84 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 9, 1897. 
of Apples, has a telling appearance; but it 
is questionable whether the ruddy glow of 
Apples ripened in the open air does not 
indicate better quality and flavour than 
house grown fruit. Sun and air improve 
the flavour of all kinds of fruit with which 
we are acquainted ; and to get the best 
results with Apples, consumers have merely 
to wait a little longer for perfect maturity. 
This we shall say, however, that Apples 
grown in pots housed in spring and early 
summer set with more certainty, at least in 
districts with a clear atmosphere; and the 
fruits are more likely to be thinned than if 
grown upon trees in the open, thereby 
ensuring size. Colour and flavour can then 
be secured by standing the pot-trees out of 
doors when the weather becomes favour¬ 
able. This method is both reasonable and 
practicable, and the results obtained are 
wonderful. There is no question that the' 
finest fruits are obtained from young trees ; 
and it is equally certain that the largest and 
best coloured fruits come from the southern 
counties of England, particularly Kent, 
Sussex, and Devon. Visitors to the Crystal 
Palace last week had ample opportunity of 
proving this, both in the case of Apples 
grown by nurserymen and by gentlemen’s 
gardeners. In the matter of flavour the 
awards were more widely distributed ; the 
best flavoured Apple (Ribston Pippin) 
coming from Sussex, while Cox’s Orange, 
which was second, came from Bucks. The 
best flavoured Pear (Louise Bonne of 
Jersey) came from Berks, while the second 
award went to Kent for Fondante 
d’Automne. 
Amongst Apples there were magnificent 
samples, both as to size and colour, of 
Peasgood’s Nonsuch, Gascoigne’s Seedling, 
King of Tomkins County, Emperor Alex¬ 
ander, King of the Pippins, Annie Eliza¬ 
beth, Crimson Queening, Col. Vaughan, 
Calville Rouge Precoce, Mother, Dume- 
low’s Seedling, Hoary Morning, Bismarck, 
The Queen, Worcester Pearmain, Lady 
Sudely, Cox’s Pomona, Mfere de Menage, 
Newton Wonder, and many others. Natur¬ 
ally, the above are all highly coloured 
Apples ; but those from Kent, Sussex, and 
Devon, had to be seen to be fully realised. 
Amongst Pears there were really grand 
samples of Pitmaston Duchess, Duchess 
d’Angouleme, Conference, Durondeau, 
Calebasse Grosse, Beurre Clairgeau, Louise 
Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, Souvenir 
du Congres, the new variety Marguerite 
Marillat, Beurre Hardy, Beurre Bose, and 
others. The more sober colours of Pears, 
whether grown in the open air or under 
glass, fail to produce that effect on visitors 
which Apples do. Only one class was set 
apart for cooking Pears, but grand samples 
of Catillac, Uvedale’s St. Germain, and 
Bellissime d’Hiver were shown in the large 
collections,competitive and non-competitive. 
In the latter case there were splendid tables 
of fruit from Middlesex, Surrey, Bucks, and 
other counties. The large Pineapples, 
Royal Jubilee Tomatos, Apples, and Pears 
from the Royal Gardens, Windsor, were a 
source of great attraction to the public. 
/ 
-- 
The crops in Victoria, Australia, have greatly bene¬ 
fited by the splendid rains which have fallen all over 
the Colony. 
Progressive Fruit Culture at the Cape —A writer in 
The African Critic states that during the week a re¬ 
port has reached England that Mr. Rhodes is 
quietly supplying capital to farmers in the Western 
districts of Cape Colony, with a view to the develop¬ 
ment of progressive fruit culture there. If true, 
this fact will greatly increase British interest in the 
Cape fruit trade. Next week I shall deal with the 
general question, on the basis of Professor 
MacOwan’s recent deliverances thereanent. 
Mr. Joseph Stoney, for fourteen years head 
gardener to Sir Thomas Earle, Bart., has been 
appointed head gardener to the Hon. Frederick G. 
Wynn, Glynllivon Park, Carnarvon. Mr. Stoney 
commenced his duties on the 6th inst. 
Mr. J. Smith, who has been for the last ten years 
foreman in the Orchid collection of R. I. Measures. 
Esq., Cambridge Lodge, Flodden Road, Camberwell, 
has succeeded Mr. Burberry as Orchid grower to 
the Right Hon. J. Chamberlain, Highbury, Birming¬ 
ham. 
The Palace Fruit Show.—Some fifteen or sixteen 
leading provincial dailies were represented at the 
above show, and reports of the leading exhibits 
appeared north and south the next morning. 
Possibly the frequent special editions of The 
Gardening World are waking up some of our con¬ 
temporaries to a sense of duty with regard to these 
leading horticultural shows. 
Mr. Alexander Duncan, for the past four years 
foreman at Stoneywood House, Aberdeenshire (the 
residence of A. G. Pirie, Esq.) has been engaged as 
head gardener to Mrs. Gray, Carsegray House, 
Forfar, N.B. Mr. Duncan is quite a young man, 
and has had a long career of gardening. His horti¬ 
cultural friends will be sorry to hear of him leaving 
the locality, as he took a keen interest in shows, and 
especially in Chrysanthemums, of which he was an 
expert grower ; and his friends trust to hear of Mr. 
Duncan's success in the south.— J. J. 
Edwards on Cyclamen.—This useful little brochure 
has reached its third edition, and has been consider¬ 
ably enlarged in the process. The author, Mr. F. C. 
Edwards, of Leeds, is a well-known horticulturist, 
and deals with his subject tersely, yet fully to the 
point. He emphasises the necessity for watchful 
care in the matter of moisture whilst the infant 
Cyclamen are cradled in the seed pan ; and dwells 
upon the fallacy which obtains among many as to the 
treatment of the plant at the third and final pottiDg. 
Mr. Edwards certainly makes out a good case for the 
better cultivation of the Cyclamen, and we doubt 
not his present edition will be as widely in request as 
the two former issues. The book is published at is., 
and may be had from the author, Sholebroke View, 
Leeds. 
Mr. John Weathers resigns.—We were very much 
surprised ten days ago on hearing that the assistant 
secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society had re¬ 
signed his situation. He has done good work for the 
society during the eight years he has been its officer. 
Many a time we believe during the illness of his chief 
he had to conduct the affairs of the society unaided, 
and we doubt if as capable a successor can be found. 
The improvements in the library, the success of the 
Society’s Journal, and the smooth and easy run of 
the affairs of the society generally have been largely 
due to his exertions. He was just the man for the 
post and it is a pity he is going. Incidentally, how¬ 
ever, we hear that no successor is wanted. We shall 
see. Meantime we hope that Mr. Weathers will 
soon find some fitting and remunerative occupation 
for his talent and energy. 
The Tobacco Plant Perennial.—For the last three 
centuries the Tobacco plant has been known in 
Europe, but during that time has been cultivated as 
an annual only. The seeds have been sown in heat, 
and the seedlings, after having attained some size, 
were planted in the open ground. The Journal of 
the Society of Arts says that botanists and Tobacco 
planters have been mistaken. Wilhelm Daroezi, of 
Budapest, the editor of a Hungarian Tobacco 
journal, has proved that Tobacco is a perennial 
plant, which may be kept in full vigour for years, 
and that it then has fresh leaves every year. Should 
the leaves be of service for smoking the discovery 
vrill reduce the annual expense of raising fresh 
batches of seedlings annually. Two German manu¬ 
facturers have kept Tobacco plants over winter, and 
one of them has had a plant for seven years. We 
ourselves have proved that Nicotiana affinis is a 
perennial. In many parts of the south of England 
it lives over winter in the open air, and springs up 
again from the roots in spring. Tropaeolum majus, 
T. minus, and Scarlet Runners (Phaseolus multi- 
florus) have been proved to be perennials. It is also 
a fact that although the Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus 
communis) is grown as an annual only in this 
country, it becomes a small tree in the_tropics. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit and 
floral meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
wiil be held on Tuesday, October 12 h, in the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Vic oria Street, Westminster, 1 
to 5 p.m. A lecture on “ Some Curiosities of 
Orchid Breeding ” will be given by Mr. C. C. Hurst 
at 3 p m. 
Severe Thunderstorm —Between seven and nine 
o’clock on the evening of Wednesday, the 25th ult., 
a severe thunderstorm raged over several of the 
southern counties of England, including Middlesex, 
Surrey, and Kent. A tremendous downpour of rain 
and hail flooded many parts of London and other 
places, doing considerable damage to autumn 
flowers and plants in gardens. 
Monster Cabbage.—In the shop of Mr. T. Oliver, 
merchant, Buccleuch Street, Hawick, there is at 
present on view a Cabbage weighing 49 lbs, which 
was grown by Mr. Horne, head forester to the Duke 
of Buccleuch, in his garden at Newmill-on-Teviot. 
It was weighed several times in the presence of 
several people, and when growing measured about 
6 ft across. Mr. Horne is famed in the neighbour¬ 
hood as a most enthusiastic and successful cultivator 
of vegetables. The above Cabbage was, of course, 
in the pink of condition, and not in any way burst 
when cut. 
Serious Illness of Mr. H. J. Jones. — We were 
grieved to hear on Thursday of last ween that our 
good friend, Mr. Jones, of Ryecroft fame, had, upon 
his return from a Continental tour, been seized with 
a serious affection of the throat, and was very 
seriously ill. Enquiries and expressions of sym¬ 
pathy were numerous, particularly from many of his 
friends who missed him from the Palace Show last 
week. In response to a telegraphic enquiry made 
just prior to going to press we have before us a tele¬ 
gram stating that the patient is past danger and 
steadily improving. We are fully sure that our 
readers will join us in wishing Mr. Jones a speedy 
convalescence, and a rapid recovery of his usual good 
health. 
Corbridge and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society.—A meeting of this society was held in 
the Town Hall on Tuesday evening, Mr. Irving, 
Dipton Gardens, presiding. The minutes of the pre¬ 
ceding meeting having been read and approved, the 
chairman called upon Mr. Cameron, Byethorne 
Gardens, to deliver his address, the subject being 
“ The extension or restriction systems of Vine cul¬ 
ture." The writer dealt very exhaustively with both 
systems. A good discussion followed the reading of 
the paper, the chairman remarking that the meeting 
was the most interesting and successful held by the 
society, an opinion endorsed by the older members 
present, and due to the excellent paper by Mr. 
Cameron A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to 
him, and also to the chairman for presiding, which 
brought a successful meeting to a close. 
Victoria Jubilee Championship.—We note from the 
prize schedule of the Ulster Horticultural Society 
that seven prizes amounting to £100 are offered for 
competition in one class on the occasion of their 
grand show of Chrysanthemums to be held in St. 
George's Covered Market, Belfast, on Tuesday and 
Wednesday, 16th and 17th November, 1897. This 
class is termed the Victoria Jubilee Championship of 
£100 and three medals, which are presented by the 
Lady Mayoress of Belfast and the ladies of Ulster, 
for forty eight Japanese Chrysanthemum blooms, at 
least thirty-six varieties, not more than two of any 
variety, all of which must be in commerce. A Gold 
Medal goes with the first prize of £\o ; a Silver 
Medal and £25 goes with the second; a Bronze 
Mtdal and £15 with the third ; and £10, £5, £3,, 
and /2 make up the remainder of the seven prizes 
respectively. The size of the stands and the classi¬ 
fication of the flowers are to be governed by the 
regulations of the National Chrysanthemum Society. 
Altogether prizes are offered in 139 classes, so that 
the show promises to be a fine one. Entries are 
free, and must be made to the secretary, Mr. J. 
MacBride, on or before Tuesday, gth November, on 
the Society’s forms. All particulars may be 
obtained from Mr. J. MacBride, 2, Victoria Square, 
Belfast. 
