THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 28, 1858. 
407 
raised from Peach stones, and said to have been grown 
in an orchard house, and to have ripened a fortnight 
later than JElruge, standing near them in the same 
house. They were large ; oval in shape ; colour green, 
tinted with red; flesh red round the stone ; flesh melt¬ 
ing and juicy ; flavour very rich. No. 6, the richer of 
the two. The latter was considered likely to prove a 
good late variety. 
Mr. Ferguson brought a kind, without name, which 
was ascertained to be Balgowan, a variety not much 
known, and the same as exhibited by Mr. Lane at last 
Meeting, and incorrectly spelt Ralgonq in report, as it 
is also in the Horticultural Society’s catalogue. The 
flowers are small; leaves crenated, with small reniform 
glands ; fruit was large in size, quite round, melting ; 
and, although the flesh was white, excepting round the 
stone, its general appearance favours the idea that it is 
nearly akin to the yellow-fleshed sorts. The flavour 
was rich and very saccharine ; but, being over-ripe, 
the aroma was partially gone. 
Plums. —Some large collections were exhibited by 
Messrs. Rivers, Paul, Davies, Jessop, Wighton, Snow, 
and Sclater. Amongst these, the following were the 
most worthy of being recorded :—- 
Prom Mr. Paul. Pcchc Hcloise, a purple oval fruit; 
stone separating ; flavour apparently rich, vinous, and 
sugary ; the fruit not being quite ripe. It appeared 
to be related to the Imperatrice , was said to hang a long 
time, and bear well as a standard. 
Dr. Davies again sent the local variety Jemmy 
Coombe, which was considered to bear too close a re- 
esemblance to fine healthy fruit of Magnum JBonum to 
be distinct. The fruit measured 3|- inches in length, 
and 51 inches in circumference.* 
Mr. Rivees brought large and very handsome speci¬ 
mens of Diamond. This is one of the largest purple 
Plums, and an excellent culinary variety. 
. Also, of Autumn Compote, a long, oval fruit, pale- 
red on sunny side, resembling the Victoria in colour, 
but rather larger, and ripening from a fortnight to 
three weeks later; stone almost separating from the 
flesh. This is a Plum which has been some years be¬ 
fore the public (being a Seedling raised from La 
Delicieuse, about twenty years since), but is not yet so 
generally grown as it deserves : it is a great bearer, 
and a first-class culinary fruit. 
Also, a dish of Jefferson, remarkably fine and 
large, from pyramidal trees, though, of course, not yet 
quite ripe. 
Mr. Snow, of Wrest Park, exhibited Royale, under 
the name of Roclie Corbon. Pruit round, of medium 
size, and with a long stalk; colour pale purple, with a 
fine bloom ; stone separating ; flavour sugary, very rich, 
and excellent. It is, however, a shy bearer generally, 
and, hence, is little cultivated, notwithstanding its 
superior quality in other respects. 
Mr. Wighton sent (with a large collection of other 
varieties), the true Roche Corbon, or Imperial Diadem, 
both which, and Minims, are synonymes of Diapree 
Rouge. 
Mr. Jessop sent good specimens of the Reine Claude 
Violette, from a standard. This is a very delicious 
September Plum, hardy, and a good bearer. 
Mr. Sclater, of Ileavitree, Devon, sent Reine 
Claude de Bavay, another excellent late hardy fruit of 
the Green Gage family. It would be well if these and 
similar well-proved September and October varieties 
were more freely introduced into gardens, in place of 
superfluous Orleans, and still more common August 
varieties : if this were done, autumn desserts would be 
much improved as regards quality and cost. Mr. 
* The Secretary has to report that he had these baked, and tested 
them against Magnum Bonum from the market; and could not detect 
any difference in colour or flavour. 
Sclater also sent Purple Primordian, an American 
variety, which has been for some years in this country? 
but is not described in the catalogues. The wood is 
smooth, inclined to redness, crenate, shining and woolly 
underneath; fruit purple, roundish oval, medium 
sized, handsome, with good bloom; stone separating. 
Appears to be a good culinary variety, and is said to 
keep well. 
Cherries. —Mr. Rivers brought branches of Belle 
Agathe, well hung with fruit. It has small red, firm j 
fruit, with rather large stones ; flesh sweet. It is said 
to keep on the trees longer, and suffer from birds and 
wasps less, than any other kind, and, therefore, useful 
in contributing variety to late desserts. 
Pigs. —Mr. Wighton sent good examples of the 
Brown and Black Ischia; they were quite undis- 
tinguishable in colour or flavour; but the latter was 
rounder, and shorter in the neck; the former being 
more pyriform. 
A large collection of Pears was exhibited, but many 
of them were unripe, and were ordered to be kept until 
next Meeting. 
Prancis Davies, Esq., and Mr. Wighton, exhibited 
some good examples of Williams’s Bon Chretien, 
both from standards ; those from a warm soil, in the 
Vale of Evesham, being ten days earlier than those 
from the cold soil, over clay, in Norfolk. 
Messrs. Rivers, Paul, and Wighton, contributed 
Beurre d’Amanlis, very fine and large ; flesh] juicy, 
breaking, half melting ; flavour very good, approaching 
Jargonelle. Mr. Paul’s were not quite so large, ancl 
less ripe; but promised to be equally good. Mr. 
Wigliton’s were the least ripe. This is one of the best 
early autumn Pears in most soils, very hardy, and a 
good bearer. 
Apples.* — A large quantity were exhibited, and 
amongst them many Seedlings; but the press of 
business before the Meeting made it necessary that 
the examination should be postponed of all those kinds 
which would keep. 
Mr. Sclater sent a variety called St. George, raised 
by the late Rev. F. Doveton, of Clyst, St. George, 
Devon, describing the tree as of erect growth, very 
ornamental, and a great bearer, every branch producing 
a column of beautiful wax-like fruit. The fruit, in size 
and appearance, closely resembled the Manics Codlin, 
and, from its quiet and agreeable acid, seemed likely 
to be not useless as a kitchen fruit; but not superior, 
if equal, to many kinds of the same season. It was 
considered, however, that, in some cases, trees of this 
habit may be useful, especially in gardens of confined 
space, where culinary Apples are obliged to be grown 
amongst the vegetable crops, or not at all: in such 
cases, trees of fastigiate habit are the most desirable ; 
and, taking this view of the subject, it may be worth 
while for growers to give their attention to the originat¬ 
ing of a race of varieties having that habit. 
Mr. Thos. Perkins, of Holcot, Southamptonshire, 
sent a Seedling, which, however, from its present 
stage of development, did not exhibit any merit calcu¬ 
lated to render it a variety worthy of cultivation. 
Mr. Cable, of Hayes, Middlesex, sent a specimen 
of a Seedling of very large size, being fourteen inches 
and three quarters in circumference,very oblate, ribbed, 
* Several culinary varieties were, at tlie request of the Meeting, taken 
home by Messrs. Taylor, Davidson, and other members, to be tested 
as to their baking qualities ; and the result thereof is as follows 
Jolly Beggar breaks well, juicy, and of agreeable flavour, but not 
bettor than MctuTcSj £lonhcifn 9 or JLeswicJcj which are of the same 
°‘cioseburn Seedling boils into a perfectly white, slightly subacid pulp. 
American Codlin boils into a dark brown pulp, very sugary, rich, 
jL Jiawthortidcn very acid, boils and bakes into a beautiful soft, 
light-brown pulp, with less flavour than Manks Codlin, but also less 
acid, and requiring less sugar. 
