January ii, 1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
25 
astonishing how rapidly when the proper time comes the plant is 
developed. 
Carnations and Picotees. —Here again the great enemy is damp. 
They do not mind cold provided the earth in the pots is kept 
sufficiently dry ; but where this is not the case then spot com¬ 
mences, and this very soon spreads in a collection. It will be 
therefore necessary if it occurs to cut oil with a pair of scissors 
the leaf or part of the leaf so affected, and to remove all decaying 
leaves. I have seen but little of it in my frames this year, although 
in some seasons I have been troubled with it. Where the plants 
have been potted in good loam with a little road grit added they 
are, I fancy, less liable to it than when closer compost has been 
used. Keep green fly away, remove weeds from the pots, and 
when necessary stir the surface with a blunt stick. 
Pansies.— Where these are grown in pots it will soon be neces¬ 
sary to think of repotting them. In the meantime the same 
directions will apply to them as to the foregoing, only that as 
they are more succulent they will require a little more attention 
in the way of watering, which, however, should be very carefully 
done. 
Pinks. —The great danger to these in beds is that, owing to the 
action either of frost or worms, they may be drawn out of the 
ground. If, however, when they were planted a small piece of 
stick has been used to secure each plant there will be less danger 
Fig. 7. — Oncidium Marshallianum. (See page 24.) 
of this. By-the-by, what a comment on the neglect of florists’ 
flowers in and about the metropolis is the fact, that while money 
in abundance was forthcoming to establish a Pink show, the thing 
failed because there could not be brought together a sufficient 
number of exhibitors to make a show. Imagine anywhere in the 
north or in Scotland such a state of things as this. 
Tulips. —For those who grow the florists’ varieties (which I do 
not) this must have been a very trying season for planting. I 
have had a great difficulty in seizing an opportunity for planting 
my bed of early Tulips, and as this can be done in a much easier 
manner than the late-flowering ones I imagine there must have 
been considerable difficulty. 
Ranunculus of course are safe and snug in their drawers or 
boxes, and will only require looking at now and then to see that 
there is no mildew. 
Finally, whenever the weather is favourable give all the air 
possible to the frames. Coddling is one of the great enemies of 
florists’ flowers. They are mostly hardy plants, and being treated 
thus as half-hardy ones it becomes only necessary to see that they 
are supplied with that which they would have in abundance were 
they treated as hardy—plenty of fresh air.—D., Peal. 
Carters’ Little Pixie Cabbage. —At this time of the year, when 
neither Cauliflower nor Broccoli are generally to be had, a sweet, 
melting, delicious small head of excellent Cabbage takes precedence 
for most purposes of any other vegetable in general utility. I say 
“ small ” head, because no matter how grown, a large variety will be 
now stringy, fibrous, and with a disagreeable amount of midrib. Now, 
this dwarfish Cabbage can be used whole, and can hardly be said to 
have any waste. After 14° of frost at the commencement of last 
month, it now fully merits the description of hardy, juicy, and melt¬ 
ing. _ Where there is a large household it should not be grown alone, 
but in conjunction with larger kinds, with the view of having it for 
special members of the family. I have commended it to several, and 
their testimony to this effect is unanimous.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
MRS. P1NCE GRAPE. 
I tVAS very pleased to observe Mr. Roberts saying a good word 
at page 594 of your last volume for Mrs. Pince. When properly 
grown this is a really good late-keeping black Muscat; as grown 
at Worksop Manor it has the “musque” flavour well developed 
early in the season. 
I beg to add my testimony to the excellency of the Grapes at 
Woodseat in general, and of Mrs. Pince in particular. Unless my 
memory deceives me, the bunches grown by Mr. Hollingworth 
last season would average quite half a pound more than those 
borne by the famous Mrs. Pince at Garston Vineyard in 1868. 
Having been an occasional visitor to Woodseat since 1865, I 
believe I can safely say that the crop of Grapes in 1882 was never 
before surpassed, not even by the famous prize bunches grown by 
Mr. Rabone, good as they were. Mr. Hollingworth is one of 
those gardeners who appear to have no difficulty in growing 
excellent fruit.—J. U. S. 
SELECT VEGETABLES. 
(Continued from page 590, last vol.) 
Brussels Sprouts. —The newest among these is Suttons’ Reading 
Exhibition and the Aigburth, and they are both good for exhi¬ 
bition, but they require to be well selected before they will become 
trustworthy varieties for everyday use. Among the best Brussels 
Sprouts I have grown or seen is the one known under the name of 
Webbs’ Matchless. It grows most compact, and buttons evenly 
from bottom to top. Scrymger’s Giant is only third-rate. The 
Dalkeith when true is better. 
Cabbages. —These are grown in every garden, and we have many 
varieties to select from, but our stock is well reduced, and only 
the very best is grown. Ellam’s Early Dwarf Spring is a new 
variety but rather small. Wheeler’s Imperial is larger and better. 
Cocoa-nut is too small. Nonpareil is good. Early York will 
never be grown here again. Redbraes is the best of all the mid¬ 
season varieties. Webbs’ Imperial is another which should be 
grown everywhere. Drumheads should only be grown for feeding 
cattle. The Colewort is most useful in winter. Red Dutch is the 
best for pickling. Chou de Burghley was at first known to us as 
the Cabbage Broccoli, but under any name it is a splendid winter 
vegetable which will no doubt find a place in every garden. 
Cucumbers. —Of these there are some new or improved sorts 
being introduced almost every year, but all do not excel the old 
kinds. The true Telegraph is still a Cucumber of the highest 
merit, and although we may grow other kinds on trial and other¬ 
wise, we will never be without a few plants of Telegraph. In 
newer kinds we have a highly promising sort in Pettigrew’s Car¬ 
diff Castle, and Carters’ Model is very useful. The latter appears 
to be a well-selected variety of Telegraph, and as such we value 
it much ; and of the Cardiff variety it is impossible to speak too 
highly. It has an excellent constitution, is most prolific and of fine 
flavour. It is an all-the-year-round bearer, as it fruits almost as 
freely in winter as summer. The fruits are from 12 to 15 inches 
long and are produced in clusters at every joint. I would never 
desire a better table Cucumber than this, and it should be grown 
by all. Many Cucumbers have only their great length and size 
to recommend them, and some growers appear to value this quality 
above all. I have proved repeatedly that the largest-fruiting 
kinds are not the most profitable, and would neither recommend 
them for the table nor encourage them at shows. From time to 
time I have secured many prizes for Cucumbers, yet I never com¬ 
peted with a fruit more than 15 inches in length. 
Cauliflowers. —This is one of the most popular of vegetables, 
and no doubt that is the chief cause of there being so many new, 
distinct, and superior varieties offered every year, but a very few 
of the best will give more satisfaction and as heavy and long a 
supply as innumerable sorts. Yeitch’s Extra Early Dwarf Forcing 
is sure to become a great favourite, as it is the earliest of all, very 
true to name, dwarf and compact in growth, and produces small 
white heads of the choicest quality. If sown in spring it will 
head equally as early as those sown in autumn, and in this way 
all the trouble of keeping plants over the winter for the spring 
supplies is avoided. Early London is a good successional one to 
this. Dwarf Mammoth is a splendid summer variety. It is 
dwarf in growth and bears very large heads. I have cut more fine 
heads from a thousand plants of this variety than from any other. 
J 
