July 4th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
691 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”—B acox. 
Cj}f iiirknhtg; iEorlb. 
SATURDAY, JULY 4 m, 1885. 
Cauliflowers. —Evidence of the admirable 
work being done at the Koyal Horticultural 
Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, was shown at 
South Kensington, at the last meeting, when 
]\lr. Barron sent for exhibition some sixteen 
assumed kinds of Cauliflower, lifted from the 
open border and placed in pots, that the public 
might see for themselves how far attempts at 
proving the distinctness or identity of assumed 
kinds of garden products were being honourably 
conducted. There were at least a dozen diverse 
appellations given to the now well-known Early 
Snowball or Dwarf Erfurt, the forms differing 
slightly only, although could large plots of 
each have been grown, probably the diversities 
seen on this occasion would have been even less 
evident. 
The type is not only very early in heading, but 
is very dwarf, and has straight, smooth leafage. 
It was first introduced into commerce here under 
the name of Snowball, having been imported 
from Denmark. Presently, it was also found 
under the designation of Extra Early Erfurt, 
and at home found many aliases, each seed 
firm offering it giving it a diverse appellation. 
Curiously enough, samples from some promi¬ 
nent seed firms were lacking in the Chiswick 
collection, but of the dozen so sent and grown, it 
was as evident as daylight that all were abso- 
lutely identical. Such a trial as this should show 
those gardeners who are ever ready to “ crack- 
up ” the early Cauliflower of some firm or 
another, that the thing exists under a score of 
appellations, and that when they praise one 
assumed kind at the expense of some other one 
that is after all identical, they are but exposing 
their own ignorance. Still farther, when it is 
stated that some three or four kinds, or rather 
diverse-named kinds, of the same thing are 
being grown, and that one is much earlier than 
the other, it is plain that praise of that sort 
is concocted to suit a purpose. 
What we have so strongly to deplore in the 
case of these most interesting and instructive 
trials thus conducted at Chiswick, is that their 
results are not widely published. We read in 
the annual report of the Council of such and 
such things being tried during the year, and 
such announcements are always dwelt upon when 
the value of the Society is being emphasised, 
but what would enhance the importance of the 
Society so much, and specially its Chiswick 
gardens, would be the fullest publication in the 
horticultural press of the results of the interest¬ 
ing trials of all the subjects grown there, that 
the garden public might be edified. In this 
instance, for example, but for the fact that Mr. 
Barron thoughtfully sent samples of these Cauli¬ 
flowers to South Kensington, we might never 
have been one bit the wiser. 
Added to the first early dwarf type were 
examples of the next earliest in season, Early 
Paris and Early London only just turning in, 
whilst Walcheren and Stadtholder even later 
had not begun to show flower at all. The seed 
°f all these kinds were sown at a given time, 
January 19th, and the plants wero all put out 
on April 17th, a period of three months, showing 
that no heat was given, and that the fullest 
opportunity was afforded to each kind to display 
its true character. 
-- 
Stephanotis Culture. —There are fewgardens 
in which may not be found plants, large or 
small, of that very beautiful and serviceable 
climber, Stephanotis floribunda. We have seen 
them in various sizes and conditions of culture, 
and have very often heard the expression of 
satisfied approbation that the plants were quite 
clean and free from insect pests. There exists, 
no doubt, in many quarters an impression that 
the Stephanotis is a very difficult plant to culti¬ 
vate healthily, an impression which some writers 
help to continue when they describe in language 
of the most florid kind the dangers or ills to 
which the Stephanotis is heir, and the remedies 
needful to keep it clean and healthy. 
Notions of this sort sometimes receive rude usage 
at the hands of the sturdy matter-of-fact cultiva¬ 
tors who grow things for market sale, and special 
evidence of this capacity to sponge out errors 
from the records of remedial culture was shown 
the other day when visiting that interesting 
establishment at Twickenham whei’-e Messrs. 
Hawkins and Bennett produce such enoinnous 
quantities of flowers. There is to be seen a long, 
low house devoted absolutely to Stephanotis. It 
is 100 ft. long and 10 ft. wide, and gives a roof 
area absolutely and completely covered with the 
plant growth of 600 square feet. The plants, of 
various ages, are grown in huge pots and much 
larger slate tubs, in soil which suits them admir¬ 
ably. The shoots are trained along wires that 
run lengthwise through the house some 9 ins, 
apart, and are now almost crowded, so much so 
that, looking upon the plants from above, it is 
hardly possible to see between the foliage and 
bloom so thickly set. 
The whole of the growth is taken down, 
thinned, and cleaned once during the winter 
months only, and cleansed, too, with nothing 
stronger than water. No powerful recipes for 
the destruction of bug and scale are employed, 
for the simple reason that pests of this sort seem 
to be unknown. Of course the walls of the house 
are white-washed, the lights which form the roof 
cleaned, and, if need be, painted, as also the 
wood-work. The wires along which the plants are 
trained only receive special treatment, these and 
the small leaden wire ties used to train the growth 
being cleansed with some strongdisinfectant, which 
desti-oys all egg germs, if any exist. The use of 
these very supple leaden wire ties no doubt assists 
to keep off scale and bug largely, as such ties 
present no holding or cover for the insects; still 
farther they are soft as the finest of raffia, and 
are employed with rapidity and ease. 
When we saw this house of Stephanotis the 
other day it had been producing bloom for six 
weeks, and at that time was wonderously full of 
flower, indeed could count be given at the end of 
the season of the dozens of bunches of flowers 
taken off our readers would no doubt marvel at the 
quantity. These flowers we saw in process of 
preparation for market, and are sold in what is 
technically termed dozens, though seventy-two 
flowers constitute the dozen, which means in this 
case twelve trusses of six blooms. These gathered 
in bunches and counted are set stem downwards 
very compactly into flat punnets, each holding six 
or twelve bunches, as the case may be, and then 
wrapped in the usual soft blue paper, placed iu 
boxes, and sent to mai’ket. Many dozens of these 
baskets are purchased by the packers and sent on 
to the north, whilst othei’S are distributed over the 
best bouquetists’ shops. The plant’s season of 
bloom is from May till Octobeix Prices per 
dozen vary from 3s. 6c?. to 6s. 6c?., according to 
season and demand. A top light lifted in the 
house emits a perfume that is almost overpower¬ 
ing, yet most delicious. 
Market Pelargonium Flowers. — Whilst 
very famous in the London market for their 
justly celebrated and exceedingly fine strain of 
Lilies of the Valley, in the culture of which none 
can excel them, and also in the production of 
Maiden-hair Fern, of which notable Adiantum a 
vast quantity of fine plants are grown for the 
production of fronds, Messrs. Hawkins and 
Bennett, of Twickenham, devote the larger 
portion of their very roomy houses to the 
production of Zonal and other kinds of Pelar¬ 
gonium flowers, the bulk of which are gathered 
for market, although, as the season advances, 
man} r hundx’eds of the older plants go away to 
play their part in the production of colour iu 
some furnishing or decorative effort. 
As the production of bloom goes on all the year 
round, we see at Twickenham what can hardly be 
shown elsewhere, houses ever gay in colour from 
Zonal Pelargoniums solely. Vesuvius is still a 
strong element in the production of bloom. Many 
kinds produce finer flowers, but none are more 
amenable to winter treatment. In the spring, 
when bloom is abundant, the Vesuvius-house, 
200 ft. long and some 20 ft. wide, is from end to end 
literally a blaze of scarlet. The plants are chiefly 
in the ordinary 48-sized pots, and, the best soil 
obtainable being employed, the gi’owth is good, 
but of course for winter blooming it is needful to 
afford the plants some period of summer and 
autumn rest to ensure that end. De Lesseps is 
another very favourite kind, a grand scarlet, and 
one of the best of its class, Brighton Gem is 
another good kind, these being single sorts grown 
in bulk. Of pink varieties Master Christine, so 
free and so constant, still holds sway. 
Some few good salmon kinds are also grown, 
but the next strong feature is found in the single 
whites, Madame Vaucher is now set aside 
altogether in favour of such new and distinctive 
kinds as Queen of the Whites, the very best 
white Zonal in cultivation, petals large, rounded, 
and giving a perfect pip. It has a dwarf, free 
habit, and makes a first-class pot plant. Niphe- 
tos is another good kind, the flowers rather loose 
it is true, but very freely produced, and of the 
purest white hue. Eureka, Queen of the 
Belgians, and Jean de Arc, are also largely 
grown. Of double kinds the best white is La 
Cygne, a capital free-blooming sort, the finest 
double white out. The finest scarlets are F. V. 
Kaspail and King of the Doubles, and the finest 
of pink-flowered kinds the popular Madame 
Thibaut. 
Several of the best double Ivy-leaved vai’ieties 
are also largely grown, but whilst these, as the 
single kinds, are cut in trusses and bunched for 
sale, the double Zonal blooms or pips are gathered 
singly into small paper bags and sold in dozens 
or larger quantities, as the case may be. Those 
purchased by the bouquetists are wired, and then 
worked into button-hole bouquets and similar 
uses. Every single-flowered pip is set with a 
drop of gum before bunching. That work is 
performed by experts in a warm shed, and so 
thoroughly is it performed, that any one petal 
held between the finger and thumb will suspend 
an entire bunch. But for such manipulation, 
vast quantities of the flowers would be spoiled 
ere they reached the market. 
Long wide houses are occupied by thousands 
of plants for the production of these flowers, and 
still the demand is increasing, both for them and 
Maiden-hair Fern, hence new houses are about 
to be erected, This market establishment is 
always worthy a visit, for the ways and workings 
of growers of this class differ somewhat from 
those of ordinary gardeners^ 
