July  li,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
eeks  ago,  even  before  the  May  Duke  and  other  early  varieties 
were  ready  for.  picking,  there  were  indications  that  the  important 
season  was  about  to  open.  Bills  and  posters  appeared  in  conspicuous 
places  announcing  the  Cherry  sales,  for  let  it  be  understood  that  every 
grower  does  not  pick  and  market  his  own  fruit.  The  auctioneer  plays 
ms  part  here,  as  well  as  the  speculator,  for  the  fruit  in  many  orchards 
is  brought  under  the  hammer  as  it  stands,  and  knocked  down  to  the 
highest  b  dder,  who  has  then  to  pick  and  market  the  Cherrif-s,  and 
look  after  his  own  profits.  It  requires  some  judgment  to  be  able  to 
form  a  correct  idea  of  how  much  fruit  a  certain  orchard  will  produce, 
and  to  set  a  value  on  it  ;  but  the  biddiug  is  invariably  brisk,  and  the 
prices  obtained  for  certain  orchards  will  often  steadily  mount  up  to 
hundreds  of  pounds.  Anybody  but  an  experienced  Cherry  buyer 
would  naturally  hesitate  to  speculate  so  much  money,  and  take  the 
risk  ;  but  the  men  know  their  business,  and  what  is  more,  they  are 
acquainted  with  the  orchards  and  understand  their  capacities.  Bad 
deals,  of  course,  are  not  uncommon  ;  but,  generally  speaking,  the  buyer 
knows  what  he  is  about,  and  comes  out  on  the  right  side. 
In  the  Kentish  Cherry  districts  picking  is  an  important  business. 
Last  year  there  was  a  great  outcry  for  labour,  but  this  season  I  have 
not  heard  so  much  of  scarcity,  which  seems  to  point  to  a  slackening 
of  trade  in  other  directions.  As  soon  as  the  redness  appears  on  the 
early  fruits,  the  first  move  is  mad<\  This  consists  of  long  ladders, 
very  broad  at  the  bottom  and  tapering  at  the  top,  being  brought  into 
the  orchard,  then  piles  of  round  sieves  appear  in  various  places,  very 
ofteu  a  round  bell  tent  as  well  for  the  accommodation  of  packers  in 
inclement  weather,  and,  of  course,  the  pa'rol  with  his  gun.  The  latter 
is  most  essential,  for  ripening  Cherries  are  too  tempting  for  the 
feathered  tribe,  that  would  soon  play  sad  havoc  if  protective  measures 
were  not  adopted.  The  Cherry  tender  has  to  be  on  the  alert  too, 
for  while  he  is  looking  after  the  fruit  at  one  end  of  the  orchard,  the 
thieving  birds  are  stealing  it  at  the  other,  and  long  before  half  the 
world  is  awake  the  sound  of  shooting  is  heard  on  every  side,  and 
this  continues  through  the  day  and  until  evening  is  lost  in  the  darkness 
of  night. 
These  notes  are  being  written  after  a  series  of  journeys  made  in  the 
heart  of  the  Cherry  district,  but  I  will  attempt  no  word  pictures  of 
the  beauty  of  the  orchards  with  the  bright  red  fruits  peeping  from  a 
canopy  of  foliage.  The  beauty  of  the  sight  is  only  equalled  earlier  in 
the  season,  when  the  trees  are  sheets  of  living  blos-oms,  and  nothing 
in  Nature  could  be  more  charming  than  that.  Now  the  effect  is 
somewhat  spoiled  by  the  heads  of  half  a  dozen  country  women  peeping 
out  amongst  the  branches,  engaged  in  the  all-important  work  of 
picking.  I  fancy  some  ladies  of  nervous  temperament  would  hesitate 
some  time  before  mounting  a  ladder  and  climbing  amongst  the 
branches  of  a  tall  Cherry  tree.  But  the  women  and  girls  of  Kent 
think  little  of  it.  A  large  quantity  of  the  fruit  is  picked  by  females, 
and  the  gossip  and  the  laughter  that  proceed  from  the  orchard  give 
evidence  that  nerves  are  not  considered  much.  The  men  fix  the 
ladders  and  attend  to  the  packing,  but  the  wives  and  daughters  do 
most  of  the  picking,  and  with  baskets  slung  over  their  shoulders  they 
trip  up  the  tall  ladders,  and  seem  as  much  at  home  amongst  the 
branches  of  a  high  Cherry  tree  as  they  do  on  terra  firma  beneath. 
Naturally  the  growers  prefer  local  labour,  and  it  is  not  much  use  calling 
to  chat  with  the  good-wife  of  the  rustic  labourer  during  Cherry  time^ 
because  it  is  a  hundred  to  one  that  she  will  be  out  in  the  orchard. 
But  there  is  a  moving  community  also  about  when  the  picking  season 
is  on.  Some  work  their  way  down  from  London,  some  come  from  the 
neighbouring  towns,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  native  element.  The  other  day  I  was  wheeling  my  “  bike”  up  a  hill 
in  a  Cherry-growing  district,  when  I  was  accosted  by  several  men  with 
wives  and  families  in  tow,  who  inquired  the  way  to  a  certain  farm, 
and  asked  in  tones  highly  suggestive  of  Mile  End  Road  whether  I 
thought  there  would  be  any  chance  of  a  job  of  picking  up  there.  Of 
course  I  couldn’t  say,  but  I  think  I  should  hesitate  about  trusting  a 
Cherry  tree  of  mine  in  such  hands  if  there  was  any  alternative. 
And  this  business  goes  on  till  all  the  Cherries  are  picked  and 
disposed  of.  First  the  May  Dukes  and  other  early  varieties,  followed 
by  the  Bigarreau,  Amber  Hearts,  Black  Hearts,  and  the  rest  of  them, 
so  well  known  to  Kentish  growers,  and  the  Morellos  to  finish  up  the 
season.  But  the  business  does  not  begin  and  end  in  the  orchards. 
The  drays,  loaded  with  sieves,  rattle  away  down  the  quiet  lanes, 
railway  vans  swallow  them  up,  the  market  claims  them  next,  and 
they  go  this  way,  that  way,  every  way,  in  order  that  the  million  may 
have  its  Cherries.  It  is  a  great  business,  that  Kent  may  practically 
claim  as  its  own.  Crops  are  good,  heavy,  indeed,  in  some  places;  but 
oo  matter  how  many  Cherries  there  are,  you  never  hear  sad  tales  of 
no  returns,  and  fruit  is  never  allowed  to  fall  to  the  ground,  as  was  the 
case  with  other  stone  fruits  last  season.  This  speaks  volumes  for  the 
popularity  of  the  Cherry,  and  judging  from  the  number  of  young 
•orchards  to  be  seen  on  every  sioe  coming  into  bearing,  there  is  no 
reason  to  think  that  Kent  in  the  future  will  be  at  all  behindhand  in 
the  matter  of  supply. — G.  H.  Hollingworth. 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
‘‘Here  awa’,  There  awa’.” 
Much,  no  doubt,  will  be  published  in  print  from  various  sources, 
conveying  many  opinions  of  numerous  thinkers,  bearing  on  the  grand, 
and  one  ought  to  say  magnificent,  show  of  the  National  Rose  Society, 
which  passed  off  with  such  splendid  success  on  Thursday  last  in  London. 
We  need  not  pause  to  consider  the  objections  or  lack  of  interest  which  a 
few  of  the  National  Rose  Society’s  members — and  hitherto  valuable 
members — have  shown,  because  the  Society  has  refused  to  go  down  to 
the  Crystal  Palace,  as  in  years  past.  Thanks  to  Dean  Hole,  Rev. 
Honeywood  D’Ombrain,  Mr.  Edward  Mawley,  and  a  number  of  other 
enthusiastic  and  highly  valued  workers  of  the  Society,  this 
Temple  Rose  Show 
of  the  National  Rose  Society  passed  with  the  utmost  satisfaction.  There 
has  been  suppressed  anxiety — a  patient  waiting,  hoping,  watching,  and 
eagerness  on  the  part  of  the  many  men  to  be  in  one  way  or  another 
affected  by  this  midsummer  event.  For  a  week  preceding  the  show  one 
was  conscious  of  that  mystic  “  something  in  the  air,”  whioh  was  only 
lifted  away  when  the  clearing-out  bell  rang  on  Thursday  morning,  and  the 
first  “  Temple  ”  Rose  Show  was  complete  and  ready  for  public  opinion. 
The  weather  during  the  days  immediately  prior  to  the  show  were  such 
as  to  furnish  cause  for  anxiety  amongst  intending  exhibitors,  for  heavy 
rains  and  thunderstorms,  acoomnanied  by  stiff  winds,  came  down  of  a 
sudden,  and  certainly  had  no  influence  for  good.  Still,  although  many 
entries  were  below  par,  the  show  on  this  occasion  was  the  most  enjoy¬ 
able,  the  most  beautiful,  and  from  nearly  every  point  of  view  the  best 
show  ever  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  National  Rose  Sooiety. 
The  arrangements  were  perfectly  planned,  and  proceeded  like  clock¬ 
work.  Her  Gracious  Majesty  Queen  Alexandra,  as  patroness,  honoured 
the  Temple  exhibition  by  her  presence,  with  that  of  her  suite,  and  not 
for  a  very  long  day  will  the  deserving  and  striving  society  of  rosarians 
forget  her  Majesty’s  kindness.  The  Queen  leisurely  inspected  the 
exhibits  along  all  the  tables,  being  under  the  escort  of  the  Very  Rev. 
the  Dean  of  Rochester  and  Mr.  E.  Mawley.  The  new  rambler  Rose 
bearing  the  title  of  Queen  Alexandra,  from  Messrs.  J.  Yeitch  &  Sons,  Ltd., 
gave  her  immense  interest,  and  her  Majesty  discussed  its  merits  for  some 
minutes.  An  exhibit  of  twelve  vases  of  this  new  gold  medal  seedling 
had  been  effectively  arranged.  Before  her  departure  the  Queen  was 
presented  with  a  massive  bouquet  of  Roses  in  two  appropriate  pink 
varieties — to  wit,  H.P.  Her  Majesty  and  Queen  Alexandra  Rambler. 
Then,  in  the  afternoon  the  elite  of  London  sooiety  came,  and  wide  though 
the  tents  and  spaces  between  the  tables  were,  at  times  there  was  more 
squeezing  than  was  good  for  the  ladies’  lovely  and  expensive  gowns,  or 
their  own  likes.  Everyone  seemed  delighted,  and  how  pleasant  it  must 
have  been  to  the  real  rosarian  to  hear  many  voices  utter  the  remark 
that  “  one  never  gets  tired  of  looking  at  Roses.” 
Maman  Cochet  variety  was  especially  well  shown  in  all  parts 
of  the  show,  and  for  a  time  this  name  was  in  everybody’s  mouth. 
This  was  far  and  away  first  ;  but  Bessie  Brown,  that  beautiful  new 
H.T.  sent  out  in  1899  by  Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  &  Sons,  and  which 
secured  the  silver  medal  as  the  best  bloom  in  its  section  staged  in  the 
amateurs’  classes,  was  also  a  great  favourite.  Pink  Hybrid  Perpetuals, 
as  represented  by  Her  Majesty,  Mrs.  John  Laing,  and  Ulster,  were 
frequently  the  subject  of  very  special  comment  ;  but  such  others  as 
Alfred  Colomb,  A.  K.  Williams,  Captain  Hayward,  Clio,  Dupuy  Jamain, 
Eugenie  Verdier,  Fisher  Holmes,  Gustave  Piganeau,  John  Stuart  Mill, 
Louis  Van  Houtte,  Madame  Gabriel  Luizet,  Marchioness  of  Downshire, 
Marchioness  of  Dufferin,  Merveille  de  Lyon,  Mrs.  Sharman  Crawford, 
Suzanne  Marie  Rodooanachi,  Tom  Wood,  Victor  Hugo,  Victor  Verdier, 
and  Xavier  Olibo,  were  the  recipients  of  spontaneous  praise  from 
numbers  of  the  visitors. 
Of  course  the  Hybrid  Teas  received  great  attention,  and  such  lovely 
varieties  as  Captain  Christy,  Clara  Wa'son,  and  especially  Kaiserin 
Augusta  Viotoria,  were  the  cause  of  many  ecstatio  outbursts.  Gruss 
an  Teplitz,  Gustave  Regis,  and  the  exquisite  lilac-pink  Killarney,  were 
also  much  admired  ;  and  indeed  there  were  many  others  that  could  not 
but  be  adored,  so  beautiful  were  they,  as  L’Innocenoe,  Marquis  of 
Salisbury,  Marquise  Litta,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  Viscountess  Folkestone, 
White  Lady,  and  Tennyson.  As  a  Tea-scented  Rose  Mrs.  Edward 
Mawley  showed  up  most  magnificently  ;  it  builds  a  large  and  handsome 
flower.  The  Noisette  Roses,  and  the  large  section  of  pure  and  true 
garden  decorative  varieties,  attracted  throngs  of  visitors  during  the 
long  afternoon.  The  heat  under  canvas  was  very  great,  and  told 
severely  both  on  the  flowers  and  their  admirers.  The  exhibits  were  on 
the  usual  3  feet  tables,  covered  with  baize,  back  to  back,  in  three 
marquees,  each  about  150  feet  in  length,  and  arranged  like  the  letter  L. 
There  was  a  very  respectable  spread  of  canvas.  All  of  the  ground  space 
between  the  central  and  side  tables  was  laid  with  boarding,  nice  to 
walk  upon  in  two  of  the  tents,  but  the  flooring  in  the  north  tent  was 
both  an  eyesore  and  dangerous  as  well.  This  was  through  using  new 
wood  and  freshly  made  “  flats.”  It  would  be  unkind  to  conclude 
without  a  small  recognition  of  the  valuable  services  rendered  by  Mr. 
S.  T.  Wright  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens,  Chiswick, 
He  was  active  early  in  the  morning  and  till  late  at  night. — Wandering 
Willie. 
