March  10,  1904. 
JOURNAT,  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
197 
FOR  THE 
VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 
Barr’s  First  Early  Dwarf  Marrowfat  Pea,  ».  d. 
“The  Herald”  .  per  quart  2  6  i 
Barr’s  Early  Dwarf  Cabbage,  '  Little  Queen  ” 
per  oz.  1  6 
Barr’s  “Lightning”  Runner  Bean  ..perpint  2  6 
Barr’s  Exhibition  Cucumber,  “Pride  of  the 
Market”  . per  pkr.  1  6 
Barr’s  Fine  Cabbage  Lettuce,  “Green  Fa¬ 
vourite”  . . perikt,  1  0 
Barr’s  “Early  Ruby”  Tomato  ..  ..  per  pkt.  1  0 
Barr’s  First  Early  Olive  -  shaped  Radish, 
“Jewel”  . per  pkt.  1  0 
Barr’s  Dwarf  Thick-leaved  Summer  Spinach 
per  oz.  4d. ,  per  pint  1  9 
Barr’s  “Long  Keeper”  Onion  ..  per  oz.  1  6 
Barr’s  Selected  Miniature  Cos  Lettuce,  per  pkt.  1  0 
Barr’s  Earliest  Dwarf  Cauliflower,  “Best  of 
All”  . per  pkt.  1  6 
Barr’s  Model  Cat  rot,  "New  Intermediate,”  oz.  1  oj 
For  full  descrijitions  see  Barr’s  Seed  thiide  ( free ). 
BARR’S  SEED  GUIDE  FOR  1004  contains  a  select  list  of 
the  best  Vegetables  and  the  most  beautiful  Flowers  for 
Garden  and  Greenhouse.  It  i.s  full  of  Practical  Hints 
invaluable  to  Hardeners,  Amateurs,  and  Exhibitors. 
Sent  Free  on  Application. 
11,  12,  &  13,  ,King  Street,  CoYent  Garden,  London 
Nuk.series  :  Ditton  Hill,  Sukbiton,  Sverev. 
ACQUISITIONS 
IN 
VEGETABLES 
FOR 
Exhibition  and  Tabie  Use. 
WEBBS’ 
STOURBRIDGE  GEM  CUCUMBER-  -  1/6  pkt 
KINVER  MAMMOTH  BROAD  BEAN  2/6  quart 
NEW  EXHIBITION  RUNNER  BEAN  2/6  pint 
NEW  MAINSTAY  PEA  -  -  -  -  3/6  quart 
PRIZEWINNER  CARROT  -  -  .  -  1/-  ounce 
MASTERPIECE  ONION  -  -  -  -  -  1/6  pkt 
Webbs’  S/tring  Catalogue,  Ij- 
Gratis  to  Customers.  Abridged  Ed.tion,  Gratis. 
Wordsley,  Stourbridge. 
ESTABLISHED  1832. 
No  connection  with  any  other  firm  of  a  similar  name. 
Successors  to  the  late  BARON  VAN  PALLANDT. 
SPLENDID 
Vegetable  and 
Flower  Seeds, 
BLACKMORE  &  LANGDON’^  BEGONIAS. 
Awarded  6  Gold  Medals,  1903.  List  Free.  .Seed, 
double,  2/6  and  5/-  per  packet;  single,  1/-,  2/6  and  5/-.— 
Twerton  Hill  IS  ursery,  Bath. 
T  AXTONS’  NOVELTIES  IN  VEGETABLE 
J-J  AND  FLOWER  SEEDS.  —  New  fully  Illustrated 
Catalogue  Gr.ntis. 
LAXION  BROTHERS,  BEDFORD. 
Begonias  a  speciality.— Large,  erect- 
flowering  Singles,  12  for  2/3;  ino,  12/-.  Doubles  same 
price  for  ca?h.  List  free. — J.  W’ELLS,  Begonia  Nuiscry, 
Eyarsh,  Mailing,  Kent. 
Asparagus  plants,  Palmetto  and 
Connover’s  Colossal  ;  two  years  old,  well  rooted, 
2/6  per  100.  What  offers  for  large  quantities? 
THOMAS  WOODCOCK,  Moss  End  Farm,  Ormskirk. 
Heating  apparatus  for  Greenhouses  and 
other  Buildings.  Catalogue  free  of  all  kinds  of  Hot 
water  Pipes,  Wrought  and  Cast  Iron  Boilers,  Radiators, 
i  Cisterns,  Pumps,  Baths,  &c.— JONES  &  ATTWOOD 
Stourbridge. 
OAK  SHRUB-TUBS  and  WATER-BUTTS; 
IRON  TANKS  and  PUMPS.— Half-tubs  from  1/ 
each;  244  gal.  Vats,  20/-  each;  378  gal.,  26/-.— DAVID 
*ROBERTS  &  SON,  Cooperage,  ’Tottenham,  London. 
...  AND  ... 
Bulbs  &  Plants 
FOR  SPRING  PLANTING. 
Garden  nettings,  shadings, 
Tiffany,  Scrims.— RIGBY,  WAINWRIGHT  &  CO., 
i  Manufacturers,  Neptune  tVorks,  Manchester.  Samples  on 
I  application. 
B'  ENTLEY’S  VINE  BORDER  COMPOUND. 
For  making  new  and  renovating  old  borders.  Used 
I  by  most  leading  growers,  and  pronounced  unequalled. 
JOSEPH  BENTLEY,  Ltd.,  Chemical  Works,  Barrow-on- 
Humber. 
FULL  DKTAILEID  LIST  Will  be  sent  post  free  on 
application  to  tlieir  Offices  at  OVERVKEN,  HAARLEM, 
HOLLAND,  or  to  their  Oe.nek.xl  Agplnts — 
Messrs.  MERTENS  &  CO. 
3,  CEOSS  LANE,  LONDON  E.C. 
No.  1237. — VoL.  XLVIll.,  Third  Series. 
PURE  WOOD  CHARCOAL,  SpeciallyPrepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  o/ 
Horticulture  :  ‘  ‘Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manurial  agent ; 
each  little  piece  is  a  pantry  full  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life.  There  is  no  cultivated  plant  which  is  not  benefited  by 
having  Charcoal  applied  to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  rooted.” 
Apply  for  Pamphlet  and  prices  to  the  Manufacturers — 
HIRST.  BROOKE  &  HIRST,  Ltd.,  Leeds. 
The  Return  of  Spring, 
FTER  the  long  wet  summer,  tlie 
contiuuous  rains  of  autumn,  and 
the  deluge  as  well  as  cold  of 
winter.  Spring  has  come  to  us 
once  more,  lacking  nothing  of 
its  usual  freshness,  and  spreading 
a  spirit  of  glad  hopefulness  around. 
Never,  surely,  were  improved  conditions 
in  regard  to  weather  more  heartily 
welcomed  than  now.  And  although  the  sun,  as 
yet,  only  favours  us  with  fitful  gleams,  the 
drying  winds  are  working  wonders  with  Mother 
Earth.  The  gardening  fever  is  beginning  to 
assert  itself  on  all  sides,  and  after  a  long  period 
of  comparative  inaction,  there  is  much  w’ork  to 
be  done  in  order  to  get  the  laud  in  a  suitable 
condition  for  the  sowing  and  planting  of  crops. 
The  shattered  soil,  which  was  thrown  up 
roughly  long  ago,  has  already  in  many  in¬ 
stances,  been  forked  over,  and  in  open  positions 
has  dried  sufficiently  to  allow  the  sowing  of 
early  crops  to  be  done  with  every  prospect  of 
success. 
No  undue  haste,  is  of  course,  advisable  in 
this  respect,  but  the  most  should  be  made  of 
opportunities  as  they  occur.  The  old  yet 
excellent  plan  of  opening  the  drills  and  allow¬ 
ing  them  to  remain  exposed  to  sun  and  air  for 
a  few  hours  before  the  seed  is  sown,  is  one 
which  may  be  followed  with  great  advantage 
during  a  season  like  the  present,  for  the  soil 
needs  warming  as  well  as  drying,  and  it  is 
wonderful  what  a  few  hours’  sunshine  will  do 
in  this  respect. 
We  should  hear  far  less  of  failures  through 
early  sowing  even  in  bad  seasons,  if  the  above 
plan  was  more  generally  followed,  in  conjunc¬ 
tion  w’itli  frequently  hoeing  the  surface  of  the 
soil  as  soon  as  seedlings  push  through.  Another 
practice  which  is  worthy  of  the  attention  of  all 
in  regard  to  early  crops,  is  the  scattering  of 
burnt  refuse  along  the  drills  before  sowing  the 
READERS  are  requested  to  send  notices  of  Gardening 
Tj  Appointments  or  Notes  of  Horticultural  Interest, 
timations  of  Meetings,  Queries,  and  all  Articles  for 
iblication,  officially  to  “  TH£!  EDITOR,”  at 
3,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
ondon,  E.C.,  and  to  no  other  perioa  aud  to  no  other 
Ldress. 
