Feb  uary  12,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDJINER. 
133 
Barr’s  Seeds  sent  Cs  rria^e  Paid  on  recel  ;t  of  remittance 
Of  FinestSelectedStrains 
AND  Tested  Growth 
THE  BEST  OF  THE  SEASON’S  CROP. 
BARR'S  SEED  GUIDE  contains  a  Select  List  of  (he 
l)est  Vegetables  and  the  most  beautiful  Flowtrs  for  the 
Garden  and  Greenhouse.  It  is  full  of  Practical  Hints, 
and  will  be  found  invaluable  to  Gardeners,  Amateurs,  and 
l<lshibitors.  Sent  free  on  application. 
NOVELTIES  AND  SPECIALITIES  FOR  1903. 
Aquilegia  Barr’s  Extra  Selected  Hybrids,  saved  mostly 
from  LU.NG-SPURBED  varieties  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
<lelicate  shades.  Per  Packet,  2/6. 
Auricula  New  Giant  Yellow  (sweet-scented),  producing 
a  good  pr.iporlion  of  extra  tine  i/eUow.i.  Per  Packet,  1/6, 2/o. 
Dianthus  -Japanese  “  Royal  Pinks,”  a  grandnewstrain. 
with  very  large  single  fringed  flowers  ranging  from  b'ood-red 
■to  carmine,  pinA-,  and  xchite  ;  hardy  annual.  Per  Packet,  1/-. 
Laihyrus  pubesc;ns  —the  Blue  Ever.asting  Pea,  a  most 
lieautiful  plant  from  the  Argentine,  with  lovely  paie  Hue 
iflowers  ;  it  requires  a  sheltered  south  wall,  and  a  fairly 
light,  dry  soil.  Per  Packet  1/-.  A  good  greenhouse  plant. 
Lathyrus  splendens  — the  Pride  of  California,^ another 
■beautiful  Everlasting  Pea,  with  Bne,  graceful  foliage,  and 
the  most  brilliantly-coloured  flowers— c»imson-/a/fe,  shaded 
rsearlet.  Suitable  for  greenhouse  or  for  protected  positions 
outdoors  in  warm  localities.  Per  Packet,  1/6.  1 
Nasturtium  Giant-flowered  Jupiter,  a  fine  climbing  | 
variety  with  flowers  of  immense  size,  of  elegant  form,  with 
over-lapping  crinkled  petals  ;  colour  golden-yellow  with 
■orange  glow;  splendid  lor  quickly  covering  fence-*,  &c.  l 
Per  Packet,  1/6. 
Primula  stellata  Barr  s  “Rose  Brilliant,’’  (he  most 
•beautiful  of  all  the  STAR  PKIMUL.4S,  having  elegant  i 
(lark  P’eru-leaved  foliage  with  red  under  surface,  and  loose  1 
pyramids  of  smooth-petalled  flowers,  brilliant  rose,  shaded  ' 
■salmon-scarlet.  A  most  lovely  plant  for  greenhouse  or 
titting-ioom.  Per  Packet,  1/6  and  2/6.  I 
DADD  O.  enye  &  13,  Kin?  street, 
DMnn  Qb  uUllOf  Covent  Garden,  L0ND3N. 
ESTABLISHED  1832 
JVo  connex  ion  with  any  ether  firm  of  a  similar  name. 
Successors  to  the  late  BARON  VAN  PALLANDT. 
Vegetable  and 
Flower  Seeds, 
AND 
Bulbs  &  Plants 
FOR  SPRING  PLANTING. 
'full  detailed  list  will  be  sent  post  free  on 
application  to  tlieir  Offices  at  OVERVEEX,  HA.AULEM, 
HOLLAND,  or  to  their  Gkneiial  Agents — 
Messrs.  MERTENS  &  CO. 
3,  CROSS  LANE,  LONDON.  E  C. 
No.  1181.— VoL.  XLVI  .Third  Sehie-s 
Pure  Seeds. 
SAVED 
From  Selected  Strains. 
Well  Maturad. 
High  Germinating  Power. 
BEGONIA  tuberosa  crlspa,  Clibrans  strain. 
A  charming  new  class  of  Begonia  with  large, 
beautifully  fringed  flowers  of  choice  and  vaneil 
colours,  free  in  growth  and  bloom. 
Per  packet,  2/0. 
,,  hybrida  cristata,  Clibrans  strain. 
Flowers  of  beautiful  ’  and  varied  colours, 
carrying  a  beard  or  crest  on  each  petal,  novel, 
distinot  and  pretty.  ..  Per  packet,  1/6  (£  2,6. 
„  Clibrans  superb  Single. 
S.Tved  only  from  the  finest  and  choicest  flow,  vs 
of  most  beautiful  colours. 
Per  packet,  1, 6  &  2/6. 
„  Clibrans  superb  Double. 
Rich  and  varied  in  colour,  saved  from  figest 
flowers  of  good  forir,  size,  and  substance. 
Per  packet,  2/ 
CALCEOLARIA  (Herbaceous),  Clibrans  Gold 
Medal  strain. 
A  sturdy,  vigorous  growing  strain,  producing 
large  flowers  of  the  riches:  and  most  diversified 
colours . Per  packet,  1/6  &  2/6. 
CELOSIA,  “  Clibrans  superb  strain.” 
The  finest  strain  in  existence,  producing  long 
feathery  plumes  of  the  most  attractive  colour, 
red,  yellow,  or  mixed.  Per  packet.  1/6  ifc  2/C. 
CINERARIA,  “Clibrans  superb  strain.” 
Unequalled  for  producing  large  well  formed 
flowers  in  the  most  brilliant  colours. 
Per  packet,  1/6  i  2/6. 
CYCLAMEN,  “Clibrans  Prize  strain.” 
A  lav;.e  flowered,  well  coloured,  and  robust 
giowi  g  str.iin  of  entianc.ug  beauty. 
Per  packet,  1/6  &  2/6. 
GLOXINIA,  “Clibrans  Hybrid  strain.” 
A  ’grand  .strain  of  brilliantly  coloured,  erect 
flowering  varieties,  tlie  blooms  are  of  tine  form 
and  substance . Per  packet,  1/6  &  2/6. 
STREPTOCARPUS,"  Clibrans  New  Hybrids.” 
Of  dwarf,  strong,  and  vigorous  habit,  producing 
brightly  coloured  flowers  of  large  size  wiiiithe 
utmost  of  freedom . Per  packet,  1/-. 
SWEET  PEAS,  “Clibrans  superb  mixed.” 
A  grand  assortment  of  the  choicest  and  loveliest 
varieties  in  a  wide  range  of  colour. 
Per  packet,  td.  ;  per  oz.,  8d.  ;  per  lb.,  6/-. 
SWEET  WILLIAM,  “Clibrans  superb.” 
A  se’e  t  strain  of  smooth-edged  flowers  in 
choite  .11  d  beautiful  variety.  Per  packet,  Od. 
WALLFLOWER,  “Clibrans  Black.” 
The  darkest  flowered  variety  in  existence,  of 
busily  habit,  robust,  and  hardy. 
Per  packet,  1/-. 
WRITE  FOR 
Altnncliam  &  Mancliestei 
COMPLETE  LIST  OF  GARDEN  SEEDS 
GRATIS  AND  POST  FREE. 
Jif  gartu[ultei[0. 
THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  12  1903. 
Food  Requireients  of  Vegetables. 
LL  practical  and  observant  gar¬ 
deners  know  that  the  producing 
power  of  soils  is  steadily  re¬ 
duced  when  successive  crops  of 
vegetables  are  grown  and 
adequate  return  of  manure  is  made. 
It  is  also  generally  acknowledged 
that  this  exhaustion  of  fertility  is  more 
rapid  when  the  same  kind  of  crop  is 
grown  year  after  year.  Why  is  this?  The 
reasons  are  these:  First,  there  is  the  with¬ 
drawal  of  plant  food  hy  the  growing  crop ;  and 
second,  there  is  the  gradual  loss  of  humus, 
commonly  called  organic  matter,  wliich  brings 
about  an  unfavourable  condition  of  the  soil. 
Plants  take  the  food  necessary  for  their  main¬ 
tenance  and  growth  from  two  sources — the  air 
and  the  soil.  Hence,  every  crop  grown  and 
carried  off  the  laud  must  lessen  the  store  of 
plant  food  in  the  soil,  and  leave  it  more  or  less 
impoverished.  The  elements  thus  withdrawn 
are  chiefly  nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid,  potash, 
and  lime.  These  are  found  in  comparatively 
largo  amount  in  most  fertile  garden  soils, 
where  they  exist  in  two  conditions,  soluble  or 
readily  available,  and  insoluble  and,  hence, 
unavailable. 
Only  a  small  proportion  of  the  total  amount 
of  plant  food  in  a  soil  exists  in  the  more 
soluble  and  valuable  form  ;  much  the  larger 
part  is  locked  uii,  aud,  therefore,  is  of  no 
immediate  value  to  growing  crops.  By  the 
practice  of  good  methods  of  cultivation',  such 
as  should  he  followed  hy  every  intelligent 
gardener,  portions  of  the  insoluble  plant  food 
are  gradually  changed  into  soluble  and  avail¬ 
able  material.  Where  no  systematic  efforts 
arc  made  to  maintain  the  fertility  of  the  soil, 
and  where  there  is  also  a  neglect  of  cultivation, 
the  small  proportion  of  plant  food  existing  in 
soluble  form  iu  the  soil  issoou  so  far  exhausted 
that  satisfactory  crops  of  vegetables  cannot  be 
RFIADERS  ar4  requested  to  send  notices  of  Oardenlnt 
'  Appointments  or  Notes  of  Horticultural  Interest, 
■intimations  of  Meetings,  Queries,  and  all  Article*  for 
Publication,  officially  to  “  THE  EDITOR,”  ftl 
12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Btraat, 
London,  E.C.,  and  to  no  other  person  and  to  no  ether 
address. 
