28 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  9,  1902. 
end  of  June.  As  soon  as  the  Vine  begins  to  run  the  terminal 
bud  is  p  nched  off,  causing  the  laterals  to  branch  out,  which  are 
encouraged  as  much  as  possible,  as  it  is  from  these  the  crop  is 
obtained.  The  soil  is  kept  well  open  by  constant  attention. 
The  season  for  marketing  the  ripe  fimit  is  from  July  to 
October,  during  which  time  the  Musk  Melon  is  a  favourite  dish 
of  rich  and  poor  alike,  and  truckloads  are  to  be  seen  in  the 
streets  of  New  York,  the  price  ranging  from  ten  cents  upwards. 
To  visit  one  of  these  Musk  Melon  fields  when  the  fruit  is  ripe 
is  a  treat  in  itself,  followed  up  with  a  good  “  tuck  in  ”  as  tangible 
proof  of  their  goodness;  and  I  will  say  the  Yankees  are  very 
generous  in  this  respect,  always  allowing  the  visitor  to  “  taste 
and  see.” 
The  varieties  of  the  Musk  Melon  are  numerous,  and  if  more 
than  one  sort  is  grown  very  great  care  is  taken  to  have  each 
variety  as  far  away  from  each  other  as  possible  so 'as  not  to  cause 
improper  crossing,  which  causes  poorness  of  crop,  and  affects  the 
crop  for  the  following  season  should  the  seed  be  saved.  The 
farmer  is,  therefore,  extremely  careful  tO'  grow  only  really  proved 
fixed  variet  es,  such  as  the  Hackensack,  the  earliest  variety,  with 
green  sk  n  and  flesh,  beautifully  netted,  the  flavour  of  which  is 
rich  and  sweet.  The  Baltimore  is  also  a  great  favourite  with 
the  best  hotels.  It  is  an  oblong,  thick,  green-fleshed  sort,  and 
very  juicy. 
The  largest  is  perhaps  the  one  called  the  Montreal,  a  round 
variety,  deeply  ribbed,  the  skin  and  flesh  being  also  green.  It 
will  often  turn  the  scales  at  201b,  and  is  none  the  worse  for  its 
large  size.  The  profit  of  the  Musk  Melon  crop  is  a  good  one,  the 
fanner  often  realising  l,000dols,  or,  in  our  money,  £250,  per  acre. 
Of  cour-e,  earliness  is  aimed  at  by  the  growers,  as  the  first  in 
the  market  obtain  the  best  prices.  Being  a  fruit  which  travels 
well,  it  is  shipped  to  the  large  towns  of  America,  packed  in 
barrels,  and  it  is  seldom  they  take  any  harm.  The  summer  of 
America  is  a  long  one,  and  naturally  brings  success  to  the  Musk 
Melon  cultivator,  who  has  become  efficient  by  long  experience 
and  skill. — H.  Kitley. 
The  Journal  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
The  Journal  of  our  Royal  Horticultural  Society  undoubtedly 
grows  in  value.  What  an  interesting  series  they  are  from  first 
to  last,  and  of  course  the  earlier  volumes  are  yearly  becomin^^ 
more  precious. 
Parts  2  and  3  of  volume  xxvi.  was  published  three  weeks 
ago.  It  has  been  well  said  elsewhere  that  these  quarterly 
Journals  alone  are  worth  far  more  than  the  annual  subscription 
of  one  guinea.  So  emphatic  are  we  ourselves  on  this  point  that 
we  feel  sure  if  gardeners  in  the  country  only  knew  the  true  value 
of  the  volumes,  two-thirds  of  them  at  least  would  be  Fellows  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  within  a  month.  Here  we  have 
the  highest  talent  swooped  into  one  book,  and  each  individual 
treating  on  subjects  he  is  a  specialist  in. 
Colonel  TV  heatley,  C.B.,  R.E.,  contributes  a  long  and  interest¬ 
ing  paper  on  “The  London  Parks.”  Provincial  readers  as  a 
rule  have  great  respect  for  the  bedding  and  general  arrangements 
of  London  parks,  and  by  them  especially  Colonel  Wheatley’s 
useful  and  thorough  essay  should  be  read  with  keen  appreciation. 
Then  comes  a  resume  of  Professor  George  Henslow’s  lectuw'-s, 
delivered  mainly  for  the  benefit  of  the  students  in  the  Societ'^’s 
gardens  at  Chi.swick,  last  summer.  TYe  had  the  opportunity  to 
attend  these  lectures,  and  can  testify  to  their  high  utility  and 
most  interesting  form. 
Professor  Henslow  is  both  original  in  his  deductions  (or  a 
great  many  of  them)  and  states  subtle  botanical  knowledge  in  a 
manner  that  proves  as  attractive  as  a  well-told  fairy-tale. 
Truths  told  in  his  way  linger  in  the  lay  mind.  Flis  subjects  a.s 
given  at  Chiswick  are “  Propagation  Without  Seeds  ”  ;  “  Ho'v 
Plants  Climb  ”  ;  “  Awakening  of  Buds,  Sleeping  of  Leaves  ”  ;  and, 
lastly,  “Injuries  from  Fog  and  Smoke,”  which  is  specially 
apposite  for  London  horticulturists  at  this  moment. 
The  late  Rev.  Henry  Ewbank,  M.A.,  T'.M.H.,  furnishes 
thoughts  on  the  “  Oncocyclus  Irises,”  and  this  was  probably  his 
last  extended  essay  on  Irises.  Mr.  J.  Hogg,  of  Haarlem,  folio  vs 
with  a  short  essay  entitled,  “Experiments  with  Oncocyclus 
Irises.” 
This  volume  is  of  very  special  value  in  view  of  the  Lily  Con¬ 
ference  Report  it  embodies,  and  which  opens  with  Mr.  J.  G. 
Baker’s  paper  on  the  new  species  introduced  since  1880.  All  the 
various  papers,  of  which  we  gave  summarised  reports  at  the  time 
of  the  Conference,  appear  in  full.  A  certain  book  on  Lilies 
recently  was  published  at  the  price  of  8s.  6d.  Here,  in  the 
R.H.S.  Journal,  is  an  extensive  and  valuable  record  treating 
on  all  phases  of  the  subject  of  Lilies,  together  with  the  numerous 
other  splendid  articles,  and  can  be  had  by  Non-Fellows  for  7s.  6d.  ! 
TT  e  must  not  conclude  without  noticing  Mr.  Arthur  William 
Paul’s  (TTilliam  Paul  and  Son)  paper  on  “Roses  for  Autumn 
Flowering  ”:  Mr.  Charles  G.  TV^yatt’s  essay  on  “The  Cactus 
Dahlia  ”  :  “  T  ines  and  TT'ine-making  at  the  Paris  Exhibition,”  by 
Sir  James  Blyth,  Bart.  ;  interesting  “Common-Place  Notes,”  by 
the  Secretary  and  the  Superintendent  and  numerous  other  con¬ 
tributions  equally  deserving  of  an  extended  notice.  The  best  we 
can  do,  however,  is. to  advise  the  purchase  of  the  R.H.S.  Journal. 
The  publication  has,  perhaps,  a  more  varied  class  of  readers- 
than  some  of  us  imagine ;  and  w'e  think  the  Editor,  the  Rev.  W. 
Wilks,  does  quite  right  in  providing  a  varied  fare — we  refer  tO’ 
the  inclusion  of  scientific,  as  well  as  the  practical  notes,  in' the- 
“  Abstracts.”  The  tail-pieces  ought,  however,  to  be  considered, 
and  perhaps  removed.  The  illustrations  from  contemporary 
journalism  enliven  the  Society’s  Journal,,  and  as  these  represent 
the  novelties  of  the  months,  where  is  the  necessity  for  the  Society 
to  produce  blocks  of  its  own.P  From  what  we  have  said  above,  it 
will  be  seen  that  we  place  a  high  value  on  this  Journal,  and  oni 
the  work  of  its  Editor. 
English  Fruit  Growers  and  Foreign  Competition. 
At  the  end  of  last  week  we  received  from  a  correspondent 
the  following  letter,  which  appeared  in  “  The  Times  ”  on  Decem¬ 
ber  27,  1901.  Our  correspondent  adds,  “Please  assist  the  Eng¬ 
lish  fruit-grower,”  and  surely  we  will  with  all  our  heart.  The 
letter  is  given  herewith  :  — 
Facts  about  Jam. 
“  Mr.  Rider  Haggard  favours  small  holdings  for  the  growing, 
of  Strawberries  and  small  fruits,  which  would  tend  to  lessen  the 
foreigners’  bill  for  these  kinds  of  fruit  they  send  to  us,  but  some 
critics  want  to  contend  that  we  only  import  Strawberries  in  bulk 
from  France,  and  f^hese  only  received  up  to  the  moment  that 
ours  are  ready,  consequently  no  harm  is  done  to  the  British 
grower.  Let  me  correct  the.se  critics  and  say  we  get  Straw- 
beiuies.  Raspberries,  and  Currants  not  only  from  France,  but 
also  from  Holland  and  Belgium — Plums  also  from  Germany — at 
the  same  time  that  ours  are  on  the  market,  which  are  sold  for 
the  jam  pot,  and  not  for  dessert,  25  per  cent,  at  least  cheaper 
than  our  home-grown;  the  same  countries  are  a' so  pulping  and 
sending  to  us  their  fruits  in  larger  quantities  than  formerly. 
Notwithstanding  this,  it  would  be  suicidal  to  try  to  check  the- 
importation  of  this  foreign  fruit. — by  all  means  let  it  come  in 
abundance  and  so  give  the  poor  man  a  chance  of  cheap  jam  ;  but 
when  it  arrives  on  this  side  let  theiEngl'sh  fruit-grower — and  I 
am  one — have  fair  play.  Foreign  and  English  fruit  is  classed 
alike  by  many  of  our  large  jam  manufacturers. — that  is,  they 
make  no  di‘-tinction  in  the  labelling,  of  the  jam  pots  ;  it  is  all 
labelled  ‘  Made  of  best  selected  fruit.’  Comment  as  to  -VYhich' 
is  the  better  flavour,  and  which  has  the  most  nutritive  qualities, 
is  unneceesa^y.  The  small  steamers  carrying  this  Contdrental 
fruit  are  not  like  the-  large  ocean  liners  fitted  with  cool  chambers,, 
consequently^,  in  order  that  the  fruit  may  have  the  necessary  air 
and  V.  ntilat'ion,  it  comes  as  deck  cargo,  and  by  so  doing  frequently 
gets  a  good  soak'ng  of  heaven’s  rain  or  sea-water.  A  consider¬ 
able  weight  of  such  fruit  has  this  past  season  been  condemned  as 
unfit  for  human  consumption.  Just  imagine  the  harm  this- 
inferior  deck  cargo  fruit,  with  a  joumev  of  two  or  three  days, 
beinv  made  into  jam  and  labePed  ‘  Best  selected,’  does  the 
English  grower.  Mr.  Hanbury,  M.P.,  Pi-esident  of  the  Board  of 
Agriculture,  at  the  d'nner  of  the  Farmers’  Club,  when 
speahing  of  our  declining  agriculture,  said  the  time  had'  come 
when  the  policy  of  lettino:  everything  slide — of  the  Government 
pract’cady  leaving  everything  to  sink  or  swim — would  have  to 
be  abandoned,  for  in  all  our  industries  alike  the  Government 
w-ou'd  have  to  take  a  much  more  practical  interest  in  these- 
matters  than  had  hitherto  been  the  case.  Mr.  Gladstone  was- 
right  in  recommending  jam-making,  but  it  is  the  system  of  the- 
labelHng  that  is  wrong.  It  is  possible  to  put  this  right,  and 
when  it  s,  England’s  fruit-growing  industry  will  grow  by  leaps 
and  bounds,  finding  prof  table  and  congenial  occupation  for  our 
boys.  Mr.  Rider  Haggard  says  there  are  thousands  of  acres  in 
this  country  of  suitable  land  not  yet  planted.  I  quite  believe 
him. — Fruit-Groweii.” 
This  letter  is  a  materialisation  of  the  sentiments  of  a,ll  our 
English  frilit-growers.  TVhy  do  not  the  leading  members  in  the- 
ranks  of  this  great  fruit-growing  army  promptly  amalgamate, 
discu  s  the  whole  question  of  foreign  competition,  of  railway- 
rates,  comm’ssions,  and  other  pressing  factors  in  connection  with 
their  business,  and  reso've  on  what  can  best  be  done?  A  feeble- 
cry  or  piece  of  writing  here  and  there  in  the  Press  is  never  the 
way  to  g:’t  gr'evances  adjusted — where  grievances  exist.  Only 
by  st'ong  united  action,  coupled  with  insistence,  and  a  plain, 
clear  record  of  facts,  witli  directions  for  likely  remedies,  can  our 
commerc  al  fruit-growers  hope  to  have  the  great  strain  lessened. 
Let  them  in  the  meantime  cultivate  the  very  best  fruit;  this 
usually  finds  a  place  wa  ting  in  all  markets.  Competition  ought 
to  ensure  this.  If  it  does  it  will  be  a  good  thing.  Many  of  our 
home  eroweis  are  lamentably  behind  both  in  cidture  and  in 
marketing.  Let  them  come  up  to  the  highest  standard  of  excel¬ 
lence  on  these  points,  and  so  make  their  fruits,  and  the  jams 
from  them,  so  very  superior  to  jams  made  from  foreign  fruit,  that 
the  former  cannot  fail  to  be  noted  for  its  unmistakeably  higher 
excellence. 
