50 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 24, 1892. 
THE KINVER SEED FARMS. 
Trade Enterprise at Wordsley. 
A delightful day spent at Kinver among beautiful 
flowers, rare specimens of garden vegetables, 
magnificent root and grain crops, and choice results 
of cross-fertilisation and high selection generally, 
naturally give scope for abundant reference to some 
floral gems that are novelties which came under 
observation, and a great many valuable strains of 
Potatos, Peas, Cabbages, and crops that are 
extensively grown in market gardens and kitchen 
gardens alike, as well as plants and vegetables, more 
exclusively belonging to the latter. All appeared to 
have among them specialities which could scarcely 
be overlooked by any attentive observer, anxious to 
inform the public of achievements in plant culture 
. of high utility and real value, yet the reporter finds 
his notebook so full of references to them that only 
a selection can be made. 
Messrs. Webb have long been famous for bringing 
out valuable new varieties of Peas. The persistent 
cross-fertilisation of all the best old and newest 
kinds, one with another, and rigorous selections 
afterwards, such as to ensure only the survival of the 
fittest, has resulted in several kinds having gained 
golden opinions from gardeners. Royal Standard, a 
blue wrinkled Marrow from Ne Plus Ultra and 
Telephone, is a grand main crop Pea, with remark¬ 
ably fine, handsome pods, in fact a prodigious cropper. 
Yet not more so than the still newer Promotion, a 
second early Pea introduced for the first time in 
1891, the vines of which are absolutely covered with 
pods. Talisman, only brought out this season, is a 
cross between Culverwell’s Giant Marrow and 
Omega for main crop purposes with remarkably fine 
handsome pods, likely to be utilised largely for 
exhibition purposes. Another exceedingly heavy 
cropper having Culverwell's Giant Marrow for one 
of its parents will probably be brought into 
commerce next season. The other parent is Prince 
of Wales, and the new sort appears to have 
incorporated the good qualities of both parents. 
Prince of Wales has always been a great favourite 
with market gardeners, yet like every other variety 
it is liable to deteriorate or be made more perfect by 
high selection being neglected or constantly per¬ 
severed in. 
This will be seen by the following extract 
from a letter received a few days since by 
Messrs. \\ ebb from Mr. E. H. Thornley, winner of 
one of the royal prizes for farms in Warwickshire, 
who for some years has been in the habit of supply¬ 
ing Leamington largely with green Peas. It is as 
followsThe sixteen bushels of the Prince of 
Wales’ Tea I had from you as seed to produce Peas 
for picking turned out a very good and profitable 
crop. I am sorry to say some seed bearing the same 
name I had from another firm turned out anything 
but satisfactory." Messrs. Webb, among many other 
valuable sorts, have brought out Wordsley Wonder 
and Kinver Gem, both well-known as very early Peas ; 
Stourbridge Marrow and Kinver Marrow, which are 
second early ; and Chancellor and Electric Light, 
both of which enjoy a high reputation for the main 
crop. Moreover there are nearly a hundred varieties 
of Peas at present under trial at Kinver, leading to 
the hope that more new ones of intrinsic worth will 
ultimately be brought into commerce. 
The successes of the Wordsley firm in Potatos are 
quite equal to what has been achieved with Peas. 
We have only to mention Webbs' Wordsley Pride, 
Renown, and Stourbridge Glory Potatos to recall 
to the minds of readers grand specimens seen at shows, 
and these three are placed in conjunction because 
they are general purpose Potatos as well as heavy 
croppers, much grown in the field by farmers as well 
as by gardeners. All are noted prize-winners, and 
Webbs’ Epicure, Benefactor, Kinver Hill, Kinver 
Monarch, and several more have attained 
to high reputation. There are also others coming 
to the front among a large number of new ones 
undergoing trial that are likely to turn out well. 
Among these is a Beauty of Hebron seedling so 
early that its tubers have been found fit to dig a fort¬ 
night before any Ashleaf has been found sufficiently 
advanced for the purpose. Moreover its tubers are 
kidney shaped, large and of apparent high quality. 
In all probability this one will be introduced to com¬ 
merce next season. 
The new Broccoli Avalanche is quite a speci¬ 
ality on account of hardihood and early springgrowth, 
and also for yielding snowy white close heads. 
Webbs’ Perfection for the main crop has long 
been known, and so has the excellent late variety 
May Queen. Their Early Mammoth Cauliflower 
has won numerous leading prizes at shows, and 
so has their Emperor Cabbage, which yields 
such large and solid heads that a working man and 
his family might find enough and to spare in one of 
them for a dinner and the hearts are not only weighty 
but of high class quality. Webbs’ Matchless 
Brussels Sprouts and Perpetual Dwarf Green Curled 
Kale are also valuable specialities, as well as the 
Kinver Globe and Little Wonder Savoys. A 
remarkably lengthy, nice quality Runner Bean called 
Eclipse, the result of many years’ selection, 
deserves high appreciation ; and their new Tomato 
Regina is smooth looking, deep coloured and of rich 
flavour. Melons have been crossed as much as any¬ 
thing, and by continuous selection several notable 
new kinds derived, such as President, Pride of Stour¬ 
bridge, Beauty of Wordsley, Queen Victoria and 
Woodfield. 
Few require to be told that Lettuces have under¬ 
gone marvellous transformations at the hands of cul¬ 
tivators. There are several excellent members both of 
the Cabbage and Cos tribes at Kinver, the newest 
being Magnet, belonging to the former, and the 
New Exhibition Cos, both very fine and handsome, 
The newest Radish is called Favourite, and it seems 
likely to justify the appellation. This is its first sea¬ 
son, but a great many other good sorts have been 
brought out bv Messrs. Webb. There are several 
specialities in Onions, Webbs’ Monster White Tri¬ 
poli and Red Globe Tripoli having often been prize¬ 
winners, and their Improved Banbury and Snowball 
are much liked. Cucumbers form a large section 
with Messrs. Webb, the new Stourbridge Gem, a 
cross between Telegraph and Prince of Wales, being 
at their head ; and some notable varieties will be 
found therein of Celery, Beet, Artichoke, and As¬ 
paragus. Carrots have been improved as much as 
anything ; and the firm which has established its 
reputation from John O’Groats to Land’s End for 
perfecting magnificent roots of every variety valu¬ 
able for agricultural purposes has certainly not omit¬ 
ted to provide choice garden Turnips for edible use. 
Climax is a fine purple top with yellow flesh of mild 
flavour, but Prizetaker has white flesh of sweet nice 
quality, and derives its name from its handsome 
appearance ensuring the winning of premiums at 
exhibitions. 
If space permitted there are many other kinds of 
garden vegetables, salads, and herbs of an improved 
kind deserving of notice ; but these trial grounds are 
well known to be famous for floral beauties, and 
Asters, Zinnias, Stocks, Hollyhocks, Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, and Marigolds are always in splendid form at 
Kinver at this time of the year, among which there 
are several new varieties deserving high appreciation. 
Webbs’ Champion Dianthus was truly magnificent 
in display; Challenge Antirrhinum being also re¬ 
markably attractive ; Eclipse Gaillardia, not merely 
showy but truly beautiful; Golden King Calliopsis, 
very charming ; Imperial Canterbury Bell, a choice 
strain ; Helichrysum of varied colours being ex¬ 
ceedingly noteworthy. Webbs’ Premier Single 
Dahlia has deservedly a place amongst specialities ; 
and White Pearl Chrysanthemums afford abundant 
delicate foliage, forming a pleasing contrast to the 
Golden Cloud. Poppies, of which there are notable 
varieties, were going off in bloom, but not so the 
various members of the Helianthus family which 
made a great show, especially Webbs’ Gigantic,whilst 
the Miniature is a lovely gem. 
In one of Messrs. Webbs' warehouses at Words¬ 
ley we found that the winter bulb season had already 
commenced, the different bulbs being placed in their 
respective labelled compartments, that when orders 
come in there may be no delay in despatching them. 
Messrs. Webbs’ Bulb Catalogue contains some 
striking references to as well as illustrations of fine 
kinds of Hyacinths, Iris, Tulips, Crocus, Sparaxis, 
Ixias, Anemones, Gloxinias, Liliums, Muscari, 
Narcissus, Begonias, Cyclamen, Ranunculus, 
Gladiolus, Tuberoses, etc., etc. Everything is 
systematically arranged, and all transactions subject 
to perfect order in these spacious warehouses, there 
being other rooms and compartments for garden and 
farm seeds of all kinds, samples of them having 
previously, however, been tested as regards their 
germinating power. No seeds or bulbs are sent out 
by the firm that have not been submitted to the 
strictest examination, and the machinery for clean¬ 
ing seeds and seed corn is very perfect. 
A ramble through Messrs. Webbs’ warehouses 
would well repay any visitor. Two of the largest at 
Wordsley are 182 ft. long and 62 ft. wide, having six 
floors, each 13 ft. high. These, together with one 
120 ft. by 50 ft., having the same number of floors, 
form the two sides of a square, and there is inter¬ 
communication between them by means of iron 
bridges. Each warehouse is also fitted with a lift, 
often put into action, and some very weighty as well 
as valuable goods consisting of wool and Hops, as 
well as seeds, seed corn, bulbs and Potatos are ware¬ 
housed at different periods of the year. Messrs. 
Webb are Hop and wool merchants on a very large 
scale, and they have an immense milling business 
likewise, their spacious new flour mills being also at 
Wordsley, although not contiguous to their ware¬ 
houses. 
The clerks’ offices are very spacious also, yet in¬ 
sufficiently large for present purposes. Messrs. 
Webbs’ many colossal enterprises include one not 
named above, bone and special manures for all crops 
of the farm as well as the garden being manufactured 
by them at large works they have at Widnes, Lancs. 
They supply owners of gardens as well as occupiers 
of farms with plant food for everything having vege¬ 
table life from the Hyssop on the wall to the Cedar of 
Lebanon. Flowers bloom more profusely and crops 
of all kinds are grown more abundantly by employ¬ 
ing artificial manures instead of natural ones, and 
this causes garden management to be much more 
cleanly as well as less laborious and costly. Messrs. 
Webb & Sons’ artificial manure business, like their 
seed and bulb trade, has increased enormously during 
recent years. Thousands of farmers regard them 
as among their best friends, having been enabled for 
many years past by using their seeds to grow more 
productive and better crops than they could do 
before ; and the supply of artificial manures by the 
same firm is universally regarded as a boon likewise, 
as farmers can make sure of having from Messrs. 
Webb a genuine article. The same arts of cross¬ 
fertilisation and high selection are carried on 
persistently for the perfection of farm roots and 
seed corn as for garden vegetables and flowers, which 
necessitates a large acreage of land to be occupied. 
Although considerable additions have been made 
to Messrs. Webbs’ seed farms of late years, a fifth 
farm to the four previously occupied has been added 
within the last month, making the total area to be 
about 2,000 acres. This is very far from being 
sufficient to provide seeds for all Messrs. Webbs' 
customers and the total land, including that in other 
parts of England and the Continent required to 
serve this object amounts altogether to about iS.ooo 
acres.—A'. 
CELOSIAS AND COCKS¬ 
COMBS. 
These two summer blooming greenhouse flowers Mr. 
Mortimer succeeds in growing in remarkably fine 
form out on the breezy hills of the neighbourhood of 
Farnham, where he is located. The varieties of the 
former are, so far as colours are concerned, chiefly 
scarlet, crimson-carmine, orange-yellow, and nearlj' 
white, but with some other intermediate tints. The 
plants are all grown in what may be called large 
36-size pots and in fairly good soil, but still not too 
rich. They are grown specially to produce seed, a 
result that is more likely to follow if culture be not 
too generous than when it is so. 
The plants range from some 15 to 20 in. in height, 
and have both on main stems and side branches 
handsome fluffy spikes or plumes of flowers ; when at 
their very best they are so beautiful that visitors 
have been constrained to ask whether the flowers 
are not artificially coloured. Seed is sown in March. 
In another house were just now ripening their seed 
a superb lot of Cockscombs. These, like the 
Celosias, are of Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ finest strains, 
the combs very rich crimson and massive, the plants 
running at about 10 in. in height, also in 6-in. pots. 
These are of so perfect a type that they are quite 
easily grown, needing no manipulation in the waj' of 
letting dowm in the course of potting or be-heading, 
and re-rooting, as is sometimes practised. The 
facility with which Mr. Mortimer grows these 
plants with so little trouble show-s that we have far 
finer strains now than existed thirty years ago.— 
A.D. 
