468 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  19,  1903. 
tho  Turnip  family  is  this,  that  the  flower  of  the  Swede  is 
virtually  identical  with  that  of  the  C'ahbage  and  its  cultivated 
■varieties ;  while  the  flower  of  the  yellow  or  common  Turnip  is 
quite  different  from  both.  It  is  comparatively  easy  to  manipu¬ 
late  Turnip  flowers  so  as  to  secure  crosses.  It  must  be  remem¬ 
bered  that  although  flying  insects  are  excluded,  the  plants  often 
set  seed  by  self-fertilisation.  In  this  connection,  however,  one 
should  notice  that  the  flowers  of  Cntcifers  are  commonly  in- 
fe,sted  with  small  beetles,  which  creep  about  in  quest  of  pollen, 
and  it  is  po.ssible  that  now  and  again  they  may  carry  it  from 
one  flower  to  another.  In  the  plots  one  can  .see  at  present  grow¬ 
ing  examples  of  crossed  iSwedcs  and  Turnips,  and  reciprocal 
crosses  between  these.  The  pollen  parent  seems  in  many  cases 
to  bo  prepotent.  Intermediate  vegetative  characters  are  often 
displayed. 
An  elaborate  series  of  crosses  in  the  genus  Brassica  has  been 
gone  into,  and  the  crossing  together  of  the  cultivated  deriva¬ 
tives  of  the  original  Cabbage,  viz.,  Brussels  Sprouts.  Broccoli, 
Ac.,  has  yielded  verj'  interesting  results.  Very  evident  inter¬ 
mediates  have  been  got  between  Brussels  Sprouts  as  the  .seed 
parent  and  Curled  Kale,  Broccoli,  and  Savoy  as  the  respective 
pollen  parents,  and  so  on,  in  some  sixteen  combinations.  It  is 
imped  that  some  of  the  new  vegetables  may  prove  itseful. 
Efforts  tO'  cross  Swedes  and  Turnips  with  the  above  seem  to  have 
resulted  in  total  failures.  An  unusually  interesting  hybrid  has 
been  obtained  from  pollination  of  Curled  Kale  by  Charlock. 
There  are  four  plants,  and  they  all  bear  marked  resemblance 
to  Charlock.  They  are,  however,  of  taller  growth,  the  tallest 
flower  .shoots  being  over  oft.  Although  they  flower  profusely, 
they  refuse  to  bear  seed.  An  examination  of  the  pollen  shows 
that  it  is  extremely  inferior. 
The  cro'ssing  of  Potatoes  is  rendered  difficult  chiefly  through 
the  want  of  normal  flowers.  Some  varieties  do  not  flower  at  all ; 
others  more  or  le.ss,  but  bear  no  fruit;  while  only  a  few  bear 
fruit  freely.  In  a  field  of  British  Queen,  covered  with  bloom, 
fruits  were  found  only  where  crossing  had  been  carried  out. 
The  pollen  is  often  very  deficient.  A  variety  from  New  Zealand 
has  proved  to  b©  mseful,  being  successful  both  as  a  seed  and 
pollen  parent.  The  crossed  seed  was  kept  until  spring,  and  was 
then  sown  in  slight  heat.  The  young  plants  were  grown  for  a 
time-  in  pots,  and  then  planted  out.  Most  of  the  seedlings  have 
done  w'ell.  Sown  on  March  12,  and  planted  out  on  June  6,  the 
first  flower  opened  on  July  19.  The  shaws  (haulms)  have  in 
many  cases  been  vei-y  strong,  often  over  3ft  in  length,  and  in 
on©  instance  no  less  than  6ft.  The  few  examples  yet  lifted 
show  a  vei'y  fair  crop,  over  51b  to  one  plant  being  noted.  The 
tubers  are  often  well  up  to  average  size,  some  illustrated  being 
4in  to  bin  in  length.  A  remarkable  result  is  noted,  when  tho 
tubers  of  one  parent  are  red  and  the  other  white.'  Many  of  the 
tubers  of  the  cross  are  purple  and  white,  but  few  red.  Tho 
colour  of  tlie  flowers  was  found  to  con-esijond  almost  invariably 
in  a.  general  way  with  the  colours  of  the  tuber.s — purple  with 
purple,  white  with  white. — 1).  J.  Wilson,  St.  Andrew’s  Univer¬ 
sity,  at  the  opening  of  the  West  of  Scotland  Agricultural  College, 
October,  1902. 
The  Priory,  Leamington,  Warwickshire. 
RAVELLING  from  Leamington  to  Warwick  on  the  Great 
Western  Railway,  the  outlook  on  the  left,  just  before 
reaching  Warwick  Station,  is  one  of  considerable  beauty, 
as  a  glimpse  can  be  obtained  of  the  ancient  town  of  the 
‘■King  Maker,”  with  its  picturesque  “  gates  ”  and  the  command¬ 
ing  tower  of  St.  Mary’s  Church.  More  stately  and  imposing, 
however,, than  all  else  around,  are  the  grand  old  towers  of  the 
Castle,  which  rise  from  their  once  watery  base  above  the  tree 
tops  on  either  side — trees  ivhich,  though  of  giant  stature,  are 
but  as  babies  in  point  of  age  when  compared  with  the  grey  walls 
they  help  to  adorn. 
Just  bey-ond  Warwick  Station,  on  the  crest  of  a  hill,  a  mass 
of  tall  trees  again  arre.sts  attention,  and  the  casual  observer 
would  perhaps  scarcely  notice,  through  the  slight  openings 
between  them,  evidences  of  an  old  and  exteirsive  building;  yet 
in  that  secluded  spot,  shut  off  from  the  town  on  the  opposite 
side  by  a  high  wall,  is  the  “  Priory,”  pi'obably  as  old  as  almost 
any  part  of  Warwick  save  the  Castle.  The  mansion,  gardens, 
and  grounds  which  surround  it  are  extensive,  and  yet  half  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  have  not  the  slightest  idea  of  the  size 
of  the  domain,  because  of  the  encircling  belt  of  trees.  The 
principal  entrance  is  through  massive  iron  gates  at  the  top  of 
Northgat©  Street;  from  that  point  the  drive  sweeps  onward 
with  an  easy  curve  to  a  courtyard,  and  thence  to  the  stately 
entrance  to  the  mansion,  the  inside  of  which  it  is  not  within 
my  province  to  describe;  but  one  could  not  help  noticing  the 
quaint  sundial  over  the  door,  and  the  telling  motto  beneath, 
which  reads  thus  ;  . 
T  mark  the  moments, 
Both  for  good  and  ill. 
The  Priory  has  only  been  in  the  occupation  of  R.  Emmet, 
Esq.,  about  eighteen  mouths,  and  as  during  that  time  the  glass 
houses  have  undergone  extensive  repairs,  very  little  room  could 
be  found  for  bedding  plants.  The  flower  garden  has  therefore 
Jilacktnzi:  and  Mcnqy.r,  Ltd. 
Exterior,  Farmleigh  Conservatory.  See  note  on  page  464, 
