2G0 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
“9. The more light and air given from the time the flowers show colour, the 
shorter will be the leaves and spike, and the brighter the colours of the flowers.” 
OUR MONTHLY CHRONICLE. 
Royal Horticultural Society. — The 
October Fruit and Vegetable Show was held 
on the 19th 20th, and 21st, and though not 
well attended by visitors, nor so extensive as 
could have been desired, it was nevertheless 
a good autumn show. Such, however in¬ 
teresting to the horticulturist, rarely pay 
+heir own expenses—at any rate near the 
metropolis. Of the materials composing the 
Show, Grapes, both Black and White, were 
remarkably good. The three bunches of 
Muscats from Mr. Meads were among the 
finest we have ever seen, being large, com¬ 
pact, weighing collectively 11 lbs. 13 ozs., 
with large and beautifully ripened berries 
just acquiring that fine amber tinge which is 
indicative of perfect maturity in this variety. 
Excellent Black Hamburghs were also con¬ 
tributed by the same exhibitor. Barbarossa, 
the three bunches weighing 12f lbs., was 
shown by Mr. Potts; and Muscat Ham¬ 
burghs, large, and well coloured, by Messrs. 
Lane, of Berkhampstead, who also contri¬ 
buted fine bunches of several other varieties, 
as well as Vines in pots bearing excellent 
bunches. The celebrated Vine at Cumber¬ 
land Lodge, which covers a house 138 feet 
long by 19 feet wide, furnished Mr. T. Ingram 
with two bunches such as are seldom seen on 
large old Vines, and we understand that it 
has this season borne many others equally 
good. An interesting collection of thirty 
kinds—Black, White, and Red, came from 
the large conservatory at Chiswick, and 
among them were several excellent bunches ; 
the most remarkable, however, were two 
bunches of Barbarossa, one measuring 18 ins. 
in length, 19 inches across the shoulders, and 
weighing 6 lbs. 13 ozs. ; the other measuring 
13 inches in length, 11 or 12 inches across, 
and weighing 3 lbs. 13 ozs.; the former the 
produce of a Vine on its own roots, the latter 
that of one grafted on the Black Hamburgh. 
The two Vines were grown under precisely 
the same conditions of soil and temperature 
—in fact, side by side in the same house—but 
the difference between their products was 
most marked. While the bunch from the 
unworked Vine was so much superior in size, 
it was loose, and the berries irregular and 
reddish; that, on the contrary, from the 
grafted Vine was handsome, compact, larger 
and much more even in berry, and covered 
with a fine bloom. The difference could only 
be attributed to the circumstance of the one 
A r ine being grafted and the other not; and 
when we call to mind the splendid bunches of 
Black Prince sent by Mr. Hill to the July 
Botanic Show, which weighed 13 lbs. 10 ozs., 
and which were borne by a Vine grafted on 
that very vigorous and healthy variety of 
Hamburgh, the Frankenthal, we believe that 
a wide field for experiment is opened up, 
and that great ulterior advantage may result 
from grafting different varieties on each other. 
Apples and Pears were in many instances 
much out of character, probably owing to the 
checks sustained by vegetation from drought 
and warm days, alternately with cold and 
occasional frosty nights. Cornish Gilliflower, 
in the first collection of six dishes, which 
came from Mr. Ford, of Horsham, was finer 
than that highly flavoured, rich, yellow- 
fleshed variety is usually seen. Blenheim 
Pippin from the same exhibitor, as well as 
from numerous others, was also large and 
very fine. Of other kinds there were beau¬ 
tiful examples of Fearn’s Pippin, Gravenstein, 
Cox’s Orange Pippin, Court-Pendu-Plat, and 
King of the Pippins. Two new dessert 
Apples, called Frogmore Nonpareil and Gipsy 
King, came from Mr. Ingram. Both are 
described as being excellent long-keeping 
Apples; the former remains fit for use from 
October to March, the latter till June. Gipsy 
King is the more attractive in appearance, 
bearing considerable resemblance to a highly- 
coloured Court-Pendu-Plat, but having the 
eye more like that of the Blenheim. The 
most noticeable of the kitchen Apples was 
Mere de Menage, of which six fruits weighed 
6 lbs. 10 ozs., the largest measuring about 
14 inches in circumference, and in colour deep 
red. This fine large kitchen Apple, thougn 
not probably so good for culinary purposes as 
the Blenheim and some others, was shown by 
Mr. Lee, gardener to Viscount Combermere, 
Whitchurch, and we may remark in passing 
that it is also known as the Combermere. 
Emperor Alexander, from Mr. Scrymger, 
Reading, was large, and splendid in colour, 
it is, however, a light Apple, and, for cook¬ 
ing, inferior to Yorkshire Greening, of which 
large and fine fruit were also shown by the 
same exhibitor. A collection of 120 varieties 
came from Chiswick, as well as eighty of 
Pears. In the latter fruit Mr. T. Ingram had 
some remarkably fine Beurre Clairgeau, Glou 
Morceau, Chaumontel, and British Queen; 
the last a new and first-rate variety, which 
was described and figured in our last volume. 
Kitchen Pears were rather small, and do not 
(jail for special notice. Of other fruits there 
were good Currants, Plums, Salway Peaches, 
Oranges, Citrons, a few Moi’ello Cherries, 
Quinces, and three or four Melons. The show 
of vegetables was poor; there was not a single 
Lettuce; other saiading, except Celery and 
Endive, was unrepresented. Cabbages found 
but one exhibitor; and Potatoes, Turnips, 
