June 6th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
635 
The Kitchen Gardener’s Calendar.— Trans¬ 
planting: Advantage should be taken of showery 
weather to proceed with the thinning-out and trans¬ 
planting, where not already done, of Beetroot and 
Parsley, which is an operation that should always 
be done, if possible, during damp weather, because 
then the young plants not only draw and transplant 
better, and with more expedition, but they are 
obviously less subject to a check than if the work 
has to be performed when the ground and atmosphere 
are both in a dry state. The method to be followed 
in the thinning and transplanting of Onions having 
been referred to at p. 571, we shall now briefly indicate 
the manner in which 
Beetroot should be transplanted. Half our crop 
is, in some seasons, secured in this way, and the roots 
are in every way as good and as well grown as those 
not so treated. The one essential point, assuming 
that the ground is of the right description, and has 
been properly prepared for the young roots, as in the 
case of the seed, is to make the holes deep enough for 
the young roots to be transplanted in their entirety, 
and about the same depth in the soil as they were 
before, without being curved in the process of trans¬ 
planting, as in that case deformed roots will be the 
result. 
The advantage above referred to consists in this, that 
the treatment of the roots is accommodated to existing 
circumstances, which will admit, say, of ten rows 
being sown at the proper time, the whole space which 
it was intended to crop with Beet being then, and for 
a month or six weeks afterwards, occupied with other 
crops, this ground to be subsequently planted from 
the same sowing. We transplant fifty or sixty rows 
without any loss from having small or deformed roots. 
The same course can, as stated in a former calendar, 
be followed, if necessary, with the Onions, provided 
the transplanting is carried out carefully and at the 
proper time, that is when the bulbs and roots are quite 
young and the ground moist, and that the plants are 
afterwards attended to with water at the roots until 
they have become established. 
Parsley, too, from some cause or other, is not so 
generally transplanted as it deserves to be; not but 
that it will, like the Onion and Beet, do equally well 
if the necessary number of rows is sown at one time ; 
but as a matter of economy a small patch of seed 
could be sown about the first week in March, and two 
months later the requisite number of rows be trans¬ 
planted therefrom, which plants will grow freely, and 
exhibit as little tendency to run to seed as those sown 
and afterwards thinned out to 6 ins. or 7 ins. from plant 
to plant in the rows.— H. W. Ward, Longford Castle. 
The Chinese Yam (Dioscorea batatas).— As the 
firm who are bringing into notice this “ valuable and 
novel esculent ” to which you refer in last week’s 
issue (p. 612), perhaps you will kindly allow us to 
mention that we did not introduce it “ as a substitute 
for the Potato” ; nor did we ever intend that it should 
be looked upon as such. What we do aver is, as 
stated in our circular, that as a change from Arti¬ 
chokes and other well-known edible roots, this 
esculent, when once fairly tested, and “ the proper 
mode of cooking once hit upon,” will most assuredly 
make way for itself, and soon attain a very prominent 
position amongst our English vegetables. Since first 
offering it we find that many of our patrons who have 
been or are great travellers, appreciate this article 
immensely, and many state that when roasted and 
served up with melted butter, it is (as they consider) 
even more delicious than when boiled. One peculiarity 
has been brought to our notice by a very old traveller, 
viz., that when once the palate appreciates the Yam, 
one is apt to become excessively fond of it. In addition 
to its edible qualities, another grand point in its favour 
must not be overlooked, viz., its ornamental appear- 
ance. As a climber for verandahs, for covering old tree- 
stumps, &c., its elegant heart-shaped foliage, and sweet- 
scented white flowers (which hang in clusters) are 
very effective .—Viccars Collyer & Co., Leicester .— [We 
insert our correspondents’ letter with pleasure, but 
must state that we have nowhere credited them with 
introducing the Yam “ as a substitute for the Potato ” 
—that was done thirty years ago.— Ed.'] 
FLORICULTURE. 
Tulips at Manchester. — If it were not for Man¬ 
chester, the culture of Tulips as florists’ flowers for 
exhibition would almost cease. It is true there are 
growers in Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Staf¬ 
fordshire, Yorkshire, and elsewhere, but the home of 
the Tulip is Lancashire, and at Stakehill the genial, 
kind-hearted president of the Boyal National Tulip 
Society, Samuel Barlow', Esq., J.P., has the finest 
collection in Europe. But they are very late this 
year, and will not be at their very best for a week or 
ten days. 
What a curious physiology the Tulip has. Seed 
is sown, and for two or three years of its life the 
seedling plant is one of the most eccentric things 
under the sun. In five or six years the plant may 
become strong enough to flower, and then it takes on 
the Breeder or self-coloured form ; but the raiser can 
easily tell whether it is a Bizarre, a Bose, or a Bybloe- 
men breeder. In a few years, say from two until five, 
six, or more, it may become rectified, or, as the Tulip 
fanciers say, “break” into a flamed or feathered 
flower, and it may be altogether worthless in character. 
It is wearying work waiting for the breaking of seed¬ 
ling Tulips. On Saturday last, the Bev. F. D. Homer 
show'ed me a bizarre Breeder that had flowered as far 
back as 1862, and had not yet broken into character. 
But breeders are very useful and very beautiful, and 
are showrn at Tulip exhibitions in their lovely self 
forms. 
On Saturday, May 30th, the annual Exhibition 
of the Boyal National Tulip Society took place in 
the Botanical Gardens, Old Trafford, Manchester, 
thus continuing until the week’s end the fine display 
made by Mr. Findlay. Orchid and Palm, Croton 
and Tree Fern, Anthurium and Gleicheina, had 
all departed, and here were the Tulip men—clergy¬ 
men and factory operatives, merchants and artizans— 
staging their flowers, keenly alive to the importance 
of presenting them in the best condition. Tw r enty-two 
exhibitors took part in the show, and the number 
■would have been larger, but that, in some of the 
coldest parts of Lancashire, the Tulip buds were yet 
green. So late a Tulip time has not been known for 
years, not since 1855, Mr. Samuel Barlow said ; that is 
thirty years ago. But the show was larger and generally 
better in quality than was expected ; and the Bev. F. 
D. Horner, of Lowfields, Burton-in-Lonsdale, Carn- 
forth, had a splendid lot of blooms, and may be said 
to have carried everything before him. When the 
flowers were staged, a quartette of old Tulip-growers 
set about making their awards, and it was interesting 
in the extreme to notice how earnestly they went 
to work, how every flower was overhauled, and the 
slightest defect noted. Judging at Tulip shows is 
a serious business, and it was gone into with due 
gravity on this occasion. Stands of more than two 
flowers are denominated “pans”; stands of two 
flowers are termed “pairs”; and single flowers go 
into what are known as the classes for single blooms, 
and are regarded as class flowers. 
The leading prize Was for twelve dissimilar Tulips, 
two feathered and two flamed in each class. There was 
no difficulty in placing the Bev. F. D. Horner’s stand 
of splendid flowers first, and, while of large size, they 
were of the best quality and finish. He had feathered 
Bizarres, William Wilson, very fine ; and Hepworth’s 
Seedling, a fine flower of the Sir J. Paxton type, also 
very fine; flamed Bizarres, Barlow’s fine strain of 
Polyphemus and Sir J. Paxton; feathered Boses, 
Heroine and Charmer, both very pretty; flamed 
Boses, Annie McGregor and Aglaia, the former very 
rich in colour; feathered Bybloemens, Mr. Cooper, 
the gem of the whole show, and Friar Tuck, also very 
fine; flamed Bybloemens, Talisman and Duchess of 
Sutherland. Mr. D. Woolley, Millgate, Stockport, 
was second with feathered Bizarres, Masterpiece and 
Photo; flamed Bizarres, Sir J. Paxton and Master¬ 
piece ; feathered Boses, Mrs. Lea and Julia Farnese ; 
flamed Boses, Mabel and Aglaia; feathered Bybloe¬ 
mens, Bessie and King of the Universe; flamed 
Bybloemens, Chancellor and Duchess of Sutherland. 
» Mr. Thomas Haynes, Free Library, Warick, was 
third; and Mr. W. Whittaker, of Salford, fourth. 
The Bev. F. D. Horner was again first with six 
flowers, having very fine blooms of feathered Bizarre 
Masterpiece, and flamed Bizarre Sir Joseph Paxton ; 
feathered Bose Julia Farnese, and flamed Bybloemen 
Mabel; feathered Bybloemen Seedling, and flamed 
Bybloemen Duchess of Sutherland. Second, S. 
Barlow, Esq., with feathered Bizarre Dr. Dalton, and 
flamed Bizarre William Lea; feathered Bose, Hep- 
worth’s Seedling, and flamed Bose Mabel; and 
Bybloemen Talisman, both feathered and flamed. 
Third, Mr. D. Woolley. 
We may pass over the intermediate classes and come 
to that for three-feathered flowers, and here the Bev. 
F. D. Horner was first with three charming blooms, 
named Bizarre, Commander; Bybloemen, Mr. Cooper ; 
andBose,Modesty ; Mr. W. Dymock,Printer, Stockport, 
second, with Bizarre, Mr. Mill; Bybloemen, King 
of the Universe, and Bose, Alice; third, Mr. D. Woolley. 
The first prize for three flamed flowers went also 
to the Bev. F. D. Horner, who had Bizarre, Orion ; 
Bybloemen, Talisman ; and Bose, Annie McGregor. 
Second, Mr. S. Barlow, with Bizarre, Dr. Hardy; 
Bose, Mabel; and Bybloemen, May Queen. Third, 
Mr. T. Haynes. 
In the six classes for the best feathered and the 
best flamed of each division, there were a large number 
of blooms; but it is not necessary to go into 
particulars, as we have already given the names of the 
very best flowers shown on this occasion. But we 
must give some attention to the Breeders, for they 
are very handsome, and were shown very fine on this 
occasion, especially by the Bev. F. D. Horner, who 
had six beautiful flowers in the class for this number ; 
but it was held by the judges that one of them was 
defective, which detracted from the value of the stand. 
Mr. James Thurston, of Merridale, Wolverhampton, 
was placed first : Bizzares, Sir J. Paxton and a 
seedling ; two seedlings, both very fine, and Boses, 
Alice Grey and a seedling; a medium-sized lot of 
very correct flowers. Second, the Bev. F. D. 
Horner, with large blooms of Bizarres, Sir 
Joseph Paxton and Dr. Dalton ; Bybloemens, 
Talisman and Glory of Stakehill; Boses, Lady 
Burdett Coutts and Lady C. Grosvenor ; third, Mr. S. 
Barlow; fourth, Mr. T. Haynes. The Bev. F. D. 
Horner had the best three Breeders, having splendid 
blooms of Bizarre Dr. Dalton, Bose Lady Burdett 
Coutts, and Bizarre Glory of Stakehill; second, Mr. 
Samuel Barlow with Bizarie Lord Denman, Bybloemen 
Glory of Stakehill, and Bose Annie M’Gregor; third 
Mr. W. Whittaker, Salford. 
In the classes for Breeders there were a large 
number of flowers; the best of them were but 
repetitions of those that have been mentioned before. 
It was the duty of the judges to select the Premier 
Feathered, the Premier Flamed, and the Premier 
Breeder Tulips in the entire exhibition. The Premier 
feather was Bybloemen Mr. Cooper, in Mr. Horner’s 
first prize stand of twelve blooms; the Premier- 
flamed, Bizarre Sir J. Paxton, in Mr. Horner’s first 
prize stand of six Tulips; and the Premier Breeder, 
Glory of Stakehill, in Mr, Horner’s second prize stand 
of three Breeders. 
A First-Class Certificate of Merit was awarded to 
John Hart, a pretty feathered Bybloemen, raised from 
Adonis, and shown by Mr. W. Dymock, Stockport. 
Inventions Exhibition. —Visiting the above on 
Wednesday night, I cannot refrain from sending you 
this small contribution of praise for your kind inser¬ 
tion. The interior of the building, replete with all 
useful and interesting objects, promises to be the most 
perfect one of its kind. But it is the continental 
beauty of the grounds that your readers will most 
admire. This part of the entertainment presents to 
the entranced spectator an almost unparafled scene of 
splendour (quite foreign to London). The verdure of 
the ground is relieved by countless small orbs of 
electric light, making us imagine that the glow-worms 
are holding a nightly revel. The foliage is studded 
with gems of wondrous brilliancy and of many coloured 
hues, reminding us of the jewel-bearing trees in 
Aladdin’s subterranean palace, whilst the outline of 
the building is beautifully delineated by beams of 
refulgent light. The fountains, with their myriads of 
coloured drops, their slender columns of gorgeously- 
tinted spray, surpass all description. Words cannot 
do full justice to their remarkable beauty. We can 
only say, go, gentle readers, and admire for yourselves. 
— W. Victor. 
