremost place. That 
Hereford Show was, in truth, a great success, and it is satisfactory to be 
able to state that its financial results exceeded the most sanguine ex¬ 
pectations of the friends who had so pluckily undertaken it. 
The carrying off of the challenge trophies is always a matter of 
interest. This season the nurserymen’s trophy fell to Mr. Ben Cant, our 
veteran Rose exhibitor, who for fifty years has been engaged without 
intermission, and is now as keen over his flowers as ever. Mr. 
E. B. Lindsell again carried off the amateurs’ trophy, while Mr. Alex. 
Hill Gray won the Tea challenge trophy and the Boscawen Memorial 
prize. The Jubilee trophies, which were instituted for the benefit 
especially of the northern growers, fell to southern men, that for 
nurserymen to Mr. Frank Cant, and the amateurs’ trophy to the Rev. 
J. H. Pemberton. Indeed, as far as the north is concerned one does not 
see who is to carry off this latter. The retirement of Mr. T. B. Hall 
and Mr. E. R. Whitwell removes from us the only large growers in the 
north, and unless some other amateur steps in to take their place we fear 
these trophies will always go south. 
We fear that it has fared badly with many societies. July is toe 
often a wet month, and that of the present year has been especially so. 
We all know how many of them live from hand to mouth, and it is to 
be feared that some of them will be sorely crippled by the wet days they 
have had to suffer from. 
There have been no remarkable records of individual success such as 
I have had to record in many previous years. Perhaps the most notice¬ 
able feature has been the manner in which Mr. Alexander Hill Gray 
has stepped into the front rank as an exhibitor of Tea Roses. I have 
long felt and expressed the opinion that he was destined to do this, and 
the present season has shown that this opinion was correct. Both at Tea 
and Noisette exhibitions, and at the Metropolitan Show he carried all 
before him, and his Roses were remarkably fine, especially when we take 
into consideration the character of the year, although perhaps this was- 
in his favour. 
And if there were no remarkable records in prizewinners, I have 
not much to record as to new Roses. There are many to whom Gustave 
Piganeau will seem a great gain (great it is as far as size is con¬ 
cerned), but it is not a style of Rose which I value very highly. It has, 
however, one good quality—it is a very free autumnal bloomer, in this 
respect resembling Paul Neyron, from which it is said by some to be a 
sport, while others think it more like Antoine Ducher. There is no 
more favourite variety with the French for decorative purposes at this 
season of the year than Paul Neyron, and this probably being of a 
deeper colour may become equally popular. Messrs. Dickson’s fine 
Rose, Margaret Dickson, has been shown by them in fine condition, and 
is unquestionably a great gain. Another of their seedlings, Marchioness 
of Dufferin, was awarded the gold medal of the N.R.S. ; it is a light 
coloured Rose, and one which will be a great favourite ; it has also a- 
most delicious perfume. Cleopatra is a very beautiful Tea Rose, with a 
fine pointed bud, but I think it is questionable whether it will have 
stuff enough to make it a reliable exhibition Rose. Another Tea Rose 
of which I entertained a good opinion, was Corinna (Messrs. W. Paul 
and Son) ; it is of the character of Princess of Wales, and in a better 
season would probably be a welcome addition to our Teas. Mrs. Paul 
(Paul & Son) has not been, of course, largely exhibited as yet, but 
where seen has been most admired, and its vigorous habit is much in its 
favour. 
And now turning away from Rose exhibiting, with its changes and 
chances, its ups and downs, successes and disappointments, which has 
been the character of the past season as far as the Rose garden home 
enjoyment of the flower is concerned, many things were in its favour ; 
the enemies of the Rose were not in full force—maggots were scarce, and 
as to the aphis I have not seen a single individual on any of my trees 
during the whole year. Why this should have been I cannot say, but 
the same experience has been that of all the Rose growers with whom I 
have talked on the subject; neither have I seen as much of the red ru 
or orange fungus, while the absence of mildew has been something 
remarkable. The weather has been cool, the temperature low, and it is, 
I believe, the alternations of hot weather, hot sunny days and cold 
