August  6,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
137 
They  were  forwarded  to  Kew  for  examination,  whence  the  following 
report  has  been  received ; — “  The  fruit  has  ripened  unevenly,  dae 
probably  to  a  disturbance  in  some  part  of  the  plant,  presnmably  the 
root,  which,  however,  is  not  forthcoming  for  examination.” 
Grapes,  Blighted. — Mr.  Messinger  of  WoolverstonelGardens,  Ipswich, 
sent  a  bunch  showing  some  afEection  to  the  stalk  and  leaves.  It  was 
sent  to  Chiswick  for  investigation. 
Chiswick,  July  31st. — The  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Committee  held 
its  fourth  meeting  for  this  season  at  Chiswick  on  the  Slst  ult.,  and  it 
will  not  be  the  last  evidently.  There  were  present  Mr.  P.  Crowley 
(Chairman)  ;  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks  (Secretary),  and  Messrs.  Bates,  Wythes, 
Fife,  A.  Dean,  G.  H.  Sage,  J.  Willard,  J.  Cheal,  A.  F.  Barron,  Glen,  and 
J.  Wright.  The  members  were  first  condacted  to  the  extensive  trial  of 
Potatoes  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  earlier  varieties,  of  which  some 
twenty  or  so  were  lifted,  both  new  and  old.  A  few  were  selected  for 
cooking,  the  majority  showing  nothing  distinctively  striking. 
Of  these  after  tasting  (for  the  cooking  is  always  well  done  at  Chis¬ 
wick),  Famous  (Ross),  a  good  clean  white  kidney,  was  awarded  three 
marks.  One  or  two  others,  apparently  not  fully  ripe,  were  of  but  mode¬ 
rate  quality.  White  Beauty  of  Hebron,  also  cooked,  was  excellent  in 
flavour  and  very  mealy.  There  is  a  large  number  of  later  varieties  to  be 
seen  at  the  same  time  that  an  extensive  breadth  of  Beet  is  interviewed. 
Some  of  the  Committee  seemed  to  think  that  except  in  special  cases 
trials  of  Potatoes  to  test  new  varieties  may  well  rest  for  a  few  years,  as 
nothing  specially  out  of  the  way  seems  to  be  possible. 
A  collection  of  Dwarf  French  Beans  was  also  examined.  The  season 
has  not  been  favourable  to  these,  and  few  had  full  justice  done  them. 
In  most  cases  the  pods  were  a  little  past  their  best  owing  to  the  heat  and 
drought.  Four  from  Senary  of  Erfurt  were  selected  for  cooking. 
Gloire  de  Lyon,  White  Waxgate,  and  Dwarf  Flageolet  wax  :  all  of  the 
golden  podded  section,  and  Suabian  Forcing,  an  early  and  free  cropping 
variety.  No  awards  were  made,  but  it  was  specially  desired  that  a 
good  trial  of  forcing  dwarf  Beans  should  take  place  in  the  winter  or 
early  spring,  and  the  latter  variety  be  included  in  the  trial.  That 
should  prove,  if  well  carried  out,  of  great  interest.  An  improved  form  of 
the  Early  Mohawk  from  Mr.  Wythes  named  Syon  Prolific  was  also  cooked. 
Next  some  100  so-called  varieties  of  Tomatoes  in  pots  and  in  pairs  of 
plants  were  seen. 
Nothing  of  a  specially  novel  nature  was  found ;  indeed,  sameness 
seemed  greatly  to  characterise  most  of  the  varieties.  Two  of  the  smooth 
round  red  form,  or  Perfection  type,  Nield’s  Seedling  and  Toang’s 
Eclipse,  both  comparatively  dwarf  or  compact  habited  and  free  fruiting, 
had  awards  of  merit,  as  also  had  Chiswick  Dessert,  a  pretty  cluster,  red, 
small,  and  good  flavoured.  The  best  flavoured  of  all  was,  without  doubt, 
Sutton’s  Golden  Nugget. 
Again,  with  Tomatoes,  the  Committee  were  strongly  of  opinion, 
seeing  that  little  or  no  advance  is  being  made,  that  trials  of  these  as  at 
present  conducted  be  suspended  for  a  few  years,  to  afford  time  for  the 
production  of  something  that  can  really  be  regarded  as  an  improvement. 
BOURNEMOUTH  GARDENERS’  IMPROVEMENT 
ASSOCIATION. 
The  members  of  the  above  Society  selected  for  their  eighth  annual 
excursion  Cadland  Park,  near  Southampton,  the  residence  of  A.  C. 
Drummond,  Esq.,  J.P.  Two  four-horse  chars-a-lano  conveyed  the 
party,  and  the  teautiful  drive  of  about  thirty  miles  each  way,  passing 
through  Lymington  (where  horses  were  changed)  and  Beaulieu  was 
much  enjoyed. 
On  arriving  at  Cadlandg  they  were  heartily  welcomed  by  Mr. 
G.  Garner,  head  gardener,  and  also  Mr.  Lawrie,  steward.  The  flower 
garden  and  pleasure  grounds  were  first  inspected.  Upwards  of  40,000 
plants  are  bedded  out  annually,  consequently  a  fine  display  is  made,  but 
the  long  continued  drought  had  made  itself  felt  even  in  this  favoured 
spot.  The  views  from  the  grounds,  and  also  from  the  top  of  the  mansion, 
are  grand — Southampton,  with  its  docks  and  shipping,  Netley  Hospital, 
and  all  along  the  coast  line  to  Portsmouth  and  the  Isle  of  Wight.  In  the 
grounds  and  park  were  some  splendid  trees,  and  near  a  pond  at  the  bottom 
of  the  kitchen  garden  stands  a  magnificent  specimen  of  the  deciduous 
Cypress  (Taxodium  distichum)  In  perfect  health  and  condition,  with 
a  stem  measuring  16  feet  in  circumference  at  8  feet  from  the  ground  ; 
said  to  be  the  finest  in  this  country. 
The  kitchen  garden  and  glass  department  were  also  visited,  and  the 
splendid  houses  of  Grapes  and  Peaches  were  much  admired,  and  also  the 
miscellaneous  collection  of  plants  grown  for  house  decoration,  which 
were  in  the  best  of  condition.  Luncheon  was  provided  in  a  marquee  in 
the  park.  Mr.  C.  H.  Mate,  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents,  presided,  and  was 
supported  by  Mr.  Lawrie,  Mr.  Davy  (Clerk  of  Works),  and  Mr.  Garner, 
several  members  of  the  Association  being  present.  Mr.  Skinner  proposed 
the  health  of  Mr.  Drummond,  thanking  him  for  his  kindness  in  per¬ 
mitting  the  Society  to  visit  his  beautiful  place.  Mr.  Lawrie  acknow¬ 
ledged  the  toast  on  behalf  of  Mr.  Drummond.  The  Chairman,  in  the 
name  of  the  Society,  proposed  Mr.  Garner’s  health,  and  also  presented 
him  with  a  silver-mounted  walking  stick  as  a  souvenir  of  their  visit,  to 
which  Mr.  Garner  suitably  replied.  Cricket  and  other  games  were 
indulged  in  during  the  afternoon,  and  after  tea  had  been  partaken  of  a 
start  was  made  for  home  a  little  before  six,  Bournemouth  being  reached 
in  safety  before  ten  o’clock,  one  and  all  declaring  it  one  of  the  best 
excursions  the  Society  had  ever  held. 
A  TRIPLE  LADDER  FOR  GATHERING  FRUIT. 
As  a  fruit  grower  of  over  twenty  years’  standing  1  offer  a  suggestion 
to  tbe  readers  of  the  Journal  in  the  matter  of  ladders. 
Plan. — Three  ladders,  each  fastened  at  the  top  to  a  triangle  made  of 
three-quarter-inch  rod  iron  by  single  hinges,  screwed  to  the  under  sides 
of  the  ladders. 
Material. — A  rod  of  three-quarter-inch  iron,  3  feet  long,  to  make 
the  triang’e.  Six  pieces  of  flat  bar  iron  three-quarters  inch  wide,  with 
eye  or  hinge  made  on  one  end,  to  be  screwed  to  the  under  side  of  each 
ladder  at  the  top  by  three  or  four  screws.  Wood  for  the  ladder  sides 
1  inch  by  2^  inches  of  the  required  length  ;  rounds  of  ladder  of  ash  or 
oak. 
The  width  between  the  sides  9  inches,  to  allow  of  two  feet  standing 
on  the  same  round  of  the  ladder  at  the  same  time.  Tbe  hinges  should 
be  slipped  on  to  tbe  triangle,  two  to  each  side,  before  it  is  joined. 
The  ladders  may  be  any  length,  and  for  trees  up  to  the  ages  of  ten  to 
fifteen  years  they  are  much  better  than  double  ladders,  which  must  be 
made  wide  at  the  bottom  to  give  steadiness,  and  where  bush  fruits  are 
grown  under  it  is  diflacult  to  find  room  for  the  two  legs.  A  single  ladder 
is  altogether  out  of  place  in  a  young  fruit  plantation. 
The  sides  of  the  triple  ladder  should  be  parallel — in  fact,  might  be 
narrower  at  tbe  bottom  if  the  ladders  are  wanted  for  use  where  there  is 
an  undergrowth,  thus  making  it  still  easier  to  find  a  place  for  tbe  three 
ladders. 
I  have  seta  of  from  e’gbt  to  sixteen  rounds  each,  and  find  that  1  by 
2^-incb  deal  is  quite  strong  enough  for  the  sides,  and  at  that  length  and 
weight  the  ladders  are  quite  portable  and  easy  to  be  moved.  It  often 
happens  that  two  women  can  gather  on  one  set,  when  they  can  readily 
shift  them  round  the  tree  ;  or  in  the  shorter  lengths  a  woman  can 
freely  work  a  set  alone.  I  consider  that  one  woman  can  gather  as  much 
fruit  by  this  method  as  two  or  more  can  with  single  ladders.  They  are 
as  firm  at  the  top  as  the  ground  is,  and  are  not  affected  by  wind. 
The  ladder  is  not  patented,  and  can  be  made  by  any  carpenter  and 
blacksmith.  I  have  had  them  of  all  lengths  in  use  for  sixteen  years, 
and  use  nothing  else  on  my  40  acres  of  fruit,  except,  as  the  trees  get 
older,  a  single  ladder  for  tbe  tops. 
The  illustrations  will  assist  readers  who  are  desirous  of  constructing 
ladders  on  this  system  .—a,  shows  the  ladder  as  set  up  for  use  ;  and 
i,  as  laid  down,  one  ladder  shown,  illustrating  the  method  of  putting 
together.  Of  course  it  will  be  understood  that  they  are  drawn  together 
for  carrying  about. — Y, 
I  We  are  much  obliged  to  “  Y.,”  who  is  not  a  light-weight,  and  if  the 
ladders  will  bear  him  they  will  be  strong  enough  for  the  majority  of 
fruit  gatherers,! 
