356 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 2,1389. 
2 p.m. Schedules can be had from the Hon. Sec., Mr. William Holmes, 
Framptoa Park Nursery, Hackney. 
NOTES FROM THE NORTH. 
Your contributors to this column have for some time been adding 
to the evidence in favour of the fact that the best results do not accrue 
only from those plants which have not had their growth interfered with 
by topping or pinching. In the face of the evidence thus adduced, the 
time has now arrived for the orthodox believers in extreme “ lineal 
measure” to show that the mere act of topping the shoot of a Chrysan¬ 
themum so far deranges the functions of the plant, that in consequence 
thereof it produces an inferior flower to that of an untopped one ; or 
judgment must go against them by default. 
Some time ago premature bud formation was the subject of some 
lamentation, as these buds had to be pinched out. It would beinterest- 
ng to know what are the present conditions of the plants in question, 
and also the results of observations as to the behaviour of the plants 
through the season, and the quality of the flowers produced by them. 
Our experience proves 99 per cent, of them to grow out of the habit, 
the resultant bud accruing from once pinching developing into a shoot 
of normal character. Still the propensity is somewhat of a nuisance on 
account of the loss of time involved at an important period. So far as I 
remember omy one grower assigns a cause—viz., “ early propagation.” 
If all growers who have experienced the evil have propagated their 
stock earlier than usual this season there might then be ground to base 
this argument upon. In my opinion we shall have to look more closely 
and deeply for the true cause. Generally speaking, those varieties which 
are the scantiest cutting producers are the premature bud formers, be¬ 
cause the cuttings have often to be procured from stem cuttings or close 
round the base of the stem, which is practically the same. Healthy 
sucker cuttings never show premature buds except when they or the 
plant from which they have been procured have been subject to a check 
inimical to their well being. Last autumn the general stock was 
severely crippled by the early frosts, and good cuttings were scarce in 
many eases, thin, weak, or stem cuttings would be substituted, resulting 
in a greater per-centage of premature bud-forming plants. 
The above causes and effects, added to the late and sunless spring, 
have left their impress on the collections. In previous years I have 
seen them in much better condition the last week in April than what 
they show this year. The general character of the “ month ” being 
more November-like than spring-like. The plants in cold pits being 
under mats at night cuts off a considerable slice of daylight each end of 
the day. The best collections I have seen are those where a light span- 
roofed house is utilised for them. 
In catalogue descriptions of new varieties, if dealers would give 
more details of character, habit, and time of blooming. &c., as compared 
with well-known established varieties and types of acknowledged merit, it 
would be much better than exhausting ali the adjectives in the super¬ 
lative degree in attempting descriptions of combinations of colours, and 
excellencies which only exist in fertile imaginations. As things are at 
present, a season has to be spent in acquiring a knowledge of their 
peculiarities, often ending in disappointment. Consequently, money 
spent in novelties is regarded as something wasted.— Carey St. John. 
THE CARROT AND ITS CULTURE. 
The Carrot (Daucus carota) is a native of Britain, and in its wild 
state is found in waste places almost all over the kingdom. Cultivation, 
as in the case of the Parsnip, has entirely altered its appearance, trans¬ 
forming it from a small, dry, hard, and whitish root into a large succulent 
root of a red or yellowish colour. At what date it was first cultivated 
is not known ; but in the time of Charles J. it was highly prized by 
ladies at court, who wore the leaves instead of feathers, as we are 
informed by Parkinson. Since then it has greatly improved, as not only 
is it cultivated in gardens, but thousands of acres are grown annually 
for horses and cattle. 
The best varieties in cultivation are Early Nantes, Short Horn, 
Altrincham Improved, James’ Intermediate, and Long Red Surrey. The 
earliest sowings should always consist of the Short Horn type, and may 
be made in a warm sunny border in a light soil during the month of 
February. But for main crops now is the time to sow. The ground 
should have been well trenched. Fork it over well previous to sowing 
the seeds, raking it level and fine afterwards. Next proceed to draw 
shallow drills about 15 inches apart, and as the young plants are very 
liable to be destroyed by insects it will be advisable to sow somewhat 
thickly. _ The seed should be rubbed through the hand with a little sand 
or dry soil, which will enable the sower to distribute it evenly. The 
varieties most esteemed for this sowing are Long Red and Intermediate. 
None proves better in deep soils than Long Orange and Red Surrey. 
James Intermediate is well suited for shallow soils. If young Carrots 
are required for soups, which is often the case, recourse must be had 
to successional sowings during the months of May and June, sowing 
according to the demand. _ The Short Horn is to be preferred for this 
purpose. When winter begins to come upon us the crop should be care¬ 
fully dug up, cutting the crowns neatly off; then stack the roots, heads 
outwards, with some sand between each layer. They may be stored out 
of doors, like Potatoes, this plan keeping them very fresh and succulent. 
—A. G. Feampton. 
EARLY IIARDY FLOWERS. 
Mr. H. S. Leonard discoursed pleasantly on this, to him, 
most congenial of subjects in a recent issue, and no one who is 
acquainted with his deep love for and wide knowledge of alpine 
and hardy plants generally can fail to note his addition to the 
already rich list of Journal contributors with anything but 
unqualified satisfaction. Whoever turns his attention to the 
thousand and one beautiful plants that form the classes indicated 
opens up a subject of interest at once absorbing and inexhaustible. 
The flowers come long before 
“ The flowery May, who from her green lap throws. 
The yellow Cowslip and the pale Primrose,” 
and give their flow of perennial beauty until the winter’s chill and 
gloom ; and as their beauty is not of a season, neither is it bounded 
by considerations of space. Hardy flowers are grown by the acre 
about the “ lordly terraces ” of Belvoir, and in the spring and 
early summer the magnificent garden is visited from far and wide, 
but the miniature rockery and narrow border . of the smallest 
garden may be the scene of a picture which, though ever changing, 
is ever beautiful, and that although its occupants are amongst the 
lowliest blossoms of the earth. 
Scillas. —No one is likely to quarrel with the description of 
S. bifolia as a good early flower, but its variety taurica is, I con¬ 
sider, far better, and it has the merit, if I may thus express myself, 
of a more distinctive individuality. The flowers are of a brighter 
and more decided blue than those of S. bifolia, and the prominent 
brown anthers emphasise the distinctness. For freedom of bloom¬ 
ing it is at least equal to the type. S. taurica is rare, but were it 
■well known it would be a much-prized flower. 
Chionodoxas. —Mr. Leonard appears to view with some alarm 
the increasing number of these. When it simply means a multi¬ 
plication of names, as in the so-called C. Timolusi, these appre¬ 
hensions are excusable, but there can be no valid objection to 
welcoming such as are improvements, and if the number of varie¬ 
ties become too great it is the old and inferior which must go— a 
course far preferable to rejecting the new and superior. In refe¬ 
rence to the variety named Mr. Ware has stated that his bulbs are 
small, and that it may subsequently be seen in better condition 
than has hitherto been the case ; but it is not likely that it will 
ever equal C. Lucilire. With at least two, C. gigantea and C. sar- 
densis, the case is different. Both are improvements, and great 
things may reasonably be expected of the former, which is larger 
than C. Lucilice, and more clear and pleasing in colour. The rich 
hue of C. sardensis readers it far more striking in a mass than the 
original Glory of the Snow. The white form is not very effective. 
Daffodils. —Mr. Leonard does not touch upon these. Ard 
Righ has been persistently written up of late in various quarters, 
and is undoubtedly a useful form ; but Henry Irving is as early 
and showy—indeed, I think the bloom is a little finer than Ard 
Righ, and it comes in well before obvallaris. Golden Spur 
closely resembles Henry Irving. I should class these as two of the 
finest of the early flowering Trumpet Daffodils, and either may be 
grown ; both are not needed. N. Cyclamineus is most beautiful. 
With the protection of a' handlight it blooms abundantly in Feb¬ 
ruary, and is exceedingly pretty and graceful. This delightful 
little Daffodil may be increased readily by seeds. Minimus is 
hardly less desirable. Pallidus pnecox is still too useful from its 
earliness and free-flowering character to be done without. Many 
fail with it through lifting the bulbs and keeping them some time 
out of the ground ; they should be replanted at once. 
Irises. —Reticulata needs no w r ords of commendation. It is 
perhaps the richest of early hardy flowers, but it is by no means 
universally grown even yet. Such of your readers as do not grow 
this lovely flower should make haste to repair the omission. Two 
good forms of it are cyanea and Krelagei, purple. It is a curious 
fact that the latter is extremely inconstant from seed, while 
reticulata rarely varies. Stylosa is one of the most beautiful of 
early Irises ; the flowers are light blue svith yellow markings, and its 
varieties alba, certificated, I believe, last year, and speciosa, purple 
standards, a rare and most beautiful flower, are fully as desirable. 
The bulbous-rooted persica is also a charming early flower, though 
one has to stoop low to note its chaste and delicate beauty. 
Hi:l lebores. —In these we have plants of a more vigorous 
character than some of the others mentioned, and some at least of 
them cannot well be dispensed wdth, H. colchicus, a dark flowered 
kind, has been in bloom all the winter. M. Hariot comments on the 
long period during w'hicli these plants remain in flower in a recent 
