August 16, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
787 
WILLIAMS' 
EarlyForcingBulbs 
Well-ripened and heavy Bulbs of 
PDMAM MVAPHUTUQ Ear, y White ’ fro,n 5 ins ' 
nUlVIHIl II mUlli I no to 5J ins. in circumference. 
PAPER WHITE NARCISSUS ST^ 
circumfereuoe. 
DOUBLE ROMAN NARCISSUSr& 6i C 
in circumference, 
LILSUM CANDIDUM PURB S™ cxtra 
EARLY ORDERS SOLICITED. 
B. S. WILLIAMS & SON, 
Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, 
IF YOU WANT 
REALLY GOOD BULBS <£ SEEDS, 
APPLY TO 
Mr. ROBERT SYDENHAM, 
Of the firm of Sydenham Brothers, Wholesale Jewellers, 
THE LARGEST AMATEUR IMPORTER IN THE KINGDOM 
HIS 
UNIQUE BULB LIST, 
With Pamphlet, Now Revised, and Enlarged, 
“HOW I CAME TO GROW BULBS,” 
The Most Reliable Guide to the Best Varieties and 
How to Grow them. HOW Ready. Sent Post 
Free on application. 
This List and Pamphlet will be sent post free early in August to 
all who ordered in previous years. If wanted before , please send 
post card. Please mention this Paper. 
UPPER HOLLOWAY, LONDON, N. 
Strong hardy runners 
and plants in pots of 
the newest and best 
varieties. 
Descriptive Catalogue 
on application. 
DICKSONS, th §KX e ; es ' 
limited. CHESTER. 
PRIMULAS! PRIMULAS! PRIMULAS! 
21st YEAR OF DISTRIBUTION. 
Williams’ Superb Strain. Is. 6 d. per dozen ; 10s. per 100. 
CINERARIAS same price, also DOUBLE WHITE PRIMULAS, 
6d. each. Carriage free for cash with order, 
JOHN STEVENS, The Nurseries, COVENTRY 
I DUTCH BULBS 
B Carriage Paid to Purchaser’s door in Great 
I Britain and Ireland. No Packing Charges. 
I Beautifully Illustrated English Amateur’s Catalogue 
I gratis and post free from the growers. 
p VAN MEEEBEEK 8s Co.,Hillsgom! Holland). 
Mr, DODWELL’S GRAND CARNATIONS 
THE FINEST CROWN. 
5,000 Unbloomed Seedlings, warranted of the highest parentage 
unrivalled whether for bedding or forcing for Spring flowering! 
White Grounds, 3s. 6d. per doz.; 21s. per 100. 
Yellow Grounds, 5s. per doz.; 31s. Gd. per 100. 
Strong plants of his NEW YELLOWS and KILJIURRY 
YELLOW GROUNDS, for late Autumn or Winter 
blooming, 10s. Gd. per dozen. 
THE COTTAGE, STANLEY ROAD, OXFORD. 
NARCISSUS, 
“SIR WATKIN.” 
DICKSONS 
Now ready, thoroughly 
ripened, strong flowering 
Bulbs of this grandest Daffo¬ 
dil, Is. each; extra large, 
Is. 6d. each. Special prices 
per dozen and 100. Nexv 
Catalogue will be ready shortly. 
LIMITED. 
3NURSERIES, CHESTER. 
(L00 Acres.) 
HARTLAND’S 
DAFFODILS. 
&S" 
GENERAL LIST of DAFFODILS 
and Miscellaneous Bulbs for Autumn 
Planting now ready. Gratis to all 
applicants. 
Goods, Carriage and Post Free. 
Prices 25, and in some cases 50 and IOO per cent. 
“ all round reduction ” for Season 1890. 
WM. BAYLOR HARTLAND, F.R.H.S., 
Seedsman, 23, PATRICK STREET, CORK. 
FERNS A SPECIALITY. 
The largest, most complete and profusely ILLUSTRATED 
CATALOGUE OF FERNS ever published, containing over 
120 Illustrations and much valuable practical information on the 
cultivat ion of Ferns, &c., including comprehensive List of useful 
Gardening Books. 
One Shilling and Sixpence, post free. 
Smaller Catalogue of about 1,400 species and varieties, free on 
application. 
W. & l BIRKENHEAD, 
FERN NURSERY, 
SALE! MANCHESTER. 
BULBS FOR CHRISTMAS BLOOMING. 
The following, if ordered and potted at once, will bloom well 
for Christmas. 
EARLY WHITE ROMAN HYACINTHS. Is. Gd. doz., 
11s. 100 ; or extra selected Bulbs, all averaging over five 
inches round, the finest that can possibly he imported, 2s. doz., 
15s. 100. 
FREESIA REFRACTA ALBA. the most lovely flower of 
the day. Piauted from now until end of August, will bloom at 
Christmas, Is. doz., 7s. 100; or extra selected Bulbs, Is. Gd. 
doz., 11s. 100. 
DOUBLE ROMAN NARCISSUS, Is. doz., 7s. 100. 
PAPER-WHITE NARCISSUS, Is. doz., 7s. 100; or the 
large-flowering variety, Is. (id. doz., 11s. 100. 
My other Bulbs I hope to have ready for delivery the latter 
part of August, but orders should he hooked as early as possible 
to secure best quality. Full list sent post free on application. 
Any wanting VEGETABLE or FLOWER SEEDS for autumn 
sowing would do well to send for my UNIQUE SEED LIST and 
GUIDE, free on application. 
MUSHROOM SPAWN.— id. each, 3s. dozen bricks; or sent, 
post free, 1 brick, 9cL ; 3 bricks. Is. 8 d. ; 6 bricks, 2s. 9d. 
RAFFIA GRASS.—Best White, for tying. Price, Is. per 
postal lb.; 2 lb., Is. Gd.; 3 lbs., 2s. If sent with seeds or 
bulbs, Gd. per lb. _ 
TERMS STRICTLY CASH.— Ordersunder 10s. carriage extra; 
orders over £1 carriage paid. For my original guarantee and 
extra discount, see my List, page 2. 
ROBERT SYDENHAM, 
New Tenby Street, JSirminyhmu. 
Next Week’s Engagements. 
Monday, August ISth.—Trade Sale of Bulbs at Protheroe & 
Morris’s Rooms. 
Tuesday, August 19th.—Aberdeen Flower Show (3 days). Royal 
Horticultural Society of Ireland, Summer Show. 
Wednesday, August 20th.—Shropshire Horticultural Society’s 
Exhibition (2 days). Newcastle-upon-Tyne Flower Show 
(3 days). 
Thursday, August 21st.—Trade Sale of Bulbs at Protheroe & 
Morris's Rooms. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1890. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
Khe Corn Harvest. —There can be no doubt 
^ but that the corn harvest of the kingdom 
is being conducted under somewhat adverse 
conditions. The heavy rainfall of the pre¬ 
ceding month had laid much of the heavier 
breadths low, and cutting is proceeding with 
difficulty. Some more recent heavy rains 
seems to have done worse in the laying of the 
now heavily weighted ears, and distressing 
indeed are the complaints to hand as to the 
condition of the crops. We deeply deplore 
this misfortune, -which is accentuated by the 
cool and cloudy weather prevailing. With hut 
very little of autumn fru it, with tire Potato 
disease rapidly spreading, and what promised 
earlier to be an abundant harvest is being 
materially injured by rains, the outlook is 
indeed far from cheering, and agriculture bids 
fair to he a heavily handicapped industry this 
season once more. 
We wonder, indeed, how long this down¬ 
grade stride is to continue! Whence is to 
come rent, rates, tithes, taxes, labour, seeds, 
manures, and many other of the charges upon 
farming, we utterly fail to see. Those engaged 
solely in the production of market vegetables 
have not, so far this season, fared badly, as, 
indeed, on the whole, they usually do best; 
hut the fruit growers are in sad case, so far 
as the autumn fruits are concerned, and are 
already feeling the pinch greatly. This lack 
of fruit will harmfully influence labour 
presently, as, without means, labour cannot 
he paid. All the same, labour is more needed 
in the gardens and orchards just now than 
almost at any time. The Hop industry, too, 
has suffered severely from the adverse season, 
far more in fact than from competition in 
other directions. There is yet ample time for 
the weather to improve, and the harvest to be 
fairly well gathered in. We trust it may he 
so, as oar misfortunes have been heavy enough 
this season. 
TfTHE Chiswick Conferences. —Outside of our 
own columns the recent confeiences at 
Chiswick seems to have found some severe 
criticism. The fault lies with those who 
arrange the programmes, and crowd so 
much more of papers and matter into a 
couple of hours than is either needful or 
desirable. We have contended previously that 
the patience of no audience will exceed two 
papers at Chiswick, and one at the Drill Hall ; 
and if these two papers be diverse and com¬ 
prehensive, yet not too long, they answer every 
useful purpose, and leave room for discussion. 
A conference in which all discussion is choked 
by the verbiage of the papers, is an absurd 
arrangement. 
The Royal Horticultural Society has 
arranged for a second Chiswick conference in 
about five weeks hence, which will include 
Dahlias and Grapes, both popular subjects, and 
which should create considerable interest. It 
may be difficult to say very much more that is 
fresh concerning Dahlias than was said at the 
Crystal Palace last year, and re-hashes of old 
papers are not desirable. As to the Grape 
conference, that in capable hands may he made 
an interesting gathering, but somehow, with 
the exception of Mr. W. Thompson, than whom 
no one is better qualified, we look with surprise 
at the selection of other readers. We should 
have liked to see one of the great metropolitan 
market growers selected, as well as an eminent 
northern one in Mr. Thompson. It is in the 
market worth of Grapes that their value nowa¬ 
days chiefly lies. Pure historical or mythical 
details are not worth wasting the time of a 
conference over. 
It so happens that the Grapes at Chiswick 
are in capital condition this year, and the 
Council know full well their market value. It 
will he a good thing if the conference should 
resolve to invite the Council to afford extended 
encouragement to experimental Grape culture 
at Chiswick, and especially to denounce the folly 
of the Scientific Committee in destroying an 
isolated houseful of Vines without making an 
effort to save them by trying a single one of 
the suggested remedies, and injuring the garden 
at the same time by publishing to all the world 
the fact of the Phylloxera being found there. 
7khe Jam Exhibition. —A somewhat en- 
^ thusiastic correspondent, who takes great 
interest in the proposed exhibition of 
preserves to he held at the Drill Hall in 
October next, and to which we referred last 
week, makes the interesting and very sensible 
suggestion that Mr Gladstone, who has so 
prominently led public opinion on the fruit and 
jam question, he invited to open the display. 
