January  2,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
1 
SPRING 
Catalogue 
For  1896. 
Beautifully  Illustrated  with  THREE 
COLOURED  PLATES 
(illustrating  Flowers),  and  Hundreds  of 
Engravings.  Also  containing  complete 
Cultural  Instructions,  List  of  Novelties, 
&c.,  &c. 
MOW  XKEjflLDTT, 
POST  FREE,  Is., 
Which  may  he  deducted  off  subsequent  Orders. 
Seedsmen  by  Royal  Warrants, 
WORDSLEY,  STOURBRIDGE. 
BROAD  BEAN 
For  1896. 
GREEN  GIANT. 
A  new  and  perfectly  distinct  type  of  Green 
Longpod  Bean,  which  is  as  great  an  advance  on 
Sutton’s  Green  Longpod  as  is  that  variety 
on  the  old  strain.  Those  who  prefer  green-seeded 
beans  have  now  at  their  command  as  heavy  a 
cropper  as  the  best  of  the  white-seeded  varieties. 
“  A  first-class  Bean,  and  a  prodigious  cropper.  The 
pods,  which  are  of  unusual  length,  are  very  handsome, 
and  generally  contain  about  six  beans  of  a  beautiful 
green  colour.  Flavour  good.”— Mr.  A.  E.  GROOMBRIDGE, 
The  Gardens,  Brome  Hall. 
PRICE  3/-  PER  QUART. 
I  tSUTTON'SSEEDSl 
j  GENUINE  ONLY  FROM  SUTTON  &  SONS,READj^G.  j 
To  Nurserymen,  Builders,  Local  Boards,  Vestries,  and 
others  who  intend  planting  Trees  and  Shrubs  this  Season. 
ROBERT  3SJJE5-A.31., 
The  Nurseries ,  Trinity  Road,  WANDSWORTH,  S.W. , 
Bess  to  offer  an  extensive  stock  of  FOREST  and  ORNA¬ 
MENTAL  TR.EES  and  SHRUBS,  ROSES,  GRAPE 
VINES,  FRUIT  TREES.  CLIMBING  PLANTS,  &c., 
which,  being  grown  iu  the  neighborhood  of  London,  are 
especial' v  suitable  for  town  planting.  Also  a  large  stock  of 
REAKALE  and  RHUBARB  for  forcing.  Sample  and  price  of 
Seakale  sent  by  post  if  desired. 
DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 
ORCHIDS. 
CLEAN  HEALTHY  PLANTS  AT  LOW  PRICES. 
Always  worth  a  visit  of  inspection.  Kindly  send  for  Catalogue. 
Exotic  Nurseries,  CHELTENHAM. 
FRUIT  TREES. 
TO  MARKET  &  PRIVATE  GROWERS. 
We  hold  an  Extensive  Stock  of  all  kinds  of  the  above,  in  first- 
rate  quality,  and  at  reasonable  prices. 
Intending  planters  would  do  well  to  send  for  Descriptive 
Catalogue,  free  on  application. 
IS.  SPOONER  &  SONS, 
HOUNSLOW  NURSERIES,  MIDDLESEX. 
BEGONIAS  A  SPECIALITY 
Awarded  Nine  Gold  Medals  and  Gold  Cups. 
Seed  saved  from  prize  plants.  Choicest  mixed  single  or  double 
varieties,  Is.,  2s.  Gd.,  and  5s.  per  packet ;  collections  (seed)  single, 
12  named  varieties,  separate.  5s.  6d. ;  6  ditto,  3s.  Tubers,  named 
singles,  from  18s.  to  60s.  per  doz.;  choicest  seedlings,  3s.  to  30s.  per 
doz. ;  bedding,  choicest,  4s.  to  9s.  per  doz. ;  choicest  named  doubles 
from  18s.  per  doz.;  choicest  seedlings,  6s.  to  30s.  per  doz.;  choicest 
mixed,  for  bedding,  9s.  to  18s.  per  doz.  Catalogues  gratis. 
JOHN  LAING  &  SONS,  cm SwragV 
FOREST  LONDON,  S.E. 
SUPERIOR 
GARDEN 
SEEDS. 
DICKSON,  BROWN,  ft  TAIT’S 
NEW  ILLUSTRATE©  PRICE©  CATALOGUE 
—  OF  — 
VEGETABLE  &,  FLOWER  SEEDS 
IS  NOW  PUBLISHED,  AND  MAY  BE  HAD  FREE  ON  APPLICATION. 
A  Copy  has  been  posted  to  each  of  their  Customers  ;  should  anyone  not  have  received  it,  they  will  be  pleased  to 
forward  another  copy. 
ROYAL  SEED  ESTABLISHMENT,  CORPORATION  ST.,  MANCHESTER. 
No.  810,— Vol-  XXXII.,  Third  series, 
THURSDAY,  JANUARY  2,  1896. 
NEW  YEAR’S  ADDRESS. 
FOR  many  yearB  it  has  been  my  privilege  to 
address  a  few  words  at  the  opening  of  the 
year  to  the  readers  of  our  Journal,  but  the  very 
fact  of  its  having  been  so  often  done  led  me  to 
very  serious  questionings  as  to  the  propriety  of 
my  continuing  to  do  so.  Were  there  not,  I 
thought  to  myself,  many  younger  contributors, 
who  with  fresher  views  and  readier  pen,  might 
take  up  a  different  standpoint,  and  so  get  out  of 
the  groove  into  which  I  have  probably  too  long 
run.  On,  however,  placing  the  matter  before 
those  who  bear  rule  in  our  little  republic,  and 
pressing  the  matter  upon  them  with  becoming 
modesty,  I  received  such  complimentary  expres¬ 
sions  that  I  quite  blushed,  and  such  assurances 
of  hearty  desire  that  I  should  continue,  that  I 
could  not  resist,  and,  therefore,  if  I  fail  to 
interest  my  readers  they  must  lay  the  blame,  at 
least,  partly  on  those  who  declined  to  take  my 
excuses  for  retirement. 
According,  theD,  to  my  usual  custom,  I  look 
back  ’upon  the  past  year  to  see  what  it  has  done 
for  horticulture,  and  naturally  one’s  thoughts 
revert  to  that  which  is,  and  ought  to  be,  the 
great  centre  of  horticulture  in  these  kingdoms — 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  here  we 
have  witnessed  a  revolution  somewhat  like  those 
which  agitate  the  South  American  Republics 
from  time  to  time,  for  the  retirement  of  Mr. 
Barron  is  indeed  of  such  a  character.  It  will 
ill  become  me  to  discuss  the  subject  in  such  an 
address  as  this,  but  when  one  has  served  a 
Society  like  this  for  thirty-five  years,  through 
evil  and  good  r°r'or1',  it  i«  no  wonder  that 
expressions  o.  h5ibv  at  bis  ictin-ment  should 
be  heard  on  all  sides.  To  my  mind,  as  I  look 
back  upon  those  thirty-five  years,  during  which 
I  have  known  him,  there  is  one  trait  in  his 
character  which  seems  to  me  to  stand  out 
prominently  above  all  others,  and  that  is  his 
unshaken  loyalty  to  the  Horticultural  Society, 
whose  servant  he  was.  During  the  disastrous 
days  of  the  South  Kensington  epoch  a  less 
loyal  man  might  well  have  asked  himself,  What 
good  can  I  do  by  sticking  to  a  ship  whose 
planks  are  rotten,  and  whose  officers  and  crew 
are  incapable  of  action?  But  no,  he  stood  by 
her  and  saw  the  old  vessel  refitted,  new  officers, 
fry*--  NO.  2466.— VOL.  XC1Y.,  ODD  SERIES. 
