88 
THE COTTAGE GAUDENEli 
Noyembeb 0. 
as its name imports, but at tbe same time is a dense one, 
and flowers most abundantly. Tbe individual flowers 
are the best formed of their class, as round as a shillin<(, 
and nearly as large : the truss is also largo and compact, 
the foliage medium size, strongly markeal. Eor the hack 
row of a ribbon, J think this will prove an ac(piisition, 
or for a large bed, if the strong growth is kept under, by 
plunging them out in their pots. It is an excellent 
variety for vases, and to grow in pots for the conserva¬ 
tory or the greenhouse stage. Or it will clothe a pillar, 
or cover a wall, such as that in the Crystal Palace, with 
excellent effect. A true rose-coloured bedding Geranium 
has been long a desideratum. 'J'hat desire is now 
attained in a seedling raised at 'J'rcntham, and cliristened 
Trcntliam Hose. It has beautiful light green, medium¬ 
sized foliage, and lai’ge trusses of good-tormed flowers, 
of a clear rose-colour. 'This I have proved to be a good 
bedder, and can recommend it strongly. 
The additions to our variegated Geraniums are not 
numerous. Flower of the Itui) holds its place as a first- 
rate bedding variegated Geranium. Mountain of Light 
only does well in places (Euville Hall Gardens, lor 
instance). liCe’s Silver King will, when more plentitul, 
be found admirable for this jmrpose. It combines the 
good qualities of both the first-named, having the loliage 
of Flower of the Fug, and the flowers of Mountain of 
Light. Indeed, the variegation is better tban either. 
It is easy to propagate, and of a hardy constitution. 
Comvag’s Brilliant, though a good bloomer and of a 
good colour, is njit to lose its variegation. In poor, 
sandy soils it will do better, and as it projiagates freely, 
and grows quickly, it is worthy of a trial. 
T. Appleby. 
{To he continued.) 
Mr. Willtam Dray died on the Ttb October at the 
cottage of Colonel Colt, in Wethersfield Avenue, Hart¬ 
ford, Connecticut. Mr. Dray was an Englishman, who 
had but lately proceeded to ihe United States with his 
wife and two daughters, having been selected by Colonel 
Colt, tbe well-known inventor of the revolver which 
bears bis name, as a scientific gardener, to improve and 
beautify his extensive grounds upon the South Meadow. 
These grounds, according to a local journal, consist of 
rich meadow land, protected from the freshets of the 
Connecticut by a dyke or embankment 120 feet wide. 
If) feet high, and two miles in circuit, furnishing a beau¬ 
tiful drive for fashionable equipages. Colonel Coil’s 
design is to lay out the whole enclosure into streets, 
and erect a factory for his revolvers and other buildings 
on a level with the dyke, accordingly as his own wants or 
those of his purchasers may require. In accomplishing 
these objects, which, exclusive of tbe purchase of the 
laud, involved a capital of not less than a quarter of a 
million dollars, already paid out, while the land itself cost 
fifty or sixty thousand dollars, Colonel Colt sought the aid 
of Mr. Dray, who entered upon his task under the most 
favourable circumstances, with abounding encourage¬ 
ment and support from his employer. Everything is 
said to have ))rospered under his bands, and there was 
beauty and completeness in bis designs. It was ex¬ 
pected that tbe ensuing spring would have seen the 
Meadows a place of beauty as attractive for its agricul¬ 
tural and horticultural aspects as it now is for the 
grandeur of it armoury and dependent establishments. 
But in the midst of his plans Mr. Dray was carried oil’ 
by death, much regretted by bis American friends, to 
whom he had commended himself by his gentlemanly 
deportment, professional skill, and general intelligence. 
VARIETIES OF FRUITS, AND THEIR 
PECULIARITIES. 
fr is somewhat remarkable, that of the multitude of 
new bedding ])lants, fruits, varieties of vegetables, and 
other acquisitions made every year to our general stock, 
few survive more than two or three years, the lest fall¬ 
ing into oblivio'!!, or, very possibly, returning into their 
original state again, which was neither more nor less 
than that of an old variety under a new name. Now and 
then, however, wo have a something of sterling merit sent 
forth, which deserves everything said in its favour. At¬ 
tempts have been made, from time to time, to subject 
the qualities of new things to an efficient tribun.al ; but 
this has always failed, owing to causes which are easy 
to explain. “ A variety may be good at one place, and 
not at another,” thereby rendering it impossible to ap¬ 
prove or condemn it entirely without some qualification. 
We all know the British Queen Strawberry is a very line 
fruit—jierhaps the very best of its class when well grown— 
but it will not succeed everywhere : in fact, I can scarce 
get the plant to live, even by removing the bloom. 
Other fruits have like peculiarities. Neither does it fol¬ 
low that the latest varieties are the most likely to succeed 
everywhere; for, although the IJawthorndean A 2 )ple is 
not, by any moans, a very old variety, there ai’e few 
showing more signs of decay than it does; in fact, it 
almost refuses to grow at all in some places, where other- 
kinds do well. A few speckled, unsightly a))ples are pro¬ 
duced on a cankered tree of but a very few years’ growth ; 
and the pruning-knife and spade are applied to it in 
vain in the way of improvement, for it is considered as 
incurable ; aird facts have proved it so. Some other 
varieties are also fast passing away. A healthy, good- 
bearing Jargonelle Pear is not to be found everywliere ; 
and the Bihston Pipgnn Apple is but sparingly jhanted 
now-a-days. 
The qtieslion, then, arises. How are these fine old 
fruits to be substituted? Their names have been so 
familiar, that they cannot well be done without; and it 
is a lamentable fact, that we sometimes see their names 
transferred to others, perhaps with as much propriety as 
the name of a commercial firm is transferred to their 
successors after all the originals have died out. But 
what is a more serious matter in the varieties of fruits 
of recent introduction is, that they give tokens of 
decay before arriving at tbe age their predecessors did. 
Keswick Codling, Jving Pippin, Wellington, Pogal 
Standard, and other Apples, all good varieties, a few 
years ago, now show signs of premature decay ; while 
old kinds, as the Pearmain, Bennett, &c., promise fair 
to outlive them. In certain districts, I have no doubt 
but this state of things will be reversed ; but I fear few 
of our lately introduced kinds will prove so good as 
their forelders. 
Much as has been written on this subject, I fear tbe 
real cause has not often been adverted to; neither am 
I sure that my theory is the correct one; but I venture 
to give it. Are we perfectly sure that a seed does not 
carry with it some of the constitutional defects of its 
parent? It seems to be universally admitted that a bud, 
or graft, does so. Then, does .a seed do so, or does it 
not? The matter is one of opinion; for, in the case of 
fruits, few have the chance to live long enough to see 
it proved. But my view of it is this: that the recent 
varieties of Apples have been raised from the pips of 
former varieties, instead of from the original Crab, tbe 
parent of all. Now, if I am right in this hypothesis, 
each succeeding generation will be shorter lived, unless, 
as in the case of cattle-breeding, some “ fresh blood ” be 
called in, which can only bo effectually done by having 
recourse to the original. This is, unfortunately, too 
slow a process for the hasty and impatient sjurit of the 
present time. A hybridiser of the present day wants to 
