January 2S, 183). I 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
61 
'(Sutton’s') is a valuable addition to the list of late varieties, this 
hearting in just in advance of the distinct and good Veitch’s 
Model. The best latest varieties I find are Ledsham’s Latest of 
All and Sutton’s Late Queen. Brussels Sprout Ne Plus Ultra, 
•synonym Northaw Prize, is my favourite strain, this being of 
moderately strong even growth, a sure cropper, the sprouts being 
of medium size, firm, and mild in flavour. Exhibition grows rather 
•stronger, and this also is a profitable stock. 
Ellam’s Early, Matchless, Paris Market, and Early Etampes 
were all good and are well adapted for close planting in private 
gardens, as also is Wheeler’s Imperial. Chou de Burghley or 
Cabbage Broccoli ought to be grown for the midwinter supplies. 
We have abundance of it at the present time from seed ; being the 
first week in May the majority of the hearts are sufficiently com¬ 
pact. Savoy Cabbage ranks among the most reliable winter 
vegetables we have, only an extra severe frost much injuring them. 
Tom Thumb is of neat growth, early, and good in quality, while 
the Early Dwarf Ulm is very good in every way. Gilbert’s 
Universal is also of fairly neat growth, while the quality is excep¬ 
tionally good. Dwarf Green Curled and Drumhead afford a good 
succession, but they are somewhat coarse. The list of Cauliflowers 
is still being added to, one of the latest novelties, Sutton’s Magnum 
Bonum, being a decided advance. It is suitable for second early 
a,nd main crops, is of dwarf yet fairly vigorous habit, and the 
produce of superior quality. The Early Forcing is quite a little 
gem, Erfurt Mammoth forms a good succession, while for the 
autumn nothing can well surpass Veitch’s Autumn Giant. 
Last season we tried several varieties of Carrots, especial regard 
being paid to the invaluable Horn or Stump-rooted sorts. Parisian 
Forcing (Vilmorin), a small round smooth-rooted form of French 
Forcing, is superior to the latter for frame work. Guerande was 
found to closely resemble Early Gem and Model, and this form 
under any name is well worthy of a trial. It forms shorter and 
•thicker roots than Nantes Horn. For the latter I have a great 
partiality, and if a single variety only was sown that would be the 
■one. Matchless and New Intermediate are apparently synonymous 
■and much superior to the old James’ Intermediate, and Carter’s 
Scarlet Perfection is also a superior form of Intermediate, the 
quality of the last named being very good. Celery Veitch’s Early 
White is the best white variety I have yet tried, this early in the 
aeason almost equalling Major Claike’s Red for solidity, crispness, 
and nutty flavour. Veitch’s Early Rose is another distinct and 
good novelty, Major Clarke’s Red and Standard Bearer completing 
the selection. The Parisian Celeriacs are decidedly superior to the 
form generally offered and grown in this country. The new Apple- 
shaped and Large Smooth Prague are of very compact growth and 
form good sized bulbs of the best quality. I ought perhaps to 
warn the inexperienced against the White Plume and Golden 
Yellow Self-branching Celeries, as they are erron(!Ously termed ; 
unless moulded up they are uneatable, and under any circumstances 
Inferior. 
Leek Ayton Castle Giant is good enough for the non-exhibitor, 
but if extra fine stems are required The Lyon may well be grown. 
Nor are enormous Onions of much value for home use, and for this 
purpose we are well content with Main Crop, Giant Zittau, and 
either James’ Keeping or Brown Globe for spring-sowing, while 
for autumn sowing The Queen, White Naples, Giant White 'Tripoli, 
and Giant Rocca are satisfactory. Turnip Early Milan is by far 
the quickest to bulb, but keeps badly. Early Snowball and the 
French Early Paris Market, white oblong variety, which keeps ex¬ 
tremely well, are good for most crops. Veitch’s Red Globe is fine 
for autumn and winter use, and none equals Chirk Castle Black 
Stone for hardiness and quality. Potatoes and Tomatoes I must 
pass. 
Cabbage Lettuces Early Paris Market and Perfect Gem are our 
favourites. White Paris Cos and Black-seeded Bath Cos being also 
largely grown. We tried a considerable number of varieties, but 
those just named, all things considered, are the pick of the lot. The 
Louviers Endive (Vilmorin) is both distinct and good, iu fact the 
best for the earliest crops, Picpus Green Curled also being good. 
The White Batavian or Lettuce-leaved Endive is superior as re¬ 
gards perfect blanching, crispness, and mildness of flavour, being 
almost equal to good Cabbage Lettuce ; but it is not nearly so 
hardy as the Improved Round-leaved Batavian. The latter is 
simply invaluable for late autumn and winter use. Endives are 
rightly receiving attention from raisers of novelties, and in the 
Victoria Improved Round we have a great improvement on the 
ordinary form ; this, besides giving much finer leaves, also stands 
well. Much the same remarks apply to the monstrous Viroflay 
and the new Long Standing, and one or more of these varieties 
o'ught to quite supersede the old forms.—W. Iggulden. 
(We have received several letters on the subject, the insertion 
of which would tend to bewilder lather than instruct, and the 
above careful estimate of the leading crops is sufficient at present 
for practical purposes.] 
NOTES ON HARDY FLOWERS IN 
KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. 
With the new year flowers are beginning to peep out from their 
winter quarters. The common Snowdrops have been in flower 
since January 10th, and have, as they so often do, again proved 
untrue to their popular name of “ Fair Maids of February,” and 
shown that the old couplet, 
“ The Snowdrop in purest white arraie 
First rears her head on Candlemas daie,” 
like so many others, must be accepted with some reservation. 
Many clumps are now in flower on slopes and ridges of rockwork or 
on the level ground. Galanthus Elwesi is also in flower. 
The little Winter Aconite has also expanded its bright golden 
flowers. Common and cheap as this little Eranthis hyemalis is, it 
is yet indispensable in the early spring garden. The first Daffodil 
of the year opened its flower on 13th January. It is Narcissus 
minimus, and has surprised me by its earliness, having far pre¬ 
ceded ail the others in my garden. The others, including 
N. pallidus praecox and its early varieties, will be some time before 
they open. This plant of N. minimus formed one of a small lot of 
imported bulbs purchased in 1888, and has not been out of the 
ground since October that year, so that lifting and drying cannot be 
ascribed as the reason of its early flowering. 
Colchicum crociflorum is in flower, but an envious or admiring 
gastropod has thought that its delicate white flowers with blackish 
purple stripes would form a delicious meal, and has not only 
“marked,” but “ inwardly digested” to such good or evil purpose 
that our flowers are a pitiable sight. 
Some of the early species of Crocus are only awaiting some 
gleams of sunshine to enable them to expand their brilliant blooms. 
Such an early season as this is not a good one for these early 
Crocuses. They get too far advanced before they get much sun, 
and cannot stand the drenching rains we are experiencing. Those 
I have ready to flower are C. Imperati, C. Sieberi, C. Auchen, 
C. minimus, and C. biflorus, tbe Scotch Crocus. They are mostly 
very beautiful, and although I admire the large named Dutch 
Crocuses, of which I grow some twenty varieties, the above and the 
other species in my garden give far more pleasure, coming as they 
do at various times. C. Imperati is one of the earliest and most 
desirable species. When in bud the flowers are a soft fawn 
pencilled with black, and when open a bright purple. We have a 
number of Polyanthuses and Primroses in flower, and some of the 
late Chrysanthemums still give a few blooms.— S. Aunott. 
IMPROVED BLACKBERRIES. 
Mr. D. Brown asks for information as to where he can obtain any 
improved varieties of the, common Bramble. If his object is to obtain 
an abundance of good sized, Juicy, well flavoured fruit, I recommend 
him to plant the Parsley-leaved Bramble fPiubus fruticosus laciniatus). 
Low-lyinr cold situations should be avoided for the plants, and the 
natural habit of the Blackberry in its wild state should be studied. I 
have during several years seen the Parsley, or Cut-leaved variety, grown 
in gardens, especially where a loamy soil existed, elevated situations, 
and plenty of room, with a tall trellis for the shoots to be trained to, 
and capital crops of large juicy fruit were obtained. 
Questions have been asked as to its being an American variety or a 
native of Britain. Rubus fruticosus, the common Blackberry, is a plant 
widely distributed throughout Europe. The variety laciniatus is not 
mentioned in Hooker’s “ British Flora,” or in the London “ Catalogue of 
British Plants.” In Loudon’s “ Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum,” 
published 1838, it is stated in reference to laciniatus, “ Where it wa) 
first found is unknown, but it is in all probability only a variety of the 
common Bramble.” In Nicholson’s “Dictionary of Gardening,” pub¬ 
lished in 1887, no native country is given. I have often wondered 
why this excellent Blackberry has not had more attention from practical 
gardeners than it has, and I think that there are amongst the American 
kinds some which may under proper treatment be worthy of notice, but 
I must say I have very little knowledge of their value, as I am not in a 
position to test them.— Rubus. 
TROP^OLUM JARRATTI. 
This is stronger in growth and has larger flowers than T. tricolorum, 
the flowers of both being scarlet, yellow, and black. Both are very neat 
twining plants, charming for covering trellises, which may be flat (in 
which form they form admirable floral screens) or globes ; the leafless 
top of a Larch or Spruce tree when well covered has a fine effect. 
The tubers require to be potted so soon as they begin growing, which 
is usually in August. They s’uouLl have pots proportionate to the size 
