September 8, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
19 
Veitch’s Bulbs 
FOR 
EARLY FORGING. 
READY FOR IMMEDIATE POTTING . 
EARLY WHITE ROMAN HYACINTHS. 
EARLY PAPER WHITE NARCISSUS. 
NEW LARGE-FLOWERED 
EARLY PAPER WHITE NARCISSUS. 
DOUBLE ROMAN NARCISSUS. 
DUC YAN THOL SINGLE TULIPS, 
OF SORTS. 
FREESIA REFRACTA ALBA. 
For other Butts for Forcing, Pot Culture, 
or Planting, see CATALOGUE, forwarded 
gratis and post free on application. 
JAS. VEITCH & SONS, 
Royal Exotic Nursery, 
CHELSEA, S.W. 
tim 
B. S. WILLIAMS 
Begs to announce that he has received his 
annual consignment of 
DUTCH BULBS 
And is now executing orders for the same. 
The quality of the Bulbs is unusually fine 
this year. 
For particulars and prices see Illustrated 
Catalogue, forwarded gratis aud post free to 
all applicants. 
Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, 
UPPER HOLLOWAY, LONDON, N. 
SODD Y’S 
DOUBLE WHITE NARCISS US (J5§) 
9d. per dozen. 5s. per 100. 
CARRIAGE FREE. 
Complete Catalogue Post Free from 
BEN. SOPPY, Seedsman, Walworth Rd., London. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Strong Roots, 4s. per 100. Plants in small pots, 16s. per 100 ; 
ditto, in large pots, 25s. per 100. Descriptive LIST free. 
RICHARD SMITH & Co., Nurserymen and Seed Merchants, 
Worcester. 
9 
WEBBS 
EARLY FORCING 
FLOWER UMTS 
ROMAN HYACINTHS- 
.. 2s. per doz. 
.. 15s. per 100. 
6s. to 12s. per doz. 
Early White, selected roots 
Ditto . 
FINEST NAMED HYACINTHS.. 
POLYANTHUS NARCISSUS— 
Double Roman . 3d. each, Is. 6 d. per doz. 
Paper White. 3d. each, Is. 6 d. per doz. 
EARLY TULIPS— 
Due Van Thol, single, scarlet and yellow, 9cZ. per doz., 5s. 100. 
8 d. per doz., 3s. 6 d. 100. 
Ditto 
double 
ditto 
WEBBS’ BULB CATALOGUE, 
Beautifully Illustrated, and containing complete 
cultural instructions. 
Now ready, Gratis and Post Free. 
Seedsmen by Royal Warrants to H.M. the Queen 
and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 
WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE. 
OYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
R 
TVfOTICE 
and Flors 
! The next meeting of the Fruit 
Floral Committees will be held in the Drill Hall of 
the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers, James Street, S.W., on 
Tuesday, September lltli, when the special subjects invited for 
exhibition will be Dahlias, Begonias, Asteks, &c. 
Open to Fellows at 12 o’clock, and to the public at 1 pan. 
An Apple and Pear Conference will be held in the Society’s 
Gardens at Chiswick, from the 16th to the 20th of October. 
For particulars respecting the election of Fellows apply to the 
Secretary, 111, Victoria Street, S.W. 
National Chrysanthemum Society, Royal 
Aquarium, Westminster. 
E arly chrysanthemum & dahlia 
EXHIBITION, Sept. 12th and 13th. Schedules free on 
application. 
The Floral Committee will meet Sept. 12th, Oct. 10th and 24th, 
Nov. 7th and 21st, Dee. 5th, and Jan. 9th. 
WILLIAM HOLMES, Hon. Sec. 
Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney, E. 
PLEASE NOTE.—Intending members should join at once, and 
so secure the full advantages for the current season—viz., 
Admission to.Four Grand Exhibitions and Seven Floral Meet¬ 
ings, also the usual privileges. Ordinary Member 5s., and 
Fellows 21s. per annum. 
N ational provincial chrysah. 
THEMUM SHOW. 
Sheffield, November 16th and 17th. 
The Show of the Season. Over £200 in Prizes. Schedules on 
application to AV. K. WOODCOCK, Hon. Sec., The Gardens, 
Oakbrook, Sheffield. 
Next Weeks’ Engagements. 
Monday, September 10th.—Sales of Dutch Bulbs at Protheroe 
& Morris’s, and Stevens' Rooms. 
Tuesday, September 11th. — Royal Horticultural Society: 
Meeting of Fruit and Floral Committees at 11 a.m. Clear¬ 
ance Sale of Plants at the Eastgate Nurseries, Peterboro’, 
by Protheroe & Morris (2 days). 
Wednesday, September 12th. — National Chrysanthemum 
Society's Autumn Show at the Royal Aquarium (2 days). 
Brighton Flower Show (2 days). Glasgow and West of Scot¬ 
land Horticultural Society’s Show (3 days). Sale of Dutch 
Bulbs at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Thursday, September 13th.—Sale of Orchids in Flower at 
Stevens’ Rooms.. Trade Sale of Greenhouse Plants at Ladd’s 
Nursery, Swanley Junction, by Protheroe & Morris. Sale 
of Dutch Bulbs at Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms. 
Friday, September 14th.—Sale of Established and Imported 
Orchids at Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms. 
Saturday, September 15th.—Sale of Dutch Bulbs at Protherce 
& Morris's, and Stevens’ Rooms. 
FOR INDEX TO CONTENTS, SEE P. 27. 
' Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1888. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
The Fruit Conferences.— The Fruit Con¬ 
ference innings commenced on the 31st ult., 
when the Dunkeld gardens had the honour 
of playing first hat, the ancient town of St. 
Albans following on, on Tuesday last, and 
from the reports to hand it would appear that 
both scored well. The gatherings at both 
places were at once practical and enthusiastic, 
and we can but hope that other districts will 
follow such excellent examples, and discuss 
the fruit culture question thoroughly. There 
is some reason to fear that statements encour¬ 
aging the much Avider cultivation of fruits 
may he put forth, which Avhilst misleading to 
those investing in such vocation may also 
mislead landoAvners, and induce them to put 
such rental upon their land Avhen required for 
purposes of fruit culture, as shall render 
occupation almost impossible. 
We cannot agree with Mr. Emptage in his 
vigorous denunciation, at St. Albans, of the 
laying doivn of so much land in pasture, 
especially in the Hertfordshire district, because 
London, Avith its population of over four 
millions is near, and those millions have as great 
a need for an ample supply of milk, as they 
have for corn, fruit, or vegetables. Hay is also 
an element of prime necessity, and just uoav 
is a very costly one, therefore pastures are 
not only profitable, but they are essential 
to human life. Mr. Sampson Morgan, in 
insisting upon the need for the Avide division 
of the land into smaller holdings, with the 
introduction of spade labour, Avas hut taking 
a line Avhich general fruit culture Avould 
exact. Mr. Hobday treated the question of 
Land Tenure in relation to fruit culture in a 
practical fashion, and short of absolute OAvner- 
ship, it is evident that no great encour¬ 
agement Avill be given to the Avide cultivation 
of hardy fruits either by farmers or by 
cottagers mitil they have as tenant-occupiers 
much greater control OA r er the land than is 
uoav given. Of course, all the interesting 
questions incidental to the subject of national 
fruit culture cannot be discussed fully at 
any one conference, and Ave hope a series of 
these gatherings may materially help to a 
Avise solution. 
Fruit-groaving Profits. — Whilst Ave hope 
that in the various fruit conferences being 
held, or about to he held, all the various 
phases of fruit culture of importance will be 
discussed, it is hoped that special attention 
Avill be given to the very important one of 
Fruit-groAAung Profits. We are careful in using 
this term that it should not thereby he 
assumed that profits from fruit culture are to 
be taken for granted. Were such the case 
there Avould be no need to discuss the 
matter. What Ave would rather convey is 
Avhether there are profits or not, employing the 
term in a someAvliat sceptical spirit. The 
other day the editor of a horticultural con¬ 
temporary got a letter into an influential daily 
paper, in Avhich he boldly proclaimed the 
possibility of making £250 per acre out of 
fruit culture. Such a statement is something 
more than absurd, it is little less than criminal, 
because it may, on the one hand, lead the 
landed interest to assume that fruit groAvers 
are making enormous profits, Avhilst it may 
also induce many persons to invest capital 
largely in fruit culture to their ultimate loss 
and soitoav. 
Fruit produce is of a relative nature, and 
only the very best sorts in the best positions 
and under the best culture produce realty 
good profitable crops. But even in such 
cases it is doubtful Avhether at any time, and 
under the best possible conditions, the pro¬ 
duce ever obtains more than £150 per acre. 
But then a fruit orchard takes fully ten years 
to come to ordinary maturity, and fully fifteen 
years to reach to full maturity ; so that 
taking even thirty years as the fair average 
life of a fruit orchard or garden, there are 
naturally only fifteen years of full produc¬ 
tiveness. Then, if Ave consider the fact that 
real full crops are. taken off, on the average, 
only once in three years we terribly reduce 
the average produce or profits of the entire 
thirty years. They will in fact, hardly exceed 
some =£60 or £70, if so much ; but enthusiastic 
