Deoembar 23, 1836. ] 
JOURHAL OF HORTICULTURE A HD COTTAGE GARDE HER. 
557 
leaved, and as I have observed, most prolific of berries. The 
Minorca Holly (I. balearica) berries well, often when others do not, 
and it is very neat. It, however, is not over-hardy, but requires 
a light soil. Very different is the yellow-berried (I. aquifolium flavum, 
or fructu luteo). They are charming if only to strike the angles and dot 
or bring out the points of decorative work. 
Cotoneasters. —C. microphylla is very neat in growth, having deep 
shining small leaves, glaucoui beneath, and bright red berries, studded 
like beads amid the somewhat stiff branches. It is fine for walls, and 
roekwork as well as slopes. It is very appropriate for churches. C. 
Simonsi has much larger berries, is of erect growth, and is not fully 
evergreen, therefore its decorative value is not equal to those with fruit 
set in their own foliage. It grows freely anywhere, and is useful for 
walls. 
Aucubas. —Their name is legion, especially the female or berried sorts. 
Perhaps the best of the green sorts are A. himalaica, and A. longifolia, 
A. japonica. Well fruited plants in pots are fine for various decorative 
purposes, and have the advantage of enduring where tender plants would 
be crippled by the cold. The berries show well with the variegation of 
A. japonica maculata (the old Aucnba of gardens), also the white or 
creamy edged A. japonica limbata. The best form for pots for table is 
A. jap mica vera nana. There is one with yellow berries—viz., A. japonica 
luteocarpa. The Aucubas do well in towns. 
Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is curious, and its red berries on 
the spiny plants are pretty. It does well enough under trees, but berries 
best on dry banks. Pernettya speciosa major and P. Drummondi have 
small neat dark green foliage and red or coral berries. They like a dry 
site or roekwork. Pyracantha (Crataegus Pyracantha) or Evergreen 
Thorn, is the finest of all berried plants for a wall. Its clusters of bright 
red fruits are brilliant, and I am informed is called the Fiery Thorn in 
south Europe—its habitat. Grand as it is, it dwindles before the flame 
of Lieland’s Pyracantha (Cratagus Pyracantha Lselandi), which is 
“ bigger and better,” and brighter. Then there is the dwarf and very 
pretty little Skimmia japonica. It does best in shade, and has bright 
coral berries. Of its forms the best is perhaps S. japonica intermedia. 
They are neat plants in pots for decorative work. For surfacing or 
carpeting, what can vie with the cushion-like tufts of verdure dotted with 
the orange red berries of Nertera depressa? 
The berries of deciduous trees and shrubs may be passed, only the 
heps of Sweet Briar (Rosa rubiginosa), are large and bright, and the 
white berries of the Snowberry (Symphoricarpus racemosus, alba) are 
beautiful.— G. Abbey. 
SOME GOOD VEGETABLES OF 1886. 
Amongst the endless variety of vegetables now offered to 
the public there are some greatly superior to others, and further 
experience gained in 1886 enables me to speak with more con¬ 
fidence of many good sorts which were previously only regarded 
as novelties of no special advantage on the table. Amongst new 
Potatoes Sutton’s Seedling has come out well. It is a white 
kidney, perfect in form, excellent for show, grand on the table, 
and superb in cropping and table qualities. I never had a Potato 
which pleased me better. Carter’s Cetewayo is as black as ink 
throughout, free from di ease, and is capital for a Potato salad, 
which is a dish not used so much as it merits. The Village 
Blacksmith is a very distinct Potato. It is round in form, hand¬ 
some, and with a very rough russety skin. It is of excellent 
quality and has been introduced by many as their special pro¬ 
perty, but I believe it had its origin in Messrs. Daniel’s Norfolk 
Russet. The White Elephant of the latter firm is gaining 
ground with its many good qualities. I am of opinion that those 
who may have discarded it after a trial of one season may have 
made a mistake. 
Carter’s Leviathan Broad Bean holds its own for size of pod 
and all good qualities. Next to this comes the Seville Long Pod, 
as it is early and very prolific. Cooling’s Ne Plus Ultra has 
taken a place amongst the best Dwarf French Beans for forcing. 
It is also the earliest in the open air, and is here followed closely 
by Canadian Wonder, which is likely to keep in the front rank. 
Laxton’s White Czar is a remarkable Runner Bean. It is very 
prolific, the pods are from 1 foot to 18 inches in length and very 
good. It will be much grown for exhibition. The pods being so 
large and Heshy, it is a difficult matter to save seed, and this will 
probably have to be accomplished in a warmer climate than ours. 
The Girtford Giant is a dwarf to it, and yet this is a handsome 
variety of great merit. The Transylvanian Runner Butter Bean 
should be grown for its delicate flavour. The pods are long, 
fleshy, and do not become stringy readily. 
I do not know any new variety of Asparagus, and those 
which bear special designations are simply selections of standard 
sorts, of which the Giant, Mammoth, and Colossal are the leading 
types.. Amongst Beets Pragnell’s Exhibition is conspicuous 
with its fine form and extra deep coloured flesh. Borecoles or 
Kales increase at an astonishing rate, with what object I cannot 
tell, as they are amongst the most ordinary vegetables and are 
not much grown. Indeed, they do not merit extensive culture, 
as they are oi- ly acceptable after very severe weather, and then 
they are not eaten if any other vegetable is obtainable. Carter’s 
new Welsh variety is uncommonly curly, hardy, good in colour, 
and tender on the table. Gilbert's Chou de Burghley is still 
regarded as a novelty by many, and apart from this it is an 
excellent vegetable. 
Broccoli form such an extensive class that the varieties are 
quite bewildering, but three parts of them may be disregarded 
and the others require selecting. Yeitch’s Self-Protecting 
Autumn variety is still unique in November and December ; 
Backhouse’s Winter White follows, and Sutton’s Winter Mam¬ 
moth is a newer variety, which for two years has produced heads 
of high quality in January. Cooling’s, Cattell’s, and, Leaming¬ 
ton are still amongst the best of the Mai’ch and April Broccoli, 
and Sutton s Late Queen has a rival in Veitch’s Model in May 
and June. I do not know a Broccoli or Cauliflower connected 
with “ Penzance ” that is worth growing. 
The main desire nowadays is to have Brussels Sprouts that 
produce side growths like small Cabbages, and in point of 
quality these are all very well, but they do not auswer well when 
cooked and placed on the table, as they are then more like a 
mashed vegetable than the neat round sprout, which always 
retains its individuality. These are the proper kind, and are 
produced freely by the Reading Exhibition variety and Webb’s 
Matchless. We have eight forms of them here this season, and 
these are the best. They are an excellent winter vegetable, 
and should be grown in every garden. 
Cabbages form another extensive class, as in variety they 
number some dozens, but two or three at most are sufficient for 
all gardens. Ellam’s Dwarf Early is the earliest we have any 
experience of. 11 is rather small, and might not be very saleable 
in the market when larger ones were offered, but it is very 
choice and of fine quality. Webb’s Emperor holds a conspicuous 
place amongst first-rate Cabbages, as it is not liable to flower 
prematurely, and it forms weighty heads very early in the 
season, which are valuable for all purposes. Reading All Heart 
is one of the newer sorts which is remarkable for being of very 
compact growth, and I do not know any other three Cabbages 
to excel those named. Carter’s Miniature Drumhead is a merito¬ 
rious variety not well known nor as widely grown as it should be 
The old Drumhead will be known to many of your readers, and 
this is a very small form of it. It is very hardy and stands the 
winter well, while in point of table properties it surpasses most 
of the Savoys. 
Early Cauliflowers have certainly been improved during re¬ 
cent years, and the Early London, Erfurt, and one or two others 
are out of the field. The earliest is a new variety named Webb’s 
Tom Thumb. Like its namesake, it is a miniature, but the heads, 
although small, are compact and possess all the qualities of a 
good Cauliflower. Yeitchs Extra Early Dwarf Forcing comes 
next to this in point of earliness, and it is a little larger. 
Sutton’s King of the Cauliflowers is excellent as a main crop or 
summer variety, and Eclipse sent out by a Manchester firm is 
very much like it. I have heard it often said that Eclipse and 
Autumn Giant were very much alike if not identical, but 1 cannot 
tell how anyone could think so ; the Autumn Giant is superior, 
especially in late autumn and early winter.—A Kitchen 
Gardener. 
(To be continued.) 
THE MARGUERITE. 
The business of room and table decoration in winter having 
become so important a part of a gardener’s duty, aline on the culti¬ 
vation of the Marguerite may not be unacceptable to some of your 
readers. 
Here we find this plant to be a most acceptable help in this 
department of work from October to Christmas, when well-flowered 
plants can be used to advantage and give us much pleasure, their 
glaucous foliage and bright silvery star-like flowers being always 
appreciated, but more especially in winter. We have had plants 
measuring between 6 and 7 feet through, one mass of bloom. Those 
of your readers who may not have grown them may easily imagine 
the effect such plants will have when placed in prominent positions 
in mansions—such as halls and stair landings. With careful atten¬ 
tion to watering they will remain fresh for six weeks at a time. 
They are also effective for dinner-table decoration. Some use the 
foliage as a tracing in the form of a wreath on the cloth with bunches 
of flowers arranged in geometrical form with pleasing effect, and for 
glasses the flowers are most useful. By taking cuttings at once and 
growing them on like ordinary Chrysanthemums, plants from 2 to 
3 feet through may be had by next autumn. They should be stopped 
two or three times during spring and summer, but in northern or 
cold districts not later than midsummer, and they should receive their 
final shift into 10-inch pots about the middle of June or earlier, 
