April 2, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
£59 
•district some years ago I was requested to act as joint secretary 
1;o the local horticultural society, to which I gave consent, and 
among other things in a midsummer show classes were set apart 
for hardy herbaceous cut flowers, which on the show day in every 
single instance was made up of annuals, biennials, and perennials, 
■clearly the outcome of ignorance, as I afterwards discovered, when 
I told the successful and unsuccessful exhibitors that, properly 
judged, all of them would have been disqualified. This evidently 
astonished them, simply because, as they observed, “ that’s how 
we have always exhibited them.” It resulted in my imparting 
some information on the subject, and the following year when the 
■schedule was revised I added a rider to the exclusion of annuals 
and biennials in these particular classes. Special prizes consisting 
of collections of hardy herbaceous plants were offered, the selection 
being optional to the winners of the prizes. As a result the 
•competition is keen, creditable groups are now arranged of “ herba¬ 
ceous perennials,” and the exhibitors have arrived at some under¬ 
standing of what is meant by the words “ hardy herbaceous plant.” 
So much, then, may easily be done by any horticultural society, 
and instead of allowing the error to remain year by year, some 
attempt should be made to remedy it by educating aright all 
whom it may concern. 
To grow hardy plants for cut flowers suitable for exhibition 
purposes little will be needed beyond the selection of a good piece 
of open ground of fair depth. This must be deeply trenched and 
"thoroughly manured, or according as its existing state demands, 
■when nothing more will be needed but the plants, placing them 
in their respective positions, and taking into consideration that 
fhese will be permanent occupants the original planting should 
receive due attention. The only other assistance which I can 
Tender is that of giving a selection for several months in the year 
when exhibitions including such flowers are held, commencing 
"with the month of May. During this month many fine plants 
more suitable for growing as specimens in pots or pans, perhaps 
that for exhibiting in a cut state will be available ; the more 
conspicuous of these will be Trillium grandiflorum, the many forms 
of Primula Sieboldi ; also Primulas rosea, denticulata, and 
'Cashmeriana, when required early in the month, but where 
"wintered in frames these will flower in February and March. 
Marsh Marigolds or Calthas ; Gentiana acaulis ; Doronicums, 
several forms : Iris nudicaule, Iris pumila, Pseonia tenuifolia ; 
Megaseas, in variety ; Wood Anemones, several kinds ; Phlox 
amoena, Phlox Nelsoni and setacea varieties ; Dielytra spectabilis, 
Arnebia echioides, Geum miniatum, and many others equally good, 
and sure to please when well grown. 
For the month of June there is a rich and varied assortment of 
plants specially suited for exhibiting in a cut state, foremost in 
the mind being herbaceous Pseonies, a host in themselves in the 
remarkable range of colour, their massive double flowers and 
ample leafage. A selection of these should be in every garden. 
Pyrethrums, again, single and double in endless varying shades, 
contribute in a remarkable degree to furnish quantities of flowers, 
furnished, if you will, with a couple of feet of stem that will, if 
employed, carry with it a large share of their natural grace and 
heauty. Then why rob the plants of so great a gift by using, as 
is too often the case, miserably short stems, not more than G or 
^ inches long, which crowd the flowers into an unsightly bunch. 
'Then, again, we have the lovely Orchid-like forms of Iris germanica, 
under which head also figure the allied groups of squalens, amoena, 
"variegata, and so forth, thus constituting a most valuable assem¬ 
blage of chaste and lovely flowers that for delicacy of marking 
■and transparency of form surpass even the choicest of Orchids. 
iNor are these the only ones that this wonderful genus brings us 
during this month, for quite early in June our gardens may be 
aglow with the rich and varied shades of blue, cream, white, yellow, 
^nd bronze to be found in the Spanish section ; while the latter 
half of the month will be enriched by the fantastic marblings or 
•splashings of the English section, the latter also embracing pure 
white, as well as blue and purple seifs. The same month will also 
provide Columbines in plenty, Hemerocallis flava, H. Dumortieri, 
Anthericums, double white Rockets, Lychnis viscaria rubra pL, 
■some early Liliums, as pyrenaicum, pomponicum, and Szovitzianum, 
a.3 well as the Delphiniums. 
The month of July has also a goodly share of Delphiniums, 
■and includes many Lilies, more particularly croceum davuricum 
varieties; Thunbergianum superbum, pardalinum, longiflorum, 
■and candidum ; Heleniums of several kinds ; Gaillardias in plenty, 
very handsome things too ; Galegas, Geraniums, Glnotheras, 
Thalictrums, tall species, such as flavum, lucidum, rugosum, and 
snajus ; Stenactis speciosa, tie tall Hemerocallis, such as fulva, 
Kwanso, and disticha ; Iris Ksempferi, most lovely of all the Iris 
family ; Alstroemerias in several varieties, very good and showy ; 
"with Chrysanthemums leucanthemum, maxmum, and latifolium. 
For the month of August there will still be plenty, and the 
more profuse of last month will yet yield a quantity of flowers. 
To these may be added Lilium auratum, Tiger Lilies, Hyacinthus 
candicans, single and double Sunflowers, Gladiolus, Spirseas venusta, 
digitata, and palmata ; herbaceous Lobelias, tall Campanulas, 
Achilleas, Rudbeckia purpurea, and others. 
There is in fact a wonderful variety of plants available for the 
above purpose, and when once a collection is obtained and planted 
the adding of others of exceptional merit as opportunity affords 
will not be a very serious undertaking. Many of those I have 
enumerated may be obtained freely and abundantly from seeds, 
while plants of good size and at reasonable rates may be obtained 
from those who make hardy plants a speciality.—J. H. E. 
VEGETABLES—THEIR VARIETIES AND 
CULTIVATION. 
[A condensed report of a paper read by Mr. J. Lambert, The Gardens, Onslow HaU 
Shrewsbury, at a recent meeting of the Birmingham Gardeners’ Association.] 
(^Continued from page 224.') 
I AM asked by some friends to give a list of varieties I 
recommend, but this is rather a difficult matter with so many seed 
firms introducing new varieties, and all supply reliable seeds. I 
am a little old-fashioned in my preference for some varieties, 
still I try many of the new introductions, which sometimes are 
only new in name, and turn out to be an old acquaintance. I 
think your wish is that I should tell you what sorts I grow ; but 
it must be borne in mind that the same variety does not always 
succeed well in every garden. I will take Peas first ; and in this 
part of the country for early crops the best results are from seed 
sown indoors and planted out after being very carefully hardened 
off. In the southern and more favoured districts sowings are often 
made just before Christmas. The varieties I grow are Chelsea 
Gem, Veitch’s Selected Extra Early, William Hurst, and William I., 
all good early ones. American Wonder is another good early sort, 
but with me not quite so early as Chelsea Gem. Then follow 
Early Sunrise, Champion of England, Huntingdonian, Telephone, 
Duke of Albany, Webb’s Stourbridge Marrow, Veitch’s Perfection, 
and Ne Plus Ultra for general crops, and all are good useful sorts. 
For exhibition purposes. Telephone, Duke of Albany, Webb’s 
Stourbridge Marrow, Sutton’s Matchless Marrow, and Carter’s 
Stratagem are amongst the best. Veitch’s Prodigy may be also 
relied upon as an exhibition Pea. In runner Beans, Neal’s Ne 
Plus Ultra is, I think, the best for all purposes, as it is an excellent 
cropper, with thick fleshy juicy tender pods. I do not believe in 
the giant varieties, and to have an early crop sow in pots or boxes 
early for planting out as soon as can be done with safety. I find 
Canadian Wonder and Ne Plus Ultra very serviceable varieties 
of Dwarf Kidney Beans. 
Amongst Broad Beans I use Beck’s Dwarf Green Gem for 
autumn sowing, or in pots for transplanting in spring, as it is a 
favourite here for the small size of the beans, and for its mild 
flavour. The Seville Longpod, Carter’s Leviathan, and others of 
the Longpod class, are subject to being much broken down by 
wind, and I find this advantage arise from their being blown 
down, that they throw out branches up the stem, and give a 
succession of beans through the summer. I last summer grew a 
new variety, sent out by Messrs. Veitch & Sons, their Improved 
Longpod, not quite so long in the pod as the Seville or Leviathan ; 
but it is of stout growth, standing erect, a good cropper, and the 
beans are of a deep green colour. 
I do not grow the round sorts of Beets. Nutting’s Red and 
Pragnell’s Exhibition are my favourites. Dobbin’s Beet is of good 
colour, but grows too coarse here. 
Broccoli and Cauliflowers.—Of the latter I grow Early London 
for house use, and Ueitch’s Autumn Giant for the servants. 
I sow the seed in boxes the end of January or February, and pot 
off or prick off into boxes until ready for planting out for the early 
crops ; and I continue a succession of small sowings, so that I 
never fail to have a supply of plants. In the autumn we see 
to protecting the heads from frost ; and if they are lifted and 
planted in a Peach house they are safe, and give a supply for some 
time. Then we have the autumn Broccolis, viz., Sutton’s Michael¬ 
mas White, Webb’s Mammoth, and Veitch’s Self-protecting 
Autumn, all good sorts that will carry you on until Snow’s Winter 
White comes in, for this, when you can have it true, is the best of 
all yet. Penzance, Veitch’s Spring White, Sutton’s Perfection, 
and Veitch’s Main Crop are all good. The old Sulphur or Ports¬ 
mouth Broccoli and Veitch’s Model I find to be two of the hardiest 
sorts here, and the only two varieties I have left to me after the 
severe winter. The kinds I have mentioned will keep up a good 
supply through the season. The Old Purple Sprouting should be 
grown by all, although some object to its colour. 
To-day (February 23rd) I examined our spring beds of Cabbage 
