April 7, 1894. 
497 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
DAfjlELS BRO^ 
Town Close Nurseries, 
NORWICH, 
Have much pleasure in offering 
the following Choice Hardy Florists’ 
Flowers, all in strong established 
Plants, Carriage Free at prices 
quoted. 
Per doz. 
CARNATIONS. Choice named sorts, in beautiful 
variety . 6 for 3 -, 25 for 10/- 5 6 
„ Extra choice varieties . 6 for 4/- 7 6 
„ PRIDE OP GREAT BRITAIN. The grand 
new yellow . each 3/6 
„ DUKE OF YORK. The grand new scented 
crimson. each 2/6 
DELPHINIUMS. Double and single flowered, inclu¬ 
ding the finest named sorts ... 6 for 3/6 6 o 
GAILLARDIAS. In choice named variety 6 for 3/6 6 o 
,, Choice mixed seedlings. 6 for 2/6 4 6 
PHLOXES, PERENNIAL, In beautiful variety to 
name . 6 for 2/6 4 6 
PYRETHRUMS, DOUBLE-FLOWERED HYBRIDS. 
A grand collection, including the newest 
and choicest sorts. 
,, Fine named varieties . 6 for 2/6 4 6 
„ New and very choice sorts ... 6 for 5/- 9 0 
PASONIES, HERBACEOUS. A splendid collection 
of choice named double dowers 
9/-, 12/- and 18 o 
HARDY FLOWERING PLANTS. 
Williams’ 
World R^cnowiied 
riower,Veg^etable and 
Agpienltural 
S€€DS 
-Carriage Paid — 
For Full Particulars 
See illustrated Seed Gatalogue 
—=” Gratis ^ Post Vree .-^— 
b.s.ezjilliams^soM 
Upper Holloway, London.N. 
For Index to Contents see page 506. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Tuesday, April loth.—Royal Horticultural Society: Meeting 
of Committees at 12 o'clock. 
Sale of imported Orchids at Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms. 
We offer a splendid collection of these, including 
such fine showy subjects as Anthemis pallida; 
Lychnis, double crimson; Coreopsis lanceolata; 
Achillsea, The Pearl; Doronicums; Campanulas, 
&c., all in strong flowering plants. 
Our selection, per doz., 4/6, 25 for 8/-, or 30/- per 
100. 
Edited by BRIAN WYNNE, F.R.H.S. 
SATURDAY, APRIL ^ih, 1894. 
SEASONABLE SPECIALITIES. 
Immense Stocks, Great Variety. Splendid Value, 
HERBACEOUS AND ALPINE PLANTS.-Our collection is 
very extensive, and embraces all the varieties of real 
merit, including the best of recent introductions. 
12 varieties, our selection, 4s. and 6s. doz. ; 25s. and 
30s. 100. 
POPULAR HARDY FLOWERS:— 
asters {Michaelmas Daisies). Conference varieties, 
12 for 4s.; 25 for 7s. 6d. and los. 6d.; 50 for 17s. 6d.; 
100 for 3GS. 
DELPHINIUMS, 12 named kinds, 8s.; Seedlings, 
4s. doz.; 30s. 100. 
PENTSTEMONS and PHLOXES, 12 varieties of 
either, 3s. 6d. 
PYRETHRUMS, 12 sorts, 4s.; extra sized clumps, 
7s. 6d. doz. 
POTENTILLAS, the best sorts, 4s. 6d. doz. 
VERONICAS, Shrubby varieties, 12 sorts, 5s.; 12 in 
6 sorts. 3s. 6d. 
CARNATIONS and PICOTEES, Show vaiieties to 
name, 7s. 6d. doz. plants ; 12s. 6d. doz. pairs. See 
Catolngnesfor Borders, Selfs Yellow Grounds. 
ROSES IN POTS.—Teas and Noisettes, i8s. doz. Stronger 
plants, also climbing sorts with long slioots, 2si 6d., 
3s. 6d. and 5s. each. Hybrid Perpetuals, for forcing, 
21S. to 36s. doz., 2 S. to 3s. 6d. each. 
HARDY CLIMBERS IN POTS.—For planting now. 12 
rarieties, our selection, 6s., 9s. or 12s. Clemaiis, 12 
fine sorts, los. 6d. Ivies, gold and silver variegated, 
and small green-leaved kinds, 9s., 12s. and i8s. doz. 
Ampelopsis of sorts, 9d., is. and is. 6d. each. Jasmines 
and Honey-suckles, is. and is. 6d. each. 
TREE CARNATIONS, 9s., 12s. and i8s. doz., according to 
size and soi ts. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. Japanese, Large-flowering, Pompons, 
Anemone-flowering, Early-flowering and Singles. 
12 varieties, any section, 3s. 6d. 
DAHLIAS, very best sorts, all named, Show, Fancy, Bouquet, 
Bedding, Cactus and Singles, 12 kinds, any section 4s. 
BEGONIAS, TUBEROUS ROOTED.—Singles, ^s., 6s., 9s. 
and I2S. doz. Doubles. 12s., 18s., 24s. and 30s. doz. 
GERANIUMS.—Single and Double Zonals, 12 varieties, 4s., 
6s., or 9s. Ivy leaved, 12 varieties, 4s. ; Scented 
leaved, 6 varieties, 5s. 
FUCHSIAS.—A magnificent collec ion, 3?. doz.; 25 for 6s. 6d.; 
50 for I2S 61 ; 100 for 21s. 
HELIOTROPES AND LANTANAS, in variety. 3s. 6d. doz. 
FERNS, for greenhouse or table decoration, 6s., 9s., or 12s. 
doz. Small plants for potting in fancy pots, 3s. doz. 
PALMS, for stove and greenhouse, also indoor decoration, 
9s., I2S., i8s., 24s., and 50s. doz. Small plants for 
growing on. 4s. and 6s. doz. 
STOYE AND GREENHOUSE PLANTS.—A very large stock, 
12 beautiful kinds, 9s., 12s., or i8s. 12 fine stove and 
greenhouse climbers, 21s., 30s., or 42s. 
CATALOGUES FREE. 
WM. CLIBRAN & SON, 
OLDFIELD NURSERIES, ALTRINCHAM. 
Also at MANCHESTER, LLANDUDNO JUNCTION, &c- 
^HE Vitality of Seeds. —A correspon- 
^ dent of one of the evening papers re¬ 
cently expressed his wonder on finding in 
breaking up an old pasture for the purpose 
of forming a garden, that Cowslips had come 
up in great numbers, although none were 
then growing anywhere in the locality. 
We have in this statement practical evi¬ 
dence of the wonderful vitality of seeds, for 
it is evident that back some generations 
ago the pasture must either in a woodland 
form, or as natural pasture, have been the 
home of a colony of Cowslips, but that 
clearance or cultivation had destroyed 
them. The seeds may have laid in the 
ground fifty or perhaps one hundred years, 
perhaps longer, there is no telling how long. 
Neither can we tell how long many descrip¬ 
tions of seeds will endure. 
The incident serves to show that there 
are certain natural conditions furnished by 
the ground that enable seeds to remain in 
this vital condition for illimitable periods. 
If of ordinary garden seeds we hear of some 
being preserved in an artificial way for ten, 
fifteen, or twenty years, we regard it as being 
almost phenomenal. Still our artificial 
methods of preservation seem to differ very 
materially from those which nature adopts, 
and our success so far as recorded may 
well be regarded as remarkable. There is, 
however, very little need for this long 
preservation of seeds. Now and then some 
strain of anything may become weak in 
seed production and the stock fails to be 
productive. Happy then is the grower who 
may have carefully preserved in some air¬ 
tight vessel seed of the strain that may 
have been saved some ten years previously 
and yet has fair germinating power. Good 
things that are scare seeders merit this 
form of preservation. 
A story illustrative of the seed preserving 
properties of the soil is told of the late Sir 
Robert Peel, who being anxious to induce 
farmers to use iron ploughs was met by the 
assertion, “ We’ve tried them, and all agree 
they do make the weeds grow.” No doubt 
Sir Robert was puzzled, but the explana¬ 
tion of course was that the iron ploughs, 
in breaking up the soil deeper, brought 
up with it some not before cultivated, and 
full of old preserved weed seeds which 
soon germinated. 
^Feather Prophecies.— There are few 
A, things in which the old adage of not 
prophecying unless you know, more 
thoroughly holds good than in relation to 
the weather. Only two or three weeks 
ago there was every indication of a wet 
spring, and gardeners were lamenting the 
fact that the soil was saturated and in¬ 
capable of being worked or cropped. But 
suddenly the scene changes, the clouds dis¬ 
appear, the dripping rains cease, the sun 
shines out brightly, and then follows a period 
of weather that is beyond measure delight¬ 
ful, literally a taste of June dropped into 
March, and almost directly the ground 
is dried, it is workable, and cropping 
goes on with surprising rapidity. 
There has been all the same a fly in 
our pot of ointment. The beautiful warm 
sunny days have been accompanied by 
frosty nights, offering some danger to the 
early fruit bloom, but still the air has been 
so dry that it is hoped little of harm was 
done. So far all has been well, and 
generally the present prospect for the 
year in a garden sense is a magnificent 
one. However, we may not long, it is 
feared, be allowed to live on hope. An 
eminent meteorological authority has in¬ 
formed us that for several decades the 
years ending with 4 are invariably dry 
ones, and thus with very lively recollec¬ 
tions in our minds of the great drought of 
last year, there is some dread of a second 
dry .season, as that would indeed be in 
many ways fatal to our expectations. 
Against this prognostication we have the 
unquestioned fact that two very dry 
summers rarely succeed each other, and we 
may well hope that as the exception 
proves the rule, the exception will be in 
favour of ’94, because ’93 was so re¬ 
markably dry. Now a wet summer is 
always a misfortune, and very likely is pro¬ 
ductive of greater evils than is a dry one. 
Happily whilst we do not anticipate a dry 
summer, we have no reason whatever to 
anticipate a wet one, and may well hope 
without being charged with sitting on the 
meteorological fence that the coming 
summer may be a kindly one. 
Whe Orchid Committee. —From the 
^ announcement that has been made re¬ 
specting matters concerning this Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, it 
would seem as if the occasional cognomen 
of the “ awkard ” Committee was justified. 
Most certainly do we regret to learn that 
Mr. Veitch, the esteemed chairman of this 
body for the year, has found it to be 
necessary to give in his resignation for 
various reasons, amongst which are some 
that the committee have no control over, 
and some that as a body it has. Mr. Veitch 
complains that the deliberations of the 
Committee are materially hindered and 
interfered with by persons evidently 
interested in Crehids, and wdio hang about 
the table, get in the way, and otherwise 
offer obstruction. 
How far tliat may be the case we have 
no means of ascertaining, but it is fair to 
say that similar complaints have not been 
made lately by the P'loral or Fruit 
Committees. But then these bodies are 
now more favourably placed, as they have 
