August 8, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
779 
THE BEST CABBAGE 
For Present Sowing is 
Daniels’ Defiance. 
A magnificent variety, growing to the weight of from 
io to 20 pounds. Remarkably early, short legged, 
and compact, and of the most delicious marrow 
flavour. Invaluable for the Market Gardener or the 
private grower. Our own grand selected stock. 
Per oz., Is. 6d.; per packet, 6d. 
Daniels’ Defiance Cabbage. 
ONION—DANIELS’ GOLDEN ROGCA. 
Fine globular shape, golden yellow skin, mild 
flavour, and with careful cultivation comes equal to 
the imported Portugal Onions, and keeps sound till 
June. This variety is the best exhibition kind 
known, and has obtained more prizes than any 
other Onion. If sown in Autumn, and kept under 
first-class cultivation, will grow bulbs two to three 
pounds each. 
Per oz., 1 b. 6d.; per packet, 6d. 
DANIELS BROTHERS, 
Seed Growers and Nurserymen, 
NORWICH. 
BBS’ 
EMPEROR 
CABBAGE. 
The Earliest and Best. 
6d- and Is- per Packet. 
IS- 6d. per Ounce. 
From Mr. E. BARKER, Loughborough. 
“ Webbs’Emperor Cabbage was highly recommended to 
me. I tried it with very satisfactory results, taking First 
Prize against 34 competitors.” 
Per Ouuce. 
EARLY NONPAREIL CABBAGE 8d- 
ENFIELD MARKET da. ... 6d 
EARLY RAINHAM do. ... 8d- 
RED DUTCH do. ... 9 d 
ONION. 
Per Pkt. Per Oz. 
WEBBS’ RED GLOBE TRIPOLI 6d- Is. 6d- 
LARGE FLAT RED TRIPOLI 6d- ... lOd 
GIANT ROCCA. 6d ... 10 d- 
WHITE LISBON . - 6d. 
All Garden Seeds Free by Post or Rail. 
Seedsmen by Roval Warrants to H.M. the Queen 
and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 
WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE. 
WE 
RETARDED 
LILY OF THE VALLEY CROWNS. 
(1895 CROP). 
Can easily be had in blcom in 2-3 weeks ; no heat 
required ; will open their fragrant blooms anywhere 
—in a room, conservatory, frame, or out of doors. 
For prices, apply to 
T. JANNOCH, 
Lily Nursery, DERSINGHAM, NORFOLK. 
Land for 
the People. 
Freehold five aerp 
poultry farms in 
the United States 
only £20, conven¬ 
ient to Philadel¬ 
phia, close to 
Railway station. 
Adapted to rais¬ 
ing fruits, vege¬ 
tables, poultry, 
&e. To be sold by 
instalments of 4s 
cash and 4s. per 
week, if desired, 
Title insured. 
D. L. RISLEY, 
63, Chancery Lane, 
London. New settle-^ 
ment. Increasing 
population ! Capital 
investment. 
O RCHIDS of the highest quality, every 
plant guaranteed true to name, from 2/6 each. Please 
send for free list.—P. McARTHUR, The London Nurseries. 
4, MaidaVale, London, W. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM GUIDE 
and 
CHRYSANTHEMUM ALBUM. 
I have a few of these valuable works left and will send a 
copy of each, post free, for 2s., or separately, The Guide, 8 
stamps, The Album 18 stamps. 
Both are invaluable to Chrysanthemum Growers. 
H. J. JONES, 
Ryecroft Nursery, Lewisham. 
For Index to Contents see page 790. 
" Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.” —Bacon. 
Edited by J. FRASER F.L.S. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 th, 1896. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, August iotb.—Royal Botanic Society’s Anniversary. 
Tuesday, August nth.—Royal Horticultural Society: Meet¬ 
ing of committees at 12 o’clock. 
Clay Cross, West Malvern, and Weston-Super-Mare Flower 
Shows. 
Wednesday, August 12th. — Flower Shows at Salisbury, 
Sevei oaks, Bishops Stortford, and Cardiff (2 days). 
Thursday, August 13th.—Flower Shows at Leighton Buz¬ 
zard, Taunton, Maidenhead, and Rothesay (2 days). 
Friday, August 14th.—Broughty Ferry show (2 days). 
Sale of Orchids by Messrs. Protheroe & Morris. 
Saturday, August 15th.— Dumfries and Bingley shows. 
JjSTuBEROus Begonias still Advancing.— 
w Several well-known kinds of florists’ 
flowers seemed to have reached the Ultima 
Thule of perfection and progress some years 
ago ; but some of them, and particularly 
the Carnation, have evidently taken a new 
lease of life. The cause of this is not far to 
seek. The old florists, with their peculiar 
fancies, limited the possible development of 
Carnations to a few types, and everything 
outside of this was rejected as unworthy of 
care or cultivation. Fresh impetus has 
been given to the improvement of this class 
of plants by the admission of border varie¬ 
ties as a section or class. The yellow 
ground and fancy yellow ground Carnations 
are also undergoing a remarkable develop¬ 
ment at the hands of a few specialists. 
Martin R. Smith, Esq , has been in thelast. 
few years to Carnations, what the Rev 
Edwin La scelles, The Rectory, Newton St. 
Loe, Bristol, has been to the tuberous 
Begomas. Each is a king in the improve- 
of that class of plants constituting his own 
particular hobby. Both are lovers of plants 
in general, but a visit to the gardens of 
either will soon convince the visitor what 
class of plants is the particular favourite. 
Only those who concentrate their attention 
upon one or a few classes of plants can 
hope to excel. Any amateur with a know¬ 
ledge of gardening can raise Begonias or 
Carnations from seed ; but those only who 
adopt scientific methods and keep a regular 
account of their work, step by step, and are 
guided by their notes and observations of 
previous years, can hope to excel their pre¬ 
vious efforts or those of their fellow men. 
Mr. Lascelies has been developing his 
favourite class of flowers with great 
earnestness during the last five years, with 
a result that can scarcely be imagined 
without being an actual eye-witness of the 
beds in the open and the pot plants in the 
houses. The latter are, of course, the 
ultimate and fairest test in determining the 
all-round qualities of a Begonia ; because 
the proper soil, feeding, protection from the 
accidents of weather, and the necessary 
care can be bestowed upon the plants. 
Mere cultivation, however, is one thing, 
and the improvement of the plants another. 
There are many good cultivators, but 
relatively few who can excel in the matter 
of raising new, beautiful, and distinct varie¬ 
ties of flowers that are already iu a very 
advanced stage of perfection from man’s 
point of view. One method of procedure is 
to plant very large breadths of seedlings 
and trust to insects or chance for stray 
improvements which can be selected and 
propagated. An advance upon this is 
certainly the plan of crossing the plants 
judiciously? in order to ensure fairly-definite 
results. Even this may be improved upon 
by making notes of every cross that is 
effected and carefully noting the results, so 
that the same may be avoided on another 
occasion, or carefully repeated as one 
would follow up the discovery of a gold- 
bearing reef by searching for the remaining 
good things that in all probability exist 
there. So it is with a strain of Carnations 
or Begonias. Some varieties are better 
parents than others. 
Those who would excel in the raising of 
new varieties must commence with an 
object in view, but at the same time must 
keep an eye upon the various issues of it. 
The raisers of Carnations, Picotees, 
Auriculas, and other plants in times gone 
by had an object in view no doubt ; but 
judging by the weak constitution of many 
of the choicer varieties, the*florists aimed at 
beauty and form in colour, but at the same 
time overlooked the fact that long con¬ 
tinued inbreeding had a ruinous effect upon 
the constitution of the progeny. They set 
'themselves to propagate these weakly 
plants under great difficulties, simply 
because they were decidedly beautiful or 
even the best of their class. Begonias 
have never been hampered by the restric¬ 
tions and limitations placed upon various 
other plants by florists ; and that is, no 
doubt, one of the chief reasons for the 
marvellous progress which characterises 
the whole race after a short period of 
twenty years’ cultivation or thereby. 
Moreover* the Rev. E. Lascelies is not 
at ah satisfied with a merely pretty flower 
of good form, siz q and colour. All that is 
