654 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 13, 1904. 
t-icularly taken with the new crested strain of tuberous Be¬ 
gonias. The flowers, in this instance, were equally good in 
farm as the better-known types, and were fringed, crested o>r 
bearded in a variety of ways, giving the flowers sometimes a 
very remarkable appearance. They included well-defined 
scarlet, yellow, apricot, primrose and pink, pink and rose, and 
white varieties, making a very interesting strain indeed. 
The next house contained Adiantum curieatum and A. c. 
gracillknum, grown for the sake of their foliage, the latter 
being very plentiful in the house. A large batch of Begonia 
Gloire de Lorraine was already well advanced in growth. 
Several houses were devoted to' the cultivation of Webb’s grand 
strain of Excelsior Gloxinias', which have seen service at several 
shows in various parts of the country. This year is certainly 
against a heavy harvest of seed, owing 1 to many of the flowers 
being spoiled; nevertheless, the earlier batches were well 
advanced in the production of seied pods. Self and spotted 
varieties are well represented, and amongst them we noted a 
particularly handsome flower of a rich crimson and very strik¬ 
ingly netted at the base of the segments. There is now no 
need for growing bad Gloxinias, since so great a, variety of 
remarkably fine bloom® is to be had. 
There is only a small extent of land at Wordsley unoccupied 
bv houses, but what land there is outride is chiefly occupied 
with a collection, of hardy herbaceous plants 1 , amongst which 
the autumn-flowering Phloxes, Gaillardias and Achillea filipen- 
dulina were very conspicuous. 
Kinver. 
With such an extent of ground to get over at Kinver and 
the numerous trials to be inspected, it was necessary that the 
party should hasten off there, and all were driven in, carnages 
to the scene of the trials. The Kinver farms are only used for 
the production of .stock seed and for the purpose of raising new 
varieties by cross-fertilisation! and selection. The varieties 
raised by the firm are here tested alongside of existing and 
standard ones from various sources. In connection with these 
trials, there are innumerable plots of different vegetable®, 
flowers, Potato® and other crop®, growing side by side, the 
object being to determine the best variety or type of each class 
grown 
We may here state that the grand aggregate of land used 
for seed-growing purposes is about 20,000 acres, distributed 
through the' counties' of Kent, Essex, Lincoln and Cambridge. 
In speaking of agricultural matters, it uiay be interesting to 
know tha't there are fifty-three trials of Wheat, thirty-seven of 
Barley, and eiglity-four of Oat®. The 'horticultural trials,, 
although nob occupying such an extensive area of ground, 
nevertheless include even, a, greater number of varieties 1 . I 1 or 
instance, there are 158 trials of Peas, of which Messrs. Webb 
make a speciality, having raised several of excellent quality. 
Bean® number forty-eight trials, Cabbage® forty-two, Onions 
fifty-siix, Cauliflower and Broccoli sixty-three, Carrots thirty- 
nine, Lettuce twenty-five. Of farm roots, there are fifty-four 
trials of Mangolds and forty of Swedes and Turnips. Upwards 
of eighty different varieties: or trials' of Potato® are being 
grown, including several seedling® -of great promise. 
On arriving at. the 'trial grounds', an inspection was com¬ 
menced of the numerous florists flowers, including PI ilexes, 
Delphiniums and Hollyhock®. All of these- are grown frog 
seed, and we were- very much into rested in Webb s prize Holly¬ 
hocks, which formed a line -of tall plants 'along one side of the 
trial grounds'. Although these Hollyhocks are double, they 
are raised from seeds, and the strain is maintained at a high 
standard of quality by repeated selection and sowing seed from 
tb© very best varieties!. By this method the finei, double, 
named varieties of the florist cannot be secured, but for de¬ 
corative purposes we' cannot imagine a more certain- way of 
keeping the plants ini a robust condition, thereby warding off 
disease to a great extent, and in most, years no disease! may be 
seen amongst them. The fine, open situation ensures a breeze 
amongst, them, and an abundance of light at all times, so that 
if Hollyhocks can be grown free from disease at all, it would 
be in such a, situation asi this. 
Carnations are also grown from seed and selected in the 
same way. A sowing made in 1902, and the best varieties 
selected .and layered last year, now form a very extensive plan¬ 
tation iii' which numerous flowers- of a very liigli order of 
merit could be picked out, including se-lfs, as well as yellow 
ground fancy and white ground fancy Carnations. 
Very handsome wa® a, heavy scarlet flake on a pale yellow 
ground, making what would be termed a fancy variety of rich 
colouring. We also noted yellow, pink, white, scarlet, crimson, 
rose and flaked varieties in great profusion, the colours not 
being separated, but. in. even mixture all over the ground. 
Amongst thei annuals a great variety of subjects may be 
noted, including a pretty blue variety of Woodruff named 
Asperula a z urea sefcosa. The long spell of dry weather was 
exceedingly favourable to some classes -of plants, while it was 
unfavourable to others. Tire Torn Thumb- Nasturtiums seemed 
to enjoy it,- for the trials are simply a mass of colour, much 
more so than on thei occasion of our last visit. King o-f Tom 
Thumb, with brilliant scarlet flowers and dark green leaves, is 
an indispensable variety to all who desire-- to grow this class 
of plants'. The same might be said of Cloth, of Cold, which 
wa® simply a mas® of golden yellow. A very distinct variety 
is that named Tom Thumb Rose, the flowers of which are 
scarlet, or something closely approaching it a-t first and chang¬ 
ing to rose. Of the lighter colours, very handsome was 
Aurora, with apricot flowers, changing to salmon, overlying a 
yellow ground. Empress of India may be compared to King 
of Tom Thumb by reason of its dark flowers'and dark, glaucous 
green foliage. Webb’s new Meteor is a- novelty with beautiful 
scarlet flowers. Almost every variety has flowered splendidly 
this year. 
The Clarkias have also flowered splendidly, and are moderate 
in, height. The varieties of C. pulchella are -always dwarf by 
comparison, with other species, and amongst them we noted the 
rose, white, and double variety, all having deeply-lobed petal?. 
C. elegans, C. e. rosea, and C. e. rosea flore pleno are at present 
about 18 in. high and flower with the profusion of which they 
are capable. We were particularly taken, with Webb’s New 
Double Salmon, now being put- into commerce. The flowers 
are very beautiful, being a distinct salmon, fading to a paler 
hue at the edges, and quite double. 
The annual Candytufts are chiefly confined to varieties of 
Iberia umbellata and I. amara, the latter being white. In 
the first named, there isi a, greater amount of variation in the 
matter of colour, and beside® the old favourites, Messrs. Webb 
offer two new varieties. That named Coronet has flowers of a 
beautiful shade if rose, produced on plants 12 in. high. Those 
who desire a dwarf-growing variety for edgings will find a very 
suitable one in Midget, which forms branching tufts only 6 in. 
high and covered with trusses of snow-white flowers. All of 
these are now in the height of their beauty, and will continue 
so for some-time. 
The dry weather had been rather severe on the Mignonette, 
but the advent of rain has helped it considerably. . The 
varieties under cultivation! are -extensive, but a- very distinct 
one is Red King, a new variety, heavily tinted with reddish- 
buff. A novelty is Webb’s- New Forcing, a, very compact grow¬ 
ing variety, well suited for pot culture. Webbs New Leviathan 
is-regarded as thei giant of its race, producing massive spikes ot 
red flowers with numerous petals, and described as double. 
All these are very sweetly scented. 
Other annua-lsi are plentiful, including Malope-trifida grandi- 
flora-, Eschscholtzia ealifornica, in considerable' variety, Webb s 
new Buttercup Eischscholt-zia, Codettas, and Lupines albe-cw 
cineus nanus. The last-named is a. very free flowering Lupin 
12 in. to 15 in. high, with white flowers', changing to rose on 
the standard, and very suitable' for bedding purposes'. Gypso- 
phylla elegans and G. e. rosea are two varieties with white ana 
rose flowers respectively. French and African Mangolds ai 
Ten Weeks' Stocks are just now commencing to bloom. > 
former will flower splendidly presently, as the dry verity 
been favourable to stocky growth. Stocks and Asters 
had a severe struggle with the dry weather m tins lofty s 
