August  22,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
169 
ESTABIilSHED  1832. 
NO  CONNECTION  "WITH  ANY  OTHER  FIRM  OF 
THE  SAME  NAME. 
&  Son’s 
CATALOGUE  for  1896 
OF 
DUTCH, 
CAPE,  &  EXOTIC 
BULBS 
(With  OULTUSAL  DIKEOTIOHS), 
Is  NOW  READY,  and  will  be  sent  Post  Free  on 
application  to  themselves  direct  at  OVERVEEN, 
near  HAARLEM,  HOLLAND,  or  to  their  General 
Agents— 
Messrs.  MERTENS  &  CO., 
3,  CROSS  LANE,  LONDON,  E.C. 
THE  NEW 
EARLY  STRAWBERRY 
For  1833, 
“STEVENS’  WONDER,” 
Now  Ready  for  Distribution. 
Everyone  should  secure  this  Grand  Early  Variety. 
IN  POTS . £5  per  100,  15/-  per  doz, 
STRONG  RUNNERS  £3  „  „  9/-  „  „ 
All  other  leading  varietie?  Now  Ready  for  delivery.  See  Special 
List,  free  on  application. 
WM.  CUTBUSH  &P  SON 
HIGHGATE  NURSERIES,  LONDON,  N. 
JOHNSON’SiMMoviFMUSHROOM 
Being  one  of  the  largest  Manufac¬ 
turers  of  MUSHROOM  SPAWN, 
and  keeping  over  100  cows  from 
which  I  obtain  a  large  quantity  of 
pure  virgin  spawn,  I  am  in  a  posi¬ 
tion  to  offer  the  best  obtainable  at 
3s.  per  bushel. 
Special  Prices  for  Large  Quanliiies 
and  the  Trade. 
HANGER  HILL, EALING 
I.AXTONS’ 
STRAWBERRIES 
Including  the  two  grand  new  and  indispensable 
varieties. 
MONARCH  AKD  LEADER 
All  the  best  older  varieties  in  strong  open  ground,  runners 
or  pot  plants. 
STRAWBERRIES  in  60-pots  are  grand. 
Send  to  head  quarters  for  your  supplies.  Plants  grown 
specially  for  runners. 
LAXTONS’  ROYAL  SOVEREIGN. 
Should  be  procured  direct  from  the  raisers. 
Purrs’  i  Op®*!  ground  runners  . .  . .  20/-  per  100 ;  4/-  per  doz. 
1  In  pots  . 27/6  „  6/-  „ 
FULL  DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE  GRATIS. 
LAXTON  BROS.,  BEDFORD 
ALPINES, 
HERBACEOUS,  BULBS, 
And  all  other  Hardy  Perennial  Garden  Plants. 
For  CATALOGUES,  including  current  SPECIAL  OFFERS  of 
JAPANESE  LILIES,  and  Species  of  TULIPS, 
Address  MANAGER,  GUILDFORD  HARDY  PLANT 
NTJRSERT,  MILLMEAD,  GUILDFORD. 
STRAWBERRY  RUNNERS 
I  P«r  O  TS. 
Fine  well-established  Plants  in  Pots  of  all  the  leading  varieties, 
12s.  6d.  per  100. 
H.  LANE  &  SON,  Nurseries,  BEEKHAMSTEAD,  HERTS. 
CUTHBERT’S  BULBS 
FOR  EARLY  FORCING. 
Roman  Hyacinths,  Freesias,  Narcissus,  Tulips,  &c. 
Descriptive  Priced  Catalogue,  now  ready,  free  on  application. 
R.  &  G.  CUTHBERT  ,  and  Glowers,  SOUTHGATE,  N. 
ORCHIDS. 
CLEAN  HEALTHY  PLANTS  AT  LOW  PRICES. 
Always  worth  a  visit  of  inspection.  Kindly  send  for  Catalogue. 
Exotic  Nurseries,  CHELTENHAM. 
FRUIT  TREES-A  SPECIALITY. 
STRAWBERRIES! 
PnVSI  the  best  strawberry  grown. 
AUlilL  OC  Y CluLlUlT.  Special  quotations  for  quantities. 
Also  COMPETITOR  No.  1,  and  best  of  Laxton’s  and  Allan’s 
New  Varieties.  All  the  best  of  the  New  and  Old  Varieties  in 
cultivation.  Special  quotations  for  market  purposes.  j 
FEUIT  TREES  of  all  sorts  in  all  forms.  ' 
Pomona  Farm  Nurseries,  WITHINGTON,  HEitEFOED. 
NEW  BULB  CATALOGUE  a  11895, 
NOW  READY,  POST  FREE  ON  APPLICATION.  ' 
WM.  CLIBHAlSr  &  SON 
Have  received  tbeir  Importations  of  SPECIALLY  SELECTED  BULBS  of 
EARLY  WHITE  ROMAN  HYACINTHS,  PAPER-WHITE  NARCISSUS, 
And  other  Bulbs  for  Early  Forcing,  in  SPLENDID  CONDITION,  &  SOLICIT  IMMEDIATE  ORDERS. 
10  &.  12,  MARKET  ST.,  MANCHESTER,  also  at  Altrincham,  Llandudno  Junction,  &c. 
No.  791.— YOL.  XXXI.,  THIRD  SERIES. 
LESSONS  BY  THE  WAY. 
A  Few  Days  in  Kent. 
Kent  is  a  beautitul  county  and  frnitfal. 
Judging  it  by  what  may  be  termed  railway 
glances  as  we  speed  along  between  its  many  hills 
and  look  down  on  its  pleasant  dales,  the  soil 
would  appear  fertile,  and,  generally  speaking,  its 
management  good.  Possibly  the  county  may 
have  been  seen  at  its  best  at  the  beginning  of  the 
present  month,  when  the  pastures  were  of  the 
brightest  emerald  green  after  the  refreshing 
rains,  and  with  flocks  and  herds  in  them  looking 
sleek  and  happy ;  when  the  Hop  gardens,  dark 
and  dense  in  the  mass,  were  studded  with 
myriads  of  pale  nodding  tassels,  stretching  across 
to  meet  each  other  from  pole  to  pole  ;  when  the 
fields  of  grain  on  the  “  heights  ”  or  plateaux  near 
the  rugged  coast  were  still  uncut  and  mostly 
bountifully  filled  ;  and  when  in  the  lower  levels, 
or  unlevels  inland,  Damsons  were  purpling  in 
profusion,  and  the  larger  fruits  glistening  in 
bolder  beauty  and  characteristic  tints,  on  in¬ 
numerable  trees. 
Whatever  may  be  the  case  in  districts  out  of 
sight  there  were  few  outward  and  visible  signs 
of  a  decaying  country  or  a  moribund  industry 
within  the  line  of  vision.  No,  “  agriculture,”  as 
represented  in  its  various  phases,  and  by  the 
cultivation  of  varied  crops,  does  not  seem  to  be 
dying  in  those  fertile  slopes  of  Kent  where  men 
do  their  duty  to  “old  Mother  Earth;”  but,  on 
the  contrary,  the  ancient  art  appears  very  much 
alive,  and  as  if  far  more  likely  to  improve  than 
to  degenerate  in  the  future.  There  are  evidently 
men  of  enterprise,  means,  and  skill,  who  seem 
determined  to  “  live  ”  in  one  way  or  another 
“  on  the  land,”  and  what  is  also  encouraging,  a 
great  desire  for  information  bearing  on  the  art 
of  ioil  cultivation.  This  is  also  being  provided 
in  diverse  ways  and  to  an  important  extent 
through  the  agency  of  a  new  centre  of  light — the 
South-Eastern  Agricultural  College  at  Wye. 
With  science  and  practice  going  hand  in  hand 
spreading  knowledge  among  an  inquiring  people 
there  is  no  just  cause  to  despair  of  the  future, 
but  every  reason  to  look  forward  with  confi¬ 
dence,  not  in  Kent  only,  but  in  other  counties  in 
which  a  similar  spirit  prevails  and  the  best 
means  are  forthcoming  of  a  sound  educational 
character  specially  appropriate  to  localities  and 
the  needs  of  the  times.  Let  us  look  a  little  more 
NO.  2447.— VOL.  XCIII.,  Old  Series. 
