March  17,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
231 
BARR’S  CHOICE  FLOWER  SEEDS. 
A  FEW  SPE3IALITIES. 
ANTIRRHINUM,  Barr’s  Queen  of  the  North,  snowy 
white,  fine  habit.  Per  packet,  6(1.  and  1/-. 
AQUILEGIA,  Bark’s  Long-Spurred,  extra  selected. 
Per  packet,  2/6. 
ASTER,  “P,EONY  Perfection,”  carefully  selected;  a 
beautiful  mixture.  Per  packet,  1/-  and  2/6. 
BALSAM,  Barr’s  Criterion  mixed.  Perpkt.,  1/6  &  2/6 
CELOSIA  PLUMOSA,  MIXED,  a  beautiful  strain  of  this 
graceful  annual.  Per  packet,  6d.  and  1/-. 
CINERARIA,  Barr’s  Prize.  Per  packet,  2/6  and  3/6. 
COCKSCOMB,  Barr’s  Exhibition.  Per  pkt.,  1/- &  1/6. 
COREOPSIS  GRANDIFLORA,  Barr’s  Selected  Strain. 
Per  pjicket,  1/- 
DELPIIINIUM,  Barr’s  Magnificent  “Long  Ditton” 
Strain.  Per  packet,  1/6  and  2/6. 
TREE  LUPINS,  Barr’S  Fine  Strain.-  Per  packet,  1/-. 
PETUNIA,  Barr’s  Superb  Giant.  Perpkt.,  2/6  (fe  3/6. 
POLYANTHUS,  Barr’S  Highly  Coloured.  Perpkt. ,2/6. 
PRIMROSE,  Barr’s  Highly  Coloured.  Per  packet,  2/6 
PRIMULA,  Barr’s  “Covent  Garden”  Choicest 
Strain.  Per  packet,  1/6  and  2/6. 
STOCK.S,  Barr’s  Ten-Week  Choice  Dwarf  Strain, 
in  mixture.  Per  packet,  1/-  and  2/6. 
SWEET  PEAS,  Barr’s  Choice  Mixture  of  Newest  and 
Finest  Sorts.  Per  packet,  1/-  and  1/6. 
BARR’.S  SEED  GUIDE  (free),  contains  a  Descriptive 
List  of  the  best  Vegetables  and  most  beautiful  Flowers. 
BARR  St,  SONS, 
12  &  13  KIKG  ST.,  COYENT  GIRDER,  LONDON 
MOST  BE/ 
Can  be 
SUl 
CO] 
FLOW 
^  THE 
IDTIFDL  FLOWERS 
ensured  by  Sowing 
riON’s 
LLECTIONS 
OF 
ER  SEEDS. 
SUTTON’S 
Consi.sts  of  Aster, 
Ten-week  Sto( 
SUTTON’S 
Consists  of  Aster, 
and  0 
SUTTON’S 
Consists  of  Aster,  C 
Portulaca,  Prin 
OTHER  C( 
All  Flow 
10/6  Collection 
Mignonette,  Na.sturtium,  Sweet  Pea, 
dc,  and  other  beautiful  varieties. 
15/-  Collection 
Balsam,  Phlox,  Portulaca,  Zinnia, 
ther  beautiful  varieties. 
21/’  Collection 
alceolaria.  Cineraria,  Petunia,  Phlox, 
mla,  and  other  beautiful  varieties. 
DLLECTIONS  from  2/6 
er  Sseds  sant  Post  Free. 
Sun 
GENUINE  m 
'ON’S  SEEDS 
rFROM  SUTTON  &  SONS, reading. 
NOW  IS  THE  TIME  TO  PLANT 
ALL  THE  LEADING  VARIETIES  IN 
StiDdards,  Balf-Standards,  Dwarfs,  Climbers. 
ALSO  IN  POTS. 
OF  SVPERI.ATIVE  QVAX.ZTXES. 
Priced  Catalogues  Post  Free. 
DICKSONS  Nurseries,  CHESTER 
RIVERS’ 
FRUIT  TREES, 
Roses,  Vines, 
FIGS,  ORANGES, 
AND 
Orchard-House  Trees. 
A  LARGE  AND  SELECT  STOCK 
ALWAYS  ON  VIEW. 
ILLUSTRATED  AND  DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE, 
Post  Free,  8d. 
THOMAS  RIVERS  A  SON, 
SAWBRIDUEWORTH,  HERTS. 
HARLOW  STATION,  Q.E.B. 
No.  925.— VOL.  XXXVI.,  Third  Series. 
SEEDLING  BRIAR  and  MANETTI  STOCKS. 
SPECIALLY  GOOD  SAMPLES. 
A  few  Tliousands  of  each  to  sjiare.  Prices,  &c.,  on 
application  to — 
.JOHN  CRANSTON,  Rose  and  Fruit  Specialist,  Hereford. 
Asparagus. — This  delicious  vegetable  does  not 
require  half  the  expense  usually  incurred.  For 
simple  instructions  see  SEED  LIST,  free  on  application. 
Strong  roots  from  2/6  per  100. — RICHARD  SMrrH  <fe  CO., 
Nurserymen  and  Seed  Merchants,  Worcester. 
IMPORTANT  TO  MUSHROOM  GROWERS.— 
CUTHBERT’S  SPECIALITE  MUSHROOM  SPAWN. 
Always  alike  ;  most  productive.  Hundreds  of  Testimonials. 
Per  Bushel,  5/-. — R.  <fe  G.  CUTHBERT,  Seed,  Bulb,  an(i 
Plant  Merchants,  Southgate,  N.  Established  1797. 
i  A  A  I  H  u  i  BEGONIA  TUBERS. — Large,  erect 
J-UU)l/UU  flowering.  Single,  12  for  2/3;  100,  16/-. 
Double,  12  for  2/6 ;  100,  17/-.  Send  for  List,  free.— 
JOHN  WELLS,  Begonia  Nursery,  Ryarsh,  Mailing,  Kent. 
Alpines,  rock  plants  &  shrubs,  and 
HERBACEOUS  PERENNIALS,  2000  to  3000  species 
and  varieties.  —  Catalogue,  130  pages,  descriptive  and 
illustrated,  free  on  application,  by  postcard,  to  MANAGER, 
Guildford  Hardy  Plant  Nursery,  Guildford.  Prices  largely 
reduced  for  dozens  and  Imndrecls. 
EATING  APPARATUS,  —  Medals  1875  and 
1881.  Catalogue  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 
A'l’TWOOD,  Stourbridge. _ 
URE  WOOD  CHARCOAL,  Specially  Prepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture :  ‘  ‘  Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manurial  agent ; 
each  little  piece  is  a  panti-y  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.  ” 
Apply  for  Pamphlet  and  Prices  to  the  Manufacturers — 
_ HIRST,  BROOKE  &  HIRST,  Ltd.,  Leeds. _ 
All  who  wish  grand  results  should 
use  THOMSON’S  IMPROVED  VINE,  PLANT  and 
VEGETABLE  MANURE.  This  Valuable  Manure  is  yearly 
rowing  in  public  favour.  Can  be  had  of  all  Nursery  and 
eedsmen,  or  direct  from  the  makers,  WM.  THOMSON  and 
SONS,  Ltd.,  Tweed  Vineyard,  Clovenfords,  Galashiels, 
N.B.  Price  Lists  and  Testimonials  on  Application.  1  cwt. 
and  upwards  Carriage  Paid  to  all  stations  in  Britain  and 
Ireland.  London  Agent— Mr.  J.  George,  14,  Redgrave 
Road,  Putney.  Agent  for  Channel  Islands— Mr.  J.  H. 
Parsons,  Market  Place,  Guern^y.  Also  THOMSON’S 
SPECIAL  CHRYSANTHEMUM  MANURE.  i  cwt. 
Carriage  Paid  to  all  stations  in  Britain  and  Ireland. 
Jaiii|iral  flf  ^crtii[ullin|c. 
THURSDAY,  MARCH  17,  1898. 
THE  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  can  be  obtained 
from  the  Office,  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  St., 
London,  post  free  for  a  Quarter,  3/9.  Editorial 
communicationa  must  be  addressed  to  8,  Rose 
Hill  Rd.,  Wandsworth,  S.W. 
THE  COMMON  IDEAL  IN  FHUITS 
AND  VEGETABLES. 
ONE  of  tlie  most  striking  features  in  the 
coinmemial  fruit  culture  and  trade  of  these 
times  is  the  extent  to  which,  in  certain  instances, 
appearances  have  relegated  quality  into  a  considera¬ 
tion  of  secondary  importance.  If  the  chief  end  of 
fruit  culture  he  to  produce  beauty  of  form  and 
colour  instead  of  (|uality,  of  course  no  objection  can 
be  taken  to  the  ideal  aspired  after.  From  an 
aesthetic  point  of  view  it  is  all  right.  The  question, 
however,  may  be  asked.  Is  this  the  most  correct 
and  true  ideal  ?  Many  will  be  able  to  corroborate 
the  fact  that  quality  is  the  first  point  to  the  best 
trained  palates  and  most  refined  taste. 
It  is  only  necessary  to  send  a  basket  of  fine 
Black  Hamburgh  Grapes  and  one  of  Gros  Colman 
to  market  to  find  that  the  general  crowd  of  con¬ 
sumers  is  satisfied  to  give  a  higher  place  and  price 
for  the  “Colman.”  It  may  be  early  in  October, 
when  it  is  barely  coloured,  green  round  the  foot¬ 
stalks,  and  requiring  another  month  to  ripen.  The 
flavour  may  be  bordering  on  nastiness,  have  a 
smack  of  foxiness  and  earthiness  for  want  of  a 
longer  season  and  more  fire  heat.  The  Black 
Hamburgh  may  be  ripe,  vinous,  toothsome,  and 
jet  black ;  but  because  it  lacks  the  mere  bulk  of 
its  rival  it  is  slighted.  Is  not  this  something 
approaching  to  a  vulgar  taste  ? 
The  public  demand  in  this  respect  rules  the 
lines  on  which  the  market  grower  works  if  he  is 
to  make  bis  industry  pay.  Hence  the  really  fine 
relishable  article  is  elbowed  from  the  market  as 
soon  as  its  larger,  unripe,  and  altogether  coarser 
competitor  can  be  brought  into  it.  Some  say  of 
this  state  of  matters,  “  Where  ignorance  is  bliss, 
’tls  folly  to  be  wise.”  This  preference  is  not 
altogether  kept  outside  the  gardens  of  those  who 
know  better,  and  prefer  the  less  showy  to  the 
merely  larger  and  coarser  Grapes. 
Perhaps  the  preponderating  encouragement 
offered  by  horticultural  exhibition  schedules  to 
mere  bulk  may  be  credited  with  a  considerable 
share  in  these  results,  not  only  in  reference  to 
Grapes  but  to  vegetables  as  well,  but  specially  to 
No.  2681.— VoL.  xevin.,  OLD  Series. 
