July  25,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
71 
ESTABLISHED  1832. 
No  connection  with  any  other  Firm  of  a  similar  Name, 
&  Son’s 
CELEBRATED 
—  FOR  — 
Early  Forcing. 
- ♦  ♦  ♦  ♦ - : 
ROMAN  HYACINTHS, 
ROMAN  NARCISSUS, 
PAPER-WHITE  NARCISSUS, 
&c.,  &c. 
The  above  are  now  ready  for  delivery,  and  for  full 
descriptive  details  of  the  same  and  other  BULRS 
for  forcing,  see  our  CATALOGUE  for  1901, 
which  will  be  sent  free  on  application  to  our  Offices 
at  OVERVEEN,  HAARLEM,  HOLLAND,  or  to 
our  General  Agents — 
Messrs.  MERTENS  &  CO., 
3,  CROSS  LANE,  LONDON,  E.C. 
WEBBS’ 
EMPEROR  CARRAGE 
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  alongi-ide  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  alw  .  ys  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  held  of  10  acres, 
thus  each  had  an  equal  chance.  You  can  see  the  result 
by  the  photographs  and  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  51  °/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  the  24  ranks  as  they 
make  the  field  look  so  bad.  No  more  of  the  ‘  Wonderful  ” 
new  variety  for  me  ;  I  would  not  have  it  as  a  gift. 
WEBBS’,  WORDSLEY,  ST0URB3IDGE. 
Jo  in; iht l  u|  |§firtiijiilta[i! 
THURSDAY,  JULY  25,  1901. 
ic  Fruits. 
% 
TO  THE  TRADE  ! 
DUTCH  BULBS! 
FRENCH  BULBS  I  and  ENGLISH  BDLBS ! 
SEE  OUR  SPECIAL  CATALOGUE  OF  BULBS 
Containing  List  of  all  the  Rest  Varieties  of  HYACINTHS, 
TULIPS.  CROCUS,  LILIUMS,  DAFFODILS,  SNOW- 
DROPS,  IRIS,  P.EONIES,  &c.,  free  on  application.  Please 
compare  our  prices  before  sending  your  orders  abroad. 
WATKINS  &  SIMPSON, 
Seed  and  Bulb  Merchants, 
12,  TAVISTOCK  STREET,  COVENT  GARDEN,  LONDON,  W.C. 
RIVERS’ 
FRUIT  TRESS, 
Roses,  Vines, 
FIGS,  ORANGES, 
AND 
Orchard-House  Trees. 
A  LARGE  AND  SELECT  STOCK 
ALWAYS  ON  VIEW. 
LAXTON’S  Is, 
I  STRAWBERRIES 
Orders  now  booked  for  Early  Pot 
Plants  and  Runners.  Catalogues 
Gratis.  All  Leading  sorts. 
LAXTON  BROTHERS 
Strawberry  Specialists, 
BEDFORD. 
PRIMULAS!  PRIMULAS!  PRIMULAS! 
Williams’  and  other  superb  strains,  also  Primula  Obconiea, 
CINERARIAS  and  BEGONIAS,  1/6  per  dozen,  10/-  100. 
Double  AVhite  Primulas,  6d.  each.  All  the  above  fit  for 
8  and  4-in.  pots,  and  carriage  free  for  cash  with  order. 
JOHN  STEVENS,  The  Nurseries,  COVENTRY. 
ILLUSTRATED  AND  DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE, 
Post  Free,  3d. 
THOMASRiVERS^  SON, 
SAWBRIDGEWORTH,  HERTS. 
HARLOW  STATION,  G.E.R. 
No.  1100.— Vol.  XLIII.,  Third  Series. 
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,  &c.  Trade,  send  for  Wholesale 
List.  Special  Retail  Catalogue,  free.— J.  E.  SMITH. 
CABBAGES 
FOR  AUTUMN  SOWING. 
The  best  and  hardiest  variety  Is  DICKSONS 
PERFECTION,  6d.  per  pkt  .  1/6  per  oz. 
Also  highly  recommended — DICKSONS  NONSUCH,  4d.  per 
pkt.,  1/-  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  Seeds  for  present  and  later  sowing  see  Descriptive 
Priced  Catalogue,  post  free  on  application  to — 
DICKSONS 
SEED 
GROWERS 
CHESTER 
REMEMBER  years  ago  an  old 
traveller  giving  it  as  his  experience 
and  opinion  that  the  ripe  (fresh) 
Date  was  the  finest  and  most 
delicious  to  the  taste,  of  all  fruits. 
Whether  devotees  of  the  Mango, 
the  Mangosteen,  or  the  Durien  can  be 
expected  to  agree  with  this,  I  cannot  say. 
Since  that  opinion  was  broached  I  have 
personally  had  an  opportunity  of  becoming 
acquainted  with  most  tropic  and  other  fruits 
obtainable  in  their  season  in  diverse  parts  of  the 
world.  The  Mango  I  have  always  thought  a 
rather  overrated  fruit,  though  when  eaten  at 
exactly  the  right  time  is  certainly  of  considerable 
excellence  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Mango¬ 
steen  as  a  delicacy  can  hardly  be  spoken  too  highly 
of.  The  little  white  divisions  into  which  it  parts, 
like  the  Orange,  are  like  soft  but  substantial  flakes 
of  cream,  flavoured  with  a  combination  of  exquisite 
essences,  to  which  no  one  name  can  readily  be 
given.  Unfortunately,  being  produced  in  so  few 
parts — Penang  and  the  Straits  Settlement  being 
its  indigenous  home — it  cannot  fall  to  the  lot  of 
many  to  enjoy  this  epicure’s  luxury.  The  Durien 
inhabits  the  same  kind  of  steaming  tropical 
climate,  and  has  to  he  consumed  soon  after  it  is 
gathered.  Its  unbearable  smell,  resembling  to  a 
great  extent  rotten  eggs,  renders  it  prohibitive 
under  most  circumstances;  and  when  travellers 
bring  some  of  it  on  board  ship,  it  is  invariably 
hung  up  at  the  mast  head,  and  only  brought  down 
to  be  eaten  and  done  away  with.  If  you  can  make 
up  your  mind  to  put  up  with  this  noxious  essence 
that  the  outer  part  emits,  the  inside  is  really  a 
very  great  delicacy.  Hitherto,  importers  have 
failed  to  ship  the  forenamtd  fruits,  but  recently 
an  attempt  has  been  made,  under  the  improved 
meth<  ds  of  conveying  su  h  perishable  products,  to 
market  them  safely  at  Covent  Garden,  where  they 
fetch  very  high  prices,  and  on  several  occasions 
her  late  Majesty  Queen  Victoria  has  had  consign¬ 
ments  of  Maugosteens,  attended,  I  believe,  with  a 
considerable  amount  of  success. 
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  other 
address 
