September  2,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
219 
-  Exhibiting  Grapes. — Thanks  are  due  to  ]\h*.  .T.  Hudson  for 
showing  how  “  big  ”  bunches  of  exhibition  Grapes  were  “  made  ”  for  the 
recent  I’alace  Show,  also  to  “  On-looker,”  for  explaining  to  the  readers  of 
the  Journal  of  Horticulture  hoM'  it  was  done,  and  his  comments  thereon. 
But  as  an  exhibitor  I  protest  against  that  “ardent  youth”  having  all  the 
credit.  Surely  the  exhibitor  in  (Question  could  not  have  been  so  blind  as 
not  to  see  what  “his  young  man”  had  done  when  taking  the  “big’’ 
bunches  from  his  box  and  staging  them — which  I  saw  him  do — without 
noticing  how  “big”  they  had  grown.  I  have  at  the  present  time 
580  bunches  of  Grapes  under  my  charge,  but  no  “  young  man  ”  would 
deceive  me  by  adding  shoulders  or  taking  from  them.  -  Exhibitor. 
-  Figs  at  Chiswick. — The  magnificent  collection  of  Figs  in  the 
R.H.S.  Gardens  is  now  about  finishing  its  second  crop  of  fruits.  An 
examination  of  the  several  varieties  hei’e  grown  causes  one  to  wonder 
why  more  are  not  cultivated  in  large  establishments  where  the  luscious 
fruits  are  appreciated.  In  most  places  one  sees  Brown  Turkey  or  Negro 
T.argo,  or  some  other  equally  well-known  variety,  but  rarely  are  the 
choicer  flavoured  ones  in  the  collection  under  notice  met  with.  Such  as 
Bourjassotto  Grise,  Bour.iassotte  Noire,  Nebian,  Grosse  Violette  de 
Bordeaux,  Monaco  Bianco,  and  Pingo  de  Mel  are  perfect  as  regards 
flavour,  while  under  Mr.  Wright’s  experienced  attention  they  give 
capital  crops  of  fruit.  I  consider  it  is  a  pity  that  they  are  not  more 
frequently  seen. — Wanderer. 
-  Striped  French  Marigolds. — A  very  high  class  strain  of 
these  fiowei's  is  that  grown  by  Messrs.  Bobbie  &  Sons  at  Orpington, 
They  plant  several  thousands,  and  resolutely  save  seed  from  the  very  best 
only,  although  I  could,  when  recently  looking  over  them,  see  little 
difference.  Mr.  Fyfe  showed  an  interesting  trial  he  was  making  of  the 
effects  of  starving  in  one  case  by  partially  pulling  a  plant  out  of  the 
ground  and  of  feeding,  another  close  by  being  occasionally  dosed  with 
liquid  manure,  which  had  made  it  very  robust,  So  many  blooms  in  each 
case  will  be  saved,  the  seed  sown,  and  planted  out  to  mark  Results  next 
year.  As  grown  here,  and  a  product  of  constant  selection,  the  plants  are 
less  coarse  growing  than  is  usually  the  case.  A  distinct  novelty  has  been 
produced  this  year,  the  petals  being  of  a  lemon  ground  instead  of  orange, 
and  striping  is  seen  in  a  marked  degree.  This  will  doubtless  prove  to  be 
the  progenitor  of  a  new  strain. — A.  D. 
-  Exeter  SHOwq — The  Devon  and  Exeter  Horticultural  Society 
held  its  summer  exhibition  on  J>iday,  August  21st,  On  the  lovely  Noi’thern- 
hay.  Had  the  Aveather  been  equal  to  the  show  many  more  visitors  would 
have  passed  the  gates.  Special  prizes  were  given  by  the  Mayor  of  Exeter 
for  the  best  ten  dishes  of  fruit,  and  by  the  Bev.  A.  H.  Cruwys  for 
vegetables.  In  quality  the  show  was  the  best  for  three  or  four  years. 
The  groups  were  better  than  anything  of  the  sort  previously  seen  in 
Exeter.  Mr.  W.  Rowlands,  gardener  to  Mr.  W.  Brock,  .I.P.,  of  Exeter, 
took  the  premier  prize  of  a  silver  cup,  value  £5,  in  each  of  the  two 
classes  arranged.  The  centre  of  each  group  Avas  formed  by  a  pleasing 
arrangement  of  cork,  Avith  plants  judiciously  disposed,  while  at  the  bottom 
there  Avas  a  belt  of  bloom,  which  set  off  the  Whole  very  happily.  Mr.  G. 
Lock,  gardener  to  Mr.  Hill  of  Crediton,  came  second  in  each  instance. 
Mr.  Richards’  group  Avas  also  good.  There  were  109  classes  and  eighty- 
one  exhibitors.  The  principal  exhibitors  were  Mr.  F.  Bradshaw,  Mr. 
G.  A.  SpottisAvoode,  the  Hon.  Lady  Walrond,  Sir  Dudley-Duckworth- 
King,  Mr.  W.  C.  CleaA'e,  Mr.  TrehaAvke  KekeAvich,  Sir  John  Shelley, 
Bart.;  Mr.  B.  H.  Hill,  Mr.  AT.  Brock,  and  Sir  .John  Ferguson  Davie. 
-  Isi.E  OF  Wight. — The  Ventnor  and  Undercliffe  Horticultural 
Society  held  its  sixty-second  show  in  the  beautiful  grounds  of  Ventnor 
Park  on  AVednesday,  August  25th.  Three  mar(juees  were  well  filled 
with  fruits,  floAvers,  vegetables,  and  plants.  The  quality  of  the  former 
Avas  especially  good,  whilst  vegetables  maintained  their  standard  of 
excellence.  The  exhibit  of  Mr.  AV.  AV.  Sheath,  gardener  to  Miss 
Mitchell,  Macrocarpa,  Ventnor,  consisting  of  large  specimen  Fuchsias, 
and  Tuberous  Begonias  came  in  for  much  praise.  Mr.  A.  Richards, 
gardener  to  .1.  .Tessop,  Esq.,  Cliffe  Dene,  Bonchurch,  received  the  I.AV. 
Horticultural  Improvement  Association’s  certificate  for  a  collection  of 
vegetables,  Avhich  secured  him  the  premier  aAvard  in  a  special  class  for 
Messrs.  Sutton’s  prizes.  Amongst  the  other  prizcAvinners  were  Messrs. 
G.  AVTtty,  F.  AVoods,  F.  A.  Iloil,  S.  Cotton,  F.  Bastiani,  J.  and  F.  Xiblett, 
AV.  Taylor,  and  \V.  Heath.  The  Secretary  did  excellent  Avork,  and 
deserves  a  word  of  praise  for  bringing  one  of  the  best  shoAvs  ever  held  in 
the  Undercliffe  to  a  successful  conclusion.  The  park  in  the  evening  was 
illuminated  Avith  fairy  lamps  and  Chinese  lanterns,  Avhich  proved  very 
attractive  to  the  many  visitors.  Messrs.  Feed  &  Sou,  Upper  Norwood, 
staged  fine  blooms  of  Gloxinias,  Tuberous  Begonias,  and  leaves  of 
Caladiums,  which  Avere  greatly  admired. — S.  H. 
-  Onions  .vt  AIalshanger.— It  is  an  odd  thing,  but  it  is  so, 
that  hitherto  most  of  the  finest  ( Jnions  groAvn  or  exhibited  have  been 
raised  south  of  London.  At  Malshanger  Park,  Basingstoke,  Air.  Kneller 
has  Ailsa  Craig  in  Avonderfully  fine  form,  grand  bulbs,  ranging  from 
2  lbs.  to  3  lbs.,  and  a  big  lot  just  a  little  lighter  that  should  make,  if 
planted,  a  superb  seed  stock.  Seasons  or  soils  seem  to  make  little 
difference  in  the  proiluction  of  these  splendid  bulbs,  raised  from  Avinter 
soAvn  plants,  a  practice  now  so  common.  AVhilst  the  Alalshanger  soil  is 
light  and  rather  close  on  chalk,  that  at  IlackAVOod  Park,  but  four  miles 
aAvay,  is  stiff  loam  on  chalk,  but  at  a  considerable  depth.  Mr.  BoAA'erman’s 
bulbs  are  yet  of  the  very  finest,  as  Avas  evidenced  at  ShreAvsbury,  where 
he  had  the  best.  Air.  Pope  at  Highclere  and  Air.  Lye  at  Sydmonton  are 
both  fine  Onion  growers. — D. 
-  Daffodils.— Air.  AVm.  Baylor  Hartland  sends  us  a  copy  of 
the  Jubilee  edition  of  his  Daffodil  album.  If  our  verdant  enthusiast 
Avill  permit,  Ave  might  almost  describe  it  as  the  three  l”s— a  combination 
of  poetry,  prose,  and  pictures.  It  covers  AA'hat  is  described  as  the 
“starlit  era” — 1837-1897  ;  but  Avhether  he  regards  the  portraits  of  AVatt, 
Stevenson,  Edison,  and  Rontgen,  or  the  sixty  Daffodils  that  follow,  as 
the  bright  particular  stars,  is  not  quite  clear,  so  those  who  peruse  the 
album  must  take  their  choice.  Air.  Hartland  says,  “  If  avc  had  such  a 
copy  in  1884  it  would  be  worth  -£100.”  This  reads  almost  like  a  con¬ 
fession  by  the  producer  that  he  has  been  for  once  a  little  behind  the  times, 
or  he  Avould  have  prepared  something  of  the  kind  thirteen  years  ago. 
However,  Ave  happen  to  have  had  Air.  Burbidge’s  beautiful  wmrk.  AIiss 
Gertrude  Hartland  has  represented  the  flowers  with  great  clearness  in 
the  album,  but  if  we  might  venture  to  suggest  a  correction  in  the 
nomenclature  of  Horsefield’s  fine  variety,  Ave  should  let  it  carry  his  full 
name,  Horsefieldi,  and  not  leave  a  letter  out,  as  is  so  common  in 
catalogues. 
-  Rubber  Plants. — The  investigation  of  rubber-yieldihg  plants 
has  resulted  in  draAving  attention  not  only  to  new  sources  of  supply,  but  in 
increasing  the  quantity  available  for  commercial  purposes.  The  re¬ 
markable  rubber  industry  started  in  the  Colony  of  Lagos  in  1889  is 
described  {K.B.,  1895,  p.  241),  and  a  figure  is  given  of  the  plant,  which 
hitherto  had  not  been  known  as  a  source  of  commercial  rubber.  The 
Lagos  rubber  industry  in  tAvo  years  developed  into  an  export  value  of 
nearly  £400^000.  A  somewhat  similar  industry  had  been  started  on  the 
Gold  Coast  by  the  efforts  of  Sir  Alfred  Aloloney,  with  exports  in  1893 
of  the  value  of  £2l8,162.  Practically  all  the  more  importaht  sources  of 
commercial  rubber  are  reviewed,  Avhile  particulars  respecting  new  rubber 
plants,  such  as  Forsteronia  gracilis  in  British  Guiana,  F.  floribunda  in 
.Jamaica,  aud  Sapium  glandulosum  in  the  United  States  of  Columbia 
are  also  given.  It  may  be  added  that  information  is  desired  at 
KeAV  respecting  the  plants  yielding  the  Esmeralda  rubber  of  Guiana 
{K.B.,  1892,  70)  and  that  exported  from  Alatto-grosso  in  Brazil.  There 
is  a  doubt  as  to  the  distinction,  if  any,  existing  between  caoutchoucs 
yielded  respectively  by  the  Ule  and  Tuno  trees  of  Central  America.  One 
of  these  is  usually  referred  to  Castilloa  elastica,  but  botanical  specimens 
are  necessary  of  each  tree  to  definitely  decide  the  point,  —  (“  Kew 
Bulletin.”) 
-  AIaize  as  an  English  Crop. — Amongst  the  most  useful,  as 
well  as  valuable,  of  fodder  plants,  we  may  certainly  class  Maize.  Business 
has  I’ecently  taken  us  into  Kent,  and  here  on  two  large  holdings  Ave  saAv 
AIaize  growing  most  luxuriantly.  Two,  at  any  rate,  of  the  principal 
farmers  in  the  district  aa'b  Avere  in  certainly  are  fully  convinced  of  its 
value,  for  We  saAV  not  merely  small  plots  but  several  acres  being  grown. 
The  weight  of  its  produce  is  stated  to  be  about  30  to  40  tons  per  acre. 
The  use  it  is  put  to  is  to  provide  food  for  milch  cows  and  rams.  AVhy, 
then,  is  so  valuable  a  crop  as  this,  producing  in  a  very  dry  year  such  as 
the  present  a  crop  of  grand  succulent  food,  not  more  generally  grown  ? 
Possibly  because  of  the  fact  that  it  is  looked  upon  as  being  a  crop  that  is 
uncertain  or  doubtful,  or,  perhaps,  from  want  of  knoAvledge  as  to  its  great 
value.  That  it  can  be  groAvn,  and  successfully  groAvn  too,  is  demonstrated 
not  only  by  its  success  on  the  farms  we  saAV,  but  in  numerous  other  cases 
that  one  might  (piote.  Then,  again,  the  procedure  of  cultivation  is  A^ery 
simple.  It  needs  no  particular  preparation  other  than  a  good  seed-bed 
aud  a  fairly  well  manured  piece  of  land.  Ihc  great  trouble  its  success¬ 
ful  growers  find  is  to  keep  the  rooks  from  Avorking  at  it  when  first  sown 
or  just  coming  up.  Fxpei’ience  has,  however,  proved  that  it  care  is  taken 
to  properly  bury  the  seed  at  a  depth  ot  1^  to  3  inches,  little  or  no  tiouble 
will  arise  from  this  source.  Simple  and  easy  then  of  production  is  this 
crop,  which,  were  it  more  generally  known,  would  soon,  we  are  fully  con¬ 
vinced,  become  not  only  one  of  the  most  popular,  but  one  of  the  most 
valuable  of  all  our  fooder  plants.— (“  Farmer  and  Stock-breeder.”) 
