October  29,  1896, 
JOURNAL  OF  HOR.TWULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
417 
vicinity  of  Hamburgh  Currants  are  also  grown,  but  not.  extensively. 
Some  of  them  are  sent  to  Hull.  The  distance  is  ,173  miles,  the 
passage  takes  twenty-eight  hours,  and  the  freight  is  only  19a. 
per  ton. 
I  came  to  Frankfort  to  get  information  about  the  Government 
Fruit  Dep6t.  It  was  established  about  three  years  ago,  and  exists 
for  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  fruit  growers  of  Germany.  They 
send  samples  of  their  fruit ;  these  are  shown  to  fruit  dealers.  A 
bargain  is  struck  if  the  parties,  through  the  medium  of  the  Depart¬ 
ment,  can  fix  a  price,  and  the  fruit  delivered.  Thii  is  done  free  of 
charge,  and  entirely  with  the  object  of  developing  the  trade.  So 
far  it  has  been  appreciated  by  seller  and  buyer  alike,  and  has  met 
with  entire  success.  Other  depots  are  to  be  started,  if,  in  fact,  they 
have  not  already  been  established,  in  different  centres  throughout 
the  Fatherland. 
Geisenheim  is  in  the  midst  of  vineyards.  Standing  on  the  brae 
behind  the  village  you  have  a  fine  northern  view,  and  far  as  the  eye 
can  reach  the  hills  are  covered  with  Vines.  It  is  on  this  brae  that 
the  College  is  built.  There  are  many  schools  for  the  study  of 
fruit  culture  in  Germany,  but  this  is  the  most  important.  It  was 
established  twenty.four  years  ago.  The  grounds  extend  to  74  acres, 
most  of  which  are  planted  with  Vines,  though  the  fruit,  flower, 
and  vegetable  gardens  are  extensive.  The  buildings  are  large  and 
well  furnished.  In  the  laboratory  I  saw  a  lecturer  working  like  a 
slave  with  his  sleeves  rolled  up,  surrounded  by  those  innumerable 
bottles  and  pipes  and  globes  which  are  indispensable  to  the 
chemist,  but  which  almost  more  than  anything  else  are  dark 
with  mystery  to  me.  I  was  more  at  home  in  the  botanical  room, 
with  its  wax  models  of  fruit  of  every  kind  and  colour,  and  its 
specimens  of  plants  dying  and  dead,  victims  of  germs.  But 
perhaps  I  was  most  at  home  in  the  little  jam  manufactory,  with 
its  tiny  pans,  and  fruit-drying  and  peeling  machines.  It  is  in 
every  respect  a  model  of  neatness  and  perfection  ;  while  the  wine 
manufactory  seems  to  have  every  appliance  necessary  to  teach  the 
student  how  to  transform  the  luscious  Grape  into  Rhenish  wine. 
The  importance  of  this  and  similar  institutions  throughout  the 
country  more  or  less  closely  connected  with  the  State  cannot  be 
over-estimated,  and  shows  conclusively  the  interest  that  is  being 
taken  in  the  development  of  the  frait  trade  ;  and  the  thoroughness 
with  which  the  work  is  carried  on  goes  a  good  way  to  explain, 
when  applied  to  other  industries,  why  the  Germans  are  shooting 
ahead  in  the  markets  of  the  world. 
Students  come  to  this  College,  not  only  from  the  remotest  part 
of  the  German  Empire,  but  from  all  the  ends  of  the  earth.  At  the 
present  time  there  are  three  students  from  Australia,  one  from 
France,  and  four  from  Russia.  Before  entering  the  College  they 
must  hare  a  University  education.  The  necessity  for  this  will  be 
at  once  seen  when  I  tell  you  that  the  subjects  include  chemistry, 
botany,  anatomy,  physiology,  mineralogy,  zoology,  and  mathe¬ 
matics,  besides  such  subjects  as  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  flpwers, 
and  vegetables,  the  preservation  and  packing  of  fruit,  and  the 
manufacture  of  jam,  jelly,  and  wine,  land  surveying,  soil  cultiva¬ 
tion,  landscape  gardening,  and  I  know  not  what  besides. 
•  A  full  course  of  study  takes  two  years,  and  the  probable  cost  is 
about  £30  per  year,  which  is  trifling  when  compared  with  the 
expense  of  a  University  training  in  Scotland.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  take  all  the  subjects,  and  selection  is  made  according  to  the 
aim  of  the  student,  and  the  period  of  training  it  in 
consequence  reduced.  For  instance,  just  now  there  are  twenty- 
three  student#  entered  for  one  year  only.  Besides  there  are 
seventeen  studying  fruit  and  Vine  cultivation,  and  twelve  studying 
fruit  culture.  Some  of  these  students  settle  down  on  the  Rhine,  and 
others  go  to  Italy  or  California  and  begin  the  practical  work  of  life. 
The  school  is  run  on  popular  lines,  and  short  courses  of  lectures 
are  given  on  such  subjects  as  cultivating,  packing,  and  drying  fruit, 
the  manufacture  of  jam  and  wine,  and  any  other  subject  that  may 
be  of  interest  to  those  who  cannot  undergo  a  full  course  of  training. 
These  short  periods  of  tuition  are  invaluable  to  the  gardeners  and 
fruit  grower#  of  Germany,  and  they  seem  to  be  taken  advantage 
of.  When  leaving  the  College  I  saw  about  twenty  or  thirty  men, 
some  of  them  pretty  well  up  in  years,  who  had  come  to  undergo  a 
short  pe’^iod  of  training. 
The  Germans  go  to  the  foundation  of  things,  and  it  will  not  be 
disputed  that  their  ideas  of  fruit  culture  are  far  ahead  of  our  own. 
But  they  are  as  practical  as  they  are  theoretical.  At  this  College 
theory  and  practice  go  hand  in  hand.  The  working  day  begins 
at  6.30.  Lectures  are  given  then  and  during  the  forenoon.  After 
dinner  the  students  rough  it  out  in  the  gardens  and  fields  pretty 
much  as  labourers  do,  thus  receiving  an  education  which  is  indis¬ 
pensable,  and  which  cannot  be  bought  or  obtained  in  any  other 
way.  The  evening  is  devoted  to  transcribing  notes,  and  those  of 
the  students  who  stay  within  the  College  grounds  must  retire  at  ten. 
Sunday  is  the  only  day  they  have  to  themselves,  in  which  there 
is  no  work  done. — Commissioner  (in  the  “  Dundee  Advertiser  ”). 
Chrysanthemum  Shows. 
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  advertised  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.  28 -h  and  29th.— Kent  County,— F.  Fox,  The  Gardens,  The 
Cedars,  Lee,  SE. 
„  30ch  and  Slat.— Battersea.— J.  0.  Langrish,  167,  Elsley  Road, 
Battersea,  S.W, 
„  .SOth, — Exmouth — W.  J.  Godfrey,  Nurseryman,  Exmouth. 
Nov.  8rd,  4th,  5th  and  Gth. — NATIONAL  CHRYSANTHEMUM  SOCIETY 
(Royal  Aquarium,  Westminster).  —  R.  Dean,  Ealing, 
London,  W. 
,,  4th  and  3th. — LOWESTOPT. — J.  Guild  Ling,  Lowestoft. 
„  4ch  and  5th. — Wolverhampton.- J.  H.  Wheeler,  Glen  Bank, 
Tettenhall,  Wolverhampton. 
„  4th  and  5th. — Ascot  and  Sunninghill. — Lieut.-Col.  Needham, 
The  Geen,  Ascot. 
„  dth  and  5th.— Bromley  and  District. — W.  Weeirs,  29,  Widmore 
Road,  Bromley. 
„  5th  and  6th.— Windsor  and  Eton. — H.  Finch,  Bank  House, 
Eton. 
„  6ch  and  7th. — Altrincham,  Bowdon,  Sale  and  District. — 
Chas.  Hewitt,  7,  Sandiway  Road,  Altrincham. 
„  10th  and  11th.— Huddersfield  and  District  —J.  Bell,  Marsh, 
Huddersfield. 
„  10th  and  11th. — Brighton. — The  Secretary,  87,  Western  Road, 
Brighton. 
„  10th  and  11th.— Kingston  and  Surbiton.  —  E.  H.  Doulit, 
"  Ortner,”  Surbiton  Hill,  Surrey. 
„  10th  and  11th.— WEST  op  England.— Charles  Wilson,  4,  North 
Hill,  Plymouth. 
„  10th  and  11th. — Ipswich. — H.  E.  Archer,  13,  Museum  Street, 
Ipswich. 
„  11th  and  12th.— County  Borough  of  Hanley.— J.  and  A  Kent, 
Hanley  Park,  Hanley. 
„  11th  and  12th.— Northamptonshire.— The  Secretary,  2,  Primrose 
Hill,  Northampton. 
„  11th  and  12th. — Liverpool. — W.  Dickson,  7,  Victoria  Street, 
Liverpool. 
„  11th  and  12th. — Rugby. — W.  Bryant,  8,  Barby  Road,  Rugby. 
„  11th  and  12th. — Hull. — Messrs.  Edw.  Harland  and  James  Dixon, 
Manor  Street,  Hull. 
nth  and  12th.— BIRMINGHAM.- J.  Hughes,  140,  High  Street, 
Harborne,  Birmingham. 
„  12ch  and  13ch. — GLASGOW. — Cunningham  &  Wyllie,  98,  Mitchell 
Street,  Glasgow. 
„  12th  and  13th.— Bury  St.  Edmunds,— Geo.  A.  Manning,  19, 
Abbeygate  Street,  Bury  St.  Edmunds. 
„  12th  and  13th, — Winchester. — C.  Shenton,  Westgate  Chambers, 
Winchester. 
,,  13ch  and  14th. — Derby. — H.  J.  Bell,  Normanton  Road,  Derby. 
„  13th  and  14th.— Wellingborough.— H,  Tilley,  53,  Knox  Road. 
„  13th  and  14th.— Bradford  and  District,— Juo.  Collier,  5, 
Shipley  Fields  Road,  Frizinghall,  Bradford. 
„  13 :h  and  14th, — Sheffield. — W.  Houseley,  177,  Ceme'ery  Road, 
ShefiSeld. 
„  17th  and  18th,— Birkenhead  and  Wirral  — W.  Bassett,  23, 
Grove  Road,  Rock  Ferry. 
,,  18th  and  19th. —  BRISTOL.  —  Edwin  G.  Cooper,  Mervyn  Road, 
Bishopston,  Bristol. 
„  18th  and  19th. — Newcastle-on-Tyne.  — J.  J.  Gillespie,  Jun  , 
Cross  House  Chambers,  Newcastle-on-Tyne. 
„  18th,  19th  and  20th. — York. — J.  Lazenby,  13,  Feasegate,  York. 
„  19th  and  20th.— Leamington,  Warwick  and  District.— The 
Secretary,  76,  Parade,  Leamington  Spa. 
„  20th  and  21st. — Alderley  Edge  and  Wilmslow.— G.  Lead- 
better,  Juni^  Fern  Bank,  Trafford  Road,  Alderley  Edge. 
„  20th  and  21st. — Bolton. — James  Hicks,  Markland  Hill  Lane, 
Heaton,  Bolton. 
„  24th  and  25th.— Leeds  Paxton  SociETY.—James  Campbell,  The 
Gardens,  Methley  Park,  Leeds, 
