September 23, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
59 
are on the right road, and as my employer as well as 
myself are anxious that others shall benefit by our 
experience, I may be pardoned for mentioning our 
treatment here. 
Naturally, we have sown the seed on all kinds of 
pots and in all kinds of positions ; on plants on the 
stage, and on the ones suspended near the glass, and 
it is on those so suspended that we now have the 
tiny seedlings, just discernible with the naked eye. 
The seeds have only been sown about four months, 
showing that under favourable conditions they are 
not long in germinating. It would seem, then, from 
the foregoing that seed sown on plants on the stage 
get too much water, and are either washed entirely 
away, or are washed so deep down in the compost 
that they cannot live. 
With suspended plants the air plays about them, 
and they naturally dry up much quicker. The moss, 
too, is shorter in growth, and does not therefore 
smother the little seedlings. 
We sincerely hope that those who have not tried 
their hand at raising seedlings will do so, for we have 
proved that it is possible to do by a little persever¬ 
ance.—S. C. 
NOVELTIES AND NEW STRAINS. 
Messrs. Webbs’ Trial Grounds. 
Nothing can possibly be more gratifying to the 
senses than to be allowed to wander among the 
flowers in the extensive trial grounds of any of our 
leading seedsmen during midsummer, there to revel 
in the luxury of delicious odours and the lovely tints 
of rich and rare plant blooms. Such were my 
thoughts when gladly accepting an invitation to 
visit Kinver. 
I entered the animated art museum of Messrs. 
Webb & Sons, the Royal Seedsmen, of Wordsley— 
a museum truly of horticultural rarities, many of 
them new creations for garden, pleasure ground, and 
farm alike, and so spacious as to cover a stretch of 
country over nearly a thousand acres, all devoted to 
artistic and scientific plant culture. Transformations 
of the most marvellous nature here take place, cereals 
by the agency of chemical manures being made to 
yield most magnificent crops, which also prove that 
cross-fertilisation and high selection are carefully 
attended to. Root and *' green " crops are likewise 
meritorious. The Messrs. Webb have extensive 
chemical manure works in Lancashire, their 
plant foods are of a high quality, and are sold in 
small no less than in large quantities. 
When I visited Kinver it was about the middle of 
July, when Sweet Peas were at their best. I shall 
never forget the dazzling brightness of their varied 
splendours as seen there. To assert that they were 
beautiful gives but faint idea of the impressions 
excited. Messrs. Webb have brought out a highly 
selected strain, the bloomings of which are not only 
magnificent but profuse in varied unfoldings of 
colour of every hue known. Carnations were also 
pre-eminently noticeable. Finer or more interesting 
varieties could scarcely be found than in those of 
Webbs’ New Imperial strain. The hand of the ex¬ 
pert has been busy selecting and crossing, and there 
was also to be seen the latest novelty in Carnations, 
this being Webbs' New Perpetual Bouquet. The 
strain is almost perpetual in blooming, and certainly 
highly attractive by the great variety of colours, and 
the remarkably fine blooms. 
The Candytufts, too, were exquisitely chaste and 
bright. Webbs’ new Pink Pearl variety would be 
difficult to surpass anywhere. Stocks and Asters 
were well sustained in Webbs’ new May Queen and 
Crystal White Stocks, and Webbs' new bedding and 
new Snowflake Asters, which were in perfection. 
Ere proceeding further I would call attention to 
the glass department, which is of extensive dimen¬ 
sions. Additional houses have been recently erected 
to meet the increasing demands for good stocks of 
seed of such popular flowers as Gloxinias, Begonias, 
Primulas, Cinerarias, and Calceolarias. At the 
time of my visit the three latter named were seeding 
and being harvested in bulk. It is an interesting 
process, demanding scrupulous care. Each variety 
is kept true, and high selection is made, so that only 
the best seed is kept for supplies. 
Webbs Excelsior Gloxinia occupied two or three 
houses, the earlier plants of which were bearing 
seeds. This year's seedlings were remarkably 
vigorous, throwing up strong, full-sized and well¬ 
shaped flowers in all their diversity of colour. The 
Begonias, both double and single, were to be seen in 
all stages of growth, but each was strong and sturdy, 
having abundant foliage with flowers to correspond. 
The collection of this deservedly popular flower was 
very fine indeed. 
In other houses there were Cucumbers, Melons, 
Tomatos, &c., all for seed purposes, and for testing 
new kinds before sending them out. Scrupulous 
attention to this latter duty, in horticulture 
generally, is the key-note of Messrs. Webb & Sons’ 
success. 
Too much space would be occupied by an attempt 
to enumerate all the productions under glass. 
Each season brings with it tests and trials of all 
bulbous plants such as Liliums, Tuberoses, 
Hyapinths, &c. These in turn give place to others, 
including some of those enumerated above, 
together with a promising batch of Cyclamens, of 
Messrs. Webbs' finest strain, which should be worth 
seeing when in flower. Everything appears to be 
done thoroughly, and in keeping with the reputation 
of this firm. Ere quitting the glasshouses, how¬ 
ever, I must give a note to a few of the choicest 
varieties of Tomatos. I saw there Webb’s Regina 
taking the palm, as I was prepared to find, by seeing 
it previously on show stands. But there were also 
splendid varieties in Chancel'or, Sensation, and 
Viceroy. Webbs’ New Sovereign, among the golden- 
yellows, was also a novelty, the fruit being remark¬ 
ably fine and shapely, and attractive in colour. 
Returning to the open air, the new hybrid Del¬ 
phiniums attracted my attention. Webbs' Giant 
Mignonette is a well-known speciality, but the 
Kinver Dwarfs were more profusely in bloom on the 
occasion of my visit. Other floral gems which are 
grown there are Exhibition and Superlative Double 
Zinnias, the White Swan, New Favourite, and 
Rosette Poppies, all recently, brought out. Webbs’ 
Eclipse Gaillardia appears to have become exceed¬ 
ingly popular. 
Vegetables, created and perfected at Kinver, are 
worthy of study. The Main Crop Potato (Webb) 
was tried last year in competition with other good 
sorts, and none were found superior. This is a 
broad statement to make, considering the claims put 
in for several other varieties, but statements made 
by practical men thoroughly substantiated. The 
firm has always been famous for its Onions, but 
Kinver takes "Excelsior” for its motto, so one of 
the rarest specimens of the Banbury tribe has 
recently been crossed with Ailsa Craig with a capital 
result. Their Emperor Cabbage has proved a first- 
rate early market Cabbage, and hearts well. Mr. 
John Wright, of Prestonpans, a very large grower, 
remarked that he could sell all he grew at a much 
higher price in Edinburgh aud Glasgow markets 
than aoy other kind grown by him. 
Of Peas there are so many good sorts at Kinver 
that it is difficult to make a selection, For very 
early bearing Webbs’ Little Marvel, brought out 
this year for the first time, is likely to become ex¬ 
ceedingly popular, while Stourbridge Marrow still 
holds its own as one of the best second early Peas. 
For the general crop Webbs’ new Talisman has 
recently been in great request, but not more so than 
the new Senator, a highly successful cross of Prince 
of Wales and Culverwell’s Giant Marrow, likely to 
prove the Pea of the future, the haulms being mar¬ 
vellously covered with pods, so that scarcely any 
leaves can be seen. But there are still newer crea¬ 
tions in Astronomer and Masterpiece, both equally 
prolific in bearing, and yielding remarkably fine 
pods. There are also about twenty new sorts being 
submitted to rigorous high selection, which, if they 
do not respond thoroughly to expectation, will never 
be brought out; but some of them are likely to be of 
value. Messrs. Webb have provided an admirable 
Turnip for table purposes in Prizewinner, which, 
according to its numerous winnings, appears truly 
named. 
Of course I do not profess to give a full account 
of Kinver. I can only mention the novelties and 
newest creations. Webbs’ new dwarf French Bean 
called Harbinger, only first brought out this year, 
is very prolific,and yields lengthy pods of high quality, 
and the Kinver new Runner Bean Eclipse, appears to 
be a great improvement on most of its kind. In 
Broccoli, Mont Blanc is claimed to be a good early 
variety. Cauliflower also shares in the advance, 
and in the new variety, Peerless, we have a good 
thing, coming in for consumption between first 
early and late varieties. The New Prizewinner 
Carrot is also amoDg the novelties, and is of large 
size and symmetrical shape. Still, for ultility there 
is perhaps nothing to surpass Webbs’ Market 
Favourite Carrot. Lettuces, Radishes, Leeks, 
Beet, Parsley, and many other kinds of kitchen vege¬ 
tables are all under selection and trial. In fact, the 
Messrs. Webb appear to have taken them all in 
hand, subjecting them to the arts of cross-fertilisa¬ 
tion and persistent high selection, so that their most 
valuable capabilities of excellence may become 
thoroughly developed.— J. D. 
Hardening |Jiscellany. 
EULALIA JAPONICA ZEBRINA. 
There is yet a need for hardy, tall, variegated 
Grasses. The above is a beautiful striped Eulalia, 
very suitable for a deep loamy soil on the edge of a 
cool-shaded belting of low shrubland, or by the 
margin of a river’s bank. Messrs. Cheal & Sons had 
fine plants on view at the Drill Hall on August 15th. 
CAMPANULA ISOPHYLLA MAYI. 
On two occasions has Mr. H. B. May shown this 
new variety of Campanula isophylla (that bright 
Blue Bellflower seen so frequently in cottage 
gardens) at the Drill Hall meetings. Some are of 
the opinion that it is identical with or may soon 
revert to the typical species. But the plant is 
perfectly distinct. The blue of the flowers is a 
whiter, calmer blue, and the downy foliage is far 
more gray than the smooth green foliage of the 
parent form. It is one of the finest of this year's 
greenhouse plants. Nice serviceable plants can be 
had in five or six months from the cutting stage. 
LATHYRUS LAT1FOLIUS WITH STRIPED 
FLOWERS. 
For many years the ordinary rosy-purple form of 
L. latifolius and a white variety were well known in 
gardens, and appreciated by many. Last year a 
much larger flowered white variety made its appear¬ 
ance. It seems that the species is capable of a con¬ 
siderable amount of variation so that it is only 
necessary for some interested or enthusiastic culti¬ 
vator to take the plant in hand in earnest to produce 
or raise many varieties of real merit, as has been 
done in the case of the Sweet Pea. The ordinary 
two forms of this Everlasting Pea have been growing 
for some years amongst the shrubbery at Falkland 
Park, South Norwood Hill. Many spontaneous seed¬ 
lings have turned up, and most of them have white 
flowers more or less striped or flaked with purple. 
Whether these have arisen as seedling variations or by 
the inter-crossing of the rose and the white states it 
would be difficult to say. If we suppose the latter 
hypothesis then we are confronted with the fact that 
the flowers of the Sweet Pea are self-fertilising, and 
may be so in this case. It is possible, however, that 
an occasional cross in either case doas take place 
when circumstances favour it. In any case culti¬ 
vators might take the Everlasting Pea in hand. 
niCENTRA EXIMIA. 
For a beautiful rock plant, dwarfer and smaller than 
Dielytra spectablis, but otherwise much resembling 
it inform, colour, habit, and grace, this Dicentra or 
Bleeding-heart, stands out vividly. It is one of those 
plants whose characters linger with one. A half 
shaded part of the rockery in a free root space, or for 
naturalising in wooded retreats, how very fine a 
plant it is. 
EQUISETUMS. 
Among native plants of grace and novelty of habit, 
the Horsetails take a leading place. I like to see 
them in big stretches, spreading upon the bog-lands 
or in peaty or humic hollows. When looked into 
closely, their beautiful structure, because of its exact¬ 
itude and slenderness, makes them all the more to be 
regarded. For recesses in low- 1 ) ing rockeries where 
moisture is plentiful, the giant Horsetail, E. maxi¬ 
mum, should be liberally grown. For usiDg among 
Sweet Peas and small flowers in vases no foliage is 
so adaptable. E. sylvestris, the wood Horsetail, can 
also be naturalised in shady parts. 
