312 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  30,  1897. 
EDITORIAL  NOTICE. — It  is  particularly  desired  that  all  communi¬ 
cations,  parcels,  catalogues,  and  newspajiers  intended  for  the  Editor, 
be  sent  direct  to  8,  Rose  Hill  Road,  Waxdswoeth,  S.W. 
-  "Weather  in  London.— Comparatively  little  rain  has  fallen 
during  the  past  week  in  the  Metropolis.  On  Saturday  night  there  were  a 
few  local  showers,  but  Sunday  was  fine  throughout  the  day,  as  was 
Monday.  On  Tuesday  there  was  a  steady  rain  for  about  a  couple  of  hours 
in  the  morning,  but  the  rest  of  the  day  was  dry,  though  dull,  a  slight  mist 
coming  up  towards  night.  At  the  time  of  going  to  i)ress  on  Wednesday 
it  was  fine. 
-  The  Will  of  the  Late  Mr.  Chas.  Sharpe.  — By  his  will 
of  the  4th  April,  1895,  with  a  codicil  of  the  4th  February,  1897,  Mr. 
Charles  Sharpe,  of  The  Pines,  Sleaford,  J.P.,  and  of  Charles  Sharpe  and 
Co.  (Ltd.),  seed  growers,  who  died  on  the  8th  March  last,  aged  fifty-seven 
years,  leaving  personal  estate  valued  at  £73,664  4s.  lid.,  appointed  as 
executors  his  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Sharj^e,  and  his  son-in-law  Augustus 
Leverton  Jessopp,  of  Leasingham.  He  desired,  but  without  imposing  any 
obligation  on  the  trustees,  that  his  Heckington  property  should  remain, 
as  he  had  applied  it,  for  the  purpose  of  allotments  and  small  holdings. 
-  A  Bush  Whstaria. — One  of  the  oddest  things  I  saw  when 
visiting  Bicton  Gardens  recently  was  a  bush  Wistaria.  The  growth  in 
its  early  and  ductile  days  had  been  wound  round  and  round  a  stout 
stake  or  other  support,  until  now  the  stem  resembles  the  coils  of  a 
serpent,  as  sometimes  presented  in  pictures  or  in  statuary.  The  coils 
were  quite  close  together,  and  showed  how  facile  for  such  forms  of 
training  the  growths  of  the  Wistaria  are.  The  head  is  a  dense  mass  of 
spurs,  being  every  year  hard  pruned  or  cut  back,  and  in  its  season  it  is 
also  a  mass  of  bloom.  It  is  strange  that  this  beautiful  flowering  plant 
has  not  been  more  largely  grown  in  this  way,  for  it  is  easily  kept 
compact,  and  as  it  spurs  so  freely  soon  makes  a  massive  head,  which  in 
due  season  blooms  profusely. — D. 
-  The  ^  Fruit  Flavour  Prizes.— “  A  Country  Gardener  ’’ 
informs  me  that  in  relation  to  these  prizes  no  less  than  sixteen  1  ! !  exhi¬ 
bitors  competed  during  six  months  last  year.  Really,  I  must  say,  as  was 
once  said  of  the  five  Barley  loaves  and  two  small  fishes,  “  But  what  are 
they  amongst  so  many  ?  ”  I  apologise  for  being  wrong  ivith  reference  to 
Kerry  Pippin,  but  “A  Country  Gardener”  admits  that  it  had  not 
previously  to  the  meeting  on  October  17th  received  an  award.  That  was 
just  what  I  meant  to  convey.  Last  year  Ribston  Pippin  came  out  badly. 
This  season  it  has  already  taken  first  place  with  very  handsome  and 
finely  flavoured  fruits  from  Syon  House.  I  hope  to  see  other  good 
standard  varieties  coming  to  the  front  later  on. — D. 
-  Kales  at  Chiswick.— In  a  few  weeks  the  Fruit  Committee 
will,  1  learn,  have  to  examine  a  large  collection  of  Kales,  now  gi’owing  in 
the  R.H.S.’s  Gardens  at  Chiswick,  and  growing,  too,  very  luxuriantly. 
It  will  constitute  a  very  interesting  meeting,  because  ajiparently  every 
known,  and  perhaps  unknown,  variety  of  Kale  seems  to  be  found  in  the 
collection.  The  trial  should  have  exceeding  interest  for  Scotsmen,  as 
the  northern  men  are  credited  with  a  high  appreciation  for  Kale,  although 
they  usually  spell  it  Kail.  An  odd  feature  is  seen  in  the  exceeding 
luxuriance  in  growth  of  the  many,  and  of  almost  extermination  of  the 
few.  Thnse  are  of  the  deliciously  tender  (when  cooked)  Breda  section  ; 
they  have  been  almost  eaten  up  to  extinction  by  some  interesting  but 
destructive  fungus,  yet  have  left  the  broad-leaved  thousand-headed  forms 
unharmed.  No  doubt  there  has  been  from  time  to  time  a  good  deal  of 
intercrossing  of  Kales,  Cabbages,  and  Savoys,  hence  the  odd  forms  found 
in  the  collection.  If  the  Committee  had  samples  cooked  to  taste  their 
duty  would  be  indeed  an  onerous  one  ;  but,  probably,  whilst  testing  boiled 
Potatoes,  will  leave  the  Kales  severely  alone.  These,  it  is  of  traditional 
averrance,  are  never  fit  to  eat  until  well  baptised  with  sharp  white  frost. 
In  any  case  we  do  know  for  certain  that  they  never  eat  so  tender  or  so 
sweet  as  when  partaken  of  during  severe  weather.  Kales  or  their 
wonderful  variety,  apart  from  all  other  members  of  the  Brassica  family, 
serve  to  show  the  variations  of  which  B.  oleracea  is  capable.  When,  how¬ 
ever,  every  other  variety  of  every  other  section  is  added,  then  indeed  is 
the  produft  almost  marvellous.  — A. 
-  Sweet  Peas. — The  correspondent  who  asks  for  a  report  of  these 
may  like  to  know  that  we  have  found  Eckford’s  by  far  the  best.  The 
only  American  one  that  is  superior  is  that  named  “  Blanche  Burpee.” — 
F.  W.  B. 
-  United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident 
Society. — The  annual  dinner  of  the  above  Institution  will  be  held  at 
the  Holborn  Restaurant,  on  Tuesday,  October  12th,  at  6  for  6.30  p.m. 
Mr.  H.  B.  May  will  preside  at  this,  the  eleventh  meeting,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  the  gathering  will  be  a  great  success.  Tickets  may  be  obtained  from 
Mr.  W,  ColUns,  9,  Martindale  Road,  Balham,  S.W. 
-  Lasiandra  macranthum. — Perhaps  better  known  under  ita 
old  name  of  Pleroma  macranthum,  this  is  a  welcome  addition  to  the  few 
greenhouse  plants  in  bloom  at  this  season.  The  flowers,  which  are  of  a 
beautiful  deep  violet-purjfle  colour,  are  freely  produced  at  the  ends  of  the 
shoots  in  branchlets,  and  although  the  flowers  only  last  about  twenty- 
four  hours,  new  ones  open  every  day,  and  the  flowering  season  continues^ 
through  several  weeks.  From  cuttings  inserted  in  April  we  have  now 
nice  bushy  plants  in  6-inch  pots,  but  to  grow  this  plant  most  success- 
fnlly,  says  a  writer  in  an  American  contemporary,  it  requires  to  be  kept 
two  or  three  years  and  trained  on  a  wall  or  tied  to  some  wires  on  the 
side  of  a  cool  house.  With  a  fair  amount  of  root  space  under  such  con¬ 
ditions  it  blooms  for  a  long  time  and  commands  attention  from  all  wFo 
see  it.  Lasiandras  are  of  the  easiest  possible  cultivation.  They  are  not 
seen  in  many  places,  probably  owing  to  the  short-lived  nature  of  their 
flowers  and  the  fact  that  they  have  no  value  for  cutting. 
-  Who  Spliced  the  Grapes  at  the  Crystal  Palace  ?— 
I  had  not  the  least  intention  to  take  part  in  the  controversy  that  has 
arisen  over  this  very  unpleasant  matter,  until  invited  by  the  exhibitor 
in  question  to  kindly  look  into  his  garden  and  see  what  Grapes  he 
had,  and  how  far  it  could  have  been  needed  on  his  part  to  attempt  to 
patch  bunches  with  intent  to  deceive.  I  saw  these,  and  many  bunches 
had  been  cut  in  the  interval — ^plenty  of  fine  bunches  that  needed  no 
packing,  and  I  thought,  with  all  due  deference  to  some  of  his  critics, 
afforded  ample  evidence  that  no  effort  on  his  part  to  deceive  was 
required.  At  the  time  the  bunches  were  boarded  ready  for  showing, 
the  exhibitor  himself  was  engaged  in  preparing  the  dessert  in  the  house 
for  a  dinner  party,  and  his  foreman  was  at  Shrewsbury.  Therefore  he 
had  to  trust  to  oue  of  his  young  men,  with  the  help  of  a  labourer,  the 
duty  of  preparing  the  Grapes,  and  it  seems  in  so  doing  shoulders  were 
broken  off  through  improper  handling,  and  being  afraid  of  a  severe 
reprimand,  the  shoulders  were  surreptitiously  tied  on,  then  boxed, 
ere  the  exhibitor  was  at  liberty.  Next  morning,  having  over  sixty 
entries  to  stage,  the  fruit  was  left  to  the  foreman,  who  had  during  the 
night  got  back  from  Shrewsbury,  naturally  very  tired,  and  who  knowing 
nothing  saw  nothing,  and  the  exhibitor  was  himself  absolutely  ignorant 
of  anything  wrong  until  his  attention  was  drawn  to  the  matter  on  the 
second  day.  The  assistant  did  not  realise  the  harm  he  was  doing, 
because  if  he  had  at  once  told  of  the  disaster,  other  bunches  could  have 
been  cut  to  replace  the  damaged  ones, — A.'  D, 
-  Death  of  Mr.  Henry  Reader  Williams,  .T.P. — It  is  with 
much  regret  that  we  have  to  record  the  death  of  the  above  named  gentle¬ 
man,  which  occurred  at  his  residence.  The  Priory,  Hornsey,  on  Monday 
morning  last.  The  deceased  gentleman  was  the  head  of  the  great  firm  of 
wine  merchants,  IMessrs.  H.  R.  Williams  &  Co.  of  Lime  Street,  CiW.  He 
was  a  most  benevolent  man,  and  for  many  years  closely  associated  with 
the  late  Lord  Shaftesbury  in  works  of  temperance  and  charity.  Mr. 
Williams  made  the  chief  object  of  his  lifetime  the  furthering  of  the  work 
of  the  King  Edward  Ragged  School,  and  has  been  instrumental  in  sup¬ 
porting,  clothing,  and  educating  hundreds  of  homeless  and  destitute 
children,  who  were  trained  to  occupy  useful  positions  in  life.  He  was  the 
first  Chairman  of  the  Hornsey  School  Board,  and  was  for  many  years 
Chairman  of  the  Local  Board,  In  commemoration  of  his  work  on  the 
School  Board  two  scholarships  available  for  Hornsey  children  were 
founded,  and  when  he  resigned  the  Chairmanship  of  the  Local  Board  a 
handsome  clock  tower  was  erected  by  the  inhabitants  of  Hornsey  in  the 
Broadway,  Crouch  End,  as  a  testimony  to  his  public  work.  Mr.  Williams 
was  twice  Master  of  the  Worshipful  Company  of  Fruiterers,  and  in  1889 
offered  a  prize  of  25  guineas,  to  which  his  friend,  the  late  Dr.  Hogg,  added 
a  gold  medal,  for  the  best  essay  on  “  Profitable  Fruit-growing  for  Cot¬ 
tagers  and  Others  with  Small  Holdings.”  A  copy  of  this  work  was 
graciously  accepted  by  Her  Majesty,  with  a  present  of  fruit  from  the 
memorable  Guildhall  Show  in  1890,  of  which  Mr.  Williams  was  an  active 
supporter.  He  was  esteemed  by'  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  death  will  be 
widely  and  deeply  mourned.  The  deceased  gentleman  was  seventy'-five 
years  of  age. 
