April 2, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
481 
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/ — 
WFRRQ' ROY Containing42varieties \ Q /C 
IlJjDDD DU A, of Vegetable Seeds, IZi/U 
WEBBS’ BOX j of Vegetable Seeds, lSy/ - 
WPDDQ’ DAY Containing6ivarieties 6 ) \ / 
liliDDu Dl)A, of Vegetable Seeds, l\j' 
Acknowledged to be the best value ever offered. 
OTHER BOXES 
At 2/6, 7/6. 3116, 42 /-, 63/ , and 105/- each. 
All Carriape Free. 5 par Cpnt. 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, 
WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE. 
GEORGE JACKMAN & SON, 
WOKING NURSERY, SURREY, 
Invite Inspection of the Following Well- 
grown Stuff:— 
FRUIT TREES—A fine stock of Apples, Pears, 
Plums, and Damsons, in Standard, Pyramid, and Dwarf- 
trained trees; also Dwarf-trained Apricots, Peaches, and 
Nectarines. 
ROSES.—A large Collection of Dwarf and Standard 
Hybrid Perpetual and Tea Roses, in all the leading varie¬ 
ties ; also Tea Roses, in pots, for forcing. 
1 < HODODENDRONS.—Choice named varieties set 
with flower-buds; also Hybrid Seedlings and Ponticums. 
CONIFERS.—Fine stuff, in various Sorts, for Lawn 
and Shrubbery planting. 
SHRUBS.—Ornamental and Flowering, adapted for 
Belts, Shrubberies, Screens, &c. 
CLIMBERS-—Including their celebrated Clematis, 
suitable for Walls, Trellis-work, Rockwork, &c. 
ORNAMENTAL TREES.—For Parks, Avenues, 
Streets, and Private Gardens. 
FOREST TREES. - In large quantities, for Coverts, 
Woods, &c. 
CATALOGUES FREE ON APPLICATION. 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING.—A leading Feature, 
Plans designed, and Advice given as to Laying-out,Planting, 
or Renovating Parks, Cemeteries, Recreation Gi ounds, and 
Private Gardens. 
IVORLD-RENO WNED 
PRIMULA 
GOLD MEDAL STRAIN 
Is the best in cultivation. 
Per Packet, 
1/6, 2/6, 3/6, and 5/-. 
ILLUSTRATED 
SEED 
CATALOGUE, 
GRATIS and POST FREE. 
B. S. WILLIAMS & SON, 
Victoria and Paradise Nuseries, 
UPPER HOLLOWAY. LONDON, N. 
IMMEDIATE 
ESPATCH. 
PARCEL POST 
COMPOSITE COLLECTIONS 
OF 
Vegetable & Flower Seeds. 
8UTT0NS 7/- COLLECTION, 
Containing 22 varieties of Vegetable Seeds, 
and 8 varieties of Flower Seeds, sent free by 
Parcel Post on receipt of a remittance for 7/-. 
SUTTON’8 10/- COLLECTION, 
Containing 31 varieties of Vegetable Seeds, 
and 12 varieties of Flower Seeds, sent free by 
Parcel Tost on receipt of aremittancefcrg/6. 
SUTTON’S 14/- COLLECTION, 
Containing 41 varieties of Vegelable Seeds, 
and iS varieties of Flower Seeds, sent free b\ 
Parcel Post on receipt of a remittance lor 13/4. 
Button s Seeds 
GENUINE ONLY FROM SUTTON & SONS,READING. 
-—_____-_J 
For Index to Contents see page 490. 
“ Gardening is the purest or human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.” —Bacon. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Tuesday, April 5.— Brighton “ New ” Horticultural Society’s 
Show (2 days). Sale of the late Mr. E. G. Wrigley’s Orchids 
at Hovviclk House, Preston, by Protheroe '& Morris (4 days). 
Sale of imported and established Orchids, at Protheroe & 
Morris' Rooms. 
Wednesday, April 6.— Royal Caledonian Horticultural 
Society’s Spiing Show (2 days). Sale of Lily Bulbs, Plants, 
&c., at Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms. 
Thursday, April 7. — Shrewsbury Spring Flower Show. 
Friday, April 8.—Sale ol imported Cattleya labiata at 
Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms. 
Cf|<| lilorlil. 
Edited by BRIAN WYNNE, F.R.H.S. 
SATURDAY. APRIL 2nd, 1892. 
(TAiddle-aged Gardeners.— Did not the 
subject possess so much of interest, 
as well as of sentiment, we might attempt 
to indulge in some humorous flights over 
the singular experiences of some gardeners 
when in search of situations. But re¬ 
cently we referred to the case of the young 
man, then later of the old man, the grey¬ 
beards of the profession, and now we deal 
shortly with the middle-aged. 
It might be thought that if youth is too 
young for gardening experience, and age 
too old for physical capacity, that at least 
everything would be favourable for the 
men of mature years. But these too it 
would seem have their troubles, and some 
singular experiences. We have before us, 
as we write, a bundle of replies to an ad¬ 
vertisement inserted in a clerical news¬ 
paper, the unfortunate applicant for a 
berth being then in the employment of a 
clergyman who no longer needed his ser¬ 
vices. To say that any one out of all these 
replies offered a decent man anything 
worthy of his merit would he to state a 
gross falsehood. Wrelched salaries, more 
wretchedly menial duties, absolute slavery 
week-day and Sunday — a pitiful recapitu¬ 
lation indeed. Better a thousand times 
that any respectable and capable gardener 
should go to the coloniesor turn bricklayer’s 
labourer, than under the designation of “gar¬ 
dener,” become a sort of domestic pariah. 
This case, unhappily, is but a sample of 
thousands. The gardener of middle age has 
toendure a number of humiliationsthateven 
mechanics’ labourers are mostly free from, 
and how to escape from the coil which cir¬ 
cumstances and an over-crowded vocation 
has bound around him is indeed difficult to 
say. It need hardly be said that the en¬ 
vironments of many excellent gardeners 
have a pathetic side which commands 
sympathy. To be a real gardener, es¬ 
teemed and respected because he has 
knowledge and some independence, is a 
worthy position. But to fall into the con¬ 
dition of mere domestic slavery is indeed 
lamentable. 
MTarieties of Apples. —We have been 
> amused to read of the urgent appeal 
made to the Royal Horticultural Society 
to suppress what are termed useless variet ies 
of Apples. Well, we have long heard of 
the famous fictional horse which a child 
might lead to the water but an army could 
not induce to drink. We may well expect 
to hear the Council of the Royal Hoili- 
cultural Society exclaim, “ If we do 
strive to suppress useless sorts of Apples 
by the publication of an index expurga- 
to/ins, every kind mentioned in which is to 
be utterly and absolutely sent to perdition, 
of what use will it be unless w r e can send to 
eternal punishment all growers who set our 
requirements at defiance ? ” Practically we 
shall take all the trouble and meet the 
expense of taking this horse to water, and 
then it may not drink a drop. 
Now, if the Royal Horticultural Society 
having, through the profound sagacity of 
its Fruit Committee, succeeded in ex¬ 
purgating to the satisfaction of all its 
members every valueless variety of Apple 
from its catalogue, will go further and ask 
Parliament to render penal any growing of 
an expurgated variety, it is possible—- 
though not at all probable—that some 
material reduction in the number of useless 
varieties might be made. We fear, how¬ 
ever, that what the good sense of growers 
in this case fail to produce, penal enact¬ 
ments never will. Supposing the Society 
were to attempt this gigantic effort of 
striving to reduce by one half our enormous 
Apple lists, we should still have hundreds 
more varieties in cultivation than any one 
person would care to grow. All the same 
a hundred persons would probably grow 
them all somewhere, because they find here 
and there in various soils and situations 
merits which others do not possess. 
Then further the Society cannot in con¬ 
sistency encourage the addition of presum¬ 
ably new varieties, as apparently we have 
far too many as it is, hence the supply of 
novelties would be closed up utterly. After 
all, does it not strike our readers that very 
much nonsense is written about Apple lists? 
It is better to have too many sorts than 
too few, and no one is compelled to grow 
more than he cares to do. Still, if worth¬ 
less sorts are to be got rid of, the process 
must commence with the nurserymen, not 
with the Royal Horticultural Society. 
