820 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 25, 1888. 
grown for the beauty of their flowers. It is written 
and published by Messrs. Ant. Eoozen & Son, bulb- 
growers, Overveen, near Haarlem, Holland, and contains 
the result of their esperience in growing the plants 
mentioned during the past fifty years. The success 
achieved in the culture of Dutch bulbs in the north 
of Holland is ascribed to the moist condition of the 
.atmosphere, and the light sandy soil. The climate 
there is nearly the same as that of Central 
England, and the cultural directions given in the 
book apply therefore to this country, as much as to any 
part of the Continent. When any special system of 
protection is required to preserve the tubers or rhizomes 
during winter, or if it is necessary that they should be 
taken indoors, instructions are given. Stove and 
greenhouse plants having rootstocks of the kind men¬ 
tioned are also included in the list. The descriptions 
are brief and general ; the degree of hardiness is 
indicated, season of flowering, and the leading 
characteristics of the soil most suitable for each kind 
are given. The generic name only is used to indicate 
the different subjects, and an English name applied, 
which in most cases is the same as that generally in use 
here, although not always. 
-- 
ffOTES ON flRUITS. 
Prize Gooseberries. 
Some excellent advice has lately been given with 
respect to planting and growing prize or choice Goose¬ 
berries, but I should leave out some of the sorts named 
and substitute a few newer ones, as three or four year 
old plants and upwards can now be obtained at very 
reasonable rates. By perusing the Gooseberry-growers’ 
register of late years it will be found that several of 
the newer sorts have attained the weights of 28 dwts. 
to over 80 dwts. London had the record of being the 
heaviest berry grown (37 dwts. 7 grains), and this fruit 
was grown in the year 1852 by the late Mr. John 
Flower, of Stone, Staffordshire. It may not be un¬ 
interesting to state that a Gooseberry ins. round and 
H in. long will be as near as possible 20 dwts., and for 
every £ in. in circumference will weigh 1 dwt. more, 
and for J in. in length 1J dwts. 
The following are all first-rate sorts Eeds : Dan’s 
Mistake, Lion’s Provider, London, Speedwell, and 
Ploughboy. Bough reds: Bobby, Lord Derby, Clayton, 
Companion, Eskender Bey, Magenta, and Conquering 
Hero. Yellow: Garibaldi, Einger, Leveller, Lady 
Houghton, Mount Pleasant, High Sheriff, Trumpeter, 
and Catherina. Green : Stoekwell, China, Surprise, 
Matchless, Sir Geo. Brown, Telegraph, and Diadem. 
Hough green : Queen Victoria. Whites : Hero of the 
Nile, Careless, Antagonist, Mitre, Succeed, Freedom, 
Transparent, Snowdrift, King of Trumps, and Faithful. 
The heaviest Gooseberries shown at the Stone Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s show on August 9th were :_ 
Maiden Prize (Ringer) 
... 22 
20 
Premier (High Sheriff) 
... 25 
15 
Red twins (Lord Derby) ... 
... 
... 29 
5 
Yellow twins (Einger) ... 
• * • 
... 41 
0 
White twins (Hero of the Nile) 
... 
... 35 
16 
Green twins (Shiner) 
... 
... 30 
0 
Red Class. 
Macaroni ... 
... 23 
12 
Lord Derby 
... 22 
8 
Bobby 
... 
... 22 
0 
Lion’s Provider 
. . • 
... 21 
22 
Yellow Class. 
Einger 
... 24 
10 
Mount Pleasant ... 
... 23 
18 
Garibaldi. 
... 23 
6 
Leveller 
... 22 
18 
Green Class. 
Surprise . 
... 21 
8 
British Oak. 
... 20 
12 
Shiner 
... 
... 20 
0 
White Class. 
Hero of the Nile. 
... 22 
6 
Transparent 
... 22 
11 
Careless 
... 21 
12 
Postman 
... 
... 21 
0 
There was also a small show 
at 
Newcastle-under 
Lyme, Stafford, on August 18th, at which a berry from 
Stone, named Bobby, was exhibited weighing 27 dwts. 
4 grains, which is supposed to be the heaviest shown 
this year.— TV. Stevens, Walton, Stone. 
Golden Seedling Apple. 
I should be much pleased to know whether any of your 
readers are acquainted with an Apple under the above 
name. I have searched some lists of Apples, but 
cannot find such an one. In the manner of its growth 
this Apple is a curiosity. A tree of it that I saw a few 
days ago was loaded with fruit, and while plenty of 
clusters were borne on spurs, the main portion of the 
crop was growing on the long slender shoots of last 
year’s growth. The appearance of these, with their 
fruits, resembled a well-set Gooseberry shoot of one 
year’s growth ; and as the tree was a standard 10 ft. or 
12 ft. high, it was very remarkable, with its slight 
twigs loaded and bending under their weight of fruit. 
This Apple is a Pippin, much smaller than the Kerry 
Pippin, and said to be an excellent keeper, possessing 
good flavour. As I have had a great deal of experience 
with Apples, and not having hitherto met with this 
one, I am inclined to think it must be a scarce kind 
among cultivators ; and while its size, no doubt, would 
hardly recommend it to those growing for sale, its other 
good qualities might cause it to find favour with private 
cultivators. At all events, I can state that it is much 
esteemed by those with whom I saw it growing.— 
HELENSHOME, SOUTHPORT. 
So great is the expense, and so formidable the diffi¬ 
culties of conducting outdoor gardening operations so 
near the sea as Birkdale is, that few seem to have 
thought fit to possess themselves of much land there— 
if such a shifty substance as pure sea sand is worthy of 
that appellation. Some of your readers will, perhaps, 
be amazed at anyone with a love for gardening settling 
down and erecting a mansion on such a barren surface 
if they are not told that Southport is a favourite resort 
for invalids as well as for those in health who are 
anxious to live a long life, and can afford to pay for the 
privilege. It is the sand, the ozone, and temperate 
climate that have made Southport a town of 32,000 
inhabitants, who seem to thrive without the aid of any 
outward and visible sign of any manufacturing industry; 
indeed, no mill or manufactory, with their indispen¬ 
sable chimneys, are allowed to be erected to vitiate the 
air. 
It is only those with a long purse and plenty of 
pluck that could have a sandbank converted into a 
nice green lawn, such as that at Helenshome, Birkdale, 
the residence of Mr. Chamberlain, J. P., with thriving 
shrubs and flower beds, as well as a small vegetable 
garden, which is sunk considerably below the other 
ground with the view of securing moisture. By 
ascending sundry steps on the south side of the 
mansion we reach the conservatory, which is chiefly 
furnished now with Campanula pyramidalis, blue and 
white, in 8-in. pots, with more than one spike 5 ft. 
high ; Pelargoniums, double and single, in great 
variety ; Hydrangea paniculata and H. hortensis, the 
latter large plants, but the flowers are past their best. 
The former Mr. Campbell, the gardener, cuts down to 
within two or three joints of the old wood, as soon as 
flowering is over. The centre of the middle stage has 
a row of well-flowered Fuchsias, and Acacia Eiceana 
and Begonia fuchsioides covers the back wall. 
Passing through a stove containing the usual run of 
furnishing plants, we entered the vinery, planted with 
Black Hamburgh, Madresfield Court, Alicante, Lady 
Downes, and Muscat of Alexandria. Under the Vines 
are specimen plants of Dasylirion acrotrichum, 
Neottopteris nidus avis, and Pancratium fragrans with 
eighteen spikes. Ferns are growing in a high-walled 
span-roofed structure, with the interior surface of the 
walls covered with Lycopods, Ferns, and fine foliage 
Begonias. Latania borbonica occupies part of the 
centre stage, and is surrounded with Ferns. 
Another span-roofed house, planted with Tomatos in 
May, after the bedding-out plants were cleared out, 
looks very promising, Beading Perfection having the 
lion’s share of the space. Peach trees are grown in a 
lean-to house in a lower part of the garden, and con¬ 
sidering the heavy crops they are carrying the size of 
the fruit surprised me, for not only are the shoots 
thickly placed, but the fruits in many instances touch 
each other. Even the shy Noblesse is heavily cropped, 
but not like its companions A’Bec, Early Leopold, 
Walburton Admirable, Condor (a highly coloured 
Peach), Violette Hative Nectarine, and one or two 
others.— TV. P. R. 
— --> 5 £<*- 
A WEEK OF FLOWER SHOWS. 
As you have given a report in detail of the highly 
successful exhibition of the Oxford Carnation and 
Picotee Union, it is only necessary I should state that 
there were in all thirty-seven exhibitors, and of these 
seven only came from the London districts. It is thus 
clearly apparent that the culture of this favourite 
flower is fast extending in the country among those 
who take a special interest in it as adapted for show pur¬ 
poses. V ho is sufficiently able to praise, as it deserves 
to be praised, the magnificent display made by Mr. 
Dodwell himself ? It is computed that independent of 
the flowers staged for competition Mr. Dodwell had on 
his plants at least 10,000, and then his yellows are very 
interesting. While I am one with Mr. Dodwell in his 
desire to secure a race of yellow ground Carnations, with 
flakes of colour laid upon the petals, as in the case of 
the ordinary flaked varieties, I hope the importance 
will be seen of securing a race of yellow Picotees, with 
heavy and light margins of colour, which shall be 
laid upon the petal edge as delicately and evenly as in 
the ease of the ordinary classes of Picotees. What 
grand things Mr. Dodwell and others are giving us in 
the way of seifs and fancies ! Take the Maestro among 
flakes, Emma Lakin among the whites, Germania 
among the yellows, Gladys and Emily Francis among 
the pinks, Florizel among the crimsons, and then we 
are able to realise something of the marked advance 
which is being made. The meeting at Oxford of 
representatives of the Carnation and Picotee seemed to 
be perfect. They came from all parts to do honour to 
their leader. May it be years before the Oxford 
Carnation and Picotee Union ceases to exist ! 
From Oxford I travelled to Beading for the summer 
exhibition of the Heading Horticultural Society on 
the 15th. It was held as usual in the Abbey Euins, 
and a very good show indeed resulted. Among the 
plants, Mr. Mould’s stove and greenhouse, Col. Pepper’s 
foliage, and Mr. May’s excellent Begonias were the 
leading features. The groups arranged for effect show 
decided improvement. Reading badly needs large 
specimen plants to show off the huge tent within the 
Abbey walls to advantage, but collections about this 
busy town are not so numerous as they used to be. In 
the way of cut flowers there were some good Roses from 
Messrs. Perkins & Sons, Coventry, and Mr. John 
Walker, of Thame. The latter had the best Dahlias, 
setting up some good blooms for the season, but Messrs. 
Cheal & Sons single Dahlias from their nursery at 
Crawley were a feature of a very high order of merit. 
They were set up in bunches of twelve, arranged on 
their registered wire frames, and they were seen to the 
best advantage. A new variety named Victoria, the 
white petals margined on either side with bright 
scarlet, was awarded a First Class Certificate of Merit; 
it is a flower of medium size and excellent shape. A 
stand of twelve bunches of cut flowers, set up by Mr. 
Geo. Phippin, Reading, was a great feature also ; they 
were large bunches, mainly of hardy things, and well 
displayed. The setting up taught an excellent lesson 
to exhibitors. Messrs Phillips, Henwood, and Walker 
staged, not for competition, the fine blooms of Carnations 
and Picotees they had shown at Oxford on the previous 
day, and Mr. Turner, Royal Nursery, Slough, sent 
four blooms each of Almira, Agnes Chambers, Annie 
Douglas, Terra Cotta, Colonial Beauty and Dorothy, 
yellow ground Picotees, to each of which a First Class 
Certificate of Merit was awarded. 
Fruit was not so extensive nor so fine as is usually 
seen at Reading. But one collection of eight dishes 
was staged by Mr. Goodman, gardener to W. C. 
Hammersley, Esq., Bourne End ; Mr. Maher, gardener 
to C. Waterhouse, Esq., Yattenden, had the best six 
dishes. Grapes were well shown by Messrs. Maher 
and Osman, gardener to T. Baker, Esq., Ottershaw 
Park. Vegetables were grand. The special prizes 
given by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Messrs. James Carter 
& Co., Messrs. Webb & Sons, and Mr. C. Fidler, 
brought remarkable competitions. Potatos were very 
fine indeed, and the competition in all the classes 
was exceedingly keen. 
Table decorations are always exceedingly good at 
Reading, especially those of wild flowers and grasses ; 
bouquets, button-holes, and baskets of sweet-scented 
flowers make a very pleasing feature also. 
From Reading I travelled westward to the delightful 
Somersetshire town of Tannton. Taunton holds a very 
large exhibition, and pays away nearly £250 in prizes. 
The show is on one day only, it closes at 6 p.m., the 
tents and grounds are then cleared, and a second charge 
is made for seeing the fireworks, which are provided on 
a large scale. Last year the sum of nearly £300 was 
taken at the gates for admissions during the day. 
Taunton has one of the finest exhibitions in the west 
of England, and plants are always a leading feature. 
When such leading exhibitors as Mr. James Cypher, 
of Cheltenham ; Mr. H. Lock, gardener to B. W. 
Cleave, Esq., Crediton ; Mr. E. Wills, gardener to 
Mrs. Pearce, Basset, Southampton ; and Mr. C. Lucas, 
gardener to J. Marshall, Esq., .Taunton, meet together 
