THE FLORAL WORLD GARDEN GUIDE. VOLUME IV. v lEW Yoric BOTAf>gSCAL LOND ON: aROOMBR IDG-E AND SONS, 5, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1861. INDEX. About climbers, 156 Acrocliniuin roseiim, 51 Adrancer pea, 48 Agathea coelestis rariegata, 124 Ageratum Mexicanum, 51 After-growth of bulbs, 187 Alonsoa Warszevvickzii, 51 Alocasia macrorhiza varie- gata, 197 Allamauda violacea, 123 Alstrsemeria avgento-vittata, 130 Althea frutex, to bloom late, 54. Amaryllis, culture of, 11 Amateur's pit for pines, 21 Amateur studies of botany, 43 American blight, to eradi- cate, 176, 182 American species grouped, 28 AnagalUs grandiflora, 51 Annual flowers, uses of, 41 ; old and new, 73, 50 Antenuai'ia margaritacea, the best hardy silver iDlant, 120 A prison made pleasant, 157 Apple, culture of, 174, 198 ; for orchard culture, 240 ; for bushes, espaliers, and pyramids, 240 Approach of winter, 209 Araucarias, not quite hardy, 65 Asclepias tuberosa, 112 Asters, new race of, 44, 51 Aucuba Himalaica, 3 Autumn frosts, 209 Autumn-planted potatoes, 223 Auriculas, grey-edged and selfs, 194 Auvergne, a second eai-ly pea, 25 -Batt's Wonder pea, 46 Bampton flower show, 191 Bark of apples, to renew, 176 Beauty of evergreens in suburbs of London, 59 Bedding plants in coloui's, 84 ; list of geraniums for, 101, 121; bedding on a large scale, 90 ; at Kew, 145 ; fuchsias for, 171, 201, 227 ; the system en- larged, 186 Bedders and turfing plants, 119 Beer from pea-shells, 13G Bees, feeding of, 16 Belts of shrubs, 2 Begonias as bedders, 115 Begonias and caladiums, 178 Berberis umbellata, 3 ; aqui- folium, 253 ; hardy species, 67 Berberis for masses, 3 Berry-bearing shrubs, 192 Bishop's long-pod pea, 25 Birds in gardens, 136 Blue Scimitar pea, 47 Borders of mixed shrubs, 119 Botanical studies in the flower-garden, 41 Bottom-heat for pine-bed, 23 " Brambles and Bay leaves" announced, 232 Breadth in scenery, 1 British Queen pea, 48 Brixton Exhibition, 215 Brine, a dressing for apple trees, 177 Buckingham flower show, 144 Bulbs of the season, 264 Banbury Horticultural So- ' ciety, 214 j Bury Floral Show, 216 j Burbidge's Eclipse pea, 47 j Calceolarias for bedding, 56 ; death of, 184 Cahfornian annuals, 41, 51 Caladiums as bedders, 115 Caladium argyrites, Belley meyi, Verschaffelti, etc. 179 Calliopsis bicolor, 51 Callistephus chinensis, 51 Callus, what is it ? 181 Calystegia oeulata, 124 Camellia, culture of, 71 ; Etoile Polaire, 239 Campanula rotundifolia, var. 170 ; Chitty's new, 170 Candytufts for beds and rib- bons, 44 Cannas as bedders, 115 Carrion manures, 13G Carter and Co.'s nm'sery catalogue, 122 Carter's portable hot-water apparatus, 154 Catalogues noticed, 15, 111, 134, 229 Cedrus deodara, almost frost- proof, 66 Celery fly, 256 Ceanothus Yeitchianus, 3 Ceolosia aurea, 62 Chalk, to plant trees on, 231 Chamasbatia foliolosa, 3 Champion of England pea, 48 Champion of Paris pea, 45 Character of the fuchsia when bedded, 172 Chinese shrubs, 130 Chorozema, species of, and cultivation of the, 82 Chrysanthemum training, 207 ; hardiness, at Yeddo, 23J ; of 1831, 60 Chrysanthemum shows, 5, 6 ; Cambridge, 5 ; Colchester, 5 ; Temple G-ardens, 259 ; Horticultural Society, 260; Salter's, 261, East London, 6 Chysaiithemum corouatum and coronarium, 51 Cinerarias, list of new, 93 ; maritima, 256 Citron gourd, 64 Citrus, culture of, 216 City of London gardens, 20, 26(3 IV INDEX. Claims of freebolder and tenant, 236 Clapton Hero and other strong-growing fuchsias, 2C2 Clarkia pulchella, vars., 52 Clay soil, fruits for, 14) Clerodendi-on cruentuin, 130 CUauthiis Dampicri, 80, IGO Climbers for a porch, 87 Cimbers, notes on, 156 Clamp system of planting, 27 Cockscombs, new kinds, 62 Coke dust, 231 Colchester Horticultiu-al So- ciety, 118 ColUnsia bicoloi', vars. 52 Coloiu" in garden scenes, 89 ; complementary, 89 ; con- trasts of, 20 Cool houses, new plants for, 80, 122, 167, 192, 238 Compost, staple, 62 Conifers for dwarf groups, 30 ; killed by frost, 65 Conservatory, removal of, 34 Convolvulus mauritanicus, 122 Cosmidium Burridgeanum, 52 Cratsegus pyracantha, 40 Cropping the kitchen garden, 52 Crystal Palace rose show, 165 Crystal Palace beds, 231 Crystal Palace Exhibitions, 117, 214 Cucumber, culture of, 10, 38, 56, 85, 91 Cultui-e of the pine apple, 21 Culture of petunia, 149 Cupressus killed by frost, 6 Currant trees, to renovate, 40 CyanophyUum magnificum, 55 Cydonia Japonica, 40 Cyclamen, to raise from seed, 86 Cyi-toceras refleximi, 15 Cypripedium insigne, 15 Daisies, to remove, 16 Dahhas, list of old, 36 Dahhas, the best of 1861, 108 Daphnes, to propagate, 86 Dark roses, the best, 162 Dates of lii-st pea gatherings, 25 Decorated climbing roses, 76 Deciduous trees, relative hardiness of, 67 Dendrobiums in greenhouse, 15 Dc Rheims' paper, 148, 183 Desfontania spinosa, 5 Dews after hot days, 138 Dexia nigripes, 225 Domestic poultry, notes on, 32 Dorchester Cottagers' Exhi- bition, 212 Double fuchsias in beds, 173 Double glazing, 279 Douglas pine, 159 Dianthus Cliinensis, vars. 52 Dianthus hybridus multi- florus, 122 DilUstone's early jjea, 24 Dionsea muscipula, culture of, 205 Diseased evergi-eens, 64 Dissecting leaves, 265 Distances proper between kitchen crops, 53 Distinctive forms of hollies, 132 Dwarf and espaher apple, 200 Earwigs among dahlias, 218 Early Bingwood pea, 25 Early Emperor pea, 24 Early peas, 24 East Londoia Chrysanthe- mum Show, G East wall, 231 Egg pea, 46 Epacris miuiata spleudens, 81 Epigynimn leucobotiys, 238 Errors in bulb cultiu-e, 186 Espaher wires, 8, 13 Evergreen roses, cultiu-e of, 75 Evergreen beds, 3, 27, 57, flowering shrubs, 28 Evergreens capable of with- standing frost, 67 Evergreens in masses, 2 ; beauty of evergreens near London, 59 ; diseased, 64 ; cut down by winter, 184 Exhibitions of 1861, 17, 183 Exhibition of hyacinths, 69 Experiments in fruit cultiu-e, 182 Pairbeard's Nonpareil and Surprise pea, 47 Farfugium grande as a bed- der, 116 Eenzha dianthiflora, 52 Eeru growing, 280 Ferns and mosses, books on, 231 Ferns for a Wardian case, 112 Finsbury Circus, demolition of, 20 Fire, how to make up, 279 Fixtures in house and gar- den, 33 Flack's Imperial pea, 47 Floor of greenhouse, 135 Floral World, amiual ad- dress, 257 Flowering shrubs, 5 Flowering of geraniums in rich soil, 112 Flower models versus prints, 155 Flowers in town windows 169 Flowering shrubs, list of, 184 Foliage plants for masses, 116 Frame, early pea, 25 Fremontia Cahfornica, 5 Freeholder's rights, 33 Free gardens for the poor of great towns, 266 Frost bitten plants, 19 Frost, effects of, in a wet season, 100 Fruits for a clay soil, 14 Fruiting habit of the apple, 175 Fuchsias newly potted, 87 ; the best of 1861, 108; cult- tureof, 168, 171 ; fulgens, gracihs, and vu'gata, 201 ; with stained blooms, 208, list of bedding, 227; Priuce Leopold, 239 Fumigating, 207 Fumigating pastiles, 232 Gales of 1860, 20 Grarden scenes, 1 Garden work— Januai'y, lOj February, 38 ; March, 56 ; April, 84; May, 110; Jime, 134 ; Jidy, 159 ; August, 181 ; September, 206 ; Oc- tober, 229 ; November, 254 ; December, 278 Garden fixtiu-es, 33 " Gardening Book of An- nuals," rev., 45 Gardeners' Benevolent So- ciety, 113, 169 Gardens of Horticultm-al So- ciety, 125 Garden flowers, 230 "Garden Oracie" an- nounced, 232 Gas-heating, 6 INDEX. Gazania splendena, 87 General Wyndham pea, 4S Geothermal culture, 6t Geraniuiii3, list of 150 va- rieties tried at Chiswick, 101 ; Princess of Prussia, 124, spotted, 183 Gigantic Lily of India, 118 Gooseberry trees, to reno- vate, 40 Golden mint for foliage ef- fects, 121 Gladioli in American bed, 29 ; degenerating, 230 Gladioli in pots, 83 Gladioli degenerating, 230 Globular cactse, culture of, 204 Glory of the country, 71 Grafting the holly, 95 Grafting, season lor, 57 Greenhouse difficulties, 207 Greenhouse plants, winter management, 251 Greenhouse, portable, 237 Greenhouse shrubs, 15 Greenhouse work — January, 10 ; February, 38 ; March, 56; April, 84; May, 110; Juue, 134 ; July, 159 ; August, 181 ; September, 206; October, 229; No- vember, 254 ; December, 278 Green hollies, 94 Grovillea alpestris,, 80 Grey edged and self auri- culas, 194 Greenhouse and stove hol- lies, 97 Grisehnia htoralis, 3 Gross shoots to control, 178 Ground colour in geometric gardens, 89 Gumming, to prevent, 256 Hair's dwarf mammoth pea, 48 Hamiltonian pine growing, 21 Hard seeds, how to treat, 88 Hardiness of the fuchsia, 172 Hai'dy jasmines, 59 Hardy trees and shrubs, 66 Hardy species of ilex, 98 Hardy apples for exposed situations, 243 Hardy pears for the north of England, 246 Hardy bulbs, philosophy of their growth, 185 Harrison's Perfection pea, 16 Heating by gas, 6 Heating system for a pine pit, 23 High colour without flowers, 116 High coloured roses, 162 Hoeing during drought, 137 Holly, pendulous, 3 Hollies from cuttings, 95 ; from seed, 99 ; for close lines, 129 Hollyhocks, old and new, 110 Honeydew, 183 Hops for hotbeds, 112 Horticultural Society's Gar- den, 5 Horticultui-al Society's pro- gress, 17, 70 Horticultural bite, 191 Horticultural Society, Floral Committee, 213 Hot water, portable appara- tus, 154 How to thaw frozen plants, 19 How to'prolong the bloom of fuchsias, 172 How to choose apple trees, 198 Humea elegans, 160 Hyacinths, Cutbush's Exhi- bition of, 69 Hyacinths, culture of, 270 Hybrid amaryllis, 12 Iberis Kermesina as a bed- der, 44 Ilex, species and varieties, 97, Cheshuntensis, 132 ; dulavariegatis, 131 ; hardy species, 98 Indigofera decora, 15 Influence of the season on the insect world, 80 Insects and rose leaves, 136 Insects, how affected by the winter of 1860-61, 80 Inundated garden, 16 Irish Horticultiu'al Society, 6 Junipers, hardiness of, 66 Justitia carnea, 256 Kalmia species, 28 Kendall, the late Mr. Alfred, 232 Kew, flower beds at, 145 Knight's dsvarfand tall peas, 48 Labels at exhibitions, 18 Lawn foul with daisies, 16 Lawn with evergreens, 2 Lawns without mowing, 121 Laws of colour, 89 Laying out a garden, 15 Leek, culture of, 86 Lobelia eriuus marmorata, 44 LobeUa, species and varieties, 73 Lobelia fulgens, 256 London roses, 16, 136 London gardens and new rail- ways, 20 London gardens, 233 Loudon ctdtiu'e of tea roses, 192 Look out for fi-ost, 210 Lord Raglan pea, 49 Lungs of London, 20 Lupinus, species and varieties, 74 Light an element in flower effects, 91 Lightest coloured roses, 162 Ligurian bee, 184 Ldies of the field, 129 Liliums in American bed, 29 Liuum granditlorum, 42 List of fuchsias for beds, 203 Maclean's seedling peas, 47, 48 Mammoth peas, 47, 49 Mandevilleas to bloom, 87 Mandevillea and glycine, 134 Marmalade, quince, 36 Mai'igolds for bedding, 75 Marrow peas, list of, 45 Marsh plants, to manage, 139 Matchless marrow pea, 43 Mignon pea, 48 Mddewed roses, 230 Milne and Co.'s catalogue, 208 Monsieur Soyer pea, 47 Mortahty, cause of, in the winter of 1860-61, 100 Mosses, collections of, 44 Mowing machmes, how to use, 182 Mulching, its value, 138 Musgrave's slow-combustion stove, 40, 112 Myrtle-leaved orange, 112 Names of plants, 159 Natm'al orders represented in annuals, 41 Neglected border-flowers, 275 Ne plus ultra pea, 48 Nerium oleander, to manage, 167 New annuals for 1861, 37 New double-flowering an- nuals, 44-51 INDEX. 'Sew Holland plault;, notes on, 82 New plants suitable for cool- houses, 80 New plants cxhibiLcd, i}3 New occupation for women, 155 New roses, 103 New berrj-bearing shrubs, 192 New pears, the best, 2 J6 Nosegay geraniums, 87 Nosegay geraniums, new, 122 Notes on new plants, 37, 43, 51, 55, 62, 73, 80, 122, 170, 192, 197, 238 Novelties submitted to com- mittees of Horticultural Society, 189 October work, 229 CEnothera, species and varie- ties, 7i Old garden, to I'estore, 40 Old and new annuals, 73 Old api)le-troes, to restore, 175 Old species and varieties of fuchsia, 201 Old garden, to restore, 255 Oleander, cidtui-e of, 167 Open spaces in the City, 234 Oranges and jjomegranates, 87 Oi-ange, cidture of, 216 Oranges under glass, 280 Orchard-houses, 8 Orchard-house construction, 112 Orchard-houses, 184 Orchard trees, to ripen, 211 Orchard-houses, points in their management, 249 Orchard trees, list of best, 240 Ornamental annuals, 44-51 Oxford, exhibition at, 144 Pampas grass, 9 Pampas grass destroyed, 88 Paris gardens, 234 Past year, weather of, 19 Paxtonian plant-houses, 23G Peace in a garden, 262 Peas, trials of early, 24 ; list of Marrow, Imperial, and Prussian, 45-49 Pea trellis, to make, 207 Pear-fly described, 225 Pears for culinary use, 2-:! 6 Pears for pyramfds, -walls, and orchard-houses, 243 Pearson on orchard-houses, 249 Pelargoniums neglected, 40 Pelargoniums, comparative merits of bedding varie- ties, 101 Pelargoniums of 1861, 109 Pensions for decayed 'gax*- dencrs, 114 Pepper, virtues of, 147 Petunia, jtroperties of, 149 Pentas rosea Kermesina, 239 Pliilcsia buxifolia, 15 Picturesque planting, 2 Pie -juice, 135 Pinus, species for pot-cul- ture, 58 Pine-growing for amateurs, 78 Pines injured by frost, 60 Pine apple, culture of, 21 Pit for 2)ines, 21 Planting apple-trees, 199 Planting for colour effects, 91, 2 Plant losses of the last win- tei-, 65 Polmaise heating, 15 Pompones for pyramid cul- ture, 26 Portulaccas, self-sown, 207, 231, 262 Potatoes, autumn-planted 223 Potatoes, best sorts, 280 Potatoes on ridges, 92 Potatoes grown in ashes, 112 Potted trees, to winter, 211 Portable plant-houses, 235 Potted conifers for winter- beds, 30 Pot-culture of coniferous trees, 57 Poultry-house, 32 Preserving Tom Thumb ge- raniums, 232 Preventives of potato disease, 92 Princess Royal pea, 46 Prizetaker pea, 46 Prizes of Horticultural So- ciety, 18 Propagating case, 30 Profitable gardening — the apple, 198 Profitable gardening, chap, xix., 174; chap, xxi., list of apples and pears, 240 Propagation of choice roses, 153 Proper place for garden roses, 28 Propagation, hints on, 181 Protective measures, 210 Proj)agating case described, 219, 279 Protection from sparrows, 8 Propagation of tlie camellia, 70 Propagation of choice rose.'', Prmiing neglected ti-ees, rules for, 178 Prussian Blue peas, Ust of the best, 47 Psylla pyri, 39 Purple orach for ribbon Ihies, 120 Pyramid chrysanthcmiuus, 10, 26 Pyramid and bush apples, "list of, 241 Qualities requisite in fuch- sias, 168 Quercus bambusifolia, 3 Quince, use and culture of, 36 Radish and its uses, 13 Recovery of exhausted bulbs, 188 Red, rose, and blue flowers, 157 Relative hardiness of trees and shrubs, 66 Retarding the bloom of jjlants, 54 Rhododendron dahuriciun , 248 Rhododendron soil, 15 Rhododendrons in masses 28 Rhubarb in December, 230 Ribbon of foliage plants, 119 Ricinus as a decorative plant, 116 Ridge cucumbers, 64 Rights of tenant and free- holder, 32 River's " Rose Amateur's Guide," 75 Rivers on orchard-houses, 8 Rockery for ferns, 112 Rochea falcata, 256 Root pruning, 176 Rosa sempervirens, 75 Roses, how to be shown, 18; in season and out of sea- son, 54 ; shown in April, 93 ; shown in May, 118; in pots, 135 ; best shaped, 162 ; classed in colours, 162 ; in London, 106 ; for ■walls, 184 ; exhibitions of, 161, 165 ; for the vicinity of towns, 247 ; manage- ment of, 255-6 ; culture of IJiDEX. Teas near London, 192 ; notes on, 208 ; subui'ban, 263; China Teas, 193; yellow flowering, 163 ; cul- ture on own roots, 40 ; va- rieties grown at Homerton, 16 ; varieties killed by winter of 1S60-61, 68 ; to protect from frost, 152 ; winto'cd at East Sheen, 160 Koses and rhododendrons compared, 28 Rot-heap for holly-berries, 94 Royal Belfast Ilorticultnral, 188 Roval ITorticidtui'al flower show, 260 Roval dwarf earlj^ pea, 45 Royal Botanic Socii^tv's Ex- hibitions, 93, 116, 164 Royal Dublin Horticnltural, il8 Royal Horticultural Society's Anniversary, 116 ; opening of new garden, 140 ; Rose Show, 161, 165 Rural life, charms of, 71 Sagina procurabens, 232 Salad plants, 57 Salter's catalogue, 1861, 60 Salt€r's exhibition at Ham- mersmith, 261 Salvia gesneriffiflora, 87 Sangster's No. 1 pea, 24 Saumaratum guttatum, 125 Sea-kale leaves, use of, 112 Sea-kale, to force, 275 iSeeond early and summer peas, 45 Seed sowing, 86 Seedling rhubarb, 180 Selection of amaryllis, 12 Select plants for masses, 158 Self fuchsias for masses, 202 Soils for flowers, 135 Soil for the holly, 97 Shepton Mallet exhibition, 191 Shrubberies, note ou plant- ing, 253 Shrubs suited for massing, 30 Single-row system of potato culture, 92 Sizes of pots, 39 Skimmia japonica, 3 ; a rival of the holly, 67 Smoke, effects of, on ever- greens, 59 Sparaxis, culture of, 256 Sparrows to scare, 8 Specimens hollies, 130 Siiecimen fuchsias, to grow, 168 Specimen fuchsias, 263 Spergulas, 231 Spergula pilifera, 16 Spergulas and Saginas, 121 Spot on geraniums, 183 Stamford flower-show, 144 Standard apple trees, 199 Stoke Chrysanthemum So- ciety, 191 Stove plants out of doors, 115 Stove plants, to water, 139 Strawberry plantations, 183, 184 Strawberries in troughs, 272 Suburban gardens, 2 Suburban roses, 263 Sucker svstem of pine fruit- ing, 22 Successive flowers in one bed, 29 Succession crops of pines, 78 Summer the season for cut- tings, 1 29 Surface fibres, to encourage. Symmetrical arrangement of shrubs, 119 Syringe, uses of, 138 Tall peas, distances of, 53 Tea China Roses, 193 Tenants rights in garden structures, 33 Taxus, species and varieties, 226 Tom Thumb pea, 24 Torenia asiatica, var. pul- cherrimnm, 131 Torquay climate, 135 Tower Hamlets Chrysanthe- mum Show,9 Town garden plan, 160 The best roses of 1861, 133 The weather of 1860, 19 Thompson's list of flower seeds, 40 Thompson on garden an- nuals, 45 Threefold colouring, rule for, 90 Thurston's Reliance pea, 46 Tiffany houses for fruit cul- ture, 8 Tiffany, failure in, 35 ; not a failure, 68 ; varnished, 207 Tiffany houses, 160 Training of pompone pyra- mids, 26 Transplanting hardy bulbs, 187 Ti-eatment of shrubs injured by frost, 67 Tree onion, 16 Trees, if removeable, 34 Trees and shrubs, why killed by frost, 100 Trial of fuchsias in open ground, 172 Tritoma uvaria, 230 Tropa?olum seedUngs, 42 Tropical gardens, 115 Tropseolum Jarrattii, 230 Trotmau's gas stove, 7 Tuhp aliases, 64 Twice blooming of hardy shrubs, 54 Use of bulbous masses, 185 Yaccinium serpens, 81 Vallota purpurea, 230 Varieties, seedsmen's, 24 Variegated arabis for ribbon lines, 121 Variegated hollies, 129 Varnished tiffany, 207 Vegetables in succession, 52 Vegetable marrows in kitchen quarters, 53 Veitch's Perfection pea, 49 Vermin destroyed by water, 198 Viburnum Inc. Towardii, 95 Victoria branching pea, 45 Victoria marrow pea, 46 Vigour and fruitfulness in apple-trees, 178 Vines, to replace, 230 Vine culture simplified, 35 Violet culture, 56 Viscaria, species and varie- ties, 75 Waltonian case, 16, 86, 87 ; superseded,219 ; boiler,248 Waltonian case, 136 Warwick early pea, 25 Water, uses of, 137 Watering plants in pots, 273 Weather prognostics, 30 Weeds, are they friends or enemies, 269 Weeping hollies, the best, 131 Weeping holly, 3 Wet, excessive, in 1860, 19 Wild flowers, work upon, 159 Winter of 1860-61, 65 Winter beds of evergreens, 27, 130 Window and balcony gar- dening, 196 Winter management of plants, 251 INDEX. Woodford Marrow pea, 46 Work among the roses, 151 Wounds, pepper paper for, 148 Yellow coctscomb, culture of, 62 Yellow roses, 163 Yew, Tarieties of, 226 You cannot gain unless tou give, 133 Zinnia elegans, fl. pi., 44 INDEX OF ENGRAVINGS. Alocasia macrorhizn, raviegata, 1G7 Aiicuba Hinaalaica, 102 Callicai'pa purpurea, 102 Campanula rotimdifolia alba, 170 Convolvulus uiauritaiiiciis, 123 Epacris niininata splcudens, 81 Epyginium leucobotrys, 238 Espalier wires, 13 Fuchsia Prince Leopold, 2?,9 Fuchsia, specimen pyramid, 263 Garden scene, picturesque, i Gas-heating apparatus, 7 Geranium, Princess of Prussia, 124 Grevillea alpestris, 80 Holly, leaves of, sec Ilex. Hot-water apparatus, section, 154; in situ, 155 Jardinet with evergreens, 27 Hex, leaves of Laurifoha, Daboon, Don- ningtonensis, Latispina, Latifolia, Ciliatum minus, Crassifolia, Madeira- cnsis, Nobilis, Sheppardii, and Ckcs- huntensis, 94—100 Ilex, leaves of aqiiifolium, Free-growing gold, Ferox aurea, Broad-leaved sil- ver, Milkmaid, Bronze or orange, Painted Lady, Tortuosa, 129—132 Ilex, Pendulum foliis vai'iegata, 131 Petunia, circular form of iiower, 149 Petunia, proportions of tube, 150 Pit for pme-apples, 22 Propagatmg case, French, 31 Propagating case, twelve figures of a new mode of coustiniction, 219 — 223 Propagating case, boiler of Waltonian, two figures, 248 Portable plant-houses, ground-plan, 235 ; section, 236 ; elevation, 237 Pruning to prevent gumming, 253 Sparrow frightencr, ttl Vaccinium serpens, SI Zinnia elegans flore-plcno, 42 THE ■;^^-^.^<;<~>o-c^:^i>c^-c-e^ - ivf^^-j-ji- ^^ q Janttakt, 1861. ' ARDEN SCEI^ES have improved in their composition I considerably during the last half century, partly under the influence of what Ave may term fashion, still more under the teachings of correct taste, and not a little in consequence of the successive introduction of nu- merous exotic trees and shrubs which have proved capable of withstanding the rigours of an English climate. If we analyze any good garden scene, the result which will first strike us is the extent to which we are dependent on exotic plants for the most striking features both of form and colour ; the trees and shrubs indi- genous to Britain, playing but a minor part in all those arrangements where high art insists on bold grouping and ornamental displaj*. There are those living among the veteran gardeners who can remember when the Au.cuba Japonica was an inmate of the stove ; how it went from thence to the greenhouse; and, at last, was found to prosper best in the open air, one of the freest growing and most useful evergreens for massive effects and for relief to darker kinds of foliage. The most common of our common trees have now and then produced varieties surpassing in beauty their originals, and as these varieties proved permanent, they have taken the place of species, and largely added to the number of elements offered by nature to the inventors of landscapes. But with all the variety of materials at command, selections must be made with judgment, and combinations determined upon system, or the result cannot possibly convey, as every garde;i scene should convej', a distinct idea of a sense of harmony. Very many of our public gardens are deficient in the element which is most commonly lacking in private grounds, and that is Ireadfh. Mixtures will rarely produce breadth, repetitions and masses may. The plan now adopted by most planters of keeping deciduous and evergreen kinds apart is in strict accordance with good taste, though no one unaccustomed to the analysis of landscape effects would predicate it. A priori, evergreeus should be mixed with deciduous kinds to prevent the appearance of utter baiTenness in winter. A posteriori, the mixture is a mistake, the deci- yOL. IV. KO. I. B 2 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. cliious kinds look more barren by the contrast, and the evergreens are almost lost in what may, in severe language, be described as a Avilderness of bare poles. It is rather fortunate that science gives a rule that taste may accept as safe, provided it be carried out with judgment, and it is tbat plants of the same natural families, and even of the same genera, generally group together better for the production of bold and decided effects, than those that have very remote relationships. "What can be better in its way than a clump of rhododendrons, a compartment of moutans, a belt of aucubas, or a terrace line of deodara cedars ? In the anxiety to possess a great variety of the most beautiful trees and slirubs, persons who are not in the habit of employing professional planters are apt to get together rare mixtures of heterogeneous elements, and after all their expense and trouble, they are occasionally startled at the rich appearance of some well- kept garden, where none but the commonest trees and shrubs are to be foimd. Eroad masses of contrasted colour give the eye a sense of satisfac- ■tion — it has at last found something on Avhich it can gaze with a sense of repose. In small gardens it is no easy matter to satisfy the demands of a fastidious taste. Planting is like public speaking : in a great room, and with a large audience, it is easy and agreeable work ; in a small room, with an audience of three or more, it needs the experience of half a life- time to make a speech at all. So in planting a small piece of ground; it is no easy matter to give it a distinctness of character, and every mistake stares out in bold reproach, for the simple reason that small objects invite close inspection. We were much pleased with a garden scene which we visited during the past summer, not because there was anything novel, or grand, or jDeculiar aboiit it, but because the best possible effect of breadth had been attained by the use of the simplest and cheapest elements. We sketched it in order to be able to place it before our readers during the planting season, as an example of good taste making the best of inex- pensive materials. As shown in the engraving, we have the lawn as seen from the drawing-room windows. The belts of shrubs consist chiefly of box, aucuba, Portugal laurel, and Pliillyrca in roxinded masses, forming two sides of a bow towards the path, which is spanned by an arch of thorn. The walk opens into a broad space of gravel, in the centre of which is a fountain, and from thence there is a Avalk with a few arches for climbers, and on either side of it ribbon lines for summer bedders. To give any ininute description would be to waste space, because, in truth, the story would amount to nothing. The picture has breadth, the eye is neither cramped nor bewildered, but enjoys a sense of case in the subdued har- monies of a few simple outlines and slightly-varied shades of colour. We must add, however, that this is a suburban garden of small size, near enough to London for its j)ossessor to hear the striking of St. Paul's clock, in a district where good gardening is the rule rather than the exception, but where among the gardens similarly circumstanced, as to extent and position, there is not one which more thoroughlj^ conveys the idea of a refined and gentlemanly taste. But we must not go back to the dark ages in making selections for scenic effect. Some of the recent introductions of hardy shrubs place us in a position almost to defy the viintcr, as regards keeping up a display of colour. The splendid foliage of the variegated rhododendron, the varie- gated holly, and the variegated alaternus, have their match in some of the plants of recent introduction. The beautiful weeping holly (I. var. THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 3 pendula), sent out by Messrs. Perry, of Banbury, and recommended iutbe "Garden Oracle" of 1859, has been largely patronized as a decorative plant for laAvns and for elevated positions on banks and rockeries. Por deep green masses Grieslinia littoralis stands alone in the glossy richness of its deep green leaves, and the rapidity with which it forms a dense un- dergrowth in rich soil. Our recommendations of this shrub, with which wc first became acquainted through Mr. Standish, who had it from Messrs. Yeitch, have caused the distribution of nearly the whole of the stock, and it will be some jeavs before the supply can be at all equal to the demand for it. It endured the last terrible winter unhurt in the gar- den of i[r. Mongredien, on the bleakest part of that clay slope, and we have no doubt at the extreme north of the island it will prove as hardy as in the vicinity of London. We would suggest the desirability of paying more attention to the varieties of colour, which may be obtained by judiciously grouping hardy trees and shrubs in positions where their foliage would be acceptable in winter. The roses near the windows now look pitiable objects ; how much more cheering a few evergreen beds or one good clump of rhododendrons and kalmias. Then there is Skimmia Japonica, which we do not meet with as often as we Avould wish, the very model of a plant for a system of winter bedding. Our specimens are now loaded with bunches of coral-coloured berries — more berries than leaves — and the floAver-spikes rising to give the berries for next season. Take a fifteen- feet circular bed, put in a centre of variegated hollies, then a broad circle of Bcrberis fascicixlaris hybrida, next a circle of Grieslinia, and on the margin all round Skimmia Japonica, and what a charming object would that bed be at this dull time of year. Of course, the summer Avould bring the usual regrets, that the evergreens were in the way of bedders ; but any reasonable variety of bulbs could bo sprinkled in regular order over such a bed, crocuses and snowdrops, early tulips, and to follow on through the summer, liliums and gladioli. A well-defined plan of opera- tions, and taking each step of the process at the right time, would enable every amateur to plant his beds with small shrubs for the Avinter, and remove them all to the reserve ground, or to make clumps elsewhere about rustic-work and summer-houses during the summer, in order to have full play for geometric colouring. Our old friend, the aucuba, has now a relative, which may contend with it for a leading place, in the new Au- cuba Himalaica, which, by its tree production of berries, comes into a class which has been largely increased of late years. While we are on this sxibject, we may mention a few other novelties of real merit, which will soon take leading places in our garden scenery. Quercus bambusifolia, introduced from China by Mr. Fortune, has a most graceful and novel form of foliage, is quite hardy, and is likely to prove one of the best of his intro- ductions. Berberis umbellata Avill be a favourite, because of the large bright red berries which it carries all winter. Ceanothus Yeitcliiauus is, perhaps, the finest acquisition to evergreen shrubs of any made of late years ; it proves to be quite hardy, is a free grower, and produces an ex- traordinary profusion of terminal bunches of flowers of the richest maza- rine blue. Chamtebatia foliolosa is unique in its way ; it grows to about three feet, is compact, branched, and erect in habit, and the foliage much divided and fern-like, so as to have a very graceful effect when planted in front Lines, or singly as a specimen. Among flowering shrubs, we must not omit to mention the new THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEK GUIDE. 5 Syringa oblata, of which there are two varieties, one producing bunches of deep purple, the other pure white, the habit being more tree- like, and better adapted to form standards for lawns than the kinds hitherto selected for the purpose. Yiburnum lucidum Towardii is a charming addition to our lists of flowering shrubs, the flowers coming in huge balls late in th^ month of May, when all danger from frost is over. Freraontia Californica we can recommend to the curious ; but we doubt if it will contribute much to general effect in garden scenes, the chief beauty being in the golden- coloured calyx, and there being some doubts as to its hardiness. Few have had the courage to plant out that exquisitely beautiful shrub, Des- fontania spinosa, but where it has been put out it holds its ground, and it is certainly hardy south of the midland counties. If any of our northern friends can give us particulars of its success in bleak districts, we shall be glad to hear that so elegant a plant may be safely classed among the tenants of the lawn and the shrubbery. NOTES OF THE MONTH. CoLCHESTEE CnRTSANTHEMcrii SociETT, Nov. 21. — The Colchester Association held their show in the public hall. There could be no just grounds of complaint as to the quality of the flowers, some of the cut blooms shown by Mr. Ingle, gardener to C. Gf. Eound, Esq., of Birch Hall, the pre- sident, being equal to the best flovrers shown this season. Mr. Stoddart, gardener to J. G-. Rebow, Esq., carried off" several prizes in the exhibition of fruit. The exhibition of fruit was admirable, nothing like it having been seen in Colchester at this season of the year for a long period. The foUovring were the principal awards : — President's Prizes (C. Gr. Eound, Esq.) : Three large flowering varieties, Mr. Ingle ; three pompones ditto, Mr. Ingle. A Silver Cup by P. O. Papillon, Esq., M.P. : Twelve cut blooms, Mr. Ingle. A Silver Cup by a Member : Twelve plants, Mr. Ingle. Specimen chrysan- themum: Mr. llussell, gardener to Stephen Brown, Esq. Four plants. — 1st, Mr. Russell. Specimen pompone: Mr. Martin, for a fine plant of Helen. Twelve blooms : 1st, Mr. Ingle ; 2nd, Mr. Green, gardener to Mrs. Honey- wood. Six cut blooms : 1st, Mr. Ingle ; 2nd, Mr. Green. Three large flowering standards : 1st, Mr. Ingle ; 2nd, Mr. Stoddart. Three pompone standards : 1 st, Mr. Martin ; 2nd, Mr. llussell. Six purple primulas and six white ditto (given by Mr. Evans) : Mr. Green. Best table bouquet of flowers (by the Secretaries) : Mr. Stoddart. HoBTicuLTUEAL SociETY. — It is determined to open the new garden at Kensington on the 5th of June next, with a grand general exhibition. On the 3rd of July following, there will be a rose show ; on the 11th September, a dahlia show, and a show of chrysanthemums and fruit on the 6th. of No- vember. The sum of £1500 has been apportioned as prizes for these shows. The schedules are now ready, and intending exhibitors may obtain them on application at the head offices. Cambeiuge and CAiiBRiDGESHiEE, Nov. 21. — The chrysanthemums at this show were, as in most other cases this season, few, but good, proving that the most experienced and spirited growers may bring their flowers out well even in the worst of seasons, when the bulk of exhibitors, whose contributions assist in the filling the stages, are altogether left behind. Among the prin- cipal exhibitors at this show were Mr. King, of Wood Ditton, Mr. Headly, Mr. Smith, Mr. Barrett, and Mr. Nutter. Mr. King's set of six plants were Trilby, Norfolk Hero, Antigone, Dapont de I'Eure, Queen of England, and THE jTLORAL world AND GARDEN GUIDE. Aregina. Tlie fruit classes were ably filled. The best collections of pears came from Mr. B. Barrett, and consisted of Josephine de Malines, Passe Col- mar, Chaumontel, Sevan's Egg, Aston Town. The leading apples were Hertfordshire Pearmain, Scarlet Nonpareil, llibston, Old Nonpareil, and Waller's Russet. Mr. AV. S. Wiles was first in this class. EoYAL HoETicuLTrRAL SociETY OF Ieeland, Nov. 22. — The winter exhibition of fruits and fiowers was held in the Kotunda. Grapes, pears, and apples were excellent, and there were some good pines. The principal exhibitors were — the Eight Hon. the Chief Secretary, Mr. P.obert Gray, Temple Hill ; Mr. Tliomas Bewley, Dr. Neligau, Dr. Plant, Mr. Hans H. Woods, Mr. George Pim, who exhibited good specimens of tlie Chinese yam ; Mr. George Eoe, Mr. Thomas Druiy, Mr. Thomas Hutton, etc. Dr. Neli- gan exhibited a Newton apple-tree in fruit. Chrysanthemums in pots were admirably done, and the orchids, camellias, and epacrises, were well in flower, considering the season. There was a good attendance, and an agree- able promenade was formed to the music of the band of the 96th Regiment. Tower Hamlets CHRTSANxnEJiuM Snow. — The exhibition of this so- ciety took place at the Eagle Tavern, Mile-end Road, and was, in every respect, a creditable and encouraging afi'air, most of the specimens being the production of working men who had employed their leisure hours in the cultivation of what is especially a working man's flower. The best si.x: pompones were from Mr. Courcha, the second best from Mr. C. Parker. Mr. A. Fisher sent the best specimen plant. Mr. Gui-ney first for twelve blooms. Mr. Washington first in twelve blooms undressed, with foliage attached, and also for the best four standard pompones. East London. — A slight error occurred in our report of the show at Albion Hall, on the 17th. The first prize for four plants was a silver cup awarded to Mr. West. The plants were Defiance, Christine, Mad. Camer- son, and Plutus. In this class, Mr. Hutt was second with Christine Golden Christine, etc. Mr. Hutt had a silver cup for six pompones. In all other re- spects, our report in the December number is correct, and the error arose in consequence of the plants being placed so that it was impossible to ascertain with certainty to whom they belonged. Mr. Hutt's plant of General Can- robert has bean photographed by Messrs. Negretti and Zambra, at the re- quest of the Empress of the French, who was struck with admiration at its symmetry and perfection of bloom at the Crystal Palace Show. GAS-HEATING WITH PLAME INSIDE THE HOUSE. lo! has often been asserted that, in heating n greenhouse by means of gas, it is not possible to place tlic burner inside the house without detriment to the health of the plants. Perhaps some of your readers may like to know that such a thing is possible, and that, too, without the slightest damage arising therefrom to the most tender occupant. I last year placed in a small lean-to greenhouse, which I had erected, one of Trotman's economical gas stoves, described and figured at page 248, vol. i., of the Floral World. When I iirst got the stove from Mr. Trotman, the conical top or cover was made to hft on and off, in order to allow of filling the boiler with water, and was also pvmctured with nu- merous small holes to permit the steam arising from the hot water to escape into the house, and so counteract the dry heafc from the flue. After trying this for a short time, I found the moistiu'e from the steam caused too much damp. I then got a smith to stop all the holes, and to solder the lid firmly on to the stove, inserting at the same time, through the centre of the hd (as figured in the accompanying sketch), a small metal pipe to communicate with a small cistern outside the greenhouse (I think inside would be better, but I had not room), erected about afoot above the level of the top of the boilei-, so that the water from the cistern faUing through the pipe a?SE I^LORAL WORLD AlfD aiRDEN GUIDE. rises to its own level, and entei'3 the boiler at the top of the lid, thus keeping it con- stantly self-iilled ; a small pipe for the escape of steam, as a safety valve, was also inserted at the top, and conducted outside the house. The cistern, I generally And, is kept filled by the rain wliich falls on the roof of the greenliouse, and wliich is con- ducted into it by a cast-iron gutter fixed under the eaves. Tiie only attention it requires is to keep the cistern full (and weU covered over if outside the house), during a long frost. I also attached a tlu*ee-inch flow and return pipe to the boiler to pass along the front of tlie house, as I did not get sufficient heat in very cold weather. The flue, which at first was made of three-inch sheet-iron pipe, I found emitted an unpleasant smell, in- jurious to the plants, so I replaced it with three-inch glazed drain-tile pipes, which were fised round one end and back of the house in an inclined plane, and so out at touch it. In the severest frost I could, if I wished, by merely tm-ning on the gas a little stronger, get the thermometer up to above 50'. All my plants, some of them tender ones, thrive well, and I have never yet found the slightest harm arise from having the gas-bui"uer ivithiii instead of ivlthout the house. Before concluding, I may mention another patent gas-stove (the patentee's name I forget), adapted for a small green- house, and which likewise answers well inside the house. It has been in use now during the two last winters by Mr. Hop- good, florist, Bayswater, with the greatest success, although I cannot speak of its merits from personal experience, but Mr. Hopgood assured me that there is never the slightest degree of foul air comes oif from the stove ; I have often myself ueen it burning, and certainly could perceive none. There is no flue of any sort attached to it, the peculiar internal con- aa, Detaclied water-troughs ; B, Flow and return pipe ; c, Cistern; D, Steam-eacape pipej E, Supply pipe ; g. Gas-pipe. the other side, where the flue was earned up four or five feet, and a movable cowl placed on the top. Tliis I found effec- tually prevented any back draught coming down the flue. At the very bottom of one side of the boiler I fixed a brass tap, which enables me to draw off warm water, and which I find very convenient when watering the plants. Since I made the above alterations, I have found the stove answer admirably. There is never the slightest escape of foul air. T^o attention whatever is required beyond, as I said be- fore, seeing that the cistern is kept filled during a long continuance of dry weather. Last winter I often left it burning for days together without once having occasion to struction consuming in itself all foul air. Mr. Hopgood has this stove in use in a small conservatory for the sale of plants at 18, Bayswater Terrace, where I have no doubt he will have no objection to allow any one desirous of doing so to in- spect it. I have constantly seen it burn- ing there last winter in the midst of ca- mellias, azaleas, and other plants in fidl bloom, and all looked well and healthy. The stove is about seven or eight inches in diametei', and about two feet six inches high ; the gas is laid on to it by means of a flexible gutta-percha tube, so that the stove can be moved at plcisui'o to any part of the house in a moment. Mr. Hopgood has had a small iron basin made to set on THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. the top of the stove, filled with water, by which a moist heat can be obtained when necessary. Tlie price, I believe, is about £3. I send you an account of these two gas-stoves for burning inside greenhouses, with tlie Iiope that it may prove useful to some of your readers, who, like myself, are so circumstanced that they require a mode of heating which can enable them to leave home for days or weeks together without fear of frost aifectiug their fa- vourites during their absence through neglect. I enclose my card for your own satis- faction, and am yours, A SUBSCBIBEB. PEOTECTION OF PEAS FEOM SPAEEOAVS. It is the complaint ©■ almost every gar- dener, in the early months of the year, that the sparrows eat their peas, and do what they will, they cannot keep them off. Now I have adopted a plan for the last three years that answers admirably. I get a piece of yellow deal board, about seven or eight inches wide and three- quarter-inch thick, out of which I make a number of bats, the shape and dunensions of which are shown in the cut, and after putting fire small nails or tacks round the outer edge ; I place one at each end of every row of peas, and if the rows are long, I place one or more at certain distances along the rows; I then get some white worsted, and beginning at the first bat, tie it on to the lowest nail on either side, then take it on to the corresponding nail in the next bat, give it one twist round, and so on to the end of the row, then bring it back on the second nails, and so on till there are five rows of worsted. This forms a complete arch over the peas, which no sparrow will venture under, be- sides it has a very neat and tidy appear- ance ; in fact, I think its very neatness helps to keep the birds away, for it has something of the trap or net look about it, and so the birds are outwitted and the crop saved. Some may argue that it is extravagant to put five rows of worsted to one row of peas ; not at all so, for by one person taking one end and one the other they may be shifted from one crop to another as they advance, and so last a whole season. If the bats are dried and painted when the season is over, they will last for years. S. Randall. ME. EIVEES ON TIPEANY OECHAED-HOUSES. Houses built with stakes or slight timber, and the roofs and sides covered with tiffany, have very recently been intro- duced, and found efficient in protecting half-hardy plants from severe frost. I now propose to erect tempoi'ary houses of the same materials, to protect dwarf and pyramidal fruit-trees while they ai-e in bloom, and I have no doubt but that they will lead to a new era in fruit- gardening among amateurs, offering, as they do, a very cheap method of protection. A border, or bed of fruit-trees, may be eight feet wide, and planted with three rows of bush fruit-trees, as shown in the above section, one row in the centre, and the other rows three feet from it, and the trees three feet apart in the rows, thus occupying six feet of the bed. A tiffany- house to cover the trees in a bed of the above width, may be eight feet wide, three feet high at the sides, and five feet high in THE FLORAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. the centre. The roof of tiffany should be fastened to the rafters with shreds three or four times double, so as to make a thick pad, and either nailed on with short naUs, or fastened with screws, so that it may be easily taken to pieces annually the first week in June, for till then we are not safe from spring fi-osts. The tiffany-house should be placed orer the trees the first week in March, unless the season be unusually early, when the middle of February would be better. The sides should be loose, and be turned up night and day in mild weather, while the trees are in bloom ; but in cold, sharp, windy weather in the blossoming season, they should be kept down, and fastened to the upright stakes, by tying or other- wise. A tiffany-house, twenty-four feet long and eight feet wide, will thus shelter twenty-four trees, either bushes or pyra- mids ; if for the latter, the sides of the house should be four feet, and its centre seren to eight feet in height. If it be thought desirable to keep the trees in a comparatively small space, they may be removed biennially in October. If larger trees are desired, the house may be enlarged as the trees grow. A tiffany- house may be from one to five hundred feet in length, and twenty in width, if desirable, for there are no particular limits to its extent, only the effects of a " March wind" must be thought about, when lofty and extensive houses are put up. As measures of economy, the timber and tif- fany should be placed in a dry place when removed, and the rafters fastened to the plate and ridge board with screws. A tiffany-house thus treated, " kindly and gently," wUl last for several years, and in places where the climate is sufficiently warm to ripen apricots, plums, pears, cherries, and even early peaches in the open air, they will, I have no doubt, be extensively employed — Descriptive Cata- logue of Fruits, 1860. THE PAMPAS GRASS. No more valuable addition than this to our ornamental garden plants has been introduced for very many years ; yet so many among my own friends and ncigh- bom-s have procured it and have been dis- appointed, that, for their benefit, as well, doubtless, as lor that of hundreds of others who have been equally unsuccessful, I submit the result of my own personal observations. Of the pampas grass there are two forms — not, be it observed, two varieties, but iwoforms, or, moro correctly, sexes. The one, which I will call ih.e fruit- fu.1 form (though I am not aware that fruit has been perfected in this country), when it has arrived at maturity, displays, in the summer, a large circular tuft of leaves se- veral feet long, bending gracefully outwards and reaching to the ground, presenting a not too fanciful resemblance to a fountain. Prom the midst of this tuft, there begins to rise, in September, a less or greater num- ber of stalks sheathed with leaves like those which constitute the ti.ift. The stalks grow quite erect, and very rapidly, often completing more than an inch in the twenty-four hours. Towards the end of October, each of these has perfected a dense, shghtly-spreading panicle of flowers (that is, such flowers as the true gi-asses bear) about a foot long, so feathery as to wave in the hghtest wind, and glistening like silver filagree-work. An early frost, auch as that which gardeners moUrned over in the October of 1859, is likely to injure the stalk materially, and deprive it of the power of resisting the storms of November ; but in ordinary seasons it will stand, with little impaii-ed beauty, until late in the winter. This is the kind which everyone who has a grass-plot twenty feet square should grow in its centre, and no more stately object can be desired. The other form of the plant, wliich I will call the barren, resembles the first during the whole of summer, only it is somewhat more robust, and not so graceful in the droop of the leaves. About a month after the other, it, too, begins to send up flower- stalks, but not quite perpendicularly, nearly all of them diverge more or less to the sides. Unlike those of the fertile plant, they grow slowly, and do not show the top of their panicle through the sheathing base of the leaves, until the second or third week in October. This year no flower appeared until the second week in November, though the panicles of the fertile plant were in full perfection before the close of the preceding month. By this time the temperatiu-e has diminished to such an extent that their growth is suspended, and the stalks, being full of juices, are nipped by the first severe frost ; they turn brown and wither away. This is the form of the plant which several of io THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUlDl!. my friends havo planted, and, as they imagine, liave failed to t reat rigUtlj' ; the ti'uc reason of their failure being, that they are cnltivating a plaid vvliich the short summer of this climate will not bring to perfection. And now comes the qnestion, how can the two bo discriminated? I have cul- tivated both fornai, and will state the result of my own observations. My fertile plant I purchased eight years ago in a four-inch pot. I planted it in the centre of a circular bed about ten feet in diameter, in rich soil, and gave it plenty of water. In the fourth year it sent up two noble spikes, in the next six, in the next twenty- two; and this year it has sent up no less than sixty-three magnificent plumes, the tops of "which are from eight to nine and a-lialf feet from the ground. The distinguishing characters are these : the branches of the plume spread out slightly, and do not droop at all, or scarcely so ; each flower, when examined by the lens, is found to contain an embryo seed, bearing the two diverging feathery stigmas, to be found in most true grasses ; the chaff is surrounded by numerous fine, silvery bristles ; a flower-stalk, measured at a joint near the bottom of the stem, is an inch and a-half in circumference ; a leaf, measured about the middle, is three-eighths of an inch across. The flower of the barren plant is not accompanied by bristles, the branches of the panicle are much larger than in the other and droop most grace- fully, the flower-stalk measures two and a half inches in circumference and the leaves a.riifive-eighths of an inch across. I should add that the barren plant makes an attempt to flower in its second or third year, but as long as I have grown it, has never suc- ceeded. It is, however, a handsome plant, and, as an in-door winter ornament, far more valuable than the other. Most people would scruple to cut the spikes of the fertile plant until the frost has done its worst with them ; they are then, however, of little worth, for the outwoni flowers easily separate from their stalks, and fly about the room like so many feathers, to the great horror of careful housewives. Not so with the other : the flower-stalks of these should be cut in November, divested of their leaves, all except the sheathing base, and be stored away to dry. In the course of a few weeks each will have the appearance of a long white rod, bearing a small tuft of feathers at its extremity. The sheaths must now be carcfidly re- moved, the last being split with a pen- knife, and within will be found what appears to be a stick of frosted silver, a foot and a-half long ; but is, in reality, a multitude of closely packed abortive flowers, which, when shaken out, form the most graceful of all possible decora- tions of a chimney-vase. Let any one purchasing a plant, choose the one with the narrowest leaves. Callipers, Herts. C. A. Johns. T.L.S. GAEDEN AND GREENHOUSE WOEK EOR JAISTUAEY. Annuals, of a few choice kinds, may be sown in heat for early bloom. A few pans of Eenzlia dianthiflora, Nemophila maculata, Anagalhs Indica, Clintonia pul- chella, Veronica Syriaca, Hibiscus Afri- canus, Coramelina coelestis. Datura humi^ lis, and Nierembergia gracilis, will jjay well for the trouble, especially for the boudoir and drawing-room. Asparagus beds being forced, to have liberal supplies of water, and the heat kept at 55' to 60'. Line beds where the heat is declining. At the cud of the month prepare beds by manuring and trenching for planting in March. For culture, see vol. ii. p. 221. AuniccTLAS. — Protect from frost, and allow suow to remaui on the covering. During intervals of mild weather give plenty of air and clean up the stock. Azaleas.— Start the earliest in a moist air at 55', to be increased to 65^ Grivel plenty of water. Succession plants keep diy and airy, and as cool as possible, but not to be touched by frost. Tie out where needed. Camellias. — Treat same as advised for azaleas. Carnations. — Give as much au* as possible, and follow the directions given above for auriculas. Cauliflowers will want dusting with lime to keep off snails. Set a few traps among the plants, and take them up every morning. Sow a few in pans in gentle heat, to prick out in March. Cinerarias coming into bloom to have the utmost allowance of light, plenty of water, and good greenhouse temperature* See vol. in. pp. 21, 89. Composts turned nowwill much benefit by frost. Clear out the muck-pit, and lay up the stufl" in heaps or in a long ridge for the frost to go quite through it. Cucumbers. — Sow at once for early 1:he flosal woelu and garden guide. il supply, and a week after, make up the fruiting-bed, and turn it several times to get a sweet heat. Pot the young plants as soon as the sded-leaves are full grown. Use sixty-pots, one plant in each, and stand the pots on a warm, moist bottom. This is better than potting in pairs, as they turn out with complete balls. Crristrs. — We have had Atleeana in fall bloom ever since August last, and the plants ai'e now loaded from head to foot with racemes of buds. It is certainly the best of the family for all small collections. None of them are particular about the position they have. Those coming into bloom now require a little weak manure- water occisioually. Fruix-trees. — This is a good time to clean up trees affected with blight, and to thin out crowded spray and foreright shoots on espaliers. Beware, however, not to lop old trees severely. The saw does more harm in orchards than all the blights and mildews together. See vol. i. p. 28. GERAJflUllS. — The delicate variegates must have a warm place. Such as Dandy, Lady Plymouth, and Golden Chain, do best on a warm, dry shelf, where they can have every ray of sunshine possible, and water only when they thoroughly need it. Show pelargoniums to have just enough fire-heat to keep them moving, and not a drop of water on the foliage. Pansies in the open ground must be hooped over during frost, and after frost be made firm if lifted. Sow one or two pans for an early lot of seedling blooms. Peas and BEA^'■3 sown on lengths of turf now may be transplanted without disturbing the roots, as soon as weather permits. Sow in the open ground Sang- ster's No. 1, or Early Champion; sow also Mazagan and Longpod beans. A few French beans in pots or boxes will pay ; they may stand on a rather cool flue or in any odd corner until they break ground, by which time there will probably be room for them near the front lights ; to have the same treatment as potted strawbemes. Newington Wonder is the best for the first crop. Pits to be kept clean and aii'y. It is a mistake to allow the plants to get dust dry, but very little water must be vised, and not a dead leaf allowed to remain. See vol. iii. p. 168. Radishes may be sown on wai-m slopes, where they can be covered with straw or bean haulm during frost. Early short top for the first lot. Ro3E3 in pots to be looked over, and those with the ripest wood and plumpest buds to be started, along with caiuellias and azaleas, for early bloom. Planting in the open ground had better be deferred. Tbose planted in November to be kept securely staked, as the rocking caused by wind will injure the newly-formed roots. Sea-kale. — Keep up a succession by covering a fresh lot from time to time, ac- cording to the consumption. Add fresh lit- ter each time, to keep up the fermentation. Strawberries. — Give as much air to forced plants as possible, or the fruit will be flavourless. See vol. iii. p. 30. AMAETLLIS. This is such a strange family of plants, | that, in attempting a brief sketch of their cultural requirements, one scarcely knows where to begin. The truth is, the order was always in confusion, from the day that Linnteus instituted it ; aiid though the late Dean of Manchester brought the confusion within limits, he did not en- tirely succeed in evoking perfect order from it. But there is always a way of escape from a botanical dilemma if the object is to set forth culture only, be- cause, from a horticultural point of view, we can make as many exceptions as may be necessary ; and so on this plan we may remark at once, that all amaryllids will not endure the same uniform method of treatment. It is very much a question of natural habitat, and no horticulturist will ever make a figure as a gvower of amaryllis without inquiry as to the soui'cea of species at least, if he does not follow varieties to their several origins. There is, perhaps, no man living who could now do with the members of this family what Mr. Sweet did for them in his day. He understood their geographical history, and was a master of hybridization as well as an industrious cultivator, and he origi- nated more hybrids than have been pro- duced dvu'ing the whole period that has elapsed since he ceased his labours. Those that come most under the notice of gar- deners are A. belladonna, A. pallida, A. Bhmda, Brunsvigia grandiflora, and their hybrids, all natives of the Cape, and as such the easiest divisions of the tribe to manage, being strictly seasonal in tlieii* i2 TttE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. growth. From these Hippeastrnm, gene- rally confouaded with Amaryllis, stands quite apart. Amaryllis will go to rest when its season of rest cDmes, or will punish its possessor in some way or other ; but Hippeastrum may be grown and bloomed at any season, and being thus without a very distinct law of its own, it requires care and judgment to manage it effectually. Respecting the Belladonna lily, we only need remark that it is as hardy as a tulip, that it loves sand, and when out of doors should, if possible, be planted under a wall in a shady but slieltered place, and left to take care of itself. The other species and their varieties ai'e moi'e tender, and we obtain a key to tlie treatment of them by calling to mind the climatal influences they are under at the Cape. They gi-ow wild where the soil is very sandy ; they bloom before the heat of the season has reached its maximum. After flowering, their foliage begins to die down, and just as their bulbs get to rest the heat rises to 100', and the bulbs ripen in the natural hot-bed of dry sand, which burns the native pelargoniums to sticks. These points must be borne in mind by the cultivator, or he cannot ex- pect to succeed ; but once get a few good sorts, treat them as Nature treats them at home, and you will not only have a splendid bloom, but an abundance of ofl"- sets, which very soon take to a habit of flowering. But under pot culture sand alone will not suffice as a source of nourishment for atnaryllids. The best mixture is turfy loam, thoroughly rotted and pulverized, one part ; sharp sand, one part ; leaf- mould, sweet and completely rotted, one part. If the loam is poor, add decom- posed cow-dung, not more than one-sixth of the whole bulk. When potted, put in a steady bottom-heat at once, the average to be 55", the most efiectual drainage pos- sible, and plenty of water. The flower scapes will rise in a fortnight, and the stately flowers will produce their colours and rich perfume in perfection, A tan- bed, or the coolest part of a tank in any Bweet plunging material, will just suit them, and the best time to pot them is when they begin to start of their,own accord. When the bloom is over, every possible encouragement should be given to the growth of the foliage, a warm moist atmo- sphere and an increased bottom -heat being most essential. As soon as the foliage shows signs of having done its work, dry them up, and increase the bottom temperatiu'e to 70' for a fortnight, then let them cool, and finally store away in the pots without disturbing them on a warm dry shelf, the pots laid on their sides. They ought to rest two months at least, and then may be left untouched till spring in a dry corner of the stove, or may be potted at once for early bloom. Where there is no stove they must have the warmest place in the greenhouse for flowering, and be roasted to rest on a top shelf, the bottoms of the pots turned towards the sun. A thorough maturation of the foliage, and a complete and dry rest, are of the first importance. Bearing these two points in mind, it will not be found difficult to flower them in frames and pits later in the season, and thus keep up a succession of these esteemed flowers. We subjoin a list of choice hybrids, re- serving a few other particulars for a future paper. HTBEID AMARYLLIS. Ackermania pul- cherrima. Augustine. Ajax. Ardens. Ariadne. Auhca fulgens. Baron von Heckeren Beaute parfaite. Bellissime. Bieri. Brasiliensis. Cardinal. Cleopatra. Cochenille. Crocea grandiflora. Delicata. Diomeda, Duchesse de C.izes. Elegans. Extravaganza. Feu admirable. Furiosa. Generalissimus. Gravmgii. Grandiflora coccinea Holfordiana. Ignea. Ignescens. Imperialis. Jenny Lind. Johnsoni. „ rutilans. ,, striata. ,, superba, Leonie. Madame Aime. Magnifica. Majestica. March'ss. Stafford, Marginata. 5, conspicua. ,, venusta. Maria Morren. Matliilde. Mirabilis. Miranda. Montezuma. Novelty. Obscura. Optima. Ornata. Pagoda. Phcenicea. Pomponia. Prince de la Mos- kawa. Princess de Ligne. Psittacina. Prince of Orange. PiUcherrima. Pulverulenta coc- cinea. Radiata. Sangumea. Spectabilis, Sweeti, Syrius. Tettani. Trafalgar. Tricolor. Venosa tubiSora. Victoria superba. Vittata. „ amiabilis. „ grandiflora. J, riibra. „ superba. Wlieeleri. Seedhng varieties. 13 ESPALIER WIEES. I WANT to get rid of the oak stakes and | vermin will harbom-, as they do in wood, rails ill a length of espaUer trees, and snb- and which wiU be almost imperishable, stitute somethuig neater and less perish- and scarcely at all visible. Mr. Gidney, able. Can I get any ready-made uffa.ir I of East Dereham, Norfolk, makes a capital that will answer the purpose, and combine durability with neatness. B. B. [You cannot do better than have a set of strained galvanized wires, in which no strained wire fence, as represented here, and if you want " a ready-made affaii-," he will provide it to your own measurements ready to be fixed at once. — Ed.] THE EADISH AND ITS USES. The late Mr. Knight very justly re- marked that in spring, about May, the old turnips were gone, and the new ones not come, and he proposed forcing turnips to supply this deficiency. Here the radish steps iu to supply, and from year's end to year's end the veriest clown of a gardener may have an excellent succession of ra- dishes. I have had some cooked in tlie plainest manner possible, with only a little salt in the water, and they are delicious to eat, and very beautiful to look at upon the dish. To say anything to gardeners on the culture of radishes would be superflu- ous ; but, for the sake of cottagers, let me add, that those I ate were as thick as my finger, and were only about thirty days old from the day of sowing. The potato ground will yield millions of radishes, both before the potato-tops cover the ground in spring and after the potatoes are har- vested in autumn. I have long tried to get cottagers into the way of growing salad, being convinced of the comfort and importance of it in every family, not to speak of its economy ; and when I see poor people with large spaces of ground in their gardens lying idle in summer for two or three months, I cannot help thinking that their poverty is a good deal to be attributed to their own fault ; if " ignorance of the law excuses no man," surely the ignorance of culture is equally inexcusable in those who pay rent for the use of land for a cer- tain number of growing days, and then give a number of the best of these days to the growth of weeds. If, therefore, thirty days of growing weather can be got, good cultivation will secure a crop of radishes in that time ; but as I do not like to leave things vaguely, I will just weigh the crop, and measure the land, and thus count the cost of this crop and its capabilities. " It is but a small root," the lazy man will say. True, friend ; but its top is small too, and it will stand the closer on the ground, and its time is but short in coming to perfection, as compared with other crops. Three crops of radishes may be raised in the time necessary to grow one crop of potatoes ; perhaps six in the time of one crop of corn. " Six crops for one year's rent!" Ay, friend, and here lies the rub ; and every bit, both top and tail, of the radish, is good pig food when boiled, for both have been eaten raw by Christians. The average weight of each radish is one ounce and a-half, and about half an ounce of this is top or leaves, thus leaving one ounce of root ; and the average of the space occupied by each plant is sixteen square inches, or nine plants in a square foot. Now this gives five pounds of roots per square yard, one hundred and fifty pounds to the perch, or about five tons fourteen cwt. per acre of roots ; and if we add two tons seventeen cwt. of tops, we have eight and a-half tons per acre in thirty days, and even four crops a year of this weight gives twenty-two tons of roots and eleven tons of tops per acre. Perhaps the only way to bring this valuable root into vise among cottagers (I had almost said among gardeners and farmers, for they will all have it), is to give it a fai:; trial, on a small scale, after u THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. potatoes, and, forgetting that it is a radish, count it a small carrot. Eear in mind that this is not the first salad plant that gar- deners have given to agriculture ; for the red beet was, and is still, a salad plant, or rather a salad root; and the mangold vvur- zel, or field beet, is a very valuable salad to agriculturists now-a-days. Late pota- toes are generally planted in May : surely there is time for a crop of radishes to come to maturity before that. When cabbages are planted, there is room for a line of radishes between the i-ows ; and now that their usefulness as a boiled vegetable is pointed out, there is little fear of their being cultivated. As the seed is a good size, it is not, like carrots, diiTicult to sow- regularly ; and as it is cheap, it is quite within the reach of very poor people, and even the more experienced gardener may find a handsome dish of well-flavoiu-ed radishes very useful at his master's table, especially at that season when Mr. Knight so clearly saw the gap in the succession of culinary crops. — A. FoESTTH, Alton Towers (Gard. Chr on,, 1847)- TO CORRESPONDEE'TS. gKLECTio:r OF Fbuits ¥0n A Wet Clat Soil. — Dr. D,, Pinner. — The Iriend wlio writes on your behiilf does not state particulars of the extent of ground to be planted, nor the breadth of walls to be covered. Nor ;ire we informed whether you wish for advice only on open ground plantiufr, or for suggestions on stucldng orchard and forcing- houses in addition. In all wet soils the pot-culture of grapes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and pears is of great importance, as in such a season as 18(iO there wouUl be a certainty of fruit, and of the wood being well ripened, such as could not be insured in the case of trees exposed to the vicis- situdes of excessive wet and insuiReient sunshine. As the season is i'ar advanced it would be well, per- haps, to defer planting till February, when the ground will, perhaps, be in abetter state. There are signs of improvement, however, and if the weather continues mild, it might, perhaps, be best to plant as soon as possible, provided the soil is in a workable condition. AVe must caution you, how- ever, that as there is an immense deni::nd for fruit- trees of all kinds this season, those who give orders late will not be sure of the best, for the stocks are being picked over every day. As to obtaining them, it is not our practice "to recommend dcalei s, but this we are always prepared to do, namely, to re- commend purchasers to deal with their neigh- bours if they can, and the plan has this advantage, besides its iairness, that the nurserymen of a dis- trict know better what wOl suit the district than those who live far oil'. The fruit which most delights in wet is the quince, and a most useful fruit it is. Plant a few of the Portugal in the wettest part of the ground. Plums win do well with you, esj^ecially if the sta- tions where they are to be planted are first libe- rally dressed with burnt clay. As a rule, hush- trees are better than standards for private growers, because giving more amusement and a much greater variety, as regards space of ground occu- pied, than can be obtained from standards. Be- sides this, they can be lifted annually or biennially, which wiU prevent their roots getting out of reach of sunshine, and prevent canker and rank growth, two evils common to wet clays. Apples on Douoiu stocks, and pears on quince stocks, will give good crops on soils which would ruin them on crab and pear stocks. Even the llibslon Pippin, the most subject to canker of any apple we Jiave, and one that no one can avoid planting, never cankers when grown as a manageable bush, or pyramid, and lifted every year. For the wall-trees the bor- der should be made up with a hard bottom of brick rubbish and old plaster, rammed hard on the present level, then on that foundation lay two feet of the soil of the place, with a good propor- tion of burnt clay to render it porous. This will raise it two feet above the surface, and the trees will thrive. We will not promise them to thrive if planted on the present level, without such prepa- rations. Clay will always correct itself, if a por- tion is burnt and returned. Apricots, peaches, and nectarines, plant as umally sent out by the nurseries, on muscle stocks. If you can get a few apricots worked on apricot stocks, give them the preference, but do not have any of this class of fruits on almond stocks. In planting the wall- trees, fill in the holes with a mixture of burnt clay, leaf-mould, and the most pulverized portion of the soil of the p'ace. Cherries will do no good at all unless pbiUted on platforn.s,so as to be lifted out of the wet, and with about a fourth or sixth part of sand chopped up with the soil in a space of at least one f-quare yaid for each tree. The fol- lowing varieties will furnish early, medium, and late supplies, nnd the culinary and dessert kinds are in proper proportion to each other for the ordi- nary wants of private families. Apples, Standahds. — Kitchen : Keswick Cod- lin, Lord Suffield, Cox's Pomona, Hawthornden, Bess Pool, Dunielow's Seedling, French Crab, Nor- iblk Beefing, Winter Maaetin. Dessert: Kerry Pippin, Court of Wick, Golden Pippin, Court pendu-plat, Hubbard's Pearmain, Ncnpareil, Eib- ston, Sturmer Pippin. Apples, hushes or espaliers. — Boston Kusset, Eibston (our best Eibstonsin 1860 were from busb trees), Sturmer Pippin, Braddick's Nonpareil, Mank's Codlin, Golden Pippin, Golden Harvey, Margil, Pinner Seedling, Scarlet KonpareU, De- vonshire Quarrcnden, Baron Ward. Peaks, Standards or pj/ramids on pear sioclc. — Swan's Egg (this is splendid now from the crop of 1800), Autumn Bergamot, .Jargonelle, Jersey Gra- tioli, SufTolk Thorn, Windsor, Williams' Bon Chretien, Colmar. Peaks, Bushes or espaliers on quince sfocJc. — Marie Louise, Winter Kelis ; Beurre d'Amanlis, Baronne de Mello, Glout Morccau, Zephirin C-ire- goire, Flemish Beauty, Forelle, Huyshe's Berga- mot, Prince Albert, Conseiller de la Cour, Colmar d'Ete, Easter Beurre, Josephine de Malines is best workect on the hawthorn, but will do on the quince. ApiticoTs. — Koisha, Large Early, Moorpark, Peach, Shipley, Turkey. Peaches. — Early "Grosse Mignonne, Early York, Grosse Mignonne, Noblesse, Salway and Eoyal George in the warmest and driest position. Nectakines. — Downton, Early Newington, Elruge, Pitmaston Orange, Violette Hative. Plums. — July Gage, Greengage, Coe's Golden Drop, Late Orleans, Jetlersou, Mitchelson's, Dia- mond, Victoria, Goliath. Grapes, TFoWs.— July Muscat, Esperione, Pit- maston, White Cluster, iRoyal Muscadine. Geapes, Cool AoM«e.— CbasselasMusqu^, Mus- THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 15 cat St. I/aureut, Black Hamburgh, Golden Ham- burgh, Chas^selas Vibert. Gkapes, Forciiip. — Chnsselas Musqu(^, AVhite "Frontiguan, Tieiit'ham Black, Bowood Muscat, Lady Downe's, Barb:irossa. CnERBiES, Shnidards. — Knight's Early, Jlay- duke, Hogg's Red Gean, Kentish, Late Duke. CnERRiKS, E/iaUers or bushes. — Belie d'Or- leaus, AVerder's Early Black, Royal Duke, Bipar- reau, Black Eagle, Elton, Coe's Carnation. The Morello will do on a north wall, better on a west wall, and makes a pretty bush worked on the Mahaleb. STEAwnKRiiiEs. — Black Prince, Elton Pine, Carolina aiiperba. Keen's seedling, Oscar, Cuthill's Princess Royal, British Queen. The last should be planted on a raised border, dressed with burnt clay and charred rubbish, with, of course, a suf- ficiency of manure. R.vsPBEKRiEs. — Carter's Prolific, Antwerp Red, Antwerp Yellow, Fastolf, October Yellow, Cut- bush's Prince of Wales. Catalogues Received. — " Descriptive Catalogue of Selected Ro?es, and Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Fruit Trees, etc., grown by Edward Cooling, Mile Ash Nurseries, Derby." Nicely printed and arranged, so that the reader may find in a moment any class of subjects in which he may be'interested. All the new roses are en- tered at reasonable prices. — " Carey Tyso's De- scriptive Catalogtie of Ranunculuses, Anf mones, and other hardy roots and bulbs. AVallingCorci, Berkshire." As usual, this eminent breeder of ranunculuses oflTers a select lot of new seedlings, and all the best old varieties, at reasonable prices. Those who have not forsworn these beautiful flowers cannot do better than obtain Mr. Tyso's catalogue, and prepare themselves for the coming season. Esse.nce op Celert. — B. A. T. — One ounce of celery seed in half a pint of vinegar; a few drops of this gives a fine flavour to soup, or sauce for fowls. — Stewkd Celert. — Cut clean plump stems into four inch lengths ; tie them in bun- dles, and stew till quite tender. Use i^lenty of salt, and keep them boiling fast. Serve with melted butter. By many this dish is jireferred to asparagus. Fruit-Tiu:e3 for a North Wall. — S. — Morello Cherries, Late Duke and Black Eagle Cherries ; Marie Louise, Jargonelle, A'erulamand Thomp- son's Pears ; Orleans Plum. Beurrc Diel and Crossane Althorp Pears will do on the north- west. Laying Out a Garden. — Frame. — We cannot undertake to propose plans for gardens. It would be downright quackery. In the early chapters on "Profitable Gardening," in the first volume, you will find some general advices that may be useful. As to the proportions for fruits, flowers, and vegetables, we cannot guess at your wants, and therefore must give no counsel. To make a boundary fence there is nothing prettier than Cotoneaster miorophylla trained to wooden stakes ; sempervirens roses make beautiful fences on strained wires, and they are cheap, and soon make an eiFect. Then you have choice of yew, Chmese privet, holly, and Bcrberis fascicularis hybrida. In such a small space you had better plant only espalier or bush fruit-trees; standards will swallow up too much room. Tlie best book on general garden practice is Thompson's "Gardener's Assistant," published Ijy Blaekie and Son. Rhododendron Soil. — )^.A. — The soil for Ame- rican plants must be of a proper mechanical tex- ture, because of the hair-like roots which they form. Turfy peat is the best. There arc some silky loams in 'which they grow well, and mix. tnres ofthoroughlj'-decayed leaves, rotten wood and sharp sand will do where peat is not to he obtained. Anmial manures are not needed as a rule, and if the peat is good, the addition of dung is more likely to .spoil it than to improve it ; but old American beds may be refn shed with top-dressinps of quite rotten cow-dung. Chalk, lime, and clay are materials they dislike! They may be planted at any time, even when in full flower, but the best seasons are Sejitember and October, and February and March. We advise you not to proceed with your bed for ano- ther month. As to gas-heating, von will sec what a correspondent has to say on'the .subject. AVe have seen several houses lately that are heated by means of aflame burning in a box, but we must see them again and again, and oij- serve how the plants stand it ere we can venture to recommend a flame inside the house. Polmaise, Geeenhoi'se Shiubs, etc.— t have plenty of water, and be pruned m rather smart immediately after flowering. If yours does not bloom this next summer, prune it in June as if it had, and with plenty of air and water all summer, we think you will the next season obtain from it all you want. If you let us know how vou have hitherto dealt with it, we will endeavotir to point out in what particulars you are right or wrong. Des- fontania spinosa is a charming evergreen shrub ■with which but little has been done yet. The' best plan to get up specimens is to let it grow as it likes, except the removal or shortening of any ill- placed shoots. The .soil should be turfy peat and old cow-dung ; the plant rarely to see the sunshine, and to be kept as airy as ericas, and have as little taste of fire as possible. Cypri- pedium insigne will succeed to perfection in or- dinary greenhouse temperature. Dcndrobmms will live m the same temperature, but never come to any good. Indigofera decora, a beau- tiful greenhouse shrub, producing a profusion of large bundles of rosy pink flowers, and blooming when quite in a small state, is easily managed. Pot in equal parts turfy loam and' peat, with one-sixth of silver-sand. Give liberal shifts, and push the growth, and flowers are sure to come. Cyktoceeas eeflesum, Corew/ry.— This requires a brisk heat top and bottom all winter and spring ; to be saturated with moisture, and fre- quently syringed overhead. Keep in the stove till the blooms begin to expand, then place in an airy greenhouse, and the thing is done. Your failure is probably owing to insufficient drainage ; if so, turn it out, clean the pot, half fll it with crocks: lay on them a handful of the toughest fibre out of your peat; place the plant on that, and fill up with equal parts of thoroughly good 10 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GARDEN aUIDl!. lurfy loam aud peat, with one-sixth saiul, and t)Ut in bottom. heat at once ^rith abundance of Water. Pentas rosea and carnea, beautiful plants, much neglected ; treat in precisely the same way. EosES AT HoMERTON.— JF. X». P.— Your letter gives particulars of soil, situation, aspect, and isurroundinp circumstances in such a way that it is a more than ordinary pleasure to give it at- tention and reply. At llomerton, with an open Rgpect, you may grow rosfes well, and In the Beptembei- number of the Floral Would you Vrill find some hints that will enable you to steer clear of difficulties, and know in which direction you may proceed more safely. AVe are not prepared to say whether the Kaihvay Company violate the law in smothering your garden with smoke as the trains pass, not having the Smoke Act at hand to refer to. But this evil is not of a nature to prove serious, being altogether dif- ferent from the constant outpouring of smoke from neighbouring factories, with all the poi- Bonous gases incidental to manufacturing works. There can be no rule given to enable an ama- teur to distinguish Manettis from briai s when worked close to the collar, though a person accustomed to the growth of stocks would de- termine presently, the spines and bark of the Manetti being very distinct from those of the briar. We should suppose your plants worked six inches high to be briars', certainly Manettis ought not to be worked so high, because of the subsequent planting. Nevertlieless, plant them below the work, aad the roses will get roots of their own in time, and meanwhile you must keep a look-out for suckers ; if they are on briars these will be sure to push vigorously, and JQUSt be i-cmoved by unearthing them to the base, to pass the knife through at their junction with the root-stock. The roses you name are all good. H. P. Mad. Campbell, a show rose, colour pale red, sometimes striped, not generally good near towns, but if kept rather cramped in pots till June, then cut back aud turned out into well- manured soil, gives beautiful autumn blooms. H. P. Eavel, brilliant crimson, dwarf growth, one of the best at Stoke Newingtou on its own roots, but by some oversight escaped being entered in the list of good ones, in the article just referred to. Mr. Cranston would do well to insert it in his list of roses for townsmen. H. P. Ernest Berrguu.a has been kicked out of all choice collections, and we can say nothing of it as a town rose. B. Keveil, dark purple, mag- nificent in its proportions, requires a good air, and is, therefore, not among the best for your purpose. B. AppoUine, light pink, makes a good pillar or weeping standard, and will endure almost any amount of smoke. Mareschal du Palais (?), not acquainted withit. D. P. Blanche Vibert, ditto. T. Gloire de "Dijon, certainly the best of all choice roses for town. Inundated. — licv. E. G. — We suppose you to be near the outcrop of a stratum impervious to water, seeing that the springs rise after the rains have ceased. The fruit-trees and straw- berries will certainly suffer materially, many may perish altogether if under water long, espe- cially with such weather as we have now. Ton must adopt some temporary expedient to draw the water to a lower level, or open the way to an outfall at once, and, as soon as weather permits, secure efficient drainage. You must set the whole value of your stock against the cost of remedy, and judge for yourself whether to take measures at once, or wait and risk it. We foresaw that such a state of things would arise, and sounded the alarm in August last. Tree Onion. — We are informed that Messrs. Hooper and Co., of Covent Garden, have a few bulbs of Tree Onion, which they can supply at 2s. 6(f. per dozen, or 3d. each. Several cor- respondents who appear not to have noticed the I remark at page 280 of the December number, have ^vritten requesting us to supply them. As we frequently receive orders for plants recom- mended in these pages, we must repeat that w© are not dealers nor commission-agents. We describe and recommend things that we think will suit our readers, and there our task is af an end. AYe have never anything except our book to sell, neither can we recommend traders, ex- cept in such a peculiar case as the one now be- fore us. Speegula pilifeba. — !r. S. M., Hammersmith.. — Jt will take about five shillings' worth of seed to make the verge you want. Tour conveniencea for raising it are not such as to warrant us in recommending you to sow now. As you are circumstanced you had better wait till April, and then sow a smaU patch of it in the open ground, on fine soil. As soon as large enough to handle, transplant it in rows three inches apart every waj', and allow it to spread and thicken, and by August it will be tufty enough to plant where it is to remain. The fullest accounts of the uses and management of this interesting plant have appeared in the Floral AVouLD. See vol. ii., pp. 64, 96, 119, 149, 183; vol. iii., pp. 154, 271. Lawn poul with Daisies. — A Sub. — You have hit the nail on the head yourself. As the lawn is small, sjuid the daisies out any leisure time during the winter, and in February or early in March sow it over ■with a mixture of finest lawn- grasses obtained from some house that you can depend upon. The turf will be close and firm by Midsummer. Choose dry weather to sow, cover the seed with a sprinkling of fine earth, or sand, and roll. PrEAMiD Chrtsanthemujis. — J. H., S. S. T., and others. — Numerous correspondents have asked for instructions how to grow these. We have been favoured by Mr. Monk with an account of his method, which cannot appear till next month, owing to our loss of space by the pub- lication of the index. EosEs — G.W., F. JI. — Fresh horse droppings may be used at once as a surface dressing, to be pointed in with a small fork in April. Get the ground manured, and plant your standards at the end of February. Various.— J?. G. Gretton. — Y'our plant is Poten- tilla Nepalensis, a pretty hardy perennial, blooming from Midsummer to the end of the autumn. — Jtoae. — AVe have a drawing of a pro- pagating case similar to the one you describe in the hands of the engraver. The AValtonian was not praised for any novelty in the idea, but because of its practical value. There are people who fail iti the simplest things, even in groys'ing cabbages, gooseberries, and scarlet geraniums ; it is no wonder, therefore, that some should find the AA'^altoniau a hard nut to crack. 8o it is, and it can't be helped. — It. [B. R. — Bees are in an awful state this season, and many stocks will be lost. But we dare not advise feeding while the glass is 12" below freezing, as it is while wo write this. No, leave them alone for the pre- sent, and feed as soon as they begin to move in spring, choosing mild weather. If you think there is a chance of their getting through with- out feeding, then leave them alone, for the less they are disturbed the better. — Soppe, Dun- more. — "Brambles and Bay Leaves" is out of print. See an article on Pitcher Plants in this month's number of "Eecreative jScience." — Duhlhi Subscriher.— Write to D. Stead, Hud- dersfield. His bouquet-holder is a good thing for pyramids of single flowers, but clumsily made and dear. AA^e described it as " pimping" in design, as you will see by reference to p. 182 " Eustio Adornments." — J. G., Brixton. — Be assured the intention was to do justice to all. How fallible we are even in the simplestmatters. THE >5^^;sr**;y>j>j.;.?<^c.?>:;-c^r*c ^ February, 1861. She royal HOIITICULTURAL society will take ^ precedence during 1861 in the direction of horticultural energies, and in ministering to the public taste for ex- citement and display. After all its buffetings, mistakes, mishaps, and declensions, there is a vast life in it still, and a great promise of its acquiring more than its original j)restige in the execution of the programme set before us for ) the present season. The success of the new garden as a perma- nent institution is a matter on which we can speculate only as one of probabilities; but there will be so much novcltj'- in the desigti, and it wiU be opened on the 5th of June next under such distinguished patronage and liberal encouragement, that, for the present at least, we may regard it as the centre of attraction to all who are interested in the pi'ogress of gardening as a science and a recreation. On the 5th and 6th there will be a miscellaneous exhibition at Kensington Gore ; on the 10th of July a rose show; on the 11th of September a show of dahlias; and on the 6th and 7th of November a show of fruit and chrysanthemums. We Avill venture to express a fear that the last of these is fixed at too early a date for many of the leading growers of the chrysanthemum, who, it must be remembered, are not all located in warm and forward districts. The revival of the fruit show we regard as the most satisfactory of the features in this programme, for there was never a more instructive and entertaining spectacle got up by the Horticultural Society in its palmiest days than the great autumn exhibition of fruit ; and, now that the Pomo- logical Society is shrivelled up, a great general gathering of pomologists has become a desideratum. All the other shows we could do without; not that we have any misgivings as to their success and usefulness, but simply because good exhibitions of flowers are sure to take place even if the oegis of the Society were not lifted in their aid. The schedules of the shows are published in full in the January issue of the Society's "Pro- ceedings," and on those schedules we will offer a few observations. We will first remark, that in the apportionment of prizes very sub- stantial encouragement is off'ered to amateur cultivators, and under this VOL. IV. XO. II. c 18 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. term are included by the schodiiles all except tliose who grow plants for sale. For instance, on the 5th and 6th of June the money prizes offered to nurserymen amount to £151 ; the prizes offered to amateurs amount to £250; those open to all make an aggregate of £228 10s. In the classes for fruit there are no distinctions made as to exhibitors, and the Society's jirizcs amount to £107 10s., added to which G. W. Dilke, Esq., vice-pi'esident, offers £20 for the best groups and baskets of fruit and flowers for the decoration of the dinner-table. The total offered, then, in money prizes at the opening exhibition is £757. At the rose show, July 10th, nurserymen have apportioned to them £37 10s.; amateurs £30; and the prizes open to all amount to £62 55. ; giving a total of prizes for this show of £129 5s. At the dahlia shoAV, September 11th, the amounts are nearly equal; the nurserymen have £48, amateurs £49 15s., and the open class £60 15s. ; giving a total for the dahlia show of £158 10s. At the closing meeting the only distinction of exhibitors in the fruit classes is in the assignment of £7 to fruiterers, and £13 to private growers for the best collections. The total offered for fruit is £208 14s., which includes £10 10s. for miscellaneous fruits of kinds not specified in the other classes. In the prizes for chrysanthemums amateurs carry the day against the nurserymen, the former have £45 9s. offered them, and the latter £18»5s.; the open classes amount to £14 2s.; making the total of prizes for chiy- santhemums £78 6s. Casting up the amounts offered to nurserymen and amateurs respectively, it will be found that nurserymen have specially assigned them £254 15s., and amateurs £375 4s. Very different this to the swamping system adopted at the Crystal Palace to make an attractive exhibition Avithoiit any regard to the interests of horticulture. The total amount of the money prizes is £1332 5s. ; added to this, additional prizes not specified in the schedule will be awarded on the recommendation of the judges to subjects which they may consider deserAT.ng, and there will be a liberal distribution of medals for novelties and rare plants in flower. In the regulations there are but few points demanding special mention. TVe arc glad to see that all jDlants and flowers are to be carefully labelled with their scientific names, and, where practicable, the name of the country from whence introduced. Florists' flowers and fruits must bear their cus- tomary names. This matter Ave would urge upon the consideration of exhibitors as immediately concerning themselves, as well as involving the interests of horticulture. The manner in which names are spelt, and the illegible manner in which tliej^ arc too frequently written, constitute a charge against gardeners of being far behind the age in the most nccessarj'- elements of education. Correct names are easily obtainable from books and catalogues, and as to the labels, we cannot understand why writing should be the rule Avhen printed cards for such subjects as roses, dahlias, and chrysanthemums could be obtained at a trifling cost, and their use would much enhance the enjoyment of an exhibition hj the general public. " The garden superintendent has authority to refuse all exhibitions which he considers unworthy of being shown." We hope he Avill use that au- thority Avith discretion, and lean to the side of doing too little rather than too much. As to ownership, one month's possession is to be deemed suffi- cient. Hoses shown in trusses are to be cut from the wood of the current year's groAvth, " ff»_y dishuddmg from, or addition to, the original truss will disqualify." Hoses that bloom singly may be shown singly, and each single rose Avill be accounted a truss. The dahlia-dressers may consider THE ■PLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 19 themselves as hit rather haixl iu the clause which says, '-'stands coiitainiug mutilated blooms will be disqualified." In the chrj'santhemum classes, "preference will be given to plants trained in the bush-like or pyramidal form," so we may look on pyramids as the fashion for 1861. That cruel frost of Christmas Eve liad very much its own way among the collections in private gardens. People were so heartily enjoying the society of their friends, and so many gardeners Avere occupied among holly and mistletoe, that fires went out, the thermometer underwent an awful depression, and soft- wooded plants literally melted as if boiled, and made the winter gardens into muck-heaps. When looking round among our neighbours next morning, we found that many nurserymen and gardeners had been up all night looking after fires, while their friends Avere leaving the frost and the geraniums to measure pace with each other, and the relative merits of heating appliances were tested in a way we are not used to. If Ave could then have dropped a word of counsel into the ears of our readers — but Ave could not, for the Flokal AYorld had gone to press — we should have said: "Whatever is touched with frost keep dark and cool, and damage will be lessened if not entirely obviated." The effect of frost on plants depends considerably on the state it finds them in. 8oft- wooded greenhouse plants are killed instanter if they are in a moist atmosphere and groAvdng temperature with full enjoyment of light; but if moderately dry, and well covered so as to be almost in total darkness, very many even of the tenderest Avill bear a few degrees with impunity. This advice may be of use now, for we may have a smart time of it yet, l)cfore the coavs- lips blossom. If frost gets into a house and makes its mark on the minimum thermometer, draAV down the blind, if you have one, at once, or cover the lights Avith tarpaulin, straw, or Avhatever may be at hand, to exclude the light, and be particularly careful not to get up the heat in a hurry. To raise the temperature is, of course, essential, but it Avill be Avell to keep it at about 33' for a day at least, that thaAving may take place slowly. A few degrees of frost met in this way will do much less harm than is generally inflicted Avhere the terrified cultivator heaps on the fuel, in the mistaken notion that fire is the proper antidote to freezing. The same remark holds good as to fruit. The frost got into part of our store of apples and pears, and some were frozen hard. They Avere alloAved to thaw slowly and in the dark, and are now not a whit the worse for the A-isitation. If thawed in full daylight, they would probably have melted in the operation. In regard to temperature, the mean of the year 1860 in the neighbour- hood of London, was 46-26. On an average of sixteen years the mean temperature in the same district has been 49-2o. In the January number of "Recreative Science," Mr. Lowe gives 49*09 as the mean of thirty-one years, and 48-78 as the mean of fifty-eight years. But mean temperatures are not to be relied on in connecting the records of the weather with the pi'ogress of vegetation. During hot seasons the night temperatures arc often very Ioav, so that the mean is not much disturbed, and during the past year there was less difi'erence between maxima and minima than usual. The only month in the year during Avhich the mean temperature was above the average Avas Januarj-, and the excess aniounted to 1-81. In mean maximum temperatures, January, May, and October 20 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. were above the average, and the excess of those three months amounted to 5"08. The total rainfall near London was 30-08 ; according to Mr. Thomp- son, 10" 73 above the average ; according to Dr. Lindley, 6v inches. On the north of London, the excess was 10'41. Reckoning from the 1st of October, 1859, to the 30th of October, 1860, the total rainfall was 38^- inches. As every district has its own peculiarities in this respect, minute differences arc of little consequence in the face of the fact that the season was remarkable for cold and wet. In extreme temperatures, December 1860 distinguished itself, for in many cases, the thermometer indicated as low as — 8' on the night of the 24 -25th. The mean of December was only 2^ above freezing-point. There were several periods of great gales and hurricanes. On the 27th and 28th of February the west coast was ravaged by fearful storms, which by cyclonic movements swept thence over the centre of England, and committed vast havoc among the woods of North "Wales, Nottinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Norfolk. In Nottinghamshire more than 20,000 trees were blown down. On the 3rd of October a great gale commenced on the Hebrides, which swept off the crops of St. Kil- dare, and traversed the greater part of Scotland, to the destruction of whole plantations, and the reduction to a desert state of many highly- cultivated districts. LoxDOx has not too manj^ lungs, yet, sad to say, one of its largest and most known is likely to be soon numbered with the things of the past. Fins- bury Circus — the site of the London Institution, and some magnificent blocks of private residences — is promised an invasion by a new railway, so that the lovers of rurality in the great old city will have one green resort the less, and the population lose a valuable source of atmospheric pui'ifi- cation. Though the majority of our readers live far away from the smoky Babel, all are directly or indirectly related to it, and have some interest in its welfare as the capital of a country which is chiefly excellent because of its homes and gardens. Therefore, we must not ignore the proposed demolition of this beautiful enclosure, and must fain express our deep regret that commercial speculation did not fix its hard gray eye on some less attractive site for the project which has caused alarm among the resi- dents of the district, and general disapprobation throughout the City, Our contemporary, the Citi/ Press, treats the proposal as but too likely to be cari'ied into effect ; and, as the champion of City gardens, is in no exulting mood upon the subject. Mr. Alfred Smee, the surgeon of the Bank of England, has contributed to the Citi/ Press some particulars respecting the property, from which we learn the following : — "The centre constitutes a circle planted with exquisite taste with the choicest trees, and forms a tout ensemble which might be admired in any part of the world. It challenges, for beauty, the garden of any square in London, and it is the admiration and astonishment of foreigners as an affair of private entei'prise, and not a creation of the State. A return made by the gardener states that it contains three trees 60 feet high, and 180 feet in the circle of the head; 20 trees between 45 and 55 feet high; 34 trees between 35 and 45 feet high; 60 trees between 25 and 35 feet high; and 107 trees between 15 and 30 feet high; besides upwards of 700 fine shrubs, and several beautiful weeping trees, all of more than half a century of growth. The effect of trees in the centre of towns cannot be THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN XJUIDE. 21 too much appreciated. They cany up large quantities of water into the over-dried atmosphere, and this little forest of trees must play an impor- tant and heneficial part to the neighbourhood. At the present time the City is too crowded, and contains by far too few open spaces and trees. There arc (it is true) two trees in the Bank of England, and one in Cheapside, two or three smaller ones in 8t. Paul's Churchyard, and a few others scattered about, but where are the trees which we possess in Pins- bury Circus?" When will the corporation of London include within its paternity the leafy and flowery life that works for ever in rendering the atmosphere lit for the support of man ? There will be space in Smithficld soon where some trees might bo planted, and in other places trifling outlays would add the charm of verdant umbrage to the grand architecture Avhich is springing up on every hand in the City. How would that venerable body earn the thanks of a benefited population by an occasional tasteful planting of trees and shrubs ! PINE GROWIN& EOE AMATEUES. FOEMERLT, the growth of this dehcious fruit by the miclJle classes would, to say the least of it, have been regarded aj a piece of extravagant folly ; because, con- sidering the appendages thought to be necessary, in the shape of cumbrous liouses, and the staff of gardeners reqvdred to manage them, with the constant going and coming of tlie coal and tan waggons, the end could hardly be tliought to justify tlie means. Consequently, the growth of them was confined priucipally to the gardens of the aristocracy ; but this arose from the crude state of the sciences beai-- ing on horticulture, first amongst which we may class the political economy of the time — that drag chain oa social progress, when personated by the excise oilicer, and from whose baneful influence Sir Robert Peel, be it said to his renown, emancipated horticultui'e, when he secured the repeal of the glass duty, the removal of which, with the repeal of the brick duty, set free tlie springs of iavcntive intellect in the cause of horticulture ; the result has been a host of inventions, cheapening, and simplifying, and bringing within the reach of a numerous class of the community, the means for prodiuiing these exotics, to which they were before sti-angers. These, coupled with the free and imfettered ex- change of ideas, through the medium of the periodicals devoted to the science, by which means persons possessing too limited incomes to keep a regular gardener, found it possible to conduct their own gardening alTairs themselves ; and, at the present day, there are few professional men, or men of business, possessing a taste for the same, who are not gardeners — at least to the extent of their own require- ments. Thus many ai'e enabled, with the aid of an unskilled labourer, to enjoy not only a good display of exotic flowers, biit exotic fruits also, not excepting the pine. And here, in this article ou "Pine-growing for Amateurs," I should be wanting in justice, did I not acknowledge with grati- tude the service done by such men as Mr. Hamilton, of Thornfield, who, having made gardening tlieir practice and study, have come forward so freely of late years for the benefit of us youngsters, and laid open the result of their experience. I mention Mr. Hamilton here as being the father of the " planting-out system," and the system of fruiting the suckers whilst still attached to tlie old stem, the system wliich, after having grown pines in various ways, I am about to recommend for the amateur's adoption, being satisfied that it is the simplest and safest plan for that class of persons for whom I write, namely, those who are at present unacquainted with the growth of the pine, and are not in a position to employ a regular gardener, i'or those who are so acquainted I need not prescribe rules, as they will follow their plans according to the end they have in view. For instance, should it be necessary to produce the bulk of the crop at one particular period of the year, it might be necessary to modify the plan I am recommendiug, and either have sepa- 22 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. rate divisions, or practise a system of re- moval from one pit to another, so as to be able to start tliem into fruit at the particular time wished. But as this is seldom required, except by those who grow for market, I need not enlarge upon this head, but proceed at once to consider the plan by which a family may be supplied witli a good pine-apple, at almost any season, witliout incurring that degree of careand nice management required by them on the pot system ; not tliat I mean, by so saying, tluit the pine, under any system of treatment, will bear neglect or irregular attendance, but that on the " planted out" plan there is far less risk of burn- ing, cbilling, or soddening the roots with water than there is with fermenting ma- terials in conjunction with pots ; and, what is of equal importance tolhe amateur on tlie system I am advocating, they, when once established, require very little meddhng Scale u Sfttl with, as they are to stand and perfect at least two crops from the same plant ; or, to be more explicit, I should say from the plant and the suckers that spring from the side of the old stem, and which will be in progress of growth whilst the first fruit is ripening. Tlie only thing to be done wlien the fruit is cut is to thin the suckers to two, if there are more than that number ; indeed, it is well to destroy all above that number on each plant as soon as they are perceived. Some of tlie old leaves at the base of the stem to be at the same time removed, and some nice fresh earth piled roimd tlie plant, an inch or two above the base of the suckers. They will then have been placed in a position for perfecting their next fruit. Any crowns or suckers may, as they come to hand, be stuck in the front row, and there may grow on until wanted to fill some vacant place in the fruiting rows. Herewith is given a plan of the pine-pit under my cliarge ; which, for simplicity, cannot, I think, be surpassed. The wood plates that rest upon the walls, as also the rafters, are "red- wood deal," three inches by four inches, with a spline upon them to separate the lights, exactly as in ordinary pits and frames where the lights slide up and down. The lights used arc also the ordinary kind, only having handles with which to slide them up and down with, fixed at the lower instead of the upper end. These lights are about seven feet long; the rest A, stokery, five feet deep ; R, back path, two feet wide ; C, chimney, but if tlie flue could be carried into some other it would be better; D, bed of soil for plants to be planted in, six feet ■wide ; E, chamber in which two-inch flow and return pipes are fixed for bottom-heat ; F, flow, which is also two-inch pipe as far as S, where the stop yalve is fixed; G, piers; H, sliding hghts, seven feet long- ; these slide under the fixed lights, K, so as to admit of any necessary operations iu front part of house being done from without, as well as for air. J, door ; L, flow and return four- inch pipes, with vapour troughs ; M, groundliue; N, steps]; K, return pipe. THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE, 23 of the roof is covered with a fixed light, under which tlie moveable lights slide freely for the purpose of giving air, or of carry- ing on necessary operations in the front part of th'j pit. The pit is sunk below the ground line, the better to admit of its being covered up on cold nights — a matter of considerable importance, as, by so doing, we not only save a considerable amount of fuel, but also, by arresting evaporation and radiation i\'om the glass, preserve that degree of moisture in the atmosphere which is essential to the health of the pine. For heating so small a house, a very small boiler would bo sufficient, luiless other pits or houses are attached to it, or this pit may be attached to any apparatus already at work, if suftlcicntly powerful for the additional work ; for one large apparatus is much easier managed and more economical than a number of small ones. If, however, a small one only is wanted, a comparatively large furnace should be made, and a furnace door large enough to admit a good sized shovel, for nothing can be more trying to the temper of a stoker than the baby furnaces fixed by some country tradesman. I must, how- ever, admit that there is danger in luiving a furnace large in proportion to the boiler, unless its management is understood ; and, as I propose to make this matter the sub- ject of a separate paper, I shall not here enlarge upon it. On referring to the plan, it will be seen that a fiow and return two-inch pipe is shown in a chamber under the bed in which the plants grow ; this space being separated from the bed of soil above by a loose flooring of oak slabs or rough boards. These two small pipes for bottom heat, will be found to give sufficient warmth to the soil without excess, except it should be in very severe weathei', when a good deal of fii'e heat is used in order to main- tain the atmospheric heat ; then, at such times, the excess can be let into the house by opening the drain-pipes, laid through the wall for that pm-pose, whilst in sum- mer, when but little atmospheric heat is wanted from the pipes, bottom-heat may be given, independent of the lai'ge pipes, by turning a stop valve at S. The two four-inch, pipes should have vapour troughs upon them ; otherwise, it will be difficult to maintain sufficient moisture in the air for the well-being of the plants. This structure may be of any length desired, but its width is designed to ac- commodate two rows of fruiting plants, and one row of nursling or succession plants in front, as a reserve from which to fill vip the fruiting rows, when, from lack of well placed suckers to carry on the suc- cession, or from becoming too tall through repeated succession of suqkers, or any other cause, any of the old plants have to be removed. When such happens, the old plant is taken out, and as much of the old soil as thought to be exhausted, and the place filled up with fresh ; and when it is become nicely warmed the plant from the front row is to be lifted carefully with a fork, with all the soil that can be retained about its roots, into the hole previously prepared for its reception. As on this plan the plants will not all want renewing at one time, and a suc- cession of young ones by degrees take the place of the old ones, it is of importanr e that the preparations should be made with proper care in the first instance. Let then rough but lasting oak boards, not fitting too closely together, be placed over the pipes, with brick bearers at intervals to keep the soil from the pipes, and upon these a few small branches, reeds, or some such ma- terials ; then twenty inches in depth of pi'e- pared soil should be put in, consisliug of two parts turfy soil, partly decayed, one part sandy peat nearly fresh from the heath, and used in a lumpy state, the other part consisting of charred refuse, or small refuse charcoal, coarse drift sand, and thorougldy decayed sheep, deer, or cow- dung. These materials may all be turned over and well mixed together, either before or as the filliug-iu goes on, and should not be in a wet state, neither should it be much trodden upon, for the more open it is left the better the heat will find entrance through the mass, and this will be assisted by turning the soil over with a fork ; the fire, of course, being lighted as soon as the soil is in, and should be kept going for a few days before the plants are introduced, in order that everything may become warmed, and the joints of the heating apparatus well tried. When such pro- gress have been made, planting may take place ; and the sorts best adapted for this plan are those known as " Blacks," z.e.. Black Jamaica, Black Antigua, Emille Montserrat, Providence, Smoothed-leaved Cayenne. H. Howiett. 24 EAELY PEAS. Some trials of garden peas were instituted in the gardens at Chiswick, by Dr. Hogg, last year, in order to compare the relative merits of new and old varieties, and esta- blish the identities of some which had obtained places in catalogues under va- rious names. The number of so-culled varieties collected was 116. The whole of these were sown on the 19th of February, on ground liberally manured, and were cultivated with, every care ne- cessary to insure reliable residts. Our readers do not need to be again re- minded that the season was unfavourable to almost everything ; suffice it that the first blooms did not appear till tlie 19lh of May, and the first pods were not gathered till the 22ud of June. Some of the varieties grew out of character, and some of real merit failed to prove their excellence owing to the excessive rains aiad the state of the ground. One disdaet residt of the sample culture was the re- duction of the 116 varieties to 70, and one half of these 70 really distinct sorts proved worthless ; so that we may .say, in spite of seedmen's catalogues, that our choice of really good peas lies amang 35 instead of 116 varieties. As the sowing of peas is one of the important operations of the month of February, and the ground will be in beautiful tilth if we are favoured with dry weather, we will sum up in a few words all that is likely to interest our readers in respect of the b^st sorts for early crops. The eai-liest of all early peas proves to be Dillistone's Eablt, a weak grower, rising two feet on a single stem, and bearing an average of seven to nine pods, which are almost straight, same shape as Sangster's No. 1, but with a shorter and thicker neck. This sort flowered on the 19th of May, the slats appeared on the i'Ah of June, and the crop was fit to be gathered on the 22nd of June. A striking l'>ature of Dillistone's Early is that its changes take place all at once, it blooms in a mass, its pods appear all together, and llic whole ci'op is ready to be gathered at the same time. In consequence of this simultaniety of the development of the pods it does not last long, which some may regard as a disadvantage ; further- more it is not so heavy a cropper as Sangster's and Early Emperor ; but it maybe cleaied off the ground very shortly after the fi; : t pods are ready, and to gain ground is quite equivalent to the gain of crop, especially at the busy season of mid- summer. The next earliest is Sangster's No. 1, to which Dr. Hogg attaches these syno- nyraes — Carter's Earliest, Isherwood's Eailway, Sutton's Champion, Early Wash- ington, Daniel O'Rourke. Sangster's No. 1 blossomed on the 22nd of May, the slats appeared on the 5th of June, and on the 29th of June the pods were ready for gathering, which places it seven days later titan Dillistone's' Early, a matter of no small moment to a market grower, to whom the gain of a week may make a difference of hundreds of pounds. This pea grows two and a-half feet high, bears eight to ten pods each plant. Early Emperor stands next in point of earliness. Tlie following synonymes arc added — Early Sebastopol, Morning Star, Rising Sun. We think we could add fifty other synonymes, for this and Sangster's No. 1 are the sorts sold as A's Cliampion, B's Matchless, C's In- comparable, D's Defiance, etc., etc. Some seedsmen dip into the Emperor's bin for all the early sorts asked for. It is,_ how- ever, a good pea, produces a more regular and rather louger pod than either of the two preceding, has less neck than either of them, and is a prime article for the table. It is rc^^orted to rise two and a- half to three feet at Chiswick ; we have seen it run to four feet and bear pro- portionately heavier on well manured clay on the north side of London. Tlie Em- peror bloomed on the 24th of May, the pods were fit to be gathered on the 3i'd of July. It is always a heavier cropper than the two preceding kinds, but eleven days later than Dillistone's, and four days later than Sangster's. Tom Thumb (synonymes. Beck's G-em, Royal Dwarf, Nain Hatif extra) is' the dwarfest of all early peas, rarely exceeding a foot in height, stout habit, branching from the ground, each plant producing from fourteen to eighteen pods, mostly borne in pairs. The pods are smooth, dark green, well filled, and contain five to eight peas each, almost as large as Im- perials. The ripe seed is somewhat ovate, and of a grayish pearly colour. These bloomed 29th of May, the crop was fit to be gathered on the 3rd of July ; so that as to earliness it takes place beside the Emperor. It is a capital pea for forcing THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 25 and for sowing under walls, or iu any place where sticks cannot be conveniently used. It is more prolific than any strictly early pea. JEakly Rixgwood (synom-mes, Ring- wood Marrow, Flanagan's Early, Beck's Marrow). This is one of the very best of pi'olific peas, and combines some of the quaUties of a marrow pea with thatjof eai-ly produce. The plant rises three and a-half to four feet, tlie pods grow in pairs and singly, from within a foot of the ground to the extremity of the plant. The pod is of the same shape as Sangster's No. 1, but quite straight in the back and about twice its size ; each pod contains six to eight large pe.is. This variety bloomed May 31st, slatted June 16th, fit to gather July 6th. It is, therefore, as early as Early Frame, or earlier if the diiference of a day is of any value, the last named variety bemg fit to gather on the 7th of July. In the case of a crop to be gathered for a Saturday's market, the gain of a day is of no small importance, especially when instead of the commonplace pod of Early Frame, the produce is, in many respects, equal to a marrow. A great objection to iLarly Rhigwood is the pale coloiu' of the pod, which ought not to affect it, except for market purposes. Eahly Feame. There are several varieties bearing this name, but they are all surpassed, except in productiveiiess, by t!ie kinds already named. It may be as well to reiuiirk, that there ai-e no dis- tinctive merits discoverable when single blossomed and double blossomed kinds are grown together ; nor indeed are the best selected stocks absolutely true to either designation. This is a prolific pea, habit robust, plant three t ? four feet high. FloAcred June 1st, pods fit for use July 7th. Eaely Warwick (gynonymes, Ra e- liorse, Essex Champion), of no pai-ticular merit now, though at one time deservedly held in high estimati ii. Bishop's Loxg Podded. This is an improvement on Bishop's Dwarf, grows two feet, bears eighteen to twenty pods on each plant, pods sa xe size and shape as Dillistone's Early, but rather straighter in the back. Bloomed May 30th, slatted June 2ath, ready to gather July 9th. ArvBEGXE (synonymes. White Sabre, White Scimitar)'. The best second early pea of the frame class in cultivation. Plant four to five feet, rather strong habit, bears from twelve to fifteen pods, gene- rally single, sometimes in pairs. The pods ai-e four and a-half inches long, over half an inch broad, tapering at t!ic point, very much curved, and resembling a scimitar. The pods contain from nine to twelve peas, each very closely compressed. Bloomed June 11th, ready for use July 10th. In this category we pass over Early Kent, Danecroft Rival, Telegi'aph, Dick- son's Favourite, and Shilling's Grotto, as not possessing merit such as to place them in advance of any of the varieties named and described above. They have their several excellences, but must each of them occupy a secondary place when com- pared with varieties that resemble them in their best points. As the best varieties occasion no more trouble in their culture than the worst, we must adopt them to the exclusion of inferior kinds, no matter in how many resjDects they may generally resemble them. In order to enable our readers to compare the relative earliness of the varieties here described, we subjoin a table, and add this reminder, that earli- ness and productiveness do not invariably go together, v.'hat we gain in bulk of crop we generally lose in time, and what we I gain in time is balanced by comparatively I scanty produce. To select a succession from the subjoined will be a matter of no 1 difilcidty. Sown. Bloomed. Slatted. Gathered. Dillistone's Early Feb. 19 May 19 June 5 June 22 Sangster's No. 1 Early Emperor Tom Thumb Early Ringwood ... Early Frame Bishop's Long Pod Auversrne 22, • » 2i • >, 29 . „ 31 .June 1 , .May 30 .June 11 .July 12. 16. IS. 20., 23 29 3 3 6 7 9 10 26 PYPvAMID P0MP0:N^ES. You gave me so much praise for my pyra- mid pompoucs, as shown at the Crystal Palace and at 13rixton, that I am in duty bound to offer a few words of advice on the culture of sjiccimens in that style, to the many readers of the Floral World who liave made inquiries on the subject ; and I must first state that, so far from the portrait given at p. 2G2 of the last volume being in any res])cct an exaggeration, it was xmder, rather than over the mark, in the amount of bloom represented, for my plants had blooms lo^\'er down to the pot than hi the picture. With such a crowd as pressed round the table all day, I can only wonder how tlie editor could have made his sketch at all ; it is certainly faithful, and not more symmetrical than tlie plant. Eut I am not the only one who has succeeded in this mode of tram- ing, for my friends Messrs. Glover and Harper were in advance of me at Brixton, so that where the pyramids were placed on the centre table, there was a fine row of them, presenting a trulj' beautiful and novel appearance, and the awards were : 1st, Glover; 2nd, Harper; 3rd, Monk. It was my first attempt in exhibiting pyramids, so that of course I hope to do better yet, and am now watching my plants for 1861 with expectant interest. The Golden Cedo Kulli, figured at page £62, was struck in the latter end of Fe- bruary, 1860. Now I must caution exhi- bitors that that is not early enough. I began for 1861 in November last, and got m cuttmgs as fast as they could be had, so as to have all rooted before Christmas. This is important, as if there is a sharp eompetition, the advantage of t\'\o months' growth will tell its joroper tale ; but as I began in February, last year, so those who begin this present Februai'y, may expect to produce plants as worthy of being sketched as mine were, and I dwell upon this point as one of encouragement. The twelve sorts I have now in liand for pyra- mids are Cedo Nidh, Golden Cedo Nulli, Eob, Adonis, General Canobert, Eequiqui, Helen, Duruflet, Mrs. Dix, Andi-omeda, Jane Amelia (one of Salter's of 1860), Ida, and Madame Fould. Supposing all goes well from the time of writing this, I hope to make my first stopping at the latter end of January, and after that, three other stoppings, for they requu-e foiir in all to form goocl plants. There is no mystery in getting the plants to regular pyramidal^^iapes, for , if grown well, and the stopping rightly managed, the close, pyramid shape is very much a matter of tying \ip at the last. Therefore the first shoots after the fii-st stop may be tied or pegged down in just the same way as for squat plants, which is an advantage, as the growers who are now pushing on yomig plants for squat speci- mens, may, if they choose, pick out a few of them for pyramids, altermg the treat- ment a little from this tune as follows: — After the first break, let the head get up six or seven inches, then stop again, and as the new shoots come, tie them out, not so squat as tlie first, but somewhat in the form of a fan, and all round alike. If this is not done, the lower parts of the main stem and shoots will lose their leaves ; the ultimate perfection of the plant will de- pend on having plenty of light and air admitted through the lower branches. There must be two more stoppings between this last and July, and on each occasion the side-shoots must be topped as well as the head. After July, no more stopping, but keep the branches open till the end of September, and meanwhile, give plenty of water, sprinkle frequently overhead, and during very hot weather keep the soil about them moist, or you may lose all your lowest leaves. Amateiu's who won- der how the lower leaves ai"e kept on till the last in a beautifully fresh and healthy state, are informed that is a question of patience only, not of skill ; once let the plants get burnt, neglect to give ^^■ater when they really want it, and away go the lower leaves, and with tliem all chance of a first prize, or the high encomiums of friends who know what chrysanthemums should be. The last task is to tram them into close pyramids, which is strictly a mechanical aflair. This should be done the last week of September, or first week of October, so as to cause the bloom-buds, as they swell, to take proper positions, so as to cover the exteriors of the plants evenly with blossoms. The onlj' stimulus I gave my plants was manure-water from sheep's-dung, which was iised as brought fresh from tlie field, one peck to twelve large water-pots of pond-water. In case the reader should be perplexed as to the size of the pots, suppose we say one peck to twenty-four gallons. Wlien one mixing of this was used, I used pure -VAater only, and then made a fresh mixture with the sheep's- dung, so as to use pure water and manure THE FLORAL WOELD AND aAEDEN GUIDE. 27 watei- alternately. I begun to use the mixtui-e when the plants had filled eight- inch pots mth roots, at the latter end of June. My last shift was in the latter end of May, fi'om 32 size pots. Diu'uig very hot weather (which we were not favovu-ed with last year), I shoidd recommend the use of cow-manure for solution instead of sheep's-dung. I hear with much pleasiu-e that Mr. Shh'ley Hibberd intends to give a set of meteorological instruments for the best set of chrysanthemums of varieties recently introduced, at the next Stoke Newingtou Exhibition. The schedides of chrysan- themum societies have been too much modelled m the same groove, and this is a move in the right direction to get out of the groove into a new and practical march of improvement. It is to be hoped that the local societies will establish classes for pyramids and standards, so as to give encoiu-agement to all the modes of cidture with wliich we are at present acquamted. Above all, the Eoyal Horticidtural So- ciety ought to set an example, especially, by encovu'aging pyramids, ^vhich, I beheve, will eventually be pronounced preferable to squats. J. Monk, Gardener to J. C. Heath, Esq., Balham Hill. EVEEGEEEX BEDS. At different times and in different ways the attention of om' readers has on several occasions been dii'ected to the subject of evergreen beds, and any one diligent in searching for usefid information may find in past volumes some considerable amount of information, especially on the kinds of plants best adapted for this kind of deco- ration. In one sense we are in this matter only deaUng with the "clump" system, under which American plants first took their proper high place m ornamental gar- dening. But the cliunj) system does not suit everybody ; for instance, it does not suit me, and, as there are thousands of enthusiastic gardeners situated as I am, the plans I adopt generally prove inte- resting to those in the like predicament, that is, with an enthusiasm a good deal too big for the place. Tlie idea of the clump system is the grouping of plants of a sort in large masses, and in pubh'c groimds and large private gardens it is in this style of planting we visually see the rhododendron used, and during the blooming season the beauty of such clumps 28 THE FLOEAL WORLD AXD GARDEN GUIDE. surpasses crerjtliing else in the same cate- gory to an extent not to be defined in words. Tiie best show of open air roses ever and anj'whcre seen falls far below that of a good breadth of well disposed rhododendron clumps, wliich give the liighest display of colour, character, and solidity attainable among all tlie classes of plants at our command for massing. Foli- age, habit, the strength of the trusses, and tUe varieties of colour that may be used in combination and contrast, these are the ]>jints tliat make the rhododendron jjopu- lar ; and, to do justice to its merits, it should always be seen en masse, though it is not to be denied that fine specimen plants completely covered with bloom are as brilliant as anything we have for the decoration of lawns and for key-pieces to geometric gardens. Of course, the rose beats it when we come to an examination of details. A single bloom of Anna Alex- ieff or Leon des Combats will give as much ]ileasure, and of quite a different kind, as tlie spectacle of an American garden in its higliest state of bloom and perfection. Eut there is a need everywhere for certain substantial featm-es in gardens. In the "Town Garden" I have even ventured to insist on tlie necessity of such features in tbe smallest places as preferable to the assignment of any large extent for bedders and herbaceous plants; in fact, there must be masses of shrub in every attempt at the fjardenesqiie, and the rhododendron must have first place because easily grown, various in chai-acter, unequalled for the richness of its leafoge, and, for a short' season in the earh' summer, pi'ofuse in its display of colour. Several correspondents who have written lately, are, I see, in want of features of this sort under circumstances very similar to my own. I have always maintained that roses near the drawing-room window were, hke the "weeds" in Jolms u's Dic- tionary, " in the wrong place." Beautiful all the summer long, many of tliem get very bronzy and russety about the foliage towards autumn, and during the whole of the winter — say for five months at least — are the ugliest objects in creation. Why should we give to tlie blackbirds that which was meant for mankind, namely, the beauty of vegetable forms ? Wliy plant tbe Americans afar off, and keep the roses where, for nearly half the year, they stand like shivering skeletons to prove that beauty is but skin deep. Yet, though I liave so stubbornly, and in the defence of Ai't as applied to gardening, advocated the removal of the queen of llowers, my own sj^ecial clioice of all tlie subjects that engage my attention, to a distance from the house and its windows, yet my head was so turned when Spergula pilifera came into the field, that I planted roses under my own windows in order to have a circle of the spergula, like an emerald carpet, to enclose them. I repented. When winter came I said that, "Don't do as I do, but do as I tell yon," was after all a very ex- cellent adage. The roses were removed, the soil was taken out eighteen inches deep, and two waggon-loads half silky loam and half turfy peat were chopped over ill it, and the bed planted with Americans. When I speak of people being circumstanced as I am, I mean this : I have so little garden ground that I cannot grow a hundredth part of the things I should like to grow, and to make the best of it I am obliged to be content with few specimens in order to make as much room as possible for species and varieties. So in planting tliis thirteen-feet bed in the circle of spergida, I determined to crowd into it as much variety as possible, and yet to preserve unity of character, for heteroge- nous mixtures are abominable. Let us, tlien, go over the list of plants used, and those correspondents who ai-e planting evergreen beds will obtain therefrom an index of kinds suited to such work. Centre, one large plant of Rhododen- dron Pouticum variegatnm. First circle, next the variegated Ponticum, four Azalea Pontica, which, though leafless all wintei", do not oljtmde themselves upon the eye at that period. These are magnificent when in bloom, being then a dense mass of the brightest gold yellow. In the same circle witJi the azaleas are intervening plants of Rhododendron Tauricum, wliich begin to produce their little purplisli Ulac blossoms in Feliruary, continuing to June. The next circle is more mixed, and consists of Kalmia latifolia, Kalmia angustifolia, An- dromeda pulverulenta, Andromeda poli- folia, Rhododendron Cataubiense, Ledum palustris, half a dozen Ghent Azaleas of various colours, and hybrid rhododendrons to make np. There is room then for another outside circle of large plants, and they consist of Andromeda iloribimda, Ledum buxifolia, Ledum thymifoUum, Rhododendron hirsutum, ferrugianum, myrtifblium, Kalmia rubra (this is one of the most perfect gems in the whole cata- logue of Americans) , some more Kalmia lati- folia, small plants, with hybrid azaleas and rhododendrons to fill up. Most of the species are in pairs or tlu'ees, regularly placed, with the named kinds betweea THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 29 them. The outside edge is made up with a collection of little curiosities, with the exception of a fine paii' of Rhododendron Cimniughami, a dwarf growing white flowered kind, wliich spreads laterally into a dense mass of dark and striking fohage. Wherever rhododendrons are grown, this should be used in the front Hne, because of its distinctness and splendid character. The Uttle plants on the outer edge consist of Menziesii polifoUa, MitcheUia repens, Rhododendi'on ciUatum, Vaccinium oxycoc- cus, V. Catesbeii, V. vitis Idea, V. macro- phyllum, Polygala chamsebiixis, Gaultlieria Shallon, and G. fureus, Pemettyia phylly- raefoHa, Empetrum nigrmn, Escallonia rubra, and Menziesii alba globosa. Altogether, there are not less than ninety plants in this bed, and it is by no means so thick as it ought to be to screen the soil entirely from the sunsliine. Time wiU bring the matter right, and the thicker the plants gi'ow the more certainly will they prosper for at least fom* or five years to come, and then to tliiu them will be an easy matter, and the plants gained will pay for the operation. But these do not constitute the whole of the tenantry. At regular intervals, all round, in small gaps left for the purpose in the original plant- ing, are sets of Lilium longifohum, LiUum lancifoHum, and Gladioli gandavensis, and near the outside edge occasional small cliunps of Sisyi'incliium anceps, a pretty dwarf iris, which ought always to have a place in peat-beds rather than in mixed borders, as much because it revels in tlie same degree of moisture as Americans re- quire, as for its preference of peat and leaf- mould over all other soils. It would be too taU, reacliing seven or eight inches when m bloom, for the extreme edge m such an an-angement as this, but placed just so far back as to be able to peep through the dense green of kalmias and rhododen- drons, its graceful grassy foUage and bright blue blossoms are most elegant and appro- priate. This bed is simk below the level of the spergula about two mches, so that all the rain that falls in it is retained ; the bottom is a moist tenacious loam, in- cUning to clay, which is the staple soil here, and no American wiU ventiu'e to make root into it. In the composition of the bed there is decided unity though the materials are so various. The only objection tliat I can raise against the planting — and I criticise my own work more severely than I do other people's — is the intermixture of azaleas, which, being deciduous, show a few sticks in winter time if you positively look for them ; otherwise, the evergreen foliao'c being dense and harmonious in its several shades, from the glaucous green of Kahnia angustifoha, to the intensely deep olive of Rhododendi'ou Cunninghami, the'deciduous plants are not readily detected. This ar- rangement subserves three distmct pur- poses ; first, the bed is at all seasons an agi'eeable object, and inclusive of the sper- gula, makes a fine circle of twenty-tlu'ee feet diameter, the outer zone of wliich is a dead level raised above the surface of the adjoming turf, at all times bright -with the verdure of the carpet plant, and for some time during summer agreeably spangled with minute starry snow-white blossoms. Another purpose is the securing of bloom the whole of the summer, for R. Tam-ica leads the way in Februai-y, the azaleas follow, the genei-al mass of the rhododen- drons come to their best before the azaleas are exhausted, and after these succeed the lihums and gladioh, while among the Americans there are some that continue iu bloom almost to the end of the summer. The third pm-pose served is the bringing together in a small compass the greatest possible variety as representatives of dif- ferent sections of the mteresting order Ericeae, every one of which is an object of botanical interest as well as of floral beauty, proving that plants may, to some extent, be ai'ranged botanically without violating taste in gardening. There are as many as ninety jDlants, counting the bulbs as such. These of course reqiui-e only just enough room to push through between the shrubs. The species and varieties amount to thu'ty- eight, counting all the hybrid rhododen- drons and azaleas as one each. As these latter are allditferent,the species and varieties are, strickly speaking, about forty-eight in number, a sort of miuiatiu'e botanic garden. Once planted there is an end of all trouble for some years afterwards, as none of the bulbs need be taken up until the clumps get too large and the bed too crowded, and then it is but a matter of taste, not of trouble, to rearrange them, for there is no class of plants that lift better than Ameri- cans, or that thrive with gi'cater certainty if properly dealt ^^^[th in the first instance. The first necessity in planting these beds and clumps is good peat. If you cannot get that be cautious. Ponticuni rhododendrons may be planted in almost any soil except chalk, which is poison to them, but other kinds must have real good peat, or a mixtm-e prepared with judgment as a substitute. I may remark here that I have a set of Kahnia latifoKa planted two yeai's since iu artificial peat, prepared ac- 30 THE FLORAL AVOELD AND GARDEX GUIDE. coTfling to llic dircclions I gave in the FLORATi Wo7£LD for 1851), p. 11, and they are in tlie most lliriving condition. If" kalmias will stand it, less delicate peat plants certainly will, bnt the mixture must be thoroughly rotted, quite sweet, friable, and clean, else it becomes infested Avith fungous threads, and the plants cither languish or die outright. Passing over the Ecrbcrics, Chinese privets, GriesHnia littoralis, Skimmia Ja- ponica, and other plants suited to the for- mation of American beds, let me direct the attention of amatciu's to conifers, as admirably adapted for the purpose, and which may be dealt with in the botanical fashion, and very interesting collections got together in a small compass. Grown in pots until they grow to too great a size, they can be plunged anywhei'e in groups to ornament beds and borders during tlio winter; and when flo.-.Lrs are to take their places, it is a simple matter to remove them and form them into banks in other parts of the garden, or if the place is too crowded to allow of it, room must be had to plunge them in the reserve ground till wanted again. The sketch wliich accompanies this article was taken from Mr. Ransome's Jardinier when stocked with conifers. The sorts I liave found effective for group- ing in this way are Abies dcodara, a beautiful centre-piece ; Abies Menziesii, of no use singly, but to be \ised m sets of two or three, with other sets intervening ; Liboccdrus Cliilensis, the delicate silvery leaved Thuia of Chili, Pinus insigne, which, mifortunately, always turns brown after severe frost, but is very distinct and strik- ing as long as it keeps its colour ; Pinus cembra, a very slow-growing species, ex- quisitely beautiful, and capital to repeat at intervals along a front line, or on tlie outside edge of a circular bed ; Cejihalo- taxus Fortuni, the liandsomest of all the yews we have, and remotely resembling ostrich phunes in its graceful half pendant branches ; Abies rubra, Abies Orientalis, the latter an extravagantly dense fir, which literally kills its lower branches by the in- termixture and crowding of its upper ones, very dwarf; Juniperus Hispanica, excel- lent in match pairs, the growth similar to Irish jcw, the foliage neat, dense, and slightly silvery ; Juniperus Phcenicia, more beautiful and more costly than the last named ; AVcllingtonea gigantea, which is a good conifer for pot culture if i-egidarly pinched at the points of the shoots in the growing season, to cause side breaks. I have about forty others in my own garden list, but must defer naming them till next month, because my space is more than run out. I can only add here, for the informa- tion of those who are purchasing now, that a mixture of turfy peat and yellow loam, equal parts, is the best soil for conifers in Y>ots. If peat is scarce use half leaf-mould and half loam, the leaf to be thorouglily rotted and quite sweet. Not a particle of any animal manure should find its way into the soil for conifers. A sjjadeful of dung on the roots of a pine or fir will generally prove suflieient to cause disease, from which the tree may perish ; and probably many of the losses that have resulted from the mycelium of fungi, might be traced to the admixture of manures T\'ith the soil, at some period an- tecedent to the planting. Pure loam, if well pulverized, wiU serve veiy well for the commoner kinds, but it should be rather plentifully mixed with sand, and a moderate quantity of small charcoal may be added to render the whole light and porous, and prevent souring. Plenty of drainage, and pots no larger than the roots can be got into without cramping, are important points, as it is better to give a shift a year after potting than to overpot in the first instance. Most of my best plants are in - twelve inch and fifteen inch pots ; when they outgrow these latter, they must be turned out, and if you have no room for them as your stock increases, you will have no difficulty in finding purchasers if the trees are in health, for they are then of just the right size to produce what the nurserymen call " immediate effect," and may be planted out without the least risk as to their ulti- mate success, which is not the case with large trees taken up from the nurseries, and of necessity injured at the roots by the process. SiiiRiET Hibberd. WEATHER PEO GNOSTICS. Some of the signs of the weather mentioned by Mr. Chambers, wliich are known here, and found useful, it may be Avell to par- ticularize, both because that gentleman wishes for a verification of his, and because the few about to be described are eas/ly re- membered. A ruddy sunset, or a neutral gray colour of the whole sky in the evening, presages fair weather. The same in the THE FLORAL WOELU' AND GARDEN GUIDE. 31 morning presages foul weather. See Matt. xvi. 2, 3. , . , .... A pale yellow sky in the evening indi- cates wet. A bright yellow sky in the evening in- dicates wind. White sunshine, morning or evening, is an infallible sign of the coming or continu- ance of wet weather. The colour of the sunshine appears very conspicuously on the wall of a room. Generally,* when the wind goes with the course of the sun, that is, from left to rio-ht as one looks at it, and so on by the west and north round to the east, fair weather may be expected. A trifling exception to this is that when, in the above course, the wind overtakes the sun and passes it, some liglit showers occur, which are of little account in this country ; but in Central Germany, where tlie same rule has been observed by the writer to hold good, these showers are heavy plumps, lasting for a couple of hours. The outlines of distant hills appearing distinct and clear, is another infallible and easily recollected sign of rain. PemhroJcesldre. A. B. A FEENCH PKOPAGATING CASE. A unuunrnjun A.3.^./i D I HAVE much pleasure in sending you a sketch of a propagating case, which was made from a description in the " Bon Jardinier," Vol. iii., and which I liave used with unvarying success for several years to propagate plants from seeds and cuttings. The heat is sustained by means of an oil lamp, and the various parts of the case are • I say "generally," because before a long, determined set in of wet weather, this rule does not hold good. indicated in the description which follows. The materials I have used for packing the pots in are fine gravel, sawdust, cinders or powdered charcoal; sand, perhaps, would be the best, because retaining moisture and always clean. The measurement of my own case is 20 inches square, 1 foot high. It is made of deal and lined with zinc. The glass frame is improved by having one of the squares made to open for occasional venti- lation. Harpenden. A. S. W. A, square wooden box, lined with zinc; B, zinc frame, perforated with small holes ; C, tin or cop- per pan for water ; D, lamp with four burners; E, diaphragm of zinc to confine theheat to the water; F, funnel for filling the pan ; G, glass frame, of which one pane may open or not ; H, holes to ad- mit air ; I, grooves for lamp to be pushed in by. 32 THE POFLTRY-HOrSE. WARMrii is very essential to fowls, cold renduring them torpid, retarding and di- minishing their laying ; bat too much heat enfeebles them. Wiiite hens are more tender, and require to be kept warmer than the dark coloured. It is desirable that the walls of tlie poultry-house should, if possi- ble, receive a little heat from a chimnej- or flue in some part of the dwelling, Avhich in some cases may be effected with a little contrivance ; and it is not well that the poultry-house sliould be too large for the number of fowls, as they rather prefer being a little crowded togothei-, on account of the warmth they receive from each other : but ventilation sliould not be neglected, as bad air generates disease. The walls are best of brick, and may be built hollow, the better to confine tlie heat ; a window is best to the east, and another to the west, with wired lattices and shutters to close in very cold weather. Roosting perches or rails should be placed in convenient situa- tions in the poultry-house; and they should not be round, nor smooth, but neaidy square, and somewhat rough, of a size suitable to be grasped by the claws of the fowls. It is important that every part of the building sliould be finished close without crevices, to prevent the entrance of vermin, and the inside should be frequently whitewashed with hot lime ; it is necessary to observe that the utmost cleanliness is essential in a poultry-house. The litter of the nests and the dung should be frequently removed, for no poultry can thrive where this is ne- glected; the brick floor should be washed every week. Coops for fattening are like- wise requisite, with a trough before for food. Nests are sometimes fixtures, and may be built against the wall, either in one tier or several, according to the num- ber of fowls and the size of the house. When there is more than oue tier, each of those above the ground must have a pro- jecting shelf at the bottom, for the fowls to reach the nests by, and a slanting board leading to it with slips of wood nailed on. Moveable nests are also occasionally useful. These nests should bo well cleaned out with hot lime-water after every liatching, to destroy the fleas which infest poultry, and which are not only annoying to them, but also to visitors. It is sometimes necessary to separate some fowls from the rest; such as those which are diseased, which are liable to be ill-treated by the rest, as also strangers, and fowls of particular breeds. Coops and cages are useful for this purpose, which may be made in various ways, Pens also may be provided made of lattice work, each for a cock and four or five hens to be in during the day to enjoy the fresh air, and yet be protected from bad weather; and these may serve instead of a poultry- yard, when but a few fowls are kept. Places for shelter in case of rain are neces- sary to be provided ; in short, it is of great use to make their abode not only healthy, but agreeable to them, in order that they may remain sitationary and quiet, and lay and sit when it is desired; as fowls, if they are dissatisfied with their position, are apt to lay in secret places, where it is not al- ways easy to discover their eggs. Among other conveniences in the poultrj'-yard, there should be a small plot of grass or clover planted here and there, if there is space enough; and a fev/ heaps of gravel, sand, or ashes, for the fowls to roll them- selves in and cleanse their feathers from vermin. Poultry eat a great variety of food, all kinds of grain and seeds, and preparations made from them, also most sorts of vege- tables, raw or boiled ; and they are fond of a certain quantity of animal food, raw or cooked ; insects and worms, grubs and maggots, they search for and devour with avidity, and some persons collect these on purpose for thom. Potatoes form some of the most economical food, but it is essential not only that these should bo boiled or steamed, but that they are given warm, for fowls dislike them if cold. In many hou-es there are many well-known scraps and refuse that will serve for fowls, such as crumbs of bread, fragments of pies and puddings, and even bits of meat and fish, and vegetables, such as lettuce, endive, cabbage, spinach, turnips, carrots, chick- weed and grass. It is generally necessary to give them some kind of grain, as wheat, barley, oats, rye, buckwheat, and maize, or meal made from them mixed into a paste with water. Kicc they are fond of at first, but soon tire of it ; and much oats, Mow- bray says, is apt to scour. [We have been favoured with the above as a reply to some correspondents who have made inquiries on the subject. It may prove useful to our readers generally, but it must be understood that we cannot give the subject any further place in these pages. — Ed.] 33 RIGHTS OE TENANT AND FREEHOLDEE. '•■ RianTs AND Wkonos: A Manual of House- liolil Law," by Albany Fonblanque, just published by Messrs. Routlcdge, claims our notice, on account of the plain manner ill wliicli it sets forth the respective rights of tenant and freeholder as to the appur- tenances of the household and the garden. We are so often asked about the legality of removing ti'ees, greenhouses, etc., that wo have extracted from this able work a chapter on the subject, wliich sets the ques- tion at rest, so far as it can be set at rest on individual authority. We recommend every householder to become possessed of this admirable work, which treats at length and in the most familiar manner all the rights of the subject, in the several relations of husband and wife, parent and child, master, apprentice, servant, ward, debtor and cre- ditor, insurance, disposition of property, and the rights of tenants and others in re- gard to game. As respects gardeners and gardens, the following needs no comment: — Whatever is fixed to the freehold (that is to say, to the soil or fabric of a building), becomes a part of it, and is subject to the same right of property as the land itself. Whenever a tenant has permanently affixed anything to the demised premises during his term, he can never again sever it without the consent of his landlord. By making it a part of the freehold he has abandoned all further right to it, and must keep it in proper repaii', as though it were part of the premises originally let to him. In order, however, to bring this rule into operation, the improvement or the addition in ques- tion must be affixed to the freehold by being sunk into the soil, or permanently attached to the buildings upon it. Things that rest upon the ground, or are only slightly attached to walls, etc., may be removed. Thus, even such large erections as barns, granaries, slieds, mills, etc., if built upon blocks or pillars, or that rest upon the ground by their owu weight, are not fixtures, and may be taken away by the tenant at the end of his term, like any other move- able. In the present state of the law it is very difficult to say what things are fixtures and what are not ; it all depends upon the purpose for which they are intended, and the manner in which they are erected or fastened. To the general rule above stated there are some exceptions, not founded, in- deed, iipon any settled principles, but created by the disposition of our judges to modify, as far as was practicable to the exigencies of modern life, this relic in the old feudal law, and to remove some of the hardships its rigorous enforcement could not fail to impose upon tenants. The exceptions em- brace three classes of chattels, which I will consider in this order : — 1. Fixtures for the Purposes of Trade. 2. Fixtures for Agricultural Furposes. 3. Fixtures for Purposes of Ornament. 1. Fixtures for the Furposes of Trade. — ■ A tenant may remove anything that he has fixed to the freehold (if the removal be not contrary to any prevailing practice), when the articles can be separated without causing material injury to the estate, and where in themselves they are chattels, or at least have in substance that character, indepen- dently of their union with the soil; in other words, where they may be removed without being entirely demolished, or losing their essential character or value. Another test of what is, or is not, a trade fixture, is this : was it erected for the permanent and substantial improvementof the dwelling, or merely for a temporary piirpose, or the more complete enjoyment and use of it as a chattel ? Take, for example, the case of a grocer, who throws a new front to his shop, with plate-glass windows, and erects a steam coffue-mill upon his premises. The new front is let into the foundation of the house, and cemented to the wall, the new mill is fastened with screws to tlie beams above, and bystanchions sunk into the stone floor below, firmly secured by molten lead being poured into the holes. The shop front is fixed to the freehold; it cannot be removed without demolition; it is ex-ected as a permanent and substantial impi'ovement, and as such it must remain. The steam coftee-mill is also affixed to the freehold, but it is there for the purposes of trade, and is at- tached to the freehold merely to give it the necessary stability. It is a chattel as it stands, not a part of the premises, being only fixed to them, that complete use of it may be had. So, in like manner, cider- mills, steam and water-engines in collieries, stocking-knitting frames, cotton-spinning mules, vats, salt-pans, soap-boilers, etc., fixed and used for the purposes of trade, as well as the houses and sheds erected over them for their protection, are all deemed tenants' trade fixtures, and may be re- moved. If, however, the demised premisea have been substantially and extensively added to, if such things as lime, pottery, and brick-kilns, wind or water-mills, work- shops, store-houses, furnaces and flues of smelting or glass-houses, stoves, and floors of smelting-houses, etc., have been added, although solelv for the purposes of trade c2 34 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. aud manafiicture, they become part of the freehold. Sometimas aa erection is half moveable and half not. Thus a tenant who had sunk a stone foundation into the soil and on it (secured by moveable pins) j had placed a barn, was allowed, upon the expiration of his lease, to take away his barn, bat not the building upon which it rested. Again, there are things which are fixtures, removeable with some persons and not with others. Thus a gentleman who builds a conservatory against his house, and plants trees and shrubs in his garden, may not pull down the one nor dispose of the other, but a nurseryman who does the same thing to a far greater extent may re- move and sell his stock, though growing in the earth, and also the erections he has made for the purposes of his trade. Those things which are necessary p^rts of fixtures, and in the absence of which that to which they belong, is deprived of its use and value, are, though frequently completely severed from the freehold, fix- tures in themselves. Thus, keys of locks fastened in doors, etc., are fixtures. 2. Fixturesfor Agricultural Purposes. — The law relative to these is contained in the statute 14 and 15 Vict. c. 25, s. 3, by which it is enacted, " That if any tenant of a farm or land shall, after the passing of this Act, with the consent, in writing, of the land- lord for the time being, at his own cost and expense, erect any farm-building, either detached or otherwise, or put up any other building, engine, or machinery, either for agricultural purposes, or for the purpose of trade and agriculture (which shall nothave been erected or put up in pursuance of some obligation in that behalf), then all such buildings, engines, and raachiuerj', shall be the property of the tenant, and shall be re- moveable by him, notwithstanding that the same may consist of separate buildings, or that the same, or any part thereof, may be built in, or permanently 'affixed to the soil; 30 that the tenant, in making such removal, do not in anywise injure the land or build- ings belonging to the landlord, or other- wise do put the same in like plight and condition, or as good plight and condition, as the same were in before the erection of anything so removed. Provided, never- theless, that no tenant shall, under the pro- vision last aforesaid, be entitled to remove any such matter or thing aforesaid, without giving to the landlord or his agent one month's previous notice, in writing, of his intention so to do, and thereupon it shall be lawful for the landlord, or his agent on his authority, to elect, to purchase the mat- ters or things so proposed to be removed, or any of them, and the right to remove J the same shall thereby cease, and the same shall belong to the landlord ; and the value thereof shall be ascertained and determined by two referees, one to be chosen by each party, or by an umpire to be named by such referees, and shall be paid or allowed in account by the landlord, who shall have so elected to purchase the same," 3. Fixtures for the Purpose of Orna- ment.— These have long been allowed to be taken away by the tenant at the expira- tion of his lease, but if erected as pir- manent improvements, they must remain. Thus, carpets, looking-glasses, book-cases, window-sashes, that are neither hung nor headed into frames, but merely fastened across them by laths, to prevent them falling out, pumps, only slightly attached to the premises, etc., belong to the tenant, and may be removed. But a conservatory erected on a brick foundation, affixed to and communicating with rooms in a dwelling- house by windows and doors, cannot be re- moved. The following list of things that have been held to be and not to be removeable, I have taken from Mr. Chitty's work upon the law of contract ; — I. — LIST OF THINGS HELD NOT TO BE REMOVEABLE. Alehoiise-bar Hearth Barns fixed to the Hedges ground Improvements, per- Beast-house manent Benches Jibs Box-borders* Keys Carpenters' shop Locks Cart-house Mill-stones Chimney-pieces, not Partitions ornamental Pigeon-house Conservatories Pineries (substau Doors tially attached) Dressers Pump-house Flowers* Kacks in stables Fold-yard walls Strawberry-beds Fruit-trees* Trees* Fuel-house "Waggon-house Glass windows II. — LIST OF THINOS HELD REMOVEABLE (not beimg te iDE fixtures). Arras hangings Cabinets Barn set on blocks Chimney-backs Beds fastened to Chimney-glasses ceiling Chimney-pieces, or- Bells namental Bins Cider-mills Blinds Cisterns Book-cases Clock-cases Buildings set on Coffee-mills blocks, rollers. Cooling-coppers pillars, etc. Coppers Except by nurserymen. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 35 Cornices (ornamen- tal Cupboards Dutch barns Furnaces Furniture, fixtures put up as Granary on pillars Grates Hangings Iron backs to cliim- neys Iron chests Iron malt-mills Iron ovens Jacks Lamps Looking-glasses Malt-mlUs Marble chimney pieces Marble slabs Mash-tubs Mills on posts Mills laid on brick foundations Ornamental fix- tures Ovens Posterns, erections on Pier-glasses Posts Presses Pumps slightly at- tached Rails Ranges Sheds Shelves Sinks Slabs of marble Stoves Tapestry Tubs Turret-clocks Vessels, etc, brick-work Wainscot fixed by I Water-tubs I Windmills on posts on III. — I.IST OF THINGS DECIDED, OB SAID TO BE KEMOVEABLE. Accessory huildings, i. e., accessory to a removeable utensil Brewing vessels and pipes Cider-mills Cisterns Closets "M Colliery machines Coppers Counters Cranes Desks Drawers Dutch barns Engines Fire-engines Iron safes Machinery let into caps or stops of timber Partitions Plants and pipes of brewers, distillers, etc. Presses Pumps Reservoirs Salt-pans Shelves Shrubs planted for sale Soapworks, fixtures in Steam-engines Stills YIKE-GEOWINa IN A NUTSHELL. NoTWiTHSTANDiNCr all that has been writ- ten on this subject, vine-growing may be said to be comprised in a nutshell. The three following points form the root and branch of the whole matter: — 1. The tex- ture of the border should be such as not to injure by decomposition or otherwise the fibrous roots which tenant it ; whilst the materials of which it is composed should be of tlie most permanently nutritious charac- ter. As much foliage should be allowed as can be well exposed to light. 3. There should be a constant circulation of air night and day, winter and summer, in proportion to the season and the requirements of the plants. It will at once be seen that vines thus treated must have j^lenty of good fi- brous roots, and sound, healthy, well-ripened, wood. This is the point at which every gardener should aim. He may rest assured that if he can secure healthy vigorous vines they will not fail to reward him with abun- dance of first-rate fruit. A most successful grower in my neighbourhood acts upon the following maxim:—'- Upon the free, healthy growth of the vine this year depends the supply of grapes next season." The late uupropitious weather has incontestibly proved the soundness of the practice. The vines are remarkably strong and healthy, and both Muscats and Haraburghs have ripened and coloured splendidly, — Garcl. Chron, A FAILURE IN TIFEANT. Knowing that your recommendations of tiffany were made in perfect good faith, and supposing that you sufficiently knew your correspondents, I erected a tiflany- house according to your directions last autumn. It was twenty-one feet by twelve, a lean-to, ten feet high in the middle of the slope, covered and sided with tlie best sort of Shaw's Tiff'any, and boarded to the height of three feet from the ground. I wish to give my testimony that it proves an utter failure, absolutely worthless for the keeping out of frost. Of course frosts so severe as those of this winter would penetrate any structure, but that is not the point, the titjamj will not keep out any frost. 1 have constantly tested the tempera- ture, having a thermometer hung outside and one inside the house, and I find that the temperature within is never more than from half a degree to a degree higher than that without. No doubt, when a night 36 THE FLORAL AVORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. frost comes on very sharp and sudden, the tiffany, by impeding circulation, delays the lowering of the inner temperature, but not more than a few hours ; let tlie frost con- tinue through a night, and in the morning I find the two thermometers standing within one degree of each other. Of course it is not pleasant to own one- self gulled, but I publish ray own disappoint- ment and loss that others may have the ad- vantage of my bought experience, and eschew tiffany as a hoax. I mean to glaze my house, which fortunately I had regu- larly framed, and not made of larch poles. P. H. GossE. Torc[iiay, January 22, 1861. BEST OLD DAHLIAS. White. — Queen of Whites, Fanny Dodds, White Standard. Light Shaded and Tipped. — Lady Pop- ham, Annie Salter, Rachel Rawlings, Miss Pressley, Village Gem. Yellow. — Yellow Beauty, King of Yel- lows, George Glenny, Goldfinder, Peerless. Orange and Buff. — Robert Bruce, Orange Perfection, Cherub, Lady Franklin. Crimson. — Lord Palmerston, Lord Bath, Sir F. Bathurst, SirR. Whittington, Due de Malakhoff, Triomphe de Pecq, King, Captain Ingram (dwarf). Ablet's Incomparable. Scarlet. — Sir James Watts, Sir C. Napier, Scarlet King, Royal Scarlet, Sir R. Peel. Eose — Colonel Windham, Princess, Mrs. Edwards, Rosea elegans, Elizabeth. Yellow and Orange Tipped. — Beauty or the Grove, Fanny Keynes, Mrs. Church, Dr. Gully, Constancy, Mrs. Legge. Dark. — Midnight, Eclipse, Standard Bearer, Lord Bath, Lord Fielding, Mer- veille. Grand Sultan, Commander, Richard Cobden. Striped. — Butterfly, Enchanter, Souter Johnny, Le Defi, Marc Antony, Mrs. Sea- cole, Charles Perry, Vasco de Gama. Tipped or Edged. — Baron Alderson Jupiter (fine, but uncertain). Attraction, Countess of Bective, Empereur de Maroc (uncertain), Imperatrice Eugenie, Elizabeth, Rosy Morn, Lady Paxton, Miracle. Curious. — Carnation, Oliver Twist, Raw- lings' King, Egeria, Lollipop. QUINCE MAEMALADE. Lex the fruit hang on the tree till one falls to the ground ; then gather the crop. Pare, quarter, and core them ; but scru- pulously save every pip. The pips of quinces abound in mucilage, as may be perceived by taking one into the mouth and chevving it, when it will make the lips stick together as a piece of gum arable would. Put the quinces with the pips into a stew-pan, with a sufficiency of lump sugar, and just enough water at the bottom to keep them from burning. As the sugar dissolves and the liquor boils, continue stirring the whole mass. When the fruit becomes tender, break and mash it well with a spoon. In about an hour from the commencement of the operation, it will be enough. It may then be turned out into preserve jars; a portion should be put into shapes, to be vised at dessert in the same way as bullace and damson cheese. The next morning it ought to be perfectly stiff and gelatinous, from the strong mucilage of the pips having been thoroughly incorpo- rated with the whole mass. The quantity of sugar used may be rather less than is necessary for other preserves. If tied down the usual way it will keep good for a long time. The medicinal qualities of this pre- paration are applicable to those cases in which mucilage is administered internally ; and a pot of Quince marmalade would be as agreeable a prescription to a dysuretic patient as a dish of roasted onions or a dose of linseed jelly. Everybody whose garden or orchard is above the very smallest size ought to have at least one quince-tree, particularly if it contain any low moist corner. To such a situation they may be removed at a considerable size; their cost at the nursery is trifling, and many a use- less shrub, such as the snowberry or the privet, might advantageously be uprooted to make way for them. Few low-growing standards are more ornamental. In a small space they exhibit all the members and proportions of a full sized tree ; something like the Chinese Koo-shoo, or artificially dwarfed oaks, hornbeams, etc., that are grown in pots : there is the old-looking trunk, the pendant and grotesquely con- torted branches; there is the scattered foliage, like the natural day, dark one half and light the other; in the spring there are large, delicate blossom, and in the autumn drooping fruit. 37 NEW BEDDING AND BOEDER ELOWERS. Those distinguished by an asterisk (*) have not been seen by the writer, and the descriptions of them are those of the conti- nental and other growers. Nemophila atoMjVbia oculata. — The original N. atomaria has white flowers, dotted with dark blue, but a variety of it exists known as crelestis, in which the flowers are suffused with pale blue, and the specks are scarcely evident except near the centre of the flower. This plant differs from it only in having a large blackish purple blotch, with a jagged outline at the base of each lobe of the corolla, the five spots forming unitedly a conspicuous eye to the flower. As a hardy annual of the easiest possible cultivation, and striking aspect, we are confident this plant is des- tined to an extensive popularity, and that, unlike so many of the ephemeral novelties for which the public are indebted to the cupidity of unscrupulous growers, it will be a permanent addition to the list of bedding and border plants. It was raised by Mr. Burridge, of Colchester. Agrostemma cceli-rosa purpurea. — This pretty variety is reputed to be a hybrid, but as it differs from the species only in its deeper colour, approaching to crimson, it is probably but a seminal variation. In any case it well merits notice, the richness of colour in some of the plants being very remarkable, and when completely fixed it will undoubtedly quite sitpersede the ori- ginal cceli-rosa. It will probably be oflered in some catalogues under the name of Vis- caria cceli-rosa hybrida. *Aquilegia vulgaris c artophtlloides. — Described by the London Hoitieultural Society as a very pretty double-flowered variety of the common Columbine, with white blossoms variously striped with red- dish crimson, and here and there with red- dish-purple, producing an effective varie- gation. The seed is mostly of a very pale brown colour, or sometimes greenish, in- stead of being black, as in the ordinary varieties. *CiiBYsosciAS FLORiBUNDA. — This is de- scribed as a handsome climbing plant, with elegant foliage and large yellow flowers. It belongs to the leguminous tribe, and is, we believe, a native of Southern Africa. DiANTHUS HeDDEWIGII IMPERI.ILIS. This novelty is a hybrid, obtained by fer- tilizing the variety of Diauthus siuensis known as imperialis with the pollen of D. Heddewigii. The resulting plants are inter- mediate in habit to the parent, being more robust than imperialis, and with flowers as vai'ied in colour, and as large as those oi Heddewigii, many of the flowers being semi- double. Engelmannia piNNATiFroA. — This very desirable Texian composite is far from being a novelty, but it seems to be so little known, that we notice it here with a view to draw attention to it. It grows about three feet higli, with erect, corymbosely branched stems, oblong, lobed foliage, and numerous bright yellow flowers more than an inch across. We have found it hardy, except in the severest winters ; in the northern countries it may need slight protection. If sown early, it will bloom the first season, but does not produce much effect until the second or third year. Gazania splendens. — Though this fine plant is already well-known and largely cultivated. To what extent the plant may come true from seed we have at present no information, but see no reason to doubt of its constancj^ *HunNEMANNIA FUMARIi-EFOLIA. A fine Mexican Poppywort, which has several times been introduced to this country, but of late years has disappeared from culti- vation. To judge from the published figures it must possess great merit as an ornamental plant, its large Eschscholtzia-like flowers being of a beautiful sulphur yellow colour, and its glaucous foliage cut into linear segments adds to their effect. It differs from Eschscholtzia in the absence of the extinguisher-like calyx which so Avell cha- racterizes that genus. It is said to blossom the first year, and may therefore, we pre- sume, be treated as an annual, but is a true perennial when protected in winter. Leptosiphon htbridus. — Though not an absolute novelty, this pretty little plant met with so little attention last season that we were justified in assuming most of our readers are unacquainted with its merits. We believe it to be a real hybrid between L. aureus, and either L. androsaceus or L. densiflorus. It has completely the habit of the former species, but its flowers are rather larger, and offer in the place of the original yellow a singular variety of tints ; several shades of yellow and orange, rose, chamois, flesh-colour, salmon, red and even white occiuTing in the same patch. It is an abundant bloomer, and being, like the rest of tlie genus, perfectly hardy, deserves the attention of every amateur of annual plants. *Lobelia erinus MARMORA ta. — Resem- bling in habit the ramosoides and other varieties of L. erinus, this very interesting novelty of French origin, differs from them 38 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. all in its flowers, wliicli are of large size, having a white centre, surrounded by pale blue marbling, which passes at the edges of the flower into bright blue. It requires only the treatment of the other varieties, and is applicable to the same purposes. *MiMui.us ROSEO-PALLiDus. — De- scribed as a new half-hardy species, with tlie habit of Mimulus cardinalis, growing about one foot high, and bearing rose- coloured flowers. Phlox Dbummondii Radowitzii. — During the past summer we have grown a variety under the above name, which pro- duced rose-coloured blossoms, striped or rather streaked with white, and as all but a few of the plants were thus variegated, we have no doubt it will henceforth prove pretty constant. *PoDoiiEPis AFFiNis. — This species, re- ceived from Melbourne, is described as being the finest of the genus. It is said to have flower-heads three inches across, with an orange disk, and quilled, yellow ray-florets. The seeds are represented to be very large and quite distinct in their character from those of the other species, which leads us to suppose that the plant may belong to some other genus. Sauromatiumouttatum. — This is a very remarkable plant of the Arum family, having a flattened tuberous root, from which arises, early in spring, a very long, sessile spathe, drooping in its upper half, of an orange colour internally, singularly blotched with crimson brown. The leaves are scarcely less striking than the inflo- rescence, having a marbled stalk and a many-parted limb, the hinder lobes of which meet so as to produce a wreath-like efi'ect. It is of the easiest culture, and is almost hardy. *Senecio elegans nana c^ruleo (New Dwarf Blue-flowered Jacobse) This novelty is sent from Germany with an excellent character, being described as of very dwarf compact habit, with an abun- dance of flowers of fine blue colour. — Abridged from the New Catalogue of W Thompson, Tavern Street, Ipswich. G-AEDEN AND GlEEENHOUSE WOEK EOE EEBEUAET. Annuals of choice kinds to be sown in pans for early bloom, and a pinch of eacli of the tender annuals, su.ch as asters, cockscombs, balsams, etc., got in, so as to have a few forward, and separately potted in thumbs, by the time the main sowing of these is made next month. The general batch of asters for bedding need not be sown till April ; but all annuals that re- qvdre a long season of growth, or that ad- mit of being deferred in their blooming, in order to gain size and symmetry, should be begun with at once. AuRicuiiAS sown now will require no bottom-heat, and will be better without it. Place a square of glass over eyery pan of seed to prevent the need of watering uiitil the plants are up. Top dress and clean up the stock plants, and give them more water as they get into active growth. Abtichokes to be dressed towards the end of the month with a mixture of two parts rotten dvuig and one part coal-aslics. The latter must be fine and free from cinders. Bedding Plants. — Hotbeds and pro- fiagating cases must be set to work at once, to insure a sufficient sixpply for the coming season. Repot all the old stools that are to be turned out, such as old Punch, Tom Thumb, and other gera- niums. Start geraniums, lobelias, agera- tums, heliotropes, tropeeolums, salvias, verbenas, etc., to get nice shoots for cut- tings. Have ready a good supply of nearly di'y compost for potting, so that whatever has to be done may be done without delay through change of weather or want of ma- terials. Cauliflowers sown the first week will soon be ready to prick out into pots for planting out early. If any tendency to damp among those just up, sprinkle wood-ashes or dust of peat over the sur- face. Cabbage. — Early York, Shilling's Queen, and Early Hope may be sown at once on a warm slopiag border. Old stumps may be planted close together in any out-of-the-way place to furnish a few spi'outs, which will be useful at this season of scarcity. CucuMBEES, if strong in pots, to be turned into fruiting beds. Beware of burning by too fiei'ce a heat. Sow again for succession. Celery to be sown for the first crop, and the plants when up to be thinned at once, that they may grow strong from the first. See pp. 246, 276, of last year's vo- lume. Dahlias to be started for cuttings, and the cuttings taken when two or three inches long. The gi'cat enemy of the newly-struck cuttings is water ; there- fore,' administer it with judgment and caution. Eteegeeens cut down by the frost THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 39 will thi'ow i^p shoots from tlie root, but will never form handsome plants again ; therefore, it will be best to remove such injured shrubs where they occupy impor- tant places, and plant others. The old shoots will furnish cuttings if planted in the reserve ground, and some of them may in time prove useful for ornamental pur- poses. Fettit Teees should be thoroughly cleaned, audallpruniugconapletcd speedily. Get ready protecting materials for walls, and put oil copings where moveable ones are used. Let all planting be done thoroughly, or not at all ; that is, prepare good borders, have efficient drainage, and pay a good price to insure good trees. In many places peach and apricot trees are all bixt killed by the terrible frosts this season, owing to the unripe character of the wood. Eaised, porous, well-di'amed borders show their value in sucli a simimcr as the last, and prove that liberal outlays in the first instance, if made with judgment, are sure to pay in the end. Geeenhouse may have an increase of heat to encourage growth. Acacias, ca- mellias, azaleas, and forced shrubs to have plenty of air and plenty of water aU the while they are in bloom. Acacia rotundi- folia is one of the best of plants for ama- teurs. It is now coming into bloom along the whole lengths of the shoots, a perfect garland of gold. RuTTBARB, in open quarters, to be heavily di-cssed with maniu'e, which need not be much rotted. We use it quite green, and prefer the longest. The wea- ther and the rains take all rankness out of it long before the plants can suffer, and in the meantime they have the whole of its strength by filtration. Forced rhubarb to have a good share of daylight, to pro- duce colour and flavour. When blanched, it is only fit for the muck-heap, as it is then neither a vegetable nor a substitute for fruit. Sea-kale and Aspaeagus. — See last month'-* notes. EosEs. — Where early bloom is wante<*^«sN?*^»-r-,- siafet^ -July 3rd, gathered July 13th. Habit of plant, fan-like, and a prodigious bearer. VicTOKiA Branching (syuonymes, P-Hul's Karly Dwarf, Paul's Prolific). Plant three feet, robust, bears twelve to sixteen pods. Pods same shape as Sangster's No. 1, but nearly twice as large. Foliage dark green. Bloomed June I6th, slatted July 6tli, gathered July IGtIi. An abundant bearer, but does not come into use till superior wrinkled varieties are in season, and "therefore is not required." Danecroft Prolific resembles the last. Fit fa- use July 20; abundant bearer. Jiot requireiL for the same reason, as, ths last. . : Mabbows.- ■ - Champion ob Paris (synonymes, Ex- cel-sior. Knijiht's Excelsior, Stuart's Para- die©, Paradise Maijow)* -A. strong gtojver. 46 THE FLORAL WORLD AND OARDEN GUIDE. five to six feet ; stem generally single, sometimes branched ; pods eight to ten, sometimes in pairs, four inches long, nearly three-quarters of an inch wide, well filled •with from seven to nine large peas. Bloomed June 11th, slatted June 23rd, gathered July 6th. An abundant cropper, finer and earlier than Early Kingwooc), Early Frame, Auvergne, and Shilling's Grotto. Harbison's Perfection. Eobust plant, three and a-half feet ; large dark foliage ; pods in pairs averaging sixteen to eighteen on each riant. Bloomed May 29th, slatted June 16th, gathered July 7th. Once esteemed as an early dwarf marrow pea, but now of no value because beaten by superior kinds. It fails altogether when compared with Prizetakcr, Fairbeard's Non- pareil, and Advancer. Tiie |)ods do not fill Avell, and the peas are thick-skinned. Thursto.n's Rkhance. Plant six to seven feet, single stem, bear- ten to twelve scimitar shaped pods, each three and a-half to four and a-quarter inches long. Kipe seed white, large, unevenly compressed. Bloomed Jime 23rd, slatted June 28th, gatliered July lOtii. A distinct, useful, and prolific pea ; pods a fine dark green colour, which is a recommendation when grown for market. Comes in same time as Au- vergne and Shilling's Giotto, but is rather more tender in constitution. Queen of Dwarfs. Plant six to nine inche.* high, foliage dark bluish green, pods elliptical. Bloomed June 15th, slatted June 28th, gathered July 10th. "A worth- less varirty, and unworthy' of cultivation for any purpose whatever." November Prolific. Not so good as the preceding, and therefore not wortli describing. Egg. An old variety, long known by the name of Black-eyed Susnn, f'l om the sxed having a black hilum, or tye. Plant seven to eight feet, pods about eighteen, peas very large and oval, gathtred July 12th. An abundant bearer, but altogether unfit for table. Victoria Mabkow (synonymes. Gibbs' Defiance, Waterloo Marrow, Giant Marrow, "Wellington, Royal Victoria, Tall Marrow). Plant vigorous, simple stem, six to seven feet. Pods p)odiiced near the top, some- times in pairs, and containing five to seven very large peas. Eipe seed white, uneven, roundish. Bloomeii June ISih, slatted June 26th, gathered July 13th. A useful middle early marrow pea. Pui.NCESs RuxAL. Plant three feet, strong glower, dark foliage ; bearing ten to twelve pods, usually in pairs. The pods are large, but fill badly, and last year bad a chilled and starved appearance. Gathered July 20th. In a warm season it may prove a useful and prolific late marrow. Green Marrows. Prizetaker (synonymes, Prizetaker Green Marrow, Rising Sun, Leicester De- fiance). Plant five feet, vigorous giowth ; stem sometimes branched ; twelve to eighteen pods in pairs, deep bluish-green colour, with a thick and distinct bloom, containing six to seven large pea* of a dark bluish green. Ripe seed small, round, and of a mixed white and green colour. Bloomed June 5th, slatted June 20th, gathered July 6th. An abundant bearer — everyway an excellent pea. IMatchles.s Marrow (synonymes. Mil- ford Marrow, Stradsett ilarrow. Plant five to six fei't, robust, simple stem, twelve to sixteen pods, generally in pairs. Poda similar in shape to Early Ringwood, but considerably broader; they contain six to seven very large peas. Kipe seed white and olive mixed, uneven and irregularly shaped. Bloomed June 13th, slatted June 28th, gathered July 15th. A great bearer; pods plump and well filled, and succeeds Early Green Marrow, or Prizetaker, admirably. It is, however, rather tender, and in 1860 showed the effects of u bad season. Garbutt's Amazon (.synonymes, Den- yer's Early Prolific, Green Mi.rrow). Like Matchless Marrow but considerably infe- rior ; not so prolific, and five or six days later. Not desirable. Sutton's Berkshire Hebo. Plant seven feet; produces eight to ten large pods, which contain six to seven very large peas. Bloomed June 25th, slatted July 3rd, gathered July 25ih. Prussian Peas. Groom's Scperb (synonymes, Blue Spanish Dwarf, Blue Fan). " Not worth perpetuating." Woodford Marrow. Plant robust, veiy dark bluish green blotched foliage; stem three and a haif feet ; pods about eleven on a plant; when ready to gather rather flattened, otherwise same sh;ipe, but not quite so large, as Victoria Marrow. Ripe seed very dark blue. Bloomed June 14tli, slatted June 26th, gathered July 14th. On account of its fine dark green pod, this is an excellent pea to grow for market, but it is one that requires to be very carefully selected when grown for seed, as it has a great tendency to degenerate back to the Blue Prussian, from which it has evidently been raised. Bait s Wonder. Plant of sturdy habit, thick stem, two and a-half feet high, large dark green foliage j pods in pairs, twelve THE FLORAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. 47 to eighteen on a plant, curved like tLe Scimitar, and containing nine to eleven good-sized peas. Ripe seed small, dark bluish green, like that of the Woodford Marrow. Bloomed June 16tli, slutted June 28tb, gathf^red July 16th. An excellent and productive kirn). In 1859 it withstood the drought better than any other variety; in 1860 it suffered from the coldness of the season. Blue Prussian. Plant three feet, not robust; dark green blotched foliage, pods generally in ptiirs, twelve to sixteen on a plant, and containing about feven closely packed peas. Bloomed June 16th, shitted June 28th, gathered July 10th. An old and popular variety, and much grovvn for market. More prolific and hardy than any other of the blue peas. Imperials. Fairbeat^d's Surprise. Not robust, always a simple stem; folinge bright, but not dark green ; pods generally single, eigiit to ten on a plmit, containing seven to eiglit good-sized peas. Bloomed June 7th, slatted June 20rii, gatiiered July 9th This and Fairbeard's Champion of England were originally taken from the same pod: the former having a round and the latter a wrinkled seed. It is the earliest of all the round blue peas, and in every way excellent. Harrisons Glort. Pods fill badly; variety of no merit. Burbidge's Eclipse. Plant dwarf, eighteen inches to two feet; foliage dark green, stem simple, ten to twelve pods, each containing five to six large peas. Ripe seed large, uneven, deep blue colour. Bloomed June 13th, slatted June 25th, gathered July 13th. The dwarfest of all the blue pciis, and an excellent bearer. Flack's Impkkial (synouymes, Flack's Victory, Flack's Victoria). An improved Redman's Imperial ; requires careful selec- tion to keep it true, from its tendency to degenerate into Blue Prussinn. Plant three feet, always brHnching, robust habit, pods twelve to eighteen on a plant, eacli pod contnining six to eight hirge peas. Ripe S2ed large, irregular, oval, dark blue. Bloomed June 17th, slatted June 26th, gathered July 14th. Banksian Marrow. A scimitar-formed imperial pea, which possesses every good character, but is in no way distinct from others of its class. Blue Scimitar, (synonymos, Blue Sabre, Scimitar). Robust growth, height two and a-half to three feet; dark green blotched foliage. Bears fx'om twelve to pigbteen pods, of a dark green colour, much curved and flattened. Pods generally pro- duced in pairs, and containing nine or ten peas each. Ripe seed irregularly oval, and dark blue. Bloomed June 16th, slatted June 28th, gathered July 16th. Much grown for market, and is one of the best for culture on a large scale, but is apt to degenerate unless great care be taken to keep the stock pure. White Knight's. Fairbeard's Nonpareil resembles the early frames in habit of growth, stem branching, tliree and a-half to four feet; twelve to fourteen very full and plump pods, each containing six to eight closely- packed peas. Ripe seed white, small, and wrinkleil. Bloomed June 14th, slatted June 25th, gathered July 6tli. An early and productive pea, but surpassed in size and earliness hy Advancer. Monsieur Soyer. Plant two to two and a-half feet, be:iring ten to twelve pods. Foliage deep green, and much blotched. Puds contain four or five perfect peas. Ripe seed white and wrinkled. Bloomed May 29th, >latteii June 16th, gathered July 10th. A tender variety, requiring a good soil and warm position. Very productive of pods, and the earliest of all the dwarf white wrinkled peas. Tall White Mammoth (synonymes, Flanagon's Imperial, Nonpareil Mariuw, Green's Superb, Ward's Incomparable, Ox- ford Tom, Cotton's Leviathan. Champi THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 4^ badly filled. Ripe seed green and wrinkled. Bloomed May 26tli, slatted June -3tli, gatliered July 12tli. Once uselul for its earliness, may now be dispeused ■with on account of Its 'fiUinir so badly. Essex Rival resembles Advancer, but IS ten diiys later. As a dwarf second early green wrinkled pea, it is an acquisition, and ougbt to be retained in cultivation. It is One of Dr. Maclean's seedlings. Lord E \glan. Plant robust, tbree feet, not brandling. Foli;ige dark green and blotched. Pods in pairs, twelve to sixteen on a plant, five to seven peas in eacb. Ripe seed green and wrinkled. Bloomed June lOtli, slatted June 21st, gathered July 12tb. Of tiie same race as Hairs' D waif Mammotli, but two or three days later. A useful pea but does not till over-well. Veitch's Perfi-.ction. Succulent and robust; stem three feet; foliage dark green, slightly blotched. Pods in pairs, ten to fourteen on a plant, same shape and size as General Wyndham and British Queen, seven to eittbt lar^ge paas in eacli, which are very closely compressed. Ripe seed large, green, wrinkled. Bloomed .June 13ch, slatted June 26th, gathered July 16th. An improved Hairs' Mamnmtli, which it surpa-ses, in pi'oducing larger pods, but is six to eight days later. The finest pea of its class, and deserving general cultivation. ' Tall Gbeen Mammoth (synonymes, Comp.titur, Monarch, Ipp's Monarch, Straihmore Heio, King of Marrows, Waite's King of Marrows). Vigorous growth, six to ei'iht feet, branched. Foliage dark green and blotched. Puds i:i pairs, twelve to six- teen on a plant. Ripe seed large, {irfcn, and wrinkled. Bloomed June 13th, slatted July 1st, gathered July 20th. Knight's Dwarf Green. Free grower, three feer, branching; dark green blotched foliage. Pods in pairs, ten to twelve on a plant, seven good-sized peas in eacli. Ripe seed green and wrinkkd. Llooraed June 22nd, slatted July 2nd, gathered July 28th. The latest of all tlie varieties; was in full bearing on the 6th of August, when every other sort was ripened off or ripening. The Varieties of Garden Peas, arranged in the Order in lohich they come into Use, showing their comparative Eurliness. . DilHstone's Early . . June 22ud Sangster's No. 1 . . „ 29th Early Emperor . . ") Danecroft Rival . . | Tom Thumb . . . !- July 3rd Advancer . . . 1 Mignon . . . .J Telegraph Champion of Paris . Early Ringwood . Prizetaker Fairbeard's Nonpai-eil . Early Frame Dickson's Favourite Harrison's Perfection Bishop's Long-podded . Fairbeard's Surprise . Auvergne . . . ] Thurston's Reliance . Shilling's Grotto . Queen of Dwarfs Early Green Marrow . [■ July 10th Monsieur Sover . . | Hairs' Dwarf Mammoth | Champion of England . | Jle j^.us Ultra . i ' . J ,. . November- Prolific . . JillyiltU £Kg . : '.• ... '• ) '.; Harrison's Glory . . > July I2th ^iourt^au ...... . .... J _ , \.. July 5th July 6th Jul}' 7tli July 9 th Sea Green Climax . ■ . Lord Raglan , Koyal Dwarf . , Victoria Marrow Matchless Marrow Burbidge's Eclipse Essex Rival . Woodford Marrow Groom's Superb Flack's Imperial Banksian Marrow . Tall White Mammoth Maclean's Prolific . Victoria Bi'anching . Eatt's Wonder Scimitar . . . . Alliance British Queen . , Veitch's Perfection DMn( croft Prolific . Princess Royal '. ' » Garbutt's Amazon Genera! Wyndham. ■ . Sutton's Berkshire Hero . Tall Gre^n Mamniotii . Lynn's Wrinkkd Marrow . Knight's Dwarf Wi.fto . Kiiiglit's TaiVAV'liite . i^pig^tit's P wajf Green . . July 12th 1 I I' July 13tb J 1 I 1- July 14th I J July 15th 1 July 16th 1 July 20th- J July 22iid I July 24th ^ jva^-^th 50 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Synoptical Arrangement of the u-ere I. Frames Dillistone's Early . . Jui San^ster's No. 1 Earlv Empftror . . . July Diinecrofc Rival Tom Thumb Teleprnpli Early Rin^wood . Early Frame Dickson's Favourite Bishop's Long-podded Auvergne Sliiliino;'s Grotto Royal Dwarf Victoria Branching . II. Marrows. Cliampion of Paris . . July Harri-on's Perfection . . ,, Tliurston's Reliance . Queen of D^varfs . November Prolific , E^sr . Victoria Marrow Dani!croft Prolific Princess Royal III. Green Marrows. Prizetaker .... July Early Green Marrow . ,, MatchLiSs Mirrow . . „ Garbutt's Amazon . . „ SutLon's Berkshire Hero . ,, IV. Prussians. Groom's Superb . . . July Woodford Marrow . . ,, Bait's Wonder , . . „ Blue Prussian . , , ,, Varieties of Peas, with the Dates on which they ready fur Gathering. V. Imperials. Fairbeard's Surprise . . July 9th H irrisoii's Glory. . , ,, 12th Burbidge's Eclipse . . „ 13th Flack's Imperial . . „ 14th Bank^ian Marrow . . ,, 14th Scimitar .... '16th 22nd ,29tli 3rd 3rd 3rd 6th 6th 7th 7th 9th 10th 10th 13tli 16th 5th 7th 10th lOtl. 11th 12tli 13[h 20tli 20th 6th 10;h 13th 20tii 25th 14th 14th 16th 16th VI. White Knight's. Fairheard's Nonpareil . . July 6th Monsieur Soyer . . „ 10th Tall Wliite Mammoth . . „ 14th Maclean's Prolilic . . „ 15th Alliance . . . . „ 16th British Queen ... „ 16ih Lynn's Wrinkled Marrow . „ 22nd K'iif<, about three or four feet apart. They can- not get light and air enough ; the conse- quence is, that very few peas are obtained in tiic middle of the crop, the principal part of them being on the ends of the rows, and the outsides. If the peas are sown .six feet apart, you will obtain at least double tlie crop you do in the usual method of sowing them. Another greater advantage of cropping the ground in this manner is, that a greater quantity of crops are pro- duced. The cabbage, cauliflowers, or spinach, whicliever niay be that are planted between the peas, will be cut and cleared off before the peas are ready. On this ground may be planted celery ; and when the peas are cleared off, there will be a space of six feet between the celery, which may be planted with endive, lettuce, or coleworts, or any other vegetable that will be ready soon enough to earth up the celery. If this system be adopted, by giving the plants moe room, and sowing other kinds of vegetables between that do not require 80 much time or room, that, by so doing, we siiall obtain a considerably larger amount of matter, and in a much higher State of perfection. I must now say a word upon cropping the quarters of the garden, as v/e so Often see the tall kinds of peas, ssuch as Kniglit's Tall, Marrows, Rollison's Victoria, Deiiance, and others of similar growth, sown about four feet six, from row to row. Sown in this way, they get grown one row into tlie otlier above their stakes. There is also great difiiculty in getting between the rows to gather what few po Is there aie grown between the rows, the principal part o( them being on the ends of the rows and the outsides. Ex|>erience has taught me to sow those tall kinds of peas twelve f^^et apart from row to row ; that will leave between the rows of peas room enough for five rows of potatoes at two (bet apart. Between each other row of potatoes a row of Cape brocoli may be planted with ail vantage, the pota- toes being planted two feet from the peas on each side ; that will leave a space of six feet when the potatoes and peas are cleared away. This ground will do lor turnips or late cslery, lettuce or winter onions, and many other kinds of vegetables that may be required. When the brocoli comes off, that will make a space of about six feet ; this may be thrown up into ridges until wanted. Tliis method of cropping will be found far before the old method ot sowing i>eas so close as four feet six, as there is four i'eet six of ground un- occupied until the whole of the crop of peas is cleared. There is two-thirds or more of prodtice by sowing at greater dis- tance, and a considerable greater quantity of plants on the same sp-.ice of ground. Brussels sprouts, savoys, and brocoli may be planted between rows of potatoes, plant- ing them after the potatoes are eartlied up, between each other row of them. If the potatoes vrevQ planted about two feet apart, tiie brocoli, etc., will be four feet. As the potatoes grow, they may be gently laid tOijether to keep them from the plants. When the potatoes are \ip and cleared off, there will be four feet between the plants, which may be planted with coleworts or spring cabbage. When the brocoli are cleared off, Mazagon beans may be sown betweeti the cubhage. In the place of the brocoli, dwarf French beans may be sown. If Mazagon beans or Windsor beans are not required, the dwarf French beans will do equally well. E-ich time the land is cleared of its various crof)s, it will require a good manuring, and well trenched. If celery is changed to different parts of the garden, it vvill cause, by digging the trenches, the ground to be well moved. When the celery is cleai'ed off, the same ground will do for the peas the season following, and will be midway between the ground they grew on the pr-eceding year. Exactly the s ime for the celery. If scarlet-runner beans are sown twelve feet from row to row, ridge, cucumbers do well between the rows. If the ridges are thrown out in the middle of the rows of runners, the cucumbers will bear abundantly. The cucumbers by being sheltered by them will do far better than if planted in the open garden. Vegetable marrows will do exceedingly well if ridge cucumbers are not required. I have grown ridge cucunibers and vegetable marrows this way for years, and have never failed to get a gooa supply of both. Tliis last season was bad for ridge cucumbers, but I had a fair supply of the ridge cucum- bers grown in the way described. Wiien the cucumliers or vegetable marrows are cleared off, this ground will be found useful for cauliflowers under hand glasses : if not wanted for cauliflowers, throw out the manure, well mix it with the soil. It will make a good bed for Early Horn carrots, 54i THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. lis most families require early carrots. Make two or three sowins;s, as a small compartment of ground will be sufficient. At each BOwing, choose a dry mild day to sow the seed, and let it be raked in as soon as sown. If you liave no frame, or none at liberty, the bed may be arclied over with hoops, and covered with mats occasionally. "When the plants come up, let them enjoy the free air in mild weather, and cover them with mats in cold nights whilst young ; and when an inch or two higli, tliin them to about three inches asunder. J. HOWLETT. Abhei/ Oardens, Hamset/. TWICE BLOOMING OF HAEDT SHEUBS. All plants, of -whatever climate they are natives, have a season of rest and a season of growth; in the former they are almost dormant; in the latter they increase in bulk, and exhibit their flowers and fruit, after which they return a>;ain to a state of repose. Intertropical plants are seasoned, not from the alternations of cold and heat, but from the alternating dry and rainy seasons. By tlie latter they ure cxeiied into renewed growth, dt-velop their flowers, and set their fruit lobe matured in the dry seasnn. Extva-tropiciil plains are chit fly aflected by summer and winter. Annuals, biennials, and perennials are all excited into a floriferous hai it, by the gradually returning warmth of spring and il:e s-olar light of summer; and when the seed or fruit is ripe, the energy of the plant de- clines, and it again, in the case of annuals and biennials, ceases to live; or, if peren- nial, sinks to its winter's rest. Eulhou.'-- stemmed plar.ts, which an- generally inert during ^ummcr, and;it that season generally in the drawers or boxes of the florist nias be planted at any lime in the autumn, •winter, or spring, as best suits the purp'Ses of the floriht as to the time ol their bicom- ing; but plants which are constantly in ihe ground, and which are aff'icted only by the seasons, present thtir leaves and flowers ns the season prompts. They may be ex- pedited by protection !lgain^t ihe depressing eff'ects of cold; and they may be checked by art in a way wiiicli remains to be dis- cussed. If a plant be decked in its frst career of growth, especially in developing its reproductive members, it immediately concentrates its vital jiowers, and maktsa second attempit, ami if the sumiiier allows even a third, to complete the hnal eff'ort ol its growth. Consequently, if the season ol florescence is wishtd to be prolonged, we have only to destroy the flrst buds, or shoots, and, of course, a second set will be produced, and flower a monih or two later than the usuhI period. Suppose we wish to have a second or a contiiiuous bhom of roses, certain healthy plants should be fixed on; they, at the winter pruning, along with the general collection, should be pruned, but somewhat differently; in- sttad of being spurred in closely, which is the usual practice, the shoots of the selected trees should be lett somewhat longer; and on these the uppermost bud will be first unfolded, and will shoot out witti a flower or two on its apex; but this flowering must be prevented, lor as soon as the young shoot from the uppermost bud is one inch in length, the old shoot must be again pruned down to the next bud below, which will de- velop in its turn, and produce what may be called a second crop of roses. A similar result is produced in another wav; th; t is, by removing the trees rather late at the beginning of the growing season, v\hich letards the bloom for a week or a month, acioriling to the lengtli of time the tree is allowed to re-establish itself. 1o ihis may be added the practice of layering iind stopping the strongest sin cts during the summer, which will ol'u n bring a late bloom in the aiuunin. And lesi'it in width. Ti ey are crim- son on tiie under side and dark green, with conspicuous light veins on the upper TI ey droop- grjicefnlly, a thort s-touc footstulk enabling them to stand out clenr of the stem, and tliey overlap each other in a most beautiful maimer. Those of our readers who have young plants i-hould >tart them into growth at once, by plunging them in the tiin-bed of a stove or pine pit. As soon as the pot is fu 1 of roots, give it a liberal shift, using soil compiised principally of good fibrous lumps of peat, a little leaf- mould and loam, and a plentiful admixtuie of sharp sand. As farrs possible keep the upper side of ihe foliiige dry, ttiough the plant niay be bene- fited by occasionally damping the under side of the leaves, but it should be admi- nistered as lightly as dew. If the atmos- pliere of the house be kept constantly moi-t, this will be seldom required. Should the plant attempt to m^ko laterals, these should be at once picked out, as the beauty of the plant is never seen to such advantage as when grown on a single stem ; and, more- over, tliis will throw the whole energy of the plant into the leaves which remain, and cause them to become much larger. S'lilt the pi nt as often as the pot becomes full of routs ; nev r allow it, from the want of this, or from becoming dry, to receive a check, or the ftdiage will be certain to record it. Be carelul also to shude in summer; if the leaves he exposed to direct sunshine, they soon loose that silky gloss which is halt their charm, and they soon turn brown at the point and edges. Most likely it will be found advisable not to grow the s»me plant more than two seasons; we had better, there ore, say a few words upon its propatratiiin. We have often struck the leaves witlu.ut Huy hud at the bottom; Imt although tliey have filled the pots with roots, yet we never iixiuced ihem to throw up a shoot ; they lived for a time, but then gradually wither* d and died. Tlie best way is to cut the stem of the preceding year mto single joints, and put each singly into a little pot, plunge in a f,'Ood stiong liot-bed, and cover with a hand-glass. This 01 eration should be done as quickly as possible ; foi as the leaves are large and very thin, they easily flag or droop. Tliey should be supported, too, by a couple of little sticks. If tnese do not succeed, you will have still a chance, and a much belter one, with the little shoots which will be produced by the original plant. These should be taken off when about two inches long, and, like the others, placed by the side of the smallest pot, -.nd in very ianuy peat soil. Cyanophyllum magnificum was sent out in 1859; last year it was followed by another species, C. Assamicuni, which is a smaller plant, and by no means equal to the other m beauty. We have never yet heard of the flowering of the C. magnifi- cum. Probably the flower would not cor- respond in size with the foliage. 5G CtTLTTTEE OE THE NEAPOLITAN VIOLET. The Neapolitan Violet is a universal favourite, but a difficulty is sometimes complained of in its ctiltivittion. The stxb- joined is my manner of treating it. In Mav, after tiie floweriny; season is over, I sift some lijrlit soil oven- tiic p ants, to the depth of two inches : by this means the runners very realily take root. I take care to iceep as much of the foliage of the plant above the surface as possible. In this situation they remain exposed to the ■weather about six vireeks, when 1 take up the old plants, from which a sufficient quantity of the be-t rooted runners are selected to make my flowering plants for the ensuing season. I then choose some shady situ ition, and find they vi'ill do better under the shade of trees, freely exposed on all sides to the air, than on a north border under a wall. I mark out the bed, and remove the soil four inches deep, filling it up to the original level with decayed leaves, over which I put the soil previously taken out. Tue runners are then planted in rows, seven inches distant, and four inches apart in the rows, and a good watering given tiiem; whicli will require to be freely sup- plied during the summer, otherwise the bed, being a little elevated, will sonn become dry. Let tliem remiiii in this situation uatil the midille of September, by wliicli time they will have become strong plants. You can then take them up with good balls without any difficulty, as they will then be well rooted in the leaf-mould. Plant them in a frame, in rows nine inches apart, and six inciies in the row, and two inches from the glass. Then well water them, and keep the lights on, and shade if the sun shines out, for about a week; by which time the plants will begin to root again, when they may be freely exposed to the air. By this method I have a profusion of very fine bloom, from Oct- .her until May. All the attention they require in the winter is pro- tection from severe frost, all the air possible being given them in fine weather. The compost to use in the frame is — two parts turfy loam, one part leaf-mould. J. Gkeen. GAEDEN AND GEEENHOUSE WOEK EOE MAECH. Apricots to be disbudded as required, ■which is far preferable to the use of the knife hereafter, and preveBts the waste of strength in the production of wood where not wanted. Asparagus in the open ground to have a liberal spring dressing, if not done last month. Tlie manure laid on last autumn to be broken up with the soil, and all the Takings drawn into the alleys, whei'e lettirces may be grown all the summer. Bedding Plants to be pushed on to secure stock. Geraniums, verbenas, petu- nias, and calceolarias should be first attended to. Perilla nankinensis, and purole orach sow in pans witlumt heat. Lobelias from seed will require a gentle bottom lieat. Cuphea strigilosa is a capital bedder for front lines; height twelve inches; colour yellow and red. None ol the lierbaieous silvery plants need be put in heat, such as cerastiuin, golden balm, santolina, Stacliys lauata, variegated arabis, etc. Calceol.vrias from autumn cuttings to have a shift, and to be put low in the pots, so as to bring tlieir lowest branches close to the rim; this will cause them to throw out roots from the stem, and become more Bturdy, which will be still further pro- moted by topping them in time. Any that show signs of being about to flower, to be stopped and shifted to prevent it. The joints containing blooms are longer than those of leaf growth. Chrysanthemums to he'sorted over, and the sorts intended for bedding and planting out in groups to be propagated, and as soon as large enough to be put out in four-feet beds. Those for exhibition to be carefully attended to as to shifting, stopping, etc., and if possible give them plenty of room in frames, placing the pots containing the plants on empty pots turned upside down. This will insure them plenty of air when the lights are off, and keep them near the glass, and away irom insects. Cucumbers will require as much air as can be given them, and it will be as well to tack two or three thicknesses of wool netting over the ventilators to break the force of cold currents, unless tiie ventilation passes hrstover hot pipes, which is the best mode. Line beds that are declining in heat, as loss of heat m;iy cause the fruit to drop, and tlie plants to become spotted. Cauliflowers to have plenty of water, and be got into brisk growth, or they may begin to button. Plant out from the seed- pans, keep those newly planted out closely. THi) i^LOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN aUlDE. o'artlied up, and protect with a little litter or spare mats if the weather is S3vere. Fuchsias are often propagated at tliis season from stout cuttings of old plants. These soon root in wet sand, with bottom- heat, but never make sucli good plants as those from stubby side shoots of the season taken off with a lieel. Trim up the standards and pjrami'is, as they will be in free growth now. They like a moist warm atmosphere, and frequent syringing. Graftinq is generally commenced too soon. We are satisfied, from frequent ob- servation, that the end of March is a better season than the beginning. The sap then flows more freely, and there is a brisk root action of the stocks, which induces the grafts to take more readily; and the quicker the take, the better is the junction. Get all ready, even to the writing of tallies, and attaching them to stocks, as they are intended to be worked, so that when you begin you may finish all off quick, instead of having tlie materials about for days together. Clay well worked with fresh horse droppings, tlie latter in the propor- tion of one-third to the former, with a little finely chopped straw added, is the best dressing, and the easiest prepared. Haudy Herbaceol'S Plants should now be divided and planted. Chop over a spade- ful of rotten dung in every hole, except for alpine kinds of small growlli, which prefer leaf-mould. The Rudbeckias, CEuo- theras, Corydalis capnoides, Alyssum saxa- tile, Achillea tomentosa, Lychnis Haageana (now to be had generally in the trade), common white and purple phlox, Sulidago, Solomon's seal, iiardy asters, Iberis sem- pervireus, are most essential elements of a gay border. Sow successional breadths of all the leading vegetables — peas, beans, cabbages, lettuce, onion, etc. It is neither too late nor too early now for anything. Potatoes. — Plant the main crop at once. To have them free of disease, choose early sorts; warm dry ground; plant whole sets of moderate size, and pay a good price, to make suro of having them true. On colli, wet, undrained land, potatoes should not be grown at all. Pansies. — Trentham Blue and Magpie should be in the possession of every amateur for use as bedders. The first makes a beautiful circle of blue in front of Flower of the Day. It is also a good first or second line in a ribbon. Show pansies struck now from plump side shoots will make beautiful plants for blooming at midsummer. Keep them cool and shaded, with plenty of water and liquid manure. Salad Plants. — The Golden cress is the best salad plant we have for those wlio like simplicity in such things. It is excel- lent for the brealifast table, and far supe- rior to water -cresses Normandy cress iind Extra Curled cress are also excellent. The crowns of horse-radish planted in a frame over warm dung, and earthed over six inches, will supply a delicately blanched salad that will be esteemed. Treat dande- lion roots the same way, but use sea- kale pots to blanch with instead of mould- ing up. Vines in flower to be kept rather dry, and all orchard trees the same during their blooming. Keep a sharp look out for vermin. Thin the fruit in goo i time, give plenty of air, and encourage a firm growth rather than a profusion of weak spray. POT-CULTUEE OF CONIFEROUS TEEES. The general rule in ordering coniferous trees is, " once and a-done with it ;' but that is not a good rule. It is true that there are certain conil'ers that, when once planted, becoiue lords of the soil, and pro- hibit further planting by swallowing up the room. Many a mistake occurs, too, in this planting of young trees, as may be proved by reference to many places where yews, cedars of Lebanon, and spruces have shot up close to the walls of a mansion, have become large trees where there was only room for bushes, so that a sepulchral darkness i-eigns over the household, and there is no alternative but to bear with it, or iipply the axe. But, apart altogether from the necessity of planting trees, so that when of mature growth they shall give un- alloyed pleasure, and subserve some legiti- mate uses, there is another necessity for a nioi'e luxuriant style of winter decoratio i, and this is the proper time of year to thinlc, and determine, and prepare for the futu e. We were talking about conifers lastmon h. Now, to use these in the way I use the n, the first step — that is, the obtaining of ilio plants — should betaken now, because u )W the trees lift well. If potted at once, t ey will be well furnished with fresh roots by July next, and may then have a shift iito the pots they are to occupy all the winter. There is no class of winter decorati us better suited to this sort of work than co li- fers. An amateur fond of collecting species d2 58 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. may increase the size of his garden a hun- dred times in regard to thecuUnre of coni- fers by iulopting my mtthod. Wliere there niav not be room Ibi' a single spriici', or tir, or pine, as a tree, a collection of fifty or a hundreil, or more or less, of conifers as bushes in pots, may be got together, and the gratification they will afford will be far more than an equivalent for the small ex- pense which their purchase will occasion. I am just now rejoicing in tlie beautiful appearance of my Jardinet. I lost the time for planting bulbs in the autumn through sheer pressure of engagements. There was so much to do in the way of earthwork, owing to the disturbance occasioned here hy the works for the main drainage, with which I connected the drains of the house rather against my will, that I could not even prepare for Christmas, according to custom, by making a display of shrubs d la promenade, in the vicinity of the house. And a good thing for me, perhaps, that it was so, for conifers newly potted just pie- vious to that Christmas fiost, woitld pro- bably have become firewood hy this time ; and this brings us to the reason for attend- ing to such matters at tliis time of year, bolore the hurry and bustle of bedding out commences, and while the ground is cool and moist to encourage the plants newly shifted, for the potting is to be followed by phmging, and there the trouble ends. The cut inserted last month was from a draw- ing made in the winter of 1859-60, when the stone-bed was furnished with i'inus in- signis, Cephalotaxus Fortuni, Pinus cem- hra, Picea pinsapo, Abies Menziesii, Abies orientalis, and small plants of silver-leaved box to fill in between. These were the re- mains of a collection of pot-conifers which had all grown out of hounds, and had by degrees been planted out on permanent stations. In the spring of 1860 this remain- der was turned out, having got to fifteen- inch pots, so that it was time to begin again with a fresh lot of small nursery plants. This new lot now occupy the bed, ■which holds twenty trees, averaging thirty inclies in height. My neighbour, Mr. Chitty, saved my time by running down to Cheslinnt to pick them over for me, and make sure of straight, short, well furnished trees. The planting ttiis time is — for the centre, a very handsome Cephalotaxus, three feet high, in an eight-inch pot; on each side of it, right and left, so as to form a pair, two Juniperus commuuis oblonga ; on each side, the other way, say front and back, Juniperus thurifera. Thus we have a centre tree of a plumed habit, and re- motely resembling ostrich feathers, and around it four erect, densely foliaged trees, of delicate colour, and pyramidal outline. Then, for the outside circle, there are Abies Fiazeri (Picea I'razeri), Juniperus Chinen- sis foeuiina, Juiiip rus fragrans. Jumpeius Gossiiinthanea, Thuia gigantea, Pinus cem- bra. These are all in pairs, eacli species opposite its fellow, so tluit the whole is symmetrical, ami on the bedding system as to harmonies of colour. Let it be understood that I give this planting only as an example of what m;iy be done to keep up the style of a garden during the dull season. Tlie plan may be extended in half a dozen different direc- tions, and may be followed on the plan of planting out as well as by potting. But potting is preferable, because the trees are more completely under command. All my small trees are in six and eigbt-incli pots. The soil used is pure loam from Wanstead, with the turf in it well chopped over ; no sand, no leaf-mould, but plenty of drainage and the stuff well rammed in. You will always observe that plants from nurseries have their roots all on one side. That is owing to the quick system followed in planting. A trench is chopped down, the trees are put against the side of the trench to the line, and the trench tilled in ; hence they root away from the hard side of the trench into the soil that was broken up for them. The consequence of this is, that unless large pots be used, it is impossible to place the trees in the centre of the pots, which is of no consequence at all, if they are to beplvmged. With a sharp knife cut clean away all long, fleshy, straggling roots, to reduce them to a moderate compass. Get them into as small pots as possible, but not to jjunish the roots excessively ; pot them firm, and give a good soaking with water. As soon as they begin to make fresh root, the new fibres will touch the pot, and every kind of plant will thrive when that is the case, provided it has a shift when it has exhausted the space and the soil allowed it. Supposing you cannot command a sup- ply of nice silky yellow loam, such as I use, then good turfy peat, mixed with an equal bulk of ordinary good garden-mould, alto- gether free of manure. Leaf-i7iould is au excellent soil for conifers, ana in clay countries should be used freely with the best of the top soil that h is been well frozen, and a proportion of burnt clay and sand to render the whole porous. That conifers ofien look miserable after being in pots a year or so is true, but tiie reason of that is, that they are not cared for, and the chief cause of their suffering is want of water. I drench my potted conifers once a-week all the sumuier long. In July they have a shift into larger pots, if they require THE FLORAL WORL AND GARDEN GUIDE, 69 it, or they are simply turned out, a little of the soil removed from the hall, the trees replaced in their pots, tiiid the deficiency made good with leaf-mould or Wanste:id loam. It is worthy of remark, too, that the most valued and most famous of the race do as well in pots as the comraouer kinds, if well cared for. Wellingtouia gigantea makes a beautiful tree in a pot, and may be shifted on till in the largest sized pot, aud then be turned out without the loss of a leaf or a fibre. It; may com- fort Londoners and residents in the neigh- bourhood of manufacturing towns to learn that, at Stoke Newington, where tea-roses do not come to perfection, coniferous trees not only thrive in spite of smoke, but really enjoy it, and have a heartier and liner coloured foliage than the same species have in tlie country. Coal smoke is capable of either poisoning or feeding. Tiie ammonia, that constitutes one of its ingredients, gives to most evergreens a richer colouring than they have in districts far removed from smoky influences. I have been comparing some of my trees that have endured the smoke for more than tliree 3-ears here, with trees fiesii received from tlie country, and tliere is so much difforence, in some cases, as to make one imagine they are of different varieties. This is particularly the case with Pinus cembra, Picea pin«apo, Cedrus deo- dara, Abies Menziesii, Biota conipacta, Juniperus Hispanica, Irish yew, Taxus ad- pressa, and Taxus Canadensis, all of which show a richness and depth of colour, and, through pot culture, a denseness of growth that it would be impossible to equal in plants of the same kinds in any coirntry garden. I have just put out Wellingtonea gigantea, Juniperus Virginiauce, and Abies Khutrow in pairs, in a line of shrubs which form the background ot a ribbon line, and they are now of the light green which they always have in the country. In twelve- months' time their colours will have changed to the same extent as if another wash of their own colour had been laid on, and will justify the remark you so often hear, " How beautiful the evergreens are in the suburbs of London !" Shirley Hibbekd. HAEDY JASMINES. The jasmine has been, from time immemo- rial, a reigning favourite wherever it has been known. In Ori-ntal poetry it is held as the symbol of the purest cliastity aud virgin love ; and in colder climates, even where the idea partalies more of the mate.- ri'il than in those sunny regions, it has formed the theme of many an early " soft inspiration." The Jasminium officinale has been with us a favourite wall-shrub from beyond all record. The earliest account we have of it is from Gerarde, in 1599, who says it was then in common use for covering walls and arbours with. The variotas species form, •with us, highly ornamental subjects for every situation in which flowers are grown, as they may be selected for the open air, even to the bleakest spots, the greeniiouse or conservatory, and the stove. The num- ber of species grown in British collections exceeds twenty, the most part producing handsome white flowers of the richest fra- grance. Tile linest is J. sambac, a native of the East Indies, a very beautiful plant wlien grown in a stove ; it also •ucceecls well in >i greenhouse, if allowed a warm situation. Tiiis plant wns first intioduced and grown in the Hampton Court garLze, full. Emily (Clark), delicate blush, incurved stiff shell petals. Garibaldi (Clark), red cliesnut and orange, incurved and fine habit. Golden Hermine (Salter), a sport of " Hermine," producingbrightgolden orange flowers, tipped curmine, large, double, and finely incurved, a most desirable acquisi- tion for cut blooms and specimens. Golden Trilby, gold yellow, a fine sport of Trilby, and with all the good properties of the parent. Grand Turk, rose purple, incurved. Juno (Snlter), large white anemone. Little Harry (Smith), bright golden amber, new in colour, medium size, double, and perfectly symmetrical; the petals are stiff, smooth, and finely incm-ved, the habit dwarf and compact, ime of the finest natu- rally incurved flowers ever raised, every bloom being a perfect model, and for pot culture UQSurpatsed, awarded a first-class certificate by the Floral Committee of the Horticultural Society. Lady Harding (Clark), delicate rose pink tipped blush, a most valuable addition to this colour; tlie flowers, which are pro- dnceil in great ahundance, are large, very high in the centre, and most beautifully incurved; extra fine, either for cut blooms or specimen plants; first-class certificate of Floral Committee of Horticultural Society. Leda (Clark), large white, incurved, aud fine habit. Linda (Clark), large purple crimson, tasselled, and very attractive. Lord Elgin (Clark), bronzed rose, large and finely incurved. Pandora (Smith), rosy nankeen with yellow centre, very full and beautifully incurved, extra fine show fiower. Penelope (Clark), rosy orange, large, very full, of gre.it substance, and beauti- fully incurved, a splendid show flower. Phoebus (Clark), brilliant golden orange, medium size, free blooming, and compact habit ; a valuable late-flowering conservatory plant ; late. Prince Consort (Clark), crimson violet, full and incurved. Pyron, red chesnut tipped gold, large and incurved. Queen of Whites (true), large white, full and finely incurved. Rifleman (Clark), dark ruby red, large, double, and beautifully incurved, fine habit, early and free blooming. Yellow King (Salter), very large yellow, incurved, a fine sport of " King," and noble late flower. FIRST SECTION. POMPONES. Calliope (Salter), anemone, bright ruby red, with fall high centre, fine habit, and abundant bloomer ; valuable for speci- mens. Canary Bird (Salter), clear yellow, fine form and free, very dwarf and compact habit. Diana (Salter), hybrid, pure white, fine form, and profuse bloomer; a valuable late flowering variety. Florence (Salter), dark cherry with light centre, very pleasing colour aud most abundant bloomer. Galatea (Salter), clear lilac, full size, very double. Gaiety, bright red with orange border, dwiirf and pretty. Jessie (Salter), orange amber, flower- ing in compact heads, very dwarf and fina for specimens. Princess Alice (Salter), dark rose car< 62 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. mine, most brilliant colour, fine form, and j peach with distinct white border, very fine very aitractive. I and full, of dwarf bushy habit— a lovely Priscilhi, clear orange, quilled, dwarf variety, remaining in bloom throughout and pretty. I December, was raised at the RoyafGar- TUe Little Gem (Ingram), delicate rose | deus, Wiudaor, by Air. Ingram, CELOSIA AUREA— HOW TO PEEPARE A STAPLE COMPOST. Among recent introductions, or rather among plants which have recently become popular, that which heads tliis notice is not the least interesting, for whether considered in relation to its adaptability for a single specimen, the elegance of its habit, or the deiiirableness of its golden masses of colour for Cjnservatory decoration, it is certainly one of tlie most useful tender annuals which has of late years been brought into notice. The brothers Thompson, to whom we are indebted for its general distribution, have grown it for some eisht or ten years past, but whether they won it by cultivation Irom the yellow cockscomb (G. cristatu flavescens), or obtained it by foreign introduction, I am not prepared to say; but however it was pro- cured, I for one should be delighted to see a crimson variety of the same habit, for I regard this pyramidal variety as a much more uselul smd elegant plant than those stiff, formal, waxwork-looking things upon ■which gardeners of the olden time, and even some of modern date, have given them- selves so much trouble. With the blue aprons of my younger days, " my cocks- combs" were scarcely less important in point of cultivation than " my cucumbers" or "my melons," and even some at the present time consider it a grand achieve- ment to grow a cockscomb ciLihteen inches to two feet over the cnnb. For my own part, I see but little beauty in these stereo- typed forms; it may be want of taste, but I would rather see one good specimen of this feathery variety than all tije formal things that may be grown during the pi'esent year. I would also in this place ■wish to impress upon cultivators the im- portance uf retaining the feathery form of Celosia in other colours. Tlie ''Florist" has figured a crimson variety which is no doubt very pretty, but we must not rest until we get a crimson variety equal to the orange one in point of habit. Those sticklers for " form " who can see no beauty except through a pair of geometrical spec- tacles, will no doubt ohject vej\y strongly to tiirowing the ©id form of cockscomb out of cultivation; but that 1 do not want so long as they will assist me to obtain a variety ■which will be more useful in a decorative point of view, and certainly not less worthy of cultivation. Now, in the cultivation of all soft- wooded and free-growing plants, the great desideratum is to have a suitable compost, a sort of general stock, which, witli the addition of a little sand, etc., to make it, as may be needed, light or heavy, will be ready at all times. This is best prepared by procuring two loads of fresh horse-dung as much impregnated with urine as possible. Throw it together into a heap to ferment, and if not sufficiently moist, sprinkle it with the drainings of the stable. It will require to be turned two or three times until it gets in a uniform state as to heat. Then procure four loads of nice turfy loam from an old sheep pastitre, and cut as thinly as possible ; chop this roughly over, and then having placed a layer about a foot thick upon the grouml, proceed to build up a heap in alternate layers of the hot dtmg and loam, taking care to use the dung in sufficient quantity at the com- mencement to insure the mass heating in a regular manner. If there should be any doubt on this point, cover the whole with hot dung to assist the fertnentation, as the moisture should heat sufficiently to destroy every sign of insect or vegetable lii'e in the mass. After sweating for a fortnight in this manner, turn it over, throwing the sides of the heap into the middle, and then let it heat again, only covering with mats to throw ofi'rain, and also in some measure to prevent the loss of ammonia. When the heat subsides, turn the heap over fre- quently, mixing the loam and dung as intimately as possible, but still not break- ing it too hue. This turning may be repeated frequently, so as to get the mass well aired; but at the same time great care must ha taken to keep it dry. Some of the outside portions of the compost will be tit to use after it has been exposed to the action of the atujospliere for a few weeks; but use it with cauti' n, for if properly prepared, it will be almost as strong as guano, and njuch too sirong for indiscriminate use. Compost of this kind sufficient for the use of a season should be prepared every autumn while the soil is THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 63 dry ; and if a sufficient stock is prepared to havu six months' airiiis;' before any of it is nsod, it will be so macli the better. Where hunters or otlier hoises are Itept in loose boxes, it is a capital plan to bed tuein with leaves instead of siruw, and a q umtity of that t;iken when it has accuinulnted to the depth ortifteeu or eighteen inches, and got qnite hot and usel, instead of dung from litter, makes tlie tiuest compost in the world. Compost like this, or similarly prepared, is the secret of a large proportion of the splenilid plants seen at the metro- politan exhibitions, and it also to some extent supplies the reason wli^', of two plants growing in the same sized pot, one in point of vigour may be cheap at 3s. QJ , while the other would be dear at a third of the price. Having prepare! the soil, we will next proceed with the cultivation of the Celosia. I generally make three sowings, one in February, another in March, and tlie third in Apiil, and these give a good succession of blooai to Christmas or even into the new year. To start the seeds strongly and well a bottom-heat of SO' to 90' is necessary; sow the seed thinly, but directly the plants are up place them close to the glass, and give air freely to keep them dwaify and stocky. As soon as the plants are sufE,;iently strong, pot them off into "tijumhs,'' u»ing equal parts of the preceding compost and mellow loam intermixed with sand and charcoal. Give the young plants the advantage of a bottom-heat of 80' at the least, a moist atmosphere, nnd as much air night and day as the heat of the frame, pit, or house, will admit of, always bearing in mind that the night temperature should not fall much below 60 , while in the day time a brisk m.jist heat rising to 80' or 90', with sun- hoat and moisture, will nut be ti>o much. As the pots Hll with roots, shift into those of a larger size, using t!ie same compost, but decreasing the proportion of sand and char- coal as they approach their final shifts. Fine plants may be grown in ll-lnch pots, but if you wisii to attain the fullest perfec- tion, 13 or 1.5-inch pots will hi necessary. A really well djne specimen of this Celosia should not be less than four to five feet in height, proportionately bushy, branched to tiie foot, and wiJi its plumes of rich orange flowers nod.iing in hundreds After the plants get too large for pits or frames a vinery or plant-stove is a suitable place for them; but when the flowers begin to change colour, more air and a comparatively dry atmosphere is necessary, always bearing in mind that the red spider likes to feed upon the cockscomb, and, therefore, it will be necessary to keep a watch to arrest its ravages. The Celosia answers well lor con- servatory decoration i,i summer and au- tumn, but after the nights get cold the tem- perature of an intermediate house or cool stove is the most suitable for it.— P., in Gard. C'kroii. CALCEOLAEIAS POE BEDDIKa. Albiea (Cole), yellow, with brown spot ; Attraction, crimson, with orange margin and cap; Camden Hero (Barnes), rich crimson; Canary bird, pale canary yellow ; Gem, orange brown, margin of yellow ; General Canrobert (Henderson), rich rosy crimson ; Golden Cap, brown and yellow, with yellow cap; King of Yellows ; Negro (Nelson), darkest crimson of all ; Pilot (Cole), crimson brown ; Sultan, dark crim- son; Wildfire_(Henderson), brownish crim- son. TO CORRESPONDEJS'TS. CirALOGtTES Rfceived.— " Select List of Kitchen Gartlen and Flower Seeds sold by Q. Cuoliug, Iro_igate, Derby." A neat, well-ai ranged, and mitiijieiitly copious lisMor all ordin.rv puiposps. The flower seeds are admiiably arrn'ngerl. Mr. Cooing gives prom neuee to the "Empress Eugenie potato, wliiuh is certainly the best ot the early ones.—" Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable Seeds, 1S61, Messrs. E. G. He derson and Son, Sr. John's Wood," cont dase ghtv-four pages of seed Usts, descriptions ot novelties. hints on cultivation, and suggestions to ama- teurs ill the selection of subjects fur garden decoration. A very novel feature is the list of " iiie'l'ective annuals," i eference to which will enable the purchaser of seeds to stter clear of plants that are either useless for ornament, or beaten by oiher and better things in their resi ective class s. — " Suton's Spring Catalogue and .mati'ur's Guide for 1861." The i i prove- ments effected in tbJg admirable work entitle Messrs, Sutton to the highest praise, and the u THE FLOEAL WOULD AJfD GARDEN GtJIDE. thanks of amateur gardeners generally. It ia a text-book cf culture as well a» a guide to the selection of varieties, and we know of no better handbonk for an amateur to work by, and refer to every day all the year round. There are four lithographic platei of sample routs, peas, etc., to show the distinctive forms 'if the prin- cipal varieties. — " Thompsim's Gardening Book of Annuals." Noticed in ai other page. Planting an Angle.— If. M. G., WTiittingfon. You cannot do bttier than fill in the space with hybrid perpetual roses on their own roots. The segment of a circle, 1, 2, 3, 4, Jules Mar- gottin, two feet apart ; the centre circle, 5, Gene- ral Jacqueminot, eighteen inches apart ; the two crescents, Madame Viddt or Caroline de Sansal or both, either mixed, or Madame in one bed and Caroline in the other. Nothing agrees ^vith roses so well as i oses. If you want evergreens you will find plenty of notes on them in former i.ssues. CiTBON GoUBD. — H. Saltmanh. — The following, from Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son's seed list, 1861, exactly meets your query :— " This is a truly valuable and highly-interesting esculent fruit, and constitutes a truevaiiety of the hard- fle.-hed water-melon, which, though not edible in its raw state, is now proved and stri'Ugly recommended for its valuable adaptation in makinir a very delicious preserve. In growth it IS free and vigorous, displaying its Iruil conspicuously between the rich foliage. It requires the same treatment by seed as the cummun ridge-cucuniber in being raised in an ordinary hotbed, or under a port.ible glass where intended lo be grown, being carefully vtntilated from under and shaded from strong sunlight until the young plants are vigorously estalilished, and th^-n eventually planted out upon paitially raised ridges of nchly-preparid groun kind ef bedding plants. Goo^^.BEllUi Catekimli.ae.— 7?. C. — Hellebore powder, du-ted over the trees early in the morn- lug, will efl'ectuully clear away tiiis destructive pest. THE AKD Apml, 1861. IjS'TEE, is over at last ; the bluster of March is over ; spring flowers are rather late, but they are as bright as ever, and, of coiu'se, as welcome. AYe may now take stock of gains and losses : the gains ■will be in kno\vledge, the losses in plants ; some of them such as we have long considered the hardiest of the hardy. Tired as we are ef talking about the " extraordinary weather," we must not let the occa- sion pass without an endeavour to determine what, among the special subjects of horticultural care, are able to endure the severest winters known in this climate, and what are to be regarded as likely to succumb when the weather reverts to old-fashioned types, and puts our plans to an ultimate trial. Gardening is too expen- sive a hobby, and surrounded with too many anxieties, for any of its acci- dents to be treated lightlj^, so there need be no apology for our again calling attention to the rigours of the past season, and endeavouring there- from to deduce a few conclusions of real utility. Taking the ornamental trees in their several degrees of importance, conifers will doubtless stand first. On wet soils the losses have been more numerous, and more to be deplored as to the value of the trees destroyed, than on dry soils ; and from these we learn the old lesson of the import- ance of effectual drainage. Pinus insignis has been almost everywhere kiUed. Pinus Montezumtc, muricata, Ayacahuitc, Llaveana, Eoylei, and cembrioides, eleven years planted, quite killed at Aldeuham Abbey, Herts. Among various other conifers that have been extensively planted of late years we regret to add that Araucaria imbricata has everywhere suiFered, and in some places has been killed as completely as if passed through fire. The oldest specimens have endured the trial with the least harm, but the mortality among young trees has been general. In a piece of seedling Araucarias in Mr. Glendinning's nursery about one-third are killed outright, and the remainder are untouched. Many Araucarias that have VOL. IV, — XO. IV. E m THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. escaped deatli have lost the terminal bud, Avhich, as a nile, is equivalent to the loss of symmetry for ever, though in some cases top-shoots will perhaps start away and form good substitutes for the original leaders. The beautiful Saxe-Gothea conspicua is in many sheltered places hope- lessly injured, in exi)osed places completely gone. Fitz-Roya Patagonica is variously cut up, in some places so as to be ii'recoverable, in others sufficient to spoil its beauty for some years to come, but, generally speak- ing, death has spared the species. A well-established and fine pair of Librocedrus Chilensis, in a sheltered border in our own garden, where the thermometer did not fall to zero on the night of December 25, are so scathed that we doubt if they will ever recover so as to be sightly. Many young plants of Cedrus Deodara have perished on bleak hill-sides and boggy grounds. Cedars of Lebanon have not utterly escaped ; Cupressus Go- veniana, torulosa, Uhdeana, and macrocarpa have been thinned in a terrible manner, but have not been swept away so completely as others named above. Thujopsis borealis and Secjuoia sempervirens are sufferers almost universally, but the survivors of this class of conifers can be cut to shape, and in a few years will be none the worse for the visitation. All things considered, this list of conifers incapable of withstanding the utmost rigours of oiu' climate is not disheartening. Though we can- not complacently spare any that have been enumerated as swept away or cut about, we can enumerate a good list of species that have passed through the ordeal imscathed. On the same bank in our own garden where Pinus insignis has become a browned corpse, with not a drop of living sap even in its roots, Cedrus Deodara lost only a few insignificant branches and all its leaves, and is now breaking beautifully, and will soon be covered with its plumy foliage, as handsome as ever. Young specimens of Thuia gigantea have lost their leaders beside Abies pinsapa, which has not a stain upon it, and every bud swelling as if we had had no winter at all. Fortune's Cephalotaxus looks a little shrivelled, but is breaking well, and may be reckoned as hardy as a common yew. The noble Wellingtonia gigantea has not suffered anywhere, whether on wet or dry soils. Pinus excelsa, cembra, Gerardiana, Cryptomeria Japonica, Cupressus funebris, Lawsoniana, and MacNabiana, the Torreas, ThujojDsis dolabrata, Abies Deodara, all the neat habited conifers enumerated in our recent articles for culture in pots, the American Thuias, the true Thuia Japonica, the golden Thuia, Abies Ivhutrow and orientalis, Librocedrus decurrens. Biota compacta, Taxus baccata, adpressa, Canadensis, and the fancy-foliaged yews are all safe and unhurt, and, as far as concerns temperature, e\T.- dently capable of bearing anything likely to befall them in the whole range of the British Islands. Cephalotaxus drupacea has stood the last three winters in the grounds of Messrs. Lawson, at Edinburgh, and may, therefore, be added to the lists of safe kinds to plant anywhere. "We have not seen or heard of a crippled jimiper. In our oAvn garden, the tops of young plants of Junipcrus Chinensis foemina, and Gossainthanea, are a little browned, but not to an extent to give occasion for serious lament, while the handsome Hispanica, Phoenicia, Virginiana stricta, Y. stricta glauca, and the procumbent savins, are all unhurt. Among miscellaneous evergreens there has been a clean sweep made of all the evergreen Euonymus, but in most cases they are alive at the root, and will break again. We have taken up all our plants, and put the stools in nursery quarters to make plants of the best of them at a future THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN aUIDE. 67 time, or grow new stock from cuttings, according to the style in which they throw up their new growth. Aucuba Japonica is generally hurt, but not seriously ; in a few places it is killed outright, but we must not label it with the word dangerous. Sweet Bays, Lauristinus, magnolias, Phillyrea, Ilex latifolia, and Perado, Grieslinia littoralis, and Eugenia Ugni are great sufferers. In Tcry many cases the trees are dead, root and branch, but except the Eugenias, which are fit only for the rubbish-pit or the fire, we believe that in the worst cases they will all be found to be alive at the root, and the safest way to deal with them will be to leave them alone till the end of this month, or even till the middle of May, and then to remove those that show no sign of breaking, and prune away the dead wood from tliose that make a fair start. "Where the presence of stunted and half-naked shrubs will be a positive eye-sore, we would ad- vise the lifting of them in May, and supplying their places with specimens worthy of the positions. If planted in the reserve ground, many of them Avill make good growth, and in a year or two may have conspicuous places again. Others will be fit only to take cuttings from for propagation during July and August. A large number of interesting American and Chinese plants which we have been putting out during the past three years have suffered materially. Berberis j^epalensis is lost ; Berberis Hookeriau a killed to the ground, but alive from the collar dowuAvards. Berberis glumacea looks as if it could not possibly recover, but it is certainly not dead. Ten species and varieties of Escallonia are gone ; Garrya elliptica, Ceanothus papillosus, under a south wall, Rhamnus alaternus, Quercus ilex, and even the re^jvxted hardy Arbutus TJnedo, are all killed, or but barely alive at the collar. There is scarce a pampas grass left alive in the country. On the bright side of this picture we have Berberis Japonicus unhurt, and now pushing with vigour, its old leaves nearly as fresh in colour as they were last autumn. Berberis dulcis, Jamesonii, Darwinii, ai'istata, fascicularis, and the old aquifolium, unhurt ; Cotoneasters of all kinds, ditto ; all the Buxus, ditto ; Ilhododendrons, Gaultherias, Minorca holly, variegated hollies, and the beautiful Ilex Sheppardi, as prim and thrifty as in November last ; Ligustrum lucidum sempervirens has lost its leaves ; £0 for once we may trij) up Mr. Standish, who says it never loses its leaves ; but it would be cowardly to do so when dealing with a winter such as no man living ever saw the like of. Prinos lucidus has lost its leaves, but is quite hearty even in a damp border of heavy loam, which is not a good place for it. The charming Skimmia Japonica holds its huge bimches of scarlet berries, that no bird will eat and no insect mutilate all the winter long, as if some day it would prove a formidable rival of the holly, as it already rivals it in slowness of growth. Our favourite Azalea amoena looks much the worse for the visitation, but is breaking freely, and the knife will make the plants as respectable as ever. The bloom will pro- bably be nil this season. Among deciduous trees and shrubs, Cercis, Liquidambar, Weigelia rosea, Eorsythia viridissima, Calycanthus floridus, Bhus cotinus, and all the Spireeas, have come through the trial without losing an inch of wood, with the exception of "Weigelia, which will want pruning into order. Chimo- nanthns fragrans is, Ave fear, non est. If any of our readers have saved old flowering specimens we shall be glad to learn, for it is too good a thing to be forgotten when wc come to this severe test of the relative 68 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. hardiness of tlie shrubs wc so largely depend upon for out-door decora- tions. Roses have suffered to a tremendous extent. At the Cheshunt Nur- series the losses may be set down at near 20,000 plants. "We have not heard to what extent Sawbridgeworth has been ravaged; Mr. Cran- ston at Hereford, and Mr. Standish and Mr. Noble at Bagshot, Mr. Francis at Hertford, and the Messrs. Lane at Berkhampstead, have had immense losses. Mark this, the greatest mortality has been among worked plants ; roses on their own roots are mostly alive below the surface, and where they were heavily mulched in time, according to the dicta of the books, they will throw up as good a growth from the eyes about the collar as if nothing had happened. Teas and noisettes have suffered most among the classes. Bourbons have not escaped, and of the hybrid perpetuals we learn that some that were thought the hardiest, proved the weakest, and vanished altogether. Among the teas and noisettes that have escaped, we must mention Gloire de Dijon, which appears to be frost-proof; so to its intrinsic beauty, fiiU habit, capability of enduring smoke, we may now add a farther qualification to give it rank as one of the most useful varieties in existence. Triomphe de la Duchere, Pellenberg, Yicomtesse Decazes, and Caroline Marniesse arc but little hurt, but death has fallen upon Ophirie, Triomphe de Eennes, Miss Gray, and, almost without excep- tion, all other teas and noisettes openly exposed to the influences of the weather. Of hybrid perpetuals it is impossible now to make a complete list of dead and wounded, but we can comfort rose-fanciers with the as- surance that the best of recently introduced varieties are as hardy, per- haps more hardj*, than some of the older kinds they have superseded. Victor Yerdier, Eugene Appcrt, Senateur Yaisse, Louis XIY., Celine Forestier, Anne Alexicff, Comtesse do Chabrilland, Eveque de Mmes, Lord Raglan, Louis Chaix, Gloire de Santenay, and Admiral Nelson are, gene- rally speaking, unhurt, though the plants were mostly young, and in many instances were put out last season. It is therefore certain that the rose has lost nothing of its hardiness bv high breeding. "VYe did not expect so soon to be called upon to raise a new defence of tif- fany. Mr. Gosse bas raised the question by a distinct assertion that in his hands it has proved a failure. We must remind our readers that we never suggested its use as a substitute for glass, except in certain specified cases ; as, for instance, for blooming chrysanthemums — which, if exposed to the weather during November, are usually more or less injxired, and the past three seasons have been all but destroyed, when at their highest state of perfection — for the growth of orchard-house trees which do not need ar- tificial heat, but mere protection from night frosts diu-ing theii" season of bloom ; as a protective material for tender roses and for all kinds of nearly hardy plants with ornamental foliage. To these suggestions have been added various testimonies of the efficiency of tiffany, and memoranda of its adoption at the Wellington Nurseiy, and other places, where plant houses of all possible kinds are in constant use and variously tested as to their merits. It should be remembered also that the proposal to use tiffany came originally from our Bagshot correspondent, Mr. S. W^aymouth, who gave an account of Mr. Standish's adoption of it, and that he was followed by THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 69 Mr. Standish himself, who described in detail his mode of constructing these cheap houses. Mr. "Way mouth. has favoured us with a communica- tion headed '' Tiffany not a failure." He says, Mr. Standish continues to use tiffany, which is a sufficient guarantee of its power of repelling frost to the extent previously stated. Wc all know, or should know, tliat Mr. Standish stands at the head of his profession, that his name has been before the public for years as an originator of methods as well as a producer of thousands of the most valuable garden hybrids, and that he is about the last man either to make or to propagate a mis- take in sucli matter. Then we can have the testimony of Mr. Elvers, who stronglj- recommends tiffany for cheap orchard-houses. Mr. Fleming has been down to Bagshot, and has gone home intending to make a feature of it in the grounds of the Duke of Sutherland, under his charge. Mr. Veritas also hurries to the defence of tiffany, which he was once prejudiced against as moonshine, and the first cause of his change of opinion was finding it in extensive use at the Cheshunt I^ursery of Messrs. Gr. Paul and Sons, where they have managed to save roses in as fresh and lively a condition as if there had been no winter at all, while in the open grounds there the same kinds have perished by thousands. Mr. Yeritas now says — " I can justify all that has been said in favour of these cheap houses, and am sure they must increasingly become necessary adjuncts to every establishment where plants are largely grown." We may add to this that Mr. Yeritas is one of the most experienced nurserymen living on the north side of London. As the name is not sufficient for identification, we must refer those who wish for further evidence to Messrs. Paul them- selves, who will very gladly admit any number of visitors desirous of information. There is no hole-and-corner notion in the recommendation of tiffany. The nurseries named are as public as the pages of the Times newspaper. !Mr. Gosse has plainly stated matters within his own know- ledge, with the best of objects in view, namely, to guard the unwary from being deceived. But Mr. Gosse is wrong ; and tiffany is now fairly out of the region of mere experiment, and established as an appliance ad- mirably suited to certain iises, and eminently a boon to gardeners of limited means. KOTES OF THE MONTH. Exhibition of Hyacinths. — Messrs. Catbush's Nursery has been visited by thousands of persons since the oj^ening of the show of hyacinths, which we are happy to say was as good a show as any held in former years, not- withstanding the generally inferior condition of bulbs this season. The exhibition was held in a lean-to house, the pots plunged in moss and the plants so grouped as to form effective masses of harmonizing colours. Edgings of crocuses and primulas gave the whole a finish, and proved the Messrs. Cutbush to be masters of taste as well as of culture. Among the varieties most conspicuous for their fine spikes and bold colours, were most of those which have been recommended in the Floeal World (Yol. i. p. 233 ; ii. pp. 205, 234, 239, 286 ; iii. pp. 43, 266). Others of special excellence were the following : — Solfaterre, orange scarlet, veiy novel and brilliant in colour, and beautifully formed ; IS'oble par Merite, flesh pink, striped with crimson, a fine fancy flower for culture imder glass ; Miss Burdett Coutts, a very grand white ; Snowball, also pure white, but a smaller spike than the 70 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. last ; Princess Alice, violet, ricli and dark ; Victor Hugo, a really good yellow, which is saying a great deal for any hyacinth; Lord Elgin, rosy salmon and large ; Honneur d'Overeen, purplish crimson ; Lord Clyde, brownish lilac, white eye, a rich and charming flower, the spike large and the bells beautifully formed ; General Havelock is the best black, as it was last season, when it shared honours with Prince Albert. EoYAL HoBTicuLTtJRAL SociETT. — A general meeting of the Society wa3 held on Tuesday, the 19th, at the new gardens, South Kensington, for the purpose of electing fellows, and for a ballot for the distribution of seeds. The Eight Eev. the Lord Bishop of Winchester occupied the chair. Among the numerous body of fellows present we observed the Earl of Erne, Lord J. Manners, Judge Des Barres, Sir Peter Van Notten Pole, Bart., Sir J. P. Boileau, Mr. S. G-urney, M.P., Lieut.-General Fox, etc. Among the fellows elected were the Eight Hon. the Earl of Aylesford, the Earl of Gilford, the Hon. W. F. Byng, Lady Murray of Edinburgh, Lady Hume Campbell, and about 130 others. After the ordinary meeting had been concluded, a special general meeting was held to receive the report of the council. Dr. Liudley read this document, which stated that the probable cost of completing the substantial works in the gardens would be £70,000 instead of £50,000, as stated in a previous report. The council had received already nearly £40,000 on debentures, and they recommended the Society to give them express powers for raising an additional £10,000. Without that sum the council would be unable to complete the gardens on the plans which they considered advisable, and which had received the sanction of his Eoyal Highness the President of the Society. On the motion of Mr. C. Went- worth Dilke, seconded by Mr. H. T. Hope, the report was adopted, and power was given to raise the additional £10,000 as required. HINTS ON THE CULTUEE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE CAMELLIA. Although there are but few plants which die a harder death than the camellia, yet it requires some practical skill to grow and bloom this plant well. The camellia may he propagated from cuttings, seeds, graft- ing, or inarching with equal success, if properly managed. The most proper time of the year to pro- pagate from cuttings is about the beginning of October. The best sorts fortius purpose are the single red and the Warataw. The cuttings ought to be planted in pots filled with silver-sand, then jjlaced in a close frame or under hand-glasses, until about the beginning of December. The cuttings afterwards ought to be placed in a gentle heat. The best method is to fill a frame with tan, and place them in it ; the air in the frame should not exceed 60' of Fahren- heit in the winter months. The heat ought to be increased as tlie days Itngthen. The best time to inarch the camellia is the months of March and August. None but the yonng shoots of the same season will grow in August ; but in the spring, branches of three or four years old will readily grow by inarching. An erroneous idea prevails among many who grow the camellia as regards the method of inarching. Many inarch large branches of the double sorts on the single, with the intention of forming large plants at once ; expecting by this method to gain several years : but they ai'e wofuUy mistaken ! Plants so treated oftentimes stand still for many yenrs with- out ever making any fresh shoots, unless the stocks they are worked on be in a very healthy state ; even then the shoots they make are seldom more than an inch or two in length. Where tlie stocks are not well rooted, grafting ought to be resorted to. The bpst month ibr grafting the camellia is Decem- ber, as the sun's rays at that time are not as powerful as in the spring. The grafted camellias ought to be treated in the same way as the cuttings after their introduction into heat. We have seen a shoot of Camel- lia reticulata, which had grown to the height of four feet and one inch in one season, the second year from its being in- arched, The slock on which this shoot THE PLOEAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 71 was inarclied was about an incli and a-lialf in diameter, and the branch laid on not more tlian four inches in len2;tli. The best compost for camellias is a por- tion of good loam, peat, rotten cow-dung, and decayed oak leaves. The composition ouijht to be as follows : — half loam mixed with a small quantity of cow-dunjr, a quarter of peat, and a quarter of decayed leaves: these ought to be laid in a heap together and frequently turned and mixed together, and exposed to winr], frost, hail, rain, and sunshine for two years previous to its being vised. The pro- per time for shifting the camellia is about the beginning of August, or when the shoots are ripened. Great care ought to be taken not to put plants which are not well rooted into too large pots ; this being one of the greatest evils among woody green- house plants. The great aim among gar- deners ought to be to have the different varieties in bloom in the months of January and February, that being tlie time of the year when a flower of any sort most glad- dens the eye. To effect this the plants in the summer time ought never to be placed in the open air until tiieir buds are about the size of peas. Some gardeners place them in a gentle heat early in the summer, which greatly assists their early flowering. When camellias are placed in the open air too early in the summer, they generally do not bloom until April and May, when the heat of the sun is sometimes so power- ful as to cause the buds to drop, unless they are kept shaded. Camellias, under the care of many gardener,?, drop their buds just about the time they ought to be in bloom. When this occurs among plants which are well rooted, the cause is, in nine cases out of ten, for want of a proper supply of water. They require to be most boun- tifully supplied with this element when they are coming into bloom. It often occurs that the surface of the mould appears con- tinually wet, while the mould underneath is as dry as snuff, and probably has not tasted a drop of water for years. When such is the case the surface of the mould ought to be frequently stirred up, and a pointed instrument introduced in order to let the water circulate freely, and prevent it from running down the side of the pot ; at other times the mould becomes com- pletely saturated with water and seems as heavy as a lump of lead : this will also cause the buds to drop. This is the bane- ful effect of putting them into dirty pots and of worms getting into the pots among the mould. When this occurs you may bid good-day to the welfare of this or any other plant, unless they be speedily shifted and the old mould shook away ; then they ought to be placed in a clean pot only large enough to contain the roots. Although the camellia requires a plen- tiful supjDiy of water at certain times, the pots ought never to be placed in pans for holding the water, as the water soon be- comes stagnant and is sure to injure the plant : the pots in all cases ouglit to be well di-ained. The best situation for camel- lias in the summer season is in a shady part of a grass lawn : the grass may be suffered to grow up among the pots, it being of great use iu order to keep the roots cool in the hot months of summer. The pots ought always to be placed on boards in order to prevent the worms from getting into the pots. The situation where they are to remain in the summer ought to be overshadowed with lofty trees, iu order to keep the sun from scorching the leaves ; this not only prevents their being scorched by the sun, but gives the leaves a healthy, dark greeu appearance. .^«ft?rfW»i^«»«WS5«: THE GLOEY OF THE COTJIsTEY. Ox the summit of Clent Hill, in Worcester- shire, adjoining the classic shades of Hagley, the domain of Lord Lyttelton, there was formerly a double seat on which was in- scribed—Divina Gloria RuRAr.i.s. (To the Divine Glory of the Country.') A more appropriate inscription could not have been chosen for so sublime a scene, com- manding as it does a complete panoramic view of the Midland Districts of England, circumscribed by the distant mountams of Wales. The poet Thomson has left us a memento of its magnificence in his " Sea- sons;"— "Meantime you gain the height, from whose fair brovy The biirstingprospect spreads immense around; And snatch'd o'er hill and dale, and wood, and Liwn, And vei'dant field, and darkening heath between. And villages erabosom'd solt in trees, And spiry towns by surging columns mark'd Of liousehold smoke, your eye excursive roams— To where the broken lundsoape, by degrees Ascending, rougbeus into rigid hills ; O'er whioli the Cambrian mountiiins, hl;e far clouds That skirt the blue horizon, dusky rise." The divine glory of the country has engaged the attention of mankind from the 73 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. earliest ages. In the Garden of Eden our first parents received their existence, here for a lonsc time they revelled in innocence and rural enjoyment, till the arch fiend pre- vailed upon tiiem to eat of the forbidden fruit. Well might Adam, when gazing upon the hcauties of Paradise, be led to ex- claim in the lajiguage of Milton — •• These are tbv glorious works, Parent of good. Almighty ! Thine this uni%'ersal frame. Thus wondrous fiiir; Thyselfhow wondrous then Unspeakable, who sitt's"t above these heavens To us invisible, or dimly seen In these thy lowest works ; yet these declare Thy soodness beyond thought, and power divine." Kings and potentates have often pre- ferred the quiet enjoyments of i-ural life to the grandeur of regal state. The beautiful Median queen of Nebuchadnezzar, when re- moved from her native hills to the plains of Babylon, could not reconcile hei-self to the change. To assuage her grief, her liusband constructed that curious hanging garden on terraces which was accounted as one of the seven wonders of the world. We are informed by Josephus, the Jewish historian, that King Solomon frequently retired to his garden at Etham, about six miles from Jerusalem; that in these visits the monarch was usually seated on a high and magnificent chariot, clothed in white and glistening raiment ; and that nothing might be wanted to add to his princely state he was attended by his hody guard of six thousand horsemen, selected for their noble stature, youth, and beauty. That the long and flowing hair of each horseman was sprinkled over with gold dust, which sparkled in the rays of the sun. Here, amid his groves, orchards, fish-pools, and fountains, the great king had an ample op- portunity of studying the works of Nature ; for he was equally conversant with the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms. The majesty of Solomon far exceeded in pomp that of all other princes, yet our Blessed Redeemer hids us " Behold the lilies of the field, how they grow : they toil not, neither do they spin ; and yet I say ixnto you, that Solomon, in all his glory, Avas not arrayed like one of these." The great Cyrus delighted in the study of flowers. "I have measured, dug, and planted, the large garden which I have at the Gate of Babylon," said that prince, " and never, when my health permits, do I dine till I have laboured two hoitrs in my garden." A nohle example truly ! The gardens of Alcinous have heen im- mortalized by Homer in his Odyssej' — " Oft for these shades where Nature reigns alone, ■\Vould great Alcinous quit his regal throne ; And mid these scenes, whose beauties could inspire The misfhty father of the Grecian lyre ; Nor still the monarch, nor the muse they wrong. But smile in Nature, as they bloom in song." The noble-minded Garibaldi, Dictator of Italy, after giving liberty to his belovrd country, retired amid tlie plaudits of the world, to cultivate his small farm at Caprera. Our gracious sovereign Queen Victoria, when weary with the affairs of state, and the pageantry of the court, retires for a season to her domestic home in the Isle of Wight, or seeks a still greater seclusion at Balmoral, amid the mountain solitudes of Scotland. The phiasure which lier beloved consort, Prince Albert, takes in agricultural pursuits, and the enjoyments of a country life, is patent to all. History gives us several instances of men who have with great reluctance left the occupation and quiet enjoyment of rural life, to ascend a throne, and rule over king- doms. When Alexander the Great con- ferred the Sidonian kingdom on Abdolony- mus, he left his lowly cottage with regret — "Th' ambassadors which the great Emperor sent, To ofTer him a crown, with wonder found The reverend gardener hoeing of bis ground. Unwillingly, and slow, and discontent. From his loved cottige to a throne he went; And oft he stopt in his triumphant way, And oft look'd back, and oft was heard to say. Not without sighs, Alas ! I there forsake A happier kingdom than I go to take." Nnma, who laid the foundation of the great lioman Empire, was with much dif- ficulty persuaded to quit the country for the ro3'al pomp of Rome. The Emperor Dioclesian, preferred his garden to a throne— " Methinks I see great Dioclesian walk In the Salonian garden's noble shade. Which by his own imperial hands was made. I see him smile, melhinks, as he does talk With the ambassadors, who come in vain T' entice him to a throne again. — ' If I, my friends,' said he, ' should to you show All the delights which in these gardens grow, 'Tis likelier far that you with me should stay. Than 'tis that you should carry me away ; And trust me not, my friends, if, every day, I walk not here with more delight. Than ever, after the most happy fight. In triumph to the capital I rode, To thank the gods, and to be thought myself almost a god."' The great master minds of all ages have united their testimony in praise of the divine glory of the country. In the city we see only the works of man, but in the country the works of God. Cicero, who lived amongst all the pomp of Rome, ac- knowledges the pleasure he received from the sublime scenes of Nature. Pliny was never so happy as in the quietude of his THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 73 villa, Thuscum. Here lie observes, ia a letter to a friend, "I enjoy the most profound retirement — 'all is c;ilna and composed; circumstances which contribute no less than its clear and unclouded sky, to that health of body and cheerfulness of mind, which in this place I so particularly enjoy." Tibullus was a sincere and ardent lover of the country ; and being disgusted with the corruptions of the times, he retired to Pe- dum, there to indulge in tlie occupations of a country life. Soipio retired from the malicious persecution of his enemies, to philosophic ease and independence at his villa of Liternum. Tasso and Ariosto were both equal admirers of fine landscape. Petrarch enjoyed the greatest rural delights in his hermitage at Vaucluse. Martial was never happier than when enjoying the delights of his favourite Auxur, situated amid craggy rocks. Ovid was fond of writing in his garden ; Linnaeus studied in a bower ; Buffon in his summer-house. " Of all my works," says Pope, " I am most proud of my garden." Some men have carried tbeir affections so far, as to desire that their mortal remains may repose in those sechislons which they so ardently loved during their lifetime. Plato was buried in his favourite grove of Academus. Rousseau requested that his mortal remains may rest in his retreat at Ermonville. BaskerviUe, one of the founders of the fancy trades of Birmingham, was, according to his will, interred in his garden. Sir William Temple gave orders for his heart to be inclosed in a silver casket and placed under a sun-dial in his garden. And the Duchess of Kent is to have her final eai-thly x-est at Frogmore. Poets of all ages have depicted in glow- ing strains the beauties of Nature. How ardently have they expressed their feelings in praise of rural life! Divina Gloria Rura- lis seems to be the theme on which they delighted to dwell. Well might the poet Thomson exclaim — " Oh ! knew he but his happiness, of men, The happiest he ! who, far from public rage, Deep in the vale, with a clioice few retired, Drinks the pure pleasure of the rural life." Is there a soul that acknowledges and adores an Almighty Croator ? is there a mind that delights in the pleasing pursuits of literature, the refinements of art, tlie wonders of science, or the calm consolations of religion, but will respond to the ejacu- lation of Cowley — " IS'or e'er by me shall you — You of all names the sweptest and the best— You muses, books, and liberty, and rest, You fountains, fields, and floods, forsaken be As long as life itself forsakes not me." William Harris. Swiss Cottage, Birchfidd, Birm ingham. OLD AND NEW ANNUALS. OROWW FOIt TIUAL AT CHISWICK, 1860. Gtpsophila MURALis (Carter). — A slender, branched, diffuse plant, forming a mass about one foot in diameter, long linear leaves, pale pinkish flowers. A neat plant for rock-work, but ineffective as a mass. Helichrysum bracteatum incubvum (Turner, Thompson, Carter). — Five im- proved varieties were grown, namely, na- num ferrugineum, compactum maximum, compositum maximum, macranthura coni- positum maximum, macranthum nanum. A beautiful race of everlasting flowers, the flowers large, incurved, veiy various iu colour, height averaging three feet, flower- heads twoinchesin diameter. Not very fixed in character, but sportive. Bracteatum na- num is dwarfer in habit, the height being fifteen to eighteen inches. Hibiscus HispiDus and TRiONUi[(Veitch, Carter, Parker). — The first a handsome large-flowered species, flowers cream co- loured with intense black spots at the base of the petals. The second is like it but smaller flowers ; it is the Bladder Ketmla of old gardening books. Iberisumbellata atropurpubea (Car- ter).—Same habit as common candytuft, flowers a rich deep rosy purple. Selected plants of this are of the first class among annuals, Leptcsiphon htbbidus (Vilmorin). — Compact habit, four inches high, flowers distinct in their colours, some rosy lilac, others coppery red, some buff. At present this hybrid is too mixed to be of much ser- vice, but if the brighter coloured forms can be perpetuated, they will be acceptable ad- ditions to a ve.vy ornamental genus. Lobelia bicolor (syn., Erinus gracilis, E. oculata, E. oculata alba, E. maxima, E. compacta,E. grandiflora, E. ramosoides, cri- noides, companulata, arguta; Carter,Thomp- son, Yan Houtte, Veitch). — The report says: "Thisis the pale blue lobelia so exten- sively cultivated under the name oC gracilis, to which species it has very slight resera- 74 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. blance. Tlua sort was distiiiguisliable from the rest by its diffuse habit and p;de coloured flowers, and is of no importance in decora- tive gai'dtniing." Lobelia bicolor rosea (syu., I-, gra- cilis rosea, L. erinus Lindleyaua, L. Lmd- leyaua — Thompson, Van Houtte). — The habit of bicolor, but the flowers of a rosy lilac. Adapted either for beds or pot-cul- ture. Lobelia erinus (syn., L. densa multi- flora — Veitch). — The genuine form has long since disappeared, having been modified by seedhig and admixture. Flowers small, deep blue, white eye, of little value as a decorative plant. Lobelia erinus compacta (syn., L. gracilis erecta, L. gracilis compacta — Thompson, Carter). — Dwarf, slender, com- pact, dense liabit of growth, with crowded stems, forming a cushion-like tuft ; lower leaves, obovate; flowers pale blue. Useful for small pots and edgings to very small beds. Lobelia erinus speciosa (syu., L. speciosa, Crystal Palace Lobelia — Carter, Turner, and generally distributed). — The best for flower-garden purposes of all the < dwarf lobelias collected. Habit neat and compact, flowers large and deep blue, vary- ing slightly when from seed. The best forms should be perpetuated by means of cuttings to secure uniformity. The best form is that known as the Crystal Palace Lobelia, the flowers of which are of the deepest blue, with a white eye. The others contributed imder the name of speciosa agreed with it in all points except the tips of tlie bi-anches ; in tlie Crystal Palace variety these are brownish, in spe- ciosa they are green, and the flowers of a lighter shade of blue. Lobelia b.4.mosa (syn., L. formosa — Veitch, Carter). — Very handsome, but better adapted for pot culture than for the open air. Erect, openly branched, lower leaves pinuatisected, ujDper ones ones linear lanceolate ; flowers bright deep blue, larger than any of the foregoing, and i-emarkable for the dimidiate or halved appearance of the lateral lobes of the lower lip. Lobelia trujueir.\ (Thompson). — Unattractive. LUPINUS DUNNEXTII SUPERBUS (Vcitch). — Showy and cfl"ective, with tlie habit of L. hybridus, but light coloured and nearly smooth branches. Flowers at first white, changing to lilac, the standard deep pur- ple. Plant dwarfish in habit, spilies freely produced. LupiNUS Hartwegii albus (Veitch). — Handsome racemes of white flowers. Au excellent border plant. Lupin us Hartweg II c^LESTiNus (Veitch). — Pale or grayish blue, and like the last, showy and eS'cctive. LupiNus HYBRIDUS iNSiGNis (Veitch). Dwarf habit, fine central spike of deep pur- plish lilac flowers. LupiNus Menziesii (syn., L. sulphureus — Vilniorin). — Dwarf tree-like habit, pro- ducing, at about a foot from the ground, a whorl of spreading branches ; these bore pedunculated spikes of handsome pale yellow flowers. LupiNusMUTABiLisvARiicoLOB (Carter). — A sportive form of L. mutabilis, various in colour. Tall branching habit, flowers in short racemes of different shades of blue with a darker standard, or white with a purplish standard. LupiNus NANUS LiL.lciNUS (syn., L. sub- raraosus — Van Houtte). — Dwarf, spreading, compact, numerous racemes of deep blue flowers, the standard marked with a white sjiot. Very showy. LupiNus tricolor elegans (Veitch). — Branched and spreading, two and a-half feet high, numerous racemes of white flowers, the standards deep lilac, changing to pucy- purple. Very effective. Lychnis Haageana (Beuary, Carter). — Did not succeed well in the open ground, through adverse conditions of the soil. A foot high, unbranched, bearing a few flowers in succession on the upper part of the stems. Flov.'ers various in colour, in- cluding vivid scarlet, orange scarlet, crim- son of several shades and white. In pots of good soil the plants were taller, and those with bright scarlet flowers very handsome, the flowers were two to two and a-lialf inches in diameter. Nycterinia selaginoides (Veitch). — Dwarf compact tufts furnished with oblong spathulate leaves. Flowers in terminal corymbs, star shaped, white or lilac with orange centre. A pretty dwarf plant for rock-work. CEnotiiera bistorta Veitchiana (Veicch). — A showy yellow flowered an- nual, irregular in growth. Flowers soli- tary from the leaf axils, abundant, about one inch in diameter ; four petaled, with a small crimson spot at the base of each petal. Rather str.aggling. Q<]notuera Dkummondii nana (Car- ter, Vilmorin, Truffaut). - — Diffuse in growth, over a foot in height, some rising to a foot and a-half; flowers large, pale yellow and showy. Considered a good bold-flowered dwarfish plant for the front of shrubbery borders. CEnothera salicifolia (syn., CE. bien- nis hirsutissima, (E. versicolor — Carter). — ■ Plants coarse and weedy, flowers dingy. THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 75 PaPAVER SOMSIFEEUII MONSXROSUM (Van Hoiitte). — A curious plant of tall growth, large dull piirpllsli-bhick spotted flowers. The flower-heads produce a num- ber of small ovaries around the base of the princi^ial one, after the manner of the hen and chicken daisy. * Phacelia tanacetifolia alba (Vil- niorin). — Grayish white flower, weedy cha- racter. PoRTULACA. — P. Thellasonii and P. splendens were the only two that produced flowers of rich and decided colour. Ptrethrum Pahthenium eximium, (syn., Matricaria eximia — Turner). — A fine late flowering double quilled feverfew, free, compact habit, one and a-half to two feet high ; flowers pure white, very nu- merous, and excellent in a mass. SCHIZANTHUS CuiLENSIS (Veitcll). — TwO feet high, flowers deep lilac dotted with black ; an inferior sort. SCHIZANTHUS GRANDIFLOKUS OCULATUS (Van Houtte). — A handsome form of S. pinnatus, height one and a-half foot, branching, leaves pinnate ; flowers briglit rosy lilac, upper lip heavily tipped with rose and having a large black central spot, lower tip rosy ; very showy. Spraguea umbellata (Veitch). — A dwarf succulent-looking herb, with a rosu- late tuft of spathulateleav3s, and numerous scapes supporting the umbellate heads of rosy flowers which issued from among crowded whitish or scarious bracts ; neat and pretty, and adapted for rock-work. Tagetes patula aurantiaca (Carter). — The true plants of this marigold were very gay, and intermediate between the Frencli and African races ; flower-heads clear light orange, and two and a-half inches in diameter. Not so dwarf as usually described. Tag-exes paxula nanissima (syn., new miniature French marigold — Carter, Veitch).— Dwarf, early flowering, flowers mostly dark orange brown, suitable for margins. Teop^olum Tom Thumb (Carter). — Compact growing, bright orange scarlet well adapted for beds and pots. Tropsiolum. Yellow Tom Thumb. — Flowers clear yellow ; very showy as a pot plant. " These two varieties were decidedly the best of the kinds belonging to the com- mon Nasturtium series." Veronica .syriaca (Thompson). — Early in flower and out of bloom by the end of June. Dwarf, neat, compact, pretty when in lines or masses ; plants three to four inches high ; abundant small starry flow- ers, blue and white. ViscARiA cceli ROSA NANA (Carter). — Growth twelve to fifteen inches high ; flowers rose-colour with paler centre, very pretty, soon out of flower. ViSCARIA CCELI ROSA ALBA (syn,, Agrostemma ceeli rosa alba, A. New White). — DilFasely branched habit ; flow- ers white, straggling, and ineffective. ViSCAKIA OCULAIA VAR. SPLENDIDA (syn., Agrostemma coeli rosa — Vilmorin). — A large-flowered and highly-coloured variety of oculata ; flowers rich rose-colour, re- markably brilliant. VisoARiA ocuLAXA NANA (Carter). — A first-class annual, dwarf, compact and uni- form ; plants about fifteen inches high ; flowers lively rose with deep crimson eye, full and circular. ViSC.UlIA OCULATA DuNNETXIt (syU. V. Dunnettii — Parker, Vilmorin, Truftaut). — A pale blush-coloured variety of V. oculata, too indistinct for decorative purposes, bat pretty in a border of annual flowers. ViscARiA ocDLAXA BurrIdgii (Parker). — Large flowered ; flowers pale slate or bluish lilac, almost white ; not distinct enough for masses, but a good border annual. BIVEES'S EOSE AMATEURS' GUIDE. 'The seventh edition of Mr. Rivers's Eose Amateurs' Guide (Longmans) contains some additional hints on tlie culture of the rose for various purposes, aud a quite new idea for converting climbing roses into pictu- resque objects, as lasting in their beauty as the best of the hybrid perpetuals, by, in fact, working perpetuals on them. Ama- teurs who are now planting roses from store pots, cannot do better than give the sugges- tion we quote below a little consideration ; and shape their plans accordingly. Instead of a gay show for a few weeks on walls and arches, the show may be kept up all the summer long on Mr. Rivers's plan, which, with some instructions on the managenient of standard sempervirens, we here subjoin as preferable to wasting a line in praise of a book which does not Avant it, CULTURE OF EVERGREEN ROSES. " The varieties of Rosa sempervirens are or the easiest culture, as they seem to flourish in all soils and situations. In sheltered places and under trees they are nearly evergreen, retaining their leaves till 76 TiiE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN aUIDil. spring. This makes them valuable for covering banks, trees, or walls. I know of no rose idea pretfier than that of a wilderness of evergreen roses, the varieties planted promiscuously, and suffered to cover the surface of the ground with tlieir en- tangled shoots. To effect this, the ground should be dug, manured, and tliorouglily cleaned from jaei-enuial weeds, such as couch grass, etc., and the plants planted from three to five feet asunder. If tlie soil be rich, the latter distance will do ; they must be hoed amongst, and kept clean from weeds after planting, till the branches meet ; they will then soon form a beautiful mass of foliage and flowers covering the soil too densely for weeds of minor growth to flourish. Those weeds that are more robust should be pulled out occasionally ; and tliis is all the culture they will require : for temples, columns, wire fences, which they soon cover witli beauty, and verandahs, their use is now becoming well known. One of the most complete temples of roses is that at the seat of -Warner, Esq., Hoddes- don, Hertfordshire ; and the prettiest speci- mens of festooning these roses from one column to anotlier, by means of small iron chains (strong iron wire will do), may be seen at Broxbourn Bury, near Hoddesdon, the seat of Bosanquet, Esq. They also form elegant and graceful standards ; like the Ayrshire roses, their shoots are pendulous, and soon hide the stem, in a i'ew years forming a pretty dome of foli- age and flowers ; for covering the naked stems of forest or ornamental trees they are also very us3ful, as their roots will not injure the tree which supports them ; and if strong copper wire is brought loosely round the trunk of the tree to support tlieir branches, they will give scarcely any trouble in sirch situations. To make them grow vigorously, give them a supply of manure on the surface annually, in the autumn, to be carried to their roots by the rains of winter. Like the Ayrshires, standard sempervirens roses literally require no prun- ing. I have them as standards, as pillars, and as masses of underwood ; the dead spray is cut out, and no other pruning done ; for the wild beauty of standards is entirely de- stroyed by it ; occasionally a very long shoot will have to be shortened, and that is all. " About six or eight years ago I received, among others, some very stout short stocks of the dog rose; they were not more than two feet in height, but stouter than a large broom-handle, the bark thick and gray with age : they were planted and grew most luxuriantly. I was for some little time at a loss what varieties to bud them with ; for, be it remembered; all stout and old rose stocks required to be worked with very strong-growing sorts of roses, to take ofl" the abundance of sap, and keep them in a healthy state. At last, in a mere freak of fancy, I had them budded with some varieties ofthe evergreen Rosa (Rosa semper- virens). They grow most luxuriantly, and, after a year or two, not being trees adapted for sale, they were planted in a sloping bank of strong white clay, and left to grow and bloom as Nature dictated — not a shoot was ever touched with the pruning-knife. " One of these trees, now a well known variety, the F^licite Perp^tue, is on a stem a trifle more than two feet in lieight, and it has been these two or three summers past a picture of beauty. When in full bloom the ends of its shoots rest on the ground, and it then forms a perfect dome of roses ; nothing in rose-culture can really be more beautiful. It will be seen at once with what facility such stout, short, old rose stocks can be found in any hedge ; they may be planted in the kitchen garden, budded with the above-mentioned sort, and, to give variety in colour, with some of the follow- ing kinds, all varieties of Rosa semper- virens, Myrianthes, Jaiinatre, Adelaide d'Oi-leans, and Spectabilis. Every bud will succeed, as no roses grow more freely: and after remaining one season from bud- ing in their 'nursery,' some Bice places must be found for them on the lawn, where, uupruned, unchecked, they Avill, with all the freshness of unassisted nature, annually delight the eye of the lover of flowers — those beautiful gifts of an ever beneficent Creator ; and may I not add, that the con- templative mind will see in these lovely pendant roses the great charms of humility and gratitude — they seek to 'abase' them- selves, and their beauty is 'exalted;' they receive from the earth all their benefits, and endeavour to cover and adorn her with their luxuriance." DECOEATED CLIMBlNa ROSES. " A strange term, for can a rose tree be decorated ? Yes, and I must at once tell how it has been done with these evergreen roses — the most vigorous and the most tractable of rose stocks — and how it may be easily practised. '' A few years since, a friend, living at Weycliff'e, near Guildford, found the heavily built brick bridge leading over the railway to his house (this is, however,in his grounds, so as to be private), conspicuously ugly, and he wished it to be hidden by ever' green climbing plants. As the carriage- road ran over tlie bridge, the gravel, of which it was made, did not seem to ofi'er very Iiappy quarters for any plant but ivy, THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 77 whicli was objected to as being too heavy. I then proposed phinting it with varieties of Rosa sempervirens,or,as we ought always to call them, evergreen roses. They were ■\vitli some difficulty planted, the gravel being loosened with tlie pick, and some manure mixed with it. In my annual visits to my friends living in this charm- ing distrirt— for no part of England is more so — I watched with some interest my bridge-roses. They grew with great rapidity, and soon covered every brick, but when they bloomed in lai'ge beautiful masses, some disappoiiitment was expressed at the monoton}' of colour. I was prepared for this, and told my friend that they must be decorated. A good-natured incredulous smile met me with 'how ?' I called the giirdener, for this -was in July, the budding season, went with him to the rose garden, and thence took bads of some of the most beautiful of the dark hybrid perpetual roses, not forgetting some of the bright rose- coloured tints, such as Colonel de Rouge- mont. La Reine, General Simpson, and some others. Our great 'horse' was, I remem- ber, General Jacqueminot. My budding hand had not forgotten its cunning, for did I not consider myself at twenty as the most dexterous and rapid budder of roses that ever lived and was likely to live ? So I and the gardener proceeded to place buds here and there in shoots favourable for the purpose. The day was warm and the thorns much sharper than they used to be forty years ago, so 1 have a misty idea that my friend Jackman the gardener put many more buds in than I did. To use the common phrase, nearly all the buds ' took,' i.e., lived, and many of them put forth hne clusters of bloom the following August and September. I paid my annual visit to my friend in June of the next year, just eleven months after my budding exploit. As I approached the bridge I felt full of interest about my biids. What .1 glorious sight met my eye ! Amid the masses of flowers of the pale climbing roses shone forth large clusters of the Geant, General Jacqueminot, Triomphe des Beaux Arts, Prince Noir, Comte Bobinsky, Louise Peyronny, Colonel de Rougemont, Jules Margollin, and others; the bridge was a fairy avenue so charming ■was the effect. " I have a full and fervent belief that ere long, banks and avenues of decorated roses ■will be in every rose garden, and that their culture will be carried to an extent we at present scarcely dream of. I have one rose friend who has formed his rose walk with network of iron wire, fastened to upright iron rods ; the meshes formed by crossing the -wire occasionally, are t>velve or fifteen inches in diameter, so as effectually to sup- port the shoots of the climbing roses. " This walk, in the course of a year or two, will be between two upright walls of •decorated roses,' and I can scarcely imagine anything in rose culture more beautiful. It must be borne in mind that no arches, unless some fifteen feet apart, and no arched coverings must be placed over a rose walk or avenue of this description, for the finer kinds of roses require all the light and air they can have. " For pillars,'.banks, coverings for walks, and every fancy that can enter into the mind of a rose lover, these budded climbing roses are adapted, and they will well reward the ingenuity of a clever rose gardener ; in many cases superseding the use of stan- dards, which are for a great portion of the year so very ugly. " The ' how to do ' these roses is very simple. If very rapid growth be required, the place in which they are to be planted should be well stirred to a depth of two feet, some manure mixed with the earth, and climbing roses of such sorts as Felicite, Princesse Louise, Princesse Marie, and Spectabile (all varieties of Rosa sempervi- reus), should be planted in November ; if they have strong shoots, they may be tied or fastened up to nearly their full length ; if not with long and strong shoots they may be cut down to within five inches of their bases : they -will in the following season make shoots from ten to twelve or fifteen feet in length. The first shoots that will be fit to bud will be the old shoots that were left at full length when they were planted ; these may be budded in June, and the young shoots that are made during the whole of the summer may be budded weekly till the end of September ; the position of each bud must be thought of so as to make a picture really artistic and beautiful. As soon as a bud is inserted, or if two or three buds are placed in the same shoot, the end of the shoot must be cut ofl' to within two buds of the topmost inserted bud ; the buds may be untied' about three weeks after in- sertion, and all the young shoots that break out below the inserted buds must be rubbed olF ; this is all that need be done the first season. The next season the buds will bloom abundantly, and it will only be necessary to destroy all the young shoots thatbreak outof the budded branch below the buds ; those shoots that breakout above the inserted buds may be pinched in frequently, the budded branch will not then become rigid and starved like the stem of a standard rose. ''In decorating climbing roses tlie buds should be dotted over the whole surface of the plant, two or three buds in one branch 78 THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. •will be found enough, and care must be taken not to bud every branch of the climb- ing rose; some must be left to grow in their natural, graceful, vigorous manner, so that the decorated wall or walk has not a stumpy appearance like an avenue of standard roses. "Evergreen roses, trained to tall pillars or suffered to hang in festoons, are capable of most fanciful decoration, as buds of very choice kinds may be inserted at different points of view so as to have a charming effect." PINE GEOWINa rOE AMATEIJES. In the section of pine pit which accom- panied the former part of this article, an overnight occurred. Two four-inch pipes should have been shown in front of the pit, for affording the requisite amount of heat to the atmosphere ; the upper pips of the two should also be shown with vapour-troughs cast upon it, for the purpose of counteracting the drying effect of tlie pipes ; these troughs should always be supplied with wateras often as they become empty by evaporation, as the pine only flouiishes in a iiumid atmosphere ; the contrary state produces an enfeebled plant, which, in a dry air, becomes a prey to scale-bug, and all the vermin that the pine is subject to. The bed having been prepared as al- ready directed, procure sufficient fruiting plants for one row ; the second row may be planted with strong successions. This ar- rangement will give a better succession of fruit than would be the case were all the plants fruiters at the time of planting ; as, if planting take place in spring, fruiting plants will start immediately, and if con- sisting of two or three sorts, Avill furnish a auccession of fruit during the autumn, whilst the successions will be getting very strong for showing fruit early in the fol- lowing spring ; and at that time the sucliers on the first-named row, will be progressing to follow up the succession. When any fruit are cut, the lower leaves must be re- moved from the old stem ; it should then be earthed up with the prepared compost, a little above the base of the suckers, the lat- ter having been reduced to two on each plant, as it is not desirable that more than that number be left, unless the third be a ground sucker, that ■will sometimes sliow itself from below the soil ; these will, if left, reproduce, as it were, the original plant, the old stock being entirely cleared away after the fruits are cut, leaving the ground sucker as a maiden plant. Any crowns or suckers that are taken off, may be placed to nurse in the front row. I would advise the amateirr not to get home his plants rintil he is quite satisfied all is in readiness for planting ; for though the pine does not immediately flag and show an injury received so soon as some other plants, still its roots are very soon de- stroyed, and it takes time for the plant to replace them. When they arrive, they will be closely tied up with matting, and should not be released until after planting, as that operation cannot be accomplished in the case of large plants with their leaves loose. If the bed is six feet wide, place the suc- cession plants in a row, two feet and a-half from the front wall, and at two feet from plant to plant in the row; then put the fruiting plants in a row, two feet from the former, and at the same distance apart as the others ; and, as the soil should not be trod- den upon, have a piece of board to stand upon during the operation ; and having opened a spacious hole, turn the plant care- fully out of the pot, and if the roots are matted together at the bottom of the ball take a pointed stick, and with care, disen- tangle some of the principal ones and spread them in the hole, shaking the soil betv/een them with a little hand-l'ork ; and if any of the lower leaves are yellow, or injured, a few may be pulled away that the stem of the plant may be covered with earth, which will facilitate the emission of roots therefrom. When all are planted, a watering sufficient to settle the soil about them may be given, with water at 90'; and, as the soil of the bed will not for some time be much occupied by their roots, the water- ings may be moderate and confined to the immediate vicinity of the plants for the first few weeks ; after which a general watering all over the bed may be given, and again repeated at intervals, according to its state, which must he ascertained by turning up some of the soil, or keeping a stick tlu-ust into it, which can be drawn out and examined, and will indicate both the state of heat and of moisture. The water that is used should always be made quite as warm as the soil in the bed, which is easily done by the addition of boiling water ; and when the plants have become established, a little soot-water, or liquid manure, made from cow or sheep dung, may be added to the ordinary water ; saj'- a peck of soot and the same quantity of dung put into a half-barrel tub, and upon that a can or two of hot water to draw out THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 79 the strength of the dung, and an hour or two later, the tub filled up with soft water and allowed to stand a day or two to settle, when a scum will rise on the top ; this may be removed with a wire sieve or some other contrivance which will leave a clear liquid stimulant ; which, if not used in excess, ■will not injure any plant to -which liquid manure may at all be given. Bat I would say, beware of using guano or other arti- ficial manures of a hot nature. The plants planted and watered, the bandages may be removed and the leaves placed in their natural position, and if the weather is bright a shading of tift'any or thin mats may be put on tlie pit, and a light syring- ing with warm water given all over the plants and walls just before the sun falls upon tlie glass in the morning, and again early in the afternoon before it quite leaves it. "Air must be attended to if the weather is warm ; but this should at first, or until the plants are somewhat established, be obviated as much as possible by shading and keeping the fire low ; if it is seen in the morning that the day is likely to be bright and warm, the valve may also be turned, and the How of water cut off from the four-inch pipes that heat the atmo- sphere, and be made to circulate only in the bottom-heat pipes. Indeed, at all times this is a point that should be attended to, for it is useless Vv-aste to consume fuel to heat the air and then have to thi'ow open the house to prevent things being scorched. As soon as the sun breaks upon tlie glass, as soon as it can be seen that the day is likely to be bright, the fire should be damped by shutting in the damper ; and unless it is required for bottom-heat, no fresh fuel should be added; but as bottom-heat must be cared for iu warm as well as in cold weather, it will sometimes be found neces- sary to maintain a slow fire on purpose; and having thrown out this caution against firing too late iu the morning, let me cau- tion against being too remiss in the after- noon. I like the fire to be lighted early, so that the heat from the pipes just begins to tell upon the atmosphere as the sun's rays begin to fail, and thus keep up, as it •were, a lengthened day; for if the sun-heat begins to decline very perceptibly before the fire is lighted, it will only be regained when daylight is so far declined as to cause it to be injurious rather than beneficial to the plants; heat with light is the principle to be acted upon in pine growing, in order to produce sturd}', well-conditioned plants, capable of throwing up well -formed fruit ; but heat with darkness will rather tend to the contrary end, from which fact, my readers will understand why a lower tem- perature is recommended during the night than during the day; also, wliy they may not, with impunity, use a high temperature in winter. But there are some exceptions to the last rule ; that is, wheu a bright day happens even in winter, as it will occa- sionally, a rise of a few degrees above the ordinary temperature will then do good, and should be taken advantage of, but I never attempt by fire-heat alone, unaided by the sun, to raise the heat much above the minimum; aud tliis maybe fixed fur winter at from 58' to 62' by ni>iht, and from 65" to 68' by day; but with sun- heat, 75' to 80'. As the spring advances, a proportionate advance may be allowed in the temperature both night and day, until 65' to 70' is reached by night, and 80' to 90', or in the afternoon 95' may be at- tained by day, in the summer months, as the bottom-heat will vary much less thg,n that of the atmosphere, and may be kept steadily at about 75' in winter, to be raised to 80' in spring, as soon as active growth commences, and may advance as high as 85' without doing injury, beyond which it should not go. Syringing, both over the plants and between the stems must be at- tended to generally once a-day in winter, unless the weather is very dull, and twice or three times a-day in summer. The bed will reqirire a thorough watering occa- sionally besides the syringing, as have already been explained. Air must be at- tended to, and given early in the day, and continued on so long as is necessary to keep the temperature to the proper point, but not so long but that the sun may raise it 5' after it is shut. I am a great advo- cate for airing early iu the day, aud like- wise closing early; the first prevents the flagging of foliage, tlie latter prevents a cold stagnant air during the night. If sufficient air is given, shading will only be necessary during very hot and bright weather, or after replanting, before the plants have re-established themselves; then only for two or three hours, from eleven o'clock, a m., and should consist of a very thin material, sucli as tiff'anj-; this may be tacked on light frames for the greater convenience of removal. These frames, so covered, may be made useful for other purposes, such as protecting fruit blossoms in spring, or covering bedding plants by night, wlien set out to harden. Night covering, where it can be applied not only saves fuel by rendering less fire- heat necessary, but preserves the internal atmosphere in a more congenial state, from intercepting the escape of the moisture through the laps of the glass. H. HOWLETT. >S(_» INTLIJENCE or THE SEASON ON THE INSECT WOELD. The autumn and winter of last yeai* had a very deleterious effect on the insects of almost every genus. For, where tliousands of moths and butterflies were seen flitting about by day and night in 1859, scarcely a specimen was to be met with last season. The abundance of heavy rain destroyed the pupae of many insects, whether exposed to the damp, chilly atmosphere, or buried far beneath the surface of the earth. Birds suffered from the deficiency of their fa- vourite food, and resorted freely to grain and fruit as substitutes. The winter moths, so destructive to the apple and plum orchards in many localities in 1859, confined themselves to very narrow circles last year ; and, consequently, the devastations which follow their track — to the destruction of whole orchards — was preluded by the scantiness of their num- bers. That fine but common insect, the privet hawkraoth, must have suffered severely in its pupa state last winter, as very few caterpillars were to be met with in the following autumn. There is a remai'kable circumstance connected with the hibernal repose of the chrysalis of this insect. It has been known to remain dormant for two and even three years, and then make its appearance in July or August, as full of life and vigour as if it had only slept its usual winter's sleep. This singularit}' in the metamorphosis of the privet liawkmoth is nothing more than a provision of Nature to preserve tlie species intact; for should the season be so wet as to prove destructive to the per- fect insect, as it often happens before they lay their eggs, then the chrysalids that had taken their extra sleep, come forth in the following year to supply the vacancy, and thereby perpetuate their species. Michael Westcott. NOTES ON NEW PLANTS SUITABLE FOE COOL HOUSES. Grevillea alpestris. — The GrevIUeas are an interesting genus of New Holland plants, belonging to the order Proteads. GKEVILLEA ALPESTEIS. They are all suitable for cool greenhouses, not requiring a temperature above 40' dur- ing winter, and in general treatment assimi- lating with the various evergreen shrubs from the same locality. They may be raised from seed without difficulty, but cuttings of ripe young shoots are pre- ferable, as they root readily in sandy peat under a bell- glass, if encouraged with bottom-heat as soon as callused. Kosmarinifolia, and acuminata are nearly hardy. G. alpestris is a plant of elegant growth, rather pendant, and natu- rally taking tlie form of an ostrich plume, if not trained to upright sticks. The leaves are oblong, ovate, appa- rently sessile ; the flowers are borne on the whole length of the ripe wood, with a large terminal cluster, the weight of which causes the shoots to assume a pendant form. In general appearance it resembles a miniature honeysuckle, and tlie colours of the flowers are lively brick red and canary yellow. [PiiceSs.Gd. Generally in the trade.] THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 81 Epacris miniata var. SPLENDENS. — Tlii-i IS a beautiful hybrid of E. miniata. The flowers crowd the stem most profusely, and have a charming appearance, owing to the vivid crimson of the tube, and pure white of the toothed limb. Requires the usual treatment of erica and epacris, and has a com- paratively hardy consti- tution. [Price 2$. Qd. Generally in the trade.] Vaccinium serpens. — This is a valuable ac- quisition, and will l)e found especially useful to decorate rockeries in conservatories, ortogrow on blocks in fern-houses where but little heat is used. It was discovered by Griffith in Bhotan, and by Dr. Thomson and Hooker in Sikkim ; it inhabits both the tropical and temperate zones of the Himalayas, particu- larly selecting humid places among rocks, ^ ■where a peaty soil has ^1 ErACIilS MINIATA, VAIi. SPLEKBENS. YACrTXn:J[ SEBPEXS, been formed, or parasitic on the branches of large trees. It has a profuse and rich myrtle-like foli- age ; the flowers are of the typical form, very large, colour rich crim- son, the tube swelling slightly midway of its length. The immature flowers are yellow wiili crimson stripes, deepen- ing to full crimson as they attain their full size. Tlie best place for it is among rockwork; if grown in a pot it must have the support of a branch of a tree, us its habit is sprawling and procumbent ; or it may be planted in a E 2 82 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. hollow in an old tree stump, where it will have room to spread, and support in evei'y direction for its branches. In any case the soil should consist of rotten wood and gritty peat, or rotten wood and leaf-mould thoroughly decomposed. CULTIVATION OF THE CHOEOZEMA. This is one of the most heautiful and in- teresting of the New Holland genera, heau- tiful as many of them are, and being all of them worth the cultivator's attention. Tiie soil which I should recommend for tliis tribe of plants to he grown in, should be two parts turfy peat, one jjart light loam, and one part sand, with a little well rotted manure. The whole should be well mixed together, and cut with the spade, but should not by any means be sifted, as sifting, in my opinion, destroys tlie most valuable por- tions of tlic soil ; and instead of the soil heing jjorous, as it ought to be, it is ren- dered small and close. The more open the soil, tlie firmer will the plants grow, and the longer they will continue to grow with vigour ; so that the stronger the fibre, and the more that is in the soil, the better for the health of the plants. In Nature there is no such thing as sifted soils ; for when- ever we find the soil close and unporous, we never find the plants in a healthy condition; hut when the soil is light and porous, we find the plants always healthy and strong. To those v;ho wish to grow fine plants, I should recommend wide and shallow pots, as plants of this sort never go deep into the soil, especially if they can liave plenty of surface room to run in. Many plants of this tribe are often lost by having too great a depth of soil ; they extend their roots as well as they do their branches. The plants when they have plenty of surface room for their roots, are generally low and busliy ; hut when they are short of surface room for roots, they are weak and spindling, and almost destitute of leaves or branches. When potting, a few large potsherds should be laid at the bottom ; and over them should be laid some turfy peat or the roots of the common fern, as it will form excellent drainage, and also prevent the soil from getting among the potsherds ; and the roots at the same time would have to run amongst the loose pots or drainage. Great care should be taken in watering, especially in the autumn and winter, as the plants are then done growing, and the roots are in a state of repose. If much water is given at that time, the roots will rot, and the plants will become sickly, and very often go off ; and if they live, after the points of the roots are rotted off, it will be a long time before they recover themselves. I should therefore advise those who have the care of plants of this description, to be careful how they ixse the water-pot in the autumn and winter ; but in the spring and summer they may have plenty of water. If the plants are well drained, I should never advise any person to turn them out of doors, but to keep them in the house or pits, and give plenty of air night and day if the weather is mild; for if they are turned out of doors they often get scorched with the sun or drenched with the rain, which are both very destructive of the health of plants. Tlie best time to propagate this genus ot plants is in the spring and summer, that is when the young shoots have made about four or five leaves, or rather joints, that is, of the large le.aved species ; those shoots destined for cuttings should be slipped off with the finger and thumb, as that brings the lower joint along with the cutting. Any bark that adheres to the cutting from the old wood should be taken off with a sharp knife ; and the little knob which forms the end of the cutting, will form the roots Avhen the cutting is put in the pot. With regard to the small-leaved, or rather heath-leaved species, the cuttinf; should be taken oft" when the young wood is about an inch and a-half long; they should be taken off in the same manner as is recommended for the larger leaved species. In the pot in which the cuttings are to he put, at the bottom should be placed soine potsherds, and over them should be some tuvfy peat or moss, to prevent the sand from getting amongst the potsherds. The pot then should be filled up with very fine white sand, and gently watered, then pressed lightly down ; and when it is firm and well settled down, the cuttings should be in- serted. All round the edge of the pot should be left as much room as will admit of a hell-glass being put on. They should be gently watered overhead before the glass is put on ; they then should be placed in a gentle bottom-heat, and the glasses dried every morning so as to prevent any damp lying about the plant. A little w\ater should be given to them when they want it ; great care should be taken with the shading of them, for if the sun touch them they will not recover it soon ; the cuttings will strike in a short time, and when they are well rooted they should be potted ofl" immediately into thnmb-pots, THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN aUIDE. 83 and shifted as often as they require it, so that the plants never become stunted. If care be bestowed upon this genus, it will repay the little trouble that is taken with it by a fine show of flowers. Where this tribe of plants is grown, as little fire as possible should be iised, as they do not lils.e artificial heat ; but they would frequently do much better if they were kept dry and without fire for the most part of winter, and only a little used when the frost was severe. They are pretty hardy when kept rather dry ; it is when the soil is wet that the frost liurts them ; therefore, when they want Avater it is better to give them water early in the day, so that it may be dried oflf by night. In the spring, when the plants begin to grow, the house or pit in which they are grown should be kept rather close and warm, that they may get a good start, and that they may be enabled to make their growth as early as possible, so that their wood may be well ripened before winter. When the wood is well ripened in the autumn, a good show of flowei'S may be depended upon the follow- ing spring and smnmer. That the plant may be kept in good health, and without much fire-heat, or rather without any, the water used for watering should be as near the temperature of the house in which they are grown as possible, or rather above than below it; for if they are watered with very cold water it is apt to chill the roots, and give a check to the plants, which they will not easily recover. The species belonging to this genus are not very nnmerous, but all very beautiful, and well worth the greatest care and atten- tion that can he given to them. I shall therefore enumerate all the species that I am acquainted with, which I think will be valuable to some if not to others, Ghorozema cordata (cordate leaved). — This is a beautiful species Avhen well grov^ii. The leaves are heart-shaped, of a dark green, and show spinous teeth all round the edge ; the stems are very weak and slender, and the flower-spike is some- what pendant, and proceeds from the apex of the shoots. The colovxr of the vexillum is bright orange, with a little yellow and red in the centre. The ahv, or wings, are maroon, and dcflexed, or bent downward. The corona or keel is very small, and straw- coloui-ed, and tipped with red. The calyx has five teeth, and much shorter than the corollH, and soinewh;tt spreading. A na- tive of Swan River, introduced in 1836. Chorozcma varium. — The vexillum of this species varies in colour from a light orange to a straw-colour. The wings are nearly of the same colour as the last species, but are much smaller and lie close together ; not so in the last species, the wings spread very much. The vexillum of this species is more bifid at the upper edge than in cordata. The teeth of the calyx arc more spreading, and somewhat bent back ; the leaves are cordate and pubes- cent, which gives the whole plant a grayish appearance ; the edge of the leaves has spinous teeth, which are somewhat bent back; the whole plant is more robust than the last species. A native of Nev/ Holland, introduced in 1836. Chororxma iliclfolia. — This is another very pretty species, very nearly allied to cordata. A native of New Holland, intro- duced in 1803. The colour of the flower is scarlet. Chorozema nana (dwarf, prickly). — This is a very curious little species, and very distinct; a native of New Holland, intro- duced in 1803. The colour of the flower is scarlet. Choi-ozema Dkhsonii. — The colour of the flower is scarlet and yellow ; a very stifi"- growing little species. This is a beautiful plant ; a native of SAvan River, introduced in 1836. Chorozema rhomhia. — This is a climbing species. The leaves in this species vary very much in form ; the shoots are very slender ; when well grown it is one mass of scarlet flowers ; a native of New Holland, introduced in 1803. Chorozema scandens. — The Mirhelia BciX' teri of the " Botanical Register." The flowers are yellow, and the plant is climb- ing ; it is rather a pretty species ; a native of New Holland, introduced in 1824. Chorozema ovata. — This is another lovely species, and when well cultivated nothing can exceed it in beauty, being a little bushy plant, covered with large scarlet flowers ; a native of New Holland, intro- duced in 1830. Chorozema triangularis (triangular leaved). — The flowers are scarlet, but not so fine as the last ; a native of Neiv Holland, introduced in 1830. Chorozema angiisiifalia. — This is the Dihvi/nnia gluciwfolia. The leaves of this species are very narrow ; the flowers are yellow and red. It is somewhat of a climber ; a native of New South Wales, introduced in 1830. Chorozema Henchmamd. — This is one of the most beautiful of the whole genus. When in flower it is one splendid sheet of scarlet, that is when the plant is well cul- tivated, but it is rather difficult to keep any length of time ; but I believe the reason of its dying off so soon is, that the plant has too much soil to grow in, and 84 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. that the pots arc too deep and too narrow. The soil being sifted is anotlier reason why the plants do not live long; the drainage also is incomplete, that is, the stuff that is put over tlie potsherds is rather too fine ; a native of New Holland, introduced in 1825. Chorozema platylohioides (platylobiuin like).— This is a very distinct species, and at the same time a very pretty plant ; the flow- ers are yellow ; a native of New Holland, in- troduced in 1825. This is a very rare species. Chorozema spartioides.— This is a very slender species, and is also m climber ; the flowers are large and yellow, and come in the axils of the leaves. This is rather a scarce species, and is rather difhcult to grow, hut is certainly well worth culti- vating ; a native of New Holland, intro- duced in 1836. Chorozema spectahilis. — This is a mag- nificent species; the flowers are scarlet and orange ; it is a climbing species, and in habit is nearly allied to rhombia, but is a more abundant flowerer, and is easily cultivated. Tlie flower-spikes are pendant, and produce from five to ten flowers on a spike. Introduced in 1836, and flowered in 1841 ; a native of New Holland. P. N. Don. A FEW aOOD BEDDINa PLANTS IN COLOUIIS. White. — Double Feverfew; Geranium BouledeNeige; Fuchsia Roi des Blanches; Verbenas Mrs. Holford and Wlilte Perfec- tion; Phlox Omniflora Compacta; (Enothera Taraxacifolia ; Wliite Candytuft. Scarlet. — Geranium Tom Thumb, Little David, Compactum, Reidii; Verbena Defi- ance, Geant des Batailles,Brilliant de Vaise, St. Margaret, Boule de Feu; Cuphea Platy- centra. Fink. — Geranium Judy, Lucia Rosea; Verbena Beauty Supreme, Standard of Per- fection; Saponaria Calabrica. Turple. — Verbena Emma, Andre, Purple King, Mulberry ; Petunia Prince Albert ; Phlox Drummondii, Senecio flore-pleno. Yellow and Orange. — Calceolaria Aurea floribunda, Rugosa, Amplexicaulis ; (Eno- thera prostrata, Gaillardia picta. Lilac and Blue. — Ageratum; Heliotrope; Salvia patens; Forget-me-not; Delphinium formosum and Hendersonii. Jidcjinrjs. — Arabis albida lucida, Ceras- tium tomentosum ; Variegated Mint, Golden Balm, Lobelia speciosa, Lady Plymouth Geranium. aAEDEN AND GEEENHOUSE AVOEK EOE APEIL. Annuals of all kinds may be sown now in the open air ; the hardy sorts will be up in from ten days to three weeks, the tender kinds in a month or six weeks. It is often a convenience to sow all the kinds at once, in accordance with a general plan, and it may be done in April. Of course, asters, balsams, etc., rarely come to much good by this off-hand method. Asparagus to be sown for succession beds. (See vol. ii. p. 224.) Established beds to have a dressing of fresh manure pointed in, and the I'ough stuff to be raked off into the alleys, which are to be forked over. Auriculas to be shaded as the bloom progresses, and have shelter at night by mean^ of mats. Give plentj' of water. Beans to be dressed with soot or wood- ashes and hoed up quite to the lowest leaves. Sow for succession, they like a rich, retentive soil. Beet. — Sow between the 1st and 10th for the first supply, and from the 20th to 25th for general crop. Bedding Plants to be got into cold frames, if quite bushy, and fit for summer work. Young stock to be kept growing, and seedlings to be potted off' either singly or in little groups, as soon as large enough to handle. Geraniums, calceol.arias, etc., removed to pits, should be plunged either in spent tan or coal-ashc-s, M'hich will keep their roots warm and moist, and obviate frequent watering. Cabbage and Cauliflower.- — Sow the dwarf sorts of cabbage to follow peas, and fill up anywhere as plots become vacant. Continue planting cauliflowei-s from frames, but give them the shelter of mats if the nights are frosty. They must have rich soil, be frequently hoed up, and watered in dry weather. Chrysanthemums for general purposes to be now propagated. Suckei-s are as good as cuttings ; and there need be no THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 85 disputes about tlielr relative values. They do not require much lieat to start them, and nothing better than a gentle hot-bed on the old-fashioned plan. In the Wal- tonian they are sure to mildew if kept very damp and close. Cucumbers. — Sow for ridging out, and get the plants forward in pots. They turn out better when singly in sixty or forty- eight pots ; they should have no check. Shift those already forward. Splash water about the beds of fruiting plants, and close early, so as to give the plants a good steaming, which they will enjoy. Hollyhocks plantsd now from store pots will bloom to perfection, and have no check from frost. Put a couple of spade- fuls of rotten dung in each hole, plant firm, tally and stake at once ; cover each plant with an inverted Hower-pot for a week, and then remove it. Give plenty of ■water and liquid manure as required. Hyacixth.s must have abundance of water while in bloom, and for some time after ; as long, indeed, as the foliage con- tinues green and growing. After it begins to get discoloured, dry them off gradually, and lay tlie pots on their sides, where they will have morning and evening sun to ripen tliem before removing the bulbs to bo stored away. Sr.v-Kale to b;5 sown lacedin bottom-heat — say, a cucumber frame at work — would soon make fine young plants. Gaillar- dia, heli'tiopes, lobelias, and gazanias will all bloom this season if sown immediately, and pushed on in heat, but you ought to have set them to work on the 1st of February. The Linum we have always advised to sow where it is to bloom, and to give it no artificial heat at all. Campanula pyramidalis is a biennial. Tacsonia ignea will not flower the first season; it is a more eff'ective plant than pinnati stipula. Acacias.— 7F. R, If.— There is no difficulty in growing any number of gi-eeuhouse acacias, but the best way to deal with them is to plant them out in conservatory borders, in a mixture o£ good turfy peat, leaf-mould, and loam, and let them grow almost as they like. You then have the natural grace that belongs to them. Cut- tings of young shoots, taken off' with a heel, strike readily under hand-lights in sandy peat during the summer, and should be grown on iu pots till large enough to turn out. They may also be propagated from pieces of the large roots. The greenhouse kinds require a temperature averaging iO^ all winter — it should never be low- er than 35° — and at the turn of the season, when they begin to push lor bloom, moie heat and moisture. The most useful kinds are to be had at all respectable nurseries. You willfind notes on acacias at pages 143 and 281i of our second volume, and at page 160 of our third volume. The following are the best for amateurs : — affinis, amcena, armata, dealbata, decurrens, dolabriformis, emarginata, floribuuda, gr.andis, juuiperina,rotuudifolia, lophantha,andtasifolia, PrcHSiAS NEWLY POTTED. — Df. N., Cork. — You can only make them grow faster by means of warmth and moisture. They want a splash overhead every day now, and plenty of water at the root. It is astonishing how much fuchsias will drink up, and they will not grow well unless their heads are often moistened. Use the syringe morning and evening, or evening only if j-ou are pinched for time, and let the water be tepid. The salts you propose to use must be in weak solutions. Strijo off' your coarse turf and stack it up to use as compost ; make a smooth surface, and sow at once the best lawn mixture, and your turf will be good by the middle of July. Had you sown at the end of February we should have promised a good sward by mid- summer. Leave it to the seedsman to choose the sorts, but tell him the measurement of the surface to be covered, and if the soil is in any way peculiar say so. Sow thick ; rake aud roll, and leave the rest to ZSature. For four years in succession we stripped a large lawn and sowed afresh iu March, and always had a beautiful turf by the 1st of July, though, of course, the surface was green a few weeks alter sowing. Feejjs — Mandevilleas. — G.B.M. — The fern sent is Cyrtomium falcatum, and the same is sent, we presume from the same writer, with the initials II. B. G. The frond first sent is from a seedling plant, it will produce spores when about nine inches high. A frond two feet in length, full of fructification is a most beautiful object. — Pembroke. — The fern is Lastraea spinu- losa. The treatment of Mandevilleas is most simple. Now is the i-ight moment to prune them back to a jjair of plump eyes, and encourage growth by heat and moisture. If in a pot, shake out the old soil, and repot in equal parts peat, loam, and leaf-mould or very rotten dung. Plunge in bottom-heat, attend to training and good growth, and bloom will be the result. We imagine you fail through insufficiency of heat, or through starving the plants. 0EANGKSAND'PoMEGRANATES.—i^oc^f^\:f^^-. r^^^^'^' nP May, 1861. _^^ ^ v^ "^ OLOFE, like sound, is the subject of law, and harmonies of *^r^rV ^) *n '') h^i-^s are as easily determined as harmonies in musical iM^^Ml/^W' chords. That which is in accordance with good taste is 7^^''^^^ '-V' also in accordance with the principles of science ; for, after rr^^€^^^//j sllj taste is only the application to decorative purposes of the ' ; ,^o^p^l^-^/^J principles taught by sound philosophy. Yet there has been '^yC^ Cfy niuch said on the subject of colour in gardening which has L 0 * 1 proved to be incorrect, and the mistakes of theoretical colour- V ^/ ists have generally arisen through their recognition of too ( ) few of the data on which judgments should be founded. In designing a damask, the artist must know what is to be the ground colour, but in devising schemes of planting, the ground colour has generally been forgotten, and heterogeneous mixtures instead of agreeable harmonies have too often been the result. Therefore, in devising a scheme of flower embroidery, or in planting a group of beds, or a breadth of ribbon lines, the whole must have a recognized relation to the ground colour, or the result will be a violation of harmonies. Generally speaking we have three distinct classes of ground colour on which to paint our flower mosaics, and these consist of walks, soil, and turf. Geometric patterns on sand and gravel, have usually a ground hue of ochreous brown, ferruginous red, or tawny amber. In chalk districts the paths are white, in coal districts they are frequently black ; in the majority of places the colour of well washed gravel, though that varies from deep orange red to pale straw colour. Then the soil varies in colour from the red of Dart- moor to the black of the New Forest, from the slaty blue of some veins of the London clay to the gray and tawny hues of various sands and loams. As to the turf, whether of grass or spergula, that is pretty uniform, but on heathy districts the grass is not exactly of the same hue of green as on a wet clay or fertile loam. One consequence of this recognition of the importance of ground colour is, that every scheme of planting should be determined on the spot, where the eye can judge at once as to the nature of the elements required, and the style of their combination. The VOL. IV. NO. V. r 90 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. colour of the soil is generally of little import, because that is supposed to be covered, but where breadths of soil are to remain visible, the planter must bear the fact in mind ; as, for instance, a mass of pale yellow Oeno- theras, Amplexicaulis calceolarias, or even Golden Chain geranium, would lose much of its beauty beside a space of visible gravel or sand, or yeUow loam, though the bronze of perilla, or the blue of Salvia patens would have congenial relief there. But the soil is supposed to be covered, and if not covered, its colour must be considered, and the hint may be of value, that to relieve yellow and orange flowers, and light gray and golden foliage, a dressing of soot, to be occasionally repeated, adds very much to the rich- ness of the colouring. Where but two or three colours are seen at one time, the best of all rules is to adopt the complementaries, and have nothing to do with inter- mediates and neutrals. The more search is made after curious things and novel colours, the farther off will be good taste and agreeable effects. The bright green of grass turf is almost exactly balanced by the vivid scarlet of the zonale geraniums, hence the popularity of « these plants, for the eye appreciates good contrasts even when unused to analyze them ; with the green and the scarlet we have the whole of the spectrum, and while en- joying them the eye never asks for another colour. But suppose the scene to require three masses, then two reds and one white will be a pretty fair balance of both colour and light, for the last-named element is at its maximum in white, hence too great a predominance of white in a set of beds will render all other colours inconspicuous or all but invisible. Supposing again that only a few beds are visible from the same point, and scarlet and white are not to be used, perhaps because employed in scenes we have just been inspecting, then we have in other complementaries the most chaste, though not the most showy, of all the effects possible in colour, and that is in the employment of violet and yellow, or blue and orange. But observe, that in this case the two contrasted colours should be near in order that the eye may mix them easily, or they cease to be complementary. Hence there ought, in such arrangement, to be as small a breadth of grass as possible, except as a boundary to the whole. To make a set of three on this plan, the central mass should be of vivid plum, with pale yellow on either side, or bright blue with rich orange on either side, the colours dense and distinct, and only so far separated by turf that the eye can still survey them without diihculty. In small gardens there are generally too many beds, too many colours, and too large a mix- ture of neutrals ; indeed neutrals are scarcely wanted, or in very subordi- nate quantities, in small gardens. The idea is frequently entertained that a multitude of small beds will increase the apparent size of the place, but the truth is, that is just the way to make it smaller. A few grand sweeping masses, as extensive as can be, consistent with surrounding elements, will give the idea of a large area, by its freedom, and its de- mand upon the eye to make the suiwey under an obtuse angle. "When we leave the small domain, and attempt the planting of an extensive piece of ground, we have to consider how, by the disposition of the surface, the several parts are seen together or separate ; where seen together neutral colours will be of great value in forming connecting links between all strong colours, and the various silvery and gray foliaged plants are of very great value. Not only is the eye pleased by the quiet relief of these neutrals, but when judiciously disposed, they bring out the true THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 91 coloiirs of the flower masses by partly obliterating the effect of the green turf upon them ; so that the turf appears as turf, or in other words as a distinct element, not as a component of the colouring. For instance, blue never has a good eifect when in juxtaposition with green, because the green has in it a good deal of blue, hence a gray edging separates the green from the blue, and brings out the respective distinctness of both. So again yellow never looks well in juxtaposition with green, because the gTeen is itself half made up of yellow, hence if we could have it, black would be the proper edging to masses of yellow upon a green ground, 151ack and saffron are combinations of which the textile artist knows the value well, but we have no black flowers, and if we had, possibly their green foliage would weaken their distinctness for such a purpose, con- sequently yellow is the most difficult of all colours to manage, and is as likely to give a vulgar tone as otherwise, especially if combined with red in the same arrangement. Planters of gardens may derive considerable information as to the ultimate eftects of certain conceptions by first making a sketch of the ground on paper, and then filling in the several tones with water colours ; however roughly the drawing may be made, if the colours are pretty true to those the plants are intended to ^jroduce, errors in the plan will be readilj^ detected, and mistakes may be avoided before it is too late to remedy them. But when in walking over an extent of ground we come successively upon masses that are not all visible at one view, an important law of vision must be borne in mind. After the eye has re- ceived an impression, that impression remains upon it for some time ; there- fore, if we have dazzled it by an excess of light — as for instance, by those most glittering of all mixtures, white alyssum and Flower of the Day, or Countess of Warwick and Cineraria maritima, or variegated mint and Lord Raglan or Defiance verbena — it will be glad of the relief at the next turn of a mass of perilla or purple orach or blue verbena, which give repose, and restore it from the effects of the glare it has just been submitted to. Mere mixtures of colours are seldom satisfactory in geometric planting. Verbenas are too often wasted by the heterogeneous assemblage of twenty or thirty colours, where one would be sufiicient and preferable. If mix- tures are adopted it should be according to a definite plan, and not by fortuity, and in such a ^YaJ that each will help the other ; as, for instance, purple orach Avith variegated geranium, plant for plant, or in groups each of three, gives a symmetrical dotting of gray, scarlet, and crimson bronze ; variegated alj^ssum with Annie geranium, one of the best of the varie- gated-leaved scarlets, adds to the whiteness of the white, and brings out the scarlet effectively. It is in these mixtures that the florists have in- variably violated the principles of art, as in a bed of tulips on the orthodox plan of a bybloemen, a bizarre, and a rose, the interest depends on the merits of individual flowers, not on the effect of the mass, view it which way you will. Then, again, we have to consider the forms as well as the colours of foliage, and, still more important, the style of the flowers, whether perpen- dicular or horizontal in their greatest breadth of colour. A bed of scarlet geraniums is as good an example as any that can be given of horizontal leaves and flowers, and it is therefore best seen from above, as when on the level of the ground where leaves and flowers present their greatest breadth at once to the eye. In the same position fuchsias are much less effective, because their greatest extent of surface is perpendicular. There- fore we need to see them on a level with the eye, when their pendant 92 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. character has its proper grace, and the colouring its fullest possible access to the vision. But when geraniums are lifted up — except in ordinary- raised beds, where we see them at a low angle — they lose much of their beauty, Ave see the edges instead of the faces of the leaves and trusses. These and many other points of equal importance need attention, now that the ground is to be laid out in carpet patterns, ribbons, and bold groups. It is a good rule to do too little rather than too much. Many a grand effect that astonishes and delights the spectator when visiting such places as Kew or Sydenham, or the west end parks, would be a waste of plants, and an abortion of taste, if adopted in his own limited garden. A bold acceptance of the complementary colours will always give delight, and in this there is no difficulty, and happily the plants that produce tho most distinct effects are within everybody's reach. "We treated upon this subject somewhat at length in the Floeal World for June, 1858 (Vol. i. p. 121), and we refer the reader to the remarks to be found there as useful in conjunction with the foregoing at this important moment of bedding out. The disastrous influence of excessive moisture last season was evinced to a serious extent in the diseased state of the potato crop, on all low-lying, ill-drained, or naturally cold soils. In our notes on potato culture, in the chapters on '' Profitable Gardening," we advised early planting of early sorts, and their removal from the ground before tlie season at Avhich the heavy autumnal rains usually set iu. We repeat that advice, and add to it here that, instead of planting potatoes in large continuous breadths, it will be a much safer plan to plant iu rows far apart, and to crop the spaces between with other esculents. Whether the fungus spreads from the foliage down to the tubers, or from the tubers up to the foliage, is a matter not yet determined ; but it is quite certain that excessive moisture has very much to do with it, and that in dry seasons, on dry soils, the pota- toes generally escape the attacks of the disease. We are glad to notice that the continuance of the disease has not only caused incpiiry and dis- cussion amongst scientific horticulturists, but improved practices among cottagers, allotment holders, and others who lie out of the general circle of inquiring cultivators. Supposing the fungus to extend downwards, it is then evident that if the rows are far apart with trenches between, the haulm can be laid down, so that superfluous water will flow away, and not towards the roots. Supposing the fungus to extend upwards, then the laying down (not removal) of the haulm will admit the sunshine to the collar of the plant, prevent the spread of the fungus throxigh the succulent stems, and materially assist in preventing or checking the spread of the disease. On either supposition, close planting is injurious; planting at intervals preferable, and this separation of the rows may be variously eftected. If the plan of planting broadly is preferred, the rows should be not less than a yard apart ; the sets should be a yard apart in the rows, and should be neither dibbled in nor laid in trenches, but on the level, and earthed over with soil from between the rows. As growth proceeds, more earth may be removed from the alleys to make them deeper, and added to the ridges, and the haulms can then be toppled over to hang down in the trenches to promote dryness of soil about the tubers, and convey away heavy rains from the stems and leaves. Another THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 93 metliod may be adopted, and one, we tliink, preferable, of planting pota- toes and celery alternately. The potatoes may then be in double rows, with liberal space between them, and the celery trench on each side of the double row of potatoes. At the planting of the celery, the haulms can be pressed down, and the collars of the stems moulded over, and thus during heavy rains the water will drain off to the celery, and do good, away from the potatoes where it would do harm. Our potato crops are this season in double rows, with early peas alternating ; the peas will be succeeded by celery and brocoli ; the haulms will be turned right and left towards the interveniug spaces, and we shall lift as soou as the outer edges of the leaves of the potatoes begin to get shrivelled and discoloured, for potatoes when fully grown will ripen best removed from the ground, and no more growth takes place after the foliage begins to show signs of decay. If left in the ground till the haulm decays, that which a fortnight previously was a good crop may prove worthless, the disease having com- menced its attack coincidently with the decay of the foliage, and completed its ravages before the moment of harvesting. NOTES OP THE MONTH. E.OYAL Botanic, April 3. — This was the second spring meeting. It comprised stove and greenhouse plants and spring flowers. Mr. Turner sent some fine roses, among which were Baronne Prevost, William Jesse, Jules Margottin, Lord Eaglan, and Souvenir de Malmaison. Messrs. Fraaer sent the new rose Victor Verdier, which we last season described as of the very first excellence ; also Mademoiselle Bonuaire, white with pink centre, and Vainqueur de Sol- ferino, bi-ight rose. Messrs. Paul sent some charming boxes of cut roses, among which was Isabella Gray, which was much admired. Of cinerarias, Messrs. Dobson sent Etna, Brilliant, Mrs. Hoyle, Perfection, Novelty, Duchess of Sutherland ; Messrs. Smith of Dulwich some seedlings, among which Queen of Spring, white, crimson purple edge, dark disk, and Louise, of the same class but distinct, were the best. Hosy Morn, also in Mr. Smith's lot, is a beautiful rose pink, with light centre. Mr. Turner had Prairie Bird, violet blue, and James Andrews, violet, purple self. Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Isleworth, had a certificate for Duchess of Hamilton, a fine flower, white, dark centre, broadly edged with purple. Azalea, Flag of Truce, a new double white, shown by Mr. Todman, was awarded a cer- tificate, as was also Loi'd Elgin, bright rosy crimson. Mr. Turner sent auriculas, Duke of Wellington, Eliza, Colonel Taylor, Glory, Mary Gray, Waterloo, and Hifleman. Imatophyllum miniatum, frequently mentioned in previous pages, was shown in a fine state by Messrs. Parker and Williams. Pansies, primulas, and hyacinths were extensively exhibited, but there were few novelties among them. KoTAL HoBTicuLTURAL SociETY. — Among the plants of special interest recently exhibited before the Floral Committee, the following maybe named: — Pteris cretica, shown by Messrs Veitch and Mr. Bull, a beautiful varie- gated fern. Fern-leaved primulas, very showy and distinct in habit, shown by Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Sons. Epacris Vesta, white, tipped with pink, very beautiful, by Messrs. Veitch. Auricula, George Jeans, gray edged, finely formed, from Mr. Turner. Cineraria, Miss Eyles, white, dark centre, noticed fiivourably last season, from Mr. Turner. Campylobotrys refulgens, a plant with leaves ten to fourteen inches in length, handsomely marked with silvery veins, from Mr. Bull. Veronica chamtedrys pulcherrima, a variegated 94 THE f LOEAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. variety of the well-known and beautiful speedwell, from Mr. Salter, who sent also variegated varieties of Lunaria biennis and Symphitum ofBcinale. Mr. Salter has now the largest and most curious collection of hardy variegated plants ever brought together. GEEEN HOLLIES. Amid the wreck of the winter, which has made many a garden that had cost years of hibour and large periodical outlays a mere waste, less attractive than a heath, the hollies remain as fresh and bright as ever, and are now showing their new growth in a way that pi'oves them hardiest of the hardy, and the best of our old garden friends. HoUies'are always beautiful, even if out of place, and they are so adaptable to every variety of scene, the finished belt flanking a flowery lawn, the less artistic shrubbery, the sequestered walk, the dark wilderness, or the nook beside a cottage - wall, that it is no easy matter to plant them where they ought not to be. Fine single specimens towering up conspicuously at the break in a walk, or assisting to enrich masses of mixed evergreens, are among the noblest elements of the garden- esque, and for masses there is nothing to sur- pass them for splendour of foliage and their glorious colouring when loaded with berries. The holly ought not to come before us in these pages without at least a page or two of memoranda, as to its place in history, and the name and fame it beai-s in its asso- ciation with the muses and the household gods ; but we cannot now turn aside from the practical department, for this is the time to plant the liolly, and where the losses among evergreens are now thoroughly ascertained, a few notes may be of special value to those who wish to plant at once, and repair some of the waste caused by the cruel winter. Xext month we may be able to find room for observations of another kind that may be interesting. At present garden-work is in our mind, as it is heavy on our hands, and we suppose our readers to be situated as ourselves, with more to do out of doors than hands can accoiujilish, and the right way to do it a matter of the first importance. We have been favoured b}' Messrs. Paul and Son, of Cheshunt, Avith specimens of all the leading varieties of green and varie- gated hollies grown there, and have had drawings made of the leaves of a selected numberof the most distinctand beautiful va- rieties. Of these we shall describe the green kinds first, and next month the variegated. Detailed descriptions are unnecessary, be- cause the engravings will, to some extent, explain themselves, and that leaves room for some preliminary remarks, which we will classify under separate heads : — HOLLIES FROM SEED. The general opinion is that all hollies are raised from seed, but that is a mistake. They can be raised from cuttings ; choice kinds are grafted or budded on seedling stocks, and whether from seed, cuttings, LAITEIFOLIA. or grafts, they are the slowest growing of all ornamental shrubs. To raise them from seed is tedious work, and will rarely be attempted by the amateur gardener. The berries are to be gathered as soon as ripe, and to be at once mixed with about four times their bulk of sand or old soil from flower-pots, and the mixture thrown in a heap into some out-of-the-way corner, where they will keep moist without much attention. There they must remain twelve months, and in the interim be turned at THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 95 least once a month, to hasten the rotting of the pulp. At the close of the winter follow- ing their committal to the rot-heap, sift |the whole over, to separate the seeds, and sow in February on a bed of rich light soil. Young hollies are, however, rather tender; the sun tries them, and morning frosts sometimes kill them down, and it is, there fore, better to sow on a bed made up in a cold pit or frame where the young plants can have better nursing than in the open air. In the Gardener's Kalendar of Philip Miller, he says — '• Many people dig a trench in the ground about a foot deep, and lay the haws, hips, and holly berries therein, covering them over witli earth pretty thick, and letting them remain one year ; then they take them out and sow them in beds the following October, and the plants will come up the spring after." The objection to Miller's plan is that the seeds take too much room during the slow process of rotting the pulp, and a hole in a bye corner is a neater as well as a more economic method. Dig the hole three feet deep, and then mix the berries with fine soil, and throw them in. Fill in with the stuff taken out of the hole, and over it make a bank of leaves the fol- lowing autumn to prevent the access of frost to the berries. In sowing rose hips, I have saved the trouble and delay of the rotting process by shelling out the seeds by hand, and it is a job that a garden boy Aviil do as well as any one else, at odd times ■when his head might get full of mischief i through his hands being idle. I should think a similar process could be adopted with hoUj" berries, so as to sow them im- mediately after gathering, when a greater proportion would come up than when the seeds are rotted out. DONNINGTONEKSIS. As they are not to be moved for a year, the seeds should be sown thin, and in re- gular rows across the bed. Keep them free from weeds all the summer by hand-weed- ing ; give water frequently, but never in large quantities ; shade from mid-day sun from the end of May to the middle of August, then let them be fully exposed to be hardened for the winter. GRAFTS AND CUTTINGS.) The choice kinds are generally grafted on strong seedling stocks, and the month of March is the best time for the operation, 96 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. though, in a moist spring, it may he con- tinued to the end of April. Budding will he found a much safer method for the ama- teur who wishes to convert common green hollies into variegated ones. jThe bark lifts nicely at the end of June and through the end of July, and dibbled into a rich sandy mixUire, under hand-lights or frames, are the easiest to root, and the process de- pends very much on the regularity of the attention they receive. The soil should never be soddened. but always moist, the CRASSirOLTA. LATI-FOLIA July, and, if carefully entered, every hud will take. As to cuttings, Messrs. Cut- hush, of Highgate, grow' thousands, and they make beautiful plants. The young shoots of the year taken off Avith a heel at cuttings frequently syringed, and never tried by exposure to hot sun till well rooted. Eutat the Highgate nursery they think nothing of rooting hard wood in pieces of five feet long, and thus dispense with the THE FLORAL WORLD AXD QARDEN GUIDE. 9' tedium of raising seedling stocks, and grafting upon them. CULTURE OF THE HOLLY. Tlie holly grows slowly, and dies slowly-. Trees moved at an unsuitable season, or in an improper way, will hold their foliage and actually break in spring, as if doing ■well, but by degrees they lose their looks, the young shoots go black and dry up, and by slow degrees it becomes manifest that there is no root-action, and the end is death. Small trees that have been fre- quently lifted in the nursery, and that come up with good balls, may be moved on any day of the year if the ground is in a fit state for working; but if you want to make sure of a plantation, let it be made from the middle of April to the end of May, or from the 1st of August to the 15th of September. The best of all times for re- moving hollies is the 1st of May and the lOtli of August, the worst time during winter. Dull moist weather without rain, or at most only a sprinkle, is the best for the operation; but if the removal takes place during sunny weather, take care that the earth is well washed in about the roots after treading them up, or crumble in some fine stuff round the roots, or tuck in the soil well if the ball is broken under the main fieshy roots, fill in loosely, give a good soaking, and leave them two or three days before treading up, and then tread firm. From the first the}' should be sy- ringed twice a-day till rainy weather sets in, and after that they will take care of themselves, but where extra growth and extra beauty are desired, the syringe will do wonders, if used regularly from the first week in April till the end of June. The soil in which the holly delights is a deep rich sandy loam on a dry bottom. Wet is almost death to it, and in boggy soils the only sure way is to plant all the hollies on hillocks as you would araucarias. Evergreen shrubs are too often neglected as objects of culture, but whoever v/ill be- stow upon them an annual surfacing of half-rotted dung, to be dug in between the plants, without injiiry to the roots, and pointed in about the collar where the roots are near the surface, will find their account in the improved beauty and vigour of tha trees, and especially so in the case of hol- lies. It is a general advice in gardening book* never to plant hollies under trees. This advice need not be heeded. It used to set me thinking on the subject when, as a boy, I made observations upon the trees in Hainhault and Wanstead forests, and gathered blackberries and wild flowers under the shade of immense masses of the common ilex, which were again shaded by immense oaks and elms and hornbeams. There you will find them still, if the enclosure act has not annihilated them, as handsome masses of green holly as any in the kingdom, and all the masses are in the deep shade of deciduous trees. When 1 v/as old enough to plant hollies, I used them for underwood, and experience tells mo that all the popular kinds of green hollies do as well or better under trees then in the open air. Variegates are not so well at home in shadow ; they need full exposure and breezy positions to grow freely and make the most of their beauti- ful characters. As a rule, hollies should be allowed to grow as they like ; but though a good rule, there are exceptions to it. Sometimes from the side of a well shaped pyramid a strong branch will shoot up like a pole, to the disfigurement of the specimen. The best way to deal with such an ugly and over vigorous growth is to cut it clean away. But the knife can do little in a general way for hollies, except the case of holly hedges that have got bare at the bottom, when cutting down to one line will cause a production of abundance of furniture near the ground. The proper season for pruning is March . SPEC;iES AND VARIETIES. Ilex aquifolium is the common holly of Britain. It is a beautiful tree, and a pro- fuse berry-bearer, and grows to great per- fection on rich deep loams under the shade of other trees. Most of the ornamental hollies are varieties of it, and their name is legion. It would be a waste of space were we to enumerate all the kinds that Lave names in catalogues, and we know of many quite as beautiful as the best in general cultivation that have never been catalogued at all. The white-berried, gol- den-berried, and black-berried, the laurel- leaved, thick margined-leaved, spineless, broad-leaved, small hair-fringed leaved, narrow-leaved, and bent-back leaved, are all varieties of it, and among the most interesting. So also are all the variegated kinds in common cultivation for garden purposes. If it is purposed to make a selection of hollies, the best way would be to visit a nursery where they are grown in great variety, and pick and choose ft'om the plants as they stand, for the com- monest are as intrinsically beautiful as those that are rare, and among variegated shrubs there is nothing to surpass the silver and gold varieties of the common holly. It is not often we meet with the stove and greenhouse species in cultivation, and the 98 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. reason is that, being so well repre- sented out of doors, cultivators do not care to make room for tliem, when so many other subjects not at all represented among hardy plants claim attention. Of the stove species, myrtifolia, the myrtle-leaved, Para- guensis, the leaves of which are used in Paraguay for tea, and sali- cifolia, the willow-leaved, are the chief. Mr. Forsyth has made a pet subject of the Paraguay holly, and from having seen how extensively it is used for infusions, and in the same way as the tea plant is in China and this country, he feels persuaded that a wholesome and stimulant tea might be obtained from the leaves of the common English holly. As we cannot go into this question now, we will not characterize Mr. Forsyth's proposition as extravagant, let us rather welcome every endeavour to iitilize things that at present have no value. The day may come when the holly may be as acceptable in the teapot as among the green boughs that mingle in the joys of Christ- MADEIKAENSIS, mas. Of the greenhouse kinds, angustifolius, Chinen- sis, Magellanica, and Perado, are the best, and the last- named is the only one with coloured flowers, which are pink ; in all other species and varieties the flowers are white, and add but little to the beauty of the trees. Among the hardy hollies, aquifolium must have first place, because of its import- ance as a native timber tree. But a collection of the best hollies would include many others besides this and its va- rieties ; and perhaps Balea- rica, the grand Minorca holly, is, all things considered, the finest, both for its broad, shining, entire, rich green leaves as for the glowing ver- milion of its abundantly pro- duced berries. Assuredly a fine specimen of the Minorca holly is worth pausing to admire, during a walk over THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 99 a well kept garden. The Dahoon holly is very distinct from both, dense in growth, the foliage small, and it rarely attains to a greater height than six or seven feet, whereas aquifolium will grow twenty feet and more, and the Minorca twelve or fifteen. Canariensis and Cassine are distinct and useful kinds, of robust habit and admirable for specimens ; others it will, as in the case of sweet bays, euony- mus, etc., be years before fine specimens can he again got up. We must live in hope, and be thankful that we have so many handsome evergreens, which neither the excessi/e wet nor subsequent frost have injured in the slightest. Lastly, let me add, as a rare beauty. Ilex Sheppardii, of which I have tAvo beauiiful .':pecimens, SHEPPAnnii. of different degrees of interest are dipyvena the two-seeded holly, laxiflora, which pro- duces its flowers in loose bundles, opaca, recurva, and vomitoria. Ilex latilblia, with leaves of immense size, regularly ser- rated, and disposed in the most regular manner, was one of the noblest of our hardy evergreen shrubs. Alas ! that we should say " was ;" the last winter cut the trees to pieces, and though it is not lost, supplied four years since by Mr. Standisli I have nowhere met with this, and it is evidently but little known. The leaves are large, broad, distinctly spined, and their colouris deep blue green, distinct altogether from what we commonly understand by " dark green," and the growth is as quick as the quickest of this slow family. The habit of this holly is to form rather dif- fusely spreading bushes, as it continually 100 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. pushes out new lateral growth, and tlie density and distinctness of the foliage, combined with its peculiar colour, render it a very striking plant to mix in a belt of evergreen shrubs. It must be remembered, that mere outlines of leaves, though useful for identification, give no idea of the characters of the kinds as ornamental trees. The splen- did green of nobilis, the high varnish of Donningtonensis, and the sparkle of Cheshuntensis have nothing to surpass them, and few tilings to equal them, among the colours and forms of hardy shrubs. The accompanying figures show the natural size of the leaf of each kind figured. Descriptions of each are not wanted, as, with the exception of the foregoing remarks on certain distinct kinds, there is little beside the form of the leaf on which remarks might be made. Probably this exhibi- tion of green holly leaves will be of considerable interest to our readers. Next month we shall present a similar collection of the most distinctly formed and co- loured of variegated hollies. Shikley Hibbekd. CnESHUKTElfSIS. THE TEUE CAUSE OE THE EECENT MOETALITY AMOXa TEEES. In the current number of the Flohal Would I behold a list of shrubs which liave stood the severity of the weather, and of those which have been destroyed, and of those yet doubtful, coupled with some wholesome advice as to turning pnst ex- perience to account, in present or future operations, which advice all whom it m.ay concern would do well to follow. But I am rather surprised that all who speak of the destruction so loudly lamented, attri- bute it all to the frost. In the early part of the year 1855, we had seven weeks continued frost, the thermometer frequently registering 20' below freezing point, and once (I forget the exact date), the register stood at 6' above zero, only two degrees above that registered on tlie morning of December 25th, 1860, on the same spot, and yet the destruction committed that winter was as nothing compared to this ; and why ? for taking the amount of frost into consideration, the balance would lecivd the past winter not so very severe after ally compared with some which have spared the bays and laurestinas. In the summer and autumn of 1854, vegetation had an opportunity of making a healthy growth, and of ripening the wood before the severe weather set in ; and I am inclined to think that not one only but two causes have produced the terrible destruction among shrubs and garden subjects generally. The essentials for promoting a free, healthy growth, are liglit, heat, and moisture, an excess or deficiency of either will cause bad health, or promote disease in plants, shrubs, or trees. Last year we had a deficiency of the two former, and an excess of the latter y incessant clouds obstructed the sun's rays, and prevented the ground getting even warm ; incessant rains kept the soil coldi and clammy ; trees and shrubs could make little or no root-action ; they became filled- THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE, 101 H'ith sap which they had no power to trans- form, every stem became a bundle of water- pipes or vessels filled with juices, which the plant or tree had not power either to appropriate or reject. In this state severe frost overtook them, and they burst, as water-pipes do when frozen while filled with water. The stems of euonymus, laurestinus, cystuses, or all shrubs which have been killed by frost, will, in nineteen cases out of twenty, be found to be split or burst ; they were too sappy, juicy, un- healthy; the frost did but give the finish- ing stroke ; it would not have killed them had they been dry and healthy. Stamford Hill, F. Cuitty. BBDDINa PELATiaONIUMS GROWN AT C HIS WICK, 1860. Thf, subjoinedreportbyMr. T. Moore, F.L.S., r.R.H.S., Secretary to the Societ^-'s Floral Committee, is of such obvious value and importance as bearing on a class of plants more extensively grown for decorative pur- poses than any other, that we have thought it best to present it to our readers entire, instead of following our usual plan of con- densation. The readers of the Floral World will see by this report that many of the varieties hitherto considered of first- class excellence are now surpassed, and must be content with a second place, as compared with those that, to a certain ex- tent, supersede them. The following is a summary of the varieties which the Committee adjudged to be the most desirable for cixltivation : — Series I. — Piaix-leated Scarlet Pelargoniums. § 1. Flowers scarlet : Frogmore Im- proved, and Punch. Defiance and Wel- lington Hero, in addition, were commended for pot-culture and for training up con- servatory pillars. § 2. Flowers cerise : Beaute do Mcldoise,, Lady Middletou, Le Titien. § 3. Flowers rose pink : Chris- tina, Rose Queen. § 4. Floivers toMte : The only variety of this colour was con- sidered inferior. Series II. — HoRSE-snoE-LEATED Scarlet PELARaONIUilS. § 1. Flowers scarlet : Baron Hugel, Captivation, Lilliput, Mai-tin Gu'eau, Queen of England, Scarlet Perfection ; Bishopstowe, Conway's Royalist, and New Globe were selected as good secondaiy sorts ; while Amazon, British Flag, Com- pactura, and Richmond Gem were com- mended for pot-culture or pillars. § 2. Flowers cerise : Frani^^ois Chardine, Mons. Martin, Rubens, and Sheen Rival ; and for pot culture, Paid Labbe. § 3. Flowers salmon or Jlesh colour : Prince Louise of Hesse ; and for pot-culture, Aurora and Blackheatli Beauty. § 4. Flowers rose- pink : None of the varieties in this group wero considered of first-rate character. § 5. Flowers hlush with innJc centre : Henri de Beaudot. § 6. Flowers white : Madame Vaucher, and Nivea floribunda. Series III. — NosEaAT Pelargoniums. These all have zonate leaves. The best sorts were Crystal Palace, Imperial Crimson, Pink Nosegay, and Red Nose- gay. Of good secondai'y sorts, of lai'ger growth, there were : — Bishopstowe Nose- gay, Purple Nosegay, and Salmon Nosegay. Sei-ies IT. — Itt- leaved Pelargoniums. These were all considered to be useful bedding plants for various purposes. Series V. — Yariegated-leayed Pelar- goniums. § 1. Leaves golden-edijecl f Golden Chain and Lady Cottenham were pro- nounced to be useful varieties. § 2. Leaves silver or cream-edged : Of the scarlet-flowered sorts, Anuie, Alma, Bijou, Burning Bush, Comitess of Warwick, Julia, Perfection, Scintillatum ; and for pot-cvdture, Picturatum. Of those with cerise-scai'let or rosy-tinted blossoms : Flower of the Day and Flower of Spring, both first-class sorts. Besides the fore- gomg. Lilac variegated and St. Clair, both with pink fl.owers, were considered usefid. varieties of secondary rank.' The varieties having the whitest-edge foliage were : — Alma, Bijou, Jane, Mrs. Lennox, Moun- tain of Light, Mountain of Snow, and Perfection. Series VI. — Hybrid Bedding Pelar- goniums. The varieties of this group did not succeed as bedding plants in 1860. In the following brief descriptions of the varieties, habit and colour are the chief points to which attention has been di- rected :— Series I. — Plain-leaa^ed Scarlet Pe- LARG0NIU3IS . § 1. Flowers -scarlet. — 1. Collinson's 102 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Scarlet, from Messrs. Fraser. Medium habit ; flowers scarlet, in small trusses. Inferior.* 2. Defiance, from Messrs. Fraser. Vigorous habit ; flowers large, in fair- sized heads, elevated on long stalks, light scarlet. A good variety for training to the pillars of greenhouse conservatories, or for pots. 3. Emperor, from Messrs. Fraser. Yigorous ; flowers large, bright scarlet. 4. FeoCtMORe Impeoyed, from Messrs. Fraser. Medium and compact habit ; flowers lai'ge and well-formed, in fair-sized trusses, bright scarlet. One of tlie best sorts grown. 5. Gex. Sir F. Williams, from Messrs. Low and Co. Rather vigorous in habit ; flowers large, scarlet. Similar to Punch, but inferior to it. 6. Goliath, from Messrs. Rollisson and Sons. Vigorous ; flowers large, well- formed, in good-sized trusses, reddish- scarlet. Inferior. 7. IIaekaway, from Mr, Taylor. Dwarf, slender habit ; flowers narrow- petaled, in small trusses, scai'let. Ansefid bedding sort. 8. Indispensable, from Mr. Turner. Dwarf; flowers scaidet, m small trusses. Inferior. 9. La"MAEtine, from Mr. Scott. Me- dium spreading habit ; flowers light scar- let, of good form. Inferior. 10. Little David, from Messrs. Low and Co. Dwarf; flowei-s scarlet. In- ferior. 11. Lord Raglan, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; flowers large and showy, in small trusses, scarlet. Inferior. 12. Magnum Bonfm, from Mr. Scott. Vigorous ; flowers small, in compact trusses, deep scarlet. Inferior. 13. Mrs. Bloomer, from Mr. Taylor. Dwarf compact habit ; flowers medium- .sized, scarlet. Inferior. 14. Punch, from Messrs. Fraser and Mr. Taylor. Rather vigorous in habit ; flowers large, scarlet. A fine variety for large beds. It appears that there are several distinct seedling forms of tliis variety, and that the l^est of them has a small white eye. 1.5. Rigby's Queen, from Messrs. Fraser. Vigorous : flowers large, loose, bright scarlet. Inferior. 16. Royal Dwarf, from Mr. Turner. * It may be explained that this term has teen employed to express briefly the fact that superioi- sorts of similar characUT are known. It c'oe^ not necessarily imply tliat the varieties to which it is attaches are worthless. Medium habit ; flowers medium-sized, in small trusses, scarlet. Inferior. 17. Scarlatina, from Mr. Turner, Messrs. Fraser, and Messrs. Low and Co. Vigorous ; flowers large, in medium-sized trusses, bright scarlet. Inferior. 18. Toil Thumb, from Messrs. Fraser. Medium or dwarfish habit ; flowers scar- let. Inferior. 19. Wellington Hero, from Messrs. Fraser. Vigorous habit ; flowers large and well formed, in fine trusses, scarlet with white eye. A fine variety for pot culture, and for conservatories. § 2. Flowers cerise or rosy-scarlet.- — • 20. Beaute de Meldoise, from Messrs. Fraser and Mr. Turner. Moderately vigorous ; flowers large, well formed, in good-sized trusses, rosy-scarlet, similar in colour to Lady Middlelon. A veiy fine variety, superior to Le Titien. 21. Judy, from Messrs Fraser. Dwarf; flowers rosy- scarlet. Inferior. 22. Lady Middleton, from Mr. Tay- lor and Messrs. Fraser. Moderately vigorous, compact habit ; flowers large, well formed, abundant, in good-sized showy trusses, rosy-scarlet. An old variety, of good quality. 23. Le Titien, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; flowers finely formed, and growmg in compact trusses, better shape-d than those of Lady 3L'ddlefo!i, which they resemble in their rosy-scarlet colour. A usefid variety, of excellent properties. 24. Lord John Russell, from Messrs. Rollisson and Sons. Dwarf spreading habit ; flowers medium-sized, reddish- scarlet, deeper than the rosy-scarlet of Lady M'ddlcton. It was not, however, considered a desirable variety. § 3. Flowers rose-pink. — 25. Chris- tina, from Mr. Ivinghorn and Messrs. Low and Co. Moderately dwarf; flowers freely produced in fair-sized trusses, deep rose-pink uniformly coloureri. It is deeper coloured and dwarfer than S,ose Queen, and is fiu-ther distinguished by the absence of white from its upper petals. It is one of the best sorts of its colour. 26. LucEA EOSEUM, from Messrs. Fraser. Vigorous ; flowers pale rose-pink. Inferior. 27. Princess Alice, from Mr. Ingram. Medium spreading habit ; flowers deep rose-pink. Inferior. 28. Rose Queen, from Mr. Kinghorn and Messrs. Rollisson and Sons. Medium habit ; flowers medium-sized, in moderate trusses, deep rose-pink with white base to the upper petals. It is one of the best rose-coloured sorts. THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 103 29. Rosea compacta, from Mr, Tur- ner. Dwarf compact habit ; flowers small, deep rose-pink. Inferior. § 4. Flowers ivhite. — 30. Inoeam's White, from Mr. Scott. Medium spread- ing habit ; flowers white. Inferior. Series II.- -hoese-shoe-leaved scaelet Pelaegoniuiis. § 1. Flowers scarlet. — 31. Agatha, from Messrs. Rollisson and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers small, in compact trusses, scarlet. Inferior. 32. Amazon, from Messrs. Eraser. Vigorous habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers large, well formed, in large com- pact trusses, on long hairy stalks, light scarlet. A good variety for pillars in con- servatories. 33. Baeox Hugel, from Mr. Turner, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Scott. Also known as Conway's Princess Royal, and Dr. Duval. Dwarf and spreading in habit, with distinctly zonate leaves ; flowers medium-sized, in small trusses, scarlet. It appears to be an early and profuse bloomer ; and producing briglit-coloured flowers, and decidedly horse-shoe-marked foHage, is to be recommended. 34. BiSHOPSTOWE, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers medium-sized, in comjiact trusses, bright scarlet. A good old sort. 35. Beitish Flag, from Mr. Tiu-ner and Mr. Taylor. Mediuni spreading habit ; leaves distinctly zoned and mottled with green ; flower-stalks pale-coloured ; flowers large, in medium-sized trusses, light scarlet. It was considered a good and useful variety for in-door culture, in greenhouses and conservatories. 36. Captitation, from Mr. Turner and Mr. Scott. Vigorous habit, with boldly zonate leaves ; flowers fuU size, in bold long-stalked trusses, scarlet. It is similar in character to Empress of the French, but the trusses are bolder, and it was pro- nounced a good variety of the large or vigorous habited series. 37. Claeissa, from Messrs. RolHsson and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves dis- tinctly zonate ; flowers small, in compact trusses, scarlet. 38. COMPACTtTM:, from the Society's collection. Coarse habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers small, in large compact trusses, scarlet ; inferior as here grown, but a good variety for in-door culture. 39. Compactum: coccineum, from Messrs. Eraser. Vigorous habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers small, in compact trusses, scarlet ; similar to Royalist and Bishopstowe, but not so bright in colour. 40. Conway's Royalist, from the Society's collection. Medium habit, rather spreading ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers small, in compact trusses, bright scarlet : it is similar to Bishopstowe, but rather dwarfer, and is a useful variety. 41. Cottage Maid, from Mr. Scott. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers medium-sized, scarlet. Inferior. 42. Empress of the Feench, from Mr. Tiu-ner and Messrs. Low and Co. Vigorous habit, \vith boldly zonate leaves ; flowers large, in bold trusses, scai'let. The variety is rather coarse, and was considered inferior to British Flag. 43. FiEE Queen, from Mr. Scott. Medium habit ; leaves indistinctly zonate ; flowers scarlet, of medium size, loose. An inferior sort. 44. Geneeal Pellissiee, from Messrs. Eraser and Mr. Scott. Mediimi habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flower-stalks pale ; flowers medium-sized, tolerably well formed, in moderate trusses, scarlet. In- ferior. 45. Gloey of Someeset, from Mr. Scott. Medium habit ; leaves zonate. This variety did not flower, but is said to be a dark scarlet with white eye. 47. Iveey's Pet, from Mr. Scott. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers medium-sized, scarlet. Inferior. 47. LiLLiPUT, from Mr. Turner. Very dwarf; leaves small, with distinct dark zone ; flowers medium-sized, very bright scarlet. This variety proved to be a Httle gem. 48. Maetin Gieeatt, from Messrs. RoUisson and Sons. Vigorous ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers large, in bold long-stalked trusses, light scarlet. A good variety, with fine bold inflorescence. 49. New Globe, from Messrs. Eraser. Vigorous habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers small, in compact trusses, bright scarlet. In the way of Bishopstowe. The foHage is fine, and the colour of the flowers good. 50. Oeion, from Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zouate ; flowers medium-sized, loose, scarlet. In- ferior. 51. QtTEEN OF England, from Mr. Scott. Vigorous, with boldly zonate leaves; flowers large, of good shape, produced in fair-sized trusses, bright scarlet. A variety of good properties. The same variety was received imder the name of Excellence, apparently a misnomer. 52. Reidii, from Messrs. Eraser. Me- 101: THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. dium habit ; leaves boldlj zonatc ; flowers scarlet. This Tariety was not well in flower, but was considered inferior. 53. Richmond Gem, from Messi-s. Eraser and Mr. Scott. Vigorous liabit ; leaves sliglitlj zonate, mottled with green ; flowers light scarlet, rather loose ; it is, however, a fine pot plant. 54. Roi DE Feu, from Messrs. RoUis- son and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers small ; iu compact trusses, very bright scarlet. In the way of Sishopstowe, but no improvement. 55. ScABLET Globe, from Messrs. Rollisson and Sons and Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves zoned ; flowers large, in fair-sized trusses, bright scarlet. Inferior. 56. ScAELET Peefectioi!', from Mr. Turner. Also called Aitractioii and Boule de Feu. Medium habit ; leaves faintly zonate ; flowers in fair-sized trusses, bright scarlet. It is a very fine variety. 57. ScAEiET Unique, from Mr. In- gi'am. Medium habit ; leaves distinctly zonate, and marbled with green ; flower- stalks pale ; flowers small, in small trusses, scarlet. Inferior. 58. Sheubiand Scaelet, from Mr. Taylor. Vigorous habit ; the leaves faintly zonate ; flowers scarlet, in large showy heads. A variety called Eclipse, sent by Messrs. Eraser, appeared to be the same as tliis. 59. Village Maid, from Messrs. Low and Co. Vigorous, with boldly zonate leaves ; flowers medium-sized, in moderate trusses, rather loose, scarlet. Inferior. § 2. Flowers cerise or rosy-scarlet. — CO- Beauty op the Paeteeee, from Messrs. Eraser. Medium habit, with in- distinctly zonate leaves ; flower-stalks pale ; flowers small, in compact trusses, of ahvely rosy-scarlet. Inferior. 61. Ceeise Unique, from Messrs. Eraser. Medium habit ; the leaves sUghtly zonate ; flowers small, cerise-scarlet. In- ferior. 62. CoMTE DE MoENT, from Messrs. Low and Co. Dwarf; leaves indistinctly zonate ; flowers weU-formed, in fair-sized trusses, lively cerise or rosy-scarlet. In- ferior. 63. EjiPEEOEjfrom Mr.Tm-ncr. Dwarf and vigorous ; with boldly zonate leaves ; flowers in small trusses, rosy-scarlet. In- ferior. 64. EEAN901S Chaedine, from Messrs. Eraser and Messrs. Low and Co. Mediiun habit ; with boldly zonate leaves ; flowers large, well formed, in medium-sized trusses, deep rosy or salmony-scarlet. A fine variety, near to Mons. Martin, but having better foliage. 65. Lady Doeotht Nevili, from Messrs. RoUissou and Sons. Dwarf spread- ing habit ; leaves distinctly zonate, and mottled with green ; flower-stalks pale ; flowers above mediimi size, rather quar- tered, rosy- or cerise-scarlet. Inferior. 66. Leoni, from Messrs. RoUisson and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers large, in moderate-sized trusses, cerise- or rosy-scarlet. A pro- mising variety, but not well flowered. 67. Mons. August, from Messrs. Rol- lisson and Sons. Mediiun habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers large, well formed, rosy- or cerise-scarlet. A pro- mising variety. 68. Mons. Deschamps, fi'om Messrs. RoUisson and Sons. Dwarf; leaves dis- tmctly zonate ; flowers well foiined, cerise- scarlet. Inferior. 69. Mons. Maetik, from Messrs. Rol- lisson and Sons, Mr. Tiuner, and Messrs. Eraser. Medium habit ; leaves distinctly zoned ; flowers large, well formed, in com- pact trusses, of a hvely rosy-scarlet, or bright cerise-scarlet, like Lady ixiddleton. This is a fine sort in the way of Mithens and Lady Middleton, and one well de- serving of cultivation. 70. Paul Labbe, from Messrs. Eraser. Medium and somewhat erect habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers of good size and fine form, but produced in smaU trusses, rosy-salmon. A fine variety for pots. 71. PiCTUEATUM, from Mr. Hally. Medium habit ; leaves indistinctly zonate ; flowers deep rose. This variety scarcely came into bloom. 72. Rubens, from Mr. Taylor. Mode- rately vigorous ; leaves zonate ; flowers large, of fine form, produced in good-sized compact trusses, cerise-pink. A fine va- riety for all purposes. 73. Sheen Rival, from Mr. Kiiighorn. Medium and somewhat spreading habit, with distinctly zonate leaves ; flower-stalks pale ; flowers large, well formed, in bold compact trusses, cerise- scarlet. One of the best varieties in cultivation. 74. SuEPEiSE, from Mr. Tm-ner. Dwarf, with zonate leaves, distiuctly marked with mottled gi'ccn ; flowers medium-sized, iu compact trusses, rosy-scarlet. Inferior. 75. Talma, from Messrs. RoUisson and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves slightly zonate ; flowers rosy-scarlet. 76. The Bishop, from Mr. Scott. Me- dimn habit; a very distinct variety, the leaves green, with a yeUowish-green centre, and a dark zone ; flowers large, in \avge THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. lo: trusses, rather loose, rosy-scarlet ; they are produced on pale-coloured stalks. Though a distinct sort, it is of inferior properties. § 3. Floivers salmon or flesh-colour. — 77. AuROEA, from Mr. Hally. Dwarf; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers deep sal- mon-pink, not well developed. The va- riety is evidently not adapted for open air cultm-e in such a season as the past, though a very beautiful object for pot culture. 78. BtACKHEATn Beauty, from Mr. Hally. Dwarf; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers pinkish-blush. This, like Aurora, is a beautiful little plant for pot culture, but in seasons like the past is not suited for bedding. 79. Cheery Cheek, from Mr. Taylor. Vigorous; leaves large, zonate ; flowers me- dium-sized, deep sahnon-piuk. Inferior. 80. CnioxE, from Messrs. EoUisson and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves dis- tinctly zonate ; flowers medium-sized, flesh- colour. Inferior. 81. Ceiteriox, from Mr. Taylor, Mr. Scott, and Mr. Turner. Moderately vi- gorous habit ; leaves large, distinctly zo- nate ; flowers well formed, in compact trusses, flesh- coloiu' or blush. Inefiective, and evidently not suited for out-door cid- ture in seasons like the past. 82. Prince Louis of Hesse, from Mr. Ingram. Medium habit, with the erectish growth of Faul Labbe ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers large, well formed, salmon- red, paler towards the edges. This, which was sown as Seedling A, was pronounced a first-class variety of the sabnon-coloured series. Mr. Ingram states that it is very pretty when grown in the shade. 83. KixGSBUEY Pet, from JMr. Tiu-uer, Messrs. Fraser, and Mr. Scott. Mechum habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers of good form, produced in fair-sized trusses, salmon or pinkish flesh- colour. A good variety for pot culture, but not equal to Aurora. 84. Lady Emily Stanley, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers flesh-colour, in small trusses. Inferior. 85. Madame Chaedixe, from Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves dis- tinctly zonate ; flowers rosy-salmon. In- ferior. § 4. Flowers rose-pink. — 86. Amy, from Messrs. Eollisson and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves with distinct dark zone ; flowers rose-pink, white on the upper pe- tals. A very poor and inferior sort. 87. Feogmoee Seedlino, from Mr. Taylor. Medium compact habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers narrow-petaled, deep rose-pink. Infei'ior. 88. Ingram's Seedling, from Mr. Ingram. Medium habit ; leaves faintly zonate ; flowers small, rose-pmk. Inferior. 89. Minnie, from Messrs. EoUisson and Sons. Medium habit ; leaves dis- tinctly zonate ; flowers medium-sized, in moderate trusses, deep rosy-pink, white on the upper petals. Inferior. 90. Princess Eoyal, from Mr. In- gram. Dwarf compact habit ; leaves faintly zonate ; flowers small, deep rose-pink, with wliite on the upper petals. Inferior to otliers of this colom'. 91. Tom Thumb's Bride, from Mr. Turner. Dwarf, with slightly zonate leaves ; flowers small, in small trusses, deep rose-pink, with white on the upper petals. Not equal to Hose Queen. § 5. Flowers hlushy tnth pinJc centre. — 92. Anthony Lamotte, from Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves boldly zonate ; flowers medium-sized, of good form, in small close trusses, whitish, Avith p/nk centre. Not equal to Henri de Beatidot, and paler in colour. 93. CoMTE DE MoRNY, from Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves dis- tinctly zonate ; flowers small, in small close trusses, whitish, with salmon-pink centre. Tliis was similar to Antony La- motte, and quite distinct from another variety under a similar name, also contri- buted by Messrs. Low. 94. Henri de Beaudot, from Messrs. Low and Co. Moderately vigorous in habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers medium-sized, in moderate-sized trusses, of good fomi, whitish, with a large distmct salmon-red centre. The best of the sal- mon-eyed light varieties. 95. La Coquette, from Messrs. Eol- lisson and Sons. Dwarf; the leaves shghtly zonate ; flowers blush-white, of a deeper blush at the eye. Liferior. 96. SKELTONi.from Mr. Turner, Messi's. Fraser, and Mr. Scott. Dwarf ; the leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers small, in small trusses, wliite, with blush centre. Inferior. § 6. Flowers white. — 97. Auber Hen- derson, from Mr. Scott. Dwarf; leaves slightly zonate ; flowers white, of tolerably good form. It is now surpassed by other white vai-ieties. 98. BouLE DE Neige, from Mr. Tur- ner. Moderately vigorous habit ; leaves distinctly zonate ; flowers siuall, of good form, white, a good variety, but inferior to Madame T'ancher. 99. Lady Turner, from Mr. Scott. Moderately dwarf habit ; leaves distinctly zonate, white ; not well developed. 100. Madame Yauchee, fi-om Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves dis- F 2 106 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. tinctly zonate ; flowers of moderate size, well formed, produced in compact trusses, wliite. This was adjudged to be one of the best white sorts. 101. Miss Emily Field, fi-om Mr. Scott. Dwarf ; leaves faintly zoned ; flowers blush-white. Inferior, 102. Nrv'EA FLOEIBUNDA, froHi Messrs. Eollisson and Sons. Dwarf; leaves with distinct dark zone ; flowers in mediimi- sized compact trusses, well formed, wliite. A good white variety, but not considered equal to Iladame Vaucher. The following sorts did not produce flowers : — 103. Amy Eobsaet, from Messrs. Eol- Hsson and Sons. Dwarf; leaves slightly zonate. 104. Impeeateice Eugenie, from Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves with a distinct zone. 105. Peemieee, from Messrs. Eollis- son and Sous. Vigorous and coarse habit ; leaves distinctly zonate. 106. EoYALiST, from Messrs. Eraser. Leaves indistinctly zoned. Series III. — NosEaAY Pelaegoniums. 107. BisHOPSTOWE Nosegay, from Mr. Taylor. Vigorous ; leaves large, faintly zonate ; flowers rosy-crimson, in large bold trusses. It is a good large growmg sort, but was considered rather coarse. 108. Ceystal Palace, fi-om Mr. Tay- lor. Dwarf and compact ; leaves prettily marked with a narrow distinct dark zone ; flowers small, pink. The flowers were not well developed, but its dwarf habit and very pretty fohage are sufiicient to recom- mend it as a desirable variety in this section. 109. Feewee's Nosegay, from Mr. Taylor. Medium compact habit ; leaves zoned ; flowers smaU, rose-coloured, in small trusses, which are not well fiUed. 110. Imperial Crimsok, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; leaves faintly zoned ; flowers loose, produced in mode- rate-sized heads, deep rosy-crimson. One of the best of the nosegay section. 111. Model Nosegay, from Mr. Tur- ner. Vigorous habit ; leaves faintly zoned; flowers loose, in large heads, rose-colour. This was considered too coarse in habit. 112. Pink Nosegay, from Mr. Taylor and Messrs. Eraser. Medium habit ; leaves neatly zonate ; flowers large, bright rose, in moderate-sized trusses. This is a fine variety, with flowers larger than in any other Nosegay variety grown in the collection. 113. PuHPLE Nosegay, from tlic So- ciety's collection. This was also received under the name of Mrs. Vernon and Mrs. Colville. Vigorous ; leaves large, zonate ; flowers bright rose-colour, in good trusses, but they were not well developed. It is, however, a good large growing sort, though somewhat coarse. 114. Eed Nosegay, from Mr. Taylor. Medium habit ; leaves bright green, with faint zone ; flowers reddish-crimson, in good-sized trusses. A variety of good habit, and one of the best in this section. 115. Salmon Nosegay, from Mr. Taylor. Vigorous ; leaves large, zonate ; flowers salmon-pink, in large trusses. It is a distinct large sort, somewhat coarse. Series IV. — Ivy-Leaved Pelaegoniums. These are all of spreadmg habit, and have loose narrow-petaled flowers. They are useful bedding sorts. 116. Golden Ivy-leaved, leaves hav- ing a motley edging of yeUowish-green and zonate. 117. SCAELET, OE CeIMSON IvY- LEAVED, from Messrs. Eraser. Leaves green ; flowers loose, rosy-crimson. lis. Vaeiegated Ivy-leaved, from Messrs. Eraser. Leaves cupped, silver- edged ; flowers lilac. 119. Vaeiegated Crimson Ivy- leaved, from Messrs. Low and Co. Leaves cupped, silver-edged ; flowers pink. 120. White Ivy - leaved, from Messrs. Eraser. Leaves green, slightly blotched in the centre ; flowers large, white. Series V. — Vaeiegated-Leated Pelar- goniums. § 1. Leaves golden or yellotvisJi edged. — 121. Golden Chain, from Mr. Scott. Leaves flat, golden-edged ; not in flower. Well known as one of the most useful bedding sorts for special pm-poses. 122. Lady Cottenham, from Mr. Turner and Mr. Scott. Medium habit ; leaves flat with yellowish green edge, and faintly zonate ; flowers deep pink, or rose- colour. A useful sort. § 2. Leaves silvery, or creamy-edged. — * Floivers scarlet. — 123. Alma, ii-om Mr. Scott, Mr. Turner, Mr. Taylor, and Messrs. Eraser. Medium habit ; leaves broad, flattish, white-edged ; flowers me- dium-sized, in comimct trusses, deep red- dish scarlet. A first-class variety. 124. Annie, from Mr. Kinghom. Dwarf compact habit ; leaves with a whitish edge ; flowers large, light orange- scarlet, raiher loose. It is one of the THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 107 more desirable varieties, similar to that called Flower of the Bay, but having better foliage. 125. BiJOXJ, from Messrs. Low and Co., Messrs. Fz-aser, and Mr. Turner. Medinm habit ; leaves rather convex, Aviiite-edged ; flowers large, well-formed, bright scarlet. This is one of the finest varieties in cultivation, and was con- sidered to be quite A 1. 126. Brilliant, from Mr. Taylor. Medium habit ; this, which is a variegated sport from Tom Thumb, has leaves slightly edged with wliite, the edge more or less abortive ; flowers bright scarlet. It is a useful soi't. 127. Burning Bush, from Mr. Hallj. Dwarf; leaves convex, edged with ci-eamy- white, and zoned with dark red, pinkish on the younger parts ; flowers of good form, in fair trusses, medium-sized, light scarlet. A very excellent variety. 128. Countess of Warwice, from Mr. Kinghorn, Messrs. Low and Co., and Messrs. Frasei". Medium habit ; leaves rather cupped, silver-edged, with distinct dark zone ; flowers medium-sized, in com- pact trusses, bright seai-let. It is one of the best varieties, and is good either for beds or pot cidture. 129. Jane, from Mr. Turner. Vigo- rous, with spreading one-sided habit of growth ; flowers large, well-formed, light scarlet. It is, however, inferior to other sorts. 130. Julia, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; leaves having a creamy edge ; flowers medium-sized, in good trusses, scarlet. A distinct and good variety. 131. Mountain of Light, from Messrs. Fraser. Medium habit ; leaves convex, white-edged ; flowers scarlet. In- ferior. 132. Mrs. Lennox, from Mr. Taylor. Medium habit ; the growth rather one- sided ; leaves with distinct wliite edge ; flowers bright scarlet, in small trusses. It was considered to be inferior to Alma. 133. Perfection, from Messrs. Low and Co. Medium habit ; leaves flattish with broad white edge, and mottled green surface ; flowers of tolerable form, in fine trusses, bright light scarlet. A variety of good properties. 134>. PiCTURATUil, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; leaves with a creamy edge and zoned witli red ; flowers of me- dium size, in compact trusses, scarlet. A pretty variety for pot cidture, but aj^pa- rently not suited for beds. 135. Scarlet variegated, from Mr. Taylor. Medium habit ; leaves cupped. with creamy or slightly silvered edge, flowers loose, crimson scarlet. 136. SciNTiLLATUM, from Mr. Hally. Medium habit; leaves cupped, creamy silver-edged, and dark zoned ; flowers well formed, of medium size, and produced in good trusses, deep scarlet. It is a very beautiful variety. ** Flowers cerise, or light rosy-scarlet. 137. Attraction, from Mr. King- horn, Leaves creamy-edged, and zonate ; flowers cerise-scarlet ; not in good con- dition. 138. Bridal Wreath, from Mr. Turner and Mr. Scott. Medium habit ; leaves white-edged ; flowers rosy-scarlet, above medium size. Inferior. 139. Fairy Nymph, from Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; leaves rather cupped, white-edged ; flowers cerise-scarlet, in small trusses. An inferior variety. 150. Flower of the Day% from Messrs. Fraser. Medium habit ; leaves rather cupped, creamy-edged ; flowers light or cerise-scarlet, of medium size, and good form, in fair-sized trusses. A good old useful sort. 141. Flower of Spring, from Mr. Turner. Moderately dwarf habit ; leaves silver-edged, and mottled with green ; flowers large, of extra fine form, rosy- tinted scarlet. This is a first-class variety, fine every way. 142. Mountain of Snow, from Messrs. Fraser. Medium habit; leaves concave, white-edged ; flowers large, well formed, light salmony scarlet. A useful variety. 143. Shottesham Pet, from Mr. Turner. Moderately vigorous ; leaves cupped, silver-edged ; flowers medium- sized, cerise-scarlet. Inferior. 144. Variegated Tom Thumb, from Mr. Scott. Dwarf ; leaves white-edged ; flowers small, cerise-scarlet. It is too small to be effective. *** Floivers reddish crimson. 145. Lady G-ranville, from Mr. Taylor. Moderately vigorous ; leaves cupped, slightly silver - edged ; flowers loose, reddish-crimson. Inferior. **** Flowers pinJc. 146. Lilac variegated, from Mr. Taylor. Moderately vigorous ; leaves cupped, slightly silver-edged ; flowers pink, loose, in trusses of considerable size. A distinct and useful old-fashioned sort. It was received under the name of Peach Blossom from Messrs. Low and Co. 147. St. Clair, from Mr. Turner, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Scott. Moderately vigo- 108 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. rous in growth ; leaves cupped, white- edged ; llowers rose-pmk, in compact trusses, rather indifferent in form. It is, however, distinct, and usefid as a rose- coloured variegated-leaved sort. 118. SiLTEB Queen, from Mr. Taylor, Messrs. Low and Co., and Mr. Turner. Medium habit ; leaves flattish, while- edged ; llowers loose, pink, distinct in colour, but inferior. The following did not produce flowers : 149. Taiey Nymph, from Mr. Scott. Leaves silver - edged, indistinctly zo- nate. 150. EoH-i-NooB, from Mr. Scott. Dwai'f, the plant being weakly in habit ; leaves silver-edged, scarlet. Described as a bright Series YI. — Hybeid Beddixg Pelar- GONirK. This name is apphed to a group hav- ing more or less resemblance in habit, fohagc, and blossoms to the classes of show and fancy kinds. There are some interestmg and useful varieties in tliis section, but during the last season they scarcely came into bloom, and they arc evidently not adapted for b'eddmg out in seasons like that of 1860. Some of them form fancy pot plants suitable for decora- tion. TPIE BEST DAHLIAS OF 1861. Marquis of Bowmont. — Large pale lilac tinted rose, paler centre. Mr. Dods. First class certificate, Horticultural Society', Floral Committee ; certificate, Crystal Palace, September 19. 3Iasterpiece. — Small compact, neatly formed high centre, shaded purple and maroon, a very pretty flower. Mr. Keynes, Salisbury. Commended by Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, September 13 ; certificate, Crystal Palace, September 19. Norah Creina. — Bronze yellow, ligbtly tipped with white, back of the petals suf- fused with rosy-lilac, full size, well formed, quite novel. Mr. C. Turner. Commended by Hortici;ltural Society's Floral Com- mittee, September 13. Elegance. — Wliite, suffused on the mar- gin with light purple, and striped crimson, one of the purest of the white striped varieties exhibited this season. Mr. C. Turner. Commended by Horticultur.il Society's Floral Committee, September 13. Joy.— Pale lilac tipped, bright purplish rose, good outline, florets cupped, centre low. Mr. G. Rawlings. Certificate, Crys- tal Palace, September 20 ; commended by Horticultural Society's Floral Com- mittee, September 6. Mrs. Dodds. — Clear yellow, large, bold outline, fine centre ; a most acceptable variety, good yellows being still scarce. Mr. W. Dodds, gardener to Col. Baker, Salisbury. First class certificate, Horti- cultural Society's Floral Committee, Aug. 23. And.rew Dodds. — Large cupped deep maroon purple, very bold and showy. Mr. Keynes. First class certificate, Horticul- tural Society's Floral Committee, August 23 ; certificate, Crystal Palace, September 19. Beauty of Hilperton. — Large bold flower, crimson, edged with lilac, good centre. T. Dickenson, gardener to R. J. Edwards, Esq. Certificate, Crystal Palace, September 19. THE BEST ETJCHSIAS OE 1861. Lord John Mussell. — Short broad red sepals, corolla violet, large, and cup shaped. E. Banks. Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, July 26. No award. Prince Arthur. — Similar to Lord John Russell, but with larger sepals, the base of the petals streaked with red. E. Banks. Horticultural Society's Floral Committee. •T\ily 26. No award. Frank Vine. — Corolla reddish slate, like Garibaldi, but less expanded ; flowers finely textured and habit very free and effective. E, Banks. Horticultural So- ciety's Floral Committee, July 26. No award. Purity. — Clear white sepals, purplish rose corolla, an average flower. E. Banks. Horticultm-al Society's Floral Committee. July 26. No award. Prince Leopold. — Flowers large, sepals red, of moderate length, stoiit, corolla violet purple, cup-shaped, expanded, seg-- ments concave, and over-lapping, and nearly one and a-half inches across. A grand flower, and the plant of first-rate habit. E. Banks. Horticultural Society's THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 109 Floral Committee, July 23. First class I certificate. Lord FAcho.—'UkQ Prince Leopold, yet ' distinct, sepals Ioniser, and more inclining to vermilion, corolla longer, violet purple, showy. Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, .July 26. First class certificate. Minnie i? «»/«.— Sepals white, faintly tinged with blush ; petals rosy purple ; flower large, well proportioned ; an im- provement on the light kinds. E. Banks. Horticultural Society's Floral Committee. July 26. First class certificate. Garibaldi. — Sepals bright red, short, broad, reflexed ; corolla pale reddish slate, A well-proporiio.ed, novel, and effective. flower, but wanting in smoothness. E. Banks. Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, July 26. Commended. Nejro. — Sepals narrow, bright red ; corolla large, expanded, deep rich reddish purple ; rather out of proportion in build, bat very showy, and the plant a profuse bloomer. G. Smith. Horticultural So- ciety's Floral Committee, July 26. Com- mended. P(/;-((7««fa?M.— Dwarf habit, free bloom- ing ; a very showy flower for garden and \ market purposes. A. Kendall, Stoke I Newington. Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, September 8. No award. THE BEST PELAEaONIUMS OF ISGl. Headinfi f'olunteer. — Upper petals clouded with dark maroon, lower petals blotched with crimson, centre white. A fine earl^s high-coloured geranium. G. W. Hoyle, Esq., Royal Botanic, April 4, second class certificate. Flower of Spriiif/.— An improved Flower of the Day ; leaves edged with creamy white, and blotched with gray, flowers cerise scarlet and in good bold trusses. C. Turner, Royal Botanic, April 4j first class certificate. Argus. — Silver-edged bedding gera- nium ; the leaf marked witli zone of red ; trusses bright scarlet. Horticultural So- ciety's Floral Committee, August 9, first class certificate. Arabella Goddard. — Clear rose ; a cheerful well-formed flower; will be a fa- vourite. Royal Botanic, May 30, certifi- cate ; Crystal Palace, May, first prize. Meteor (Horse-shoe Geranium).— Vigo- rous habit, flowers bright scarlet, Avhite eye. Distinct frona another Meteor ia this list. F. and A. Smith. Horticultural So- ciety's Floral Committe?, September 13, no award. Prince of Oranrje. — Scarlet ; average merit. Crystal Palace, May 26, second class certificate. Meteor. — Variegated bedding gera- nium, dwarf habit, leaves margined creamy white, good trusses of scarlet flowers. Parker and Williams, Horticultural So- ciety's Floral Committee, July 26, com- mended. Champion. — Certificate of merit, Royal Botanic, May 30. Lord Althorp.—Yhit class certificate. Royal Botanic, July 4. Senride Beaudot, — Medium-sized foli- age, flowers salmon, margined white ; a neat and pretty conservatory plant. Hor- ticultural Society's Floral Committee, Sep- tember 13, no avrard. BlacTcheath Beauty. — Hally, Blackheath, Royal Botanic, May 30, certificate. Madam Csillag. — A small-growing va- riety in the way of Delicatum ; neat habit leaves three-lobed, lemon-scented ; flov/er small rosy lilac pencilled ; a ladies' flower. Mr. Bragg, Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, July 23, commended. Perdila. — White centre, dark top ; a smooth and finely-formed flower. Foster, Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, Juno 28, first class ; Royal Botanic, May 30, commeuded. Rosa Bonheur. — Rosy crimson, clear white throat ; a fine show flower. Gr. W. Hoyle, Reading. Royal Botanic, June 20, first class certificate. Beauty ofReadiwj. — Rich painted criuj- soa ; showy, but of no special excellence. G. W. Hoyle, Royal Botanic, June 20, first class certificate. Princess of Prussia. — Light scarlet geranium of the Compactum habit ; fine truss, and well-formed flowers. Mrs. Con- way, Earl's Court. Horticultural Society's Floral Committee, July 12, commended. Garibaldi. — Lower petals rose, top pe- tals dark ; large, finely formed. Foster, Royal Botanic, June 20, first class certi- ficate. General Garibaldi. — Rich deep crimson lower petals, strongly veiued, black top petals, even crimson margin, very smooth. One of the best of tiie new siiow pelar- goniums. Dobson and Son, Royal Botanic, June 20, first class certificate. Mulberry. — A fine dark, well-built flower. Beck, Royal Botanic, July 4, first class certificate. liU SELECTIONS OE HOLLYHOCKS, OLD AND NEW. In these lists there are none entered but such as are of sterling merit and fit for ex- hibition, still, as a whole, they will not equal in quality those given in previous issues of the Floral World. After those previously enumerated, these stand next in the order of merit : — twelve best hollyhocks for 1861. Regina (Chater), clear deep pink ; Mr. Roake (Bragg), primrose ; Reine Blanch (ditto), pure white ; Illuminator (Chater), scarlet carmine ; Tyrian Prince (ditto), purple ; Mignonette (ditto), soft salmon pink ; Mrs. (Jhater (ditto), pink tinted with curmine ; Leonora (ditto), peculiarlyshaded; Margaret (llawke), crimson maroon ; Op- tima (Chater), straw heavily suffused with pink ; Lady Helena Stewart (ditto), light rosy crimson ; Mary Ann (ditto), rose with silvery edges, fine. tw,=:lvb best hollyhocks of 1860 and previous years. Geant des Batailles Surpass (Chater), vivid crimson scarlet ; Black Knight (Bland), the finest and darkest varietj- yet out ; Excelsior (Chater), fawn heavily suf- fused with salmon ; Lucy (ditto), glowing crimson, amber base ; Jaune (ditto), clear yellow; Violet (ditto), beautiful light purple; Colonel Howardbyre (Bragg), crimson red ; Disraeli (ditto), crimson maroon ; Walden Masterpiece (Chater), lemon and pink ; Mont Blanc (ditto), pure white ; Pink Noi- sette (ditto), pink ; Tyrian Prince (ditto), deep purple. twelve best old and <;heap holly- hocks. Beauty of Walden (Chater), rose car- mine ; Admiration (ditto), violet, white edges; Queen of Whites (Paul), purewiiite; Memnon (ditto), crimson ; In Memoriam (ditto), claret ; Purple Perfection (Chater), purple; Queen of Buffs (ditto), buff; Ves- per Bell (ditto), pure white, violet base ; General Havelock (Paul), crimson scarlet ; Shrubland Gem (Chater), clear lilac ; Lilac Queen (ditto), lilac blush ; Annie (ditto), flesh wliite ; Ceres (ditto), rosy crim- son. GAEDEN AND GEEENHOUSE WOEK FOE MAY. Annuals are held in light estimation because people do not really cultivate them Thin out the patches and top the branching kinds, and they will bloom so vigorously as to be altogether uidike the crowded spindling things on which people vent their abuse. Quick flowering annuals sown in shady places at the end of the month or early in June, will come into flower for succession to those that are exhausted, and prove of great service. Bedding plants to be kept growing till of sufficient size for hardening off, and fresh cuttings put in of those of which the stocks are short. Sorts tlr.it are in a tit state for turning ont, to be carefully hardened first, as any severe and sudden check will put them back tremendously. Place them in cold pits first and shade from mid-day sun, and cover up at night. By degrees, let them have full exposure, and to be left un- covered night and day before turning out. Plants purchased from nurseries generally require careful hardening, owing to their having been pushed rather fast. In select- ing at nurseries, piefer plants from open frames if you can get them. Beet of the first sowing to be thinned to one foot apart as soon as large enough. From the 7th to the 14th is early enough to sow for a crop of moderate-sized roots to store for winter. Brocoli. — Sow the second week, both early and late sorts, not forgetting Snow's Winter White and Lee's New Sprouting. Capsicums and Tomatoes may be turned out on warm borders towards the end of the month, but there will he nothing gained by over haste. Tomatoes planted against hot walls should be covered every night till the first week in June. CAULiFLOvrERS. — Give manure water to the forwardest to produce large heads. Sow for the autumn supply. Celery. — In pricking out, choose a hard bottom for the bed, on which lay four inches of rotten dung, and two inches of liglit rich soil. Handle the plants ten- derly', water lightly and regularly, and keep the lights over till they look brisk and growing. Tliey will lift from such a bed with vigorous roots, and at the first planting out, choose the forwardest plants and let the others remain for the next set of trenches. Chrysanthemums make nice plants for ordinary purposes from May cuttings, and better wltliout than with bottom-heat. Cinerarias going out of bloom to be in cold frames, and the collar of each THE TLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 91 plant earthed up Avitb sandy stuff to pro- mote suckers. Cucumbers will require plenty of air and a brisk bottom-heat. Re-line the beds where necessary. Train and thin the shoots. After lining, give plenty of water round the insldes of the frames. Sow or strike cuttings for succession. Ridge cu- cumbers to be planted out under liand lights on trenches two and a-half feet Avide, and one foot deep, filled with dung twice turned to a foot above the level. The dung should not be soiled over for a few days after making the bed. Cuttings of all the beddei's should be taken as far as they can be spared, either by bushy plants, or to stop leaders of those that ought to be bushy. Always allow the plants cut from to break before dis- turbing them at the root, as one check is sufficient at a time. Hardy spring flower- ing plants may be propagated from cut- lings as soon as they have flowered, and a stock of Alyssum, Arabis, double Wales, etc., got up very quickly and with less trouble than by sowing seeds. Dahlias should never go out till June, unless to be protected every night with in- verted flower-pots, each pot to be covered with a mat. Dalilias should be potted in rich stuff, to insure strong plants, before planting out, and be gradually hardened. Cuttings put in now Avill root in a few days, so that sorts of which tlie stock is small may soon ha secured. Edgings newly formed to be watered in diy weatlier. Saxifi'aga Icelandica makes a beautiful bright green edging for a close line. Fuchsias for exhibition to have frequent and regular attention, the growth to be symmetrical, plants never to lack moisture ; not much sun. Bedding fuchsias are best from cuttings of the season, the old stools to be thrown away. Make the beds deep and rich with plenty of old dung and good leaf-mould. Geraniums struck now will make fine plants to bloom from July to November. Cuttings of geraniums should now be in- serted singly in thumb pots, so as to be ready for shifting to 60's without injury to the roots as soon as large enough. Potatoes. — Hoe between tbe rows as soon as the plants appear, and hoe ft-e- quently irrespective of weeds and moulding up. If planted deep enough in the first in- stance, we consider further moulding an injury to them. TO COREESPONDENTS. CATAi-OGt'ES Received. — " Carter's Gardener's and Farmers' Vade-Mecum for 1861." This came to hand so late last month, that we could only acknowledge it on the wrapper. It is a lar{;e octavo of 108 closely-primed pages, and worth much more than the shilling charged for it, as a guide-book for the florist, gardener, aUot- ment-holder, and farmer. The farming calendar is as good as anything of the kind in our cur- rent literature, and in a space of a few pujj^es conveys as much useful information as would suffice to fill an expensive volume. The list of flower seeds has the usual accompanying notes on culture, and the whole thing reflects on the trade thus represented by its own literature. — " New Koses of 1861, offered by Vaul and Sou, Old Cheshunt Nurseries." A list of thirty-five new roses offered at m. each, and comprising a few names we have not observed in other lisis, but on which we shall otter no remarks until ■we have tried them, or seen the plants in flower. — "Supplement to Catalogue No. 67 of the Horticultural Establishment of A. Vers- ehafielt, Ghent." A very pretty list of novel- ties, among which are some I'are palms, ferns, cycads, and conservatory flowering shrubs. — "Addenda to Sutton's Farmers' Manual and Seed List," comprismg the prices of seeds for present sowing for r;)tation and iallow crops. Indian Seeds. — T. J3. P — The seeds of lilies sent you from India ought to have vegetated in heat. We can only advise you to wait in hojje. Seeds that have made a long voyage are gene- rally a longer time vegetating than those of home growth, and it is rather a rare occurrence for seeds sent privately to come to any good, the donors not generally having sutUcient know- ledge to know what to send or how to send. If our seeds do grow, the plants will require greenhouse treatment. Propagate Clematis from firm side-shoots under glasses in June, and grow the pUmts in pots till next spring. Jasminum graudiflorum requires good culture, and a rather warm place ; the soil turfy peat and loam. You cannot have a better if you have it true. The Fraxinella seeds should be sown as soon as ripe; cover an inch deep, and place a tally to mark the place. The plants will appear next spring, and not before. The seeds ought never to be kept, but sown as soon as gathered. Seeds of Mezereon are generally two years in vegetating, and should be treated the same as we have descritjed for holly, in order to rot away the integuratnts. Spergulas. — W. P. — The dark-green tuft you send is not Spergula pUifera, but what it is we cannot say without seeing it in bloom. The true pilifera is rather light green, and grows closer to the ground than the tuft. sent. We never advised dressing Spergula with salt to keep away worms; we may have advised the use of liine-water, and we aavise that now, with frequent rolling. We hear from several quarters of the failure of the seeds of Lawtou Blackberry, and we incline to the belief that the seed is not good. Wny not get a few plants, or one even, and propagate by layers or cuttings. The seed should be sown in June. Geraniums and Hydrangeas. — J. li., Tippc- rary. — Your rich soil and moist air ought to suit hydrangeas, so we fear your system mnst be wrong. That geraniums grow rank in it U quite likely, and that may be corrected bv pluuijing inste.id of turning out ; but mind tha', under every pot pluni»ed there is a large piece of hollow crock or tile, topreveut worms gettin-: up into the pots, and to keep the drainage safe. But it would be better if you won! d'.nake your 112 TUE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. geranium beds of the poorest soil you have, and raised above the surface to make them drier. A mixture of old mortar and brick rubbish would help to correct the richness of the foil for the scarlets, but it will not be too rich for any of the variegated sorts. Placing pots in saucers is not a good plan, except for plants exposed to a hot sun, where the water is soon taken up. EocKEKT FOR Tehns. — Bcf. T. W. — Ifyou can get ])lenty of peat, loam, and silrer-sand, you can do very well without leaf-mould. Give the preference to peat with plenty of fibre in it, and use about equal quantities of peat and loam, except for ferns which you know prefer all peat. No animul manure should be used in fern growing, and you need not seek any of the "artificial manures;" they would do more harm than good at the roots of ferns. MrsGEAVK's Stovk. — Thorn. — As now made for use in greenhouses, there need not be a par- ticle of dust. The fire-box has a solid bottom, not a grating, and the ashes can be raked out without the least harm to neighbouring plants, as we found in our trial* of it. Tiie top plate never gets so hot as to burn the air, and it is covered with a second plate. The stove you had from Messrs. Musgrave, and which has answered so well for three winters in the dwelling-house, might be used in the green- house by reducing the drauglit, and by damp- ing the ashes before removal. It has open fire-bars ; those now made have a lump. Tom Thumb tropa;olum a foot apart. Hotbed of Hops. — S. W. S. — You did not use hops at our advice ; we never recommended them. A vast deal of rubbish called " bedding stuflF" is sold about London from beds made of spent hops, and they make a remarkable mess of the gardens in which they are planted. Your plants, pots, and labels are covered with a fungus generated in the decaying hops. You must give them a good cleaning, then dust with sulphur, and transfer to a warm dung-bed, and give as much air as they can bear. AscLEPiAS TVBEEOSA. — G. B. — This is a hardy species, flowering in August. It likes a mix- tare of peat and loam, and a warm, airy posi- tion. Propagate by division iu May, or by cuttings of young shoots in heat, or by seeds sown in March in a gentle heat. Pr,A>'TixG Potatoes in Ashes. — W. JB. — Mr. C. L. AVdsou, of Beckenham, communicated to the Farmers' Journal as follows: — ""When planting potatoes in March last, I ordered my men to plant the four middle rows of a piece iu linely-sifted ashes. 'We have yesterday and to- day "(Sept. 14 and 15) dug up the whole piece of ground, and find the four rows planted iu ashes free from disease, but all the other rows on both sides have about one quarter bad, and evidently on the increase. We ridged the ground, then placed a layer of ashes in the ridge, then the potatoes, next a layer of ashes, ami, lastly, a little nf the mould on the top." OBCHAni; lioiSE. — J. A. F. — If vou putty the laps, the trees will not thrive. Your roof is too Hat to carry the drip to the caves. Ferns will do well in the borders when the vines cover the spaces assigned them, but we ques- tion if strawberries will have enough light and air there. To determine that point, notice if the weeds that come up in the border look drawn ; if so, the place is too dark for strawberries, which require plenty of light and air. By standing the strawberry pots on large empty pots inverted, you would bring them neiirer to the light. The back wall of the forcing-house would be better .«is inches higher; these flat roofs do not answer well for early work, as until the end of May they get a minimum of sun, and much mischief arises through damp. If increasing the height of the wall is objectionable, take six inches ofl' the front wall, and lower the path for head room. We should prefer a front wall only two feet high, to get the morning rays of the sun on the melon beds, instead of losing them by the intervention of brickwork. Houses are built with such flat roofs in nurseries, though rarely, and then it is for specific purposes that lie quite out of the range of your practice. Your measurements are good. You may follow Mr. Rivers' instructions with perfect safety, but we advise the adoption of the substantial rather than the make-shift method. Munro's cannon boiler will be the .best for you, placed at the end of the house where the forcing-pit is to be. As you are an invalid, you had better employ an experienced person to fix the boiler and pipes. Variovs. — A. B. S. — Your aquatic is Menyanthes trifoliata, the Water-bean, an early and hand, some water plant.— iJ. G., Gretfon.— I, Carda- mine pratensis, abundant in meadows at this season ; 2, Corydalis bulbosa, a British plant, very prc-tiy at this season ; we hear from a friend that he gathered it about the 20th of April, in a meadow in Hertfordshire : 3, Saxi- fraga cra.^sifolia, a Siberian species, flowering unusually well this season ; 4, a miserable spe- cimen of Aubrietia purpurea, a charming plant for rockeries. Though this is sent to us in almost every parcel of plants to name, we wasted a good deal of time to make out the pinched-up bit with which you favoured ua. AVe beg our correspondents to send fair speci- mens, not powdered leaves and the dust of smashed petals. — Breutinr/li/ Cotiagc. — Saxi- fraga cordifolia. — .S'. ,S. ,S'. — The full-grown leaves of sea-kale make a most capital vegetable, riOt only equal, but better, because more fully- flavoured, than the same vegetable in a blanched state. The myrtle-leaved orange is a distinct species (and not the Seville orange), and can therefore be produced true from seed. It is a very desirable plant even for a small collection, because it flowers and fruits abundantly. It will, doubtless, be brought sooner into a bear- ing state, if a bud from a fruit-bearing plant be inserted into the seedling plants, August is the best month for budding oranges. Pans with holes wiU be most suitable for the ferns, because the drainage is thorough, if properly done. The arrangement may be such, in every par- ticular, as recommended to " G. S." in a former number. Subjoined is a list of suitable kinds ; — Polypodium cambricum, Pteris serrulata, Adi- antum cuneatum, A. hispididum, A. capillus veneris, A. ainnis, A. reniforme, Polystichium lobatum, Doodia aspera, D. caudata, Asple- nium adiantum nigrum, A. lanceolatum, A. alternifolium, A. ruta-muraria, Lomaria antarc- ticum ; and if the surface is much raised, two or three of the species of Uiphobolus will suc- ceed perfectly. But the various species of Lycopodium "are. after all, really the most satisfactory and pleasing things to grow under glasses of such description, and all of them enjoy such treatment. — A. B. — Cover the roof with sail-cloth or tarpaulin, and coat it with a hot mixture of tar two parts, pitch one part, and it will be water-tight for the remainder of vour life-time. Y'our plant is Cotoneaster mi- 'crophvlla,amostbeautitidberry-bearingshrub. The transplanting of quicks in nurseries is to promote the growth of flbrous roots. They are generallv planted on the same ground again : the virtue of the act is in the lifting, not the change of soil, though there is some- times a sprinkle of manure put along the trenches. THE hi GABDE^ GUiDE. Jo-E, 1861. JBTE PESTITAL of the " Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution,"' to take place at tte London Tavern, on the 26th cf June, demands attention, as of great im- portance to the interests of horticulture, independent altogether of the claims it has upon philanthropy, and the brotherly spirit by "which the gardening craft is ^ animated. "We cannot but wish this society a most hearty success at the forthcoming anniversary, and we would hope to be useful to it by calling the attention of our readers to its high claims for support on all who are interested in horticul- ture. Its object is to assist in providing for the subsistence of head gar- deners, foremen, market gardeners, nurserymen, and seedsmen, who have been engaged in either of their several occupations during twenty years, and who, through calamity, misfortune, or other causes, shall have become reduced in circumstances, and in need of pecuniary assistance. The widows of such persons are also eligible to election for relief. The society was instituted in 1838, and for sometime after its first formation, it lacked the generous support which happily has been awarded it of late years. Its rules have been certified by Mr. Tidd Pratt, and its entire organization is such as to command the esteem of those who look on critically as well as those who liberally aid it with contributions from their purses. The rules require that recipients of the society's bounty shall be at least sixty years of age — cases of total incapacity alone excepted. The amount of relief given to males is sixteen pounds per annum, and to females twelve pounds per annum ; and, in the event of a pensioner dying and leaving a widow, she is at once placed upon the list of pensioners, without the vexation and trouble of an election. The mode of election to the benefits of the society is by ballot, and every annual subscription of a guinea entitles the sub- scriber to one vote at elections, a privilege which may be compounded for by a life subscription of ten guineas. During the year 1860 the total in- come of the society was £1161 14^. 6J., not a great sum, considering how wide spread is the passion for horticultural puKuits, and how numerous TOL. IV. — yo. VI. G 114 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. the personal interests bound up with it. This sum was made up of the following items : — Annual subscriptions, £616 75. ; donations received at annual dinner, £330 3^. 6d. ; moiety of legacy from the late C. Palmer, Esq., £26 13^. 4d.; dividends on stock, £139 195. 2d. ; advertisements inserted in society's reports, £48 lis. 6 J. The society paid in pensions £723. The sum of £187 2s. 6d. was invested in consols; the expenses of management were £133 17s. lid. ; that is about twelve per cent, on the income. The society's fu.nded stock now amounts to £5100. There were on the society's books, as recipients of pensions, on the 1st of Jamiary last, fifty-one pensioners, of whom twenty were females, receiving a total of £240, and thirty-one males, receiving £496. In the list of pensioners there are five persons over eighty years of age, thirty-two over seventy years of age, and the rest are all over sixty, except one, who became eli- gible through total blindness. There are reasons, over and above those which would attach to the case merely as a gardeners' benevolent society, why support should be liberally given by all classes of the community. To the working gardener the so- ciety may fairly appeal as a place of possible refuge, should calamity over- take him befoi'e he has been able to make a provision for his family ; and it may appeal, too, as a source of help to his widow in the event of death seizing him in the midst of his active labours. It should be an encourage- ment to gardeners to set aside a portion of their earnings for so laudable a purpose, that those who have subscribed fifteen years consecutively, or their widows, have the preference, in the event of a competition for elec- tion where some of the candidates have not subscribed. And the man who considers himself so safe that he will never need the help of such an insti- tution, or so independent that he would never resort to it, may well con- sider that among his brother gardeners there are man.y not so happily cir- cumstanced, to whom, by the ordinary ties that unite men in kindred occupations, he OAves it as a duty to assist in furnishing a relief fund for distress. There are many in the list of pensioners who, when hale and young, had similar thoughts; and in this day of improving thrift and active benevolence, gardeners must act on Nelson's inotto, that " England expects every man to do his duty." Of course such a society will largely depend on the patrons of garden- ing, who have more means and generally a better appreciation of the neces- sity of such institutions. It should be sufficient vindication of the case that those who come as candidates to this fund have done their share in life's battle to fulfil the demands of a life of industry, and have also helped in their several capacities to forward the interests of horticultural science, in the results of which we all participate. But there is another reason why the patrons of horticulture should come forward liberally, and increase the list of annual subscribers, and that is, that gardeners are not overpaid ; too often underpaid, when it is considered that the occupation calls for a large amount of practical knowledge, incessant exercise of progressive skill, and entails anxieties such as only those who feel them can estimate ade- quately. If general reasons are needed, we may add that the society is admirably managed, and that a good working committee is ably seconded by the energetic secretary, Mr. E. R. Cutler. We trust tlie friends of the society will muster in good force at the forthcoming festival, that many new friends may appear with them, and that the subscriptions for so laud- able a purpose may be equal to the demands made upon the society's THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 115 resources, througk the misfortunes and calamities that befall gardeners in common with the rest of mankind. Tropical GiROEXs were the subject of numerous suggestions and re- marks last spring, but in these pages not a word appeared in praise or condemnatioa of the idea, and some of our readers expressed surprise that what was agitating other minds was allowed by us to remain in abey- ance. Perhaps those who complained Avill now admit that our silence had a meaning, for what sort of a season was 1860 for stove plants out of doors ? I*[ot that we had any prescience of the weather ; no : we were putting out numerous subjects of a tropical character in the hope that summer would come at last ; but we deemed it prudent to wait for a fair promise of sunshine before stirring up amongst our readers a desire after an object that possibly was not to be attained. It was well we did so : and those who dilated with so much warmth on the gorgeous eifects of begonias, caladiums, and cannas in the open ground, would have done better by their readers to have said nothing at all, for people were thereby urged to expend money in the purchase of plants doomed to sodden in the wet, and pass away at last without giving their possessors any remunerative pleasure. But the season has opened so gloriously, that we are fiiin to believe that we shall have our averages of sunshine and ground-heat during the remainder of this year, and therefore we address ourselves to the subject of tropical gardens as seasonable and interesting. The idea of planting out store plants i^ bssed upon the very simple fact that many of the most effective of them grow with great vigour in the open ground from June to the end of September. In many places, begonias and caladiums accumulate and attain to such a size as to be regarded almost as rubbish ; but instead of consigning them to the muck- heap, it is much better economy to plant them out in beds, let them grow in all their proper grandeur throughout the summer, and allow the winter to make an end of them, unless wanted for similar planting the next season. In 1859 there were several very successful examples of bedded begonias- at the great nureeriss and private gardens of note, but last year they were a downright failure through the frequent drizzle and the cold- ness of the ground. Begonia Rex must have the first place in the lists of kinds suitable to turn out, and there is nothing finer in the class when it grows with vigour. JSTebulosa, Grandis, E-ollinsonii, and Griffithii are also suitable, and their foliage effects distinct and beautiful. There is, perhaps, not a single caladium in the lists but would grow well and keep true to character in every moderately sheltered garden this side of the Tweed, from June to the end of the season, and we can imagine nothing finer than Caladium Chantini, and metallica, side by side, the one with its fiery ribs, and the other rich violet bronze ; to these might be added Belleymei for its snow-white leaf, ribbed with vivid green. From these two soiu'ces, then, we may draw materials for beds and masses of quite a tropical character to add to the interests of the summer garden. But we have at our command hundreds of such things. There are the cannas, unique and beautiful from the first day they emerge out of the seed-leaf; easily raised with a moderate bottom-heat, easily kept and truly superb in their tropical effect out of doors all the summer. There are at least a IIG THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. dozen distinct kinds of Eicinus suitable to the same purpose, their stately growth and palmate leaves giving them a noble distinctness for the centres of large beds. For ordinary uses the best are — Africanus, albidus, with silvery stems ; obermanni, red ; purpureus, purple ; or better still, purpureus major, and sanguineus, which produces large bunches of glowing crimson fruit. Then the bold peltate-leaved Farfugium grande comes into the same catalogue with only one objection, that snails and slugs will leave almost eveiy plant in its vicinity to feast upon it, and utterly spoil its beauty. Among large-leaved plants, the Farfugium is without an equal when well grown, and offers a really tropical contrast to begonias and cannas by its unique style of colouring. Where subjects of this class are to be used on a systematic plan, there will be help needed from less tender classes, and we shall have no difficulty in supplying any desiderata among the colours required from the purple orach, Perilla INankinensis, Rumex sanguinea, Chenopodium atriplicis, and purpurea, and the varie- gated reeds and grasses. It may be only right to remark that in the im- mediate vicinity of ordinary bedding plants, such as geraniums and verbenas, tropical looking plants usually appear out of place and inconsis- tent, they require a compartment detached in some way from the high- coloured geometric patterns, where their peculiar beauties may be enjoyed without detriment through the proximity of effects more gaudy but perhaps not more refined. NOTES OF THE MONTH. KoYAL Botanic, Apil 24.— This was a good show of miscellaneous plants, Messrs. Cutbush and Mr. Young contrii)uted hj^acinths still in fine con- dition. Mr. James of Isleworth, and the Eev. G. Jeanes of Alford, sent well-bloomed collections of auriculas, cinerarias, pelargoniums, azaleas ; and variegated plants were plentiful and generally good. Among the novelties, the following were plants of special merit — G-oniopteris reptans, a West Indian fern ; Athyrium filix-foemina var. Frizellia?, a charming variety of our English lady-fern ; Pteris rubro-nervia, a free-growing fern, inferior, we think, to the species and varieties of Pteris of recent introduction; Auri- cula Negress, from Mr. Turner, a fine chocolate-coloured self. HoTAL HoETicTJLTUEAL SociETY, May 1. — The anniversary meeting was held in the Council Iloom, at the Garden in South Kensington. The Earl Ducie in the chair : and amongst those present were Lord Llanover, Earl Grey, the Bishop of Winchester, Sir J. Boileau, Bart., Eight Hon. T. F. Kennedy, Colonel Higgins, Mr. W. Westmacott, Mr. H. M. Hope, Mr, Wentworth Dilke, etc. etc. Mr. Murray, the assistant secretary read the report which stated that — " Notwithstanding the imperfections caused by many unexpected obstacles, the council feel bound to open the gardens on the 5th of June. Some portions of them will not be in such a state of com- pleteness as they could wish, and it may be matter for the grave considera- tion of tlie new council whether, after the formal and ceremonial opening and great show on the 5th and 6th of June, the gardens should not be again closed for a short period, for the finishing of the works. One of the works to which the council allude is the memorial of the Exhibition of 1851, now executing by Mr. Joseph Durham ; which, as Fellows are already aware, has been placed at the disposal of the society by the committee entrusted with its supervision. Another feature which will not be ready by the 5th of June IS the supply of water. After anxious consideration, the council decided on THE PLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN aUIDE. 117 providing tlie water required for tlie various basins, etc., as well as for the general use of the garden, by sinking an artesian well. Tliere are other minor matters which, tliough it may be said that the works are incomplete without tiiem, can hardly be ranked under the head of unexecuted works. These are statues, tazzas, vases, and other objects of ornament. If the pro- gress of the works has been satisfactory, not less so has been the progress of the society itself. Since 1859 a greater number of new Fellows have joined the society than ever before did in any two years of its palmiest time. Such numbers sufficiently indicate the appreciation by the public of the efforts made to restore the society to its former eminence, their expectations of success, and confidence in the future attractions of the garden. The funds of the society have in this manner been largely recruited. Many of those who have joined during the last two years have become life members, their subscriptions representing a sum of about £13,300. The expenses, however, have been, and, to complete the works, must be, great, and the council (as the society is already aware) found it necessary to apply for au- thority to raise by debentures a sum of £10,000, in addition to that of £40,000 which was already sanctioned by the society. This authority was granted by the Fellows at a special meeting held on the 19th of April, and in less than a fortnight more than double the sum required was offered. The council, under the agreement with her Majesty's Commissioners for the Ex- hibition of 1851, and the other arrangements of the society, found it neces- sary to apply for a new charter. This has been for some time in preparation, and it is expected to pass the great seal within a few days. The ordinary working of the society has been going on satisfactorily during the last twelve months. By devoting the large conservatory at Chiswick to the cultivation of vines an admirable collection of the best kinds has been secured, from which the inferior sorts are being, by degrees, eliminated, and a very large number of cuttings of the now recognized best sorts, and of other fruit trees, have been distributed. The council have arranged to send a collector to an interesting district in South Brazil, and have also made arrangements with a collector who is already in South Africa, to collect and transmit seeds and plants to this country. The spacious council-room not only furnishes the Fellows with a suitable place of meeting, as well as accommodation for their minor shows and competitions, but removes any difficulty as to a hall for the delivery of lectures, and for the reading of papers on scientific subjects, should such be resolved on. The council feel it their duty to express their gratitude to her Majesty the Queen, and his E,oyal Highness the Prince Consort, president of the society. It is only those who, like the council, have had the privilege of seeing the time and thought bestowed by his Royal Highness upon the plans of the garden in all their details, who can appre- ciate the extent of that interest and the advantage the society has derived from it." The Duke of Rutland, Mr. John Fleming, and Mr. Robert Cooper were elected as members of the council in the place of three members recom- mended to be removed. Ceystal Palace, May 18. — Neither the sharp winter nor the cold spring seem to have much interfered with the labours of exhibitors, for there was never a better show than this at the Crystal Palace. To enumerate all that deserves mention would be to report beyond reasonable length ; for the nave and transept were crowded with contributions as well as with visitors, and the spectacle was as grand as on any former occasion of the most brilliant floral displays. Mr. Lane, Mr. Turner, and Mr. Paul were each great in roses ; Mr. Turner best in tulips, though there were many flowers in his lots wanting in quality. Azaleas were magnificent, pelargoniums not over abundant, but good, calceolarias in full beauty, and some of the specimens wonderfully well grown and bloomed. Fine-foliaged plants are even more in the ascendant than this time last year, and several of the newly-introduced caladiums and begonias were shown in the best exhibition style possible. Mr. Smith of 118 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Dulwioli had as usual a fine lot of seedlinj^ cinerarias, on wliicli we shall have to report hereafter. Mr. James made a grand hit -ivith common spring flowers. Mr. Slionton led the way in pansies. There were 9339 visitors during the day of the exhibition. Colchester Horticultural, May 15. — The first exhibition for the season took place on the grovinds connected with the Eoyal Grammar School, placed at the disposal of the society by the Eev. Dr. Wright. There was a large collection of flowers of all kinds, and though the azaleas, which form one of the chief classes exhibited, were deficient both in the quantity and size of the blossoms, their deterioration was more than compensated by t]\e magnificent show of general plants and pot roses. The president, G. H. Errington, Esq., offered a special pirize for four stove and greenhouse plants, which was awarded to Mr. Hedge, of Ipswich, the varieties shown comprising Dendrobium Nobile, Azalea Exquisite, Erica Syndriana, and Bossia Hender- sonii. The first prize for six miscellaneous plants was awarded to Mr. Hedge, of (Jolchester. In the class for four plants Mr. Catchpool was first with Chorozema Lawrencia, Erica Cavendishii, Azalea Magnificent, and Aphelexis Purpurea. In Fuchsias, nothing could surpass the beauty of the fovir plants shown by Mr. Catchpool. They were Eose of Castile, Crown Jewel, Guiding Star, and Wonderful. Cinerarias, calceolarias, orchids, herbaceous plants, pansies, and verbenas, were numerous and good, but the roses were the subject of chief attraction. The pots shown by Mr. Catchpool included General Jacqueminot, Glorie des Mousseuses, Jules Margottin, and Alphonso de Lamartine ; and of the cut blossoms those shown by Mr. Hedge, of Col- chester, were perfect gems, particularly those of Rubens, a comparatively new variety, of most beautiful form and colour. The " lion of the show '' was a plant shown by Mr. Hotson, and to which was awarded the first prize. This was a fine specimen of the Gigantic Lily of India, standing about seven feet in height from the top of the pot. Every eflbrt to raise this plant in this country from seed failed, but a bulb was imported a few years since, and its blossoms at one of the great metropolitan shows created quite a sensation. The plant never blooms more than once from the same root-stock, and that not until its fourth or fifth year. The flower is of a soft creamy white, with purple stripes inside and about five inches in length by four inches in width across the opening. The leaf and flower-stem are in every respect dissimilar from the true lily. The stem is thicker than a man's wrist at the base near the bulb, and tapers to half an inch at the top where the flowers break forth. Tiie plant in question had a dozen splendid blossoms upon it, which emitted a fragrance that quite perfumed that portion of the tent in which it stood. The show of fruit and vegetables was very good, considering the unpropitious state of the season. The pines, grapes, and strawberries, particularly the latter, were very superior — a dish of three varieties, shown by Mr. Green, gardener to Mrs. Honj'wood, of Marks Hall, Coggeshall, attracting particular notice from their prodigious size and excellent colour. In the vegetable de- partment, Mr. Stoddart, gardener to Mr. Eebow, was unapproached for pota- toes, both of the round and kidney varieties. As might have been expected, the exhibition of cottagers' productions was very small indeed. The full prize list will be found in the JEsaex Telegraph of May 18. Dublin Eoyal Horticultural, May 22. — This society's annual spring show of flowers was held in the Eotuuda Gardens. Pour marquees were erected, and the Eound Eoom was set apart for the orchids and rare plants. The orchids belonging to Mr. Bewley, the Lord Chancellor, Mr. Joseph Hone, jun., and Mr. George Eoe, were placed upon the stages in the centre of the room, and were regarded with great interest. The florists' flowers, and principally those from the gardens of the Messrs. Campbell, Glasnevin, were remarkably fine in bloom and size. A large tent contained the azaleas, which, as might be expected in this season of the year, formed the principal feature of the show. The silver cup for azaleas was won by Mr. Pim, for a THE FLORAL WORLD AKD GARDEN GUIDE. 119 beautiful selection of six plants eacli. ]Mr. George Hoe and Mr. Robert Gray- obtained the second and third prizes respectively. The rhododendrons were very beautiful, especially those from Sir Roger Palmer's gardens, to whom the Lord Lieutenant's prize was awarded, and those sent in by Mr. Gray and Mr. Bewley possessed conspicuous merit. The stove and greenhouse plants exhibited by the Chief Secretary and his Excellency the Lord Lieu- tenant were greatly admired. The heaths, ferns, etc., were very fine, and the auriculas, for which Dr. Plant obtained the prize, were far beyond the average excellence generally attained in this class. But the most interesting fact of the show was the presence of forced peaches from the Viceregal Gardens. These peaches were large, mellow, and ripe, and their appearance in the show took most people by surprise. The cinerarias cannot be passed by without a word of praise, and the vegetables, of which almost every variety was dis- played, showed how favourably the fine weather of the last few weeks has operated upon the kitchen garden. BEDDERS AND TTJRFIKG PLANTS. I HiNTBD last year at my intention to make a fjliage ribbon, and as tbe thing is now accomplished, I mny as well describe its characters. The border runs along in front of evergreens, symmetrically planted, and as rich in good species and varieties as perhaps any such border to be found on the north side of London. 'ihe rear line is common yew, American arbor-vit£e and holly alternating. The row next in front of that is AvTCuba and Thuia plicata, with yellojv iris and day lily to fill ia between, at the foot of each shrub ; these also alter- nate. Then there is a row of Taxus ad- pressa, with pairs of Juniperus Virginicum erecta, Abies Kliutrow, Berberis aquifolium and Fortuni, Quercus ilex, Ruscus race- mosus, pyramid box, both the common dark green and the silver-leaved varieties, Minorca box, and Wellingtonea gigantea. The plants are suited as to size, and as I make nothing of moving trees of any rea- sonable size all tlirough the summer, these can be altered and rearranged at any time if they get out of order as to their respective heights, which some of them will do in time, and will then be provided with other places. In front of these is a strict line of dwarf greeu box, as round and compact as cricket balls, small arbor-vitaas, from cut- tings struck three years since, Pinus cembra, Juniperus fragrans and chinensis, Abies Menziesii, and tufts of Festuca hetero- phylla. The plants are of a size to range with moderate uniformity, many of the conifers are plunged in pots, being, in fact, those that did service in the Jardiniere last winter, and the arrangement is made sym- metrical in this way : — if a box occurs at a certain spot, another box occurs also with a certain number of plants between, and after the same number again another box, and so on with the rest. This gives variety with order, and agrees with the formal lines of colour in tlie border that forms tlie ribbon in front. As the effect of this planting is rich and interest- ing beyond any idea that can be gathered from this description of It, I will make it plainer by means of a simple scheme. Let each letter in the subjoined line represent one kind of shrub ; then, as the letters are repeated, so are the shrubs that they repre- sent ; thus — ahcdefgaicdefgab It is but right to mention tiie back- grouni'i, because the simple ribbon in front of it derives much of its beauty from the support it has in the broad, rich, dense mass of various hues of green, from the very deep tone of Taxus adpressa, to the cheerful light green of Abies Khutrov/, passing through all intermediate shades. Tlie front line for headers is four feet five inches wide, a very narrow space for a rib- bon ; but there are five rows to foruj, and those wider than tlie bordsr itself. The planting is the simplest affair imaginable, and derives its effect wholly from foliage, and not from flowers. Let us begin at the back of the border, for a particular reason. I said the foliage lines were wider than the border itself, and the reason of this is, that the back row is planted into the line of the front low line of shrubs. It consists of the common ribbon grass, or gardener's garter (Phalaris). Between evei'v two of the small shrubs is a tuft of this sparkling, white- leaved, graceful plant, and as they alternate all along with the richest imaginable greens, they look far more lively and ef- fective than would a clear row, unbroken by any other colour. I know of nothing to beat that line in all the bedding eirects 120 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. hitherto accomplished or described. Thus •we gain a row without touching the breadth of the border, and we come to line tlie second, whicli is Peril la Nankinensis, planted thick, in four rows, the plants not more than five inches apart, and the line measuring eighteen inches wide. In front of these is anotlier of the commonest of plants, Antennaria margaritacea, which, if left alone, grows two and a- half feet high, and produces dirty yellow blossoms, of the gnaphallum class. The beauty of this is its silvery foliage, and neat, upright, close habit, in which it far surpasses Cineraria argentea, and may be propagated a hundred times as fast ; in fact, spreads naturally, and may be divided again and again. It is one of the hardiest of herbaceous plants in our gardens, and will grow in the poorest soil, and never ask for a drop of water. This is in four close rows, fifteen inches "wide in all, and will be kept topped to just the height required to make it range with the rest. Purposing last year to use this as a ribbon plant, I dibbled in odd pieces of it in various places along the mixed borders, having only one stool then to start with. As I wanted over two thousand dis- tinct rooted pieces of it, I found myself close pinched when it was taken up and divided for planting. But I made the rows good right through, put the plants at double their proper distances, then chopped up tlie remaining fragments, topped a few of the strongest-rooted plants, dibbled all thesa Duraps into five-inch pots, and, as fast as they made roots, removed them to thicken the rows with. Thus from the first, though with insufficient plants, this line was complete, thougli thin. It is now as thick as need he to allow for growth to the end of the season. In front of this silvery line is a close band of purple orach, twelve inches wide. This is too tall a plant for a second row, hut I could hit upon no- thing else to give just the colour I wanted, and it will be kept to a low growth by con- stant topping, which will cause it to throw out side-shoots, and give its fullest possible amount of purple crimson, which it will not do if allowed to run up and form its chenopodium heads of seed. The front line of all, next the stone edging, is the variegated arabis, eight inches wide, the flowers of which are picked off as fost as they appear, as unnecessary, and inter- fering with the scheme. It was expressly to afford a lesson on the uses of foliage, and the production of a good effect by the simplest and cheapest of materials, that I planned and planted that ribbon, else it might have been as gay with geraniums as any similar narrow line could be ; for I have all the best bed- ding kinds, and could take up the ribbon and plant for scarlet flowers at the mere cost of labour for the change. It is to be observed, that a mile or two of such ribbon might be planted almost for nothing. You need not even manure the ground, for if sweet, and sandy in texture, all these plants will grow with vigour. The purple orach has been topped twice already, and the tops put in for a supply of plants in case a hot summer should make the second row too strong for the place, in which case they could be removed, and the line re- planted with young plants, with short legs and less vigour than their predecessors, for my orachs were sown on the first of March, in pans, and the first of May is the best time for people who have but little time for pricking out and nursing, and then they may be sown in the open ground, where they are to remain. This arrangement, then, is all that could be desired of its kind. It is gay enough for me, and I quite enjoy its quiet, chaste contrasts, so different to the profusion of yellow and scarlet every- where else to be seen. Only the gardeners guess of what it is made, and some of them are obliged to "pop the question ;" people take it for a display of rare, curious, and novel tropical plants, though if the same things were sprinkled about in tufts along a mixed border they would not heed them. I said last year I hoped to use some of the dwarf high-coloured beets, for a back row to such a ribbon. I have sown a col- lection of beets in my kitchen garden, ex- pressly to determine if any of them will suit the purpose ; at present my mind runs on Myatt's crimson ; but I will not now say if a beet of any kind is really good enough. As many of our readers have expressed a wish to know how to get up such a line, I will offer a few observations. Unless all the sorts are at hand in sufficient quantity, it had better be deferred till next year, be- cause it must be densely planted to do jus- tice to the idea. As mine is arranged, the border is nearly six feet wide, because the back row of Phalaris is planted into the row of shrubs ; therefore we may consider six feet as the proper breadth for it. Get, then, a stock of three kinds this season, and carry the plan into effect next year. If you have the ribbon grass, divide it at once into as many fairly rooted clumps as it will make, and plant these on banks and rockeries. It does best lifted up high and dry, and will grow in any soil. Divide a row of Anten- naria margaritacea if you have it, and plant the pieces in the borders wherever a tuft of silver will look well. If you do not possess it, beg, borrow, or buy a tuft at once, and THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 121 for a shilling you ought to make sure of it at any nursery in the three kingdoms. But do not limit your outlay to a shilling ; get enough to propagate from ftiirly, that you may see the proper growth of the plant during the season, and thereby judge here- after how to manage it for the best. It will grow in the dampest border as well as in a dry one, and next spring every stool will throw up a whole colony of white shoots in March, when it may be parted into pieces of one ciown each, and com- mitted to the line it is to occupy. A poor man in want of a fine contrast to gera- niums and petunias should keep this in mind, as the best silvery-leaved plant we have. The same process must be followed with the variegated arabis. Suppose you get in a dozen potted plants that will bear di- viding. Divide and plant out in sandy soil, though it scarcely matters what soil, so that it be not a wet clay. At the end of the season take them up, and pot them in very poor, gritty stuff, and just keep them alive, in a cool house or in your window, by moderate watering at long intervals. It is nearly hardy, but will not be safe out of doors if the winter is severe and wet. As soon as it starts well in spring, divide into as many crowns as it will make, and dibble them into five-inch pots, half filled with drainage, and the remainder quite to the rim with good compost, chiefly leaf-mould and silver-sand, and under bell-glasses or in a Waltonian case, and every one will root. If you are rich in it, as I was this spring, having got up my stock last year, simply tear the plants up and insert at regular distances, in April, about four inches apart, and they will meet by the time the rest of the ribbon is planted. As for the perilla and orach, they may be sown where tliey are to remain, during April or on the first of May ; but it is better to sow in pans, and give the plants at least one shift into store pots, to get them well furnished with fibrous roots. I am propagating now for next year the golden mint, a plant at present rather scarce, as I have never once met with it in all my travels. I picked it up at Messrs. Henderson's last spring, and propagated it ratlier too hard to see its full beauty in such a sunless season as the last. I potted all up for the winter, and then through carelessness lost the whole lot, and had to recover it again by striking a few sprouted tops on plants that were dead at ' the root. Those are now in a front line on another border, and are most beautiful. The hot sun of May brought them to their proper tint of bright gold, and I can see that this is a much more constant plant than the variegated mint, which is apt to run back to its original green in rich soil. In other I'espects it is a companion plant to that mint, the same style of growth, the same form of leaf variegation, but instead of white this is a rich deep yellow over the greater part of the leaf surface. In seeking after this you may have thrust upon you the common orange mint of cottage gar- dens, with an averment that " it is all the same." Take my word that it is not all the same, the true golden mint is to the other common weedy thing as " Hyperion to a satyr." Inquiries come in about Spergulas and Saginas and other probable and possible turfing plants. The inquiries are often accompanied with specimens, but the true Spergula pilifera has never once been so sent, nor has Spergula saginoides more than once. I have just been to the nursery of the Messrs. Carter — or at least one of their nurseries, for I know not how many they have to feed their order books, only that on visiting their place at Perry Hill, Sydenham, I was informed by Mr. Summers who has taken the management there, that only a portion of Messrs. Carter's bedding plants and Spergula turfs were grown there— and if you had any doubts as to whether Spergula will be generally grown or not, the reply will be found in the enormous breadth of ground devoted to it, and the business sagacity of Messrs. Carter in securing the services of Mr. Summers as Spergula nurse. I see plainly enough that pilifera will be superseded by sagi- noides. Pilifera is not only as good as I have described it but better. My own piece is now exquisite in its close felt of elastic verdure, dense as piled velvet. But sagi- noides grows twice as fast, and is not so particular about soil, though preferring it sandy ; whereas pilifera does best on stiff loams and clays. There will be no need soon for seed, except where very large lawns are to be laid down with it, for tm-f may be had to cut up and plant on the old plan of making grass plots by inoculation, and there is enough turf at Perry Hill to sper- gularize all the lawns in the county of Middlesex, and Messrs. Carter have for manager the man who has made it his hobby and knows more about it than any- body else. I can speak well now of Sagina procumbens, for I have lawn pieces of all the three. The Sagina held its green all the winter, and is now spreading laterally at a rapid rate. All the bedding geraniums described last year as desirable for planting out this season are to be had in abundance from Perry Hill. Space is too precious this 122 THE FLOKAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. month for descriptions, and reference to last year's volume will enable readers to judge which are the best to plant out or select for propa,t;ating. I stronjily reconi- raemled Imperial Crimson, Diadematum, Ciirraine Nosegay, and Stella when they were first sent out by Messrs. Henderson. I saw these in great batches in one of the houses which Mr. Summers has made as gay as a Berlin wool mat, and amongst them some new ones about which it would not be f lir to speak until they are to be let out. One I may name, because I fancy by the strain of it that it is from the same hands as the Imperial Crimson, Mr. Beaton being a persevering breeder of nosegays. It is a dwarf, neat habited nosegay, the colour is shaded carmine, and it is pro- visionally named Magenta, which name I imadne will have to be cancelled, for on comparing the blooms with true Magenta dye, there is as much difference as between a crimson and a scarlet. I shall try this ceranium in half a dozen ways this season ; in the hottest border, in the shadiest, in rich soil and in poor soil, and I quite ex- pect by the look of it that a hot place and poor stuff win be necessary to make it flower freely and bring out the true colour. I recommended Purple Nosegay strongly last, season, and our friends complained of a difficulty in getting it. That difficulty is at an end. There is an immense stock of it here, along with Crystal Palace Scarlet, Christina, Rubens, all Beaton's nosegays, and the best of the proved bedding gera- nlams of the last half dozen years. The demand for bedding plants Is certainly in- creasing rapidly if such wholesale growth as is here to be seen is to be any criterion. Dut leaving the bedders for the present, I must record a fact of greater importance, and that is, that Mr. Summers showed me a stock of over fifteen hundred seedling pampas grasses, so all the losses of last v.'inter can be made good without the risk of seed, nearly all of wliich now on sale is as dead as rappee. One more remark to balance against this praise of Messrs. Carter's bedding stock, and that is that their catalogue of bedding plants needs a careful revision, and amateurs may be led astray by Its mistakes. Kingsbury Pet is entered as a scarlet geranium. It is not scarlet, but salmou flesh. Little David is described as superior to Tom Thumb, a statement in which Messrs. Henderson also Indulge In their catalogue of soft wooded plants. It is not superior but different ; it bites the ground more closely, has the same coloured leaf, as good a flower, but makes ten times as many seeds as Tom Thumb. It is dwarfer, and needs more watching to remove tlie trusses before they seed. Mr. Shirley HIbberd chrysanthemum is en- tered as a pompone, but it should be in the next section of pompone anemone flowered. There are other inaccuracies, the result, perhaps, of hurry, at a season when we should all like to have twenty-four hours daylight, and strength to go on without need of sleep. Shirley Hibberd. IS^OTES ON NEW PLANTS. CONVOLVULUS MAUEITANICUS. A highly ornamental and drooping half- shrubby plant, of a neat well-brauched and slender habit, with roundish oblong leaves, and a profusion of very elegant light blue blossoms, upwards of an Inch in width, forming an admirable plant for suspended baskets or vases ; also an unique and effec- tive bedding plant, or carpet-like belt for surrounding flower-beds, and a charming object for rock-work and flower-garden baskets. Its gracefully procumbent growth is seen to great advantage when planted on the top of small mounds, by which its pic- turesque porcelain-blue blossoms are con- spicuously beautiful. The plants require protection in a greenhouse or pit, and in the early spring season It should be cut back, and as its dense growth breaks at every joint, it blooms profusely from the corresponding shoots at each axil and side branch ; by thus obtaining a free and luxu- riant growth, it will prove a charming plant for almost every desirable position in flower-gardens and conservatories where favourably exposed to light. Its free and long-continued bloom will prove its value in adding to the desirable variety of plants for the purposes above-named. [Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Sons. Price 2*. 6;/. and 5s.] DIANTHUS HVBEinnS MULTIFLOEUS. This is a perpetual-flowering mule pink, it differs from other allied kinds in Its more perennial and frutescent style of growth at the base, with the still more desirable feature of maturing a succe.ssIon of flower- scapes up to the latest period of the year, and unfolding them in bloom during the THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 123 winter and spring months. It forms a 1 montbs, it is additionally valuable for pot- free, vigorous, many crowned plant, and ting in late autumn, for conservatory produces numerous tlower-scapes. Twelve \ and greenb.ouse embellishments Irom to sisteeen inches in height from June until December until March. _ [Messrs. EG. November, unfolding large corymbose heads \ Henaerson and Sons. Price 3s. 6d. each.J COSVOLVTJLVS SIAUEITAXlCrS. of semi-double fragrant flowers, opening a light rosy-carmine colour, and changing to a rosy-crimson tint. The blossoms are one inch and a-half in diameter. It forms a very beautiful object for large beds or groups throughout the summer and autumn ALLAMANDA VIOLACEA, The violet-blue flowered Allamanda, was sent out by Messrs. Henderson last year, and is now an established favourite. It is a rare and beautiful hothouse shrub. It is 124 THE TLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. described by the late Dr. Gardner, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Ceylon, in his papers on the Vegetation of Brazil, contributed to the Quarterly Journal of the London Horticultural Society (vol. ii.), where he thus alludes to it: — "On my return to Crato, I asfain made a few ex- cursions in that neighbourhood, and added considerably to my herbarium. One of the finest plants met with at this time was a beautiful new species of allainanda (A. violacea, Gardn.), a shrub from four to six feet high, bearing numerous large flowers GEBANIUU PBINCESS OF PBUSSIA. not unlike, in colour, those of Gloxinia speciosa. This is by far the most beautiful species belonging to the genus, all of which, with this exception, bear yellow flowers." Many spurious plants so named have got into cultivation through the raising of a quantity from seed by a continental grower. These are mostly AUamanda ca- tharlica, from which A. violacea diff'ers as follows : — The stems, when matured of a medium strength, are obscurely hispid, or rough ; the leaves ai-e also more strictly oblong, and abruptly acuminate towards the apex or point ; and still more strikingly distinct in the leaves being thinly and uni- formly surfaced with close adpressed hairs, and minutely fringed with projecting ones, the under mid-rib being more prominently clothed with hispid hairs along its summit. As these features are entirely absent from the commoner yellow -flowered species, which have smooth acuminately-lanceolate leaves devoid of hairiness, each purchaser of the plants in question will be enabled to ascertain their correctness. [Messrs, E. G. Henderson and Sons. Price 10*. 6d. and 21s. each.J CALYSTEGIA. OCULATA. A new and interesting hardy pe- rennial species from Gliina,with neat acuminately ovate or heart-shaped leaves, and numerous axillary blush-tinted funnel-shaped blos- ,,,^, soms, picturesquely shaded with ^■' dark purplish-crimson in the centre, or throat. It is well adapted for wall or trellis culture, and by its continuous bloom from June until November, forms a pretty object for medium-sized flower-basket curves, or rural screens from three to five feet in height. [Price 2*. 6d.} AGATHEA CCELESTIS FOL. AEGENTEA VABIEGATA. This charming little box-like suf- fruticose plant shows a neat dwarf and compact habit, from four to six inches high, with box-like silvsr- edged leaves, and is highly com- mended as one of the prettiest plants for marginal effect, or edging in the ribbon style of decoration yet known. Its flowers are sky-blue ; but apart from these, it is the most unique object for its purpose known in plant collections. A First-class Certificate of merit was awarded to it by the Royal Horticultural Society's Floral Committee. We doubt if the variegation of this plant will be constant, we therefore advise that it be grown in poor soil. [Generally in the trade. Price 2s. 6d. each.] GERANIUM PRINCESS OF PRUSSIA. This very beautiful variety is a fine ex- ample of the zonale-compactum section. It is well branched in habit, of medium yet free vigour, its leaf-surface being marked with the obscure brownish-purple zones which distinguish what are known as the horse-shoe or zonale varieties, which have sprung from P. zonale. The remarkably THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN aUIDE. 125 compact and rounded trusses of flowers [ stand erect above the foliage, and the bios- i soms are of a bright orange-tinted scarlet on the upper surface, and rosy-scarlet be- | neath. Each truss contains from fifty to ! sixty blossoms, which are retained upon the flower-stem until the wliole are ex- '< panded, a feature which is of great value ; in all flowers intended for groups or for vase culture. Its prolificacy of bloom, its brilliant colour, and the globular outline of its flower-heads, distinguish it from all existing varieties. These properties, and its adaptation to occupy a conspicuous position as a background bed or group in the flower-garden, give it a special value for decorative purposes, where grandeur of distant eff'ect is sought. [Messrs. E. Gr. Henderson and Sons. Price 3y. 6d. each.] SAURAMATUM GUTTATUM. An ornamental greenhouse tuberous- rooted herbaceous plant, with very richly spotted leaf-stalks, pitted or spotted with brown-red upon a green ground tint, the leaf- blades rising into large terminal spreading divisions with pedate lobes. The flower spathe generally appears before the leaves unfold, of an oblong-lanceolate strap-shaped outline from twelve to sixteen inches in length, elegantly spotted with orange at the base, and gradually merging into greenish yellow and opaque brown spots towards the extremity. Though said to be native of a warm climate, it is found to adapt itself to the open borders during the summer months, where its robust leaf-stalks form a very pretty object. The tubers require to be taken up in late autumn and preserved dry in pots or a greenhouse until spring, and after being well started in growth and gradually exposed, may be planted out in flower borders. [Price 2s. 6d. and 7s. Gd. each.] THE NEW aAEDENS OF THE EOTAL HOETICULTTJEAL SOCIETY. Ths immediate and unquestioning support afi'orded to the Council of the Horticultural Society, when it became known that it was their intention to construct a show garden at South Kensington, and devote hence- forth the ground at Chiswick to purposes of experiment, has neither been betrayed nor trifled with. Fighting against a thousand adverse circumstances — a bad season in 1860 for preparing trees for removal, a dreadfully severe winter, the almost utter extinction of many species of evergreen shrubs, which would have been of immense value for immediate eff'ect — the council has, nevertheless, kept close and faithful to its onerous duty, and the gardens already be- gin to assume an air of finish sufficient to enable any spectator, versed in horticul- tural practice, to form a decisive opinion as to their future permanent aspects. The society has acquired but a small plot of ground, and landscape eff'ects are out of the question. Nor, indeed, would such be pos- sible, even if twenty acres were laid out after the ideas of Price and others of the picturesque school, for there is no natural scenery with which to blend, and in which to lose a park-like disposition of irregular planting. We shall have at Kensington Gore an example of the application of high art principles, and a very complete amal- gamation of the French, Italian, and Eng- lish schools, Mr. Nesfi eld's object being the production of a finished picture replete with elaborate details, highly coloured, symme- trical in geometric outlines, and inclosed in a framework of bold architectural de- design. That the gardens will be opened on the 5th of June there can be no doubt, but it is next to impossible that they will then be completed, even as to the necessary determination of the several features which constitute the whole. Entering from Exhi- bition Road, and passing the vestibule, we reach the garden by a flight of steps, and have before us the walk bounding the two large spaces marked off" for floral exhi- bitions. This walk divides the ante-gar- den, and is intersected midway of its length by the main walk, a space being left at the point of intersection for a tank, in wliicli hardy aquatic plants will be grown. From this intersecting point we obtain a fair view of the whole of the grounds, which lie be- fore us northwards, and one eff'ect of this disposition will be, that as the visitor pro- ceeds step by step, the colouring of the flower-beds will be seen to perfection, with- out, at the same time, having to endure the full glare of the sun. To look south upon a flower garden is to see it under a disad- vantage as regards light, and to lose alto- gether the full eff'ect of flower masses and contrasts ; in this respect the society has been favoured by the fall of the ground, as well as its position, and has judiciously made the best- of favourable circumstances. Looking round from the green turf, now 126 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. acquiring its proper verdure, the eye rests agreeably on the arcades, which are in a different style on each level, but the styles harmonize with each other, and with the gardenesque of the other numerous acces- sories. The cross walk connects the en- trance from Exhibition Road with the en- trance fi-om Albert Road, and divides into two equal portions the lower parallelogram or ante-sarden. The exhibitions of the society will be held on the large plots on the left or south side of this walk ; these plots are bounded by banks for ferns and al- pines, and their front lines broken by clumps of evergreen shrubs. It is here that the architectural visitor will experience his first delight in tlie inspection of the south arcades. The round-headed arches, between piers set twenty feet apart, the spiral mouklings of the light shaftings, the floral capit^ils, and the diversity of design in the caps and belts, constitute a series of features unique in themselves, and their compound effect is as refreshing to the eye as the green turf on which we loiter to in- spect them. Let imagination supply the roof and the glass front, and we believe that this is an example of garden architec- ture which has no match and no parallel for novelty and for unity of design. From the point where the main walk intersects this ante-gnrden, we can put Mr. Nesfield's plan upon trial, balance Ids geometric pat- terns and his colours, and conclude for a verdict that he has proved himself more than an artist. With the exception of the two oblong plots which form the northern half of the ante-garden, the rest of the plan is strictly symmetrical, every detail on one side having its counterpart on the other. These two plots are in harmony, nevertlie- less. That on the right hand is devoted to American plants, in circular groups, with grass alleys between, and large masses of shrubs and groups of tall trees, with a space of turf marked out for a pheasantry, fifty feet by thirty feet. On the left the shrabs and tall trees are matched, as is also the inclosed space of turf ; but, instead of a pheasantry, there is to he an aviary for song-birds. The American garden has its match here in a maze of holly and horn- beam, of about a quarter of an acre in extent. Proceeding northwards, we reach the first break in the level, formed by turf, and slopes, and shallow steps, and have before us the garden proper. Tlie main walk is flanked by the two grand triangular panels, in which Mr. Nesfield intends to work out his idea of variously-coloured gravels, vo- lutes in dwarf-box, and rich colouring in the inclosed spaces for flowers. The fine deodars, which look hut little the worse for the winter and their removal, will here tell with much finer effect than in any other of the public gardens about London, when they attain to sufficient size. The triangles are elaborate examples of scroll-work, in which maybe traced out, without difliculty, even now, the outlines of the rose, sham- rock, thistle, and leek, though the proper effect will, of course, not be visible till quite the end of June or the beginning of July, when the colouring will be at its highest. Beyond these panels are broad spaces of turf, groups of low trees and shrubs, and canaLs, fed by the larger waterworks above, and which run parallel with the main walk, and between it and the eastern and western boundaries. On the hither side of these canals are two other smaller examples of scroll-work, of no great consequence as items in the general design, but useful as affording diversity in the perambulation of the ground. As we quit the centre of the garden, still going northwards, we reach the second break in the level, ascending which we find the main walk diverge right and left, to form the centre-cross walk to east and west corridors. Before us we have the branch walk to the conservatory ter- races, which is broken by a geometric arrangement of beds of different-coloured eartiis, in the rear of which is the great basin and cascade. On this level the de- corations are of the most luxurious descrip- tion : the grass ramps, the avenues of Por- tugal laurel, which match, as if all turned out of the same mould ; the dead flat of thepanelsin grass, the beautifully-moulded verges, all attest that, .in Mr. Eyies, Mr. Nestield has found an able and willing co- adjutor, and that his design will not f lil for lack of directing skill in the carrying out of practical details. This part of the grounds will be the favourite promenade ; it is suf- ficientlj' distant from the band-houses to allow of the mingling of the music with the S[)lash of the cascades ; and the high style of decoration will render it eminently attractive. East and west from this point, along the cross walks, wehave a view of two small basins, with jets, backed by the steps leading to the corridors. Looking forward, right and left, two more canals, a match pair to those just described as flanking the centre level ; on either hand, in front of the canals, on oblong grass-plots, geometric beds ; be- fore us the great central pattern in coloured earths, beyond that the large basin ; then another ascent, and, as a centre-piece, the memorial sculpture of the Great Exhibi- tion of 1851, to be placed above the cas- cade. The compartment of flowers and embroideiy is 125 feet in diameter, and we THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 12' shall expect to see in it the best example of flower-colouring of which Mr. Eyles is ca- pable ; and we have no forebodings, remem- bering, as we do, the exquisite planting of the Crystal Palace gardens by him in 1859. The two great triangles, in coloured sand, and dwarf-box, comprise about a quarter of an acre each. There will be over ten acres of grass. The entire width of the gardr.n is 700 feet in the portion comprised in the three terraces, and of the ante-garden, 800 ; the length from north to south about 1200 feet. It is here, on the upper level, where "we can easily survey the whole, that the disposition of the levels is seen to the great- est advantage ; and we can appreciate the skill which has made the most of the trifling fall of between thirty and forty feet. The third terrace overlooks the whole garden, and affords an agreeable promenade along the front of the grand conservatory, which is being pushed forward with liaste by Messrs. Kelk, who undertook the contract for ^15,470. On each side of the conser- vatory the great colonnade will extend in two great horns, inclosing the semicircular head of the garden, and form an ai-chitec- tural sweep of 250 feet, and 700 feet span. In front of these the grass ramps define the boundaries and inclose the spaces on which visitors will assemble to hear the music, the band-houses being in the foci of the horns on either side. From the colonnades the view will be complete and grand, and the extent of the ground will be virtually enlarged by the regular descent of the levels from terrace to terrace, over rich breadths of turf, broken by a perfectly symmetrical arrangement of beds and clumps, parallel walks, the four canals, each 180 feet in length, the matched patterns in embroidery work, and the profusion of sculpture, dotted about in conspicuous positions ; water-jets, specimen trees, avenues, bedding effects in geometric patterns, and grass ramps will fill in the scene with a multitude of harmo- nious details, and this will probably be the most finished garden on the mixed Italian model in the land. But here we must remind the reader that for horticultural purposes one -half the outlay to be incurred would have sufficed to illustrate the modern etyle of display, and the suitability to our climate of the various trees and shrubs employed. We should entertain no doubt as to the perma- nent success and final triumph of the Hor- ticultural Societj', even with an expendi- ture of £70,000 (an excess of £20,000 on the original estimate), were not its ante- cedents such as to give rise to them of necessity. The history of the society is a series of mishaps, misunderstandings, and misfortunes; and the scattering of the fine library and herbarium only just previous to the coalition with the commissioners of the Great Exhibition, gives the gray tone of warning where we are invited to behold only the rosy hue of a prospect, said to be full of great; auguries for the future. The society emulated the phoenix, and in the moment of expiration was determined to soar once more into life and strength out of its own dust and ashes. Though we have some few misgivings as to its future, we cannot but express our hearty sympathy with it in its present great and meritorious work, and we have watched the progress of these gardens with more than ordinary in- terest, and have more than ordinary hope as to the result. It is no small task that Mr. Eyles has become responsible for, in carrying into effect the bold project of Mr. Nesfield. The trees removed from Chiswick had to be prepai-ed for the pro- cess by tedious and careful operations. Now that they are in their places they tes- tify that they were cared for in good time and judiciously handled from the outset. Deodars, of fifteen to twenty-five feet in height, are not exactly babies to deal with ; but, like babies well cared for, they look plump and promising, they are shaking off the brown foliage that was killed back by the winter, and their new growth pro- mises a wealth of dark verdure for relief to the flower-beds and lawns. Most of the large trees were lifted by screw-power, after having been tunnelled under, and the roots well matted, and were then trans- planted in an upright position on machines, without injury to a branch or fibre. Now that earthworks are nearly completed and building operations in fair progress, we may ask. What is the prospect of the society ? An outlay of £70,000, in great part on debentures, will place the society in no new position. It is vised to debt. The enormous expense to be annually in- curred in keeping up the place according to the grand scheme of the designer intro- duces no new element. The society is ac- customed to great outlays, and, under heavy pressure, seems to be as expansive as a balloon. The hope for the future must be based on such a co-operation be- tween the two gardens — that at Chiswick, where experiments are carried on, and that at Kensington, where the society will act as a preceptor in matters of taste — as shall insure a constant influx of new Fellows ; not out of sympathy with novelty, but by the necessities of an advancing science. The floral and fruit committees iiave already shown how much may be done for the real advancement of horticulture by a combi- 128 THE FLORAL WOELD AKD GARDEN aUIDE. nation of practical heads and hands ; henceforth to keep its place, the Horticul- tural Society must lead the ivat/, must go in advance, must be the parent of ideas, the promoter of discovery and invention, and a bond of union between all classes interested in economic and ornamental gardening. We fully anticipate that in a few years the embroidery and carpet patterns will be pronounced a waste of money on a mere- tricious order of decoration, to be classed with the now obsolete plan of furnishing gardens with branches of shrubs ; for who will be bold enough to say that the forma- tion of mosaics in coloured earths is a legitimate element of any department of horticulture ? But that will not crush the society ; it will only amount to a reform in accordance with change of fashion. But we shall not be surprised if the water- works next prove a heavier burden than the funds can bear, and that the next dif- ficulty will be found in securing good exhi- bitions and paying attendances. We have not forgotten Chiswick and its mistakes and failures. We have before us the ex- ample of the Crystal Palace, where scenic elaborations were orginally carried to an extent beyond all means of insuring re- muneration for outlay. Put these proba- bilities together and add one more — namely, the decline of public interest when the novelty of the thing is over ; and it must be considered that the society has to walk up-hill in its monetary proceedings as well as in its new, and beautiful, and promising garden at Kensington. To strengthen itself for the toil it must boldly lead the way, and, as the door is opened for song-birds and pheasants, why are not bees to be admitted, so as to gather round the society the great Apiarian interest, which includes an immense number of persons possessed of taste, and leisure, and wealth ? If the society is to shed genial rays upon the cottager's hearth by en- couraging the growth of improved varieties of the most useful esculents, and dissemin- ating information on the best modes of cultivating the most valuable of garden produce, the bees, which pay the cottager's rent, should have shelter under the shadow of its wing, as recognized contributors to the national resources. But more impor- tant still is it for the society to take in hand the subject of garden implements, and, if possible, lay the foundation of an implement museum, so that when the Exhibition of 1862 is past, all that is not- able in horticultural machinery may be gathered into one place for purposes of reference and comparison. What of the myriad lawn mowers, each better than all the rest ; are these to be tested, their pecu- liarities defined, and their relative values determined by uninterested umpires ? Pro- tecting materials, tools in every-day use, barrows, tree-lifters, and a thousand other constructive appliances demand attention as much as the varieties of pears, and apples, grapes, strawberries, peas, and pota- toes, and last, though not least, the new lawn plant, Spergula pilifera. It is odd that after all that the public has heard of this substitute for grass, and extinguisher of scythes and lawn mowers, the Horticul- tural Society has not yet uttered one word either to condemn or praise it. To improve the properties of South Kensington, to afford a new source of recreation to the people, to present the luxurious and taste- ful with a noble example of high art in gar- dening, and so gather together the scattered interests of the floral world ; these are worthy objects of the society's new im- pulse : but the improvement of the science and the diffusion of information among all ranks of the community will give it still higher claims to support, and only by such will it attain permanent prosperity. Such prosperity we wish it, in making the world happier and wiser, and in fulfilling the smallest of its duties with as much zeal as the greatest. The above is from the pen of a writer well known to our readers. It appeared in the Mechanics' Magazine, and its transfer- ence to our pages renders it unnecessary to offer any further remarks on the subject for the present. Since the paper was written, the works at Kensington have progressed most favourably, and by the 5th of June the gardens will be in a credit- able condition. For the information of Fellows we should state that the new garden will remain partially closed after the 6th of June, until it is in a state of greater completion, and only Fellows and friends that accompany them, will be ad- mitted. The public will be admitted only on Saturdays by the payment of 2s. 6(/. each person. VAEIEQATED HOLLIES. Theke is no variegated shrub or tree in existence capable of giving a more chaste and finished character to a plantation than the variegated holly ; and the silver varieties THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 129 are much more geuer;illy useful than the gold. Look about among the gardens for one of the best belts of evergreen shrubs in your district; glance along the belt, and you will find that however rich in various tints of green, russet, amber, and brown, wliich berberies, auciibas, Portugal laurel, Phillyrea, and such like substantial plants FREE CEOWING GOLD. contribute to it, tliere -would be a tameness and a sam.eness about tlie affair except for those well-disposed hollies which break in at regular intervals with broad masses of silver}' graj', and give light to the whole picture. In formal planting, the ribbon method is certainly the most effective for exhibiting the characters of first-class TEEOX ArUEA. shrubs, and happily we have at command so large a variety, and so many distinct forms and colours, that as many varieties of taste may be satisfied as by the inmi- mevable tints and tones of soft-wooded bedders. The botanical system, too, can be followed out very closely on this system ; in a peat border the hardy ericas, gaul- therias, Menziesias, and Pernettyas exactly suit for front lines, kalmias of about live years old the second row, or according to what the front consists of, rhododendrons, andromedas, or ledums, after which taller rows are more easily determined on. So with a border of real good loam, what charming lines might be made wltli hollies only, or with a front line of skimmias to glow all along with myriads of scarlet berries. Pick over a lot of nursery hollies for the kinds and sizes, plants of two foet of some of the narrow-leaved silver for the front row next the skimmias, then. BKOAD-LEATEi. cilLVEE, three feet plants of ovata ; behind these four feet plants of Best Gold; next a five feet row of nobilis ; followed by a six feet row of Painted Lady, a capital gold-striped leaf that shows well at a distance. For the back row tall plants of Balearica would be charming, as it is such a free berry bearer, and the entire leaves are always bright and glossy, but this holly is not good in small specimens, and to get large plants you must draw upon the cultural piitience of somebody's ancestors, for it is terribly slow in its movements. Here we have but one indication of the uses to which the liolly may be put in ornamental phniting ; wlmt wouM be the value of a hundred yards of such an ar- rangement ^"''^"^ MILKMAID. a seat or bower, and close iinder the draw- ing-room windows. It is to be noted also that small hollies lift well, and may be used to any extent for furnishing winter beds on the system of planting in October, and removing to the reserve ground in May. Use a mixture of very rotten dung and gritty leaf-mould to fill in with at each removal, syringe frequently after the May lifting, and you need never lose a leaf or a root-fibre, and as the balls get larger and larger, the trees will grow dense and com- pact, and if you live long enough to see thpm grow to a Lu-rrer size than suits the system, jrive them their last move to final places, and in clear money value they will pay for all the trouble they have occasioned. But there must be no trifling; the work must be well done, and by grouping witb small plants of Portugal laurel, Skimmia Japonica, Grieslinia littoralis, arbor vita, Pliillyrea, Chinese privet, Berberis inter-* media, Pyracantha, Euonymus, sweet bay, and Aucuba ; the beds now blank all the winter may be made as gay as in summer time, thougli different, because rich and massive, and the effect chiefly dependent on skilful assortment of distinct classes of BEONZE OB OEANGE. foliage. People often say, " We shouldn't mind the expense of sucli platting, for the beds do look wretched all the winter, but what are we to do with the plants when they-get too large ?" Now it happens that for the majority of such subjects, you must wait a good many years before the di- lemma takes a definite shape, and then it will simply require to make the fact known that so many bundreds or dozens of hollies, Phillyreas, etc., are to bo got rid of, and if a private purchaser or nurseryman does not come to the rescue with a good price for the lot, it will be the strangest event under the sun, for better plants than these will be after such a regular course of lift- ing, it is impossible to imagine. For years past I have been in the habit of potting up conifers and choice evergreen shrubs for winter decoration, and though a vast many long ago outgrew the possibility of using THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 131 (■liera any longer in pots, there was never any difficulty as to what was next to be done with them. Places vvhicii they would just suit appeared as if by ma.uio, and after such havoc as the last winter made with TAINTED LADY. my Chinese and Japanese shrubs, I was glad enough to turn to account Junipers, Thiuas, Abies, Pinuses, and other hardy trees that had attained to respectable dimensions in pots, to fill up blanks without making fresh nursery accounts. Go on with this system for ten years, and if such a winter does not happen, change the trees away for a lot of smaller ones, different alto- getlier from the last lot, and with them whatever else you want to make up the difference in the value. To suggest these plans makes good for trade, and lifts orna- mental gardening out of the dull groove in which it has been moving slowly for ye.nrs past, as if it were an empiricism instead of an art. There are several beautiful weeping hollies in the trade, the characters of which are good, and the uses of which are nu- merous. These are just the perfection of fancy trees for the summits of knolls, and for centre pieces to lawns of grass and sper- gula. There is one now getting into cir- culation, which surpasses all hitherto let out, and it is the one which Messrs. Perry, of Banbury, Oxfordshire, made public for the first time in 1859. We figured it at the time, but the cut was put aside because we were not quite sure that we could re- commend it, but we now know all about the stock and the habit of the variety, and can say witliout hesitation, that it is one of the most cliarming plants of the kind yet in cultivation. It is a decidtd weeper. The laterals converge at a uniform angle downwards, the leader turns over in a curve in the style of Abies Deoilara, straightening by degrees as the wood hardens, while at the same time the new giowtli takes the same curve as that which preceded it. The foliage is most beautiful, of the form of aquifolium, of which it is a variety, and the markings of the same hue, but more de- PENDrLUM: FOLIIS VABIEGATIS. finite and broader on the margin than Free- Growing Gold. It is a bright cheerful holly, exquisitely graceful, and tlie plants worked with care on clesm straight stocks, so as to give full effect to its pendulous character. 132 THE FLOUAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE, For the curious, Tortuosa muit be con- siilerecl quite unique. Tlie le:ifis blotched with gold yellow on thu in;irgiii, imd tlie midrib lias an irregular strciik of tlie same colour, the grouml being a rich and lively green. Kvery leaf has a twist, so tliat but little more than half of the fiont surface is pi-esented to the eye. It is one of the slowest growing of the tribe, and nut at all suited for planting in masses. Another cui'iosity is tlie variegated hedgehog, the green liedgehog being a common holly in almost every garden. This is called ferox aurea, as spiny as a caltrops, and the varie- gation running into a mass on each side of the leaf towards its' termination, so as to form a letter V inverted. The common ferox is certainly not a handsome holly, though freely used in planting because of its curious porcupine armour ; but this is showy and unique, and will suit well for conspicuous positions with those who like shrubs that interest and bear frequent in- spection. Another very charming holly is Milkmaid, closely resembling Painted Lady, but less gaudy in variegation. The spines are quite irregular, and in some cases form distinct lobes in the convergence of the margin towards them. This is one of the free-growing kinds, and may go with Fkee- GROwiNG Gold and BBO.iD leaved Silvek. Where it is desired to get up specimens as quickly as possible, there is a still yet more striking variety called Bronze, th; leaf of which is of the aquifolium type, but instead of a marginal band ur line along the mid- rib, the wliole surface of the leaf sh;.des from dull green into deep bronzy orange; the orange forming the chief colouring, and the green, whichdcepens towards the petiole being quite subsiiiiary to it. Where the least possible am >unt of green and the greatest possible breadth of orange foliage is required, this is the holly to make choice of. My specimens are tliirty-one in number, and I think I have now touched upon the distinctive characters of all that require re- mark. In describing the green kinds I should have advised the planting of Lati- folia, which makes leaves of six to eight inches long in none but sheltered positions, for it often suffers from wind, and is not quite hardy, as the late winter proved to the dismay of Mr. Paul and others, who had good stocks of it. Cheshuntensis, figured last month, is a seedling of the Messrs. Paul's, and not to be had for love or money, for there is but the one oiiginal plant in existence, and the production of stock of it has not been attempted yet. ' It is alto- gether unique in its beauty, the green rich and d.ark, and in hue similar to Portugal laurel at its very best; the varnish on the surface as bright as the best French polish. If this were propagated as I believe it is to be at once, it would command a price per inch sufficient to repay Messrs. Paul for the value of the whole batch out of which it was selected, and something over for the dead weight of those pieces that have been on the ground fifteen or twenty years, and that are scarcely any bigger than when the present heads of the firm played at hide and seek among the oaks and hornbeams that screen the plantations. Mr. Chitty spent four hours in getting the specimens together for me, and if he had spent four days the time would have been well bestowed in getting just so much intelligence of Cheshuntensis. There are mauj- matters yet that demand attention ere we quit the subject of hollies, but as they will keep for a while, it is sufficient for the present that a few hints have been given at a season the best of all in the year for moving hollies to fill up the blanks of the last winter, and prove material for a higher order of decoration than usually prevails in private gardens. SlIIBLET HiBBERD. 133 THE BEST EOSES 0^ 1861. Plants of last year's roses are now be- mg, oflfei-ed by t'ue trade at the same low rate as those of 1850 were sent out last year. We have received tlie lists of Messrs. Paul aud Sou, Cliesliunt, and Mr. Noble of Bagshot, and we are glad to find that all the good roses of recent introduction are offered at an average rate of 5^. eacii. The following are those we can recommend of our own knowledge : — President, T.— A full-cupped flower, of a deep blush, with a buff tint ; true tea scent. Certiticate of merit by Royal BoLauic Society, March 21, to Messrs. Paul. Celine Foresliei; N.— Lemon, gold-yel- low centre. A very hardy and exquisitely beautiful rose. J. Standish, Crystal Palace, Jul}' 12, certificate. Glotre de Santenaij.—ll. P. seedling of General Jacqueminot, and, like it, vividly coloured, but more double, most beautifully formed, large, vigorous habit. Yv^'ill pro- bably beat the General, and is certainly the best of the new high-coloured I'oses. Dug de Magenta, T. — Exterior bright rose, changing to clear flesh, inside fawn, suffused with rose, sweet-scented, large and double. Very pretty and good habited. Lotiis XIV., H. P.— Rich velvety crim- son, good form, double, medium size and good habit, fragrant. Madame Fauline Yillof, H. P. — Vigor- ous habit, large flower, very double, bril- liant red, first-rate rose. Madlle. Eugenie Verdier, H. P. — "White, slightly tinted with pinlc in the centre, vigorous habit, medium size, double, fine form. Frincesse Iinperiah Clothilde, H. P. — Moderate-sized flower, double, good form, v.''..Ito wlcii yellowis'.i centre, blooms in clusters. Senateur Vaisis, H. P. — Brilliant red, large flower, vigorous habit, very attrac- tive and desirable. Souvenir de 3Ionce--iux, II. P. — Vigorous habit, very large double flowers, colour a dazzling crimson, good, but not better than some older flowers of the same class. Til'trii/ihe de Ly m, il. P — superb vel- vety crimson, very large aud double, vigor- ous liabit, a splendid rose. Vwnquer de Solferino, II. P. — Brilliant, crimson, vigorous habit, flower even and full. Vicloire de MagenH, II. P. — Moderately vigorous habit, large double crimson, ''/?- lumim defeu et violet," very pretty, but has its character yet to make. Victor Verdier. — Habit vigorous, large double flowers, good form, pink centre, shaded carmine, continues blooming the whole season, and has much of the China strain in it ; the best of the new roses after Gloire de Santenay. Shown by Messrs. Fraser, at Royal Botanic, April 25. Madame Standish, H. P. — Deep rose pink. Shown at National Rose Show Crystal Palace, July 12. Compte de Falloux, H. P. — Rose crimson National Rose Show, Crystal Palace, Julv 12. Madame BoU.—B.osy pink, beautifully cupped. Shown by Messrs. Fraser, at Royal Botanic, April 25. Heine de la Cite, H. P. — Pale pink, small. Admiral Nelson. — Brilliant rod, tine form, fragrant. Belle de Bourg-la-Reiiie, H. P. — Satiny pink, double large, vigorous habit. YOU CANNOT GAIN UNLESS YOU GIVE. The ground of my small success lies clearly in the fact that the majority of farmers do not know the extent to which their own interests are concerned in this matter, and because the views and conceptions of most men in regard to the circuit of life and the laws Avhich govern the preservation of the race do not generally rise above those of C. Fourrier, the inventor of the phalans- tery. He proposed, as you know, to supply the wants of the occupants of his phalans- tery by means of eggs. He supposed it was only necessary to procure a couple of hun- dred thousand hens, each of which would lay 36 eggs a year, making as many million eggs, which, sold in England, would pro- duce on immense income. Fourrier knew very well that hens lay eggs, but he seemed not to know that in order to lay an egg they must eat an amount of coi'n its equal in weight ; and so most men do not know that the fields, in order to yield their har- vests, must either contain or else receive from the hands of man certain conditions which stand in the same relation to the pi'o- ducts of the field as the hen's food does to the eggs she lays. They think that dili- gent tillage and good weather aresufiicieut to produce a good harvest ; they therefore regard this question as one in which they are wholly unconcerned, and look forward carelessly and with indiflerence to Ihe fu- ture.— Baron Liebig in a letter to Mr. Alderman Mechi. 134 GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE WORK EOR JUNE. Apricots to be thinned, young shoots nailed in, caterpillars destroyed, and -n-ater- engine used smartly if any sign of fly, ■which rarely troubles them. Amf.kicans newly planted nmst have abundance of ■water, overhead as well as at the root ; this dry, liot -n-eather will try them severely. Remove by carefully snapping out with finger and thumb the dead blooms of rhododendrons and azaleas, to prevent seeding. Annuals of quick growth, sown now, ■will bloom late for succession. jSTcmophilas never make a better effect than from sow- ings in June, in moist, shady places. Asters and balsams to be planted out during moist, dull weather. AspAEAGus not to be cut after the 15th, then to be cleaned over and allowed to gro-jv-. Begonias planted out in open ground not to have a drop of -vs'ater on their leaves, and to be handled with great care. Celeky to be got into trenches as fast as the ground can be made ready, by the re- moval of other crops. Take up each with a ball, and do not injure a single leaf. Boe over those that are established in trenches, to break the surface that has been har- dened by watering. Cineeakias may now he earthed up. to promote the rooting of the suckers. Throw away all seedlings of inferior qua- lity, and propagate only the best. They require a cool, shady place while making suckers, which are to be removed as soon as rooted. Camellias may be got out in a shady place, on a bed of tiles or coal-ashes, and kept frequently watered. If kept in the house, there must be air on night and day. This hot weather will ripen the wood to perfection for next year. Dahlias planted out, to be staked he- fore the roots extend. Plant out all that are in pots at once ; they will do better in theground now than with any more nursing. Fuchsias keep well shaded, well wa- tered, well ventilated, and with a coo], moist bottom. Plants from spring cuttii:gs will be useful in five and six-inch pots, to keep the houses gay with bals.ims and other summer flowers. Gera.mums propagated now will flower in the autumn ; sorts of which a large stock is required for next year, should be cut at as soon as established in the reserve ground. In bedding out u.?e a trowel, and close in neatly, as the plants will not thrive with hard cakes of soil about them. Where the soil is very rich, and geraniums are found to grow too rank for flowering freely, merely raising the beds to render them dry will do much to insure a gay bloom. Eoad sand from gravel roads is the best of all soil for Tom Thumbs and other ordinary scarlets. Helicteopes make rapid growth on hot walls, and are very useful to fill up blanks. Petunias may be used the same way, to run up to five or six feet. Eich soil and plenty of ■water are requisite if such a free growth is required. Herbaceous Plakts may now be pro- pagated from cuttings as thej' go out of bloom. Alyssums, -wallflowers, perennial Iberis, etc., are easily propagated, and the borders may be richly furnished with them by a little timely trouble. Vines to be frequently syringed, and every appearance of vermin to be dealt ■with promptly. Train in as soon as the shoots can be handled, that there may be no after - twisting and injuring. TO CORRESPONDENTS. CATAtOGUfs Received. — " gpring List of Soft- wooded, Bedding, and other plants, fold by E. G.llender.'on and Son, St. John's "W'ocd. N.'VV." A very intf resting and copious Ut-i, rich in new verbenas, geraniums, begonias, dahlias, roses, etc., etc., with all the best old-esta- blished decorative plants. — " Sf ring Supple- ment to Carter and Co.'s Gardeners' and Farmers' "V'ade-Mecum, comprisn g Bedding Plants, Greenhouse anfl Stove Plants, etc., 237, High Holborn, ■yV.C." Copious and in- telligible, contains a ftw inaccuracies. Among the novelties announced are many of Tery high merit, on which we shall have to remark here- after.— "Spring Catalogue of Jlosee, Eolly- hoclis, Pelargoniums, Dahl as, etc., gro^nn by "William Paul, "Waltham Cross, N. A short, but good list of things in genera] demand, but of special interest for the list of new roses. Makdkvilleas A^•D Glxcine. — A. J?. ,S'. — "We have very frequently had to advise on stubborn Mandcvilleas, and by referring back, you will obtain, perhaps, all the inlorniation you re- quire. Your plant appears to languish simply for want of heat to make a smart growth in the fpring. A great many people attempt to grow it without having command of sutEcient beat, and hence the oft-iepeated inquiry as to the reason of the failure. The AVisiaria is evi- dently in a soil that does not suit it. It re- quires a deep sound loam on a dry bottom. The season is too tar advanced for much to be done. Give ii frequmt waterings, and ply the syringe frequently of an evening till tlie middle ot August, and not beyond that time, and you will perhap.s get a little growth. In Februaiy next take it up and replant, using two good ban ow -loads of lurly pi at, two of yellow loam, and ohe of old cow-manuie. As soon as it begins to break, cut it back to a low plump THE FLORAL WORLD AKD GARDEN GUIDE. 135 bud, and it will start away and make a plant the first season; which, if not cut bick, it will probably never do, havinfj been stunted so long. In a lawn of spergula, weeds will cer- tainly make their appearance, and their re- moval is the only trouble occisioned by the use of spergula, beyond roilinL', which is requisite also with grass. The wi^cds must be removed by hand. We use a large old pruning knife to lift the weeds out, and if tiie sperjjula is dis- turbed by the process, it only needs to be pressed down again into its place and be well rolled after weeding. To gather the blooms of Lily of the Valley, makes no difference at all iu their future blooming. Floor op Greenhouse. — Thorn. — There is nothing better than foot tiles, laid on sand and without cement, and sand grouted in be- tween then ; these cost in London Zd. per square foot. Coal tar and ashes would emit an odour for a long time, but as the house can be cleaned out now, the smell would be gone, or so much reduced before stocking it again, that we think you may safely use it, but it should be done at once. Or a concrete walk may be made with chalk and stones one foot deep, with a sprinkle of gravel on the top, to be watered and rolled, or beaten firm, liut there is nothing to equal red tiles ; they can be kept ao clean with water and broom. EosEs IN Pots. — &. W. F. H. — Your frame, ten feet by sis feet, with three lights, is just the place in -which to get up and keep a nice stock of pot roses, including teas, because you cau give them as much air, sun, shower, shade, and shelter as you like, by means of mats, removal of lights, etc., etc. They must be plunged, and you will find coal -ashes, or sand, or sifted gfravel the best. Your friend, whose roses suifer from mildew through being plunged in spent hops, is a victim of a new-fangled notion that is doing a deal of harm. Tell him to con- sign the hops to the muck-pit, where they will rot away and do no more harm. Sulphur is no use in such cases, because the hops are a seed- bed for the most destructive of lungi. Make your roses from eyes, as described by us last year, and you mil have better stock than you can buy ; the trade are obliired to work them to sell tliem at a price the public is not alarmed at ; people will not pay enough for roses on their own routs. ToequayClimatk.— In your July number, 1860, p. 160, you inserted my statement of the effect of the then previous winter on the shrubs and plants at Torquay. I now report the result of last winter's hard frost. The bottle-brush (Beau- fortia splendens), that has been out unsheltered for si.K years, was cut to within an inch of the ground, but my two plants are now sprouting out again from the stump. The Begonia dis- color close to the above is throwing up its beau- tiful leavesuninjuredby the frost ; both usually sold as stove-plants. The Passiflora cerulea, four plants of ten years' standing, all round the verandah, are killed to within a few inches of the ground, where it is again throwing out shoots, ^hile two or three small plants (last year's suckers) have stood the winter close by uninjur. d. All the veronicas, except the very narrow-leaved one, are killed, the bark having split to the roots, like a water-pipe, by the fiost. The euonymus were in seme places killed in the same way, in other situations much cut up. The cordnillas were all killed to the ground, except two wcj'kly-looking plants that were raovtd on to a dry bank last autumn, and exposed to the east winds, so that I doubted if ihey would grow at all, and they are the only ones doing anything; seedlings are springing up by hundreds under the old plants. The magnolias were much injured. Our laurestinag, laurels, etc., were mostly uninjured. There is very little blossom on the white thorn in the hedges this year, and very few bees visit their favourite plants in the garden, so many swarms being killed this winter. — Yours truly, A.-B. S., Torquay. Son.s FOE Fi.owEiis. — H. H. S. — N"o doubt the proposed list would be useful, but it would occupy a great deal of space, and would looJc more useful than it would be, in (act. AVe must always bear in mind the UiiTerence be- tween a journal and a book. As to soils, you have but to hit upon the way your friends make up what you describe as yeranium soil, to be able to do as tliey say, that is, grow almost anything in it. With us, the incorporation of soils is a very simple ail'air ; we keep bins filled with sand, leal-mould, rotten dung, peat, and loam, all separate, and another for the sweepings of each, and the waste out of pots, and for every batch of plants potted, a mixture is made at the time, and in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, the mixture consists of about equal parts of loam, leaf, dung, and sand, the coarser parts at the bottom of the pot, and the finer at the top. But the question arises, what is loam, and what is peat ? Instead of at- tempting now to define and describe, let it suf- fice that, where buttercups grow luxuriantly, you may call the soil loam, and good loam ; and ■where heaths grow luxuriantly, with fine grasses and wild thyme, you may call it peat, and use it as such, and the more fibrous its texture the better ; it ought to be tough, like a felt, and the loam ought to be pulverable in the hand, and rather retentive of moisture. Pie Juice. — The time is now fast coming on for fruit pies, and, therefore, for pie-juice ; and as our readers strive all points for the practical and useful combined, we intend to offer a sug- gestion for "the better arrangement" of pie- juice. Some people place an inverted cup in the pie, thinking this catches juice that would otherwise boil over, but that is a mistake, for though juice is found under the cup when the pie has cooled, yet it never entered the cup whilst the pie was in the oven ; for this simple reason, the inside of the cup was as hot as the inside of the pie. The case of inverting a cup in the pie does more harm than good, for, as the heat cooks the fruit, it also expands the air in the cup, which air tends to blow out the juice from the dish : but if a small hole, say a quarter of an inch, be made in the bottom of the cup, which, of course, comes to the top of the pie when inverted in the dish, the hot air will escape into the oven, and leave room for the juice to run into the cup, which again will descend amoniist the fruit on the pie cooUng. "Now how are we to make this small hole in the bot- tom of the cup?" says the reader. "Listen, and you shall hear," says the writer. "Take a six-inch flower-pot, fill it with dry sand, or mould, then take your cup, invert it, and push it down into the mould or sand till only the top is just seen, by which means the inside of the cup is as full of sand or mould as it will be of juice when in the pie ; then take a sharp pointed instrument, like an old pair of scissors or a one-pronged fork, and begin to peck away little by little, and you will soon have a small hole, which can ea>ily then be made bigger before taking the cup from the flower-pot. The sand or mould prevents the cup from cracking or breaking during the chipping process. When the cup is used invert it in the pie, but take care that the siiiall hole iajfree from the crust." Here is a very simple contrivance that will soon prove itself. A grand plan is to make three pies, one without any cup, one with a cup, and 130 THE PLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. one uith the cup with the hole in, then you ■will see the difforenco.— Old Friend. Loni:on Rosr.s. — Perliaps a few wurda from atowii gardener in a small way, may amuse or instruct others in a like situation. I have about forty Idnds of roses, several plants of some. First, as to General Jacqueminot. This rose has not done well with nie, and I fear is not quite hardy. I have lost three plants (worUed dwarfs) out of six. Gloire de Dijon is excellent ; five dwarl.s stood the winter out of doors, in the pround, merely covered with a little hay. S. de Leveson Gower, M. Vidot, J. Margotlin, C. Patrizzi, dwarf standards, moved in the autnnin, remained sreeuin the shoots through all the frost, as also did Wm. GrifHths, J. La- fitte, Alex. Bachmcteif, and M. Doniase. My * ref.k(m as follow.';. All were worked plants, and the stocks, l\Ianetti, were not killed, but only the bud. Hybrid perpetuals- E. Berg, mann. Mad. Campbell, l{eine do Guiliioticre, Atii'uate Mie, some are still living of this sort, the.^ame Baronne Prevost, D. P. Blanche Vibert, B. Dupetit Thouars; this does not do well, the buds crack. Justine also Is not of much account. If you think proper, I will give you a list of sorts, and my experience with them, in a future number. Let me suggest you would be conferring a great pleasure and profit upon amateurs, now the rose season is eommg on, by a paper upon the newer sorts, and, indeed, afew notes on some of the old ones, which are not yet surpassed, if equalled. It would enable us to look out for, and note down, those varie- ties worthy our future acquisition. — W.D.P. [All you have to do is to get the roses that suit you on their own roots ; then you will find the General the best you have. If amoutc our readers there are anj' who still question, as they did, the policy of growing roses on their own bottoms only, we suggest to them a revi- fion of the winter's work among the roi-es. Where are the worked plants now ?] * Illegible. BlBDS iTi" Gaedens. — Pensioner. — We cannot advise any meddling with biros or nests. We believe there are not enough birds in our par- dens, else we should have less insects. The passion of destruction entails large penalties on horticulture; when it finds gratification in shooting and trapping birds. We sat with Mr. Holland one day last suirimer close beside a batch of roses smothered with green -fly, and we saw the sparrows stripping them off the shoots by wholesale. "We concluded there- from that given more sparrows, the fly would not have acquired such a mastery as almost to kill the roses as they were doing. We have carefully taken note of the visits of bull- finches to fruit-tri es, and observed as good or better crops in seasons when the bullfinches uiost abounded. Depend upon it the Almighty has established a fair balance amongst all his creations, and if a bird takes a gr;iin of corn or a ripe berry, it has long ago paid for it in the desi ruction of a million vermin. Do away with your scarecrows and bird-elappers, and attend to cultivation, and you will have bettrr crops than people who waste their time in tying bits of tin to horizontal thieads to frighten birds away. Bead this from the papers :— " The authorities of Lyons have issued a decree against bovs being permitted to meddle with birds' nests in that department, and jiarcnts, as TTell as schioluiasters, are rendered respon- sible for any such delinquency of these juve- nih-s. The document asserts thattne destruction of birds is the ruin of fiuit-trees, ina«nnich us their proper prey, caterpi lars, chenilles, etc., etc., are infinitely more noxious at this period of the year than the feathered tribe in summer or autumn." Insect.? and Rose Leaves.— TF. D. P.— The in- sect is Julus terrestris, or mangy many-feet, a feeder on roots, and to be eradicated only by perseverance in detail, there is no specific against it. Try jiieces of carrot or potaio buried in the soil, with a slick to mark where each trap is. The leaves are mddewed and burnt. We suspect you have been drenching them with water unseasonably ; while wet, the sun has caught them and caused scorching, and being niuible, through feeble root-action, to appro- priate the water, they have acquired milnew. Both affections will pass away with this splen- did weather; you have simply to leave them alone. The roses you name are perhaps good in London, but we cannot speak positively ; it is not such eas}' and quick work to prove roses in a way (o determine their suitability to bo generally rceommended in such a work as this. H. P. De la Keine d'Angleterre is fii\st-rate in town, and so is Ravel ; we seem to recollect recommending them both. The list in Mr. Cranston's book is the record of a conscientious man's experience, but it does not agree with our own observations in the suburbs of London. It is, in fact, a ii.^t for the Midland counties. Many of the roses he recommends for towns, are of no use near Lojiuon, but are "good in Mr. Cranston's district. Wai.tonian Case. — M. A. II.T. — A temperature of C0° is quite enough for half-hardy annuais, and you will now get heat enough in the case without burning the lamp if the case is in a greenhouse. It will be useful now without artificial heat for striking cutiings and starting seeds all the summer. If your seedlings are drawn, it. is because they are too darK and close ; if they come up unevenly it is because they are covered too deep. In former volumes the fullest particulars have been given ol the management of the case, and of propagating plautshyit. Subscribers who have recently com- menced, would do well to order the former vo- lumes, as they are full of valuable articles on ele- mentary gardening, and their cost is but a trifle. Beer from Peashells. — Pnmex. — Beer can be manufactured from mangold wurtzel. Gibbon Merle says it is made by fermenting the hquor obtained by boiling mangold wurtzel in the same way as for malt and hops. There is no doidjt that the quantity of saccharine matter is nearly the same in the beet and the mangold wurtzel. But the nearest approach to genuine beer is obtained from pcashells. This is made by putting the green shells in a boiler, and pouring on water till it reaches half an inch above the shells. Letthem simmer three hours and add a decoction of sage leaves as a substi- tute for hops. Ferment it with yeast in the usual way. Caekion MANrKES. — B. S. — Whereveryou apply bullock's blood, the .'■oil will become a sour, soddened, fil'hy piste, in which no tree will make a healthy root, and, therefore, you must not exjicct fruit from the pear-tree s and vines you have drenched so liberally with the san- gidnary garbage. You may have subscribed to the Fi.OKAL WoKi.D, but it is certain you have not read it, or you would have paused before poisoning your trees in the vain hope of getting more fruit. Watkr. — F. F. — Hard well-water is not good for plants. AVhy not pump it up, and expose it to the sun one day at least before using. TAKiotis — F D. P. — -There is no one living who can tell doxible from single stocks, either in the seed-h'af or afteruards, till they show for bloom, else you would never see at the nur- series whole batches of single stoclcs put asde out of sowings made for the choice Stock. Thanks for the enclosure. THE 6AR®Eli gUJ® I^AiT JVLY, 1861. thin: g we require. ATEE has been described as an excellent thing for — navigation ; it is also an excellent thing for gardening, as most of our readers know by this time. The deficiency of sun last season has been almost made up to us already. It is hard work to shade, and water, and mulch, and by other means keep the roots of plants cool and moist; but the sunshine is so welcome, that few gardeners grudge the labour if they can but get water. Too much last year, too little this. What a capital excuse for grumbling; but how should we estimate that man's faith in providence who would grumble when, to insure all the results desired in gardening, water is now almost the only JS^ow, we cannot tell our readers who are short of water how to increase their supplies, for wells cannot be sunk at an hour's notice, and many old and deep wells are getting so low that the pump threatens to strike work unless favoured with more liberal wages ; but we can tell them how to use water to the best advantage, and how to do without it in some measiu-e if it cannot be got, and so we may devote a short space to a few practical remarks, for the cry is water, water, water, and the barometer stands still, and the glorious sunshine makes the earth like a hotbed and plant-houses like ovens. Look at a piece of loam, baked hard with heat, planted with dahlias, cabbages, or what not ; not a drop of water, or, if plenty, the labour of carrying and delivering would be too much to think of. Use the hoe over tlxat piece of ground, as if you would let out the last drop of moisture from the soil by evapo- ration. But, presto ! you have conquered the enemy. Next morning the plants look fresher, they grow above ground and below ground, and get substance, when it appears as if the heat ought to kill them. How do they get moisture when the surface is thus broken ? "What a chance for a little theorizing in reply to such a question, but let us dismiss the question by simply stating that after hot days there are heavy dews, and VOL. IV. — xo. VII. n 138 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN aUIDE. that ground broken on tlie surface absorbs an immense quantity, and, perhaps, that is all that need be said about it. Suffice it that in practice the use of the hoe or small fork to break the surface is as good and better than a heavy watering, independent of the killing of weeds and the pro- motion of cleanliness. Now, to use water, the plan that makes the most of it is the one to be preferred. If you cannot soak out-door plants to the root, do not water them at the root at all. A mere moistening of the ground is more harm than good, for it brings the roots to the surface, and the next blaze of sunshine will burn them ; but you may keep them moist, nevertheless, by means of the syringe. Suppose a row, or bed, or large mass of any kind of plants established in the ground, and watering to be impossible ; after sunset ply the syringe or garden-engine, so as to tho- roughly wet the foliage ; or, if it cannot be done at night, do it early in the morning, while the leaves are yet wet with dew ; but the night is pre- ferable, as during the cool hours the plants will absorb the whole of it, and the coolness of the leaves will induce upon them a heavier deposit of dew. On light soils wonders rcaxj be done by mulching, not only in such a hot, dry season as this, but in all seasons and all weathers, while plants are in growth. "We can hit upon nothing better for mulching than stable-dung, the old-fashioned friend, and the fresher the better, even if but just re- moved from the stable-floor. But littery dung is very unsightly, and all mulchings attract vermin. These are the objections that force themselves most prominently iipon our attention whenever mulching is proposed in summer time. A heavy mulch now of fresh short dung would do wonders for the second bloom of roses, and render watering the ground quite un- neces3arJ^ Of course no amount of mulching will do away with the necessity or advisability of drenching overhead, and to wet the foliage of roses regularly after sundown is to increase their beauty tenfold. ]N"ow, here is another use of water of which the roses remind us, namely, that it is an inveterate vermin killer. We have scarcelj- seen a green-fly yet this season ; our roses are as clean as if j ust modelled in wax or paper. But we were troubled with fly on some potted peaches wholly through cutting off their supplies of drink. Those peaches, when almost leafless, were set together in a batch, and the syringe used with a one-hole hose with all the force possible. The flies were drifted we know not where, and in three weeks those trees were breaking beautifully, and in good time to make their wood and ripen it. There are no flies that can endure water, especially if used with force and repeated frequently. Brown scale will not appear on plants that are kept familiar with the syringe, and grabs of all kinds, like dirty people that they are, hate water, and pronounce it objectionably wet. There arc hundreds of other ways of turning water to account, apart altogether from the regular routine of what is called "watering." In plain truth, it is well to "know when not to give it, and the truth must be told that indiscriminate watering is mischievous, and should not be tole- rated in ?a\j garden pretending to be well kept. All plants not of a decidedly marsh or aquatic habitat will do better if left to themselves — that is to say, when once they get hold of the ground — than by fortuitous sprinklings. A moistening of the sui'face will cause them to send fibres upward where the sun will burn them, but an absence of surface water will cause them to send their roots down where there is moisture enough to sustaia them till the next rain comes. But marshy plants, such as THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 139 mimulua, lobelias, herbaceous spireas, and others that the reader will think of without our needing to name them, should be thoroughly soaked at regular intervals while dry weather lasts ; and in a large collection of plants it will be better to give all that can be spared to certain selected subjects, and none at all to the general out-door stock, than to waste the supply hj any attempts at general watering. Plants under glass have suffered considerably where gardeners have been careless or too busy in planting and other work to put up shading, and make such arrangements as the fierce summer-heat required. We had a mishap ourselves through sheer negligence. A fine lot of potted strawberries, loaded with fruit and with leaves like cabbages, were doing wonders in an airy lean-to facing full south. They wanted water, the thermometer went up to 100", and the whole lot perished as completely as if they had been put over a lime- kiln. They ought then to have been standing in pans, and the pans filled with fresh short dung, and the plants allowed to root through to the moist nitrous manure to swell their fruit, and keep them sturdy till it was ripened. The placing of the pans was deferred, a moment of hard trial came, and the leaves fell like bundles of rags, and never rose again. Here we remember a remark we were about to make on plants of marshy and half-aquatic habit grown in pots. Ordinary watering is not sufficient ; they should stand in water while kept by force of weather at a high temperature ; but beware of plunging any potted plant, though it be the thirstiest of the thirsty, to the rim. Two inches depth is plenty for the largest-sized ; this -will at least keep the crocks quite wet, and the roots will drink all they require by capillary attraction. We have found in growing grasses, sedges, ferns, and other plants that habitually locate themselves on the margins of ponds and streams, that to plunge them deep was unsafe, but to stand them on inverted pots in tanks or orna- mental water gave them a vigour unattainable by any other method. All kinds of emergencies occur at this time of year in places where the work is heavy, and one not unfrequent is the necessity to give water under glass while the sun shines fiercely. Such a time should never be chosen for watering ; but if it must be done, shut up first, and as long as you do not give air yon may use water with impunity. As a rule, plants of rajiid seasonal growth, which usually have long periods of rest, need an abundant supply of water during the period of their acti^sT-ty. Young gardeners are apt to think that plants especially fond of water need not be so carefully drained as those of drier habit, but this is a dangerous fallacy. In potting plants that are to be liberally supplied with driak, it would be safer to use a handful or more extra crocks than to use any less than the sized pot would ordinarily require, for a soddened state of the soil causes it to become sour, and then there can be little hope of a healthy growth. The frequent passage of water through the soil in a pot well drained will certainly wash the goodness oat of it, but that may be made amends for by mulching with fresh sheep or goats' dung, or by occasional thin sprinklings of guano, or even of a mixture of soot and salt ; the last-named stimulant to be used with caution, and never in greater quantity at a time than to just make a film on the surface. Stove plants badly drained suffer most of any, because the high temperature causes the soil to sour immediately if holding stagnant water, and plants newly shifted must have the help of the syringe, and by causing a dew in the house by wetting the pavement and the beds, rather than 140 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. keep the roots too Avet before they have got to work in their new ma- terial. One more remark must be sufficient for the present. Ground well kept, not allowed to get baked into a hard crust, kept open with the hoe, and liberally mulched, Avill suck in all the rain that falls, and at this time of the year the showers are sometimes short and sudden ; but where the soil is as hard as a brick and as close as a pavement, every drop will run off and be lost for the benefit of the drains and pools, mayhap a mile away. NOTES or THE MONTH. EoTAL HoKTicuLTUEAL, June 5th. — This was an event to be remembered both for its importance in the history of contemporaneous horticulture, and its grandeur and completeness as a public spectacle. There had been heavy rain, a little thunder, but by the time the company began to arrive, the walks were dry, the grass not too wet for the foot, and the magnificent scene all the fresher and brighter for the shower. The gates were thrown open at one o'clock ; by that time there was an immense throng ready to take possession of the grounds. Though the evidences of incompleteness were in many places more than visible, for to quit the main walks was to run the risk of getting knee-deep in mud, the main features of the garden pre- sented a tone of finish and beauty such as the most sanguine could scarcely have expected who a few weeks previously had taken note of the immense amount of work that had to be accomplished, even to make ready for a formal opening. The exhibition in the grand conservatory was the chief object of in- terest to the majority of the visitors, and it was such an exhibition as it rarely falls to the lot even of London gardeners to behold. The colonnades were de- corated with ornamental plants and fruits in massive groups, conspicuous amongst which were pelargoniums in the very first style of show culture. At four o'clock the gates were closed and a procession formed. In the procession were the foremen of gardeners and works, the contractors, superintendent, members of committees. Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, the council and vice presidents of the Society, and the distinguished visitors, at the head of them H. E. H. Prince Albert, the president of the Society. During the procession the bands played the National Anthem and the Cobourg March. On arriving at the Conservatory, Dr. Lindley, the secretary, read an address in which the history of the Society was succinctly narrated. To this His Eoyal Highness made a reply. The iJishop of London then read the collect for the day and offered up a prayer adapted to the occasion. The Prince Consort then declared the garden to be opened, and the procession moved off amid cheers towards the spot chosen for the plant- ing of a memorial Wellingtonia near the south end of the northern terrace on the east. The tree was presented for the purpose by Messrs. Veitch. The Prince Arthur, Princess Mary, and the Duke of Cambridge, each had their turn in shovelling earth upon the roots of the tree, and in a very brief space of time it was royally planted. As the prize list in this particular case is of great importance, and will be valuable for reference hereafter, we depart from our usual plan and give it entire ; for if we attempt to charac- terize the respective excellences of the contributions we must occupy a dis- proportionate amount of space, and even then pass over many things deserv- ing of high praise. AwAHDS OF THE JuDGES.— Flo WEHS. — Class 1.— Fifteen Stove .ind Greenhouse Plants. (Open.) 1st prize to W. May, J. Spode, Esq., Kugeley, 20/. ; 2nd ditto to B. Peed, J. Treadwell, Esq., Norwood, 151. Class 2. — Twelve Stove and Greenhouse Plants. (Nurserymen.) 1st prize to J. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 141 and J. Fraser, Lea Bridoe Road, 121. ; 2nd ditto to "W. Cutbush, jiin., Barnet, Herts, 91. ; 3rd ditto to 0. Rliodes, Sydenham, 6/. Class 3.— Nine Stove and Greenhouse Plants. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to H. Chill- man, Mrs. Smith, Ashstead, 10/. ; 2nd ditto to J. Green, Sir E. Antrobu.s, Bart., Cheam, 81. ; 3rd ditto to K. Baxendine, W. H. Smallpiece, Esq., Guildford, 6/. ; 4th ditto to Wm. Kaile, Earl of Lovelace, Ripley, 41. Class 4.— Six Stove and Greenhouse Plants. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to T. Page, AV. Leaf, Esq., Streatham, 6/ ; 2nd ditto to J. Teg.sr, Baron Hambro', Roehampton, 51. Class 5.— Twelve Fine Foliaged and Variegated Plants. (Nurserymen.) 1st prize to J. Veitch and Sons, Exeter and Chelsea, 10/. ; 2nd ditto to B. L. Williams, Hollo- vray, 71. ; 3rd ditto to T. .Tackson and Son, Kingston, 5/. ; extra ditto to J. and C. Lee, Hammersmith, 3/. Class 6.— Ten Fine Foliaged and Variegated Plants. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to H. Hamilton, T. P. W. Butt, Esq., Cheltenham, 10/.; 2nd ditto to A. H. Gunner, W. F. AVooIey, Esq., Kensington, 71. ; 3rd ditto to C. Hutt, Miss Burdett Coutts, Higligate, 51. ; 4th ditto to G. Young, W. H. Stone, Esq., Dulwich, 3/. ; extra ditto to G. Nicholson, Bushy Grove, Watford, 2/. Cl.vss 7.— Six Draccenas and Cordylines. (Open.) 1st prize to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Ciielsea, 31. ; 2nd ditto to J. and C. Lee, Hammersmith, 21. ; 3rd ditto to W. Bull, F.R.H.S., Chelsea, 1/. ; extra ditto to G. Young, W. H. Stone, Esq., Dulwich, 10,?. Class 8.— Twenty Orchids. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to Mr. Stone, Tottenham, 20/. ; 2nd ditto to B. Peed, T. Tread well, Esq., Lower Norwood, 15/. Class 9.— Sixteen Orcliids. (Nurserymen.) 1st prize to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 15/. ; 2nd ditto to S. Wooley, Cheshunt, Herts, 10/. ; special ditto to O. Rhodes, Sydenham, 3/. 10?. Class 10. — Ten Orchids. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to G. Baker, A. Bassett, Esq., Stamford Hill, 10/. ; 2nd ditto to F. Lovell, H. E. Gurnev, Esq.. Nutfield, 7/. ; 3rd ditto to C. Penny, H. M. Gibbs, Esq., Regent's Park, 5/. ; 4th ditto to E. M'Morland, J. Spode, Esq., Hampstead, 31. Cl.iss 11.— Orchids. Single specimens. (Open.) 1st prize to R. Warner, Broom- field. 3/. ; 2nd ditto to B. S. Williams, HoUoway, 2/. ; 3rd ditto to J. H. Hedge, F.R.H.S., Ipswich, 1/. Class 12. — Nine Greenhouse Azaleas. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to T. Page, W. Leaf, Esq., Streatham, 12/. ; 2nd ditto to S. M. Carson, Cheam, 10/. ; 3rd ditto to J. Gre(jn, Sir E. Antrobus, Bart., Cheam, 71. ; 4th ditto to B. Peed, T. Treadwell, Esq., Nor- wood, 51. Class 13. — Nine Greenhouse Azaleas. (Nurserymen.) 1st prize to C. Turner, Slough, 9/. ; 2nd ditto to J. and J. Fraser, Lea Bridge Road, 71. Class 14.— 8ix Greenhouse Azaleas. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to W. May, J. Spode, Esq., Rugeley, 61. Class 15. — Nine Greenhouse Azaleas, new kinds. (Open.) 1st prize to C. Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 6/. ; 2nd ditto to Ivery and Son, nurserymen, Dorking, 41. Class 16. — Six Rhododendrons, distinct. (Open.) 1st prize to Charles Noble, Sunningdale, Bagshot, 51. ; 2nd ditto to John Standish, Bagshot, Surrey, 4/. Class 17.— Rhododendrons, Sikkim or Bhotan. (Open.) 1st prize to A. Henderson and Co., Edgware Road, 4/. Class 18. — Fifteen Roses in Pots, distinct. (Open.) 1st prize to Messrs. Lane and Son, Great Berkhampstead, Herts, 15/. ; 2nd ditto to W. Paul, Cheshunt Nurseries, 10/.; 3rd ditto to E. Francis, nurseryman, Hertford, 71. Class 19. — Ten Roses in Pots, distinct. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to Thomas Terrj', M. W. Giles Puller, Esq., Youngsbury, 10/. ; 2nd ditto to Alexander Rowland, F.R.H.S., Lewisham. 71. Cl.vss 20. — Twelve New Roses in Pots, two of kind admitted. (Open.) 1st prize to Messrs. Paul and Son, Cheshunt Nurseries, Herts, 51. ; 2nd ditto to W. Paul, Cheshunt, Herts, 4/. Class 21. — Six Tall Cacti. (Open.) 1st prize to J. Green, Cheam, 51. ; 2nd ditto to W. Young, Highgate, 41. Class 22.— Six Cape Heaths. (Open.) 1st prize to B. Peed, T. Treadwell, Esq , Norwood, 51. ; 2nd ditto to T. Jackson and Son, Kingston, S.W., 41. ; 3rd ditto to W. May, J. Spode, Esq., Rugeley, 3/. ; extra ditto to R. Baxendine, W. H. Smallpiece, Esq., Guildford, 21.; extra ditto, to T.Page, W. Leaf, Esq., Streatham, 1/. 10.?. Class 23. — Nine Pelargoniums, distinct. (Araatevirs.) 1st prize to W. Nye, E. 142 THE PLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Forster, Esq., Clewer, 8/. ; 2nd ditto to T. Bailey, Shardeloes, Amershara, 61. ; Srd ditto to J. Shrimpton, A. F. Doxat, Esij., Putney Ileatli, il. ; 4tli ditto to J. Weir, Hamp- stead, 21. Ciiss 24. — Twelve Pelargoniums, distinct. (Nurserymen.) 1st prize to C. Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 8/. ; 2iid ditto to J. DoLson and Son, Islewortli, 6/. ; 3rd ditto to J. and J. Fruser, Lea Bridge Road, 4:1. ; 4th ditto to T. "Windsor, Hampstead, 21. ; extra ditto toT. Gaines, nurseryman, Battersea, 11. Class 25. — Sis Fancy Pelargoniums, distinct. (Amateurs.) 1st prize to T. Bailey, Amersham, 51. ; 2nd ditto to J. Weir, Hampstead, 41. ; 3rd ditto to J. James, F. W. Watson, Esq., Isleworth, 31. Class 26.— Nine Fancy Pelargoniums, distinct. (Nurserymen.) 1st prize to C. Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 51 ; 2nd ditto to J. and J. Eraser, Lea Bridge Road, 4/. ; 3rd ditto to Dobson and Son, Isleworth, 3A ; 4th ditto to T. Windsor, Hampstead, U 10s. Class 27.— Nine Spotted Pelargoniums, distinct. (Open.) 1st prize to Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 5/. Class 28. — Nine Variegated Begonias, distinct. (Open.) 1st prize to J, Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 51. ; 2[id ditto to W. Lakeman, Heddori, 4'. ; 3rd ditto to A. Henderson and Co., Edgware Road, 3.'. ; 4th ditto to B. S. Williams, HoUoway, II. 10s. Class 29.— Six Tree Ferns. Duplicates admitted. (Open.) 1st prize to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 51. ; 2nd ditto to C. Hutt, Miss Burdett Coutts, Highgate, 41. ; 3rd ditto to J. Standish, Bagshot, 31. Class 30. — Twelve Exotic Ferns (Amateurs.) 1st prize to J. Stone, Tottenham, N., 61. ; 2nd ditto to R. Baillie, Harrow Road, 51. ; 3rd ditto to H. Lavey, Hatcham, Surrey, 4/. ; 4th ditto to S. M. Carson, Cheam, 2'. Class 31. — Twelve Exotic Ferns. (Nurserymen.) 1st prize to B. S. Williams, HoUoway, 51. ; 2nd ditto to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 4L ; 3rd ditto to E. Sim, Foot's Cray, Kent, 21. ; 4th ditto to Milne and Co., Wandsworth Road, 1/. Class 32. — Six Aniectochilus and Variegated Leaved Orchids. (Open.) 1st prize to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 31. Cla'^s 33. — ^Three Tuberous Tropaiolums, trained, distinct. (Open.) No competition. Class 34. — New, or Extremely Rare Plants in Flower. 1st prize to R. Warner, for Lselia grandis, S. K. ; 2nd ditto to J. Pilbeam, for Dendrobium sp., S. B. ; 2nd ditto to J. Veitch and Son, for Stenogaster concinna, ditto ; 2nd ditto to M. Linden, Brussels, for Campylobotrys pyrophylla, ditto; 3rd ditto to Messrs. E. and G.Henderson, for Convolvulus mauritanicus, M. ; 3rd ditto to J. Veitch and Son, forMimulus cupreus, M.; 3rd ditto to J. Veitch and Son, for Calceolaria bellitlifolia, M. Cla.ss 35. — Hardy Ornamental Plants, New Sp. 1st prize to J. Standish, for Scia- dopitys verticillata, S. K.; 1st ditto to J. Veitch and Son, for Libocedrits tetragona, S. K.; 2nd ditto to J. Standish, for Retinospora obtusa, S. B.; 2nd ditto to J. Standish, for Thujopsis dolabrata, var. S. B.; 2nd dittto to J. Veitch and Son, for Acer polymor- phum atropiirpureum, S. B. ; 3rd ditto to J. Veitch and Son, for Thuja pygmsea, M.; 3rd ditto to J. Veitch ana Son, for Cryptomeria .sp , Japan, M.; 3rd ditto to T. Jackson and Son, for Juniperus drupr.cea, M. ; 3rd ditto to J. Standish, for Retinospora obtusa variegata, M.; 3rd ditto to J. Standish, for Podocarpus variegatus, M. ; 3rd ditto to J. Standish, for Acuba japonica, mas. et fern, M.; 3rd ditto to J. Standish, for Bambusa variegata, M. ; 3rd ditto to J. Veitch and Son, for Picea sp. (Vancouver's Island), M. Class 36. — Wardian Cases filled with Plants. 1st prize to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 51.; 2nd ditto to John Standish, Bagshot, 3/.; 3rd ditto to Robert Baillie, W. C. Carbonell, Esq., Harrow Road, 21. Class 37. — Miscellaneous, for Plants not specially named. 1st prize to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 21. 10s.; 1st ditto to Carl PfersdorfF, Kensal New Town, 21. 10s.; 2nd ditto to John Standish, Bagshot, 21.; 2nd ditto to W. Paul, Waltham Cross, 21; 2nd ditto to H, Lavey, E. A. De Grave, Esq., Fetcham, Surrey, 21.; 2nd ditto to John Standish, Bagshot, Surrey, 21.; 2nd ditto to J. Veitch and Son, Exeter and Chelsea, 21.; 2nd ditto to M. Linden, Brussels, 21; 2nd ditto to M. Linden, Brussels, 21.; 2nd ditto to M. Linden, Brussels, 21.; 2ud ditto to M. Linden, Brussels, 21.; 3rd ditto to M. Linden, Brussels, 1^. 10*.; 3rd ditto to B. S. Williams, nurseryman, HoUoway, II. lOs.; 3rd ditto to Robt. Baillie, W. C. Carbonell, Esq., Harrow Road, 1/. \0s.; 4th ditto to Jas. Burley, Limpsfield, Surrey, ]/. ; 4th ditto to Mr. C. Turner, Slough, II. ; extra ditto to J. Standish, Bagshot (Todea pellucida), 15^.; extra ditto to Paul and Son, Cheshunt, Herts, 15s.; extra ditto to Dobson and Son, Woodlands Nur- THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 143 sery, Isleworth, 15s.; extra ditto to Ivery and Son, Dorking and Reigate, '15s. ; extra ditto to C. Leach, Clapham Park, 15,9.; extra ditto to B. S. Williams, Holloway, 15s.; extra ditto to Thos. Baines, Sumraerfiekl, Bowden, Cheshire, 10*. Fkuits. — Class A. — Collection of Fruit. Nine Dishes of six distinct kinds. 1st prize to T. Ingram, Royal Gardens, Windsor, GL ; 2nd ditto to A. Henderson, Trent- ham, 51. Class B. — Pine Apple. The best Queen. 1st prize to T. Bailey, Amersham, 3^.; 2nd ditto to T. Young, C. Bailey, Esq., M.P., 2L; 3rd ditto to R. Ruffett, Brockett Hall, Herts, 1/. Class C — Pine Apple. The best Cayenne. 1st prize to T. Page, Streatham, 31. ; 2nd ditto to T. Ingram, Frogmore, 21.; 3rd ditto to C. F. Harrison, Weybridge, 11. Class D. — Pine Apple. Any variety not Queen or Cayenne. 1st prize to T. Young, C. Bailey, Esq., 31.; 2nd ditto to R. RutFett, Brockett Hall, Herts, 21.; 3rd ditto to T. Bailey, Amersham, II. Class E.— Grapes, Black. Single Dish. 1st prize to W. Hill, Keele Hall, Staf- fordshire, 31.; 2nd ditto to C. Little, A. Darley, Esq., Slough, 21.; 2nd ditto to J. Fleming, Cleveden, 21.; 3rd ditto to J. Drewitt, Mrs. Cubitt, Dorking, II. ; 3rd ditto to G. G. Wortley, Hon. P. Carey, Norwood, 1^.; 3rd ditto to M. Henderson, Ashby-de-la- Zouch, 1/.; extra ditto to H. Payne, Chelmsford, 10s.; extra ditto to G. Tillyard, Stan- more, lO*. ; extra ditto to T. Frost, Aylesford, 10.?. Class F.— Grapes, "White Muscat. Single Dish. 1st prize to H. Baker,°Belgrave, Leicester, 3^.; 2nd ditto to R. Ruflett, Brockett Hall, Herts, 2^.; 3rd ditto to J.'Standish, Bag-shot, 1/. ; 4th ditto to R. Turnbull, Woodstock, 10s. Class G. — Grapes, White (not Muscat). Single Dish. 1st prize to W. Hill, Keele Hall, Staffordshire, 3^.; 2nd ditto to J. AUport, 11. Ackroyd, Esq., Nantwich, 21.; 3rd ditto to H. Baker, Belgiave, Leicester, 1/.; 3rd ditto to F. W. Durrant, Hon. Colonel Duucombe, St. Neot's, 1/.; extra ditto to Thomas Bailey, Shardeloes, Amersham, 10s. Class H — .Peaches. Single Dish. 1st prize to A. Henderson, Trentham, 3/.; 2ud ditto to John Fleming, Dowager Duchess of Sutherland, Cleveden, Maidenhead, 2^.; 2nd ditto to A. Sanders, Sir H. Meax, Waltham Cross, 21. ; 3rd ditto to F. W. Durrant, Hon. Colonel Duncombe, St. Neot's, 11.; 3rd ditto to C. Little, A. Dawley, Esq., Stoke Ct., Slough, 11. ; extra ditto to J. Peacock, Stockwood, Luton, Beds, 5s.; extra ditto to J. Cross, Lord Ashburton, Alresford, Hants, 5s. Class I. — Nectarines. Smgle Dish. 1st prize to M. Rochford, Tottenham, 31. ; 2nd ditto to J. Peacock, Stockwood, Luton, Beds, 21.; 2nd ditto to A. Henderson, Trentham Hill Gardens, 21.; 3rd ditto to W. Hill, R. Sneyd, Esq., Keele Hall, Stafford- shire, 1/.; 3rd ditto to S. Evans, C. N. Newdegate, Esq., M.P., Nuneaton, IZ. ; extra ditto to J. Dates, Stoneleigh Abbey, Kenilvvorth, 5s, ; extra ditto to C. Little, A. Daw- ley, Esq., Stoke at Slough, os.; extra ditto to T. Rawbone, R. T. Adderley, Esq., Stone, Stafford, 5s. Class J. — Figs. Single Dish. 1st prize to J. Alresford, 21. ; 2ud ditto to S. Snow, Countess Cooper, Silsoe, Beds, 1/.; 3rd ditto to R. Ruffett, Brockett Hall, Herts, 10s. Class K. — Cherries. Single Dish. 1st prize to A. Henderson, Trentham, 31.; 2nd ditto to S. Evans, C. N. New-- thamin, and probably identical. — Filhol, in Journal of the Mart/land Collec/e of Phar- macy. A PHISON MADE PLEASANT. Leiqh Hunt, speaking of his two-years' imprisonment, says : *' I papered the walls with a trellis of roses, I had the ceiling coloured with clouds and sky, the barred windows were screened with Venetian blinds, and when my bookcases were set up with their busts and flowers, and a pianoforte made its appearance, perhaps there was not a handsomer room on that side of the water. I took a pleasure, when a stranger knocked at the door, to see him come in and stare about him. The surprise on issuing from the Borough, and passing through the avenues of the jail, was dra- matic. Charles Lamb declared there was no other such room except in a fairy tale. But I had another surprise, which was a garden. There was a little yard outside, railed off from another belonging to the neighbouring yard. This yard I shut in with green pailings, adorned it with a trellis, bordered it with a thick bed of earth from a nursery, and even contrived to have a grass plat. The earth I filled with 158 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. flowers and young trees. There was an apple-tree, from Avhicli we managed to get a pudding the second year. As to my flowers, they were allowed to be perfect. A poet from Derbyshire (Ih: Moore) told me he liad seen no such heart's-ease. I bought the ' Parnaso Italiano ' while in prison, and used often to tliink of a passage in it while looking at this miniature piece of horticulture : ' My little garden, To me thou'rt vineyard, field, and wood, aud meadow.' Here I wrote and read iu fine weather, sometimes under an awning. In autumn my trellises were hung with scarlet runners, which added to the flowery investment. I used to shut my eyes in my arm-chair, and affect to think myself hundreds of miles off. But my triumph was iu issuing forth of a morning. A wicket out of the garden led into the large one belonging to the prison. The latter was only for vege- tables; but it contained a cherry-tree which I twice saw in blossom." SELECT PLANTS FOR MASSES. CamprtnuJa carpatica alba. — The true white-flowered vaidety of this species has been until i-ecently a rare plant in onr gar- dens (having been generally substituted by an indifferent pale-coloured one), and though still comparatively rare, it will, ere long, take its place as one of the best white- flowered plants for the flower garden, afford- ing an excellent contrast to its original type in the blue-flowered one. It is dwarf and compact, producing numerous white, open, bell-shaped blossoms, upwards of an inch in diameter, and blooming for a con- siderable period during July, August, and September. It is specially adapted for planting en masse in beds or parterres, and equally suitable for a heavy edging to borders or beds of evergreen shubs. It is the most readily multiplied by division from the roots, being otherwise slow of increase by cuttings. This species, in common with many others allied, secretes a viscid milk- lilce fluid, from which I infer that its cul- ture in pots or vases will require a porous material, of which loam should predomi- nate, with one-third dry fermented manure, or dry unfermented leaf-mould, with a sixth part of pounded brick, potsherds, or similar material. Calandrinia timldlata. — One of the most brilliant little plants ever introduced, of a compact, decumbent habit, with a grayish-furred aspect, and, in tlie absence of the last feature, would readily be taken for a linear-leaved species of thrift. Though its ordinary extent of growth rarely exceeds a span, it is richlj' adorned with terminal clusters of violet-crimson, salver-shaped blossoms, upwards of an inch in diameter ; and whilst it is equal to the finest kinds of portulacas in beautj^ it possesses beyond them a feature essential to every good plant, being perennial iu its duration. [Nothing can surpass its effect, en masse, in a small parterre, or for single effect upon rock-work, or a partially-raised mound upon ordinary bordei-s. Wherever plants are esteemed as " Nature's jewels," this should always be found within the casket. AncigaV-is ccendea com pacta. — This is the most valuable blue-flowered variety, and is known in the nursery collections as A. grandiflora cocrulea and A. grandiflora compacta. In growth it is nearly a coun- terpart of the original small narrow-leaved A. grandiflora, but in the present kind assuming a darker green aspect, more dense and compact in its habit, and much more profuse in its bloom, which is of a rich idtra-marine bhtc. It possesses none of the excessive vigour of the sti-onger varieties. For bedding it is an invaluable kind, and under skilful management, by accumulat- ing and duly restricting its growth pre- vious to its summer bloom, would form a beautiful edging for marginal effect. It is also a very ornamental object by its di- versified effect on limestone rock-work, and forms a lovely contrast for jjortable specimens in pots or vases, iu company with the flue white variety of Lobelia erinus compacta. ' W. W. Wrinkles — Trees may be pruned at any time, without danger, by simply cover- ing the cut parts with shellac varnish. Chemical researches by Mr. J. Salisbury, of Albany, show that good varieties of" the apple are richer in those substances which strictly go tonourisli the system than pota- toes are; or, in other v.-ords, to form muscle, brain, nerve ; and in short, to assist in sus- taining and building up the organic part of all the tissues of the animal body. — Chemist and Druggist. 159 GARDEK .'LND GREENHOUSE WORK EOR JULY. Annuals sown now will flower beauti- fully during September and October. This ia the best time of year to sow Nemopliilas in shady places ; the bloom is niucli finer sind more lasting than of those sown in the usual way in spring. Auricula seed to be sown as soon as ripe, and tlie old plants to be potted. Azaleas may be propagated from cut- tings of the young wood, planted in silver sand under hand-lights. Cahnations to be layered and piped. Seedlings to he transplanted six inches apart. Chktsanthemums to be stopped for the last time, keep the plants clean, never ne- glect the training, give plenty of water, and shade from the midday sun those intended for specimens. Dahlias, to bloom in the conservatory in pots late in the season, should now he propagated by cuttings. We grev/ some standards last year by taking up straight stems disbudded, and they were very attrac- tive, though rather lumpy headed. Propagate in the open ground gera- niums, herbaceous plants, and hardy shrubs from cuttings of this season's growth. Strawbekrie.s for pot culture should be potted at once into six inch pots, filled with a rather firm and rich compost quite to the rim, and rammed in hard before the plunts are inserted. Stout runners of the season make the best plants, and if they are only just forming their roots will do as. well as those that are plentifully furnished. Put them into a pit or frame and shade for a week, and then give good culture to pro- mote the formation of roots and the ripen- ing; of the crown. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Wild Floweks. — We have received from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, parts 1 and 2 of " The Flowering Plants of Great Britain," ahandsome octavo work now in course of publication. We cannot t^peak too highly in praise of the coloured plates, and the descriptions which accompany them. Accurney, and beauty of delineation, the grouping of epecies on a most judicious plan, and the adop- tion of the natural system as ihe basis of popu- lar descriptions, are recommendations which we have no doubt will baTe great force with our readers. This is certainly the best and cheap- est reliable work on wild flowers in course of publication. Tjik Finest Spau in England is the flag-staff lately erected in Kew Gardens. It is a speci- men of the Douglas Pine, and is twice as high as the highest trees that surround it. Its total length is 157 feet ; cubical contents, 160 feet; total weifiht complete, 4 tons 8 cwt. 2 qrs. It is fixed in a brick well, and 11 fett 6 inches are sunk below the level of the ground. The age of the tree which supplied the spar was al out 200 years, and its total height 220 feet. For this handsome and appropriate gift to the royal gardens, the pubhc are indebted to Mr. Stamp, of Eotherhithe. — Recreatice ffcience. Names of Plants and notes about thbm. — A. B. — Your shrub is Corchorus Japonicus, now called Kerria Japonlca, in praise of which it would be scarcely ptissible to say too much. The yellow flower is TroUius Europeans, a hardy British plant, which grows and blooms abundantly in the damp meadows about the New Forest, where we have seen it produce effects that could not be equalled in any flower- garden. The shrub you sent was Cotoneaster mycrophylla. There is as much differenca be- tv.een it and Candleberry myrtle as between a magnolia and a gooseberry. — W. S. — The little scrap sent we cannot name ; it is probably a veronica. All veronicas require to be liberally grown and well supplied with water. V. Au- dersoni, Lindleyana, speciosa, and others of like habit, do first-rate in the open border, and in mild winters take no harm. Old plants should be shortened in every spring, and en- couraged to grow; and they will flower we'd through September, October, and November, and be useful to group with chrysanthemums. — Hrentingbt) Cottuge. — The fiowerini; specimen is doubtless a pentstcmon, but we cannot make it out as to species. "Wo should like a live plant if that be possible, as it appears to be an interesting thing. — The New Zealand seed ia evidently fome piipillonaceous plant, order Le- guminosce, tribe Hedysarese. — Huh. Ennhccrthy . — Yours is a beautilul herbaceous plant, now not much known. It is Monsonia speciosa, figured in Loddige's " Botanical Cabinet," No. iiyS. It is a Cape plant of tasy culture. " Melo- dar" is a name we do not understand — TF. P. — Specimen in blue-ribbon Sagina procumbens, white-ribbon Spergula pilifera, green-ribbon Spergula .'aginnides. Cut out from the turf ail the tults of Sagina procumbens, aud plant them together to make a separate turf; the two sper- gula.': allow to remain together, the difference between them is very slight, aud you are rather fortunate in obtaining both species from the same packet of seeds. Sagina procumbens is one of the commonest British weeds. — E. B. — ■ 1. Clematis azurea grandiflora, prune it close back in spring, when just about to break. 2. Jasminum revolutum, young side-shoots will strike now under bell-glasses or hand-light.s. As soon as your plant fills its pot with roots, shift it into a larger one ; do not prune it all, except to regulate the growth, and it will bloom next year if assisted now with warmth and moisture, and the wood well ripened in the autumn. 3. Daphne odora, grow in turfy peat, with a liberal admixture of sand, plenty of water \^hile growing, at other times to be kept only moderotely moist. The cool greenhouse is the best place for it. 4. We cannot name from part of a leaflet. It is an acacia. You had better not cut it down ; make a standard of it, aud let it grow as it bkes till it flowers, and if it proves to be good propagate it from firm side-shoots. 5. Cotoneaster mycrophylla. 160 THE FLORAL WOELD AND GAEDEX GUIDE. 6. The agapanthus can hardly have too much water while growing and bloomin?; it will flower lieavitifully in the open air. Azaleas should be jiropagMted from youu? shoots, dibbled into filver-sand, and "covered with brll-glasses. Common siiriu-e will suit your triangular piece, unless you would prefer (as we would) a selec- tion of hardy C0!:if(rs. Remove the ivy at once from the .>-tems of the Portugal laurels. August is the best month for cuttinsa of com- mon laurel. — S. G. — The ro-e with a monstrous centre is not an uncommon thing. Good culture is ihe only preventive. — J. It. — Festuca ovina, see Floeai. Would, Vol. i. p. (33. Your request cannot be complied with. TBOPiEOLVMS. — No s'ljnature. — You do not say what kinds of tropa?olum you refer to. If the bulbous kinds, pot them early in .«pring and plunge in a hot-bed till they break; then give good greenhouse culture. Cinerarias and calceolarias have been trealed again and again in former volumes; we cannot now make room for a full reply to your general question. Sea Sand. — A. B. ,S'. — Sea-kale and asparagus will derive most benefit from it amon^ kitchen crops, and hardy spring flowering bulbs among flowers. In a heavy soil it may be used to every kind of plant, in a liijht soil very little or not at all. Leeds Exhibition. — The schedule of the tenth grand horticultural fete came to hand too late for notice in the usual place. The dates fixed are July 16, 17, and 18 ; the prizes amount to 400?., in addition special prizes are offered for amateurs and cottagers. We trust the flori- cultural public of Leeds and vicinity will libe- rally .support this spirited undertaking. Catalogies Keceivkd. — "List of Silect Plants eultivatert and sold by F. &. A. Smith, Park Koad, Dulwich." A good catalogue of green- house, bedding, and exhibition plants. We know Messr.5. Smith's stock to be extensive and vari- ous, and the list proves that it is selected rather for general usefulness than to suit the whims of merely occasional purchasers of varieties. It includes some new azaleas, cinerarias, and fuchsias. RosKs Wintered at East Shkkn. — ^^ ill you re- cord in your next number that I saved through last winter, fully exposed, some having a few feru sprays about them however, tender roses, standards and dwarf, now blooming : Vicomtesse de Gazes (st.), Elise Sauvage (A.), Isabella Grey, Princesse Marie, Madame AVillermoz, Narcisse (st.), Le Pactole, Ophirie (st.), Jean D'Arc (St.), Saffrano (st.), Souvenir d'un Ami (st.), Jaune Desprcz, and almost all Bourbons. — C.E. TiFPANTf Houses.— Cankbbed FBriT Trees. — C. jB., East Sheen. — You may proceed to the erection of a tiffany house with perfect confi- dence, and the larger you make it the more secure will it be against frost. Koses, azaleas, caraelhas, and all nearly hardy fruit trees, such as the choicer kinds of pears, peaches, etc., do admirably in these houses, but they are quite unfit for soft wooded grer-uhouse plants during w inter. We advise you to build the house in a substantial manner, in order that it may be proof against storms, and to use the stoutest make of Shaw's tiffany. Y'our soil is evidcntlv not adapted for strong growing apples and pears, and as you are situated on a "pan" in ■which the water collects, you would do better to plant them on mounds. As clay is plentiful near you, it would be well to cart in a supply to chop over with your hot stony soil, which is too poor for such forts as Cox's Orange, Norfolk Beefing, and Ribston Pippin. We would use at least half cliiy in every station where a tree was planted. We have quite recovered some very decrepit trees that stood in a pan, and were literally rotting away through the wetness of the subsoil. There was no outlet for the water, and the first season we cut deep trenchei to draw the water away from the trees, and then sunk three deep wells to take the water from the drain pipes. Cannot yuu help your trres in a similar manner ? Bush trees to be lifted every other year will pay you far better than standards, and you can (;ive them a little fresh soil at ei.ch liftinc-. 'The following will suit your soil :— 12 Good Appleg : Ashmeail's Kernel, Red Astrachan, Cox's Pomona, Court pendu Plat, Golden Pippin, Lord SufBeld, Sturmer Pippin, Baddow Pippin, Large Yellow Bough, Margil, Forge. We advise them to be all bushes or pyramids on Paradise stocks, and to be lifted annually or biennially, aceirding to the growth they make. 12 Good Fcan : Prince Albert, Urbaniste, Yat, Passe Colinar, Winter Keli*, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Josephine de Malines, Jargonelle, Doyenn^ d'Etd, Forelle, Beurre Diel, Bon Chretien. These to be pyra- mids or bushes on quince i-tocks. HuMEA Ei.EOANS. — A. B. — This is a biennial to be raised from seed sown from April to June, and grown quick in a mixture of rotten dung and peaty loam. Next spring to be turned out into a rich bed or border and well supplied with water. The grub is the larva of the common May bug, of no harm whatever in the garden. The grubs that are commonly met with in dung are generally more useful than hurtful to the gardener. Clianthus Daupieri. — TV. E, D., Stone-y Strat- ford.— This should he kept growing freely, any check is hurtiul to it, and likely to produce red spider. It will be a heavy job to turn them out of pots larger than those they are in already (six to the cast). You may overcome that dif- ficulty by sinking the pots into the holes which the plants are to occupy, and then breaking the pots away. They will remain very will over winter in the pots as they are, and to keep them going give plenty of water, and once a week a spoonful of Peruvian guano to each .spread over the surface of the soil in the pot, and washed in with ordinary watering. One might be tried out of doors in a warm place. The finest plant of C. puniceus we ever saw was one we had against a south wall all winter, with bundles of sticks set against it in frosty weather. But the winter was a mild one. We fully believe Dam- pieri is as hardy as the older kind, aa it comes from a climate that bears some resemblance to our own. Town Garden Plan. — C. — The idea of raised terraces is good. If carried out you would re- quire twelve trees, four on each elevation. Nothing would look better, or do better than Juniperus Phcenicia, Juniperus sinensis, or Juni- perus Virgineana var. erecta. They are massive yet graceful. All the trees employed in this part of the work must be of one sort. Chinese arbor-vita or Irish yew would be a trifle cheaper, and accord with the plan, but we re- commend either of the firi^t named. Birch would be most desirable for the bottom line. As to clipping, almost any tree will submit lo it if properly done, even spruce will make a good clipped hedge. You had better not use edging box for the surfacing under the trees; notliing better than Savin, and Juniperus tamariscifoha, which is unequalled for clo.'^eness and beauty. Plant Housk. — Poor Gentleman. — Nothing can be better than a flue for your Tiurpose. Hot water is unquestionably preferable but will be too expensive. It would be hard to devise for you a bitter scheme than that figured and de- scribed in the Floral World, Vol ii., p. 9; see also p. 101 of the same volume. THE Qkn^EH ayiDE. ^ ^*o<»o^-oNj^ 't^^ greater vigour of growth, and -^ql \ 1 iiger and more rotund expansion of :""-- K/l il wers. So great is the difference CAIIPANVLA EOTUNDIFOLIA ALBA, VAE. (CUII pearance of a new seedling Campanula, ex- liibited by Mr. Chitty, of Stamford Hill, and for which a certilleate was awarded. This was an improved form'of Campanula rotun- C AilPAXULA l;OXLMl Ll'CI.IA. between it and the parci.t that it mi^'ht be taken fur a distinct species, md by some of the gardeners at the show it would have been so regarded but for the label setting forth its 01 igin. Mr. Chitty carefully preserved tlip seedling plant, and has been pro- pagating from it since, but has not yet sent it out. His object in thus elaying to make it public was to prove its constancy, of which there cannot now remain any doubt, as the stock now consists of hundreds of plants, and they are strictly uniform in character, showing no tendency to revert to the normal type. This will ^•^ be a real gem for pot culture, and also a very gracelul ornament where an entire bed can be devoted to it, ns it will continue in bloom from the end of June to the end of September. To have it (or its parent) in THE TLOEAL WOKLD AND CiAiiDEN UL'IDE. 171 perfection, the old roots should be taken up iu April iind divided, and the single shoots phmted six inches apart, in the s-ime way as is done vvitli Campanula carp.itica, by those who know how to manage it for beddinn;. Tiie plants of tins seedling i;xhi- bited at Regent's Park were wintered in a cold frame in forty-e^ght sized pots. Early in Apiil they were shifced into twenty-fours, and six weeks after in twelves. They were only protected from heavy rains, and six days previous to the day of the exhibition were placed against a wall, and some spare lights put over them. Such an improve- ment of an old border favourite entitles Mr. Cliitty to the thanks of all who have the real interests of horticulture at heart, for the tendency of fashion is to thrust out of cultivation many old friends, which for intrinsic beauty cannot be sur- passed by the gaudiest of novel impor- tations. BEDDING FUCHSIAS. I WILL reserve some notes on bedding and propagating not of immediate importance, in order to offer a few remarks on the use of Fuchsias out of doors, so as to deal with the other side of the picture, painted so nicely iu another page, by the master of fuchsias on this side of London, Mr. Ou- bridge. As my friend has introduced him- self so ably to the readers of the Flokal World, I shall content myself by saying, that the best set of specimen fuchsias I have seen this season were those bloomed by him in a back shed, in liis new nursery, and altogether hidden from tlie public eye- sight. For connoisseurs of these things it was a public Ijss tliat those jdants were not exhibited. There was not a fuchsia fit to come into the same tent with them at any of the Regent's Park Shows this season, and if Mr. Oubridge had not been too busy in meeting the wants of his cus- tomers for bedding plants, he might have added largely to his store of gold and silver cups, and something to his balance at his bankers ; Messrs. Loarn, Leaf, and Silver Sand, being the taistees of his purse. "With Mr. Chitty in tlie fern and miscel- laneous plant department, the best botanist about here; Mr. Oubridge in the way of bed- ding stuff, rose-, and show plants ; Mr. Ken- dall for Covent Garden ; Mr.West for a bit of anything, from a score of Collards to a thou- sand Caladiirm Chantini ; Mr. Grimbly, the | young beginner, making harle([uin changes ! on the old worn-out nursery in Albion | Road, Stoke Newington is on the mend in | horticultural matters, and there is a fair | prospect of its soon resuming the high j position it once held for clever gardeners, well-kept grounds, valuable collections, and good nurseries. Tliis has to do with fuchsias only so far as this, that, for years past, I have been collecting sorts, planting them out, taking note of their behaviour, and coming to conclusions as to their merits for bedding purposes, and I have had to ransack the stocks at the nurseries to get together the varieties required. This season I have fuchsias evei'vwhere except in places where they would be decidedly objectionable, as, for instance, in the neigh- bourhood of my lovely foliage ribbon, or near the grand bed of Iberis Kermesina, which is now a close convex surface of lilac crimson, rich and compact beyond the conception of those who know Iberis only as a weedy border flower. Some of them look only fit for the muck -heap ; some are too strong in their growth, some too weak, but, taken altogether, they confirm a conclusion to which I arrived long ago, namely, that of all the green- house plants in general favour for decora- tive properties, tlie fuchsia is the very best for amateurs. I cast no imputations on other good things, these are times in which we must not praise one plant at the expense of another, I simply say, all things con- sidered, and, cceteris paribus, the fuchsia is the best plant to begin v.'ith in any first attempt at practical horticulture, and the best thing to go on with until you attain to such skill in getting up specimens as my amateur neighbour, Mr. Harrison, or my nurseryman neighbour, Mr. Oubridge, who is as great in fuchsias as Mr. Holland is in pelargoniums, or the Messi's. Wortley, ^V'ard, and Monk in chrysanthemums. Go back to last winter for the sake of an ex- treme case. Then in well-managed houses geraniums died by dozens ; iu ill-managed houses they died by hundreds, and all the hap-hazard ways of keeping them were simply and universally ways of losing them, for they died outright, and alto- gether. But the fuchsia, left to itself, is strictly deciduous, and there is a gain at once in the matter of merely keeping them. I had a large lot packed away in a house, which was simply shut up, without even a mat on the roof, and no fire, and the deaths were not more than five percent, On the 172 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. turn of spring they broke as usual, without heat, and for cuttings in April were as good as the best tli at' could be had from a duke's garden. Of course, that is late to begin with cuttings, but quite early enough for people wlio pursue the rotation system in flower culture, and who, if tliey manage it right, have no room for fuchsias till the end of June, the 1st of July, or, at the furthest, the 20lii, and then want them ready to turn out with goo 1 balls, from forty-eight pots, and bloom at once, and continue blooming till the end of the season. When my Iberis is done, for instance, I can remove it in an hour, and replant the bed in another hour, and take my choice of luilfa-dozen, or even fifty kinds of fuchsias fit for the purpose, or fill it with foliage plants, to make a novel effect, in harmony witli the grand ribbon of Arabis, Atriplex, Autennaria, Perilla, and Pha- laris. But it is just as easy to have a good show of fuchsias from the first week in June till the end of September, as to begin in July and go on till October ; it only needs a little variation of tl-.e mo/lus ope- randi, to begin growing earlier, to push on faster, to turn out sooner, and then to prevent the sv.'elling of a single berry, and practise occasional stopping to produce a succession of new bloom-shoots. There is a certain grace about the fuchsia peculiar to itself, by which it compou'satcs largely for the lack of giudiness, for however ricli in bloom a mass may be, through selection of the best varieties for the purpose, and the best management of them for the same purpose, they do not catch the eye as quickly as a mass of triipseolums, geraniums, or ver- benas, and, perhaps, for that lack of" blaze," they are too often neglected in places where they would be the best of friends, by the little trouble they occasion to keep them. There is another and not trifling advan- tage to the inexperienced, and that is the almost certainty of striking fuchsias even by the worst possible methods of propa- gating. If I knew a gardener to lose more than one per cent, of fuchsia cuttings, ex- cept bv some special reason not here to be considered, I sliould set him down as a muddler, and I would not care whether a dung-bed, a first-rate tank, or a Waltoniau case were the means of giving them the gentle bottom-heat necessary for a start. Then to add to their good qualities for people who are a good deal away from home, they want less ventilation than most other plants; they like a rather close atmosphere in their earlier stages of growth, and finally they are not half so particular about soil as they are reputed to be. You see what Mr. Oubridge says about pot culture, and you will make a mistake if you go far away from his rules of practice. But when turned out in the open ground any good garden-soil will suit them if moderately enriched with rotten dung and leaf-mould, though dung alone without a scrap of leaf will do if leaf is a scarce article. Most of my trial plants are planted in a firm loam without manure, and left, to grow as they please without stopping, tying, or dressing of any kind. That is tiie only way to ascertain the true worth of a plant for garden decoration; but one of its conse- quences is that a great many weedy and wild effects are produced, which people not acquainted with the mysteries of proving are apt to consider discreditable, so none but gardener's andthorough amateurs should ever get a peep at the proving-ground. Looking over my fuchsias novv, I come to a new and delightful conclusion, and that is that the best of all the double fuchsias are as good planted out as the best of the single ones. This is a real gain to deco- rative gardening, for we can now put Sir Colin Campbell into the b-st company in the open ground, and add thereby to the popularity of the hero. So again all the best of tlie white fuchsias are good when planted out; but the fancies, almost without an exception, are rubbish for this purpose. Suppose now that a certain number of our i-eader-i purpose to do something extra with fuchsias out of doors next summer, now is the time to get the sorts together and to commence propagating. Fuchsias struck in Airgust and September, wintered in a greenhouse averaging never lower than 35', stopped soon after their first start in spring, and then shifted from sixties into forty-eights, will be what the gardeners call prime stuff for hardening off in frames and j)its in April, to plant in their places in May, and to bloom inmiediately after and continue till near the end of the season. I intend to make a ribbon next year thus — back line, Alpha; next line. Duchess of Lan- caster; next line. Bo-peep; next, Queen of Hanover; front linefor edging,Meliezi. Now all these are old varieties, and still for this particular purpose unsurpassed. Alpha is not worth a rush as a florists' flower; it is all one colour", a long tube, and has no par- ticular grace about it. But for a mass or continuous line there is not a showier fuchsia in existence, and it would beat out of the field anj- fifty of the best exhibition kinds of the red class if judged en misse for bedding excellences. Bo-peep is an old stock fuchsi I with me, and has been used for years past with Roi des Blanciies, Cathe- rine Hayes, Little Treasure, Ooeur de Leon, and Albert Smith; the three last being THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 173 admirably adapted for edgings to fuchsia- beds, as tliey may be bloomed at any height required, from six to eighteen inches. The cuttings for my fuchsia-ribbon will be made and planted within ;i week after tliis co.nes into tile h inds of my rea lers, as soon, in fact, as I can get the propagatiug-bed clear of roses with wliich it is now cramraed full. They will be taken up in single stems to the heights required for eacli line, then be stopped and allowed to throw out side- shoots; thes3 win be stopped, and the plants got to the condition of compact fuchsias, but to have only three shifts, first to tliumb; from the cutting-bed, next to sixties, then to forty-eiglits, and the last shift will bj about the middle of next March. But I could do the ribbon neaidy as well at much less ti'ouble by waiting till February for cuttings, and to make the matter as simple as possible, I will suppose the reader to have the fewest imaginable means at command, and yet to be deter- Tnined on using fuchsias freely next season. Choose your sorts now either from plants in the ground or in pots. Tally them, and determine how and in what numb;irs the}' are to be used, and make an entry thereof in your note-book. The plants in pots are to remain out of doors till the frost has shaken their leaves off, and then to be housed, and not to have another taste of frost all winter ; to be kept nearly dry, but not dust dry, and to be neither pruned nor top-dressed, nor touched in any way till the 1st of February. Under the stage is as good a place as any for them, as they do not require light. Those in the ground are to be taken up when the chilly autumn weather lias spoilt their beauty, and to save all the trouble of potting at a time when there is enough of that to do with other things, get some shallow wooden boxes or wicker baskets ; lay down some rough stuff for drainage, and then pack them close together in clean sand or loam, give thera one sprinkle of water from a rose, and stow them anywhere safe from frost, and they will want neither water nor light till the 1st of February, when the whole stock is to be set to work for cuttings. Those in pots should then be put in a com- fortable temperature of about .50' by day, and 40' by night, and be syringed occa- sionally overhead, but have very little water at the root till ihey begin to push ; then water more liberally, and as fast as they produce shoots from two to three inches long, take them off with a heel, dibble into silver-sand, and strike in dung-bed or Wal- tonian. On the same 1st of February shake all the plants out of the boxes, and pot them in rather line stuff ia sixties ; say equal parts of leaf-mould, dung rotted to powder, mellow loam, and silver sand. Pot them firm, sprinkle overhead, and give thera a gentle bottom-heat, and youwill have a supp y of cuttings in a fortnight. Atter this the plants will tell you what to do with them by their looks. You will get the first batch of cuttings potted off, and a second batch going eaily in March ; you will take care to stop as soon as necessary, and one main principle to keep in mind is to promote growth so as to have bushy, sturdy plants by the end of May or first week in June, and by that time showing for bloom at the ends of the ripest shoots. If any show bloom before the plants are stout and well furnished, nip them off and stop back. As I never value a fuchsia that requires sticks and ties, I cannot con- sistently advise you on the subject of training and supporting. It is to me a miserable spectacle, and no credit to the grower, to see fuchsias in beds tied up like a lot of cripples ; if grown liberally, and got quite hard before planting, all the best dark fuchsias will hold up as firm as oak trees, but here and there in a mass of whites a few may want a little support ; but if you grow as [ advise, using good stuff as "long as they are in pots, you will not have to spend much money in laths and bass for them. Fuchsias like shade and moisture, they also like sun and safe drainage. So in places where there is a lack of sun, as in gardens much shaded with trees, fuchsias v.'ould generally pay well where geraniums pay badly. My forecourt is so densely shaded that geraniums never show half their proper beauty in it ; but fuclisias do superbly; they get a glimpse of sun through gaps in the foliage overhead till about noon ; then have full sun for about two hours, and no more for the rest of the day. This is just enough for them; they get their full and true colours, and hold those colours twice as long as if they were exposed to the intense glare all through the day. But ray trial fuchsias are all exposed to full sun, gel no artificial watering, and have not a stick to assist the weakest in holding up against the wet and wind. Amongst old and new, which now stand together. Alpha and Bopeep are the most conspicuous for distinctiveness and effect. The newest are easily detected without noticing colours or looking at tallies by their thin leafage, a peculiarity of nearly all the fuchsias sent out within tlie last four or five years. Nevertheless, strength of constitution has not been much sacrificed by high breeding, as witness the fine foliage of Sir Colin Campbell and ]71 THE FLOR.iL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Smith's Mammoth, the last bniug n ;vonili;r of wonders, and the gi-.andest fuchsia ever raised. Nevertheless, there is a certain 1 itchiness advantageous to the display of the flowers in fine specimen plants, noticeable in the majority of the best fuchsias of late years, but this liglitness is not to their advantage as bidders, for no thin-leaved fuchsia will make so stout and sturdy a stem as a heavy-leafed one, and in B)oeep you li.ave the perfection of foliage for an out-door fuchsia. In full sun it is the richest dark green imaginable, and the substantial refloxed blooms literally sparkle amongst the bluish green leaves like rubies. Next in merit as a bedder in this dark class I should place Souvenir de Chiswick, of ■wliich I have some plants on a raised bank among ferns, cannas, and grasses, which want the relief of a little colour, but b'iug such graceful things, it would be a gross violation of taste to group such lumpy things as geraniums with them. Lifted up above the level in moderate shade, amongsc masses of the most elegant foliage, I can imagine nothing better than those plants of Souvenir, smothered as they are with their exquisitely-proportioned flowers. But here we are getting into the classification of sorts, and as I wish to see a few of tbe newest bloom quite out before finally re- porting on them, I will detain my notes on the varieties till next month, and then give a classification of the best in the several classes and colours as adapted for out-door decoration. Suirl?;v Hibberd. PEOFITABLE GAEDENING. CHAPTER XIX. CULTURE OT THE .\PPLE. Though turned aside for a wliile from the subject of profitable garden- ing, by the pressure of the events of the seafton, and the attractions of floriculture, we hope, for some time hence, to continue our papers on the strictly utilitarian department of our work ; and as we now enter the fruit garden, the apple claims, of necessity, the first place. For real usefulness, for productiveness, for certainty of jDroduce, the apple is deserv^edly the most renovrned of British fruits. The cottagervalues it not more highly th.an the possessor of graperies and peack- liouses ; for, with all the appliances of high-class fruit culture, the apple still claims a fall consideration of its merits as an element in the best dessert for a lordly epicure, as well as the most substantial pudding for a hungry ploughman. Make sure of good apples before you plant a single tree of any other kind, if fruits are to have any portion of your skill in gardening. The common crab of the hedges is the onlj' apple indigenous to this country. All our garden and orchard apples are either importations from the East or seedling varieties obtained from kinds which were imported in the first instance. The common ori- gin of the cultivated varieties is im- portant so far as tliis, that, as not being indigenous to this countrj', it is not to be expected that any of them will thrive without some amount of care ; if neglected and allowed to run wild, they must deteriorate, and if subjected to a succession of adverse seasonal influences, it is impossible they should continue either so pro- ductive or healthy as during seasons eminently favourable to their general requirements. The common suppo- sition tbat the apple is a native fruit, has acted injuriously by inducing carelessness in their preservation, and it is quite certain that the cul- ture of the apple is not generally un- derstood, else we should see less of that pest, the American blight, and less also of that barren condition of old trees, which meets us everywhere in orchards and gardens, and for which by the proprietors no reason can be assigned. We have no hesita- tion in saying that a barren apple-tree is an anomaly, and that the produc- tion of apples might be increased five- fold in this country without the plant- ing of a single tree in addition to those already occupying sites in private grounds. The apple, though esteemed. has been very generally abused ; it is so hardy, so fruitful, so adaptable to a variety of soils, aspects, and climates, that the little care it asks for is too often denied it altogether, and so for THE FLORAL AVORLD AND OAEDEN GUIDE. 175 every single tree in robust health and o^oocl bearins^, there are at least a dozen sufferintr from canker, and using space both above and below £^round to no purpose whatever, ex- cept to disfigure tlie ground and re- proach the proprietors. Before we enter on a distinct relation of tlie routine of culture, we will remark that we have had large experience i:i the culture of this fruit in all the forms it is capable of assuming for productive purposes, as standards, espaliers, pyramids, bushes, and or- namental trees in pots, and we have not only found amusement in the growth of seedlings, but also in the recovery to health of trees that ap- peared worn out and worthless when w"e first took them in hand to renew their youth. In 1859 there was scarcely an apple to be seen in the neighbourhood of London, but our trees were loaded almost as heavily as in that year of excessive fruit produc- tion, 1857. We are now writing within view of apple-trees on all sides of us, on which there is scarcely any fruit to be seen, while our own trees are covered with them so tliat the bi'anches bear some resemblance to ropes of onions. Our neighbours' trees appear to be expected to take care of tliemselves ; our own are eared for systematically, and thei'ein lies the secret of the difference. Make a survey of any district of the country, and the same tiling will be seen — a garden here and there where the fruit ti-ees are always healthy and produc- tive, surrounded by gardens where crops of fruit are like angels' visits, few and far between. We dwell on these particulars in order to fix upon the mind of the reader the importance of pursuing horticulture as an art, and in order to gain attention for what ob- servations we sliall make on the essen- tials of apple culture. If every apple- tree in the British empire did its duty, the aggregate produce would, in the course of a few years, amount to a value sufficient to pay the national debt, for though excessive production may lower prices, articles of real uti- lity have their minimum, while arti- cles which depend for their value on fashion and caprice, have no mini- ; mum, and may end in being of uo value at all. It must be remembered that the apple is an article of food as well as of luxury, and every grower of it adds to the resources of his country in the exact measure of success witli which his en'orts .ire attended. Let U5, therefore, consider how to im- prove the collections that exist, and then go through the processes in- volved in the formation of new ones. After attaining about fifteen years of age, the apple naturallj' forms fruit spurs, and ceases to gi'ow so luxu- riantly as in its youth. Young trees will bear at from five years of age. but fitfully for some few seasons, until the tree has acquired a bearing cha- racter and has ceased to grow luxu- riantly. At three years, even, some varieties of apples will bear well under peculiar modes of management, as by annual lifting, summer pinching, and the choice of a dry and elevated posi- tion. But early bearing is not in it- self so desirable as the formation of sound wood, and a regular dispositioii of healthy branches to form fruit spurs, equally exposed to air and light. Hence a certain age must be attained by a tree before it will begin to repay for first cost and the rent of the land it occupies. Now the barren trees of which complaint is made are mostly mature in growth, have capa- cious heads, and are not only well furnished with fruit spurs, but also with annual crops of bloom, so that there is every disposition on the part of the trees to form fruit, but some unknown cause prevents it. It must be the business of the possessor of such trees to trace the bai'renness to its cause, and then to apply tli" remedy. Suppose we are now asked as to tiie restoration of such an ex- ample of mismanagement. We ob- serve first the bark of the stem : it is foul beyond description ; vermin lodge in every crevice ; we pull away a few loose pieces, and our hands are co- vered with the sticky webs of insect nests ; and along with insects and dirt, which fall out in heaps on being disturbed, there is an admixture of saifdust. That tells us we shall pre- sently discover an entrance to the heart of the tree. It is, in fact, bored 176 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN G-UIDE. to the centre, and mined through a great part of the stem with insect- galleries, and at one point the bark is destroyed all round the tree, \^ith the exception of a strip two inches "wide, which, being unhurt, is all that remains to cari'y on the circulation between the entire head of the tree and its roots. There can be no need for philosophizing here ; the tree wants cleaning; it is perishing with the accu- mulation of filth ; and the sawdust, as one may call it, which is seen in little heaps in the approaches to the orifices of the galleries, is simply the debris removed by the process of insect- boring in the heart-wood of the tree. Is it fair to complain of a tree being unfruitful while the trunk is in such a condition? Such was the case "with a once fine tree of Hawthorn- den, which came under our care four years ago. The bark was destroyed, and the wood cut into it as if deeply burnt by the application of a hoop of red-hot iron. Only one inch of bark remained to sustain the flow of the sap. That tree is now loaded with as fine a crop of apples as any tree of its size in the three kingdoms ; with more, in fact, than it will be able to carry, as their weight increases to- wards ripening; and the inch of bark which kept it half alive is now three inches wide, and has swelled out into a large knee of new wood, the simple consequence of prompt treatment. As the vermin could not be got out from their tunnels, they were suffo- cated by a dressing of grafting clay, with which was incorporated a large proportion of soot and sulphur. This was rammed into every one of the holes, and every wound was stopped with it. A broad strip of canvas was then bound round the tree, and the canvas washed with hot tar. The cause of destruction ceasing, the tree at once bei;un to recovei'. In due time the bindings got loose, a proof that the ti'ee was shaking off the withered bark beneath them, and, on its removal, it was found that the original strip of connecting bark had extended itself in the direction of the girtli of the stem right and left, and the improved health of the tree was shown in its immediate production of new wood of the most robust and promising character. Suppose the cleansing and dressing to cost an outlay in time and materials of ten shillings, which is the utmost it need cost, the next crop returns the whole of the expenditure, and possibly a profit of two or three hundred per cent, upon it. Making a similar inspection of another tree, situated perhaps, in a different part of the same orchard or garden, we find the bark dirty but sound ; at every junction of a bough with the stem, and wherever there has been a wound or scar, huge masses of white woolly material are deposited, and these, when touched, communi- cate to the finger a disgusting choco- late-coloured stain. Here is one cause of declining vigour in the ravages of American blight. Looking at the ex- tremities of the shoots that ought to be loaded "oith apples, we perceive instead of fruit, a number of warty protuberances, and similar pi'oduc- tions abound on all the main boughs, especially at the points of junction with them and the smaller shoots on which the bearing spurs are placed. The tree needs cleansing, and it needs also to be lifted up out of the wet, for those gouty warts are proof that its roots are too cold, too much sod- dened with water, and probably run too deep into a cold clay, or sour gravel. The cure in this case is more difficult, but not impossible, and with a plantation so circumstanced it may appear too formidable to be attempted. Nevertheless, however difficult, if pro- perly set about, it will alwaj'S pay to work an effectual cure, though it might be a waste of money to half do what is so obviously needed. The trees cannot be lifted, but they can be root-pruned and drained. Another inspection shows that the ground is covered with suckers froni the roots, and the tendency of the trees to be- come bare in places, indicates to us that they have exhausted the soU they are growing in, and in their attempts to find fresh sources of nourishment have struck their roots into a boggy subsoil, and are perishing in the at- tempt to live. Supposing this to be the case "with an orchard planted regu- THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GARDJilN GUIDE. ill larly, the first process of reuewal would be to cut deep open drains or ditches to the nearest outfall, these drains to run between every two rows of treei^. These drains will give immediate relief, and by removing superfluous water, enable the trees to ripen the wood of the season and perhaps make an improved appeai'- ance tiie following year. AVith the fall of the leaf should commence the renewal of the surface-soil. The suckers to be stubbed up ; the soil to be removed from the roots to a reason- able depth without injury to any of the main roots, and all surface fibres to be preserved as far as possible ; those really injured to be cut clean back by a regular process of pruning. If new soil is spread over the surface to the original level, it will be full of roots before the next spring, and the trees will show such an improved ap- pearance as to justify the expense of finishing the drainage properlj', and completing the minor work of pruning and cleansing as the case demands. It is rarely that American blight gets a firm hold of trees that are dry and healthy at the roots ; indeed, the ap- pearance of parasitic vermin is gene- rally an indication that the tree is diseased from other causes, and to merely attack the insect pests is to make but one step towards final recovery. The simplest of all pro- cesses for the eradication of American blight has often been described in these pages. In the course of one winter we restored to the most pei*- fect state of cleanliness a number of trees that appeared hopelessly in- fested with this destructive pest. They were literally covered with run- ning wounds and were alive all over ^^ich the tenacious masses of white cotlony threads of JEriosoma lani- (fera, the ruin of half the apple-trees in this country. The process consisted in first scraping off" with a piece of iron hoo^i the looser portions of old bark, and then scrubbing them all over with a dandy brush soaked in warm brine. Though a tedious and tiresome job it proved in execution less formidable than it appeared. The trees were first pruned so as to remove all dead, ill-placed and very much diseased shoots. Tiid ground under the tree operated on was covered with old mats to save thci grass, and mats were thrown over the trees and bushes within reach of the splashes. The workman then planted his ladder, took up with him a pailful of warm brine, and commencing at the extremities of the boughs scrubbed them all over from head to foot. All the pruuings and scrapings were burnt. The ground all round the trees, as far as the roots were con- sidered to extend was then soaked with the strong draiuings from a dung heap to poison whatever insect life had escaped the brine in the scraping of the bark, and to refresh the roots of the trees with a whole- some stimulus. But the renewal of the soil to the depth of the main roots may be too great a task, and may not be neces- sary. JN^evertheless, in all cases of want of vigour, surface-dressing must be resorted to, and an immense im- provement may be efi'ected by paring off the surface two or three inches only, and laying on a mixtvire of fresh loam and half-rotten dung in its place. Without plenty of surface- fibres in an active state of absorption, no fruit ti'ee will ever make a return sufficient to cover the rent of the ground it occupies. Almost any fresh soil will serve the purpose ; charred rubbish, old turf, the clearings of a muck-pit, or the black soil from the bottom of a ditch or pond, are all excellent dressings, but should never be applied without removing first a portion of the old surface, in which generally there are multitudes of insects and their eggs waiting till the return of spring to renew their ravages. Ovei'-luxurianceisnotsoeasil}' sub- dued as many writers have asserted. When a tree produces a multitude of gross shoots, and shows no sign of disease, root pruning may be of great service, but is a difficult operation. A method often resorted to by gar- deners in such cases is to allow the gross tree? to caiTy all the wood they make, but this is a mistake. Instead of allowing strong shoots to run away to an extravagant length, in the hope I Z 178 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. they will cxliaust themselves, it would be much wiser to stop tlicm early iu Juue ; then to stop all tht'lr Literals, and in November to cut them back to range with tiie genenil outline of the tree. To allow gross shoots to push their full length is simply to hand over the whole of the tree to a few rampant leaders, and defer, perhaps indefinitely, the formation of spurs. But by regulating the growth or' the head, by stopping all shoots that threaten to monopolize the sap supply, and insuring the exposure to light and air of every part of the head, a bearing habit will in time be induced, and the prodviction of fruit will reduce the vigour of the tree by a natural process. One more remark may be of use to those who lament the unfruitful- ncs3 of their apple-trees. The careless way in which many gardeners remove large boughs, is ol ten the ruin of good trees by causing the formation of masses of weak spray which can never be of real service unless a careful selection is made of the best placed shootjS, and the rest removed by a clean cut, so as to force the sap into a cer- tain set of the leadei's to replace the i boughs that were injudiciously re- | moved. Where the branches are crowded, and the sunlight is thereby intercepted, the pruning-knife may be used with great advantage to effect a general and moderate thinning. Ill- placed shoots should be removed by a clean cut at their junction with the branches from which they originate. The best season for a general supervi- sion and pruning is immediately after the gathering of the fruit, as every scrap of dead wood can thenbe detected instantly, and the wounds caused by the knife and saw will heal more quickly and effectually than if the pruning be deferred to the usual season. Lastly, in this matter of dealing with old trees, let it be borne in mind that the sudden i-emoval of a large amount of live wood from any tree is unphilosophical, cruel, and de- structive. What is to become of the sap that fed those branches ? It v.ili force into growth a forest of watery spi'ay, it will throw an excess of vigour into the most fruitful branches, and render them gross and unproductive, and it will also, perhaps, escape by extravasation, and form wounds which may result in the total destruction of the trees. However long neglected the trees may have been, and how- ever severe may be the pruning re- quired, the removal of the objec- tionable branches must be effected piecemeal ; they must be cut back a third of their length the first season, then to half their original length the next, and be finally removed the season following. This will save the trees the shock of a too sudden re- duction of leaf surface, and enable them to dispose of their sap in chan- nels where it will be useful. There is one good and golden rule to be observed in regard to standard fruit trees of all kinds if doing well, and that is, to leave them alone. Though a crowded head may need thinning with the knife, pruning is not to be considered a regular routine process ; when apple-trees come to mature age . aud a good bearing condition, the knife can be of little benefit to them, but effectual drainage and occasional refreshing of the surface-soil will maintain them in full vigour, and combine iu their growth the fruit- fulness of age with the strength of youth. BEGONIAS Al^B CALADIUMS. Within the last three years the progress of horticulture, ami the introduction of new and beautiful plants, lias been more rapid and extensive than in any fornici- period. In order to prove our assertion, we need only point to two families of plants — the Begonias and Caladiums. It v»as only a few years ago that Betronia Eex wfis sent out by M. Linden, of the Botanic Garden of Brussels. It electrified the jiar- dening world. In less than a year, so ra- pidly was it propagated, there was scarcely a garden of any pretensions where its beau- tifully silver-zoned leaves were not seen THE FLORAL WORLD AND OARDEN aUIDE. 179 and wherever tliey were seea they were admired. But now we have dozens of varieties of the begonia, all brilliantly coloured, and variously dotted, blotched, and zoned. Caladiuin bieolor, too, was well known and highly prized in our gar- dens ; but it is completely eclipsed by the splendid kinds which have witiiin the last £e\y seasons been introduced by M. Chan- tin, tlie Parisian nurseryman. He is said to have imported them from the humid forests of Brazil, where they were collected by a French botanist, after whom one of them is named, M. Baraquin. So beauti- fully coloured are these caladiums, and so varied in their tints, that a jfroup of them, relieved by a few long and narrow-leaved plants, produce a most charming effect. The cultivation of both the genera we li.ave mentioned is so exti'emely simple that these beautiful productions are rapidly be- coming "plants for the million.'' To a certain extent, they both require the same kind of tre^itment ; they both enjoy a liglit rich soil ; they both require stimulating with a little moist heat in the spring ; and daring winter, when room is always valu- able under glass, they mny both be laid upon their sides under the stage, or any other convenient place where they will he warm and dry. In the latter end of Feb- ruary or beginning of March, all the old soil should be shaken away frona the stems of the one and the tubers of the other, and they should be repotted in a very coarse mixture of peat and leaf-mould, with a little fibrous loam and a plentiful admix- ture of sharp river-sand. We have found the begonias grow more luxuriantly when the soil was sifted (before addhig the sa.ul), and the coarse part only used. "With the caladiums our plan is to spi inkle a little sand below and immediately around tiie tuber, which is potted with its crown about an inch below the surface. After potting, they may be plunged in a good sweet hot- bed ; there is no place equal to this for starting them into growth, though when it cannot be obtained, one must put up v,"ith a tan-bed in a moist stove or pine-pit. Water should be given but sparingly, that is, onlj' in sufficient quantities to keep the soil from becoming dry, until the plants have started into growth freely, v.'hen it may gradually be increased. As soon as the plants have attained a good size, they may be employed in the decoration of the conservatorv, where, if the house be kept a little close, they will retain their -bril- liancy for some time. With reg.ard to the propjguion of the begonia, nothing need be said, for everybody now knows that if a leaf be taken off and laid flat on the sur- face of a hot-bed, it will be well rooted in a few days, and if a slight incision be made across the principal veins, ns many young plants may be obtained as can be required ; the leaves of some of them may even be chopped into little pieces, and each piece will make a plant. They want no care or trouble taken with them ; all they require is to be laid flat on the moist surface oi the soil, in a warm close place, even a bell- glass is superfluous, and, unfess there be draughts of dry air, worse than useless. The propagation of the caladium is a slower process, but as there are thousands of hands employed in this operation, they are daily becoming more plentiful, and their price decreasing in a like proportion. They all make offsets readily, some of them, C. argyrites for example, increase ver^'- rapidly in this way. But if it is requisite to propagate theni as quickly as possible, a slight cut should bo made in the lower side of the tub?r before potting, and this should be filled with powdered charcoal to prevent its rotting. Caladium argyrites is a perfect little gem ; its leaves are not more than two inches long, and about half their surface is of a pure opaque white. C. Ballemeyi is, perhaps, the most delicately coloured ; it is all wliite except the principal veins and the margin of the leaf, which ai# of a bright green ; there is also generally a flush of rose-colour in the centre of the young leaves. C. Chantinii is a general favourite ; it has bright rosy pink along the main ribs of the leaf; the parts between them being white, and tlie edge of the leaf pale green. C, Verschaffeltii has dull red spots sprinkled over its surface irregnlarh-. In C. Neuraannii these spots are of a livid tinge, and each one margined with white. C. Wightii has spots some of which are pure white, others red, irregularly sprinkled. C. Brogniartii is like the old bicolor, but with larger foliage, and the colour of a more intense and brilliant crimson. The main ribs of 0. Houlletii are of a creamy colour, and there are white spots between them. C. Troubetskoi and C. Baraquinii are more like the old C. pic- txiratum in form ; that is, the leaves are longer and narrower than in the other kinds, and both are highly colowred. Mr. Veitch possesses also a new caladium, named after himself, which is of a most peculiar colour — a sort of violet purple — it is \Qvy distinct and striking. Among the older kinds tliere are several wliich are well worthy of cultivation, as C. pictum, with large irregularly-formed blotches of white, C. poecile, Avith livid crimson veins and spots, and 0, marmoratum, witli 180 ^RE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN dHJIDiJ. wliitc blotches, and otliers of a silvery I coai'se growing kind, the spots of which tinge. G. hoe.iiiitosngnia is a Lirge and are not- very well defined. SEEDLING EHUBAEB. As the Rliubarb is a plant which produces seed very freely, ahnost the whole of whicli will germinate, it is impossible, with the largest spiice of ground, to have the whole of them planted out so as to put the qualities of the seedlings to the test. As the readiest way of ascertaining which of them are most likely to repay the trouble of cultivat- ing, I have found it an excellent plan to sow the seed in pots as gathered. These being kept iinder cover during the winter months, not so much as a protection to tlie plants as for the sake of preventing the pots irom being injured by the frost, the young plants will be found to vegetate very early in the spring; showing from the first a dif- ference of character, not only as to pre- cocity, but in other respects also, as to growth and habit. Even at this time, thetc- Ibre, some may be selected as the subject of experiment, and planted out ; but the preferable plan, I think, is to allow the whole to remain in the seed-pots till the end of the season, Avhen the difference of ch:irnjfter is more decidedly marked. Those of the earliest and strongest habit will then have gained greatly on the others in point of size, and will otherwise show the qualities which should determine the selection as to wlilch are most likely to reward tlie cul- tivator by turning out a new and valuable variety. The qualities in question I hold to be, chiefly, a stalk that is thick, succu- lent, and a red colour; and a leaf that is round in shape, smooth on the surface, and a flesliA' texture. In this way, the plants which make the best promise may be selected; but my re- marks as to the subsequent treatment apply equally, if not more, to the best of the varieties already in cultivation. The mode wliich I pursue is this: — Having chosen ground with a warm aspect, I have the soil dug out down to the subsoil which, in the instance now referred to, is chalk at no great depth, say from eighteen inches to two feet. The space so dug oiTt is about two feet in diameter. Of the earth dug- out, I reject the lower and poorer portion, mixing the rest with leaf-mould, and with fresh soil of as good a quality as I can pro- cure. The soil thus improved I further enrich with guano, sujierphosphate of lime, soot, and bone-dust; all, or as many of them as I can at one time command, not forgetting some well-made stable-manure. The whole of these being thoroughly incor- porated with the soil, I place at tlie bottom of the hole, above the subsoil, a layer of bones of a considerable size, over which is put some of the mixture to the depth of six inches, then a few more bones with more e.'irth, alternately, till the hole is not only filled up, but there is a liiilock, say of a foot and a-half above the level of the ground. In the centre of this I make an opening and fill up with leaf-mould, or any other good unmixed earth, for the reception of the plant, in order that the I'oots may not touch the richer soil until they are in a growing state, before which they might be injured by the strength of the manure. As a proof how well this has answered with myself, I may state that soon after the Prince Albert was introduced, now I should imagine at least twelve or fourteen years ago, I had three small plants of it, which I treated in the manner here recom- mended. Though put in at a distance of six feet from each other, they now appear like one large plant, the heads being joined together, and tlie crowns of the roots ap- proaching very near. — Bev. C. Mackie, -in Horticultural SocieU/'n Prnceedinf/s. HINTS ON PEOPAGATION. It has loflg been customary with gar- deners, previous to planting cuttings of a succulent nature, to leave them, for a time, in a drv shaded situation, in order that the superabundant sap may be evaporated, and the wounds a little healed over. On the other hand, tb.e practice, as is some- times done, of putting vine eyesun a damp, shady place, is an excellent preparatory process in the propagations of things of sterner stufl^. But a cutting of a medium texture — a rose cutting for instance — can withstand neither of those modes of treat- ment j it will quickly shrivel in the one case, or blacken and die in the other. Clearly, then, in order to obtain that great desideratum — the development of the cal- lus, recourse must be had to at least i\\reQ difl'erent modes of procedure, according to the nature of the subject under treatment. ^K^ FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 181 Is this, then, as it should ba, or is it not more reasonable to suppose that this pecii- liiir exu lation, Niiture'.- own liealing salve, Would be developed in all cases aliiie, and under one particular set of circuuisiances, provided tne |/roper medium were once tnorougiily understood t An approximation towards this end has at length been made. Common sharp sand dried until it will stream tliiough tlie fingers like that in a sand-glass is the article employed, and a rougli wooden box, or anything tight enough to contain so lickle a substance, is all tlie apparatus re- quired. The vessel maj^ be hlled brimful of sand and cuttings in alternate layers, and must then be buried outof siglit under a greenhouse stage, or any similar place, where the underground temperature will he comparatively steady and not too warm. The exact degree of warmth required, and which may be readily ascertained by ex- periment, is, I opine, the greatest amount they are able to bear without endangering the bursting of the buds, which, of course, would exhaust the sap and thus defeat our object. The callousing process completed they must then be gradually inured to the usual amount of heat, light, air, and mois- ture of the propagating house. A word here in regard to the nature of the callus, as very erronejus ideas are somstimes entertained by gardeners con- cerning it. Some are under the impression that it is nothing more or less than a bundle of roots in embryo, which may or may not be developed according to circum- stances ; and I have never heard anyone speak on the subject, who did not seem to take it for granted either that the rootlets "issue immediately from the callus, or that, come wlience they may, they penetrate directly through it. In a series of articles oa the "Science of Gardening," at pre-cnt appearing in an English periodical, the writer takes the same ground and more than once affirrtJs that roots are emitted from the callus. Now, itnless I am strangely mistaken, such an occurrence rarely if ever Happens. After examining htindreds of rooted cuttings 1 am cleariy euiiviiiCed that tlie root fibres are in all cases emitted laterally Iroin near the base, and tliat in those instances in which they do seem to issue from the callus, it is merely an illu- sion caused by the swelling of the latter, around the ends of the cuttings. Dr. Lindley remarks that, in " cuttings the callus, which forms at the end placed in the ground, is the cellular, horizontal system, preparing for the reception of the perpendicular system, which is to pass downwards in the form of roots." This is so theoretically, but, as before observed, it is highly improbable that the perpendicttlar system is ever so received, the roots show- ing a ranch greater afhuity to their new surrounding than they have to the callus, of wiiich they are entirely independent. in the work from which the above quotation is taken, the '' Theory of Horti- culture," the callus is spoken of as "those processes which usually precede the forma- tion of roots," and this is, indeed, the only point that we as gardeners need care much about. Once become fully impressed with the belief that any attempt to excite cut- tings prematurely is wrong in principle, and we are then able to account i)»r many of those failures in propagating which otherwise appear to us inexplicable. One other remark before I close. Last spring I selected a few sticks of pt-ar buds and also a few quince shoots of a corre- sponding size. The quince cuttings were made into lengths of three eyes each, the middle eye neatly cut out and a pear bud inserted in its place. When I examined them some time after I found every one of tliem beautifully united, and also the quinces calloused at the base. Can the idea be turned to j^rofitable account ? — American Gardener's MonlMi/. GAllDEK AND GREENHOUSE WOEK 1 Oli AUGUST. AzALKAs may yet be propagated by cuttings from young wood, taken oif close t) the shoots from which they issue, and planted in sand under hand or bell-glasses. As soon as rooted, put them singly in fibrj' peat, with a good admixture of sand, and plenty of drainage. Calceolabias may be propagated now from short stubby side-shoots. Fill the eutting-pans with a mixture of half peat r.nd half sand. I Camellias, to flower early, may be I brought into the greenhouse; the remainder \ may remain out till the end of next month. I be propagated now with the least possible amount of trouble, and cuttings should be j Dahlias to be frequently looked over, j to see that they are staked securely, to j remove superfluous shoots, and loosen anv ties that have become tight. Disbud freely plants intended to furnish flowers for show'. (treknhouse Pl.vnts of all kinds may 182 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. got in at ov.ra c? all sorts of which stock h required ior !■> xt year. Grass P'ots may now be sown down. Ill the majority of cases seed is preferable to the laying of turf, as the finest grasses can be had in suitable mixtures, free from weeds ; but close fine turf, from sandy commons, will make good lawns at once on well-draitied ground, and if laid now will lie established before winter. IlAunr Feuixs may still be budded. Sweet oil, applied with a brush, will re- move American blight from apple-trees effectually, witliout injury to the bark. Generally speaking, fruit trees arc in fine condition this season, and there is a pro- bability of the wood being perfectly ripened. Heebaceous Plants may be propa- gated largely from side-shoots, dibbled into sandy soil in a shady place, or l)y parting the roots of those that have done flowering'. Kitchen Gahden. ^ — Winter greens should, by this time be strong and readj' for their last transplanting as the ground is cleared of potatoes, etc. Sow cabbage for use next spring and summer. Early Battersea, Enfield, and Sprotborough will be the best. Cauliflower to be sown about the 20th. Sow Goleworts about the 8th, for plants to stand the winter. Onions that are bull-necked may be induced to ripen by breaking the leaves near the ground. Get up potatoes as soon as the haulm begins to show signs of decay, with- out waiting till it withers, as they will ripen after they are stored, and the gain of a week or more in their removal may save them from disease, which rarely appears till they are full grown. JfiGNOKETTE, to flower In the winter, should be sown about the 10th. Use light sand\' maiden loam, with a little leaf- mould, but no dung. EXPERIMENTS IN ESUIT CULTUEE. A-MOi'G others, I had the pleasure of mak- ing tl'.e acquaintance of Mr. Pell,' whose n.ime I have often mentioned. This gen- tleman is known to fruit-growers as the owner of a i'umous orchard at Pelham Farm, on tlie ^iver Hudson, containing 20,000 jipple-trees, chiefly of that highly prized Newton Pippin, for which London alone i^fFords nn almost insatiable market. I was much interested with the histoiy wliich llr. Pell gave me of the chemico- jiliysiological experiments he had for some years been making in his orchard, taking a hundred trees at a time upon which to try a single experiment. One of these trials had been to ascertain if it were not possible to compel apple-trees to produce a good crop of Iruit every year, instead of once in two years only, as is usually the case in Europe as v.'ell as in America. He found that by cleaning oif the rough bark, pruning carefully, slitting tlie bark as high us the iirst branches, and digging in lime around the roots in autunm, he had a lieavy crop the succeeding summer. By digging in, the second autumn, stable ma- nure, around them, he had an equally heavy crop the second summer. The general re- sult of his trials is that a crop may by such treatment be secured every year, but he thinks the tree would not live so long a life. Still, if the flavour of the fruit he as good, and the expense of tending not too great, it would be eas\- to have a second set of trees coming forward while the first grows old, as is the case in the peach orchards of New Jersey. There would be less cost in this also, if we adopted Mr. Bell's mode of procedure. He cultivates the land among his trees — a strOTig, deep, sandy loam, on a gravelly subsoil — as if it were open, with every kind of crop except rye. In regard to this grain he states, tliat " it is so injurious that he believes thi-ee successive crops of it would destroy an orchard of less than twentj' years old.'' Is there really, then, some special action exercised upon the soil by this species of grain ? — Johnstone's Notes on North Ame- TO COREESPONDENTS. Hew TO USE A MowiiTG Machine. — W. D. S. — The following instructions apply speciallj" to SamuelsouB Boyd's P^itent Lnwn Mower, and generally to the machines of other makers. Push tlie machine steailily before you alon^ the turf, at tlie s;'.uie time pressing the end of the hent lever towards the outside of the mathine, which puis the cutting knives in operation; and to put them out of gear, move the lever towards the middle. To regulate the height of cutters you have only to turn ihe small hori- zontal whee'.s marked "to lower" or "to raise" in the direction indicated by the arrow, an operation that can be performed instanta- neously, to the greatest nicety, without the necessity for removing the grass bos, or altering; THE 1-LOKAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 183 the position of the machine; in doing this it i8 necessary to first loosen the sis-sided uiit, which will be found on the screw under the horizontal wheel, then tighten ihe nut when the proper height for cutting is lixed. Set the brush by means of the thumb screws at each end of that apparatus, so that the bristles just touch the knives as tliey revolve. This brush not only cleanses and siiarpe s t'.ie cutters, but enables the machii;e to be use.l in all weathers without clogs;ing. The spiral cutters should just touch but dot press upon the flat blade ; when the edges are worn so as not to tou^h it, lower the cutters by means of the adjusting screws at each side of the inichine immediately over the bearings of the roller on which the knives re- volve, until they again touch he ilat blade ab )ve referred to. To sharpen the cutters, you can occasionally place a little emery powder along the length of the brush, previous to working the machine, and should the knives require IjnndiiKj, put a litile oil and emery on the bot- tom bl ide, screw the iron handle (sent with the machine) in its place in the large toothed wheel, and turn it backwards for a minute or two, then take off the handle, wipe the cutters, and go on with your work. Lubricate the ends of the different axles and other pirts of the ma- chine frequently, and when out of use, .screw the knives as high from the ground as possiule, this will keep theiti from being injured by stones and other impediments wneji wheeling to or from the grass. Oil the cutters and blades, and all the bright parts of the machine wlien out of use, and put it under cover. Schedules of Exhibitions. — TheHyliou Floral and Horticultural Society will hold an exhibi- tion on the 20th of August. The list of oiEceis is a guarantee of good management ; there are two active secretaries, a simple and practical body of rules, and a liberal list of prizes. Besides the usual entries, ladies are encouraged to compete in the exhibition of wax flowers, wax fruit, and bouquets of natural flowers. — The Cottingham and District Exhibition will be held on the 21st, and will include flowers, fruit, cottasfers' and farmers' produce, and poultry, -•'othing in the way of exhibitions gives us more pleasure than tho.^e that are strictly /oco?; they promote good neighbourship, improve the social character of the disirict, and aid in the spread of us'ful knowledge in horticulture and agri- culture alike. One small local show is, we believe, ten times more beneficial in enlar^'iug the national resources, and improving the tone of society than half-a-dozen of the great and grand exhibitions that draw together miscel- laneous gatherings of sight-seers. De KaEiMs' Papee. — E. T. J'.— We are glad you made the inquiry, because it enables iis to say that with the paper we received a sample of the product, a thin sheet of shining paper, from which, when tlie tongue was applied, there was a strong tiste of Cayenne pepper. We had a wound in the hand, occasioned whdo grafting some plums, and talking to two or three friends at the same time, and to that wound we imme- diately applied a strip of the paper, and the •vound was healed as if bj' ma^ic. So much jbr one experience of its value. In regard to chilblains we can give no testimony, not knowing practically what they are. The cap- sicums may be used either fresh or dry, but th-y must he ripe, or they have not their proper virtue. The mixture of the tincture with the gum-water must be a matter of individual trial, because the tincture and the gum m.iy vary in strength acsoriing to ihe ri|)ene.-s of the cap- sicums and the quality of tiie gum. As the gum is merely to make tlie paper adhere, the proportions will be discovered without diffi- culty. This part of the process is like putting salt in soup ; no one can say how much, because one soup will require more or le.is than another, and even then palates ditler. lIosEY DEW — Jack ix the Ghebn. — This is some- tim s regarded as the deposit of aphides; al other times as an extravas.'.tion of sap. Doubt- less, b.ith causes oper.ite to cause appearances dift'erent in their nature, but wiiieh are classed togethei: because of their resemblance as one and the same phenomenon. If hoaeydew is the exudation of apbides, tiien the ti-ees must be treated so as to remove tlie flies from them. If the (so-called) homydew is an extravasation of sap, a dressing of the ground with salt, or better still, a good watering, with a solutmn of salt, in the propoi-tion of a quarter of apoimd to every gallon of water, will put a stop to it alto- gether; the water to be applied only to the root. Spot on Geeanicms. — Beginner. — Your gera- niums are aClio;edwith two complaints. Their leavus have been " burnt," perhaps through faults in the glass, jic-rliaps through drops of "Water lying on them during bright suastiiue, ■when every drop becomes a lens, and concen- trates the rays of the sua to where it rests . They are also afi'ected with '• spot," an in- curable disease. Your management has been bad, and you would do well to refer to the in- dexes of former volumes, and read over all that has been said on geranium culture. Your only course now is to take cuttings from the healthiett shoots, and root them in pots filled half full of drainage, and the rest piat and silver-sand in equal proportions. Vi^hen rooted, put each into a small sixty-sized pot, in a com- post of tiu'.fy loam and leaf-mould without dung, and with enough sand to render the stutt' porous, according as the loam may be heavy or light. After that proceed to shut on, and grov,- them liberally wittiout any check, and by cireful stopping j'ou win obtain good plants 'ibr next season. As for the old plants, cut them down and place them in a pit ty themselves, and if they breik with clean leaves you may remove them to the house, and give them a shift into shiall pots : if they show spot again, put them on the fire and annihilate them. After cutting down, give very little water to the roots, but occasionally sprinkle their tops. Stbawbebet Plantaxions. — Jupiter. — So po- tent a god takes interest, we presume, in such an earthly subject in consideration of the nec- tar that accompanies the fi Ufjivorous banquet- injs in which ttie poets iulbrui us the diviniti'^s delight. May it please your sublime majesty to hear that our respected contributor, Mr. Hol- land, gardener to R.W. Peake, Esq., of Spring Grove, Isleworth, has in his tine garden a piece of British Queen strawberry, planted in rows about eig'oteen inches apart, that have not been lilted or renewed for ten years, and they still bear well and grow luxuriantly. As soon as the fruit is off, Mr. Holland mows them over, re- moves the rooted runners from between tho rows, and then top-dresses them with half rot- ten dung. We saw that piece in ISB'J ; it was then nine years old from tne first plantmg, and was bearing a splendid crop. Such a case, how- ever, is an excejition, but one worth recording. As a rule, strawberry plantations should be re- newed every three years, and the best time is as soon as good rooted runners can be g ■t, that is, curing July and August. Ihe ground shouM be trenched deeply, and a liberal dressing of manure well chopped over and dug in wlih it. If your divine majesty can obtain a little lei- sure in this peaoi ful season to put aside thun- derbolts, and attend to the planting youself, it will be found an ai;reeable cliauge from the jealousies and rival les with whieh the inino- deities perplex your supreme inttlhgence, aud something of an insight into the ways an J wants 184 THE FLORAL WOKLD AA'D GARDE]\' GUIDE. of ordinary mortals wbu tremble at your luighty judgments. While the Mussuluiau cries, " In the name of the prophet, fitrs !" ve G.— J". A. P. — AVe can at once gues.«, from your " inadequate descrip- tion," the plant you wish ti) h;ive naiiied; it is Gay.ania splendeus. It grows freely in any »ood soil, blooms prolusely until stopped by frost, and plays no tricks, as the calceolarias ■do? therefore, it will, to a great extent, tiike the place of that old favourite as a yellow bed- der. A gi'eat many conjectures have been made as to the cause of calceolarias dying off', but none of them are satisfacfoiy. We will add another to the number, and our opinion is that the previous culture is the cause. We find that the sudden deaths occur almost ex- clusively amony: plants that were pot-bound before they were turned out; if this is the faufc, the rationale is not hard to trace. A hard ball from a sixty-pot probably never gets thoroughly moistenea Irom the day it is turned out, and ;it turning out there is generally so much to do that the calceolarias are plunted in a. hurry, instead of being will wetted and pressed up close when bedded. The sudden deaths have happened every d:iy this season ; in the best kept gardens as well as in the worst, ■except where the soil is peaty and damp, and m such places they have si cod well. We have had two disti'ict sets of calceolarias under our eye this season ; one lot was turned out of eixty-pots in the usual way, and a large propor- tion perished between the 10th and iiOlh of July. Another lot was struck last autumn in frames half filled with sweepings of peat, turf, very rotten dung, and the arit swept trora par- den paths. These were lifted out of their bed with large roots, and the plants had never touched a pot of any kind, and not one of them has f.iiled yet ; so therelmm we deduce a prac- tical lesson, and while profiting by it ourselves, ■wish our readers to do the .^sanie. The beds must match symmrtricallv ; say, 1, Annie grra- nium; 2 and 4, Mrs. Holford verbi-na ; 3 and 5, <3azania splendens ; 6 and 8, Tom Thumb or Crystal Palace geranium, edged with blue lobelia; 7 and 9, Purple King verbena; 10 and 12, Imperial Crimson geranium; 11 and 13, Magenta geranium. Get the sorts in now, and propagate at once for next year. We do not undertake to plant beds ; and if you do not like the planting when done, you must not lodge a complaint against us. Roses. — Fvior. — Paul Kicaut is a hybrid Bourbon summer rose ; it blooms but orce, and is then done for the season. Though a first-class rose a few years since, it is now third-rate, owing to the great improvement effected in the class of continuous Ijloomers. It is a capital rose for exhibition at the end of June or eaily in July. The entry in the list you refer to is a mistake. Triomphe de Rennes ia a free-growing Noisette in a sheltered position, but it will not run up •with such speed as most others of its class. H. P. Triomphe de Paris and Maria Portemer are likely to o well with you, but Count Bo- brinsky will lose character, and bother you with mildew. Gloire de Santhenay, Eugene Appert, and Victor Verdier, will be amougstthe best of all roses for town, and the be.-t also for any place where good roses are esteemed. We shiiuld not advise you to use any of them as climbers. Take Jules Margottin, or some of the most robust of the Noisettes, and you will be more sure of p.ccompli^hi' g your object. Further notes will be acceptable. Why you cannot do the Genei al we are puzzled to un- derstand, but you are not the only complainant against his carmine excellency. EvEKGREl^s Cur Down by mi; WiKitn. — 3/. F. — We advised the removal of uni-ightly shrubs to the reserve ground, and we adopted that plan ourselves, and have now at command a good eupply of shoots for propagation. Kven myrtles, which appeared to be t stinct, have made good growth Irom the roots, and euony- mus the same. You will find on article by Mr. Howlett, at page 208 of the Klohal WoELr for 1859, which will teach you how to turn these summer shoots to account, to get up a new stock of shrubs. Almost any of our hardy evergreens will strike from cuttings of this summer's growth, if planted in a sandy soil in a shady place. The compo.'t shaken out of old pots is capital stuff' to propagate hardy shrubs in, if turned two or three times to sweeten it, and then made up into a bed in a position rather shaded or in frames and pits. Hollies may be propagated from cuttings now, in sandy soil on a north lorder, under hand-lights. Leave the Cedrus deodara alone till dctoher, then lift it, trim it up, and plant in fresh loamy soil. It will do well in a north af^pect, if raised above the level, but not if the position is damp. OncHARn House.— C. i;., £'«s^ ,SAc emoval of runners will prevent bear- ing next year, talk nonsense. LiGuniAN Bee— Black Bee.— It has yet to be proved if these are in any respects superior as to hardiness and honey -making to our old friend Apis mellijica ; that "is to say, it has to be proved in this country. As to their habits, Ihey differ but little from the common bnney- bee, and their value is at present a matter for inquiry and experiment. Thoi gh we have as- sisted in their introduction to this country, it was simply in the interests of science, not from any deep conviction of their superiority. A^AP.ior.s.—-i/jp/ifl.— Build the new pit to face the north, it will thus be doubly useful, as you have one in a south aspect already.— JB/TH?(';i.7/y Co/^r/jp.—lleccived safely, thanks. TKE ;;o-c-o^>c-cc»-:- Septejibeb, 1861. AEDY BULBS and early-flowering annuals are generally thought of a day too late. The ground is cleared of the plants that have kept it gay since June, the borders are cleaned and manured, and then hya- cinths and tulips claim a little attention, but are rarely all planted till late in jS'ovember, and some- times, even, are delayed till near Christmas. By that time, they have made a considerable amount of growth, and there has been an exhaustive evaporation from the bulbs ever since the sap began to move : two circumstances very detrimental, because exhaustive. That they bloom well afterwards is often true, but not surprising. The blooms were akeady in the bulbs when they were pui'chased ; the Dutch growers have dealt with them so as to make sure of sending them stout and lusty to the English market. But these bulbs are afterwards found to be of no value, and thence arises the complaint against bulbs of all kinds, as expensive, because they must be annually renewed by the process of repurchasing. But there is nothing in the constitutional nature of the hardy bulbs that make so gay a show in spring to interfere with their preservation from year to year ; their increase, at the same time, by offsets, and their positive improvement instead of deterioration ; but whoever will do justice to them, in a horticultural sense, must begin the process now ; it will not bear delay, for delay is one of the essential features in the process of destruction, against which we now make a protest. As soon as any bulb shows signs of growth, the sap has begun its seasonal movements, and it needs the support of nutriment obtained by the roots. Therefore, the first act of the sap, when its autumnal move- ment commences, should be the formation of roots ; therefore, also, it should be in contact with moist earth, before the movement of the sap commences, in order that when the roots begin to protrude from the base of the bulb, they may be in contact with the soil, which is the only TPL. IV. >'0. IX. K 186 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. natural medium for their growtli and usefulness. What should we say of a propagator of roses "who should put in cuttings, and at once drive them into growth by atmospheric heat and moisture,, without waiting till they had callused and began to form root fibres ? We should say he had adopted a killing process, and had better buy roses ready rooted than attempt to obtain them in such a ridiculous fashion. But this is the way the greater part of autumn planted bulbs are dealt with. They arrive in this country in fine condition of ripeness, and begin to sprout in the warehouses and seedsmen's windows, long before the public think of making purchases. They form incipient roots at the base, and plump green shoots at the crown, and these succulent growths are elaborated at expense of the sap in the bulb, and, by the process of transpiration, the atmosphere sucks the life out of them, through the tissues of incipient roots and plump green shoots. When planted, they have to make roots at the expense of the already exhausted bulb, and then have to recover from those roots sap to sustain the growth above the bulb, which is already in advance of the roots in its stage of development, and thus, the balance between supply below and exhaustion above is never restored, and the second season after purchase the bulbs are fit only for the muck-heap. The laws of vegetable physiology plainly point out that all the hardy bulbs which sprout in autumn should be in the ground before that effort is begun. The equable temperature of the soil, and its moist condition at six inches below the surface, provide the very best conditions possible for promoting immediate root-action, and retarding the growth of the foliage, two desirable results both for the bloom in the spring ibllowing, and for the preservation and increase of the stock. But the bedding system stops the way : such is the verdict of the gardeners. Nothing of the sort ; here are materials for enlarging the resources of the bedding system ; here are materials towards k?eping up the gaiety of the scene all the year round ; and that, after all, is the end at which the bedding system aims, though it is one it may never attain to. The excuse for procrastinating the purchase and planting of bulbs is, that until the bedders are off there is no room for them, and as there is a good deal to do in nursing the beddera, and getting all in order for the winter, the bulbs are left to eat themselves up in the seed shops, and every year the purchase must be made anew. Observation and experience alike teach the possibility of preserving bulbs from year to year with the same certainty as geraniums and fuchsias, and in the interest of our readers we commend to them the proposal to purchase once and adone with it, except for continually improving and enlarging the collections. In our report of the exhibition at the Wellington I^ursery in the Flokal World of May last, we remarked that the process adopted there in the management of eai'ly tulips Avas one eminently profitable, as well as floraily effective. That same process is applicable to bulbs of all kinds that are to be used in beds and borders in the open ground for spring decoration, and every one of the details included in it must be observed to the letter, or the result cannot be realized. Instead of waiting till the bedders are removed, the whole of the bulbs intended to be used out of doors, and in pots, should be obtained and started into growth at once, say, for the sake of pi-ecision, in the first or second week of September. By early piirchases the biUbs are obtained THE FLORAL WORLD AND aARDEN aUIDE. 187 in a dormant state, and those who come first are best served. The ground they are to occupy need not be disturbed. Make up a bed in the reserve ground, or, better still, in a cold pit with a north aspect. The bed should be on a hard bottom, well drained, and should consist of leaf-mould, rotteu dung, and sharp sand in equal proportions. Sand may, indeed, be used almost ad lihitum. The Dutch grounds are very sandy, very moist, and are regularly enriched with decomposed manures. If the bulbs are to be finally planted in clumps, arrange them in clumps in the preparatory bed, tally them that no mistake may happen, plant them on three inche.s of the mixture, and cover with three or four inches more. Give one good watering, and leave them to their fate. Earlj' tulips, hyacintbs, crocuses, snowdrops, may all be treated in the same way. As soon as the ground on which they are to be bloomed can be got clear, trench it over, and dress it with a liberal allowance of sharp sand and rotten dung. Lift the bulbs in clumps from the preparatory bed with as little disturbance or injury of the roots as possible. Plant them in their places in whatever arrangement has been determined on, and cover them at least five inches deep. If a mulching of old dung two inches deep will not be objection- able in its appearance, adopt it, and a fine bloom will be the result, and after they bloom the bulbs will grow vigorously, and form germinal blossoms for the next season. This is a very simple process, but it may make all the difterence between an annual and heavy outlay, and the pos- session of a permanent stock with a certainty of increase at a single cost in the first instance. Instead of being exhau.stive, as the procrastinating process must be, it is strengthening and promotive of the formation of offsets J even the check given by lifting is good, by preventing the pro- trusion of the stems until severe frosts are pretty well over in the spring. But what^of the management when the bloom is over ? That is simply a continuance of the same process in inverse order. The bulbs may be lifted at 'dvij time if care be taken not to break the roots or shake off the soil, and, fortunately, there is nothing lifts better than a hyacinth or tulip if in sandy, well-manured soil. Thousands may be taken up without the destruction of a dozen inches of roots if small-tined forks are used, and a time chosen when the ground is reasonably moist, and the weather damp and cool. Let them be removed to the same reserve ground, be laid in shallow trenches, and covered with the same depth of loose sandy stuflf as they were in when blooming. Thej^ will there finish their growth com- pletely, and should remain undisturbed till the leaves have faded, when they may be dried off and stowed away till September comes again. As to potted bulbs, they should be set to work equally early, and according to the date at which they are wanted in bloom, be encouraged or retarded by suitable temperatures. Those wanted latest should be kept in the pit as long as possible, and the more slowly they grow the better for their bloom at last, and their subsequent preservation. The main point in all the details of culture is to guard against haste, either in forcing bulbs into bloom or in compelling them to ripen off after blooming by withhold- ing water. In their later stages they should have abundance ; if in rich soU, well drained, they can hardly have too much for three or four weeks after blooming, but as soon as the foliage shows signs of decay Avater should be withheld, the sun should play with all its force upon them, and the ripening should be completed without exposing the bulbs to the atmos- phere until the foliage has utterly withered. 188 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. As to hyacinths flowered in water, or forced in pots, or otherwise ren- dered of no use for at least one season afterwards, they will always pay for recover}', and the process is not difficult. Plant all these weakened bulbs in a deep, sandy, well-manured border in September, six inches deep. If they throw up flower-spikes the nest spring, nip the spikes out, Avith the exception of one or two blooms. Allow those blooms to expand to prove them, and while the blooms are open tallj- them correctly. If sure of the names beforehand there is no need to allow any blooms to remain, which is the preferable method. Give plenty of water during April, May, and the first week in June, then withhold it altogether, and when the foliage has withered take them up, and they will be found to have acquired a size and character equal to the best of the imported bulbs of Dutch growth. Thus, when tried most severelj-, tliey maj- be recovered by sacrificing the bloom one season, and, when thoroughly well dealt with from beginning to end, the sorts need only be purchased once, and after that they may be kept and inci-eased Avith the utmost certainty. To use bulbs extensively for out-door decoration is an exjiensive undertaking, and we need not apologize, therefore, for dealing with the matter now at rather more than ordinary length. iST"OTES OF THE MONTH. EoTAL Belfast Hoeticultueal Society. — Summer Exhibition. — Friday, the 9th of August, was a day of special rejoicing in Belfast; three important events concurring to cause an immense assemblage and a consider- able amount of healthy excitement. It was the day fixed for the exhibition of the Belfast Horticultural Society, and the collection of plants, flowers, and fruits, was such as distanced all former exhibitions in excellence of character, completeness of detail, and general grandeur. The day was further dis- tinguished as the visit of the Lord Lieutenant and suite to Belfast, which added much to the attractions of the show. Lastly, the local interest was enhanced by the performance of a ceremony eminently compliraentaiy to the people of Belfast: the Mayor, E. C oey, Esq., was knighted by the Lord Lieutenant in the Eoyal Botanic Gardens. In regard to the exhibition, it was the best ever seen in these gardens. Stove and greenhouse plants were excellent, beyond the usual average description. The prizes were to be given for the best collection of twenty -four plants, etc., and the greatest novice entering such ashow-yard, audone possessed of the least experienced eye, woidd at one look see the beauty of the admir- able collection belonging to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, and the superiority of the same over all their competitors. They were awarded the first prize ; and next in order came the collection of Mr. G.A.Thomson, vhich, were it not that his Excellency exhibited, would undoubtedly have won the first prize ; Mr. Thomas Sinclair and Mrs. Boomer were awarded the third and fourth prizes. There was a fine collection of foliage plants, from P. F. K. Bichardson, Esq., among which we noticed Alocasia metallica, Cyano- phyllum magnificum, Aralia Sieboldii, and Cissus discolor, all admirably grown, the first being especially deserving of notice as a novelty unequalled in its metallic-looking foliage. Another metallic plant is Clei'odendronjudicum, shown in the same collection ; the leaves have the appearance of being exquisitely finished in bronze, certainly a remarkable object. Lord Lurgan also exhibited an Alocasia. A large number of rare begonias were exhibited by John Moat, Esq., Dunmurry. It would be almost impossible to find ten begonias to equal them in any part of the country. Mr. Moat had also a THE FLORAL WORLD AND O-ARDEN GUIDE, 1S9 good collection of esotic foras, which were much, admired. The largest col- leetioa of exotic feras was one belonging to Mr. P. F. Richardson, which w^as deservedly awardoi the first prize, the second being given to Mr. Grordon A. Thomson, Bedeque House. Mr. Thos. Sinclair had also a very neat collec- tion. There was an exceedingly large collection of British ferns sent for exhibition by Messrs. A. Stanstield and Son, of Todmorden. Lancashire. These comprised some one linndred distinct varieties, all of which were greatly admired. The prize, however, in this class of plants was awarded to a young amateur, Mr. VV. H. Pnillips, of Alfred Street and Bridge Street. A finer collection could scacely be found. Mr. P. F. E-ichardson also exhi- bited in this class of plants, and took a second prize; Thomas Malcolmson, Esq., of Fairview, and Wra. Verner, Esq., were awarded a third prize each. One of the greatest varieties in the entire exhibition, and a collection which attracted very considerable attention, was a box of cut blooms of orchids, sent over by Mr. B. S. Williams, of Paradise JN'ursery, Holloway, London. The box contained about a dozen diff'erent varieties, such as were never pre- viously exhibited in Belfast. They included : — Cypripedium barbatum superbum; Cypripedium grandiflora ; Cypripedium barbatum tigrinum ; Cattleya crispa; Cattleya Loddegesii ; Cattleya Harrissonii ; Dendrobium tortile; Miltonia Kegnelli ; Miltonia bicolor ; Miltonia spectabilis ; Vanda insignis. These were the subject of general and deserved commendation. For pelargoniums Mr. M'Cormick, M.P., was awarded the first prize, and Mrs. Boomer the second. Fuchsias were exhibited by Mr. Thos. Sinclair, J. P., and Mr. G-. A. Thomson. Amongst them were Rose of Castile and "Wiltshire Lass. The cut roses were, on the whole, very beautiful collections ; but that of Mr. Lennox T. Davies, Ogle's Grrovc Nursery, Hillsborough, undoubtedly surpassed all the others in variety. Mr. Clelland, of Down- patrick also exhibited a good collection. In collections of six hand bouquets Mrs. Boomer carried off the prize, and the value set on these bouquets may be judged of from the fact that, at the close of the show, they were sold at so high a price as two shillings and sixpence each, for purposes of presentation to ladies going to the ball. The quantity of fruit forsvarded to the show proved how abundant the yield of such must be throughout the country this year. The first prize was carried away hy an exhibitor from a distance, Mr. Patrick Kirby, of Dublin ; while Mr. Sinclair, Mr. Macroy, and Mr. W. S. Crawford were awarded the second, third, and fourth prizes respectively. Mr. Pilson, of Downpatrick, exhibited some apples — " the Winter Straw- berry"— grown in the years 1859, 1860, 18G1, three of each year's growth. They were grown by Nelson Bullick, Esq., of Aghalee, near Lurgan, and were made a present to C. Pilson, Esq., Downpatrick, and exliibited by him. There was an exceedingly large colleccion of vegetables, and all of them were first-class. The first prize was awarded to Mr. A. J. Macroy, the second to Mr. W. S. Crawford, and the third to Mrs. Boomer. Royal HoRXiopLTURiL Society. — Among the subjects of special interest lately submitted to the Floral and Fruit Committees, we have noted the following as worthy of mention, and likely to be useful to our readers. Stove Plants. — Campylobotrys refulgens, from Mr. W. Bull, Chelsea. Native of Chiapa, Mexico ; dwarf habit, large opposite obovate sessile leaves, tapered below, havini? a satiny lustre on tlie surface, which is dull olive green, with whitish depressed nerves and ribs ; F. C. C. liudgea leucocephala, from Messrs. E. G. Henderson, St. John's Wood. Large magnolia-like leavea, terminal heads cf closely crowded white flowers, which have a long slender tube and five spreading segments. A striking object, but rather spare in the production of flowers. Bougainvillea speciosa, from Mr. Daniels. This charming plant has obtained for Mr. Daniels a special certificate for the skill with which he produces abundance of its rosy-purple floral bracts, by the system of culture described at pp. 134, 175 of the third volume of the Flokal Woeld. Adelaster albivensis, from Messrs. Yeitch. A hand- 190 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. gome vaviegated-leaved plant of climbing liabit, with smooth round sterna, and opposite stalked leaves, -vrhich are ovate-acuminate and tapered below, and eventually grow to a large size. Colour deep olive green, traversed by white veins. It is very ornamental. Commended. Prenanthes arborea, from Mr. Weeks. A native of the Canary Islands. Leaves pinnate Avith n-irrow distant leaflets. Very elegant and striking when grouned with other plants. Commended. Variegated Begonias, from Mr. Veitch ; Schilleri, dwarf habit, silvery leaves, the leaves having a small central green star and a narrow speckled green edge : from Mr. Bull, Count Alfred de Limminghe, olive-green ground, centre and margin covered with uniform silvery dots, the rest of the surface forming a clear silvery zone ; Madame Guntzberger, angular-lobed olive-green leaves dotted with spots of white ; Charles Eicke, angular-toothed leaves, dark purplish-red centre, narrow edge of same colour, intervening space of bright green, marked with silvery dots ; Duchess de Brabant, dark brownish centre, silver and green zones, and brownish edge ; Mine d'Argent, small-growing, almost wholly silvered red beneath ; Fortuni, centre brownish-red, even edge of same colour, rest of the surface velvety green, no white : from Mr. I). T. Fish, gardener to Lady CuUum ; Lady CuUum, small and neat leaf with a tapering central dark-green ray, and a Vandyked dark-green border marked with silvery dots, the intermediate space forming a broad silvery zone : from Mr. Bull ; Keramis, leaves of moderate size, angulately-lobed, surface dull silvery gray, green centre. New Feens. — Lomaria cycadifolia, from Messrs. Lee ; a fine evergreen hardy fern, forming a thick root-stock, from which rise a profusion of pinnate fronds. The stem is sometimes three feet high, and it will probably prove of the greatest value as a tree fern of very hardy habit; F. C. C. Lomaria fluviatilis, from the same ; a New .Zlealand species, of elegant habit, fronds membranous, narrow and elongated, pinnte blunt elliiDtie, waxy on the margin ; F. C. C. Polystichiura vestitum, var. venustum, from the same ; a New Zealand fern of great beauty, dark-green bipinnate fronds, pinna; small trapeziform, deeplj' and acutely lobed and toothed ; F. C. C. Pteris rubronervia, from Mr. Bull : a handsome bicoloured fern, bearing some resemblance to others of the coloured Pterids now so generally in cultivation. Todea superba, from Messrs. Veitch ; one of the most beautiful of its race; fronds nine inches long, spreading, and gracefully archius:, pinnae crowded, cut into narrow segments, which turn upwards, and bristle all over the surface ; F. C. C. Lomaria Fraseri, from Mr. Standish, Bagshot ; a fine New Zealand fern, has the habit of a tree fern; F. C. C. Hypolepis distans, from Mr. Dean, Bradford; an elegant greenhouse basket fern, furnished with creeping rhizome and smooth slender ovate-lanceolate bipinnate fronds, a foot or more in length, and of drooping habit. Gkeenhoxjse Plants. — Epacris vesta, from Slessrs. Veitch, white tube tipped with pink, growth erect, and free-blooming habit ; commended. Erica Mediterranea alba, from Mr. Bull, a dwarf bushy heath, probably hardy, forms a dense tuft eight inches high, and bearing an abundance of white flowers. Pultensea cuneata, from Messrs. Veitch, a free-flowering species, flowers large, orange yellow witli brownish keel ; a handsome acquisi- tion. Erica Imperatrix, from Messrs. Veitch, one of the late Mr. Storey's seedlings, of the aristata section ; large flesh-coloured flowers deeply coloured at the throat, limb segments large, blush white. Pimelea elegans, from Messrs. Veitch, an elegant greenhouse shrub, with large ovate-lanceolate leaves and globular heads of white flowers; F. C. C. Osmanthus aquifolius variegatus nanus, from Mr. Standish, a neat oleaceous shrub, with holly- like leaves, margined and marbled with creamy white, habit dwarf and growth twiggy ; F. C. C. Gardenia radicans fol. variegatis, from Mr. Standish ; difieriug from the species, in having leaves edged with white, a most beautiful greenhouse shrub. Stoke Chetsanthejium Society, Aug. 15^— The summer exhibition of THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 191 this society was lield in a large marquee in Devonport Park, under the patronage of the Earl of St. Germans, Earl Morley, Sir Thomas Paaley, B.irt., and other persons of influence in. the locality. The weather was fine, and there was a lar^e attendance. Collections, not for competition, were exhibited by W. H. P. Carew, E^^q. ; W. C. Hodge, Esq. ; J. Eoas, Esq. ; J. H. VViLsou, Esq. ; and Mr. J. Roberts. Achimenes, begonias, and fruit were unusually good. Mr. C. Brighton, gardener at Mount Edgecumbe, showed some splen- did grapes ; Mr. Prout, engineer at the dockyard, had some excsllent dishes of plums and pears. In asters and dahlias, tlie amateurs outslione the gai*- deners. Two very showy " hearthrug" designs in cut flowers were exhibited. Bampton, Aug. 16. — By the courtesy of Mrs. Southby, the same site was used for the show as last year, and the greatest success attended it. There was a tea party and a dance to make the affair thoroughly social a^ a local gathering, and the Rev. D. Adams, acted as medium of communication be- tween the promoters of the show and the visitors assembled, by means of an appropriate address. Shepton M.\llet and East Somerset, Aug. 20. — The Sheptonians made extensive preparations for this their second exhibition of the season, and the neighbouring towns sent visitors in abundance by special and excursion trains. The town was decorated from one end to the other with arches of evergreens, flags, floral medallions, and other devices appropriate to the occasion. The ground was lent for the purpose by W. C. Walker, and W. Hockey, Esqrs., and there were five tents appropriated to the products of the horticultural skill of the district. There were 260 exhibitors and 1500 entries; a proof of the prosperity of the society as representative of a very favourable locfility. In addition to the usual features of a schedule, prizes were given for the best cultivated gardens in each of the parishes of the dis- trict, and also prizes for wild flowers, and to cottagers who had obtained the largest amount of money for prizes. Among the novelties were four seed- ling dahlias exhibited by Mr. Keynes of Salisbury, for which a certificate was awarded. They were named respectively Anna Keynes, Donald Beaton, Mrs. Crisp, and Miss Carter. A fuU report and list of prizes was published in the current issue of the Saik Chronicle, to which we refer for further par- ticulars. Thoub RIDGE, Aug. 28. — The twelfth annual exhibition took place in a field adjoining the railway station, and an immense variety of amusements was added to the attractions of the show. THE HORTICULTUEAL BITE. The effect of the bite [ make special remark shortly. — " W. Bull, King'u Road, Chelsea, Cat.ilogueof New, Beautiful, and Rare Plants." This is of more than aveiiige im- portance as a catalogue. Mr. Bull has made an impression on the horticultural public by his spirit and tact in gathering together a number of most attractive varieties, chiefly stove and greenhouse plants, many of them 230 THE FLORAL WORLD AND QARDEN aUIDE. remarkable for beautiful ioliaga ; these are described and priced along with a selection of useful old subjects. — "Sutton and Sous, Eeadin?, Catalojue of Fresh Imported Bulbous Flower Rjots, Geraniums, Carnations, Koses, Fruit Tree.-:, Kitchen Garden Seeds, etc." Though a tliin list made unsightly with headings in large black type, it is skilfully arranged for usefulness, and there is a list of annuals for autumn sowing well selected. The bulbs in- clude all the good old sorts, but none of the new ones, so that for general pur|)0S?3 this is a multtiyn, in parvo. — " Jaarr and Sugden, King Street, Coveut Garden, Catal igue of Dutch and Cape Flowering Bulbs, etc." Cultural notes ai-e attached to each section of bulbs, and the list is decorated with engravings of Tye's Hya- cinth Glasses. — " Ambrois^ Versohafi'elt, Ghent, Price li^t of stove, green-house, and miscel- laneous pl.ints." It is rich in curiosities and choice conservatory subjects, and there is an enumeration of tiie camellias figured in the "Nouvelle Iconographie," during the past twelve years. — " Veitch and Sons, Exeter, Catalogue of i!^ew and Rare Plants." A short descriptive list of a few conifers and stove foliage plants of more than ordinary interest, invaluable to collectors. — "Charles Noble, Bag- shot, List of Ornamental Plants," especially rich in hardy shrubs, azdeas, rhododendrons, roses, gladioli, and conifers. Vines. — A.B. C. — If your vines have borne well under the old treatment it would be foolishness to out tliem away. If they have borne indif- ferently, and you propose to replace them with young shoots, it will be best to cut the old wood clean out, and thus thiow all the vigour of the l^lant into the young wood, and if the young canes are already half-way up the house, you would on this plan sesure a good crop next summer, and good strong wood for spurring in at the winter pruning. Let us repeat, if the vines have borne well, don't cut them down ; you can still make something of the young shoots by denuding them of all their buds but the two or three top ones when the loaves have dropped, and laying them into largo pots filled with rich soil, into which they will root and foi-m fine plants next summer, wilh two or throe fine bunches on each. EntJB.iEB IN December. — Poiuidhu. — Begin at once, select a few good roots, according to the supply you wish, dig them up, let them lie on the surface of the ground exposed to all wea- thers for a fortnight, then put them in pots or boxes, as most convenient, and place them in a warm cellar, or any other warm place, and you will have a supply at once. Take up and treat a few plants every three weeks in the same way until Christmas, and j'ou wUl have a supxdy until that growing in the open ground comes in. A simpler plan would be to obtain a few barrowfuls of t.m, and lay it upon the floor of a warm cellar or brick pit, or, in fact, any spare sheltered place, and plant your roots in it, the warmth of the tan will induce immediate growth. In this is obtained the rhubard sup- plied to the London markets throughout the winter. GuDiOLi AND Vali.ot.^.. — ;S'. It., Tippcravj/. — Was there any mistake about the gladiolus ? Did you grow the common sort, and at takiug- up time mix your sorts together, and in some way lose your good ones and retain the common ones P Cannot account for the disappointment in any other way, as we have never heard before of gladiolus degenerating. Let Vallota purpurea be taken out the latter end of March, and potted in five parts peat earth, and one part well-rotted manure or leaf- mouM, and a very little sand, say onetwellth, in well-drained pots, and set in pans of water, and placed in the greenhouse or cool pit, and they will erow and flower amazingly. We had a pot of v. purpurea major, with six bulbs in it, three of which produced two spikes each, and three weeks from this date (September 23) the whole nin? spikes were in bloom at one time, forming one of the most magniticent spect.acles we ever beheld. Gakden Flowers. — T. E. P. — Verbenas are not at all particular as to the kind of soil they grow in, providing it is well trenched up and manured previous to planting, so that tliey may begin to root freely the moment they are planted ; that is the great secret of obtaining a great quantity of vigorous bloom. The stems of gladiolus should not be cut down when done flowering, unless the seed is wanted. Just the flower- spike may lie cut oil', but as in the case of every other bulbous plant, tlie foliage should be left until it dies of itself, because while there is a particle of life in it, it supplies nourishment to the bulb, enabling it to perfect itself, in order to its satisfactory development next ye.ir. When taken up tie five or six of them together by the' stems, and hang them up in an airy shed, or dry room, for ten days or a fortnight, where ttie frost will not reach them ; then cleiin them olf, cutting off the stems an inch and a half or so from the bulb, and put them into paper-bags, keeping them in a dry closet, or similar situation, free from damp and frost, until the first or second week in April, when they may be again planted. Whatever your neighbours do, don't trust your better sorts of gladiolus in the soil all the winter. TEor.EOLUM Jaeeattii. — J. B. — This is now starting into growth, and should be shaken out of the soil in which it bloomed la'^t summer, and potted in fresh rich soil, equal parts good turfy loam, and very old rotten dung or leaf- mould, and just s.ind enough to open it, and thoroughly well (!raine:i, and, placed in an airy greenhouse, it will continue to grow throughout the winter, and by the beginumg of February will have acquired great vigour. Attention must be given to training as growth proceeds. We have been potting this plant to-day (Sep- tember 23rd). Tbito.ma trvAltiA. — Kemberton. — This and its va- rieties require the simplest culture ; they like a deep rich soil, are perfectly hardy, and are propagated both by seeds and division of the plant, which generally produces abundance of offsets. These offsets, taken off after the plant has done blooming, potting them in well-en- riehed loam, and placing them in a cold pit, or cool greenhouse, and shifting on as they re- quire, till the end of April, will make fine bloom- ing plants next year. The writer of this planted a small circular bed with seven of these plants last April. The bed was prep ired by throwing out the soil to the depth of two feet, then six inches of very rotten manure was thrown in, then a layer of mould of the same thickness, and the mould and dung mixed, and well incor- porated with a fork, then more dung and more mould, till the bed was filled up to sis inches above the level, to allow of its .settling down to its proper level. Here the plants have grown amazingly, and each one has sent up two or more magnificent spikes of bloom. The some- what untidy habit of the plant must be borne with, for the sake of the beauty of its flowers. Mildewed Roses.— .4. -B. C, 2»((i/i».— The spe- cimen sent is seriously mildewed. This affection can only be dealt with successfully in its earliest stages ;" */ieM frequent dustings with sulphur, and liberal watering the root will do much, but when once it has got ahead, the next best thing is to cut the mildewed tops off and burn them. We are quite certain that horse-dung used largely to manure roses is promotive of mildew. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 231 The more glazed and hard the leaves of roses the less will mildew attack them ; hence Chinas suffer the least, and some Noisettes, such as Aimee Vibert, are rarely touched with it. The Rev. W. J. Eatclift'e, of Rushton, one of the most successful rose- growers, attributes the mildew, so prevalent this season, to the last severe winter. He dressed his roses this year with refuse strong beer, mixed with liquid ma- nure and six times the quantity of water; and also with Peruvian guano, mixed with twelve times the quantity of water. He has taken eight first prizes and one fourth prize this season, and that is a good proof of the safety of his practice. Drought has been as j)roductive of mildew this season as excessive moisture has been in former years. East Wall. — J. )V. S., Dunmoic. — The east wall will not do fur peach, apricot, or nectarine in your climate. If you want a bit of fruit on the wall, plant Thompson's pear, or Morello cherry, or Jetlerson's plum. Perhaps Cydonia Japo- nica, with its lovely Howers, would suit you better. As to the inde.x api^earing in the January number, new subscribers must put up with it : we cannot attain to such perfection in minute detail as to please everybody. If we publish it in the December number, it cannot be so complete or so correct as it is by deferring it a month. All the former numbers may be had, and also former volumes. PoBiULACCAS KEEriNu OUT FiiosT. — I have read in the September number of the Flobal WOBLD a letter signed "J. R. N.," saying that " a very healthy plant of the Scarlet Pcrtu- lacca " had appeared in his garden, self-sown ! 1 have two small beds in my garden, which have been sown lor a few vears past with Por- tulaccas. I have alvrays treated them as tender annuals, vhich I supposed them to be, sowing them afresh every spring. Last summer, in consequence of the wtt weather, they scarcely flowered at all, and I hardly imagined the seeds had ripened ; at all events, I left them to their fate, and made no attempt to protect the soil from the intense frost and cold of last w in- ter. This summer, to my surprise, nearly the whole of one bed, and some plants in the other, have reappeared ; the plants are strong and healthy, llower very freely, and arc of all colours. I know a garden in which the beds of Portulacca are preserved in the winter by covering them with cinders, but in this case nothing of the kind hid been done, and what venders it more remarkable, of the seeds sent to me this year by one of the first nurserymen, only those of tlie Portulacca alba have come up at all. The soil of my garden is not warm, but the situation is sheltered, and not very low. Will you have the kindness to mention in your Notices to Correspondents whether some com- mon lamp could not be used with advantage in a small cold pit during the winter nronths, as a protection to the plants from frost and damp. — O. M. H. [The question of a lamp can better be determined on the spot. Any cheap source of heat, which is not accompanied with pernicious fumes, will answer the purpose, if Hufficient in power tor the size of the place. We have often kept frost out of frames by means of rushlights, and once burnt compo;ite candles by the dozen where a flue had got out of order. Such a matter must be arranged by observation. One of the simplest and surest sources of heat is a lurge stone bottle filled with boiling water at night, but neither candles nor lamps, nor bottles, nor even liaes, will always avail to keep severe frost out.] Febns and Mosses, — We have received twovery attractive little books, " Rambles in Search of Perns," and " Rambles in Search of Mosses," by Margaret Plue', published by Messrs. Houl- ston at one shilling each. They are in the (to us) unattractive form of conversations, which perhaps may render them all the more accept- able to young people ; but as to the informa- tion conveyed, and the tinted pictures, these pretty books are entitled to our highest com- mendation. The illustrations comprise figures of about a hundred species iu each book, and though they are not marvels of art, they are the most sharp and accurate we have yet seen in any shilling books. Many who are puzzled to name their ferns and mosses will find them useful. CuiiiNO Pots. — J. W. — Pasoall's pots have a rim into which a bell-glass is fitted. They are figured and described in the Floral Wokld of July, 1858. They may be obtained of Messrs. Hooper and Co., Central Avenue, Covent Gardeu. Coke Dust. — J. W. — The tomatoes growing into it so freely may have been as much through its retention of moisture as any other cause. If you can obtain it at ashilling a cartload, it seems a pity not to turn it to use. The best way to use charcoal on the open ground is to spread it at the rate of a quarter of a bushel to every square rod, or perch, and dig it in immediately before planting a crop. Charcoal is a most efTective fertilizer, and we see no reason why coke-dust, which is wholly carbon, should not be so too. Planting on Chalk. — Subscriber. — We should prefer the removal of the soil to the depth of 2 ft. 6 in., a bottom of about four inches of hard stufi', rammed down and covered with a coating of sand or cinders, and then good sound luam to fill up with for the planting. In removing the soil place it in samples if it varies much, reserving only that which you know to be good for the trees to grow in. In filling up again, mix the best of the top soil taken out with the new soil obtained to make up the deficiency, and keep the worst to dress the surface wilh. Save a sufficiency of the best and mellowest soil you have to till iu about the roots of the trees. Stations six feet square are generally marked out (or the trees, and that is more than your circles of nine feet circum- ference. But your spaces will do very well for four or five years, and then they might be en- larged. Ther.mometers. — Mr. G. Cox, of 5, Barbican, London, E.G., has forwarded descriptions of his maximum and minimum thermometers, which we know to be excellent instruments, also de- scription of the "chemical weather-glass,'' which we also know to be a delusion. Spergulas. — It. P. £. — The gardeners have in many places opposed the new turfing plants, through some foolish prejudice, on the prin- ciple of condemnation without trial. The more we see of it the more we like it, and our expe- riences with it as a subject of culture more than bear out former recommendations. Our sample of pilifera is now most beautiful, and being beside good grass turf is in the best possible po.-ition for comparison. All who see it say that it makes the grass look coarse, it is such a refined object in its close, neat style of growth. Sagiuoides is best adapted for dry, sandy soils, pilifera for good loams and clays. The more exposed the situation, the better for either of tliem. The best way of turfing is to cut it into small pieces, as it can only spread from the outer edges. This is a good time for planting, and watering will not be necessary if the roller is frequently used over it. Cbystal Palace.— J". T. E. — The bed No. 1 is a crimson minimum Noscga3', edged with a varie- gated the name of which we did not book. Bed No. 2 is Rubens, edged with Harkaway. — W, iSiiicliff'e,—Th& angle beds on the rose 232 THE PLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. mount with Delphinium formosum were ma- na.ijed in a way which may be imitated in any private garden. Between the Delphiniums scarlet geraniums were planted, and the Del- phiniums trained down. Then as the blue flowers vanish, the scarlets take their place without loss of colour a single day. This is on the plan of chameleon planting proposed by Mr. Hewlett in the Flobal World, 1860, p. 253. Sagina PEOcuMBiiifs.— J". J?. — This certainly makes a good turf, but it ia very inferior to Ihe spergulas, owing to its coarse, gray appearance when in bloom, and its dull green hue at all times. Instead of sowing seed, we should recommend you to uso tufts. Spergula sagi- noides is in Messrs. Carter's hands, and at their nursery at Forest Hill they have about an acre of it. The geranium came smashed and dried, and utterly beyond identitication, ■which we regret. Send, as you propose, a cutting with a head of bloom on it, with a cut- ting of Sir Robert Peel fuchsia, and take our thanks beforehand. Why your fuchsias drop their blooms we cannot imagine, as you say they are well drained and have not wanted water. Perhaps you turned them out when pot-bound, and with bloom-buds on them. The ettbrt of working into new soil will some- times cause the blooms to fall, just as newly planted evergreens sh;ike their leaves oif as soon as they begin to work. For the other notes thanks. Greenhouse.— J", i?.— The temperature must depend on what the greenhouse contains ; but for such mixed collections as are generally brought together, an average of 45' should be secured. Say, during the severest frost, not to go below 'do^. During bright sunny days, plenty of air to be given, and no fire, unless the weather is frosty, and then, with sun, the temperature may rise to 50°. Fumigating Pastilks.— 5. ^ S. /S.— These are perfectly safe and very elTectual. We should think two would be enough for your hous?, twenty-two feet by ten feet. They are manu- factured by J. Keale, of Birmingham, and sold by all the leading seedsmen. The appearance of maggots in mushroom beds is ofteu tbe result of gathering the crop by cutting, by which the stumps are left in the soil, and undergo decay. They should be gathered by a twist completely to the root, and a knife never employed. You had better destroy the old bed, and begin again, there is really no means of eradicating maggots, the other matter shall have at- tention. TEnvs.—J. A. CMtferis.—Adhintwm affine, under a glass shade, vnW require to be kept moderately moist and aired two or three times a week ; every day, if convenient, all winter. Vr'e do not know Paimatia, it cannot be cor- rectly named. Your " Ideanthum" we take to be the above. Names of Plants.— iV. P.— Your plant is Bud- lea Klobosa, a very nice shrub, which will pro- bably bloom next year. The holly is Maderi- cnav.— G. B. — The petunia was shrivelled up, but we could determine it to be of no special value, no better than hundreds of unnamed seedhngs.— r. H. P.— The variegated plant is the viiriegated Salvia pratcnsis ; the blue ilower is Aster amelloides, or Cape aster. "TuE Garden Okacle" for ISGi will be ready in the course of October, and will, as usual, contain a description of new plants introduced during 1881, and of novelties to be sent out in 1862. It will also contain lists of the winning flowers of the past year, and selections of the best flowers, fruits, "and ve,>eta!)les for decora, tion, exhibition, and general use. In addition, several novel subjects will be treated in a prac- tical manner, so to furnish the reader with a faithful picture of the progress of horticulture, and of its prospects at home and abroad. "Brambles and Bat Leaves." — The new edi- tion of this work is in the press ; subscribers will receive their copies ou the day of publica- tioD, and subscriptions may be forwarded either to the publishers, Messrs. Groumbridge and Sons, or to the author. *^* A few rei^lies to letters received at the last moment, wei'e unavoidably postponed. Our cor- respondence increases so fast, that we must beg our friends to write early. Pbeseeving Tom Thumb Geraniums. — A. T., Slack-pool. — Tn the tirst volume of the Floral World, p. 199, Mr. Hibberd gave an accoimt of the way in which he preserved a collection of geraniums, without the assistance of glass structures, while waiting for their erection in a new habitation, just after his removal to New- ington. As that number (September, 1838) can be purchased for fourpence, it would be as well for you to obtain it, as the particulars of management are given at length, and it would be unfair to possessors of the whole of the work to repeat them. Many persons keep their geraniums in pots in windows very successfully, and some turn them out of the jjots or beds and tie them in bundles, and hang them head down- wards in a dry room, where they only require to be looked over occasionally, to remove any miliiewed portions, and may be potted in March, and placed in the windows. But a better method is that of packing them in pots and baskets, with sand about their roots as de- scribed in the article named above. This keeps the roots in better condition, and x'revents too great a shrivelling of the stem. Many who practise these methods lose a good many plants through neglect of a simple precaution and that is, to remove the whole of the leaves from the plants first. Obituary. — We deeply regret to announce the death of our respected friend and neighbour, Mr. Alfred Kendnll, florist, of Queen Elizabeth's Wallc, Stoke Is'ewington, one of the most suc- cessfnl market growers in the neighbourhood of London. Mr. Kendall died ou the 11th, at the age of 65, and the circumstances of his death demand mention as a warning to gar- deners. While occupied in his business ho wounded a thumb of one hand, and allowed the wound to take its course. In a few days he began to feel, what he thought symptoms of a cold,, and Mr. 11. H. Cooke, one of the most skilful surgeons of the district, was sent for. Mr. Kendall then complained of cold in the chest and sore throat, but Mr. Gooke happened to discover that he had a thumb tied up, and on examining it, he saw at once that his patient was not suffering from cold at all, but was in the fir.st stage of tetanus. He sought the co- operation of Dr. Hutchinson, and the thumb was amputated, being then in a dangerous state. The patient, in the meantime, sunk rapidly, and died a few days afterwards of lock- jaw. Had he sought advice in the first instance, the trifling injury to the thumb would, probably, have caused him neither pain nor danger ; the neglect of it was the cause of his death. As a further remark on a subject of vast importance to gardeners, we saw an instance only a few weeks since, of a gardener, who, in splitting some laths, m:uiea deep gash in the top of the thumb of his left hand, so as to cut downwards to the depth of oue-lhird of the thumb-nail. He left his work and hurried to a surgeon. The wound was skUfullv dressed, and healed in less than a week. How small a mutter may sulHce to determine our relations to time, and strike the balance between life and death ! THE GARDEI^ §yi© r^^^ NoVKMnEl!, 1861. EEES in cities are once more the subject of discussion among the advocates of sanitary improvement and the promoters of horticultural science. While the Gar- (leners Chronicle is recording improvements in the public gardens of Paris, and indicating the mistakes of Prussian horticulteurs, the City Press is endeavouring to )/«- j'f persuade the churchwardens, and other local authorities, to W' ^ ^ plant the ancient graveyards of London with suitable trees, ) shrubs, and flowers. The subject is one of immense importance to the gardening community at large, because so large a propor- tion are located in and about the great towns, and those inhabitants of mural districts, who are not immediately interested in practical horticul- ture, need to be frequently reminded, that gardens in cities are eminently promotive of the public health, and may be made immensely beneficial as means of recreation and instruction. Perhaps about one-half of our readers are more or less habitual breathers of coal smoke, and properly anxious to see every plot of available ground, in the midst of houses, decently preserved, and made ver- durous for the public good. There are two primary questions raised, irrespective of the minor ones which may be started. The first is, Tvhether trees and shrubs are desirable as objects of utility in towns, irrespective altogether of what may be called the " sentimental" part of the subject; as, for instance, the inducement which public gardens ofifer to the inhabi- tants of towns to take healthy recreation in the open air, in preference to other pleasures injurious to health, and morally objectionable. The other question is, whether trees, and what trees, will thrive in cities, where the soil is so excessively drained, that it is scarcely capable of affording nutriment to species that require a deep, moist soil, and where the atmosphere is usually so loaded with soot, that the stomates of the leaves get choked, and the affair becomes a pursuit of vegetation under difficulties. In Paris, public gardens are acquiring importance, not as accidents, but as integral parts of the plan of improvement which t1ie Emperor has long been engaged in. The gardens of the great squares arc adrairablj'- VOL. lY. NO. XI. M 2'64> THE FLORAL WORLD AXD GARDEJf GUIDE. plauted, and carefully kept ; the trees and shrubs are mostly well chosen ; the flowers are selected for their gaiety rather than their rarity ; and the people are freely admitted, an arrangement which contrasts strikingly with the padlocked palisades and grim walls that inclose the gardens of towns in this country. An additional feature of interest in the Parisian gardens is the liberal employment of stove plants, such as in our recent paper on tropical gardens we suggested for use in this country. At the Bois de Boulogne, Monceaux, and the Champs Elysees, CaJadiums are used in beds and clumps, as materials of the ordinary furniture. Caladium esculen- tium is found to be the best for the purpose, and next to that any of the showy species with pendant leaves, those with erect leaves being liable to injury by wind. Another of their rich effects is produced by Cannas, which are largely adopted, and form magnificent clumps. Of eighty sorts tried by M. Barillet, the superintendent of the public gardens of Paris, those found most suitable, were C. anuiBi, "Warczewiczoides, lilii- flora, zebrina, discolor, and indica. These are seen to best effect when planted in regular order, the tallest plants in the centre, and surrounded with some rich foliage plants of colours suitable for contrast ; the com- mon and useful grass (Phalaris) being largely used for the purpose. The Cannas are taken up as soon as the frost has touched their leaves, and stored in a cellar, but the Caladiums are kept grov/ing all winter, at as low a temperature as will suffice for the purpose. In a recent account of the public gardens of Paris, by Dr. Liudley, he says : " For the main- tenance of these gardens in a state of luxuriance throughout the summer, great care is talceyi in the original p-eparation of the ground, and constant attention to weeding and watering. The soil is all made, for the lawns as well as the beds." This is just the point to which we would call the attention of those who have to do with town gardens, public and private. The soil need not all be "made;" that must depend upon its texture in the first instance, but we are satisfied that one general fact is sufficient to account for all the failures, and that is, the common practice of planting in sour, exhausted, trashy soil, in which it is impossible for any tree or shrub, however robust in constitution, to make a single healthy root. The process of planting citj' gardens is rightly described in a leading article in the City Press, as consisting in " the opening of a hole, the jamming of the roots into it, and the treading of the soil over till it is as hard as a brickbat." On fertile soils already in good tilth in the open country, bad planting, though entitled to nothing else than condemnation, is, nevertheless, not always fatal to trees, the fi-esh air and the sunshine help them through, and in the course of time they throw out root fibres iu plenty, and grow with vigour. J^ot so in towns. They need every encouragement there, by judicious preparation of the soil, and the abun- dant use, if necessary, of fresh turfy loam and good manure, both of which are easily obtainable at a very trifling cost beyond cartage. Yet where the altered circumstances under which the trees are to live renders it imperative for success that no essential should be neglected, there is generally an utter neglect of first principles, and of course failure is the result, and the trees have to bear reproaches which ought to be cast on human folly. Gardening has its votaries in every town of Great Britain, and the majority of the best gardens are those to be found in the suburbs of great cities. Hence the question of planting the waste plots, the graveyards, and the squares of cities, is one that interests us all as a THE PLORA.L WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 235 matter of art, but it mucli more concerns tlie health of city residents and the comfort of the poor, for whom at present no cheap and innocent relaxations are pi'ovided. If any imaginative scribe is in the mood to project a new Utopia, we commend to him the suggestion to describe the towns of the new empire as plentifully furnished with public gardens, all beautifally kept, where the poor mother may take her children to enjoy a breathe of the free air, a glimpse of heavenly sunshine, and the glow of flowers and verdure to charm away the cark and care of toil and poverty. As for the churchwardens of the City of London, they ought to be put into a crucible, and melted into dumps, the value of which might suffice to clean up and plant the dirty inclosures they have allowed to become a nuisance and a disgrace, instead of rendering them healthful and beautiful. Portable Pjgii^i Houses are coming into use so generally, that we fully expect there will soon be an end put to the improvement of freeholds at the expense of tenants in this particular matter. The patent houses of Sir Joseph Paxton, as manufactured by Mr. Hereman, are to be seen in hundreds of gardens where there was not a square yard of glass in use previously to the production of these admirable structures. It is evident, therefore, that the unsatisfactory nature of the freeholder's claim to garden plants and structures operated prejudicially in preventing the tenant adopting such sources of enjoyment as were within his reach, and in accordance with his taste, as the law of the land interdicted, without unreasonable sacrifice. Sir Joseph Paxton's patent has, therefore, operated as an encouragement to industry heretofore unemployed, for the manu- facture of these houses by thousands is a matter of some importance in a national point of view. But it is still more cheering to see mechanical skill in action to outwit legal injustice, and so long as the gardener works in fear that some day or other he must give up aU his investments of money and time for the benefit of somebody he neither knows nor cares for, so long must we encourage every invention which facilitates the pursuit of horticulture on a reasonable legal basis. In several cases it 236 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. has been attempted to prove that Mr. Hcreman's houses were " fixtures" in the legal sense of the term, and in every case the attempt has failed. They are as truly portable as common garden frames ; they rest on the ground, or lean against walls, and instead of being fixed to the latter by hooks and eyes, as described by one of our contemporaries, there is not so much approach in them to the nature of a fixture as hooks and eyes might be alleged to aff'ord. But while we are devising plans for building 07i, instead of in, the soil, and of heating without necessity of sub -superficial foundations, it would appear a desirable thing for the gardening com- munity to bestir themselves for such a reform of the law as would insti- tute a fair division of rights between tenant and freeholder. For a man to pursue a course of improvement involving great outlays, and then to hand over the whole to the freeholder on the expiration of his term, is neither iust nor politic. It may be said he undertakes those improvements knowin"- the result. Yes. But if the result can be averted, how much greater inducem.ent is there to the improvement of properties to an extent beneficial to the freeholder without being ruinous to the tenant. Legal rio-ht and moral right are often widely sundered, and we need, for the dA-elopment of the resources of the country, for the encouragement of industry, and for the reasonable enjoyment of life on rented properties, a modification of the code, Avhich is all in favour of one class at the expense of another. ,t , i To encourage the erection of portable houses, we have pubhshed several jjlans and descriptions in former pages of this work. We now have the pleasure of adding to the number, figures of the construction of the house described at page 267 of last year's volume. These explain themselves sufficiently to render it unnecessary to accompany them with any further details, and as they are drawn to scale, any one skilful enough THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 237 to make a house of any kind will be able to work from them without difficulty. The proprietor of this house, Mr. Lant, of Cotherstone, obtained the drawings for us from the builders of the house, Messrs. ■i-TjL- Walker and Co., of iNewcastle-on-Tyne. We may refer those who are now engaged in the construction of greenhouses to the papers at pp. 33 and 70 of the Flouil World of 1859, and pp. 192, 209, and 267 of the volume for last year. 238 EPIGTNIUM LErCOBOTEXS. NOTES ON NEW PLANTS. EPIGYNIXTM LECCOBOTBTS. A Very ornamental-fruited cool green- house or .conservatory shrub, two to four feet in height, with glossy oblong leaves in sub- verticellate clusters or zones, of a free vigorous growth and branching habit. The flowers are produced from the extremities of the shoots, in numerous terminal pen- dent racemose spikes of conical or penta- gonally-formed white blossoms, which are succeeded by gracefully drooping spikes of snow-white berries, very beautifully adorned at the tip with a jet black ring, having a black dot in the centre, and out- ward of each such ring are five small, distant, yet distinct jet dark ray-like spots, like jewels set round a ring. It would perhaps be impossible to point out a more unique and elegant feature than is shown in the fertility of this ex- tremely interesting shrub, -which is, bo THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 239 hardy in its growth, and so compact in its hahit, as to merit a place in every green- house and conservatory, for late summer and autumn decoration. Its numerous ruit-spikes may be aptly compared to strings of snowy star-tipped pearls, couched upon a surface of living emerald green verdure. [Now being sent out by Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son. 21s. each.] CAMELLIA "eTOILB POLAIRE." A fine Italian raised camellia, of good habit, vigorous growth, and uniformly free bloom. The flowers are bright carmine scarlet, double, full to the centre, evenly imbricated, smooth in texture, and of stout substance. Each petal is marked with a central white bar or stripe. Tlie constancy of its colour and stripe, a feature that dis- tinguishes it from any known variety, will prove it a valuable variety for conservatory decoration, either in pots or for border culture. [Messrs. E. 6. Hendei-son and Son. 21s. to 63s.] PENTAS ROSEA KERMESINA. A very neat and ornamental-flowering hothouse shrub, of free growth and dwarf habit, with numerous terminal corymb-like clusters of rich rosy -red starry Ixora-like blossoms throughout the summer, autumn, and winter months. Its successional bloom and compact branching habit will make it a most desirable and useful plant where- ever cut flowers are required, and it will also prove a handsome object for competi- tion in provincial exhibitions. Generally in the trade. FUCHSIA PRINCE LEOPOLD. A large bold flower, with broad glossy carmine sepals, finely recurved, and show- ing a beautiful violet-purple, cup-shaped corolla. This received a first class certifi- cate from the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. FDCHSIA PBINCE LEOPOLD. CHUTSANTHEMUMS AT TEDDO. This place Is most famed in the vicinity of Yeddo for the variety and beauty of its chrysanthemums. At the time of our visit they were in full bloom, and most certainly "would have delighted the eyes of our Sal- ters, Brooms, and Birds had they found themselves so far away from Hammersmith, the Temple, or Stoke Newington. I pro- cured some extraordinary varieties, most peculiar in form and in coloui-ing, and quite distinct from any of the kinds at present known in Europe. One had petals like long thick hairs, of a red colour, but tipped with yellow, looking like the fringe of a shawl or curtain ; another had broad white petals striped with red like a carna- tion or camellia, while others were remark- able for their great size and brilliant colouring. If I can succeed in introducing these varieties into Europe, they may create as great a change amongst chrysan- themums as my old protege, the modest " Chusan daisj'," did when she became the parent of the present race of pompones. The Japanese gardener understands the art of chrysanthemum culture rather better than we do, and produces blooms of won- derful size. This is done by great care, good soil, and by allowing only one or two blooms to be perfected at the end of a shoot, — Fortune's Noies, 240 PEOFITABLE GAEDENING. CHAPTER XXI. — SELECTION OF YAEIETIES. In selecting apples for planting the choice will have to be determined by the nature of the object in view. For market purposes a few robust-grow- ing, certain bearers, producing fruit of a showy kind will be preferable to a great variety. In gardens of great extent tliere will perha]3S be little occasion for bush trees, as almost every variety will be grown to perfec- tion on standards, and tliese give little trouble, are very fruitful after arriving at mature age, and need little or no pruning. It is in the small garden, where excellence and variety are of more importance than bulk, that bush trees willbe found of most value, as fur- nishing a great variety, and aifording agreeable recreation in their manage- ment. On the ground covered by one full-grown standard tree, at least twenty bushes may be grown, and M-hen these arc trimmed en quenouille, or distaff fashion, so as to have a con- tour similar to that of an Irish yew, they may be planted three feet apart, and still produce large crops of fruit. The following selection is arranged to meet the various circumstances iinder which the trees may be planted, and as mere names are insufficient to guide persons either in the formation or improvement of selections, brief descriptions are added, not for pur- poses of identification, but to enable the planter to select the kinds best adapted to his piirpose : — TWENTY-FOUE OKCHABD APPLES. Alfreston, K. — Large, round, skin light orange next the sun, greenish yellow in the shade ; flesh yellowish, crisp, sharply acid. November to March. A fruitful variety and a strong grower. It makes a capital espalier for a west or east wall. Bedfordshire roundling,K. — Very large, pale green when ripe ; flesh yellowish, acid. November to April. A handsome kitchen apple, but rather fitful in productiveness. Bess Pool, K.,D. — Large, conical, handsome; yellow suflused with red next the sun, flesh white, sugary, vinous. Good from November to May. Rarely fails to give a good crop, and fit for any purpose. Elenheim Orange, K , D. — Very large, ovate, yellowish, red next the suu ; flesh yellow, sugary. November to June. Court of Wick, D. — Medium size, Tery handsome, greenish yellow, orange, and russety ; juicy, high flavoured. Dumelow's Seedling, K. — Large, round, yellow and light red ; flesh yellow, first-rate. November to March. Also known as Wellington ! and Normanton Wonder. Devonshire Quarrenden, D. — This is the famous " sack apple " of the western counties, medium size, deep ' crimson, flesh greenish white, juic}'', subacid, August. Dutch Codlin, K. — Very large, I conical and ribbed ; greenish yellow I with light tinge of orange, flesa white I and firm, a first-rate kitchen apple, always bears, and will keep till Christ- mas. Fearn's Pippin, D., K. — Full me- dium size, round and handsome ; greenish yellow, russety, and bright red, flesh greenish white, sweet and richly flavoured . November to March. Forge, K. — Medium, golden yel- low, mottled with crimson, and dai'k red next the sun ; flesh tender, juicy, and perfumed. Always bears well. September to February. French Crab, K., D. — Large, dark green, brownish next the sun ; flesh green, firm, subacid. Bears im- mensely, and will keep any reason- able length of time. Gooseberry Pippin, K. — Large, roundish, bi'ight green, flesh greenish, tender, gooseberry flavour, which it retains till May or June, and may be kept to the following August. Ilawthornden, K. — Large, ovate, yellowish green, reddish blush next the sun ; flesh white, juicy, almost good enough for dessert. This never fails to give a large crop ; it is not a strong grower, the New HaMihorn- den is more robust, and produces a THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 241 finer fruit, but is scarcely so prolific as the Old. If but one apple-tree could be planted in the garden, we would have the Old nawtliornden in preference to any other. September to February. Hanwell Souring, K. — Medium size, greenish yellow, red blush ; flesh firm, crisp, acid. No orchard should be without it. November to April. Kerry Pippin, K. — Small, pale yellow, streaked with red ; flesh yel- low, firm, j uicy and sweet. First-rate in every respect. September to No- vember. London Pippin, K. — Large, round- ish, angular, with five pi'otuberances round the crown ; deep yellow ; flesh white, subacid. Very fruitful. Oc- tober to February. Melon, D. — Large, lemon yellow, and light crimson, flesh white, tender, juicy, vinous, perfumed. One of the best American apples, generally fruit- ful. December to February. Nonpareil, Old, D.— Small, green- ish yellow, one of the hardiest, pale russet and brownish red ; flesh tender, juicy and rich. January to May. Norfolk Bearer, K. — Largo, green, yellowish and crimson; flesh tender, brisk flavour. A prodigious bearer. December to February. Northern Greening, K. — Medium, dull green, brownish red ; flesh green- ish, subacid. First-rate. November to May. Sturmer Pippin. D. — Medium, yellowish green, and brownish red ; flesh yellow, firm, sugary and rich. January to June. Syke House Eusset, D. — Small, roundish, greenish, aromatic, and highly flavoured. One of the best dessert apples. November to March. \YinterPearmain. — K.,D. — Large, conical, handsome, greenish yellow, and deep red; flesh juicy, sweet, and brisk flavoiir. October to April. 1'orkshire Greening, K. — Large, roundish, irregular, dark green, striped with dull red, pleasantly acid. October to February. TWENTY-FOUB CHOICE APPLES FOE PYEAUIDS, BUSHES, OB ESPALIEHS. These should be grafted on Doucin stocks, to restrain their growth and promote early fruitfulness. Ashmead's Kernel, D. — Small, greenish yellow, and russety ; Hesli yellowish, crisp, juicy and rich. Likes a warm climate, and forms a fine pyra- mid or bush. Beauty of Kent, K. — Very large, roundish ; russety at the base, other- wise greenish j'ellow, streaked with red on the side next the sun. An abundant bearer, forms a handsome vigorous bush. October to March. Braddick's Nonpareil, D. — Small, roundish, green tinged with yellowish brown and brownish red; flesh yellow, sugary and aromatic. A most abun- dant bearer, and fine for dessert. December to April. Cellini, K., D. — Large, round, handsome ; deep yellow, streaked and mottled red ; flesh white, ten- der, juicy, rich flavour and aromatic. Good for every purpose ; forms a fine pyramid or prolific bush. Octo- ber to Januaiy. Cornish Gilliflower, D. — Full me- dium size, oval, angular towards the eye ; deep yellowish green tinged with red, m ith streaks of deeper red and russet ; flesh yellow, rich, per- fumed. Forms a fine bush ; rather capricious as to bearing, but " the best of all apples." November to May. Cox's Orange Pippin, D. — Me- dium size, roundish, greenish yellow streaked with red, with dark red next the sun ; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, flavour of Kibston. Forms a handsome pyramid and is a good bearer. November to January. Court Pendu Plat, D.— Medium, round, deep red and greenish yellow ; flesh yellow, rich, and briskly acid. Forms a fine pyramid or robust bush, and is a constant bearer. November to April. Early Harvest, D. — Medium, round, clear yellow ; flesh white, tender, crisp, juicy, and refreshing. Forms a spreading bush. One of j the best early apples. August. I Early Nonpareil, D. — Small. roundish ; deep yellow russety and with gray spots ; flesh j'ellowish, I juicy, aromatic. A fine old variety , of first-rate excellence ; may be 242 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN G[JIDE. grown as a close pyramid or busk and kept covered with, spurs from head to foot. October to December. Franklin's Golden Pippin, D. — Small, bright yellow ; flesh pale yellow, tender and agreeable, but neither rich nor aromatic. Forms a handsome half standard for a lawn, as when it becomes fruitful the weight of the fruit causes it to as- sume a weeping character, and it bears more abundantly than any apple known. It will also form a dense, spreading bush. Though a second-rate apple it is so distinct and pretty that it should have a place in every collection in a private garden. G-olden Harvey, D. — Small, round, yellow with russet, red next the sun ; flesh yellow, rich, aromatic, first- rate. Forms a pretty pyramid or bush. We have bushes of it three feet high and of the same outline as an old gooseberry bush, which are covered with spurs on short, twiggy branches. February to May, Golden Pippin, D. — Small round- ish, deep golden yellow dotted with russet ; flesh yellowish, brisk and rich. The very best of dessert apples. Forms a fine pyramid and is very prolific. November to March. Juneating, D. — There are two varieties, the White and the Hed ; both are good, but the Red is the most robust grower and is suitable to grow in the orchard. The White forms a neat bush and produces a smaller fruit. Good bearers and ex- cellent dessert fruit. July. Hubbard's Pearmain, D. — Small, yellowish green and faint russet ; flesh rich, sugary, and aromatic. Will never disappoint. Forms a fine bush or half standard, and is a favourite Sufiblk apple. November to May. Irish Peach, T). — Medium, round- ish ; yellowish green dotted with brown, dull red next the sun ; flesh white, tender, juicy, and rich. A first-rate summer dessert apple, ripe in August. Mother, D. — Large, deep yellow, highly coloured, veined and mottled with crimson ; juicy, melting, and excellent. One of the best American apples, which are generally more tender and easily digestible than our favourite English varieties. This requires a warm situation and may be grown as an espalier, pyramid, or bush. October to December. Newtown Pippin, D., K. — Medium sized," yellowish, with crimson or red blush ; flesh juicy, tender, aromatic, delicious. This also requires a warm, high position to have its proper fla- vour, and is then one of the finest apples grown. It forms a handsome large bush, and it is worth a wall in exposed districts. As an example of the influence of locality, on our cold clayey soil it rarely attains its proper flavour ; but a mile away, on the high ground of Stamford Hill, the New- town Pippins are the finest we ever tasted. Manx's Codlin, K. — Medium, pale yellow flushed with red ; flesh yellow- ish white, perfumed. Unequalled for kitchen use. Forms a compact and most prolific pyramid. September to December. Lord Sufiield, K., D. — Very large, nearly white, with slight tinge of red next the sun ; flesh tender, juicy, briskly flavoured. Forms a spreading bush, and excellent to train on espa- lier wires. August to November. Nonesuch, K., D. — Large, green- ish-yellow, striped with dull red ; flesh pleasantly subacid, not a first- rate dessert fruit, but, like Lord Suf- field, may be used on an emergency. Is much esteemed for apple jelly. Forms a fruitful spreading bush. Northern Spy, D. — Large, conical, angular, yellowish streaked with crimson on the side next the sun, long stalk ; flesh white, juicy, and delicious. A fine American apple, very fruitful, and suitable for a large pyramid, or orchard tree, but will not form a close bush. Seine tte du Canada, D., K. — Very large, conical, flattened ; gi'eenish- yellow, brown next the sun ; flesh firm, juicj'^. A noble dessert fruit. Forms a spreading bush. In good condition from April to end of June. Eibston Pippin, D. — Well known as the king of English dessert apples. Usually grown as a standard tree, and on warm, dry soils, thrives in the oi'chard ; but the frequent com- plaints of its tendency to canker, has THE FLORAL WOELD AND aARDEN GUIDE. 243 led to its more general cultivation in the form of pyramids and bushes, as these can be annually or biennially lifted, which keeps the trees healthy and fruitful. Having grown it in the form of a bush, for several years past, we can recommend it as readily form- ing a bush en quenouille, clothed with spurs to the ground, and producing fruit larger and as well flavoured as standard trees. In cold climates this fine old apple is worth a wall. De- cember. Waltham Abbey (Golden Noble), K. — Very large, globular and hand- some ; clear bright yellow ; flesh ten- der ; agreeably acid ; when cooked melts into a rich amber pulp, and re- quires little or no sugar. Too robust for a bush, but fine pyramid or half standard. *** As dessert apples predominate in the above list of dwarfs, the fol- lowing Kitchen varieties may be added : — Bedfordshire Foundling, excellent for espaliers ; Blenheim Orange, espalier or large bush ; Cox's Pomona, espalier or neat bush ; Dumelovv's Seedling, pyramid ; Kes- wick Codlin, robust pyramid ; Forge, pyramid ; Fearn's Pippin, pyramid or espalier; Gooseberry, pyramid ; Haw- thornden, bush or espalier ; the most beautiful of all apples when in bloom, and, therefore, a suitable plant on a lawn. London Pippin, bush; Norfolk Beefing, strong bush or diffuse pyra- mid J Winter Pearmain, pyramid. HAEDY APPLES FOE EXPOSED SITTJA- TIOKS ON THE EAST COAST AND NOETH BEITAIN. Dessert. — Devonshire Quarreu- den, Early Julien, Kerry Pippin, Nonesuch, Summer Strawberry, Win- ter Strawberry, Franklin's Golden Pippin^ Kitchen. — Carlisle Codlin, Haw- thornden, Keswick Codlin, London Pippin, Manx Codlin, French Crab, Tower of Glammis, Yorkshire Green- ing, Winter Colman. *^* In exposed places, many of the choicer kinds may be had with the assistance of a wall, and a few are worthy of culture in the orchard- house. SEIiECT LIST OF PEAES. JB., lush ; O., orchard-house ; P.,jpyramicl; W., tvall ; E., harch/. Those marked H. are excellent for a small collection, requiring no pro- tection, and forming fine pyramids or bushes on the quince, except where otherwise stated. Most of the others require protection, while in bloom, either by screens of hexagon net or tiflfany, or in the orchard-house. Alexandre Bivort(Eapereu),P.,B., H. — Medium size, melting, rich, and exquisite ; prolific bush. December and January. Alexandre Lambre, P., H. — Me- dium size, melting, excellent. Forms a handsome and vigorous pyramid on the quince. December, often till February. Alexandrina, P., H. — Medium size, handsome, melting, early ; is perfectly hardy ; forms a handsome pyramid. September. Baronne de Mello, P. H.— Me- dium size, hardy, melting. Forms a compact ornamental pyramid. No- vember. This pear is identical with Beurre Van Mons. Bergamot, Gansers,W.,0. — Large and handsome, very slow in coming into bearing, unless double worked on the quince. Perfumed, melting. October. Bergamotte d'Esperen, P.,B.,II. — Medium, late, melting. Forms a handsome prolific pyramid or bush ; requires a wall in wet or cold climates. March to May. Beurre Berckmans, P.,H. — Large, vinous, sugary, perfumed, exquisite flavour. Best on pear. December. Beurre Bose, O., W. — Large, de- licious, half melting, lleqixires a warm soil and situation. Best on the pear; if on the quince must be double worked. Beurre, Brown, 0.,W.,B. — Large, excellent. End of October. Beurre, Clairgeau, H., B. — Large, handsome, melting, juicy, not always rich. Best on the peai-, and forms a fine pyramid ; preferable as a bush on account of its large fruit. November. Beurre, D'Aboise, H., B., P-— A hardy variety of Brown Beurre. Beurre d'Aremberg, P., H. — Me- 244 THE FLORAL WORLD AXD GARDEN GUIDE. dium, delicious, melting, forms aliand- some prolific pyramid. Orpheline d'Eu^licim is a variety of this pear equally good, less vigorous liabit ; a most prodigious bearer as a dwarf bush. December and January. Beurrc d'Amanlis, P.,B.,II. — Very large, melting, one of the best autumn pears. !Not particular as to soil. End of September. Beurro Diel, P., O., W.— Very large, often weighing sixteen to twenty ounces, melting, and excel- lent; forms a diffuse pyramid on the quince, on which it succeeds admi- rably, but it is better as a busli. We never can get fru.it on it near London without protection. December. Beurie de Eance, B., H. — Large, late melting, and insipid from a wall; but on the quince in the open gi'ouad its flavour is quite exquisite. Ile- quires double working, and forms a better bush than a pyramid. March to May. Benrre, Easter, B., H. — Large, melting, perfumed ; insipid from a wall. Best on the quince, and forms a beautiful bush. January to May. Beurrc Giffart, B. — Medium size, melting, juicy, delicious noycau fla- vour; one of our best early pears. Middle of August. Beurrc Goubalt, B., H. — Medium, melting and excellent, " wonderfully prolific when worked on the quince ; better as a bush than a j)yramid." Middle of September. Beurre Hardy, P., H. — Large, melting, vigorous grower on the quince. October. Beurre Sterckman, P., W. — Me- dium size, melting pear, requiring a wall in cool climates. Jan., Feb. Beurrc Superfin,P.,B.,H. — Large, excellent, melting. Tree thorny when young ; forms a vigorous pyramid or prolific bush. End of September. " This pear is seldom eaten in this country in perfection, owing, I think, to its being cultivated as a wall pear, its flavour is generally flat and in- sipid; in France it is very popular, always delicious, and keeps longer in spring than any other melting pear. A good method of growing it would be to plant it in lo-inch pots, keep the trees in the orchard-house till the middle or end of June, and then place them out of doors in a sheltered sunny place, or near a wall with a southern aspect, to ripen their fruit. The trees should not stand nearer than two feet from the wall." — ■ Bivei's. Bon Chretien (Williams's), P., B., H. — Large, perfumed, melting; should be gathered before it is ripe. Sept. Broom Park (Knight), B., H.— Medium size, melting pear, " partakes of the flavour of the melon and the pineapple." On the quince must be double worked ; a prolific bush. January. Chavunontel, B., O., — Large, well- known, melting. December. Colmar d'Etc, P., H.— Medium, juicy, early pear, vigorous, bears pro- fusely, forms a compact and beauti- ful pyramid. End of September. Coaite de Lamy, P., B., O.— Me- dium, one of our most delicious autumn pears. October. Conseiller de la Cour, or Mare- chal de la Cour (Van Mons) P., B., H. — Large, melting, grows vigorously on the quince, and forms a diifuse pyramid or spreading bush. Not always good. End of November. Delices d'Hardenpout P., B., O. — Large, a good melting pear, re- markable for its upright growth, forms a most ornamental pyramid on the quince. October and November. Delices de Jodoigne, il., P. — Me- dium size, melting and very good ; the tree is hardy. Succeeds admirably on the quince and forms a very handsome pyramid. October. Dr. Trousseau, B.,II. (Van Mons). — Large, a new, excellent, and most delicious, hardy, melting pear, which succeeds well on the quince, and foi'ms a prolific bush. December. Doyenne Boussoch, B., H. — Very large, handsome, melting ; bears pro- fusely ; too diffuse for a pyramid. October. This pear, known also as Double Philip, Beurre de Merode, is of the same race as Albertine, but ripens a little later. Delices d'Har- denpout (Beige), Melon de Namur and Beurre d'Isemberg, are all much like it in their qualities and season, being very large and handsome, and. remarkably sweet and juicy. THE FLORAL WORLD AKD GARDEN GUIDE. 245 Doyenne Defiiis, P., B., H.— Me- dium size, melting, excellent. De- cember. Doyenne d'Ete, B., P., H.— Small, handsome, tlie best early pear ; best on the pear for a pyramid, on the quince a prolific and ornamental bush. July. Doyenne Gris, B., O. — Medium, very handsome, delicious, melting, November. Duchcsse D'Angoulome, P., II. — Very large and handsome, insipid from a wall ; forms a fine pyamid. November. Duchcsse d'Orlcans;, P., B.(Beurre St. Nicholas). — Large, delicious, fla- vour of Gansel's Bergamot. On the quince forms a prolific bush or pyra- mid of moderate growth ; on the pear is more robust and fruitful. November. Eyewood (Knight), P., B., H,— Medium, delicious, melting. On the pear it is vigorous and slow in bear- ing, and forms a large standard ; double-worked on the quince it forms a tolerable pyramid or bush. November. Eoudanto d'Automne, P., B,, H. — (Seigneur d'Esperen or Belle Lucra- tive).— Medium, delicious, melting; very ornamental pyramid. October. ForcUe or Trout, P., B., H.— Me- dium, a very handsome speckled pear, melting and good. Eorms a prolific bush or a pyramid of moderate growth. December. Glou Morceau, P., B., O., W.— Large, melting, delicious. Hardy in the southern counties, elsewhere re- quires a wall or to be grown in pots. This fine pear may be grown in pots, as recommended for the Easter Beurro. Gratioli of Jersey, B., H. — Large, melting, very sweet ; best as a busli. October. Huyshe's Bergamot, P., B., H. — A seedling from Marie Louise, melt- ing and fine. January. Huyshe's Victoria, P., B., H. — Hardy, molting. November, De- cember. Jargonelle, P., B., n. — Large, j uicy and agi-eeable ; oa the pear for large pyramids ; on tlie quince forms a pro- lific bush, in which form it requires care in shortening the shoots in June and July. August. Josephine de Malines, H. — Me- dium size, delicious melting pear, aromatic ; on tlie hawthorn it forms a spreading fruitful tree. Succeeds well on the quince, but does not form a handsome pyramid. As a bush or espalier it is very prolific. February to May. Louise Bonne of Jer.scy, P.,B.,H. — Large. Mr. llivers says, " Whea cultiv^ated on the quince stock, this is the most beautiful as well as the most delicious melting pear of the season. Every one possessing a garden of six square feet should plant a tree on the quince stock of this variety ; it forms a most ornamental pyramid and a compact fruitful bush." It is worthy of the orchard-house. October. Marie-Louise, or Marie-Louise Nouvelle, P., B., O., W.— Large, melt- ing, excellent ; on the pear forms a prolific pyramid, on the quince doic- hle-workecl a prolific bush. October, November. Monarch (Knight's), P., H.— Me- dium, excellent; forms a handsome pyramid on the pear. Deserves a wall, and may always be relied on. January till February. Ne plus Meuris, P.,H. — Medium, late melting, keeping till May ; best as a pyramid on the pear. March to April. Bequires a wall in bleak dis- tricts. It is remarkable that this pear, sent to the Horticultural Society many j^ears since from Belgium, is now quite unknown on the Continent. Passe Colmar, B., O., W.— Me- dium,melting, abundant bearer; forms a prolific bush ; requires a wall in cool climates. December and January. Peach, or Poire Poche, B., H. — ■ Medium, early melting, slight aroma, verv juicy; aprolificbush. September. Prince Albert, P.,B.,0.— Medium, late melting, like Beurre Ranee, but smaller ; deserves a wall in cool cli- mates. As a bush easily trained dis- taff fashion by pruning. March and April. Like the Conseiller de la Cour, this is a most vigorous grower on the quince, and requires auiuial removal at the end of October to make it fruit- ful, which is much preferable to the excessive summer pinching recom- 246 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. raeaded by foreign cultivators. It forms a charming pyramid, and de- serves tlie most extensive cultivation. Sackle, P., W., O.— Small, highly perfumed, melting, bears profusely as a pyramid on the pear. October. Suffolk Thorn, P., H.— Medium, melting, delicious aroma ; does not succeed on the quince, but forms a thorny, prolific pyramid on the pear. October. Thompson's, P.,II. — Medium size, delicious bigh-flavoured melting, suc- ceeds double-worked on the quince, and bears profusely, but is more healtby on the pear ; will succeed on a north wall. November. Urbaniste, or Louise d'Orleans, P. — Medium size, a delicious melting pear ; succeeds well on the quince, and forms a handsome pyramid. No- vember. Van Mons (Leonle Clerc), P.,W., O. — Large and long, melting and first- rate ; succeeds best on the pear. November. Willermoz (Van Mons), B., O. — Large, melting j a prolific bush. No- vember. Wmter Nelis, B., P., H.— Small, roundish, buttery and melting, ricb and aromatic. An abundant bearer and a beautiful bush. November to Februaiy. Yat, B., H. — Medium or large, a bardy Dutch pear, melting and juicy, highly perfumed, forms a prolific bush. September. Zspherin Gregoire, P. H. — Me- dium size, delicious ; succeeds best on the pear, and forms a beautiful pyramid. January and February. SIX DELICIOUS AND EELIABLE PEAKS FOK A SMALL GAEDEN. Marie-Louise, Winter Nelis, Jose- phine de Malines, Easter Beurre, Doyenne d'Ete, and Bon Chretien. SELECT PEAKS FOE 0KCHAKD3 AND WALLS. Aston Town, Autumn Bergamot, Beurre de Capiaumont, Beurre Bre- tonneau, for walls only, Beurre Lan- gelier, Beurre Wetteren, Beurre Win- ter, Bezy d'Esperen, Bishop's Thumb, Citron des Cannes, Colmar, for walls only, Crassane, for walls only. Doy- enne Robin, Doyenne White, Gi'osse Calebasse, Hacon's Incomparable, March Bergamot, Napoleon, Nouveau Poiteau, St. Germain, for walls only, St. Denis, Soldat d'Esperen, Swan's Egg, Susette de Bavay. SELECT NEW PEAES THAT MAY BE SAFELY ADDED TO GOOD COLLEC- TIONS. Agla e Gregoire, medium, March and April ; Colmar Delahaut, large, December to February ; Commissaire Delmotte, large, December and Ja- nuary ; De Lamartine, forms a band- some pyramid, medium, December ; Fondante de Comice, medium, Octo- ber ; Leon Gregoire, large, January and February ; Morel (Van Mons), medium, April and May ; Nouvelle Fulvie (Gregoire), large, January and February ; Parfum de Hose, small, November; Heine des Precoces, small, July ; Eousselon (Esperen), medium, February; Therese Kumps, grows freely on the quince, medium, November. BAKING AND STEWING PEAES. Many of these are best cultivated as espaliers on tbe quince. Black Worcester. — Very large ; keeps well. Bellisime d'Hiver. — Lai'ge, hand- some, good ; forms on the quince a compact, cypress - like pyramid, April. Catillac. — Very large. February. Crassane d'Hiver (Bruneau).— Medium size, high flavoured and half- melting. Leon le Clerc de Laval. — Large, liandsome, often half-melting, and in June may be used as a dessert pear ; forms a prolific bush on the quince ; deserves a wall in cool climates. April to June. Poire d'Avril. — Large, juicy ; often used as a dessert pear ; forms a diffuse pyramid and prolific bush. April. Summer Compote. — Large ; a summer baking pear ; a great bearer ; forms a prolific bush. Uvedale's St. Germain. — A^ery large ; often weighing two pounds and THE FLOfiAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 247 upwards, when grown on awall; forms a prolific bush or espalier. May. Verulam, or Spring Beurre. — Large, juicy ; in some seasons Lalf- meltiag, and a tolerable dessert pear ; a most abundant bearer ; known in Suffolk as Black Beurre. February and March. Yicar of Winkfield. — Large, very handsome. December and January. The three best baking and stew- ing pears are Catillac, Vicar of Wink- field, and Sammer Compote. HAEDY PEARS SUITABLE FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND. Alexandre Lambre, Bergamot, G-ansel's Late ; Beurre d'Amanlis, Beurre, Hardy ; Beurre Nantais, Beurre Superfiu, Bon Chretine (Wil- liams's), Calebasse d'Ete, Colmar d'Ete, Citron des Carmes, Doyenne Defais, Doyenne de Comice, Doyenne Boussoch, Fondante d'Automne, G-ra- tiola, Hessle, Jargonelle, Jersey, Louise of Bonne Jersey, Thompson's. EOSES FOR THE VICINITY OF TOWNS. The season being nearly at an end, I am able to offer a few remarks for comparison with the results of the experience of fellow suburban amateurs. I do not know how ^it may have been with others, but with me the autumnal blooming of the hybrid per- petuals has been very unsatisfactory. Many of the most noted varieties have been blind in their second growth, though the plants are fine, and in apparently robust health. When I mention such names as Alexieff, Vidot, d'Angleterre, Bachmeteff, Patrizzi, and many of like standing, it would appear that sorts have little to do with it; and, from what I have seen elsewhere, I am in- clined to believe the weather has not been auspicious for autumn blooms. Never- theless, I feel strongly disposed another season to substitute hardy Teas for all the varieties that do not give a free suc- cession of flowers, and I think tliat with care many v/ould do in the outskirts of town. The roses which I have found tlie best &va, facile princeps, S. do la Malmaison, and Gloire de Dijon. These could not be bet- ter, having bloomed profusely, excellent in size and colour, and are still full of buds. I would especially recommend them to amatem's. TeaDevoniensis, C. Mrs.Bosan- quet, British Queen are also beautiful and free. It will be observed these are all light colours. Among the hybrid per- petual?, which have done very well, I can only enumerate the following out of forty- five or fifcy sorts : — Jules Margottin, the General, the Geant, Madame Domage, Prince Leon, Triomphe des Beaux Arts, and William Jesse. I would also advise my fellow-ama- teurs, who have only room for a few dozen plants, and who wish to have roses till the frost cuts them off, to visit the neigh- bouring nurseries v/^liere they are grown, and mark the varieties now in bloom. Those which only flower through the sum- mer are almost useless where space is limited. Wlien at Messrs. Eraser's, Lea Bridge Road, a few days ago, I found few hybrid perpetuals in bloom besides V. Ver- dier and Marie Portemer, and their rose- grower (an intelligent young man whose advice is worth taking) informs me they are excellent autumn bloomers, and upon his recommendation I have added them to my stock. While upon the subject, at the risk of being considered heterodox, I cannot resist making a few remarks upon the newer roses. I would go into them individually, but I fear your space would not be equal to the task. Of all the number introduced under the most flaming descriptions in the catalogues, there are not more than some dozen which are improvements or novel- ties. Their general tendency is towards a loose; flimsy, semi-double character, with a staring yellow eye, and a total deficiency of that close, even, symmetrical form which is the true merit of a really good flower. These faults are not so apparent when drawn together in threes, and their real viciousness concealed. For myself, I will buy no more without having seen them growing in the neighbourhood where I may be, and during the various seasons of the year. I have no doubt if a prize were offered at the next National Rose Show " for a collection of the older varieties," say none later than 1855, that many now out of general cultivation would again come into fashion, from their undoubted superiority to newer rivals, introduced more for the 218 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. benefit of tlie " dealers" than the advan- tage of the amateur, or the advancement of the most beautiful of flowers. Prior. Romerton, Oct. ll/A, 1861. [Weliaveliad few autumn roses at Stoke Newinjjton; there are more coming now (Oct. 26) tlian since July. Our i)lants of i N. Conielic, IL T. Geant, and IL P. | Prince Leon, are covered with fine blooms, I •which the first frost will destroy. At pp. 162-3 of this year's issue, we describe the few new roses we could recommend. Of Reine des Violettes we were then in doubt ; we can now clear np that point by pronouncing it utterly unworthy of cul- ture. The figure of it in Verschaffelt's L' III usi ration was an artist's exaggei'a,- tion. — Ed.] THE BOILER OP THE WALTONIAN CASE. Numerous applications have been made to us for a sectional diagram of the boiler of theWaltonian. It was described not long since, by a learned writer, as an ex- traordinary piece of mechanism, "as com- plicated as a Geneva watch." This gentle- man's knowledge of the subject may be determined by the subjoined cuts ; the boiler IS perhaps the simplest thing of the kaid imaginable. We cut open a case and small escape pipe, one inch in diameter, formed of lead, to which is attached the tin or zinc chimney or fine. This outer case, in ■which the heat from the lamp ciiculates, is twenty inches by thirteen inches, and two inches deep. The inner case, B, is a simple trough formed of sheet zinc, turned np at the edges and kept at its proper distance from the bottom of the outer case by means of four short legs or sent the boiler to the engraver, for the double purpose of completing the descrip- tions that have appeared in the Floral AVoRLD, and to inform the writer just referred to that there are " more things in heaven or earth than are dreamt of in his philosophy." The boiler is constructed of stout zinc, and is attached to the large zinc tray on which the bed of sand is laid. It consists of A, an outer case, with orifice near the front, three inches in diameter, for the entrance of the hot air from the flame of lamp or candle. On the side corresponding to the back of the case is a rests, one inch in length, formed by zinc bent into tubes ; thus the boiler proper is three quarters of an inch deep. As this short description contains a personal allusion I here sign my name. Shirley Hibbebd. RiiOT)ODENr>Rox DAnuRicuM. — A large plant of this rhododendron, in the garden of JEiss Mercer, Uushy Vili.a, Teddington, is now in (iiio bloom, and in Hampton Court Gardens one of the sanie species is coming into bloom. 249 MR. PEAESON ON OECHARD-HOrSES. There are but few gardens of any preten- sions in which these structures liave not now acquired a permanent place. But many changes have taken place in the system of orchard-house construction and management, as first proposed by Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgewoi-th. Indeed, the visitor to the extensive and interesting nurseries of Mr. Rivers, is sure to suffer disappointment in his first inspection of tlie structures of wliich he has heard so much. From the various incidental remarks of Mr. Rivers, in his excellent and amusing book about the charming spectacle of trees arching over the central walks, and form- ing avenues of branches laden with flowers or fruit, and *he delightful recreation to be found in the culture of potted trees, the visitor anticipates an induction to fairy- land, and is rather startled on lirst finding liimself amidst a number of rough sheds, with glass roofs, and his preconceived no- tions of the elegance of Mr. Rivers's ar- rangements are dissipated for ever. Tlie very first modification of Mr. Rivers's plan ■was the construction of more substantial houses than he recommended. If a lady or gentleman is to follow the recommenda- tion of Mr. Rivers for purposes of recrea- tion, the end can scarcely be attained with <,he sort of structures that look as if a smart gale would blow them to pieces, and hence the rougli boarding and larch poles have given place to substantial walls to re- ceive the sills, and to ventilators more thoroughly controllable than cracks in the wood-work caused by the heat of the sun. But how do these rougli slied-like houses serve their intended purpose ? We must answer, very inefficiently'. They are as bad for use as they are ugly in appearance, and the many complaints that amateurs and gardeners make of the failure of their crops are due, in a great measure, to the very rough nature of the constructions ■which have been erected by thousands on the cheap plan proposed by Mr. Rivers, ■who is himself unable to succeed with cer- tain of the more tender varieties of peaches and apricots. Mr. Rivers is, in fact, too much enamoured of our east winds. Ho knows, as we all do, that in the native countries of the peach the winters ai-e severe, and at the? season when tlie trees are in bloom, they are subject to the in- fluence of dry cold winds. Hence, Mr. Rivers proceeds on the supposition that the more the wind whistles through an ■orchard-house during March and April Ihe better, forgetting that the peaches and apricots we cultivate are mostly garden varieties, superior to the original species size, flavour, and texture, and possibly some degrees more tender in constitution. But even if it be proved that our most esteemed peaches and nectarines are not a whit more tender than the species from which they have originated, it does not follow that our cruel and remorseless cast winds are identical In character with those .tluit blow over the sands of Persia and ■through the flowery valleys of Armenia, Tliat point, indeed, is not worth determin- ing. Experience at home will be our best teacher, and when Mr. Rivers gives a list of peaches that have fixiled with him, we do not hesitate to attribute the failure to the falsity of his theory, and fur this rea- son, that In well-built houses we have seen the same varieties loaded witli the finest possible fruit. We are deeply indebted to this father of British pomology /or his eminent services as a propounder of plans and a raiser of new varieties, but we must take exceptions to his cheap boarded shan- ties as unfit for a respectable garden, as too cold and draughty for the trees they are intended to shelter, and as, upon his own showing, having failed to fulfil their intended purpose even in his own hands. But we are no longer shut up to Mr. Rivers and his book. Mr. Pearson of Chilwell, has become a formidable compe- titor by the publication of his work " On the Construction and Management of Or- chard-houses " (Virtue), and his first pro- position is to substitute for the orio-inal structures of shrinking boards, side walls of brick, as better adapted to the comfort of the trees, and the gardener who attends to them. Mr. Rivers proposes to expend on covering 2400 square feet of ground the sum of £140, and the result wiU be aii unsightly structure that a lady will not care to own, and a gentleman avIU always be half ashamed of ; besides that, the trees in it will be aired a vast deal too much while the nipping east wind is in full force for weeks together. For an outlay of ^230 Mr. Pearson proposes to cover 2700 square feet on eighteen inches ofbrick-work above the surface, the walks paved witli black and buff quarries, the bricks laid in Port- land cement, and the whole finished in a style fit for any garden. We are only at the beginning of or- chard-houses yet. The wonders that have been accomplished by their means already suggest how much more will be done hereafter. Instead of occasional crops of M 2 250 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. peaches from walls, good management will insure them every year in these cheap structures, for they may still be cheaply built, though substantial, those of Mr. Pearson's costing only Is. 8c?. per square foot of ground covered. They afford the most perfect facilities for effectually ripen- ing the wood, the most important operation in the whole routine of management, and they also allow of artificial fertilization, which Mr. Pearson insists is essential to the production of a fair crop. Let him on this subject explain himself: — " Most persons know that the farina or pollen of the stamens must come in contact with the pistil, if perfect fruit is to be pro- duced. To this end Providence has placed honey in the nectaries of flowers, as an attraction to bees and other insects, whicli, in buzzing about, distribute the pollen. A moment's consideration of this subject will explain the cause of many failures. Of course the farina cannot fly, if not in a dry state. A damp atmospliere, therefore, tends to prevent the setting of fruit. It will be an advantage to have your plants in bloom, when there is a chance of the weather being warm enough to allow of ventilation, and the assistance of bees to fertilize the flowers. The span-roofed houses affording the means of ventilation near the ground on both sides, the whole length of the house is much superior to the ugly glazed sheds, called lean-to houses, generally built. "If orchard-house trees are in good health, and the weather be warm when they are in bloom, and bees in abundance, they will probably set three times the fruit they can bring to perfection; but as it is better to leave nothing undone to in- sure success, we always fertilize the flowers hy toucliing them with a camel-hair pencil, in the middle of a warm sunny day. It takes bixt a very short time to go over every plant in a large house. It is the opinion of many besides Dr. Darwin, that not only is the pollen of some varieties of a species stronger than others, but that when applied to a different plant or variety, it is more eflicacious. In using a perfectly dry camel-hair pencil, it will be found that though the farina of each bloom may be distributed, but little can be carried away by the brush. Let us, then, take a lesson from Natiare. Pull off a bloom and open it lengthwise, and it will be found stickj' with honej- in the in-=ide ; insert the brush, and it will then, when afterwards iised, be soon covered with pollen, and you will thus cross variety with variety. If the petals soon begin to drop and leave the base of the flowers attached to the tree, you have beeu successful, and may hope for a crop. I have been thus explicit, be- cause aware that this is a matter of im- portance, and often neglected." There is another point on which we believe experience will prove Mr. Rivers to be wrong, and that is, keeping trees in the same pots for several years. Mr. Peai'son does not find fault with this prac- tice. He says, "I have seen trees which have never been repotted, but only top- dressed for nine years, and which are as healthy as ever." We have seen the same thing, and have trees that have never been shifted for as long a period, and which are still healthy and fruitful ; they are of course assisted with top-dressings of fresh loam and dung. But we fully believe that an annual repotting will pay for the trouble ; we never yet shook a tree out and repotted it in fresh stuff, even if in the same pot, without being satisfied that the practice was a good one, and very little more labour than the necessary top- dressing. We accumulate all the rough " core" produced in making fine composts in heaps, which, by the end of the season, are sufficient for the purpose. These heaps consist of nodules of chippy dung, lumps of clay, loam and turf, pebbles, crocks, and the coarser parts of charred rubbish. There could not be a better mixture for the pur- pose, and that the trees like it is evident by the style of growth and fruiting. Let those who are satisfied with keeping trees in the same pots for several years with the assistance only of top-dressing continue in the practice, but we would suggest to those who are dissatisfied with the growth of their trees to adopt the plan of turning them oiit at the end of October, and re- potting in fresh stufl'; the roots need not be cut about, but may be slightly re- duced, and the same pots used again : the result will be a production of an abund- ance of new fibres which will invigorate the trees, and probably contribute to im- prove the quality, if it does not increase the quantity of the fruit. That trees so manured will live as long as trees on walls, cannot be doubted. Mr. Pearson says : " My belief is, that the average life of orchard-house trees will be greater than those trained on open walls, subject as these latter are to so many injurious in- fluences. The orange has long been cul- tivated in pots and tubs, and trees are in existence, in perfect health, hundreds of years old, as all know who have visited Versailles. As an experiment, and to show what might be done with a peach-tree, I had a small plant of Royal George peach potted in what is called a two-quart pot ; THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 251 it was uofc allowed to root through the bottom, and it was well fed by manure water ; thirteen peaches were ripened, and these were amongst the best fruit in the house. Early in the autumn, before it shed its leaves, it was taken up, all the earth shaken from its roots, and placed again in the same pot, and it has now seven fine peaches on it. The plant has only three small shoots, is about eighteen inches in height, and is in better health than last year.'' No doubt we shall continue to bear of failures in orchard-house management, and such samples of their produce as the mi- serable specimens exhibited at the last Crystal Palace Show may deter many for a time from entering on this delightful department of practical horticulture. But the oi'chard-house is too well established to need rindication, and there will always be examples of failure in this, as in every other department of the science. Abundant ventilation, subject to perfect control, the judicious use of liquid manure while the fruit is swelling, and impregnation of the blossoms, are leading points of manage- ment, which we hope all adherents to the system will keep in mind, that the proba- bilities of failure may be lessened, and the system brought to its highest possible position of practical perfection. ON THE PEESERVATION OE GEEENHOUSE PLANTS IN AVINTEE. It is only under fortuitous circumstances that man can possess and enjoy the sweets and pleasures of life, without first incur- ring the labours and cares by which, and through which, such are to be obtained. If a man will have fame he must labour to obtain it — if he will be rich he must not sit idle — if he should be born to possessions he will not be exempt from the care of preserving them from encroachment ; so it is witli those who would enjoy a garden and flowers; they must rear them, and tend them, and preserve them during the winter from the encroachment of enemies, to which they are subject to fall a prey, if uncared for ; these are frost and damp, to which we may add drought and darkness, the two former being far more destructive to the majority of plants tlian the two latter, the last-named being so only when in an excessive degree, that is to say, to plants in a state of rest during the winter months. In order, then, to assist our readers with hints for the preservation of their plants from the above-named ene- mies, it will be well to classify some of the more common and generally cultivated greenhouse and bedding plants, leaving them to modify the instructions according to their means of carrying them out, for, in order to accommodate the number and various habits and characters of what we now cultivate as beddiiuj and greenhouse plants, many imprumptu situations mny be made temporaril3- available as auxiliary to the greenhouse or pit. As the greenhouse will probably be gay with ericas, camellias, cinerarias, violets, cyclamens, lachenalia, chrysanthemumSjCorreas, Primula sinensis, tree carnations, mignonette, etc., with which must be associated other plants in free growth, or approaching a flowering state, as tropseolums, acacia, daphne, cytisus, vero- nica, chorozema, azalea, etc., all of which will require all the light the dull days of winter will afford, with a temperature from 5^ to 15^ above the freezing-point, also, a moderate amount of water at the root, but none overhead. It will also be necessary, in dull weather, to sometimes make a fire to dry up damp, in order that the tiowei's may not become mouldy ; ob- serve, however, to give air at the top of the house at the same time. In frosty weather use fire as sparingly as is con- sistent with keeping the frost out, other- wise plants may become drawn. We are supposing that a pit is at hand for the per- servation of the store plants for the flower garden, such as verbena, petunia, young geraniums, etc., which are first struck off and hardened for a few weeks under a south wall ; if not, a few shelves may be placed upon brackets, or suspended from the roof rafters, a few inches from the glass, for their accomodation during the v;inter, and in summer may be taken down and stored away. Most of the geraniums in such a situation would stand almost through the winter without water ; but other things must be fi-equently examined, especially if standing thickly in their pots, to see tliat they do not suffer for want of water. The herbaceous calceolarias and the fancy geraniums will also do well upon sitch a shelf, but the former must some- times be sprinkled over their foliage, as they do not prosper so well in any situa- tion as a cool pit. But to follow out our supposition that a pit of some kind is at 252 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. hand, if only a turf pit, made of peat sods, with loaterproof lights, and a good dry drainage at bottom, which may be effected by filling in with a few inches of broken bricks, charcoal, or dry cinder- ashes, or small coke, on which to place the pots containing the cuttings. In such a structure the great enemy to combat is damp. Let, then, the lights be tilted every fine day. Frequently look for damp or decayed leaves. If any plant requires, take it out to water, and keep it out until the surplus water is drained from it. Should any worms be seen to work in any of the pots, lose no time in turning out the plant to find them, as they obstruct the drainage and sour the soil ; and should the mildew appear in the form of white spots upon the foliage or stems of the plants, be also equally expeditious in dust- ing a pinch of sulphur over the infected plant. In frosty weather make sure by dry coverings to exclude frost; but should any doubt exist on that head when the frost leaves us, be in no haste to expose the plants to light ; it is much safer to give air by degrees before stripping off the covering, as plants will recover from the effect of slight frosting whilst kept in the dark, whilst one gleam of sunshine w^uld be fatal. Having disposed of the flower- ing and growing plants in the greenhouse, and the young stock, either in a pit or upon shelves, there remain two other classes of plnnts to provide for, namely, the greenhouse plants for a state of rest, with which we shall associate large plants used in flower-garden decoration, and plants requiring a little warmth to bring out their flowers before carried to the greenhouse. Tlie former of these may be kept under any temporary shelter until the very verge of winter, such as an open she'd, in front of which may be suspended mats, tarpaulings, etc. ; but the cultivator must, at the same time, be prepared with the means of protection ready at any mo- ment tliat serious frost sets in, and, as every place oft'era some special and distinct means, differing from another, we can only offer general hints, leaving the details to circumstances. A shed, or outhou.sc, with close-fUtiiir/ doors and windows, especially if built with liollow walls, and having reed or some other non-conducting substance for a roof, would protect many plants for a considerable period, and this would be, in a great measure, according to the degree of light it admitted. In mild weather the doors and windows might be thrown open, and in frosty weather a small stove or fireplace might be used with moderation, though, of course, the plants would be best without it, if the entrance of frost can be otherwise prevented ; or part of a stable, or loft over a stable, where there is con- siderable warmth below, might, by the assistauce of short, dry hay, placed be- tween the pots and plants, be made avail- able for the purpose. The plants which it is possible to keep by such means are old fuchsias, hydrangeas, Brugmansias, myr- tles, tea roses, agave, agapanthus, old scarlet and other geraniums, in pots, vases, or fancy boxes ; also the old plants taken from the border.', and packed thickly in pots or boxes to be potted off in spring. These latter should be taken in before frost strikes the bark of the stem, and all leaves larger than a half-crown should be cut off, with all straggling slioots. Fuchsias should be left unpruned until the approach of spring. Myrtles or neriums should be kept from dessication by small allowances of water occasionally, if required. De- ciduous plants and geraniums will scarcely require it. The other class of plants I have alluded to are such as require a closer atmosphere than that of the greenhouse, with, if possible, a little bottom-heat, in order to bring them into proper trim for taking their place in the greenhouse or drawing-room flower-stand, for the earlier these can be had in flower the more will they be appreciated. They consist of all the sorts of Dutch bulbs, Dielytra specta- bilis, Lily of the Vallej', musk, roses, Deutzia gracilis, or any varieties of hardy shrubs, that may have received proper treatment during the past summer to fit them for a slight forcing. These, of course, can be brought to perfection at almost any period of the winter, where a proper forcing pit exists ; but, supposing that we are writing for those with limited means only, we will presume that a melon-pit only is available, without hot-water or flues to heat it; as soon, then, as sufficient leaves can be obtained to half fill it, or, indeed, as they are gathered, they may be put in, and, being protected from Avet by the lights, will sooner commence to heat; these will afford bottom-heat, and assist also the atmospheric heat ; the rest must be secured by shutting up the solar rays, when they can be caught, and by the ap- plication of linings of leaves and dung outside the pit. Air, however, must be given in the forenoon of fine days, shutting up enrly, so as to secure all the warmth possible in the afternoom. Tiie rising of the temperature from the sun's rays after it has passed the meridian, may be safely indulged in, but mischief may arise from the same course before that time, if air is not given. In frosty weather straw or refuse THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 253 hay may be piled against the pit walls, and a covering of hay and mats over the glass. As the plants approach a flowering state they may be removed to the sitting-rooms or greenhouse ; and if the pit is not re- quired very early for cucumbers or melons, some of the bedding plants may be intro- duced, to afford cuttings ; or some of the plants from the loft, shed, or outhouse, may be exhumed from their hiding-place, and her 3 receive rather better treatment. H. HOWLEIT. GTJMMINQ OF rEUIT TREES. Many of your readers owe you their gra- titude, I hope not their pence as well,* for your articles on " Profitable Gardening." The pleasure of a hobby is always greater when it pays. The garden is a hobby to many, but when we find, from day to day, it is all going out and nothing coming in, we poor people cannot stand it. This need no longer be the case, for the Floral Wobld shows how to make it pay. '> Well," you will say, " what is all this about ?" I will tell you, sir*. You have now began ' Fruit Culture', and I have got a wrinkle quite at your service. I have tried it, sir, for three years and never once failed. I can, if necessary, bring some of the first gardeners in the country to stand godfather to my plan, though it ain't my men child, but one I took to young, that is, when it was joung, not me ; and now witli your help we will set him up in life, and let him try his own fortune, he will soon have a very large connection. This is, if ever he gets into the Floral World, and I hope he will, and then if he behaves well, all will patronize him. Great difficulty is found in preventing the stone fruit-trees from "gumming" when cut. They gum and bleed so much, that often a very bad case is lot alone from fear of the remedy being worse than the com- plaint. A gardener cannot always have pots and pans containing one solution and another in his hand, even if such would stop the gumming, which many won't do, If when a tree be cut the edge of the cut be bevelled off, or rounded, the tree will ^^^^ not bleed, no matter what time of the year it be cut. Fig, a is the common cut, and it will bleed ; Fig, b is my child, and it won't bleed. The bark is cut off as a shoe- maker makes a thick sole look like a thin one. Now this is simple enough, if not I'll try again, but remember this is the true cut and fit. I have tried on branches two inches thick at the spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and have never had gumming. Peaches, jilums, cherries, etc., etc., are all safe with this plan. A. A NOTE ON PLANTING SHEUBBERIES, The last two winters having so thoroughly proved what shrubs may be relied on as hardy and fit for permanent effect, it behoves planters to make notes of such, and to use them in future rather than the • No, our subscriptions are received in ad- vance , — Ed . more doubtful ones. The common laurel, though cheerful-looking, cheap, and very extensively planted, has proved to be much less hardy than others which may be had equally cheap. For instance, the Berberis aquifolium will prove a mucli better thing for covering the ground between the more 254> THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. iree~ltJce shrubs than the common laurel, as it is dwarf and spreading, of a fine dark glossy green, forming a much more agree- able repose for the eye than the laurel. Seedlings of it may be bought by the thou- sand, and if planted thickly between the shmbs which are intended to stand as specimens, will not encroach U2)on them as laurels sometimes do. Hollies, laurestlnus, Portugal laurel, phillyrea, and evergreen oak have proved too tender for the climate of Norfolk ; whilst all the varieties of Arbor vitas, juniperus, yew, box, Cupressus, and most of the cheap and well-known coniferas, have stood unharmed. Many other of the newer and more expensive evergreens have also been reported hardy by Mr.Hibberd and others, to whose articles tlie reader may refer if he wislies to add to the above list, my present purpose being more particularly to recommend the use of the Berberis aquifolium in the room of the laurel. H. Howlett. GAEDEN AND GEEENHOFSE WOEK EOE NOVEMBEE. AuKicuLAS to be placed in their winter quarters, be kept clean, and have plenty of air. Bulbs not yet planted to be got in without delay ; the soil to be in good tilth, and well manured. Camellias are now in fine bloom in many places, and only need moderate pro- tection to keep them gay. But as they are not yet wanted, those showing colour must be retarded as much as possible to keej) them back till the chrysanthemums are over. Chrysanthemums to have plenty of water, and no more liquid manure. By keeping the backward plants out to the latest moment which it is safe to do so, they will come in usefully as a succession to keep the conservatory gay till after Christmas. CiNEBAP.iAS coming forward must have attention, or some may be lost through damp. Give plenty of air, and place the forwardest in the house near the glass. Dahlias to be stored safe from frost and damp. Be sure the roots are correctly talli> d. i^ Evergreens to be planted should be got in at once, before planting deciduoiis trees, as it is now full late for them. Fuchsias done blooming to be left out as long as possible, to harden the wood, and those for specimens next year to be started gently as soon as they have shaken ofi" their leaves, preparatory to repotting in a month's time. Standards must be kept slightly on the move all winter to make sure of them. Geraniums potted from the borders to be pruned in, but not severely, suflEicient only to remove the soft sappy growth, as severe pruning would cause them to grow again too quickly. Those for special pur- poses and for early bloom should be cut in close, and put in bottom -heat for a month. Hardy trees of all l^inds may now be replanted ; and in ordering fruit-trees, re- member the first customers have the first pick of straight stem and good heads ; there is nothing gained by delay. The places where trees are to be planted should be deeply stirred as soon as vacant to air the soil before planting. Kitchen Garden will need frequent clearing of dead leaves and rubbish, and the more frequently the soil can be turned vsfhile unoccupied the better. Eose stocks to be planted at once. Reject all the gray hard-bai-ked briars ; the best are those witli formidable spines and a greenish bark. Scarlet salvias may be kept in bloom a considerable length of time, in a warm light place in the conservatory, especially if rather pot-bound, and kept in vigour with manure water. Vines breaking to have air cautiously, as a chill may result in disease of some kind hereafter. If red spider appears on vines planted inside, give the roots a libeial wa- tering, in addition to the other means of eradication, a vigorous growth will pi"ove as powerful a preventive as any special applications of Gishurst, etc. ] Violets potted now, by taking up strong runners, will bloom early, and be of service. Use plenty of charred rubbish to lighten the compost, which should be rich. Wall trees to be pruned, and as much good wood as possible laid in. 255 TO CORRESPONDENTS. Books and Catalogues. — The " Garden Obaclb" for 1862, is now ready ; it is a full review of the progress of horticulture during the past year, and contains descriptions of, and cultural directions for, 365 window plants, clas- sified so as to indicate at once theii' suitableness for every class, from the cottage to the palace. The descriptive list of New Plants comprises everytliiutf worthy of record, introduced during theypar; the lists of Plants, Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables for general use and exhibition, have all been carefully revised, and the old and cheap varieties are classed apart from the new ones, for the guidance of purchasers according to their means. Mr. Tegetmeier has con- tributed a paper on Bee-hives ; showing how the amateur may construct for himself, at a triilmg cost, the best wooden boxes for the depriving system ; and there are, in addition, notes on curious, interesting, and useful plants for botanical collectors and gardening ama- teurs. The four volumes of this work con- tain a mass of information as valuable now as when they were first issued ; and as they have all been reprinted, those who possess only one or two may complete their sets and bind them together for perusal and reference. — "Marvels of Pond Life, by H. G. Slack, F.G.S. Grpombridge and Sons." A delightful series of pictorial and literary sketches of the microscopic plants ;md animals commonly found in ponds and brooks. As a text-book for the use of the microscope, and a guide to the selec- tion of objects, it is the best work of the kind we have yet seen ; too many such books are mere compilations ; this is the production of a master of the instrument, and a thorough cul- tivator of microscopic science. — " Chater's Catalogue of Hollyhocks for 1863," is ar- ranged on a new plan, so as to classify the varieties according to colour, height, price, and quality. It comprises the best new and old hollyhocks grown at the nurseries. Saffron Walden. — " Wra. Paul's Catalogue of Hoses grown at the Nurseries, Waltham Cross," will be useful to intending planters, as the varie- ties are faithfully de-cribed ; only the best of the new ones ai-e entered. Names of Plants. — Quiz. — Tour first is Eho- danthe Manglesii, not " an eatable passion flower," but a greenhouse composite-flowered annual, of slender growth and very pi-etty, to be grown in the same way as an aster. Your second, " Strapiolum tripeolura," we never heard of before, and never expect to hear of again. Is it a tropseolum? If so you will find plenty of information about it in former volumes. New Garden. — D>: Tf'., Maidstone. — You will see that your wants have been anticipated. As to planting the trees on stations, that must depend entirely on the nature of the ground. If a " loam ten feet deep," and lying high and dry, then to adopt stations would be waste of money ; if the subsoil is gravelly, or wet, or a cold clay, then stations will well repay their first cost. We do not recommend nurserymen ; those who advertise in the Floral World, may be depended on to supply whatever you want. One general recommendation we offer to all our readers, is to deal with the nurserymen in their own locality, if ijossible, as they are liliely to know best what suits the district, and the goods can be seen before they are purchased. Tariotjs. — J. It. — Two parcels safe, thanks for them. Strange ; the geranium truss was bo far gone that we could not get the last bud to open, but from a few withered petals, we take it to be Crimson minimum Nosegay. — W. B. — Owing to the author's heavy pressure of engagements of late, " Brambles and Bay Leaves" has been delayed. It will be ready about the middle of the month. — Ciuts.— You may obtain the infor- mation you require, by stating your wants to Mr. Chitty, of Stamford HiU. We quite sym- pathize with you. — Polly.— Gras tar is the cheapest, and serves the purpose as well as the other ; but either will do.— -K. Z. — No ; we destroy all anonymous letters as soon as an- swered ; letters with real names and addresses we file, in case of requiring to refer to them. — W. TK.— The department of study you are in- terested in, is fully treated in "Recreative Science," in which, for eightpenoe a month, you may obtain information of the progress of every department of science, microscopic botany and entomology included. Old Garden. — A. C. S.—lt will be hard work for you 10 bring such a place into decent order, but take the bull by the horns, persevere, and you will be sure to conquer. As for the old fruit-bushes, if they ai-e smothered with bear- bine, root them up and burn them. In fact, destroy and burn whatever has become so bad through neglect that recovery is doubtful. The apple-trees and roses will probably pay for restoration, the filberts will not. The straw- berries you may replant by cutting strips hke turf, and the site chosen for the new planta- tion should be trenched two spits deep, and dressed with the charrings, of which you will have plenty. In February next, top-dress them with half-rotten dung, lightly forked in be- tween the rows. Keep the vines ; pruning and cleaning will render them fruitful. It will be quicker and cheaper work to reduce the place as speedily as possible to the condition of maiden ground, excepting such few thintjs as there is a fair prospect of recovering. A labourer can trench it over, and lay up in ridj^es to the frost, and with liberal manuring you may secure abundance of vegetables next summer to compensate far having to wait for other crops. Wo have had to deal with many such a piece of ground, and have generally found it the cheapest course in the end to clear it, prairie fashion, by fire. We once struggled for three years with a quarter of bush -fruits, wrdch a previous tenant had allowed to run unpruned for years, eaten up with bear-bine. At last we turned them out, and made a sepulchral pyre of them, and that piece is now covered with a beautiful lot of dwarf bushes, all from cuttmgs of the trees destroyed, and not a weed to be seen. As you have been a reader of Ploeal World, you will know how to go to work in earthworks and planting. Intlie Nos. for Jan., Feb., and April, 1858 (Vol. i. pp. 18, 42, 78), are some instructions on the restoration of old gai'dens which exactly meet your case, and you wiU be sure to derive from the perusal of them some suggestions that will be of value. EosES. — O.IV.F.H. — As you have only a pit to win- ter them in keep them in the thumbs, and pack them to the rims of the pots in coal ashes. AVe have made notes on all the new roses, as you will see. — Tyro. — As you can winter yours in the greenhouse, shift them at once into sixties, and use sandy peat and turf rather rough, without dung. This will cause them to form fine masses of roots, whereas dung now would render them too sappy. Propagating Case. — K, Z. would greatly oblige 256 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. many readers by furnishing a front view or section of the case at work, bo as to show the escape of smoke from the lamp. Also would his tinman siipply a few lamps of the same make, which the Kditor would receive, pay for, and distribute to readers who are not so fortu- nate in securing the fulfilment of their wishes. Will he render his description additionally valuable by giving particulars of the form and make of the boiler, its depth, capacity, etc. Lobelia fulgens.— G. V. — If your plants are in the open ground, take them up and pot them in good fuchsia compost, with plenty of drain- age. Keep them in a pit or greenhouse all winter. They must never go quite dry, as they are naturally marsh-growing plants. In spring, when they begin to grow, divide them, and pot afresh in very rich compost, and encourage growth with extra warmth and moisture, and either shift as they require it, or turn them out in rich soil in June. ClNEKAEIA MAIilTIMA AND CERASTItJM. — B. U. — Cineraria maritima is a hardy plant, and on elevated jiositions, where the soil is chalky, it will survive the winter. But in gardens it is generallytakeuup and potted, ^\ithUbcral drain- age, and may be wintered in a frame or pit. It may be propagated either by seeds or cut- tings. The cuttings do not root quickly, but if a thousand were put in there would not be the loss of one, if in three parts sand, and only kept moderately moist. We propagate it all seasons without bottom-heat, but in Ai^ril is the best time for novices. Cerastium tomen- tosum may remain out all winter, and be taken up in the spring and divided. If wanted in quantities, the young lops may be struck either with or without the help of heat. EosKS. — W. D. P. — Felicite perpetuelle, and all other climbing roses, should be cut down close in Februarj', so as to obtain a new and strong growth from the stool every year, for the first three years after planting. They will throw up stronger and plumper shoots every time ; after that the growth only need be regulated by cut- ting out thin weak spray, and occasionally removing an entire rod, to make way for a new one. Lay on plenty of manure at pruning time, and fork a little in about the roots. For the communication, thauks. HBKBACEOtJS Flowehs. — 4. jT.— Atpp. 103, 137, and 161 of the Feoeal Woeld for 1859, is a complete list of hardy herbaceous flowers, from which you can select with very little trou- ble. In the" Gaeden Oracle for 1862 is a list of 365 choice window flowers, which we are vain enough to think worth more than the shilling charged for the book. We cannot now give the list you ask for but will tile your letter, and think about it. JusTiTiA caknea, Eochea, and Spabaxis. — C.J.X— This is a sfove plant, and to make much of it in a greenhouse requires consider- able skill. They must have liberal culture or they will not flower, but in a starved state, and at too low a temperature, they keep green and look healthy. We did not advise it for a cool house, and never included it among the plants i-uitable for amateurs. Nevertheless, its pecu- liarities may be accommodated with small means. We' have just seen three fine plants of Justitia coccinea that were cuttings last Feb- ruary. They were rooted in a cucuinber-pit, potted in thumbs in peat and put in a green- house where tire s only used to keep frost out. They had three s hifts'up to August, to sixties, iheu to forty-eights, and last into seven-inch pots, the soil being lumpy peat, half-rotten dung, and loam, aboutequal parts. They are now show- ing bloom all over, and only need a little more of the same care to be fine specimens in February. The house is a lean-to, and one of the hottest places all summer imaginable. These Justitias were roasted with sun-heat, and kept from shrivelhng by shading, syringing, and plenty of water. Bochea falcaia requires a warm green- house, soil broken bricks, sandy peat, and dung, equal parts, plenty of water and full sun all summer, and not a drop of water all winter. Sparaxis will bloom to perfection in pots, grow the same as Ixias, in rough peat, with a little sand, and old sweet leaf-mould, say two-thirds peat. They are nearly hardy, and will do very well in a warm, dry border. When in pots they should be kept cool, but safe from frost, hence a pit is the best place for them. See Flokal Wokld, 1859, p. 226. Thelovely Hoya bella will do in any warm, airy greenhouse, i in winter never lower than 4(J^, but 50' is a safer minimum. During hot sunshine, shade and in repotting use peat, loam, charcoal the size of hazel-nuts, and pounded bricks, equa parts, good drainage and plenty of water. Tkopjeolvms. — Amateur. — AVe said distinctly, when the Tom Thumb race of tropoeolums were first sent out, that they would never give satis- faction as bedders, and they never have ; it was not in the nature of the race either to pro- duce apure scarlet, or a refined habit of growth ; however, they have made many a place gay for a trifle, and we must not condemn them as worthless. What you want is plenty of the best bloom the race is cajiable of, and you may be content with Elegans and Triumph de Hyris, which are two of the best bedding plants in existence. Not bloom continuously ; why, we have them loaded with as tine blooms now as in July, and in one part of the garden, where ex- cessive neatness is not of much consequence, we have allowed to run beyond bounds, spread- ing in all directions, with as many or more blooms til an leaves upon them; they are such desperate bloomers we had not the heart to cut them in and spoil their joy. But it is another matter if you grow them from seed. AVe de- scribed last year the result of an experimental culture of seeds of elegans, and those worth keeping amounted to about ten per cent, of all the plants, and even then there were none to beat the parents. Get the sorts true, keepaplant of each all winter, and let them bloom as they like, and bloom they will ; take cuttings in April, root them in bottom-heat, grow on till turning-out time, in rather poor soil, and after that the management, to do them as at Crystal Palace, is an affair of finger and thumb. Cut- tings of any kind|[root quickly, whether j'oung tops, or stout stems cut into lengths, and they bloom better for being struck late. Celeky Flt. — Tf. M., Clapham. — AVe are in the same fix, the enemy has got the best of us. The parent of this grub is called Tephritis onopor- dinis; it is a beautiful two-winged fly, about the size in wings and body of these lines I The eggs are deposited at various | times, from the end of May to the I end of July. The grubs now under | the cuticle of the leaves wiU descend into the earth, and remain there all winter, to come forth as flies next spring. The remedies must turn upon the habits of the creature. AA'heu depositing their eggs numbers may bo caught by stretching a line, smeared with bird- lime, over the plants, dusting the leaves of the plants with soot, or any other substance harm- less to the plant and obnoxious to insects. To destroy the grubs, and be rid of that brood next year, the leaves should be cut off at once and burnt, and as the soil in which the celery is now growing wiU be fidl of them all win- ter, stir it frequently ; the birds will pick out thousands, and the frost will kill thou- sands more. A few of our pomponea are attacked. THE" Decembee, 1861. ^Q^ HE close of the fourth year of the Feoeal "World , <^ affords us a legitimate occasion, to express our thank- Y fulness to our numerous friends who have aided us, and whose assistance we yet hope to be advantaged ^ . ^ with in. the future. This work has succeeded far be- 3^) L yond expectations, and as at fii'st, so it is now, the cheapest '■y garden journal extant. We dare not say it is the best, be- cause of the old proverb, " Self-praise is no recommendation," but we must conclude that it has so far served a useful purpose, for, after all, success is a very fair test of merit. Our readers will best under- stand that we have conscientiously endeavoured to do justice to the con- fidence reposed in us, by comparing the issue for this year with that of the first year of the publication. As we found increasing support, we were enabled to effect successive improvements, and there is no work at the price which attempts to compete Avith us, either in variety of matter or profuseness of illustration. Though our circulation is extensive, and has steadily increased from the first, we find that the expenditure, especially in illustrations, verges closely upon the average incomings, and the price of the work is so low, that if we were to sell a few millions instead of a few thousands, we should have no great hope of being known throughout the country as millionnaires. We have no claim on any of our friends to do more than pay for the book and read it attentively, so we ask as a favour, and not as a right, that those who really have found the Flokal World useful and entertaining, will recommend it to their friends, so that as old subscribers disappear — and the great enemy removes a few every year — new ones may take their place to keep the Flokal Woeld revolv- ing. We may make the request also with better grace by pointing to the successive improvements effected. We have the assistance of able pens, we give careful attention to all inquiries, and frequently spend hours in preparing replies that amount to only a few lines of printed matter when all is done ; as, for instance, when 0. P. Q. asks what particular flower it is that looks like a ship in full sail, on the lake at Kew ; we go to Kew, spend a day in the journey, and the reply to 0. P. Q. is, " The plant you ask about is Navicularia fluviatilis," In fact, we have the interests of our VOL. IV. NO. XII. N 258 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN aiTlDE. readers at heart, and it is the love of horticulture that binds them and us together in something like family ties. As the head of this particular family, we ask for whatever help can be afforded us ; Ave don't want a testimonial or a subscription, or a vote of thanks, or invitation to a din- ner ; we simply want more subscribers to the book, and those who take it will be most benefitfd, for our profit is an infinitesimal fraction of a farthing per copy, and the reader's profit is more potatoes, more apples, more cabbages, more flowers, and everything of the best, and some better than they ever were before ; besides entertainment in the new tasks sug- gested, and the agreeable pastime of reading about gardens and the flowery things that belong to them. A few friends have been very constant in sending us notes of their experience, and results of their inventive genius ; many more might do so who never yet thought of such a thing. There is our friend Ipse Dixit who has grown Planta innominata 500 feet high, and has never yet sent in a word about it ; but if the earwigs creep through the keyhole of his conservatory, and consume his best plant of Lignosus ligneus in a single night, he will immediatelj^ write to know how to prevent such a thing in future, and we shall have to advise him to touch the tail of every earwig with a drop of oil, and that will render them oily and incapable. Then our friend has influence, the result of probity and intelligence, with fifty neighbouring gardeners, and he has never yet told them that the Ploral World is his book, and that from its pages he learned the secret of stretching Eigidorus inflexibilis so as to take first prize with it, and obtain honorary fellowship of the E. H. S. Perhaps this is enough ; it is only once a year we say a word about ourselves, and on those occasions we do, as we do now, v>'ish our readers, contributors, artists, printers, publishers, all who are concerned in the progress of our agreeable labours, a Meebt Christmas and a Happy jSTeav Tear. NOTES OP THE MONTH. As we intend with our next Number to modify the plan of this portion of the work, a few remarks appear necessary. We find that to give full reports of all the shows tliat occur froni month to month takes up an unreasonable amount of space ; to report one in full, and another in brief, has an appearance of partiality ; and to select for full reports, those which attract the most public attention, is rather to record the movements of fashion than to recite the history and progress of horticulture. Many a local show, unknown be- yond the limits of its immediate operations, does more to advance the art than the groat assemblies where fashion finds relief iu agreeable promenades. This part of the record belongs more properly to the morning newspapers, which ai-e very accurate in lists of prizes and names of the company present, but wofully inaccurate in whatever tliey think it needful to say about scented dahlias and roses grown on Lmrcl bushes. We purpose to adopt a plan which will enable us to report on the progress of horticultui-e without burdening our pages with long lists of names and prizes. It canuot matter much to the mass of our readers that A. B. was first, and C. D. second. No doubt this plan will disappoint many, but we feel that we are bound to employ our pages to the best possible purpose, and information of permanent value should have preference over matters of only temporary interest. Many of our friends, vvho are interested in local exhibitions — ^yhlch we have reported more fully than any other horticultural journal — will probably complain of THE FLORAL WOSLD AND GARDEN auiDE. 239 llie course we intend to adopt, but we will anticipate their objections by frankly telling tiiem that, as a rule, we Iiavc derived no benefit commensurate witli tlie trouble of reporting exkibitions held in distant places ; and the •General bulk of our readers will, we feel assured, prefer summaries of results to catalogues of names and prize lists that afford no useful information. The Temple G-aedens.' — Messrs. Broome and Dale have held their annual levee, and some little harm has been done by storms of snow and wind. Mr. Dale has been robbed of a large slice of his land for tlie erection of that beautiful building at the south-west corner which has been the subject of so ninch attraction lately ; and now that the decorations and awnings are cleared away, the visitor who has seen nothing of the recent fSte, may very fairly judge how admirably this little inclosed space is adapted for a gathering a la Waiteau. An artistic deviser of out-door fetes could do almost anything with that pretty plot of ground, viewing it as it now appears, gay with well-bloomed beds of pompones, the grass in good keeping, and the place altogether as clean and tidy as if it were secluded miles away from all possibility of invasion and traffic. But the initiated visitor, who loiters about admiring the flowers, and reckoning up the long and patient labours neces- sary to the pi'oduclion of such an agreeable result, can form no adequate idea of the difficulty of keeping the place in such trim from day to day, while the public are admitted free!}'' ; and with the adjoining garden of the Inner Temple, there is presented to the public, gratuitously, the best exhibition accessible anywhere in London. We have always considered Mr. Dale to hold a right pre-eminence in the display of his plants on the bedding system, and to Mr. Broome we have awarded highest praise for his culture of speci- men flowers. This season the distinction has not been so visible as in former years. Mr. Dale had some beautiful specimens, and Mr. Broome some good beds. But, perhaps, the difference heretofore visible was not so much the result of any peculiar bent in the mind of either cultivator, but the conse- quence of diverse circumstances. Mr. Dale's garden is admirably situated for a display of pompones in beds — it is more sheltered than the other gar- den; a]id, on the other hand, he has no good position for specimens, as Mr. Bi'oome has in that splendid border on the north side of the garden, where, "under canvas" his beauties now reign together in peaceful rivalry. We certainly have never seen finer beds than those of Mr. Dale's. As the frost has not utterly destroyed the flowers, the visitor may yet find on the left hand side of the garden, at the lower end, a very charming collection of specimen plants, including superb specimens of Queen, Themis, Trilby, Lady Hardinge, Madame Poggi, J>iovelty, Dupont, Christine, Hermine, Alfred Salter, and other favourites, old and wqy^. These are mostly well grown and well shown; the colours true, and the flowers incurved, without the aid of gouging tools and tweezers, with which so many of the cut flowers at chrysan- themum shows are made to assume forms of fictitious excellence. Mr. Broome's show was a greater and grander undertaking. It was never better during the many years that the veteran was annually loaded with well- deserved praises. His specimens form a long bank, fronting the well-swarded lawn ; they are arranged with admirable symmetry : the tallest plants at the back, on the full length of their legs ; the next row is dwarfed, by pegging down ; and thus to the front, where there is a well-contrasted line of pom- pones. Id. this border may be found nearly every good variety at present in cultivation, and not one out of its place. Among special excellences, we advise our readers to look out for Salter's Aimoe Ferriere, a lovely incurved flower, silver-white, with rosy tips. Now, many a country gardener contents himself to obtain from that variety a few ill-shaped flovvers of a confused blush; but in the midst of London smoke, Mr. Broome gets it true, and of great size and substance. So with Alfred Salter, we have seen it in four different shades, in the same flower show ; but in comparing Mr. Broome's specim,en3, we could not discover one false to its original and proper character. 260 THE FLORAL WO ELD AND aAUDEN GUIDE, Lady Hardinge he has done most beautifully, and jealously guards his speci- mens with a polite request that people will not touch them. What a gem it is, and how it justifies the oft-repeated assertion that John Salter never yet sent out a bad flower. Others of peculiar beauty are Nonpareil, Annie Salter (gold yellow), Fabius (a dashing orange salmon), Golden Queen of England (a diificult flower to manage), Pio Nono, and Stellaris globosa. But as the varieties are carefully tallied, there is the less need for an enumeration of their names. The scattered groups of pompones in this garden are better than we have seen there for several years past. Indeed, for three seasons in succession, they were cut off by October frosts ; and this mild autumn weather will, we hope, put Messrs. Broome and Dale in heart to return to the open-ground culture of this charming flower to as great an extent as the space of ground, and other opportunities at their command, enable them. Royal Horticttlttjral Society, Nov. 6th and 7th. — The grand exhibition by the Royal Horticultural Society, was held just a week too soon for the full display of the flowers peculiar to the season. This fact, however, was not apparent to the general mass of sight-seers, and even the critical observers of the relative excellences of the productions had few causes for complaint. The conservatory was made wonderfully gay, and all the details peculiar to the occasion being arranged under cover, the desperate rain and wind on Wednesday did not much interfere with the enjoyment of the large number of persons whom the feie brought together. On Thursday the attendance was much larger, owing to the improvement of the weather, which was as mild and sunny as April, and a large number of gardeners availed themselves of the one shilling admission. The chrysanthemums were generally well grown, and preference was given to plants trained in the fashion of pyramids, a form which is fast suj^erseding the watch-glass form introduced by Mi*. Holland, and adopted for many years past at all the leading shows. All the good old-established varieties were well shown, but Bob, and a few of the later kinds, were not full out. Some little interest was excited by the appearance of Mr. Turner as a competitor with chrysanthemums — a sort of compensatory process for his absence in the Dahlia Show. Mr. Turner took first prizes in the Nur- serymen's Classes for six large flowers and six pompones. The Amateurs' Classes were well filled, the first prizes for six plants, and three plants (large), were taken by Mr. Ward, of Tottenham, one of the ablest sustainers of the Stoke Newington Shows. In Pompones, Mr. Hutt, another of the Stoke Newington heroes, came first. For six standards and six new varieties, Mr. Forsyth, of Stoke Newington, was first. The other prizes were shared between Messrs. South, Slade, James, Hope, Cattell, and Bird, three of these being of the old school of Newington growers. Fruit was abun- dantly shown, and among the most attractive samples were some gigantic, coarse-looking pears from Algeria. Respecting the quality of these, we are not at present prepared to offer an opinion ; they looked fit, first to astonish the natives, and then to feed the pigs with. Some specimens of home prepared Normandy pippins and stewed pears were of much greater interest, and we obtained particulars of the mode of preparation, which we shall place before our readers shortly. Grapes, melons, pines, oranges, and orchard fruits were generally excellent, and all were shown on white Miuton ware, which gave uniformity to the arrangement, and displayed the excel- lence of the fruits to advantay e. The following is the prize list : Fruit. — Collection (fruiterers only) — Mr. Lewis Solomon, Covent Garden Market, 4:1. Collection (private growers) — Mr. A. Henderson, Trentham Hall Gardens, Stafford, Gl. ; and Mr. G. Tillyard, gardener to J. Kelk, Esq., Stanmore, equal, 4^. Pines, three distinct kinds. — Mr. Thomas Page, gardener to W. Leaf, Esq., Park Hill, Streatham, 4,1. Single — Mr. J. Floud, gardener to H. Fothergill, Esq., Glamorgan, 21. 10s. Grapes, white Muscat, basket of THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 261 lOlb. weight — Mr. G. Tillyard, gardener to J. Kelk, Esq., Stanmore, 4,1. Vv'hite Muscat, single dish — Mr. G. Tillyard, gardener to J. Kelk, Esq., Stanmore, 21. 10s. Any other variety, single dish — Mr. W. Hill, gardener to R. Sneyd, Esq., Keele Hall. Staffordshire, 21. 10s. Black Harabro', basket of lOlbs. weight — Mr. P. Kay, market gardener, Finchlev, 4,7. Black Hambro', single dish — A. Henderson, Trentham Hall Gardens, Staffordshire, 21. 10s. Frankenthal or Dutch Hambro', sin£;le dish — A. Henderson, Trentham Hall Gardens, Staffordshire, 21. 10s. Any other variety, single dish— Mr. Thomas Page, gardener to W. Leaf, Esq., Streatham, 21. 10s. Pears, desert, collection of one dish of each — Mr. A. Anderson, gardener, Oxenford Castle, Dalkeith, 41. Collection of six dishes, distinct — Mr. Thomas Ingram, Royal Gardens, Windsor, Bl. Collection of three dishes, distinct — Mr. C. F. Harrison, Oatlands Palace Gardens, Weybridge. 11. 10s. Single dish, any variety — Mr. Thomas Ingram, Royal Gardens, Windsor, 1^. Uve- dale's St. Germain, single dish — S. Snow, [gardener to Countess Cowper, Silsoe, Beds, 11. Catillac, single dish — C. F. Harrison, Oatlands Palace Gardens, Weybridge, 11. Single dish, any variety — S. Snow, gardener to Countess Cowper, Silsoe, Beds, 1?. Heaviest five fruits, dessert — Mr. George Tranter, gardener to the Hon. G. D. Eyder, Hemel Hemstead. Pears, stewed, jar of — Miss Ingram, Royal Gardens, Windsor, 21. Apples, dessert, collection of, one dish of each — Mr. John Newton, East Lodge, Enfield Chase, 41. — Chrysanthemums : Six plants, distinct varieties (Nurserymen) — • 1st, Mr. Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 41. Six plants, distinct varieties (Amateurs) — Mr. Ward, gardener to W. Fowler, Esq., Tottenham Green, Ql. Three plants, distinct varieties (Amateurs) — Mr. Ward, gardener to W. Fowler Esq., Tottenham Green, 21. 10s. Six plants, pompones, dis- tinct varieties (Nurserymen) — Mr. Chas. Turner, Slough, 41. Six plants, pompones, distinct varieties (Amatei;rs) — D, Hutt, Margaret Place, Hackney Fields, 6/. Sis standard plants, large-flowered or pompones (Open) — A, Forsyth, nurseryman. Stoke Newington, 41. Six new varieties of the current year — 2nd prize, A. Forsyth, nurseryman. Stoke Newington, 1^. Single specimen, large-flowered or pompone (Open) — Mr. R. South, gardener to G. T. Tyson, Esq., Upton, Essex, 1^. Twenty-four cut blooms, distinct (Nur- serymen)— John Catttll, Westerham, Kent, 21. Twenty-four cut blooms, distinct (Amateurs) — Mr. John Hojje, gardener to Lady Buxton, Upton Park, West Ham, 8/. Twelve cut blooms, distinct (Amateurs) — Mr. Slade, 4, Rose Cottages, Kingsland, 11. 10s. Six cut blooms, distinct (Amateurs) — Mr. R. James, Rochester Castle, Stoke Newington, 15.?. Six cut blooms, anemone-flowered, distinct (Open) — Mr. John Hope, gardener to Lady Buxton, West Ham, E., 15*. Best group of cut blooms (Open) — Mr. Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, 21. Miscellaneous — Mr. J. H. Bird, Stoke Newington, for collection of chrysanthemums, 11. 10s. Mb. Salter's Chrysanthemums. — The show at Versailles Nursery haa been better than ever this year, and Mr. Salter has some very promising novelties, a few of which, we feel assured, will take place beside the Queen, Lady Hardinge, and other of the most noted show flowers. The winter gar- den at this establishment is yet in good trim, the flowers far from exhausted, and those who have not yet paid a visit will find it remunerate them to do so for two or three weeks to come. The chrysanthemums are very tastefully set off by being grouped with fine foliaged plants, such as Canua zebrina, Ca- ladium esculentium, Wigandia caracasana. Yucca variegata, Centaurea can- didissima and gymnocarpa, the variegated strawberry, and others. Of new varieties for 1862, the following are among the best, viz.. General Slade, Carissima, and Sparkler, all of which are Smith's seedlings ; Miss Slade (also Smith's), pale sulphur; Cherub (Smith), golden amber incurved; Draco (Smith), fiery red; Dido (Smith), sulphur white, incurved, dwarf, and fine in habit ; Lord of the Isles (Clark), incurved, rosy orange, very high centre ; Saint George (Clark), golden yellow : Duchess of Wellington (Salter), 262 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Lord Eanelagli (Salter) ; Mr.Brocme (Salter), large rose and lilac, incurved; White Christine (Simmons), a sport from Ciiristine, and valuable as a speci- men plant ; White Themis, a sport from that variety ; White Queen of Eng- land, also a sport. Among new pomponcs we noticed Acis (Salter), Capella (Salter), dark cbesnut ; Citrouella (Smitli) ; Lucinda (Salter), rose and lilac ; Orange Boven (Salter), bright orange. These are in the shape of dwarf bushy- plants covered with well-formed flowers. Other groups contained all the best varieties in general cultivation, among which the most conspicuous were Queen of England, Lady Hardinge, Boadicea, Little Harry, Golden Queen, Prince Consort, Alfred Salter, Jardin des Plantes, Pandora, Ariadne, Cas- sandra. Eifleman, Yellow Perfection, General Hardinge, Novelty, Leon Le- suay, Aimee Ferriere, Golden Hermioue, Bouquet des Eleurs, Gluck, Progue, Etoile Polaire. Garibaldi (Clark), Caractacus, Yellow King, Alma, Nancy de Sermet, Le Prophete, Dr. Ko.Tas, Wonderful, Christine, Madame Sentir, Calliope, Florence, Shirley Hibberd, Miranda, Andromeda, Mrs. Turner, Miss Julia, Diana, Fanny, Ida, Mrs. Dix, Mr. Astie, Madame Chalonge, and Julie Lao-ravere. Of these there are numbers of beautiful examples, and being neatly arranged, they have an excellent effect. PEACE IN A GAEDEN. A LITTLE gleam of that peace and purity which liung over the old Paradise still li:ino;s abovit a garden. Quaint old thinkers liave said their say as to the reasons why oni- first parents were placed in the garden of Paradise. The new Paradise, whichwe all hope to reach, is to be a celestial city, and will be adorned with untold and un- imagined splendours ; but in the new birth and glory of the year, when spring leaves and flowers hang out their beauties upon ' every side, the mind is apt to revert to that old one in which the first man walked and talked with God, and was therein instructed by Him in the wealth and wonders of his new possession — the earth around him ; and, perhaps, even now, in the midst of rural solitudes and garden shades, the works of man seem furtlier distant and those of God nearer than elsewhere. — Family HcraUL POETTJLACOAS SELF-SOWN. I OBSERVE the remark of a correspondent on the subject of portulaccas, in which be expresses some degree of surprise at their reappearance this year, especially after such a winter as the last of our experience. Now, in confirmation of such a fact. I may mention that I am in the habit of sowing samples of many things, and amongst them the different varieties of portulacca, and almost invariably, wherever they happened to be sown, they reappear the following season, showing that they ai'e as hardy as almost any of our common annuals. Another singular fact in connection with this flower has jtistoccun-ed to me. Lnst spring twelvemonths I presented a friend ■with some seed to sow between rows of Nemophila insignis, when it was about half gi'own, in order to keep np a succes- sion after the Latter had gone oft', but, to the disappointment of us both, it did not grow. But I was somewhat surprised, two or three months ago, at beholding the pro- duce of the self-same seed beautifully in bloom, and almost as thick as one could have wished it to be ; thus proving its hardiness and retentiveness of the power of germination, at the same time showing that the non-growth of seeds is not always to be put to the seedsman's debit. The i-esult of the circumstance has been seen by hun- dreds at Satney station, on the South Wes- tern railwa}', this summer, amongst whom are probably some of your readers, although they have not been conversant with the facts. lioOPEK A1\D Co. Covcnt Garden. 263 SPECIMEN FUCHSIAS. ^r m\M The publication of Mr. Oubridge's " Essay on the Culture of the Fuclisia" has brought us many requests for a model figure, such as we have famished our renders with in the case of pyramid and tabular chrysan- themums. As at this season of the year it is impossible to find a specimen plant in a fit state for sketching, we have reproduced a photogram of the first specimen plant grown by our excellent friend, Mr. Harrison, who is now an adept in the art, and the winner of many prizes. Mr. Whimper has very faithfully rendered the character as in the original, and we think that with all the imperfections visible in the contour of the plant, its completeness and regularity offer an encouragement to beginners, such as perhaps the finished growth and train- ino; of a more perfect specimen might not do. STJBTJRBAN EOSES. I WOULD beg to correct an error in my I know whether my manuscript or the article upon Subui-ban Eoses, in your printer was in fault. The past has been November number— British Queen should son.ewhat of an exceptional season for the have been Bourbon Queen. I do not Perpetual s, so that many ?.-hich have been 2CA THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. shy of second blooms, may redeem their short-comings under more fitvourable con- ditions. Nevertheless, those that have done well are not likely in future to disappoint, and are consequently worth pointing out. I will therefore venture a few further re- marks upon individual varieties, leaving those I have already mentioned to remain as I stated. In making these, I must disclaim any intention of dogmatizing, and confess myself open to correction by more experienced authorities. First as to the newer sorts. I have observed, where roses are largely grown, that Louis XIV. is a much more free bloomer in the autumn than Gloire de Santenay, and is, in my humble opinion, as fine a flower. The following, among the later introductions, also appear excellent autumnal roses : — F. Arago, M. Portemer, and I believe Em- pereur de ilaroc. I cannot, however, speak decidedly as to the last. E. Appert I have not had an opportunity of seeing since the summer, but those I have named are saiH- cient among " the darkies" for any small collection. Of the different shades of rose, V. Verdier, Belle de Bourg la Reine, and Madame E. Verdier do not shrink from tlieir duties beneath the autumn skies ; while Admiral Nelson, M. Boll, with a few others of that class, are not to be trusted. Conitesse ChabrilUmt also has been very shy of her favours, together with his scarlet eminence, the Cardinal, disgusted perhaps at the honour shown to the Solferinos, Ma- gentas, and Victor Emmanuels, which have in some degree cast him into the shade. Of the older sorts, besides those I have formerly mentioned, Oriflamme de St. Louis and Beaux Arts partake of the free habits of their progenitor, the General, and ai"e certainly Just about town ; an advantage in flowers, though not in the human species. Prince Leon is still unsurpassed in every good quality that a rose can possess ; Duchess d'Orleans, Madame de Cambaceres, Madame Knorr, J. Lafitte, Apolline, and M. Domage, I have also found sutisfiic- tory. On the contrary, L. Odier, Acidalie, B. Prevost, Paxton, M. Vidot, W. Griffiths, Alexieff, and d'Angleterre, and several ethers of high standing, have been alto- gether the reverse. Abd-el-Kader and most of the dark novelties appear to me to be merely slight modifications of Beaux Arts and Patrizzi, and by no means equal to the older Reveil, T. de Paris, and many of that class. If not trespassing too much upon your space, I should like to make a few observa- tions upon Rose Catalogues, several of which lie before me. Mr. Cranston's I consider by far the best, both for systema- tic arrangement and fulnsss of description. The introductory remarks are very in- teresting and instructive ; and the habit of each variety is stated in a separate column, a great assistance to the amateur. Mr. Cants' catalogue for this j'ear follows the same plan, though his lists and descrip- tions are not so full as Mr. Cranston's. Messrs. Fraser's is very copious, but lacks the feature of specifying separately the habit of each sort ; were that supplied it would be excellent. Messrs. Woods' is open to the same remark. Would it not be a great improvement were the letter T, or some distinctive sign affixed to the sorts suitable for the neighbourhood of towns ? Mr. Rivers' catalogue for this year is very meagre, and he has carried the not unde- sirable process of " weeding," when done in moderation, to the extent of placing many of the best roses in the second list, such asE. Appert, d'Angleterre, and others certainly better than some inserted in the first class. The size, too, is inconvenient for binding up with others ; a great draw- back, for a colhiction of good catalogues forms a valuable and interesting addition to a floricultural library. One word more to my fellow-amateurs. Buy of the growers. The plants will then have only one check, instead of being moved from " pillar to post," as is usually the case with those procured from subur- ban nurserymen, who do not cultivate for themselves. I once bought a dozen of such, every one of which died before the summer was over. Pkior. Homertoti, Nov. 15t7i, 1861. THIS SEASON'S BULBS. Although much has been already said upon the selection of bulbs, experience proves that current information is more likely to make the desired impression than that which is laid in the volumes of by- gone years or in the tomes of standard publications. First, then, your amateur readers need scarcely fear that they will obtain bulbs that will not bloom satisfac- torily this year, for, generally speaking, they are thoroughly well ripened and in firmer condition than they have been for THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN aiJIDE. 265 many years past. In the selectioa of hyacinths, it does not by any means follow that a fine, large, fat-looking root will pro- dace a fine truss of bloom. As a proof, last year the roots of L'honneur d'Sas- senlieim were very largo and fine, the result of luxuriant growth iaduced by the excessive wet of the spring of 1880, but the spikes of bloom were, as a rule, poor and thin ; this year bulbs of the same sort are not above half the size, but they are thoroughly ripe, with conical crowns, and promise a fine bloom. Some of the finest hyacinths are not so much grown as they should be and as their merits deserve, because they have either small or un- sightly roots. Porcelain Scjptre, one of our finest single blues, in/ariably has a cracked and deformed root ; Nimrol is always small, though producing: the hand- somest and largest truss of any hyacinth I know ; Comtesse de la Coste, double red. Sultan Achmet, double white, both mag- nificent hyacinths, are generally miserably small, more especially the first-named, whish operates very much against their sale with those who are guided only by the appearance of the roots without any knowledge of the flowers. In two or three words, select roots that are hard and firm — ^the more conical in shape the larger the truss is likely to be — and let size be a secondary consideration. Tulips, as a rule, this year are rather small, but they are as brown as a chesnut and as hard as Brazils, and therefore indicate a fine show of bloom either for pot or the open ground. All the other bulbs are equally well ripened this year, and pui'chasers need not be alarmed if they are a little behindhand this year, as it is very likely those who are served tbe last will fare the best. All such things as Tritonias, Ixias, Iris pa- vonia, Brodisea congesta, Camassia escu- leata, are beautifully ripened this year, and cannot fail to give satisfaction to purchasers if they on their part use the proper measures to secure the desired results. I should prefer you did not attach my name to these few desultory remarks, lest I should be thought angling for custom, but if you think them of any value let your readers have them. William Chitty. [The name is a guarantee to the reader, and must appear. — Ed.] DISSECTING LEAVES. Steep the leaves, seed-vessels, or other parts of the plant which are required to be dissected, in rain water ; leave them ex- posed to its influence until the whole of the soft or pulpy matters are decomposed. The period required for this operation va- ries much in different leaves, etc., accord- ing to their texture ; thus, some require but a few weeks, others as many months. When the pulpy parts are completely de- composed, the next operation consists in their removal from the fibro-vascular net- work with which they were originally connected. This requii-es much care and patience. There are two ways of accom- plishing it ; one, which consists in care- fiilly exposing them to a stream of fresh water, using at the same time a brush ; and the other by simply placing them in fresh water, and removing with care the decomposed portion, in like manner, with a brush. Some difficulty will be found at first in doing this without, at the same time, breaking the fibro-vascular network; but a little practice will soon render it easy of accomplishment. The adoption successively of simply fresh water, and a stream of the same, applied by means of a syringe, will be frequently found desirable. The pulpy portions having been removed, andthe fibro-vascular network obtained, the latter must be then bleached. For this pur- pose, prepare a weak solution of chloride of lime, by adding about an ounce of a strong solution of that substance to a quart of distilled water ; then soak the skeletons in this solution for some hours ; generally three or four will suffice, but when they are very thick a longer period will be necessary. After this operation has been performed, wash the skeletons thoroughly in pure water, and, lastly, dry them by freely exposing them to light and air. — Ph'irmaceutical Journal. 206 PREE aAEDEJ^S FOR THE POOR OP GREAT TOWIS^S. (Abridged from tue City Press of October 6tli and 19th.) We have had innumerable proposals for measures of relief to the poor of London, many of them tending to the destruction of their independence and their thrift. But what an ennobling work it would be to establish free gardens for the poor, where they might see the blue heaven that has been hidden from tliem all their lives, by the grim walls of their O'.vn tenements and the clothes hung out to dry across the chink of a lane or alley, where they hide themselves and their poverty from cynical observers. Would they refase the boon ? No ! The masses were never freely ad- mitted to the view of beautiful objects, but they have shown by their demeanour that they know how to respect the benefit con- ferred, and protect a privilege conceded lo all. The "mob" of Paris is a far more turbulent and uncontrollable body than the "mob " of London ; but there no diffi- culty has been found in preserving intact the beauty of out-door scenes to which the people have been freely admitted. Eut let lis be rid of the unsavoury word we have used ; only the industrious, sober, and thoughtful of the masses of the people would care to enjoy the pleasures of a public garden, and the nature of the exhi- bition would opei-ate as a means of selec- tion between the sheep and the goats. Ou the inauguration of the park at Monceaux, all the gates were thrown open to the crowd, and no surveillance was exercised over the fifty thousand persons Avho thronged the walks and alleys. " But," says the Constitutioniiel, in its account of the pro- ceedings, " at the end of the day, the damage amounted to only forty-five francs, for the turf trampled down along the edges ;" a proof that perfect freedom begets respect, and that the silly fears once en- tertained of the destruction that would be inflicted on trees and shrubs by the work- ing classes have no foundation in fact now, whatever may have been the case in times past. Give them to understand that these trees, shrubs, ilowers, and grass-plots are their own propert}^ and self-interest com- bines with self-respect for their conserva- tion. As to the facilities that exist in London, they are equal any way to those of Paris. We have a moister atmosphere, and could grow the ailanthus better than the Pari- sians, who knov;- nothing of its true beau- ties yet. Elms die in London through exhaustion of the dr^' srjil, and so they do in Paris. The Platanus acerifolia thrives amazingly in both cities, and the lime is not so unmanageable as it is sometimes described ; and it shows a blink of green earlier in the year than any other City tree. The horse-chesnuts that ai'e dying in the Champs Elysees and the Tuileries would make a much better figure in the grounds ofLincoln's-inn, though its gummy exudations are fatal to its e.Ktensive use as a town tree. The robinias in Paris are generally fine, and pity we have not a few in some of the larger graveyards of the City, where they would grow magnificently, bloom profusely, and shed their leaves all the summer long, without harm to any one. This would be a capital City tree, because of the litter it makes on the ground underneath it. We should not be able to bear the sight of a daily strewing of dead leaves, and the broom would be put to use where it is an unknown imple- ment at present. Equal facilities, larger means, and a greater need, place London far behind Paris in this respect, and give us cause for shame that, in the cultivation of art, we have neglected the true basis of art — the observation of Nature. Let there be no more hewailings that the French out- strip us in artistic and fancy productions. French goods take the lead in the market, because French artizans are educated in a truer school; they are familiar with the forms of flowers and foliage traceries ; and there is a truth and excellence about their fimcy works that thrusts English produc- tions in the shade. We have but to esta- blish gardens in the midst of our cities to enable British industry to compete success- fully with the foreign workman ; and, while raising the tone of productive occu- pations, we shall also improve the health and morals of the people. Those of our fellow-citizens who have been in Paris lately will better appreciate the need of gardens in London, than those who drone on from year to year, under the shadow of grimy walls, and sufter a decay of all their old s^'mpathies with natural scenes in the pursuits of business. Paris is fast becoming as famous for its gardens as for its architecture, its gas-light gaieties, and its military fi'tes. The Boulevard de Sebastopol, with its clieerful lines of trees, is an example of what the Exhibition-road, at Kensington, nuight become } and even THE FLORAL WOrLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 267 ■within the very verge of the Cit^- of Lon- don there are spaces wliioh n-!lq;ht be similarly planted. But in Paris is heintj accomplisiied one of tlie noblest acts of amelioration, in the formation of squares and gardens in the districts that are chiefly inhabited by the poorer classes. This is done for the double purpose of affording a relief from the monotony of City life to persons wliose means are not sufficient to enable them to reach the Tiiileries, the Luxembourg, or the Bois de Boulogne ; and also to purify the atmosphere, on which such heavy demands are made by the dense masses of breathing humanity. In London the best trees, squares, and gar- dens are to be found in the districts tenanted chiefly by the rich. Fashion hovers about the parks, the wealthy practitioners of the learned professions take possession of the squares and the inns, -where gardening is considered one of the essentials of exist- ence ; but in the districts inhabited chiefly by the poor, you may travel till footsore without being once refreshed by the sight of a tree, " .shaking its million leaflets in the sun," or a patch of turf on which the shadow of the tree may ftiU without being marred in its beauty. But in the best view of the matter there is a large residue of dilapidated squares " so paltry that they might be said to have heen blown there by the wind ;" and, for the sake of a f-iw pounds' expenditure, first-class properties are allowed to degenerate, which, with the help of a little gardening, might be kept at their proper value as places of retire- ment, congenial to classes removed out of the ordinary bustle of trade and commerce. Give us more trees, and the spaces on which they are planted will he preserved from the invasions of the builder ; we shall thus obtain more light and more air, and the air will be more wholesome, because pui-ified of smoke, dusf, carbonic acid, and the fumes of sulphur. But why are our few squares so hermetically sealed against the populace ? Why are the poor, who cannot afl^ord the price of a railway-ticket or the time for a journey, shut out from these accessible places of recreation? They are private property, and we have not yet got so far in popular ethics as to recognize the true relationships of private property to the public weal, else we should see poor mothers leading their children along the walks of squares and gardens, in the inno- cent enjoyment of the. best substitute for Nature which Art cm produce in the naidst of a city. In Paris, the Government h.is shown a paternal regard for the happi- nsss of the citizens, whatever may bs said a» to its political policy. There is the ; ] uare of St. Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, ou which two million francs have been ex- panded, open to all. Public promenades are being established, and Paris is be- coming not so much a city of gardens, as one great garden, with a city scattered through it. _ Nor is it true that the conditions re- quisite to the growth of trees in London no longer exist. There are already a suffi- cient number of healthy, handsome speci- mens to prove that at least some species are capable of enduring the manifold evils of City life, to the same extent that human beings get inured to smoke, dust, and per- petual twilight. The Platanus acerifolia, and its several handsome varieties, are un- surpassed for beauty ; if we had our choice of all the trees in the British Sylva, we CDuld have nothing better than that for majesty of outline, richness of foliage, and capability of resisting influences which would annihilate many other species. The poplar, lime, horse-chesnut, maple, haw- thorn, ash, robinia, syringe, catalpa, Pau- lownia, are all, more or less, adapted for planting in the City — the smoke will not kill one of them. The majority of the in- closures where they might he planted are neither over-drained nor poisoned with gas-pipes, and though the soil may be stale, and sour, and pasty, a judicious application of manual labour would soon bring it into a condition suitable for planting ; so that we might have verdure and umbrage, if we could not hope for flowery paradises. In tlie selection of spe- cies and varieties, those who have had the least experience in City gardening may fall back on a rule to guide them in the lack of experience ; and the rule is, that trees with hard shiny, leathery leaves, are the best for this purpose, and those with soft, porous, absorbent, or woolly leaves, the worst. Thus it happens, that many of the most beautiful evergreens thrive in the closest and smokiest districts, because their hard polished leaves resist the efl'ects of soot and dirt, every shower washes them clean, and all through the dreary winter they cheer the eye with a glimpse of green- ness, and remind us that it is not winter all the year round, and that the world is not yet wholly covered with brick and stone buildings. That most beautiful of all our hardy evergreens, the phillvrea, is as patient under smoke as an old mill-horse is under the constant temptation to giddiness. It grows slowly, requires no pruning, is always bright and cheerful, and may take the place with us of the paternal laurels that adorned the inner courts of patrician R)min houieholds. The aucuba, Berberia 268 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. aqulfolium, and Darwinii, tlie tree-box and noble Buxus Balearica, the berry-bearing Cotoneaster, the evergreen Cratoegus, the glossy Euonymus japonica, the common green holly, the liolly-leaved oak, and the stately lauristinas, are all adaptable to City life. Where they perish, it will not be through the impurity of the air, but through the miserable plan of planting in the first instance ; for it is too often the case, that in planting trees and shrubs in the City, it is thought quite sufficient to open a "hole, jam the roots into it, and then tread the soil over till it is as hard as a brickbat. Unfortunately, in all English towns, there is a prejudice against trees. The only popular thought respecting them is, tliat they ought to be cut down ; though it is rarely that any one can assign a respectable reason why. Even in the suburbs of Lon- don, where green things are appreciated as the proper beautifiers of human life, and necessary adjuncts to the culture of do- mestic virtues, there is a malevolent spirit too often exhibited in the ruthless destruc- tion of trees tliat never harmed anybody, but have blessed saccessive generations with their " shady boon" and summer rustling, and incessantly acted as purifiers of the heavenly breezes that had been cor- rupted by coal smoke. Rarely do we hear a word in their defence ; still more rarely a word of encouragement as to their im- provement; never a suggestion that a few more might be planted for purposes of de- coration, and to warm up the cold, stony outlines of our great highways. A little litter in autumn, which a broom would re- move, is thought a sufficient reason for de- stroying at one blow the growth of a cen- tury, fhe paltry complaint of some bald- headed churchwarden, or old inhabitant, that the tree at the corner shuts out the light of the gas-lamp, and renders him liable to be murdered at his own door, is enough to procure a doom for it ; and, where wholesale destruction is not encou- raged, the jobbing gardeners are ever han- ke'ring to use the saw and the bill, to ren- der the trees in suburban gardens unsightly spectres and stunted scrubs. Pity the sor- rows of a poor old tree, whose trembling limbs make shadow at your door; and in- culcate in the minds of this generation a better regard for trees, as proper furniture for open spaces in the City. When the senseless prejudice against trees has been annihilated by arguments founded on their beauty and use, we are next assailed with the assertion that to grow trees in the City is impossible. The excessive drainage necessary for tlie public health does certainly suck out of the soil the moisture that large trees require; the daily diffusion of coal smoke and commer- cial dust is certainly detrimental to vege- table life; but these are reasons for encou- raging the growth of trees, not for sweeping away tlie few that remain, and refusing to plant more. The utter dryness of the soil, and the contamination of the atmosphere, are evils which operate to the prejudice of the public health, and every living tree is an agency for mitigating those evils ; the leaves of the tree disseminate a wholesome moisture, and they abstract from the air mucli of its mechanical and chemical im- purities, so that the sad circumstances that ai-e made an excuse for sweeping vege- tation beyond civic boundaries, oft'er most- cogent reasons for its more plentiful distri- bution and encouragement. But these quasi-philosopiiicalargumentsagainst Lon- don trees are to be classed with the silly prejudices against trees because of an oc- casional sprinkling of dead leaves and in- tercejjtion of tlie light from somebody's gateway. We go into the country to re- gain our health. We hurry into the midst of verdure to obtain physical refreshment from the great brewery of oxygen, which a merciful Providence has established in connection with the growth of the fruits of the earth ; and, while the lungs absorb the life-giving gases poured out abundantly from the tissues of plants, the mind and heart rejoice in the pictures of beauty which vegetable forms present to us in exhaustless variety. Yet we return to our mural dens, and give orders to cut down trees, that not a green leaf may wave between us and the sun while we sign dockets and count money. The dirty, neglected, sour condi- tion of the little plots of open ground in the City would indicate that vegetation in a town had some poisonous influences, or else that money-getting had extinguished the most active of human sympathies, and j established a new code of public asceticism. 269 AEE WEEDS OUR FRIENDS OR ENEMIES ? Some fifteen or sixteen years ago I went to work in a garden tliat had been aban- doned to weeds for fonr years, in conse- quence of the house and premises remain- ing for that time untenanted. The man wiio had formerly had the management of this garden lefc word, through the medium of the next door neighbour, and for the edification of his successor, that " seeds were thrown away on that 'ere ground; that peas and beans never bore anything ; that cabbages and broccoli all clubbed off ; and that taters, carrots, parsneps and them things came to nothing." Tnis was by no means encouraging, but the neigh- bour assured me it was a fact. However, a garden is a garden all the world over, and I was set to work under the super- vision of one who was employed elsewhere the greater part of his time. I being too young at the time to be trusted without a guide, my duties were to dig, to plant, and to sow, and supply the family with vegetables. It was early in January when I began operations, which consisted in pruning, burning, manuring, and trench- ing. Tliese occupied the first month ; in the second some early peas, beans, etc. ■were got in ; in the third month there was a general cropping. As the seeds came up, so came up weeds in vast quan- tities ; but the hitter were chopped up, greatly to the benefit of the young crops, which were improved by the ground being stirred between. Now I happen to think that weeds do us considerable service in making their appearance among young crops where they are not wanted ; they tell us, in unraistakeable terms, that tlie hoe must be set to work ; and this not only destroys the weeds, but loosens the sur- face of the soil, and refreshes the plants, admitting air and moisture freely to the roots. If weeds did not appear this im- portant operation might in a great measure be neglected. But to proceed. The first crops gathered were lettuces and radishes ; they were fine, but excited no comment, but when peas and beans came in they were remarkably fine and good, and all through the season it was noticed by all who saw them (par- ticularly the next door neighbour) what excellent crops were produced on the same ground that a few years ago would produce comparatively nothing. Potatoes yielded most extraordinarily, other root crops were fine in proportion. Legumes bore abun- dantly, and were well flavoured, while not a trace of club was discernable amongst the various Brassicse. Some old straw- berry-bods that had been smothered with weeds were cleared, and bore amazingly. The old asparagus -beds were served the same, and the heads came up stout and good. Everything was more than satis- factory, and this was the case for several years that I remained there. If an idea entered ray young head at the time that any of these results were due to my par- ticular style of gardening, it has been crushed and dissipated long since, for I have found that other gardens wherein weeds have not had a montti's, much less a year's grace for half a century or so, will not or cannot produce such crops, and thii in spite of manure, ti'enching, and careful rotation. I have been in kitchen gardens where weeds are never suffered to grow three inches high, and where the most approved operations are adopted, and where manure is supplied in suitable quan- tities, and yet a good cabbage or cauli- fiower is the exception, and diseased roots the rule ; where wireworm, aphis, and caterpillars predominate, and where a really profitable crop is almost unknown ; and yet in an adjacent market garden, whicli a few years ago was a meadow, vegetables acquire that firm stocky habit that indi- cates the soil is in good heart, although it receives very little manure ; and often large patches are covered with weeds, which are ploughed in, and again profit- able crops are obtained. These are positive facts, and by putting that and that to- gether it is possible to arrive at some con- clusions which may be useful to those who year after year are making futile attempts to obtain profitable crops from exhausted soils. It is needless, even were I able, to enter learnedly into the composition of soils, or the particular substances extracted by plants, or even the manner in which they extract them ; but if I find in the course of practical experience that soil having been for four years monopolized by weeds has passed from a state of sterility to one of fertility, I am justified in believing that weeds act beneficially as restorers, either by the extraction of deleterious matter, or in aiding the decomposition of dormant earthy mattei", and fitting it for more active appropriation by cultivated plants. It is not improbable that plants indigenous to the soil, such as weeds ar3, should possess this power to a greater extent than plants of more artificial origin. It is well known that plants growing 270 THE FLORAL WORLD AXD aAUDEN GUIDE. year after year on the same soil extract the necessary aliment for that particular genus, and consequently decrease in size and vigour. It is also palpable tliat diseases follow in the same ratio, Now a mere excess or deficiency of proper aliment does not produce disease; an over-fed animal gets fat, an over-fed plant grows more vigorously, while eitlier an animal or a plant may die of starvation without show- ing any undue symptoms of derangement. If an animal takes with its food any dele- terious matter such as is foreign to its requirement, a derangement of the system is the result. It is the same with a plant, which having exhausted its proper aliment takes up matter that is not suitable for it — ill health is the consequence. I have noticed that it is upon poor and exhausted soils that plants are most subject to aphis, canker, and club. It is well known that plants of different genera require different kinds of food ; that some plants will Bourisli where others will not ; that soil which has been exhausted by one crop is in condition to produce one of another kind : hence t!ie value of a rotation of crops, of more real effect in agriculture than horticulture ; for although it is really advisable to follow a system of rotation in vegetable culture, yet kitchen crops being so nearly alike in texture and substance, no very extra- ordinary results can be expected from it. The farmer can alternate Leguminosae or_ Graminea3, and I believe the latter would act most beneficially as an alternative crop in the kitchen garden, but there is no plant of that order used as a culinary vegetable, so that it is only by allowing grass or other indigenous plants to grow, that anything differing largely from kitclicu crops can be brought into play. I wotild recommend those who find that their soil does not produce really profitable crops, and who complain of the prevalence of pests in the shape of fungus and aniraalculre, grubs and aphis, canker and diseased roots, to try weeds for a year or two ; not as the Irish potato grower does, who abandons his soil to weeds, and neglects manuring alto- gether. But let the ground be planted with gooseberry and currant bushes, rasp- berry canes and bush fruit-trees ; let tho weeds grow -amongst them, mow them sometimes to prevent their seeding, and bury them annually under a good mulcli- ing of dung; but do not dig except for the purpose of root pruning, for these things bear best if the fibres are allowed to run near the surface. In a few years these would be worn out, and the ground in excellent condition for growing cabbages, broccoli, etc. I am no advocate for allow- ing weeds too free a scope amongst growing crops, as this would be altogether incon- sistent with good gardening ; but I believe they have their uses, just as birds which eat our peas and pull up our seeds but destroy innumerable insects. What may appear at first as impediments, may be in reality assistants ; to scowl upon weeds as troublesome pests, and wishing their entire extermination, is wishing against our own interests ; it is far better to value them for their uses, and regard them as harmonizing with the whole system of Nature. F. Chitty. CULTUEE OP THE HYACINTH IN POTS. We repeatedlj' see examples of mismanage- ment in the cultivation of this truly beauti- ful plant; in nine cases out often which come under our notice, the hyacinth is not well grown, for most cultivators seem to grow it too rapidly, and subject the roots to a course of treatment the oppo- site to which it should have. We pot early, as soon as possible after the roots arrive. We especially avoid the cheap market, for this reason, the most noted growers in Holland have their regu- lar customers whose orders they are certain of receiving, and therefore do not take up their roots until^they are 'thoroughly matured. This is a highly important mat- ter to the cultivator, and we therefore caution amateurs not to think that by pur- chasing cheap priced bulbs that they are getting the best. The soil we use is chopped loamy sods and rotten manure in nearly equal proportions, with a plentiful supply of leaf-soil and sand, using no crocks. We pot deep, allowing the crown to be level with the soil, and pot very firm. They are then well watered and placed under- neath a greenhouse stage and are not plunged. We object to plunging for this reason, that it too often happens that the roots are allowed to remain in the plunged bed longer than they should, and have often pushed a couple of inches of growth before Ihey are removed. This produces weak- ness of foliage at the collar, and instead of the foliage being stiff and robust when the growth is matured, it falls over the side THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 271 of the pots, not having the necessaiy foiui- dation for maintaining its natural position. The great use of plunging is to keep the root from being forced out of the soil by the action of the downward progress of the root, but we avoid this by potting firmly round the crown of the root, and we seldom have a root springing out of the soil ; if one doss, it is easily rephice^l. As soon as the crowns have pushed about an inch in length ■we remove the plants to a frame or green- house and place them close under the glass, keeping them moderately watered and eu- couraging them in making roots iu prefer- ence to foliage. We avoid placing tliem in -warmth until tlie buds are developed, and then only when early flowers are wanted ; but the liyacinth really does not like heat, and it is better to be satisfied with a late bloom and get it fine. Whilst the plants are growing keep them near the glass where there is ventilation, and when the buds are fully developed, apply ■weak manure water freely. Really good kinds, such as the follow- ing, can be procured at from six to eight shillings per dozen, for sound well ripened roots, CARMINE, PINK, ROSS, AND BLVSn. Dnihle Varieties. — •Grootvorst, beautiful blush, fine ; Perruquc Royale, a very fine rose coloured variety ; Waterloo, deep car- mine, a very fine variety. Single Varieties. — Bille Quirine, pale flesh, beautifully striped with carmine, very large bells, very fine ; Lord Wellington, deep blush striijed with pink, fine ; Madame Hodson, light pink striped with deep pink, a briglit and good variety, with finely formed spike ; Madame Maintenon, light carmine, very fine. BLUE AND PURPLE. Double Varieties. — General Antick, pale lilac striped with deep lilac and suffused with blue, a beautiful and very fine variety; Grand Vedette, light porcelain blue, a hand- some and fine variety ; Mii^nonue de Dryf- liout, lighter than Emicus, large spike, a fine variety ; Prince Frederick, striped bluish lilac, a beautifully coloured tine variety; Prince of Saxe Weimar, dark purple, large close spike, fine. Single Varieties. — Baron Von Tliuyll, dark porcelain blue, large bells, very fine spike, extra fine ; Cliarles Dickens, dark porcelain blue, large bells, very fine spike ; Emicus, dark blue, with light centre, large close spike ; Prince Albert, rich glossy blackish purple, lai-gc bells and large and very close spike, a very fine and most beau- tiful hyacinth ; Prince Oscar, striped deep porcelain blue, large hell and spike, very fine ; Prince William I., dark purple, close spike, fine. WHITE. Double Varieties. — Anna llarla, Frenc h white with purple eye, clo^e spike ; La Deesse, beautiful wasy white, distinct and fine ; La Virginite, delicate blush white slightly tipped with pink, a very pleasing variety ; Ne plus ultra, very fine white with large bells ; Tour d'Auvergne, pure white, moderate size bells, large spike ; Triumph Blandina, blush v/hite, lighter than Groot- vorst, a good variety ; Virgo, beautiful waxy white, very handsome. Single Varietiis. — Grande Vainqueur, pure white, a fine and beautiful variety ; Hercules, white shaded with rose, very fine ; Prince de Galitzen, pure white, close spike, a very good variety ; Voltaire, blush white, very hirge bells, fine. Bouquet Orange, brownish orange yel- low, one of the best and most useful of the double varieties. Those who grow for ex- hibition, or do not mind paying from 10*. to 12?. psr dozen for the finest hyacinths in cultivation, should select from the follow- inar list : — PINK, ROSE, AND BLUSH. Douhle Varieties. — Lord AVellington, a beautiful waxy blush-coloured variety, a handsome and very fine variety ; Waterloo, deep carmine, a very fine variety. Single Varieties. — Bejle Quirine, pale, flesh, beautifully striped with carmine, very large bells, very fine; L'Etincelante, bright carmine, very fine compact spike, extra fine ; Lord Wellington, deep blush, striped with pink, fine spike ; Madame Hodson, light pink striped with deep pink, a bright and good variety, with finely formed spike ; Madame Maintenon, light carmine, very fine ; Mrs. Beechur Stowe, shaded pink and rose, very close fine spike extra fine ; Norma, waxy pink or flesh colour, very large bells and spike — one of the finest and most beautiful hyacinths in cultivation ; Ornament de la Nature, beau- tiful pale rose, large, and very fine ; Robert Steiger, fine deep crimson, large bells and fine spike ; Saltan's Favourite, delicate blush with pink stripes, large bells, and very fine spike, extra fine. BLUE AND PURPLE. JDoulle Varieties. — Bloksberg, pale lilac striped with pale blue, large bell and large spike, extra fine ; General Antink, pale lilac striped with deep lilac and suffused with blue, a beautiful and very fine va- 272 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. riety ; Grand Vedette, light porcelain blue, a handsome and fine variety ; Laurens Koster, shaded purple and blue, large close spike, an exceedingly fine and handsome variety ; Sir John Fi-anklin, shaded porce- lain blue, large bells and spike, very fine ; Van Speyk, a very fine variety, light porce- lain bl ue, with large bells and very fine spike. SiiiijU Varieties.— QiOXkXonxiQ de GjUe, light porcelain blue, a splendid variety, with large bells and very large spike, extra fine ; Grand Vedette, light porcelain blue, large bells and full spike, fine ; Grand Lilac, delicate azure blue, with large bells and very large spike, a beautiful and very fine variety ; La Surpassante, rich blue purple, a distinct and beautiful shade of colour, close spike ; Lord Raglan, shaded porcelain blue, darker than Giiarles Dickens and Eegulus, large spike, extra fine ; Prince Albert, rich glossy blackish purple, large belU and large and very close spike, a very fine and most beautiful hyacinth ; Regnlus, shaded lavender and blue, large bells and very large spike, an exceedingly fine and beautiful variety; Uncle Tom, very dark blue, extra fine. Double Varieties. — La Deesse, beautiful waxy white, distinct and fine ; Princess Alice, a very fine and handsome new va- riety ; Queen of England, white with bright pink eye, fine. Single Varieties. — Elfrida, beautiful pale creamy blush, very large well shaped bells, good spike, a vei'y fine variety ; Grandeur a Merveille, French white, with very large wax-like pip, and very fine close spike, a splendid variety ; Grande Vainqueur, pure white, a fine and beautiful variety ; Grande Vedette, a very handsome and fine variety, with large bells ; La Baleine, white flushed with delicate flesh colour, lai'ge bells and good spike, fine ; Madame de Stael, extra fine white, superior to Grande Vainqueur ; Madame Van dsr Hoop, pure white, large bells and immense spike, an extra fine variet}'- ; Voltaire, blush white, very large bells, fine. We have avoided the high-priced kinds, which range from 3s Q l. to \0s., because they are really not worth the extra money, but bear these prices because the stock is limited. Many persons have a prejudice against siw/le hyacinths, and absurdly ob- ject to growing them. If such persons had the experience of those who cultivate for exhibition and market purposes, they would very soon find out that the majority of our finest hyacinths are the single-blossomed varieties. — Gossip for the Garden. STEAWBEREIES FOECED ON A NEW PLAN. The following method may be adopted by any wlao are preparing to force strawber- ries next spring, if their plants are now in pots with well ripened crowns. By this method finer forced fruit can be produced than by any other. I lav runners in the usual way, in 60-size pots, about the latter end of June; and here I will just state, that they should be laj'ered, if possible, from one-year-old plants, that are very strong and health}', as they will produce the best runners. I keep them well watered, repot the last week in July, or first week in August, in thirty-two's, or six-inch pots. Soil, turfy loam two parts, road sand two parts, cow-dung one part, with a sprinkling of soot ; well drain the pots, and when potted off place them in a good open situa- tion, fully exposed to the sun. I give them plenty of water, never allowing them to flag by any means. By October you will have strong plants, with large solid crowns, and the pots full of roots. Now they must be watered very sparingly, and kept almost dry, that they may ripen their crowns well, and go to rest. I pack them in ridges, and well protect them in frosty weather. For early purposes, I plunge them in a pit, with bottom-heat, abouc 65' or 70% and as soon as they show their buds, I plant them out in the troughs. The troughs are made of rough deal, from six to twelve feet in length (or any length that may be most convenient), eight inches in depth, seven inches wide ou the top, five in the bottom, with holes in the bottom for the water to pass off. Over these holes I put large sherds, with their convex sides downwards, then small ones all over the bottom of the troughs. On these a layer of fibre, turfy- loam, broken in pieces about the size of small hen's eggs : turn the plants out, re- move all the drainage I can without injury to the roots. Plant them in the troughs, with a space of two inches between the ball of each plant. I fill up with three parts turfy loam and one of roads and, that has been well incorporated together, working in verj- solid around the plants with a short stick, or rammer, the crowns of the plants being just level with the top of the trough; place them on the back shelves of THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 273 the vinery, or in the strawberry-house ; give them a good wutering, with tepid water, and you will sac the advantage of the troHgh over the pot. They will send their roots down in the troughs, and all around the sides, developing their beautiful glossy leaves, and sending up their immense trusses of bloom. I give plenty of air when they are in bloom, and they will set well ; they will only require watering once a week in the troughs during the mouths of December, January, and February ; and twice a week in March, April, and May, will be quite sutficient, whicli, I think, is a very great advantage over pot culture. Amongst extensive growers, and where labour is an important item in the spring, when there is so much to be done in every department, one thousand, or fifteen hun- dred, pots to be watered every day, and twice a day when very hot, will and does take up a very great amount of time and labour. For a late crop in troughs, the following plan may be adopted, and will produce a good crop, witI;out the use of j^ots. Take off young plants, or runners, the first week in July. Make choice of those that have roots from half an inch to one inch in length. Prepare a bed, in a good open situation, five feet wide, and any height that may be required. Make the surface of the bed when marked off, very solid, and put on a layer of good rotten stable manure, and cover with three inches of soil from the sides or alleys. Make the bed level, and plant one foot apart. Press the soil firmly around, and keep them well watered. They will soon make new root, and by the autumn will be strong plants. Take them up in March, very carefully, and plant in the trough. The sorts that I cultivate are Keen's Seedling for early, and British Queen for a late crop. The troughs may be made orna- mental, and placed on the side-board when the fruit is ripe, and no one will be in doubt, I think, as to their appearance. I can only say, I have grown strawberries for dessert,"^ for the market, and the exhibition table, and have been a successful exhibitor, and I have grown them in different ways ; but I have never carried such a crop, and grown them to the perfection as I have in the troughs, during the commencement of the present year. J. Spaek.es, Gardener to W. Joynsen, Esq. St. Marl/ Cray. THE AET OF WATERINa PLANTS IN POTS. As I have a good deal to do in various ways with amateur gardeners, 1 have fre- quent opportunities of noticing their short- comings in a variety of particulars. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred almost, ladies and gentlemen who are excessively fond of flowers have a little plot of garden, perhaps a greenhouse and a frame or two, and bestow a good deal of time, money, and pains, do not realize the results they think they have a right to expect as the reward of their application. I thinic we may place some portion of the fiiilure to the account of the want of tact, whicli Jolmson defines to be " experttiess and skill in the management of any affair ; ready talent." Let something more go down to the lack of untiring vigilance, indomitable applica- tion. One single neglect of some jiarticu- lar item in the routine of management will sometimes render nugatory a whole year's attention. If the clock discontinues its ticking, notwithstanding the monotony of the process, family and business arrange- ments are thrown into confusion. Then, again, observation quite justifies me in saying, that, in verymanycaaea.^oarnisuld, injudicious mixture of soil, bad potting, and imperfect drainage, completely block up the way to success. But the one great hmdrance, on which L purpose for a mo- ment or two to dwell, is injudicious water- ing. To be plain, there is no rule that can be laid down for watering plants in pots. Some persons ask, " Should not plants in pots be watered every day ?" The answer is, "Every collection of plants in pots should be looked over every day, and those that are dry should be watered promptly and sufficiently." Let me explain what I mean by "sufficiently." Wlien a j^lant is potted, there is a space between the surface of the mould in the pot and the margin of the pot ; this is to hold the water necessary for the plant growing in the pot ; if the space is pretty deep, say three-quarters of an inch, or an inch, this space quite filled up with water, will generally be enough for one dose. If the space is shallower, and the plant is very dry, it may be filled up two or three times, as the case may be, until the ball is thoi-oughly moistened. If the ball has got so dry that the earth has shrunk away from the sides of the pot, and the water, when poured in, runs away be- tween the ball and the pot without pene- trating among the roots, after the first dose has been given, draw the finger all round N 2 274 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. ths opening on tlic top of the soil. Tlil^; ope- ration, simple as it is, ■will detach mould enough to fill up the gap, and the water, which is afterwards given, will, instead of running away uselessly, permeate the en- tire mass of soil in the pot. And let it be remembered that this " sufficient'' water- ing applies to winter as well as summer treatment ; it is a mistake to give plants in pots that are dry only water enough to moisten the surface of the soil. Subjects that in the summer require copious sup- plies of water every day, in the winter- time perhaps will not want it more than once a week ; but wlien they do have it, give them enough. I would also persuade amateur gardeners to adopt feeders, or saucers, or pans, or whatever may be the name by which tliey are locally designated; these will be found to be of incalculable advantage to many plants; not the glazed pans, but those of the same material and finish as the common cjardsn put. First of all, the water, which has passed through a pot of soil that has become dry, will be re- tained by the saucer, and will be absorbed by degrees, according to the necessities of the plant. Then, again, the pan itself ab- sorbs a considerable quantity of the water, and furnishes a moist, cool bottom for the plant to stand upon, most grateful to plants of all kinds, and analogous to standing on a bed of ashes or sand out of doors, where they arc always found to enjoy tbemselves. Further, tliere are numbers of plants that positively delight to stand in water. Fuchsias, all through the growing and flowering season, begonias, arums, callas, ixias, many ferns, and otlier things, will amply repay by their luxi;riant vigour the indulgence of being permitted to stand in a pan of water. Again, it will be a great relief to many an anxious cultivator, who leaves his home in the morning, and, as Le takes a last look at his potted plants, to feel sure that, by leaving them a supply of water within their own reach, their necessities will be met through tiie length, it may be, of a long, bi-ight, parching summer's day, to find, at his return home, after the toils of business, that his plants are not only not perishing from drouglit, but are, perhaps, considerably improved in vigour and beauty. Only, once more, let me say, that, in using pans, adapt them to the size of the pots, that is, let forty-eight-sized pans be used for forty-eight pots, and the same with other sizes, as it will be found that, if they are too large, they contain more water than can be absorbed by the plant while it is sweet, and if too small, will not contaiu enough. I am afraid your readers will think I give them credit for very little knowledge, but it is because I know that a very large proportion are expert cultivators, that I can speak so plainly for the advice of be- ginners. But just another moment, v.'hilel pLace two or three guards around the prac- tice I have been advocating. Let every- thing placed in pans be v.-ell potted, sufficiently drained, and filled with roots, and for innumerable subjects, such as roses in pots, vines in pots, orc'nard-trees in pots, fuchsias, and strong-growing and free-root- ing tilings generally, this will be found a most satisfactory provision. "\Yii,UAM Chiity. Stamford Rill, CULTURE OP THE TUBEEOSA. The culture of Puli/anthcs tnlerosa being found a difficult matter with many ama- teurs who highly prize the flower, we submit for their guidance a treatise origin- ally communicated to the Horticultural Society by the late Mr. Salisbury. The importation of the bulbs takes place late in the season, when Dutch bulbs are mostly sold and planted. For this purpose select a piece of ground that is perfectly drained, under a south v.-all; or, if this cannot he f^pared, defend it on tiie north by a reed hedge. The size of the bed must be proportioned to the number of roots you v,-ant, for the same tuber never blows a second tinic, but only the lateral ones, which are produced in great abundance round it; as they arc t be planted at five inches distance from each other, a bed nine feet long by three feet wide will hold 144 roots. The soil which I have found them succeed best in, is light sandy earth mixed with one-third pail of very rotten cow-dung ; the earth should be taken about seven or eight inches deep, along with the green turf, chopping it very small with a spade, and turning it once a month for a year before it is used ; if the earth is not ver}' light, add a quantity of sea-sand, or fine shelly gravel. If you are obliged to use this compost sooner, pnss it through a wide screen, casting out nothing but any large stones. About the middle of April, prepare the 'iWE ]?LORAL "WORLD AND GARDEX GUIDE. 275 hei a? follows : — First, take nut all the old earth, to the depth of two feet and fi lialf, or three feet, filling; it nearly to the top with fresh stable dancr, that has been cast into a heap to heat a fortnight before ; la}' the dunt; evenly in the trench, treading each layer very firmly down witli a board under j^our feet, and reserving the smallest and shortest for the last. Upon this lay eighteen inclies in depth of the compost, sloping it well towards the south, not only for the benefit of the sun, but to throw off violent rains. In a day or two after, plant your roots at five inches distance from each other, observing to place them alternately in the rows, and that the crovrn or up[)er part of the tuber is only just covered witli earth. These should be the offsets of such as, after flowering the preceding year, hare been preserved from frost through the winter in sand, as well as the strongest remaining upon any fresh imported ones ; till you obtain a snfficiont stock, even the weakest may be planted ; but as a great number are annually produced by every root, in time those which are large enough to flower the following year need only be selected. Cover the bed at night, especially if frosty, with a double mat, till the leaves appear; but give little or no water, protect- ing it carefully from heavy rains. When tlie leaves are about an inch long, add a little fresh compost to the surface, filling up any inequalities, and removing all weeds. If the season prove dry, it will now require watering, and towards the end of June, and in July, when the leaves are in full vigour, very copiously ; but this must depend upon the weather. From this period till the beginning of winter, nothing more is necessary than to weed the bed, and protect it from the autumnal rains ; this may be done by sloping the ground more up to it, or if you have a cucumber front not in use, it may be employed for this purpose, taking care to sink the front so low as to admit all the sun possible. About the first week in December take the advantage of a dry day, and after clearing away all the decayed leaves, tliatch the becl all over, and at the sides, a foot thick with dry straw, sloping it well to throw off the vret. About the middle of February, if not prevented by severe frost, take up all the roots, preserving their fibres, and pack them in very dry sand, in cellars where the cold cannot penetrate, till April, when they must be replanted as before, shorten- ing their fibres more or less, as you find them decayed. If the climate was even milder than ours, I should recommend the roots to be taken out of the ground, and preserved in dry sand, for it throws them into a com- plete state of rest, and disposes them to form their flower-stems earlier. Many offsets will by this time have made their appearance round each root, all of which, except two or three at most of the strongest, should be cut entirely out, and this opera- tion must be in som3 degree repeated after they are planted and growing, as fresh off- sets are produced : for, if permitted to re- main, they will rob the other buds of sufficient nourishment. This second year some of the largest roots will probably flower ; if they send up their stems early, it will only be necessary to stick them carefully, when about a foot and a-half high, and leave them to blossom in the open air ; but when they appear later than July, they should either be removed into pots with a trowel, preserving all the fibres possible, and placed in a stove, or, if you have not that convenience, cut out the flower-stem, with all the centrnl leaves, as soon as it is discovered, which will strengthen the offsets. In the succeeding winter, thatch the bed, taking up the roots in February, as before, most of which will now be strong enough to flower, and may be selected for sale, such roots, if wanted . j for early forcing, will have a decided ad- vantage over imported ones ; for, as their fibres will not be entirely decayed, they will push immediately on being removed into brisk heat, and may be brought to flower as early as May. SEA-KALE. TuE time is now not far distant wlien gar- deners will begin to turn their attention to their sea-kale beds, witli a view to winter forcing ; many will even be preparing to have a cutting ready for Christmas. If a gentleman give orders to this effect they must be obeyed ; but it appears almost an improvident extravagance to consume the I vegetable so early in the season, while there | is such an abundance and variety of others ' still remaining in the garden ; one in par- ticular (celery, if stewed) quite supplying its place upon the table. The time when sea-kale comes in most acceptably is durino* March and the beginning of i^pril, when we are tired of winter greens, and have for- gotten the taste of cauliflowers. By growing it on the following plan, it may then be had at less expense and trouble, and of far finer quality, than that produced by any method 276 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. of forcing ; and no one who gives it a fair trial will afterwards relinquish it for main crops, although he may still choose to force a certain qunntity for earlier supplies, The sea-kale bed is to be planted in March, in straight rows five feet asunder; the plants in each row to be eighteen inches apart. It is, of course, understood that the ground be thoroughly trenched and ma- nured as iisual. Something, but not much, is gained by obtaining year-old plants from the nursery instead of sowing the seed in the rows, there to remain. By the first method you have a larger cutting the en- suing spring ; but you may oiit from your seedling plants, which will have sufi'eredno check by removal, and will grow with cor- responding vigour. Some time in December, not too soon, when the foot-stalks of the leaves have fairly separated themselves from the crown of the plants, heap over each about a quar- ter of a peck of sea-sand or wood-ashes ; if not to be liad, any light unmanured soil will do. Then earth up the plants from a trench dug along the space between the rows, exactly as if you were earthing up celery, only th.at no leaves appear above the top of the mound. The earth should be heaped up till it is aboi;t two feet above the crowns of the plants, and then flatted down with the back of the spade, and the whole made very smooth and neat. The long trench between the rows of sea-kale will act as a drain during the dead time of winter. In tiie spring, when the shoots begin to push, large cracks will be seen in the bank of mould, and a trial may be made with a trowel, as soon as they are supposed to be sufficiently advanced for cutting. The sea-kale thus obtained is larger, more succulent, and more delicately fla- voured than that blanched under pots. In one case the growing shoot is constantly in contact with the damp mould, and absorbs moisture instead of parting with it. In the other, tlie kale is subject to all the in- fluences of air, though excluded from those of light, from which, however, it is only protected by a porous, imperfectly-closed vessel. All the expense of pots and manure for forcing is saved; and the only objection to the adoption of this plan in all cases, is, that the crop comes in too much at once. But by having rows of kale in different exposures, a difference of at least ten days may be made ; and a few plants at the foot of a south wall, earthed up from the border, and merely so covered with mould that it slopes against the wall, will afford a very early gathering. No second cutting should be attempted ; not so much for fear of weakening the plants, as because the weak shoots thus obtained are comparatively worthless. The earth should be levelled into the trenches, exposing the crowns of the plants, and by introducing some rank maimre tliere will be plenty of time for a crop of cauliflowers (in single line) before the increasing leaves of the sea-kale require their removal. A caution should be given to avoid a mode of culture highly approved by many who grow or sell, but do not tliemselves eat sea-kale. Instead of protecting and blanching the shoots by a covering of sweet earth, they overwhelm their beds with bar- rowfuls ol' leaves collected in autumn (oak- leaves are most in vogue), and just shovel them on one side when tlic crop is fit for the knife. This plan has not a single ad- vantage over the earthing system, except indulging the laziness of the cultivator, for any decrepit old woman could sprinkle a few apronfuls of leaves over her garden, but the other requires an able-bodied man to do it properly. The plants are not a day forwarder unless the leaves heat very much; and then the characteristic of the method is fully evidenced. If the oak-leaves were gathered perfectly dry, and remained so during the whole winter, if no grass or weeds were ever intermingled with them, all mipht be well. But the leaves are damp, there is some green rubbish among them, and consequently a slight fermenta- tion takes place, slight putrefacliou follows, and the produce grown beneath, which de- lights the eye like a beautiful branch carved in ivory, disgusts the taste by a flavour as nauseous as it is undoubtedly unwholesome. I have seen sea-kale of this kind produced at table that was quite uneatable. No wonder we now and then meet with people who have tried it only once, and do not like it. This valuable esculent, so easy of culti- vation, requiring no peculiar advantages of soil, climate, or situation, well deserves to be more extensively propagated. Those who form their judgment from the estima- tion in which it is held in and about London, are little aware how far it is from being general in the remoter districts of Great Britain. It is admirably adapted by its liai'diness to such countries as Canada, Norway and Sweden, Northern Russia, etc., where if earthed up before the frost came, it would lie dormant under the thick snow, and be ready on the return of spring to put forth its delicious shoots. It is also fitted for those northern insular situations where the temperature never rises above a mode- rate degree, and where the rains of summer and the constant damps of winter would rot our more tender vegetables. 277 NE&LECTED BORDER FLOWERS. Did the real merits of a plant depend entirely upon fashion, there would be good grounds for allowing so:ne of our most ornaiuental garden subjects to remain in comparative solitude ; but this is not really the case, and fashion does sometimes pass over really good things to fondle its own pets. Cassia orymbosa is not particu- larly popular just now, but it is an excel- lent bedder, valuable as a late flower, and calculated to enliven our beds and borders when the ordinary bedders are looking shabby. We have had it the past autumn looking exceedingly pretty, with its bright orange blossoms and handsome foliage, and I would recommend it to all who desire to maintain a freshness in their borders to the extreme limits of the season. Planted with Veronica Andersonii, Salvia fulgens, chrysanthemum^, and such late bloomers, it is all that can be desired for autumn gaiety, and is well calculated to take the place of early annuals. It strikes readily from side-shoots in spring or summer, by the same method as is used for verbenas, etc. I would recommend keeping it in pots over the winter and spring till June, and bedding out in the usual manner. It grows freely in a soil composed of equal parts peat, loam, and leaf-mould, witli a portion of sand. Linaria peloria is a plant very little cultivated near London, and althougn not use.'ul as a bedder, it is likely to prove useful in filling up some of the dry places which abound in suburban gardens, where ordinary border plants do not thrive. It is a variety of L. vulgaris, remarkable for the singular formation of its flowers, which are of a bright yellow cjlour, a profusion of which it yields in -July and August, but not being in great demanil few nurseiy- men are likely t) have it ; and this, I be- lieve, is the case with many of the curious old favourites, which of late years have been ueglected for the sake of colour and effect. I well I'emember some gay beds of silenes, lychnis, pansies, double daisies, ranunculuses, incluting the old bachelor's buttons, campanulas, saxifragas, sedums, pinks, veronicas, and thrift edgings, fraxi- nellas and American cowslips, and others of the old border plants of the days of Abercombie ; aud I believe it would be no retrogression to cultivate them more largely in gardens of modern type, since amongst them we lind bloomers for almost every month of the year ; and, indeed, some of the early spring and late autumn flowers are still valued for these qualities. The old Christmas rose is yet unrivalled in its property of fliwerinj; in the midst of frost and snow ; the hepaiica, the wood- anemone, and the primrose as the har- binger of spring ; the starworts, the golden rods, and the lludbekias, and other old- fashioned garden inmates, are not, let us hope, likely to become extinct, but to flourish again, endeared by age or im- proved by breeding. F. C. TROPICAL EFFECTS IN ENGLISH GARDENS. In reading some remarks relating to bedding out stove and otiier plants of distinct and marked foliage, for giving a tropical ap- pearance to a border or clump, which appeared in the June number of the Floral World for tlje present year, it struck me that the idea is susceptible of considerable extension ; in fact, tliat the materials for giving a deridedly tropical appearance not only to a border, but to a whole garden, are both cheap and easily obtainable. Every gardener, amateur and professional, know's that a young healthy tree, with plenty of room, after it is well established, grows •with great vigour ; and that, if closely pruned or headed down, it makes sur- prisingly strong slioots aud large leaves. I have seen a variety of sumach headed down every winter and every summer, it makes three or four shoots two yards or more in length, and leaves eighteen inches, or two feet, or even more, in length. The common ash and cassia when served the same grow with surprising vigour ; the latter being less littery than otherways. The sycamore, horse and Spanish dies nuts, plane, elder, walnnt, the large-leaved kinds of oak, and others of the commonest trees, when lieaded down spread out their broad arms and gigantic leaves in tropical style. Let a good space of ground, or a wide border, be planted with two or three year old stumps of any of the vigorous-grow- ing kinds of forest trees, planting them eight or ten feet apart ; let them make in the first place a stout upright stem, to 27§ THE FLORAL WORLt) AND GARDEN GUIDE. the Leiglit of from tLrcc to nine or ten feet, according to fancy, with an eje to future effect, then prune them in to that every winter. Amongst or .iround these may be planted such hardy foliage plants as would he in keeping, and in the summer time Palmia Christis, Cannas, and all large ornamental leaved j^lants, may go between, not excluding Ileracleum giganteum and other large umbellifera. These all combined would give a decidedly tropical effect, and would add to the many diversities of wliich gardening is susceptible. I have seen large plants of Fuchsia specfabilis, Eriobotrya Japonica, Acacia Lopontha, mngnolias, and such like plants, plunged in a broad clump, and they presented a noble appearance and I believe a few common trees, planted and treated as above, would not only be in perfect harmony, but add considerably to the effect; and there are plants innumer- able, both dwarf and tall, of graceful or symmetrical habit, remarkable for beauty or singularitj^ of foliage, having the same effect as flowers as regards variation of colour, without the litter of shed petals, and dead flowers, and unsightly seed-pods, i The suggestions above offered may be ob- | jected to on the score that when denuded of leaves the trees will present tlie appear- ance of so many bare stakes ; but what are all deciduous trees and shrubs but bare sticks during the winter months — in fact, what are thousands of old lilacs, sj-ringas, and elderberries, so dearly cherished in nearly all suburban gardens, but huge faggots that while away the winter in affording shelter to dnst, dead leaves, litter, and stray pieces of paper. For my part I cannot understand how those who love their garden can devote so much loom to subjects that are nothing but bare masses of brushwood one half the year, and filled with dusty leaves the other half, with an interval o"f a fortniglit in the flowering season, and an annua) crop of dead wood into the bargain. Such ground planted with dwarf young evergreens, which are cheap enough, would present a verdurous appearance the whole year ; or ground left bare in the winter, if frecjuentlj- stirred, is by no means unsightly, and if rightly planted the following year will be amply remunerative to the lover of real effect. — Garden Oracle, 1862. G-AEDEN AND GEEENHOUSE WOEK EOE DECEMBEE. Azaleas and Camellias claim atten- tion, now that we have little else to depend upon to keep the conservatory gay. A little pains now bestowed in training and dis- budding will repay, and camellias ax"e so heavily set with buds, that generally speak- ing it would be most unwise to allow all to remain. We have seen lately bushels of buds removed in some places where a mo- derate show of fine flowers is preferred to fi mass of indifferent ones, the profusion of which v/ill weaken the plants. Bulbs not yet planted must bo got in, and as they are unusually fine this season, piirchases may yet be made. \Ve always advise early purchasing and early plant- ing ; but if we would ever excuse delay, it is now, the stock being in such prime con- dition tliat the bloom is sure to be satis- factory, though the after .growth may be weak through their remaining cut of the ground too long. Bush fruitu should be planted, pruned, and manured. Burn the prunings, and if the ashes are not wanted for any particular purpose, tlirow them round the roots of the trees; they are powerfully fertilizing. Gooseberries and currants may be lightly forked between to mix the manure with the soil, but raspberries should have three or four inches of dung, not very rotten, laid on the border or piece, and not be dug or disturbed at all. Caknations and Picotees.— The young stocks look amazingly well this season. They require plenty of air and very mode- rate watering, and be kept clean. Cineeakias and C.'\lceolaeias for spe- cimens may now want a shift ; they must on no account get pot-bound, or they will bloom prematurely. "Water on fine morn- ings, and beware of green-fly and mildew. Climbers in greenliouses may now liave special attention to reduce their di- mensions, lay in wood for next summer's bloom, and clear the walls and trellises. EvEBGREEW suEUBS planted now must be heavily njulched with dung to keep frost from their roots. Pflargoniums to be cautiously watered and allowed to rest. Specimens may be tied out and stock struck late may be shifted and kept growing. Roses may be planted now during dry weather ; the ground to be in good heart, deep y trenched and v,-ell manured. On loamy land broken up from grass, roses do better than in ordinary garden soil, and those wlio grow for show should either use turf liberally or break up meadow ground for their best plants. Get in briars quickly before the best are gone. Manettis THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 279 layered during summer may now be di- vided and planted out in rows lor budding next summer. RiiDBAKB and Sra-Kale put into force. We object to tlic usual plan of blancliing rhubarb as spoiling it; unless it is acid, it is worthless, and the blancliing system as followed for the markets, only produces a mass of vegetable pulp, without beauty or fiavoiir. Tom Thumd is the best of all peas for forcing ; sown now and grown in pots witli French beans it will give a good return. Those who force for Covent Garden sow in October andNovember. This pea is of dwarf branching habit, and of very little use for out-door work being tender in constitution. VEKiUN. — Now that gardeners have a little breathing-time is a good opportunity for cleaning frames, lights, and the under sides of stages, iin, and you will under-^ stand why, if you place side hy side seed of cabbage and cauliflower. The seed you send is probably Atriplex hortensis rubra, the orna- mental foliaued plant on which remarks have been several times made in Flokal Woeld. Celei-y seed will grow when ten years ild, as we know by experience. The Tritomas are showv Cape' bulbs, nearly hardy, which bloom superbly if planted out in a rich sandy soil.— Siibscrilcr.—'Rehit^e lime from gas-works is powerfully fertilizing, and may be used to any kitchen-garden crops. To go into the menls of the question is more than we have room for now. 3 5185 00292 4874 N. MANCHESTER INDIANA \m I .^:>'->i,t>\i^