February  16,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
119 
FINEST  SELECTED  STRAINS 
TESTED  GR0WTH«3 
CHOICt  FLOWER  SEEDS. 
Barr’s  “Prize  Strain”  Single  Begonia. — Saved  from 
the  finest  colours  ami  iiest  formed  flowers.  Per  packet, 
1/6,  2/6,  and  6/6. 
Barr’s  “Prize  Strain”  Double  Begonia.— Saved  from 
the  fiighest  quality  flowers.  J*er  packet,  2/6  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  “First  Prize”  Calceolaria. — Save<l  from  the 
finest  selected  flowers  and  richest  colours.  Per  packet, 
2/6  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  Extra  Choice  Mixture  Carnations.  —  Saved 
from  the  finest  ilouble  flowers  of  the  highest  class 
Carnations  and  Picajtees,  per  packet,  2/6. 
Barr’s  “First  Class”  Cineraria.--A  s(dect,  compara¬ 
tively  dw.arf  strain,  saved  from  largest  flowers  of  finest 
fonu  and  best  distinct  colours.  Per  packet,  2/6  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  Superb  Mixture  Gloxinia.  — Saved  from  the 
flne.st  sorts.  Per  packet,  1/6,  2/6,  and  3/6. 
Barr’s  “  Co  vent  Garden  ”  Choicest  Strain  Primula. 
A  very  select  strain,  flowers  of  the  finest  colours,  and 
of  good  substance.  Per  packet,  1/6  and  2^6. 
Barr’s  “  Covent  Garden  ”  Primula  White.— Flowers 
large  and  hand.some.  Per  packet,  1/6  and  2/6. 
Barr’s  “Covent  Garden  ”  Primula  Crimson-scarlet. 
A  magnificent  strain  of  richest  colour.  Per  packet, 
1/6  and  2/6. 
Barr’s  Select  Blue  Primula.— The  finest  blue  variety  in 
cultivation.  Per  packet,  1/6  and  2/6. 
BARR’S  SEED  GUIDE  (Free)  contains  a  Select  List 
of  the  best  Vegetable  .Seeds  and  most  beautiful  Flower 
.Seeds.  It  is  full  of  I’ractical  Hints,  and  will  be  found 
of  great  value  to  Gardeners,  Amateurs,  and  Exhibitors. 
DADD  JP  CnilC  12  &  13,  KING  STREET. 
DAnn  <x  OUlid,  covent  garden,  London 
NUKSEIUES:  LONG  DITTON,  SURREY. 
NOVELTIES 
RAISED  AT 
WINDSOR  AND  OSBORNE. 
It  is  Messrs.  CARTERS’  privilege  to 
offer  the  following  new  and  choice 
productions  to  the  notice  of  gardeners 
and  private  cultivators. 
BRITISH  QUEEN  MELON. 
Raised  and  named  by  Mr.  Owen  Thomas,  Supt.  of 
tbc  Royal  Gardens,  Windsor.  Awarded  the  First- 
Class  Certificate  R.H.S.  Pronounced  by  the  Com¬ 
mittee  to  bo  not  oidy  the  very  best  white-flesh 
melon  ever  submitted,  but  the  richest  flavoured  of 
any  colour.  Awarded  the  Gold  Medal  of  the  Royal 
Caledonian  Society  in  association  with  other  fruit 
exhibited  by  H.M.  The  Queen. 
In  sealed  packets,  price  2/6  and  3  6  each,  post  free. 
ROYAL  OSBORNE  CUCUMBER. 
A  valuable  cross  between  the  Rochford  and  an  im¬ 
proved  type  of  Telegraph,  raised  and  named  by  Mr. 
Geoege  Nobbs,  Head  Gardener  to  H.M.  the  Queen 
at  (Jsbome.  In  our  opinion  it  is  one  of  the  best  all 
the  year  round  varieties  introduced  in  recent  years. 
In  sealed  packets,  price  2/6  &  3/6  each,  post  free. 
ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUES,  POST  FREE. 
WE  HOLD  THE  ENTIRE  STOCK  OF  SEEDS 
OF  THESE  TWO  NOVELTIES. 
CARTERS, 
"Cbc  Queen’s  Seebsmen. 
Only  A  ddress — 
237,  238  &  97,  HICK  HOLBORN,  LONDON. 
To  Nurserymen,  Builders,  Local  Bodies,  Veetries, 
AND  OTIIKK.S  WHO  INTEND 
PLANTING  TREES  AND  SHRUBS  THIS  SEASON. 
ROBERT  NEAL,  F.R.H.S., 
T/J/i  NURSERIES, 
319,  TRINITY  ROAD,  WANDSWORTH,  S.W., 
Begs  to  offer  .an  extensive  Stock  of  FORE.ST  and 
ORNAMENTAL  TREES.  SHRUBS,  ROSES,  GRAPE 
VINE.S,  FRUIT  TREES,  CLIMBING  PLANTS,  &c., 
which,  iieing  grown  in  the  neighbourhood  of  London,  are 
especially  suitable  for  Town  Planting.  DESCRIPTIVE 
OA'J’AI.OOUE  FREE. 
RIVERS' 
FRUIT  TREES, 
Roses,  Vines, 
FIGS,  ORANGES, 
AND 
Orchard-House  Trees. 
ORCHIDS.  ORCHIDS. 
INSPECTION  of  OUR  NEW  RANGE  of  HOUSES, 
just  completed,  is  cordially  invited  by 
HUGH  LOW  &  CO.,  ^^mDDLESEX.^^’ 
PLANTING  SEASON 
HARDILY-GROWN 
_  &  all  other 
Troes  &  Pla.n±s 
Evergri^oens, 
Roses,  &c. 
Stocks  quite  Unequalled  for 
“QUALITY,"  “VARIETY,"  &" EXTENT." 
Prlcod  Catalogrues  Post  Free. 
Nnrserlei  OUCOTCD 
(480  Acre!)  UiIlO  I  Lll.^ 
Dicksons 
A  LARGE  AND  SELECT  STOCK 
ALWAYS  ON  VIEW. 
ILLUSTRATED  AND  DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE, 
Post  Free,  8d. 
THOMAS  RIVERS  &  SON, 
SAWBRIDGEWORTH,  HERTS. 
HARLOW  STATION,  Q.E.R 
No.  973.-VOL.  xxxvm.,  Third  Series. 
PURE  WOOD  ClIAKCOAL,  Specially  Prepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture;  “  Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manurial  agent  ; 
e.ach  little  piece  is  a  pantry  full  of  the  good  things  of  thi.s 
lif«r  There  is  no  cultivated  plant  which  is  not  benefited  by 
having  Charcoal  ajiplied  to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  rooted.’’ 
Apply  for  Pamphlet  and  Prices  to  the  Manufacturers— 
HIR.S'T,  BROOKE  <fe  HIR.ST,  Ltd.,  Leeds.  _ 
Greenhouses  from  £3  5/-;  vineries, 
Conskhvatorie.s,  Khame.s,  Summer  Houses,  &c. 
Illustrated  List  Free.  M.akers  to  H.M.  the  (^ueen  and 
H.R.II.  THE  Pri.nce  of  Wales. 
POTTER,  HAWTHORN  &  CO.,  London  Works, 
READING.  (Name  Paper.) 
-  •  I— — rrr— ;  -  -  . 
THE  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  can  be  obtained 
from  the  Office,  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  St., 
London,  post  free  for  a  Quarter,  3/9.  Edltorlcd 
communications  must  be  addressed  to  8,  Rose 
Hill  Rd.,  Wandsworth,  8.W. 
- - - — - -  - - ■  ;  ■  — —  — 
THE  BEST  PEACHES. 
HOME  of  the  facile  wielders  of  the  pen  have 
0  lately  been  indulging  in  interesting  pleasantries 
concerning  the  best  varieties  of  Apples.  In  the 
main  they  seem  to  agree  that  those  of  acknowledged 
good  quality  are  the  best  everywhere  (when  they 
can  be  obtained),  but  one  has  to  get  them  first 
This  difficulty  in  getting  certain  varieties  to  bear 
satisfactorily  in  some  localities  leads  some  of  the 
happy  family  of  Apple  connoisseurs  to  substitute 
others  for  their  own  particular  district.  In  this 
way  much  useful  information  has  been  elicited. 
Now,  why  should  we  not  thrash  out  the  subject 
as  to  which  are  the  best  varieties  of  Peaches  ?  In 
this  case  the  partiality  of  some  varieties  for  certain 
districts  is  not  so  pronounced,  as,  when  grown 
under  glass,  the  majority  behave  pretty  much  the 
same  everywhere,  provided  their  cultural  require¬ 
ments  are  well  attended  to.  Such  at  least  is  my 
experience. 
In  regard  to  cfilture  on  walls  in  the  open  air, 
growers  in  various  districts  have  to  look  at  the 
matter  in  different  lights.  For  instance,  in  the 
Midlands  and  North,  it  is  quite  useless  to  plant 
..iiy  but  comparatively  early  varictic  Vvi  tuiioo, 
Alexander,  and  Hale’s  Early  are  a  trio  which  will 
prove  satisfactory  on  sunny  walls  almost  anywhere 
in  England.  Midseason  varieties,  such  as  Royal 
George,  Grosse  Mignonne,  sometimes  succeed  in 
the  Midlands  and  North  ;  but  if  we  happen  to  get 
a  wet  August  or  September,  they  do  not  ripen  well. 
On  the  other  hand,  in  the  South,  such  large  late 
varieties  as  Walburton  Admirable  and  Princess  of 
Wales  often  ripen  grand  fruit  in  the  o[ien  air.  I 
do  not  say  that  they  are  worth  eating,  Imt  they 
look  well. 
I  remember,  when  living  in  Wiltshire,  we 
invariably  had  grand  fruits  of  The  Princess  in 
September,  and  although  they  were  not  much 
prized  for  home  consumption,  the  London  fruiterers 
generally  paid  high  prices  for  them,  for  such  made 
an  imposing  display  in  their  windows,  and  possibly 
proved  objects  of  attraction  on  more  than  one 
dinner  table,  for  modern  attempts  at  economy 
have  become  quite  a  science ;  there  is  on  some 
No.  2620.— VoL.  C.,  OLD  Series. 
