April IS, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
315 
“ A Cut-leaved Mustard.” 
In reference to the leader appearing in Thu Gardening 
World for January 21st, page 15, under the head of “A Cut- 
leaved Mustard,” some notes on the earlier history of Brassica 
cliiiiensis as a cultivated plant in this country may be accept¬ 
able. With regard tp the correct scientific name, it would 
seem to be a variety of Brassica cainpestris, which includes the 
Swede Turnip, the esculent Turnip and Rape. A good deal of 
difficulty surrounds the exact identification of the numerous 
forms in the genus Brassica, which is not to be wondered at 
when we consider that in it are included the chief edible plants 
belonging to the Cruciferae, such as the Cabbage, Cauliflower, 
broccoli. Borecole, Turnip, and Mustard, and all the numerous 
cultivated forms which surround them, so that Brassica cam- 
pestris var. chinensis seems to be the correct way of describing 
the plant under notice. 
The first account of this vegetable appeared in the “ Kew 
Bulletin ” for May, 1888, where it is stated that the seeds were 
first offered to the Royal Gardens in April, 1887, by a corre¬ 
spondent who had some time previously occupied an important 
position at Cliefoo, and who wrote as follows:—“ I have just 
received from Cliefoo, North China, a small packet of Shantung 
Cabbage seed, and I should like, if possible, to 
introduce this delicious Cabbage into Eng¬ 
land. It grows in the North of China, is 
Lettuce-shaped, and weighs from 5 lb. to 8 lb. 
When boiled it is nearly as good, if not quite, 
as Seakale; eaten raw in a salad it is of so 
delicate a flavour that I know of no vegetable 
in England to approach it. It is an autumn 
Cabbage, should be planted about 18 in. apart, 
thrives best with moisture, and in Shantung 
is well watered every day ; there the seed is 
sown in June. When nearly full grown, it 
should be tied round so as to give it a good 
white heart. If it can be acclimatised in this 
country it will be a great addition to our 
vegetables.” 
The seeds were sown at Kew “ in a heated 
pit on May 3rd, and in about a fortnight all 
had germinated. They were pricked off into 
boxes, and, when large enough, transferred to 
pots. They were kept in a cold frame until 
the beginning of June, when they were planted 
out in beds of rich soil about 18 in. apart in 
the rows, and the same distance from row to 
row. About the middle of July the plants 
were tied up in the same way as Cos Lettuce, 
and when well filled and blanched were cut 
for use. They were pronounced excellent. It 
is possible that this Chinese Cabbage may prove a. useful addi¬ 
tion to English gardens.” 
Our own experience of English-grown plants of the Shantung 
Cabbage is that it is an excellent vegetable, but its cool, crisp 
nature is a strong recommendation for salad purposes, for 
which it is perhaps more suited than as a cooked vegetable. 
Valuable as the plant seemed to be when firtet introduced, 
and the possibilities of its still further improvement by cul¬ 
tivation being great, it is strange that it has not become more 
generally known and used. The introduction of a new variety 
may be the means of effecting this. John R. Jackson. 
Claremont, Lympstone, Devon. 
Rival tor the Shamrock in Montreal. —Hitherto the wear¬ 
ing of the green was very fashionable in the above Canadian 
town, where one of the papers says that the Shamrock grows 
as big as Clover. If our contemporary had said it could not 
grow smaller than Clover he might have been equallv witty. 
Now we are told that a green Carnation has been selling for 
15 cents each, and as these are likely to gain in popularity 
they will acquire more prominence than the Shamrock. V e 
doubt, however, that the Carnation can b? made green merely 
by sprinkling it with Paris Green. 
Obituary. 
Mr. William Paul. 
On the last day of March there passed away at Waltham 
Cross, Herts, in the person of Mr. William Paul one -of the most 
noted horticulturists of the times in his eighty-third year. 
Gardening will lie the poorer for his loss, and though the work 
which he commenced and carried on for so many years will still 
be continued, the loss of the master hand often leaves some¬ 
thing to be desired. In any case, the personal loss to his many 
friends far and near will be irreparable. For the last ten 
years or so we had seen little of Mr. Paul at public and other 
meetings in London, but while he was still in his vigour of 
manhood lie was a frequent visitor to the flower-shows about 
London and other meetings where gardeners were gathered 
together. Previous to his death he had been ailing and con¬ 
fined to bed, but that is scarcely surprising considering the 
weight of more than four-score years. 
During his long and active life he had been most enei-getic- 
ally engaged in horticulture, and that long period enabled him 
to come in contact with a wide circle of horticulturists. Even 
at an early period of his career the celebrated landscape gar¬ 
dener and writer of books, J. C. Loudon, discovered a man of 
parts in Mr. Paul, and gave him some considerable encourage¬ 
ment in his career. 
The chief feature of horticulture for which he will be re¬ 
membered was as a rosarium From a very early period of his 
life hertook an interest in Roses when the present popularity 
of the Rose was scarcely agitating the minds of cultivators to 
a greater extent than that of the ordinary occupants of the 
garden. Besides carrying out practical horticulture with 
applied science, he also did something to the literature of the 
garden, for which he will also be gratefullv remembered. In 
1818 he published “The Rose Garden,” which is now a book 
of ancient standing compared with the numerous volumes 
written upon the favourite flower in more recent times. In 
that work he described thirty-eight groups of Roses, such as 
the Boursault, the Scotch, Damask, Provence, Ayrshire, the 
Evergreen, Monthly, China and Musk Roses. It will be seen 
that most of these terms are still well understood as applied 
to groups of garden Roses. At least nineteen groups men¬ 
tioned in that work are still represented in gardens at the 
present day. Several groups have since been originated, at 
which one can feel no surprise considering the popularity which 
the Rose has attained during the last two decades. 
The Shantung Cabbage (Brassica cajipestris chinensis) 
