November 19 ,1691. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
431 
- The Lacquer Tree, Rhus vernicifera. — It is stated that 
sixteen years ago, Professor Rein, the well-known authority on Japanese 
art and industry, planted in the Botanical Garden at Frankfort some 
specimens of the Lacquer Tree (Rhus ,vernicifera), from which the 
Japanese obtain the juice employed in the production of their famous 
lacquer-work. There are now at Frankfort thirty-four healthy speci¬ 
mens of the Lacquer Tree, 30 feet high and 2 feet in girth 1 yard from 
the ground; and the young trees, which have sprung from the 
original tree’s seed, are in a flourishing condition. It seems to be 
proved, therefore, that the Lacquer Tree*is capable of being cultivated 
in Europe, and it only remains to be seen whether the juice is affected 
by the changed conditions. To ascertain this, Professor Rein has tapped 
the Frankfort trees, and has sent some of the juice to Japan, where it 
will be used by Japanese artists in lacquer-work, who will report on its 
fitness for lacquering. In the meantime, some of the most eminent 
German chemists are analysing samples of the juice taken from the trees 
at Frankfort, and samples of the juice sent from Japan ; and should 
their reports and the reports from Japan be favourable, it is probable 
that the tree will be largely planted in public parks and other places in 
Germany. In course of time a skilled worker in lacquer would be 
brought over from Japan to teach a selected number of workmen the 
art of lacquering wood, and in this way it is hoped that a new art and 
craft may be introduced into Europe. Professor Rein has been con¬ 
ferring with the authorities at Kew as to the results of his experi¬ 
ment.—B. 
-- Summary of Meteorological Observations at Hodsock 
Priory, Worksop, Notts, 56 feet above mean sea level, October.— 
Mean temperature of month, 48'5°. Maximum on the 4th, 6P4° ; 
minimum on the 31st, 27°. Maximum in the sun on the 4th, 107’4° ; 
minimum on the grass on the 31st, 21 - 2°. Mean temperature of the air 
at 9 a.m., 48'8°. Mean temperature of the soil 1 foot deep, 505°. 
Nights below 32°, in shade four, on grass fifteen. Total sunshine, 
eight-three hours, or 26 per cent, of possible duration. We had five 
sunless days. Total rainfall, 3 - 70 inches. Maximum fall in twenty-four 
hours on the 6th, 098 inch. Rain fell on nineteen days. Average 
velocity of wind, 10 2 miles per hour. Velocity exceeded 400 miles on 
six days, and fell short of 100 miles on six days. Approximate averages 
for October :—Mean temperature, 48 - 2°. Sunshine, eighty-three hours. 
Rainfall, 2-84 inches. The first three weeks were wet and stormy, the 
last week fine and dry. Temperature and sunshine about the average.— 
Joseph Mallender. 
- The Croft Angry Apple. —Mr. G. W. Cummins, The Grange 
Gardens, Carshalton, writes : “ I think if you could publish the enclosed 
it would bring out some interesting discussion from your Scotch readers. 
Miss MacKnight sent Apples of the variety to our Conference last week, 
and Mr. Barron remarked that at the Apple Congress in 1883 fruit 
under the name of ‘ Croft Angry ’ was exhibited by Mr. Fairgrieve of 
Dunkeld, and was considered by the Committee to be the same as Dutch 
Mignonne, but the one sent to us was quite distinct, being small and 
flat with a large open eye.” 
The communication referred to is as follows :—“ Its Scotch name— 
Croft Angry—is a corruption of ‘ Croft-an-Righ ’ (the King's Meadow) 
in old Gaelic or Norse (which was spoken in Galloway up to ‘ the 
Union,’ 1707). The Croft-an-Righ was meadow lands given 1160 by 
order of David I. (of Scots) to the Church ; whereon Fergus, his 
Governor of Galloway, built at Wigtown a Priory of White Friars. 
(Monks of the Primontratentian Order followed agriculture and 
gardening as a part of their religious life.) The wig (or bay) on 
Sulbach’s Sea—now the Solway—was mild and fertile, and within a 
short distance of Whithorn—the Candida Casa of the Romans, where 
■St. Ninian of Galloway built the first stone building for Christian 
worship in Britain. 1267 Devorna Gilla, descended from Fergus, and 
daughter of Alan of Galloway and also the mother of John Baliol, King 
of Scots, built Sweet Heart Abbey. Both there and at Dundreeman 
Abbey (benefited by Alan) this Apple was grown and called by this 
name. These two Apples are from a tree, 40 to 50 feet high, in the 
garden at Beechwood, Wigtown, N.B. The tree was planted by John 
Simson, Esq., a great gardener, at least sixty years ago, and was known 
to be a true graft of an old tree believed to be grafts of the original 
stock. By Galloway tradition this Croft Angry is called the first Apple 
known in Scotland. Owing to the storm on October 13th the fruit is 
pulled too early, and is bruised. The tree was well laden with such 
Apples as these, none larger nor many less. It ought to hang to 
November, be golden in hue when ripe, and keep tiil after Candlemas,” 
- “ All the world has agreed,” said Downing in his Horticul¬ 
turist some forty-five years ago, “ that there is nothing more perfect of 
its kind than the rural architecture of England. The cottages 
of that country are as widely different in effect from those of any other 
as the Anglo-Saxon race differs from all else, civilised or barbarous. 
What this difference consists in there are, perhaps, few who take the 
trouble to analyse. Many persons suppose it to lie in pointed gable3 
and high roofs. Still, these w r ere not originally English, but were 
borrowed from Flanders, yet the Flemish cottages have little or none of 
the peculiar beauty which charms us in those of England. Others have 
imagined that it is something especially becoming in the features of the 
English landscape itself. Yet this can hardly be true, since we have 
seen faithful copies of the English cottage built in this country in 
equally picturesque scenery without producing upon the mind the same 
impressions as the original edifice. The secret charm of the English 
cottage lies, w r e imagine, in its home-expression and its rurality. . . . 
The English cottage, even of the humblest class, is surrounded by trees, 
embowered in Vines and creepers, and hedged about with shrubs to a 
degree quite unknown in any other country. The love of trees and 
flowers is a universal passion in that country, and man, woman, and 
child, among the cottagers, take an especial pride in the green adorn¬ 
ments of their home. S ips and roots find their way from the pleasure 
grounds of the nobleman’s mansion to the humble garden of the cottage ; 
and there is a personal and individual care bestowed upon them, even by 
those who have scarcely any other of the refinements of life, that neither 
the people of the Continent nor of this country have as yet any positive 
share of. The effect of all this taste is to spread a beautiful drapery about 
the rural cottages of England that renders what would otherwise be 
scarcely more than rude cabins little gems of rural and picturesque 
beauty. Indeed, strip most of the loveliest cottages of England of their 
sylvan and floral enrichment and they would absolutely lose their whole 
power of charming.” 
- Fruit Culture in Trinidad. —From an advance copy of 
Sir William Robinson’s Report to the Colonial Office on the colony of 
Trinidad, we are able to give some details of fruit growing in that 
island. The Governor is able to report that this industry, which he 
foresees will be of incalculable benefit to the colony, and which he has 
spared no endeavour to promote, has at length commenced to show some 
encouraging results. The Central Agricultural Board, a most useful 
and influential Association, has energetically worked with His Excellency 
in this object, and has been the means of stimulating enterprise and 
spreading valuable information throughout the length and breadth of 
the island by its discussions and publications. It was in the spring 
of 1889 that small shipments of fruit, chiefly Oranges and Bananas, 
were first made to the American markets by the newly subsidised line 
of steamers. These shipments were necessarily of an experimental 
character, and produced very varying results, some fruit fetching fair 
prices, and others being sold at a loss, This, however, is not difficult to 
account for. The shipments were of a spasmodic character, and the 
processes of packing and picking, which demand the greatest care, 
were but little understood. The first operations, too, were commenced 
at a rather unfavourable period of the year, in which Trinidad fruit 
had to compete with that from other well-known fruit growing 
countries where the requirements of the market were thoroughly 
understood, and it is not surprising, therefore, that the pioneers of 
the new industry were somewhat disheartened at the results obtained. 
The Central Agricultural Board and its agents, however, urged the 
people to persevere, and in the opinion of Sir William Robinson the 
industry may now be considered to be firmly established. The principal 
exports have consisted of Oranges, Limes, and Bananas. Experiments 
have been made with other products, but not with satisfactory results. 
Five thousand two hundred crates of Oranges were shipped in the four 
months ended December 31st, 1890, which constituted the season for 
that year. Two larger plantations were started during the year, and 
numerous smaller ones. A notice written by the Governor calling 
attention to the advantages of this industry was extensively circulated 
throughout the colony in English, Spanish, French, and Hindustani. 
Trinidad Limes were first placed on the New York market in 1889. 
These did fairly well, and in 1890 there was a considerable increase in 
the shipments. Several abandoned Lime plantations have been 
reclaimed, and the exports of this product will, no doubt, increase 
rapidly, as it has been discovered that they can compete favourably 
with Sicilian Lemons. The shipments of Bananas have considerably 
fallen off in 1890 as compared with 1889. The fruit spoils very quickly, 
and it has been found that small quantities cannot receive the special 
