October 12, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
83 
WEBBS 
FREE BY 
POST 
OR RAIL. 
Finest 
Selected 
Roots. 
BULBS 
FOR GREENHOUSE DECORATION. 
s. d. 
Collection A, containing 461 Bulbs 
” B > ” ” 
c, „ 207 „ 
„ D, „ 134 „ 
„ E, „ 96 „ 
„ F, „ 60 „ 
Price 42 
„ 21 
„ 15 
„ 10 
„ 7 
„ 5 
FOR GARDEN BEDS, BORDERS, k. 
) 
Collection M, containing 2,923 Bulbs 
N, 
O, 
P, 
Q, 
R, 
S, 
T, 
1,909 
1,286 
680 
424 
315 
203 
114 
Price 105 
„ 63 
„ 42 
„ 21 
„ 15 
„ 10 
„ 7 
„ 5 
per cent. Discount for Cash. 
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. 
BEGONIAS A SPECIALITY. 
AWARDED FOUR C OLD JMEDALS. 
LAING’S Double and Single collec¬ 
tion is the largest, finest, and the 
most complete in existence. New 
seed just harvested. 
Price Lists free on application. 
JOHN Mil©) a SONS? 
NuRSEmEs, FOREST HILL, LONDON, 8.E. 
filers 
MixedHYACSWTH 
RED, all shades ... 14?. per 100 ... 2s. Oil. per doz. 
WHITE, all shades ISs. ,, ... 2s. Qd. ,, 
BLUE, all shades... 14s. ,, ... 2s. O d. ,, 
MIXED, all colours 13s. ,, ... Is. 9 d. ,, 
VEITCH’S 
MIXED TULIPS. 
SINGLE, finest mixed. 35s. 1000 ... 4s. 100 
DOUBLE, finest mixed. 35s. 1000 ... 4s. 100 
VEITCH'S 
Polyanthus Narcissus. 
Mixed, all shades, comprising many beautiful 
shades of colour. 
- 70s. per 1000; 7s. 6d. pep 100. 
VEITCH’S 
DUTCH CROCUS. 
LARGE YELLOW ... 9s. 6d 1000 ... Is. 3d. 100 
LARGE BLUE ... 12s. 6 cl. .Is. Qd. ,, 
LARGE STRIPED.. 12s. Qd. ,, ... Is. Qd. ,, 
LARGE WHITE ... 13s. Qd. ... Is. Qd. ,, 
MIXED, all colours ... 12s. 07. ,, ... Is. Qd. ,, 
For other Bulls see Catalogue, forwarded gratis 
and post free on application. 
JAMES YEITCH & SONS, 
Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, S.W.’ 
BULBS 
EVERY BULB WARRANTED. 
ROBERT SYDENHAM, 
HEW TENBY ST., BIRMINGHAM, 
The celebrated importer of Bulbs, will send his revised 
Pamphlet, “ How I Came to Grow Bulbs,” and the 
cheapest Price List for reliable Bulbs ever issued, 
free on application. 
I can guarantee my best Bulbs to be the finest that come from 
Holland, and will undertake to replace, at half price next year, 
any which, with fair treatment, do not flower satisfactorily ; 
or any bulbs that are not perfectly satisfactory when received 
may he returned and the money refunded, as my great aim is to 
send out nothing but the best, at moderate prices. 
White Roman Hyacinths, 2s doz., 15s. 100; or 
a very grand sample, 2s. 61. doz., 19s. 100. 
Freesia refracta alba, the coming Flower of the Day, 
planted now, will bloom at Christmas, Is. doz., 7s. 6d. 100 ; 
extra selected Bulbs, Is. 6d. doz., 11s. 100. 
I MAKE A SPECIALITY OF HYACINTHS. 
One dozen, first size and named, for pots or glasses, 4s. 
A splendid dozen, unnamed, for pots, 3s., for water, 3s. 6d. 
Capital second-size Hyacinths, quite equal to what are often 
sold as first size, 2s. 3d. dcz. , or 16s. 100. 
A choice collection of all the best Hyacinths for Exhibition 
purposes from 3i. to 8d. each. 
Splendid Bedding Hyacinths, Blue, 9s. ; Red, 13s. ; White, 
16s.; or mixed, all colours, lls. per 100. 
Tulips will be dearer and scarcer this year, owing to the 
great increased demand, but having made very advantageous 
purchases, my prices will be but little above those of last year. 
I shall have a very select collection of Narcissi at reduced 
prices, and I shall have a grand lot of Scilla sibirica, Chionodoxa 
Lucilise, Snowdrops, Crocuses, Winter Aconites, Ixias, English 
and Spanish Iris, Ranunculus, Lilium Harrisi, &c., &c. 
A full list uow ready, and sent post free on application. 
(Please Mention this Paper.) 
Letter Orders have same care as for my own 'planting. 
ROBERT SYDENHAM, 
NEW TENBY STREET, BIRMINGHAM. 
SOCIETIES’ ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. 
nnHE ANNUAL DINNER of this Society 
JL will take place on Wednesday, October 23rd, at the 
Cannon Street Hotel, E.C., at 5.30 p.m. N. N. Sherwood, Esq., 
will preside. 
Tickets, 5s. each, to be had uf the Secretary, 
W. COLLINS. 
9, Martindale Road, Balham, S.W. 
Next Week’s Engagements. 
Monday, October 14th.—Meeting of General Committee of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society at 7 p m. Bulb Sales at 
Protheroe & Morns’s and Stevens’ Rooms. Sale of Nursery 
Stock at Mr. C. Noble’s Nurseries, Sunningdale (and five 
following days). 
Wednesday, October 16th.—Sale of Plants and Bulbs from 
Holland at Protheroe & Morris’s Ro ;ms, and Dutch Bulb 
Sale at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Thursday, October 17th —Sale of Bulbs at Protheroe & Morris’s 
Rooms. 
Friday, October 18th. - Sale of Orchids at Trot lie roe & Morris’s 
Rooms. 
Saturday, October 19th — S tie of Dutch Bulbs at Protheroe & 
Morris’s and Stevens’ Rooms. 
For Index to Contents & Advertisements, see p. 94. 
“■ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man." —Bacon. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1889. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
^iie British Fruit-growers’ Association.—- 
“ Nil desperandum” should be the motto 
of this association. It falls down as flat as a 
pancake before the utter ineptitude of some of 
its managers. It disappears for a season from 
notice absolutely, and the world unkindly 
thinks that it has given up the ghost. But so 
far from that being the case it would seem 
as if tlie association is worth a thousand 
defunct bodies, for its presence in life, and full 
of eager activity for work, will be demonstrated 
this week at the Crystal Palace, when it will 
once more take up the role of the prophet and 
point the road to the regeneration of fruit- 
culture. That is, of course, a big phrase, and 
it is ours, but unless the association can do 
somethingun that direction it will have little 
reason for its existence. f _T— 
Conferences are all very well, but they must 
go farther, and develop into something of a 
practical nature. AVe have had during the 
past few years lots of fruit conferences. 
They have served the purposes of finger posts, 
pointing the way those should go who would 
seek to grow fruit well and profitably, hut 
have not led the way. That is just what is 
needed—practical demonstrations of what can 
be accomplished in fruit culture, and bow it 
is best done. Next year there may be, 
weather permitting, one of the finest crops of 
all hardy fruits ever known. Suppose the 
British Fruit-growers’ Association were to 
endeavour to organise a grand display of hardy 
fruits, the various collections being illustrative 
of diverse methods of culture. 
The million who visit fruit shows see and 
admire the exhibits, hut they know nothing of 
the method of production. AA’e want samples 
produced on walls, cordons, pyramids, and 
hush trees, on Paradise or Quince stocks, on 
free stocks, on young trees and old trees, on 
grass land and cultivated land, on gravel, on 
clay, on chalk, &c., &c. Here is a programme 
for the association to start useful work with. 
^Prospective Fruit Crops. —AA r hilst there is 
<r~ still some conflict of opinion as to the 
cause of the comparative lack of Apples this 
year, there can he none over the undoubted 
fact that the season is working admirably for 
a grand fruit crop next year. There is, in 
spite of a moderately moist summer, no coarse 
growth, hut there is proceeding splendid 
maturation of the wood allied to a wonderful 
development of sturdy fruit spurs. AA"e 
believe that now no cold or dull weather can 
affect this work of nature injuriously this 
season, whilst a further continuance of dry 
open weather will hut serve to make the 
progress of the trees to maturity all the more 
certain. AA r e have been told that the com¬ 
parative absence of hardy fruits, Apples 
especially, was due to the unusual heat which 
prevailed at the blooming time. 
Probably, it is less the heat of the day, 
Avhicli all the same was unusual early in May, 
than the sudden changes to low temperature 
at night almost always attendant upon warm. 
A lay days, which affected the fertility of the 
bloom and caused it to fall early. But the 
buds had been weakened by long delay in 
opening, arising from the dull cold weather 
which prevailed during April ; whilst it would 
he absurd to put out of sight the undoubted 
fact that the buds were wonderfully matured 
owing to the preceding cold wet summer and 
autumn. Further reasons for the smallness 
of the hardy fruit crop this year could hardly 
he needed by anyone. 
However, it is useless worrying over what 
is certainly spilt milk. All the speculation in 
the world will not mend matters now, whilst 
it is safe to infer from what is so evident 
that next year is as full of promise for a hardy 
fruit crop as any one that has preceded. 
AYe think that with such splendid preparation 
it will require a very adverse spring indeed 
to spoil our prospects for the coining year. 
f UDGEs’ Liabilities. — One of the oddest 
horticultural cases which we have heard 
of in a county court is to he determined 
upon in a metropolitan suburban court on the 
18th inst., unless otherwise disposed of. 
That the process of a county court should be 
issued in such a case will raise surprise, as well 
it may, in the minds of our readers when the 
facts are stated. For obvious reasons we 
withhold for the present the names of persons 
and place. A well-known horticulturist and 
frequent correspondent of The Gardening 
AA^orld, was, with two other capable members 
of the craft, appointed to act as judge at a 
flower show during August last. 
A class for model gardens was fairly well 
