413 
AS?  J 
October  30,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
competition,  five  handsome  sets  being  staged.  With  massive 
and  well  set  up  blooms  Mr.  A.  Smith,  gardener  to  the  Lady 
Superior,  The  Convent,  Roehampton,  was  a  highly  creditable 
first.  His  Mrs.  Greenfield  was  simply  perfect ;  Mrs.  G.  W. 
Palmer  was  rich;  Miss  E.  Douglas  also  intense;  Lord  Ludlow- 
also  unapproachable;  and  Florence  Molyneux  a  model.  This 
was  indeed  a  splendid  collection.  Mr.  C.  Lane  was  a  very 
good  second,  and  had  nicely  finished  blooms  of  W.  R.  Church, 
Lord  Ludlow,  and  Kimberley.  Mr.  C'.  Payne  was  third. 
The  foremost  for  ten  Japs  in  one  or  more  varieties  in  two 
vases  (class  6)  was  Mr.  C.  Payne,  with  General  Buller  and 
Mrs.  AY.  Popham.  Mr.  Bible  formed  a  close  second  with  Mrs. 
Cooinbes,  which  he  seems  to  have  managed  to  perfection,  and 
others;  while  third  place  was  taken  by  Mr.  C.  Collins. 
Class  28  made  a  very  fine  display,  there  being  a  number  cf 
handsome  vases  of  flowers.  Mr.  J.  G.  Mills,  Croydon  Road, 
Anerley,  led  off;  second,  Mr.  J.  J.  Pittman,  Dingwall  Road; 
and  third,  Mr.  A.  G.  Burgess,  Cromwell  Road. 
Apples  and  Pears,  as  we  have  noted,  were  well  shown,  the 
chief  prizewinners  being  Messrs.  A.  Smith,  Roehampton ;  AV. 
Jones,  and  J.  Simmons,  Oxted,  who  were  so  placed  in  class  10. 
Mr.  Lintott  led  in  class  11,  and  other  leaders  in  this  section 
were  Messrs.  E.  Snelling  and  J.  R.  Filce,  both  of  Croydon; 
O.  Jeal  of  AYaddon;  G.  Woolgar  of  Purley ;  AV.  Jones,  AA’alling- 
ton  Bridge;  C.  Stew,  Addiscombe  Road;  and  C.  Perrett, 
Duppas  Hill. 
In  class  4  for  white  Grapes  Mr.  Lintott  of  Marden  Parker 
beat  Mr.  AV.  Taylor  of  Forest  Hill:  and  third,  Mr.  T.  Smith. 
For  black  the  order  was  first,  Mr.  AV.  Taylor;  second,  Mr.  J. 
Friend,  Godstone;  and  third,  Mr.  J.  R.  Ball  of  South  Norwood 
Hill.  Mr.  J.  Friend  had  a  magnificent  collection  of  vegetables 
in  class  17,  for  which  he  was  accorded  the  premier  prize. 
Shirley  (Southampton)  Gardeners’. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association  lately 
held  at  the  Parish  Room,  Mr.  j.  Hudson,  A.AI.H.,  of  Gunners- 
bury  Park  Gardens,  gave  a  very  interesting  lecture  on  the 
cultivation  of  Figs.  In  dealing  with  his  subject,  he  said  it  was 
difficult  to  fix  the  date  of  the  introduction  of  the  Fig  into  Great 
Britain,  but  it  could  be  traced  back  350  years.  It  had  not  made  such 
progress  here  as  the  Grape  Vine,  for  it  had  suffered  in  its  reputa¬ 
tion  on  the  ground  of  non-fertility,  which  was  rather  due  to  the 
fact  that  it  was  a  gross  feeder.  Attention  should  be  given  to 
the  roots.  They  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  intermingle  with 
each  other.  They  should,  when  planted  out,  be  grown  on  raised 
borders,  the  same  as  they  are  in  Italy,  and  the  borders  should  be 
well  drained.  W i t li  regard  to  pot  culture,  it  was  attended  with 
excellent  results,  as  such  plants  are  very  fertile.  They  did  not 
want  repotting  every  year;  once  in  three  years  is  ample.  AVlien 
not  repotted  they  should  have  a  top-dressing  in  the  autumn,  and 
a  dressing  in  the  summer  when  the  fruit  is  forming  was  very 
useful.  A  good  calcareous  loam  mixed  with  stable  manure  was 
the  best  soil,  either  for  pots,  tubs,  or  borders.  Root-pruning 
should  be  done  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have  fallen.  For  early 
forcing  pot  culture  is  best.  The  pots  should  be  plunged  in  leaves. 
Mr.  Hudson  then  gave  other  technical  details  of  cultivation. 
First  how  to  have  the  crop  ripe  by  the  1st  of  March ;  and 
propagation  by  eyes  and  cutting  was  fully  explained,  Mr. 
Hudson  being  in  favour  of  the  latter  system.  After  successfully 
tracing  the  growth  of  the  Fig  from  the  cutting  to  the  tree, 
carrying  a  crop  of  ripe  fruit,  he  gave  a  few  hints  on  disease  and 
insect  pests,  and  a  list  of  the  best  varieties  for  English  culture, 
classifying  them  as  early  forcing,  general,  and  late  crops;  also 
the  best  sorts  to  plant  outside.  A  good  discussion  followed,  in 
which  Messrs.  Jones,  AY  i  I  cox,  Miles,  Payne,  and  A7erdon  took 
part.  Certificates  of  merit  were  awarded  to  Mr.  \7erdon  (of 
AA7.  H.  Rogers  and  Son,  Red  Lodge  Nurseries)  for  a  grand  collec¬ 
tion  of  Roses  and  Apples  ;  Mr.  Cozen,  Cactus  Dahlias  ;  Air.  Tom- 
sett,  six  Peaches;  Air.  B.  Ladhams,  ALH.C.,  for  a  collection  of 
cut  flowers;  and  a  special  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  AV right  for  a 
very  fine  Salvia  (Scarlet  Queen).  A  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Hudson 
for  his  excellent  lecture,  and  to  the  exhibitors  and  Air.  Ladhams 
for  presiding,  closed  a  very  pleasant  evening.  The  next  meeting 
will  be  held  on  November  17,  when  prizes  are  offered  for 
Chrysanthemums,  the  prizewinners  to  give  their  method  of 
cultivating. — J.  Al. 
Beckenham  Horticultural, 
On  Friday,  October  24,  a  lecture  on  the  “  Growth  and  Cultiva¬ 
tion  of  Alistletoe”  was  given  by  AV.  Groves,  Esq.,  Grove  House, 
Shortlands,  G.  N.  Hooper,  Esq.,  presiding.  AVlien  it  is  stated 
that  the  Alistletoe  is  one  of  the  show  things  of  the  lecturer’s 
garden,  and  that  he  has  made  a  special  study  of  this  parasite  over 
a  number  of  years,  it  may  be  inferred  that  his  discourse  would 
be  extremely  interesting,  which  proved  to  be  the  case.  It  was 
at  one  time  thought,  that  the  seed  of  Alistletoe  must  pass  through 
the  intestines  of  birds  before  it  would  germinate.  The  lecturer 
proved  the  fallacy  of  this;  in  fact  an  instance  was  given  when, 
having  some  plants  .enclosed  for  saving  seed,  a  thrush  got  in  the 
enclosure  and  consumed  a  great  portion  of  the  berries,  but  no 
undigested  seed  was  discovered  in  the  excrement  of  the  bird. 
In  cultivation  the  lecturer  has  only  practical  experience  of  it  on 
the  Apple  tree.  The  first  step  towards  success  is  to  procure  good 
ripe  seed;  failures  occur  through  using  immature  seed.  A  piece 
of  net  must  be  placed  over  a  plant  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent 
birds  getting  the  beiries.  April  is  the  best  month  to  sow.  All 
that  is  necessary  is  to  take  the  berries  and  squeeze  them  on  to 
the  angle  of  the  young  wood  of  the  Apple  tree.  No  cutting  of 
Vitis  Thumbergi. 
the  bark  is  required,  pin  a  small  piece  of  muslin  over  the  seed  to 
protect  from  birds  and  sowing  is  completed. 
A  most  interesting  set  of  young  plants  of  Alistletoe  was 
brought  by  the  lecturer,  showing  it  in  all  stages  from  the  seedling 
scarcely  discernible  up  to  that  of  six  years  old.  An  interesting 
discussion  ensued  at  the  close,  after  which  both  lecturer  and 
chairman  were  the  recipients  of  hearty  votes  of  thanks  for  their 
kindness.  Air.  AVebster  placed  on  the  table  sprays  of  St.  Joseph 
Strawberry  carrying  ripe  fruit  of  good  size,  also  the  same  of 
Raspberries. — T.  C. 
