June  11,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
547 
Messmate  (Lea). — Bizarre.  Shape  good  ;  base  pure.  A  flamed 
variety,  which,  although  it  markg  well  sometimes,  is  of  no  particular 
value,  as  it  lacks  size  and  distinctness. 
Middleton  Maid  (Ashmole).  —  Bybloemen.  Shape  fair  ;  base 
pure.  An  inferior  rosy  feathered  bybloemen  of  no  merit. 
Minerva  ( - ). — Bose.  Shape  long  ;  base  pure.  A  second-rate 
feathered  and  also  flamed  variety,  much  resembling  Aglaia. 
Min  d’Or  ( - ). — Self.  An  obsolete  yeliow  self. 
Miss  Burdett  Coutts  (Hepwortb). — Rose.  Shape  good  ;  base 
pure.  Only  valuable  in  breeder  state,  being  soft  rose  in  colour  with  a 
fine  white  base.  One  of  the  best  rose  breeders  in  cultivation.  Syns., 
Lady  B.  Coutts,  Baroness  B.  Coutts. 
Miss  Collin  (Hepworth). — Rose.  Tall  ;  shape  fair  ;  base  pure.  A 
second-rate  rose  breeder,  something  like  Mabel,  but  duller  in  colour. 
EARLY  STRAWBERRIES. 
I  gathered  ripe  fruit  from  Royal  Sovereign  on  29th  May,  from 
runners  planted  on  the  29th  of  last  October.  The  fruit,  for  such  young 
plants,  is  very  fine.  The  position  is  rather  sheltered,  and  the  soil 
ordinary  dark  loam. — J.  Udale,  Droitwich. 
“Mr.  Robert  Stevenson  of  Allerburn  Gardens  and  the  Shambles 
pulled  his  first  ripe  Strawberries  this  season  on  Thursday  morning  last. 
They  were  of  the  famous  variety  John  Ruskin,  which  is  the  earliest  of 
the  earlies.  This  is  quite  a  record  in  Strawberry  culture.  The  earliest 
date  in  recent  years,  previous  to  this,  was  in  the  Jubilee  year,  1887, 
when  Mr.  Stevenson  pulled  some  fruit  on  June  9th.  This  year  beats 
1887  by  nearly  a  fortnight.  Within  the  next  week  or  fortnight  Mr. 
Stevenson  will  be  in  full  swing  in  the  Srawberry  harvest,  which 
promises  to  be  a  large  one.”  This  is  taken  from  the  “  Alnwick  Guar  Man,” 
the  Toursday  mentioned  being  May  28th,  one  day  earlier  than  Messrs. 
Cannell’s  date  and  300  miles  further  north. — North  Northumbrian. 
I  CAN  give  an  instance  of  Mr.  Cannell’s  record  being  beaten.  The 
spring  of  1893  was  hot  and  dry,  and  I  gathered  a  ripe  Strawberry  outdoors 
on  May  9th,  snd  was  gathering  good  dishes  from  May  13th.  This  year 
the  first  dish  (not  a  solitary  fruit  or  two)  was  gathered  on  May  30th. 
The  variety  in  each  instance  was  Noble,  and  the  fruits  were  of  good 
flavour. — C.  Herrin,  Dropmore. 
The  29th  of  May  is  certainly  early  to  pick  ripe  Strawberries  from 
outside,  but  it  is  by  no  means  the  earliest  date  on  record,  as  Mr.  H. 
Cannell  thinks.  I  remember  when  at  Roche  Court,  in  Wiltshire,  in  the 
hot  dry  spring  of  1893,  I  gathered  my  first  dish  on  the  8th  of  May  from 
a  warm  early  border,  the  plants  having  been  well  watered  but  not 
protected  in  any  way.  This  was  mentioned  in  the  Journal  of  Hurti- 
culture ,  May  11th,  1893,  and  the  next  season  we  picked  fruit  from  the 
same  border  on  thelstof  June. — H.  Richards,  Coldham  Hall ,  Bury  St 
Edmunds. 
I  gathered  a  dish  of  ripe  fruit  on  the  31st  of  May,  the  variety 
being  John  Ruskin.  The  plants  have  had  no  protection  whatever. — 
H.  A.  Joy,  The  Gardens,  The  Heath ,  Cardiff. 
In  the  last  issue  of  the  Journal  you  invite  correspondents  to  give  their 
experiences  of  the  earliest  Strawberries.  I  have  the  three  following  : — 
Royal  Sovereign,  Scarlet  Queen,  and  Noble,  growing  on  a  south  border 
here.  My  first  fruits  ripened  on  June  6th  on  all  three  sorts  simultaneously. 
This  is  the  earliest  period  I  have  had  them  ripe  outdoors  in  Yorkshire 
without  protection.  The  plants  were  layered  in  small  pots  last 
summer  and  planted  out  as  soon  as  ready  and  all  on  the  same  day. 
— J.  E.,  Nostell  Priory  Gardens.  • 
I  picked  a  few  fruits  of  Laxton’s  No.  1  grown  entirely  in  the  open 
border  on  May  the  21st,  eight  days  in  advance  of  Mr.  Cannell,  and  that 
in  a  Berkshire  garden,  which  is  not  so  favourable  as  to  climate  as  is 
Swanley.  I  have  been  picking  nearly  every  day  since  (now  the  5 Mi  June), 
and  the  variety  will  be  over  before  many  of  the  so-called  early  ones 
are  fit  for  use.  This  is  an  extraordinary  early  sort,  and  is  succeeded 
by  John  Ruskin  and  Noble,  both  coming  in  about  eight  days  later, 
King  of  the  Earlies  coming  in  a  few  days  later  still.  This  latter  variety 
is  a  poor  miserable  little  thing,  and  not  worth  growing. 
Laxton’s  No.  1  is  of  moderate  size,  a  good  cropper,  and  not  bad 
flavour,  and  I  would  advise  every  gardener  who  has  a  small  warm 
corner  in  his  garden  to  grow  it. 
Since  the  29di  May  we  have  been  picking  glorious  fruits  of  Noble 
four  times  a  week,  from  12  to  15  lbs.  at  a  picking,  of  fine  fruit  and  a 
large  crop.  Of  all  the  boons  in  early  fruit  conferred  on  gardeners  and 
the  public  in  recent  years  I  know  of  none  compared  in  value  to  the 
introduction  of  this  early  Strawberry.  For  the  past  three  years  I  have 
had  an  early  border  of  it  from  runners  obtained  aa  early  as  possible, 
and  planted  out  the  first  or  second  week  in  August.  From  these  plants 
I  have  not  yet  failed  in  obtaining  abundant  crops  of  splendid  fruit  the 
last  week  in  May,  as  the  plants  are  only  left  on  the  ground  for  two 
years,  and  the  foliage  not  large.  I  plant  thickly  a  foot  apart,  and 
18  inches  between  the  rows.  It  goes  without  saying  that  to  obtain  the 
best  results  the  land  must  be  well  manured  and  cultivated  throughout 
the  year. 
As  to  the  splendid  appearance  and  cropping  qualities  of  this  variety 
all  are  agreed,  I  believe,  but  not  to  as  regards  its  flavour  and  solidity  of 
flesh,  enabling  it  to  carry  long  distances  without  injury.  I  grant  that 
its  flavour  is  not  equal  to  very  many  varieties  we  have,  still  in  regard  to 
this  point  it  is  most  refreshing  and  sweet,  and  such  as  we  cannot  have  in 
quantity  at  this  early  season  from  any  other  variety  known  to  me  ;  and 
as  regards  its  travelling  qualities,  I  can  only  say  that  during  the  past 
three  years  I  have  sent  many  hundreds  of  pounds  by  post  and  rail  a 
distance  of  over  50o  miles  without  having  received  a  single  complaint. 
I  am  growing  Sensation  this  year  for  the  first  time  in  the  same  way 
as  Noble,  and  so  far  I  like  it  much  as  a  large  early  variety.  It 
has  been  ripe  with  me  since  the  1st  June,  several  of  the  fruits  weigh¬ 
ing  If  oz. — O  T. 
A  WEEK  IN  LONDON. 
( Concluded  from  page  521.) 
Oovent  Garden. 
No  place  in  all  London  is  more  interesting  to  a  country  gardener 
than  this,  as  we  who  have  fruit,  flowers,  and  vegetables  at  our  door 
often  wonder  how  the  populace  of  the  great  city  is  supplied  with  them. 
Strange  though  it  seems,  yet  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  nowhere  in 
the  world  can  better  and  cheaper  vegetables  be  obtained  than  in 
London,  and  we  have  heard  of  persons  when  on  a  visit  to  the  country 
expressing  their  satisfaction  of  returning  to  town,  as  they  could 
always  get  good  vegetables  there. 
At  early  dawn  of  the  day  in  question  one  portion  of  London  was 
asleep,  and  the  other  hard  at  work.  In  Fleet  Street  the  newspaper 
vans  were  dashing  to  and  fro,  and  nearer  the  famous  market  we  passed 
waggonloads  of  Cabbages,  Lettuces,  Radishes,  Onions,  and  such  like,  all 
fresh  from  the  fields.  Empty  vehicles  were  also  pouring  in  ranging  from 
the  smart  spring  van  of  the  West-end  shopkeeper  to  the  less  pretentious 
barrow  of  the  costermonger — all  apparently  struggling  to  get  there  first  in 
order  that  they  may  be  off  with  their  loads  ;  some  this,  some  that.  The 
wholesale  market  was  in  full  swing  ;  miniature  mountains  of  vegetables 
were  rapidly  being  transferred  to  vehicles  of  the  character  mentioned, 
and  the  country  waggoners  looked  tired  and  sleepy  after  their  night  on  the 
roads.  Costermongers  were  very  much  in  evidence,  and  market  porters 
rushed  here  and  there,  loading  and  unloading.  Everybody  appeared  in 
earnestyet  for  the  most  part  good  tempered,  and  acquaintances  exchanged 
morning  greetings  and  ribald  jokes  in  the  broadest  cockney  twang. 
The  sales  seemed  to  be  carried  on  in  a  “  take  ’em  or  leave  ’em  ”  kind 
of  way  ;  the  price  is  named,  and  the  cash  must  be  paid  ere  the  goods  are 
removed.  The  coster  knows  this  ;  he  buys  cheaply,  and  has  to  sell 
cheaply,  his  profit  being  on  the  quick  return,  hence  his  hurry  to  obtain 
what  he  wants  and  then  away  amongst  his  customers.  In  the  flower  and 
plant  market  the  scene  was  even  more  lively,  and  we  wondered  in 
astonishment  where  all  the  flowers  came  from.  Bedding  plants,  annuals, 
Ferns,  and  decorative  plants  ot  all  descriptions  were  being  rapidly 
transferred  from  seller  to  purchasers  at  prices  that  seemed  to  us 
ridiculously  low.  Flowers  from  greenhouse,  garden,  and  woodland, 
flowers  foreign  and  flowers  English,  choice  and  hardy,  all  found 
customers  in  varying  quantities.  Fruit,  too,  was  in  evidence  in  the 
shape  of  Gooseberries,  Cherries,  Strawberries,  Apples,  Oranges,  Figs, 
Melons,  Grapes,  and  so  forth  from  various  parts  of  the  woild.  To  fully 
describe  all  that  was  offered  for  sale  and  the  methods  of  disposal  in  space 
so  limited  would  be  futile,  but  the  visit  taught  its  lessons,  and  one  most 
impirtant,  which  if  followed  more  clo-ely  by  English  growers  less  would 
be  heard  of  agricultural  depression — namely,  that  it  is  first-class  produce 
that  commands  the  best  price  in  Covent  Garden.  We  had  often  heard 
people  comp'aining  that  it  did  not  pay  to  send  stuff  to  London,  and  that 
morning  learnt  the  secret  of  it.  The  best  produce  went  first  at  the 
highest  price  ;  then  came  another  class  of  dealers  to  buy  at  a  lower 
rate.  But  where  did  it  all  go,  and  where  wa9  it  retailed  ?  we  asked. 
And  the  question  was  in  a  great  measure  answered  when  later  on  in 
the  day  we  paused  before  long  lines  of  coster’s  barrows 
In  the  Streets. 
Gathered  along  the  kerb  stones  of  a  street  leading  from  one  of 
the  bridges,  was  a  motley  crew  of  men,  women,  and  children  with 
merchandise  of  all  descriptions,  including  flowers,  plants,  fruit,  and 
vegetables.  These  moving  greengrocers,  florists,  and  plant  dealers 
pay  neither  rent  nor  rates,  and  can,  therefore,  afford  to  sell 
cheaply.  One  vendor,  surrounded  by  fresh  looking  specimens  of  Ferns, 
Fuchsias,  Pelargoniums,  Petunias,  and  other  flower  and  foliage  plants, 
was  holding  forth  in  a  strain  something  like  the  following: — “Now, 
genelmen,  I  means  to  sell,  so  if  yer’ll  buy  quickly  I'll  sell  cheaply  ;  only 
don’t  think  yer  buying  these  plants  out  o’  charity.  Now,  genelman, 
’ere’s  a  plant  wot  is  called  the  Golden  Fern,  as  perduces  its  gold  net  on 
the  top  o’  the  fronds  but  underneath  ’em,  and  each  plant  is  warranted  to 
produce  1  oz.  o’  gold  in  twelve  months,  so  yer  see  its  not  only  pretty  but 
useful.  Now  then,  how  much?  Eighteenpence,  shilling,  nicepence, 
sixpence.  No  less  !  Who’ll  have  it  ?  That  lady  o’er  there.  Thank 
you.”  Following  this  came  Fuchsias  and  Pelargoniums,  the  salesman 
having  some  curious  story  to  tell  about  every  plant  put  up  and  in  every 
case  he  was  not  slow  to  impress  upon  the  purchaser  that  he  was  giving 
them  away,  and  if  he  could  buy  another  plant  like  it  in  the  streets  of 
London  at  the  same  price  “  he’d  give  ’im  every  bloomin’  plant  on  bis 
barrer.”  The  noise  of  the  various  vendors  was  deafening,  but  the  trade 
seemed  well  divided  ;  and  as  the  purchasers  went  homeward  with  their 
vegetables  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  they  aLo  carried  a  plant  and  a  bunch 
of  flowers,  showing  how  great  is  the  love  for  the  beautiful  in  Nature, 
even  in  the  crowded  streets  of  London.  The  walk  was  interesting  and 
no  less  instructive,  giving  us,  as  countrymen,  some  idea  of  how  London 
