September 22, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 261 
over, Beurre de l’Assomption is by far the finest, and is of superior 
q uality. 
APPLES. 
Very briefly must these be referred to. Cox’s Orange Pippin is 
far ahead of all other dessert varieties in the abundance of its 
crop, the trees being laden with highly coloured fruits. Among 
culinary Apples Lord Grosvenor commands attention by its 
extreme productiveness. It is of the Lord Suffield type, but 
the fruit is more dense and heavy—no small advantage. Stirling 
Castle is similarly productive and the fruit splendid. This is 
probably the finest and most useful late autumn and early winter 
kitchen Apple in cultivation, and trees should be freely planted ; 
nor must the good and serviceable Ecklinville Seedling and the 
productive old variety Dumelow’s Seedling be forgotten by those 
who intend planting. The new American Apple Benoni is fruiting, 
and justifies all that has been said of its symmetry and beauty. 
The fruit trees of all kinds in pots are remarkable by their 
numbers and quality, trained Peaches in pots meeting with great 
approval, and this method of preparing them will have to be 
extended. The best varieties of American Strawberries have been 
tried in tho- nursery, but they have not equalled expectations, the 
climate not being suitable for fully developing their qualities. 
Thus not only what to plant but what to avoid planting may be 
learned in the practical and experimental fruit grounds and 
houses at Sawbridgeworth, and this record of a visit ma}' not be 
without a measure of usefulness to some readers.— Expediently 
Docet. 
RAISING HARDY PLANTS FROM SEED. 
“ J. W.’s ” remarks on raising Carnations from seed reminds me 
of some plants of the variety *• Grenadin,” raised from seed sown 
last year, which have bloomed finely this season. The plants are 
dwarf, very free flowering, early, coming into flower a fortnight 
before any other. The flowers are brilliant scarlet and deliciously 
Clove-scented. Out of a number of seedlings a large per-centage 
have double flowers. Like all the Cloves, propagation is readily 
effected by pipings inserted under handlights in sandy soil, kept 
moist, close, and shaded till rooted. 
I agree with “ Single-handed ” respecting raising plants from 
seed to secure a profusion of flowers, as they afford a far more 
pleasing display than florists’ varieties, needing no cultured taste 
to appreciate them, and where display is a chief object the result 
is very satisfactory. It is, however, of primary importance that 
the seed be of a good strain, saved from the finest varieties only, 
and then the result with ordinary care will please all. 
No enthusiast, or grower of Pansies, Pinks, Carnations, or 
Auriculas looks forward with greater interest to the blooming 
of the named varieties than to that of the many seedlings 
which he calculates will enable him to add one or more varieties 
superior in some respect to his other beauties. There is no raiser 
of plants from seed but will sooner or later come to making com¬ 
parisons, and in the end selections, discarding the small ill¬ 
shaped flower for that most in accord with advancing taste 
regarding excellence of form, purity, distinctness, and brilliancy 
of colour and substance. The liking for Dog Roses will result in 
beds of glowing Hybrid Perpetuals and lovely Tea Roses ; the 
beautiful wild Heartsease will be supplanted by superb Pansies, 
and the modest Violets give place to enlarged forms of improved 
fragrance. 
“ Single-handed’s ” meaning, I think, has been and still is 
misunderstood. His object was to show that it is practically im¬ 
possible to follow the florists and have a display of flowers grati¬ 
fying those uneducated in the florist’s art. Those with an ardent 
love for flowers, and desiring them in variable profusion, would 
not seek for varieties that are notable only on the exhibition 
stand, where everybody admires them, when a much less expen¬ 
diture in less refined plants would give them an abundance of 
flowers that would make their gardens gay and useful. There is 
no comparison of a garden Rose with an exhibition one ; they are 
viewed from two different standpoints. Blooms of an Austrian 
Briar placed in comparison with Mardchal Niel would be ludi¬ 
crous, and such, I must confess, are some of the inferences drawn 
by “ Single handed ” from comparisons of single with double 
flowers. Single flowers as a rule are of brief duration, double 
flowers on the other hand are much more durable. 
There is one thing that says much for single flowers—viz., they 
are just now fashionable. Yet, however much we may and do 
admire them, there is no need to imitate Nature in gardens other 
than to bring together such of her best and varied forms as 
will render them interesting and enjoyable to all beholders. A 
garden of double flowers would not please even a florist, much 
less a lover of flowers. There would be too much similarity. No 
one has a keener perception for the beautiful than the florist, and 
he holds to his particular fancy uninfluenced by the search for 
novelty, which mostly constitutes fashion and commands popu¬ 
larity. Wherever there is beauty that can be rendered permanent 
by careful selection, and judicious crossing or breeding result in 
improvement, no pains or sacrifice are considered too great to 
secure the object in view. If the florist has spoiled any flower—I 
know not any—it certainly has not been in making a Daisy double 
or in giving a Chrysanthemum its incurved petals. The florist 
must have beauty up to or approaching some standard, transform¬ 
ing anthers into petals, giving fulness in place of spareness, 
beauty instead of deformity. It is just the same with cultivators: 
whatever is grown is desired to be of the best, and every effort is 
put forth to improve the plant and flower. Some seek it by be¬ 
ginning with florists’ varieties, and fail because they have not 
counted on such needing particular care and special treatment. 
Yet some enthusiast will take to the higher forms at once and 
prove successful, because failure only spurs him on to greater efforts. 
Violent contrast and glaring flower beds are all that are needed 
to satisfy some ; heterogeneous masses, lavish in their floral wealth, 
gratify others ; whilst a few go in for a little of everything, aud 
have nothing at all from a cultural point of view.— G. Abbey. 
THE BEST TOMATOES. 
As soon as any plant, fruit, or vegetable becomes popular we 
have numbers of what are termed new and improved varieties 
of them. Sometimes there are good grounds for claims of the 
kind, but quite as often there are none. Many examples could be 
given to prove the truth of this, and amongst others the Tomato. 
The varieties of this we new possess arc astonishing, their names 
might be given by the score, and those who desire only to grow 
the best must have much difficulty in making tbeir choice. 
Nearly every year we take some popular class in hand to try for 
our own guidance and satisfaction, and this season we selected 
Tomatoes for trial. 
Seed was obtained under thirty-six different names. Some of 
these which we knew to be good were grown as an early batch 
against the back wall of a lean-to vinery, a Pine stove, and in a 
Cucumber house ; they were planted side by side in good loam 
mixed with cow dung. The plants were raised at the same time, 
and they were all planted out together and given the same chance 
in every way. Amongst them were many American varieties and 
some new sorts which were said to be distinct crosses. From 
these seedlings we expected much and obtained least, as not one 
of them really combined the qualities of both parents. Selected 
sorts are mostly the best, and the American kinds, although 
numerous, are certainly very diverse. 
In making our selection we had two or three points prominently 
in view. The chief of these are productiveness, size, shape, and 
early maturity. Some varieties began to bloom and form fruit 
before they were many inches high, others extended considerably, 
and one named the French Free never had any fruit. Another 
one from America named Grape Shot turned out to be the Cape 
Gooseberry, and this was an agreeable substitute for the small 
Tomato we expected to see. 
Amongst others, we had one from Mr. D. Thomson of Drum- 
lanrig, and this we consider the best of all. It is very early, very 
fruitful, of fine size, and extra flavour. It somewhat resembles 
Stamfordian, but is far more fruitful than that variety. In 
weight it varies from 10 ozs. to 1 lb. It is a very robust grower 
and fruits at every ]oint, and it succeeds almost as well in a pot 
as planted out. When better known this variety will be sure to be 
much grown. Mr. Thomson does not call it a hybrid of his own, 
but a selection from Excelsior, and it is much superior to that 
variety. 
Next to the Drumlanrig Tomato we prefer Crossling’s Gla¬ 
morgan, which is a most abundant bearer of finely coloured w-ell- 
fiavoured fruit. It is more ribbed than the former and flatter in 
shape, and as a kind to grow for market it has much to recom¬ 
mend it. Another from Mr. Coleman of Eastnor bears a strong 
likeness to the Glamorgan in every way. Canadian Victor is a 
smooth red we are well pleased with. Acme is also a pretty 
fruiter, but it lacks flavour as most of its colour do, such as Vick’s 
Criterion, Fiji Island, and others. Trophy is fairly good, much 
in the Glamorgan style, but not to be compared with it. Essex 
Hybrid is prolific, but is not a large fruiter. 
Amongst the small ornamental kinds Carter’s Red Currant is 
attractive. Its berries are about the size of large green peas, and 
fifty < r sixty of these are produced on each bunch. For pots this 
variety would be most ornamental. Yellow Plum is another 
prolific ornamental variety. Its fruits are about the size of 
pigeons’ eggs, and are produced in bunches of about a dozen 
