330 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The Onion, of which at the commencement of the century .there 
were about six varieties, is now represented by fully six dozen. In the 
opinion of medical men the Onion is a most nutritious vegetable, but as 
an article of diet it is very neglected. The Onion is now grown to great 
perfection and to a marvellous size. A gardener some years ago ex- 
hibited twelve bulbs of the ' Ailsa Craig ' at the Crystal Palace, and 
they turned the scale at 371 lb. This is exceptional I know, and there 
is little to be said in favour of growing such giants for general culinary 
purposes ; a medium-sized bulb of good close tissue for lasting is greatly 
to be preferred. In an article I recently read in Chambers's Journal the 
writer set forth the virtues of the Onion at great length : he claimed for 
it that it was practically a " cure-all" in most cases of bodily ailment, 
and laid great stress upon the beneficial effect it had on the complexion. 
It gives a glow of colour, I am assured, that is most permanent, and 
will not run even when exposed to the most inclement weather. The 
name of Mr. Deverill is closely associated with the advance of the 
Onion, having given great attention to its selection and improvement. 
Years of quiet methodical work — in many cases by most modest, 
unassuming workers in quiet country gardens, often unnoticed and un- 
appreciated — have resulted in the present high state of perfection reached 
in all departments of the vegetable garden ; and I should like, before 
leaving the subject, to impress upon journeymen and young gardeners 
the great importance, from a thorough gardener's point of view, of 
having during their training a good turn in the kitchen garden depart- 
ment. In later life it is necessary to know for oneself in order to 
properly direct others ; and then is the time that a practical knowledge 
of outside work is appreciated and needed. Quite equal skill, if not 
superior, is needed to keep up a regular supply of outside vegetables to 
that needed for indoor fruits and flowers ; and I cannot help thinking 
that this is one point in which we have not progressed in recent years. 
I know our vegetables are much finer, but I hold that, generally speaking, 
gardeners as a whole come short of their forefathers in this particular, 
and it can be traced, I believe, in some measure to the lack of outside 
training when young. In Scotland the old method holds good, but not, 
I venture to think, sufficiently so with us Southerners. 
Fruit. 
Undoubtedly the most signal instance of progress in the Pomological 
department of onr craft has been, and is, the boon conferred upon us by 
the introduction both of very early and very late varieties of fruit, 
thereby making it possible to have, for instance, a constant supply of 
good Peaches from June to October, and that without calling in the aid 
of artificial heat. This point is certainly remarkable and should be 
appreciated. 
Other noticeable features are the splendid improvement evident in 
the quality and size of all new varieties of fraits, both hardy and hot- 
house. In Apples we perhaps notice this most, as they are such a staple 
fruit and so much used ; but it is equally true of all others. And there 
is no doubt that the great strides taken in this direction have been 
