462 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 17, 1888. 
Turnips offered were of a really reliable stock, they 
would take 100 bushels. The defenders acknowledged 
receipt of the order, and forwarded to the pursuers in 
implement of it “ 100 bushels Old Meldrnm Green-top 
Yellow Turnips.” The pursuers took delivery of the 
seed, and resold it in various quantities to merchants 
in Aberdeenshire. They now stated that it was a 
mixture, as was subsequently shown by its growth, 
consisting of only one-half to two-thirds of the Old 
Meldrum Green-top Yellow Turnips and the remainder 
of the seed of an entirely different kind—a Tankard 
variety. They averred that the seeds were so much 
alike to the eye as to be indistinguishable. They also 
stated that the Green-top Yellow Scotch Turnip is 
specially suited for growth in a severe climate, such as 
the north of Scotland, and that the Tankard Turnip is 
not suited for use there, as it cannot withstand the 
severity of the climate. They alleged that a con¬ 
siderable proportion of the crops grown from the seed 
supplied to the pursuers gave way early in the season. 
On the nature of the seed becoming apparent claims 
of damages were intimated by the purchasers against 
the merchants who had supplied the seed, and they in 
turn intimated claims against the pursuers. The 
pursuers paid in such settlements £172 5s. 8d., and 
there were still a large number of unsettled claims. 
The defenders pleaded that as they gave no warranty 
in regard to the seed, and stipulated that they should 
not be responsible for the crop, the pursuers were not 
entitled to damages. They stated that the utmost care 
was exercised in selecting the seed. 
Lord McLaren, in the Outer House, found that the 
Tankard Turnip was, from the farmer’s point of view, 
a thing specifically distinct from the Green-top Yellow, 
and to give the one for the other w T as not a mere error 
of judgment, but a substantial failure to comply with 
a contract sale. It was really worse than no delivery 
at all. He gave decree for £600, with expenses. 
Against this decision the defenders reclaimed, and on 
Friday, the 9th inst., Lord Adam, who gave the leading 
judgment, said the conditions contained in the 
defenders’ letter of 11th December were that defenders 
“give no warranty, express or implied, as to description, 
quality, productiveness, or any other matter, of any 
seeds they may send out, and they will not be in any 
way responsible for the crop. If the purchaser does not 
accept the goods on these terms, they are at once to be 
returned.” It was proved that the pursuers knew of 
these conditions, and if the defenders could get cus¬ 
tomers to deal with them on these terms—which Ilia 
lordship could scarcely have exjiected—he saw nothing 
illegal in it. If the admixture of seeds could have been 
detected by sight, the seed would, no doubt, have been 
returned at once; but, unfortunately, it could not be 
detected. The seed was accepted and afterwards sown, 
and when the crop grew up it became apparent that it 
was mixed. That a great deal of loss had been suffered 
was certain ; the question was on whom it was to fall. 
It was a hard case in any way, for the blame lay on 
neither parties, but on the original grower of the seed. 
He thought that the case which had occurred was just 
the one which the terms of sale were intended to meet, 
and against which the defenders wished to protect 
themselves, and he thought they had done so success¬ 
fully. He could not follow the reasoning of the Lord 
Ordinary, by which he had arrived at an opposite 
result. To say that one Turnip was specifically distinct 
from another was just observing, in another form of 
words, that they were not the same description of 
Turnips. Being of opinion, therefore, that the defenders 
were not liable, it was unnecessary to consider the 
question of damages. He thought the Lord Ordinary’s 
interlocution should be recalled, and the defenders 
assoilzied. 
Lord Kinnear was of the same opinion. The 
pursuer’s contention that the defenders had not con¬ 
formed to contract would be quite unanswerable were 
it not for the stipulation in the terms of sale, which 
was designed to meet the case. 
The Lord President also concurred and said everything 
depended upon the construction put on the meaning 
of the word “description” in it. Ho doubt “des¬ 
cription ” was a term that was susceptible of various 
meanings. A description in many cases would mean a 
detailed description of an article as to form, colour, and 
substance. But it also was very obvious that it was 
applied to kind or species, and it must be in that sense 
alone that it was used in this contract. It was the 
specification of the kind ordered that constituted the 
description of the article. 
The Court accordingly recalled the interlocutor of 
the Lord Ordinary, and assoilzied the defenders with 
expenses. 
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS. 
OOVENT GARDEN MARKET 
Cobaea scandens variegata. — G. D. J.: The greater proportion 
March 1 5th. 
of the seedlings will doubtless be of the ordinary green-leaved 
form, and those which may come variegated will be of little or 
no value, as the plant is so easily propagated from cuttings. 
There is no demand for the seed. 
Guava and Banana. — A. Z.: Psidium Cattleyanum likes good 
fibrous, sandy loam, with the addition of a little leaf-soil and 
dry old cow-dung, and the pots must be perfectly drained. The 
Banana ought to do fairly well in the position you indicate 
without bottom heat, but certainly will not come to the same 
perfection as in a house with a southern exposure. Compost: 
good rich loam with plenty of manure. Mr. D. Thomson’s 
Fruit Culture Under Glass (Blackwood), would be most useful 
to you. 
Kew Gardens.— G. S. B. : The gardens open at 1 p.m. on 
Sundays, and keep open till dusk. At present that would be 
about 6 p.m.; but as the days lengthen, the time of closing 
gradually changes till the day is at its longest, when the gardens 
are not closed till S p.m. The houses are always closed at 6 p.m., 
no matter what is the length of the day, so that you must visit 
them before this time if you want to inspect them. 
Botany Class. —'Will any of your readers inform me where I 
can be coached in botany during the summer months?—some¬ 
where in the West-end preferred.— Arum. 
Fruit.—Average Wholesale Prices. 
s.d. s.d. | 
Apples, i sieve. 2 0 5 0 
Grapes .per lb. 3 0 5 0 
Kent Cobs_100 lbs. 40 0 45 0 
Melons .each 
Pears,. j-sieve.. 
s.d. s.d. 
Pears, French, doz. ..3 0 6 0 
Pine-apples, St. 
Michaels, each .... 2 0 5 0 
Pine-apples, Eng., lb. 10 2 0 
Strawberries . .per oz. 1 3 2 0 
Vegetables.—Average Retail Prices. 
s.d. s.d. 
Artichokes, Globe,doz. 2 0 3 0 
Beans, French, per lb. 3 0 
Beet, per dozen. 2 0 3 0 
BrusselsSprouts,perlb 0 4 
Cabbages_per doz. 2 0 2 6 
Carrots.per bun. 0 6 
Cauliflowers, English, 
per dozen ._4 0 6 0 
Celery, per bundle ..20 
Cucumbers, each_ 13 10 
Endive, French, doz. 2 6 3 6 
Herbs, per bunch_ 0 2 0 4 
s.d. s.d. 
Horse Radish, bundle 3 0 5 0 
Lettuces ..per dozen 2 0 3 0 
Mushrooms, p. basket 0 9 13 
Onions, per bushel ..7 0 9 0 
Parsley, per bunch ..06 
Radishes, per dozen ..16 
Sea Kale.. per punnet 2 6 3 0 
Small salading,punnet 0 4 
Spinach, per strike ..20 
Tomatos, per lb. 2 6 3 0 
1 Turnips_ per bun. 0 6 
Potatos.- Kent Regents, 80s. to 100 s. per ton; Kent Kidneys. 
80s. to 100s. per ton ; Champions, 70s. per ton. 
Cut Flowers.— Prices remain the same as last week. 
Plants in Pots.—Average Wholesale Prices. 
Orchids. — Reginald Young: 1, Dendrobium Brymerianum, 
with flowers 3 ins. across, and the fringe of the labellum 2 ins. 
long, very fine; 2, Odontoglossum erispum flaveolum, but 
flowers small; 3, a very large and perfect O. erispum; 4, Lyeaste 
Skinneri, 5 ins. across, pretty in colour, but not extraordinary ; 
5, a distinct light form of Dendrobium nobile; 6 , is not D. nobile 
nobilius, but is very fine in colour, and good in size; 7, Cattlcya 
Harrisoniee. 
Shrubs from Seeds. — W. Snoolcs: You did not say whether 
you had got seeds of any or all of the shrubs you mention, and we 
fear they will be difficult to procure. If you have a warm 
greenhouse, that will be sufficient to raise seedlings, but that is 
a troublesome, uncertain and unprofitable method. Sow seeds 
of Arbutus in March, or propagate by budding or inarching; 
Laburnum seeds may be sown outdoors now; Laurestinus may 
be propagated by cuttings of half-ripened wood under a hand¬ 
glass ; Poplar and Bay may be propagatad from cuttings in 
autumn in the open ground in a sheltered position; and 
Pliillyrea may be propagated from cuttings under a hand-light, 
or by grafting on the Privet. Sow seeds of any you possess at 
once in heat, and they will germinate more quickly. Seeds of 
Pines and Cupressus may be sown in the open ground, or better, 
in a frame or in pots if the quantity is small. 
Insects on Hyacinths, Carnations, &c .—J. Holland: The 
larvae or grubs which you sent were completely dried up and 
unrecognisable by the time they reached us. A number of 
insects, or their larv® rather, attack the plants you mention, so 
that it would be very difficult to refer to any one in particular. 
We presume from the leaf-soil you sent us that they come with 
the soil or some of its ingredients (most likely the leaf-soil or 
manure), and advise you to try an application of soot in the 
potting soil, which will keep in check or destroy the young 
grubs as they get hatched out. 
Names of Plants. — R. Twiss: Oncidium flexuosum. E. Colies: 
1, Pulmonaria saccharata ; 2, Santolina chamiecyparis. 
Communications Received. — J. C. — W. E. B.—J. J.—W. B. 
—J. T. P.—J. T. B.—A. H. E. 
--- 
TEADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 
J. Ciieal & Sons, Lowfield Nurseries, Crawley. — Dahlias and 
Old English Flowers. 
Max Deegen, Junr., Kostritz, Germany. — Dahlias, Roses, 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs, &c. 
James Dickson & Sons, 32, South Hanover Street, Edin¬ 
burgh.—Agricultural Seeds. 
-- 
THE WEATHER. 
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, during the week 
ending March 10th, the mean reading of the barometer 
was 29’63 in. ; the highest reading was 29’92 in. 
on Tuesday evening, and the lowest 2913 in. 
on Saturday morning. The mean temperature of the 
air was 42’6°, and 2'0° above the average in the corre¬ 
sponding weeks of the twenty years ending 1868. The 
mean was below the average on Sunday and Monday, 
but showed an excess on each of the other days of the 
week. The general direction of the wind was north¬ 
west and south-west, and the horizontal movement of 
the air averaged 18’8 miles per hour, which was 4'9 
above the average in the corresponding weeks of sixteen 
years. Rain fell on two days of the week, to the 
aggregate amount of 0‘.30 of an inch. The duration of 
registered bright sunshine in the week was 6 '5 hours, 
against 9’0 hours at Glynde Place, Lewes. 
-- 
LONDON SEED TRADE. 
March 14 th. 
Messrs. Hurst k Son, 152, Houndsditch, and 39, 
Seed Market, Mark Lane, London, report an active 
demand for L Agricultural Seeds. White Clover and 
Alsike have advanced in value owing to supplies 
having decreased. English Red Clover continues 
plentiful. No change’in value of Foreign Red Clover 
or Trefoil. Rape Seed is scarce and dearer. Bird 
Seeds unchanged. 
s.d. s.d. 
Aralia Sieboldi, doz.. 6 0 18 0 
Azalea .per doz. 24 0 36 0 
Cyclamen-perdoz.12 0 24 0 
Cyperus ..per dozen 4 0 12 0 
Dracaena term., doz.. 30 0 60 0 
— viridis, per dozen 12 0 24 0 
Epipliyllums, per doz.12 0 24 0 
Erica, various ..doz. 9 0 IS 0 
Evergreens, in var., 
per dozen . 6 0 24 0 
Ferns, in var., do .. 4 0 18 0 
Ficus elastica each.. 16 7 6 
s.d. s.d. 
Foliage Plants, vari¬ 
ous, each. 2 0 10 6 
Genistas.per doz S 0 12 0 
Hyacinths, 
per doz. pots 6 0 10 0 
Lily ofValley,perdoz.l5 0 IS 0 
Marguerites per doz. 9 0 12 0 
Palms in variety, each 2 6 21 0 
Pelargoniums,scarlet, 
per dozen . 30 60 
Primula sinensis, doz. 4 0 6 0 
Spiraeas.per doz. 9 0 15 0 
Tulips ..per doz. pots 6 0 10 0 
CONTENTS 
PAGE 
Amateurs’ Garden. 455 
Angraecum polystachyum 460 
Anthuiiums. culture of .. 456 
Begonia Carrierei .460 
Begonias, tuberous . 459 
Carnations, potting . 456 
Cineraria, the...457 
Crocus, the Golden . 460 
Cyclamen Atkinsii. 459 
Dendrobium Wardianum 
giganteum. 460 
Dendrobium nobile Cook- 
soni . 460 
Doronicum columnae. 459 
Eastwood Park . 458 
Floriculture. 456 
Gardeners' Calendar. 460 
Gloxinias. 456 
PAGE 
Horticultural Societies_461 
Law Notes . 461 
Lethorion. 459 
Loam. 454 
Minister of Horticulture .. 453 
Orthezia insignis .454 
Pansies. 456 
Pelargoniums, Zonal. 457 
Plants, new, certificated .. 456 
Potato, Beauty of Hebron. 460 
Primulas, Chinese. 459 
Prizes and Expenses. 45S 
R. H. S., the . 454 
j Saxifraga ligulata . 459 
[ Scottish notes. 455 
Selaginella Emiliana. 459 
Tabermemontana coronaria 460 
W GORDON, Importer or Orchids from 
• all parts of the world. An immense Stock of 
recently imported plants compels a Sale of the Established 
Plants to make room. These have not yet flowered, but are 
all flowering plants, and must be sold at a great sacrifice. 
Very valuable varieties are certainly to be obtained, and great 
bargains. See Public Journals for high prices recently obtained. 
The special offer affords a paying investment to anyone with 
glass at command which should not be overlooked. Such 
plants may never again be offered to the Public and the Trade. 
LILIUM AURATUM. Eighth arrival of 10,000 bulbs, 4s., 6 s., 
8 s. and 10s. per dozen. The best that money can buy anywhere. 
Specially imported ne plus ultra bulbs, 2s. 6 d. each. Very 
liberal allowance to the Trade. 
LILIUM ALBUM KRATZERI, the most lovely white Lily 
grown—throws seven to ten flowers, which sell in market at 2 s. 
per dozen ; beautiful and rare, Is. each, 10 s. per dozen. 
LILIUM SPECIOSUM RUBRUM CRUENTUM, the dark 
form of this lovely Lily, most exquisitely marked, Is. each, 
10 s. per dozen. 
LILIUM AURATUM PLATYPHYLLUM RUBRO-VITTA- 
TUM, crimson, striped with gold; VIRGINALE, pure white, 
and spotted, with gold band. All these lovely new and distinct 
forms of Auratum, suitable for show purposes, very fine bulbs, 
5s. each. 
LILIUM HARRISII, 10s. per dozen ; and all other LILIES 
equally cheap. Banksian Silver Medal awarded August, 1SS7. 
JAPANESE NOVELTIES, SO varieties ; IRIS, TREE 
PiEONIES, MAPLES, CAMELLIAS, AZALEAS. Please apply 
for special offer to 
W. GORDON, The Nurseries, Amyand Park Road, 
Twickenham, Middlesex. 
HORTICULTURAL SOILS, MANURES, 
SUNDRIES, AND POTTERY. 
Treplio for Orchids 
Peat for Orchids & General Use 
Loam, Sand, coarse and fine 
Compost and Small Peat 
SpliagnumMossand Leaf Mould 
Spar Gravel and Shell Shingle 
Cocoa-fibre Refuse 
Guano (best), Fish Potash 
Manure 
Manures and Bones, all kinds 
Gishurst compound aud Gis- 
liurstine 
Tobacco Paper, Cloth, Powder, 
and Juice 
Quassia Chips and Insecticides 
Aphicides and Aphis Brushes 
Fumigators, “Tehb’s Universal" 
Garden Pencils, Pot Brushes 
Sticks, Stakes, and Labels, 
various 
Teak Baskets, Rafts, Boats, &c. 
Truck Baskets, Virgin Cork 
Charcoal, large and small 
Mats, Raffia, and Tarred Twine 
Parcel Post Boxes and Tags 
Pruning and Budding Knives 
and Scissors 
Thermometers and Syringes 
Wire Netting and Tanned Net¬ 
ting 
Tiffanies, and other Shadings 
Mushroom Spawn, Garden 
Brooms 
Shreds and Wall Nails 
Composition and Styptic for 
Vines 
WEED KILLER (Smith’s), LAWN SAND (Watson’s). 
Heating Apparatus and Warming Stoves (mineral oil). 
Catalogue Post Free of every Horticultural Requisite. 
BENJAMIN FIELD, F.R.B.S. 
(Son-in-law and successor to John Kennard), 
Central Office and Sales Room : 
75 a, Qugen ‘Victoria street (nr. Mansion House Station). 
Depot; Paragon Rd., New Kent Rd.,London,S.E. 
Telegraphic Address; Floriculture, London. Estab. 1S54. 
