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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 27, 1858. 
said, that whenever a gardener wishes to obtain double flowers, 
he ought not to sow the seeds till after having kept them for 
as long a time as possible. These principles are equally ap¬ 
plicable to Melons, and all plants of that family. We admit, 
like many observers, that Melon plants, obtained from seeds 
the preceding year, ought to produce, and do produce, really 
very vigorous shoots, with much foliage; but very few fruitful 
flowers appear on such plants ; whilst, on the other hand, 
when we sow old seed, we obtain an abundance of very large 
fruit. In fact, in all varieties of the Melon, the seeds should 
always be kept from three to eight years before being sown, 
if we would obtain fine fruit and plenty of it.” 
8 o many false theories have not only been advanced, but 
believed, in apparent explanation of the causes of double 
flowers, that it is satisfactory to find a reason alleged, apparently 
so likely and well grounded, as that of the Revue Hortlcole , 
and I shall be glad if the principle so set forth, be considered 
correct by you or your readers, so many of whom, including 
“ T. A.,” are capable of judging of its correctness or inaccuracy. 
—T. S., South Shields. 
[We are obliged by the extract, but it only states the long- 
I acknowledged fact, that old seeds have a tendency to produce 
! flowers more freely than new seeds. Why old seeds do so is 
not explained. It is mere disguising ignorance under verbiage, 
i to say that the seeds do so because they are “fatigued or 
weakened.” Many plants and fruit trees will not produce 
i blossom unless sustained in extreme vigour.— Ed.] 
POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S MEETING. 
An Ordinary Meeting of the British Pomological 
Society was held at St. Martin’s Hall, Long Acre, on 
Thursday, the 22nd inst., Mr. George Paul, in the 
chair. 
J. J. Blandy", Esq., V.P.H.S., High Grove, Read- 
in? • 
Iiev. Jno. Freeman, Ashwicken Rectory, Lynn, 
Norfolk ; 
T. W. Gunter, Esq., 28, Beaufoy Terrace, Kilburn ; 
Mr. John Fleming, gardener to his Grace the 
Duke of Sutherland, Clevedon, near Maidenhead ; 
Mr. John Milne, Yauxhall Nursery, London; were 
elected Members of the Society. 
This was the day on which premiums were offered, 
in competition, for the Best Seedling Early Dessert 
Bear, and the Best Seedling Early Apricot. But, 
as none were brought forward, it was considered desir¬ 
able that an announcement should be made, calculated 
to induce growers to make such experiments as shall 
be likely to result in the producing such improved 
kinds of fruits, as the Society is desirous of insti¬ 
gating and encouraging. It was resolved, there¬ 
fore— 
“ That all prizes offered for new Seedling improve¬ 
ments on existing kinds of fruits, if not taken this year, 
shall be announced as open for competition at, or 
about, the same time next year, and in subsequent 
years, until such varieties be brought before the public 
! as shall be thought worthy of the Society’s commenda¬ 
tion, with a view to encourage growers to make useful 
experiments.” 
With, a view to obtaining such information as shall 
enable the Society to pronounce on the correct nomen¬ 
clature of the Black Cherries brought before the last 
Meeting, it was resolved— 
“ That, at the first Meeting in July, next year, 
growers be invited, by advertisement, to send examples 
of the varieties of Cherries they grow,—as Blaclc Cir¬ 
cassian and Blaclc Tartarian, —and to state any dif¬ 
ference, as to habit of growth, between the two kinds, 
where they are considered distinct.” 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Mr. Jas. Cuthill, of Camberwell, sent a quantity 
of fruit of the variety he has sent out as Cuthill’s 
Prince of Wales, stating that he began gathering 
from the plants, from which they were produced, on 
the 28th of May; that he has been gathering ever 
since ; and, by the unripe fruit in the various stages 
from the same plants, as well as from the flower-stems 
which they continued throwing up, he argued, that 
the kind promised special merit as a very early and very 
late Strawberry. He stated further, that he had 
planted Elton and other late kinds in the same beds, 
and that their crop was over, his locality being a very 
early one. With regard to productiveness, he stated 
that he had counted over 200 fruit on one two-year-old 
plant. He described it as a seedling from Blaclc 
Evince, and believed it to have been the result of 
impregnation by British Queen. The fruit is small 
in size, obtusely conical, light red in colour, and thickly 
studded with rather large seeds ; the flesh is tolerably 
firm, moderately juicy, and void of flavour, unless a 
roughish acid can be so considered. The Meeting 
were of opinion that the Alpine was its more probable 
parentage than the British Queen, and that it might 
be useful in contributing a variety to desserts, when 
all other Strawberries were out of bearing, saving the 
Alpine. The Meeting were desirous that it should be 
exhibited again at a later period. 
RASPBERRIES. 
Mr. Alexander, of Lyncombe Yale Nurseries, near 
Bath, sent a Seedling, which he thus describes:— 
“ Upwards of an acre is grown here for market,— 
of Fastoljf, Antwerp, Beehive, and other kinds,—none 
of which equals the seedling in productiveness ; the 
fruit on many of the former, in consequence of exces¬ 
sive drought, are small, and ripening prematurely, 
while the latter is swelling its fruit well, and making 
fine canes for another year. 
“ It is also a great favourite with the gatherers, as its 
long footstalk offers facility for rapid picking, neces¬ 
sary for market; and the buyers (many of whom are 
from Wales), prefer it to other kinds, as it bears car¬ 
riage better, and presents a brighter and fresher ap¬ 
pearance a day or two after gathering. 
“ It has the strongest habit of any sort I know, : 
making wood over eight feet high, which, when cut 
back to about five feet, produces lateral shoots, ave¬ 
raging seven to a cane, like those forwarded. 
“ I fear, in consequence of heavy rain last night, 
the fruit will be damp when packed, and suffer in 
flavour.” 
The laterals alluded to were over four feet long, but 
it was the opinion of the Meeting, that such great 
length was rather a disadvantage than otherwise, as 
the fruit in wet weather would be weighed down to 
the earth, unless artificially supported. 
The fruit, though badly packed, was bright in colour, 
remarkably conical, very large, and handsome in ap¬ 
pearance ; but the flavour was deficient, being inferior 
to Fastoljf and other varieties. 
It was considered, however, that its reputed excel¬ 
lencies might render it useful for market; but a desire 
was expressed to see it again, gathered in better 
weather, and more carefully packed, before the So- 
ciety pronounced decisively upon its merits. 
CURRANTS. 
Mr* G. Paul, of Cheshunt, brought a collection 
containing the following four red fruited varieties, 
which, in addition to the well-known Old Red Dutch, 
lie had selected from a large number, as the most dis¬ 
tinct, the best in point of productiveness, and in habit 
the least subject to injury from storms. 
