95 
February  8,  1898.  JOURN'AL  OR  HOBTIOULTURE  AND  COTTAGE 
CHOICE  FLOWER  SEEDS. 
Barr’s  “Prize  Strain’’  Single  Begonia. — 
Saved  from  the  finest  colours  and  best  formed  fiowers. 
Per  packet,  1,6,  2/6,  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  “Prize  Strain’’  Double  Begonias. — 
Saved  from  the  highest  quality  flowers.  Per  packet, 
2/6  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  Magnificent  “  First  Prize  ”  Calceolaria. 
Save<l  from  the  finest  selected  flowei's  and  richest 
colours.  Per  packet,  2/6  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  Extra  Choice  Mixture  Carnations. — 
Saved  from  the  finest  double  flowers  of  the  highest  class 
Caniations  and  Picotees.  Per  packet,  2/6. 
Barr’s  “First  Prize”  Cineraria.  —  A  select, 
comparatively  dwarf  stmin,  saved  from  largest  flowers 
of  finest  form  and  best  distinct  colours.  Per  packet, 
2/6  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  Superb  Mixture  Gloxinia. — Saved  from 
the  finest  sorts.  Per  packet,  1/6,  2/6,  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  “  Covent  Garden  ’’  Choicest  Strain 
Primula  — A  very  select  strain,  flowers  of  the  finest 
colours,  and  of  good  substance.  Per  pircket,  1/6  and  2/6. 
Barr’s  Seed  Guide  contains  a  Select  List  of  the 
best  Vegetable  Seeds  and  most  beautiful  Flower  Seeds. 
It  is  full  of  Practical  Hints,  and  will  be  found  of  great 
value  to  Gardenei’s,  Amateurs,  and  Exhibitors.  Sent 
Free  on  .iipplic.vtion. 
BARR.  SOWS 
12  &  13  KING  ST.,  COVENT  GlRDEN,  LONDON 
For  1898. 
ROYAL  JUBILEE. 
A  new  Green-fleshed  Seedling  Melon,  raised 
at  the  Royal  Gardens,  Frogniore,  by  ]Mr.  Owen 
Thomas,  Gardener  to  Her  Majesty  the  Queen. 
This  magnificent  new  ^lelon  is  worthy  of  its 
origin  and  its  associations.  Fruits  large,  hand¬ 
somely  netted,  possessing  deep  rich  green  flesh 
of  the  most  superb  flavour.  The  plant  is  robust 
in  constitution,  and  sets  freely. 
Per  Packet,  2  6  and  3  6,  Post  Free. 
GENUINE  ONLY  DIRECT  FROM 
SUTTON  &  SONS,  READING. 
NOVELTIES  AND  SPECIALITIES 
—  IN  — 
For  1898,  Post  Free. 
French  Be.\n,  F..\ui,iest  of  Ali, 
Tomato,  w.\HKioR 
Primci.a,  Snowbai.i . 
,,  MaC.NX'M  HONTM 
AQiJii,Er,i;V.  hyurida 
AsPAR.AUCS  DEFI.EXCS  .. 
Clerodenpron  fali.ax 
Calla  F.i.liottiaxa 
OEI.SIA  CRETtCA . 
GaILI.ARIUA  MAXIMA 
per  pint 
perpkt. 
.  .per  pkt.  3  6  ami 
, ,  3/6  and 
per  pkt. 
AQlIlLE(iIA  HYURIDA . 
Gloxinia,  Williams’  Scperr  Scarlet  . 
Carnation,  /Marccerite,  Fcke  White. 
I.AVATERA  ROSEA  SPLENDENS . 
Wallflower,  New  annual . 
,,  Kunv  Gem . 
G.  F.  Wilson’s  Blue  I’RiMROSEs  .. 
Sweet  Pea,  Pink  Cupid  . 
RUDDECKIA  IIU'OI.ORSUPERI’.A 
Sweet  1’eas,  Kckkord’s  Newest  Vars.  . 
Stock,  Crimson  Gem . 
Zinnia,  Gkiantea,  fl.-pi . 
,,  Pompon,  fl.-pl . 
a.  d. 
1  6 
1  6 
.<)  0 
f)  0 
1  6 
2  6 
2  6 
2  6 
1  0 
1  0 
1  6 
2  6 
1  6 
1  6 
0  6 
1  0 
1  0 
1  6 
1  0 
1  0 
0  6 
1  0 
1  6 
1  0 
ILLUSTRATED  SEED  CATALOGUE. 
VICTORIA  AND  PARADISE  NURSERIES, 
UPPER  HOLLOWAY,  LONDON,  N 
TC.  STKVF.XS’  lIOKTirUI/rrit  AL, 
•  SC!  F  NT  I  FIG,  ami  NATFUAI,  HISTOHV  SALK 
ROO.M.S,  38,  icing  Street,  Covent  Garden,  l.ondon. 
Katalilished  17»!!>.  Sales  by  Auction  nearly  every  day. 
Catalogues  on  application  or  post  free. 
No.  DID.— VoL.  XKXVI.,  Tuiuu  Series. 
Dutch  BULBS.-J.  J.  THOOLEN,  Bulb  and 
Plant  Grower,  OVERVEEN,  near  HAARLEM, 
HGLLANI),  has  the  honour  to  inform  that  his  Illustrated 
Price  List  in  English,  Spring,  1898.  is  ready,  and  will  be 
sent  free  on  application.  No  charges  for  packing.  Orders 
of  10  -  and  above  entirely  free  to  destinations  in  England, 
Scotland,  and  Ireland,  Ac.  Lowest  prices ;  fii-st  quality 
guaranteed. 
Leeks  i  pansies  i  dahlias  i  —  new 
LEEK,  “Excelsior,”  1/-  Per  Packet.  PANSIES, 
1  Dozen  Tip-top  Varieties,  3/6  :  2  Dozen,  6/- ;  Seed,  1/-  Per 
Packet.  NEW  BOOK  ON  THE  “PANSY,”  109pp.,  1/1. 
DAHLIAS,  Pot  Roots,  1  Dozen  Superb  Cactus  Varieties, 
4/6.  New’  .Seed  and  Plant  List  Free. 
ALEX.  LISTER  A  SON,  Florists,  ROTHESAY. 
Choice  new  chrysanthemums.— Yeiiow 
Carnot,  Western  King,  Mrs.  S.  C.  Probin,  ^Irs. 
G.  W.  Palmer,  and  many  other  grand  novelties,  including 
M.  Calvat’s  varieties  of  1897,  at  moderate  prices.  Catalogue 
of  700  varieties  free.— J.  W.  COLE,  Midland  Road  Nui-sery, 
Peterborough.  _ 
T  MPORTANT  TO  /MUSHROOM  GROWERS.— 
X  CUTHBERT  S  SPECIALITE  MUSHROOM  SPAWN. 
Alwavs  alike  ;  most  productive.  Hundreds  of  Testimonials. 
Per  Bushel,  6/-.— R.  A  G.  CUTHBERT,  Seed,  Bulb,  and 
Plant  Slercliants,  Southgate,  N.  Established  1797. 
(7  CHRYSANTHEMUil  SOCIKTIES.- 
Messi-s.  W.  G.  DROVER  A  ADAMS  offer  their 
.Services  as  .TUDGES  on  Reasonable  Terms. — Nl'RSERIES, 
FAR  EHAM^ _ _ _ _ _ 
I^TING  APPARATUS.  —  /Medals  1875  and 
1881.  Cacalogue  of  Boilers,  Pipes,  and  Fittings  free. 
W.  Jones’  Treatise,  “Heating  by  Hot  Water,”  second 
edition,  216  pages,  2/6;  post  free,  2/10.— JONES  and 
ATT  WOOD,  Stourbridge.  _ _ 
PURE  MA10D  CHARCOAL,  Specially  Prepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  oj 
Horticulture :  “  Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manurial  agent ; 
each  little  piece  is  a  pantry  full  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life.  There  is  no  cultivated  plant  which  is  not  benefited  by 
having  Charcoal  applied  to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  rooted.” 
\pply  for  Pamphlet  and  Brices  to  the  Manufacturers— 
HIR.8T,  BROOKE  A  HIRST,  Ltd.,  Leeds.  _ 
Greenhouses  from  £3  8/-,  vineries, 
conservatories,  well-made  FRAMES,  painted 
or  glazed,  from  21/-.  Illustrated  Price  Lists  free.  ftlAKEK 
TO lI.M.  THE  Queen  and  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
OTTER,  HAWTHORN  & 
London  Works,  Reading 
CO.,  Manufacturers, 
(N;uue  Paper.) 
GARDENER, 
I 
Joui’iiiil  Ilf  gorticjiltiiru 
THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  3,  1898. 
THE  JOURNAL  OF  HORnCULTURE  can  he  obtained 
from  the  Office,  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  St,, 
London,  post  free  for  a  Quarter,  3/9.  Editorial 
communications  must  be  addressed  to  8,  Rose 
Hill  Rd.,  Wandsworth,  S.W. 
THE  BLACK  CURRANT. 
ONE  of  the  most  useful  of  our  “  bush  fruits  ”  at 
the  present  time  is  the  Black  Currant,  and 
though  it  cannot  he  compared  with  its  relative 
the  Gooseberry  in  one  respect — namely,  the  length 
of  the  season  during  which  its  fruit  is  obtainable 
and  saleable,  yet  it  is  extremely  productive,  and 
lirs  hitherto  been  regarded  as  more  reliable,  owing 
to  its  hardiness  and  comparative  immunity  from 
disease  or  insect  attacks.  Whether  the  fruit  is 
grown  for  home  use  or  sale,  it  is,  however,  an 
important  fruit,  and  a  brief  review  of  its  history 
and  culture  may  not  be  unacceptable. 
Ribes  nigrum  is  found  wild  in  some  parts  of 
England  and  Scotland,  occasionally,  perhaps,  being 
merely  an  escape  from  cultivated  grounds,  hut  in 
many  cases,  paiticularly  in  the  northern  parts  of 
this  island,  it  is  probably  a  true  native.  Beyond 
Britain  it  is  very  widely  distributed  throughout 
the  northern  parts  of  Europe,  extending  into 
Siberia  and  the  Western  Himalayas;  but  though 
it  is  said  to  be  found  wild  in  North  France  and 
Italy,  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  known  to, 
or  at  least  cultivated  by,  the  Romans.  Alphonse 
de  Candolle,  in  referring  to  the  antiquity  of  the 
plant,  says,  “  From  the  variety  of  names  ”  (M.  de 
Candolle  collected  over  forty  names)  “in  all  the 
languages,  even  in  those  anterior  to  the  Aryans, 
of  the  North  of  Europe,  it  is  clear  that  this  fruit 
was  very  early  sought  after,  and  its  cultivation 
was  probably  begun  before  the  Middle  Ages.”  In 
Eno^land  it  was  cultivated  at  the  end  of  the 
o 
sixteenth  century,  as  it  is  mentioned  by  Parkinson 
and  other  writers  from  that  time  onwards ;  but  it 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  such  a  general 
favourite  as  either  the  Red  Currant  or  the  Goose¬ 
berry,  as  it  is  chiefly  recommended  for  its  medicinal 
qualities,  and  Leonard  Meager  (1699)  says  it  is 
grown  principally  for  its  “  physical  ”  uses. 
Forsyth  (1806)  implies  that  the  Black  Currant 
was  somewhat  of  a  favourite  in  Ireland,  and  men¬ 
tions  that  the  fruits  are  steeped  in  whisky,  of 
which  they  make  puncli,  and  recommended  it  “  as 
a  good  medicine  for  coughs  and  colds.”  He  advises 
that  the  Currants  be  bruised  and  put  in  a  jar,  the 
No.  2675!— VoL.  XCVIII.,  Old  Series. 
