December  13,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AED  COTTAGE  CARDER  EH 
541 
died  and  been  cleared  off,  the  beds  should  be  well  covered  withVresh 
manure.  Care  must  be  taken  that  this  operation  i.s  done  before  frosty 
weather  sets  in;  for  althoueh  Asparagus  is  hardy  when  established, 
many  young  plants  are  killed  by  frost,  especially  if  the  ground  be  wet. 
While  growing  liberal  applications  of  liquid  m  nure,  especially 
during  dry  weather  in  summer,  are  very  beneficial.  Gmno  aers 
quickly  if  strewn  over  the  beds  during  showery  weather.  Asparagus 
is  bent  fited  by  slight  applications  of  salt ;  and  if  seaweed  can  be 
obtained  it  may  be  laid  over  the  beds  in  autumn  instead  of  the  manure ; 
no  salt  is  then  required.  It  is  often  very  difficult  to  obtain  seaweed 
when  situated  some  distance  inland ;  however,  salt  can  be  u-ed,  but 
it  should  be  employed  carclully,  or  it  will  do  more  harm  than  good. 
Salt  can  be  applied  in  spring 
as  growth  commences,  which 
is  doubtless  the  best  time. 
When  it  is  U'cd  in  quantity 
during  the  autumn  and  win¬ 
ter  it  tends  to  keep  the  soil 
too  wet. — A.  N.  G. 
Two  Honored  Pears. 
The  numbers  of  Pears  that 
have  received  special  awards 
from  the  Royai  Horticultural 
Society  during  the  present 
season  have  been  consider¬ 
able,  and  though  some  per¬ 
sons  have  taken  exception  to 
some  because  they  were  old 
varieties,  there  can  be  no 
question  that  they  have  all 
been  of  splendid  flavour.  On 
December  4th  the  Fruit  and 
Vegetable  Committee  bad  for 
inspection  b’ouvelle  Fulvie, 
from  Mr.  G.  Woodward,  gar¬ 
dener  to  R(  ger  Leigh,  Esq., 
Barham  urt,  Maidstone,  for 
which  they  recommended  a 
first-class  certificate;  and 
Charles  Ernest,  from  Messrs, 
Jas.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd., 
Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chel¬ 
sea,  to  which  an  award  of 
merit  card  was  attached. 
Nouvelle  Fulvie  (fig.  139) 
is  an  old  Pear  that  is  not 
very  oommonly  grown,  not¬ 
withstanding  its  excellent 
flavour  and  undoubted  value 
for  Christmas  and  January 
use.  This  is  probably  ac¬ 
counted  for  by  the  fact  that 
it  is  a  somewhat  uncertain 
cropper  unless  it  is  afforded 
the  protection  of  a  wall.  In 
the  “Fiuit  Manual,”  Dr. 
H<  gg  states  that  it  was  raised 
by  M  'ns.  Gieaoire,  Jodoigne, 
Belgium,  in  1854.  The  Doc¬ 
tor’s  description  is  as  fol¬ 
lows  r  ‘‘  Fruit,  medium  sized  ; 
pyriform.  Bkin,  green, 
changing  to  yellow,  and 
thickly  dotted  all  over  with 
russet ;  when  fully  exposed, 
and  in  a  warm  climate,  it  has 
a  red  crimson  cheek,  which  is  bright  when  the  fruit  is  at  maturity. 
Eye,  half-open,  with  dry  horny  segments,  rather  deeply  set.  Stalk, 
about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long,  occasionally  fleshy,  and  unired 
to  the  fruit  by  some  fleshy  folds.  Flesh,  fine  grained,  melting,  very 
juicy,  with  a  rich  and  exquisite  flavour.” 
Charles  Ernest  (fig.  138)  is  a  variety  of  much  more  recent  introduction, 
but  has  been  previously  shown  by  the  same  firm.  The  fruits  exhibited 
on  the  present  occasion  were  decidedly  past  their  best,  but  all  varieties 
are  practically  a  month  earlier  than  in  normal  seasons,  and  we  may 
therefore  expect  this  to  be  a  Christmas  and  January  variety.  The 
fruits  are  large,  very  broad  at  the  base,  and  tapering  somewhat  sharply 
to  the  stalk,  which  is  sometimes  set  straight  and  at  others  obliquely  ; 
it  has  fleshy  folds  at  the  base,  and  is  about  an  inch  in  length.  The 
skin  is  clear  yellow  with  a  red  flush  on  the  sun  side,  and  numerous  spots 
and  patches  of  cinnamon-coloured  russet.  Eye  small  and  operi,  very 
desply  set  in  an  irregular  cavity.  Flesh  white,  smooth,  very  juicy,  and 
wnen  the  fruits  are  in  proper  condition  of  excellent  flavour.  Charles 
Ernest  is  a  Pear  that  should  become  very  popular  for  winter  use. 
National  ^ose  Society. 
Annual  General  Meeting. 
The  meeting  held  in  the  Hotel  Windsor  on  Thursday,  December  6th, 
under  the  presidency  of  Chas.  E.  Shea,  E<q.,  was  an  exceptionally 
large  one.  The  presence  of  the  Rev.  H.  Honywood  DOm brain 
added  interest  to  the  proceedings,  and  it  was  evident  from  the 
remarks  he  let  fall  that  his  interest  in  the  society  and  its  doings  was 
as  ke  n  a-*  ever.  Sir  Alexander  Arbuthnot,  Bart.,  was  also  present, 
with  the  Rev,  A.  Foster-Melliar,  the  Rev.  F.  Page  Roberts,  the  Rev- 
F.  R.  Burnside,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton,  Dr.  Shackleton,  and  Messrs. 
G.  Gordon,  Frank  Cant, 
C.  E.  Cant,  A.  W.  Paul,  A. 
Turner,  G.  Mount,  K.  H. 
Gifford,  J.  D.  Pawle,  A- 
Prince,  G.  Monies,  C.  Jef¬ 
feries,  Gtorge  Paul,  H.  P. 
Landon,  J.  Bateman,  Alex- 
Dickson,  H.  Burrell,  G. 
Wyatt,  G.  W.  Cook,  B.  Cant, 
0.  G.  Orpen ;  Slaughter, 
Steyning;  Cooling,  Bath; 
and  Charles  Burt  Haywood, 
the  new  treasurer  of  the 
society.  From  this  incom 
plete  list  it  will  readily  be 
seen  how  very  representa¬ 
tive  was  the  meeting.  No 
time  was  wasted  in  prelimi¬ 
naries,  but  the  notice  con¬ 
vening  the  meeting  having 
been  read  Mr.  Mawley  at 
once  proceeded  to  the  annual 
report,  which  we  give  here¬ 
under. 
Fig.  139.— Pear  Nouvelle  Fulvie. 
Report  of  the  Committee  for 
the  Year  1900. 
The  committee,  in  prr- 
sentirg  their  report,  are 
pleased  to  record  another 
year  of  steady  progress  in  all 
the  branches  of  the  society’s 
work. 
Ti  e  cold  and  dry  weather 
in  May  and  in  the  early  sum¬ 
mer,  by  checking  the  growth 
of  Rose  plants,  had  an  un¬ 
favourable  influence  upon 
the  Salisbury  exhibitior, 
which  proved  the  smallest 
southern  show  that  tl  e 
society  has  yet  held  ;  but  at 
the  exhibition  which  took 
place  at  Westminster  in  con¬ 
junction  with  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  a  week 
later  the  competition  was 
much  more  satiefactory.  The 
Crystal  Palace  Show  proved 
an  unusually  extensive  one, 
being  tie  largest  metro¬ 
politan  exhibition,  with  the 
excep  ion  of  those  in  1892 
and  1897,  yet  held  by  the 
society,  but  owing  to  the 
unfavourable  character  of  the  season  the  general  quality  of  the  blooms 
was  below  the  usud  standard.  The  display  of  Ruses  at  the  Biiming- 
ham  exhibition  w  s  also  exceptionally  large. 
Great  credit  is  due  to  the  local  committees  for  tho  excellent 
arrang  meuts  made  i  i  connection  w  th  the  southern  and  northern 
exhibitions,  and  especially  to  Mr.  G.  Nicholson  at  Salisbury  and  lo 
Professor  Hillhouse  and  Mr.  C.  W.  K.  Wallis  at  Birmingham.  Indeed, 
seldi'm  have  these  arrangements  been  in  all  respects  as  complete  and 
satisfactory.  Much  credit  is  also  due  to  Mr.  G.  C  selton  for  his  share 
in  the  management  of  the  Crystal  Palace  Show.  At  all^  three 
exhibitions  of  the  society  the  attendance  of  visitors  was  exceptionally 
good.  .  ,  . 
At  the  conferences  held  at  Salisbury  and  at  Birmingham  interesting 
discu-sio'  s  to..k  place  upon  Mi-s  Jekyll’s  paper  ent  tied  “  Suggestions 
for  the  Dec  rative  Use  of  some  Garden  Roses.”  The  report  on  these 
conferences  ha*  recently  been  issued  to  the  member.'*,  tog-ther  with  a 
new  and  revised  edition  of  the  “Hints  on  Planting  Roses.  The 
