'July  18,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER ; 
47 
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 ,  31. 
THOMAS  RIVERS  &  SON, 
SAWBRIDGEWORTH,  HERTS. 
HARLOW  STATION.  G.E.R. 
THIRTY  GOLD,  SILVER-GILT,  and  SILVER 
MEDALS  for 
BEGONIA  ™Tr 
The  Largest  and  Best  Collection  in  Existence. 
Send  for  CATALOGUE  before  ordering. 
B.  R.  DAYIS  &  SONS,  Nurseries,  YEOVIL,  SOM. 
PRIMULAS!  PRIMULAS!  PRIMULAS! 
Williams’  and  other  superb  strains,  also  Primula  Obconica, 
CINERARIAS  and  BEGONIAS,  1/6  per  dozen,  10/.  ion. 
Double  White  Primulas,  6d.  each.  All  the  above  til  for 
3  and  4-in.  pots,  and  carriage  free  for  cash  with  order. 
JOHN  STEVENS,  The  Nurseries,  COVENTRY. 
LONDON  FERN  NURSERIES, 
Loughboro’  Junction,  London,  S.W.— Stove  and  Green 
house  Ferns,  large  and  small,  in  var.,  Aralias,  Grevilleas. 
Cyperus,  Ficus,  Ericas,  Palms,  Dracaenas,  Aspidistras,  Roses, 
Azaleas,  Carnations,  Crotons,  Camellias,  Chrysanthemums, 
Cyclamen,  Bouvardias,  Asparagus,  Araucarias,  Solanums, 
Aspidistras,  Cinerarias,  Genistas,  Marguerites,  Geraniums, 
Primulas,  Orange  Trees,  Ac.  Trade,  send  for  Wholesale 
List.  Special  Retail  Catalogue,  free. — J.  E.  SMITH. 
WEBBS’ 
EMPEROR  CABBAGE 
THE  EARLIEST  AND  BEST. 
Seed,  6d.  and  1/-  per  Packet;  1/6  per  Ounce. 
From  ALBERT  MITCHELL, -Esq..  Linden  House, 
Ringwood,  May  4th,  1901. 
I  have  much  pleasure  in  sending  you  photographs  of 
Webbs’  Emperor  Cabbage  and;also  of  a  variety  which  I 
was  recommended  to  test  alongside  it.  The  variety  in 
question  was  represented  as  a  “Wonderful”  Cabbage, 
and  I  was  charged  a  much  higher  price  than  yours  for 
the  seed.  I  thought  I  had  something  to  beat  your 
Emperor,  as  I  always  want  to  get  the  best  stocks  to  supply 
my  contracts.  I  treated  both  alike  and  planted  them  out 
at  the  same  time,  planting  6  ranks  of  650  plants  of  the 
“  Wonderful  ”  new  variety  beside  the  ranks  of  Emperor  ; 
this  I  repeated  four  times  across  the  field  of  10  acres, 
thus  each  had  an  equal  chance.  You  can  see  the  result 
by  the  photographs  hnd  also  from  the  following  :  Result 
of  Webbs’  Emperor:  Scarcely  a  plant  bolted.  Began 
to  cut  March  11th,  6000;  March  13th,  2400;  April  10th, 
sold  40.000,  buyer  to  cut  as  required  and  I  am  now  selling 
daily.  Result  of  the  “Wonderful”  new  variety. 
Quite  50  °/0  bolted— see  photograph;  of  the  remainder 
there  is  no  sign  of  any  fit  for  cutting,  in  fact  my  foreman  | 
wants  me  to  run  the  plough  through  the2t  ranks  as  they 
make  the  field  look  so  bad.  No  more  of  the  ‘  W onderful  ” 
new  variety  for  me ;  I  would  not  have  it  as  a  gift. 
WEBBS’,  WORDSLEY,  STOURBRIDGE. 
CLEAN  HEALTHY  PLANTS  AT  LOW  PRICES. 
Always  worth  a  visit  of  inspection.  Kindly  send  for  Catalogue. 
NEW  LIST  NOW  READY. 
JAMES  CYPHER, 
Exotic  Nurseries,  CHELTENHAM. 
CABBAGES 
FOR  AUTUMN  SOWING. 
The  best  and  hardiest  variety  Is  DICKSON'S 
PERFECTION,  6d.  per  pkt..  1/6  per  oz. 
Also  highly  recommended — DICKSONS  NONSUCH,  4d.  per 
pkt.,  II-  peroz. ;  ELLAM’S  EARLY  SPRING,  4d.  per  pkt., 
lOd.  per  oz.  ;  MEIN’S  No.  1,  3d.  per  pkt  ,  9d.  per  oz.; 
WHEELER’S  IMPERIAL,  3d.  per  pkt.,  9d.  per  oz.; 
MYATT’S  EARLY  OFFENHAM,  3d.  per  pkt.,  9d.  per  oz. 
For  all  other  See-ts  for  present  and  later  sowing  see  Descriptive  | 
Priced  Catalogue,  poit  free  on  application  to —  i 
DICKSONS  GROWERS  CHESTER! 
WEST’S  PLANT  GRIP  STAKES. — Everlasting  double-grip 
stakes  for  instantly  staking  all  plants.  Send  postcard  for  Illustrated 
Catalogue. 
WEST’S  PATENT  VAPORISING  FUMIGATOR.— Made  all  of 
metal.  Will  last  a  lifetime  without  wick  or  further  trouble.  Price 
complete,  with  spirit  for  stove,  9d.  post  free,  to  vaporise  up  to  2500  c.f. 
“WEST’S  EXTRACT  OF  NICOTINE”  is  guaranteed  pure 
Nicotine,  and  three  times  as  good  as  the  best  compound.  It  is  not  a 
compound— not  a  chemical  substitute  for  Nicotine,  but  will  make  a 
compound  equal  to  the  best,  if  desired,  at  ljd.  per  1000  cubic  feet. 
Price  7d.  per  sealed  bottle  of  1000  cubic  feet  (6/-  dozen)  post  free: 
quantities  at  5d.  each,  carriage  paid.  Some  other 
WEST’S  patent  GARDEN  SUNDRIES 
(all  delivered  free)  are  Ivorine  and  Metal  Plant  Labels  of  all  kinds, 
from  1/10  gross  ;  Gardener’s  Fountain  Pen,  1/- ;  Ink  Holding  Pen, 
one  dip  into  ink  lasts  an  hour’s  writing  without  again  dipping,  6d.  dozen  ; 
Waterproof  Ink,  the  only  ink  to  stand  outside  weather,  7d.  bottle  ; 
Prepared  Green  Raffia,  2/- lb.  ;  Plant  Clips,  1/3  gross;  Carnation 
Rings,  1/3  gross ;  Hyacinth  Supports,  3/-  dozen;  Layering  Pegs, 
1/6  per  gross  ;  Metal  Tree  Fasteners,  for  permanently  fastening  wall 
trees,  1/10  gross ;  Wall  Nails,  same  price  as  ordinatv  nails ;  Glazing  Staples,  1/6  gross ;  Plant  Pots,  also  Pans,  31- 
east  any  size  (card,  ford.);  Pot  Suspenders;  Pot  Crocks;  Orchid  Baskets;  Garden  Syringe;  Spray  Diffuser, 
for  spraying  insecticide,  Ac.,  complete,  2/6;  Powder  Diffuser,  for  diffusing  powder  on  plants,  filled,  1/-;  Flower 
'Grip  Holders  of  all  kinds ;  Greenhouse  Shading,  9d.  tins— if  not  satisfactory  after  trial  money  will  be  returned  ; 
Mushroom  Spawn,  very  prolific,  4/-  per  bushel ;  Insecticide,  1/3  dozen  boxes  ;  Mealy  Bug  Destroyer,  7d.  bottles  ; 
Horticultural  Soap,  ljlb  tins,  ]/-;  Powder  Weed  Killer,  if  not  the  best  and  cheapest  after  trial  money  will  be 
■returned,  1/6  tin,  makes  16  to  50  gallons;  Slug  Killer  Powder,  certain  destruction  to  slugs,  Ac.,  and  a  splendid 
fertiliser,  from  lb.  tins,  9d.  ;  Lawn  Sand,  kills  all  weeds  and  nourishes  the  Grass,  from  lb.  tins,  9d.  ;  Tobacco 
Powder,  extra  fine  ground,  from  9d.  tins ;  Seed  Germinator,  0d.  boxes  (lasts  for  years),  no  seed  should  be  sown 
without  a  dressing  of  this;  Fertiliser,  perfect  plant  food,  from  lb.  tins,  9d. ;  Manures,  Ac.,  Ac.  All  carriage 
and  package  free.  8AMPLES  GRATIS. 
It  will  pay  you  well,  to  save  your  plants  from  dying,  to  send  direct  to  the  only  manufacturer  of  All  Garden 
Sundries,  C.  E.  WEST,  ROUNDHAY,  for  full  Illustrated  Catalogue,  with  hints  on  horticulture.  No  agents  or 
trade  terms,  so  buy  at  the  maker’s  low  prices. 
“  Orchid  Culture,”  third  edition,  postage  3d.  Gives  full  particulars  of  the  cultivation  of  Orchids. 
Joupitl  4 
THURSDAY,  JULY  18,  190L 
Vagaries  of  Ytriegation. 
f^^jpEAUTIFUL  leaved  plants  play  such 
a  prominent  part  as  decorative 
subjects,  for  which  an  ever  in¬ 
creasing  demand  obtains,  that  in 
this  direction  alone  their  merits 
deserve  all  the  consideration  we  can 
give  them  to  attain  the  highe-t 
£  C  development  of  which  they  are  capable  ; 
y  to  have  them,  in  fact,  as  they  ought  to 
be,  and  not  as  they  often  are.  Variegation,  it 
must  be  remarked,  as  more  commonly  understood, 
is  applicable  to  a  section  only  of  ornamental  foliage 
plants,  the  term  being  usually  employed  to  denote 
variation  from  the  normal  colour  ;  but,  strictly 
speakmg,  any  plant  displaying  a  diversity  of  colour, 
such  as  the  Marantas  or  Rex  Begonias,  may  be 
correctly  called  variegated  plants.  Such  variegation 
is,  to  more  or  less  extent,  fixed  and  unalterable. 
It  is  variegation  without  vagary,  and  deviations 
from  the  type  are  but  exceptions  to  the  rule.  Not 
so  with  the  class  of  plants  prompting  this  brief 
paper,  for  although  they  may  be  regarded  by  some  as 
amenable  to  the  ministering  hand,  they  are  apt  to 
spring  surprises  upon  the  horticulturist  by  defying 
all  his  methods  and  means  to  keep  them  from 
running  back  to  the  parental  green. 
You  may  humour  or  threaten  the  child  as  you  will, 
But  the  sins  of  the  parents  will  cling  round  it  still. 
Two  plants  of  Dracaena  L'mdeni  under  notice 
illustrate  this  admirably.  Showing  all  the  true 
character  of  this  beautiful  variety  when  purchased 
as  small  plants  ten  years  ago,  they  quickly 
developed  into  handsome  specimens,  in  which  the 
creamy  variegation  was  predominant.  The  remark 
of  a  friend  upon  seeing  them  was,  “  Ah  !  you’ve 
got  the  true  variety;”  but  ou  seeing  the  same 
plants  the  following  year,  after  the  interval  of  their 
having  been  used  as  house  plants,  cut  down  and 
restarted,  he  said,  “  That  thing’s  no  use,  you’ve  got 
the  bad  variety,”  and  it  was  not  easy  to  convince 
him  that  he  was  looking  at  tne  identical  specimen*. 
EEADERS  are  requested  to  send  Notices  of  Gardening 
Appointments  or  Notes  of  Horticultural  Interest, 
Intimations  of  Meetings,  Queries,  and  all  Articles  for 
Publication,  officially  to  “  THE  EDITOR,”  at 
12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.,  and  to  no  other  person  and  to  no  oth«r 
address 
No.  1099.— vol.  XLIIL,  Third  Series. 
