128 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
August  8,  1901. 
Crystal  Palace  Prult  Show. — The  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s 
eighth  annual  show  of  British  grown  fruit  will  be  held  at  the  Crystal 
Palace  on  October  10th,  lltb,  and  12th.  The  prize  schedule  is  now 
ready,  and  contains,  in  addition  to  the  list  of  prizes,  an  authoritative 
list  of  dessert  and  cooking  Apples,  Pears,  and  Plums.  Copies  can  be 
obtained  on  application  to  the  Secretary,  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
117,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster.  Applicants  should  enclose  a  stamp 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. — At  a  general  meeting  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society,  held  on  Tuesday,  July  30th,  forty-one 
new  Fellows  were  elected  (making  688  since  the  beginning  of  the 
present  year),  amongst  them  being  Lady  Cranworth,  Lady  Pollock,  the 
Hon.  Mrs.  Gretton,  the  Right  Hon.  R.  W.  Hanburv,  M.P.,  the  Hon.  N. 
Charles  Rothschild,  and  Clement  Godson,  Esq.,  M.D.  *  *  The  next 
Fruit  and  Flower  Show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held 
on  Tuesday,  August  13th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham  Gate,  West¬ 
minster,  1  to  5  p.m.  A  leoture  on  “  Tender  Plants  for  Outdoor 
Gardening”  will  be  given  by  Mr.  Wm.  Townsend  at  three  o’clock. 
*  *  The  Examination  Syllabus  has  been  revised  recently  by  the 
Council  acting  on  the  advice  of  the  examiners.  Intending  students 
should  send  a  penny  stamp  for  a  copy  of  it. 
The  Season’s  Fresh  Fruit. — The  large  arrival  of  fresh  fruit 
sold  last  week  in  Covent  Garden  Market  created  a  great  stir,  as 
thousands  of  packages  of  Pears  and  Plums  were  disposed  of,  and  all 
the  leading  fit  ms  in  the  trade  bought  up  the  fruit  readily.  The  Pears 
were  not  over-large,  but  they  were  clear-skinned  and  in  prime  condition, 
and  quite  ripe  and  fit  for  eating.  These  Californian  fruits  have  never 
been  marketed  in  such  quantities  at  this  time  of  the  year  before,  and 
they  bid  fair  to  run  French  Pears  and  Plums  very  closely  in  the  English 
markets.  As  they  will  be  poured  into  our  ports  at  the  rate  of  tenj 
twenty,  and  thirty  thousand  packages  at  the  time,  it  is  clear  that  they 
will  in  future  years  revolutionise  the  early  fresh  fruit  trade  of  the 
United  Kingdom. 
Cases  of  Theft  and  Damage. — At  the  Thingoe  and  Thedwastre 
Petty  Sessions  on  Wednesday,  July  24th,  B.  Fulcher,  fifty-six  years  of  agej 
foreman  bricklayer,  was  charged  with  damaging  seven  Box  shrubs  (to 
the  amount  of  19s.),  the  property  of  Sir  Henry  J.  C.  Bunbury,  Bart.,  at 
Great  Barton.  It  was  stated  that  the  age  of  the  trees  would  be  from 
thirty  to  fifty  years,  and  it  was  defendant’s  intention  to  use  the  wood 
for  handles  of  tools.  The  magistrates  regarded  the  offence  as  a  serious 
one,  especially  as  defendant  was  in  a  position  of  trust,  and  a  fine  of  £2, 
with  19s.  damage  and  10s.  costs,  was  imposed  ;  in  default,  a  month’s 
hard  labour.  A  week  allowed  for  payment.  *  *  At  the  Colohester 
Police  Court  on  Tuesday  of  last  week,  a  number  of  juveniles  were 
brought  forward  to  answer  a  charge  of  having  stolen  Strawberries,  &o., 
in  the  garden  of  Mr.  G.  H.  Maynard,  fruiterer.  They  were  fined. 
Edinburgh  Spring  Show. — At  the  outset  we  advise  all  who  are 
interested  in  gardening  in  the  north  to  secure  the  advance  schedule 
for  the  spring  show  of  the  Royal  Caledonian  Horticultural  Society. 
The  date  of  the  show  has  been  altered  to  one  month,  later — namely) 
to  May  7th  and  8th  instead  of  the  same  dates  in  April,  as  heretofore. 
The  name  and  address  of  the  secretary  is  Mr.  P.  Murray  Thompson, 
5,  York  Place,  Edinburgh.  In  this  advance  schedule  we  find,  on  pages 
7  and  8,  competitions  for  young  gardeners,  which,  if  not  a  novelty  in 
every  schedule,  at  least  is  so  in  this  Edinburgh  one.  It  ought  to  have 
the  serious  attention  of  every  young  Soottish  gardener.  We  recall  the 
good  work  inaugurated  a  few  years  ago  by  the  Soottish  Horticultural 
Association,  whereby  they  paid  for  lectures  by  the  best  chemists, 
botanists,  and  physicists  in  Edinburgh,  and  any  young  gardener  for 
miles  around  “  Auld  Reekie  ”  was  encouraged  to  attend,  and  afterwards 
to  oompete  in  the  examination.  The  writer  personally  obtained  very 
great  assistance  from  these  lectures,  and  many  men,  now  scattered  over 
continents  far  apart,  are  no  doubt  applying  in  their  practices  the 
learning  gained  in  Edinburgh.  We  are  highly  pleased  to  learn  of  the 
venture  by  the  “  Caledonian.” 
Cherries  have  been  selling  in  London  streets  at  a  penny  a  pound, 
and  good  ones  they  were  to  appearance. 
Scllly  Isles. — While  everywhere  else  the  Apple  harvest  of  this  year 
promises  to  be  one  of  the  most  prolific  on  record,  the  fruit  is  a  total 
failure  on  the  Scilly  Islands.  It  is  anticipated  there  will  not  be  enough 
for  local  consumption,  to  say  nothing  of  exportation. 
Correction. — Will  you  allow  me  to  correct  a  slight  error  which 
I  made  in  my  last  communication  to  you  ?  My  friend  the  Rev. 
H.  B.  Biron  says  that  it  was  not  Mrs.  B.  R.  Cant  to  which  he 
alluded  as  bearing  some  likeness  to  a  sport  obtained  by  my  neighbour 
Mr.  Foster,  but  another  Rose,  of  which  we  shall  hear  more  by-and-by. 
— D.,  Deal. 
Jennie  Gordon  Sweet  Pea. — Kindly  permit  me  to  correct  a 
slight  error  in  your  excellent  report  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea 
Exhibition.  You  state  thatithere  was  only  one  new  variety  certificated, 
Countess  Spencer,  but  in  addition  to  this  superb  variety,  a  F.C.C. 
was  awarded  to  Mr.  Eckford  for  a  giant  flowered  bicolor  named  Jennie 
Gordon.  In  this  case  form  and  size  were  simply  perfect  from  the  florist  s 
standpoint,  and  the  award  was  unanimous. — S.  B.  D. 
The  Xing  as  an  Exhibitor. — The  King,  on  Wednesday,  was  an 
exhibitor  at  the  annual  oottagers’  show  in  connection  with  the  Old 
Windsor  Horticultural  Society,  which  was  held  in  the  grounds  of  The 
Grange,  near  Windsor,  the  residence  of  Lady  Anne  Murray.  His 
Majesty  sent  a  magnificent  collection  of  flowers  from  the  Frogmore 
gardens  “  not  for  competition.”  Among  other  honorary  exhibits  was 
that  of  Baron  Schroder. 
The  Perthshire  Fruit  Harvest. — Too  good  a  harvest  is  the 
complaint  of  the  fruit  growers  in  Perthshire.  Fully  200  tons  of 
berries  were  despatched  from  the  Blairgowrie  district  last  week, 
and  prices  for  Strawberries  are  down  to  £7  and  £8  per  ton.  On  two 
of  the  largest  farms  the  fruit  is  to  be  left  to  rot,  as  the  price  offered 
will  not  pay  the  pioking.  Raspberries  are  also  a  big  crop,  but  the 
price  remains  at  £22  per  ton.  At  this  time  last  year  Strawberries 
were  selling  at  £23  to  £27  per  ton. 
Fruit  Curing. — The  Apricot  crop  is  fair,  and  of  good  quality 
generally.  A  better  dried  article  is  produced,  for  the  reason  that  the 
fruit  is  allowed  to  get  more  uniformly  ripe,  and  it  is  not  so  much  over- 
sulphured,  but  there  is  room  for  improvement  in  the  ouring  of  Peaches. 
The  Chinese  pack  injures  the  business  every  year  almost  beyond 
redemption,  there  not  being  sufficient  discrimination  between  it  and  a 
better  class  of  goods.  Dried  Peaches  should  be  more  largely  consumed  ; 
a  peeled  article  would  become  more  popular  if  a  little  oheaper,  and  if 
it  were  known  better.  The  ordinary  article  might  be  improved  by 
more  attention  being  given  to  brushing  the  fuzz  off.  In  curing,  the 
trays  should  be  stacked  after  the  first  few  days,  according  to  locality, 
and  the  fruit  allowed  to  finish  in  the  shade. 
Dangerous  Hemlock. — A  most  distressing  case  of  poisoning 
occurred  at  Millport  on  Sunday  evening,  the  sufferers  being  a  number 
of  the  boys  belonging  to  Slatefield  Industrial  School,  at  present 
encamped  at  Towmont.  During  their  afternoon  march  the  boys  rested 
by  the  roadside,  in  proximity  to  a  quantity  of  growing  Hemlock. 
Mistaking  the  Hemlock  for  an  edible  plant,  a  number  of  the  lads  ate 
some  of  it.  Almost  immediately  over  twenty  of  the  boys  were  seized 
with  violent  pains,  and  the  majority  of  them  had  to  be  carried  back  to 
camp.  The  superintendent  administered  an  emetic,  and  sent  for 
medical  assistance.  A  lad  of  nine  years,  named  John  Callaghan, 
however,  never  regained  consciousness,  and  died  that  night. 
national  Amateur  Gardeners’,  Xilverpool  Branch. — There 
were  many  attractions  in  the  district  on  the  day  chosen  (July  25th)  for 
the  annual  outing,  when  members  and  friends  to  the  number  of  twenty- 
five  journeyed  to  Chester  and  Eaton  Hall.  The  weather  was  most 
discouraging,  but  the  party  made  the  best  of  it,  and  a  very  good  half¬ 
day’s  outing  was  the  result.  The  president,  Mr.  Muir,  and  Mrs.  Muir  ;  the 
treasurer,  Mr.  Robins,  and  Mrs.  Robins ;  the  exhibition  secretaries,  Miss 
Hunter  and  Mr.  Arthur  Dodd,  were  of  the  party  who  left  the  Liverpool 
landing  Btage  at  12.30,  reaching  Chester  at  two  o’olook.  A  sail  up  the 
Dee,  and  Ecoleston  Ferry  was  reaohed  at  four  o’clock.  Going  through 
the  beautiful  park,  they  were  then  kindly  allowed  to  inspect  the 
corridor,  Nymphaea  house,  &c.,  which  gave  immense  pleasure  by  their 
perfect  condition.  A  most  enjoyable  repast  was  served  at  the  Iron 
Bridge,  Liverpool  being  reached  at  nine  o’clock. 
