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26 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 11, 1859. 
importance. Sucli houses are about six feet wide at Trentham, 
and ten feet upright glass in front, and a hipped roof of glass. 
At other places the same principle is followed, only the houses 
are wider. In other places—as atBicton, Overstone, and Basing 
Park—the houses have the common lean-to form, and have trees 
against the back wall, and trees on a low trellis in front, or dwarf 
trees grown there either in pots or planted out. All these modes 
answer well if there are the means for plenty of air. 
3. For such a house we should decidedly prefer wood to iron ; 
and if front sashes are made to move, and plenty of air secured 
at top, we should prefer all the roof being fixed, whether in sashes 
to be moved, or the lath bars being made stronger to remain. 
If there were front sashes two or three feet in height, the front 
wall should be merely six inches or so above the ground. If 
there are no front sashes, but if the roof is a lean-to, and fixed, 
then the front wall should be at least eighteen inches in height, 
to permit of ventilators in it. 
Figs out of doors might be thinned if too thick; but the 
final pruning should be left until the spring, after the fruit show's. 
See what has been said lately on this subject.] 
BRITISH POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'. 
A Meeting of the British Pomological Society was held on 
Thursday last at the Hanover Square Rooms, London. Robert 
Hogg, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. 
The following gentlemen were elected ordinary members :— 
Hon. and Rev. Thomas Tiiurloe, Baynard’s Park, Ewhurst. 
Mr. Joseph Saltmarsh, Chelmsford. 
Mr. Mitchell, Piltdown, Uckfieid. 
Mr. Wm. Hops, gardener to Lady Caroline Webster, Roe- 
ham pton. 
Mr, Sidney Ford, gardener to W. E. Hubbard, Esq., 
Horsham. 
This being the first Meeting held in the new rooms, we 
may take this opportunity of congratulating the Society on 
the excellent change that has been made. More commodious, 
convenient, and agreeable than any they have yet occupied, we 
see in the step just taken presumptive evidence of increasing 
prosperity and usefulness. 
Prizes were awarded at this Meeting of one guinea, and half 
a guinea, for the best and second best dishes of Marie Louise 
Pears. There were four competitors, one of which was dis¬ 
qualified by being unripe. The first prize -was awarded to Mr. 
Sidney Ford, gardener to W. E. Hubbard, Esq.; and the second 
to Mr. Swinerd, gardener to John Swinford, Esq., of Minster, 
near Ramsgate. 
Prizes of one guinea, and half a guinea, were also awarded 
for the best and second best dishes of dessert Pears of any other 
sorts, and the first prize was taken by Ileurre Lose, from Mr. 
Whiting, of the Deepdene. 
Mr. Turner, of Slough, sent specimens of Salway Peach, a 
yellow fleshed variety, large, handsome, and finely coloured. 
At previous Meetings of the Society fruit of this has been ex¬ 
hibited as late as the 2nd of November in excellent condition; 
but, this being an early season, it is doubtful whether or 
not they will be retained so late. The specimens exhibited 
were veiy melting, juicy, and deliciously flavoured for a late 
melting Peach. 
Mr. James Veitch, of Exeter, sent specimens of a Seedling 
Peach. The fruit was small, roundish, and perfectly white. The 
flesh was melting, very juicy, with a fine piquant flavour and a 
fine aroma; and was remarkable as possessing the flavour of 
a Nectarine. It was thought that, as the tree became older, the 
fruit would be larger; and if it does this, will form a desirable 
addition to the varieties already in cultivation. 
An extensive collection of eighteen varieties of Grapes were 
received from M. Sahut, Nurseryman, of Montpelier, France; 
but, unfortunately, they came in such very bad condition, it was 
impossible to form any judgment on their merits. They were 
generally completely rotten; and those that were not entirely 
so were so injured by the mildew as to render the collection 
completely useless. 
Mr. John Salter, of Hammersmith, again sent a bunch of 
the White Grape known as the Cochin-China, and which has 
been on a former occasion exhibited before the Society. At 
this meeting it was recognised as the variety that was sent out 
a few years ago under the name of Marchioness of Hastings. 
Messrs. A. Henderson & Co., of Pine Apple Place, produced a 
basket of very fine Grapes grown in the open air against a 
building, by R. Webb, Esq., Calcot, near Reading. They were 
certainly very fine large bunches, beautifully coloured, and 
remarkably well ripened. 
F. J. Graham, Esq., of Cranford, again produced a bunch of 
his Seedling Grape, which still exhibits no disposition to crack 
in the berries. It was remarkably rich in flavour, and with the 
marked musky aroma. Mr. Graham also exhibited specimens 
of Marie Louise Pear, which, for richness of flavour, far sur¬ 
passed those to which the prize was awarded, but they were not 
intended for competition. 
Henry Webb, Esq., of Redstone Manor, Redliill, brought very 
finely flavoured Flemish Beauty Pears, which were also not for 
competition. 
Collections of Apples were brought by Mr. Newton, of Enfield 
Chase, and several other gentlemen, which, along with other 
matters, will be reported upon in the Society’s circular. 
The next meeting will be held at Hanover Square Rooms on 
the 2Gth of October. 
THERMOMETERS—NAMING GERANIUMS. 
NIEREMBERGIA FILICAULIS— WINTERING CANNA. 
Will you tell me of a cheap registering thermometer for 
greenhouse use ? 
[Mr. Casella, Optician, Hatton Garden, makes a good and 
cheap registering thermometer.] 
If leaves are sent of Scarlet Geraniums, can the kind be 
named without seeing the flowers P 
[Scarlet Geraniums cannot be made out from leaves, or from 
leaves, flowers, and stalks, so late as this in the season. We had 
upwards of 300 distinct kinds of Scarlet Geraniums in bloom 
earlier in the season, not one of which had ever been named. To 
be quite sure of a name, the best judge of them would need to 
see a healthy living plant in full bloom, in a pot, or in a bed or 
border.] 
Will old plants of Nierembergia filicaulis potted now from 
beds, live through the winter, to obtain cuttings from in the 
spring like the Lobelia ? 
[Yes, if they are carefully taken up.] 
I have some plants of Canna in a bed, without any sign of 
flowering. Is it any use to take them up? Will they live 
through the winter in a cool greenhouse ? 
[By all means save them. They will keep the same as Potatoes 
till April. Two circles of Cannas, and two more of Tritoma. 
uvaria, with one circle, or large plant of Pampas Grass, would 
make a magnificent group; and if each of them had four gal¬ 
lons of water twice a-week, from the end of May to the end of 
August, or say twenty gallons on Tuesdays and Fridays, you 
would come out more noble, more exotic, more splendid, and 
much more gorgeous than any one has yet done in the 
garden way, as far as we know of. A circle two feet across 
would do for each of the kinds, to begin with Canna discolor , 
which never blooms, or very seldom—indeed, is the finest of all 
the fine-leaved plants to plant behind the Pampas Grass, looking 
from the drawing-room windows. The Tritomas right and left 
of it, and a little farther back. Just think it over in your mind. 
We shall be the first to follow suit.] 
Railway Travelling and Mushrooming. —“ I was travel¬ 
ling last week,” writes a correspondent, “by a railway on the 
English side of the borders of South Wales, when we happened 
to pass a field spangled with a most luxuriant growth of Mush¬ 
rooms. I had hardly remarked the circumstance to my com¬ 
panion, when we felt the train suddenly stop, and looking out to 
the front we saw, to our astonishment, the driver jump off the 
engine, vault the fence, and proceed to fill his hat with the 
treasure. In a moment the guard was over the fence following 
his example, which, as may be supposed, was infectious, for in 
less than half a minute every door was thrown open, and the 
field covered with the passengers, every one of whom brought 
back a pretty good hatful. Not till this desirable result was 
attained did we proceed on our journey, some of us wondering 
whether we had been dreaming; and whether, instead of the 
Welsh borderland, we were not travelling by some newly con¬ 
structed forest line in the far west of America. We begged the 
