228 
December 9, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
FRUITS AND FRUIT 
GROWING. 
At the recent Fruit Conference and Exhibition held 
at Chester, under the auspices of the local Paxton 
Society, Mr. E. J. Baillie, of Messrs. Dicksons, 
opened the proceedings with an interesting address 
on "Fruits and Fruit Growing—present aspects and 
prospective anticipations.” He contended that fruit 
did not enter so largely into the lists as it ought to 
do, and pointed out how a better demand would be 
created if fruit were more extensively used in the 
kitchen. He advocated the use of fruit as a diet, 
and claimed that the present aspect with regard to 
the supply of fruit was encouraging, for whereas 
most of them remembered when there were only 
seven or eight stores in Chester, there was not now 
a grocer’s shop which was not a fruit emporium. 
They in turn must be supplied from the market, but 
the present day aspect of the market was not at all 
satisfactory. Perhaps the foreign market was 
eminently so, so far as the supply was concerned, 
for they got supplies of superb Apples from America. 
Tasmania, Australia, etc. The foreign growers did 
not perplex them with a multiplicity of kinds, but it 
was a very different matter if they wanted to buy 
English grown Apples. There was a well-sustdinsd 
demand for English grown Apples, but our markets 
were not on a satisfactory basis so far as the supply 
was concerned. It had struck him that we could 
not find any place where Apple or Pear fairs were 
held regularly. Birmingham had its Onion fair, 
and he did not see why they should not have their 
Apple and Pear fairs in the same way. There were 
cheese fairs and Hop markets, and every week in 
their market they had the butter, eggs, and poultry 
of the neighbouring farmers offered for sale, but 
they did not seem to have any organisation for the 
sale of fruit, except the grocers’ stores. The present 
day aspects were encouraging from an educational 
point of view. The County Council was doing good 
work, and their Paxton Society was more than hold¬ 
ing its own. Alluding to the preservation of fruit 
he said the specimens of bottled fruit shown at that 
exhibition were an advance on the old-fashioned 
methods of what was called jam. He dared say jam 
was a more profitable thing, for if report spoke true 
they used to get mashed Turnips and a few wooden 
stones thrown in it, but the bottling process was a 
marked improvement. He never found it safe to 
have a jam tart and steer clear of the toothache, but 
now it was different with the bottled fruit. The 
method of fruit drying by evaporation was rapidly 
in progress. Several machines and contrivances 
were coming out, and he hoped the process would 
rapidly gain ground. Statistics showed that the 
land in this country devoted to orchard cultivation 
was rapidly on the increase, and as they moved 
about the country they found that the fruit industry 
was really gaining ground. Dealing with the un¬ 
satisfactory state of the market, he pointed out while 
they had to pay a very exorbitant price for fruit, 
they had on the other hand almost to give Apples 
away if they wished to sell them. He did not know 
how this was to ’oe remedied, but he thought the 
growers ought to confine themselves to fewer kinds 
for market purposes. They only looked to America 
for four sorts. In America over 300 kinds of Apples 
were cultivated, but they were wise enough to send 
over only a few that they found met the demand of 
the market. It always seemed to him that if fruit 
were regularly displayed before the purchaser, it 
would find a better demand ; and he was in favour 
of some kind of central agency where fruit could be 
displayed. In agriculture the problem seemed to 
have been solved by the factory system, for every 
farmer who did not want to make cheese took his 
milk to the factory, and he was afterw’ards paid pro 
rata for it. He next advocated the sale of fruit in 
railway stations, remarking that it seemed strange 
to him that all the season through, when loaded 
trains were passing through their stations, there was 
nobody from whom palatable fruit could be pro¬ 
cured. In conclusion, he remarked that periodically 
waves of distress and destitution passed over the 
land, and the reason for these waves appeared to be 
that the population had become congested in certain 
districts. He submitted there should be some 
industry to bring people back from the bondage of 
bricks and mortar to the fair face of the fields, so 
that these congested districts would be relieved. 
SIZE F. QUALITY. 
I QUITE agree with your correspondent "Con.,” at 
p. 193, in considering that it would serve a useful 
purpose if some of your readers would express their 
opinion on the' matter. I accept the invitation, 
although I may differ on some points from his 
reasoning. With the idea that size should take pre¬ 
ference over quality I do not agree, but when size and 
qualityare combined, then I favour and welcome the 
combination.' I have grown Onions for years, both 
large and small ones, and am of opinion that where 
large ones can be obtained they are invariably pre¬ 
ferred. Can this be wondered at ? The bulbs are 
softer in flesh, and more delicate in flavour, and they 
can be grown in fairly gcod soil without the extra¬ 
ordinary amount of labour alluded to by your 
correspondent, as well as at a much less cost than 
one shilling each. 
“ Con.” draws a very dark picture indeed when he 
speaks of a gardener askirsg his employer for extra 
glass accommodation, and for supplies of artificial 
manure to be used as often as he likes ; but I think 
the darkness of the colouring spoils the picture. Is 
there a gardener worthy the name who would dare 
to ask his employer such a question ? I think not. 
Even with my limited glass accommodation it would 
be easy to find room wherein to grow a few hundred 
Onions for about three months, and any other 
gardener could do the same if it pleased him, for 
where there is the will, the way will be found. 
As to the keeping qualities of Onions, I am one 
who does not believe that mere size has anything 
to do with the keeping quality, more depending upon 
ripeness and careful handling when storing. I hold 
the same views with regard to Brussels Sprouts, i. e., 
that it is possible to get as good flavour in well 
grown, large sprouts as in small ones, and I go 
further than ” Con.” with regard to the beauty of a 
well grown Erfurt Cauliflower, in seeing beauty in 
any well groan Cauliflower, even should it be larger 
than the Erfurt type. It is a strongly enforced rule 
now to make the best of everything, and so long as 
quality can be combined with size I am not disposed 
to discourage those who do not grudge a little extra 
labour to accomplish such results.— J. C. 
-.f.- 
THE GARDEN IN MID¬ 
WINTER. 
While about at Oakwood, taking advantage of the 
good weather, looking to the moving of plants and 
making alterations, I was struck by how much that 
is pretty there is to be found in gardens, even in 
mid-November, and think that what I saw may 
perhaps be worth a note. 
The glories of the autumn tints of the Liquid- 
amber Tree have departed : some of the deep red 
leaves of'Vaccinium pennsylvaticum and of Oxyden- 
drum (.Andromeda) arborea still hold on. There 
are not many flowers out ; most are on mounds, for 
which I have a weakness, thinking that plants show 
themselves better on them than on the level ground, 
and where precautions have been taken against soil 
washing down thrive well. There are some Prim¬ 
roses of many colours, hardy Cyclamens, with their 
prettily-marked leaves, some with flowers. One of 
the prettiest is Cyclamen cyprium, which I had 
from Mr. Max Leichtlin ; the flowers though small 
are very pretty, it is a free flowerer, and the leaves 
have rich and distinct markings. Cyclamen macro- 
phyllum has fine leaves and stands the winter with 
us. 
One plant has held its flowers well in a sheltered 
situation, notwithstanding some sharp frosts— 
Cheiranthus mutabilis. It was a favourite of the 
late Rev. Harpur Crewe, who gave it to me ; it is 
w'ell to take cuttings of this, as hard winters kill it. 
A few Gentanellas are out, and oneortwoHepaticas. 
Helleborus maximus is still very pretty. A fine 
large form of Harebell keeps throwing up flowers ; 
this was given me by a gardening friend who has 
made all forms of Campanula rotundifolia a study. 
The Cornish Heaths have a few flowers. Andro¬ 
meda floribunda always well deserves its name and 
is now loaded with buds. 
What show well are the many shades of green in 
some plants, and dark and light brown of faded 
leaves, stalks, and flowers in others. The large 
bunches of dead flowers of Hydrangea paniculata 
grandiflora look vmry well in the distance, and 
Polygonum compact um holds its leaves and seeds. 
both of a very pale shade of brown. Many of the 
glaucous and pale gray leaved plants are pretty ; 
Meconopsis nepalensis, with its hairy leaves studded 
with rain or dew drops, one of the prettiest. French 
Lavender (Santolina incana) and Agrostemmas are 
pretty greys. In one of the ponds Myriophyllum 
proserpinacoides, given me by the late Sir Wm. 
Bowman, is still green with its prettily-cut leaves ; 
Diplopappus chrysophyllus is cheerful looking; 
Arenaria tetraquetra has pretty compact foliage ; 
mossy Saxifrages and White Thyme rich green. 
The part of the garden where the view is now the 
prettiest is in the middle of the wood looking west. 
In a recess under the trees. Oaks and Birches, with 
their autumn tints, come first ; Camellias with rich 
glossy-green leaves then are well set with buds ; 
then Retinospcra squarrosa, Cryptomeria elegans, 
blue Spruce (small), Retinospera pisifera aurea, 
Cupressus Lawsoniana lutea, C. L. viridis erecta, 
blue Cedar especially pretty, Veronica Colensoi 
glauca. Hydrangea paniculatra grandiflora with 
large bunches of faded flowers, Andromeda japonica 
covered with red buds. Polygonum compactum 
with pale brown leaves and seeds, Kalmia angusti- 
folia variegata, Berberis Fortune!, with its small 
bright red leaves, Eulalia gracillima still holding 
green (both this Eulalia and E. zebrina have 
flowered well this season), Veronica verrucosa, 
Skimmia oblata, a bank of Rhododendrons, R. 
Wilsonianum, Ledums with their buds, Sciadopitys 
verticillata. New Zealand Flax flourishing alongside 
a great plant of Bog Myrtle—all these together make 
a pretty picture. I have no doubt that many other 
pretty plants might be found, but fear that the note 
is already too long —George F. JVilson, Heatherbank, 
WeybriJge. 
-- 
THE ABBEY PARK, 
LEICESTER. 
We have often in these columns alluded in com¬ 
mendatory terms to the high-class character of the 
gardening carried out every year in the park which 
the Corporation of Leicester have provided for the 
use of the citizens, and which the skill and assiduity 
of their Park Superintendent, Mr. John Burn, has 
raised to such a high standard of excellence. In 
most towns where there are public parks or gardens, 
the cost of their maintenance falls directly upon the 
ratepayers, but the Parks Committee at Leicester 
get some of their means at least in a different way. 
They hold an annual Floral Fete on the Tuesday 
following the August Bank Holiday, and devote the 
profits arising therefrom to needful improvements— 
a system which we commend to the notice of other 
local authorities. 
During the past ■ summer there has been con¬ 
structed in the park a new span-roofed house, 100 ft. 
long, 40 ft. wide, and 20 ft. high in the centre, of 
which we to-day give an interior view. The new 
house has a light and airy appearance, although 
strong and substantially built and the roof well 
supported by metal columns and tie rods. At the 
base of each of the former are specially-prepared 
circular and octagon-shaped beds 3 ft. in diameter 
and the same in depth for the reception of climbers 
intended to clothe the pillars and roof. These latter 
were planted in the last week in June, and as 
showing the quality of the compost used it may be 
mentioned that some of them have made quite 40 ft. 
of growth. The plants used as climbers are Cobea 
scandens variegata, Swainsonia galegifolia and its 
variety alba, Passiflora Eynsford Gem, and others, 
Sollya Drummondi, Clematis indivisa lobata, Tra- 
chelospermum jasminoides, Lonicera semperflorens, 
Tecomo jasminoides. Plumbago capensis alba. The 
house also now contains some fine specimen Palms 
and Dracaena australis, and has been made 
extremely gay during the last six weeks with Chry¬ 
santhemums, 
The special Chrysanthemum house which was 
built five years ago is a double span 60 ft. long, 40 ft. 
wide, and 13 ft. high to the ridges, and is beautifully 
festooned with such climbers as Lapageria rosea 
and alba, several sorts of Passion flowers, Kennedya 
rubicunda superba, Cobea scandens variegata, 
Akebia quinata, Berberidopsis corifolia. Clematis 
indivisa lobata, etc. There are no stages of any 
kind in either of the houses, the plants all being 
grouped in beds on the floor. During the season 
now closing, Mr. Burn had 2,500 Chrysanthemums 
in pots, ranging in height from 2 ft. to 7 ft. or 8 ft., 
and they have been remarkably fine. Since the 
show was opened many thousands of visitors have 
passed through the houses, on some days as many as 
14,000. 
