September  6, 1«96 
JOURNAL  Or  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
221 
A  few,  very  few,  Radishes  of  each  colour  thinly  sliced  will  be 
incorporated  with  the  other  ingredients.  With  these  our  salad- 
maker  will  bear  in  mind  that  his  finished  work  is  to  be  one  present¬ 
ing,  as  far  as  possible,  an  open  invitation  to  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  teeth  and  digestive  powers.  A  well  coloured  Beet,  when 
Tomatoes  are  not  used,  is  a  necessary  adjunct.  Difficulties  are  apt 
to  occur  in  the  boiling,  as  the  colour  is  lost  by  breaking  the  tap 
root.  This  can  be  avoided  by  baking  the  Beet  in  an  oven,  by 
which  process  all  the  colour  is  retained.  In  season,  the  heart  of  a 
stick  of  Celery  may  be  added,  shredded  into  thin  curly  wisps. 
Winter  substitutes  (blanched),  or  helps  to  the  Lettuce,  will  be 
treated  as  such  in  their  preparation  for  the  salad  bowl. 
In  dealing  with  the  palatic,  the  most  juvenile  of  spring  Onions, 
the  culture  of  which  may  not  necessarily  be  confined  to  that  season 
alone,  are  appreciated  by  many,  though  the  maker  in  catering  for  a 
company  may  extract  a  moral  from  the  foUowing  quotation  ; — 
“  Let  Onion  atoms  lurk  within  the  bowl, 
And,  scarce  suspected,  animate  the  whole.” 
Under  this  heading  the  truth  of  the  old  adage,  “  what  is  one 
man’s  food  is  another  man’s  poison,”  is  forcibly  impressed.  An 
anecdote  of  a  celebrated  chef  may  here  be  relevant  to  this  matter, 
for  I  would  rather  my  readers  should  understand  that  this  is  a  chat 
about  salads  than  a  formal  recipe.  This  prince  of  salad-makers 
was  able  to  impart  a  subtle  flavour  to  his  handiwork,  which  was 
grateful  and  comforting  to  his  patrons,  at  least  till  such  time  as 
their  curiosity,  aided  by  some  pecuniary  consideration,  fathomed 
the  mystery.  His  method  was,  to  chew  a  piece  of  Garlic,  and 
charge  the  contents  of  the  salad  bowl  with  the  aroma  by  breathing 
through  it  at  the  moment  of  serving.  To  sum  up,  it  may  be 
concluded  that  the  presence  of  the  Onion  tribe  is  more  grateful  to 
the  palate  than  to  the  eye.  Chives  may  be  used  as  a  substitute, 
whilst  a  few  sprigs  of  Chervil  or  Tarragon  comprise  the  principal 
herbs  used  for  giving  a  piquant  tone  to  the  salad.  When  in  season, 
the  nut-like  flavour  of  Kampion  (the  root)  is  appreciated  by 
connoisseurs.  Necessarily  all  contributions  under  this  heading  will 
be  reduced  to  fine  proportions  to  ensure  their  proper  blending  with 
the  whole. 
Of  the  ornamental,  the  tasteful  disposition  of  such  ingredients 
as  are  already  mentioned  will  probably  leave  but  little  to  be  desired. 
Green  and  gold,  red  and  white,  should  please  the  critical  eye,  and 
further  adornment  if  desired  can  be  readily  and  appropriately 
made  by  using  a  few  bright  blossoms  and  leaves  of  Nasturtiums. 
In  some  cases  it  may  be  practicable  by  inserting  the  end  of  a  spray 
at  the  edge  of  the  bowl  to  trail  it  around  the  outside.  But  above 
all  things,  necessary  to  the  enjoyment  of  this  dish,  is  perfect  faith 
in  the  conscientious  aims  of  the  maker  to  thorough  cleanliness. 
There  remains  to  be  mentioned  the  dressing.  This  I  regard  as 
a  totally  distinct  phase  of  the  subject,  also  extraneous  to  the 
gardener’s  art  in  the  salad  bowl.  As  such  would  I  keep  it,  and  I 
think  that  those  whose  interest  in  the  subject  is  sufficient  to 
appreciate  an  attractive,  well-made  salad,  will  agree  with  me  that 
the  dressing  should  [be  served  separately.  Such,  at  least,  is  the 
experience  and  opinion  of — Chef. 
THE  SUMMER  THORN  PEAR. 
This  excellent  early  autumn  Pear  is  at  the  present  time  ripening 
fast,  and  there  is  a  tall  standard  apparently  about  fifty  years  old  growing 
in  my  garden  ;  also  three  or  four  equally  fine  trees  in  an  adjoining 
garden,  all  bearing  a  heavy  crop,  and  for  the  last  ten  years  or  so  they 
have  regularly  borne  more  or  less  similarly.  As  far  as  I  am  cognisant 
the  trees  mentioned  are  the  only  specimens  hereabouts,  a  matter  of 
wonder  considering  the  comparative  local  fame  this  variety  has  created. 
It  sells  readily  at  2d.  and  3d.  per  lb. 
It  would  be  interesting  to  learn  if  this  variety  is  grown  more  or  less 
extensively  in  other  parts  of  the  kingdom.  I  find  that  it  is  hardly 
known  even  amongst  nurserymen  or  other  fruit  tree  growers  around 
Birmingham,  neither  have  I  ever  found  it  in  the  markets  there,  though 
several  sorts  are  sent  in,  especially  from  the  orchards  in  Worcestershire, 
the  major  portion  of  them  being  almost  worthless  so  far  as  flavour  goes. 
Here  the  Summer  Thorn  has  hitherto  been  recognised  as  Jargonelle, 
which  variety  it  much  resembles  both  in  appearance  and  flavour,  also  in 
growth  and  habit  of  the  tree ;  but  the  fruit  of  the  former  hardly 
attains  to  the  size  of  the  latter,  and  the  flavour  is  not  so  vinous  and 
juicy,  but  more  sugary,  and  the  flesh  of  a  more  yellowish  brown  colour. 
Since  penning  the  foregoing  notes  I  have  been  informed  that  this 
Pear  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  “Thorn”  Pear  in  Sussex.  My 
informant  on  tasting  my  own  Pear  at  once  pronounced  it  to  be  the  same 
variety  under  that  name  as  growing  in  the  orchard  at  her  paternal 
home  in  that  county.  Unfortunately,  like  its  type  the  Jargonelle,  the 
Summer  Thorn  does  not  keep  long  in  good  condition  and  readily 
••blets.”  The  following  extract  is  a  faithful  description  of  it  from 
Hogg’s  invaluable  “  Fruit  Manual :  ” — 
“  Fruit  medium  sized,  pyriform  or  long  pyriform,  and  rounded  at  the 
apex.  Skin  smooth,  and  covered  with  greenish  russet  dots,  green  in  the 
shade,  but  yellowish  next  the  sun  and  towards  the  stalk.  Eye  small, 
open,  with  long  broad  segments,  set  in  a  shallow  and  plaited  basin. 
Stalk  an  inch  long,  curved,  and  obliquely  inserted  without  any 
depression.  Flesh  white,  melting,  juicy,  auii  of  a  rich  ma->ky  flavour.” 
By  parcel  post  I  have  sent  you  a  few  of  the  fruits  for  the  delectation 
of  the  editorial  palate  and  the  office  “  imps.” — W.  G. 
[The  “palate  ”  is  satisfied  with  the  quality  of  the  Pears,  and  the 
“  imps  ”  danced  with  delight  as  they  devoured  the  fruit  our  correspondent 
so  thoughtfully  sent  them.] 
HYPERICUM  MOSERIANUM. 
Many  fine  additions  have  from  time  to  time  been  made  to  the  long 
list  of  Hypericums,  the  majority  of  them  being  either  newly  introduced 
species  or  improved  varieties  of  older  forms.  In  Hypericum  Moserianum 
FIG.  31. — HYPEEICUM  MOSERIANUM. 
we  have  one  of  hybrid  origin,  which,  though  not  entirely  new,  is  one 
of  the  best,  being  the  result  of  a  cross  between  H.  patulum  and 
H.  calcycinum,  the  former  being  the  seed  parent.  The  hybrid,  which 
is  admirably  pourtrayed  in  the  engraving  (fig.  31),  is  of  dwarf,  compact, 
and  yet  robust  habit,  and  is  capitally  adapted  for  planting  e?i  masse  in 
flower  beds.  The  woodcut  depicts  the  natural  size  of  the  flowers,  which 
are  of  a  bright  golden  yellow  hue.  They  are  produced  in  great  pro¬ 
fusion,  and  the  period  of  blooming  extends  over  several  weeks  during 
the  late  summer  and  early  autumn,  which  is  in  itself  sufficient  re¬ 
commendation  for  its  being  extensively  grown,  as  it  adds  an  air  of 
brightness  to  the  flower  garden  at  a  time  when  its  beauty  is  commencing 
to  wane. 
