October 9, 1878. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



267 



bnt as Sirs. Enndairs advice (a myth, I believe), was first to 

 catch your hare, so the first necessity for making a good salad 

 is to get youi' Lettuce, and it was for this purpose, and not to 

 expatiate on the making of a salad, that 1 commenced this 

 paper. The various catalogues that I have now before me 

 contain each some thirty or forty varieties, and the perplexing 

 thing is that few (comparatively speaking) varieties appear in 

 the different lists. Tomkins' Superb, Defiance, and Excellent 

 appear in one list ; .Jenkins" Superb, Defiance, and Excellent 

 in another ; and so on through many a catalogue. It is the 

 same on the other side of the water. The most distinguished 

 of the Paris seedsmen has sixty varieties in his catalogue, and 

 Tery few of these are known to English growers — under the 

 name, at least, in which they appear there. 



Now, in my flittings to and fro this summer I have had an 

 especial eye to Lettuces, have visited one or two places where 

 they were extensively grown, and present here a few notes on 

 them. I do not mean to say that I shall be able to clear up 

 difficulties or explain svnonymes, but I can at least say what 

 I have seen to be good. I find, as a rule, in visiting large 

 gardens, that each person has some peculiar strain of Lettuce 

 ■which is considered preferable to all others ; and it would not 

 be difficult, from what I have seen, to make up a list, not of 

 fifty or sixty, but of five hundred or six hundred different 

 kinds. Oftentimes, when different kinds aie grown together, 

 impregnation takes place ; some better-looking plant makes its 

 appearance, this is seeded and a new strain is gained, and 

 Wilkin's Gem becomes a recognised variety. It does not travel 

 out of the neighbourhood, does not run against other varieties, 

 and so is considered distinct. So long as it remains in the 

 neighbourhood it is all well and good ; but it sometimes finds 

 its way into some catalogue, and so the evil of many varieties 

 is increased. In this there is no dishonesty, all is done in 

 good faith, but it is none the less perplexing to purchasers. 



In the estimation of all real salad-eaters the Cos Lettuces 

 hold the foremost place ; there is a crispness and flavour about 

 them which we in vain look for amongst the Cabbage varieties. 

 But then my experience goes to this, that we must be mainly 

 dependant on the latter for om- winter supply. There are 

 Lettuces which are said to be hardy Cos, and with a protector 

 one may grow them, but they are not so satisfactory ; and in 

 winter and spring, even iu the Paris markets, you will find 

 twenty Cabbage for one Cos ; but in the summer what mag- 

 nificent heads, and hearts too, one sees! And so let us first 

 take the Cos varieties, the Romiiine of the French. 



Dimmock's Victoria Cos. — A somewhat new variety of the 

 Paris White tribe, and probably a selected strain of it. 



Holme Pari: (Sutton). — There are two other varieties in the 

 list, apparently the same as this — Lee's Nonpareil and Squire 

 Willshire. It is an excellent summer Lettuce. 



Sflj-Foldiny. — A green Cos, of excellent flavour and large 

 size. 



Paris Tfliite. — The Monde maraichere of the French nursery- 

 men, and taking different synonymes in English catalogues. 

 It is one of the finest Cos Lettuces in cultivation when a true 

 stock is had. 



IncomparahU Green (Bunney).— A hardy, crisp, and excel- 

 lent Lettuce. 



Monxlroux Brown Cos. — A very large Brown Cos ; crisp and 

 good. 



Kinijliolm Cos. — Evidently a selected strain of the Paris 

 White. 



Superb While (Sutton). — Another of the same class of Let- 

 tuce and very excellent, not passing even the Paris Cos. 

 Duckett's Perfection. — A fine, brown, Bath Cos Lettuce. 

 Nuneham Park. — A valuable variety, being not only a hardy 

 Lettuce, but one also that may be used all through the summer. 

 Crisp and sweet in flavour. 



Alexandra. — A fine strain of Paris White. 

 Hardy iVhite (Hicks).— Another of the Paris White Cos 

 tribe. 



.Sii</ar/ofl/.— Fine, crisp, and hardy, and closing-in its heart 

 well. First-class certificate from Royal Horticultural Society. 



C/UJBAOE LETTUCE (LAlTrp. ok TltK Fbexch). 



Tom Thumb rWheeler).— An excellent variety ; solid white 

 heart, and good at all seasons. 



All the Year linund (fjeyden White Dutch ; Lee's Immense). 

 —Compact, hardy, and turne-in well. It deserves its name, 

 as it is good at all seasons. 



Sutton :< Commoflure Xutt.—i. very early variety ; dark foliage, 

 It IS very hardy, excellent, and compact. 



pale green leaves 



summer Cabbage 



Fdomle de Berlin. — A very pretty Lettuce ; 

 with yellow edges. 



Ne Plua Ultra.— Durk leaves. A good hardy Lettuce. 



Sutton's Gem. — Folds-^in well ; brownish in colour, and a 

 capital variety for winter work. 



ISlonde d'Ett or Eoyale. — An excellent 

 Lettuce. 



FANCY VAEnSTIES. 



Oak-leaved Cos {k feuille de chene of the French catalogues). 

 ^A very pretty-foliaged Lettuce. 



Asparaijus Cos. — Long pointed leaves. 



Crimson Cos. — Leaves and heart of a bright crimson, curious 

 when mixed in salad. Of good flavour. 



New Crim.9on. — Wrinkled foliage tipped with brown. 



Small Dark Red. — A Cabbage Lettuce ; very good for cutting- 

 up iu salads with the green varieties. 



These fancy varieties will be grown by those who are fond 

 of curiosities iu such matters, but the more valuable kinds for 

 use have been included iu the other lists. I dare say there are 

 a great many others of value aud importanee. but I have only 

 mentioned such as I have seen. One gr^^i, i.oint is to get 

 sorts that will not soon run to seed. In the summer this is 

 difficult, but the varieties of the Commodore Nutt, Tom 

 Thuml), aud AU-the-Year-Eouud type, are those which are 

 slowest in running away, and although most prefer the Cos 

 Lettuce, yet these are so admirable in their staying qualities 

 that they ought to be extensively grown. — D., Deal. 



GLADIOLI FOK DINNER-TABLE DECORATION. 



Having given much satisfaction lately iu dinner-table deco- 

 ration with one of our most beautiful of autumn flowers, the 

 Gladiolus, I am desirous of drawing attention to its merits for 

 this purpose. I am not aware of its having been referred to 

 for such decoration iu any of the reports of the prize stands 

 at the various shows, nor did I ever see it so employed 

 except by myself this year, when I carried off the first prize at 

 our local show. Where is there a class of plants with such 

 a variety of beautiful shades of colour, so rich, yet without 

 gaudiness ? With a dozen good distinct varieties (and they 

 can be had for less than as many shillings), we have sufficient 

 to furnish a set of stands for some weeks— that is, if the plants 

 are growing well; and I see no insurmountable difficulty iu 

 anyone doing .so if he go the proper way to work. 



Have good healthy bulbs, aud plant them in 18 inches or 

 2 feet of sound maiden soil, such as can be gathered from the 

 highways, with plenty of grit iu it, or any fresh soil taken 

 from the fields. It should be laid up for a year before using it. 

 I will say no more as regards culture ; only do not think because 

 the spikes are not wanted to be shown in a first-prize twelve 

 at the exhibition table, but are only to be employed for home 

 use, that it is unnecessary to pay extra attention to preparing 

 a good bed to grow them iu. It is almost astonishmg what a 

 number of flowers in a soil such as I have recommended one 

 good bulb will produce ; not one sickly, with half a dozen tiny 

 blooms, but three or four good spikes many feet high, and 

 nearly as many laterals on each iu succession. It will at ouce 

 be seen that they will well repay any extra trouble. 



In employing Gladioli for table decoration I find much time 

 saved, for they last so long when placed in wet sand. They 

 give no trouble for from four to six days afterwards, and then 

 many of them will be almost as fresh as when first put in. 



Do you not mix some other things with them ? Yes : herein 

 is one of the greatest secrets in dressing a stand of Gladioli 

 for the dinner table. I wUl just state my way of doing it, and 

 should any of your readers try it I hope they may excite as 

 much admiration as my spikes have done. 



I use wet sand in the stands whatever their size. We will 

 just take one, say, of three tiers — viz., two of a bowl shape, 

 with a trumpet-shaped top. That of course will, if of glass, 

 be filled with water. We wiU take the top first, and place in 

 it two rather slight medium-sized spikes of a rich colour — 

 shades of scarlet preferable ; put them back to back, and give 

 them one neat tie at the top. If they are too long displace a 

 few of the under blooms ; these will come in for the lower dishes. 

 By no means touch the unopened buds, as they will all expand 

 in time, and by stripping the faded off they can bo replaced 

 again and again, adding fresh water until ail are open. Place 

 with them four or live spikes of the Oat Grass, and two or 

 three spikes of that grand, ever-serviceable Hoteia japonica; 

 finish-off with a couple of fronds of Maiden-hair Fern and a bit 

 or two of Sedum Sieboldii, or anything that will hang grace- 



