186 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f August 30, 1888, 
least ; it may be done just as they are breaking into growth or 
while they are in a dormant state. 
I cannot help thinking that with permanent Vines no advantage 
results from following the orthodox principle of shaking away the 
soil and spreading out the roots. Canes planted on this principle 
certainly do not make such a rapid growth the first season as those 
that are planted without disturbing the roots. For a time, it is 
true, that the greater care is needed in watering by the latter 
method, but they soon root out in all directions, and are practically 
independent of the old ball. If they are in a moist state at plant¬ 
ing time, and the soil pressed firmly about them, there is no 
difficulty in keeping them in that condition.—W. B. 
GLADIOLI. 
There was in the early part of the year a little controversy 
about this charming, though fickle, daughter of Flora, and it is a 
question whether the present season does not add considerably to 
the character of fickleness in this autumn beauty. One of the 
points under discussion was the means of inducing late varieties to 
flower in any season in the north, and in seasons like the present to 
have more than a few to flower, with the no less important matter 
of maturing the corms. It may be remembered that I advocated 
starting the plants in much the same way, and for the same reason, 
that Potatoes are sprouted. I had some experience of the utility 
of this process, and again did myself this year what I had advised 
others to do. The results may be somewhat interesting, and I 
propose to send a few notes as to the times of flowering of the 
varieties, appending to this note a list of those now in flower in 
this the worst season. Some folk will have it that we have never 
had a worse since 1879, when very few Gladiolus flowered in this 
district. The plants, it may be noted, were much crippled by the 
cold easterly frost which did such harm in early June, the tips of 
the leaves of many plants having been killed, and the foliage then 
expanded, as a whole, much damaged. All those noted were 
started in boxes and planted out with good roots in the end of 
April. 
Gandavensis hybrids in flower 2 Horace Vernet; a fine sort. 
1 Carnation. 2 Arniral Courbet ; a pleasing bright purplish-rose 
variety. 3 Arsinoe. 3 Amalthee. 1 Penelope ; soft pleasing 
colour. 1 Dumont d’Urville. 4 Caprice ; very beautiful shell¬ 
like petals. 9 Shakespeare ; a most useful sort. 1 Panorama. 
1 Diamant; a flimsy but lovely flower. 1 Orphee ; very good. 
1 Albion ; a good light variety. 1 Archduchesse Marie Christine. 
1 Opale ; a lovely light sort-. 2 M. A. Brongniart; one of the 
very best. 
Of Lemoine’s hybrids I have only about sixty plants, of these 
the following are flowering :—2 Lemoinei ; very beautiful. 1 
Etoile ; much the same shades as above, but quite distinct ; fine. 
2 Mona. G. Henry ; a bright-coloured variety. 1 President Grevy ; 
a lovely flower. 4 Lafayette ; very large, 4 inches across the 
flowers, looks somewhat like Shakespeare with a dash of yellow 
suffusing the white ; very good. 1 Lamartine ; as large as the 
above, and of a pleasing and peculiar shade.—B., East Lothian, 
August 24 th. 
ARTIFICIAL MANURES. 
The enlightened state of your correspondent, Mr. H. Dunkin, is to 
me a matter of considerable satisfaction ; not that I wish to take credit 
for all the truths that have at last dawned on the controversial horizon 
of my doughty opponent, but rather let me compliment him on his 
diligent research amongst scientific authorities, and the interesting and 
useful facts he has brought forward in the vigorous defence of his 
views. 
Now that the favourable turn of opinion in regard to “ combinations ” 
is given in such a candid manner by Mr. Dunkin, I cannot but admire 
the ingenious way in which he makes the admission- “Judicious com¬ 
binations ’ he has d'scovered in the tenor of my arguments, and yet 
“ properly proportioned combinations ” he formerly used as a target for 
his sarcastic shaft. Where the delicate line of demarcation comes in 
would, I think, be difficult to decide ; whether we call the system we 
follow by one name or the other, whether it be in the compounding of 
a perfect plant food, or in the manipulation of the powers we use to 
attain the object of our desires, the search after perfection will, I still 
contend, be conducted on these lines. 
Artificial manures are even now, in the majority of instances, 
clumsy compounds,, and their application even worse, although a vast 
improvement is taking place in the host of new plant foods that annually 
appear, and also in their application at the hands of many cultivators. 
A good general knowledge of plant life and the science of its support 
seems to be more general. Not only does the science of plant foods 
benefit the horticulturist, but to the agriculturist the “ knowledge is 
power,” especially in these times of keen competition ; and though 
much has been said and written in derision of the scientific farmer, I 
am firmly of opinion that he will, with the scientific gardener, pur¬ 
sue his calling to a pecuniary successful issue. 
Nothing now remains for me but to thank my ex-opponent for thn 
deep consideration he has given to the questions at issue, and 1 hope at 
some future time we may again have the pleasure of crossing a friendly 
pen. Meanwhile I leave him to continue his scientific studies in peace, 
and if his efforts should possibly produce a perfect plant food, I will do 
my best to accord him all the honour due. 
To the Editor I tender my thanks for space allowed, and a general 
apology to long-suffering readers, some of whom are no doubt glad to 
see this somewhat tedious controversy draw to a close. — M. Coombe, 
Ashton Court Gardens, Bristol. 
CABBAGES FOR SPRING. 
It is very important to have Cabbage in as early as possible in spring 
as other vegetables are often scarce at that time, and any addition is 
valuable. 1 find that Cabbages are not thought much of during the 
summer, but as soon as the frost cu's down such tender vegetables as 
Beans, Cabbage are in request, as also are Savoys. I like to have a 
good breadth of Coleworts ready. Rosette Calewort, Sutton’s Little 
Gem, and Ellam's Early are sown during the last -week in May, and 
sometimes the first week in June. These have never failed to give me- 
plenty of good heads during November and December, and although I 
have often had some left until the spring, they have all bolted then, 
and had to be used as greens. 
For spring Cabbage I always sow about the 10th, and again about 
the 20th of July. In 1886 Ellam’s Early, sown about the 10th, nearly 
all bolted in the following spring, and the small plants from the late 
sowing gave us the best Cabbage in 1887 ; and yet the same variety, 
sown at the same date last year, hearted in this spring without one 
bolting. It would certainly not do to depend entirely on seed sown 
here (midlands) as early as the 10th of July of the small early sorts. 
I always prick my plants out in a nursery bed as soon as they have 
two leaves beside the seed leaves. They are generally ready to plant 
about the first or second week in September. I do not think we always 
know the cause of bolting. I believe it is sometimes caused by bad 
strains of seed, sometimes by the mild weather during winter followed 
by a very sharp frost, and mild weather coming again suddenly, then if 
the plants are large they will often b61t. Sometimes it is caused by 
sowing the seed thick and letting the plants stand in the bed too long, 
and then planting them in loose rich soil. 
As to varieties, I think no one should condemn a variety until he is 
sure he has the true one. I find that some seedsmen do not send all 
varieties out true, they generally send out their own particular sorts- 
true, and these can be depended on; they have each their improved 
strains to which they wish their customers to give the preference. I 
think I have tried nearly all the varieties of Cabbages, and I find 
Myatt’s Offenham the best for spring. With me it is as early as.Ellam’s, 
and has much larger heads, with very little outer leaves. 1 grew Early 
York at two or three different times, but it was not so good as some 
other varieties.—J. L. B. 
[We have a reply from “A Kitchen Gardener” to “A Yorkshire- 
Cabbage Grower.” It is short and sweet, but cannot be inserted this 
week. ] 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, CHISWICK. 
Fruit and Vegetable Committee. —A meeting of this Com¬ 
mittee was held on the 21st inst. at Chiswick. Present—Mr. W. Warren, in 
the chair; Messrs. Howe, Cheal, Barr, Denning, Smith, Wright, Marshall, 
and Cummins. The following crops on trial this season were insDected:— 
1, Potatoes. —A collection of eighty-six varieties being grown. With 
very few exceptions they were found to have suffered severely from the 
disease, the early varieties more especially so. The following varieties- 
proving to be good croppers and of fine appearance were subjected to- 
the test of cooking—viz.: Governor (Dean), Lavington Conqueror (Lye),. 
Epicure’s Delight (Smith), Vegetarian (Dean), Renown (Webb & Son),. 
Debutante (Ellington), Castle Morton (Collins), Nelly Blue Eyes- 
(Dean), Basford Beauty (Howard), Bluebeard (Dean), Purple Beauty 
(Dean), Stirling Castle (Murdoch). None of them was considered of 
superior quality, being somewhat watery, a result attributable to the 
excessively wet season. 
2, Cabbages, spring sown. —A collection of forty varieties. The 
following were selected as the most desirable varieties to cultivate for 
use at this season—viz.. Early Etampes (Vilmorin), Early Paris Market 
(Vilmorin), Leeds Market (Rutley & Silverlock), Prince’s Nonpareil,. 
Early Dwarf York. 
3, Tomatoes. —A collection of fifty-two varieties grown in pots- 
None or these were considered superior to sorts certificated in 1887, and 
now in general cultivation. 
Floral Committee. —A meeting of this Committee was held on 
the 24th inst, Mr. H. Herbst in the chair. Present—Messrs. Walker, 
Dean, Laing, Noble, Goldring, Masters, Lowe, Hibberd, Rollet-t, Bates, 
Dominy, Fraser. 
The collections of Stocks and Asters on trial in the gardens were 
examined. Of the large-flowering Ten-week Stock from Messrs. 
Vilmorin the following colours were selected as the most distinct, and 
awarded three marks—viz., white, sulphur, lilac, blood red, violet, 
light violet. Of the same section from Messrs. Benary the white, dwarf 
