52 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  21,  1904. 
The  Seed  Order. 
Tlie  daily  post  brings  frequent  reminders  of  the  circle  of  time 
whicli  lias  been  spent,  and  the  pressing  duty  of  once  more  com¬ 
piling  the  seed  order  for  the  current  year’s  use.  That  duty 
makes  a  varied  iniin-ess  on  the  mind  of  those  responsible — to 
some  there  is  a  feeling  of  almost  painfid  anxiety,  to  others  such 
sentiment  would  probably  appear  strange. 
A  general  survey  of  the  catalogues  would  seem  to  suggest 
that  in  the  matter  of  novelty  thei'e  is  no  laxity  permitted  on 
the  part  of  liybridists  and  specialists,  but  rather  progress  seems 
written  plainly  on  the  signal  of  time.  Few  can  remember  a 
time  when  so  much  has  been  said,  so  much  written,  and  so 
much  money  speculated  on 
P0T.\T0ES 
as  during  the  pa.st  year,  nor  peihaps  were  there  ever  so  many 
high-class  novelties  wrestling  one  against  the  other  for  fame. 
Northern  Star  seems  to  have  been  the  pioneer  for  this’  craze 
in  Potato  speculations,  and  though  a  few  adverse  opinions  are 
now  and  again  heard,  generally  the  verdict  is  a  favourable  one, 
both  as  affecting  its  cropping  and  disease-resisting  capacities. 
The  last  two  seasons  have  iDroduced  such  poor  returns  for  the 
Potato  grower  that  these  new  discoveries  justify  their  name 
and  fame  if,  as  is  generally  admitted,  they,  as  seedlings,  are 
disease-proof,  give  prodigious  crops  of  good  table  quality.  It 
is  just  the  fact  of  the  proverbially  light  crops  of  the  last  two 
years  which  stimulates  the  purchase  of  the  newcomers  at  fancy 
prices.  The  passion  thus  aroused  seems  to  have  resolved  itself 
into  fashion,  for  after  all  the  purchases  of  these  novelties  are 
in  thousands  of  case  reduced  to  the  smallest  possible  limit  of 
weight,  and  so  many  buy  to  keep  pace  with,  or  to  outdo,  one’s 
neighbour.  The  fabulous  prices  paid  for  the  latest  newcomer, 
Eldorado,  is  almost  staggering,  and  presumably  it  must  remain 
in  the  hands  of  the  few  for  some  time  yet.  Sutton’s  Discovery 
has  evidently  made  a  wonderful  imijression,  as  in.stanced  by 
demand  even  before  catalogues  were  issued.  Sir  John  Llewelyn, 
Evergood,  Edward  VII.,  The  Factor,  and  Toogood’s  Tremendous 
are  a  few  which  are  finding  willing  purchasers. 
Pe.\s. 
These,  which  are  generally  so  foremost,  seem  overshadowed 
by  the  boom  of  Potatoes,  and  do  not  seem  alile  to  support  their 
self-imposed  importance  for  the  moment.  It  \vill  be  otherwise 
when  the  vigil  of  June  appears.  Peas  will  be  equal  Avith 
Potatoes  then,  boomed  or  otherAA'ise.  As  the  best  of  the 
season’s  productions  are  generally  illustrated  and  given  in 
prominent  type  by  all  good  .seedsmen,  it  is  scarcely  a  necessil,/ 
to  “gather  them  up”  at  pre.sent.  They  are  so  easy  to 
distinguish. 
When  one  stood  and  surveyed  the  AA’onderful  array  of  vege¬ 
tables  at  the  late  ChisAA’ick  SIioaa',  the  thought  must  have 
stiMick  many  hoAV  excellent  AA-ere  the  Leeks,  Iioaa’  ma.ssive  and 
AA'ell  blanched  Avere  they.  Dobbies,  of  Rothesay,  seem  to  lead 
the  vair  in  the  matter  of  Leek  strains,  their  Champion  and 
International  finding  many  adherents.  The  Lyon  and  Ayton 
Castle  are  older  favoui-ites,  and  Holborn  Model  of  more  recent 
Seakale, 
AA'hich  had  so  long  and  undi.sturbed  a  history,  seems  to  have 
found  a  loophole  through  AA'hich  to  enter  the  arena  of  novelty. 
Lily  White,  it  is  true,  has  been  Avith  us  for  some  time,  but  that 
no  longer  holds  first  place,  since  Beddard’s  Improved  and 
Lobbies’  Solid  Ivory  are  brought  out  as  likely  rivals.  Seakale 
is  so  important  a  Avinter  vegetable  that  the  AA'onder  is  not  that 
a  stir  is  noAV  being  made,  but  that  it  should  so  long  have 
remained  unnoticed  by  the  hybridist.  What  is  badly  needed 
is  a  A'ariety  that  can  be  more  readily  forced  in  early  AA'inter. 
Vegetable  Maurows 
are  sIoav  to  SAA-ell  their  numbers  compared  to  Cucumbers ;  King’s 
Acre  Cream,  Dobbie’s  Prolific  and  Toogood’s  Perfection  are  a 
trio  of  up-to-date  Mai'roAAS'  that  those  not  satisfied  AAuth  the 
old  oi'der  may  sid)stitute.  Though  important  as  a  Avinter 
vegetable,  Parsnips 
do  not  receive  .such  devotion  as  do  some  other  vegetables,  nor 
do  their  names,  like  MarroAvs,  increase  as  do  those  of  Peas, 
Sutton’s  Intermediate  is  a  neAV  type,  and  for  heavy  ground 
AA'here  the  Parsnip  gives  so  much  trouble  at  digging  time  it 
should  be  valuable  for  the  shortness  of  its  root.  Tender  and 
True,  Holborn  MarroAA',  Toogood’s  Globe,  and  Jersey  MarroAv 
may  be  named  as  an  advance  on  the  old  strains  of  HoIIoaa’ 
Ci'OAA'n,  once  .so  familiar. 
Cucumbers. 
One  can  scarcely  find  the  goal  to  pitch  fpr  the  best  exhibition 
Cucumber,  as  there  i.s  so  much  desire  for  iicaa'  names  and  fresh 
stocks.  Every  Day  is  an  undoubtedly  good  one,  even  if  not 
rightly  named ;  Peerless,  Model,  Excelsior,  and  Lord  Roberts 
are  some  that  have  established  records,  and  one  might  go  on 
indefinitely  finding  others.  For  the  every  day  of  AA'inter, 
Cardiff  Castle,  Sion  House,  or  Telegraph  mav  .still  be  reckoned 
as  desirable. -W.  S.  continued.) 
Happy-Go-Lucky  Fruit  Culture. 
The  pithy  note  of  “  Patriot,”  on  page  9,  affords  yet  another 
instance  of  carelessness,  as  well  as  ignorance,  in  regard  to  fruit 
growing;  and  although,  fortunately,  many  can  point  to  the  im¬ 
provement  which  is  gradually  (too  gradually)  taking  place  in 
regard  to  such  matters,  there  still  remains  a  gigantic  task  to 
accomplish  before  it  will  be  the  rule,  rather  than  the  exception, 
to  meet  Avitli  orchards  and  fruit  plantations  managed  as  they 
should  be.  I  think  it  is  more  often  due  to  sheer  carelessnes-s 
than  to  want  of  knpAAdedge  that  such  slipshod  methods  are 
pursued,  for  the  facilities  for  obtaining  information  on  such 
inatters  are  now  so  good  that  no  one  has  any  excuse  for  pleading 
Ignorance.  One  Avould  think  that  before  any  sane  man  sunk 
money  in  fruit  growing  every  effort  would  be  made  to  obtain 
the  best  possible  advice  in  regard  to  A'arieties,  methods  of  soil 
preparation,  and  planting.  But  it  is  not  so.  The  too  common 
idea  is  to  buy  trees  as  cheaply  as  pos.sible,  stick  them  into  the 
ground  by  any  method  that  does  not  draiA'  largely  upon  the 
purse,  and  then  find  comfort  in  the  hope  that,  as  it  is  a  “fruit 
groAvmg  di, strict  ”  the  trees  will  be  sure  to  “do”  all  right. 
During  the  last  four  years  I  have  Avatched  Avith  disgust  an 
attempt  at  Plum  groAving,  in  a  district  Avhere  they  as  a  rule 
succeed  splendidly.  The  trees  I  refer  to  were  planted  four  years 
ago.  CoiTi  had  been  grown  on  the  land  during  the  previous 
summer,  and  after  it  Avas  cut,  grass  grcAv  betAveen  the  stubble. 
In  the  autumn  from  ten  to  fifteen  acres  Avere  planted  with 
young  trees  of  no  particular  shape,  for  they  were  neither 
standards  nor  bushes,  but  in  all  respects  “naturally”  groAAii 
weaklings.  Without  any  furtheir  soil  preparation  very  small 
shalloAv  holes  AA'ere  dug  and  the  roots  of  the  trees  pushed  into 
them  and  covered  AA'ith  .soil,  AA'hich  AA’as  firmly  trO'dden.  Since 
that  time  nothing  further  appears  to  have  been  done ;  they  are 
still  perfectly  naturally  grown  trees,  but,  oh!  so  small  and 
weakly,  very  little  bigger  than  Avhen  they  AA'ere  planted.  And 
this  is  the  Avay  in  Avhich  money  is  wasted  on  fruit  groAving  in 
enlightened  England. 
The  only  satisfactory  AAay  of  putting  matters  right  in  the 
above  case  aa'ouIcI  be  to  take  up  the  AA'hole  of  the  trees,  make 
large  holes,  enrich  the  soil  with  a  moderate  amount  of  well 
decayed  dung,  then  replant  the  best  of  the  trees,  and  replace 
the  remainder  Avith  good  specimens.  Then,  if  the  soil  were 
cultivated  round  the  trees  for  a  feAV  years,  there  Avould  be  some 
prospect  of  success.  But,  look  at  the  AA'aste  of  money;  four 
years  lost,  and  the  expense  of  planting  tAvice. — Briton. 
- - 
Brussels  Sprout,  Sutton’s  Exhibition. 
To  gardeners  Avho  liaim  not  yet  tried  the  above  variety,  let 
me  bring  it  to  tbeir  notice.  From  plants  raised  under  glass  last 
January  Ave  liaAm  been  picking  pecks  of  fine  sprouts  every  day 
since  September  last,  and  are  still  picking.  Of  a  robust  con¬ 
stitution  without  being  coarse,  the  plants  are  about  3ft  high,  the 
stems  being  thickly  covered  Avith  large  solid  sprouts,  AAdiich 
rernain  firm  for  a  long  time,  AA'hile  the  flavour  is  all  that  can  be 
desired.  Gardeners  Avho  have  large  establi.shments  to  supply 
AA'ith  A'egetables  AA'ill  find  the  above  one  of  the  mo.st  reliable  and 
profitable  Brussels  Sprouts  extant — at  least,  that  is  the  experience 
of— WiLMOT  H.  T’ates,  Rothei'field  Park,  Alton,  Hants. 
Chrysanthemum  Critique  Controversy. 
I  crave  small  space  in  the  “  Journal  ”  to  reply  briefly  to 
Messrs.  Jefferies  and  Wells’  notes  on  p.  578, '\’’ol.  47.  I  aa'III  not 
occupy  much  .space,  as  but  little  fre.sli  argument  is  introduced, 
and  I  think  but  little  of  the  value  of  the  third  per-son’s  opinion. 
Mr.  Jefferies  says  Guy  Hamilton  Avas  shoAA  n  at  Birmingham  Sin 
in  diameter  and  as  much  as  9in  deep.  So  one  of  the  judges  in¬ 
formed  him !  And  this  “  disposes  of  ‘  Sadoc’s  ’  assertion  ”  that 
this  variety  Avas  classed  amongst  the  non-successful  sorts  of  last 
year!!  Noaa',  Avhat  are  the  facts  about  the  Birmingham  SIioav? 
Why,  Guy  Hamilton  is  simply  named  tAvice  throughout  the 
exhibition,  and  each  time  without  comment.  I  also  note  that  if 
this  variety  competed  in  the  class  for  any  AA'hite  floAA'ered  Amriety 
it  AA'as  not  eA'en  placed!  I  Avonder  if  the  authority  quoted  really 
did  measure  the  bloom,  or  only  mentally  noted  it?  After  all, 
one  SAvalloAv  does  not  make  a  summer.  Regarding  Exmouth 
