October 3, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
75 
culture this red pyramidal can hardly be excelled. 01 
course I refer to market plants, but for the production 
of pyramidal trained plants, or strong bushy masses, I 
prefer a good selection of Parson’s Giant White, one of 
the very finest and best Mignonettes ever introduced. 
Specially is this a fine kind to produce spikes for cut¬ 
ting from, and to that end should never be allowed to 
seed. If not so strained then the plants will continue 
to produce a constant supply of very pleasing shoots 
tipped with bloom spikes until the end of November. 
Those who have never sown thin, or, even better still, 
dibbled out plants in the early summer 1 ft. apart, 
cannot realise the fine proportions to which this plant 
will attain. I prefer planting out, thus ensuring 
regularity of plants, and robust growth. Those who 
have to make up nosegays with Asters, Lothian Stocks, 
Michaelmas Daisies, Early Chrysanthemums, and similar 
autumn-blooming flowers, can realise the usefulness of 
a big breadth of Mignonette, in addition to which, it 
lends to the bunches a delicious fragrance. The yellow- 
flowered kinds are pretty, but need for seed purposes 
very careful treatment to ensure truthfulness, or they 
show a natural tendency to hark back. Without doubt 
the most distinctive Mignonettes we have are the Giant 
White, Red Pyramidal, Golden Queen, aud the Double 
White, which I saw blooming very beautifully but 
recently in Messrs. Sutton’s grounds at Reading.— A. 
Chou de Burghley.—Walking through a well- 
managed kitchen garden, a few weeks ago, we noticed 
a small patch of Mr. Richard Gilbert’s Chou de Burghley, 
which suggested the question, “How do you like it ?” 
“Not much,” replied our friend the gardener; “it’s 
neither a Cabbage nor a Cauliflower, neither fish, flesh, 
fowl, nor good red herring!” “Don’t they like it in 
the house?” we rejoined, and again the answer was in 
the negative form. Some days afterwards we received 
and accepted an invitation to ‘‘ come and have a look 
round ” from another professional friend, and we found 
“the Chou” in the garden under his charge too. 
“ Whathaveyougot here?” we asked friend number two. 
“Oh, Chou de Burghley—a curiosity, like its raiser !” 
slily added the speaker. “Is it good for anything?” 
“ Yes, we like it very much, aud shall grow more of it 
another season.” Now, here was a poser ; in two 
gardens not a hundred miles apart the presiding 
geniuses were the one as much for as the other was 
against the new vegetable. There must be a reason for 
this, we thought, but it did not seem probable at the 
moment that we should soon discover what it is. “ The 
master likes it better than Cabbages—it’s much milder 
in flavour, but it wants more boiling than a Cabbage ; 
it must be kept in the saucepan much longer, then you 
get it right.” The mystery was explained—it was in 
the boiling, and oue of the two cooks had not discovered 
the secret. The matter had passed out of our mind 
until a day or two ago, when we received from Mr. 
Gilbert some samples of a few of his novelties, and 
among them Chou de Burghley, “very carefully 
selected.” We need scarcely add that they were well 
boiled, and nothing more tender or of a milder marrow¬ 
like flavour could be desired. 
Chou de Gilbert.—With the above came a dish of 
what appeared at first sight to be large Brussels Sprouts. 
This was the Chou de Gilbert, which the raiser states 
was obtained by crossing the Chou de Burghley with 
the Brussels Sprout. It is certainly a novelty, aud a 
very distinct one. Iu its habit of growth, and in the 
shape of the sprouts, it bears a strong resemblance to 
the Brussels Sprout, but there the resemblance ceases, 
for the sprouts are nothing more nor less than Cabbages 
in miniature. 'When cooked they were very good, but 
not so mild as Chou de Burghley. 
San day’s Seedling-Potato “E. W. ”at p. 24 is 
quite right in his remarks relative to this Potato, for on 
referring to my notes I find in one report on newer 
kinds of Potatos shown at the Crystal Palace on 13th 
and 14th Sept, 1883, it is described as “ a seedling from 
Lapstone and Myatt’s Ashleaf,” and Mr. R. Dean in his 
catalogue for this year so gives it, but spells the name 
Sandy’s. In the report above referred to it is described 
also as a Lapstone like variety, and in your last vol., 
p. 23, you state, “it hails as a recently new kind, but 
comes very near to Lapstone, so much so that we 
hesitate to put both into the list.” Prior to 
“ E. W.’s ” remark at p. 42 I had not seen it claimed 
as a seedling from Crystal Palace and River’s Royal 
Ashleaf, except in Messrs. Daniel’s catalogue, and as 
you report in a recent issue, that they have this year a 
most extensive trial of between three and four thousand 
varieties of their own raising, it is not surprising if 
errors will crop up, but what right any one has to alter 
the parentage as given when the seedling is first ex¬ 
hibited, I cannot understand, and I quite agree with 
“ E. W. ” that it seems to be a kind of afterthought, if 
not, something worse, and enquiry has proved to me 
that raisers themselves differ so much in their reports 
of their own seedlings that errors made by others, 
either accidentally or for purposes of gain, are very 
frequent and not surprising. I perfectly recollect one 
firm sending out a Potato with a coloured representation 
and high enconiums, and two years afterwards entered 
it, “formerly known as-and——and an American 
variety.” 1 leave the names out as to mention them 
might be thought personal.— H. T. 
Darlingtonia Californica. —This curious plant, 
the Californian Side-Saddle flower, is grown well at Mount 
Merrion, Dublin. There is now a splendid specimen 
growing in a north house in the garden there, some of 
the pitchers on which are fully 3 ft. long and of a 
splendid colour. The wings at the top are over 6 in. 
across. Mr. Welsh is to be congratulated upon his 
success in growing this curiosity, as well as many other 
interesting plants which his collection contains.— A. 0. 
The Messrs. Upton’s Tomato. —The par¬ 
ticular variety of Tomato which was alluded to by 
“N. J. D.” in his notes on our nursery in your last 
issue, p. 59, has come to maturity since your corres¬ 
pondent called, and the fruit he measured is now 13 ins. 
in circumference, and weighs 11 j ozs. On the same 
bunch, we have three more fruits swelling off to a large 
size, and on the same plant, there are eight bunches, 
with from six to ten fruits on each. I will send you 
the total weight of the crop when ripe.— J. J. Upton, 
jwn., Irlam. 
Fruit Judging’.—Surely “C. W. C.” is not seri¬ 
ous in suggesting that Melons should only be judged 
by appearance only, and not by taste. If that practice 
were adopted, only the largest or handsomest fruits 
would have a chance, whilst the most delicious or 
luscious would be ignored. Whatsoever may be the 
beauty of a Melon, and all well-grown fruits have some 
considerable beauty, it is certain, that it is a fruit that 
will be esteemed on the dessert table only, as it is good 
and well-flavoured. No amount of external form and 
beauty can ensure the internal accompaniment of good 
flavour and excellence, and, without these, what are 
Melons worth ? A bad Melon is detestable, and no 
amount of external beauty cau redeem it from that 
animadversion. If such is the case, then how is it 
possible to do justice to Melons by any other method 
than by tasting ? As to the unpleasantness arising 
from the cutting of fruit, certainly something may be 
done by turning the fruit over after it is once 
tasted, whilst, better still it would be, to always offer 
prizes to pairs of Melons, so that one only need be cut 
to determine flavour, and which may, after tasting, b e 
removed. I have had some experience of Melon tasting, 
and can assert that in any considerable show, the 
proportion of bad fruits to good ones is vastly dispro- 
portioned. In the case of wall fruits, the practice of 
tasting would be absurd, because all growers of these 
know what is the relative qualities of each kind when 
grown, and that the best coloured and handsomest 
fruits of its kind will certainly be the best. Melons 
have little steadfastness of character, and vary exceed¬ 
ingly, hence they can only be judged by tasting. 1 do 
not envy judges the task thus so often imposed upon 
them, for it is not seldom a very pleasant one. In 
the case of grapes, where there is relative evenness in 
appearance and finish, it may be needful to determine 
the balance by tasting, because some bunches will be 
riper than others, but that test is hardly needed in the 
case of stone fruits. On the whole, I think the present 
methods of judging fruits, if carried out by intelligent 
judges, are fairly just, and productive of excellent 
results.— A. D. 
Judging Fruit at Exhibitions.— “C.W. C.,” 
on p. 60, raises a question of some interest to exhibitors 
on the cutting and tasting of various fruits ou the ex¬ 
hibition table. With Melons it is unquestionably 
necessary, until some one can raise a variety, or a 
different race, the flavour of which does not vary with 
cultural conditions, and in this respect to be in advance 
of all existing varieties. What a fortunate individual 
the raiser of such a variety would be ! Coming to 
Peaches and Nectarines, I think good judges should 
have a sufficient knowledge of the various varieties to 
enable them to form a correct judgment on the dishes 
before them without cutting the fruits. Unfortunately, 
at some provincial exhibitions, it cannot be said that 
duly qualified judges are always appointed, and per¬ 
haps the instance alluded to by “ C. W. C. ” was a case 
in point. I never recollect seeing any Peaches or 
Nectarines cut at any Metropolitan exhibitions, even 
when these fruits have been largely shown, and on one 
or two occasions reaching upwards of thirty exhibitors 
in the single dish class. Grapes also, as a rule, may, 
I think, be easily judged from their appearance, al¬ 
though cases sometimes occur when tasting may be 
necessary to form a final decision ; for instance, when 
an exhibitor—as was the case recently at South Ken¬ 
sington—stages White Tokay in a Foster’s seedling 
class, although the appearance of the two are so distinct 
as scarcely to render it necessary. The flavour of the 
different varieties of Grapes must be well known by 
judges, and if colour and size of bunch and berry be 
satisfactory it may be generally guaranteed for flavour 
also, according to variety. If I were judging in a mixed 
Black Grape class, I should give a preference to the best 
flavoured varieties, such as Madresfield Court, Mrs. 
Pince’s Black Muscat, and Muscat Hamburgh, if 
fairly well coloured, over such easily-grown kinds 
as Alicante and Gros Maroc. Can any correspondent 
inform me whether Cooper’s Black is synonymous with 
Gros Maroc ? It appears precisely similar, although 
the judges, at the recent Grape Show at South Kensing¬ 
ton, awarded two bunches under this name a First 
Prize in the “any other variety” class, while a special 
class was set apart for Gros Maroc.— Gerrard’s Cross. 
Bottling Grapes.—Allow me to remind those 
amateurs who grow grapes and plants in the same 
house, and who will soon have the former ripe, and, 
therefore, all the more subject to injury from damp, 
that they cau save themselves much trouble and loss 
by cutting off the bunches and bottling them. Pro¬ 
cure some wine bottles, or any other sort about the 
same size, and, after washing them clean, fill them 
with clear soft water and put in each bottle a few small 
pieces of charcoal to keep the water pure and sweet. 
Put the bottles in a dry room or shed, and fix them in 
a slanting position so that when the bunches are cut 
with 3 ins. or 4 ins. of wood, above or below them and 
placed in the bottles, the fruit will hang clear. Many 
gardeners leave the grapes hanging on the vine until 
this time of the year, but that is not necessary, as after 
they have become ripe they will keep as well in bottles 
as on the vine. I proved this thoroughly by cutting 
some Black Hamburghs, Muscat of Alexandria, and 
Black Alicante, in September, before the leaves were 
off the vine, and the result was all that could be 
desired—they kept excellently. — IV. S. 
Proposed Dahlia Show in the North.— 
We were pleased to notice in a recent issue of The 
Gardening World that it is proposed to hold a Dahlia 
Exhibition in the north. We wish the movement every 
success, and trust soon to hear that arrangements have 
been made to bring the suggestion to a practical issue. 
We shall be glad to render what assistance we can, and 
venture to think that all lovers of the Dahlia north of 
the Tweed will give the show their hearty support. 
York would certainly be a good centre, but as a matter 
of course the nearer the border the better chance there 
would be of a good turn-out from Scotland. We hope 
the subject will not be allowed to drop until something 
definite is agreed upon. 
Apple Mere de Menage.—This is a high- 
coloured handsome variety, large, somewhat conical in 
shape, and of a dark crimson colour on the sunny side. 
It is a mid-winter culinary variety, very distinct, and 
a good bearer. It always shows well in a collection. 
— T. IV. 
-- 
Mount Roraima.— Mr. Everard'im Thurn, at the 
late meeting of the British Association, stated that 
Mount Roraima was situated, not in British Guiana, 
but just outside, in Brazil. In height the mountain 
was a mere dwarf, as its summit was only between 
8 000 ft. and 9,000 ft. above the level of the plain from 
which it rose. To have some conception of Roraima 
they must imagine a flat-topped pillar, itself some 2,500 
ft. in height, set on a very steeply sloping truncated 
cone of about auother 2,500 ft. in height. Moreover, 
the sloping base on which the pillar-like portion of 
Roraima stood was over the greater part of its surface 
rendered but barely passable by reason of a complete 
covering of boulders and rocks, such as presented the 
appearance of an enormous and magnificent moraine ; 
and it was obscured and rendered yet more impassable 
by one of the densest and most tangled forests to be 
found even in the tropics. 
