April 7,1867. ] 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
269 
received a sample from Mr. Stephen Castle of the West Lynn Vineyard, 
clear, smooth, and firm, the footstalks as green and berries as fresh as 
we usually find them at Christmas. We have not seen their equal at 
this season of the year, and we congratulate the grower and “ keeper ” 
of them on his meritorious achievement. We understand they were cut 
from the Vines in December. They have been admirably preserved and 
are of excellent quality. 
-National Chrysanthemum Society.—T he annual report, 
the financial statement, and schedule of prizes of this Society is now 
issued for the current year. It has become quite voluminous, consisting of 
fifty-seven pages, and giving full particulars of the results of last year’s 
proceedings, and the arrangements for 1887. Most of these have been 
previously noted in our pages. The special prizes are numerous and 
substantial in amount, and the competition in some of those classes is 
likely to attract considerable attention. The schedule can be procured 
from Mr. William Holmes, Frampton Park Nursery, Hackney. 
-The Committee of the Leeds Horticultural Society have 
'decided on having an Exhibition this year in the “ Jubilee week,” the 
Show opening on June 21st and continuing for four days. The schedule, 
which is very neat in design, contains a portrait of the Queen. Prizes 
are offered in fifty-three classes, the most noteworthy being £24 in three 
prizes for twelve specimen plants, £15 and £10 for groups, £12 for 
Orchids, and £10 in three prizes for a collection of fruit. We trust 
“ Queen’s weather” will prevail at the time, and make the event a great 
success. Mr. J. H. Clark is the Secretary. 
- A northern correspondent writes respecting the Weather : 
• f March, 1887, although not so protracted as the same month in 1886, 
has been the most severe I ever experienced. For ten days the tempe¬ 
rature ranged between 10° Fahr. (the lowest), and 25° Fahr. (the 
•highest) during any night, and the mean day and night during that 
period was 27° Fahr. Hepaticas, Primulas, and other hardy spring 
flowers are totally spoiled for the season, and where plants were covered 
a few days with snow (which starts them into growth) they are also 
•destroyed.” 
- Mr. W. A. Cook sends the following on Narcissi :— “ These 
popular flowers are very useful for the decoration of the drawing-room, 
greenhouse, and conservatory, yet we do not find many good collections. 
I do not know why unless the expense is the drawback. Their cultivation 
should be well understood. It is, any way, very simple, and they can be 
had in flower from the end of December until the end of April and into 
May. The Polyanthus varieties are all extremely sweet, and the large 
Trumpet varieties are as graceful, and can be kept a long time in flower 
•by placing them as they open their flowers in a house with a northern 
aspect, I have had some in flower for six weeks. We have successfully 
■flowered the following in pots, some of which have flowered three con¬ 
secutive years, and I believe,with careful management after the flowering 
period, can be done for a long time—Bicolor, Empress, Horsefieldi, 
Albicans, Exquisite, pallidus praecox, tortuosus, Telemonius plenus, 
Uapax, plenus maximus, Obvallaris, Golden Spur, cernuus plenus, Leedsi, 
C. J. Backhouse, Sir Watkin, Mary Anderson, Barri odorus plenus, 
ornatus, Poetarum, Single Jonquils, Double Jonquils, Bazelmann Major, 
Gloriosus, Grand Monarch, Paper White, Sir W. Scott, States General, 
Jaune Supreme, and Sir I. Newton.” 
- Late Dessert Pears. —A correspondent, “ Kilternan Abbey,” 
desires to know if any of our readers can name for him one or two dessert 
Pears of high quality. Very late (February to May) ; very hardy ; good 
growers ; good bearers ; suited for bush culture in the north of England 
or Ireland, in a windy exposed situation.or freestone subsoil. Winter 
Nelis, Bergamotte Esperen, Bcurni Bose and Glou Mor^eau will not do. 
- A Peterborough correspondent, referring to the Effects 
of the Weather on Vegetables, states that “ It has been more 
destructive to some vegetables, such as Lettuce, Endive, young Cabbage, 
and Parsley, than I have known for the last fifteen years. Bullfinches 
have also been more busy than usual at the fruit, attacking not only 
Gooseberry and Currant bushes, but also Williams’ Bon Chrfitien and 
other Pears badly.” The flower buds of early Pears in the neighbour¬ 
hood of Loudon are advancing fast now, the recent bright sunny weather 
having hastened them ; also Gooseberries, Currants, Plums, and many 
occupants of the borders. 
— The new pjdigree seedling Tea Rose Princess Beatrice , 
was shown by Mr. H. Bennett at the Crystal Palace on the 26th ult., 
and awarded a first-class certificate, an honour that was previously 
awarded it at South Kensington on June 23rd, 1885. The blooms 
shown were notable for their neat form and good substance, the colour 
being a soft yellow tint suffused with rose, especially in the centre and 
towards the margin of the petals. Mr. Bennett describes it as “ a 
vigorous grower, with stiff erect wood, thick handsome foliage ; free 
flowering.” It is very pleasing in colour, and will probably be valued 
for cutting. 
-“ J. M.” regards Lobelia cardinalis as “ one of the most 
useful flower garden plants. When once a root is procured it may be 
lifted, divided, and replanted every spring until it becomes quite plenti¬ 
ful. When the stems are about 1 foot in height they begin to show 
signs of flowering, and throughout July, August, and September it pro¬ 
duces many graceful spikes of dark red flowers. It is excellent for 
cutting, and groups of it in the flower garden are particularly effective t 
It is an agreeable change from Pelargoniums and Calceolarias. The 
present is a good time to introduce it, divide it, or replant it. A rich 
soil suits it best, and I never knew it to fail in any situation.” 
- Owing to the Continental Horticultural Company 
being in liquidation, a sale of the plants in the extensive nursery at 
Ghent is announced to be held on May 16th next and following days. The 
plants chiefly comprise Orchids, Palms, Ferns, Cycads, Azaleas, and 
Camellias. The periodical works, “ L’lllustration Horticole ” and the 
“ Lindenia,” with a number of Orchids and Nepenthes, have been 
retained for the Brussels nursery of the new Company noticed recently. 
- Home-grown Tobacco. —The Board of Inland Revenue have 
just issued revised regulations governing the permission given by the Lords 
of the Treasury in 1886 for the experimental cultivation of Tobacco in 
the United Kingdom. Any occupier of land intending to plant Tobacco 
must, on or before the 5th prox., give notice to the Secretary of Inland 
Revenue setting forth the extent of land to be planted, and the place, 
parish, and county where it is situated. After permission is granted a 
declaration must be signed by the grower to the effect that the revenue 
officers will at all times have access to the planted land, and to the 
rooms where the Tobacco will be dried. All Tobacco grown and 
gathered must be removed to a drying room, kept there until properly 
cured, and then packed in bags, bales, or casks of an approved size. 
After the packages are weighed by a revenue officer the duty must be 
paid, or the Tobacco deposited in a Customs or Excise warehouse. The 
penalty for growing Tobacco without permission, except in small quanti¬ 
ties for scientific or ornamental purposes, still remains in force. 
- The Arrangement of Colours. — A Staffordshire corre¬ 
spondent writes —“ I agree with what is stated in the leading article of 
last week’s Journal respecting the jumbling together of colours whereby 
they kill each other. This is too frequently done not only at showsi but 
also in conservatories and in the general arrangement of cut flowers. 
Many seem to think that the most beautiful effects and the highest 
excellence are only attained by placing together the greatest number 
and diversity of flowers, but I believe such arrangements to be opposed 
to good taste, art, and beauty. Hyacinths, Tulips, and Crocuses should 
always be grouped either amongst fine-foliage plants or alone. The 
black or purple-black Hyacinths ought not to be admitted in any mixed 
group, and are only allowable for forming a contrast with white ones, or 
in massing to give depth of shadow in artistic groups.” 
- The Bedford Horticultural Society will hold their 
fourth annual Show on Wednesday, July 13th, this year in a field on the 
Goldington Road, Bedford Substantial prizes are offered in the leading 
classes, especially for cut Roses, the best prizes in two classes consisting 
of silver cups of £5 and £4 respectively. 
- “ T. W. G.” writes on R03ES—“ What odd slip of the pen makes 
‘ D., Deal,' refer to Ferdinand Chaffolte as an ‘ absolutely new Rose ’ 
(p. 249) ? It was sent out by Pernet in 1879, and though it once 
received a first-class certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society ; 
the award must have been made on a dark foggy morning, or in winter, 
when the appearance of any Rose was enough to make people con¬ 
tented, as the variety produces a coarse, dull red, cup-shaped flower of 
little beauty, and is now rarely seen in public. The new Tea mentioned 
is Souvenir de Gabriel Drevet, not Drouet.” 
- Mr. John Carter, Keighley, has forwarded us a handsomj 
