726 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 19, 1890. 
cluster. They are rather small and white, with a 
yellow claw to the petals, and the latter are supported 
by curiously pinnatifid and glandular sepals. The 
foliage is somewhat fragrant, and altogether the species 
forms a beautiful and compact bush, studded with 
white blossoms. 
--W&e-- 
LIQUID MANURES. 
It is well enough to look some months ahead for 
the manure needed. Doubly liberal manuring lies at 
the bottom of big crops. The profit comes from 
maximum crops ; hence the importance of securing, at 
reasonable prices, manure that will produce the largest 
crops. There are differences in value among stable or 
farm-yard manures. Some farm-yard or stable manure 
has treble the value of others. We are apt to make a 
distinction between cow and horse manure, possibly 
between fresh and rotted manure ; but with this we 
stop. But other points about stable manures are of 
more importance. One of these is the proportion of 
urine. 
A ton of fresh, solid excrement of horses contains 8.8 
lbs. of nitrogen, 3.4 lbs. of phosphoric acid, and 7 lbs. 
of potash. A ton of fresh solid excrement of cattle 
contains 5.8 lbs of nitrogen, 3.4 lbs. of phosphoric acid, 
and 2 lbs. of potash. A ton of fresh urine of horses 
contains 31 lbs. of nitrogen and 30 lbs. of potash. A 
ton of fresh urine of cattle contains 11.6 lbs. of nitrogen 
and 9.8 lbs. of potash. 
It will be seen that, at the commercial values of 
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, taking the same 
weights of fresh urine and of fresh solid excrement of 
horses, the first has six times the value of the latter ; 
and of cattle nearly four times. It is therefore plain 
that the greater the proportion of urine, the more valuable 
the manure. However, in the urine there is no phos¬ 
phoric acid. This is a sad lack, which, however, can 
be supplied by the use of some phosphatic fertiliser. 
But urine has to the gardener a greater value, com¬ 
pared with solid excrement. The earliest crop brings 
the best prices ; hence a manure that will make the 
crop larger and also earlier gives us a double value. 
Urine does this, for the nitrogen in urine is all in 
solution, and in a condition fit to be taken up immedi¬ 
ately bj 7 the plants. Pound for pound, it is fully as 
valuable as the nitrogen in nitrate of soda. On the 
other hand, the nitrogen in solid excrement is inferior, 
since most of it is insoluble, and in a condition unassi- 
milable by plants. It is contained chiefly in the 
undigested, not to say indigestible, portions of the 
food. Urine is the manure par excellence for the 
gardener, since it acts at once. 
However, we must have' a care as to the preservation 
of the urine. Unless properly managed, no other 
manure so quickly deteriorates ; the nitrogenous com¬ 
ponents of urine—viz., urea, uric acid and hippuric 
acid—are precisely those constituents of animal secre¬ 
tions which decompose the first and the easiest. Hence, 
Professor Storer says that cisterns to hold urine can 
hardly be profitable. The best way, it seems, in which 
to preserve the manurial value of urine is to have it 
absorbed by straw or other litter. This retards its 
decomposition. When solid excrement, urine and 
enough litter to absorb the liquid are mixed together, 
the mass keeps remarkably well. At the end of five 
warm months decomposition had hardly begun in such 
a heap. 
When the gardener can get urine fresh, he can 
hardly get a manure more “forcing.” But otherwise 
he would better use the urine mixed with litter and 
solid excrement. And the point for him to remember 
is that manure from stables where the urine is absorbed 
and saved is worth to him, pound for pound, far more 
than manure from stable.s where the urine is allowed 
to waste. 
Of great comparative value to the gardener is also 
manure liquor — i.e., the liquid that drains from 
manure. It is likely that in Switzerland, Holland and 
Belgium the farmers overrate this fertilizer ; but it is 
nevertheless true that the gardener, even in this 
country, can use it to advantage and with profit, 
though he prepares it artificially. In its composition 
it much resembles urine, as it contains little phosphoric 
acid and much nitrogen, and also in being liquid. 
Hence it is a splendid forcing manure ; it acts strongly 
and immediately, and this suggests that its use is to 
be on crops that are to be hurried to maturity. There 
is this point in its favour, also, that it is not apt to 
“ burn ” crops as guano does in dry weather. Voeleker 
found that it was almost twice as concentrated from 
fresh as from old manure.— S. M. J., in American 
Garden. 
BEGONIAS AT FOREST HILL. 
Some idea of the favour with which the tuberous-rooted 
Begonias are still received by the public may be gleaned 
from the fact that the area occupied by them, both under 
glass and in the open air, continues to increase from 
year to year in the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, 
Forest Hill. In one place an acre of ground is solely 
devoted to single kinds, and contains 135,000 plants. 
The latter are planted in colours, there being 10,000 of 
a colour, and 5,000 in a bed. There are 35,000 in 
another part of the nursery, the seeds of which were 
collected from double kinds. A large percentage comes 
double, and already a great number of them have 
flowered and are of so much promise that they have been 
potted up and placed under glass. Altogether there 
would be considerably over 200,000 plants in the 
nursery. 
Single-flowered Kinds. 
Old plants and last year’s seedlings are now in full 
bloom in the houses. That in which the single kinds 
are located is 100 ft. long and 25 ft. wide, exclusive of 
a wing at one end. A large percentage of the plants are 
unnamed, even although decided improvements upon 
existing named kinds. A drooping-flowered variety 
suitable for basket work, and suspended from the roof, 
bore eight to twelve flowers on each stalk. The outer 
sepals were rose, and the inner ones deep carmine 
approaching to crimson, all being white at the base, 
resembling the type originally named Charmer. The 
plant lasts in good condition for about a month. We 
noted some marked advances upon old types in the 
short erect peduncles, with perfectly orbicular flowers 
of great size. The breadth of the inner sepals marks 
another great improvement. A very choice seedling, 
with sulphur-white flowers, had very broad leaves 
more or less blotched with bronze beneath. The 
narrow leaves — characteristic of the old Begonia 
boliviensis—are now giving place to kinds with more 
ample foliage, hiding both the stems and top of the 
pots in which the plants are grown. We also noted 
varieties with soft orange and deep orange-red large 
orbicular flowers. 
Of the kinds now in bloom we can with difficulty 
but intimate the colours, so varied and endlessly 
blended are they from pure white to intense crimson. 
A Picotee-edged variety had white flowers with a rose 
margin, and close by was another with a carmine edge 
merging into rose, and that again into white. A 
variation from the above was shown by a large and 
very floriferous specimen with white flowers, the margin 
and outer surface of which were of a decided rose 
colour. A peculiar combination presented itself in a 
form having pale lemon flowers margined with red, and 
another had bright orange blooms that were crimson 
externally. Of the same affinity was one with orange 
flowers deepening to orange or crimson at the base and 
sides of the sepals ; but the hues varied in different 
flowers upon the same plant. Another curious as well 
as showy kind had rosy salmon sepals, the inner ones 
of which are much darker when they first expand, and 
all fade to white at the margin when old. 
Varieties with long straggling stems scantily clothed 
with foliage are giving place to others with short 
stems, broad leaves, and erect flowers. The mere size 
of the latter is not now reckoned of primary importance. 
A plant 12 ins. or 13 ins. high and 1 yard through was 
laden with deep rose or carmine-rose flowers, of good 
shape and medium size. Another plant with large 
deep magenta flowers measured 1 yard in height and as 
much across, with very numerous stems from a single 
tuber now five years old. Six or seven years are 
reckoned about the limit of a tuber, as it is difficult 
to preserve after that time if it has been grown 
vigorously, or has been accorded liberal treatment. A 
plant of the Charmer type had reddish scarlet sepals, 
with a pink or white blotch at the base of each. Other 
plants of good erect habit had rose-magenta, bright 
yellow, pure white, and brilliant scarlet flowers. 
Double Varieties. 
As amongst the single kinds, so here also improvement 
continues to be effected. Between the ragged flowers 
of the first doubles that were produced, as well as the 
lumpy kinds with densely compact petals that follow'ed, 
there is little in common with the varieties that are 
now being produced. Two or three types to which 
attention is being directed may be here noticed, namely, 
those with broad, flat, imbricated petals, resembling in 
the aggregate a Camellia ; secondly, those with broad, 
crimped, or undulated petals, as seen in double 
Hollyhocks ; and, lastly, those flowers with numerous 
rosettes, and which are generally of large size. The 
latter may be compared to small bouquets or trusses of 
double Pelargoniums. There are several other familiar 
flowers, such as Roses and Pinks, to which individual 
forms may be compared. Another improvement which 
is much desired amongst double kinds is the develop¬ 
ment of a race with short and sufficiently stont flower- 
stalks to carry the heavy blooms more nearly erect, so 
that they may be seen to greater advantage. 
Preference is being given to flowers with delicate 
colours as well as those of dark but decided hues. 'We 
noted unnamed seedlings with soft pink, flesh, bright 
yellow, rose, rosy-salmon, brilliant scarlet, intense 
crimson, yellow, and other hues which it is almost 
impossible to define. A dwarf and floriferous variety 
not exceeding 6 ins. high was notable for the curious 
arrangement of its yellow petals. A taller one with 
brilliant scarlet flowers had the outer segments or 
sepals very much longer than the central ones, forming 
a kind of guard as seen in many Hollyhocks ; a bright 
yellow one had similar broad guards. 
On account of the necessity of propagating specially 
good kinds by cuttings, a more conservative principle 
must be adopted in the case of double than single kinds. 
A larger proportion of the former are therefore named. 
A beautiful sulphur-white is Mrs. French, with flowers 
of great depth and undulated petals. Viscountess 
Cranbrook, for want of a better term, may be described 
as rosy-scarlet with a white centre. Claribgl is some¬ 
thing in the same way, but the flowers are of medium 
size, and salmon with a white centre. The plant is 
dwarf, not exceeding 8 ins., and very floriferous. A 
novelty in its way was an unnamed seedling with 
crimson flowers, more or less striped longitudinally with 
white. It may give rise to quite a new strain, if this 
peculiar character can be perpetuated by seeds. Pose 
Laing is a soft rose-coloured flower, with broad flat 
petals, and one centre like a Camellia. Another 
finely shaped flower is B. Pi. Davis. Stanstead Gem is 
made up of numerous small Tosettes, forming together 
a very large flower of a dazzling scarlet. A desirability 
in its way is that named Juno, with lighter scarlet 
flowers and crisped petals. The plant was only about 
12 ins, or 14 ins. high. Scarlet Gem is another choice, 
brilliant scarlet kind, with broad leaves covering the 
pot. There are also numerous fine kinds amongst the 
seedlings of this year. 
-.» ->-:£<.= - -—- - 
VEGETABLE NOTES. 
Snowball Cauliflower. 
How curiously your two correspondents of last week, 
“"V. P. E.” and “ B. L ,” proved, so far as the 
reputation of this early Cauliflower is concerned, to be 
at once the bane and antidote ! The first has found 
the Snowball to be later than Early London, the second 
has found it to be twelve or sixteen days earlier. Either 
“ W. P. R.” did not get the true stock, or else he 
misplaced his labels. "When the trials of Cauliflowers 
took place at Chiswick a few years since, and “ W. P. 
R.” alludes to those trials with satisfaction, Snowball 
was found to be one of the .very best stocks, and earliest 
grown, thus showing that those who have the true stock, 
have the earliest variety in cultivation. It would be 
invidious on my part to name the varieties sent out since 
Snowball came into commerce, all of which are 
identical. It would be well if gardeners would study 
the Chiswick reports, and thus ascertain which is the 
real Simon Pure.— A. Dean. 
Pea, Chelsea Gem. 
I can fully endorse all that your correspondent, “Con,” 
says on p. 694, concerning the good qualities of the 
Chelsea Gem Pea, both as regards earliness, produc¬ 
tiveness, and good flavour. With us it has grown 
about 1 ft. 9 ins. high this year, which is 6 ins. higher 
than last season. The pods are well filled with peas 
quickly after the bloom is gone, and in this respect 
offer a marked contrast to another early sort sown the 
same date, which is very annoying by reason of its 
slowness in filling in. The average number of peas to 
a pod of Chelsea Gem the third week in June was seven, 
there being more pods containing eight than contained 
six peas.— IV. Parks, Fernsidc, Bicklcy. 
-- 
THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 
SEED BARN. 
Uncle Sam’s seed barn is just now (April) in a hum 
of activity. It is so for about a month every year at 
this season. Go into it any time during the next two 
or three weeks, and you will find it a scene of bustle 
and industry—hundreds of women putting up with 
rapid fingers myriads of paper packages, men dragging 
heavy sacks hither and thither, and other busy workers 
pasting and addressing labels. They must needs be 
