September 8, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
19 
VEITCH’S BDLBS 
OF SUPERIOR QUALITY. 
YE ITCH’S 
COLLECTIONS of BULBS 
To Suit all Requirements. 
Arranged on a most liberal scale, and containing only the 
most easily cultivated and attractive sorts for 
Winter and Spring Flowering, 
At 10s. 6d., 21s., 42s., 63s., and 105s. 
Bulbs carriage free when amounting to 10 s. and 
upwards in value. 
For details see CATALOGUE, forwarded gratis 
and post free on application. 
JANIES VElTCH & SONS, 
Royal Exotic Nursery, 
CHELSEA, LONDON, S.W. 
DUTCH & CAPE BULBS 
And PLANTS 
Direct from the Growers at Growers’ Prices. 
ROOZEN BROTHERS. 
OVERVEEN, HAARLEM. HOLLAND. 
Delivered entirely free in Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, 
Cork, Dublin, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Goole, 
Grangemouth, Grimsby, Harwich, Hull, Leith, Liver¬ 
pool, London, Middlesboro', Newcastle-on-Tyne, Ply¬ 
mouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, or any port in direct 
communication with Rotterdam or Amsterdam. 
Orders above £2 10s. sent free to destination, to any place 
in England, Scotland, or Ireland. Club (joint) orders for 
the same amount also delivered free to destination. No 
chargefor packing or packages. 
Full particulars of our enormous Collection of BULBS, 
with List of SPLENDID NOVELTIES, will be found in our 
NEW LIST for 1894, 86, pages, in English, which will be sent 
to all applicants, post free. 
ROOZEN BROTHERS, 
Pansies &Violas. 
FANCY PANSIES. 
I offer 1 pair cuttings of Miss Stirlingand B. Doulton, the best 
var. in cultivation, these have been awarded five special 
prizes for the best new Pansies, and were the leading flowers 
in seven medal stands this season, including Edinburgh 
Glasgow and London, and 11 pairs of the best 1894 var. for 7s. 6d. 
My 3s. collection of 13 pairs includes one variety of Mr. C. 
Kay’s new Pansies and 3 pairs for 1894, 
SHOW PANSIES. 
One pair cuttings of a new variety and 12 pairs of the best 
1894 for 61 - 
Four pairs of 1894 var. and 9 grand competition sorts for 3/- 
VIOLAS 
{Awarded 4 Medals this season). 
I have 100,000 cuttings now ready for delivery. The follow¬ 
ing are the very best 20 new and old varieties for bedding 
and massing, and include the cream of the unrivalled rayless 
Violas. Seven are new 1894 var. and three are 1893 var. Mrs. 
C. F. Gordon, Cecilia, Beautiful Snow, Admiration, Goldfinch, 
Charmer, Commodore, M. Todd, Accushla, Lord Elcho, 
Wm. Niel, Duchess of Fife. Rayless type: Grandee, Border 
Witch, Christiana. Lutea, Queen of the May, Sylvia, Blue 
Gown, Blush Queen. I will substitute other varieties in place 
of any of the above not wanted. One pair cuttings of each var. 
for 4/-; 5 each for 7/6; 10 each for 13/6; 20 each for 25/- 
Catalogues Free to any Address. 
S. PYE, 
CATTERALL, GARSTANG, LANC. 
For Index to Contents see page 29. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
OVERVEEN, Haarlem, HOLLAND. 
Please name this Paper. 
ORCHIDS. 
Clean Healthy Plants at Low Prices. 
Always worth a visit of inspection. Kindly send for Catalogue. 
JAMES CYPHER, 
Exotic Knrseries, CHELTENHAM. 
GRAND NEW ZONALS, 1894. 
Selected from Pearson’s, Cannell’s, Miller’s, and my 
own sets. 
Cuttings .. .. .. .. 6s. per doz. 
New Zonals, 1893, Cuttings.. .. 3s. ,, 
Very fine previous introduction .. 2s. ,, 
Free, Cash with Order. 
H. J. JONES, 
Ryecroft Nursery, Hither Green, Lewisham. 
The Late MR. DODWELL’S 
GRAND CARNATIONS. 
THE FINEST GROWN. 
All Classes, 10/6 per dozen. 
List ot Specialties can be obtained of— 
Mr. A. MEDHURST, 
Thk Cottage, Stanley Road, Oxford. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, Sept. 10th.—Trade Sale at Mr. H. B. May’s, Upper 
Edmonton. 
Bulb Sales at Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms, and every day in 
the week. 
Tuesday, Sept. nth.—Royal Horticultural Society: Meeting 
of Committees at 12 o’clock. 
Trade Sale at Messrs. B, Mailer & Sons, Lee. 
Wednesday, Sept. 12th.—Trade Sale at Mr. J. Fraser’s, South 
Woodford. 
Thursday, Sept. 13th.—Trade Sale at Mr. J. Mailer’s, Enfield 
Highway. 
Sale of Lilium Harrisii and Palm Seeds at Protheroe & 
Morris’ Rooms. 
Friday, Sept. 14th.—Trade Sale at Messrs. Gregory & Evans’, 
Sidcup. 
Sale of Orchids at Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms. 
ijiWlfl, 
Edited by BRIAN WYNNE, F.R.H.S. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th , 1894 . 
Mnother theory of Evolution.— The 
discussions raised by Charles Darwin’s 
theory of natural selection seem to be 
raging as fiercely as ever, and as far as we 
can see to very little purpose. One could 
almost wish that the great naturalist were 
still alive and adding to his stock of know¬ 
ledge and experience, as well as giving his 
opinions on the various discussions that 
have been raised for and against his theory. 
Professor Weismann accepts the theory 
simply because he cannot conceive of any 
other, but neither he nor any other has 
been able to prove it from actual observa¬ 
tion. From time to time Herbert Spencer 
records his opinions in the Contemporary 
Review, dwelling much upon the inadequacy 
of natural selection and criticising the views 
of Professor Weismann as detailed in the 
same periodical, yet who confesses “ that it 
is really very difficult to imagine this 
process of natural selection in its details.” 
A small book of eighty-eight pages has 
just been published entitled “ Nature’s 
Method in the Evolution of Life.” The 
author does not give his name, but declines 
to accept the theory of natural selection, 
and, in fact, devotes nine-elevenths of his 
book to a record of his reasons for refuting 
the theory’. Very little space is therefore 
left for holding forth his own proposition. 
In all of these discussions animals come in 
for the largest share of attention, so as to 
explain the process of the evolution of new 
species. The anonymous writer seems 
on less stable ground when he undertakes 
the discussion of plant life. He says that 
in highly cultivated farm land, not only is 
there a good crop of corn, but weeds 
disappear. The fertile soil, which is so 
invigorating to the cereals, is positively 
harmless to the indigenous weeds. The 
author gives away his case when he says 
directly after that the weeds resume their 
former vigour when cultivation ceases. 
The whole matter is simply a contrast 
between an .indolent and a dilligent and 
active farmer. The latter will often take a 
fair crop off relatively poor land, while the 
indolent one looks on with lazy indifference 
while the Thistles, the Poppies, the Corn 
Marigold, the Charlock, and other weeds 
are ousting the cultivated plants in the 
struggle for existence and rendering the 
fields purple, scarlet, or yellow with the 
predominance of the flowers of vigorous 
native weeds. The land may not cease to 
be fertile when it goes out of cultivation ; 
in fact, it retains the greater part of its 
general fertility, and the weeds thrive 
immensely because they have the soil to 
themselves, because man ceases to wage 
war against them, and because no tall 
densely sown nor broad-leaved cultivated 
plants exclude nor obstruct the light of the 
sun, so absolutely essential for their vigorous 
development. 
It is sheer fallacy to say that fertile soil 
is noxious to native weeds. They simply 
luxuriate in it when allowed to take full 
possession. We have seen more than one 
well-tilled garden allowed to lie waste, and 
in two years’ time have witnessed a cloud 
of the parachute-like fruits of the Ragworts, 
Dandelions, and Thistledown coming over 
the fences in a breezy summer day. In 
fact, these fertile and moderately fertile 
soils in a remarkably short time become an 
interesting field for the botanist. What is 
more, we have examined several London 
rubbish heaps, which after having lain for 
a year or two became covered with a 
luxuriant mass of vegetation, both native 
and exotic. The British plants especially 
attained quite a phenomenal vigour. What 
then is the value of science that makes use 
of statements to the effect that “ fertile 
soil, so stimulating to grain, is positively 
noxious to the indigenous weeds.” That 
seeds remain dormant in the ground while 
cultivation is continued is another mis¬ 
leading statement. They remain dormant 
because they have been too deeply buiied 
to germinate, and if not turned up by the 
plough or spade, others are imported by 
wind, by birds, and other animal agency, 
so that in a short time the bare ground is 
fully re-occupied. 
The author goes on to say that the 
inference to be drawn from such observa¬ 
tions is “ that changed conditions in general 
lead not so much to the alteration of 
creatures then in possession of the soil, as 
to the increase of others which until the 
favourable moment were kept under.” This 
is obvious enough, but when he launches 
out into wild speculations, he drifts away 
completely from the anchor of facts. When 
the anonymous author at last condescends 
