December 80, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
577 
Beurr6 Gifford 
Clapp’s Favourite 
Summer Beurr6 d’Aremberg 
Madame Treyve 
BeurrO Dumont 
Pitmaston Duchess 
Pr sident d’Osmanville 
Madame Andre Leroy 
Conference 
Emile d’Heyst 
Beurre d’Anjou 
Marie Benoist 
Beurre de Jonghe 
Rose Crassane 
Duchesse de Bordeaux 
Olivier de Serres 
Nouvelle Fulvie 
L’Inconnue 
And for orchards and market gardens 
Beacon 
Fertility 
Souvenir du Congife s 
Marie Louise d’Uccle 
Durondeau 
The improvement in Pears will no doubt continue, and in 
1986 amateurs will wonder that we could be contented with frui 
so inferior to that which they will enjoy, even as we are no 
longer satisfied with the fruits which charmed De la Quintinye 
and his friends. 
THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS. 
I WAS once taken for a doctor. The sensation was a little curious, but 
fleeting. It was in this way. A very respectable-looking gardener 
came up to me at the Liverpool Show last June, and asked politely, but 
a trifle excitedly, if I was Dr. Masters, He was somewhat overheated. 
On receiving a negative reply his response was, “ I want to see him, as 
I hear he has been ‘letting out’ in the tent, and telling gardeners to 
mind their own business, and not to interfere about naming plants.” I 
think my interlocutor had named one for which a certificate had been 
granted some time previously, hence, presumably, his interest in the 
matter. I thought no more about the episode till reading the discussion 
at the tercentenary meeting, as reported on page 522, and could not 
suppress the thought that the learned Doctor might sometimes with 
advantage follow his own advice in not interfering with what he does not 
understand. If he would quietly allow gardeners to “mind their own 
business” on such plain matters as Potato raising and growing it would 
be none the worse for him and for them. 
Our mentor is not, I think, a gardener, but a Doctor of Medicine, and 
like many another, is a good botanist, hence his lectures to his humbler and 
more practical brethren. But the majority of these appear to manage 
very well with a fair field to work in, and perhaps they know just 
enough science to guide them in the right path, though they make no 
parade about it. If there are any better gardeners as a body in the 
world than British gardeners are, it would be well to know where they 
are to be found. I have been told by persons who ought to know that 
the produce of continental gardens as represented in its broadest aspect 
by plants, flowers, fruit, and vegetables at public exhibitions is far below 
the average of that grown and displayed by gardeners in this country. 
Gardeners appreciate the teaching of scientists when it can be turned to 
practical account, and it is fair to suppose that scientists approve of the 
action of those workers who give in return a little lesson that long prac¬ 
tice has taught them to be sound, and which events now and then show 
is needed. 
How any scientific man could publicly proclaim his belief that the 
principal method employed by cultivators in raising new varieties of 
Potatoes was by “selection ” passes comprehension. If science is needed 
by practicalists, practical knowledge is obviously required by scientists, 
who come to the front as teachers. Mr. Alexander Dean had the whip- 
hand in the discussion on the subject without a doubt. Not one per 
cent, of the new varieties of Potatoes that have been raised during the 
past ten years are the result of selection. With one or two exceptions 
they are the outcome of cross-fertilisation. The Doctor’s lamentations 
of the scientific ignorance of gardeners may become a little tiresome, 
and it is well that their well-intentioned teacher should know it. 
What is to be the outcome of the Potato tercentenary ? A “ Potato 
Society ” is foreshadowed ; and suppose it should be formed, what would 
the “Society” do that would not be accomplished by trade enterprise 
in the production of new varieties and existing horticultural societies, 
notably by the Vegetable Committee of the B..H.S. in estimating their 
merits ? As to cultivation, if gardeners cannot grow Potatoes now they 
will never be able to grow them, and a “ Society ” could scarcely do any 
good in that respect. I am not condemning a Potato Society, but only 
“thinking about” the proposition, and fishing for information. But 
this idea comes to the front now. If a Potato Society is a want of the 
times, why not a Wheat and Barley Society P I think, on the whole, 
special societies have done good, but if we extend them further the diffi¬ 
culty appears to arise as to know where to stop. Perhaps some of the 
“ friends ” can enlighten us on this subject. 
I have been waiting as patiently as possible in the expectation of see¬ 
ing a reply several columns in length to Mr. Iggulden’s wail (page 425) on 
the subject of hard water destroying boilers and pipes. Judging from the 
nature of the communication on the page quoted we might not un¬ 
reasonably conclude there was no rain at Marston or in Wales. I have 
never yet seen a glass structure that did not have as much rain fall on its 
roof in a year that, if collected, would abundantly supply the apparatus 
employed in heating the house. But the “ employer ” will not incur the 
cost of tanks. In this case he might perhaps be willing to risk the outlay 
for one or two petroleum casks. To incur necessarily considerable cost in 
purchasing and fixing boilers and pipes, and then to fill thi m with hard 
water while the soft is wasted or used for other purposes, is such a 
palpable mistake that it is surprising there is any necessity for writing 
about it at all. This I think is the substance of the communication of 
“ A. W.” on page 524. 
Anent the subject of water in ashpits. I thought Mr. Bardney in 
his generally interesting article on page 526 placed himself in a rather 
peculiar position. He appears to have studied Hood and Andrew 
Murray, and read all that has been written of late bearing on this 
matter, yet it is evident he is not satisfied. It seems highly probable that 
he will not admit any argument as conclusive till he has proved its sound¬ 
ness. I do not blame him ; but when he says “ No water is used below the 
boilers here, nor will it be until the advantages arising from its use in the 
preservation of fire bars, has been proved,” I am at a loss to know if he 
will not believe in arguments till he has proved them, and will not adopt 
the plan to prove it, how he intends arriving at a decision. A little in¬ 
formation on this subject, conveyed in a few lines, would almost 
certainly be acceptable to many readers of the Journal besides—A 
Thinker. 
N.B.—When I saw the last issue of Journal I thought it a very first- 
rate one, and a good deal better without the foregoing crowded-out 
jottings than with them. If others think the same there will be a general 
agreement for once—a pleasant thought for the end of the year for pacific 
minds to dwell upon. But what of the future ? We must wait and 
see.—A. T. 
SOME GOOD VEGETABLES OF 1886. 
(Continued from page 557). 
We left off at Cauliflowers and resume at Cucumbers. Multipli¬ 
cation has been a common rule amongst these of late years, but I am 
unable to tell what has been gained by it. Every new one is “ hand¬ 
some in form, fine in colour, grand for the table, superb for ex¬ 
hibition,” and in short perfect, yet it is remarkable the large number 
of inferior Cucumbers we see at shows ; but this is not surprising, as it 
is culture and not variety which produces handsome fruit. I do not 
know any sort that will not produce model fruits if properly grown, 
and those with the greatest recommendations will come crooked, long 
necked, and altogether inferior with poor culture. Large Cucumbers 
are more difficult to grow perfectly than short ones, and for this reason 
the Cardiff Castle variety is to be recommended above all others, as 
it is only about 15 inches in length, of fine form, and alike good in 
summer and winter. It is the best Cucumber introduced during the 
last ten years at least, and as a variety slightly longer. Sutton’s 
Purley Park Hero merits high praise ; it is of the pure Telegraph 
type, and when this is true the produce is always excellent. Of 
Ridge Cucumbers, Sutton's King of the Ridge is excellent in form, 
quality, and quantity. 
Celery is a most important crop, but all varieties offered are not 
good, and very large sorts are to be avoided. The Aylesbury Prize 
Red is a new one of 1886 ; we tried a Is. packet of this Celery, and 
the result did not equal our expectations. The American White 
Plume is gaining favour as an autumn variety, and in my opinion it 
will be a popular autumn Celery. Sutton’s White Gim is of the 
type of the Sandringham, but is more compact and always proves 
first-rate ; it is superb for stewing. Major Clarke’s Red is not a new 
variety, but it is a good one, and of all reds we have again found it 
the best. There is still a grand opening for a perfectly hardy 
variety, as all sorts suffer much from frost. 
Amongst Carrots the French Forcing is still the earliest variety, 
and as it is so short it is most suitable for hotbeds in forcing. The 
Short Horn follows this, and James’ Intermediate has been super¬ 
seded in quality by Sutton’s new Red Intermediate. This is a grand 
main-crop Carrot. As a novelty Carter’s Golden Ball is pretty and 
useful. Good Carrots are amongst the most valuable of all roots, and 
it is a great advantage to grow only the best sorts. 
Endive is not generally grown in small gardens, but wherever a 
gardener is employed it is expected, and all will find Veitch’s Im¬ 
proved Round Leaved Batavian to be excellent. It is large in size, 
good in quality, and very hardy. Carter’s Model Endive is a gem, 
and the best of the curled section. Digswell Prize has not been 
satisfactory. 
In coming to Lettuces, Veitch’s Perfect Gem heads the list 
amongst Cabbage varieties. It is compact in growth, firm, and ex¬ 
cellent in quality. This Lettuce first attracted my attention at Chis¬ 
wick, and I have grown it ever since. The Paris Market is the 
earliest of all. Sutton’s Red-edged Marble is distinct in colour and 
fine in quality, and Golden Ball from the same quarter^ is grand, 
while Criterion and Summerhill from Messrs. Webb of Stourbridge 
are two fine varieties. Summerhill is the largest of all Cabbage 
Lettuces, and the quality is first-rate. These are all summer Let¬ 
tuces. New and good winter ones are not so plentiful, and raisers 
