163 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 18, 1860. 
My Hamburgh Grapes have been an excellent colour, and 
measured from 2j inches to 3^ inches in circumference.— 
T. H. C. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The Horticultural Society may now be said to have resumed 
all its functions. The practical part has been in full operation 
at Chiswick for the last twelve months, and final arrangements 
have been made for the resumption of the Grand Floral Fetes 
■which for so many years attracted to Chiswick such a blaze of 
beauty and fashion as were nowhere to be seen in the world 
besides. It is not, however, beneath the shady verdure of 
Chiswick that these great displays are now to be held. The dis¬ 
tance from London was found to be too great to induce the 
fashionable world to run the risk of our proverbially changeable 
climate, and the consequence was that similar places nearer town 
derived the advantage of their more convenient situation. It is 
to the palatial gardens at Kensington Gore that all eyes are now 
attracted to see those displays of horticultural skill which were 
so much admired at the great exhibitions at Chiswick; and if 
we may judge from the arrangements that have just been com¬ 
pleted, we cannot doubt but that “ the opening” in June next 
will be one of the grandest things of the kind ever witnessed in 
this or any other country. In the course of a few daj's the 
schedules of the exhibitions for the season will be ready for 
distribution. 
It is decided that the first Grand Exhibition will be held on 
Wednesday and Thursday, June 5th and 6th and it is generally 
believed that it will be opened by Her Majesty and the Royal 
Family in person. This exhibition will consist of Flowers and 
Fruits ; and prizes to the value of about £750 will be awarded. 
At this Exhibition, C. Wentworth Dilke, Esq., will offer 
prizes amounting to £20 for the best group of three baskets of 
Fruit and Flowers for decorating the dinner-table. 
On Wednesday, July 10th, the Grand Rose Show' is to be 
held, when prizes on the same liberal scale as the preceding are 
offered. 
The Grand Dahlia Show is to take place September 11th, and, 
besides Dahlias, is to include cut blooms of Roses, Hollyhocks, 
Asters, Gladioluses, Phloxes, and "Verbenas. 
The Grand Fruit and Chrysanthemum Show will be on the 
6tli and 7th of November, for which a tempting prize list is also 
■offered. The total amount of prizes for these exhibitions will 
be somewhere about £1400. Ample arrangements have been 
made for securing every facility and convenience for the ex¬ 
hibitors ; and there is a liberal, though not profuse, provision 
of breakfast tickets, and passes for them and their attendants. 
Besides these grand displat s, there are to be the usual monthly 
and bi-monthly Meetings of the Fruit and Floral Committee, 
which will he held in the new hall at Kensington Gore, and to 
which the Fellows will be admitted after the Committee have 
made their decision. 
Frttit Committee. —A Meeting of the Fruit Committee was 
held on Tuesday the 11th inst., Mr. Graham in the chair. A 
large collection of Fruits from the East Riding of Yorkshire 
Local Committee was examined, and which furnished much 
valuable information as to the varieties which succeed and fail in 
that district, and particulars of which will doubtless be published 
in the “Proceedings” of the Society. 
A collection of Pears w r ere sent from the Society’s Garden at 
Chiswick, most of them first-rate varieties in good seasons, but 
generally very inferior in flavour as exhibited. A very marked 
exception must, however, be made to Winter Nelis, which was 
grown in the orchard-house, and contrasted strongly with that 
grown on a pyramid in the open air. The former was most 
d-licious and could not havo been produced in better condition, 
while the latter was inferior in flavour. 
Mr, McKelvie, of Stevenstone, Torrington, sent a seedling 
Pear, which is of a small size, turbinate, with a rough coat, 
and having an aurora glow on one side of it. The flesh was 
very melting and juicy, sugary, and richly flavoured, with 
a powerful aroma like the Seckle. This received a First-class 
Certificate. 
Mr. McLaren, of Cardington, Bedford, sent a seedling Apple, 
which has considerable resemblance to the Blenheim, but is more 
acid in the flesh than that variety; and Mr. Graham of Cran¬ 
ford, brought handsome specimens of Franklin’s Golden Pippin, 
Court of Wick, and the small dessert Gooseberry Pippin—the 
latter a very fine Apple. 
Mr. Loddiges, of Hackney, exhibited a Queen Pine of large 
size which he had grown in an old Orchid-house, which received 
no artificial heat during the past summer. It was grown in a 
pot standing on an inverted pot over an open water-trough, 
and the only heat that had been given was during the last three 
months. 
Mr. Veitch, of Chelsea, sent a fine collection of tw'elve sorts of 
Melville’s Variegated Garnishing Kales, in pots. These come 
true from seeds, and are highly ornamental, the colours being 
exceedingly brilliant, and of all shades, from magenta to pure 
white, some fringed, others veined, and some blotched. More 
beautiful “ foliaged ” plants could not be found, and they might 
be advantageously made use of for the flower garden in winter. 
Mr. Melville, of Dalmeny Park, sent a Curled Parsley, which 
did not differ from what is already grown in the south. Also, a 
sprouting Cabbage, which produces a large head on the top of 
the stalk, and a great number of sprouts, in the way of Brussels 
Sprouts beneath. This was referred to a Committee to decide 
upon the flavour when cooked, with power to award a First-class 
Certificate if approved. 
CHRISTMAS DECORATION IN CHURCHES. 
The very proper and respectful old custom of decorating our 
churches with Holly and other evergreens at Christmas, has led 
me this morning to form a pattern letter for our parish clerk, 
who is a man of taste and a good fellow, thoroughly theological; 
but who, I am sorry to say, is paid nothing by the parishioners 
for his services. 
The manner of placing the evergreens indiscriminately about 
our village churches ought, by this progress of time, to be 
relieved by something more tasteful and with meaning in it. 
For instance: appropriate Scripture texts placed conspicuously 
for all readers—devices certainly better than little bits of boughs 
stuck all about, which are much more likely to cause annoyance 
than right feeling. At any rate, for those who may not have 
given a thought how to do it, I write to inform them, that wire 
letters formed thus, PEACE, and their skeletons overlaid with 
Silver Fir or flowing strips of Yew, having their bases and 
capitals ornamented with small sprigs of Aueuba japonica, 
variegated Laurel, or Holly with bunches of berries, and again 
midway on the letters so as to appear in a straight line through 
the sentence, could simply be wrought out almost by anybody. 
Very small iron tacks, so as not to injure the walls, will serve 
to suspend the letters upon if they are not formed too heavy, 
which ought not to be. Form the foliage upon them light, free, 
and flowing. 
As a wreath for pillars, Laurel leaves in pairs, stitched on to 
a coarse green piece of binding tape, and overlapping each other 
continuously, are easily accomplished, as well as an occasional 
star or cross.— Upwards and Onwards. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Heaving a Small Boiler (A. E. E .).—We know of no means of pre¬ 
venting soot accumulating on the bottom if oil or any other fatty sub¬ 
stance is burned under it. If an aigand burner is used there is the least 
accumulation of soot, because as much air as possible is admitted to the 
flame, and the combustion of the oil is consequently facilitated. We have 
no experience with paraffin or any other combustible for such a purpose 
except gas, which wc consider preferable to anything, when, as in your 
case, there are tubes for carrying off the fumes. See what is said in 
answer to another correspondent to-day. 
Stopping Chrysanthemums (H. 2?.).—Mr. Bird’s treatment of the 
buds, as mentioned by Mr. Beaton at the time, refers exclusively to cut 
flowers for competition. 
Rockery Planting ( T . If.). -Send your address and five postage 
stamps and we will return you “Flower Gardening for the Many,” it 
contains a long list of suitable plants and howto cultivate them. If you 
require more information than it contains write to us again. 
Garden Plans (Jane Lewis).—“ Flower Gardening for the Many,” re¬ 
commended to the preceding inquirer will give you the plans you ask for. 
See, also, one in our pages to-day. You could get patterns of garden 
edgings of Messrs. Eastwood & Co,, Belvidere Road, S. 
Gathering Cones ( Melcombe ).—The cones of Conifers should be gathered 
as soon as convenient after the seeds are matured. 
Removing a Greenhouse {A Constant Subscriber).—It has been decided 
that a nurseryman and florist can remove such a structure though fixed to 
the freehold, but that an amateur cannot. It is better in every case to have 
a written permission for its removal from the landlord before the house is 
built. 
