422 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 2, 1830 
flowers. I do not agree with this. I much prefer working on a good 
strong, healthy, broken or rectified Tulip rather than chance a breeder, 
for I have some at the present time that have been in the breeder 
state over thirty years. They were raised by Mr. Twitchett, a good 
florist, at Stapleford, and have not broken yet. They are of good habit, 
with clear base and fine blooms, but what chance is there of their 
progeny breaking if the mother is so conservative and stubborn and 
will not move on 2 I prefer taking an improved flower, and work at 
that which seems to me the easiest way, and it takes less time, because 
there is a greater chance of its breaking. 
Raising Seed. —First decide on those flowers which you intend to 
work upon. Let them be of strong healthy habit, good, clear, and pure, 
also the colours you want. Choose the brightest shades to work from, 
and keep each class distinct. Make a small bed on a warm border 
where you can easily protect them ; you will not require many, two or 
three dozen will be quite enough. It is much better to plant them on 
a separate bed, as they will require to remain in the ground a longer 
time to ripen the seed pods. As soon as the flower opens carefully take 
out the stamens of those that you intend impregnating, and when you 
see moisture on the pistillum apply pollen from the flower from which 
you wish to get a new colour. Be careful not to impregnate a yellow 
ground with a white ground flower, or a white with a yellow ground. 
After crossing, place a piece of gauze or muslin over the flower to keep 
the bees from it, and ticket each flower with the name of the cross. 
The pericarpium must remain on the plant until it is of a brownish 
colour and begins to open. This will be about the end of July or 
beginning of August, cut it off the stem, and lay it in the sun to dry. 
Sowing. —When is the proper time to sow the seed ? Some florists 
sow at the time of planting the bulbs, some in January, others in April. 
I prefer sowing, if the seed is well ripe, the second week in August, or 
sooner if possible, because new seed germinates quickly. Plants appear 
in about a fortnight or three weeks, and have two months at least to 
form bulbs ; if kept in a cool greenhouse they will grow for another 
month. By this early sowing a year is gained, as it takes four or five 
years for seedlings to flower. It is best to sow the seed in rather 
shallow pans, as the root from the seed runs down a long way, and as 
soon as it touches the bottom it will stop the flow of the sap and cause 
it to form the bulb. The plants must be kept in the pan, and when 
ripe after the second growth they may be transplanted into a bed early 
in the autumn. 
Seedlings when they first bloom are without stripes and markings 
with a yellow or white base, and the upright portions of the petals ar^ 
self coloured, brown, red, rose, purple, scarlet, &c. Sometimes the first 
flower will break, but not very often. It takes from five to ten years 
If any are dirty or not possessed of good properties throw them away at 
once. Be careful in keeping each plant with its offset distinct, then if 
it should turn out a good flower you know how many you have of it. 
Breeders which have a bad base but clear filament should not be thrown 
away, as they geuerally break clear. If the filaments are discoloured 
the ground of the petal will always remain dirty. A good Tulip must 
have the filaments and the ground of the same colour. 
Events op the Week. —The great horticultural event of the 
week will be the Show in the Temple Gardens by the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society on Wednesday and Thursday, May 28th and 29th. This 
is expected to be an important display, and the fact that the Prince of 
Wales has promised to open the Show will alone ensure a good attend¬ 
ance of visitors. Ho doubt Orchids will be largely represented. The 
miscellaneous groups are also expected to occupy considerable space. 
The Royal Society will meet on Thursday, May 22nd, at 4.30 P.M., and 
the Quekett Club on Friday at 8 P.M. 
—- The Weather in the South.— Notwithstanding the rather 
cool wind, the temperature during the past week has risen greatly. Upon 
several mornings it has reached C0° in the shade at 8 A.M., and with the 
occasional showers has assisted garden occupants enormously. Trees 
are now in uheir freshest and best condition. Hawthorns and Lilacs ren¬ 
dering shrubberies gay and gardens fragrant. i 
- The Weather in the North. —“ B. D.” writes from Perth¬ 
shire :—“ May 12th-19th. Rain has fallen more or less heavily on five 
days of the week. Temperature has never been under 40°, and vegeta¬ 
tion has rushed on rapidly. The 17th was a most pleasant day, mild, 
with varied shade and sunshire.” 
- Mr. James Backhouse, jun., of the York Nurseries, who 
was married on 15th inst., signalised the happy event by giving the 
employes (some one hundred and twenty) a trip to Scarborough, where 
a most enjoyable day was spent. Dinner was served at the Royal 
Hotel, Mr. Gray, the manager, presiding. He w.as supported by 
Messrs. Potter, Marshall, and Webster. After dinner speeches were 
made thanking Mr. Backhouse for his kindness, and a telegram was 
despatched wishing the newly married pair God speed. The party 
returned by the 8.45 train, highly pleased with the day’s outing. 
- Early Peas.— Mr. T. H. Slade writes “ On January 8th 
I sowed Chelsea Gem Pea in pots, and gathered the first dish on 
May 17th. They were placed in heat, and when large enough for 
planting were placed in trenches in a cool orchard house. I regard 
this as an excellent first early Pea.” 
- Noble Strawberry. —Your correspondent “Craven” asks 
about the flavour of Noble Strawberry. We have had it on trial this 
season with other varieties, and my employer and her guests pronounced 
it very good. I also tasted it, and considered it very good indeed, but 
not equal to Keens’ Seedling when the latter is at its best. We have 
also tried King of the Earlies, but shall not grow it again, it being a 
poor cropper and very small. Our Strawberries have been watered 
with clean water only, but have been liberally top-dressed with 
Thompson’s manure.—C. Portsmouth. 
- Proliferous Broccoli. —Last year Messrs. Sutton & Sons 
sent us a remarkable Broccoli with several branches each bearing 
good sized heads. IVe have received another plant, and cut from it 
a central head 7 inches in diameter, with six surrounding heads, two 
6 inches, two 4 inches, and two 3 inches in diameter, all close, and 
in good condition for cooking. We are informed that every plant in 
the Reading trial grounds branched similarly, and not one was 
destroyed by frost. 
-I HAVE never had any plant troubled with Tomato Disease, 
but I once saw a very bad attack. Two large span-roofed houses were 
filled with Tomatoes, being grown for market, when to hurry the fruit 
on in one of the houses it was kept almost closed, eonsequently the 
temperature rose high during the day with sun heat, and upon entering 
the house it was very close and stully. The neighbouring house was 
not attacked. I think a little artificial heat during the night and on 
dull wet days with a dry atmosphere and free ventilation would meet 
the evil. 
- Pruning versus Non-pruning of Apples. — I have 
observed a note or two from correspondents as to the advisability of 
pruning the same season as planting, or not until the following year) 
one even going so far .as to regret not pruning all his when planted last 
year. As a set-off, I have seen a large plantation which was planted 
and pruned last year, and a more miserable growth there could not 
possibly be. I have had conversation on the subject with two of our 
largest fruit-tree nurserymen, and they strongly condemn the pruning 
of either Apples or Pears the same season as planting. Instead of 
being a season lost it is the other way. 
- The colour of the bloom of the excellent spring-flowering 
plant, Olivias, is much more dense when the plants are grown fully 
exposed to the sun ; in fact, amongst our seedlings the colour was equal 
to some of the high-priced new varieties. Probably, if the newer 
varieties were grown exposed, the improvement on the old form would 
be much more marked. 
- We find Nepenthes Mastersiana excellent, being most 
vigorous and producing its very handsome pitchers freely. Formerly 
we grew our Nepenthes in baskets, but since taking to pot culture the 
improvement is very marked. Although Nepenthes are not adapted for 
house plants on a decorative point of view, yet a few in a plant 
stove always attract attention, as being one of Nature’s wonderful pro¬ 
ductions. When judiciously arranged in groups of plants at flower 
shows they are most effective. 
- Phcrnix rupicola is an excellent Palm, and demands atten¬ 
tion on account of its handsome appearance and adaptability as a 
decorative plant. It is graceful as a table plant, and also in larger 
specimens for arranging in rooms.—A. Young. 
