January 4, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
277 
WILLIAMS’ 
NOVELTIES 
FOR 1890. 
&G~Sold only in Sealed Packets bearing 
our Trade Mark. 
PRIMULASINENSISFIMBRIATA 
“ FIRE-FLY.” 
This is a beautiful semi-double variety. The colour 
is of a deep crimson, somewhat more intense in shade 
than Meteor. 
Per Packet . 3s. 6d. 
PRIMULASINENSISFIMBRIATA 
“EMPRESS.” 
This is a very fine semi-double variety. The colour 
is a delicate pink of a very pleasing tone. 
Per Packet . 3s. 6d. 
EARLEY’S HARDY CURLED 
SPROUT. 
This new variety was raised by Mr. William Earley, 
of Ilford, from whom we have secured the entire stock 
of this valuable vegetable. He describes it as follows : 
—“ A cross between the Brussels Sprouts and Kale, 
Scotch Curled. The latter was crossed with Brussels 
Sprout pollen. This has produced a robust variety 
with true Brussels Sprout habit, the foliage being 
midway between the two parents. 
Per Packet . 2s. 6d. 
NEW ORNAMENTAL - LEAVED 
BEET. 
(McGregor’s Favourite.) 
Awarded First Class Certificate by the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, September 25th, 1888. The leaves 
are of a rich bronzy crimson colour, narrow, arching, 
about 6 to 8 inches long, and fold inwards, resembling 
in habit a narrow-leaved Dracfena. 
Per Packet . Is. Od. 
ROBERT SYDENHAM, 
NEW TENBY ST„ BIRMINGHAM, 
THE CELEBRATED AMATEUR IMPORTER OP BULBS. 
Having been continually solicited by a large number of my Bulb 
friends to keep a select stock of the best and most reliable 
Vegetable and Flower Seeds, I have decided to do so. 
“ Quality before Quantity” being my “motto,” I shall 
spare no expense to get the very best strain of every variety 
offered in this list, and send out all fresh new seeds of the latest 
growth. The majority, if not nearly all ordinary Seedsmen say 
they will not he responsible for the failure of any Seeds. I 
cannot guarantee there shall be no failures, but as the best 
guarantee it is possible to give of my wish to sell only genuine 
Seeds, I will undertake to replace, free of charge, any Vegetable 
or Flower Seeds from which a fair proportion fail to germinate 
in due course, under fair and proper treatment, or which do not 
come true to name. 
I shall not confuse my friends with a long list of six or eight 
hundred varieties of Flower Seeds, but confine myself to about 
two hundred varieties that will be satisfactory to purchaser as 
well as seller. In Vegetable Seeds, I contend that few want 
more than six or eight varieties of Peas, three or four sorts of 
Cabbage or Broccoli, two or three of Carrots, one of Parsnips, 
and so on, and where the list is much increased, it often contains 
names manufactured to suit a particular locality, or selected 
stocks of old varieties slightly improved under new names. As 
a proof of this, I have often heard of two or three so-called 
varieties of Seeds being taken from the same bag or drawer. 
One gentleman in the trade went so far as to tell me, in his cata¬ 
logue were four varieties of Parsnips, but all were taken from 
one bag. 
TERMS, strictly cash with order from unknown correspon¬ 
dents ; references given if required. 
All Flower Seeds sent post free ; all general Seed Orders over 
10s. carriage paid ; Orders over £3, 5 ptr cent, discount ; Orders 
over £5, 10 per cent, discount. 
My “UNIQUE SEED LIST," entered at Stationers' Hall and 
Copyright, is the most original and useful List ever published 
for amateurs. It contains only the most select varieties of 
Vegetable and Flower Seeds in cultivation, and gives full cul¬ 
tural directions. This List was sent, post free, to all my Bulb 
friends about the middle of December. To all new applicants 
the price will be 6d., but this maybe deducted from the first 
order of os. or over. 
Choice Primula, Calceolaria, Carnation, and Picotee 
Seeds will be of a specially good strain. 
Best white Raffia Fibre, 6 d. per pound. 
(Please Mention this Paper.) 
Letter Orders have same care as for my oivn -planting. 
ROBERT SYDENHAM, 
NEW TENBY STREET, BIRMINGHAM. 
Next Weeks Engagements. 
Monday, January 6th.—National Chrysanthemum Society : 
Meeting of Geneial Committee at 7 p.m. Bulb Sale at 
Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms. 
Wednesday, January Sth —Flower Show at the Royal Aquarium, 
Westminster (2 days). Sale of Lily Bulbs at Protheroe & 
Morris's Rooms. 
Thursday, January 9th.— Sale of Nursery Stock from Sample at 
Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms. 
Friday, January 10th. — Sale of Orchids at Protheroe & 
Morris’s Rooms. 
For Indexto Contents & Advertisements, see p. 286. 
Illustrated SEED CATALOGUE for 1890, contain¬ 
ing Descriptions, Illustrations, Testimonials, ct-c., will 
be forwarded gratis and post free to all applicants. 
B. 8. WILLIAMS* SON, 
Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, 
UPPER HOLLOWAY,LON DON, N. 
FIDLER’S 
NEW SEED 
CATALOGUE 
FOR 
1 s © o 
NOW BEADY. FREE TO 
ALL. 
EVERYONE who has a GARDEN should 
send for a copy, and compare prices before 
ordering elsewhere. FIDLERS SEEDS are 
noted for their purity and cheapness. 
C.FIDLER.f.r.h.s., READING 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
SATURDAY , JANUARY J h 1890. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
7s he Dead Year. —Whilst generally, events 
^ of a somewhat sensational kind have been 
attracting attention, few, perhaps, proved to he 
of more importance to mark the year 1889 
with a prominent red letter than did the 
Paris Exhibition, without doubt the most 
remarkable of all its kind, and presenting to 
promoters of international exhibitions in other 
countries a very hard problem to solve as 
to how it can be excelled. The Paris 
gathering w r as specially characterised by the 
remarkably fine and varied representation of 
horticulture found in association with it; 
and gardeners universally, who were enabled 
to visit Paris last summer, found ample 
cause to thank the promoters of the exhi¬ 
bition for the exceedingly cosmopolitan 
display of the horticultural art furnished. 
If it be that in this country our autho¬ 
rities should feel inspired to undertake a 
grand exhibition a year or two hence, not 
only will they have to keep pace with what 
France so successfully has done in relation 
to general exhibits, but will further have to 
place horticulture in a prominent position, 
not only on account of its decorative worth, 
but also because it is so important an element 
in our social economy. It is doubtful whether 
we have at command here, just the sort of 
capacity of a horticultural kind which 
Paris has in plenty. Still, were a free 
hand given, and the support of every section 
of the horticultural community invited, an 
effort, of which we think none need be ashamed, 
would doubtless he made to present British 
horticulture to our visitors in an eminently 
favourable aspect. 
TffHE Season of 1889.—The verdict on the 
^ weather of the dead year is on the whole 
a favourable one. It is true we had no great 
summer heat, and that is an element we can do 
with much of during our all too short summers, 
neither did we have to endure any considerable 
extreme of cold. The weather was indeed 
of a very mixed nature, no long spell of 
drought or of heat, and although ripening power 
was deficient at some critical periods, yet on 
the whole we had one of the most productive 
seasons known for several years. If we had 
no great wealth of top or tree fruit there was 
abundance below, and there are indications 
that the season has done wonders in the 
creation of those forces in our fruit trees which 
eventuate in good crops. So far as vegetables 
have been concerned, and also with reference 
to many ordinary agricultural crops we have 
rarely had greater abundance. 
Without doubt gardening' proved to be a 
much more enjoyable occupation than it has 
been during some preceding seasons. We 
found growth good generally, whilst the 
average temperature rendered work more 
enjoyable than is the case when the weather 
assumes one monotonous aspect. Whilst 
gardens have so generally furnished pleasant 
recreation during the year, it does seem as if 
flower-show committees had been more than 
usually unfortunate in the matter of weather—- 
pretty good evidence that in spite of a produc¬ 
tive season we had a dominating amount of 
rain. Flower shows are so dependent for 
success on fine weather, that a showery summer 
is to be regarded by the promoters of those 
gatherings with alarm. Happily gardening 
is not dependent for its welfare on the success 
or otherwise of flower shows. 
Tkhe Horticultural Trade. -—- We are 
happily able to sound a satisfactory 
note in relation to the horticultural trade 
generally during the past year. Dependent 
as it necessarily is upon the general condition 
of trade and commerce, which has been of a 
prosperous nature of late, horticulture has 
found benefit from that improvement in our 
national prosperity. Allied to that develop¬ 
ment there has been a season unusually 
favourable to planting, and whilst the ordinary 
nursery customer has found every encourage¬ 
ment to plant trees and shrubs, the market- 
grower of fruit has been not less inspired 
by a capital growing season to extend his 
breadths of fruit trees, bushes, &c. 
The seed trade has not, perhaps, found 
so much to he grateful for as the nursery 
trade has, because the previous year was a 
very bad one indeed for the production of 
seeds ; and during the present year, because 
of so considerable a rainfall allied to but 
a moderately high autumn temperature, seed 
production has been by no means satisfactory. 
Still, it will be found in due course, with¬ 
out doubt, that there will be no lack of 
seeds, and in a year or two, with warmer 
summers, the old equilibrium will be sus¬ 
tained. 
So far as all hardy trees, shrubs, and 
plants were concerned, the year proved sin- 
