January  5,  1699. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
3 
have  to  decide.  The  class  of  flower  to  which  the  greater  number  of 
“awards  of  merit”  have  been  given  follows  the  lines  of  the  last  few 
years.  We  have  the  Orchils,  which  may  be  called  the  rich  man’s 
flower;  at  the  other  end  of  the  scale  the  Chrysanthemum,  which  is 
par  excellence  the  flower  of  the  poor  man.  The  former  can  only  be 
successfully  cultivated  by  those  who  have  a  good  statf  of  gardeners, 
while  the  veriest  shanty  can  so  well  protect  the  Chrysanthemum  that 
a  cottager  may  grow  and  exhibit  them,  and,  as  I  know,  carry  off  prizes 
from  those  with  much  ampler  means  at  their  disposal. 
In  looking  through  the  list,  then,  I  find  that  “awards  of  merit” 
we  e  given  to  seven  Cypripediums,  seventeen  Cattleyas,  ten  Lmlias, 
sixteen  Lmlio-Cattleyas,  nineteen  Odontoglossums,  and  seven  Dendro- 
biums — in  all  sixty-nine,  a  pretty  good  record ;  and  the  question 
naturally  arises,  Are  these  all  sufficiently  distinct  to  justify  the  Com¬ 
mittee  in  giving  them  these  awards  ?  In  former  days — and  I  am  not 
sure  it  is  not  the  same  now — florists  were  roundly  rated  for  con¬ 
sidering  various  flowers  distinct  in  which  it  was  said  no  one  but  the 
raiser  of  it  could  have  seen  any  difference.  Botanists  especially  dealt 
very  hard  blows  on  us,  and  it  is  a  grim  satisfaction  that  they  now  are 
sorely  perplexed  as  to  what  to  do  with  the  many  new  varieties  result¬ 
ing  from  cross-hybridisation.  The  same  may  be  said  with  regard  to 
Chrysaiithemums.  There  are  multitudes  of  flowers  in  which  the 
difference  between  them  and  those  already  in  cultivation  is  not 
easily  distinguishable ;  but  there  are  a  few  of  remarkable  merit, 
such  as  Lord  Cromer  and  H.  J.  Jones,  which  promise  novelty  and 
brightness  of  colour,  and  will  no  doubt  ba  generally  acceptable 
and  much  used  for  e.xhibition.  We  have  whites  and  yellows  in 
abundance,  and  require  something  now  to  brighten  up  cur  stages 
and  greenhouses. 
There  have  been  some  striking  additions  in  Cactus  D.ihlias,  while 
Mr.  Engleheart’s  Narcissus  show  how  much  can  be  done  by  a  careful 
and  painstaking  hybridiser.  The  Gladiolus  docs  not  seem  to  receive 
so  many  awards  as  usual,  although  Mr.  Kelway  of  Langpoi  t  and  Mr. 
Burrell  of  Cambridge  have  exhibited  some  striking  novelties.  When 
one  sees  the  splendid  collections  sho.vn  by  these  gentlemen  I  was 
tempted  to  ask,  “  Why  is  not  the  flower  more  popular?  ’’  The  only 
answer  I  think  to  this  is  that  they  entail  a  great  deal  of  trouble  if 
they  are  successfully  cultivated,  and  also  the  fact  that  so  many  of 
them  fail  each  year. 
Neither  do  I  think  there  is  much  to  record  in  ga:den  literature. 
The  weekly  periodicals  seem  to  flourish,  and  I  do  not  think  anyone 
can  say  the  Journal  lags  behind,  and  I  think  its  Editor  may  well  be 
satisfiel  with  the  high  position  it  occuides  amongst  its  fellows.  We 
miss,  it  is  true,  the  productions  of  many  a  facile  writer,  but  then  there 
are  others  who  come  forward  to  take  their  place.  I  cannot  but  think 
that  many  more  of  our  younger  men  might  train  themselves  in  giving 
to  the  gardening  world  the  results  of  their  experience. 
In  general  garden  literature  we  have  had  but  few  additions.  A 
chatty  and  pleasantly  written  book  on  Roses  at  Cannes  has  been  given 
to  the  world  by  Lord  Brougham  and  Vaux,  who  does  not  profess  to 
give  a  new  treatise  on  the  culture  of  the  Rose,  but  only  to  describe 
them  as  they  grow  in  that  favoured  locality ;  and  one  reads  with 
feelings  akin  to  envy  of  the  marvellous  bushes  and  trees  of  Teas 
and  Noisettes  especially  which  there  delight  the  cultivator  if  he  can 
avail  himself  of  the  deep  rich  soil  and  sunny  skies.  It  has,  of 
course,  its  drawbacks;  Hybrid  Perpetuals  are  not  such  a  joy  there 
as  they  are  with  us ;  but  during  the  spring  months  the  Teas  and 
Noisettes  must  afford  a  treat  of  which  we  can  have  no  idea  in  our 
colder  climate. 
During  the  many  years  in  which  I  have  been  permittei  to  send 
this  message  to  the  readers  of  the  Journal,  I  never  remember  one  in 
which  the  death  roll  has  been  so  small.  Many  of  those  who  have 
left  us  during  the  past  year  do  not  form  such  a  blank  in  our  daily 
life  as  was  the  case  with  some  of  those  whose  death  we  had  to 
deplore  in  former  j'cars ;  in  truth,  the  best  known  amongst  them  was 
Mr.  James  Bateman,  whose  death  belongs  really  to  last  year,  he 
having  died  on  November  27th,  1897.  He  was  for  many  years  a 
conspicuous  member  of  the  Council  of  the  R.H.S.,  the  pioneer  in  the 
more  rational  treatment  of  Orchids,  of  which  he  had  a  large  collection 
at  Biddulph  Grange,  and  a  ready  speaker  in  all  matters  connected 
with  horticulture.  ^Ir.  Pulham  of  Broxbournc,  a  man  avhose  artistic 
tastes  had  been  much  called  into  requisition  by  those  who  wore 
forming  artificial  rockeries  in  their  gardens,  while  his  successful 
arrangements  at  Battersea  Park  and  other  public  gardens  brought 
him  into  the  prominent  nffice  of  tlio  public.  The  name  of  M.  Jean 
Linden,  at  Brussels,  recalls  to  mind  one  of  the  'most  energetic  and 
accomplished  of.  foreign  horticulturists.  Many  of  our  countrymen, 
like  myself,  have  shared  his  hospitality,  and  know  how  great  a  loss 
his  death  is. 
The  Horticultural  Club,  which  has  now  for  so  many  years  formed 
a  bond  cf  social  union ,pmougst  horticulturists,  both  amateur  and  pro¬ 
fessional,  has  continued  its  useful  career;  its  rooms  afford  a  meeting 
jilace  for  sccictits  of  various  kinds,  while  its  monthly  dinners  and 
conversaziones  have  been  greatly  enjoyed  and  well  attended,  and  the 
papers  read  and  discussed  at  its  meetings  have  b.cn  of  a  valuable 
character.  Most  of  them  have  appeared  in  the  girdening  periodicals; 
it  affords  an  opportunity  also  for  welcoming  foreign  hort'culairists, 
and  in  the  coming  year  will  be  further  utilised  in  welcoming  those 
distinguished  foreigners  who  may  attend  the  conference  on  hybridising, 
inaugurated  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
And  now,  my  brothers  and  sisters — ought  I  not  rather  to  say 
sons  and  daughters? — to  whom  our  gentle  craft  has  given  so  much 
pleasure  in  years  p.ast,  suffer  a  word  of  encour.igemjut  from  one 
who  has,  as  ho  has  often  told,  derivel  intense  satisfaction  and 
enjoyment  from  his  flowers.  Of  course  the  enthusiasm  of  former 
years  has  cooled  down,  bat  still,  in  the  evening  of  his  long  da}’, 
there  is  an  immense  amount  of  quiet  enjoyment  to  be  had.  I  s.ay 
to  you  then.  Go  on  and  prosper;  cultivate  your  gardens  and  enjoy 
your  flowers  without  refetence  to  medals,  cups,  pieces  of  prlate,  or 
money’,  and  whether  you  go  amongst  your  flowers  when  spring  has 
contributed  its  beauties  to  your  enjoyment,  or  summer  has  loaded 
you  avith  its  treasures  of  sight  and  perfume,  or  even  when  autumn 
has  shattered  y’our  favourites,  learn  such  lessons  for  your  daily  life 
as  may  the  better  fit  you  to  be  ready  for  that  call  which  comes  to 
us  all,  so  that  you  may  look  forward  to  that  Paradise  of  God  which 
has  been  won  for  us  by  Him  who  is  the  R'.se  of  Sharon  and  the 
Lily  of  the  Valley. — D.,  Real. 
APPLES  WORTH  GROWING. 
{JJontinued  from  page  4iJ4,  December-  Wi,  1898.) 
I  MAY  first  mention  that  the  garden  is  about  350  yards  from  the  bank 
of  the  river  Humber,  and  about  five  miles  west  of  Hull.  When  there 
are  high  spring  tides  the  bank  is  often  covered  with  water.  The  garden 
slopes  a  little  to  the  south.  The  formation  is  chalk.  Between  the 
chalk  and  the  surface  soil  (of  5  to  8  inches  in  the  fields)  there  is  a  bed 
of  hard  dull  red  hungry  clay  6  to  8  feet  thick — not  an  ideal  soil  for 
fruit  culture,  as  will  be  admitted.  The  red  clay  of  Nottinghamshire, 
where  fruit  does  well,  is  of  a  bright  red.  To  p'ant  Apples  here  and 
give  them  the  best  of  care  afterwards  will  not  give  results  equal  to  those 
from  Apples  planted  in  the  Cray  valley,  Kent,  and  which  practically 
receive  no  attention  after  the  soil  has  been  well  worked  before  planting, 
and  keeping  it  loose  on  the  surface  afterwards. 
Most  of  our  Apples  are  grown  on  bush  trees — young  trees  bought 
from  the  nursery.  Standards  appear  to  be  of  little  use  in  comparison. 
There  is  an  orchard  of  standard  trees  at  the  farm  about  300  yards 
from  the  garden.  The  trees  have  been  neglected,  and  the  varieties  are 
inferior.  Those  trees  do  not  half  pay  what  would  be  a  reasonable 
rent  for  the  ground  that  they  stand  on.  We  grow  some  cordon  Apples 
on  the  walls  from  maidens  of  the  newer  varieties.  I  have  had  orders 
from  my  employer  to  grub  up  all  the  Peach  and  Apiicot  trees  growing 
on  the  walls  through  planting  about  forty  cordon  Ajrples  two  years 
ago,  and  to  these  are  niow  added  fifty  Cox's  Orange  Pippins.  In  value 
the  crops  of  Peaches  and  Apricots  bear  no  comparison  with  that  of 
the  Apples. 
Wlien  a  young  bush  tree  three  ye.ars  old  is  bought  from  the  nursery 
its  training  is  only  then  begun.  After  that  the  tree  can  either  be 
ruined  for  fruit  bearing,  or  made  productive  and  valuable.  See  the 
notes  from  “  Nurseryman  ”  on  page  452,  December  15'.h,  they  are  very 
true.  Some  of  the  bush  trees  here  planted  alongside  the  garden  walks 
have  grown  to  the  height  of  9  to  12  feet,  with  their  centres  open  and 
