October 4, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
75 
The range of Pine-pits is about fifty yards in length, 
and contains Charlotte Rothschild, Queens, Smooth 
Cayennes, Black Jamaica and Moscow Queen. Mr. 
Hamshere depends entirely for autumn supply upon 
Charlotte Rothschild and Smooth Cayennes ; for 
spring, upon Black Jamaica, Moscow Queen and 
Queen. Long lengths of cold-pits are filled with 
enormous quantities, and in a healthy condition, of 
Poinsettias, Cinerarias, winter-flowering Carnations, 
Pearson’s varieties of zonal Pelargoniums, Ivy-leaved, 
and scented varieties, Bouvardias, Tea Roses, &c. 
Another house, a lean-to, in this enclosure, an about 
thirty yards long, is used for growing plants for 
furnishing Beaumanor House, and is literally packed 
with flowering plants and Ferns. At the end is a 
Cucumber-house, Mr. Hamshere finding nothing to 
supersede Telegraph. A small span-roofed house is 
filled with Gesneras, winter-flowering Begonias, Helio¬ 
tropes, and seedling Gloxinias—just now coming into 
flower. Another large span-roofed structure contains 
a magnificent collection of flowering plants, including 
a grand lot of zonal Pelargoniums, Begonias, Impatiens 
Sultani, Salvia splendens and S. Bethelli, Ivy-leaved 
Pelargoniums (Souvenir de Charles Turner), and early 
batch of Cyclamens, small Heaths, Epacrises, Tuberoses, 
and a grand lot of Primula (Veitch’s strain), single and 
double. One house here is filled with Tea Roses, which 
gives a continual supply of bloom, the varieties grown 
being Isabella Sprunt, Safrano, Niphetos, The Bride 
and Homer. Tomatos are extensively grown in a house 
set apart for the purpose, the varieties being Ham 
Green Favourite, Hackwood Park, Trophy, Excelsior, 
and Sutton’s Earliest of All. The plants for winter 
supply are from cuttings struck in July. There is a 
succession Peach and Nectarine-house close to the 
Tomato-house, planted with Victoria Nectarines, Royal 
George and Gros Mignonue Peaches. 
Inside the walled kitchen garden is a range of lean-to 
fruit houses, 300 ft. in length, and divided into six 
compartments. The first two are planted with Peaches 
and Nectarines, which have borne this year a splendid 
crop, and are in a most healthy condition. 
The earliest house contains of Peaches, Royal 
George, Gros Mignonne, Bellegarde and Noblesse ; and 
Lord Napier, Elruge and Rivers’ Orange Nectarines ; 
while in the late house are Bellegarde, Barrington, 
Princess of Wales, Violette Hative and Pale Noblesse 
Peaches, and Victoria, Elruge, Pine Apple, Downton, 
and Balgowan Nectarines. The early vinery is planted 
with the true Black Hamburgh, Madresfield Court, 
Foster’s Seedling, Muscat of Alexandria, and Duke of 
Buccleuch ; the second one with Madresfield Court, 
Muscat of Alexandria, and Hamburghs ; and the latest 
with Lady Downes, Black Alicante, Gros Maroc, and 
Gros Colmar. The Fig house is entirely filled with 
Brown Turkey—probably the best variety grown. 
The walled-in kitchen garden is three acres in extent, 
and is a model of neatness, the walks being laid down 
with asphalte, with tile edgings. I noticed on the walls 
a splendid crop of Morello Cherries. The garden also 
contains collections of Apples, Pears, Plums, &c., of 
which I give a list of varieties that are found to do well 
in the district 
Dessert Apples: Fearn’s Pippin, Cox’s Orange Pippin, 
Sturmer Pippin, Eve Apple, Ribston Pippin, Wollaton 
Pippin, Kerry Pippin, Lord Lennox, Golden Russet, 
Waterloo Pippin, Nonpareil, and Blenheim Orange. 
Cooking varieties: Peasgood’s Nonsuch, Queen Caroline, 
Beauty of Kent, Grantonian, Kentish Fillbasket, 
Duchess of Oldenburgh, Pott’s Seedling, Queen, Prince 
Albert, New Hawthornden, New Northern Greening, 
Lord Derby, Tom Putt, Bramley’s Seedling, and 
Domino. Dessert Pears : Louise Bonne of Jersey, 
Marie Louise d’Uccle, Marie Louise, Williams’ Bon 
Chretien, Winter Nelis, Doyenne Boussoch, Easter 
Beurre, Beurre Superfin, Brown Beurre, and Souvenir 
du Congres. Stewing varieties : Catillac, Beurre 
Hardy, Beurre Spring, and Bell Stone. Cherries, 
table : May Duke, Black Heart, Black Eagle, Downton 
Bigarreau, and Late Duke. Cooking varieties: 
Kentish and the old Morello. Plums, table : Kirk’s, 
Reine Claude Violette, Green Gage, Reine Claude de 
Bavay, Jefferson, Blue Imperatrice, Washington, 
Denniston’s Superb, and Golden Drop. Cooking 
varieties : Washington, Victoria, Magnum Bonum, 
Syston Violet, and Winesour. Apricots : Hemskirk, 
Kaisha, Moorpark, and Early Moorpark. Peaches: 
Royal George, Grosse Mignonne, and Violette Hative. 
It is worthy of remark that the Apricots on the out¬ 
side of the kitchen-garden walls were planted in 1846, 
and are still in a flourishing condition—having this 
season yielded an excellent crop of fruit. Mr. Hamshere 
has recently formed an excellent kitchen-garden of three 
acres, which is well stocked with all kinds of vegetables. 
What I noticed here most particularly was the splendid 
crop of Peas, this day (September 22nd) gathering from 
them enormous quantities. The varieties grown for 
late supply are Ne Plus Ultra, Walker’s Perpetual 
Bearer, and Emperor of the Marrows. 
Altogether these gardens and grounds reflect the 
greatest credit on Mr. Hamshere, who was a pupil of 
the late Mr. Pitman, the noted fruit-tree propagator 
of Fulham, and succeeded Mr. McLean in their 
management at Beaumanor, about five years ago. Mr. 
McLean was an old associate of Mr. Henderson’s, late 
of Coleorton, who was perhaps one of the best Grape- 
growers in the kingdom in his day, and a most 
successful exhibitor at the London shows years ago. 
Beaumanor Gardens were chiefly laid out by Mr. 
McLean, who now lives at a green old age within a short 
distance of the scene of his early labours, respected by 
all who know him. 
In a house specially built for the purpose at the 
Hall, is an Elizabethan carriage, supposed to be the 
first that ever entered Leicester, and which is 
considered by antiquarians as an object of great interest. 
Anyone wishing to visit these beautiful gardens will 
find Mr. Hamshere, like all true gardeners, most 
communicative, courteous and obliging.— J. B. 
-►>$<.- 
NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM 
SOCIETY. 
A meeting, of tbe General Committee of this society 
was held on Monday evening last, when no less than 
forty-eight officers and members assembled. The chair 
was taken by Mr. R. Ballantine, who, in terms of the 
warmest sympathy and endearment, begot of long 
friendship and admiration of the many sterling qualities 
of the late secretary, alluded to the sad cause which had 
necessitated the calling of the meeting. Mr. Holmes’ 
death would leave a blank in the society that could not 
well be filled, but he trusted they would all labour 
amicably together to carry on the work their dear 
friend had so much at heart, and strive to the utmost 
to repair the grievous loss which the society had 
sustained. 
The minutes of the previous meeting having been 
confirmed, on the motion of the chairman, seconded 
by the vice-chairman, an address of sympathy and 
condolence to Mrs. Holmes, the terms of which we 
have given in another column, was unanimously 
adopted and signed by all present. The committee 
then proceeded to elect a secretary pro tern., and inas¬ 
much as it had been decided that Mr. R. Dean 
should have the management of the forthcoming fruit 
show at the Aquarium, he was unanimously invited to 
take up the duties of secretary to the society to the end 
of the present financial year, and acceded to the request 
of the committee on the understanding that all 
communications should be addressed to him at the 
Frampton Park Nursery, where the society’s books 
would remain for the present. 
By the retirement of Mr. C. Swift, of Chelsea, a 
vacancy was declared on the General and on the Floral 
Committees, and Mr. F. Moore, Blendon Hall Gardens, 
Bexley, was elected to the former, and Mr. H. Shoe- 
smith, Croydon, to the latter. Ten new members were 
also elected, and the Wellington Horticultural and 
Florists’ Society of New Zealand, and the Exmouth 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society were admitted 
into affiliation. With reference to organising a 
memorial to the memory of the late Mr. W. Holmes, 
it was decided to call a meeting of the members of the 
society for the afternoon of the 15th inst., at the 
Royal Aquarium, to decide as to what form the 
memorial should take. 
-->*<-- 
AN ANTIDOTE FOR ENNUI. 
On Saturday afternoon, 27th ult., Mr. T. W. Ogilvie, 
demonstrator of natural history, Aberdeen University, 
delivered a lecture to the members of the Aberdeen 
branch of the Educational Institute of Scotland, on 
“ The Fertilisation of Plants.” There was a good 
attendance, and Mr. Allan occupied the chair. Mr. 
Ogilvie, in opening his lecture, said country teachers 
had an excellent opportunity of working out the flora 
and fauna of their respective districts ; but he had 
observed with regret the extreme infrequency with 
which those opportunities were embraced, and he had 
chosen the subject of his lecture in the hope that he 
might induce some to take up such an interesting study 
as an antidote to the ennui with which country 
teachers who had not a hobby must be affected. 
He referred to some striking and interesting cases of 
co-relationship between insects and flowers, and having 
described the structure and function of flowers, he 
said the importance of cross-fertilisation was seen in 
the effect, the plants germinating more rapidly, growing 
quicker and being more fertile than those which were 
self-fertilised. Cross-fertilisation was accomplished by 
such agents as wind, and to a less extent by water, 
by birds, by snails ; but the great agents in effecting 
this process were the insects. The habit of bees in 
visiting flowers was peculiar. They would find that 
very often they pretty closely followed one particular 
species of plants, always working by a definite plan, 
generally from below upward. This, it was shown, 
had an important bearing on the cross-fertilisation of 
certain plants. Some flowers were habitually self- 
fertilised, and some were so constructed that at one 
time they were capable of cross-fertilisation, and at 
another stage they were self-fertilised, it being better 
that inferior seeds should be produced rather than no 
seeds at all. 
Mr. Adam, rector, Free Church Training College, 
Aberdeen, paid a high compliment to the ability of 
Mr. Ogilvie as a lecturer, and moved a cordial vote of 
thanks to him for his valuable and interesting address. 
Mr. Mavor seconded the motion. He thought the 
{esthetic taste of the children might be stimulated by 
having this subject taught in school. He put a 
question to Mr. Ogilvie, who, in reply, said that if the 
pollen from one species was carried to the stigma of a 
flower of a distinct genera the effect was nil. Cases of 
hybridisation were cases where pollen was carried from 
one species to the stigma of another of a very closely 
allied species. Other members paid tributes to the 
lecturer for the skilful way he had handled the subject, 
and the vote of thanks was passed unanimously. 
-- 
THE IRISHMAN’S DARLING. 
What a subject, most of your readers will exclaim, for 
a horticultural paper ! But if not the first love, it 
certainly is the last, for where can an Irishman be 
found whose heart is not gone on the “tatie.” I fear 
at the present time he is more inclined to be heart¬ 
broken (like an extra large Champion) than in love, for 
from all sides come tidings of the bad state of the 
Potato crops, in many places totally lost. It is a dark 
look out, and many a sad heart looks forward with 
horror to the long winter nights, when a plateful of 
Indian stirabout will have to do duty for the potful 
of Potatos, to which the poor people were accus¬ 
tomed. 
Their pig-sties will have to remain empty, as the 
Potatos are no longer forthcoming with which to fatten, 
and the landlord’s best friend, the pig, which generally 
pays the rent, will have to wait for a home until better 
times come. We all know that the Potato crop is a 
failure ; now let us try to find the cause, even if unable 
to supply the remedy. Many a time I have wondered 
how the Irish peasants manage to have such splendid 
crops of their national vegetable, and the only solution 
of the problem I could find was the wonderfully mild 
climate and productive soil. Will you believe it, Mr. 
Editor, when I tell you that I have known Champions 
planted up to the end of May and into June. Now 
where such a state of things exists, how can even a 
poor crop be expected ? Half-tilled soil is another cause, 
the refuse of the Potatos— i.e. the little ones (poreens) 
—being kept for seed is another ; weeds not being kept 
in check is another, and though last, perhaps the most 
important, is the too close planting without frequent 
change of seed. 
Neither as a rule are the plants sufficiently moulded, 
especially in their early stages of growth. It would be 
also desirable to have more frequent change of soil. 
Though not exactly Conservative in politics, most of 
my countrymen are, in sticking to the old “ Pratie 
garden.” “ Shure, me father grew ‘Praties’ there 
before I was born, so it should be good enough now, ” 
never thinking that any crop grown in the same spot 
for years is bound to impoverish the soil, and more 
than likely produce disease. I fear, too, that as Ireland 
has been pretty free from “ black potatos ” for the last 
few years, the farmers have gone back more or less to 
the old kinds that existed before Champions were in¬ 
troduced, so that all these things taken together have 
tended to produce the worst crop of Potatos that the 
writer ever remembers. Perhaps a more able pen than 
mine will take up the subject, and write from a 
scientific, if not more practical point of view than 
W. Morley - Beamsbottom, Alderborough, Geashill, 
King's County . 
