500 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 20 , 1883. 
had a clear golden centre, the lacing was pretty correct, but it was of a 
silvery tint. I never saw anyone show it so well as the raiser at Man¬ 
chester. It is said that he was about the last in the Manchester district 
to grow the old Beauty of England, a famous flower in its day, and 
which, it appears, has been hopelessly lost. He also raised some seed¬ 
ling Tulips. From a pod of seed of Ashmole’s Emma, a bybloemen, he 
obtained feathered bybloemen Mrs. Jackson, a flower that appeared in 
the rectified character at the first time of blooming, and therefore did 
not pass through the breeder stage—a circumstance of very rare occur¬ 
rence—also David Jackson and Nimbus, both flamed bybloemens. 
From flamed rose Aglaia he also raised seedlings, and among them 
there were a dozen or so of self yellows ; a progeny that did not greatly 
surprise anyone acquainted with the character of the seed mother, as it 
has in its ground a strong dash of yellow, which takes a week to bleach 
out before it can be shown quite pure. All bis seedling Tulips passed 
into the hands of Mr. Samuel Barlow, and they now enrich the unique 
collection grown at Stake Hill. David Jackson was also a good culti¬ 
vator of and judge of Auriculas, and no man could dress a flower 
better than this old weaver. I have occasionally been a witness of 
his art as a dresser at the Manchester shows and the results of his 
skill.—D. 
GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND. 
Will you kindly allow me, through the medium of your columns, to 
remind the friends and subscribers of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, that 
the annual dinner and gathering of gardeners will take place at the 
Cannon Street Hotel, City, E.C., on Friday, July 19th next, when the 
chair will be taken by Sir Julian Goldsmid, Bart., M.P., supported by 
several Members of Parliament and well known friends of horticulture. 
The dinner will be preceded by the annual election, at which five 
out of the fourteen candidates will be elected to the benefits of the 
Fund. 
Those subscribers (numbering about 250) whose subscriptions are not 
yet paid are reminded that, in order to secure their votes, this should be 
done at once, as voting papers can in no case be sent where the sub¬ 
scriptions are in arrear.—G. Deal, Chairman. 
CANKER IN FRUIT TREES. 
As “ W.” has reopened the question of '• Canker in Fruit Trees,” and 
from his frequent references seems to desire a reply from me, I accept 
his challenge, although for two reasons I would have preferred to be 
silent for the present. Firstly, because I have already said about all I 
know in support of my suggestion that canker is a disease caused by 
malnutrition, and it only remains to test the theory by a series of care¬ 
fully conducted experiments ; and, secondly, because I am thoroughly 
disheartened with the subject of fruit trees generally, for I have never 
found them in a condition so hopelessly unsatisfactory. The exhausting 
drought of 1887, which continued until June, 1888, followed by the 
continued cold rain of the summer of the latter year, aggravated by 
the destruction of foliage by caterpillars in the same year, so weakened 
the trees that they could neither mature their fruit nor their wood. 
As might be expected from such antecedents, the trees this season 
broke extremely weak both in fruit and wood buds, notwithstanding 
all had a timely dressing with rings of cart grease and tar to prevent 
the ascent of the wingless female parent of the infesting caterpillars. 
The destruction caused by these is greater than that of last year. Some 
of the trees are entirely denuded of their foliage, and the prospect of 
fruit for next year hopeless. Under the circumstances it may be 
imagined that everything which relates to fruit trees is now to me an 
unpleasant subject. But “ W.” is an antagonist so fair and courteous 
that I will do the best I can to reply to some of his objections. He 
states that on my own showing the single mixture recommended by me 
cannot be best for all, because I have stated i; each variety of fruit 
requires its own appropriate food. The food required by one is different 
from that necessary for the other.” I never said the mixture was best 
for all, but it is a very complete manure, even more so than that which 
Ville describes as a complete manure, for it contains, in addition to 
the ingredients recommended by him as t; complete,” soda, magnesia, 
and iron, and I maintain that by applying a complete manure, the 
particular food required is given to each according to its requirements. 
The deficiency in the soil of a given tree may be one or more of the 
elements—potash, soda, magnesia, iron, phosphorus, sulphur, lime, &c. 
If all be given then the tree will find such of them as were previously 
deficient; the others may be unnecessary, for the soil may already con¬ 
tain sufficient, but the superabundance will do no harm. This explains 
how, while they fared much alike, each may have had its own special 
requirement. 
As to the nut presented tome to crack, I think that before I make 
the attempt it would be well if some proof were given that the wound 
so excellently illustrated in the Journal was caused by canker. Is it not 
possible that a contused mechanical injury might produce the same 
effect? bearing in mind that mechanical injury is one of the commonly 
assigned causes of canker. 
The other questions dealt with by “ W.” are such as to which we are 
not at issue ; about them I have nothing more to say. I quite agree 
that it is not safe to dogmatise on the subject of canker. I certainly 
have no intention of dogmatising, for it is obvious that my experience 
is too limited to enable me to produce proofs sufficient to establish a 
theory. If I had been younger, with the prospect of being able to make 
extended experiments and acquire a larger experience, the suggestion 
of my theory would have been postponed, but my health being uncertain 
I thought the theory promised sufficiently to make it worth while to 
throw out the suggestion in order that others might give it a trial.— 
Edmund Tones. 
[Unquestionably the theory was worthy of wide publicity, and our 
correspondent must be credited with initiating a new line of thought 
on the subject under notice, and which has an important bearing on 
fruit culture generally. We thank him for his able contributions.] 
A VISIT TO MARSTON AND LONGLEAT. 
Accepting the hospitable invitation of our genial friend Mr. W. 
Iggulden, I started on dreary wet Whit-Monday westward. The rain, 
which only began to fall on Monday in Suffolk, had deluged Marston for 
over a week, which, combined with the cold weather, was causing many 
plants to turn yellow looking. Marston has so often been described 
that I need only mention a few matters which particularly drew my 
attention. Being a Melon enthusiast I was glad when I got as far as the 
Melon pit. Lunefield Hybrid, Hero of Lockinge, and Rood Ashton 
Seedling were the varieties growing, of which the first is a good early 
scarlet flesh variety, finely netted, and a good setter; and the last, which 
I have not grown, an orange-flesh oval variety, a cross between Hybrid 
Cashmere and Mclndoe’s Premier, well netted and of fair size, with a 
good yellow skin. Mr. Iggulden grows Melons like other people grow 
Cucumbers—on the succession system—and I observed fruit full size, 
three parts grown, with others the size of eggs, down to fruit just set. 
None of these would fail to swell full size, for they were full of vitality. 
Plenty of head room was given, and very litt’e stopping or thinning of 
growth done. 
Tomatoes, which were a fine selection of Old Red, carried heavy 
crops. They were in 10-inch pots, standing on the front wall of the 
Melon pit, the p’ants 3 feet high, with four bunches of fruit, the lowest 
of which touched the rims of the pots, with, I should say, a total weight 
of 3^ to 4 lbs. on each plant. 
Mr. Iggulden has a good collection of Lettuces, and I mention these 
simply to draw attention to Early Paris Market, which, sown this spring 
on a south-east border, had all hearted well and been cut, with the 
exception of a few which were hard and close but would soon run to 
seed. It is evidently a useful variety for early work. 
The Grapes looked promising, and in the Muscat house I noticed a 
Black Hamburgh taken down the length of the house in the front, and 
forming a stock for Muscats trained up the house, carrying a dozen or so 
bunches, which, when ripe, will weigh 3 to 4 lbs. each, and two of them 
probably 4 lbs. each. No doubt these will take their part in competition 
later on. One bunch of Gros Guillaume will, I should judge, weigh 
quite 10 lbs. when ripe. 
Some Catherine Mermet Roses on a south-east wall were truly grand. 
They were fully equal to any prize blooms I have seen, and one in par¬ 
ticular was exquisite in form and co'ouring. Mushrooms grown out¬ 
doors on a cone-shaped ridge were plentiful, great bunches of them being 
disclosed on removing the litter. 
Not to see Longleat and its famous Vines when iu the neighbourhood 
would indeed have been a grievous disappointment, so I had to disturb 
Mr. Pratt’s peaceful evening by asking him to show me his onerous 
charge, a request granted at once with the ready good will which Mr. 
Pratt soon shows he amply possesses. A hearty reception is cheering, so 
I followed him with hopeful thoughts, nor was I disappointed. The 
famous vinery is indeed worth a long journey to see. A heavy crop of 
fine bunches is hanging, and Mr. Pratt will be heard of this summer. 
My visit being hurried, I was unable to note many particulars, but I 
especially remarked the very healthy foliage, the leaves being stout and 
of that co'our which betokens good culture. A tine crop of Melons was 
in the pit, several of which were exceedingly fine fruit. Mr. Pratt 
grows a Cucumber which particularly pleased me, the name has escaped. 
The fruit is not too long, of fine form and colour, and I understand a 
good cropper. A very level bed of Cabbages were growing on the out¬ 
side unused border of the great vinery, not one plant of which 
seemed out of form. In driving through the park I noticed the Oaks 
and Ash trees were a’most entirely denuded of leaves by caterpi lars, 
which gives them quite a wintry aspect.—H. S. Easty. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Scientific Committee.— Present: Dr. M. T. Masters in the chair; 
Prof. H. M. Ward, Prof. A. Church, Mr. Morris, and Rev. G. Henslow, 
Hon. Sec. 
Fritillary Bulbs Dormant. —Mr. Morris read a communication from 
Mr. C. Packe of Stretton Hall, Leicester, who in 1879 had planted two 
bulbs of F. Moggridgei (F. Burnati var. lutea, Reich.. Icon., x., ccccxvii). 
They did not come up till the present year— i.e., after a lapse of thirteen 
years ; one only bore flowers. <• The facts,” he adds, are absolutely 
