November  17,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
389 
Imperfect  Chrysanthemum  Bloom  (A.  T.). — The  flower  is  what  is 
known  as  blind-centred,  the  florets  not  developing  there,  or  in  a  very 
irregular  manner,  and  at  a  later  period  than  the  outer  florets.  It  is  a  sort 
of  double  bud,  or  bud  inside  a  bud  formation,  and  rather  common  in 
Carnations  and  other  plants  when  too  liberally  fed  during  the  period  of 
growth  and  up  to  the  formation  of  the  buds.  The  plants  should  be  given 
less  stimulating  matter,  especially  less  nitrogenous  food,  which  make  for 
leaf  rather  than  floral  development  in  the  buds,  supplying  more  phos- 
phatic  and  potassic  elements  in  the  growing  stages.  When  supplementing 
with  nitrates  the  florets  develop  freely. 
Edible  Part  of  Cardoon  (0.  F.). — This  vegetable  is  much  esteemed  on 
the  Continent,  but  is  not  cultivated  to  a  large  extent  in  English  gardens. 
The  ribs  or  stalks  of  the  leaves  form  the  edible  parts,  and  if  well  blanched 
and  properly  cooked  (like  stewed  Celery)  form  an  excellent  dish  in 
winter.  The  flower  part  or  head  has  no  edible  value  like  the  Globe 
Artichoke.  The  plants  are  grown  in  trenches  similar  to  Celery,  but 
require  a  space  of  about  2  feet  between  them,  and  6  feet  between  the  rows. 
The  seeds  are  best  sown  towards  the  end  of  April  in  small  pots,  placing 
in  a  cold  frame,  and  plant  out  before  they  become  root-bound.  At  the  end 
of  September  or  earlier  the  plants  will  be  ready  for  earthing  up,  but 
before  any  soil  is  applied  the  stalks  must  be  arranged  upright  and  closely 
bound  with  haybands  to  within  a  foot  of  the  top.  The  soil  must  then  be 
brought  up  nearly  as  high  as  the  haybands  reach,  and  be  beaten  hard 
with  the  spade.  It  is  very  important  that  this  operation  should  be  per¬ 
formed  on  a  dry  day,  when  the  hearts  are  free  from  water,  or  they  will 
probably  decay.  The  plants  will  be  fit  for  use  in  about  a  month,  and 
may  be  taken  up  as  required.  If  the  plants  have  to  remain  for  any  length 
of  time  during  winter,  rain  and  frost  must  be  excluded  by  means  of  a 
covering  of  litter,  or  they  can  be  lifted  and  stored  in  a  cool  dry  place,  the 
haybands  being  allowed  to  remain  on.  The  Spanish  Cardoon  is  the  best 
form,  and  must  be  grown  from  seed  each  season,  but  the  Cardoon 
(Cynara  cardunculus)  is  a  perennial. 
Names  of  Fruits.  —  Notice.  —  We  have  pleasure  in  naming  good 
typical  fruits  (when  the  names  are  discoverable)  for  the  convenience  of 
regular  subscribers,  who  are  the  growers  of  such  fruit,  and  not  col¬ 
lectors  of  specimens  from  non-subscribers.  This  latter  procedure  is 
wholly  irregular,  and  we  trust  that  none  of  our  readers  will  allow 
themselves  to  be  made  the  mediums  in  infringing  our  rules.  Special 
attention  is  directed  to  the  following  decision,  the  object  of  which  is 
to  discourage  the  growth  of  inferior  and  promote  the  culture  of  superior 
varieties.  In  consequence  of  the  large  number  of  worthless  Apples  and  Pears 
sent  to  this  office  to  be  named,  it  has  been  decided  to  name  only  specimens  and 
varieties  of  approved  merit,  and  to  reject  the  inferior,  which  are  not  worth 
sending  or  growing.  The  names  and  addresses  of  senders  of  fruits  or 
flowers  to  be  named  must  in  all  cases  be  enclosed  with  the  specimens, 
whether  letters  referring  to  the  fruit  are  sent  by  post  or  not.  The 
names  are  not  necessarily  required  for  publication,  initials  sufficing  for 
that.  Only  six  specimens  can  be  named  at  once,  and  any  beyond  that 
number  cannot  be  preserved.  They  should  be  sent  on  the  first  indication  of 
change  towards  ripening.  Dessert  Pears  cannot  be  named  in  a  hard  green  state . 
(7.  M.j.  —  A  coarse-grained  fruit,  that  is  unknown  and  worthless. 
(W.  S.  L.). — 1  and  2,  characters  destroyed  by  decay,  and  made  worse  by 
the  use  of  buckwheat  chaff  and  sawdust  as  packing  material  ;  3,  Beurre 
Diel.  (E.  S.  A.j. — 1,  Warner’s  King;  2,  Hanwell  Souring;  3,  Winter 
Codlin  ;  4,  Scarlet  Pearmain  ;  5,  Wyken  Pippin  ;  6,  abnormal  and 
unrecognisable.  (R.  C.  W.). — 1,  Beurrd  Hardy;  2,  imperfect,  specimen 
unrecognisable  ;  3,  over-ripe,  resembles  late  fruit  of  Windsor  ;  4,  Berga- 
motte  Rouge  ;  5,  Belmont  ;  6,  stalk  broken,  possibly  Spanish  Warden. 
(  W.  H.  P.).— Pears  :  a,  Duchesse  d’Angouleme  ;  b,  Comte  de  Lamy.  The 
Apple  is  an  excellent  example  of  Hollandbury.  (Salop). — 1,  this  ought 
to  have  been  sent  sooner,  as  it  was  so  rotten  as  to  prevent  positive 
identification  ;  it  resembles  Colmar  d’Etd  ;  2,  Pitmaston  Duchess.  (A.  C.). 
— 1,  quite  rotten  ;  2,  Comte  deLamy.  Apple  Evargil.  (H.  K.). — 1,  not  a 
typical  specimen,  possibly  Dr.  Harvey  ;  2,  local,  probably  never  had  a 
recognised  name  ;  3,  Golden  Winter  Pearmain  ;  4,  Claygate  Pearmain  ; 
5,  Tower  of  Glamis.  Several  packages  have  again  had  to  be  held  over 
owing  to  late  arrival. 
CO  VENT  GARDEN  MARKET.— Nov.  16th. 
FRUIT. 
8.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
Apples,  \  sieve 
...  1  3  to  3  6 
Lemons,  case  . 
•  •  • 
30  OtoGO  0 
Cobs  . 
...  50  0 
55  0 
St.  Michael’s  Pines, 
each 
2  6 
5  0 
Grapes,  lb . 
...  0  10 
1  6 
VEGETABLES. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
Asparagus,  per  100  ... 
...  0  0  to  0  0 
Mustard  and  Cress,  punnet 
0  2  to  0  4 
Beans,  $  sieve  . 
...  0  0 
0  0 
Onions,  bushel . 
•  •• 
3  6 
4  0 
Beet,  Red,  doz . 
...  1  0 
0  0 
Parsley,  doz.  bnchs.... 
2  0 
3  0 
Carrots,  bunch . 
...  0  3 
0  4 
Parsnips,  doz . 
•  •  • 
1  0 
0  0 
Cauliflowers,  doz.  ... 
...  2  0 
3  0 
Potatoes,  cwt . 
2  0 
4  0 
Celery,  bundle . 
...  1  0 
0  0 
Salsafy,  bundle . 
1  0 
0  0 
Coleworts,  doz.  bnchs. 
...  2  0 
4  0 
Scorzonera,  bundle ... 
1  6 
0  0 
Cucumbers . 
...  0  4 
0  8 
Seakale,  basket . 
1  6 
1  0 
Endive,  doz . 
...  1  3 
1  6 
Shallots,  lb . 
0  3 
0  0 
Herbs,  bunch  . 
...  0  3 
0  0 
Spinach,  pad  . 
0  0 
0  0 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
...  0  2 
0  0 
Sprouts,  £  sieve 
1  6 
1  9 
Lettuce,  doz . 
...  1  3 
0  0 
Tomatoes,  lb . 
... 
0  4 
0  9 
Mushrooms,  lb . 
...  0  6 
« 
Turnips,  bunch . 
... 
0  3 
0  4 
PLANTS  IN  POTS. 
Arbor  Vitse,  var.,  doz. 
s.  d.  s.  d. 
...  6  0to36  0 
Ficus  elastica,  each . 
s.  d.  s.  d. 
1  0  to  7  0 
Aspidistra,  doz. 
...  18  0 
36  0 
Foliage  plants,  var.,  each 
1  0 
5  0 
Aspidistra,  specimen 
...  5  0 
10  6 
Lilium  Harrisi,  doz. 
12  0 
18  0 
Crotons,  doz . 
Dracaena,  var.,  doz.... 
...  18  0 
24  0 
Lycopodiums,  doz . 
3  0 
4  0 
...  12  0 
30  0 
Marguerite  Daisy,  doz.  ... 
6  0 
9  0 
Dracaena  viridis,  doz. 
...  9  0 
18  0 
Myrtles,  doz . 
6  0 
9  0 
Erica  various,  doz.  ... 
...  9  0 
24  0 
Palms,  in  var..  each 
1  0 
15  0 
Euonymus,  var.,  doz. 
...  6  0 
18  0 
,,  specimens  . 
21  0 
63  0 
Evergreens,  var.,  doz. 
...  4  0 
18  0 
Pelargoniums,  scarlet,  doz. 
4  0 
6  0 
Ferns,  var.,  dnz. 
...  4  0 
18  0 
n  »• 
Solanums,  doz . 
8  0 
10  0 
„  small,  100 
...  4  0 
8  0 
6  0 
12  0 
AVERAGE  WHOLESALE  PRICES.— CUT  FLOWERS.— Orchids  in  variety. 
e.  d. 
8. 
d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bunch... 
2  0  to  2 
6 
Marguerites,  doz.  bnchs. 
2  0 
to  3  0 
Bouvardias,  bunch . 
0  4 
0 
6 
Maidenhair  Fern,  doz. 
Carnations,  12  blooms  ... 
1  0 
2 
0 
bnchs . 
4  0 
6  0 
Chrysanthemums,  per  bch. 
0  3 
2 
0 
Mignonette,  doz.  bnchs.  ... 
1  6 
3  0 
„  specimen 
Narci-sus,  doz.  bnchs.  ... 
5  0 
6  0 
blooms,  per  doz. 
2  0 
5 
0 
Orchids,  var.,  doz.  blooms 
1  6 
9  0 
Eucharis,  doz .  ... 
3  0 
4 
0 
Pelargoniums,  doz.  bnchs. 
4  0 
6  0 
Gardenias,  doz.  . 
1  0 
2 
0 
Roses  (indoor),  doz . 
2  0 
4  O 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
,,  Red,  doz . 
2  0 
0  0 
bnchs . 
0  6 
0 
9 
,,  Tea,  white,  doz.  ... 
2  0 
3  0 
Lapageria  (white)  . 
1  6 
2 
0 
,,  Yellow,  doz.  (Perles) 
2  0 
3  0 
„  (red)  . 
1  0 
1 
3 
„  Safrano(English)doz. 
1  0 
2  0 
Lilium  lancifolium,  white 
3  0 
4 
0 
,,  Pink,  doz . 
2  0 
4  0 
..  pink 
3  0 
4 
0 
Smilax,  bunch . 
1  6 
2  0 
,,  longiflorum,  12  blooms 
6  0 
8 
0 
Violets  . 
0  9 
2  6 
Lilac,  bunch  . 
5  0 
6 
0 
„  Parme,  bunch 
2  9 
3  0 
Lilyofthe  Valley, 12  sprays 
0  9 
1 
6 
MASTERS  AND  MEN. 
We  had  almost  written  Men  and  Masters,  and,  to  put  it  mildly, 
there  is  little  difference  between  the  two  nowadays,  so  precedence  can 
be  of  small  moment.  If  we  inquire  of  a  small  boy  in  the  village 
street  the  name  and  calling  of  his  father,  he  is  pretty  certain  to  reply, 
“  Mr.  Smith  as  works  at  Brown’s.”  Jack  is  as  good  as  his  master,  in 
fact,  or,  at  any  rate,  in  his  own  opinion.  That  the  labourer  should 
fully  appreciate  his  own  value  is  quite  right,  but  he  must  not  over¬ 
estimate  himself,  or  he  will  have  to  do  one  of  two  things— rob  his 
employer  by  non-performance  of  duty,  or  seek  fresh  employment. 
To  arrive  at  the  greatest  mutual  benefit,  employer  and  workman 
must  have  full  confidence  in  each  other.  A  suspicion  on  one  side  that 
a  man  is  neglecting  or  scamping  his  work,  or  on  the  other  that  the 
master  expects  too  much  work  for  too  little  pay,  is  destructive  of 
good  fellowship  and  of  the  best  interests  of  both. 
The  relations  between  master  and  man  fifty  years  ago  were, 
generally  speaking,  much  more  cordial  than  they  are  now,  though  the 
man  was  much  more  dependent.  Farms  in  those  days  passed  on  from 
father  to  son,  and  the  men  seldom  changed  their  employment,  so  that 
they  came  to  belong  in  a  sort  of  way  to  a  farmer,  the  relation  being 
somewhat  that  of  a  serf,  though  of  course  not  obligatory.  Thus  the 
men  would  take  a  keen  interest  in  the  success  or  otherwise  of  the 
various  crops,  for  did  they  not  remember  the  yields  of  every  field  for 
many  years,  and  had  they  not  listened  with  rapt  attention  to  the 
fairy  tales  told  by  their  fore-elders  about  the  wonderful  crops  in  days 
gone  by  ? 
Truly,  times  have  changed,  and  men  have  changed  with  them  ; 
the  young  labourer  does  not  look  upon  the  farm  as  the  be-all  and 
end-all  of  his  existence ;  he  is  a  reader  of  the  weekly — nay,  often  of 
the  daily  papers,  for  the  evening  press  finds  its  way  into  many  nooks 
where  until  lately  even  a  weekly  paper  was  rarely  seen.  Many  of  the 
single  men  are  tempted  by  employment  on  the  railway,  or  as  carters 
in  the  towns  ;  they  do  not  always  stay  in  such  situations,  for  those 
who  are  not  naturally  fond  of  hard  work,  on  finding  that  more  pay 
entails  more  work,  soon  return  to  their  native  village,  and  if  they  can 
scratch  on  at  all,  rarely  afterwards  leave  it.  The  best  men,  who  not 
