April 26, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
MY NEW 
DAHLIA 
CATALOGUE 
Is now being issued, and ought to be in the hands of 
my Patrons in a few days ; anyone not receiving same 
should apply at once, when a fresh copy shall be sent. 
It contains 
My NOVELTIES for 1890 
Which are quite equal to my previous introductions, 
many of which are among the most popular of the day. 
Each section is fully represented, and every good 
variety will be found fully described. I have a fine 
collection of 
CACTUS, SINGLE, P0MP0NE,SH0W, 
FANCY, & STELLATE VARIETIES. 
All are good strong plants established in pots, and will 
be ready for planting the first week in May. This 
Catalogue also contains a fine collection of the 
NEW LARGE-FLOWERING GANNAS, 
Having flowers almost as large as Gladiolus, of almost 
every shade of colour. The Catalogue also contains an 
abridged list of CHRYSANTHEMUMS, MAR¬ 
GUERITES, PENTSTEMONS, SINGLE 
PYRETHRUMS, and many other popular groups 
for present planting. 
I have issued this season the following descriptive 
Catalogues:—ILLUSTRATED HARDY PERENNIALS, 
CLIMBING PLANTS, HARDY FERNS, CHRYSAN¬ 
THEMUMS, CHOICE FLO/VER SEEDS, a D y of which 
can still be had on application to 
THOS. S. WARE, 
HALE FARM NURSERIES, 
TOTTENHAM, LONDON. 
IF YOU WANT 
APPLY TO 
Mr. R. SYDENHAM, 
TENBY STREET, 
birmi ngham, 
0/ the Finn of Sydenham Brothers, Wholesale Jewellers. 
HIS UNIQUE 
SEED LIST 
Sent Post Free on application. 
The Business being worked upon an 
unique and co-operative principle, Mr. 
SYDENHAM can offer 
BETTER VALUE in QUALITY & PRICE 
than any firm in the trade. 
MY ORIGINAL GUARANTEE 
{Such as never offered by the Trade). 
ALL BULBS which fail under fair and 
proper treatment, WILL BE REPLACED 
AT HALF-PRICE. All Seeds from which 
a fair proportion fail to germinate under 
fair and proper treatment WILL BE 
REPLACED FREE. 
SUTTON’S 
FLORIST’S FLOWERS. 
THE BEST STRAINS IN EXISTENCE. 
SUTTON’S SUPERD PRIMULA ... 3/C per pkt. 
SUTTON’S SUPERB CINERARIA ... 5/- & 2/0 „ 
SUTTON’S PERFECTION C ALCEO¬ 
LARIA ... . ... 5/- & 3/6 ,, 
SUTTON’S PRIZE GLOXINIA ... 5/- & 2/6 ,, 
SUTTON’S PRIZE BEGONIA ... 5/- & 2/6 „ 
FREE BY POST. 
SUTTON’S SEEDS 
GENUINE ONLY FROM SUTTON S SONS,READING. 
Next Week’s Engagements. 
Tuesday, April 29th.—Flower Show at the Royal Aquarium, 
Westminster (2 days). Flower Show in the Town Hall, 
Manchester. Sale of Orchids in Flower at Protheroe & 
Morris's Rooms. 
Wednesday, April 30th.—Sale of Lily Bulbs, Stove and Green¬ 
house Plants, &c., at Protheroe & Morris's Rooms. 
Friday, May 2nd.—Sale of Imported and Established Orchids at 
Protheroe & Morris's Rooms. 
For Indexto Contents & Advertisements, see p. 542. 
r ‘ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.” —Bacon. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1890. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
Qpring Greenery. —The spring is now put- 
* ting on her clothing of green in all the 
various shades of that very delightful hue. 
The process is, however, a very slow one. It 
may be termed indeed “lingering sweetness 
long drawn out,” but it is so prolonged because 
the spriug-time is after all so ungenial. What 
should, under ordinary conditions, be com¬ 
pleted in about a month, now takes twice 
that period, for the first of the new leafage 
appears early in April, and the process is 
hardly complete before the end of May. Were 
the weather more warm there would be no 
more delightful time of the year in which to 
enjoy the beauties of nature than in the 
spring. To see trees and shrubs of all kinds 
unfolding their leafage ; to watch the process 
from day to day; to mark the diverse forms, 
hues and development is indeed to the 
observant a delightful study. It is somewhat 
less a pleasure when the wind is so cold that 
contemplation of the process of nature is 
accompanied with a shudder. Given a soft air, 
pleasant sunshine, and warm nights, which set 
the nightingale singing, -whilst the daytime 
is alive with the harmonies of the feathered 
trib, ethen life in the country in the spring 
is indeed delightful, and those so privileged 
may, as it were, taste some of the joys of 
Paradise. If we existed in a state of perpe¬ 
tual greenery, we should lose one half the 
joys of existence. Whatsoever pain there 
may be found in the autumn in the loss of 
foliage on all deciduous trees is partly compen¬ 
sated for by the undoubted beauty trees 
exhibit vdien so denuded of leafage, whilst in 
the spring when the new dress is put on the 
beauty is enhanced by its delightful freshness. 
We shall never be satiated with too much 
of beauty. The winter will ever be a season 
of rest, as well as of barrenness ; and it is 
a desirable bane in the year’s work in nature, 
for which the spring presents so delightful 
an antidote. 
A ur Fruit Prospects. —Whilst our great 
^ novelist, who is so powerful in fiction and 
so practical in fruit culture, is writing a 
jeremiad over the doings of naughty Jack 
Frost with the Plum and Pear bloom in the 
valley of the Thames, and our fruit-growing 
associations are busy patting hardy fruit culture 
affectionately on the hack, there comes a 
lament from the growers generally that the 
trees have been playing the fool with them, 
and the prospect of a fine fruit season is all 
a dream. Why, we thought last autumn, 
after having passed through a comparatively 
favourable season, that there was every pros¬ 
pect of a good spring bloom on all kinds cf 
hardy fruit trees. We have come to the 
period of realisation, and the product is 
indifferent. 
If there is a fair bloom on some Plums, 
there is little on others, and on Pears the 
proportion seems to be relatively less, whilst 
as to Apples the outlook is most unpromising, 
as the hulk of the trees show leaf spurs only, 
where there seemed to be a wealth of embryo 
bloom. So long as we have bloom there is 
hope for fruit, even though the weather may 
be adverse. With no bloom there is no room 
for hope, and we are soon put out of our 
anxiety. True, there is some bloom, hut, 
then, with the bulk of the spurs barren, how 
poor is the prospect for the bloom, because 
it may be weak and infertile. Yery sad will 
it he should it prove so, because a poor fruit 
season is a grave misfortune. 
Possibly we are taking too pessimistic a 
view, hut it is a true one of some parts of the 
kingdom, and may have a wide application. 
Why the promise, after so comparatively 
excellent a wood-making and maturing year 
as the last one, should he so indifferent is 
indeed hard to understand. We shall have 
plenty of suggestions offered later, no doubt, 
For the present we must wait patiently to see 
what comes from what little bloom we have. 
Let us hope something worth having may 
result, if that something be but little. 
2k he Narcissus Conference. — Our desire 
to see a large attendance on the part 
of the public at the Narcissus Conference was 
not realised. There was a fair gathering on 
the first day, following the Duchess of Teck’s 
visit, but later there was a gradual dwindling, 
until finally interest was exhausted. Probably 
the Narcissites are now satisfied that they 
have but a very small following, and that 
enough has been done for the present in the 
way of a conference and special exhibition. 
We may take it for granted that it will he long 
ere another such gathering takes place, for the 
very obvious reason that whilst the public 
admire the Narcissus as a flower, just as it 
admires all other flowers, as such, it sees no 
reason whatever for setting up a kind of floral 
sect, or preaching a Narcissus gospel. 
The show of flowers, whilst so admirably 
displayed in the large Vinery at Chiswick, was 
yet the product almost exclusively of some 
four or five trade growers. But for these, 
there would have been nothing whatever to 
see. Still, well as it may be that some traders 
should strive to promote the popularity of the 
Narcissus, specially, it is obvious that the 
public does not respond. If people can pur¬ 
chase the flowers cheaply in the market, or 
have a few bulbs growing in their gardens, 
they are content; hut they care no more for all 
the faddishness which has been created, than 
for the man in the moon. If we could pick 
out a score of the best from the immense hulk 
of novelties, what would be left to compare 
with them 1 Comparatively nothing. 
The practice of setting up these big collec¬ 
tions of flowers in incongruous conjunction, 
without regard to section or assimilation, serves 
admirably to confuse, hut helps uo one, hence 
the public look on them with a sense of 
bewilderment, and as if wearied. Probably 
the whirligig of time will bring about some 
o o o 
