VEGETABLE CULTIVATION DURING QUEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN. 385 



In connection with improvement in Melons much good work 

 has been done by Mr. Owen Thomas, of the Royal Gardens ; Mr. 

 Wythes, of Sion House ; Mr. Chas. Ross, and many others. In 

 1894 we introduced a handsome white-fleshed variety raised by 

 Mr. Thomas named Royal Favourite (fig. 98), and other note- 

 worthy Melons have also emanated from the Frogmore Gardens. 



Onions. 



were represented sixty years ago by Blood Red, Deptford, Silver- 

 skinned, Globe, James's Keeping, Lisbon, White and Brown 

 Spanish, Portugal, and some of the Tripoli varieties. While 

 most of the types have undergone more or less improvement, 

 special attention has been given to the Spanish class. The 

 Reading was a valuable selection, and it was followed by Im- 

 proved Banbury, named after a town which has long been noted 

 for its Onions. The late Mr. Deverill, of that place, introduced 

 many fine types, such as Rousham Park, The Wroxton, Anglo- 

 Spanish, and others. Banbury Cross, a comparatively recent 

 introduction of fine quality, also came from the same town. 



The justly celebrated Ailsa Craig (with Cranston's Excelsior, 

 a very similar Onion) has caused quite a revolution in this vege- 

 table. One celebrated grower in 1896 exhibited twelve specimens 

 weighing no less than 37?> lbs. — an enormous weight for this 

 country, which would have startled the growers of the olden 

 days, who had to be content with small specimens weighing 

 a few ounces each. 



Until quite recently it had not been possible to obtain seed of 

 the fine Spanish Onions of the grocers' shops ; and although 

 specimens grown in this country are not often so large as im- 

 ported bulbs, some very fine Onions can be grown by sowing the 

 seed in heat in January and transplanting in April. 



The Paksnip 



has certainly been much improved since the Guernsey and Hollow 

 Crown were the only available forms, although no very great 

 increase in the number of varieties can be reported. 



As late as 1852 the only parsnip quoted in a leading seed list 

 was Hollow Crown. The Student, obtained by the late Professor 

 Buckman, by continual selection from the wild Parsnip, and 

 distributed in 1860, is still regarded as a popular variety, and 



