June 27th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
683 
hastened by the plants having liberal supplies of liquid 
manure at the roots or a surface dressing of Beeson’s 
manure, which, in addition to causing the fruits to 
attain to a greater size, will also impart a better 
colour to them than would result from the use of 
liquid manure. Thus treated, we are now gathering 
ripe fruits from plants which had been grown to a 
large size before they were planted out early in May, 
and afterwards treated as recommended at p. 571 ; 
and with ordinary summer weather the plants should 
yield an abundant supply of ripe fruit until cut off by 
the frost. In tacking the shoots to the wall sufficient 
shred room should be allowed for their expansion. 
General Work. —Get ground well manured and 
dug in which to plant Coleworts and Cabbage plants ; 
15 ins. each way will be sufficient space between the 
plants of the former, and 20 ins. between those of the 
latter. As young plants of Cauliflower, &c., become 
large enough to handle in the seed-beds, prick them 
out in nursery-beds, as previously advised, before 
they become crowded. Advancing crops of Canadian 
Wonder Beans will now be the better for having some 
short sticks put to them to keep the stems erect and 
the pods clean. The supply of Peas will now be 
plentiful enough to take the place of Asparagus 
therefore the cutting of the latter should be discon¬ 
tinued. This is necessary to enable the plants to 
make foliage, and consequently fresh roots, and thus 
acquire more vigour for the ensuing year. The only 
attention which the beds will require for the next few 
months will be freeing the ground from weeds and 
seedling plants—plants resulting from seed which 
dropped from the plants last autumn, and which, as 
a rule, are found in abundance.— H. W. Ward, Long¬ 
ford Castle. 
Broad. Beans. —I think there can be little doubt 
but that amongst the very earliest of Broad Beans, 
stands the now pretty well known Seville Longpod. 
How this kind came also to be termed Aquadulee, 
and Leviathan, I cannot comprehend, as having 
grown these sorts so called, I am absolutely unable 
to find them differing in any way from a good stock 
of the Seville. Long-podded as it may be, however, 
and early too, I am by no means sure that it is the 
most profitable kind to grow. Market gardeners, I 
think, will hardly care to cultivate it because it is 
so shy of bloom and pod. Any good form of Broad 
Windsor or Johnson’s Wonderful gives twice the 
quantity of bloom and of pods, so that what is gained 
in the former case in exceeding length of pod is in 
other kinds more than compensated for by quantity of 
pods. 
Looking over a wholesale seed list, I observe that 
the Leviathan and Seville Beans are quoted at the 
same price ; and in a retail list where the Seville is 
quoted at Is. per quart, producing pods 10 ins. to 
14 ins. in length, the same thing under the name of 
Wonder Long Pod, also giving pods 14 ins. in length, 
is priced Is. 9 d. per quart, thus compelling purchasers 
to pay dear for a name. A distinguished educationalist 
commenting upon the false pride shown by some 
people who would not send their children to good 
elementary schools in preference to dearer but in¬ 
different private ones, said that “they paid 2d. per 
week for education and lOd. for pride.” That is very 
much the case with people who purchase certain good 
popular vegetables, and indeed other things, which 
because retailed under big appellations are made 30 
per cent, dearer because of their grand designations. 
The size of the pods on the Seville Beans is usually 
in accord with the number produced. Some stems set 
only one or two blooms well, and of course these 
develop into big pods. Hence the very finest produce 
of this class would be termed Giant Wonder, Levia¬ 
than, or something else, and the ordinary sample 
Seville. In judging Beans at the show table, these 
huge pods should not receive encouragement, as they 
always represent a very moderate crop.— A. D. 
- ^ - 
Turnip Early Purple Munich. —This is the 
earliest Turnip I know of, and since my first acquaint¬ 
ance with it I have been able to secure a supply for 
the kitchen quite fourteen days earlier than when I 
depended on Early White Stone. We sow our first lot 
on a south border under lights raised above the soil 
the thickness of two bricks, which are placed at the 
corners. Litter is placed round the sides and remains 
there till the Turnips are up, when it i 3 gradually 
moved, one side and the highest end being the first to 
be attended to. Much is done by regulating the side 
protection according to the way the wind blows, and 
not moving both sides when it is cold, and so cause a 
cold current to be continually sweeping over their 
surface and subjecting them to a greater degree of 
cold than if fully exposed. Some seasons they require 
much less care in this way than others, and after 
moving the litter from the west side they have had no 
further attention till the lights are moved entirely for 
the sake of getting daily at the Eadishes which we sow 
amongst them. 
Gardeners whose experience is confined to the 
southern counties will smile when I tell them that 
with these expedients I have not been able to produce 
Turnips more than 2 ins. in diameter before the second 
week in May in the most favourable seasons. Like 
all other early sown Turnips, Early Munich is disposed 
to run to seed, and cannot be relied upon to be sweet 
and tender for more than three weeks or a month at 
most, so that it is necessary, if an unbroken supply is 
to be maintained, to make a sowing in the open as 
soon as the weather and state of the soil will permit. 
Some of ours, in consequence of the warm dry weather 
we experienced for about three weeks up to the 19th 
inst., are now a foot high in the flower stems, and are 
consequently only fit for flavouring. Since that date 
it has been blowing quite a gale from the north-west, 
and as cold as any “ nor’-easter,” and vegetation in¬ 
stead of being excited and stimulated by the rain on 
Friday, has received a temporary shock by the rough¬ 
ness and coldness of the wind as well as a good pelting 
from some hail on the morn of the 21st. To-day the 
wind has abated, but the day has been cold and gloomy. 
—IF. P. B., Preston, June 22nd. 
Late Broccoli. —The Burghley Queen : In your 
last issue I see that my friend “ A. D.” has an impres¬ 
sion that Sutton’s Late Queen and the. variety that 
was brought before the Fruit Committee of the Eoyal 
Horticultural Society by Mr. K. Gilbert, of Burghley 
Gardens, and certificated by them, are identical. 
Having grown a plot of the former variety this year, 
and proved it to be indeed a good one, I can say that 
mine were quite distinct from those I saw and tasted 
at Kensington, and which came from Burghley direct. 
The fine quality and appearance of this new produc¬ 
tion of Mr. Gilbert’s, in my opinion fully warranted the 
honour accorded to it by the Committee. An error 
is often committed in cutting late kinds of Broccoli 
too early, because these compact-headed varieties 
when cut prematurely, as a rule are so strong in 
flavour as to make them quite unpalatable, if not un¬ 
eatable.— G. T. Miles, Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe, 
June 23rd. 
I think your correspondent “ A. D.” has been too 
hasty in coming to the conclusion that the Burghley 
Queen Broccoli and Sutton’s Late Queen are “ of the 
same kind,” for I have some knowledge of both sorts, 
and am convinced that the similarity between them 
begins and ends with the unfortunate application of 
the name “Queen” to both varieties. “A. D.” has, 
perhaps, forgotten that on May 27th last year, both 
varieties were shown in competition at South Kensing¬ 
ton, and that Burghley Queen was placed first; 
Leamington, second; and Model, third, out of some 
nineteen or twenty samples staged, Sutton’s Late 
Queen failing to get into the prize list at all. Friend 
Gilbert has been growing Broccoli too long not to 
know one sort from another, and much too shrewd 
a man to attempt to obtain certificates “ under a 
misapprehension,” though I do think he was unfor¬ 
tunate in his choice of a name for his latest bantling. 
— X. Y. 
- e_ . ■TC .~ ! 0*~ -rT‘ —d - 
The unfortunate province of Bessarabia, which has 
been suffering grievously for some time from a 
visitation of locusts, is now subjected to a fresh 
misfortune. It appears that a destructive insect, 
whose rapaciousness exceeds that of the phylloxera, 
has made its appearance in the extensive Bessarabian 
vineyards. The insect is described as of similar size 
to the phylloxera, but of a different and unknown 
species. A special commission is leaving Odessa for 
Bessarabia in order to consult on means for the 
destruction of this new plague.— Daily News. 
THE CROTON IN INDIA. 
The Croton still maintains its position a3 the 
favourite plant among amateurs in most parts of 
India, and till some worthy rival for public favour can 
be found, it will probably continue the plant of plants. 
Many others have endeavoured to come into the 
front rank, such as Orchids, Ferns, Dracamas, 
Dieffenbachias, Anthuriums, Caladiums, and Bego¬ 
nias, but the majority of these are either too difficult 
to grow successfully, or too slow in attaining maturity 
to suit the proverbial impatience of amateur gardeners. 
The Croton, however, like all good things, is in a fair 
way of being overdone. Year after year brings us 
hosts of new varieties, and the cry is “ still they 
come.” If these were all really improvements on 
existing species, they would be hailed with delight, 
but the truth must be confessed: the appetite of the 
amateur must be appeased, even if at his own cost, 
new varieties must be had for him, consequently new 
names are continually being brought before the public, 
some good, some indifferent, and many really worth¬ 
less. Nor does it stop here ; we have to put up with 
old friends, not with new faces, but with new names. 
For instance, there is a good old variety that came 
from Australia to Calcutta about 1879 under a certain 
name ; in 1881 it was introduced in Belgium under 
another cognomen ; in 1882, in London it was again 
rechristened, and finally in 1883 was sent out by 
another Belgian firm under a new synonym. In the 
same way most of the best old varieties have been 
introduced at various times under more than one 
name, for instance, Challenger, syn. Imperator; 
Variabilis, syn. Falcatus; Princess of Wales, syn. 
Gloriosus ; Triumphans, syn. Harwoodianus ; Muta- 
bilis, syn. Princeps .—The Indian Gardener. 
-—- 
©tittuarg. 
We much regret to hear of the death, on Monday 
last, of Mr. William J. Cross, of the firm of Cross & 
Steer, nurserymen, Salisbury. Mr. Cross, who was 
driving into Salisbury accompanied by two of his 
children, fell out of his trap, either in a fit or 
accidentally, and was killed on the spot. The de¬ 
ceased was one of the mildest-mannered and most 
inoffensive of men—one of the very best practical 
gardeners of his day—and his untimely death is 
much lamented by a large circle of professional 
friends and acquaintances in the city and neighbour¬ 
hood of Salisbury, where he established himself in 
business a few years ago, and was widely respected. 
Mr. Cross was born on September 10th, 1832, at 
Whitechurch, near Beading, and began his gardening 
career at Coombe Lodge, in the same parish. In the 
spring of 1851 he entered the Pine Apple nursery, 
and was placed under the late Mr. Fancourt, one of 
the best of propagators. After a time he became 
foreman of the soft-wooded propagating department; 
and we next hear of him making a brief stay at Leigh 
Park, Havant. From Hampshire he went to Kinmell 
Park, North Wales, as foreman, and his next place 
was taken in 1858 as gardener at Cowery Grove, near 
Uxbridge. In the autumn of 1860 he was engaged to 
go to Ards, County Donegal, the seat of A. J. R. 
Stewart, Esq., and two years later went to Melchet 
Court, Romsey, where he made his reputation as a 
successful plant cultivator. A large and valuable 
collection of plants was formed on the completion of 
the new mansion at Melchet Court, and it was here 
where Mr. Cross succeeded in raising from spores 
that lovely little Fern, Actiniopteris radiata, whose 
fronds remind one more than anything else of a fan 
Palm in miniature, and for which the Council of 
the Royal Horticultural Society awarded him a silver 
medal. He also raised the hybrid Cypripediums 
Ashburtonite and Crossianum, and amongst other fine 
specimens which were developed under his hands 
were a glorious Phalrenopsis, and one of the grandest 
examples of Lilium auratum in a pot which has ever 
been seen in the conservatory at South Kensington, 
and both of which were awarded Lindley Medals.° Mr! 
Cross, however, did not receive them, for in 1869 he 
left Melchet and went to Portbgwidden, Cornwall 
where he stayed for two years, and then returned to 
Melchet, and the specimens had been exhibited in 
the meantime. Mr. Cross was the winner of many 
substantial prizes in the west and south of England, 
and with stove and greenhouse plants especially was 
very hard to beat. 
