400 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 25. 
rubbish and leaf-mould, in a pot under a bell-glass, 
until the seedlings appeal'. Keeping it moist, and in a 
shaded part of the greenhouse. The glass must be 
removed when the seedlings are up. If attempted to be 
transplanted from a wall, it can very rarely bo done 
successfully, unless the two bricks between which it is 
growing can be previously removed, so that the roots 
may be but slightly injured. The best time for thus 
moving it is just when it begins to grow in April. 
Plant it in a soil composed of three parts of rubbly 
limey-rubbish, one part sand, and one part leaf-mould. 
The pot must be well-drained, be kept constantly 
slightly moist, and in the shade. It requires a free ex¬ 
posure to air, which is the cause of its languishing under 
a Wardian Case. 
It is not improbable that the way in which the cone¬ 
like main-root of this Fern tents or probes between the 
rocks or bricks whero it grows, may have given rise to 
its old name of Tent-wort , which in that case is synony¬ 
mous with Probe-wort. Shakspere makes use of this 
now almost obsolete word in more than one passage. 
Thus, when Hamlet proposes to have “something like 
the murder of his father ” performed before the king, he 
says— 
“ I’ll observe his loolcs j 
I’ll tent him to the quick.” 
A Meeting of the British Pomological Society was 
held at the Rooms, 21, Bedford-street, Covent Garden, on 
Monday the 17th inst. Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgwortli, 
in the chair. 
There was an excellent exhibition of all sorts of fruits 
now in season, embracing Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, 
Grapes, Figs, Pears, Apples, and Plums, and altogether 
the meeting was a very agreeable one. The table was 
completely covered, and the conversation and discussion 
which took place over every specimen, as it was sub¬ 
mitted to the judgment of each individual present, was 
lively and profitable. We think, at such meetings 
there is much more good done, and more information 
obtained, than at those where, for some object of nominal 
value, growers are excited to rivalry in the production 
of fruit of colossal dimensions and attractive colour, to 
the too-frequent exclusion of other and more desirable 
qualities. In the Pomological Society, the members and 
their friends meet in social intercourse, and examine, 
taste, and discuss the merits of each variety of fruit 
j submitted to them; ideas are exchanged, new modes of 
j practice suggested, and altogether these meetings are so 
I agreeable, that one is no sooner over than you begin to 
weary for the next. 
At this meeting, Mr. Snow, of Wrest Park, produced a 
bunch ot a Black Seedling Muscat Grape, to which no 
*name has yet been given. It is a hybrid, between the 
Muscat oj Alexandria and the Black Eambro, and 
possesses, in a greater degree, the character of the Muscats. 
The bunch is large, loose, and branching, of consider¬ 
able length, and the berries are oval; the skin is rather 
thick and tough, but the flesh is tender, melting, and 
juicy, richly flavoured, and with all the aroma of the 
Muscat. Mr. Snow stated that it ripened with as small 
an amount of heat as the Black Hambro, and was quite 
as early. As another instance of Mr. Snow’s ability in 
keeping fruits, he presented a dish of Red Astrakhan 
Apples, as firm and fresh as if they had just been picked 
from the tree. 
Mr. McEwen, of Arundel Castle, sent some very nice 
fruit, as he always does; but the most attractive was a 
collection of Figs grown upon standards in the open 
air, and the fruit was remarkably fine. There were the 
Brown Turkey, Black Ischia, and White Marseilles; 
the latter remarkably well flavoured. 
Mr. Whiting, of The Deepdene, near Dorking, had a 
collection of Plums, which consisted of some good 
specimens of Royal Hdtive, Nectarine, Kirke's, Cooper's 
Large, and Belgian Purple; but Kirke's, and Royal 
Hdtive were the richest flavoured as dessert varieties. 
Belgian Purple, though good, was inferior to either. 
From Mr. Dowling, of Southampton, were specimens 
of the new Plums, Angelina Burdett, Standard of Eng¬ 
land, and Black Gage. The first is a particularly richly- 
flavoured and very valuable dessert Plum ; the Black 
Gage is also of excellent quality; but the Standard of 
England appeared to us to lack flavour for the dessert. 
It m ight be a good variety either for baking or pre¬ 
serving. 
Dr. Davies, of Pershore, sent specimens of three varie¬ 
ties of seedling Plums raised in that neighbourhood, 
two of which were called Jemmy Coombe and Jemmy 
Moore. The former is an immensely large fruit, much 
more so than the largest Pond's Seedling we have ever 
seen. It is evidently a seminal variety of the old 
Magnum Bonum, and is of the same colour as that 
variety; but it was thought to possess a much sweeter 
and richer flavour. Jemmy Moore was a pale red 
variety, adapted for culinary use, as is also the former. 
Mr. Ferine, of Haddington, N. B., sent specimens of a 
seedling which were not sufficiently ripe^aud were, there¬ 
fore, left over till next meeting; as was also a large col¬ 
lection of Apples and some Pears from Mr. William 
Barratt, of Wakefield. 
Mr. Adams, Nurseryman, Brentford, exhibited speci¬ 
mens of a seedling Plum, which was said to be a very 
great bearer, and one well-adapted for cooking and pre¬ 
serving. 
Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, produced a large col¬ 
lection of Peaches and Plums, which were particularly 
interesting, being generally sorts of recent introduction, 
and which he had been successful in fruiting. They 
were so numerous it would be impossible for us to find 
room for a separate notice of each. 
The following gentlemen were elected members :—• 
Mr. George Paul, Cheshunt. 
T. Crawshay, Esq., Colney Hatch. 
Mr. Snow, Wrest Park, Bedfordshire. 
Mr. J. Pearson, Chilwell, Nottingham. 
