JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  14,  1899. 
2:w 
Recent  Weather  in  London.  —  Though  a  very  little  rain  tell 
in  London  on  Sunday  morning,  the  pa-.t  few  days  have  been  fine  und 
seasonable.  The  evening  of  Sunday  and  the  morning  of  Monday  were 
quite  chilly,  but  it  has  since  been  appreciably  warmer.  Wednesday 
opened  dull  and  cool. 
-  Gardening  Appointments.— Mr.  F.  Lewis,  who  for  the  past 
four  years  has  been  foreman  to  Mr.  Bardney,  Osmaston  Manor,  Derby, 
has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to  Sir  Charles  Phillips,  Pieton  Castle, 
Pembrokeshire,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  on  September  4th.  Mr. 
Thomas  Hil1,  plant  foreman  with  Mr.  J.  C.  McPherson  at  Londesborough 
Park,  Market  Weighton,  Yorks,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to 
W.  II.  Aykroyd,  Esq.,  Cliffe  Hill,  Lightcliffe,  Bradford.  Mr.  C.  Fielder, 
gardener  to  the  lute  Lady  Howard  de  Walden  at  Malvern,  has  been 
appointed  head  gardener  to  Mrs.  Bums,  North  Mymras  Park,  Hatfield. 
Mr.  Thomas  Glassey,  for  seme  time  foreman  in  Park  Hatch  Gardens, 
has  been  appointed  gardener  to  T.  N.  Graham,  Esq.,  Northhanger, 
Godaiming. 
- -  Hessle  Gardeners’  Society. — The  members  of  the  above 
Society  held  their  seventh  annual  general  meeting  at  the  Parish  School 
Room.  The  meeting,  wh  ch  was  well  attended,  was  presided  over  by 
Mr.  G.  Wilson,  Swunland  Manor.  The  Secretary,  Mr.  A.  Coutts,  read 
a  very  excellent  report  of  the  past  session,  which  has  been  one  o'  the 
most  successlul  the  Society  has  ever  held.  Its  membership  has  considerably 
increased,  and  the  financial  condition  was  most  satisfactory,  showing  a 
balance  in  hand  ot  £7  2s.  3d.  Decorative  and  essay  competitions  will 
be  held  during  the  coming  session,  under  gardeners  and  foremen  being 
eligible. — J.  F.  D.,  Yorks. 
-  Shrewsbury  Show.— Messrs.  W.  Clibran  &  Son  write  :— 
“Kindly  allow  us  to  draw  your  attention  to  an  omission  in  your  report  of 
our  exhibit  at  the  recent  show  at  Shrewsbury.  We  were  awarded  a  silver 
medal  for  our  group  of  Celusias,  also  a  silver  medal  for  our  collection  of 
Crotons,  and,  in  addition,  three  certificates  of  merit  for  the  following  new 
Crotons — Mrs.  Clibran.  Pride  of  Oldfield,  and  Golden  Chain.  In  your 
brief  report  of  Dublin  Show  you  do  not  mention  the  large  display  of  cut 
herbaceous  flowers,  new  and  choice  Carnations,  and  a  large  collection  of 
foliage  ana  hardy  trees  and  shrubs  that  we  contributed.”  [We  are  pleased 
to  supplement  the  brief  note  that  was  sent  to  us  on  the  Dublin  Show  ; 
also  to  make  good  the  omission  in  the  almost  overwhelming  show  at 
Shrewsbury.] 
-  The  Duchess  of  York  in  Derbyshire.— A  correspondent 
writes: — “Mr.  Fred.  Orton,  who  was  foreman  under  Mr.  Bardney  at 
Osmaston  Manor  for  six  years,  and  two  years  ago  was  appointed  head 
gardener  at  Longford  Hall,  the  residence  of  the  Hon.  H.  J.  Coke,  has 
had  the  pleasure  of  doing  the  whole  of  the  decorations  in  the  village  and 
the  Hall  during  their  Roy  al  Highness’  visit  to  Longford.  The  visit  was 
rather  a  long  one  in  a  private  place,  and  while  staying  there  H.R.H. 
went  to  Dovedale,  Hadden  Hall,  Chatsworth,  and  the  lovely  Osmaston 
Manor,  with  each  of  which  H.R.H.  was  delighted.  Our  old  correspondent, 
Mr.  Bardney,  had  the  pleasure  of  showing  Her  Royal  Highness  over  the 
Manor  and  gardens  at  Osmaston,  even  into  his  own  new  house,  which  has 
been  recently  built,  and  also  the  contemplated  new  Rose  garden.  Sir 
Peter  Walker,  Bart.,  unfortunately  was  in  Scotland,  or  there  can  be  no 
doubt  a  grand  reception  would  huve  been  accorded  to  the  Royal  visitor.” 
-  Vegetable  Prizes. — The  provision  of  a  sum  of  £12  for  an 
ordinary  collection  of  vrgetables  at  Birmingham  next  November  is 
probably  the  highest  sum  that  has  been  yet  offered  as  a  prize  under 
similar  circumstances.  It  may  lead  t"<  a  great  competition.  Generally 
only  prizes  for  vegetables,  especially  those  offer,  d  by  the  trade,  are 
relatively  better  than  are  those  oflered  for  fruits,  but  are  far  more  easily 
grown.  But  the  favourite  of  the  trade  is  the  Onion.  It  is  interesting* 
though  not  so  very  pleasant,  to  see  far  bigger  prizes  in  cash  offered  for 
six,  nine,  or  twelve  of  these  bulbs,  than  are  offered  for  collections  of 
choice  fruits.  Still,  to  the  trade  there  is  far  more  money  in  the  Onions 
than  in  the  fruits.  Onions  arc,  indeed,  just  now  the  idols  of  the  seed 
trade  and  the  pets  of  the  gardener.  They  are  marvellous  in  bulk  and 
in  form,  no  doubt,  but  they  are  only  Onions  after  all,  or  one  vegetable 
out  of  a  score  of  others  every  hit  as  serviceable. — A.  Kingston. 
-  Cypripedium  Jeanette.  —  Messrs.  Charlesworth  &  Co. 
Heaton,  Bradford,  write  :  “Your  correspondent  Mr.  J.  Barker,  in  his  notes 
on  page  192,  mentions  that  he  believes  Cypripedium  Jeanette  (niveum  x 
Leeanum)  to  have  been  raised  in  the  gardens  of  C.  H.  Palmer,  Esq.,  of 
Trowbridge.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case,  as  the  hybrid  was  raised  and 
flowered  in  our  nursery.” 
-  American  Fruit  at  Paris. — The  U.S.  Commission  to  the 
Paris  Exposition  of  1900  hopes  for  a  good  exhibit  representing  American 
horticulture,  and  is  doing  what  it  can  to  encourage  this.  Fruit  growers*, 
truck  farmers,  seedsmen,  and  nurserymen  are  invited  to  contribute  to 
this  exhibit  illustrations  of  such  horticultural  features  as  will  be  of 
general  interest.  Handsome  cases  will  be  constructed  by  the  Commission, 
in  which  mounted  photographs  will  be  shown  in  convenient  portfolios 
for  inspection  by  the  juries  and  the  public. — (“American  Agriculturist.”) 
-  Forest  Fires  in  France.  —  Reuter’s  telegrams  of  the 
11th  inst.  inform  the  “Daily  News”  that  several  acres  of  the  Foret 
des  Maures.  near  Cannes,  have  been  destroyed  by  a  forest  fire  ;  also 
that  a  great  fire  has  been  raging  for  three  days  along  the  forest- 
covered  slopes  of  the  Suniane,  Munet,  and  Pilon  du  Roi  Hills,  and  all 
efforts  to  check  it  have  hitherto  been  unavailing.  It  now  extends  over 
a  distance  of  ten  miles.  Tho  Mayor  of  Marseilles  is  on  the  spot, 
superintending  operations  for  the  protection  of  a  number  of  country 
residences,  which  are  threatened.  The  flames,  fanned  by  a  stroBg  wind,, 
are  still  spreading. 
-  Finishing  Apples  and  Pears. — I  am  in  the  habit  during 
July  and  August  of  cutting  hack  luxuriant  growths  and  shortening 
branches,  and  in  some  cases  wholly  removing  shoots  that  are  unnecessary. 
This  gives  a  shape  to  my  trees  and  concentrates  the  sap  into  the  proper 
channels,  which  has  the  effect  of  rapidly  increasing  the  size,  quality,  and 
colour  of  the  fruit,  as  compared  with  those  not  so  judiciously  treated.  L 
note  this  specially  in  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey,  Williams’  Bon  Chretien,  and 
Beurre  Superfin  among  Pears  ;  and  Warner’s  King,  Emperor  Alexander,, 
and  Gladstone  among  Apples.  I  assume  the  principle  applies  to  most 
varieties.  If  any  reader  has  a  doubt  of  the  matter  I  would  recommend 
him  to  try  it,  and  report  tho  result. — W.  J.  Murphy,  Clonmel. 
-  Vegetarianism. — Speaking  at  the  Vegetarian  Exhibition  in 
London  the  other  day,  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Horsley,  Vicar  of  St.  Peter’s, 
Walworth,  said  the  products  of  the  exhibition  are  mainly  food  products,, 
hut  there  are  to  be  seen  vegetarian  boots,  stockings,  gloves,  and  corsets.. 
Perhaps  this  seems  to  go  rather  too  far,  but  the  vegetarian  must  not 
leave  a  single  inconsistency  for  the  enemy  to  attack.  So  he  clothes  his 
feet  in  vegetable  shoes— no  one  could  tell  the  difference  from  leather — - 
his  hands  in  vegetable  gloves,  his  body  in  vegetable  shirts,  and  his  head 
in  a  vegetable  hat.  Thus  equipped  he  sits  down  to  a  different  vegetable 
every  day  in  the  year,  his  table  is  lighted  by  candles  without  a  trace  of 
animal  matter  in  them  ;  and  afterwards  he  can  wash  himself  with  a  pure 
vegetable  soap. 
-  Flavour  in  Melons. — It  was  recently  declared  that  a  large 
root  area  was  needful  to  enable  Melon  plants  to  produce  well-flavoured 
fruits.  I  have  seen  so  many  good  Melons  grown  in  limited  root  areas 
that  I  could  not  at  all  adopt  the  idea.  Melons  suffer  in  absence  of 
flavour  so  very  much  more  from — first,  excess  of  growth,  the  shoots  not 
being  proptrly  thinned,  and,  second,  from  the  harm  done  to  leafage  so 
commonly  by  spider.  Where  root  room  is  restricted  prope.*  feeding  and 
abundant  waterings  more  than  compensate  for  lack  of  root  area.  I 
have  just  tasted  a  fine  fruit  of  Hero  of  Locknge,  grown  with  scores  of 
others  on  plants  20  inches  apart,  in  a  trough  20  inches  wide  and  6  inches 
deep,  yet  the  fruit  was  the  best  flavoured  I  have  tasted  this  season. 
Coarse  growth  in  Melon  plants  is  very  detrimental  to  the  production  of 
good  flavour. — A.  D. 
-  Grape  Diamond  Jubilee.— Messrs.  D.  &  W.  Buchanan  send 
from  the  Forth  Vineyards,  Kippen,  Stirling,  berries  of  their  new  black 
Grape,  which  appears  to  he  regarded  with  high  approval  by  Scottish 
gardeners,  and  they  rat.k  amongst  the  best  growers  and  judges  in  the 
world.  Samples  of  Black  Alicante  and  Alnwick  Seedling  grown  along¬ 
side  Diamond  Jubilee  were  sent  for  comparison,  but  the  new  Grape  was 
much  larger  and  of  decidedly  better  quality  than  either.  The  berries 
are  somewhat  oval  shaped,  or  rather  long  and  widest  across  the  top  next 
tho  stalk,  dense  black  in  colour  and  fleshy.  The  skin  is  thick,  and  the 
Grape  should  in  consequence  he  a  good  traveller.  It  is  regarded  in  the 
north  as  a  market  Grape  of  great  promise,  and  was  aw  arded  a  first-class 
certificate  at  the  Glasgow  Show.  It  may  he  expected  that  it  will  find  its 
w  ay  to  London  for  examination  by  the  R  H.S.  Committee  before  the  season 
is  over. 
