November 4, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
157 
experienced in September. The side stages are filled 
with bush plants, chiefly pompons, and a portion of 
the overplus are arranged in the large fernery adjoin¬ 
ing. The show houses and private glass are in 
good order, a special exhibit of Orchids being 
especially interesting, including Cypripedium spicer- 
ianum, Oncidium varicosum Rogersii, Pleione 
Lagenaria, and P. maculata.well flowered, a fine spike 
of twenty-one flowers of Cattleya bowringiana, and 
others, for which Mr. J. Guttridge, the genial 
curator, may be complimented. 
Sefton Park. 
As pleasing as former exhibits have been none will 
compare with the present clean plants carrying 
smart, good-sized blooms, which are the feature of 
the exhibiton. Amongst the new varieties Mrs. 
H. Morter, Ernest Canned, Oceana, Miss L. 
Zede, and Miss Dorothy Foster may be noted. 
The plants are staged a trifle below the path, 
and as they are a trifle under the usual height, the 
flowers are well within the range of the eye. The 
Parks and Gardens Committee have not yet paid their 
usual visit, but we can venture to say when they do 
they will give great credit to Mr. H. Herbert, the 
parks and gardens superintendent, and his capable 
growers for the excellence of their show. Some 8oo 
bush plants are arranged on the side stages, which 
will follow the larger flowering kinds. 
The value of having your own nurseries in large 
undertakings similar to those under the charge of 
Mr. Herbert, can be seen by a glance at the straight 
walk through the review ground, having a double 
row of trees on either side, the chief of which are 
planes, home raised, having good well balanced heads, 
and which appear to be at home from the good 
growth made during the current year. 
“THE GROWTH OF THE FRUIT- 
TRADE.” 
Such was the title of the subject upon which Mr. 
George Monto, V.M.H., lectured at the R.H.S. 
meeting in the Drill Hall on October 24th. Mr. 
Bunyard took the chair, and introduced Mr. Munro 
as a gentleman whose present unique position in his 
special line had only been won by hard work and 
perseverance. 
At once Mr. Monro started and spoke most rapidly 
for fully twenty minutes. His remarks referred to 
the progress of the fruit markets during the period 
he himself has been connected with them, which 
practically represents the history of the trade. The 
importation of small and irregular supplies of 
Oranges began about forty years ago—1860. The 
importations and home products at that period could 
not keep a retail trade goiDg. Indeed, even in 1871 
there were three firms in the city who were bold 
enough to venture the business as their trade, and 
these kept open only for three months in the year. 
Messrs. Mart & Co., of Oxford Street, were the 
pioneers in the retail fruit-trade, and they did not de¬ 
pend upon this alone, but added it as a department of 
their already-established wine business, though they 
do not now deal in fruit. The case to-day stands that 
no first-class grocer even is without his fruit and 
vegetable, or green-crop department as it is termed. 
Importations, too, were in past days confined to a 
few special fruits which came from lands lying com¬ 
paratively close to the British coast, as Oranges 
already noted, which came from Spain and the 
Azores. The Pineapple had not yet appeared, 
although in October, 1899, we can buy very decent 
Pineapples for a few coppers. From Spain a large 
quantity of Oranges yearly comes to us; indeed, 
out of four millions sent out, three and a half 
millions came to England, according to recent 
statistics. These fruits are now sent from Malta, and 
even far-off Australia. The benefit of cool storage 
has been to the Australian colonists a great advan¬ 
tage, and also to ourselves, for much of their pro¬ 
duce lands or ripens for our Christmas festivities. 
Referring to our own growers and the quality of 
the fruits, Mr. Monro said that they produce both the 
worst and the best samples which go to market. 
Canadian and Australian produce arrives the one on 
the back of the other, so that we need not fear a 
cessation in the supply. It was stated by Mr. Monro 
that England cannot compete with Australia or 
France, when cultivators there confine themselves 
to good varieties. 
Twenty-five years ago when the Cochineal trade 
failed in the Canary Islands owing to the discoveries 
by chemists which secured a Cochineal dye from 
chemicals, the natives of these islands took up the 
fruit industry with vigour, and by their enterprise 
converted the trade, which at that time came chiefly 
from Madeira, to their own properties. The trade 
in fruit exports (Bananas in the first instance) from 
the Canaries to England has, during the past twenty 
years, increased ten-fold. 
It is from the East Indies that we get our supply 
of palatable Pineapples, of which, beyond what are 
successfully pickled for retail trade. The Azores 
and Florida are centres from which Pineapples also 
come, and in the case of the latter, more especially 
with the aid of cool store chambers on board ship, 
competition is likely to become more severe. 
The sale of Grapes had like all other things gone 
up with leaps and bounds. People had to have them 
now, and for patients they are invaluable. About 
the year i860 the only imported Grapes we had 
were the Lisbon Sweetwater and the Almeira Grapes 
from Portugal and from Spain. They come to us 
now from so far as Australia, and from Canada large 
supplies are imported. Better selection of varieties 
would, especially in the latter case, help along the 
appreciation for Grapes in this country. 
The Jersey growers lately took up the industry and 
much of their produce is sent here. The humidity 
of the atmosphere in these latter islands prevents the 
growers from being able to keep their bunches late. 
It was also about the early “seventies" that the 
splendid Scotch Grapes began to appear. Mr. 
Thomson, of Clovenfords, was the pioneer in this 
direction, which has spread and been sustained by 
many other market growers in the north. Some of 
the finest Grapes sold in London still come from 
Scotland. In connection with this part of the sub¬ 
ject, Mr. Monro hinted upon the necessity of growers 
having healthy young Vines if their crops were to 
pay, and according to their study of the markets 
they would employ late or early varieties of this 
fruit. Last year as much as thirty-four tons of 
Grapes were sold at Covent Garden in one week 
just before Christmas, and if we add six tons which 
were sold by the same firm (Mr. Monro's) in Man¬ 
chester, we get the total of forty tons from one firm 
in one week! 
Acres and acres of land are now covered with 
Strawberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries and 
Currants, the bulk of the produce of which goes to 
the jam-maker. Thousands of tons of Plums come 
from Italy and the South of Europe, and as the 
supply gradually works northward we are able to 
prolong the season of these to considerable length. 
The Cape sends fine Japanese varieties which obtain 
good prices. Peaches are supplied from home and 
abroad. We at home are able to supply good 
Melons from March to December, and in their case 
we need not fear the foreigner. Then again Tomatos 
were cited as being things of novelty twenty-five 
years ago; while now we have thousands of tons 
grown under glass and many are attempting their 
culture very successfully out of doors. The foreign 
supply of these sustains the tide from November till 
April. Imported Tomatos are always selected before 
being packed, otherwise they would not sell. So 
many as 5,617 packages, equal to half a million 
bushels, came last year from the Canary Islands. 
The fact of having beautiful looking fruits certainly 
with a fair flavour, but above everything brilliance 
of hue, was strongly emphasised by Mr. Monro. 
Tradesmen could do simply nothing with colourless 
fruits. The public, he said, would buy a bright 
fruit and come again, but would not look at a good, 
but colourless fruit. 
Railway rates still left something to be desired, 
upon the cheaper rates of which the supply would 
be greater, as also the demand. The prohibitive 
tariff upheld in France on the import of Grapes, 
being so much as 2s. a pound,received severe censure. 
We were a good customer to France. Why could 
she not be liberal to us ? In conclusion, the lecturer 
instanced the fact of one grower for market who 
alone had twenty-five miles of hot-water pipes in his 
houses, which may serve to show how great the busi¬ 
ness can be made by even one party. The employ¬ 
ment which the fruit trade gave outside its own 
sphere may only be imagined, but the paper and 
wool manufacturers or traders in Germany, the 
timber merchants of America and Sweden, and the 
nail makers of France were all favourably affected 
in no small degree. Mr. Bunyard made a few 
remarks prior to, according to Mr. Monro, the hearty 
appreciation of the audience. 
Hardening ||iscellany. 
YUCCA GLORIOSA AND IVY. 
What the real effect that Yucca plants in outdoor 
gardens really have would be difficult to say. They 
always seem to make a garden more truly a 
garden by their presence. Just like that tree Arau¬ 
caria imbricata which seems like mahogany furniture 
to a room, making the place highly respectable, the 
Yucca seems to add greater worth to the garden. 
With Ivy around the base of the pedestal, upon 
which all Yuccas should be shown, and a few plants 
of Saxifraga crassifolia a little bit out from them, 
the ideal in garden scenery is portrayed. 
THE GIANT CHRISTMAS ROSE. 
This is the largest, though not the most beautiful, of 
the Christmas Roses, and is also one of the earliest. 
It is at its best during the present month (November). 
Even though it lacks in one or two points which 
Helleborus niger embodies, we could recommend its 
more liberal use, because that flowers almost of 
any kind out of doors are welcomed by all who have 
to depend upon their herbaceous borders at this 
time. H. maximus, as the “giant" is named, may, 
like the others, be increased by seeds or division, and 
does almost equally well in either light or heavy soils. 
CRATAEGUS PYRACANTHA IN POTS. 
While on a visit to one of our large nurseries a 
very short time ago, the feature most striking to my 
eye above all others was the sight of a batch of the 
above in small 5-in. and 6-in. pots. The plants had 
been grown upon single stems—though they would be 
equally fine as bushes or standard bush plants—and 
were liberally robed with bunches of their scarlet 
berries. 
--- 
OBITUARY. 
Mr. Sydney Courtauld, J.P. 
With much regret we, and very many horti¬ 
culturists and others, learn of the death of Mr. 
Sydney Courtauld, J.P., who died at Booking 
Place, Braintree, Essex, on the 20th October. 
His decease occurred after a severe cancer 
attack. Till within a few days of his death he was 
in active health, taking part in the business of 
Messrs. Samuel Courtauld & Co. Ltd., crape manu¬ 
facturers. He was an active and prominent member 
in the neighbourhood in which he resided, being 
much respected upon the Braintree Urban District 
Council, of which he was chairman. He was also for 
many years a Justice of the Peace, attending the 
Braintree Petty Sessions. 
His nature was most liberal. In 1888 he made a gift 
of 5 J acres of land to the township of Braintree,which 
he also was at the expense of laying out and planting, 
endowing it with a sum of £So per annum towards its 
up keep. Very few would cut a substanial highway 
through their estates to convenience their neighbours; 
but this is just what Mr. Courtauld did. 
The deceased gentleman had a great reverence for 
nature, especially enjoying flowers and having one of 
the finest Orchid collections in the country. Indeed, 
his admiration for Orchids caused him to erect many 
houses, nine of which were completely stocked with 
these plants. He was a member of the Orchid 
Committee of the R.H.S. He has numerous Certi¬ 
ficates and Awards for his gems, chief of which 
were the Masdevallias. He was also a member of 
the Royal Botanic Society. Naturally reserved, 
he was ever courteous and kind, and his death at the 
age of 59 has come as a great loss to his district and 
to all the institutions which he so persistently and 
generously supported. He leaves a widow, three 
sons, and two daughters. 
Mr. Grant Allen. 
It is with regret that we announce the death of 
Charles Grant Blairfindie Allen, better known as 
Grant Allen, which took place on October 25th, at 
his residence, Hindhead, Surrey. He died in his 
fifty-second year, ending a life in many ways very 
strange and chequered. 
The son of a protestant clergyman (who survives 
him), he was born at Kingston, Canada, on Febuary 
24th, 184S. His education was of a varied character, 
in keeping with his temperament. The successive 
scholastic steps led him first to a school in the United 
States, then to France, afterwards to St Edward's 
