the gardening world 
491 
April 3, 1897. 
parent, and in fact all have been more or less worth¬ 
less. 
As with Pears so with Apples. The Ribston Pip¬ 
pin has not to my knowledge been reproduced; it is 
said to have been raised from a chance seedling. 
The Wyken Pippin, a very old and esteemed variety, 
has not been reproduced, nor the King of the Pip¬ 
pins, and Golden Pippin. Old Nonpareil, of which 
the seedlings are neartr the prototype than most of 
the old varieties, is not exactly reproduced. 
The Peach is perhaps the fruit which approaches 
more nearly reproduction than most, but does not 
differ much from the apparent rule of diversity. 
The Grosse Mignonne, Bellegarde, and Madeleine 
have numerous seedlings which approach the 
originals in quality, but differ in the flowers and 
glands. The catalogue of the Royal Horticultural 
Society enumerates forty synonyms of the Grosse 
Mignonne. These do not appear to be seedlings, 
but the names seem to have been given by those 
who have grown the sorts, but lost the original 
names. 
Nectarines are subject to the same law. The 
Elruge and Violette Hative seem to have kept to 
their types. The Plum has also an apparent fixity 
of tenure The Greengage, which was introduced 
into Europe many centuries since, seems to have 
adhered to its prototype, although it is said to be 
raised from seed, with the result of perfect repro¬ 
duction. The number of synonyms points rather to 
the fact that seedlings vary, as do the seedlings of 
other classes. The Early Prolific, of which I have 
raised many seedlings, does not reproduce itself, and 
the fruits differ essentially from the parent. 
Cherries are also subject to the same law. The 
number of synonyms accorded to the May Duke, 
Bigarreau, and the Reine Hortense seem to show 
that exact reproduction has failed. The subject is 
interesting, and is capable of much extension. In 
our uncertain climate the aid of glass is almost 
absolutely necessary, and the experiment, if a man 
wish to see the results, should be begun at an early 
age.— T. Francis Rivers. 
--f-- 
A GOOD DECEMBER BROCCOLI. 
As we get near the close of the year the difficulty of 
obtaining good Broccoli, and the more so if the 
autumn and early winter is severe, is felt by many. 
Broccoli and Cauliflower beiDg vegetables of great 
importance in many places, it often taxes the 
gardener’s resources to keep up a continued 
supply during December and January, especially in 
cold and exposed situations. A good supply for 
Christmas and the New Year is of much value, and 
to have this a good deal of thought and attention is 
required. 
Having had to meet this demand for many years 
has made me acquainted with many different methods 
of procedure, also the growing of various varieties. 
During the last few years I have relied on one 
variety to carry me through October to the middle 
of January, and that variety is Veitch’s Self-Protect¬ 
ing, and I consider with that, if we had no other 
winter Broccoli, no one need be out of a supply, 
providing they obtain the true stock. 
For several years I have made a rule of sowing 
this kind at the end of March, and again at the end 
of April, planting out batches of plants from these 
sowings as early as the ground was available, and 
the plants strong enough. Being short of garden 
space I invariably mark off a piece of ground early 
in the year, whereon I intend to grow this crop. 
This is deeply worked and well manured as early as 
possible in the New Year. About the end of March 
or early in April we mark off this ground, planting a 
short-topped early Potato in rows ft. apart. 
These are kept clean with a Dutch hoe, and not 
moulded up, as we find the less stirring the ground 
has the better the Broccoli succeeds. As soon as 
the BrocccJii plants are strong enough they are 
planted out between the rows of Potatos, the early 
ones 2J ft. and the later sowings 2 ft. apart. The 
Potatos are dug as fast as wanted for use, getting 
them off the ground as quickly as possible. 
In land of this character the Broccoli make rapid 
progress, and attain a large size. Early in the autumn 
when frost is approaching these are gone over and 
the leaves folded in the usual manner ; but, as the 
frost increases the plants are lifted as soon as large 
enough, placed together in large batches, and 
covered over with mats at night to protect them from 
the severe frost. Early in November I make a 
point of lifting all that are large enough, placing 
them in some deep frames on dung beds, where 
Cucumbers have been grown, taking them up with 
as much ball as possible, and putting them as close 
together as the heads will allow. In this position 
they soon draw through, owing to the latent warmth 
in the beds, whereby the he ads develop and form 
useful material to cut from. Like this we can 
readily cover them from severe frost, and keep them 
dry in wet weather ; but whenever the state of the 
weather allows we pull the lights off by day, and by 
the second week in January, we have a good supply, 
which carries us on for some little time longer. 
Where people can obtain a good stock of" Snow’s 
Winter White ” and treat it in the way described, 
a continued supply of winter Broccoli may be kept up 
till other early kinds such as " Penzance,” " Early 
White,” etc. come in.— J. C., Chard. 
-- 
MESSRS. CARTER’S CINERARIAS AND 
PRIMULAS. 
The other week we passed through the Forest Hill 
Nursery of Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn, 
London, and were about a week or ten days too 
early to see the Cinerarias at their best, and just a 
little too late for the Chinese Primulas. Neverthe¬ 
less, we got a pretty good idea of the floriferous 
character of both races of popular flowers. 
Cinerarias. 
These would now be at their best or nearly so, but 
owing to the lack of sunshine, they have come along 
slowly, and for the same reason will prolong the dis¬ 
play much longer than usual, unless we get a spell of 
bright warm weather. Cinerarias are, however, 
profitable, because durable flowers to grow for a 
winter and spring display in greenhouse or conserva¬ 
tory. Moreover, they possess a variety of rich 
shades of colour, quite distinct from most other 
classes of garden flowers at any particular period of 
the year. The shades of blue are rich and varied, 
and somfe of them are practically unique, for they 
cannot be matched exactly by any other blue we 
have seen. The self colours are the best according 
to the views of some growers ; but it must be 
admitted that the bicolors, that is, those with a 
white zone surrounded with some other colour, give 
a bright and sparkling appearance to a collection. 
Amongst the self-colours the range is from white to 
pink, rose, purple, mauve, crimson and blue, in most 
varied shades and tints. The white varieties have 
either a purple or a violet disc. The blooms also 
vary greatly in size, and the breadth of the rays. The 
plants are also very vigorous and healthy, with 
leaves sometimes of massive proportions, and branch¬ 
ing stems. 
Passing through a span-roofed house, which is ioo 
feet long, and filled from end to end, we noted a few 
of the more striking colours. Brilliant indigo blue 
with a white centre is a very taking colour, as are 
lighter sky-blue and other shades, either seifs or 
having a white centre. Again, one comes upon dark 
velvety blue-purple and other rich hues, for which it 
is difficult to find an exact definition. Anon a white 
variety with blue tips and variously spotted or varie¬ 
gated with white calls for notice. Another peculiar 
break is a purple variety blotched with white. Some 
have a double set of ray florets, as if the bloom 
were inclined to become semi-double. White sorts 
with lively sky-blue tips are conspicuous and 
effective. Chaste also is a large white flower, having 
delicate mauve tips. A blue-purple flower streaked 
with rose shows another attempt at variegation. 
Uniformly rosy-purple, blue with a narrow white 
zone, and dark purple with a white zone also call for 
attention. Dark crimson, and dark velvety blue 
seifs are amongst the richest of their colour. A sky- 
blue variety, shaded with purple and having a 
French-gray centre, serves to show practically end¬ 
less combinations of colour. In spite of the general 
absence of bright sunshine, the colours of the 
Cinerarias do not seem to have suffered in any way. 
Chinese Primulas. 
As these are grown entirely from seed they do not 
last long in perfection, because the flowers begin to 
drop a few days after they have been pollinated. 
The plants have been most floriferous, and though 
laden with young seed pods, most of them carried 
flowers while the naturally late varieties were still 
bearing a profusion of bloom. One of the darkest 
and brightest is Vermillion, the name indicating the 
colour. The new selection is superior to the old 
in this latter respect. The opening flowers of Ruby 
are pale, but they intensify as they get fully developed. 
Very bright is that named Scailet. Elaine (Fern- 
leaf) is a handsome and useful white variety which 
throws its flowers well above the red-stalked and 
beautiful foliage. It is practically a late variety. 
Magenta is a plain leaved sort. Rose Queen is a 
pleasing pink variety like Princess May, but differs 
in being dwarferand a later bloomer. Princess May 
is of a most beautiful shade of pink, and the flowers 
are amongst the largest in cultivation, the finest 
blooms being produced on plants carrying their first 
or leading truss. 
Quite of another shade of colour is Carmine 
Empress with richly-tinted flowers. On the other 
hand, Carmine is several shades paler, but otherwise 
in the same vein. Holborn Blue still maintains its 
position, though considerably improved upon the 
original. The flowers of Rose are profusely produced 
in tiers one above the other, forming a pyramidal 
mass when at its best. Imogene is something in the 
way of Princess May, but the flowers are smaller, 
much later and produced with great freedom. Its 
foliage is of the Fern-leaved type. Venus is a white 
flower, mottled with purple. Iris is a larger and 
darker blue flower than Holborn Blue above 
mentioned. The rose-purple flowers of Hercules are 
noteworthy on account of their great size. Queen is 
a pleasing white variety with light green foliage, and 
flowers very late, the plants being still laden with a 
profusion of bloom. 
Double varieties had not yet passed out of bloom, 
though some of them are decidedly early. Snow¬ 
flake would come under this definition, and is 
practically one of the first to make a display of its 
snowy white flowers so useful for cutting. Double 
Scarlet seems identical in hue with the single variety 
of that name. Next to Snowflake in point of earli¬ 
ness we may place Princess of Wales, a white sort 
of a different tint as well as habit. Vivid is a double 
red sort of rich and brilliant colouring. All of the 
above are grown in 48-sized pots, and now carrying 
an abundance of seed pods besides a considerable 
quantity of the later flowers. 
-- 
TOMATO CULTIVATION. 
Some experiments were carried out at the Agricult¬ 
ural and Horticultural Schcol, Holmes Chapel, 
during the year 1896, under the auspices of the 
Cheshire County Council, and the subjoined notes 
give the result of the trials. The Tomato ( Lycopersi- 
cum esculentum) has become such an important article 
of food, and there are so many amateur and cottage 
gardeners in the county who grow their own fruit, 
that it is thought desirable to issue the following 
report on its cultivation, and also of the different 
kinds of artificial manures used for its growth. 
Method of Cultivation. 
All of the plants were grown and fruited in pots 
10 in. in diameter, one plant in a pot. The seed was 
sown in December, 1895, and when the young plants 
were large enough to handle they were transferred 
singly to small pots, and afterwards to pots 5 in. in 
diameter. WheD well established in the latter size 
they were placed in the fruiting pots. A small 
quantity of sand and leaf mould was mixed with 
the soil used in the seed pots, and also in the small 
pots in which the plants were first placed singly, in 
order to encourage free growth by assisting the 
young and tender roots to permeate the whole body 
of soil. The soil was of a heavy and rather adhesive 
description. It was taken from a pasture field, and 
was stacked for a few months previous to using, in 
order to destroy the vitality of the grasses and other 
indigenous plants growing upon it. Nothing was 
added to the soil at the final potting, with the 
exception of a small quantity of lime rubble for 
supplying food to the plants, and to prevent the soil 
from becoming too adhesive. Pot sherds and broken 
bricks about 1 in. deep were placed in each of the 
fruiting pots to afford ample drainage ior the large, 
quantity of water required during the season of 
growth. With a view to keeping the plants sturdy 
and short-jointed, the soil at the final potting was 
made quite firm. The growth of the plants was 
restricted to one stem, by the removal of the lateral 
shoots as soon as they were perceived. 
The too common practice of removing the greater 
portion of the leaves was not followed, with beneficial 
results. 
