134 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  7,  1902. 
natural  fold.  Some  of  the  Cabbage  Lettuce  had  hearts  almost 
as  large  as  a  soup  plate,  and  hard  and  clean.  Criterion,  Paragon, 
and  Summerhill  are  such,  and  no  one  could  imagine  or  desire 
finer  varieties.  As  a  smaller  and  more  compact  variety,  Model 
is  perfect.  The  best  of  the  Cos  varieties  were  Wordsley  Gem, 
Monstrous  White,  and  Exhibition.  These  are  all  self-folding, 
and  fine  in  size  and  form. 
Broad  Beans  were  most  interesting.  Some  had  grown  well 
and  clean,  while  a  neighbouring  kind  had  been  nearly  a  failure 
in  growth,  and  quite  unprofitable.  It  can  hardly  be  imagined 
that  Broad  Beans  are  so  varied  in  constitution,  yet  seen  here  it 
would  appear  that  some  are  subject  to  the  fly  and  others  not. 
The  most  healthy  and  productive  were  the  gigantic  Green  Long- 
pod,  Mammoth  Longpod,  and  Improved  Windsor. 
Emperor  Cabbage  is  one  I  have  grown  for  many  years,  and 
the  annual  demand  for  it  is  so  increasingly  great  that  it  is 
treated  as  one  of  the  best;  and  I  certainly  give  it  this  distinction, 
both  in  my  own  garden  and  as  seen  at  Wordsley.  It  is  right 
in  size  and  quality,  and  displays  no  freaks.  The  acres  of  it  now 
maturing  seed  at  Wordsley  indicate  the  demand  it  has. 
In  the  glass  houses,  Gloxinias  and  tuberous  Begonias  are  really 
grand  in  development  and  colours,  and  afford  seed  which  pro¬ 
duces  plants  that  charm  all  who  grow  them.  As  indicating  the 
substantial  way  they  are  grown,  I  was  shown  plants  that  had 
recently  been  at  Aberdeen,  at  the  Highland  Society’s  exhibition 
there,  and  the  long  journey  had  tarnished  them  but  little. 
Thousands  of  young  Cinerarias  and  Primulas  in  frames  made  me 
wish  I  could  see  them  in  flower,  when  that  occurs. 
Here,  as  everywhere,  Sweet  Peas  were  in  crowds,  and  over 
100  varieties  were  represented.  Some  were  fading,  others  were 
at  their  best,  with  later  ones  coming  on.  Seeds  for  the  earliest 
are  sown  in  the  open  in  November.  These  flower  at  the  end  of 
May  or  early  in  June,  and  the  spring-sown  ones  follow.  But 
the  Wordsley  firm  think  there  are  too  many  varieties  being 
offered,  and  I  agree  with  them.  All  are  certainly  not  distinct 
and  of  special  merit,  and  it  is  with  the  object  of  securing  the 
very  best  only,  and  offering  a  careful  selection,  that  the  trial  is 
going  on. 
Stocks  were  in  their  first  flush  of  beauty,  and  a  magnificent 
display,  both  in  colour  and  form,  was  seen.  How  charming  a 
good  selection  of  these  are!  Seedling  Carnations  are  a  special 
feature.  The  plants  are  well  grassed,  and  have  abundance  of 
strong,  well  thrown  up  stems,  and  blossoms  in  armfuls.  Ninety 
per  cent,  of  them  come  double-flowered.  Individually,  the 
blooms  are  as  large  and  purely  coloured  and  formed  as  those  of 
named  varieties,  but  they  have  far  better  constitutions  than  the 
latter,  and  as  furnishing  cut  flowers  they  are  invaluable.  These 
hardy  seedling  Carnations  are  rarely  affeoted  with  the  ills  which 
many  of  the  named  kinds  fall  into  and  they  cannot  be  too 
extensively  grown.  Amongst  Tropceolums  Webbs’  New  Meteor, 
as  seen  in  long  ribbon  borders,  is  the' most  true  and  compact  of 
the  class,  and  its  innumerable  flowers  are  such  a  bright  scarlet 
as  to  suggest  it  is  a  substitute  for  the  everlasting  “  scarlet 
‘  Geranium.’  ” — An  Essex  Grower. 
Societies. 
R.H.S.,  Scientific  Committee,  July  22nd. 
Present:  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  (in  the  chair) ;  Messrs.  Hooper,  Odell, 
Nicholson,  Worsdell,  Bowles  ;  Drs.  Muller  and  Cooke  ;  Revs.  W.  Wilks, 
and  G.  Henslow,  hon.  sec. 
Leucoium  droppers. — Mr.  H.  H.  Benton  Bradley,  of  Sydney,  sent 
additional  illustrations  of  bulbs  of  Leucoium,  showing  two  bulbs,  one 
above  the  other ;  also  similar  bulbs  artificially  separated  and  both 
growing  when  planted. 
Prairie  Bean. — Mr.  Wilks  showed  specimens  from  Kansas,  remark¬ 
able  for  flowering  before  the  leaves  appear.  They  were  referred  to 
Mr.  Nicholson. 
Paris  with  variable  number  of  Leaves. — Mr.  Odell  showed  several 
flowering  stems  with  five  leaves  instead  of  four.  The  number  is 
constant  on  the  plant.  The  late  Prof.  J.  S.  Henslow  wrote  a  paper 
on  11  The  Varieties  of  Paris  quadrifolia,  considered  with  respect  to  the 
ordinary  Characteristics  of  Monocotyledonous  Plants”  (Loudon’s  Mag. 
Nat.  Hist.  vol.  v.,  p.  429,  1832). 
Kleinia. — Mr.  Odell  also  showed  specimens  of  this  S.  African 
plant,  in  illustration  of  its  climbing  habit. 
Peperoma.— He  also  brought  specimens'of  a  minute  species  from 
Burmah. 
Bulbs  pierced  by  Couch  Grass. — Miss  Willmot  forwarded  specimens. 
The  process  is  described  as  done  by  a  ferment  secreted  by  the  tip  of 
the  rhizome,  by  M.  A.  Prunet  (Sur  la  perforation  des  tubercules  de 
pomme  de  terre  ;  Rev.  G4n.  de  Bot.,  avec  illustrations). 
Plum  with  foliaceous  Calyx. — Mr.  Hooper  showed  some  blossoms 
of  a  Victoria  Plum  tree  with  small  but  distinctly  leaf-like  sepals. 
Nectarine-Peach. — Dr.  Masters  received  a  fruit  from  Mr.  Rivers, 
one-third  of  the  skin  being  that  of  a  Nectarine,  and  the  rest  that  of  a- 
Peach.  It  came  from  a  Peach  tree  raised  from  the  stone  of  a 
Nectarine  many  generations  ago'. 
Sugar  Pea. — Mr.  Eckford  sent  examples  of  this  Pea,  remarkable 
for  its  semi-succulent,  edible  pod,  known  in  France  as  Pois  sans 
parchemin.  It  has  produced  three  varieties,  cultivated  in  France. 
Poon-yet  Resin. — Dr.  Cooke  read  an  account  of  this  resinous-like 
substance  prepared  by  bees  in  trees  in  Burmah.  Their  nests  are 
entered  by  small  passages  lined  with  the  resin,  which  is  continued 
outside  in  the  form  of  a  trumpet.  It  is  probably  formed  by  a  mixture 
of  substances.  *  .  , 
Potatoes  diseased. — Some  small  tubers  were  sent  by  Mr.  Eckford, 
which  Dr.  Cooke  undertook  to  examine. 
Royal  Horticultural — Drill  Hall,  August  5th. 
There  were  but  few  exhibitors  at  this  show,  doubtless  owing 
to  the  Bank  Holiday  and  the  general  season  of  recreation.  The 
quality  of  the  exhibits  staged  was  well  up  to  the  usual  standard, 
and  must  have  well  rewarded  any  who  paid  the  show  a  visit. 
Messrs.  Wm.  Bull  and  Sons’  Crotons  were  very  fine,  and 
attracted  a  good  deal  of  attention.  Carnations  were  very  much 
in  evidence,  but  only  as  cut  specimens. 
Fruit  Committee. 
Present  :  Messrs.  H.  Balderson,  Jos.  Cheal,  W.  Baxter,  S. 
Mortimer,  Alex.  Dean,  Wm.  Pope,  Horace  J.  Wright,  George 
Keif,  J.  Jacques,  J.  Willard,  A.  H.  Pearson. 
Fruit  Committee,  List  of  Awards. — Hold  Medal  to  Miss 
Adams,  South  Villa,  Regent’s  Park,  N.W.  (gardener,  Mr.  Geo. 
Keif),  for  collection  of  fruit  ;  Silver  Banksian  to  Messrs.  Harrison 
and  Sons,  Leicester,  for  culinary  Peas;  Silver-gilt  Knightian  to 
E.  A.  Hambro,  Esq.,  Hayes,  Kent  (gardener,  Mr.  Beale),  for  Black 
Hamburgh  Grapes. 
On  plates  in  the  foreground  Peaches,  Bellegarde,  Royal 
George,  Barrington,  and  Dr.  Hogg,  were  represented  by  nicely 
coloured  and  even  sized  fruits;  Melons,  Hero  of  Lockinge, 
Frogmore  Scarlet,  and  Sutton’s  Scarlet;  Grapes,  Black  Ham¬ 
burgh,  Buckland  Sweetwater;  Raspberries,  Superlative,  together 
with  Gooseberries,  Plums,  and  Cherries  in  variety,  were 
all  in  splendid  form.  The  entire  collection  was  a  fine  illustration 
of  what  can  be  produced  in  the  proximity  of  smoke  and  other 
conflicting  difficulties,  all  the  specimens  being  from  within  two 
miles  of  Charing  Cross.  Palms,  Crotons,  and  other  stove  plants 
were  used  to  effect  on  the  stand. 
Mr.  William  Beale,  Hayes  Place  Gardens,  Hayes,,  Kent,  sent 
six  finely  coloured  and  finished  bunches  of  Black  Hamburgh 
Grapes.  Two  of  the  bunches  exhibited  must  have  scaled  nearly 
61b  each,  and  they  were  the  produce  of  a  Vine  known  to  be 
about  100  years  old,  and,  judging  by  them,  the  Vine  must  be  in 
splendid  vigour. 
Miss  Adamson,  South  Villa,  Regent’s  Park,  N.W.,  (gardener,, 
Mr.  G.  Keif),  again  exhibited  one  of  her  characteristic  collections 
of  fruit.  The  exhibition  was  backed  by  Plums  in  variety  in  14in 
pots,  Avell  furnished  with  fruit,  and  looking  in  fine  condition. 
Messrs.  Harrison  and  Sons,  Leicester/  were  represented  by 
seventy-seven  varieties  of  culinary  Peas,  many  fine  pods  being 
staged.  Telephone,  Duchess,  Magnum  Bonum,  and  Sutton’s 
Seedling  were  worthy  of  special  note. 
Messrs.  Laxton  Bros.,  Bedford,  sent  a  box  of  their  new  late 
Strawberry  Trafalgar,  a  cross  between  Latest  of  All  and  Frog- 
more  Late  Pine.  The  fruit  is  of  good  size,  even  in  form,  but 
the  colouring  pale.  It  remains  to  be  seen  if  it  will  prove  a  good 
traveller,  but  its  appearance  would  not  appear  to  warrant  that 
quality. 
Floral  Committee. 
Present :  Messrs.  Wm.  Marshall,  H.  B.  May.  Geo.  Nicholson, 
John  Jennings,  Jas.  Walker,  J.  F.  McLeod,  J.  Reutlie,  C.  R. 
Fielder,  Charles  Dixon,  F.  Page  Roberts,  J.  WT.  Barr,  W.  P. 
Thomson,  Charles  E.  Shea,  E.  H.  Jenkins,  W.  J.  James,  J.  H. 
Fitt,  Harry  Turner,  Wm.  Howe. 
Floral  Awards. — Silver  Flora  Medal  for  group  hardy  flowers, 
Mr.  M.  Prichard,  Christchurch,  Hants;  Silver  Banksian  for 
group  of  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Messrs.  Hobbies,  Limited, 
Dereham  ;  Silver  Banksian  for  group  of  Phloxes,  Ac.,  Messrs. 
T.  S.  Ware,  Ltd.,  Feltham;  Silver  Banksian  for  group  of  Car¬ 
nations,  Mr.  C.  Turner,  Slough  ;  Bronze  Banksian  for  group  of 
Carnations,  Mrs.  M.  V.  Charrington,  Edenbridge  ;  First  Class 
certificate  to  Libocedrus,  macrolepis,  a  fine  species  of  delicate 
green  colouring,  glaucous  on  lower  surface  of  leaves  and  branches. 
The  general  appearance  is  not  unlike  a  large  species  of 
;  Selaginella,  Messrs.  Jas.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 
F. C.C.  to  Astilbe  chinensis  (max),  var.  Davidi  (Franchet),  a 
splendid  variety  about  5ft  in  height,  with  large  but  much 
divided  foliage.  The  flowering  spikes  are  borne  well  above  the 
foliage,  and  the  flowers  are  of  a  beautiful  rosy  mauve  colour, 
and  very  light  and  feathery.  Award  of  Merit  to  Carnation 
Bookham  White  Clove,  a  variety  with  a  delicious  fragrance  and 
of  firm  form,  Mr.  Jas.  Douglas,  Bookham.  Award  of  Merit  to 
Carnation  Cedric,  a  yellow  ground  with  reddish  crimson  markings. 
