188 
JOURNAL  of'  horticulture  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
February  27,  1902. 
Cyclamens,  Cinerarias,  and  Primulas  at  Wordsley. 
Passing  tlirough  the  Midlands  at  a  recent  date,  I  made  a 
visit  to  the  establishment  of  Messrs.  Webb  and  Sons,  of  Words¬ 
ley,  Stourbridge,  and  was  well  rewarded  by  a  sight  of  the  con¬ 
tents  of  their  glass  houses.  The  firm  has  been  most  assiduously 
engaged  for  some  years  past  in  the  improvement  of  Florists’  and 
other  flowers ;  indeed,  their  exhibits  at  the  leading  shows  have 
testified  to  their  success  in  this  work.  On  the  occasion  of  my 
visit  Cyclamen,  Primulas,  and  Cinerarias  were  in  the  pink  of 
perfection.  Two  large  houses  were  devoted  to  Cyclamens,  and 
the  mass  of  bloom  produced  a  wonderful  effect,  relieved  as  it  was 
by  the  dark  foliage.  Webb’s  Perfection  strain  is  rightly  named. 
The  plants  are  of  dwarf  habit  of  growth,  producing  flowers  in  a 
great  variety  of  colours  and  in  abundance.  Webb’s  Vesuvius 
and  Rose  Queen  are  two  new  introductions  of  very  pleasing 
appearance.  The  former  has  brilliant  red  flowers,  and  the  latter 
most  delicate  rose  ;  both  are  of  good  form  and  size.  But  perhaps 
the  most  remarkable  variety  of  all  was  Webb’s  Mont  Blanc,  the 
plants  of  which  are  strong  and  compact,  bearing  extra  large 
blooms  of  more  than  ordinary  substance. 
Over  1,200  plants  of  Webb’s  Superb  Cinerarias  were  also  to 
be  seen ;  a  good  proportion  being  in  bloom.  The  flowers  com¬ 
prise  an  astonishing  range  of  colour  and  form ;  brought  to  the 
highest  perfection  by  the  careful  hybridisation  and  selection 
that  has  for  so  long  been  practised.  It  would  be  well-nigh  im¬ 
possible  to  describe  the  innumerable  and  exquisite  colours  that 
are  contained  in  a  house  of  these  indispensable  spring  flowers. 
The  Primulas,  too,  were  at  their  best  a  week  or  two  ago,  but 
there  was  still  plenty  of  bloom  to  enable  one  to  judge  of  the 
varieties  and  strains  that  Messrs.  Webb  jiossess.  Webb’s  Snow 
Queen  and  Purity  are  exceptionally  fine  ones;  the  former  is  a 
giant  Chinese  Primula^  producing  very  large  trusses  of  immense 
Avhite  flowers,  which  rise  w'ell  above  the  foliage.  Purity  is  also 
a  giant  white  Primula  with  a  clear  sulphur  eye,  the  flowers 
measuring  2in  and  more  in  diameter,  and  elegantly  fringed. 
Modesty  is  a  chaste  variety,  the  flowers  when  commencing  to 
open  being  pure  white,  but  they  change  to  delicate  pink  when 
expanded. 
As  time  was  limited,  I  had  reluctantly  to  leave  the  glass 
houses,  and  passing  over  to  the  colossal  warehouses,  I  saw  the 
preparations  for  Messrs.  Webb’s  farm  seed  trade  in  full  swing — 
a  most  interesting  sight.  Tlie  cleaning  and  dressing  machinery 
is  driven  by  a  powerful  engine.  Passing  to  ainother  huge  build¬ 
ing,  I  came  into  touch  with  the  vegetable  and  flower  seed 
department,  where  a  small  army  of  assistants  w'ere  busily 
engaiyed  in  executing  the  daily  orders,  and  one  can  quite  under¬ 
stand  that  at  this  time  of  the  year,  at  any  rate,  the  name  of 
“Webb,”  in  common  with  that  of  other  large  firms,  is  in  many 
gardeners’  minds. 
Botany  in  the  Garden. 
Having  read  the  article  “  The  Value  of  Botany  in  the 
Garden”  that  appeared  in  the  Journal  for  March  28,  1901, 
p.  254,  I  am  led  to  think  that  some  elementary  papers  on  the 
science,  written  by  a  yorfng  gardener  who  is  engaged  in  this,  to 
me,  fascinating  study,  might  be  of  interest  to  others.  There  can 
be,  and  certainly  are,  plenty  of  good  gardeners  who  know  prac¬ 
tically  nothing  of  the  subject;  but,  for  all  that,  I  am  certain 
that  the  gardener  v  ho  is  also  a  botanist  must  feel  infinitely  more 
interest  in  his  work  than  one  who  is  not.  This  is  an  age  of 
inquiiw,  when  people,  particularly  young  people,  like  to  know 
the  why  and  wherefore  of  everything  they  do  or  see  done,  and 
botany  explains  the  reason  for  many  horticultural  practices.  As 
the  following  papers  will  be  written  by  a  young  gardener  who 
is  also  a  learner,  I  may  at  times  be  in  error,  when  I  hope  to 
be  corrected,  editorially  or  otherwise. 
To  begin  with,  the  word  botany  itself  is  derived  from  the 
Greek,  meaning  “  a  plant.”  It  is  the  science  of  plants,  treating 
of  their  internal  structure,  external  form,  functions,  life-history, 
distribution,  uses,  and  classification.  We  will  take  into  considera¬ 
tion  first,  then,  their  internal  structure.  Plants  are  made  up  of  a 
number  of  minute  cells,  containing  a  substance  called  pro¬ 
toplasm,  with  a  denser  portion  known  as  the  nucleus,  the  whole 
contained  in  a  cell-wall  of  cellulose.  The  chemical  elements  of 
protoplasm  are  carbon,  oxygen,  hydrogen,  nitrogen,  and  sulphur. 
The  simplest  forms  of  plant-life  consist  of  one  cell  only 
(unicellular),  whilst  the  higher  plants  begin  life  from  one  fused 
cell  of  male  and  female  elements,  which  repeatedly  subdivides 
until  many  cells  are  formed.  This  is  what  we  understand  as 
growth. 
A  number  of  united  cells  form  the  plant  tissues.  The  simple 
tissue  is  capable  of  being  altered  for  different  purposes,  and  a 
variety  of  tissues  grouped  together  form  organs,  as  root,  stem, 
and  leaf.  If  we  examine  the  bark  from  the  youngest  twigs  of 
an  ordinary  deciduous  tree,  such  as  the  Apple,  Avith  a  micro¬ 
scope  we  shall  see  that  it  consists  of  layers  of  cells,-  the  outer 
being  empty  apd  having  a  thicker  outer  Avail,  called  the  cuticle. 
!Beneath  the  cuticle,  or  “skin,”  lies  the  epidermis;  next  this 
comes  the  hypodermis,  also  consisting  of  empty  cells.  Beneath 
these  are  several  more  regular  layers,  Avhich  are  constantly  being 
added  to  from  beloAV  by  the  division  of  cells  containing  proto¬ 
plasm.  These  latter  cells  constitute  the  cambium  tissues.  As 
the  loAver  layers  are  constantly  being  added  to,  so  the  outer  ones 
are  throAvn  off  as  dead  bark. 
There  is  great  variety  in  cell  form — mutual  pressure,  absence 
of  pressure  in  Certain  directions,  or  elongation  of  tissue — all 
influencing  individual  shape.  Cells  vary,  too,  in  size,  but  are 
generally  very  minute.  As  the  cell  gets  older  its  wall  becomes 
thicker  and  the  protoplasm  becomes  “  vacuolated,”  that  is,  the 
water3f  fluid  AAoth  Avhich  it  is  saturated,  called  celL-sap,  collects  in 
drops.  As  time  goes  on  nearly  the  whole  of  the  cavity  becomes 
filled  with  this  cell-sap,  the  protoplasm  remaining  „as  a  thin 
lining,  the  nucleus  being  carried  to  the  side  Avith  it.  Besides 
the  protoplasm,  the  nucleus,  and  the  cell-sap.  certain  cells  are 
found  to  possess  other  contents,  as  plastids  or  colouring  matters, 
also  starch,  resin,  tannin,  &c.  Protoplasm  is,  hoAvever,  essential 
to  the  life  of  a  cell,  and  is  always  present  where  groAvth  is  going 
on.  It  is  capable  of  certain  motions,  the  most  important  of 
which  are  rotatory  and  circulatory.  Rotation  means  the  revolu¬ 
tion  of  the  Avhole  mass  in  one  direction  along  the  Avails  of  a  cell : 
circulation  is  the  movement  of  the  protoplasm  to  and  from  the 
nucleus,  someAvhat  after  the  manner  of  the  human  blood  passing 
to  and  from  the  heart  to  the  extremities.  In  another  paper  I 
hope  to  discuss  the  growth  of  the  cell. — W.  B. 
»  » 
Natural  Crossing  Among  Plants. 
The  “  Standard  ”  for  Monday,  February  3,  published  a  deeply 
interesting  article  under  the.  above  title,  and  from  the  article 
Ave  print  the  folloAvJng,  Avhich  refers  to  experiments  carried  out 
by  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons,  of  Reading : . 
“  About  tAVO  years  ago  Mr.  Sutton  Avas  surprised  to  see  in  a 
ublic  print  statements,  by  an  agricultural  authority  Avho  had 
ad  some  experience  in  seed  growing,  to  the  effect  that  all  the 
trouble  he  had  taken  to  isolate  various  cruciferous  seed  crops 
in  the  past  Avas,  probably,  unnecessary,  because  it  now  appeared 
that  they  AAmuld  not  cross-fertilise  naturally.  Apparently,-  he 
based  this  conclusion  upon  the  statements  of  some  experimenters 
in  artificial  crossing,  to  Avhich  he  AA'as  referring.  Mr.  Sutton 
kneAv  that  cruciferous  plants  AA’Ould  be  particularly  liable  to 
cross,  and  to  spoil  each  other,  if  the  care  thus  pronounced 
unnecessary  ceased  to  be  taken,  and,  therefore,  he  determined 
to  carry  out  a  demonstration,  not  to  satisfy  himself,  but  to  prove 
to  doubters  that  plants  of  the  Cabbage  tribe  Avould  cross 
naturally  Avith  the  utmost  freedom  AA’he-n  grown  for  seed  side  by 
•side.  Accordingly,  at  the  beginning  of  1900,  he  planted  in  a 
seed-bed  one  plant  each  of  dAA^arf  green  Curled  Kale,  Brussels 
Sprouts,  Broccoli,  red  variegated  Kale,  purple  curled  Kale, 
Thousand-head  Kale,  Couve  Tronchuda  (or  Portugal  Cabbage), 
Giant  Drumhead  Cabbage,  Sutton’s  Fav'ourite  Cahbage,  dAA-arf 
blood-red  Cabbage,  and  Drumhead  Savoy.  The  Broccoli  Drum¬ 
head  Cabbage,  Red  Cabbage,  and  Savoy  plants  Avere  either  killed 
by  the  Avinter  or  so  much  damaged  that  they  did  not  mature  any 
seed,  although  the  Red  Cabbage,:at  least,  appears  to  have  groAA-n 
to  the  floAvering  stage.  The  seed  of  each  of  the  other  plants  AA’as 
saved  separatelj^,  and  carefully  gown  in  the  spring  of  1901. 
“  From  the  plants  thus  raised  two  transplantings  Avere  made, 
each  of  about  forty  plants.  In  one  transplanting  the  plants  Avere 
taken  Avithout  any  selection  ;  AA’hile  in  the  other  as  many  diverse 
forms  as  could  be  picked  out  from  the  appearance  of  the  leaves 
Avere  chosen.  The  results,  noAv  that  the  plants  are  mature,  are 
so  remarkable  that  they  could  hardly  be  imagined  by  anyone 
Avho  has  not  seen  them.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the 
crossing  among  these  several  A’arieties  of  cruciferous  plants, 
by  natural  agency,  has  been  as  profuse  and  intricate  as  it  could 
have  been  rendered  by  the  most  ingenious' ma-nipulation.  Indeed, 
it  is  almost  certain  that  if  anyone  had  essayed  to  cross  the  plants 
artificially  as  curiously  and  diAmrsely  as  they  have  crossed 
naturally,  he  Avould  have  spoilt  his  subjects,  or  many  of  them. 
'Phe  results  of  the  interesting  experiments  are  still  to  be  seen  in 
Messrs.  Sutton’s  trial  grounds,  Avithin  a  mile  of  Reading. 
“  On  one  side  of  a  path  a  specimen  of  each  of  the  types  of 
seed-bearing  parent  plants  is  groAving,  and  opposite  to  it  there 
are  four  rows  of  plants  produced  from  the  seed  of  the  similar 
plant  subjected  to  the  trial.  As  has  been  intimated,  the  demon¬ 
stration  is  duplicated,  one  set  of  plots  containing  plants  taken  at 
random,  and  the  other  plants  selected  for  variety  in  appearance 
Avhen  they  are  small  seedlings.  There  is  vei-y  little  difference 
between  the  two  sets  of  plots  in  degree  of  variation  from  the 
parent  stocks,  noAv  that  the  plants  are  mature.  The  plants 
Avhich  appear  to  have  exhibited  the  greatest  potency  in  the 
infection  of  other  varieties  are  Brussels  Sprouts  and  red 
variegated,  and  green  Kale,  possibly  in  part-  because  they,  or 
the  first  at  least,  Avere  floAvering  and  producing  pollen  for  a 
