TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. —October 7 1856 
certaincd. Each berry contains from two to three seeds, j 
It was said to hang well. The members present re- j 
quested that another specimen should be sent, in a more j 
advanced state of ripeness, to the next meeting of the 
Society. 
Mr. Spary, of the Queen's Graperies, Brighton, ex¬ 
hibited some beautiful bunches of Black IJumbra , which 
were remarkable for tlieir intense colour and line bloom; 
the berries were large, and, altogether, the bunches dis- , 
played every evidence of superior cultivation. 
Mr. Jvery, of Dorking, again produced a bunch of bis i 
new Early White Grape, which was, as at the last meet- | 
ing, highly approved, as being a valuable addition to j 
the varieties already in cultivation, and as being a much 
moro desirable variety than either the Muscadine or 
Sweet Water, on account of the size of the bunch and 
berry, as well as being a good setter. 
Mr. H. Eckford, gardener to Earl Radnor, Colesbill, 1 
near Highworth, Wiltshire, exhibited two splendid speci- • 
mens of Ripley Queen Pines, one of which weighed 
5 lbs. lOozs., and the other 5 tbs. oozs.; they were very 1 
handsome, and were examples of very superior cul- ' 
tivation. 
Plants of Sir Harry Strawberry were ngain exhibited 
by Mr. Underhill, of Birmingham, laden with fruit and i 
well-furnished with bloom even at this late season ; and 
the fruit then exhibited was the fourth crop from the j 
same plants during the present year. Some of the i 
berries were as large as a walnut, and, though not so j 
highly coloured as those exhibited at the August meet¬ 
ing, they were richly flavoured. 
Mr. Thomas Francis Rivers, of Sawbridgewortb, pro¬ 
duced very fine specimens of the Royal Georye Peach, 
grown in an orchard-house with hedge-sides. The colour 
was very beautiful, the size large, and the flavour excel¬ 
lent. Also, specimens of a new Belgian Peach, Leopold 
Premier, the colour of which is pnle, with a few crimson 
dots strewed over the surface; but the flavour was in¬ 
ferior to Royal George. He also exhibited specimens of 
a late Nectarine which he had under the name of Late 
Melting. It was not quite ripe, and Mr. Rivers was 
therefore requested to endeavour to produce it at the ‘ 
next meeting. Specimens of Violette Ildlive, grown in 
an orchard-house, were found to be excellent in flavour. 
Mr. Spencer, of Bowood, sent some very fine speci¬ 
mens of Barrington, Late Admirable, Walburton Ad¬ 
mirable, and Chancellor Peaches. The latter were not 
quite ripe ; but Barrington was found to be of exquisite 
flavour; Late Admirable very fine and melting; and the 
Walburton Admirable was, in our opinion, the best of \ 
the late varieties, but more rich in flavour, more sae- J 
charine, and more vinous than Late Admirable. 
Guthrie's Late Green, Bryanston Gage, Reine Claude 
de Bavay, and Belle de Septembre Plums were exhibited | 
by Mr. Rivers. The lirst three were considered of excel- I 
lent quality. Bryanston Gage was very rich and full- I 
flavoured, and Belle de Septembre, which is a culinary 
variety, was admired for its beautiful carmine colour 
and fine bloom. We have seen this variety when 
cooked, and found it one of the most desirable culinary ; 
Plums in cultivation. Its juice is of a beautiful carmine 
colour, and its flavour is excellent. The tree is also an 
excellent beaver. 
Mr. Whiting, of Deepdene, near Dorking, sent speci¬ 
mens of Coe’s Golden Drop and Belgian Purple Plums, 
both from a wall. 'The former was very rich in flavour, , 
and the latter very much superior to those which the 
same gentleman seut to the last meetiug. It is generally 1 
considered a variety more adapted for culinary than for 
dessert use; but those which were exhibited on this 
occasion possessed a richness which qualified them for 
the table. 
Mr. Paul, of Cheshunt, brought Coe's Late Z2«ZPlum, 
gome of which were partially ripe, and others quite j 
hard. Mr. Paul stated that this variety succeeded well 
with him, and ripened perfectly, but that he found the 
tree a bad bearer; while Mr. Rivers mentioned that on i 
his soil the tree was au abundant bearer; but the fruit, j 
although it would hang till Christmas, never came to j 
maturity. 
Mr. Rivers exhibited a dish of Belle Agathe Cherry, a | 
small, sweet-flavoured variety, in size and shape resem- ! 
bling a good-sized horse-bean, and of a Bigarreau colour. | 
It was considered as a curiosity, and would be useful in ■ 
large establishments, where a variety of dishes were ■ 
required for the dossert at a late period of the season. ! 
Another fruit, adapted for the same purpose, also from i 
Mr. Rivers, was a Raspberry, produced from a plant 
which had been raised by crossing the Raspberry and 
the Blackberry, or Bramble. The plant has all the 
habit of growth of the Common Bramble, does not 
throw up suckers, and produces fruit most abundantly; 
but the fruit is of the size and texture of the Raspberry, 
and the flavour, though like that of the Raspberry, is 
much more lively and piquant, and of a dark purple 
colour. 
The following gentlemen were elected members:— 
J. Penn, Esq., 3, Onslow Square, Brompton. 
A. Ainst.ie, Esq., Dodridge Ford, Edinburgh. 
G. B. Russell, Esq., M.D., Fermoy, Ireland. 
Arthur Henderson. Esq., Pine-Apple Place, London. 
Dr. Newington, of Ridgeway, Ticehurst, Sussex. 
Mr. F. Brewer, Pine-Apple Place, London. 
Mr. Henry Eckford, Colesbil 1 Gardens, Highworth, 
Wilts. 
Mr. Walter Reid, Sydenham Hill, Surrey. 
THE APPROACHING FORCING SEASON. 
With regard to in-door fruits the season is now on 
the wane, and people will soon turn their attention to¬ 
wards the prospects of a coming year. Little can now 
be done with reference to fruits to be found iu our hot¬ 
houses. Pines will have received their lust handling, 
unless it be the renewal of bottom-heat for the winter, 
and an occasional watering; the rest will be chiefly 
mere routine. Of Grapes the summer kinds will be 
nearly gone, certainly all the forced Grapes; and the 
chief points during the coming autumn and winter will 
be to secure the hanging fruit from decay, to provide 
against the attacks of wasps, birds, or mice, and to keep 
a jealous eye on that terrible pest, the Vine mildew. The 
latter is difficult to extirpate when established, but not 
particularly so on its approach. Sulphur is, 1 believe, 
the only known remedy: the worst of it is, that it so 
disfigures both trees and fruit. Of course, gardeners 
aim at fine bloom, and no doubt many a man has 
permitted the mildew to get ahead through a very 
natural repugnance to messing and disfiguring his crop; 
and, indeed, it is somewhat grievous; but better sul¬ 
phured Grapes than none. To return : Peach- houses 
will bo clearly stripped of their contents in the fruit way, 
and the trees inclining to rest. Other fruits in nearly a 
similar condition. 
My chief purpose in the present remarks is to furnish 
a few bints to the uninformed regarding that rest which 
all fruits require, without which no success can be ex¬ 
pected, and the character and conditions of which much 
influence the future year’s success. 
Let us begin with the Vine. The condition of Vines 
after forcing differs considerably. Some gallop, as it 
were, into a state of repose; others are with much 
difficulty quieted down, and continue to produce laterals 
as fresh as ever for many weeks. It is scarcely 
necessary to add, that the latter case argues a most 
active root, with much energy of constitution; the 
former, perhaps, in the main, a case of partial e,x- 
