October  17,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
365 
perfume.  The  ultra-combination  of  good  qualities  is  that  appeal¬ 
ing  to  the  most  of  the  senses — appearance  to  the  eye,  flavour  to 
the  palate,  and  perfume  to  the  olfactory  organs.  In  fruits  of 
Monstera  deliciosa  we  obtain,  I  think,  the  highest  degree  of  the 
latter  quality,  even  to  a  fault,  which  is  not  commendatory,  Yet 
this  noble  Aroid  is  a  plant  which,  from  its  striking  foliage  and 
novel  and  luscious  fruit,  is  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  a  tropical 
house.  As  a  topic  is  now  touched  on  not  immediately  concerning 
the  character  of  our  British  fruit,  this  may  be  concluded  with  the 
comfortable  assurance  that  for  quality,  which  is  most  sought  for, 
it  is  to  be  found  at  home. — Invicta. 
CIDER  MAKING. 
We  have  read  the  notes  on  Cider  Making  (page  311)  in  your 
issue  of  the  26th  ult.  with  much  interest.  They  are  well  timed,  as 
the  glut  of  Apples  is  so  great  this  year  that  quantities  must  rot 
if  they  are  not  converted  into  cider. 
The  question  of  “  Farmers’  Cider  ”  is  certainly  an  important 
one,  and  it  is  very  desirable  they  should  improve  their  methods. 
As  it  is,  they  supply  such  a  detestable  acetic  fluid  under  this  name 
to  all  the  local  publics  that  cyclists  and  tourists,  having  once  tasted 
it,  depart  shedding  maledictions  broadcast  whenever  they  hear  the 
name  of  “  cider  ”  mentioned. 
The  most  important  omission  in  the  article  in  question  was  that 
of  an  exhortation  that  would-be  cider  makers  should  keep  their 
casks  clean.  The  sediment,  from  a  cider  never  racked,  is  usually 
left  in  the  cask  until  the  press  vat  is  full.  A  bucket  of  pond  water 
is  then  passed  through  the  cask,  and  in  goes  the  cider,  with  the 
result  that  it  is  immediately  and  incurably  infected  forthwith  by 
acetic  fermentation— a  disease  more  catching  to  cider  than  small-pox 
to  Red  Indians. 
Nothing  will  ever  avail  to  help  anyone  to  make  cider,  worth 
the  name,  who  does  not  unhead  and  scrub  out  his  casks  within  a 
day  or  two  of  the  time  they  are  emptied.  It  needs  no  special 
skill  to  head  up  a  cask,  and  after  an  attempt  or  two  can  be  done 
by  any  intelligent  layman  as  well  as  by  a  cooper. 
Also,  for  amateurs  who  cannot  afford  a  filter,  I  should  not 
recommend  to  leave  the  pulp  standing  after  grinding,  except  for 
the  first  cask,  to  insure  a  healthy  fermentation,  which  once 
established  is  easily  communicated  to  other  casks.  I  would 
recommend  pressing  at  once,  as  the  standing  of  the  pulp  makes  the 
grated  Apple  flesh  mix  up  more  with  the  juice  when  it  is  pressed 
out,  and  thus  much  increases  the  difficulty  of  “  fining  ”  by  racking. 
We  have  also  found  that  it  is  best  in  the  case  of  the  first,  and  also 
a  persistent  fermentation,  to  keep  the  casks  filled  up  quite  to  the 
bung,  as  in  the  first  case  foreign  bodies  will  the  more  easily  work 
out,  and  in  the  second  the  less  oxygen  afforded  by  absence  of 
ullage  checks  fermentation,  the  yeast  plant  being  inoperative,  ot 
at  any  rate  quiescent,  when  short  of  oxygen,  which  is  its  natural 
food. 
I  should  also  advise  racking  twenty-four  hours  after  the  juice 
leaves  the  press,  thus  eliminating  much  slime  and  dirt  forthwith, 
which  afterwards  will  be  difficult  to  remove,  when  it  is  travelling 
round  the  cask,  forming  points  of  departure  for  the  carbonic  acid. 
The  isinglass  advised  in  the  articles  mentioned  (1|-  oz.)  is  ex¬ 
cessive,  half  ounce  being  plenty  at  one  time  for  100  gallons.  It  is, 
however,  so  difficult  to  mix  properly,  without  a  proper  grinding 
machine,  that  I  would  recommend  your  readers  to  use  the  best; 
brewers’  finings,  one  quart  per  100  gallons,  well  diluted  and  beaten 
up  in  cider  before  adding,  which  should  not  be  done  before  racking 
several  times. 
Sulphur  matches  are  very  dear  to  buy,  and  very  cheap  to  make. 
Take  calico  in  strips  1 J  inch  wide,  melt  your  sulphur  in  a  flat  pan 
on  a  stove,  and  draw  your  calico  through  the  fluid  sulphur.  Let  it 
dry,  and  repeat  the  process  three  or  four  times.  You  have  then  a 
good  sulphur  match,  a  few  inches  of  which  cut  off  and  suspended 
on  a  wire  in  the  banghole  of  your  cask  will  serve  your  purpose. 
Your  farm  correspondent  is  quite  right  to  advise  not  grinding 
crude  or  rotten  fruit.  The  early,  medium,  and  late  sorts  should 
be  picked  separately,  and  made  in  their  due  seasons,  the  juice  being 
subsequently  mixed  during  some  of  the  later  rackings. 
If  these  few  rough  notes  can  be  of  any  use  to  your  readers 
please  make  use  of  them.  We  are  busy  drink  making  ;  on  fourteen 
hours  a  day  regularly.  The  fruit  is  very  good,  but  not  so  good 
as  in  1893,  as  July  and  August,  the  critical  months,  were  by  no 
means  as  sultry  in  that  wonderful  year. — Professional. 
[We  are  very  much  obliged  by  this  communication,  written  as 
it  is  by  one  of  the  best  cider  makers  in  the  world — pure,  sparkling, 
Apple  wine,  that  would  not  extort  the  maledictions  of  cyclists, 
but  their  praise.] 
As  is  usual  at  this  time  of  the  year  we  have  received  numerous 
intimations  of  Chrysanthemum  shows  which  are  to  be  held  during  the 
coming  season.  Space,  however,  can  only  be  found  for  mentioning  those 
which  have  been  adverti.sed  in  our  columns.  If  any  have  been  omitted 
we  shall  be  glad  to  add  them  to  the  following  list.  We  append  the 
names  and  addresses  of  the  respective  secretaries. 
Oct.  30th  and  31st. — Kent  County. — F.  J.  Harwood,  37,  Turner  Eoad, 
Lee,  S.E. 
Nov.  1st  and  2nd. — Crystal  Palace. — W.  G.  Head,  Crystal  Palace,  S.E. 
„  4th  and  .5th. — Battersea. — J.  0;  Langrish,  167,  Blsley  Koad, 
Battersea,  S.W, 
„  5th  and  6th. — Herefordshire. — J.  Ough,  Hereford. 
„  5tb,  6th,  and  7th. — National  Chrysanthemum  Society  (Royal 
Aquarium,  Westminster).  —  R.  Dean,  Ranelagh  Road, 
Ealing,  W. 
„  5th  and  6th. — Brighton. — The  Secretary,  56,  Queen’s  Road, 
Brighton. 
,,  6th  and  7th. — Bromley  (Kent). — W.  Weeks,  29,  Widmore  Road, 
Bromley,  Kent. 
„  6th  and  7th. — Wolverhampton. — .J.  H.  Wheeler,  The  Gardens, 
Glen  Bank,  Tettenhall. 
„  7th. — Birkenhead  and  Wirral. — W.  Bassett,  23,  Grove  Road, 
Rock  Ferry. 
„  7th  and  8th. — HARROGATE. — L.  Hobkinson,  40,  Cold  Bath  Eoad, 
Harrogate. 
,,  8th. — Windsor. — Mr.  Finch,  High  Street,  Eton. 
„  12th  and  13th.— Kingston-on-Thames. — F,  J.  Hayward,  High 
Street,  Kingston-on-Thames. 
„  12th  and  13tb. — Liverpool. — W.  Dickson,  7,  Victoria  Street, 
Liverpool. 
,,  12th  and  13ch. — Plymouth  (West  of  England). — C.  Wilson,  4, 
North  Hill,  Plymouth. 
,,  13th  and  14th. — Birmingham. — J.  Hughes,  High  Street,  Harborne, 
Birmingham. 
„  13th  and  14th. — BOURNEMOUTH. — J.  Spong,  Landisfarne  Gardens, 
Bournemouth. 
„  13th  and  14th. — Bristol. — E.  G,  Cooper,  Mervyn  Road,  Bishop- 
ston,  Bristol. 
„  15th  and  16th. — Eccles  and  Patricroft.— H.  Huber,  Hazel- 
dene,  Winton,  Patricroft,  Manchester. 
„  16th  and  16th. — Sheffield. — W.  Houseley,  177,  Cemetery  Road, 
Sheffield. 
„  15th  and  16th. — Bradford.  —  J,  Collier,  51,  Midland  Road, 
Frizinghall,  Bradford. 
„  19th  and  20th, — Leeds  Paxton. — J.  Campbell,  Methley  Park 
Gardens,  Leeds. 
„  20th,  2l8t,  and  22ad. — York. — J.  Lazenby,  13,  Feasegate,  York. 
,,  29th  and  30th. — Aldeeley  Bdge.~G.  Leadbetter,  jun.  Fern 
Bank,  TraSord  Eoad,  Alderley  Edge. 
Chrysanthemum  Edith  Richardson. 
I  HAVE  the  pleasure  in  submitting  to  your  notice  a  bloom  of  a  sport 
from  Madame  Desgrange  that  has  been  raised  this  season.  The  plant 
from  which  this  bloom  has  been  cut  is  a  decided  Desgrange,  whilst  the 
flower  is  quite  distinct  in  shape  and  general  character.  The  plant 
has  been  in  bloom  since  the  first  week  in  September,  and  has  been 
admired  by  several  of  the  leading  gardeners  in  the  neighbourhood, 
who  (along  with  my  grower,  Mr.  J.  Devanny)  consider  it  quite  a  new 
and  distinct  variety.  This  being  so  I  have  named  it  after  my  daughter, 
“  Edith  Richardson,”  and  shall  esteem  it  an  honour  if  you  will  kindly 
express  your  opinion  about  it  at  your  earliest  opportunity.  The  height 
of  the  plant  is  3  feet  and  possessed  three  crown  buds,  of  which  the 
accompanying  specimen  is  one. — Curator. 
[Unfortunately  most  of  the  florets  had  shaken  off  on  arrival,  but  so 
far  as  we  could  judge  the  sport  appears  quite  distinct.] 
Some  New  White  Chrysanthemums. 
It  was,  I  think,  last  season  that  so  many  good  new  white  varieties 
made  their  appearance,  and  judging  by  the  beginning  it  looks  as  if  some 
substantial  additions  are  going  to  be  made  this  autumn.  Philadelphia 
