Feptetnber 2', 18S9. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
273 
natural one of throwing off side bulbs or offsets ; second, by hollowing ; 
third, by crossing ; and fourth, by seed. The first or natural method is 
not much used, because it is too slow, the second and third being 
improved methods whereby Nature is assisted. Some varieties succeed 
best from hollowing, whilst crossing suits others. The hollowed bulbs 
give a great number of small offsets, the crossed fewer and larger, 
which, as a rule, take one year less to come to perfection. I say, as a 
rule, for different varieties vary. Some of the hardy blues are ready for 
sale at four years old, whilst others are five or six years before 
they are fit to send out as first size bulbs. The bulbs sold as first 
size should be at perfection the following spring— i.e., when we have 
them. We very rarely see any bulbs on the fields flowering in their 
best form, for naturally when our friends have been at a great ex¬ 
pense in growing them they like to reap the reward of their labours 
by turning them into cash, and as a proof that the demand is equal to 
the supply, we have the fact that very few bulbs are ever left over for 
planting. A few are used every year for propagating, but the bulk are 
sold. Occasionally we do see a bed of bulbs planted which should have 
been exported the previous year, and then the owner will point to them 
with pardonable pride and say, “ There, your bulbs should be like that.” 
The bulbs I saw were not the selected best bulbs, but the leavings 
of what came here, yet I feel sure that none of their exported brethren 
ever came up to the glorious blooms I saw on the field. It is a disgrace 
to our culture when it happens, as it occasionally does, that the second 
size bulbs planted in the open for beds produce infinitely superior 
blooms to the first size bulbs grown in pots for exhibition. 
But I must go on to the fourth method of propagation—viz., by 
seed; this is only done in order to obtain new varieties. So far as I 
have seen no effort is made at artificial crossing ; they simply plant a 
bed of good varieties mixed together, and allow Nature to take her 
course. Indeed many Dutch florists, Heer de Graff, the noted Narcissus 
raiser in particular, are rather jocular on the subject.of cross-fertilisation, 
and say that they have obtained better results without it than we have 
with it. That may be ; they started first in the race, and have climate 
in their favour. There is nothing peculiar about the propagation of 
Tulips, which is done by dividing the offsets from strong bulbs. Some 
varieties produce these offsets much more freely than others, and this is 
the reason that some very beautiful Tulips are kept for years at such a 
price as prevents their becoming general favourites. 
Time will not admit of my going further into the question of propa¬ 
gation. I think, then, we may leave the details and for a moment take a 
view of the fields. What do they look like ? It would be difficult to 
say. Each year they strike us with a different aspect, and in this case 
familiarity does not breed contempt. The aspect of the fields varies 
greatly ; if you approach the border of a village where almost every 
labourer grows a few bulbs you will see in one small garden little patches 
of every colour, one little bed of yellow Tulips, one little bed of scarlet, 
half a bed of Robert Steiger, half a bed of Chas. Dickens, and a bed of 
a dozen sorts mixed. Walk a little further, and you come to the land 
of a large grower ; you see beds of Hyacinths 10 yards long and 3 feet 
wide, divided by tiny sunk walks a foot wide, like Asparagus beds, so 
that in looking down the lines they seem like one bed ; then you will 
see such a blaze of colour as you probably never saw before. It is 
wonderful 1 how the colours contrast! snowy white and crimson, indigo 
blue and yellow, purple and flesh-colour, red and azure blue. It is like 
a gorgeous carpet which stretches over 15 or 20 acres. Occasionally 
where two or more bulb farms adjoin you may see 40 or 50 acres 
one blaze of colour. The full glory does not last long, for as soon as 
the blooms are well expanded the beds are carefully looked over for 
rogues, and then the men come, armed each with a small knife and a 
basket, and start six, eight, or ten in a row, to cut off the flowers. This 
is to prevent the bloom exhausting the bulbs, and also (a matter of 
great importance) to allow the foliage every facility to develope. The 
blooms are thrown away in heaps, or often spread on the surface of the 
soil over newly set Potatoes to prevent the sand being blown away into 
the ditches or on to the neighbouring property. 
The same with the Tulips, they only bloom a day or two and then 
are cut off. So if you would see the fields at their best you should know 
which are the early spots, and run round these first and so on to the 
later. After a week of this sort of thing, from early morn until night, 
most people get rather tired, and indeed many men who go over on 
business will not face more than two days of it. If the weather is hot 
you have such a glare of colour constantly before the eye, such a sense 
of being “crowded up ” with Hyacinth perfume, that even at night you 
seem to be still walking the fields and have a difficulty in sleeping ; a 
change of occupation for a day is then a great relief, and such a change 
may be found in one of the fine picture galleries for which the country 
is famous. 
(To be continued.) 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
September 24th, 25th, and 26th. 
THE VEGETABLE EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE. 
The introductory remarks respecting this Show on page 259 will 
give an idea of its extent and importance, while in the following notes 
the principal exhibits and exhibitors are named, the decisions of the 
respective Committees of selection not being completed in time for 
publication in this issue. The first day at Chiswick was a most un¬ 
favourable one, rain falling heavily throughout the greater part of the 
afternoon ; but Wednesday proved fine, and the proceedings of the 
Conference were commenced at 2 p.m. The Exhibition is continued- 
to-day (Thursday), and the Conference will be resumed at 2 p.m., the 
papers to be read being noted on page 266. The order of the classes in 
the schedule is followed as nearly as possible in the appended report. 
GREEN VEGETABLES. 
Cabbages.— There was a good display of Cabbages, over 70 feet of 
staging being occupied with the exhibits in the three classes, in which 
there were about twenty entries. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea,, 
had an extensive collection representing all sections, very notable being 
Early Etampes, Denning’s Early, Chou de Burghley, Early York, Little 
Pixie, and Rosette Colewort amongst the smaller Cabbages, with Offen- 
ham and Early Flat White amongst the larger ones. Messrs. R. Veitch 
and Son of Exeter, Messrs. Vilmorin & Co., Paris ; H. Hannan, Edin¬ 
burgh ; W. Poupart, Twickenham ; J. Carter & Co. ; Oakshott and 
Millard also exhibited some of their special varieties and strains. Mr. 
J. Hughes, Bracknell ; Mr. J. Willard, Highgate ; and Mr. W. Pope, 
Highclere Gardens, Newbury, also showed samples of garden Cabbages. 
Kales. —Considerable space was occupied with Borecoles and Kales, 
Messrs. Veitch & Sons having a fine type of Curled Kale in Extra Dwarf 
Curled. Mr. H. Deverill also had a good sample in the new Curled 
Culzean Castle. Messrs. G. Bunvard & Co. had specimens of Cottager’s 
Kale, and from Chelsea came some tall Kales, the plain leaved Chou de- 
Milan and Tall Green Curled being noteworthy. 
Savoys. —These did not form a very large display, but Mr. G. Wy thes 
Syon House Gardens, Brentford, had a good collection of varieties, 
comprising Gilbert’s Universal, Early Dwarf Ulm, and Drumhead. 
Messrs. Bunyard & Co., R. Veitch & Son, and J. Veitch & Sons, also 
had collections—Dwarf Green Curled, and Early Dwarf Ulm, Yellow, 
and Drumhead, and Very Early Paris being capitally represented. 
Brussels Sprouts. —Few dishes of picked Sprouts were shown, these 
being Wroxton from Mr. Deverill, Sutton’s Exhibition from Mr. J. 
Hughes, Selected from Messrs. R. Veitch & Son, Veitch’s Exhibition 
from Mr. G. Wythes, and Reading Exhibition from Mr. W. Pope, all 
fairly good neat samples. Plants were staged in pots down the centre 
of one of the tables from Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, this being an 
instructive exhibit, showing the habits of the respective varieties 
and their relative productiveness. Mr. G. Wythes and Mr. H. Hannan 
also had several plants shown in the same way. 
Artichokes. —These formed a moderate display, the best samples 
being from Mr. J. Lambert, gardener to Col. Wingfield, Onslow Hall, 
Shrewsbury, Messrs. Oakshott & Millard, W. Poupart, G. Wythes, C. .1. 
Waite, and J. Veitch & Sons, Green Globe and Purple Globe being the 
only distinct types, the others differing chiefly in size. 
Spinach. —Eight exhibits comprised all the Spinach shown, Prickly 
or Winter Spinach and Round or Summer Spinach being the chief 
varieties shown, but Mr. R. Smith, gardener to Lady F. Fletcher, 
Kenward, Yalding, Maidenhead, had a dish of the very large 
Viroflay, from seed sown at the beginning of August. Mr. W. Poupart 
also had a basket of New Zealand Spinach. 
Cauliflowers were well but not largely represented. There was only 
one class. Veitch’s Autumn Giant was best represented, the majority 
of the exhibitors showing this grand variety, and few of the heads were 
coarse. Pearl and Walcheren were also shown. Amongst the Broccolia 
were Michaelmas White and Veitch’s Self-Protecting. Mr. R. Smith, 
Maidstone ; Mr. Hughes, Bracknell; Mr. J. Lambert, Shrewsbury ; and 
Mr. W. Wildsmith, Heckfield, were amongst those who showed, the list 
including several already named. 
Red Cabbaqe. —Two examples of one variety were asked for, and 
they were shown by eleven exhibitors. The varieties represented were 
Large Blood Red, Red Dutch, Sutton’s Blood Red, and Red Drumhead, 
Messrs. Bunyard, Chadwick, Wildsmith, Oakshott & Millard, Smith, 
J. Millard, J. L. Ensor, J. Hughes, J, Carter & Co., and J. Dobbie & Coc 
showing them. 
FRUITS AND PULSE. 
Tomatoes. —Quite an ornamental display was formed by the Tomatoes; 
of which a good number was shown by Messrs. Veitch & Sons, Vilmorin 
and Co., Oakshott & Millard, C. J. Waite, T. Laxton, Harrison & Son, W. 
Poupart, T. Lockie, Windsor, and G. Bunyard & Co. Fine samples of 
fruits were shown under the following names :—Mikado, Golden Queen, 
President Cleveland, Perfection, Ham Green Favourite, Hackwood Part, 
Dedham Favourite, and Waite’s Seedling. 
Gourds.— An extensive and varied exhibit of Gourds occupied a table 
the whole length of the vinery. Mr. C. Osman, Sutton, Surrey, had a 
very large collection, comprising about forty varieties, varied in form and 
colours. An excellent collection was also contributed from the Society’s 
garden, comprising some very peculiar and interesting forms. Messrs. 
R. Veitch & Son, J. Veitch & Sons, G. Bunyard & Co., and Harrison and 
Sons were also exhibitors. Huge specimen Gourds, Pumpkins, and 
Vegetable Marrows were shown by several exhibitors. 
Beans. —Runner Beans were represented by some well-grown col¬ 
lections. The most notable varieties were Girtford Giant, Chelsea Giant, 
Carter’s Jubilee Runner, Ne Plus Ultra, Neal’s Runner, Veitch’s Mam¬ 
moth, and The Czar. Messrs. J. Carter & Co., H. Deverill, J. Veitch and 
Sons, J. Wallis, Keele Hall Gardens ; C. J. Waite, Harrison & Sons, W. 
Palmer, and J. Lambert were the chief exhibitors. 
Dwarf Beans. —These were scarcely less well represented than the 
Runners, but they were not numerous. Canadian Wonder, Ne Plus 
Ultra, Negro Longpod, Mohawk and Syon House were the chief varieties 
