January 1,1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
275 
The 31st Edition is Now Ready. 
200 Pages. 150 Illustrations. 
PRICE SIXPENCE, POST FREE. 
(by Parcel Post— it is so large). 
CONTENTS—The Best Seeds and Potatos for Carden and 
Farm; also Descriptive Lists of Carnations, Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, Dahlias, Fuchsias, Cladioli, Herbaoeous Plants. 
Pansies, Pelargon urns, Pentstemons, Phloxes, Pinks, 
Pyrethrums, Roses, a-.d V olas j with full Cultural Direc¬ 
tions for each. 
PRESS fr OTHER OPINIONS OF THE BOOK. 
West Humberstone.— •' YourCatalogue and Guide sale to 
hand. I am very pleased with it, and I am sure every every 
Amateur, in particular, should have one in his possession, 
as they are worth 100 times their cost."—T.H. 
Leeds Mercury—" For a useful selection of vegetable - and 
flowers, and a trustworthy guide in the culture of these, it is 
vastly ahead of ordinary catalogues." 
Abroath— " Very many thanks for your valuable Catalogue 
and Guide. As an Amateur, I find cultural instructions ol 
immense value.”—D.A. 
Bell's Weekly Messenger —‘‘Contains elaborate and 
complete articles on cultivation for exhibition as well as 
ordinary put poses. It is thus far more than a mere 
catalogue-quite an encyclopaedia of farm and garden 
plants." 
Yarm.— “ Thanks very much for your Catalogue of 1897. 
In looking through it, I find it is even better than last year's, 
which 1 thought could not be surpassed.”—W.C., Gardener to 
Sir T. Richardson, M.P. 
Apply early, and please mention this paper. 
DOBBIE & Co., 
SEED GROWERS AND FLORISTS TO THE QUEEN 
ROTHESAY. 
BEGONIAS A SPECIALITY. 
Seed saved from prize plants. Choicest mixed, single or 
double varieties, is., 2s. 6d., and 5s. per packet; collections 
(seed) single, 12 named varieties, separate, gs. 6d.: 6 ditto, 
3s. Tubers, named singles, from 18s. to 50s. per doz. ; choicest 
seedlings, 3s. to 30s. per doz.; bedding, choicest, 3s. to gs. per 
doz.: choicest named doubles, from 18s. per doz.: choicest 
seedlings, 6s. to 30s. per doz. ; choicest mixed, for bedding, gs. 
to 18s. per doz. Catalogues gratis. 
JOHN LAING AND SONS, 
Begonia Growers, 
FOREST HILL, LONDON, S.E. 
CH RYSANTHEMU MS. 
“Which are the BEST Varieties ?” 
A Question Asked by Everyone. 
FOR ANSWER S?™ 
GODFREY, EXMOUTH, DEVON. 
ORCHIDS. 
Clean Healthy Plants at Low Prices. 
Always worth a visit of inspection. Kindly send for Catalogue 
JAMES CYPHER, 
Eiotic Nurseries, CHELTENHAM 
THE ROYAL GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND. 
THE TENTH ELECTION of CHIL- 
l. DREN to the Benefits of this Fund, consisting of an 
allowance of 5s. per week (subject to the conditions ttated in 
Rule XIII), wi 1 take place on FRIDAY, February 18th next, at 
•'Anderton’s Hotel,” Fleet Street,London. All applications must 
be made on a properly printed form, copies of which may be 
had gratis of the Sect eury, or any rf the Lccal Secretaries. 
Such form must be correctly filled up, duly signed, and 
returned to this office not later than Tuesday, December 21st, 
1897. 
A. F. BARRON, Secretary. 
Royal Gardeners J Orphan Fund, Chiswick London. 
O RCHIDS of the highest quality, every 
plant guaranteed true to name, from 2/6 each. Please 
send for free list.—P. McARTHUR, The London Nurseries, 
4, Maida Vale, London W. 
VEITCH’S 
GENUINE SEEDS 
NEW TOMATO 
VEITCH’S GOLDEN JUBILEE. 
First Class Certificate, Royal Hortlcultuial Society 
May. 26th, 1897. 
PER PACKET, 2/6. 
NEW MELON 
SYON PERFECTION. 
Award of Merit, Royal Horticultural Society, July 13th 
1S97, 
PER PACKET, 2/6. 
NEW MELON 
FROGMORE SCARLET. 
Award of Merit, Royal Horticultural Society, August 25th’ 
1897. 
PER PACKET, 2/6. 
Seed Catalogue for 1898 has now been posted to all 
their Customers. Anyone not having received the same, a 
duplicate copy will be forwarded post free on application. 
James Veitch & Sons,Ltd., 
ROYAL EXOTIC NURSERY 
CHELSEA, LONDON, S.W. 
11 Gardening Is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
Cit4 ijWl 
Edited by J. FRASER, F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , JANUARY i st , 1898. 
|T|ur Apple supplies.— There is no topic 
^ that is more popular at the meetings of 
societies and mutual improvement associa¬ 
tions all over the country than that of fruit 
culture, but particularly Apples. The 
agitation which has been going on for several 
years past has not yet given results that in 
any way effect the market supplies of fruit, 
though there ought by this time to be some 
visible evidence of the produce from the 
many acres of fruit trees that have been 
planted since the movement commenced. 
The operation at best is a slow one, but it 
is questionable if the proper method of pro¬ 
ceeding was adopted when the subject of 
fruit growing for a home supply was taken 
up. There can be little doubt that many 
farmers and other equally inexperienced 
people turned to fruit growing as a specu¬ 
lation when the agricultural industry 
generally was in a very depressed condition, 
with the result that they gave fruit growing 
a bad name and relinquished it in disgust. 
The keynote of the whole subject was no 
doubt struck at a meeting of the Chiswick 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Associa¬ 
tion when a paper was read by Mr. Miller 
on “ Profitable Fruit Culture.” In the 
course of the discussion, Mr. S. T. Wright, 
the President, remaiked that he had been 
asked whether he knew of and could recom¬ 
mend a good man to undertake the growing 
of hardy fruit. Notwithstanding his wide 
experience he was unable to lay his hand 
on a properly qualified man. Here, then, 
we have the question in a nutshell. We 
have plenty of young gardeners who have 
given lively attention to the cultiva¬ 
tion of fruit under glass, though 
hardy fruit has been neglected by them. 
Glasshouses have for many years offered 
great attractions for young men to the 
neglect of outdoor gardening, including the 
kitchen garden and hardy fruit ; but the 
latter has suffered by far the greatest 
amount of neglect. How then can we 
expect the cultivation of hardy fruit to pay 
when so few understand the principles of 
the subject ? Here, then, is a hint to the 
enterprising young men of the period, 
the future generation of gardeners. From 
this point of view we have been making a 
great mistake in urging the increased culti¬ 
vation of fruit trees with the object of meet¬ 
ing the demand with home supplies, when 
we should have been encouraging the 
young men to get a thorough knowledge 
of fruit culture and to get abreast of the 
modern requirements to enable him to 
succeed. A proper selection of varieties to 
grow for market, the grading and packing 
of the fruit, and being in touch with good 
centres for the disposal of the fruit, are 
things that must constitute part of the 
experience of a successful fruit grower. 
Then he must have a good man under him 
in two or more of the principal departments 
of the business. 
A point in the discussion at the above 
meeting was that a plantation of fruit would 
give a profitable return in the course of six 
years. The president stated that Apple 
trees on the Paradise stock, and under 
suitable conditions as to cultivation and 
proper selection, would give a profitable 
return in two years. This is certainly very 
assuring to aspiring cultivators ; but few 
gardeners have had a better or even a 
similar experience to the author of the 
statement. The plague to the British 
cultivator hitherto has been the growing of 
of too many sorts, many of them bad or in¬ 
different, for market, instead of confining 
his attention to a few, say half a dozen, 
reliable and good-keeping sorts, with which 
a continuous supply might be kept up for 
as long a period as possible, so that the 
buying public could get acquainted with 
the quality of the particular varieties in 
season. Once they can be induced to rely 
upon the regular and even quality of what 
they are buying, they are likely to come 
again fora further supply. By ouch means 
a reputation and a business could be built 
up that would insure a succes-ful future for 
British-grown fruit. 
At present the bulk, if not the whole, of 
the supplies in the market are of foreign 
produce, so that the grading which gives 
the fruits their even and tempting ap¬ 
pearance has been due to the skill of the 
people that sent them here. British grown 
fruit so long as the supply lasted was in 
fair form in some cases, while other samples 
were in the same old mixed order, and any¬ 
thing but tempting in appearance. King 
of the Pippins Apple grown in Middlesex 
was being retailed in the shops last Novem¬ 
ber at qd. a pound, while alongside of them 
were ba kets of the same variety from 
Worcester at 3d. the pound. The iruits in 
both cases were of good average size, 
those from Middlesex being yellow and 
apparently more thoroughly ripened. On 
