84 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 10, 1896. 
nurserymen’s class. Surely Major Bythway 
could not have been aware of his strength 
otherwise he should have boldly entered the 
competitive ranks. Soil, climate and 
cultural skill combined must be credited 
for the perfection to which Apples and 
Pears have been brought in the counties 
named. To prove the truth of this we need 
only mention the fact that a visitor had 
obtained some Apples from Kent, and they 
were so miserably small and poor as to be 
unworthy of the window of a third class 
fruit shop. Thus it may be that the worst 
as well as the best Apples come from Kent. 
Then it will be evident that there is some¬ 
thing in high cultivation after all, and a 
sure reward for those gardeners who have 
the ambition to place themselves in the first 
rank by their own personal endeavour to 
master the science and practice of their pro¬ 
fession. At the same time we admire, and 
offer encouragement to, as well as 
sympathise with, those gardeners who attain 
to eminent positions with their fruits under 
adverse conditions as to soil and local con¬ 
ditions over which they have no control, 
and can only modify or ameliorate such by 
their own personal exertion and skill. 
There can be little doubt but that shows 
like that just held will be the means of 
bringing all the best varieties of Apples to 
the front, while the inferior ones will get 
neglected and finally discarded to the great 
advantage of fruit culture in general. 
While fruits are being raised by different 
cultivators all over the country, and only 
subjected to the censorship of local shows, 
it follows as a matter of course that many 
inferior kinds are tolerated to occupy 
valuable space that might be more profit¬ 
ably employed. On the other hand, really 
good things under those conditions could 
only enjoy a local repute. Like as two 
peas might very well be applied to Apples ; 
and we are not surprised that some mis¬ 
takes should have been made by the judges 
at the Crystal Palace on the ist inst., as 
Sir Trevor Lawrence good humouredly 
admitted at the gardeners’ luncheon which 
followed the completion of the judging. A 
dish of Cox’s Orange Pippin had been 
honoured with a prize under the name of 
Ribston Pippin. It is somewhat surprising 
that such a mistake should have been made 
with two of the best British Apples in 
existence. We may take it as an instance 
of the difficulty of discriminating between 
the varieties of Apples in all cases except 
by a specialist. According to our observa¬ 
tion, it was not the difficulty of discriminat¬ 
ing between two varieties of Apples that 
was puzzling so much as the fact that 
varieties were often so unlike themselves. 
They had lost their usual character in many 
cases on account of their great size and rich 
colouration. Few attempts were made in 
the way of ornamental devices and arrange¬ 
ments, yet on the whole, the fruits of them¬ 
selves had an attractive appearance, and 
were never more telling than when baskets 
or heaps of the large varieties were attrac¬ 
tively set up in prominent positions. 
Pears were shown in great quantity as 
already stated, but few of them were notable 
for high colour. Louise Bonne of Jersey, 
and King Edward were notable exceptions. 
Beurre Clairgeau was not half so con¬ 
spicuous as we have seen it. A large 
number of varieties were notable for their 
size. The culinary Pears figured largely in 
this respect. Pitmaston Duchess, amongst 
early kinds, was particularly fine and 
abundant. William’s Bon Chretien was 
conspicuous by its absence, for we did not 
observe a single dish of it. If the show had 
been held three weeks earlier it would have 
fitted in with several varieties which the early 
season put completely in the background. 
All the same, however, we are thankful that 
Pears, abundant as they were, did not 
dominate the show, for they are painfully 
dull subjects with which to get up a show. 
Stone fruits generally might be placed in 
the same category as the early Pears ; for 
although they were all represented, they 
were very scanty. The absence of the 
early Pears and the stone fruits such as 
Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums and 
Cherries, must have had some effect on the 
size of the show ; and in a measure they 
must be held responsible for the smaller 
size of the show than last year. Apricots 
were represented, we believe, by a single 
dish. Figs were more numerous but never¬ 
theless very scanty. The hurricanes of 
wind and storms of rain, which prevailed 
for some time previous to the show, must 
have destroyed the hopes*ofmany would-be 
exhibitors by the number and extent of the 
windfalls. 
The Grapes came in for a considerable 
amount of attention, and though there was 
nothing sensational even in the class for 
twelve bunches in six varieties, yet we 
believe that the general average was above 
the standard of former years. A consider¬ 
able number of varieties was shown in the 
several classes, but the competition was 
keenest in the class for Muscat of 
Alexandria, which was really well shown 
except in the matter of finish. Few, if any, 
of the bunches were properly finished. 
The sunless and wet month just concluded 
may be held responsible for this state of 
matters. Prizes were offered in ten classes 
for Grapes, and one of the peculiar and, 
perhaps, unexpected, results of the case was 
that three exhibitors took all the leading 
prizes. C. Bayer, Esq., Forest Hill, 
secured the premier position for six varieties 
of Grapes, and also for Black Hamburg ; 
he also took two second prizes. Alderman 
Chaffin, Bath, took four of the leading prizes 
and one second. His Grapes, which we 
inspected upon the vines in July last, and 
recorded in our columns, were really 
splendid for the size and finish of the berries 
as well as general excellence. W. K. 
D’Arcy, Esq., Stanmore, took four of the 
leading prizes, and also had the honour of 
the first prize for the collection of eight 
dishes of ripe fruit. All the other exhibi¬ 
tors had to be contented with a second or 
third seat, or none at all. 
The miscellaneous exhibits were really 
an important factor in the effectiveness of 
the show, and germane to it when the ex¬ 
hibits consisted of fruit. The fruiting trees 
in pots were ocular demonstration of the 
fact, that people need not nowadays wait 
half a lifetime to secure a crop of fruit from 
a young plantation. The collection of 
berried plants exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, 
of Chelsea, might well be considered a 
legitimate branch of a fruit show. The 
exhibit was unique in its way, and afforded 
evidence of the wealth of berried plants at 
the command of the planter and decorator. 
Nerines shown by the same firm marked a 
bright spot in the Palace. The tuberous 
Begonias lifted from the open ground were 
really charming, and most effective at this 
late season. 
-- 
Her Majesty the Queen is fond of Peaches, but her 
favourite fruit is the Nectarine. 
Co'oured Vine Leaves for the Tsaritsa.—While the 
Tsar and Tsaritsa were the guests of the Queen at 
Balmoral, Messrs. D. & W. Buchanan, Forth Vine¬ 
yards, Kippen, by Stirling, sent some of the vine 
leaves, for which they are noted, to the Tsaritsa, and 
received the following reply :— 
Balmoral Castle, Oct. ist, 1896. 
Messrs. D. & W. Buchanan. 
Dear Sirs — The Empress of Russia 
desires me to convey to you her thanks for the 
beautiful "autumn-tinted vine leaves" which you 
have offered through me for Her Imperial Majesty's 
acceptance.—Yours faithfully, Arthur Bigge. 
Lord Salisbury is to lay out £ 10,000 during the 
winter, in improving the grounds of Walmer Castle, 
which are in a state of decay. 
Some children have objectionable names.—Unfortu¬ 
nately for plants, many of them fall into that 
category. Raisers of plants, pray take heed of this 
crying evil. 
Mr. R. J. Hummill, until recently.general foremanat 
The Nurseries, Five Oaks, Jersey, has been 
appointed head gardener to F. S. Roberts, Esq., 
■' Beauvoir," St. Saviour’s, Jersey. 
Mr. David Gibson, until recently foreman in the out¬ 
door department to T.McMeekin.Esq., Falkland Park, 
has been appointed head gardener to J. B. 
Johnstone, Esq., Coombe Cottage, Kingston-on- 
Thames. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit and 
floral meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will be held on Tuesday, October 13, in the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Westminster, 1 to 5 p.m. At 
3 o’clock a lecture will be given by Mr. E. Burrell 
on “ Hardy Summer Flowers.” The committees 
will meet as usual. 
William Robinson, gardener to the late F. L. Ames, 
Esq., died quite recently at North Easton, Mass., 
U S.A. He has had charge of the best collection of 
Orchids outside of Europe, since its formation. He 
is well known to the horticultural profession, both in 
America and England, so that his untimely decease 
will be deplored by a wide circle of friends. His 
position at North Easton was a most responsible one. 
He was only about fifty years of age, and leaves a 
widow and a large family of young children. In bis 
profession he was a smart fellow, and personally 
much respected. 
Mr. Peter Tod, market gardener at Winnipeg, 
Manitoba, died on the 2nd ult. He was tenant for 
many years of the farm of Redhall, on the Ayton 
Estate, Berwickshire, Scotland, and about seventeen 
years ago settled on the St. Boniface side of the Red 
River, where he pursued the vocation of market 
gardener with great success. Deceased was much 
respected by a wide circle of friends and acquain¬ 
tances, and always ha’d a welcome smile on his face 
for his friends who visited him* at his home on the 
banks of the Red River. He leaves a widow, two 
sons, and one daughter to mourn his loss. 
The Bonniest Plaid in Scotland.—The forest of 
Ballochbuie extends for three miles along the course 
of the River Dee in Scotland, and at its widest is 
about four miles in breadth. The soil is thin, the 
subsoil being gravelly, and is covered with an ancient 
natural forest of Scotch Fir, of which it still contains 
some splendid specimens reckoned to be about 200 
years old. Before the Prince Consort purchased 
Balmoral, some of the trees measured 6 ft. to 10 ft. 
in circumference, with clean stems rising to a height 
of 80 ft. There is a tradition about this forest that 
M’Gregor, the last laird of Ballochbuie, sold it to 
Farquharson, of Invercauld, for a tartan plaid. The 
Queen caused a stone to be erected in the wood, 
bearing the inscription: "Queen Victoria entered 
into possession of Ballochbuie on the 15th day of 
May, 1878. The bonniest plaid in Scotland.” 
Woolton Mutual Improvement Society.—The 
inaugural meeting of this session was held on the 
30th ult. at the Mechanics’ Institute, when about 
seventy members and friends were present under the 
presidency of Mr. James Marsh, J.P. The opening 
night proved most interesting and instructive, under 
the capable abilities of Mr. R. W. Ker, who gave a 
graphic lectureon " Norway : Its Cities and Villages," 
with a sketch of the history, propagation, and culture 
of spring flowering bulbs. The lecture was profusely 
illustrated with limelight views, the first portion 
consisting of many fine and quaint buildings and 
their inhabitants. The fields of Hyacinths, Tulips t 
and Narcissi, were especially admired. Special 
samples of bulbs were passed round the room to 
show the results of the system of propagation and 
the progress the bulbs had made at stated intervals. 
This was supported by Mr. Ker giving the general 
outlines of preparing the ground, the details of 
culture, and the system adopted in tbe storing and 
packing rooms. At the conclusion of the lecture a 
cordial vote of thanks was tendered to the lecturer 
on the motion of the chairman, and seconded by Mr. 
R. Todd ; and a similar compliment was paid to Mr. 
Marsh on the motion of Mr. R. W. Ker. 
