340 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 27, 1900 
taken up the cause in order to disseminate 
a knowledge of the subject, and still further 
the interests of the industry. For this 
reasoa the secretary, under the auspices of 
the Board of Control, has commenced the 
work of illustrating and describing the fruits 
of Ontario. Original photographs of a 
large number of fruits have been taken, 
natural size, according to the samples 
furnished for the purpose. Exterior views 
are the most abundant, but longitudinal 
sections of Apples, Pears and Peaches have 
also been reproduced. 
Apples are evidently regarded as the most 
important kind of fruit, no doubt for similar 
reasons to those accepted here. More or less 
familiar are Emperor Alexander, Canada 
Red, Early Harvest, Fameuse (Snow or 
Pomme de Neige),Cabashea (Twenty Ounce 
Pippin), Rhode Island Greening, Kentish 
Fillbasket, Lady (or Api), King of Tomkins 
County, Baldwin, Red Astrachan, Rox- 
bury Russet, and Northern Spy, all of which 
appeared in greater or less number, some¬ 
times in hundreds of entries, at the National 
Apple Congress held at Chiswick as long 
ago as October 5th to 25th, 1883. In the 
fruiterers’ shops Baldwin is a common and 
familiar fruit. We are wont to talk of the 
superior appearance of these Canadian 
fruits, but high colour would be due to 
climate rather than kind. Splendidly 
coloured fruits are now grown, however, in 
many of the southern counties of England 
and in parts of Wales ; so that we are not 
so very far behind even in that respect. 
Gideon is a highly coloured Apple, but 
liable to rot at the core, so that it is a bad 
traveller, though it might prove useful here. 
In Canada it is considered a fair cooking 
Apple. Mann is a good cooking variety of 
large size, though not very attractive in 
appearance. It is in season from January 
till April, as is Ontario, a large, and showy 
Apple suitable for any purpose. Wealthy 
is another variety of great repute, highly 
coloured on the exposed side, and in 
Canada, at least, suitable alike for dessert, 
cooking or market. If it would succeed 
here it would rank high for exhibition pur-' 
poses. 
Cherries are much the same as in this 
country and similarly classified. Botanically, 
of course, they are also indentical, the sour 
Cherries being produced from Prunus 
Cerasus, and the Sweet Cherries from the 
Gean (Prunus Avium) both natives of 
Britain, so that practically they may be re¬ 
garded as European Cherries. The Red 
Currants, Fay, Cherry and White Holland, 
are also European. Of Gooseberries, Down¬ 
ing (raised in the United States) and Pearl 
(raised in Canada) are the most popular and 
most widely cultivated, apparently on 
account of their suitability for the climate, 
and their immunity from mildew, rather 
than from quality and commercial value, for 
they are both regarded as third rate for 
market purposes. British varieties grown 
with more or less success in Canada are 
Catharina, Crown Bob, Duke of Suther¬ 
land, Whitesmith, Large Scotch Red, One 
of Them, and Two to One. No mention in 
this list is made of such useful and popular 
varieties as Winham’s Industry, Warring¬ 
ton or Langley Green. The British 
Gooseberries are less able to resist the 
mildew than American raised ones. Though 
the fruit growing districts are cold enough 
in winter, it seems that the temperature is 
too high in summer for these essentially 
northern fruits to succeed in Canada. In 
Britain the wild representatives are most 
often found in shady woods, often where the 
ground is moist or even at times marshy, 
though the cool atmosphere, secured by 
partial shade, seems to be the most essential 
requisite. 
Pears include such familiar favourites as 
Beurre d’Anjou, Williams’ Bon Chretien, 
Beurre Bose, Beurre Clairgeau, Clapp’s 
Favourite, Beurre Diel, Duchess d’Angou- 
leme, Flemish Beauty, and Doyenne d’EtG 
Here it may be stated that the above names 
are not always adopted in Canada. There 
is an inclination to shorten them by saying 
Anjou, Bose, Clairgeau, Duchess, &c. 
Williams’ Bon Chretien was raised in Berk¬ 
shire,England,in 1770,and was disseminated 
by a Mr. Williams near London. It was 
introduced to America, and put into com¬ 
merce by Enoch Bartlett of Boston, so that 
all over America it is known as Bartlett, 
and enjoys a great reputation, being exten¬ 
sively planted and the most popular Pear in 
the markets during its short season, just as 
it is in Britain, more especially in the South. 
Of course, there are other Pears, not par¬ 
ticularly well known here, whether of 
European or American origin. 
The varieties of Strawberries grown in 
Ontario are very numerous, but few of them 
are much known here, and still fewer may 
be regarded as popular. By far the greater 
number of them are of American origin, 
where several varieties give a deal of trouble 
on account of the dioecious tendency of the 
blossoms, that is, the plants are often male 
and female, so that crops are liable to fail 
on account of the bad setting of the fruits. 
In any case there is little chance of their 
reaching our shores in the fresh state, so 
that they are likely to remain strangers to 
us. 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine is not a Century Plant, 
but it is the plant of the century, says a writer in 
Gardening (American). 
Weather in London.—Saturday evening was very 
foggy ; Sunday was dull but fair, raining heavily in 
the evening ; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 
were very mild, though dull. 
Burns’ Night.—Thursday, the 25th inst., being the 
anniversary of Robbie Burns' birthday, Burns' clubs 
all over the world met in social assembly to discuss 
the varied merits of this great son of a gardener. 
Corrections—In the article on “ British Ferns at 
Christmas.” p. 329, in the s’xth line from the top of 
the third column, for “ hardy Ferns,” read " Lady 
Ferns.” In the sixth line from the top of the first 
column, on p. 330, for ” Pearson’s decomposition," 
read *' Pearson’s decompositum " 
Mr. G. W. Cummins. —We are sorry to learn that 
Mr. G. W. Cummins, The Gardens, Balmedie, 
Aberdeen, has not yet succeeded in getting an 
appointment in the South. The climate of Aberdeen 
has not been at all suitable to the health of his 
young family. He resigned his position at Balmedie 
some months ago, and leaves that place on February 
1st next, intending to come to Croydon, Surrey, till 
he can find another home for his children in the 
south. Mr. Cummins is a good Orchid and fruit 
grower, while he is also capable of undertaking any 
branch of gardening. He does not like to be, and 
must not be idle, so that we hope he will not have 
long to wait before getting suited. 
The Rainfall of 1899 .—The average rainfall for the 
past year shows a decrease of 6 in. in the Channel 
Islands, 5 in. in the south of England, and 4 in. in 
the south-west and east of England, but strangely 
enough in most parts of Scotland and Ireland there 
is a slight excess reported. In the neighbourhood of 
London the fall was 2 4 in. below the average, 
August being the driest August recorded for sixty 
years, with ODly o'35 in. The mean temperature for 
the year was above the average over the whole area 
of the British Isles, being greatest in the south, and 
also high in the north of Scotland. In the south of 
England there was about 350 more hours of sun¬ 
shine than the average record, and 200 hours more 
over the whole of England. In Scotland and Ireland 
it was not quite so large, 150 hours in the latter 
country being the extent of the increase. 
Snowdrops are now in flower in some of the London 
gardens. 
Vegetable Growing.—One of the finest works, in¬ 
deed, the standard book on " The Vegetable Garden,” 
is that of M. Vilmorin-Andrieux of Paris. The 
book is full of illustrations, and treats of species and 
varieties at full length. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. — Mr. 
Andrew Porter, gardener to Lord Ashtown, 
Woodlawn, co. Galway, received the Williams 
Memorial Trustees' Medal, which was offered by 
Messrs. Williams & Sons, of Upper Holloway, 
London, to the person winning the largest number 
of first prizes during last year's competitions under 
the auspices of the above society. 
"To whom belongs the credit?"—The above ques¬ 
tion is asked by a workman who wrote to The Florists’ 
Exchange on the point as to whether an employee 
should get the credit for raising any new variety of 
a plant that he had crossed, or whether the employer 
should. The question is answered by taking refer¬ 
ence from some of our big English firms who, in all 
cases, openly and fully accredit their hybridisers 
with the honour of crosses made. 
National Dahlia Society.—The annual general 
meeting of the above society was held at the Hotel 
Windsor on the evening of January 16th, E. Mawley, 
Esq., occupying the chair. The financial statement 
showed that the income of the society from all 
sources amounted to £aco 4s, gL, the balance in 
hand being £7 10s. 2d. Mr. E. Mawley was elected 
president, Mr. Geo. Gordon and Mr. W. Marshall 
were added to the vice-presidents, Mr. Wilkins was 
elected treasurer, the hon. secretary was re-elected, 
and Messrs. W. E. Reeve, J. Stredwick, and J 
Hudson were added to the committee. Other 
matters of business were gone through, these being 
but an endorsement of the propositions of the com¬ 
mittee meeting held some time ago, and reported in 
our pages. 
Notes from Hamilton : The Weather.—We are 
having extremely broken and boisterous weather just 
now, and have been for the last fortnight. The 
heavy rains which are mostly of a cold, sleety 
quality have completely saturated the soil, and must 
retard seed sowing very much, for the soil of the 
district parts slowly with its moisture. As is well 
known, a cold, wet soil hinders any attempts of 
germination taking place. Early sowings of Peas 
under such conditions very often rot in the soil. 
The inaugural address at the Horticultural Associa¬ 
tion was delivered by the president, Rev. Mr. Pater¬ 
son, Ardenclutba, a few evenings ago. The first 
meeting, we believe, will be addressed by Mr. Sherry, 
botanist, Glasgow Botanic Gardens, subject, " Her¬ 
baceous Plants.”— Gamma. 
Death of the Author of “ Lorna Doone.” —We are very 
sorry to hear of the death of Mr. R. D. Blackmore, 
the author of the renowned, Devonshire, historical 
novel, " Lorna Doone,” at his residence, at Tedding- 
ton, Middlesex, at 6.15 p.m, on Saturday last. 
Richard Doddridge Blackmore was the son of the 
Rev. John Blackmore, and was born at Longworth, 
Berkshire, in 1825, beiDg therefore in his 75th year 
at his death. He was educated at Blundell’s 
Grammar School, Tiverton, Devon, where he, no 
doubt, acquired so much of the local colour which 
he gave to the Devonshire story, He thence went 
to Exeter College, Oxford, where he was sscond in 
Classics. His translation of Virgil’s Georgies in 
after-life would serve to give an indication of 
his love for agricultural and horticultural subjects. 
Besides "Lorna Doone,” he was the author of several 
other novels, none of which ever eclipsed the Devon¬ 
shire story named. He lived for many years at 
Teddington, where he had a famous orchard, con¬ 
sisting largely of Pear trees. From this orchard he 
supplied the late Dr. Hogg with a great deal of 
information, which was embodied by the latter in 
his book '* The Fruit Manual.” Mr. Blackmore also 
wrote many letters on fruit farming to the Times. He 
also read one or more papers at the Apple and Pear 
Conferences of the Royal Horticultural Society. On 
the whole, the novelist and fruit grower was also a 
man of many parts; he loved the countryside, was 
skilled in the use of the gun, delighted in the gentle 
art of old Isaac Walton, and wrote something about 
a famous and beautiful trout. 
