October  12,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
319 
SAPONARIA  B01SSIERI. 
This  plaut,  “L.  Row,”  was  first  sent  to  Kew  in  the  early  portion  of 
1894  by  Mr,  Sunderman,  of  Innsbruck,  and  flowered  in  the  alpine  house 
in  July  of  that  year.  It  is  a  charming  plant,  with  bright  pure  pink 
petals,  the  flowers  in  numerous  clusters  borne  upon  prostrate  stems 
(fig.  64).  It  is  dwarfer  than  tbe  allied  S.  ocymoides,  which  has  been 
known  in  the  rock  garden  for  many  years.  Another  species  is  8.  caespitosa, 
which  bears  its  leaves  in  dense  tufts.  The  English  species  is  the  common 
Soapwort  (S.  officinalis),  found  most  plentifully  in  Devon  and  Cornwall, 
but  also  near  dwellings  in  many  other  parts  of  great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
presumably  as  an  escape  from  cultivation.  S.  racconia  is  also  found 
occasionally  wild  in  our  southern  cornfields,  brought  over  from  the 
Continent  with  seeds. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
DRILL  HALL. — October  10th. 
Considering  the  period  of  the  year  and  the  dull  raw  fog  with  which 
the  morning  was  ushered,  the  meeting  on  Tuesday  was  an  excellent 
one.  The  well  diversified  exhibits  occupied  a  large  proportion  of  the 
available  space,  and  were,  generally  speaking,  of  much  interest.  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  played  no  unimportant  part  in  the  display,  towards  which 
hardy  flowers  and  foliage  added  their  share.  Orchids  of  course  were 
sparse,  while  exhibits  before  the  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Committee  were 
numerous  and  good. 
Fruit  Committee. — Present:  Phillip  Crowley,  Esq.  (in  the  chair)  j 
with  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks  and  Messrs.  J.  H.  Veitch,  W.  Poupart,  A.  H.  Pear¬ 
son,  A.  F.  Barron,  J.Wright,  A.  Dean,  S.  Mortimer,  W.  Bates, G.Woodward, 
G.  Wythes,  0.  Herrin,  W.  J.  Empson,  F.  Q.  Lane,  G.  Reynolds,  J. 
Smith,  R.  Fife,  J.  Willard,  G.  Bunyard,  H.  Balderson,  W.  Pope,  and 
J.  Cheal. 
Mr.  W.  H.  Lees,  gardener  to  F.  A.  Bevan,  Esq.,  Trent  Park,  New 
Barnet,  sent  a  varied  collection  of  Apples  and  Pears.  Individually 
the  fruits  were  not  particularly  large,  but  they  were  clean,  shapely,  and 
generally  of  brilliant  colour.  Of  the  Apples  the  best  were  Emperor 
Alexander,  Potts’  Seedling,  Newton  Wonder,  Adam’s  Pearmain,  Dr. 
Hogg,  Worcester  Pearmain,  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  Cox’s  Pomona,  Mab- 
bott’s  Pearmain,  The  Queen,  Gascoyne’s  Scarlet  Seedling,  Cellini,  New 
Lodge  Pippin,  Court  Pendu  Plat,  Barnack  Beauty,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin, 
and  Royal  Russet.  Amongst  the  most  conspicuous  Pears  were  Pitmaston 
Duchess,  Beurrd  Ranee,  Beurrd  Diel,  Gansel’s  Bergamot,  Knight’s 
Monarch.  Doyenne  du  Comice,  Emile  d’Heyst,  Beurrd  Hardy,  and  Winter 
Nelis  (silver  Knightian  medal). 
Mr.  R.  W.  Green,  Wisbech,  contributed  a  collection  of  'fifty  distinct 
varieties  of  Potatoes.  The  tubers  were  of  average  size,  even  in  shape, 
and  exceptionally  clean.  Particularly  prominent  were  Sutton’s  Ring¬ 
leader,  Early  Puritan,  The  Bruce,  Sharpe’s  Victor,  Beauty  of  Hebron, 
Clark’s  Main  Crop,  Magnum  Bonum,  Daniel's  Universal,  Snowdrop, 
Reading  Russet,  Stourbridge  Glory,  Reading  Giant,  Green’s  Favourite  (a 
new  and  heavy  cropping  variety),  Windsor  Castle,  Daniel’s  Special,  and 
Fidler’s  Colossal.  The  fact  that  these  were  all  field  grown  made  the 
exhibit  all  the  more  creditable  (silver  Knightian  medal).  Mr.  J.  Key 
Allen,  Bitterne  Park,  Southampton  (an  amateur),  exhibited  ten  dishes  of 
Apples  in  good  condition.  Warner’s  King,  Golden  Noble,  and  Cellini 
were  the  best  (bronze  Banksian  medal). 
Mr.  Cbas.  Ross,  gardener  to  Captain  Carstairs,  Welford  Park,  staged 
a  dish  of  the  excellent  new  Apple,  Thomas  Andiew  Knight,  which  was 
illustrated  and  described  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  for  September  28th, 
page  265.  The  general  desire  being  that  the  name  should  be  changed  to 
Chas.  Ross,  after  the  raiser,  this  was  done,  and  by  this  name  the  variety 
will  henceforth  be  known.  We  understand  that  the  stock  has  been  pro¬ 
cured  by  Mr.  W.  Horne,  of  Cliffe,  Rochester,  by  whom  the  variety  will  be 
distributed.  Mr.  Owen  Thomas,  V.M.H.,  Royal  Gardens,  Windsor,  staged 
Tomato  The  Epicure,  a  variety  that  is  excellent  for  the  time  of  year.  The 
fruits  are  medium  to  small  in  size,  and  borne  in  clusters  of  half  a  dozen 
and  upwards.  Messrs.  Spooner  &  Sons  sent  from  Hounslow  Apple  The 
Baron.  Melons  of  considerable  promise  were  sent  by  Mr.  Beswick, 
gardener  to  Mrs.  Cook,  Walton-on-Thames,  Mr.  G.  Wythes,  Sycn 
Gardens,  and  Mr.  W.  J.  Empson,  Ampthill,  and  the  Committee  desired  to 
see  them  earlier  in  the  season  another  year. 
Three  dozen  dishes  of  Pears  were  shown  by  Mr.  C.  Blick,  gardener  to 
Martin  R.  Smith,  Esq.,  Hayei.  The  splendid  fruits  admirably  demon¬ 
strated  Mr.  Blick’s  ability  to  grow  fruit  as  well  as  Carnations.  They 
were  ol  good  size,  clean,  and  well  formed.  The  most  noticeable  were 
Beurre  Hardy,  Magnate,  Marie  Louise  d’Uccle,  Marie  Louise,  Beurrb 
Supertin,  Conference,  Fondante  d’Automne,  Beurrd  Fouqueray,  Marie 
Benoist,  Pitmaston  Duchess,  Emile  d’Heyst,  Brown  Beurrb,  Dojennddu 
Comice,  Doyenne  Boussoch,  Marguerite  Marillat,  Beurrd  Diel,  Thomp¬ 
son’s,  Glou  Monjeau,  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey,  Brockworth  Park,  and 
Durcndeau  (silver-gilt  Banksian  medal). 
Upwards  of  loo  dishes  of  Apples  and  Pears  came  from  Mr.  Geo. 
Woodward,  gardener  to  R.  Leigh,  Esq.,  Barham  Court,  Maidstone, 
amongst  which  were  some  of  the  finest  fruit  we  have  seen  this  season. 
Particularly  excellent  were  Emperor  Alexander,  Stone’s,  Warner’s  King, 
The  Queen,  New  Hawthornden,  Bramley’s  Seedling,  Alfriston,  Queen 
Caroline,  Lord  Derby,  Lord  Suffield,  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  Tower  of 
Glamis,  Golden  Noble,  Tyler's  Kernel,  Gascoyne’s  Scarlet  Seedling, 
Sandringham,  Adam’s  Pearmain,  Scarlet  Nonpareil,  Royal  Russet, 
Mother,  St.  Edmund’s  Pippin,  Washington,  Vicar  of  Beighton,  Wadhurst 
Pippin,  Ribston  Pippin,  and  Yorkshire  Beauty.  Of  the  fifty  varieties  of 
Pears  we  may  select  Gansel’s  Bergamot,  Brockworth  Park,  Beurre 
Superfin,  Conference,  Beurre  Hardy,  Duchesse  d’Angouleme,  Pitmaston 
Duchess,  Beurre  Diel,  Josephine  de  Malines,  Doyenne  du  Comice,  Mane 
Louise,  Magnate,  Madame  Treyve,  Knight’s  Mi  narch.  Marguerite 
Marillat,  and  Beurrd  Dumont  (silver-gilt  Knightian  medal). 
Floral  Committee.— Present :  C.  E.  Shea,  Esq.  (in  the  chair)  ; 
with  Messrs.  O.  Thomas,  H.  B.  May,  W.  Howe,  J.  Hudson,  J.  Jennings, 
J.  Peed,  J.  T.  Bennett- Poe.  J.  D.  Pawle,  E.  II.  Jenkins,  C.  Blick, 
H.  Turner,  C.  Jefferies,  and  W.  Marshall. 
A  semicircular  group  of  Chrysanthemums  was  arranged  by  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Chelsea.  The  well  grown  plants  were  carrying  stout 
foliage  and  large,  clean,  well  coloured  flowers.  The  varieties  included 
James  Bidencope,  President  Armand,  Madame  Gustave  Henry,  Little 
Nell,  Louise,  A.  H.  Fewkes,  and  Emily  Silsbury.  The  same  firm  contri¬ 
buted  a  collection  of  folisge  to  show  autumn  tints,  and  the  display  was 
most  interesting.  Messrs.  Veitch  sent  also  Rhododendrons  javanico- 
jasminiflorum  hybrids  (silver  Flora  medal).  Messrs.  Barr  &  Sons, 
Covent  Garden,  were  represented  by  a  collection  of  hardy  flowers,  such 
as  Michaelmas  Daisies,  Chrysanthemums,  with  autumn  Crocuses. 
Messrs.  J.  Peed  &  Sons,  Upper  Norwood,  exhibited  a  collection  of 
shrubs  suitable  for  London  gardens.  They  comprised  the  several  kinds 
that  are  popular  and  well  known  for  smoky  areas  (silver  Banksian  medal). 
Messrs.  Paul  A  Son,  Old  Nurseries,  Cheshunt,  arranged  several  boxes  of 
cut  Roses,  in  which  there  weie  many  blooms  of  exceptional  excellence. 
Some  of  the  most  attractive  were  Maman  Cochet,  Madame  Pernet  Ducher, 
and  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant.  Rose  heps  came  from  the  same  source  (silver 
Flora  medal). 
Messrs.  W.  Wells  &  Co.,  Earlswood  Nursery,  Red  Hill,  sent  a  hand¬ 
some  collection  of  Chrysanthemums,  including  large  and  small  blooms,  all 
of  excellent  quality.  Very  bright  were  R.  Hooper  Pearson,  Lady  Phillips, 
Mytchett  Beauty,  Coral  Queen,  Nellie  Brown,  .Jules  Mary,  Mrs.  Hawkins 
Improved,  Lily  Boutroy,  Ambrose  Thomas,  Madame  E.  Lefort,  Emily 
Towers,  Charles  Joly,  Fiberta,  and  Arthur  Crepey  (silver-gilt  Banksian 
medal).  Messrs.  W.  Cutbush  &  Sons,  Ilighgate,  sent  miscellaneous 
foliage  and  flowering  plants,  including  Oranges,  Carex,  Aralias,  Ericas, 
Palms,  with  a  central  bank  of  Nerim  Fothergilli  major  (silver  Banksian 
medal).  Mr.  H.  B.  May,  Upper  Edmonton,  showed  scarlet  Salvias  rising 
from  a  groundwork  of  Ferns,  and  with  Bouvardias  at  intervals  (silver 
Banksian  medal), 
Mr.  W.  H.  Lees,  gardener  to  F.  A.  Bevan,  Esq.,  Trent  Park,  New 
Barnet,  arranged  a  superb  collection  of  Michaelmas  Daisies  which 
occupied  a  considerable  amount  of  space.  Each  variety  was  represented 
by  an  immense  bunch,  the  equal  of  which  has  seldom,  if  ever,  been  seen 
in  the  Drill  Hall.  As  the  whole  of  the  most  popular,  and  the  majority  of 
