September  14,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Perfume-exhaling  flowers  were  somewhat  scarce,  as,  excluding  the 
few  Rutacete  and  Myrtaceas,  whose  leaves  only  emitted  an  odour  on  being 
crushed,  the  notable  perfumes  appearing  to  bo  confined  to  the  genera 
Epacris  and  Slackhousia.  Some  specimens  of  the  former  on  the  mountain 
exhaled  a  most  powerful  odour  of  cloves,  which  in  the  attenuated  and 
restless  atmosphere  is  observed  long  distances  from  the  nearest  patch  of 
blosiom.  Slackhousia  pulvinaris  was  a  dwarf  yellowish  flowering  plant 
lorming  little  mats,  and  it  emitted  a  perfume  both  powerful  and  sweet. 
Many  of  the  plants  became  considerably  dwarfed  in  size,  and  amongst 
them  was  mentioned  the  only  Conifer  found  on  the  mountain.  It  was 
only  a  couple  of  feet  in  height,  but  in  the  lower  country  it  grew  to  nearly 
three  times  that  size.  This  characteristic  was  noticeable  in  several  other 
plants,  including  Claytonia  ausiralasica,  Slackhousia  pulvinaris,  Epilobium 
contertifolium,  Nertera  depressa,  Kaoulia  calipes,  Gnnphalium  japonicum, 
Goodenia  hederacere,  Peutachondra  pumila,  and  Punelea  alpina.  The 
Ferns  were  few  in  number,  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  at  the  most.  One 
of  the  most  charming  of  Australian  alpine  flowers  is  the  dwarf  and  spot¬ 
lessly  white  Caltha  introloba,  growing  on  the  fringe  of  the  snow  drifts  or 
actually  under  the  snow.  It  is  described  as  being  extremely  beautiful 
and  worthy  of  admittance  into  the  most  select  company  of  alpine  plants. 
Botanical  students  visiting  Australia  w  ill  find  much  to  engross  their 
attention  in  the  New  South  Wales  snow  country,  and  probably  be  enabled 
to  discover  fresh  forms  of  alpine  plant  life,  but  their  investigations  must 
be  made  during  the  warmer  period  of  the  year,  from  November  to 
February,  the  seasons  in  the  northern  hemisphere  being  reversed  in  the 
southern.  The  alpine  country  is  easily  reached  from  Sydney,  a  few  hours 
ride  by  rail  bringing  the  visitor  to  its  fringe,  the  tracks  up  M^unt 
Kosciusko  being  well  defined,  and  guides  for  the  lesser  known  portions 
readily  procurable. — J.  Plummer,  Sydney,  N.S.  W. 
NOTES  FROM  HINDLIP. 
Calling  recently  at  the  well-known  Hindlip  Gardens,  near  Worcester, 
1  was  courteously  shown  round  by  Mr.  Russell.  Among  the  strong 
features  of  the  place  were  the  Apples  ;  these  were  magnificent  in  size  and 
quantity.  The  l  ush  trees  in  the  kitchen  garden  are  pictures  of  fruitful¬ 
ness,  the  branches  of  Apples  literally  resembling  ropes  of  Onions,  with 
the  difference  that  the  Apples  aie  much  larger  in  many  cases.  Among 
the  best  are  Ecklinville  Seedling,  King  of  the  Pippins,  Striped  Beefing, 
Tower  of  Glamis,  Potts’  Seedling,  Sturmer  Pippin,  Cox’s  Pomona. 
Winter  Hawthornden,  Worcester  Pearmain,  Keswick  Codlin,  Court  Pendfl 
Plat,  Gascoyne's  Scarlet  Seedling,  Lord  Derby,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin, 
Loddington  Seedling,  and  Mother  Apple. 
A  better  idea  of  the  crop  may  be  obtained  by  stating  that  a  tree  of 
Cox’s  Pomona,  about  7  feet  high,  has  air*  udy  yielded  3  bushels  of  Apples 
this  season,  and  there  were  about  80  lbs.  left  on  the  tree  when  I  saw  it 
on  September  4th.  This  tree  may  be  taken  as  a  fair  type  of  the  others  I 
have  mentioned  ;  the  fruit  is  as  remarkable  for  its  large  size  as  for  its 
abundance.  Trained  Apple  trees  on  the  walls  do  well,  especially  Golden 
Noble,  Hawthornden,  and  American  Mother. 
Pears  in  the  open  were  well  represented  by  Thompson’s,  Beurre 
Hardy,  Seckle,  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey,  Souvenir  du  Congres,  and 
PitmaBton  Duchess.  Upon  the  walls  the  best  were  Benrre  Bachelier, 
Passd*  Colmar,  Glou  Morije'au,  Beurre  d’Amanlis,  Souvenir  du  Congrds, 
Doyennd  du  Cornice,  Doyennd  d’Alemjon,  Marie  Louise,  and  Pitmaston 
Duchess.  The  last  tree  mentioned  produced  112  fruits  in  1895,  and  they 
weighed  exactly  1  cwt.  ;  it  is  now  bearing  a  magnificent  crop. 
On  the  walls  were  also  noticeable  very  good  crops  of  Peaches  and 
Nectarines,  the  latter  being  represented  by  Humboldt,  bearing  fruit  so 
highly  coloured  as  to  be  nearly  black.  A  tree  of  Plum  Belgian  Purple 
was  also  very  attractive  owing  to  the  enormous  crop  of  large  and  deep 
purple  fruits  it  carried. 
Cyclamens  are  grown  splendidly  at  Hindlip.  There  are  about  500 
plants  in  pots  in  frames,  and  they  are  growing  most  vigorously,  a  proof 
of  right  and  sensible  treatment.  When  will  the  old-fashioned  system  of 
drying  off  be  entirely  abandoned  ? 
A  bed  of  Violet  Princess  of  Wales  looks  grand.  Theso  have  received 
grateful  shade  from  the  burning  sun,  and  Mr.  Russell  has  used  shading 
of  an  inexpensive  kind  ;  indeed,  it  has  been  a  source  of  profit  in  itself. 
I  refer  to  a  row  of  Runner  Beans  whieh  he  sowed  in  front  of  the  Violets, 
staked  in  the  usual  way,  and  whieh  has  given  the  partial  shade  so  bene¬ 
ficial  to  Violets  when  the  solar  heat  is  intense  and  prolonged,  and  water 
is  scarce. 
Tomatoes  are  grown  well  and  in  large  quantities  at  Hindlip.  Two 
houses  are  now  filled  with  young  plants  in  pots,  which  will  continue  fruiting 
through  autumn  and  winter.  Other,  and  larger,  structures  are  producing 
their  last  bunches  of  fine  fruit.  Many  of  these  plants  have  borne  twelve 
to  fourteen  large  bunches,  and  as  they  are  all  grown  on  the  single  stem 
system  it  is  obvious  that  the  crop  has  been  one  of  the  best  The  best 
varieties  here  are  Ham  Green,  Button’s  Perfection,  Ilackwood  Park, 
and  Regina. 
A  wide  span-roofed  structuio  is  planted  with  Fig  trees  on  each  side. 
It  has  been  a  very  successful  house,  there  having  been  produced  in  it 
during  the  months  of  June.  July,  and  August  113  dozen  Figs,  und  many 
are  yet  to  be  gathered.  The  trees  are  trained  on  a  curvilinear  trellis 
from  each  side,  and  form  one  unbroken  and  gigantic  arch  of  Fig  trees 
and  fruit. 
The  Vines  are  carrying  good  crops  of  well-finished  Grapes.  One  old 
Vine  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria  nearly  fills  a  large  house.  It  is  rather 
235 
curious  to  see  the  long  and  narrow  bunches  this  Vine  bears  ;  in  shape 
they  are  quite  distinct  from  the  type,  but  in  all  other  respects  are 
identical.  In  another  vinery  we  find  Black  Hamburgh  gradually  dis¬ 
placing  Madresfield  Court  Muscat,  and  in  another  year  or  two  this  large 
vinery  will  be  entirely  filled  with  the  one  Black  Hamburgh.  Other 
vineries  contain  crops  of  Lady  Downe’s  and  Alicante  of  good  size  and 
colour. — J.  UdaLE. 
BUNCH  GOOSEBERRIES. 
I  ENCLOSE  berries  of  a  Gooseberry  unknown  to  me,  and  of  which  I 
found  a  peck  or  so  in  Birmingham  market  the  other  day.  They  grew  in 
a  cottager’s  garden  near  Bromsgrove.  and  in  buDches  from  three  to  six 
berries  in  a  hunch,  similar  to  Black  Currants — they  are  nearly  tasteless. 
I  never  heard  of  such  a  Gooseberry  before,  and  cannot  ascertain  its 
origin,  so  thought  the  novelty  might  be  interesting. — W.  Gardiner. 
The  berries  which  have  been  sent  to  me  resemble  those  of  Ribes 
oxyacanthoides,  but  are  produced  in  “  straps  ”  (racemes)  from  thiee  to 
six,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Gardint  r,  and  shown  in  the  accompaning  illustra¬ 
tion.  fig.  47,  at  A  and  B  respectively.  The  fruits  are  quite  smooth,  veined 
lengthwise,  with  a  few  cross  veins  ;  colour  pale  to  deep  rosy  red,  but  some 
berries  have  orange-coloured  veins,  and  others  are  flesh-coloured  with 
yellowish  veins. 
Most  of  the  fruits  accord  in  appearance  with  that  of  the  Gooseberry, 
and  vary  considerably  in  size.  The  largest  berry  of  the  sample  is 
represented  at  C,  and  the  smallest  of  the  Gooseberry  type  at  D.  A  few 
Fig.  47. — Gooseberries  from  Birmingham  Market, 
August  10th,  1899. 
Reference/. —A,  berries  produced  three  in  a  “strap.”  R,  six  berries  borne 
similar  to  Currants.  C,  largest  berry  of  sample.  D,  smallest  Gooseberrydike 
berry.  E,  Currant-like  berry.  (All  natural  size.) 
of  the  berries  resemble  those  of  the  White  Currant,  but  with  a  pinkish 
tinge  and  yellowish  veins.  One  such  berry  is  show  n  at  E. 
The  skin  of  the  berries  is  bright,  shining,  and  thin,  like  a  Currant 
flesh  rather  firm,  pale  pink  to  rosy- flesh  colour,  juicy,  acid  like  a  green 
Gooseberry,  or  between  an  unr;pe  Gooseberry  and  half-ripe  Red  Currant 
flavour. 
The  berries  point  to  a  natural  hybrid  between  the  wild  Gooseberry 
(Ribes  Grossularia)  and  the  wild  Currant  (R.  rub»mm),  for  they  have  the 
form  of  the  former,  while  the  skin,  flesh,  and  flavour  accord  with  the 
latter.  It  is  an  open  question  as  to  the  bush  producing  the  berries 
portrayed  being  the  result  of  the  natural  cross-fertilisation  of  the  culti¬ 
vated  Gooseberry  by  that  of  the  Red  Currant.  Everyone  knows  that 
bees  work  on  Gooseberry  and  Currant  flowers  indiscriminately  ;  but  in 
neither  seedling  Gooseberries  nor  Currants  have  I  noticed  any  semblance 
of  a  natural  cross  between  them.— G.  Abbey. 
[In  Bailey’s  “Evolution  of  our  Bush  Fruits”  a  photographic  illus¬ 
tration  is  given  of  the  wild  American  Gooseberry,  Ribes  Cynobasti.  It 
is  described  as  “  spiny-fruited,  thick-skinned,  and  long  clustered,”  but  it 
is  further  suid  that  “  although  the  fruit  is  normally  hairy,  smooth- 
fruited  forms  often  occur  ;  ”  it  is  further  observed  that  promising  efforts 
have  been  made  to  ameliorate  the  species.  Only  three  berries  are  shown 
in  a  cluster  in  the  figure.  They  are  not  smooth  with  an  open  calyx,  as 
in  Mr.  Abbey’s  illustration,  but  all  the  calyces  are  closed  to  a  point.  In 
Card’s  “  Bush  Fruits  ”  R.  Cynobasti  is  botanically  described.  It  is 
referred  to  as  “  a  promising  species  ;  as  found  wild  (in  New  Brunswick 
to  the  mountains  of  North  Carolina  and  westward  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains)  its  fruit  is  larger  than  that  of  R.  oxycanthoides,  often  reaching 
half  an  inch  in  diameter,  reddish-purple,  generally  prickly  or  hairy,  but 
often  smooth  ;  plants  generally  prolific  and  less  spiny  than  those  of 
R.  oxycanthoides,  being  free  from  thorns  in  some  cases.”  The  two  books 
referred  to  are  published  in  this  country,  as  advertised  by  Macmillan  and 
Co.,  at  7s.  Gd.  and  5s.  respectively,  and  will  be  acceptable  to  those  persons 
who  are  interested  in  American  fruits.] 
