October 19, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
103 
so justly exercises on social matters in England, when 
it was directed to fruit-growing, gave an impetus which 
will not cease, and his speeches on behalf of fruit¬ 
growers in the past two years will never be forgotten. 
The Fruiterers’ Company, departing from its traditional 
custom, which I think was connected solely with the 
importation of foreign fruit, has, with the assistance of 
the Lord Mayor, taken a great step in the encourage¬ 
ment of a native industry ; and if the frosts of our 
English springs will abstain from destroying the tender 
blossoms of our fruits for a few years we shall establish 
such a supply that foreign competition will be com¬ 
pelled to cease from troubling us. 
Mr. J. Wright then read a paper on “The Fruit 
Question,” of a general and controversial rather than of 
a practical character, which we hope to find room for in 
an early number. The most practical paper of the 
day was then read by Mr. George Gordon, his subject 
being, “Can Peaches and Nectarines be successfully 
grown against Open Walls ?” (see p. 100). 
Mr. R. Smith, Yalding, read a short paper dealing 
mainly with the treatment of old Apple trees in order 
to induce fertility, and a desultory discussion followed, 
which was led off by a gentleman who stated that during 
the last twenty years had travelled much in the colonies, 
and that he had lately become a director of the English 
Rose and Fruit Company (Cranston’s), Limited, -which 
was going to put the fruit question straight, and teach 
us all instanter what we should do. A young man 
from the Swanley College asked the newly-appointed 
director a question about storing Apples in barrels, but 
the little advertisement having been got off, no reply 
was given. 
Mr. Albert Bath called attention to the ravages of 
the winter moth, which had stripped many a Kentish 
orchard this season to the utter ruin of the crops, and 
stated that some one had introduced a compound which, 
if painted on the stems, prevented the female moth 
from getting into the trees to lay her eggs, and also 
prevented rabbits and hares from barking the trees. 
It was an expensive remedy to apply on a large scale, 
but it was some satisfaction to know there was a remedy 
at hand. Mr. A. Dean discussed the general question 
in his usual forcible and intelligent style, concluding 
his address with a practical suggestion, which was that 
an exhibition on a large scale should be organised, 
which, by its magnitude and importance to the fruit¬ 
growing industry, would bring together a great gath¬ 
ering of the fruit growers of the country. 
Mr. Roupell followed with some observations on 
fruit culture near towns, and detailed his own practice 
and experience at Roupell Park, which is within the 
smoke radius. A gentleman, whose name we did not 
learn, recommended as a remedy for American blight 
that the trees should be gone over with a solution of 
shellac dissolved in naptha early in the season. He 
had found the remedy an admirable one himself. The 
nests of caterpillars of the Lackey Moth he had got rid 
of by going over the trees at night with cheap wax 
tapers and burning them out, an idea which brought 
smiles on the faces of the men of acres. Mr. Manning, 
a well-known advocate of vegetarianism, had also a 
little advertising to do. He was contributing articles 
on the fruit question to the Weekly Times and Echo, 
and recommended his hearers to seek wisdom in the 
pages of the paper named. 
By this time things had become somewhat mixed, 
and the chairman got the meeting back to business by 
moving a resolution thanking the Lord Mayor and 
the Fruiterers’ Company for the interest they are taking 
in the fruit question. This was seconded by Mr. J. 
Wright, and immediately met with opposition, the 
question being asked, “What has the company done to 
deserve such a compliment ? ” The sense of the meeting 
was taken, however, after some sharp sparring, and the 
resolution was declared to be carried, to the manifest 
joy of a London gentleman present. Great institutions 
are the Lord Mayor and the Fruiterers’ Company in 
the eyes of London gentlemen ! 
Mr. George Bunyard moved a vote of thanks to the 
gentlemen who read papers, which was seconded by 
Mr. Manning and carried unanimously, after which the 
usual thanks to the chairman was voted with applause, 
and the proceedings were brought to a close. 
--- 
Honour to English Agriculturists— The French 
Minister of Agriculture, M. Leopold Fays, has conferred 
the Order du Merite Agricole on three Englishmen, 
these being the first of our countrymen on whom this 
decoration has been conferred. The recipients are Sir 
Jacob Wilson, the hon. director of the Royal 
Agricultural Society ; Mr. Ernest Clarke, the secretary 
of the society ; and Mr. Henry F. Moore, well known 
as a writer on agricultural subjects. 
OTHS ON 1ERUITS. 
Apple, Gascoigne’s Seedling. 
There are two distinct varieties grown under this name, 
the work of different raisers, and a third and perhaps 
more recent kind, properly known under the name of 
Gascoigne’s Scarlet Seedling. The latter is a small, 
conical Apple, deeply flushed with scarlet, and 
consequently very attractive. The quality is generally, 
however, only considered second rate ; a fact which 
often applies to highly-coloured Apples. One of these, 
named Gascoigne’s Seedling, is an oblong fruit of a 
pale yellow colour, variously marked and suffused with 
rosy pink, and overspread with a dense grey bloom 
similar to that occurring in the case of Hoary Morning. 
It is therefore a showy Apple, and what is more 
surprising, of first-class quality. The fruit is of medium 
size. Another, named Gascoigne’s Seedling, and which 
is grown in the collection of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, at Chiswick, is highly coloured and handsome ; 
it is, however, quite distinct from the above, being a 
broad, considerably flattened fruit of medium size or 
rather above it, when well grown. The skin is 
greenish yellow when mature, suffused with crimson 
on the exposed side, and conspicuously spotted with 
dark brown. It is a mid-season variety, and is now 
coming into use. The flesh is white, watery, and only 
second rate ; hut being a useful culinary Apple and 
very handsome, is well worth growing. The other 
two may be used for culinary or dessert purposes. 
Apple, Barchard’s Seedling. 
The fruit of this variety is of medium size or somewhat 
below it ; but the tree bears very regularly from year 
to year, and on account of that, as well as its beautiful 
appearance, finds favour in the markets about London. 
It is likewise grown largely in some of the market 
gardens. In shape, the fruit is roundly ovate, bluntly 
five-angled on the sides, with as many slightly raised 
elevations round the eye. The surface is greenish 
yellow on the shaded side, and heavily suffused and 
striped with crimson on a lemon-yellow ground, where 
the fruit is well exposed to light. The flesh is white, 
more or less tinted with green near the eye and along 
the veins or vascular tissue running through it, and is 
so firm and crisp as to be almost brittle. The flavour 
is brisk and sweet, but although the fruit may be 
compared to Manks’ Codlin in its firm and crisp 
character, it does not possess the brisk acidity of that 
well-known variety. Its constant bearing character 
and the telling appearance of the fruit are points to be 
borne in mind by those about to plant extensively, 
either for market or home consumption. 
De Maraise Pear. 
The fruit of this Pear is beautiful in form, but by no 
means highly coloured, although not devoid of attrac¬ 
tion. It is small, or on vigorously-growing trees of 
medium size, short, broadly obovate and even in out¬ 
line. The skin is clear yellow on the shaded side, 
more or less freckled with russet; but on the sunny 
side it is of a duller yellow, heavily splashed and 
spotted with russet. The stalk is inserted by the side 
of a fleshy protuberance in a shallow cavity. The pale 
yellow flesh is rich, juicy, and melting, and although 
the variety is said to ripen at the end of October, it has 
been in season in the gardens of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society since the first week of this month, and 
will keep good for some time to come. The trees bore 
tolerably well, supplying a good quantity of useful 
fruit. The variety has been grown in this country 
since 1847, and is well worthy of more extensive 
cultivation. 
-—-- 
FLORAL NOTES FROM FOREIGN 
PARTS. 
Passing through Switzerland and Italy at the end of 
September and the beginning of October, there i3 not 
much to note in the way of flowers, although the 
summer lingers longer than with us at home. In 
Belgium one finds on all sides evidences of high art in 
floriculture, and I was impressed with signs of progress 
on all sides. Begonias, for instance, are liberally used 
for bedding out with excellent effect. Winter weather 
commenced early in Switzerland this year, and the 
gardener at the Schweitzerhof Hotel, in Lucerne, had 
begun to make a clearance of the soft things bedded 
out in the small but pretty front garden, during the 
last days of September. Dahlias in the neighbourhood 
had evidently had a severe doing, and Asters in the 
gardens of the Hotel du Lac, where I stayed, had come 
to grief badly. Roses, Zinnias, Scabious, and zonal 
Pelargoniums were, however, not much the worse. The 
shores of the lake and the mountain slopes, especially 
the Righi, were gay with autumn tints, Cherry trees 
vieing with Virginian Creepers in gorgeous crimson 
hues. 
The hill-sides of Lake Como are not so advanced as 
at Lucerne, and the edible Chestnut, Hazel, Walnut 
and Vine are only just commencing to show a shade of 
yellow. Indian Corn is, however, ripe and fit to cut, 
while Pumpkins and Gourds in variety are showing 
golden tints. Olives are a very poor crop about here, 
but Chestnuts and Figs are abundant. Palms, Aloes, 
Agaves and Cacti lend a semi-tropical character to the 
well-kept gardens, which are very attractive. Ole¬ 
anders do remarkably well, making huge bushes 10 ft. 
to 12 ft. high, while some varieties of Roses are equally 
luxuriant. I noticed old Gloire de Dijon struggling up 
a hillside at the back of a villa garden, full of flower, 
forming a pretty contrast to the vivid avalanche of 
Ampelopsis that leapt from rock to rock. Magnolias 
form majestic trees, while the Sumach runs up as tall 
and straight as a Cypress. 
Carpet bedding evidently fetches the Italian taste, 
and great use is made of Alternantheras, which grow 
vigorously and colour brightly. On the sloping lawn 
of the Villa dell’Olmo, near Como, the gardener had 
very cleverly worked out the coronetted dragon, which 
is, I believe, the family crest. A favourite bedding- 
out subj ect is the yellow Marguerite (Chrysanthemum fru- 
tescens, Etoile d’Or), which blooms freely, but I observed 
that the flowers had the same cup-like character which 
distinguishes the variety at home. In combination 
with an herbaceous plant with Salvia-like flowers, the 
Marguerites, both white and yellow, make the long 
borders and larger beds remarkably gay. Pyrethrum 
selaginoides does not seem to have made its way here, 
but the older Golden Feverfew is in general use, its 
luxurious growth, however, spoiling its effect as a 
bedder. 
I was amused, both at Lucerne and at Como, to find 
our dear old friend the Carnation treated as a trailing 
plant. At the former town I noted three pots suspended 
in a window, while at the latter I saw several boxes on 
window-sills. The unfortunate plants had, in some 
cases, made a virtue of necessity, and sent out long, 
drooping shoots, like an Ivy-leaved Pelargonium, 
while the grass maintained its straight character, 
pointing downwards. Others, however, had rebelled, 
and the grass at the end of a shoot 3 ft. long, curved 
upwards towards the sky, giving the plant the ap¬ 
pearance of a collection of Dutchman’s pipes. I 
regretted to note the absence of flowers in cottage 
gardens about Lake Como, but the impoverished and 
heavily-taxed people are too much intent on getting 
some marketable produce out of every inch of soil to 
afford any space for flowers. At Lucerne there seemed 
to be some attempt to bring flowers to market for sale, 
and there was actually one florist’s shop ; but I strolled 
through Como two or three times without seeing a 
button-hole or a nosegay. In the churches artificial 
flowers have ousted the genuine article, and even in the 
cemeteries similar heresy prevails. 
It is somewhat late for wild flowers, but I found the 
sweet-scented purple Cyclamen on a hillside atMoltrassio 
and a fine Campanula hard by. Between this place and 
Cernobbis I saw for the first time the true Adiantum, 
side by side with the Maidenhair Spleenwort, in a wild 
state by the roadside. I also noted some fine patches 
of Ceterach, with fronds 8 ins. to 12 ins. long, and 
plenty of Ruta muraria, but not of an abnormal char¬ 
acter.— E. F^angcr Johnson, Como, October 9th. 
—-•>*<-- 
ffOTES FROM flcOTLAND, 
Royal Horticultural Society of Aber¬ 
deen. —The annual meeting of this society was held 
in the Music Hall Buildings, Aberdeen, on Saturday 
evening last. Mr. James Murray Garden presided, and 
there was a good attendance. The annual report stated 
that the society continued to carry out the objects for 
which it was formed, viz., the encouragement of all 
efforts to improve the knowledge of scientific horticul¬ 
ture, and to extend its practice in Aberdeen and the 
north of Scotland. The annual floral fete held in the 
Duthie Public Park proved to be very successful. The 
financial surplus amounted to £26 Os. id ., which, added 
to last year’s balance, makes £125 4s. 2 d. at the credit 
of the society. The directors recommended that a summer 
and an autumn show be held in 1890, and a spring 
show in 1891, as against the proposal that the usual 
floral fete be held in 1890 and a spring show in 1891, 
and this was agreed to. 
