406 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 26, 1898. 
tude and oblivion. Many consider the fresh 
introductions as inferior to the vegetables 
we already possess; though in some cases we 
are charitable enough to consider the verdict 
given as a matter of opinion or largely due 
to an acquired taste. The people from 
whom we get these things may think 
differently; while in certain cases our clim¬ 
ate may be, and sometimes undoubtedly is 
the ruling factor in the case. In the case 
of fruits, moreover, there are many exotic 
kinds for which the community has a de¬ 
cided liking, and some of them are grown to 
a greater or less extent. World wide inter¬ 
communication, rapid transit and artificial 
means of preserving fruits during the voyage, 
will tend more and more to bring these 
things to our doors at less cost than it would 
take to grow them here. 
The above applies only to a small extent 
in the case of green vegetables, and that 
only to early vegetables grown in the 
Channel Islands and neighbouring parts of 
the Continent. Furthermore, those vege¬ 
tables are more or less closely indentical in 
kind with our own. Taking all these facts 
into consideration it will be seen that the 
production of new vegetables consists 
chiefly in raising new and improved varie¬ 
ties of those we already possess. For the 
more or less ancient orgination of our vege¬ 
tables we are indebted to the Continent for 
the most of them. Cultivation as an art is 
older upon the Continent, than on this 
island, particularly on the shores of the 
Mediterranean, where many of the more 
important types, exclusive of Potatos, 
Tomatos, Dwarf Beans and Scarlet Run¬ 
ners were in common use before cultivation 
had made much, if any, headway in the 
British Islands. Nevertheless, we must 
not forget that the botanical or wild species 
of many of our most common vegetables are 
natives, or at least wild, in this country. 
During the past year, as, indeed, during 
several previous ones, great activity has 
been displayed in the raising of new varie¬ 
ties of Peas. Nothing so important amongst 
Peas has been raised since the hybridising 
of the Garden with the Field Pea gave rise 
to the wrinkled marrow type. Since then, 
however, the modern race of that breed has 
been vastly improved and practically 
evolved to the present state of perfection 
with which mostly every gardener is 
familiar. There is no telling what the next 
great leap amongst Peas may be, but we 
should like to witness the evolution of a race 
as self-supporting as a field of wheat, and 
as tall as the average growth of that cereal. 
True, we have dwarf varieties which require 
no staking, but the crop they produce is 
limited by comparison with that of the taller 
growing varieties which soon fall over and 
lie upon the ground, while in most cases 
the haulm is actually restricted or shortened 
if not supported in the field. We can scarcely 
imagine the impetus that would be given 
to the cultivation of Peas by the market 
grower as well as gardeners in private 
establishments, were a race of self-support¬ 
ing Peas (say about 3 ft. high) to become a 
reality in the near future. By a process of 
intense culture in garden and field such a 
quantity of Peas could be raised that the 
actual area under crop need not be greatly 
increased; while, on the other hand, the 
absence of any necessity for staking would 
so lessen the cost of production as to bring 
this esteemed and nutritious vegetable 
within reach of the poorest. 
A great and wide-spread interest is still 
manifested in the raising of new varieties 
of Potatos ; and, indeed, this will always 
continue to be so while existing sorts tend 
to degenerate after a number of years of 
cultivation, and while they remain liable to 
be ravaged by the Potato disease. The 
chief aims are to obtain shapely tubers of 
large size, good qualities, and possessed of 
heavy cropping and disease-resisting pro¬ 
perties. We remember many old kinds 
possessing most of these recommendations, 
except the last named, that have now dis¬ 
appeared from cultivation. Some of them 
maintained a lingering existence for many 
years, owing as much to the sentiment of 
cultivators for the memory of old friends, as 
to any real benefit they derived from their 
vanishing favourites. Tomatos are equally 
if not more liable to degenerate as Potatos. 
Certain students of the subject reckon that 
the life of a variety is limited to ten years, 
after which it is either very inferior or a 
different thing altogether. Great earnest¬ 
ness still prevails amongst cultivators in 
raising new sorts. A large number of new 
Melons, obtained by the crossing of existing 
varieties, continues to be raised. Flavour 
and good qualities generally seem to be the 
chief incentives to their production, while 
other inducements are no doubt active. 
Medium sized rather than fruits of gross 
dimensions are generally the aim of modern 
raisers, and this is to be commended. Many 
cultivators also take pride in raising and 
exhibiting new seedling Cucumbers, by 
crossing old favourites with the object of 
combining the good qualities of the parents. 
Dwarf or French Beans and Scarlet Runners 
are not neglected. Cabbages, Cauliflower, 
Broccoli, Turnips, and, indeed, the Brassica 
tribe generally, receive due attention. The 
maintenance of the quality of the different 
strains will always necessitate a consider¬ 
able amount of attention in the matter of 
repeated selection, and the keeping of the 
seed crops sufficiently far apart so as to be 
beyond the influence of bees and other 
insects. The unstable character of the 
Brassica tribe necessitates eternal vigilance 
on the part of the seed grower. 
TB^oyal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —The 
''annual general meeting of this charity is 
again a thing of the past, having taken place 
on the 18th inst. It was much better 
attended than in 1897, an d was acknow¬ 
ledged to be in every way a much more 
successful meeting than on last occasion 
when, it may be remembered, the whole of 
the ten candidates were placed on the list 
of those receiving support from the Fund, 
and that too without election by way of 
commemorating the sixtieth year of the 
Queen’s reign. The excitement attendant 
upon an election has always the effect of 
drawing together a greater number of those 
interested in the welfare of the orphans, 
than the mere perfunctionary business of 
placing their names upon the list. Altogether 
there were eighteen candidates, ofwhom the 
executive committee resolved to elect nine, 
that is, one-half of the number, to the bene¬ 
fits of the Fund. The highest number of 
votes polled for any one child was 349 in a 
most deserving case, and the lowest ig. The 
total number of votes recorded was 3,157, ex¬ 
clusive of a solitary spoiled vote. This indi¬ 
cates much more careful working on the part 
of voters than in the case of the-other great 
charity recently reported by us. After the 
nine successful candidates were declared 
duly elected as a result of the polling, the 
next highest candidate was allocated to the 
benefits of the interest on the J. W. Thom¬ 
son Trust. The chairman, after having 
moved the adoption of the report, raised 
the question of how many children, belong¬ 
ing to one and the same family, might be 
elected to the benefits of the Royal 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund during any one 
year. He spoke of this not in his capacity 
as chairman, but as a private individual, 
and suggested that the question might be 
brought forward and discussed at the next 
annual general meeting. A more detailed 
report will be given next week. 
Novelties in Vegetables will be continued in our 
issue for next week, as a number of them have been 
crowded out. 
The Reindeer of Norway, according to Dr. Nansen, 
will eat nothing but Lichens which grow in Polar 
regions, and are, therefore, useless for carrying relief 
to Klondyke. 
Mr. William Milne, presently engaged as inside 
foreman at Lanfine Gardens, Newmilns, Ayrshire, has 
been engaged as head gardener to F. G. McAndrew, 
Esq , Knock Castie, Largs, Ayrshire. Mr. Milne, 
who enters on his new duties on 1st April, leaves 
Lanfine with the best wishes of all with whom he 
came in contact. 
National Chrysanthemum Society.—The annual 
general meeting of the members of the above society 
will take place at Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, 
E.C , on Monday, February 28th next, at seven 
o’clock, to receive the committee’s annual report and 
statement of accounts ; to elect president and vice- 
president, officers and committee for the year en¬ 
suing ; to consider certain amendments to the rules ; 
and to transact such business as pertains to the 
annual general meeting. The attendance of all 
members is particularly requested.— Richard Dean, 
Geneval Secretary. 
Lewes Chrysanthemum Society.—Theannual dinner 
of the Lewes and District Chrysanthemum Society 
took place at the King’s Head, Southover, on the 
evening of the 8th inst. Alderman Jos. Farncombe 
occupied the chair. Mr. Prinsep, in proposing " The 
Lewes Chrysanthemum Society, and the Honorary 
Members," spoke of the advance made by the 
society during the years that he had been connected 
with it. The Chrysanthemums at last year's show 
would have done credit to any place in the kingdom, 
but the vegetables were not so well up to the mark. 
The chairman, who is also president of the society, 
acknowledged the toast. Other toasts followed. A 
recitation given by Councillor Lenny, and songs by 
Messrs. Meux, Bedford, Briggs, Stidworthy, 
Watkins, Eade, Hunt, and Jupp, added considerably 
to the enjoyment and success of the evening. 
Shropshire Horticultural Society.—The schedule of 
prizes for the projected spring and summer shows 
has just been issued by the society. The spring 
show is fixed for March 29th, for which entries close 
on March 26th. There are forty classes in this part 
of the schedule distributed amongst Orchids, 
Cinerarias, Primulas, bulbs, and miscellaneous col¬ 
lections of spring flowering plants. The summer 
show is to take place on August 17th and 1 3 th, and 
entries must be received for it not later than noon 
August 12th. At this show provision is made for no 
fewer than 168 classes, which are pretty equally 
divided amongst plants, flowers, fruit, and 
vegetables. Numerous special prizes are offered 
from various sources, and if magnitude of prepara¬ 
tion couQts for anything the show should be an even 
greater success than formerly. The prizes in the 
schedule amount to ^950, exclusive ot gold and 
silver medals, which will also represent a tidy little 
sum. The coming floral fete of 1898 will be the 24th 
held by the society. 
International Horticultural Exhibition at Ghent.— 
The fourteenth International Horticultural Exhibi¬ 
tion is to be celebrated at Ghent, from April 16th to 
April 24th next, inclusive. The exhibition is held 
under tne auspices of the Societe Royale d'Agriculture 
et de Botanique deGand, and is the 163rd exhibition of 
this society. Amateurs and trade growers, as well 
as public Botanic Gardens buh of Belgium aDd 
other countries,are cordially invited to take part. A 
programme or schedule of the classes has been 
issued by the society, from which it appears that 
prizes are offered in no fewer than 716 classes. The 
prizes consist of large and small gold, silver-gilt, and 
silver medals, some of them being prettily mounted 
or framed in appropriate cases. The exhibits will 
range through stove and greenhouse, miscellaneous 
flowering and foliage plants, Orchids, Palms, 
Cycads, Pandanads, Ferns, herbaceous and hardy 
plants, succulents, Conifers, forced fruits, cut 
flowers, etc. These exhibits are divided into twenty- 
eight groups. The jury of examination will consist 
of well-known gentlemen, skilled in the various 
branches of horticulture. 
