244 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 18, 1859. 
roots, where Lycopods engage the top soil. Once I had 
a narrow bach border for Camellias completely ruined 
by this very Lycopod. 
Pincinectia tuburculata, which comes like and looks 
very like a New Zealand “Clubroot” Cordyline, is 
a most graceful-looking plant here, and would associate 
with the green-leaved Draesenas to perfection. Just 
think of an ordinary Turnip, with only a third-part out 
of the ground ; but, instead of leaves, to gather into the 
centre and form a stem as thick as it is, that stem to be 
from a foot to goodness knows how many feet high— 
say, three feet for a prize plant; then on the top, as on a. 
standard Hose, a large head of leaves, not much broader 
than those of the Pampas Grass, rising up, and then 
falling over in graceful curves ; and that a Clubroot tree, 
which is easy to keep, to grow, and to exhibit in collections 
of fine-leaved plants. 
Speaking of plants easy to grow, just read the following, 
which I noted on purpose, in the cool end, and in one 
bed, side by side, and all doing capitally :—The Elephant’s 
Eoot (Testudinaria elephantipes) growing as an Amaryllis, 
and now a yard high since last October; Hedychium 
Gardnerianum, II. acuminatum, and PL. lieteromallum ; 
It up his fiabelleformis, a Palm from China ; Woodfordia 
radicans, a noble Pern ; a tree Aloe ; the Indiarubber 
Fig; the African Arum ; Calla, or Bichardia; Chamce- 
rops Martiana, a beautiful Palm; Fuchsias; Yuccas ; 
Bicksonia ant arctica, a splendid tree Fern; Seaforthia 
elegans, a Palm of the first water ; the Cabbage Palm 
of Australia; the Loquat of China; the Himalayan 
Bamboo, alias falcata ; Phot nix dactilifera, the Euro¬ 
pean Palm ; Buddlea Lindleyana, with a single stem 
twenty feet high, and branched to the bottom; with 
Polygala Dalmatiana, and lots of very common half- 
hardy things. Who would be without such plants in 
a winter garden, if ever so small, if the cost could be 
spared P or who so knowing as to assert, that no one can 
have Palms without stove heat ? They look just as 
healthy as the Camellias in the next beds. Or, read a 
second bed, the coldest in the house : — Agapanthus, 
Witsenia corymbosa, Geranium, or rather Pelargonium 
lobatum, Aloes, Sw'eet Bays, Myrtles, Laurustinus, Rho¬ 
dodendron Edgeworthianum — a single-stem ten feet high, 
and well clothed with leaves ; other Bhododendrons, Ca¬ 
mellias, and Oleanders, with a lovely plant of Pleroma 
elegans in the midst of them. It is six feet by six feet, 
and as healthy as a dairymaid ; and if a dairymaid could 
be found who would marry any one of those prophets who 
dreamt that fine plants would do no good in the Crystal 
Palace, sooner than tie the two in wedlock, I would have 
both fastened to the tail of the great brown Yaak, or 
cow of Thibet, which stands hard by. D. Beaton. 
BEITISH POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
An ordinary Meeting of this Society was held on the 
8th ult., Hubert Hogg, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. 
The following gentlemen were elected ordinary mem¬ 
bers :— Edward Banks, Esq., Sholden, near Deal; 
William Wigan, Esq., Walton Lodge, Walton, near 
Stafford. 
Of the fruit laid before the Meeting on this occasion, 
the following are the most interesting items of informa¬ 
tion. Much, however, of that which is collected, espe¬ 
cially that derived from the carefully filled-up forms, 
is intended to be collated with other similar matter, and 
embodied, in a carefully-digested manner, in the next 
transactions :— 
Mr. Wighton, of Cossey Hall, Norfolk, again sent 
his Seedling, observing, that he bad cut the first bunch 
from the same Vine on August 5th, when the crop was 
first ripe, showing that the bunch now sent had been kept 
over four months. He also stated, that he began forcing 
the house in which they had grown in December last, and 
that it had stood open for some time past, and, in two 
instances, exposed to several degrees of frost. On the 
former occasion, the Meeting expressed a very favourable 
opinion of it, desiring to see it again at this season, to 
test its keeping properties. Doubts, however, were felt 
as to its being perfectly distinct from some varieties 
of the St. Peter section, evident affinity thereto being 
proved by its foliage; and on this occasion it was not 
considered quite so juicy as West’s St. Peter s. The 
Meeting were of opinion, that Mr. Wighton shoidd be 
invited to send it again next year, on the days specially 
appointed for the examination of collections of Grapes, 
and that the final opinion of the Society regarding it 
should be reserved until then. 
Mr. Melville (Dalmeney Park, near Edinburgh) again 
sent his Seedling Muscat Grate, which had been laid 
before previous Meetings (August 19th and September 
9th); and being then considered promising, was invited 
to be exhibited in a higher state of development next 
year. In this instance, a small bunch was sent, upon a 
third lateral shoot, to evince the prolific habit of the 
variety. 
Class A.—Premiums of £1 and 10s. for the best and 
second best Six fruits of Glout Morceau Pear (growers 
in the Channel Islands excluded from competing in this 
class). 
Nine very excellent dishes were exhibited in this class, 
from different parts of the country, and so nearly did 
they approach each other, that it was not an easy matter 
to decide upon their respective merits. The following, 
however, is the order in which they were placed :— 
The first prize was awarded to a dish exhibited by Mr. 
J. Hall (gardener to Thos. Lucas, Esq., Lower Grove 
House, Boehampton) from west wall, free stock ; soil 
light and sandy, over very porous and drained subsoil. 
Fruit medium sized for *the variety, very handsome and 
perfect, deliciously juicy and melting, with very rich, 
sugary flavour. Considered one of the finest dishes of 
Pears which had been exhibited at the Society’s Booms 
this year. 
The second prize, to a dish by Mr. Tiley, Abbey 
Churchyard, Bath, from an espalier, on pear stock; soil 
stiff loam, over strong clay. Fruit small, compared with 
those from walls,very juicy, melting, and sugary. 
The comparative quality of the remaining dishes was 
according to the order in which they are described:— 
By Mr. Wighton, Cossey Hall, Norfolk, from east 
wall, on light soil, artificially enriched, over brown sand 
and gravel. Fruit medium sized; most buttery, and 
richly flavoured. Very highly commended. Beported to 
be a shy bearer, and apt to crack, in this case. 
By F. J. Graham, Esq., Cranford, Middlesex, from 
west wall, pear stock; soil sandy loam, over stoney 
clay, naturally wet, but drained. Fruit small, but juicy, 
melting, vinous, and sugary. Beported to be fine flavoured 
on south wall, but subject to be spotted and cracked. 
By Mr. Whiting, the Deepdene, Dorking, from east 
wall; old tree ; soil sandy. Fruit medium sized ; buttery, 
melting, and sugary, but slightly astringent. Beported 
not to succeed on pyramids in this garden. 
By Mr. Bobt. Duncan (gardener to J. Malcolm, Esq., 
Lamb Abbey, Eltliam, Bent), from a south-west wall. 
Fruit medium sized, melting, and sweet, but not high 
flavoured, in comparison with other dishes. 
By Mr. Cox (gardener to William Wells, Esq., Bedleaf, 
Penshurst, Kent), from west wall, re-grafted twelve years 
back on an old pear tree; soil rich garden mould, over 
yellow argillaceous clay, rather damp, recently drained. 
Fruit very large, pale coloured, buttery, and sweet. 
By Mr. Stoddart (gardener to J. Gurdon Bebow, Esq., 
M.P., Wivenhoe Park, near Colchester), from south-west 
wall, pear stock; soil rich garden mould, over stoney, 
loamy clay, damp, but drained. Fruit very large and 
green, juicy, and buttery, but not high flavoured. 
Another dish, grown on a standard (No. 4) in the same 
