as guests of the associated Societies, to a banquet on the same day, at the Hotel d' Albion, to commemorate the holding at Rouen of the 26th Session of the Pomological Society of France. Between 50 and 60 of the most eminent pomologists of France assembled on the occasion, and partook of a very recherché entertainment.

In answer to the health of the delegates, who were seated in the highest places, Dr. Bull returned thanks in a long and able speech in the French language, which met with the most enthusiastic reception. The Frenchmen rose and cheered again and again, and such a clinking of glasses has rarely been heard. Dr. Bull, under much pressure, was compelled to promise that a copy of the speech should be supplied for publication in the transactions of the Societies. The whole proceeding was highly interesting and enlivening. The English dessert and culinary apples and pears were set out in the Central Hall of the Hôtel des Sociétés Savantes, and made a most imposing appearance. Those of France were placed on a corresponding table, but in very many instances one or two apples only were shown on a plate, whereas the English plates were laden with the large and exquisitely coloured products of Herefordshire, from the gardens of Stoke Edith Park, Holme Lacy, Thing-hill, and many other places. From the moment they were exposed the result was beyond doubt, and the reward made by the judges of a gold medal-the highest prize they could offer was a satisfactory recognition of the excellence of the collection. Of the grapes, from Mr. Coleman, of Eastnor, it is enough to say they were in his customary form, and took the highest prize awarded for produce of the vine-a large silver medal. They were shown in the best possible condition, without the removal of a particle of bloom.

The French were stronger in vintage fruits than in the other classes. One exhibitor showed 200 varieties, and others 150, 130, and so on. Here the Herefordshire exhibit was smaller than it should have been, in consequence of the fruit having been sent late, but the apples and pears shown were of the choicest quality and the judges could not but be aware of their special value. Very few perry pears were exhibited, and those not alone, but in conjunction with apples. The English perry pears were immeasurably superior to their Norman sisters, There were

seen.

forty of the very best varieties, and cleaner, better grown examples, were never The choicest of these were produced by Mr. William Smith, of Much Marcle, comprising Squash pear, Oldfield, Moorcroft, Longland, Barland, and other varieties, in prime condition. Messrs. John and William Pope, of Marcle, also sent valuable contributions. Mr. George Best, of Hill Top, Ledbury, provided several choice sorts, and amongst them the "Rock Pear," which originated at Pendock, in Worcestershire, nearly 100 years ago, but has only recently been brought into general notice by means of The Herefordshire Pomona. Grafts of this special variety were obtained last year from Pendock and "The Berrow," in the belief that it had never before been cultivated on the western side of the Malvern Range, but those who are curious on the subject may rely with safety upon grafts obtained from the Hill Top. Persons old enough to remember Mr. Samuel Higgins, who owned and occupied that farm 50 years ago, will give him the credit of having first brought this peculiar and valuable variety into Herefordshire. Mr. W. S. Lane, of Bosbury Farm, produced fine examples. Dymock

sent Thurston's Red, Winnall's Longland, Sack, and many others; and the Worcestershire orchards of Berrow, Castlemorton, Newbridge, Yoking House, and Pendock, were ransacked for Rock pear, before it was known Mr. Best possessed it. But for the marked excellence of the perry pears, Herefordshire would not have scored in the vintage competition; as it was, a handsome bronze medal was awarded. Second and third prizes were given for bottled cider, but the French standard of excellence evidently differs from our own. The English cider was not light and bright enough to suit French palates. The cider of France has a thin watery flavour, and carries with it the suspicion of dilution. It is beyond doubt that watered cider can be fined more readily than pure apple juice, and it is believed that therein lies the secret of the clear bright cider of Normandy. If this be not so, means must be taken to learn the French method. The Diplôme d' Honneur awarded to Dr. Bull for his admirable Pomona was well deserved, and the journey will probably be the means of adding another plate to that valuable authority, for the purpose of bringing into notice some of the best cider apples of France. A gold medal was awarded to Dr. Hogg for his life-long services in furtherance of Pomological Science. It is generally interesting to know what others say about us, and in a long article in the Journal de Rouen, of the 4th October, the Editor writes :-"See this appetising fruit sent from England, is it not splendid? Ripened under fog, this beautiful fruit ! Does it taste as well as ours? We do not know. But for size, freshness, and colour, these English apples can take a place in the first class. The Normandy apple is not more rosy or finer." The ceremony of presenting the prizes at the Hôtel de Ville was very imposing, and the assistance of an admirable brass band was freely used.

The distinction paid to the representatives of the Woolhope Club at Rouen was partly due, no doubt, to the influence exerted by friends to make their reception as pleasant to them as possible. The magnificent work of the Club, The Herefordshire Pomona, which was very greatly admired, and the fine collection of fruit strongly supported their favourable reception, but there was yet another cause which was soon made known. At the close of the banquet the President, M. Héron, made rather a mysterious announcement. He said that the Council had decided in the morning to take an exceptional course at this Congress, and give a gold medal to a gentleman who had done more than any one else to promote the cultivation of fruit trees in general, and pomology in particular. He did not mention any name, but in the evening he called at the Hôtel du Nord, with three of his colleagues high in office, to present the gold medal to Dr. Hogg. This compliment is the very highest that could be paid to any one. It was well deserved, and gave great satisfaction to all the representatives of the Woolhope Club, and fully explained the high respect and attention paid to them. Indeed, it may fairly be said that the great extent of the exhibitions of the Club, and the well-known name of Dr. Hogg as one of the deputation, gave an international character to the Congress, which was alluded to on several occasions.

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When the exhibition was complete, and all the fruits arranged, there could be no doubt that the Herefordshire collections of apples and pears formed its most attractive feature, and on Sunday, when many people visited the Exhibition, they crowded round the table on which the fruit was exhibited. The collection consisted of 57 varieties of culinary apples, 57 varieties of dessert apples, and 36 varieties of pears. The finest dish on the table was one of Peasgood's Nonsuch, from Mr. Higgins's garden at Thing-hill; but there were noble specimens of Warner's King, Gloria Mundi, Lord Derby, Lord Suffield, Tower of Glamis, Stirling Castle, Cox's Pomona, Cellini, Catshead, Costard, Alfriston, Lord Grosvenor, Yorkshire Beauty, Blenheim Orange (very fine), Annie Elizabeth, Lane's Prince Albert, Emperor Alexander, Mére de Menage, Ecklinville Seedling, Pott's Seedling, Hawthornden, &c., &c. "The dessert collection," says the Journal of Horticulture, was also very fine, and exhibited several varieties in their true character. They had evidently been selected with great judgment, and were spoiled neither by their excessive size, nor by being too small." Among these were fine examples of the true old Golden Pippin, Red and Yellow Ingestrie, Cockle's Pippin, Pomeroy, Fearn's Pippin, Ribston Pippin (remarkably well shown), Golden Reinette, Cox's Orange Pippin, Braddick's Nonpareil, Adam's Pearmain, Lord Burghley, Rosemary Russet, Scarlet Nonpareil, Pearson's Plate, Old Nonpareil, Margil (very fine), Kerry Pippin, Crimson Queening, Sam's Crab, Herefordshire Pearmain, Cornish Gilliflower (very fine and characteristic, but quite unripe), Irish Peach Apple, Court Pendû Plat, &c. The pears also were very attractive. Marie Louise (exceptionally fine), Triomphe de Jodoigne (also very good), Général Todtleben, Beurré Hardy, Duchesse d'Angoulème, Thompson's (very fine), Durandeau, Van Mons (Leon de Clerc), Buerré Bosc, and many others. They were, however, with the exception of a few of the plates, neither so fine nor so large as those exhibited for the Horticultural Society of Rennes by Brother Henry (a lay brother of the Monastery there, whose ability equals his modesty of demeanour). The Herefordshire collection was derived from the gardens of Stoke Edith, Holme Lacy, Thing-hill, Bryngwyn, Wessington Court, and some other smaller gardens. It quite surpassed any others exhibited, and so highly did the Society appreciate it that they awarded a gold medal to it. Another gold medal was awarded to Brother Henry's pears from Rennes, and was richly deserved, for they were exceptionally fine and well grown, without a failing dish in the whole collection. It is Brother Henry who has written a very able work on fruit-growing, and to him is due a new mode of grafting walnut trees on the roots of the young plants, which has proved most successful, and is very important for the south of France where the walnut is so much grown.

The next most striking feature in the great Hall of the Hôtel des Sociétés Savantes, and perhaps the one which stood first in the eyes of the representatives of the Woolhope Club, was a very beautiful collection of grapes, all ripened in the open air. They were grown by M. Marc, at Notre Dame de Vaudreuil, in the Department of Eure. "It consisted," says the Journal of Horticulture, "of 100 varieties, among which we observed some of those grown in this country, but they were chiefly of the small dessert grapes, like the various varieties of Chasselas, the

sinall Frontignans, and generally of the many varieties that are cultivated in the gardens in the south of France, and which, though not unknown to the initiated in this country, are not in general cultivation." The mode of exhibiting the grapes was excellent, and very ornamental. Long vine stems were cut, and springing up from the wall were carried along about two feet above the tables, and upon them were fixed the bunches of grapes. They were very carefully and correctly named, and M. Marc rightly deserved the gold medal which was awarded to him, for the attention he gives to their culture. These were the only gold medals awarded by the Société Centrale d' Horticulture du Département de la Seine Inférieure. There were other silver-gilt and silver medals awarded for collections of fruits and grapes, but with one exception they do not concern the Woolhope Club. The exception was the large silver medal awarded to a bunch of Herefordshire Black Alicante grapes exhibited by the Club, and grown by Mr. Coleman, at Eastnor Castle.

The only novelty in the way of fruit were several varieties of the Japanese Diospyros Kaki, whose names also present so much that is peculiar as to be worth giving. These were Toyama, Tsouroukaki, Torokoukaki, Kiarakaki, Ochirakaki, Tiodemon, Hatchiya, Matchimistan, Yakoumi, Mazzeli and Guiboki. "These "might be easily cultivated in an orchard house," the Journal of Horticulture says, "and when ripe are delicious." So happy owners of orchard houses take your choice, and write your orders forthwith to M. Audibert Pépinièriste, La Cran (Var.). "There were some ripe specimens of Diospyros Virginiana very well ripened, and of excellent flavour."

The Exhibition of Apples and Pears for the press, for cider, and all the implements of cider-making, was held under the auspices of the Association Pomologique de l'Ouest, and was purely competitive. It was very extensive, and the competition in almost all the classes was very severe. It will only be interesting to keep strictly to what concerns the Woolhope Club, and with reference to the cider and perry fruits we have to record the award of a bronze medal to the Herefordshire collection. There was evidently great difficulty in determining the awards for cider. A large room was filled with bottles, small barrels, and jars of all sorts and sizes, and how the judges could get through their task and keep their heads clear seems marvellous. They were two or three days about it. In the end, again the star of the Woolhope Club was in the ascendant, the second prize for cider made from mixed varieties, a silver-gilt medal, was awarded to Herefordshire cider; and a third prize, a silver medal was also given, for cider made from a single variety of apple, to the Foxwhelp cider. There were no prizes offered for perry and none were given. It was said that the jury thought some of the Hereford cider exhibited was chargé," that is to say, mixed with alcohol in some form or other, which would at once, and very properly, exclude it from competition; but whether this really was their opinion or not, the representatives of the Club had no opportunity of ascertaining.

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It was one great object of the deputation to place the so-called Norman apples of the Herefordshire orchards upon the tables in Normandy, so that a direct comparison could be made between them. This was done with great care. Several of the leading fruit growers in Normandy and several Norman nurserymen

examined them very kindly with much care. The Woolhope representatives also went through the whole exhibition, and it was no light task, for there were said to be two thousand plates staged; but the unanimous verdict was that they were dissimilar, though in one or two instances there was a close resemblance. Last year it will be remembered that a large collection of cider apples was sent from Normandy to Hereford, and not one resembled those of Herefordshire. Thus our so-called Normans are not Normans at all, but most probably Herefordshire Seedlings, to which, having no name of their own, the fashionable one of Norman has been given.

On Thursday there was a grand "cérémonie solennelle," which means a full dress ceremony of state, held in the Hôtel de Ville, to distribute the prizes. There was first a reception in the Council Chamber, and a grand procession of all the leading pomologists present to the great hall of the Hôtel de Ville; a military band, and a full attendance of people. Some speeches were made, and the winners of the prizes successively called to the front to receive them, with more or less applause as the case might be.. The representatives of the Woolhope Club found the kindness which had surrounded them from their arrival continued to the end, and were exceedingly well received. A bold attempt has thus been very successful, and the name of the Woolhope Club, the beauty of the Herefordshire fruit, and the fame of Herefordshire cider and perry, have become more widely extended.