1878.] 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
143 
GARDEN 
S HE Fruit Crop of 1878, as fully- 
tabulated in the Gardeners' Chronicle 
of August 10, though not quite so 
deficient as those of tlie two preceding years, is not 
generally a very abundant one, although perhaps 
better than was at one time anticipated. Our con¬ 
temporary publishes returns from upwards of 200 
correspondents scattered over the whole of the 
United Kingdom and the Channel Isles; and the 
result of the information thus brought together 
may be approximately summarised as follows :— 
Apples. 
No. of 
Reports. 
. 217 .... 
Aver¬ 
age. 
.. 42 .. 
OverAv., 
or Good. 
.... 6 . 
Under Av. 
or Bad. 
. 169 
Pears . 
. 219 .... 
.. 52 .. 
2 
. 165 
Plums . 
. 218 .... 
.. 80 .. 
.... 54 . 
. 85 
Cherries . 
. 152 .... 
.. 96 .. 
.... 41 . 
. 81 
Apricots . 
. 168 .... 
.. 32 .. 
.... 12 . 
. 118 
Peaches, &c.. 
. 219 .... 
.. 48 .. 
.... 18 . 
. 102 
Nuts. 
. 155 .... 
.. 34 .. 
.... 6 . 
. 115 
Small fruits.. 
. 221 .... 
.. 100 .. 
.... 82 ., 
. 33 
Strawberries 
215 .... 
.... 145 . 
. 11 
Amongst small fruits, Gooseberries were a general 
and exceptional failure. The acreage under Fruit- 
culture is increasing year by year, notwithstanding 
the increasing importations of foreign fruit. As to 
the Potato crop, the reports are, on the whole, 
satisfactory; early sorts have yielded good crops, 
and late ones have not promised so well for many 
years past. The total acreage in Great Britain 
devoted to potato-culture, which has been reduced, 
owing to the defective crops of late years, was, in 
1877, 512,471 acres, showing an increase of 7,383 
acres over 1876, though still below those of any year 
since 1867. In Ireland there has been a still greater 
decline. But seeing how precarious is the crop, and 
how large is the importation from abroad, it is, 
perhaps, not desirable that the acreage should be 
greatly increased, more especially in Ireland, whose 
damp, warm climate is particularly favourable to 
the spread of the fatal fungus. 
— 2The Meetings of tlie Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society naturally fall off in bulk 
with the wane of the exhibition season, but 
more or less of interest always attaches to them. 
At the meeting of July 24, Mr. Turner received a 
First-class Certificate for H.P. Rose Harrison Weir, 
noticed opposite, and Messrs. Veitch and Son ex¬ 
hibited the pretty yellow-flowered, dark-eyed Torenia 
Bailloni. On August 6, there was a fine display of 
Tuberous Begonias, among which one named Mrs. 
Dr. Todd, from Messrs. Laing and Co., a richly- 
coloured and finely-formed crimson, of good habit, 
received a First-class Certificate; as did one raised 
at Chiswick Garden, and called Chiswick Blush, 
a fine blusli-pink flower, of medium size, and very 
free-blooming. Messrs. Kelway and Son received 
First-class Certificates for three seedling Gladioli, 
named Gorgonius, rosy crimson; Herois, rosy pink; 
and Telamon, pink, shot with crimson. On August 
20, the most notable subject, and that a gem of the 
first water, was Cattleya Veitchiana, from Messrs. 
Veitch and Sons, a hybrid between Laffia purpurata 
and Cattleya Dowiana, with large rosy-purple 
flowers, the large, broad wavy lip of tho richest 
and deepest purple, with golden lines on the disk ; 
the pseudo-bulbs hear one oblong leaf. This re¬ 
ceived a First-class Certificate, as did Cattleya 
Mitchellii, from Mr. Mitchell, gardener to Dr. Ains¬ 
worth, a purplish-green flower, with purple lip, bred 
between C. quadricolor and Leopoldii. A similar 
award went to Croton Williamsii, a broad-leaved 
GOSSIP. 
free-growing variety, with crimson veins, one of tho 
best of the broad-leaved red-tinted sorts. Dahlia 
Helen McGregor, a deep blush, with purple tips, 
and Drince Bismarck, a dark purple, -were both 
shown by Mr. C. Turner, and certificated. 
— ®he Pelargonium Society held its 
fourth annual meeting on August 14 at Chis¬ 
wick, when the usual formal business was 
transacted. Sundry modifications were made in the 
Prize Schedule for 1879, with the view of inducing 
wider competition amongst the members; and it 
was determined to award certificates of merit for 
deserving novelties produced at the shows. The 
balance-sheet presents a satisfactory view of tho 
Society’s financial position, showinga balance in hand 
of £64, after expending £78 in prizes, and about £8 
in necessary expenses. The" following officers for 
the year ensuing were appointed:—Chairman, James 
McIntosh, Esq., Duneevan, Oatlands Park; Vice- 
Chairman, E. B. Foster, Esq., Clewer Manor, Wind¬ 
sor; Hon. Treasurer, Dr. Denny; Hon. Secretary, 
Mr. T. Moore, F.L.S. 
— IHmong the New Roses of 1878 are two 
of much promise, of which blooms have been 
sent to us by Mr. Turner, of Slough. One, 
named Harrison Weir, is of a remarkably stout, 
vigorous constitution, with bold and effective foliage, 
the leaflets cordate, acuminate, strongly serrated, 
and fully 24 in. in breadth. The flowers are very 
large, deep, full, and symmetrical, of the cupped 
type, fully 4 in. across, with the larger petals 2^ in. 
in breadth, smooth on the edge, stout in texture, 
and of a rich velvety crimson, very bright and 
dazzling on the face of the petal, and with a slight 
purplish-rosy tinge on the reverse. The flowers are 
very sweet. Altogether it is a grand rose, with 
plenty of stuff of the first quality, so that it will 
probably take a high place in its class. Dr. Sewell 
is of a different style altogether, with more of the 
Xavier-Olibo type. Though strong-growing, it is 
less so than Harrison Weir. It has very thorny 
stems, with leaves of an ovate and taper-pointed 
form. The flowers are more open, with a few very 
large, broad, smooth outer petals, most of them 
emarginate, and gradually passing into smaller 
petals, with which the centre is filled out. The 
colour is a maroon-crimson, rich and satiny, irregu¬ 
larly breaking into bright crimson at the margin, 
and where the petals are involved so as to show 
their reverse sides, of a satiny tint of cardinal-red, 
paler than the face of the flower. Our English 
seedling Roses are taking a foremost position this 
season. 
Hemsley contributes the following 
note from Prof. Koch, relating to the Persian 
Lilac referred to at p. 127 :—“ At present we 
know six species of Syringa [/S', villosa, Vahl, col¬ 
lected by Turczaninow, in North China, appears to 
be a distinct species; and Ligustrina amurensis 
cannot be separated generically from Syringa], 
whereof two, S. vulgaris and S. Josikaa, are indi¬ 
genous to South-Eastern Europe; two, 8 . chinensis 
and /S', oblata, to the Celestial Empire, and S. Emodi 
to the Himalayan Mountains; whereas the native 
country of 8. persica is still uncertain. The last 
played an important part in Persia before the Rose 
took the first place. According to Mr. Wetzstein, who 
was Consul at Damascus for many years, it was 
first known to the Persians and Arabs about tho 
year 1200, and it is very probable that it was intro- 
