502 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December IS, 188SF. 
Aspleniums, Dicksonia arborescens, and Adiantums reuiforme, 
pedatura, villosum, and fragrans. That fairly represents the 
number of Ferns in cultivation one hundred years ago, a remark¬ 
able contrast with the present knowledge of these plants. The 
second edition of the same work was published in 1813 and 1814, 
when the number had increased to 120, thirty-seven being natives 
of Great Britain. Whether all these were represented by living 
plants in the collection is doubtful ; at any rate, Mr. J. Smith has 
told us that when he entered the Gardens at Kew in 1822 he found 
only forty tender exotic species in the various houses. Three years 
later the tropical Ferns were arranged together in one house, 
occupying a space of G feet by 12 feet, forming the commencement 
of the present large collection. Mr. Smith applied himself closely 
to the increasing of the numbers of cultivated Ferns during the 
next twenty years, with what success can be judged from the fact 
that he published a list in an appendix to the “ Botanical Maga¬ 
zine ” for 1846 including nearly 403 species. A catalogue 
issued ten years later—namely, in 1856—gives 504 species, and this 
number was still farther increased in 1868 to 802 Ferns and 48 
Lycopods. In 1882 the total remained practically the same, as, 
while many new species had been added, others had been either ex¬ 
cluded or lost. Since then there has been a great advance, for a 
list prepared during the present year, and which will shortly 
appear as a special issue the “ Kew Bulletin,’’ the total number of 
Ferns is 1261, of Lyct^.. Is 108. This, too, does not include the 
varieties of Scolopendriani, Asplenium Filix-fcemina, A. aculeatum, 
Nephrodium Filix-mas, Polypodium vulgare, and other British 
species, the number of which has been so greatly increased by 
the collection bequeathed to Kew by the late Mr. Carbonell. 
About 4000 plants were thus obtained, comprising probably 2000 
varieties. The Cooper Forster Filmy Ferns have also enriched 
the collection greatly, and, with some much-needed alterations in 
the structures devoted to the plants, and an excellent system of 
management, the condition of the plants has been wonderfully 
improved. It now constitutes one of the best departments in the 
whole establishment.— Lewis Castle. 
(To be continued.) 
TOMATOES IN 1889. 
Tomatoes have proved an abundant crop this year both in¬ 
doors and outside in favoured positions on walls. They have not, 
however, been grown without considerable anxiety on the part of 
some cultivators, for disease in some gardens has been very trouble¬ 
some. The remedial measures taken, although probably having 
a deterrent etfect on its progress, were not effective. Nothing that 
I have heard of has yet proved fatal to its growth when once the 
plants are attacked. Plants growing outdoors do not appear to 
contract the disease as do those produced under warmer conditions 
under glass ; but although cooler and more airy conditions are less 
favourable to the spread of disease, they are more liable to that 
which infests the Potato during the late summer and autumn 
months, when it becomes prevalent among these crops. Un¬ 
doubtedly the spores are carried by the wind in all directions, as 
last autumn the first sign of this pest was observed on a Tomato 
plant growing directly under a ventilator of our Peach house, in 
which we grew the greater portion of the crop, and once estab¬ 
lished within it very soon wrought havoc among the remainder of 
the plants. So severe was the attack that in a very short space of 
time it became necessary to cut all fruits and clear out the plants. 
Fortunately, however, we had not been troubled with any this season 
indoors or out, but we have had our share of that more greatly 
dreaded cladisporium or Tomato disease. Its first appearance was 
noticed on a plant of Hackwood Park, obtained among others by a 
friend in Hampshire, who, strange to say, has not had a trace of it 
among his crops this year. Whether the disease is perpetuated in 
the seeds I have not had experience to prove, and I am not likely 
to run the risk in saving any from our own stock. In an adjoining 
house it made a much later appearance, although the side ven¬ 
tilators opened from one into the other, and there again the 
Hackwood Park variety was the first attacked. Directly it was 
observed every apparently affected leaf was promptly removed, 
and the remainder, together with the stems, were given a good 
dressing of sulphur, but unfortunately it did not have the desired, 
effect. 
In growing a number of varieties there is much to interest one- 
in comparing their respective merits, especially when planted in a 
continuous line, where they come within easy view. When grown 
for home use merely the fewer sorts in such cases the better. For- 
high qualities, combined with free cropping, none that I have seen* 
this year can excel the Orangefield. I saw a large houseful of a 
good selection of this variety in spring bearing a crop such as I 
have never seen equalled, and only one, or the most two other- 
sorts, were grown for trial ; but I imagine they will not find space- 
another year in that garden, excellent varieties though they were- 
for exhibition purposes. 
With us, although numbers of sorts are grown, Reading Perfec¬ 
tion still holds its own, and several more under other names bore- 
very close resemblance to it. Our next in point of favour is 
Daniels’ Crimson Queen, a beautifully shaped dark-coloured fruit r 
and bearing a heavy crop, both in pots and outdoors. Gilbert’s 
Surpasse is a distinct medium-sized fruit and a free cropper. 
Mikado and Carters’ Dedham Favourite are not appreciated on- 
account of their colour—a cornelian red ; but the newly selected 
form of Mikado is a splendid variety of a dark crimson colour, and 
very distinct. For winter and early spring cutting a good selection, 
of Large Red and Suttons’ Earliest of All are indispensable. 
Among the yellow or golden-skinned varieties Golden Eagle is a 
great favourite with those who use them as dessert, the flavour 
being exceptionally good, and is very productive. Large Yellow- 
gives larger fruits, but are much paler in colour, and the flavour 
insipid compared with Golden Eagle. 
Some good fruits have been gathered from open walls ; the heaviest 
we have outweighed 14ozs. They may have been secured of larger 
size by thinning, but preference was given to quality rather than 
fewer sensational fruits, which are less useful. The last of our 
crop were gathered outdoors on October 18th. These were placed, 
on shelves in the greenhouse to ripen gradually, and will continue 
the supply for some time hence. Altogether the year 1889 has 
been generally favourable for Tomatoes, and outdoois in particular,, 
but it will be long ere it will be forgotten, and its association with- 
diseases, which in some districts have followed them with such 
persistency. It is to be hoped that we shall not be favoured with a 
repetition another year ; but such hopes, it is feared, will not be 
realised, as there is danger of spores being retained sufficient fov 
further impregnation.—W. S., Frome. 
LILY OF THE VALLEY. 
Although forestalled to some extent in some notes on the- 
above subject that I had in hand, by those of your corresponden i 
Mr. Frampton (page 208), yet a few remarks on the comparative 
methods of culture may be of interest. In deference to an ex¬ 
pressed desire to be favoured with blooms of this favourite plant 
during the early winter months and onwards, a special effort was 
made to obtain them, but as most of those who have attempted to- 
force this plant into growth before the turn of the year will readily 
testify, this proceeding is not always such as results in much satis¬ 
faction. With us fortunately, in the establishment where I was at 
that time engaged, the financial point of view was not of primary 
importance, or the attempt would soon have been discarded as 
hopeless, for crowns of the finest quality were at our disposal, and 
so far as our knowledge of the proper treatment went, they received 
the best of attention, yet our labour brought but small returns. A 
few spikes rose here and there from the various supplies introduced 
into the forcing house (potted in a similar way as mentioned by 
Mr. Frampton) as soon as it was possible to obtain crowns, but not 
until the early spring months was the simultaneous starting into 
growth of a whole batch expected, and so regular had this become, 
that the number of crowns, technically known as “ gibbers,” placed 
on to the rubbish heap, would have astounded a regular market 
grower had he purchased a similar lot and obtained such small 
returns. 
Since that time I have passed through establishments where the 
most had to be made of the means at disposal ; and in this case, as 
in some others, I have observed results far superior to where cash 
supplements skill in the production of successful results ; and it 
came as rather a reverse to find that we were expected to grow 
our Lily of the Valley outright, instead of purchasing it already 
half grown. But as the system has been in vogue apparently for 
some time, I watched the operation closely, and so convinced was I, 
that I have since paid more attention to the home-cultured roots 
than I had previously considered profitable. With imported roots 
we considered it fairly good to obtain 75 per cent, of spikes a fort¬ 
night before Christmas, whereas with improved treatment and 
