THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
]30 
November 25. 
^ unusually large prices are generally olitained. We do not 
think that the best Cheshire cheese are at all superior to 
I the best Lancashire; but still fashion or fancy has given 
I them superiority in the London market. And it is this 
: fashion or fancy that has added so large an artificial value 
to double Grloucester and Stilton above their real merit, 
i To show that it is not the mere fact of a dairy being of the 
Cheshire make that will command a large price, we may 
name, that while here and there a dairy in Cheshire was 
fetching as much as the Gift-hall dairy, and some con¬ 
siderably more, the general run of prices at the last Chester 
fair was from 42s. to fids., and not a single dairy commanded 
the prices above named. It is proper that farmers should 
know that it is not by maldng Cheshire cheese merely that 
they will get higher prices, but by making that peculiar 
quality that suits the London market.” 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and 
Poultry Slioivs of which we are at present aware. We 
shall bo obliged by any of our readers sending us 
; additions to the list, and giving the address of the 
I Secretaries. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
Bury St. Edmunds, Nov. 26 (Chrysanthemums). {Sec. 
G. P. Clay, Esq.) 
Caledonian (Inverleith Eow), Edinburgh, Dec. 2. 
London Eloricultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), Dec. 14t. 
South London (Royal), Dec. 0+, 16. 
POULTRY shows. 
Birmingham and Midland Counties, 14th, 16th, 16th, 
and 17th December. 
Bristol Agricultural, December 7th, 8th, and 9th. 
{Sec. James Marmont.) 
Cornwall (Penzance), January 10th, and 11th. {Secs. 
Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. II. 
Rodd, Esq.) 
IIONITON, January 12th. {See. H. K. Venn.) 
Winchester, December 1st. {Secs. G. W. Johnson and 
J. Colson.) 
NURSERYMEN AND THEIR FRUITS. 
Amongst the many disappointments which flesh is 
heir to, few are more annoying than those connected 
j with choice fruits. It is, indeed, exceedingly so for a 
I person to find, after building expensive structures, or 
! garden walls, and having his patience taxed by waiting 
some three or four years for produce, to find tliat his 
supposed Hambro’s are Frontignans, or his desired 
Galande Peach is the Early Anne; yet these are things 
, that happen every day somewhere, and the writer of 
I this has undergone several severe disappointments of 
j the kind in his time. Our nurserymen certainly are 
not the most negligent tradesmen of the day, by any 
means; but this grievance happens so frequently as to 
call on them for increased vigilance in the propagation 
of their fruits, and in the execution of their orders. 
Some years since we had determined to have a Galande 
Peach-tree in a favourite position: this was desirable, 
in order to furnish a link wanting in the chain of sue- i 
cession. One was obtained from a first-rate nursery- [ 
man, and in three years, on fruiting, behold it was a 
Royal George. Again, soon afterwards it became de¬ 
sirable to plant a very late peach, and a Late Admirable 
was chosen; and behold, on fruiting, we had another 
Royal George. Now, this was really infamous, and the 
annoyance was by no means lessened by a good ground 
; for suspicion that the Royal George had been hioivingly 
'■ substituted. 
; It so happens that nurserymen have not at all times 
i good trees of our more tender peaches; and the Royal 
George, being a free grower, might, by a not over-par¬ 
ticular foreman, be substituted. Wo do hope our 
esteemed friend, Mr. vVjipleby, will keep a watchful eye 
on such matters, and this we cannot doubt,—having 
been a gardener himself, he is keenly alive to the im¬ 
portance of accuracy in such things, and, by thus taking 
a stand from the first, will be in a position to render 
the gardening public a service. 
Much is expected of all classes in these days, and the 
nurseryman must use whip and sjnir in order to keep 
up with the foremost rank. One of the chief features 
of our day is the division of labour in our various 
trades, and this practice has reached the nurseryman I 
in common with the rest. Hence we have rose florists, 
fruit gi'owers, cultivators of exotics for exhibition pur¬ 
poses, &c.; and we do apprehend that, as the tide flows, 
this division of labour is destined still farther to extend 
in the gardening world. 
This is as it should be; for the business of a nursery¬ 
man was fast becoming of too multifarious a character 
to be well carried out by one firm in all its branches. 
We all know, by experience, that much less error takes 
place with such things as Roses by our rose-growers in 
these days than by the old mixed nursery system. We 
do not wish it to be inferred, however, that these rose- 
growers cannot supply a general order—by no means; 
but the fact is, they throw their chief strength into the 
roses, the rest being more of a subsidiary character. 
The confusion in the nomenclature of our fruits, hither¬ 
to existing, has, indeed, been an enormous grievance, 
and seems to call either for fresh arrangements, or a 
far better administration of those existing. We are 
quite aware that what is called “ the trade” is a very 
sensitive hydra-beaded creature; and, doubtless, justly 
so ; for, indeed, its well-being depends, in the main, on 
its integrity. And it is because we would fain increase 
even its high character, that we have the temerity to 
charge it with the jiossibility of not being entirely 
immaculate. Moreover, we owe a duty to the public, 
whose precedency in this case is indisputable. 
Under such circumstances, we rejoice to see a weekly 
report of that great emporium of fruits and vegetables, 
Covent Garden market, added to the pages of The 
Cottage Gardener, and to which the initial “ H.” is 
a))pended; and which letter seems to point to a first- 
rate pomoiogist, whose very style and fulness of infor¬ 
mation seems to betray him. These reports will be 
invaluable, but country folks would fain have the retail 
prices distinguished from the wholesale prices. This is, 
we are aware, a nice task to perform ; but who shall say 
what is impossible in these days ? 
And here another word to our nurserymen, who cer¬ 
tainly in their kind are nowhere excelled; no, not in 
any country. Since the million will have gardens, and 
possess the desire, without the practical knowledge, to 
avail themselves of superior fruits, some means should 
be placed within their reach of knowing at a glimpse 
what will suit their purpose. Catalogues they under¬ 
stand not; neither have they time or inclination to 
collect facts by a slow and tiresome detail, which would 
put them in a position with the really practical man in 
adapting kinds to their necessities, or as subordinate to 
their schemes. Here we must point to the importance 
of a growing art, the modelling fruits, as well as flowers, 
in wax. Why not have a cabinet of wax models of fruits 
as a very proper and necessary appendage to a nurseiy- 
man’s counter, or shop-window? We are led to suggest 
this course in consequence of showing the very superior 
manner in which some of our rising artistes manage 
these things. Most of our readers have seen the Ivew 
Garden’s Museum, or if not this interesting cabinet of 
models of fruits, they have seen such things in the great 
metropolis. But we can assure them, that not in the 
metropolis alone are tbpse matters well carried out, the 
