114 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 11, 1887. 
been sent. Benefactor, Discovery, and Kinver Hill were sent out in 
1886, and have “ caught on ” unraistakeably, and favourable reports are 
being received of Wordsley Pride, Renown, and Red King, which were 
sent out this season. Stocks of several excellent seedlings are expected 
to be large enough to justify their being offered next spring ; these will 
be heard of by-and-by. 
Other vegetables of somewhat smaller importance are also being 
experimented on extensively. Of Cabbages, besides Emperor, a variety 
named Flockmastcr, recommended for farm cultivation, has quickly 
become popular. In Broccolis there are new autumn and winter Whites, 
besides the late May Queen ; in Savoys, Little Wonder and Kinver 
Globe ; in Carrots, Defiance, Intermediate, and Market Favourite ; in 
Celery, Mammoth Red 'and Pearl White; in Cucumbers, Perpetual 
Bearer ; in Lettuces, Criterion (Cabbage) and Monstrous White (Cos) ; 
in Melons, Royal Warrant and Pride of Stourbridge ; in Tomatoes, 
Jubilee and SeDsation. These are all of recent introduction, but all 
sell largely, and of most there are fresh varieties coming on. 
The extent of Messrs. Webbs’ agricultural trade demands that special 
attention should be given to cereals. These are a remarkable feature of 
the gigantic trial grounds at Kinver. One hundred and ninety-one acres 
are devoted to Wheat trials and crosses. The results already secured 
have been most encouraging. The new varieties—Kinver Giant, 
Hybrid King, and Challenge White have been most favourably reported 
on. The former is a grand white variety that is in great demand, and 
Challenge White has won many important prizes. Several hybrids are 
under trial. The same remark applies to Barley, of which 201 acres are 
grown. Kinver Chevalier, a most prolific sort, Golden Grain, and 
Webbs’ Beardless are the pick of those already placed before the public. 
Of Oats there are 160acres; Challenge White Canadian, White Tartarian, 
and Black Tartarian are in the greatest demand, and all are excellent 
kinds. The Imperial Swede is another sterling farm novelty of Messrs. 
Webbs’ introduction. This variety has secured the first and second 
prizes at the Birmingham Show for fifteen consecutive years, and has an 
enormous sale. It may be interesting to state that at the farm com¬ 
petition in connection with a recent show at Newcastle for the Royal 
Agricultural Society’s prizes, Messrs. Webb informed us that all the 
prizes to the value of £475 were won by their customers. In connection 
with the farm trials it may be mentioned that a series of experiments of 
artificial manures, in which the firm deals largely, having a manufactory 
at Widnes, are being made. Some thirty or forty experiments are being 
tried with Swedes, and others with Potatoes. 
In the case of both vegetables and cereals it should be remembered 
that, large as is the extent of ground devoted to the more important 
crops, it comprises trials only, the seeds for sale being all grown else¬ 
where. But it may be stated that as a further precaution samples are 
taken of all seeds remitted to the firm by its growers, these being sown 
at Kinver with a view to making certain that the stock in bulk is as 
true to name as the trial stock was when forwarded from Kinver. 
As with vegetables and corn so with flowers. Stocks are carefully 
selected and raised at Kinver, then placed in the hands of a skilful 
grower to be raised in sufficient quantity for the year’s supply. Asters 
and Stocks are tried on a larger scale. Of the former a selection named 
Webb’s Miniature was noticeable, the plants being 6 to 9 inches high, 
bushy, and bearing large flowers. Webb’s Imperial Stock is a large 
flowering pyramidal strain, double, and in great variety of colour. 
Other popular annuals lent brightness. There was a fine bed of double 
Zinnias, others of the beautiful scarlet Flax, Linum grandiflorum 
rubrum, Calliopsis Drumn ondi, Webb’s dwarf Mignonette, very sweet 
and green ; the pretty Chrysanthemum inodorum plenissimum, which 
grows a foot high, produces abundance of small double white flowers, 
and is worthy of more extended culture ; Nasturtiums in various 
colours, very gay ; purple and white Candytufts, white Rockets, 
Clarkias, &c. These are too well known to need lengthened comment; a 
few specialities may be mentioned, however. Golden Cloud Chrysanthe¬ 
mum is a selection presumably of C. cariDatum. The flowers are large 
and bright yellow. A bed of this annual was wonderfully even and gay. 
The new Sterling Poppy is very showy too, being distinguished by 
floriferousness and brilliant colours. Webb’s new hybrid Mimulus is 
an excellent strain of the popular Monkey Flower, the colours remark¬ 
ably rich. Webb’s Invincible Sweet William is also a very fine strain, 
the colours of the blooms being unusually decided and diversified. Pride 
of Kinver Verbena embraces a great variety of brilliant hues, and is 
noteworthy also for the large size of the flowers. 
Amongst what may be styled odd crops at Kinver are some Tobacco 
trials, which have been conducted on a somewhat extensive scale. 
Messrs. Webb recommend the following twelve varieties as amongst the 
best for cultivation in this country :—Big Frederick, Connecticut, Cuba, 
I loricla, Havana, Island Broad Leaf, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 
Virginia, White Burleigh, and Yellow Prior. Maize and Sorghum are 
also being tried, and Messrs. Webb are experimenting with them on 
their own cattle, with results that they will perhaps refer to 
by-and-by. 
A few words may be devoted to the seed warehouses, which consist | 
of several fine blocks. They are freehold, and have been erected within 
the space of a few years by Messrs. Webb to meet the requirements of a 
rapidly increasing trade in farm and garden seeds. The largest block 
comprises five floors, 180 feet by 60 feet, and there are others nearly as 
large. At present they are comparatively empty ; a largely increased 
demand this year having drained the stocks below the estimated point, 
and the new supplies are not, of course, coming in yet. Messrs. Webbs’ 
trade in Swedes, Mangolds, Clovers, Grasses—in fact all agricultural 
seeds, is enormous. Large spaces, each marked with a separate label,, 
are reserved for each kind, but the removal of hundreds of sacks in 
many cases has left them very bare. There is eloquent evidence indeed 
that the dull season of the seed trade is upon the great firm. Huge 
lifts, steam-worked, are motionless. The wonderful seed-cleaning, 
machinery, that it has been the object of Messrs. Webb to render as 
perfect as possible, so as to insure the absolute purity of all the seeds 
they sell, is silent too. There the machines are, however, fifteen or 
twenty of them, ready, when the time arrives, for winnowing, sifting, 
and blowing. 
But if the seed-cleaning and the seed-despatching departments are 
quiet now activity prevails in others. The early consignments of bulbs 
are expected almost daily ; already there is a foretaste of the invasion 
in the form of a few hundred cases of White Roman Hyacinths. Large 
quantities of these are sold for forcing, and the Paper White Narcissi 
follow them closelv. Spaces are now being cleared for the reception of 
the Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi, Crocuses and other bulbs that will 
shortly come in hundreds of thousands. Some preparations are also 
being made for the coming seed season, as yet a long way off. Piles of 
bags and pockets are being labelled for the reception of the seeds, and to 
be filled as the latter arrive. For the present this is all that can be 
done. When Christmas is reached the rush of work will commence—a 
rush that can be imagined only by those who have seen the resources of 
an extensive staff taxed to the very utmost to keep it in check. 
ROSES IN POTS. 
A GOOD supply of Rose blooms from the time those in beds and 
borders outside fail until they can be had again another year is of 
even greater importance in many gardening establishments than the 
outside supply. Any neglect in the management of the plants at 
this season will certainly end in disappointment. Any of the- 
Noisette varieties, such as Lamarque, William Allen Richardson, or 
Tea Roses of the same habit of growth, of which Gloire de Dijon 
may be taken as the type, that flowered early and have been grown, 
under glass, will be sufficiently ripened for turning outside. These 
should not need potting if it was done in early spring after flower¬ 
ing, which is decidedly the best time. About this time of the year 
these are most liable to burst into fresh growth from many of the 
main buds. This must be prevented, or the flowers will probably be 
produced a few weeks hence instead of next February or March. If 
the wood produced after this date could be well ripened there would 
be no need for their removal, but in the northern counties this is, 
impossible, even if the autumn proves bright and fine. The safest, 
course then is to tie the plants with their branches upright to a wall 
or fence outside. The condition of the plants must determine, 
whether they occupy a southern aspect or the reverse. If well 
ripened a northern position will be most suitable for the next month' 
or six weeks, especially if bright hot sunshine continues. If the' 
plants are not well ripened the brightest place should be given them, 
so as to harden and thoroughly mature the wood. The pots may be 
plunged to save labour in watering, and the surface well mulched 
with manure. These plants may occupy these places until the ap¬ 
proach of frost, when they may be top-dressed with rich material 
and trained to fine stakes placed round the sides of the pot, or 
trained to short stakes after the fashion of an inverted saucer. This 
trouble need not be taken if the blooms only are needed for cutting. 
It is a simple and easy method of training when the shoots are 
twisted round stakes, and this induces every bud to break and pro¬ 
duce a flower. 
Attention should now be directed to the old China Rose, if plants 
were potted last autumn for flowering under glass from the middle 
of October. These old favourites deserve more extended attention, 
for autumn flowering in pots, for their sweet pink and crimson buds 
are invaluable at that season. They flower freely, and the blooms 
associate admirably with the delicate buds of light Tea varieties. 
Plants that are in 7 or 8-inch pots may be placed at once into others 
2 or 3 inches larger. This should be done without disturbing the 
ball further than the removal of loose soil from the top and the old 
drainage from the base. If the pots are plunged and the surface of 
the soil and rim of the pot covered, they will root freely in the new 
soil—in fact, the pots will be full of active roots by the third week 
in September, when they may be housed. Little, if any, water will 
be needed at their roots if the plants are syringed liberally twice 
daily, and the plunging material kept moist. If dry weather con¬ 
tinue, however, examine the soil, as if allowed to become dust dry 
the plants will soon become a prey to mildew, and prove useless for 
yielding a bountiful supply of buds. Pinch off the flower buds as 
they appear until the plants are housed, when they will quickly break: 
into fresh growth and flower. 
Tea varieties intended to flower at the same time, and maintain a 
supply up to Christmas, should also be repotted. These plants must 
now be practically at rest. Some may have young growth upon 
them, but this need not prevent the operati >n. Soft growths may be 
well pinched back or cut away completely. For this purpose plants 
