Jannrry 10,1S89. ] 
JOURNAL GF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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NORTHERN GARDENS | 
IN 1888. j 
L OOKED at horticulturally, the past year has been an extra¬ 
ordinary one, and yei on the whole, badly as things looked 
during some periods, it cannot be asserted that we have not experi¬ 
enced worse. As to weather, an exceedingly hot week in May brought 
plenty of grubs, which wrought great havoc both to flowers and 
vegetables. Then followed a long spell of wet and cold, when it 
seemed as if everything would be lost, to be followed by an autumn 
of wonderful mildness and an early winter, many days of which 
have been quite spring-like, some of them, indeed, warmer than 
some of the days of the previous summer season. 
In the garden of flowers it has been again shown that those who 
are broad in their floral sympathies, and who cultivate all flowers, 
are likely to enjoy their gardens the most. At one time bedding, 
and the tender class of plants, seemed as if they would be failures 
unreservedly. But we were saved from that experience, for 
although late, most bedding plants did well. Of Pelargoniums 
Henry Jacoby still holds pre-eminence, and even at the worst this 
grand variety was fairly bright. The plants which did not succeed 
were Violas, Iresines, and Alternantheras. Lobelias, Calceolarias, 
Paris Daisies, and Ageratums could not be better. Of the less'strictly 
bedding plants, Pentstemons were very fine, Phloxes, though very 
late, came out bravely, Asters were very poor, Carnations also very 
late, quite the middle of September until they were well in bloom, 
yet were better than ever we have had them. Seedlings flowered 
from July onwards. Dahlias, like these, were also very late ; 
indeed, in some localities where early frost damaged the plants they 
did not bloom, but here they turned out well, more especially 
Juarezi, Mrs. Hawkins, Mr. Tait, and many singles. Roses, though 
perhaps the greater number of the flowers were destroyed by wet 
in the bud state, were still wonderfully fine in the cases where the 
flowers did open. The autumn bloom was, of course, a blank, 
*'nd yet the old Gloire de Dijon has never been finer, we had 
hundreds of blooms during October, November, and December. 
Gladioli again have been wonderfully fine, though in many 
cases it was October before the main stock of plants flowered. 
The corms have ripened very well, though not so large as last 
season. 
Taking the plants more strictly herbaceous and hardy, it has, of 
course, been a season par excellence for these ; still J must confess 
our borders have not been so fine this season as last, and tha^ 
particularly in autumn, when some of the late tall-growing sorts 
have not flowered, more perhaps on account of damage from high 
winds than any other reason. One noteworthy plant is Schizostylis 
coccinea. In most seasons we have been obliged to cover this with 
glass, and then lose many spike3 on account of damp and frost, but 
this year for the past three months we have had it by the hundred, 
and it is a plant worth growing for twenty years if we might have 
it once in that time as it has flowered this year. Christmas Roses, 
too, are very early. Helleborus niger maximus is over, H. angusti- 
folius has plenty of flower, and the common form of niger is 
opening, while I see the coloured varieties are also showing their 
flowers. Polyanthuses have been really beautiful, not single 
trusses here and there, but several on a plant. Of indoor flosvers 
Chrysanthemums have been most disappointing, so many having 
failed to flower, and unless where the crown bud has been taken, the 
flowers are generally deficient in size. Calks and other plants 
No. 446.— Vol. XVIII., Third Series. 
summered in the open are flowering as well as usual; Lily of the 
Valley of home growth nothing to complain of, and I have seen 
very good Tulips lifted and flowered. 
IE we turn to vegetables many have been almost failures. Of 
such are Jerusalem Artichokes, which have few roots, and these 
small ; French Beans yielded only a few gatherings, and in 
some districts none ; no Vegetable Marrows, in some places no 
Brussels Sprouts. Some Peas were very late, but these have been 
very erratic. I saw Peas exhibited in September from the earliest 
plants ; indeed it was only from three of four of the earlier sowings 
that Peas could be gathered. The intermediate sowings were a 
blank, but from two sowings of Ne Plus Ultra we had some late 
dishes. In my case it was unfortunate, as this wa3 a trial year with 
the newer Peas, but so it was, and from the new varieties of Messrs. 
Veitch, Carter, Sutton, &c.,we had hardly a pod. The sorts which 
did so well were Veitch’s Extra Early, William I., Prodigy, and Tele¬ 
phone ; Duke of Albany, Stratagem, and Veitch’s Perfection, poor; 
though these are generally exceptionally fine. Cauliflowers were 
difficult to secure, but that on account of grub in summer. Of 
Broccoli, Snow’s Winter was destroyed twice from the same cause. 
Curiously the Autumn Giant type of Cauliflowers were quite free 
from attack, but these were smaller than usual. Spinach, has, of 
course, been in capital order. Brussels Sprouts have been in use 
since the middle of September, the sorts being Veitch’s Paragon 
and Exhibition. The plants are set out 3 feet apart on ground 
which has not been dug for three years, and the third crop of 
Sprouts in succession. It was intended to give a heavy surface¬ 
dressing of manure throughout the summer, but the plants pro¬ 
gressed so vigorously that a surface dressing was not necessary. 
April-sown plants growing in dug ground well manured are also 
buttoning freely. Of Lettuces numbers of sorts were tried, but for 
main summer, autumn, and winter crop, nothing has been better 
than Hicks’ Hardy. Some grew to an enormous size, but they 
were longer in turning in, and as Hicks’ well grown is quite large 
enough, and sometimes bigger than necessary, I do not think these 
will be grown again. Of the quick-hearting Cabbage sorts, none 
did better service than Tom Thumb. Guerande Carrot did most 
excellently and is ready for use very quickly, attains a good size, 
and is of first-rate quality. This sort entirely supersedes the 
Early Nantes. Carrot3 were a very good crop all over. Milan 
Turnip and Early Snowball are as good as any we have tried. The 
latter is good all summer and well through the winter, and the 
former very early and good. Cabbages have had a bad name this 
past season, the difficulty being to get them to form hearts. I 
thought very highly of Express for summer work. This was 
followed by Nonpareil, and thi3 again by one of the Oxheart type. 
Rosette Coleworts, which are so very valuable, have not yet 
attained a size to use. Chou de Burghley is also, so far, not so 
good as we have had it. 
Of Potatoes a large number of sorts were on trial, and it may 
almost be said with certainty that any variety which has done well 
this season will be good in any. The crop as a whole was at least 
one-third short, the main varieties being Myatt’s Prolific, of excel¬ 
lent quality, and all lifted before disease appeared ; Snowdrop also 
excellent, and lifted early ; and Dons, which before finishing were 
fearfully diseased. Of sort3 of which only a few were grown the 
best as to earlines3 and quality was Early Puritan ; no disease. 
Surprise produced a very large crop, not early, of inferior quality, 
and without disease ; Suttons’ Seedling, fair crop, early, most 
handsome tubers, and no disease ; Suttons’ Early Market, a good- 
round, but a poor cropper ; King of Russets, a good crop of large 
tubers, very badly diseased ; The Bruce and The Major, two late 
field varieties, with strong haulm and good as to crop, both quite 
free from disease, are certainly worth a trial ; the former is of the 
Magnum Bonum type, the latter much like Victoria, and excellent 
as to flavour. M.P., Village Blacksmith, Chancellor, and some 
others will not be grown again. Standard Bearer Celery^, it may be 
No. 2102.—Voii, LXXX., Old Series.- 
