February 20, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
385 
BOXES OF 
VEGETABLE SEEDS. 
Arranged to produce a constant supply of the 
best Vegetables all the year round. 
WEBBS’ BOX j of Vegetable Seeds, 5/" 
WEBBS’ BOX j of Vegetable Seeds, 12/6 
WEBBS’ BOX j of Vegetable Seeds, 15/- 
WEBBS’ BOX j of Vegetable Seeds, 21 /' 
Acknowledged to be the best value ever offered. 
OTHER BOXES 
At 2/6, 7,'6, 3116, 42!-, 63/ , end 105/- each. 
All Carriage Free. 5 per Cent. Discount for 
Cash. 
For Priced Lists, Descriptions, and Illustrations of 
the best sorts, see Webbs’ Spring Catalogue, post 
free, 1/-, gratis to Customers. Abridged Edition 
gratis and post free. 
WEBB &> SONS, 
WORDSS.EY, STQYJBSBRIEMS©. 
Begonias, 
Gladioli, 
Gloxinias, 
Anemones, 
Ranunculus. 
AND 
Paeonies, 
Dahlias, 
Cannas, 
Lilies, 
Iris, &c. 
Besides an immense variety of other Bulbous and 
Rhizomatous Roots & Plants, specially adapted for 
SPRING PLANTING, 
as well as for 
GREENHOUSE & STOVE. 
No Packing Charges !! ! 
Goods delivered Carriage Paid at Purchaser’s 
door in Great Britain and Ireland. 
Superb Complete Collections for the Gar¬ 
den, at 9s., 12s., £1 Is., £2 2s., and ±'3 3s. 
Beautifully Illustrated Amateur’s Catalogue (in 
English) Gratis and Post Free from the Growers, 
VAN SEERBEEK & GO., 
HILLEGOM, haarlem, HOLLAND. 
Please mention paper. 
Wiliams’ 
a lie Iti c fi 
PANSY “ PEACOCK ” (New). 
Very pretty and effective. Per packet, is. 6d. 
POPPY “MONT BLANC” (New). 
A pure white double variety. Per packet, is. 
PEA WILLIAMS’ HOLLOWAY VICTORY 
(New). 
Splendid for main crop or late use. Per packet, 2S. 6d. 
EARLEY’S HARDY CURLED SPROUT 
(New). 
Extremely hardy. Per packet, is. 6d. 
NEW ORNAMENTAL-LEAVED BEET 
(McGregor’s Favourite). 
Awarded First-class Certificate by'the R.H.S. Per pkt., is. 
ILLUSTRATED SEED CATALOGUE for 1892 , 
gratis and post free on application. 
UPPER NOLLOWAY.^f^, 
LONDON. N. 
For Index to Contents see page 393. 
“ Gardening is the purest oi human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
NEXT WEEK'S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, February 22. —Sale of Hardy Perennials, &c., at 
Protheroe & Morris' Rooms. 
Wednesday, February 24.—Sale of Greenhouse Palms, 
Ferns, &c , at Protheroe & Morris' Rooms. 
Thursday, February 25. —Sale of Lily Bulbs, Pasonies, 
and Herbaceous Plants, &c., at Protheroe & Morris' Rooms. 
Friday, February 26. —Sale of Imported Orchids at Protheroe 
& Morris' Rooms. 
Edited by BRIAN WYNNE, F.R.H.S. 
SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 20 th, 1892. 
he Potato Disease.— The announce¬ 
ment made last week as to the ap¬ 
pointment of that distinguished botanist, 
Mr. W. Carruthers, of the Natural History 
Museum, South Kensington, by the Royal 
Agricultural Society, to conduct certain en¬ 
quiries as to the exact nature of the effect 
produced on Potato plants by the Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture, Bouillie Bordelaise, to 
which reference has been so frequently 
made, will be regarded with undoubted 
satisfaction. It is all the same unfortu¬ 
nate that so important an enquiry should 
be left to any society to conduct, as it is 
evident, now that there is a distinct agri¬ 
cultural department of the Government, 
that that department should charge itself 
with the cost and conduct of the enquiry. 
Still the nature of the effects of this 
Bouillie Bordelaise on Potato plants and 
the Potato disease has a great interest for 
horticulturists, as well as for farmers; in¬ 
deed it is of exceeding interest to everyone 
who cultivates Potatos, because the pre¬ 
servation to the extent of one-third of an 
allotment or cottage garden from disease is 
to the poor man of as much importance as 
the safe preservation of the farmer’s larger 
area is to him. What we have so much need 
for is an enquiry into the way in which the 
mixture when applied to Potatos operates. 
Does it kill the fungus spores, or only coat 
the foliage with a thin surfacing which is 
impervious to the operation of the spores ? 
If either method of prevention he right at 
least it is certain that only can the applica¬ 
tion of the mixture become preventive when 
somewhat frequently applied, and we want 
precise information not only as to the pro¬ 
per strength of the mixture, hut also how 
frequently it should he sprayed on to the 
plants. \\ e also want to know to what 
extent the application of the mixture influ¬ 
ences the growth of the plant prejudicially, 
as some experimenters have assured us is 
the case. 
It seems hardly worth while to experi¬ 
ment upon varieties that are recognised as 
disease resisting, hut those long proved to 
be amenable to disease attacks should he 
selected for the purpose. That there is 
special need for the experiments with the 
Bouillie Bordelaise has been shown by the 
recent report of the Highland Agricultural 
Society, that exhibited an absolutely nega¬ 
tive result. 
{ 3 £ea-kale. —It seems to be but too certain 
that in respect of many garden pro¬ 
ducts, there are amongst many gardeners 
somewhat indefinite ideas as to what con¬ 
stitutes real quality. Probably in the mat¬ 
ter of forced products there is no place in 
the world where lessons may be learned on 
this head like Covent Garden Market. It 
is very largely perhaps this defective 
conception as to what constitutes quality 
that leads to so much disappointment 
when provincial gardeners consign Vege¬ 
tables, Fruits, and Flowers to the London 
markets and find their returns so much be¬ 
low their expectations. 
These products have to compete in the 
market with th se furnished by the most 
experienced trade growers—many of them 
specialists—in the kingdom, and produce 
only which is really first-rate stands any 
chance in the contest for top prices. We 
saw the other day a big basket of growing 
Sea-kale which had been sent up to the 
James Street Drill Hall for the judgment 
of the Fruit Committee. It had travelled 
some 120 miles, was a heavy parcel, and 
must have been found an expensive con¬ 
signment. This was from one of the best 
of our southern private gardens, but the 
sample after all was only third-rate, and so 
far behind what is considered the best quality 
of Sea-kale in the market that it could not 
secure approval. 
The roots were small and had been allowed 
to carry two or three crowns. They had 
been cut down very short, so that the sus- 
tainingpower of the stems was very limited. 
The leaves had developed fully two inches 
and the stalks were thin and rather flavour¬ 
less. If senders of such samples as these 
could only see what first-class market Sea- 
kale really is they would find the know¬ 
ledge extremely useful. 
he London County Council and the 
Parks.— Our opinions as to the 
proposed appointment of a Parks and 
Gardens Superintendent for the whole of 
the open spaces under the control of the 
London County Council are well known. 
We can well imagine that now the 
members of that body are about to meet 
their constituents the majority who voted 
at the meeting on Tuesday must feel some 
satisfaction that the proposal so far has 
been shelved. The Council appear to 
experience considerable difficulty in finding 
just [the right man, and Lord Rosebery 
