February 16, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
889 
THE CHISWICK VEGETABLE 
TRIALS. 
By means of a circular to hand, I am invited to send 
selections of certain kinds of vegetables to Chiswick 
Gardens for trial during the ensuing season. The sorts 
referred to as specially to be tested are Broccolis, Cauli¬ 
flowers, Brussels Sprouts, Broad Beans, Gourds, new 
Peas, and Potatos. Here is certainly a somewhat 
formidable hill of fare for the Fruit and Vegetable 
Committee to digest, although Broccoli will give no 
trouble until next year, and Brussels Sprouts will hardly 
be at their best earlier than October next. Naturally 
it is very interesting to learn that Chiswick is thus 
being put to some practical use in association with 
trials of this kind. But many readers of The Gar¬ 
dening "World will be 
aware of the fact that not 
only have the subjects 
above named been grown 
for trial from time to time 
for several years, but that 
also almost every other 
kind of vegetable has been 
so tested at Chiswick at 
intervals. And the question 
which crops up after all is, 
What particular benefit to 
gardening has resulted ? 
How many a gardener is 
there who realises that seed 
lists, especially those of 
vegetables, are now bewilder- 
ingly lengthy, indeed, con¬ 
taining numerous varieties 
which none grows or are 
grown only in the most 
limited quantities. What 
more natural, therefore, that 
bewildered ones should turn 
with some sense of hope to 
the products of the annual 
Chiswick trials in expecta¬ 
tion that when these 
have demonstrated to the 
satisfaction of that know¬ 
ing body, the Fruit Com¬ 
mittee of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, that such- 
and-such kinds or varieties 
are the best, the seed trade 
would take the hint, and 
erase from their seed lists all 
things found to be inferior. 
Unfortunately, although 
these particular Chiswick 
trials have been going on for 
many years, the trade has 
never in one item been 
influenced by them, except 
when something or other 
obtained a coveted Certi¬ 
ficate of Merit. That, of 
course, has been abundantly 
blazoned forth, but not a 
word has been published 
with regard to varieties 
declared by the Fruit Com¬ 
mittee to he inferior. Well, 
if the seed trade will pay no 
deference to the results of 
these trials, why do not 
the committee retaliate by 
refusing to grant certifi¬ 
cates at all, or, indeed, to 
publish the results of the 
trials ? That would he giving the seedsmen a Roland 
for their Oliver. 
But then there are to be set against the Chiswick 
trials those other tests which are conducted by 
nurserymen for their own special satisfaction, some 
of whom set apart a portion of land for the purpose 
so extensive as to make the Chiswick Gardens area 
trifling by comparison. That in all such trial grounds 
the utmost care is taken to treat all things equally 
well, and to get a true line from the growth of each 
variety for comparison with new ones, there can be no 
doubt; and because so extensive, and conducted under 
better, or at least more favourable conditions than the 
Chiswick trials can be, it is not to he wondered at that 
seedsmen prefer to be guided by the trials made under 
their own eyes rather than by those conducted under 
the auspices of a body of persons, one-half—perhaps 
two-thirds—of whom have not a tithe of that knowledge 
provide some practical matter wherewith to furnish the 
pages of the society’s journal. That argument has its 
weight, but it is a trifling one. Then it may be said 
that the society shows willingness to perform practical 
w’ork, and to make Chiswick useful to the gardening 
community. That is excellent argument too, and worthy 
of all respect ; but there still remains the undoubted 
fact that the trials, so satisfactory on the whole to the 
society, and productive of so many reports, seem to 
have so far exercised no influence outside of Chiswick, 
and the great benefits looked for from them are almost 
nil. In spite of this fact the trials will still go on, and 
those interested in them, or in the things tested, will 
continue to draw their own inferences. Could these 
trials be conducted simultaneously in some half dozen 
parts of the kingdom, and 
with equal care, then results 
would he far more reliable 
and valuable. All the same 
it is evident that if proper 
care be exercised, questions 
of identity or diversity 
may easily be determined, 
only when so determined 
nobody accepts the con¬ 
clusions, and no one acts 
upon them. 
If the Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society 
can devise any method by 
which its decisions shall be 
made binding upon the seed 
trade, some benefit may 
result, but as that is im¬ 
possible, so will seedsmen 
be guided by the teachings 
of their own trial grounds, 
rather than by those at 
Chiswick. 
With regard to the various 
subjects invited for trial 
this season, it is difficult 
to understand why Cauli¬ 
flowers have been again 
selected, as these underwent 
exhaustive trials some two 
or three years ago. The 
respective families of the 
Cauliflower, such as first 
early, dwarf forcing, second 
early, mid-season, and latest 
and most robust, w T ere then 
very well defined, and it 
was found that, in spite 
of nomenclature, there were 
not in commerce many 
distinct kinds after all. 
Well, what was then done 
can only be done over 
again. When done pre¬ 
viously, and the results 
were published, not a seeds¬ 
man reformed his Cauliflower 
list in consequence. The 
same thing will happen again, 
let the results of the trial he 
what they may. It is diffi¬ 
cult to understand why such 
utterly valueless things as 
Gourds should have been 
selected for trial. These 
things have no status as 
garden vegetables in this 
country. We grow’ some 
two or three varieties of 
Marrows, the selection being an exceptionally limited 
one. Nine-tenths of the Gourds grown, judged by 
what we see at some of the amateur shows, if pretty as 
ornaments, are otherwise only productive to the 
gardener of worry and vexation of spirit. 
With regard to new Peas, and these continue to be 
legion, would it be too much to ask of the raiser what 
particular older and previously certificated variety he 
proposed that his new one should supersede as being 
an improvement ? Were that done, the variety to 
he superseded could be grown side by side with the 
novelty, and were this done it is very probable that 
fewer certificates to Peas would he issued. Some 
such plan as this seems to be urgently needed in 
order to check the tendency, on the part of raisers of 
new things, to make Chiswick their trial ground, 
rather than that of the Royal Horticultural Society.— 
Sativum. 
of things tested which seedsmen have. If anyone 
doubts this assertion let him visit during the coming 
summer one of the large trial grounds of our great seed 
firms, and conversion will speedily follow. 
But it may be said that at least we know from the 
Chiswick trials what sorts of vegetables, as advertised 
by various seed houses, though so diversely named, 
are, after all, really only synonyms. That is so at 
the moment that the results of the trials are published, 
but then how soon is it forgotten. The Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society intimate, as some stimulus 
to persons to send seeds to Chiswick for growth and 
trial, that the results of these trials will be published 
in the society’s journal. That is about as interesting 
as it would be to learn that they would be published in 
Fuchsia triphylla. 
Hansard’s reports, for only very few will ever see the 
journal when published. Whether, with a view to 
stimulate membership of the society 7 , it is proposed to 
withhold those reports from the gardening papers, 
and to keep them exclusively for the benefit of the 
Fellows, is not stated, but if such be the case, for any 
service they will render the public they might just as 
well he published in the Kew Bulletin or the Gazette of 
Timbuctoo. Still, it is fair to say that when the reports 
of previous trials were published in the papers, no 
appreciable benefit to horticulture seems to have 
resulted from them. If such has been the case, at least 
publication was not to be blamed, neither was the 
Royal Horticultural Society. If blame attaches any¬ 
where, it would seem to be on seedsmen who have 
declined to notice the reports, and the public which so 
far has read of them and then ignored them. 
Perhaps it may he pleaded that the trials serve to 
