Floral World and Garden Guide

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L—INTERIOR

THE

FLORAL WORLD

GARDEN GUIDE

AnD

COUNTRY COMPANION.

Blustrated with Coloured Plates and Cood GEngradings.

LONDON:
GROOMBRIDGE AND SONS,
5, PATERNOSTER ROW.
es OF ZO- ress

LONDON :
¥ Printed By Smrmons & Borren,
Shoe Lane, E.C.

THE FLORAL

AND

GARDEN GUIDE.

WINDOW GARDENING.

BY JOHN BR. MOLLISON.

Ga) V ERYONE delights in possessing a flower, from the poor
| in the back lanes of the city, who treasure their one
little plant, struggling for existence in the poisoned
atmosphere, to the wealthy with their gardens and
Fim plant-houses, stocked with all the rarest plants and
flowers that money can procure.

The love of flowers arouses within us all the kindliest feelings of
our nature, humanises the heart, and fills the mind with pleasant ideas
and associations. Many a poor man has been saved from alluring
temptations that might have been his ruin, by his spare time being
taken up with his love for gardening ; the cultivation of his garden-
plot, and the tending of his flowers, proving far more attractive than
the company of idle companions, or the false pleasures of the beer-
shop. What a pleasant sight it is to see the cottager thus attending
to the beauty and comfort of his home. ‘Truly the love of flowers
is one of the best agents of the temperance cause ; all friends of the
movement should ever make it their endeavour to arouse their
hearers to its importance and encourage the establishment of cot-
tagers’ flower shows; for the healthy rivalry engendered by them
works like a charm for the general benefit of the district in which
they are held.

The lover of flowers though he only possesses one single plant,
enjoys a real pleasure in the care and attention he bestows upon it
—a pleasure which the very poorest may enjoy, even though shut
up in the heart of a large city. It is principally for those who live
in towns and large cities, who have no convenience for cultivating
flowers but their windows, that I write these pages. Therefore |
will try to give as clear information on the cultivation of window
plants as I can, using the simplest language, so that I may be

1

January.

2 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

understood by all; and if what I say should enable anyone to grow
his or her flowers to greater perfection and in larger variety, and
induce those to grow a few flowers who never have done so before, I
shall be amply repaid. But most of all would I hope to confer a
benefit on the invalid whom God in His
merciful visitation has deprived of the
pleasure of enjoying the possession of a
few plants, except in the sick room, To
iit the invalid more than anyone a flower is
‘7(\ the messenger of joy, soothing the pain
> and loneliness of many a weary hour.
There is a great variety of flowers
which can be grown to comparative per-
\ fection in a window, provided the window
+) has a southern exposure, more or less, so
that the plants may enjoy the benefit of
the sunshine; and with the requisite
attention to keep them clean, free from vermin, and properly watered.
All this I will try to explain in a simple and practical manner.
What a wonderful hold the floral beauties of nature have on the
human heart! Go where you will in town or country, the love of
flowers is displayed on every hand. It holds sway in the city from
the button-hole bouquet to the great floral exhibitions; from the
struggling geranium in
the city alley to the
gorgeous display in the
parks and public gardens.
In the country it is a
poor cottage that has not
its flower-plot or window
plant. What a charming
sight it is to pass through
a country village where
the queenly rose, the car-
nation, the pansy, gera-
nium, fuchsia, and a host
of other favourites glad-
den the eyes with their
well-known beauties. The
general appearance of the
outside of a cottage home
may be always taken as
pretty sure evidence of
the character of its in-
mates. You can point
out at once where the
lover of flowers dwells.
Every lover of flowers has of necessity a large heart, capable of love
and sympathy for all mankind; willing always to think the world very
beautiful, and God ever bountiful, who gives all men the breath of
life, so that they can enjoy the beautiful works of His hand, and

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

ie)

with full hearts to lift their thoughts in thanks and praise for His
mercies, even though the troubles of life beset them at every step.
I honour and admire the lovers of
flowers, and would do all I could
to encourage them. Often when I
see the cottager spending his even-
ing hour in his little garden, and
hear him eagerly tell me the history
and peculiarities of this and that fa-
vourite, my hand fairly itches to give
him the right hand of fellowship, and
bid him good-speed in his pleasant
.occupation. Honour be to those who
thus feel the elevating influence of a
lovely flower, and I am sure the flowers
pay back tenfold interest for the atten-
tion bestowed on them by the pleasant
feelings, hopes, and aspirations which
they arouse within the heart.

Now, my dear readers, I will enter
upon the practical details of my subject
in earnest, and the first part I have
to consider is the suitable kinds of
flower-pots, pans, vases, hanging-
baskets, ete. The common earthen-
ware flower-pots are sold by the
“cast”; the number of pots in a
cast varying according to their size
the price generally being three shil-
lings per cast. The inside measure-
ment of the rim is always taken.
There are 60 two-inch wide pots
in a cast, which are called “‘ sixties” ;
36 fcur-inch, 30 five-inch, 18 six-
inch, 12 seven-inch, 8 eight-inch,
and 6 nine-incb, which is the largest
size you will ever require, though
they run on to 1 sixteen-inch in the
cast, which is the largest size made.
Any seedsman or nurseryman will
supply you. Earthenware pans of
yarious sizes are also used, and are
better than pots for growing an-
nuals, some kinds of low-growing
ferns, selaginellas, and for sowing
seeds or rooting cuttingsin. You
should have one or two of them,
- as they are very useful, and for
® some purposes you will prefer them
to pots. You should also have
earthenware flats for standing pots

anuary.

4, THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

in; they are far neater than plates or saucers, which are often
used for the purpose, and are moderate in price.

=a

But the flower-pot allows of a wide
definition according to circumstances or
necessity, for you will sometimes see
fair specimen plants growing in an old
teapot, jar, jug, or even, as I have seen,
in an oldtin can. I know anold woman
at the present time who has a pretty
red China rose flourishing in an old
tin can, and a small lemon plant grow-
ing in an old Coleman’s mustard tin
with the bullock’s head on it entire.
Well done, old lady, you deserve credit.
Still regular pots are best, for they
have a purpose-like appearance, though,
as I have hinted, the want of pots
need not deter any one from growing
window plants. All makeshifts, how-
ever, should have holes punched out in
the bottoms for drainage.

Tt is very interesting to have a wire
basket hanging from the centre of the
window, with a saxifrage or the Aaron’s
beard of the cottagers, ivy-leaved gera-
nium, or any other hanging plant grow-

ing over it. A wire basket is easily
made, and when tastefully arranged, is
a very creditable thing to display ; but
you can purchase them of various de-
signs and moderately cheap from any
seedsman. The one figured here is a
very good example of a gaivanized-iron
wire basket. Galvanized iron wire is
the best material for your purpose; but
you can also make very pretty ones
with hazel boughs, willows, knotty
wood, virgin cork, or pine cones, which
can be nailed on a wooden frame.
When neatly made andvarnished, home-
made rustic flower-baskets look very
pretty. Two or three plies of small
wire twined together in the form of a
cord, makes a very good suspender for
a basket. Three, or at most four, of
the twined wires, of sufficient length
for the basket to hang down gracefully,
joined together in a stout ring, and
having small hooks to catch the basket,
are quite enough. Harthenware bas-
kets, as represented by the figure on p. 5,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 5

are excellent contrivances ; in them the roots of the plant meet with
a more genial material than wood or iron, and have also a neat rustic
appearance. But of course your
own taste will guide you in the
‘construction or purchase of a
hanging basket. An excellent
substitute is a little square piece
of wood with a hole in each
corner, through which strings are
drawn, knotted under the holes,
and joined above to loop over the
nail. This little platform will
hold a pot and saucer nicely, and
when the plant has grown a little,
will be a great ornament to your
window. An enamelled tile with
a hole drilled in each corner an- /
swers the same purpose, and /
looks neater. This is the cot- L Ae
tager’s favourite way of suspend- \,
ing a plant in a window, but |)\
I dare say you will find wire (\(\
answer the purpose better than “\/\
twine. AY
Nothing looks so handsome \\\Q
as a smail terra-cotta or Etruscan ‘\ tay
pot or vase, with a nice plant in
it standing in your parlour. Illus-
trations of different styles are
given in this paper. You should
by all means have one or two if
you can afford it. They are high in price, ranging from two
shillings and sixpence and upwards. Many people cannot afford
ornamental pots or vases at those prices, and regret the want of
them, for they are really handsome ornaments. I need scarcely
say anything to you about cut-
flower vases. There are few homes
¥ without a small vase or two for
holding cut flowers. They are so
easily obtained that it is a pity to
see a lovely bouquet stuck into a
mug or tea-cup for want of one.
Cut-flower vases of glass are now
greatly used in dinner-table and
drawing-room decorations. They
are generally trumpet-shaped, and
made in many different styles.
The common trumpet glasses are
very useful for cut flowers on any
occasion. Hyacinth glasses are elegant ornaments when filled with
nicely-grown hyacinth bulbs in flower. The common glass ones are

January.

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very cheap; a more elegant and expensive style has lately come
jnto great repute, made of coloured glass or Etruscan ware. You
will find it very interesting to grow,
perhaps, a couple of hyacinths in glasses.
Plants in a room should have orna-
mental covers for the pots; you ean
purchase expansive wooden ones from
the seedsman. They are very pretty,
and hide the unsightliness of a common
pot from view in the favoured domain
of your parlour. You can obtain them
either plain, coloured, or gilded; and
they will expand to suit the size of
any pot, or fold up into small compass
when not in use. You can also obtain an improved form, orna-
mented with imitation foliage. They are all very durable and
moderate ia price. A very pretty and serviceable pot cover could
be made with cardboard, which you could ornament to your taste.
A cardboard pot cover when ornamented with sea-weed and shells
looks extremely pretty.

(To be continued.)

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Us

HOME-MADE ASPHALTE WALKS.

NUMBER of inquiries have been from time to time
made as to the formation and durability of asphalte
era Rs walks, and we propose to offer some information on
X@ Es these points. For kitchen gardens, or courts, or any-
: a here where a clean, smooth, durable path is an object,
there is hardly anything better than asphalte when properly laid
down. Weeds never grow upon it, which is a vast consideration in
a kitchen garden; every shower of rain washes it as clean as a well-
swept kitchen floor; it has no offensive smell after it has been down
for a few weeks; and it will last under the usual garden traffic for
twenty or thirty years. We are well acquainted with kitchen gar-
‘dens where all the walks are asphalted; they have been laid down
for many years, and are as smooth and even at this day as they were
at the beginning. Some of the shady walks amongst the shrub-
beries, where weeds used to grow too fast, are also done in this way,
and have long ago become covered with a fine green moss, on which
one treads as silently as on a carpet, but no weeds grow on them.
We are not here speaking of asphalte put down by regular
asphalters, but of work done by the ordinary labourers on the
estate, at very little expense and trouble, as we are prepared to state
that the walks look just as well as those put down by the asphalters,
and are, if anything, more lasting. The regular tradesman, who
does the work by contract at from eightpence to a shilling per square
yard, perliaps—finding all the materials—puts too thin a “ cake”
on, and the consequence is, that the frost breaks it up, rends it in
every direction, and then it has to be done over again, for asphalte
does not patch well. We have put down in our time many hundreds
of yards of asphalte with our own men, and it cost us little more
than the gas-tar, which can sometimes be had from the nearest gas-
ometer for a trifle, and a few barrels will soak a great quantity of
ashes. Usually a good deal of trouble is gone to in draining and
bottoming the walks, and in putting the asphalte on at twice; but
all this work and the boiling of the tar we have proved to be quite
unnecessary, for our purpose at least. With two or three good
labourers, the ashes are sifted, soaked, put on, rolled, and finished
in a very short time. As to drainage, it must be remembered that
the water runs off the walks, and does not drain away ; so that all
that is necessary is a single drain along one side of the walk, into
which the water is taken by gratings at convenient places. No
rubble bottom whatever is putin. If the soil is tolerably hard and
solid, the asphalte is just put on it as it is, saving the eutting and
making of the edges, and a walk so made is just as good as one with
a foot of broken stones beneath it. The best season for the work is
in autumn, when the heat of the summer is over, and the frosts
have not set in; or in spring, after the frost has gone, and before
the heat comes on. The reason of this is, that in hot weather the
asphalte does not set so readily, and in frosty weather it is apt to be
disturbed and broken up before it does set.
January.

a

8 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

And now as to the modus operandi. First of all, the walks must
be set out and got in readiness, and then the ashes—usually plentiful
about a garden—must be sifted. Two men will sift as many in two
days as will cover a great stretch of ground. A one-inch sieve or
screen must be used. If the ashes are put through a wider mesh
than this, they are too lumpy, and do not bed well; and if through
a less, they contain too much small, and the “ cake” is too soft and
yielding. They should be thrown into acircular flat heap about two
feet deep when sifted, and the tar should be led and emptied over
them at once—about as much as will soak them the first time with-
out draining away to waste, which is a matter of judgment at the
time. It is better to give too much, however, than too little, as
what tar runs through can be ladled up and poured on again until
the ashes absorb it all, which they take a little time to do. As soon
as the tar has been emptied on, however, the heap must be turned
at once, and turned again, mixing the wet with the dry ashes as the
work proceeds, so as to soak up the tar as much as possible; and
when finished, the heaps should be thrown into a conical shape, and
left to soak for about a week, when the ashes will appear much drier
than they were when turned, in consequence of the tar soaking into
the cinders more completely, This is the reason of applying the tar
twice. If the whole is put on at one time, the half of it will run
off, and after the ashes have been put on the walk they will dry and
break up like a macadamised road in dry weather. The first dose of
tar saturates the cinders, and the second makes them sticky. At the
end of a week the second dose must be given, the heap turned as
before, and again left for several days. The drainings may be poured
back on the heap again ; but if the tar persists in draining through,
it is better to let it run away, or use it on another heap; for the
ashes must not be puddly, or dripping with the tar, but, as we have
said before, sticky only, and no more, otherwise the walk will not
set so hard. When it is seen that the material is in this condition,
wheel off on to the walk, and spread it about four inches deep, and
level it as it is put on with the back of a rake, leaving an even sur-
face, and taking care that the walk is slightly rounded towards the
centre, in order to throw the water off to the sides. As soon as all
has been put on, roll it witi a wet roller two or three times, and
keep the roller clean with a besom as it goes along. The usual way
is for two men to pull the roller, and one to go behind with a besom,
all taking care how they put their feet down. After this, sprinkle
the surface with gravel or spar, put through a half-inch sieve, so
thickly, as just to hide the asphalte, and roll again for three or four
hours, till it is quite firm, and continue the rolling for an hour or
two every morning when it is cool, for three or four days. If the
work has been done with ordinary care, the walk is fit for traffic as
soon as it is finished, and is perfectly clean to the feet. If the gravel
has been put on thick enough, it makes a clean, dry surface at once,
and keeps its colour perfectly. If more happens to be sprinkled on
than will roll in to stick, it can be easily swept off afterwards, when
the asphalte has set fairly. A walk finished in this way—and it
must be sprinkled with something—has just the appearance of a

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 9

gravel walk smoothly rolled. As regards edgings for asphalte walks,
we are aware that the belief exists that box and other living edgings
will not grow near gas tar; but this is not the case. We could
point to gardens where hundreds of yards of box are growing close
to the asphalte, and all other kinds of edgings thrive well enough.
It is only necessary to plant the edgings after the asphalte has been
put down and is set; and this is not a difficult matter, as the
asphalte can be put down and rolled with the utmost exactness, and
the edgings can be planted close up to it.

THE CINERARIA.

=e HE seed of the Cineraria should be sown in autumn, and

| as soon as the produce can be handled, they should be
potted separately into a soil composed of loam, leaf-
mould, and silver sand, in about equal proportions. The
~ young plants are preserved best in a low, cold pit, so
that they may stand on the floor and yet be near the glass. The
reason for this is, that though they require to be constantly and
moderately moist, still the frequent application of fresh water is
found to be injurious, and on this account fire-heat is to be avoided,
as having a tendency to dry the soil, taking care, however, to pre-
serve them unscathed by frost. It is on the condition of the plants
through the winter part of the year that the flowering of the suc-
- ceeding spring mainly depends, for if not. perfectly healthy now, it
is almost hopeless to expect vigorous bloom. About the beginning
of February they should be removed into larger pots, and a stronger
soil than that recommended for the first potting. The loam and
leaf-mould may be continued as before, but instead of sand, well-
rotted manure should be used in the same proportion. At the same
time a quantity of seed may be sown in gentle heat, to supply plants
for bedding-out in the flower garden ; those will continue to produce
flowers from the beginning of June till they are cut off by the
autumnal frosts. Those that are in pots should be kept, after their
final potting, in the same kind of pit until the flowers are just ex-
panding, when the greenhouse or other place they are intended to
decorate should of course receive them. Throughout the entire
existence of the plants, they should be guarded from drought and the
attacks of green fly, to which they are very subject ; fumigation and
washing with tobacco water are the most effective means of clearing
them from the latter. It will sometimes happen that though the
plants may bloom most abundantly, they do not perfect seed; the
mode of obviating this difficulty is to stand the plants in a very cool,
shaded place through the summer, when they produce it in abundance.
After flowering, the old stems should be cut away, and the stools
shifted back into small pots, preserving them through the winter in
the manner advised for seedling.

January.

10 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

SOLANUM PSEUDOCAPSICUM.

s§HE large-berried varieties of Solanum pseudocapsicum
# are invaluable for conservatory and sideboard decora-
tion in the late autumn and winter months. Few culti-
yators do justice to these plants, and hence we rarely
om see such dense, well-berried, and symmetrical plants as
the one here figured. The principal secret in the management is to
plant them out early in May in a sunny spot, in light rich soil, and

encourage early growth by means of regular supplies of water. They
may be once stopped in June. In October they must be taken up

and carefully potted, and put into the greenhouse to ripen the
berries.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 11

THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROCK WORK.

¥H)N constructing elevated mounds for ferns and alpines, the
S#| base should be of building rubbish, faced with burrs
from the brick-kilns, or with large blocks of stone or
flint, if such are plentiful in the district. The soil in
the lower parts should be a mixture of sandy loam, leaf-
mould, and peat for ferns and flowering plants; and in the wet
hollows, for marsh ferns, rotten wood should be used plentifully. The
higher portions should be built up with additional tiers of brick
rubbish, and with a soil composed of sandy loam, old mortar, and
leaf-mould in the interstices, as in these higher portions most
alpines do well. The summit may be a bed of rich loam, resting on
a bottom of rubbish, for ornamental plants of large growth; but a
mere mound, the summit of which is below the eye, should be faced
all over with large rough blocks of stone or vitrified blocks, with
suitable soil between for the plants. To imitate stratified rocks,
regular courses of brickwork are the best, to be built up in cliffs and
caves, as may be desired, and then the whole faced with Roman
cement an eighth of an inch thick, and the stratifications marked as
the work proceeds. When weather-stained and suitably planted,
rockwork of such a kind, if on a somewhat large seale, has a natural
and imposing effect ; but for small mounds and banks, vitrified bricks
or flints, roughly arranged in a few bold curves, are by far the best.
A north aspect is the best for most ferns and alpines.

Artificial coral for rockwork can be made as fullows—Take four
parts of yellow rosin and one part of vermilion, and melt them
together ; dip twigs, cinders, or stones in this mixture, and it will
give them the appearance of coral, and they become applicable to
rockwork, grotto, or any fancy work, as a substitute for that costly
article.

MANAGEMENT OF PLANTS IN ROOMS.

mam O treat of the proper management of plants in houses is
f a subject attended with considerable difficulty, every
genus requiring some variation, both in soil and general
treatment. If the room where the plants are intended
to be placed is dark and close, but few will ever thrive
in it; if, on the contrary, it is light and airy, with the windows in a
suitable aspect to receive the sun, plants will do nearly as well as in
a greenhouse. But if they are observed to suffer, the effects may
generally be traced to one of the four following causes :—Want of
proper light and air, injudicious watering, dust or dirt collected on
the leaves, or being potted in unsuitable soil.

Want of proper light and air is, perhaps, the most essential point
of any to be considered ; for, however well all other requisites are
attended to, a deficiency in either of these will cause the plants to
grow weak and sickly. Let them always be placed as near the light

January,

12 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

as they can conveniently stand, and receive as much air as can be
admitted when the weather will allow. Indeed, those persons who
have no other conveniency than the house to keep them in will find
that they derive immense advantage from being, during fine weather,
in spring and autumn, turned out of doors in the evening, and taken
in again in the morning, the night-dews contributing greatly to their
health and vigour.

Injurious watering does more injury to plants in rooms than
many persons imagine. To prevent the soil ever having a dry
appearance is an object of importance in the estimation of very
many; they therefore water to such an excess, that the mould be-
comes sodden, and the roots ccnsequently perish. Others, to avoid
this evil, run exactly into the opposite extreme, and scarcely give
sufficient to sustain life. This, however, is by no means so common
a practice as that of giving too much; for, in general, if anything
appears to be the matter with the plants, large doses of water are
immediately resorted to; and if recovery is not speedy, this nos-
trum is again administered, with but little doubt of its infallible
restorative powers. But such persons, like an unskilful physician
who gluts the weakly stomach of his patient, only hasten on what
they are trying to prevent. This overplus of water will show its
bad effects by the very dark colour and flabby disposition of the
leaves; and if the plant receives too little, the leaves will turn
yellow, and eventually die.

The best plan is to always allow the soil in the pot to have the
appearance of aryness (but never sufficiently to make the plant flag)
before a supply of water is given, which should then be pretty
copious ; but always empty it out of the pan or feeder in which the
pot stands, as soon as the soil is properly drained. The water used for
the purpose ought always to be made about the same temperature
as the room in which the plants grow. Never use it fresh from the
pump ; either let it stand in a warm room all night, or take off the
chill by adding a little warm water to it, or the growth of the plants
will be much checked.

Matter collected on the leaves may either arise from insects or
dust. The former may speedily be remedied by placing the plants
under a hand-giass, or anything that is convenient, and burning some
tobacco until they become well enveloped in the smoke; and the
latter may be removed by occasionally washing them on the head
with pure water, either by means of a syringe, the rose of a water-
ing-pot, or with a sponge, should the dirt still adhere.

Being potted in unsuitable soil is by far the most difficult part
of the business to rectify, for no certain line can be drawn unless
each genus was treated on separately. However, as this cannot be
done in a paper like the present, a few general remarks, which, per-
haps, with some little exceptions, may be found to be pretty correct,
must suffice. All plants whose branches are fragile or slender, and
roots of a fine, thready, fibrous texture, with general habits like the
Ericas, will require the same soil (peat-earth) and very similar
treatment to Cape-heaths. Those whose wood and general habits
partially differ, and whose roots are of a stronger texture, as Acacia,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 13

Ardisia, Stenocarpus, Tetrachea, Tristanea, etc., will require a por-
tion of sandy loam—in many cases about equal parts; and where
the habits, ete., differ materially from the heath, only a small por-
tion of peat-earth will be required, and a compost may be made a
little rich by the addition of well-rotted dung.

_ Almost all Cape and other bulbs, as Sparazis, Ivia, Gladiolus,
Tritonia, ete., thrive best in a mixture of light, rich sandy loam,
leaf-mould, and a little peat.

Shrubby and herbaceous plants, with luxuriant roots and
branches, as several species of Myrtus, Jasminum, Hibiscus, Her-
mannia, Heliotropium, etc., require rich loam, lightened with leaf-
soil, without any portion of peat.

Plants with powerful roots, and but slender heads, as Veronica,
Senacia, Scutellaria, Ruellia, Mawrandia, ete., require a light, sandy
soil, mixed with a small portion of leaf-mould and very rotten dung.
At the time of potting, always lay plenty of broken potsherds at
the bottom of each pot, to give a good drainage.

It will be seen that these directions do not allude to either
orchideous, succulent, or aquatic plants. Many of the orchidee
require a portion of decayed wood mixing with the soil ; others grow
in damp moss ; but these, being chiefly stove-plants, will not flourish
in a room. There are several species, however, that thrive very
well both in the greenhouse and in rooms, as Arethusa, Calopogon,
Dendrobium, Ophrys, etc. The soil suitable for these is a mixture
of about equal parts of light sandy loam and peat. Very little or
no water must be given when they are not in a growing state.

Succulent plants of all descriptions require very little water, and
in general are very easily managed in rooms. Many of them thrive
in a mixture of sandy soil and lime rubbish, as Aloe, Cacalia, Cactus,
Aizoon, etc.; others grow well in a mixture of equal parts of light
sandy loam and peat, as Coris, Cotyledon, Mesembryanthemum, ete.
The proper soil for the Geranium is half rich, rotted manure, a
fourth fresh yellow loam, and a fourth of equal parts of good garden
mould and leaf-soil.

Aquatic plants, as Villarsia, Actinocarpus, etc., generally do well
in a mixture of peat and loam, and require to be constantly kept in
a wet state. Indeed, the best way is to place the pot in a deep
pan, or feeder, which should always be kept filled with water.

Bulbs of most sorts flourish in rooms with less care than most
other kinds of plants. Hyacinths should be planted in autumn.
In preparing pots for them, select such as are about four inches
deep and three inches wide, put a little rotten dung in each pot, fill
each pot up with light, rich soil, and plant the bulbs so shallow, that
‘nearly half the bulb stands above the soil; plunge the pots in the
open air, and cover them six or eight inches deep with rotten bark.
During spring take them out as they are wanted to bring into flower,
and set them in the window of a warm room, where they will be
fully exposed to the sun. Those who do not possess a garden may
set the pots in a cellar or outhouse, or in the corner of a yard, and
cover them with light soil or sand, until they are wanted to bring
into the room to flower. When the leaves begin to decay, after they

January.

14 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

have done flowering, give them no water ; when the leaves are dead,
take them out of the soil, and remove the offsets, and lay them in
an airy situation until the time of planting.

If grown in water-glasses, they require to be placed in a light,
airy situation, and the water will require to be changed once in three
or four days. If drawn up weakly, it will be necessary to support
the stems. This, however, will not be necessary if they be kept in
a light and airy situation. When out of flower, plant them in pots
of soil to perfect their leaves, and treat them as above; they will
then flower again the succeeding year.

GRAPE VINES IN POTS.

Sa RAPES grown in pots for forcing, when well furnished

ya} with fruit, have a beautiful appearance, and when
properly grown make an ample return. For this pur-
pose the plants should be raised from “ single eyes,” or
a piece of the preceding year’s wood with only one joint,
taken off at the spring pruning, and placed in a small pot of sandy
earth, setting it in the vinery, where it will progress at nearly the
same rate as the parent plant. As soon as it has filled the pot with
roots, it should be shifted into a larger one; and if everything goes
on favourably, it will require to be again removed, this time into the
fruiting-pot, which should not be less than fifteen inches over; and
here it will require to establish itself before winter, that it may be in
a fit state for resting until the succeeding year, then it must be cut
back to within four or five joints of the pot, and afterwards be sub-
ject to the same treatment as the mature specimens. It will usually
produce three or four bunches the first year, and by pruning back
to three joints annually, and supplying the roots with fresh mould
when first started, and liquid manure at their most active season, the
plants will continue fruitful a long time.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE GARDEN FRAME.

@ HERE are three sizes of which garden frames are always
formed, and they are severally distinguished by the
names of one-light, two-light, and three-light boxes or
frames, corresponding to the number of lights or sashes

; of which they are composed. The first two sizes are
generally employed by nurserymen and market gardeners, chiefly as
beds in which to raise tender seeds, or for protecting delicate exotics,
and they are thus constructed to be convenient for removal from
place to place, as circumstances may require ; but for all purposes of
utility, as regards the necessities of the amateur gardener, and its
application to the system of management which we are about to
describe, the three-light frame is the most suitable. Where, how-

THE FLORAL WCRLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 15

ever, the extent of operations is very limited, the two-light frame will
perhaps be found more convenient. The dimensions of the three-
light frame are generally ten feet long and four feet wide; fifteen
inches deep at the back, and sloping to seven inches deep at the
front ; but here we would recommend an alteration in the depth
from fifteen to eighteen inches at the back, and from sevento ten in
the front, as these will better suit general purposes. The shallow
frames are well adapted for early forcing ; indeed, better so than the
deeper, for in dark and cloudy weather, the atmosphere being thick,
the insufficiency of light requires that the plants should be near the
glass. But for general puposes we prefer the greater depth, as at
any time, if the lesser depth should be required, it can easily be
obtained by simply raising the soil on the inside of the frame. The
wood of which the frame is composed should be inch and a half deal,
well planed and dovetailed together at the joints; the tops should
be tied together by two cross-pieces three inches wide, which should
be dovetailed, one end into the back and the other into the front, and
so placed that they will come exactly under where the lights con-
verge to each other. These cross-pieces should have a groove
running the whole length up the centre of their upper surface, for
ae purpose of carrying off any water that may lodge between the
ights.

At each end of the frame there should be a piece or slip of wood,
three-quarters of an inch thick and about four inches broad, nailed
on so.as the upper edge will be level with the upper surface of the
light. The object of this is to prevent the entrance of cold winds,
which are apt to blow under the lights. The lights should be four
feet long, and three feet four inches wide, and glazed with strong
sixteen-ounce sheet glass, which is now so cheap as to be obtained in
large squares, at almost any respectable glass warehouse, for three-
pence per foot. We would direct particular attention to this part of
the work, as the tradesmen are very apt, notwithstanding the cheap-
ness of glass, to make use of small squares of the thin crown glass,
which is not near so durable. We would not, however, recommend
too large squares, neither would we sanction, as some have, to putty
the laps, but, on the contrary, to have rather narrow, say, six-inch
squares, and the laps left open, so as to admit of the steam being
evaporated, and also to allow the condensed moisture to escape,
which, under other circumstances, would be retained on the
interior surface of the glass, and keep up a continual drip and
humidity, which would eventually, in dull and damp weather, rot the
foliage and young shoots of whatever plants were contained in the
frame ; besides, in the event of an accident, when the glass is small,
the damage is more easily repaired. When the frame is completed,
it should be painted white on the inside, and a dark leaden colour on
the outside: The advantage of having the inside painted white is
the great additional light which it gives, and the benefit which
thereby accrues to the plants.

—_—$————————————

January,

16 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

PROTECTION FOR PITS AND FRAMES.

=8 HAT some kind of protection is necessary where pits and
f frames exist, and that such protection forms a consider-
able item in the garden account, will, we are sure, not
be denied ; then to preserve such covering in an efficient

aaa state for as long a time as possible must be a matter of
concern to al! who possess structures requiring it. The accompany-
ing engravings will show how this may be done, and the neatness of
the frame-ground be secured, and the confusion which mats, bass,
etc., laying about to dry, produces, be avoided.

_ Fig. 1 represents a skeleton frame, made the size of a frame-
light, with diagonal braces, and bound at the corners with iron hoop ;
and at each end is a small chain with T-link, to drop into a staple
fixed in the frame or pit, by which means the frames are secured in

their places. The scantling of timber used is 2 inches by 15 inch,
upon which is strained stout canvas, projecting over one end of the
frame, so that when more than one is required, the projecting edge
laps over the next light, and keeps the wet from going between.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 7

After it is strained upon the frame, it should be well painted—the
frame should have been painted before.

Fig. 2 represents a rack upon which the lights are stored when
not in use, and may be made to hold any number required ; under-
neath which, the mats, frigo-domo, etc., when tightly rolled, are put,
and consequently will be always dry. The timber used for the rack
must, of course, be much larger scantling than that for the frames.

CULTIVATION OF THE MELON.

mesg Hii melon is naturally a more robust plant than its ally,
Af the cucumber, and so far as growing it is concerned, of
5 much easier management ; indeed, plants of the melon
might be kept with ease where cucumbers would perish ;

and from this it might be inferred that their fruit should
be produced at an earlier period than usual, and so it might, was it
not for the absence of sufficient sun-heat to give the requisite flavour
to the fruit in its ripening process: it could be had in a green state
at any time much easier than its relative, but then in winter it
would be useless, and hence the reason that we have to wait till
April or May for its maturity. On this account it is not advisable
to begin the cultivation of the season’s crop of melons before the
beginning of February ; these will, under good management and a
propitious season, produce ripe fruit by the end of April, and a bed
made up successively in each month till July, will give a continued
supply throughout the summer and autumn.

Melons are usually grown either in common hotbed frames or
pits, artificially heated by means of fermenting material, ‘such as
fresh stable dung, or a circulation of hot water; the latter is far
preferable, because of its greater regularity, more certain and
manageable, with half the labour than the best of ordinary hotbeds,
and its consequent economy, especially for the earliest crops, when
everything depends on a steady continued application of the re-
quisite amount of heat. The seed of melons will vegetate at a very
great age; plants have been reared from some known to be nineteen
years old, and it is generally preferred when saved for three or four
years. It should be sown in pots of light rich earth, and shifted
singly into small ones as soon as the rough leaves appear. <A tem-
perature of 65° or 70° will grow tbe young plants in the best
manner, and when they have attained two or three true leaves, they
will be in a fit condition for final planting. The mould forming the
bed intended to receive them should consist of a rich holding loam,
lightened just where the plants are to be first stationed with a little
leaf-mould, that their young fibres may be encouraged to enter it
freely.

The melon is a gross feeder, and from the number and size of
the leaves on a full-grown plant, it is evident that a plentiful supply
of food will be required, and hence the advantage of employing stiff
loam, which absorbs and retains more moisture for a longer period

January. 2

18 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

than any light soil possibly can; the depth of soil, whether it is
placed over a common dung-bed, or if the warmth is supplied by a
hot-water apparatus, should not in either case be iess than a foot,
or exceed eighteen inches, and the whole may be placed in a frame
at once, or added at intervals, as convenience may dictate. The
temperature of a newly-planted bed should average 80° at bottom
or among the soil, with a surface heat of 65° at night, rising to 75°
or 80° in the day. Of course a proportionate amount of moisture
must be present, and the best evidence of the most desirable quantity
will be given in a deposit of dew-drops round the edges of the foliage,
when the lights are uncovered in the mornizg; so long as this is
observed and it is afterwards dried off in the course of the day, the
cultivator may rest assured his plants are progressing favourably.
The vine or stem should not be stopped till it has grown nearly to
the extent of the space allotted to it, and has begun to throw out
lateral branches ; it is these that will bear the future fruit, and as
soon as female blossoms are expanded, they should be carefully
fertilized with the pollen from the male flowers. They are easily
distinguished from the other by the embryo fruit attached to the
former. Male flowers are usually produced tirst; those which open
before there is a probability of the expansion of the other class may
be taken off to economize the vigour of the plants.

When fruit is beginning to swell, the shoot on which it is
growing should be foreshortened, by pinching off the terminal bud,
and removing all other younger fruit, leaving nothing on the branch
but the principal one, and about two leaves beyond it. Such
branches as do not promise to bear fruit, should be cut back to
within two or three joints of their origin, that they may protrude
other branches likely to be fruitful, and by judicious management in
this respect a very good second crop may be obtained from the same
vine.

There is a considerable difference in the fruitfulness of the
various kinds; some of the larger sorts do not set more than two or
three fruit, while others will bear five or six times that number.
Half-a-dozen may be considered a fair crop of ordinary-sized melons
from a single plant, and it is not advisable to leave a much greater
number, even though they should be produced, as, in the case of an
excessively heavy crop, the flavour will, in all probability, be dete-
riorated.

One of the greatest difficulties opposing the progress of these
plants, especially of the middle and later crops, is the destructive
attacks of red spider, so common in hot weather. To guard against
this every endeavour must be made to keep a damp atmosphere
about the plants up to the time the fruit is just ripening ; the whole
of the foliage should be sprinkled over every evening in dry weather,
and liberal applications of water to the roots must be frequently
given, and even then the insects will sometimes make their appear-
ance. As soon as they are observed, the underside of the leaves on
which they are, should be dusted over with sulphur, and in the
middle of the afternoon the beds should be watered, and the lights
shut close, in order, by raising the temperature, to create a vapour

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 19

and generate a strong fume from the sulphur. This course must be
repeated daily until they are eradicated ; for if allowed to get any
head, the further production of fruit will be entirely prevented, and
that which is already formed will be without flavour and worthless.

When about half grown, a piece of tile or glass should be placed
under each fruit, to keep it from the damp mould and allow it to
become properly coloured on the underside ; and it is a good plan to
lay large stones almost close together over the entire surface of the
bed, as they tend to keep the roots moist, and, by the refraction of
the sun’s rays, assist in heightening the temperature of the bed. A
temperature of 75° or 80° is sufficient to ripen the ordinary class
of melons.

THE CULTIVATION OF THE GLOXINIA.
BY G. YOUNG.

= 0 begin with propagation, select strong healthy leaves,
fi, cut the strong ribs in several places, lay the leaves flat
on a convenient sized pot or seed-pan, and cover the
several cut parts with a little white or silver sand,
; using a compost of sand and peat-mould. When struck
and swelled to the size of a pea, pot off into sixty-sized pots, using
a compost of dead leaf-mould, light loam, and sand in equal parts.
Grow them on through the season, and most of them will flower the
first year.

To commence the second season’s growth, in potting Gloxinias,
the principal part of the old soil should be removed carefully with
the hand, retaining all the fibrous roots as far as they are alive.
Put into as small pots as possible, setting them in a dry part of the
stove. Attend to watering, but this element must be supplied
cautiously at first, taking care not to water over the crown of the
plant, but round the edge of the pot. As the plant advances in
growth, it may occasionally be syringed with tepid water; when the
pot becomes filled with roots, shift the plants, using the same soil as
before. As the spring advances, the plants must be started into
active growth by being placed in the warmest part of the stove, but
it will be necessary they should have air at all favourable times.
Particularly attend to watering at this time, as they are very impa-
tient of being dry at this stage of their growth. When the plants
have filled the pots with roots, they may receive their last shift, the
size pots may be regulated according to the size of the plants, allow-
ing plenty of room for the roots to develop themselves, otherwise a
profusion of bloom and large flowers cannot be expected. Manure
water may be used to great advantage at this season. I should
have mentioned that it is particularly necessary to well drain the
pots with potsherds and rubble, with a covering of rough soil, as
nothing is more injurious than stagnated water at the roots. When
the flowering season begins and the flowers expand, remove the
plants to the greenhouse, taking care to shade them from the sun.

January.

20 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

When the flowering season is over, return them to the stove, and
set them in the coldest part; reduce the water by degrees until the
roots are in a state of rest, for three or four months at least. Be
careful not to over-dry them, as by such practice I have often found
them not to break the next season.

THE TREE-ONION.

= HE tree- 2%
af onion is re-

markable for ~ Ae

4) reproducing
——— ataelf by of-
sets, which it bears at
the top among, or in-
stead of, the umbel of
flowers. They should
be planted at once, or as
goon as the weather per-
mits. The ground should
be liberally manured,

and trod firm. Choose

for planting the largest yf j é
of the top bulbs, which ~ a) \\\ fs
are generally over an “44y) N/,
inch in diameter. Press 9

these down firmly in a
line about six inches apart, and the same
distance between the rows. Cover them
over with three or four inches of charred
rubbish, ashes, or sand, and put stakes at
about a yard apart on each side of the
rows, connecting the stakes with hazel-
rods, laths, wires, or cord, to give support
to the stems when they get top-heavy with
their curious crop of onions at the summit
ofeach. In good soil, and liberally treated
—as watering in dry weather—well sup-
ported, and kept clean from weeds, they
will increase every year twenty-fold. If
the ground bulbs are well ripened, they
may be planted instead of the largest from
the top cluster,

“eS UIAWAnNS

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Pall

PRUNING THE GRAPE-VINE.

posses HERE are but two distinct methods of pruning the grape-
AA «6vine; these are the “spur” and “long-rod”’ systems.
By the first, the fruit is produced from shortened
branches proceeding from an old or principal branch, or
from the main stem of the vine; by the other method,
the wood or branches which bore fruit the preceding year is entirely
cut away, and young branches trained in its place, for the produc.
tion of berries in the current season. The first is most usually
employed, because the simplest, though each has its peculiar advan-
tages. The main stem of a young plant, no matter what the future
mode of training is to be, should be first carried in a perpendicular
manner to the required height, and if it attains this at an early part
of the season, should then be bent downwards, in order to induce a
branch from the curved part; or if it is near the end of the season,
should be cut over at the part, the object in both cases being to gain
two laterally spreading arms which shall extend from the principal
stem in the form of a T; from these two, other perpendicular
branches, which are ultimately to form the fruit-bearing portion of
the tree, are to proceed at intervals at not less than eighteen inches,
and that the head may be regularly formed, particular attention
must be given to the buds of the laterally extending branches at the
time they are about to start, removing those which are badly placed,
and bending the ends of those arms down so that the shoots from
near their bases may be formed first, for if allowed to grow at their
own pleasure, it is most likely that the terminal buds will break first,
and there will be consequently much trouble to get the middle of the
head filled.

Having obtained the required amount of rods from the horizontal
branches at the proper distances, in the third season from planting
will begin the pruning; if the “spur’’ system is preferred, the rods
will only require to be carried upwards as far as they will grow, and
all the rods left untouched, merely pinching off the points of those
laterals which produce fruit, which should be done under all circum-
stances when they have grown about four joints beyond the bunch.
In the autumn these side-shoots, which are to form the spurs, are to
be cut back to within two or three joints of their origin, and the
repetition of these courses annually constitutes the spur system, by
which the principal rod supporting the spurs remains for years, while
by the other mode of pruning it is removed every season.

The only trouble attached to the long-rod method is to provide a
fruit-bearing branch, that shall proceed from the bottom of the head,
it being sometimes difficult to make them break with vigour from
the particular part desired; and in order to facilitate this emission,
it is necessary to keep the existing branch bent downwards till the
future one has fairly broken, and then to check all others that seem
likely to rival it in strength. The matured rod of the preceding
year’s formation will produce fruit from nearly every joint of its
length, and by stopping the points of the shoots which carry the

January,

22 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

bunches and preventing any others, the new rod will be encouraged
to grow, and by the end of the season will have attained a length
equal to that of its parent. At the pruning season the latter will
in due course be cut completely away, leaving only its offspring to
occupy the space it formerly filled. Thus there are no spurs, and
consequently less foliage, which makes the method desirable for
houses in which other plants have to be grown beneath the vines,
whose shade is often a great objection.

The period at which grape-vines should be pruned will depend
upon their position, or rather on that at which it is intended they
shall begin to grow. It should always be done at least a month
before the time the budsare likely to swell, for if left till the seasonal
action of the plant begins, even though no sign of it may appear
above-ground, all the cuts then made will be found to exude sap, and
the drain thus made upon the system of the plant will very mate-
rially injure it, if death does not ensue.

PROPAGATION OF FERNS.

sae RNS are only found in the most favoured spots, where
SrOk| moisture, warmth, shade, and shelter combine. They
j| do not, however, require a great quantity of nourish-
ment, as they by no means affect rich soils; but, on the
i contrary, old walls, the fissures of moist, shady rocks,
and the stumps of old trees, are the situations where they flourish,
and particularly in warm climates, where they are found in great
abundance. It seems to have been a vulgar opinion of great an-
tiquity that ferns do not produce seed. Their seeds (spores) being
too minute to be distinctly observed by the unassisted eye doubtless
gave birth to that opinion; nor does it appear that any attempt to
raise plants by this means was made till towards the end of the
seventeenth century ; but the fact has been since established, beyond
the possibility of a doubt, by numerous experiments. The mode of
germination in these spores is, however, as different from that of
other vegetables as their method of producing them. They are
generally produced in clusters or lines on the back of the frond ; but
although several hundred thousand may be found on a single frond
of some ferns, it seems they will not produce plants except under
very favourable circumstances. Hence, the more common mode of
propagating them is by lateral offsets, which are frequently produced
by the tuberous-rooted species ; and the creeping-rooted kinds pro-
duce their single fronds, and increase with still greater facility.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 23

POULTRY FEEDING.

Se OULTRY of all kinds relish green food, and do not long

f continue in health without it. Leaves of cabbage,

turnip, and the general waste of the garden, should be

thrown to them, along with scraps from the house, and

— insects. The run of a paddock is excellent, and in a

straw-yard they find plenty to eat, and employ themselves in scratch-
ing, which promotes their health and happiness.

The great difficulty with most people who keep fowls is to spare
them sufficient room for a good run ; and where a well-kept garden
is desired, the birds are cooped up in a small enclosure, where they
cannot prosper, and at last are voted expensive and troublesome, and
got rid of asa failure. But a better way is to rail off a good-sized
piece of ground, and let the fowls have free range over it, to pick
and scratch as they please. But this patch need not be lost, as to
the growing of garden crops, for there are many which fowls will
not touch, and to these it should be, in a measure, appropriated.
To supply them with green food, plant in it a row of kale, or any
kind of cabbage; and if supplied with sufficient green food that
they like, the remainder may be appropriated to Jerusalem arti-
chokes, potatoes, broad beans, parsnips, rhubarb, carrots, parsley,
and any other pot herbs. Kidney beans they will destroy as soon
as the pods are ripe, but not before ; so they may also be grown in
the poultry run, as may also vegetable marrows, pumpkins, onions,
lettuces, and turnips; but the last five are apt to be scratched up
when young, and may need the protection of a net, or coop, or a few
hurdles round the beds in their earlier stages ; but when strong the
protection may be removed. Of course, the poultry-yard will not
be the tidiest part of the garden, but a compromise is better than
doing an injustice to the birds, and it may be effected without a
total sacrifice to them of the ground they require to have sufficient
liberty to prosper. Plenty of clean water, gravel, and broken oyster-
shells, or old mortar, should be kept in all poultry yards as indis-
pensable. Without lime in some shape fowls will not lay so many
eggs as if well supplied with it.

Turkeys are profitable only on good farms, where they pay well,
but many who are not farmers have a fancy for them. A good run
is essential ; they will not bear confinement. They prefer to roost
in trees, but in any case the roost must be high, and the nesting-
places should be in the most retired part of the shed. When sitting,
it is well to remove the cock, for he is apt to disturb the hen, and
is sometimes spiteful to the poults. The best food for the young is
chopped boiled eggs and bread, a little moistened for the first few
days, after which any soft food of a wholesome kind will do, with,
once a week, a little cayenne pepper added, with at all times plenty
of water. In fattening there is not the least need of ‘ cramming,”
to produce good birds for table. Shut them up close, and give
plenty of meal, with boiled potatoes and boiled vegetables, but never
mix more than they will eat at one time. In a good run they are

January,

94, THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

capital feeders, and nothing comes amiss to them; they are therefore
profitable where the place is suitable for them.

Geese are very productive and profitable on commons; but, in
gardens, of little use or value. Water is, however, by no means
essential; they do well without it, if they can roam and forage for
themselves. Pied birds are the best for stock. The same general
treatment as for turkeys suits them; the nest must be on the ground,
and there is nothing better than a basket, lined with hay or dry
moss. A. warm house promotes early broods, and the earlier the
young birds can be got the better. Grain of any kind should be
the staple food for them; and when fattening, they should have
plenty of boiled turnips and boiled potatoes; but “cramming” is to
be condemned, as a waste of food, for the production of rank and
useless fat.

Ducks are good birds for small holders. A little ditch to paddle
in, or even a‘tub sunk in their run, will serve them almost as well
as a pond; but, like other poultry, plenty of room in a paddock is
an advantage. Young ducks allowed to run through a kitchen-
garden do a vast deal of good, by destroying vermin, and, at the
same time, thrive upon the food they get. They are apt to tread
down a young crop, and that must be guarded against, by enclosing
the bed with some nets or hurdles.

The Aylesbury ducks are the most prized, and are most prolific
layers. They are bad mothers, however, and it is best to put the
eggs under a cochin hen, and confine the brood for the first week,
to keep them from the water. Their first food should be boiled
eggs and boiled nettles ; then a change to boiled barley, and after
that they may feed with the others; but they want little if they can
forage for themselves. A good feed twice a-day of boiled grain,
. with the run of the place, soon fattens them; but they should be
shut close the last fortnight, and no insect food allowed them, or
their flesh will be rank.

NOTES ON GLADIOLI.

BY WILLIAM GARDINER.

aOR the embellishment of the flower borders during the
fy] months of August and September, and for forming a
striking feature at the autumnal exhibitions, we have
not many flowers to equal the Gladioli. Massive in
7 appearance, and richly coloured, they stand out boldly
amongst the herbaceous phloxes, the dahlias, and other subjects with
which they are usually associated, and it is quite impossible to see
well-developed examples without being strongly impressed with their
immense value for home decoration aud exhibition. They have long
been favourites of mine, and after many years’ experience, I feel jus-
tified in advising those amateurs who like to have something in their
gardens besides geraniums and other summer bedders, to take them

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 25

in hand, and grow a moderate number of varieties. The corms of
good varieties that have been in commerce some time are cheap
enough, but the pick of the newest sorts are as a matter of course
expensive, and ought not to be purchased by other than experienced
cultivators. As a matter of fact, they are not wanted at all, excepting
it be for exhibition purposes, for there are more than sufficient of
really good sorts obtainable at a moderate price to produce a most
glorious effect in the beds and borders. If no others are grown, I
would recommend the showy Brenchleyensis, which can be purchased
for two or three shillings per dozen, to be planted in groups along the
second row in the herbaceous border.

For a private individual, I am considered an extensive grower of
gladioli, but, as I rarely exhibit them, it may be said that they are
grown for the gratification of self and a select circle of friends. Iam
convinced that, whether for competitive purposes or for home decora-
tion, no flower evinces its appreciation of good cultivation more
forcibly than does the gladiolus. They require an open space where
both sun and air can exercise a beneficial influence upon them to
maintain a sturdy growth, and they also require a deep mellow soil,
which is well drained and rich in fibrous matter, and unless such a
soil can be afforded all attempts to grow this flower to perfection
must fail. A shallow soil made rich by manure is not so desirable
as a deep one, because the bulbs do not want forcing into growth by
a rich shallow soil and then come to a dead stop just as the flower-
spikes arerising. A good depth of soil is required below the base of
the corm, so that when the plant arrives at the most critical stage
there may be sufficient nourishment to carry it through a dry hot
season without much harm. The last season has fully exemplified
the importance of a deep soil, for where the corms were planted in light
shallow soils, and but indifferently cared for, they were nearly burnt
up with the heat.

Any good mellow loam, made moderately rich by a dressing of
short rotten manure, trenched at once two feet deep, will be in grand
condition for the reception of the corms at the end of February.
For this reason, I have thrown out these suggestions now, because
there is no other flower so thoroughly impatient of a close unsweet-
ened soil. By having the intended bed trenched up in December,
there is time for it to settle down again before the planting season,
and the manure which is incorporated with the soil is in a better
condition for the sustenance of the roots. In my rather light soil I
am obliged to give a heavy dressing of fibry loam and a very little
manure, as the soil is already rich. The loam will last for several
years, with a slight addition of rotten manure every year, and the
ground turned over two feet deep directly the bulbs are taken up.

If the weather is dry and open, I usually plant about the end of
February, for the longer the corms are out of the ground the weaker
they flower. The best way to preserve them is to keep them in dry
soil in a cellar or some similar place out of the way of the frost.
Some growers have told me that in heavy soils they find it necessary
to surround the bulbs when planted with silver or other dry sand;
but of the value of this practice I am unable to speak, not having

January.

26 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

grown them in a heavy soil. I cannot, however, understand the
force of the argument that the sand preserves the bulbs from damp,
because my acquaintance with the use of sand, when confined
below the surface, convinces me that it retains more moisture than
the ordinary soil.

The bulbs are planted in a border four feet wide, adjoining an
important walk, in the following manner: the first row at one foot
from the edge, and another at three feet, so that there is a space of
two feet between the rows. The border is rather below the level of
the walk, as I find, when they want water, by having the border rather
lower than the walk there is no waste of water by its running away
at the sides. I have long since learnt that attention to these matters
is of vital importance in the saving of labour, and for the well-doing
of such plants as require the aid of the water-pot. My border is at
all times kept free of weeds, and about the first week in June it has
a mulch two inches in thickness of half-rotten manure ; and as soon
after as the weather becomes hot and dry the plants are watered
about twice a week, at the rate of not less than four large water-cans
to every square yard, so that the very lowest roots may receive benefit
from it. All that now remains to be said is simply, that the flower-
spikes must be carefully staked and tied, as soon as they have made
sufficient progress to require support. The tops of the stalks should
not reach higher than the lowest flower on the spike.

THE JASMINE.

= 1H word jasminum is generally supposed to be derived
AAR «from two Greek words, signifying violet-scented, or as
was observed by Dr. Royla, it may have had its origin
in the Arabic name, Yasmeen. The common or officinal
"jasmine is the flower of the palace and the cottage, and
has long been esteemed for its fragrance. The French are noted for
their numerous compositions of sweet-scented oils, pomades, and
essences, and the following are two that are easily made :—

JAsMINE Pomapr.—Take a frame, formed of four pieces of wood,
two inches deep, and one foot square, with a groove arranged to
support a piece of glass, which is to form a moveable bottom ; on this
spread a layer of the following pomade :—Beef suet, one part ; lard,
three parts. Into this stick fresh jasmine flowers, in different parts,
every day, or every other day, for one, two, or three months, or until
the pomade is sufficiently scented. In this way, in some of the large
mapufactories in France, are treated from 2,600 to 5,000 frames,
which are piled on each other to a convenient height, by which
method the perfume is prevented escaping; or what flies off is
absorbed by the surrounding frames.

Ort or Jasminr.—Take an iron plate, on this place a cotton
cloth, imbued with olive oil, then a layer of flowers, and lastly an
iron plate; repeat the series as convenient, and change the flowers
for fresh ones until a proper scent is imparted ; then apply a pressure,

collect the oil in glass bottles, and let it rest until fined ; lastly, pour
off the clean.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 27

MESSRS. SUTTON’S ROOT SHOW.

OT WITHSTANDING the indifferent season experienced
| by root-growers, it is somewhat remarkable that the
various root shows held within the last season have
each and all been on a more extensive scale than in any
previous year. This would seem to show that there is
a spirit of emulation abroad among root-growers that is, we think, a
happy augury for the future of root-growing.

‘he Messrs. Sutton’s show this year was—notwithstanding that
the phrase is a hackneyed one—without question the best they have
ever had ; and it required no very close scrutiny of the well-arranged
tubers to see that in numbers they far exceeded those of last year.
It was quite a treat to go over the show and note the orderly arrange-
ment of the roots. One feature of the sight was well worth seeing,
namely, the interesting little museum which goes under the name of
the “‘ model room,” wherein may be seen artistically cast models of
all Messrs. Sutton’s roots, from the gigantic mangel (the specimens
modelled are the heaviest ever grown from Messrs. Sutton’s seed)
down to apples, peas, and the smaller varieties of farm produce.

First on the prize list came the magrificent root which Messrs.
Sutton have not inaptly christened their “champion” swede, a root
that has wonderful feeding properties. The entries in this class
took up a goodly portion of the space of the roomy hall in which
the show was held, and they made altogether a display not often met
with. The first prize lot of Messrs. Shaw were neat, the twelve
weighing 125 lbs.; the second came very close behind them, as they
were an even lot, with great shoulders and good quality; the third
of Mr. Farrar were light, but of the best quality. We thought
Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan, and Co.’s highly commended more
deserving of fourth position than the lot that were assigned it. The
next class for a dozen of the Mammoth Long-red mangel formed a
large collection of splendid roots. The first of Sir Paul Hunter’s
were a useful lot of roots, just perhaps a little coarse on the top, in
which feature they appeared to us to be inferior to the second of
Mrs. Hay ; the third had excellent colour and capital quality in their
favour, and decidedly deserved their position. Among the mentioned
lots Colonel Loyd Lindsay's were in good condition. The Yellow
Globe or Oxheart mangel was another large class. Most of the
winners came from the south of England, which would seem to show
that the season has been a better one in that part of the country
than in the midland and northern counties. The first (Sir Paul
Hunter again) were very good for size, and they just beat the second
of Lord Calthorpe, which lacked quality somewhat. The class
generally might have been commended, as there was hardly a bad lot
in it; but we may as well say that Mr. Townsend’s commended
twelve might have received higher honours. The next class was for
the Yellow Intermediate mange!s, and to our thinking it ranked,
so far as general excellence was concerned, next in merit to the
champion swede class. It is a most valuable feeding mangel, and
the hard-headed Scotchmen have recognized its good points by

January.

28 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

awarding it the Highland Society’s gold medal. The first of Mrs.
Hay were a splendid lot, and the second of Mr. Clarke, if they wanted
weight, were symmetrical in appearance, and had evidently good
quality. Of the others it may be remarked generally that they
formed a very even show of roots, of capital quality. The Tankard
mangels showed up well, as did also the Any Variety class. The
Green Globes were headed by a very even lot, shown by Mr.J. Bulford.
Coming to the White Globe class one cannot but be struck with
the remarkable uniformity of the specimens. It is evidently a good
feeding tuber, and, judging from the marked similarity of the exhibits
in appearance, must have undergone a very careful “improving
process at the hands of the seedsmen. The second prize lot of Mr.
Bulford we fancied might have taken first class, a’ they had more
uniformity and symmetry of form about them than the first, while
they were by no means: inferior in point of quality. The Duke of
Portland’s third were a very pretty lot in good heart. The Purple
Top Mammoth Turnips were a great show, both for number of entries
and quality of the roots. They have good size, and area good, solid,
nutritious-looking root, and should grow well on any soil. The
largest in the first prize lot girthed forty inches. ‘The Greystone
Turnips are nice coloured roots, and in this respect, as well as in
uniformity, the first prize lot of Mr. Bulford quite deserved the
position assigned them. For the rest of the large root classes, it is
impossible to speak in any but terms of praise, and the taste with
which they were arranged in their various classes very much enhanced
their appearance.

Cabbages had great size, but were not quite so firm in heart as
we should have liked to have seen them. White carrots, on the other
hand, were large and of excellent quality. Geiss

In the class for Sewage Grown Roots, there was a stiff com-
petition. The best class was that for the Berkshireprize, or Oxheart
Yellow Globe mangels, a variety which although only introduced last
year, has already made its mark.

The heaviest root of the champion swede weighed 172Ibs., and
was a credit to Mr. Kelsey, so far as size went, but it was not a good-
looking root. The heaviest in the Mammoth Long-red mangel scaled
39lbs., a remarkable weight for a single specimen. The show for the
finest specimen prizes was a very creditable one. fa
; Potatoes were good, particularly the Magnum Borum, which is a
grand mealy potato, with size and quality to recommend it. The
first prize in the class for a half-peck of Any Round Variety was
about the best lot we ever remember to have seen of any potatoes.

Vegetables formed a very interesting collection, onions and carrots
being conspicuously good.

The large attendance of the public, in spite of the inclemency of
the weather, testified to the popularity of the show, which, if it goes
on extending in the future as it has done in the past, will encroach
upon another flat of Messrs. Sutton’s premises, for the one in

which this year’s show was held, although a large one, was pretty
well taken up.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 29

ON THE CULTURK OF THE CYCLAMEN.

meyEOOD healthy plants, procured now, will probably have

fq, commenced growth, and should be kept rather close for
a week, when it will be advisable to examine the state
of the roots, and if well furnished, shift into pots a
7 size larger; otherwise repair the drainage, and defer
shifting until the roots indicate a want of pot room, and then a
moderate shift should only be given.

At this season the plants should be placed near the glass, and
receive a sufficient supply of water to keep the soil in a nice, moist,
healthy condition. Provided frost is excluded, the temperature in
which they are grown is of little consequence, except where the
plants are wanted in flower without loss of time; and as the
blossoms appear before the foliage is well developed, there will be
little difficulty in securing these at any period from November to
April. Keeping the plants cool and rather dry, will retard their
blossoms until March, and placing them in a temperature of from
45° to 50° will bring them into full beauty in a very short time.
The plants may be kept in a cold pit, where they will be safe from
frost until they commence flowering; and then they should be removed
to a sitting-room window, where, with care to protect them from
currents of cold air, they will be quite at home, and will be beautiful
ebjects for some two months. The best situation, however, for
cyclamens, while growing and in flower, is near the glass in a green-
house or pit, where the temperature may average from 40° to 50°,
and where air can be admitted without its passing over the plants,
as in the case in most sitting-room windows.

It is a too common practice to treat cyclamens with neglect
directly the beauty of the flower is over, and to give them little
attention, and sometimes hardly a drop of water until the following
autumn, when they are wanted in flower. This is the very reverse
of what they require, and annually occasions the loss of many bulbs.
The plants should be allowed a light, airy situation in the greenhouse
or pit, and kept properly supplied with water until May, when they
may be removed to a shady situation out-of-doors; and when the
leaves decay, very little water need be given until it is desired to
excite the plants into growth; the soil, however, should never be
allowed to become quite dry. Our own practice is to plunge the
pots in coal ashes during the summer, which in case of long continued
droughts, are watered so as to afford a little moisture to the soil
in the pots. The plants should be moved to the greenhouse in
September, and surface-dressed or potted as may be necessary.

Propagation is more readily effected by seeds than by any other
method, for although large bulbs occasionally produce several large
crowns, there is considerable risk in separating them, as decay is
apt to follow the track of the knife. Seeds, however, are soon
grown into useful plants. They should be collected when ripe, and
sown in well-drained pots, filled with a mixture of loam, leaf-soil,
and sharp sand, and set in a safe situation till autumn.

Janaary.

30 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

They germinate soonest by placing the pots in September in a
temperature of about 50°, taking care to keep the soil well supplied
with water. If well looked after during winter they will be nice
little plants towards April, and may be potted singly in 5-inch pots,
taking care not to injure the roots in separating the plants. They
should be placed in a close, shady situation until established in their
pots, and then set in a light, airy part of the greenhouse. When
the weather becomes warm and settled, they may be planted in
raised beds of prepared soil on a warm border, and during summer
will require no further attention than an occasional watering in case
of the soil getting dry, which, however, will seldom occur. In
September take them up with as little injury as possible to the
roots, and treat them during the winter and spring as recommended
for old plants. If managed in the same manner the second summer
they will be good-sized bulbs, and will afford an abundance of
blossoms the following winter.

Two parts fresh, turfy, friable loam, to one of turfy peat or
decayed leaves, with a liberal mixture of sharp sand, form a suitable
compost for the cyclamen.

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR JANUARY.

FLOWER GARDEN.

ae NY bulbs not yet planted must be got in at once. Tulips and hyacinths
4) should be kept from frost if possible, though the bulbs are perfectly
hardy, yet the flower is likely to be injured by severe frosts, but they
should have as much air as possible. Make banks and rockeries,
Plant roses, and mulch those already planted with half-rotten dung.
Lawns to be attended to, and if bare should be treated to a liberal sowing of good
seed. Pansies and polyanthuses will need some protection, and see that they are
firmly planted in the soil. If not already done, all established plantations should
have a heavy mulch of half-rotten dung. Should the weather be mild, hollyhocks
may be planted and seed now sown in heat will flower this year, but do not force
the young plants too fast. Gravel walks may now be turned. In doing this do not
disturb the rough stuff underneath. If the walk has been properly made, there
should be a sufficient depth of fine gravel on the surface to admit of it being turned
without interfering with the rougher gravel beneath, Walks properly turned can
be cleared and kept in good condition for a considerable time. very cultivator of
flowers should secure now a good supply of turf from a loamy pasture, and of bog
peat, or silky yellow loam, in which the common brake grows plentifully. Stack
these in high ridges, like walls, so that the frost shall penetrate the whole mass, and
the grass will rot quickly. -All work requiring the barrow should be done during
frosty weather, to avoid injury to the walks. Turn over the compost heaps, to let
the frost through them ; it will destroy vermin and pulverize the stuff.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

Any vacant plots from which the crops have been removed should now be ridged
up, so that they may have the benefit of frost. During frost wheel manure on to
plots intended for spring crops. Put a heap of half-rotten dang over every stool of
rhubarb, and put the pots over those stools intended for forcing, and cover all up
with horse-dung, to get a supply of early shoots. Asparagus, seakale, and rhubarb
may all be forced in an ordinary hotbed in the following manner: cover the dung
with four inches of soil, and take up a lot of strong roots, and put them in pretty
close together and cover with leaves, and you will soon have a supply. Asparagus

—————— ee

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 31

should never be thoroughly blanched, but allowed to become green at the points.
Protect celery with loose litter, and keep it wellearthed up. Examine cauliflowers
and lettuces, etc., in frames, to see that they are not suffering from damp or too close
confinement. Frames should be protected in severe frosts by matting, ete. Sow
early peas and broad beans, and towards the end of the month parsnips. The work
must be regulated by the weather, and when the ground is not fit to be trodden on,
get together all the clippings of hedges, prunings of trees, etc., for charring, and
keep the produce under cover for use as required ; it forms a most valuable top-
dressing for peas and other early crops ; it stimulates growth, and prevents attacks
of slugs. Should severe weather interfere with earth-work, good work may be
found in repairing fences, clearing up litter, collecting rough materials for paths and
drains, and burning weeds and refuse.

FRUIT GABDEN

Finish pruning all apple, pear, plum, and other orchard trees, and clean up all
affected with blight, and dress with a mixture of lime, soot, andclay. Trees on
east walls had better be unnailed to keep them back, the warmth of the wall having
a tendency to make them push early, and so suffer hereafter from spring frosts.
Prune out-door vines at once ; when pruned late they are sure to bleed. Lay down
a good coating of surface manure in plantations of strawberries and raspberries, but
do not dig itin. Do the same between currant and gooseberry trees, and fork it in,
being careful not to injure the roots. In pruning the fruit trees save any scions
that may be required for grafting by heeling them in at the foot of the tree they are
taken from. ‘They will take all the better for being cut some time before being
used. Make ready protecting material for wall trees, for sharp weather often sets in
from the east, just as the bloom is expanding,

GEE®NHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

Ventilate whenever weather permits, and drive out damp with fire-heat, but be
in no haste to set things going. Should mildew appear on the top shoot of gera-
niums, cut it at once to asound joint. Training specimen plants is a pretty task
when out-door work is at astand-still. Kalmias, azaleas, camellias rhododendrons,
lilacs, daphines, roses, etc., may be got into early bloom with a very moderate heat,
if the wood was well ripened last year. Fuchsias, cinerarias, primulas, and cytisuses
will be coming into bloom, and must be closely watched that green-fly does not get
hold of the tender shoots. Succulents should be kept quite dry. Examine all the
old stakes used as supports to plants in pots, and if decaying, remove them. Train
and tie out whatever requires it ; revise tallies and labels ; keep down green-fly by
fumigating, secure composts, pots, crocks, etc., and complete all odd jobs so as to
have no hindrances in the busy season. ‘Temperature may be 40° to 45° at night,
50° to 55° by day.

STOVE.

Poinsettia pulcherrima and Euphorbia jacquiniflora may be pushed into flower,
and achimines and gloxinias put in heat for early blooming. Be careful to keep
down temperature in general collections, and give air whenever the sun causes the
thermometer to rise above the average. Plants that need pruning and repotting
should be cut over and left to start before their roots are disturbed. Orchids require
much care now to keep them at rest, and at the same time prevent shrivelling.
Those that will grow must be assisted, and have fresh rooting material if necessary.
Keep constant watch among plants with soft, woolly leaves, to see that they are not
too dry, and also not suffering from drip. If mildew appears, increase the tempera-
ture. Cucumbers and melons for early use should be got in at once. Temperature
for general collections 55° at night, 60° to 65° by day.

PITS AND FRAMES

Must be kept clean and airy, and not a dead leaf should be allowed to remain. Be
content just to keep out frost and no more until the end of the month, when a
general start may be made of all stock required for bedding out. Do not be in
haste to remove protecting materials after severe frost. Let the plants recover
themselves in the dark, and should bright sun follow suddenly upon severe weather,
add some loose straw, or other light covering, to prevent the warmth reaching the
stock too suddenly.

January.

32 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

AmaATEUR GARDENER.—Will the Editor of the Froran Wort assist an
Amateur Gardener with his advice? The shrubs round her garden are grown very
high, consequently the lower part of the hedge is very thin, leaving the garden
much exposed. The hedge is a thorn one, and the shrubs are planted inside ; in-
deed, they are grown so high that they may fairly be termed trees. An Amateur
Gardener wishes to know what low-growing shrubs she could plant, as some shrubs
will not grow under the droppings of other trees, while some particular kinds will
thrive. Would Rhododendronsanswer ? An Amateur Gardener objects to cutting
the high trees, as they are really handsome, and her object is to thicken the lower
part so as to render the garden more private. [If Amateur Gardener had given us
particulars respecting the extent and situation of her shrubbery, we should have been
better able to advise ; as it is, we subjoin a list of shrubs, ete., which we think will
answer her purpose :—Yellow Azalea grows about three feet high, and bears a
yellow flower in May and June ; Common Berberis bears an abundance of small
oblong red berries, must be cut back occasionally to ensure a bushy habit; Double-
flowering Gorse ; Box—this will thrive under the shade and drip of trees better
than any other shrub; Alexandrian Laurel grows about two feet high, and bears a

ellowish flower in June, succeeded by beautiful red berries. We would also advise
‘Amateur Gardener to plant clumps of Chrysanthemums at intervals between the
shrubs, as they will make a handsome slow at the latter end of the year. Rhudo-
dendrons might do well, but the hardiest sorts only should be selected ; we cannot
speak with certainty, not knowing the aspect of the garden.—Ep, F. W. |

Porcu To Cover.—B. C. #.—Sempervirens roses are very beautiful for this
purpose ; they grow fast and are abundant bloomers. Put one to each pillar. They
will require plenty of water, and the ground should be well manured at planting.
Hedera regneriana would also be suitable, and would run up quick, and its large
leaves would be rich and shady. Clematis ccerulea would also go to the top of the
pillars at a rapid pace, but perhaps the quickest, safest, and cheapest covering
would be Virginian creeper.

Lizium LanciroLtium.—G. F.—Lilium lancifolium is quite hardy in the south
of England, and will do well in the same compost as used for bulbs generally.

Soi ror RuopopEnprRons.— H. G.—Turfy peat is the best. ‘There are some
silky loams in which they grow well, and a mixture of thoroughly decayed leaves,
rotten wood, and sharp sand will do where peatis not to be obtained. Animal
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 refreshed
with top-dressings 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
pest seasons are September and October, and February and March. We advise
you not to proceed with your bed for another month.

Puants in Pors.—C. Y., Sussex.—For the proper cultivation of plants in pots
it is necessary to have such soils for them as are suitable to their growth. The soil
that would, be suitable for a fuchsia or a cockscomb would not suit an epacris or a
heath; therefore to grow plants with any degree of success, a collection of such soils
as are necessary should always be kept ready for use. Good sandy loam is required
more or Jess for nearly all plants in pots. This should be selected from a common
or meadow ; about four inches of the surface soil will be found best. Next in
importance is peat, for such plants as heaths and epacrises. This variety of soil
has generally to be purchased. These two sorts of soil, with the addition of sand,
leaf-mould, vegetable mould, and rotten manure, in smaller quantities, are sufficient
for the growth of nearly all plants. Leaf-mould is a valuable adjunct in plant
growing.

Rose-puvs Not Expanpins.—S. H. C.—Your roses evidently last year were
not suffciently nourished. Give a good top-dressing of half-rotten manure, the
rain bg carry the juices down, and the plants will protably make more vigorous
growth,

Orp Asparacts Beps.—Amateur.—We do not think it will pay to transplant
asparagus at eight years’ old. We should advise you to make the new beds of
young plants and destroy the old ones.

7 . — >

_ Se Fae
ate Sar ce:

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5 4 ‘. 7 ey) ite

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 33

FUMARIA DENSIFLORA.

mameeg HE dense-flowered Fumitory (Fwmaria densiflora) belongs
DRA 4m to a small genus of Alpine annuals, some of them being
: indigenous to Great Britain. In former times, one of
them (Fumaria officinalis) was used in medical practice,
being considered a valuable antiscorbutic. Hither the
leaves were dried and made into an infusion, or the juice of the fresh
leaves was administered ; but it is now almost entirely out of repute.
The leaves are somewhat succulent, almost without odour, and have
a bitterish saline taste. The name of the plant is derived from the
smell of smoke (fwmus) which it emits.

The subject of our article was discovered at Montpelier, and the
plant has since been introduced into this country. It may be pro-
pagated from seed, and can be grown out-of-doors in ordinary garden
soil, preferring, however, that which is of rather a light character.
It usually reaches the height of about twelve inches, and may be
expected to be in bloom from May to August.

WINDOW GARDENING.
BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 9.)

WINDOW-BOXES.

#8| SHALL now consider the construction and arrangement
of the window-box, which of itself has become quite an

revolving seasons of the year can be marked by a selection of their
choicest flowers. Spring comes in with its hyacinths, tulips, crocuses,
snowdrops, waliflowers, arabis, daisies, pansies, and other welcome
beauties ; summer with its geraniums, fuchsias, calceolarias, lobelias,
pansies, and a host of favourites; while autumn brings the addition
of stocks, asters, chrysanthemums, and others ; and winter even, with
its frost and snowand dull flowerless months, completes the circle with
a few branches of variegated shrubs and holly-berries tastefully
arranged, giving the window a bright appearance for the season. All
this is easily done, and within the reach of most people. A few
shillings laid out on this innocent pleasure is money well spent
indeed, returning tenfold interest for the outlay in the pleasure you
enjoy through your lovely flowers, and the cheerful appearance they
give to your dwelling.

How delightful and interesting to the eye is a well-filled window-
box! What a cheerful aspect it gives to a street or square in a city
or town where every other window is gay with miniature flower-

February 3

84 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

gardens. Many are the loving looks cast upon them by the passers-
by, who admire them at a distance, envious of the favoured ones who
have the delightful pleasure of attending to them.

It is a treat at almost any time of the year to pass along some
of the streets and squares of London, where window gardening is
carried on to some extent. There it is evident window gardening

\y WX

has become an institution, for it is quite a common thing to see the
fagades, windows, balconies, and areas of the houses gay with the
richest verdure and glowing with all the colours of the rainbow,
causing one to wonder that people who see it do not go and do like-
wise, as far as their circumstances will permit ; and I am sure window
gardening in our towns and cities could be carried on to a far greater
extent than it is at present. I hold that every person who has a
flower in his window confers a benefit on the town at large, for it
helps to brighten up the dulness of the street, and imparts an air of
cheerfulness and content to bis own dwelling.

Window-boxes are made and sold in various styles of workman-
ship and material, and any respectable seedsman will supply you.

i

Gal
2 a

Enamelled tile boxes range from six shillings and sixpence per running
foot and upwards ; they are expensive to buy. You could make nice
ones of wood yourself, or you might get a carpenter friend to make
one for you. Virgin cork is an excellent material for the rustic style
of boxes, which you can purchase at fourpence per pound. On this
page illustrations are given of the best styles of ornamental flower-
boxes now used for window and balcony gardening, which are made
by Messrs. Barr & Sugden, of King Street, Covent Garden, London.

I will now describe to you how to make a wooden one at very
little cost and with little trouble, which will answer the purpose as
well as the best made. It should be about eight inches wide by ten

—_——

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 35

inches deep, inside measurement, to allow two inches at the bottom
for drainage and one inch on the surface for watering. This pre-
vents the soil from being washed over the sides of the box and dirtying
the paint or tile, which looks bad. There will be seven inches left for
soil for the roots to spread about in; quite a sufficient depth, if good
rich soil is used, such as will be recommended in another chapter
for pot plants. A pinch or two of guano or dissolved bones may be
added and incorporated well with the soil. The length of your box
should be according to the breadth of your window, leaving it easy,

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so as to be handily taken inside at any time. The sides should be of
three-quarter inch deal, and as it is best to nail the ends between the
sides, the ends should be of one inch deal, and the bottom of the
same thickness. Wood of those thicknesses makes an excellent box.
Larch is the best kind of pine for the purpose, but a box made of
oak lasts very much longer than one made from any other kind of
wood.

I will not limit the size of the box, as circumstances must decide
that point, but for any ordinary window the one I have described
will answer best.

The outside of the box should now have three coats of paint.
Green is the best colour, being Nature’s own choosing, and it accords
best with the flowers when growing in it. You can have it nicely
done in imitation stone-work by painting it of a stone colour, and
while the paint is wet dusting it over with silver-sand. Taste must
guide you in the decoration afterwards; all lines, however, must be
drawn quite straight, and the parts of designs well balanced, so that
there be nothing ill drawn to mar the beauty of the flowers, for a
neat, clean, well-painted box adds greatly to the effect, and is always
a credit to the person interested. Never paint the inside of a box,
for plants do not like paint.

I have seen people make nice little wooden boxes much in the
shape of a pot but square, which looked very neat and answered the
purpose well. A little taste can be displayed in ornamenting them.

I must particularly tell you that the window-box should be raised
up a little from the window-sill for the sake of drainage, and to
keep the woodwork from spoiling in any way. The best plan is to
have iron rests fastened firmly to the window-sill to stand the box
on, with a catch at the ends to prevent the box from being toppled
over at any time by accident. You must also see that the box has
proper means for drainage ; five or six holes should be bored through
the bottom.

If you have not an auger to bore holes with, the kitchen poker
heated red-hot will answer admirably. The holes should be about
an inch in diameter. If the bottom of the box were made in two

February,

36 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

pieces, and an open slit one quarter of an inch wide left between
them, it would answer the purpose well. A window-box made of
lead or sheet-iron, though more expensive at first, will outlast a
dozen wooden ones. I once saw an excellent contrivance for window
plants in pots, or to have them planted out. The contriver was a
tailor by trade, and a man extremely fond of flowers. Outside the
window where he sat at his work he had contrived to arrange quite a
little flower garden of a most interesting description. He had two
iron brackets fixed below the window, and a zine box placed on
them full a yard wide, the sides being nearly a foot high; this he
filled with good soil, after providing ample drainage, and there all
the season through he kept up quite a grand display of flowers. I
often admired his window-box, and the good taste he displayed in
arranging it. In the spring it was quite a treat to see his box when
his bulbs were in bloom. He was a happy little man, and a true
lover of flowers. I often think of him with his little garden, and
reflect how much people could do in that way if they would only
try, or could have seen the splendid example of my tailor friend.

THE WINDOW GREENHOUSE.

The Miniature Window Greenhouse, which I will now consider,
is scarcely fitted for the centre of large towns, but answers well in
suburban districts and country towns. The window greenhouse is
a thing of far greater pretensions than the window box. It is an
ambitious step towards its great progenitor, the conservatory, and
an object which all lovers of flowers, who take a pride in their
window boxes, must long to possess. And why should they not
possess it? It is but the question of a few shillings, if they have
the ingenuity to make one themselves, or can get a carpenter friend
to construct it for them.

The window greenhouse is the climax of window-gardening, the
beau ideal of window-gardeners, enabling them to grow a greater
variety of plants, and to get up good specimens for exhibition.
But apart from that, it is a great ornament to a room. Whata
world of interest is centred around it. Visitors are loud in their
admiration of it ; everybody compliments you on your happy inven-
tion and the beauty of your flowers. To children it is a treat of
surpassing interest. They carry away remembrances of it which
they never will forget.

But the great event of the season, “ The Flower Show,” is draw-
ing near. You have been looking forward to it for months past.
You have been dreaming of this or that plant as being the future
prize-winner. Now you water and tend them with redoubled interest.
Day by day you bave marked the progress they have made towards
the state of perfection you wish them to reach. At last you have
reared them into fair exhibition specimens, and, on the morning of
the great day you stage them on the exhibition table amongst your
neighbours’ plants, with nervous feelings of anxiety. But luckis on
your side; the prize tickets decorate your favourites, and they stand
proudly amongst the others, reflecting credit on your skill as a

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 37

plantsman, and making your heart bound with pleasure when you
see them taking the place you had long hoped they would. You
feel an honest pride in pointing out to your friends and acquaint-
ances the prize-winners of the day. Ah! then you think there is
nothing so interesting as your little greenhouse ; and you work at it
again with renewed interest, determined to keep up the name you
have won, dreaming dreams of future success in the prize-list, if all
goes well till the next flower show.

The fact is, every one in a country town or suburban district,
with a love for flowers, should get a miniature window greenhouse.

If you once have one, and be able to grow your plants well, it will
become a necessity of your life, and you will be surprised at the
interest you take in every plant within it.

I will now try to direct you as simply as I can how to construct
one for yourself. You must first get a blacksmith to fix you up a
pair of iron brackets below your window. They should project out
two feet at least ; you must get them securely fixed, as the greater
part of the weight of your little greenhouse will lie on them. Then
you must fix a narrow three-quarter-inch board up each side of the
window, with a cross board above to tighten it, and have all close

February,

38 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

fitted and fixed with a few nails to the crevices of the stones. This
frame is to secure the greenhouse and to prevent it from interfering
with the window’s movements—the ventilation of the greenhouse

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being independent of the window. For any ordinary window the
greenhouse may be of the following dimensions :—Three feet high,
two anda half feet wide, and two feet front elevation, the length

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 39

being according to the breadth of the window ; at least six inches all
round should be of wood to give small cuttings or seedpots some
protection from the sun. There should be at least two astragals
down the roof, front, and sides, as it is not so costly if a small pane
is broken as if it were a big one. It should be glazed with 21 oz.
glass, that is 21 oz. to the lb., and have three coats of paint. White
or light stone colour is best. The six-inch board all round may be
painted green or in imitation of brickwork, according to your taste.

The bottom should be of good strong deal or sheet iron, with several
holes bored through it to drain off the surplus water, and an inch of
fine gravel should always cover it, as the plants will be greatly
benefited by the bottom of the pots standing ona moist surface.
The bottom should be screwed to the iron brackets and the sides
fitted in and screwed to the upright bars at the sides, leaving the
window free, so that its opening or shutting may not be interfered
with. The board at the front should be hung on hinges, so that it
may be pushed open a little on warm summer days for vertilation.
And a ventilating board six inches wide should be fixed on hinges
February,

40 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE,

at the top next the window, so that it may be easily opened at any
time. This ventilating sash may be of wood, but it will be far
neater if it be a glass frame, and would not intercept the view in
any way. A neat little roller and blind should be fixed immediately
under the ventilating sash at the top, to shade the plants when the
sun is strong. It must be made to come down close under the roof ;
a tight cord down each side will work it well if a little pulley be
fixed to the front, and a cord run over it from the centre of the blind.
You will soon see the benefit this will be to your plants. It keeps
the hot sun from scorching them up and drying their tender roots

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by heating the pot, which would soon tell on their health. Shade
from the sun when it is hot gives your plants a green healthy
appearance and keeps them longer in bloom.

The miniature greenhouse I have attempted to describe to you,
is avery good size for an ordinary window; though it may reach
high it cannot darken your room. Besides, the plants will form a
natural blind far superior to anything else, and will always bea
pleasure whenever the eye turns on them, while the fragrance and
beauty of the flowers may at all times be enjoyed, though the
inmate of the room be an invalid, who, more than any one will
appreciate and enjoy a window greenhouse. To such a one the

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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 41

sweet smell and sight of flowers would be an immense benefit, some-
times doing more real good than all the doctor’s drugs.

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Window greenhouses, fern cases, and aquariums, in a great
variety of styles, are sold by the principal seedsmen in London and
February,

42 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

large towns. They all range from five pounds and upwards, and are
excellent in their way; but their price puts them out of the reach of
most people. You can easily construct your own by following the
directions I have given, and I would strongly advise all who can to
try. You will find it a real pleasure if once in working order. On
pp. 37 and 40 are illustrations of plant cases for the outside
of windows, very often met with in London and other towns. They
are extremely elegant contrivances, and are very pretty when filled
with ferns and other plants. But the very height of refinement and
elegance in window gardening is represented on pp. 38, 39, and 41.
Bow or French windows are especially adapted for carrying out this
arrangement ; and, where cost is a secondary consideration, a very
picture of beauty and elegance can be carried out, to the beautify-
ing of your home, the credit of yourself, and the admiration and
delight of all your friends and acquaintances. It can also be carried
out on a smaller scale in any window having a recess; and I am sure
many little contrivances in this way will suggest themselves to your
mind if you once apply yourself to the subject.

(Zo be continued.)

ON THE CULTURE OF THE FUCHSIA.

HE season is now at hand when all desirous of producing
fine specimens of this beautiful plant should at once
commence selecting from their stock some of the finest,
most healthy and vigorous plants, for the purpose of
starting into growth. Commence by shaking them clean

out of the old soil, prune the roots by shortening them back, also

prune the tops by cutting back the shoots to the distance of two or
three joints from the stem. Of whatever shape you wish to grow
these plants, now is the time to decide; if of a pyramidal form,
prune back all the side-shoots, leaving only short spurs from the
stems, and allow the leading stem to go as far as there are side-

‘shoots or spurs to furnish it ;—for a dwarf bushy plant, prune the

side-shoots back to the same distance as the above, but shorten all

the leading shoots, and reduce it into a compact and neat form.

Prepare some good turfy loam, with the same quantity of fibrous

peat, half the quantity of well-decayed leaf-mould, some rubbly

charcoal, and sharp sand ; mix these well together, taking special care
to well drain your pots before potting. I have always found a few
large potsherds at the bottom of the pot, and upon the top of these
some coarse charcoal, suit the fuchsia admirably. I know of no
plant that delights in charcoal more than the fuchsia, always
observing, upon shifting the plants into larger size pots, their roots
adhering to it, and presenting the most healthy appearance.

When performing the potting of them, bear in mind not to use
the pots too large at first, always allowing room for two, or, in some
cases, three shiftings. When potted, place your plants in a moderate

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 43

heat, where your thermometer is ranging from fifty to fifty-tive
degrees.

Care must be taken in watering them, not to supply it too
bountifully at their roots until they are ina more forward state of
growth ; but on clear bright sunny days, syringe frequently over
their heads with water of the same temperature as the atmosphere
of the house they are growing in. This will soften the bark, and
cause them to bring forth the young shoots with more vigour.

As soon as the young shoots have obtained the length of three
joints, pinch out the tops; this will cause them to break back, and
be the means of furnishing your plant with foliage well down to the
pot. When they have again broken, if all goes well, they will
require a careful examination of their roots, and repotting into larger
pots, using the same compost as before (not forgetting the charcoal
drainage). When done, place them again into moderate heat, where
they should remain until they have filled the pots with roots. When
this is ascertained to be the case, remove them into a cooler house,
or lower the temperature gradually of the present one, when they will
shortly begin to show their bloom. If early-blooming plants are
required, allow the bloom to remain; if not, pinch out the tops again,
and this will cause them to throw out another course of vigorous
shoots ; and when these are grown an inch long, the plants may be
shifted once more, as final. But, should very large plants be the
principal object of the grower, they can be shifted again as they
advance in growth, and at this season may be supplied with seme
stimulant in the shape of manure-water about twice a week; be
cautious not to give it to them over-strong ; rather supply it more
frequently, and at a moderate strength, as it often injures their roots,
and reduces them to a delicate and unhealthy state, when disappoint-
ment and often a total failure is the result. The most direct and
safest plan to procure a supply of liquid manure is—to brew your
own, by adding half a bushelof cow-dung to eight gallons of soft
water, allowing it to stand twenty-four hours before using.

If the cow-dung should be fresh, the liquid will require diluting
with an equal quantity of clean water; but if decomposed, it will
not require reducing in strength, and may be used as made by
straining it through coarse canvas or other material, for, without
some such precaution, it will be found to close the pores of the soil,
and the plants will become stagnant and unhealthy; but when
judiciously applied, it amazingly improves the growth and assists the
plants in throwing out and retaining their blossoms and foliage both
strong and robust. It is at this period the charcoal discharges its
important duties: being of a porous quality, it absorbs the manure-
water when given, and holding it, supplies the plants as their nature
may require. Bye.

February.

44 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

FORCING SHA-KALE.

= HE sea-kale is a native of Britain; found in abundance

fi on the sea-coast, growing on rocks and stony places, in
the vicinity of Brighton, Worthing, Hastbourne, and
other places. It is a very useful vegetable, and highly
esteemed in most families. By attention to its cultiva-
tion, and good management in forcing, it may be kept in succession for
a long time, and that, too, when most vegetables are scarce. Having
had considerable success in growing this plant, I am inclined to lay
before you my practical mode of culture. Sea-kale is propagated in
various ways; from seeds sown in the open ground, from pieces of
the root cut in lengths, and from plants two or three years old.
Some prefer the latter system, but whichever mode is adopted, the
ground must be well prepared by trenching, with the addition of
plenty of good fresh manure in the autumn, laying it up in ridges
during winter, that the frost may act on it. In the spring it will
require to be forked and carefully turned over, to get it in good
order. The time I prefer for sowing is the last week in March, or
the first week in April. I find that, if sown before that time, it is
liable to go to seed, which spoils the crown for the season ; and, on
the other hand, if sown later, it will not be sufficiently strong for
forcing in the following autumn. I sow in rows, about one foot
apart ; when the plants are up, I thin them out to six or nine inches
distant, keeping the ground between them well hoed and stirred,
which I find of great utility. I propagate from pieces of the root,
cutting them into lengths of about four inches, pricking them into
rows two feet apart, and one foot in the row. This is done in the
month of March; they soon root, and become callous at the top,
when several crowns will appear; but great care must be taken to
have the crowns all plucked off with the exception of one, which
must be left to grow during the summer. If this precaution is
neglected, the plants will, in a great measure, be useless; for when
there are several crowns crowded together on one plant, the
nourishment will be divided: consequently they will be small and
weak ; but if one only is left, it will receive all the nourishment
derived from the root, and will, if attended with frequent hoeings,
be large and fit for forcing the next season. To form a new bed of
sea-kale, in order to force in the open ground, I prefer one-year-old
plants, as small as I can procure them. I plant them on a raised
bed, at least two feet high and five feet wide, putting two rows on
each bed, and the plants three together, in triangles, two feet apart.
To force them, I place a large kale pot over each three crowns, and
then cover the whole surface of the bed with leaves to the thickness
of two feet, which makes the alleys four feet deep. The leaves
impart a genial heat through the bed to the roots. However,
I prefer forcing sea-kale in the following manner: To cut off
the crowns about four inches below the surface of the soil, and place
them thickly in seed-pans with soil ; then put them under the stage
of a store with a large pot over the pan, covering the pot with leaves
and dung, and keeping them as close as possible. In this manner

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 45

the plant will come as strong, tender, and well blanched, as if grown
in the usual manner out-of-doors, and with one quarter the labour.
In the following spring the roots are cut over, for the crowns break
up very strong; and much attention in thinning them is necessary,
for if more than two or three heads are left to each, they will crowd
and spoil each other ; whereas, if this is attended to, and the surface
kept hoed deep, with the application of manure-water during their
growing season, a supply of good strong crowns will be produced
for next year’s forcing. This is the system I practise, and consider
myself amply repaid in the result for the little extra trouble I have
taken. H.S

CULTIVATION OF THE DAHLIA.

— Sg HE month of February may be considered as the com-

47 mencement of the dahlia-growers’ operations; the
2-4 B34) roots are then drawn from their resting-place, and after
bia IZ being carefully examined, all traces of rottenness re-
"moved, and the labels made right, they are either potted
and plunged into a gentle hot-bed, or placed in the heat without any
other preparation. As soon as the new shoots have grown from two
to three inches in length, they are taken off with a sharp knife, the
heel or base of the cutting pared square, and then placed by itself,
with its name, into a small pot filled with sand, leaf-mould, and
loam. Each cutting as it is potted should receive a gentle watering,
and be immediately returned to the hot-bed, taking special care to
shade them from the sun until they are rooted. Sometimes, with
scarce sorts, the young plants have their tops taken off, and every
bit of a shoot which rises from the old tubers is also struck, a
practice that nothing but the natural desire to “make the most
of a good thing’ can excuse, as it entails weak, unhealthy plants,
which cannot possibly produce fine flowers. The amateur who
grows only for the sake of really handsome blooms, should not
allow this desire to extend beyond just the strongest shoots, or
disappointment will inevitably ensue; and these, when struck, should
be encouraged to grow by frequent shifting, and every other means,
that when the season arrives for consigning them to the open
garden, he may not only find healthy, but truly vigorous plants for
the purpose. Between the periods mentioned, and over which this
re-potting and stimulative regimen extends, the plants should be
gradually inured to the action of the sun and air, that they may
receive no check on the final remove; for nothing can be more
unreasonable than to expect that, after being confined, as is too
frequently the case, in a little pot for three months, and until its
roots have been interwoven to a complete solid body, such plants
should proceed with the rapidity and vigour of one to which attention
has been given, and consequently has all its energies in an active,
healthy state; so also it is equally wrong to defer the propagation
until the last minute, and then as soon as a single root or perhaps

February.

46 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

two, are emitted by the cutting, the poor little thing is at once
exposed to the crippling effect of a cold wind, or the enervating
influence of a scorchiug sun.

The end of May is the usual time for transplanting to the open
ground, as in ordinary seasons all danger of frost has passed away,
and unless the weather is particularly serene and genial, the plants
should be protected by handlights or some other contrivance until
they have become re-established. We have been thus minute over
the first part of their culture, because we believe that very much
depends on how they are then managed, not but that a great deal less
trouble will suffice when merely grown for ornamenting the borders ;
so that plants can be had at the desired time, being sufficient for
that purpose; but we are now writing of the treatment of such as
are cultivated for exhibiting, or the production of the very finest
flowers. We have indeed seen it printed that to take off cuttings,
or incur the trouble of starting the roots at all, was quite needless ;
that merely planting the tubers in the open ground in April was
sufficient, or even to treat them as annuals, by sowing for the supply
every season; and perhaps this is enough in some places, but the
results of such a system must only be viewed at a distance, as fine
flowers cannot be expected.

When the plants have attained the height of a foot, stakes
should be placed to them, that they may not receive injury from the
wind; and as they grow, attention should be given to the removal of
all superfluous shoots that may spring from the bottom, and it is also
desirable to thin the flowering branches near the top of the stem
before they become large, tying out those which are allowed to
remain, that light and air may be admitted to the interior of the
plants; this will occupy the greater part of the summer, and in
August the first flowers may be expected, from which time unceasing
attention will be required to the thinning of the blossom buds,
tying and loosening of ties, watering, trapping of insects, and
shading the flowers. The first-mentioned operation should be per-
formed when and wherever a more promising bud than usual makes
its appearance, allowing the whole energy of the branch from which
it springs to be devoted to its sole use, as any rivalry between two
or more flowers is sure to terminate in disadvantage to the whole of
them ; indeed, it is sometimes found desirable to reduce the number
over the entire plant, in order to give strength and size to the
remaining flowers. Watering is an important aid at this period,
and must not be neglected ; to save a considerable amount of trouble
it is advisable to cover the ground, for the spave of a couple of feet
round each plant, with half-rotten dung, or other mulch ; this keeps
the earth from drying rapidly, and, by being watered over, causes a
genial damp atmosphere near them, besides the advantage gained
from the particles of manure which wash downwards to the roots;
once a week diluted liquid manure should be applied, and in this
and all other waterings it is better to give a thorough soaking, even
at some distance of time between, than to apply small quantities
ever so frequently.

The depredation of insects is a constant source of annoyance

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 47

from the opening of the first blooms till the close of the season, and
unless their destruction is unceasingly persevered in, the cultivator’s
expectations cannot be realized; earwigs, those insidious lurking
foes, are most common, and much to be dreaded. The trap generally
used for the destruction of these insects is a small flower-pot filled
with hay, and inverted on the top of the stake that supports the
plant. The pot should be daily examined, and the contents
destroyed. The small insect, commonly known as the “ thrip,” is
also very destructive, attacking the leaves and buds, and by
puncturing destroying their vitality ; the best measure both of pre-
vention and remedy in this case, is to frequently syringe the whole
of the plant, throwing the water with sufficient force to dislodge
any that may be on them. Should it happen that the thrip have
effected a strong hold of the plants before they are discovered, the
foliage and stems should be dusted over with sulphur in the middle
of a hot day; the fumes arising from this are fatal to the insects ;
and to extirpate the few that remain, employ the syringe heartily,
which will at the same time remove them and the sulphur together.
To enumerate the various methods of shading would occupy so
much space that we are compelled to speak only of those commonly
employed ; the cultivator’s taste and means will generally regulate
these matters better than can be done by the most detailed de-
scription. It must be understood, however, that it is only the
blooms which are to be covered, as to shade the leaves would be to
destroy the energies of the plant.

On the approach of frosty weather the layer of mulch round the
stems should be increased in thickness and extent to effectually
preserve the roots, and when the foliage becomes injured past the
hope of endurance, they should be cut down, leaving the tubers in
the ground a week longer to ripen; when they are taken up, remove
the soil, and set them in the sun till perfectly dry, after which any
cool place where they can be secured from frost, moisture, and light,
will be suited to their preservation through the winter. *

R. W. P.

CULTURE OF THE ANEMONE.

=) would be difficult to enumerate the variations in colour
Wa this gay spring flower assumes ; so sportive is its nature
(og | in this respect, that there is a diversity of the mixing
ms, 4| of the white with the various shades of scarlet, carmine,
rose, red, violet, blue, slate, etc., in each individual
flower raised from seed, by which is produced the double, semi-
double, and single varieties, and few there are among them but
claim our admiration. The anemone has not of late years been so
much cultivated by the amateur florist as formerly, for what reason
we are at a loss to discover, for it is not difficult of cultivation,
growing freely in ordinary garden mould, when of a scanty quality
and in tolerable good heart, although it is customary to prepare
February.

48 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

compost expressly for this purpose, and where it is convenient the
following will be found excellent :—Fresh earth from a common, or
some other pasture land, that is of a light or sandy quality, whether
of a yellow, hazel, or dark colour, is not important; it should not
be taken deeper than four or six inches, with the turf included ;
such soil will be sweet and fit for immediate use. First having beaten
out the earth from the turf, and clearing it of obnoxious insects,
add to it about one-third of decomposed cow-manure, to be well
incorporated with the above; before using, rake out large stones,
but do not screen the compost, it is much better without. About
the beginning of September is the proper time to prepare the beds
for planting; if the soil be wet, the beds should be raised about
six inches above the paths or surface of the ground, laying at the
bottom some of the coarse rakings from your heap, by way of
drainage; but if your soil be a dry one, three inches will be
sufficient.

The compost intended to plant the roots in should be about one
foot thick, therefore you must remove some of the garden earth to
make room for it. The beds should be made up at least two or
three weeks prior to planting, in order that the soil may settle;
before you commence, stir the surface of the bed to about three or
four inches deep, then raking it to a level surface, divide it into
four-inch squares by drawing lines each way, and plant the roots in
the centre of the squares, which will keep them in line in an uniform
distance. Some use a small trowel for this purpose, while others
make use of their fingers ; it matters little which, so that the bulbs
are planted about two inches and a half deep, with the eyes
upwards ; this being accomplished, with the back of a rake draw the
earth over the crowns of the roots, so as to cover them about two
inches thick. The best season of planting, for an early bloom, is
about the middle of September, and for a middle bloom, in October ;
others, for still later flowering, may be planted in December, or the
beginning of the year, and, though late, in most seasons flower exceed-
ingly well, but do not produce such fine increase. J. W.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE GRAPE VINE,
BY &. W. BP.

45 will begin by treating of the management of the grape
| vine in the open air, and will presume that care has
Uy been taken in selecting the most suitable position on
Av) planting, for it is quite certain, that unless the roots of

5 aaa out-door grapes are in a very favourable position, there
will exist but little probability in our variable climate of the fruit
ever attaining to perfection, as regards flavour, even if it ripens at
all. Let them, by all available means, be placed so that they may
be fully acted upon by the sun, and if, in addition, the supply of
moisture can be acted on, it will greatly facilitate their management.

i eS

——

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 49

Could we, under all circumstances, regulate this, much would be
done to insure a crop of ripe grapes every season; thus by irri-
gation, the new developments might be encouraged in early summer,
when they are often stationary, in consequence of dry weather ;
and, on the other hand, in autumn, had we the means to thoroughly
drain the mould about the roots, it would go far to induce ripeness,
which, under the influence of ordinary seasons, is deferred till so
late, that injury from frosts is a matter of frequent occurrence, and
in wet autumns the fruit is entirely spoiled, because of its inability
to ripen. The strange anomalies that yet prevail in the science of
horticulture, from a waut of attention to principles, is perhaps
nowhere so evident or frequently met with as in the management
of the vine. We plant them against a wall to induce previous
maturity, which at the same time we prevent by placing the roots
in a soil as unctuous as the bed of a river, and crowd the branches
so thickly together, that the wood and its fruit are as completely
shaded from the influence of the sun, by the over-luxuriant_ foliage
consequent on the position of the roots, as though the whole were
enveloped in a blanket, and yet marvel that our grapes so seldom
ripen.

The “long rod’ method of training is to be preferred for vines
in the open air because of the less amount of shade; and that the
wall may be properly covered, the horizontal branches should be
trained along at about a foot from the ground, and the rods upwards
from them, at not less than two feet from each other. By the
beginning of March all pruning should be completed, and the plants
nailed up; after which no further attention will be required until
Midsummer, by which time the bunches will have set, and the
berries require thinning ; this should be done with a pair of pointed
scissors, leaving the remainder loose upon the bunch, so as to have
room for each individual to swell to a full size, and at the same time
the branches which bear them should be shortened to the joint
beyond the fruit, and any after-shoots that may appear from these
laterals must be taken away as they come, that the bottom growth
may be encouraged to occupy the wall for the next year. In
nailing the young shoots of a vine, care ehould be taken to leave the
shred loose round the branch, because the latter will swell very
much, and if at all obstructed in its upward progress, become
crooked or perhaps break. Towards the end of summer, if very dry
weather occur, the plants are liable to attacks from red spider, and
if this happens before the fruit is fully grown, measures must be
taken to reduce their numbers ; clear water thrown with force from
a garden-engine is perhaps the best remedy, and if frequently re-
peated, will certainly dislodge them, or the leaves may be dusted
over with sulphur. When the fruit is just ripe it should be covered
with gauze bags to exclude insects, and on the approach of winter
the branches should be partially unnailed, that the air may get at
the back of the branches, to ripen the part previously confined to
the wall. The pruning may then be done, and the wall washed
with a mixture of lime, sulphur, and soot, if it is supposed there are
many insects in the crevices.

February.

4

50 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

In the greenhouse grapes can never be more than a secondary
consideration where the regular occupants of the house are at all
cared for, their management differing so greatly from that proper
for the majority of greenhouse plants. Yet, with some judgment in
alternating the treatment, and a little allowance for trifling in-
feriority in both, a medium crop may be obtained. As some part
of the collection will remain in the house until June or even longer,
the first stage of the vine’s progress will be slow, and the ripening
of the fruit consequently deferred till rather late in the season,
unless an endeavour is made, through July and August, to get them
forward as rapidly as possible. The vines, in the earlier stages of
their growth, require an elevated and very damp atmosphere, which is
decidedly inimical to the health of the general collection of plants;
the latter must therefore be removed to the open air, or some other
place, as soon as the weather will permit, and if some slight pro-
tection can be afforded them, the removal can take place at the
beginning of May. The house should then be kept close, com-
paratively, in order to raise the temperature to about 70° through the
day. Freely syringing the foliage every night and morning, and the
liberal use of water on the paths and floor, will maintain the requisite
amount of moisture in the atmosphere necessary to their full and
early development. As the berries begin to colour, the atmosphere
should be rendered as dry as it was moist before, that the fruit may
possess a full deep colour and rich flavour; but unless this can be
effected in the early part of the autumn, by pursuing the course
pointed out, it will be quite impossible afterwards, as the plants will
require toreturn to their stations, and then the necessary waterings
will create so much damp in the house as, in all probability, will
lead to shanking and rottenness, especially if the weather prove at
all cloudy. The summer must therefore be devoted to the vines, and
after the crop is gathered, they may be taken out of the house, so
as not to interfere with the winter management of the plants.

When grapes are grown in the regular vinery, of course they are
the permanent object, and nothing antagonistic to their welfare can
be permitted, though it not unfrequently happens that false economy
induces the introduction of other subjects as difficult to reconcile as
even New Holland plants. In such cases perfection never is or can
be arrived at. The period of starting the vines, as it is called, or
commencing the seasonal action, depends entirely on the time the
fruit is destined to be ripe. The earliest crops are started in
November ; these are usually ripe in April and May. But the most
usual time is January; and for real excellence, perhaps, this is the
best that can be selected, because the vines then progress in unison
with the season, or rather they have the advancing season to aid
them. When it is determined to commence exciting the plants,
they should be pruned and cleaned, by removing the loose bark
from the stems and branches, and if insects are suspected of har-
bouring on them, the whole should be coated with a mixture of lime
and sulphur, or so{t-soap and sulphur, made into the consistence of
thick paste, and applied with a brush, taking care to rub it into
every crevice. This will prove fatal to the mealy bug, scale, red

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 51

spider, and all other hybernatory insects that usually infest the
grape. When thus dressed, let them be tied to the rafters loosely,
and close the house. No fire-heat will be required for the first
fortnight, and the increase of temperature must subsequently be
brought on in a very gradual manner; 45° may be taken as quite
sufficient for the mean temperature of the first month, or till positive
signs of action are observable in the buds, when it may rise 5° more,
continuing at that till the first leaves are fairly visible, when again
5° more may be added, and the application of moisture commence.
This is best provided in the early stages of growth, by means of
evaporating pans on the heating apparatus; but as the leaves are
unfolded more will be required, and the syringe may then be used
with advantage. In the third month from starting the foliage will
expand, and the flowers begin to open. This is perhaps the most
important period. It is necessary to syringe freely over the leaves,
that they may be kept in a healthy, vigorous condition ; and as the
sun will be gaining power, air must be admitted to keep the tem-
perature of an even character; it may reach 70° before the lights
are opened, and then a little opening at the top of the house will
keep it steadily at that point; continuing thus till the flowers are
just bursting, when rather less moisture should be employed till the
fruit is set, which, if the plants are nicely managed, will occupy
about four days or a week; and during this time if the weather is
favourable, a rather free admission of air may be indulged in, which,
by drying the atmosphere of the house, will help to ripen the pollen,
and render its distribution more easy and certain. It is a good
plan, as a further assistance to this desirable object, to give the
stems a smart shake once or twice a day; and by some it is recom-
mended to syringe the flowers all over, as a means of scattering the
pollen, but this seems rather objectionable, as the water may remain
on the flowers long enough to destroy its fecundating powers, while
a dry air must be more conducive to its ripening and spreading.
As soon as the berries are observed to be set, an abundant supply
of moisture must again be given, that they may swell freely; and to
assist them in this stage, the introduction of ammoniacal vapour is
found very beneficial, and may be easily provided, by placing in the
house a quantity of sweet fermenting stable dung, to be turned to
account also in the provision of bottom-heat for other things grown
in the same erection, as French beans, and a variety of similar
matters. Tanner’s bark is commonly used for this purpose, and,
though more cleanly and regular in its action, is not quite equal to
the dung in its production of ammonia. Air must now be admitted
in quantities proportionate to the state of the weather, and the more
that can be given, provided that the internal temperature is not less
than 65° or 70°, the better for the grapes, as much of the mischief
known as “ scalding,” etc., arises from keeping the house too close.
If the vines are progressing in a healthy manner, they will bear a
free current of air on fine days with manifest improvement; but it
must not be admitted in large quantities suddenly, or the chill
igi is quite likely to carry off the entire crop. Thinning the

erries and bunches is an important operation, occurring when the

February.

52 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

fruit is about the size of peas. The number should be reduced in a
regular, equalizing manner, till they hang so that each individual
will have room to swell to its greatest size, but not more, or the
bunches will have a meagre appearance. The latter will, perbaps,
require reducing in proportion to the strength of the vine; for the
cultivator may rest assured that it is better economy to thin an
excessive crop down to a moderate one, and thus secure superior
quality, with the reasonable expectation of its being repeated in the
next year, than to take a heavy crop of small, ill-flavoured fruit, to
the almost certain prejudice of those to come in succeeding seasons.
In conducting this operation it is advisable to avoid handling the
fruit ; it can be held with a crooked piece of wire, while the berries
are extracted with the scissors; for when rubbed with the fingers it
is supposed a predisposition to “shanking” is incurred, when the
berries rot or shrivel at the point of union with their footstalks, just
before they are ripe—a disease but too well known in all its forms,
but for which many opposite causes are adduced, without any satis-
factory explanation being arrived at either. Our own notion refers
it rather to sudden changes in the atmosphere, as either an excess
of moisture, or the rapid lowermg of the temperature, when the
fruit is nearly or quite full-grown, is known to produce it. Some
care is necessary at the time the berries are changing colour, to
properly regulate the heat on this account, and as ripeness ensues,
the principal attention should be addressed to keeping it rather
below the average, by the admission of larger quantities of air,
which, as before remarked, increase the flavour, and imparts a finer
colour and bloom; the sashes may then be opened, so as to keep
the temperature down to 60°, and even lower, when they are quite
ripe, only closing to exclude damp.

RONDELETIA.

=HESE truly handsome stove plants are named after

i] Rondelet, a French botanist of the sixteenth century,
and belong to the important natural order Cinchonacee,
the genus chiefly occurring in America and the West
~ Indies.

There are about fifteen species of Rondeletia known, but perhaps
the best for a general collection and the grandest of the series, is
the scarlet-flowered species, RB. speciosa, the subject of our engraving.

Rondeletias require peat and sand to grow in, with a brisk moist
heat while growing, and may be easily propagated from cuttings of
half-ripe wood taken off close to the stem, and shortened to four
joints each. The cuttings should be planted in pure silver sand,
covered with bell-glasses and plunged in heat. The glasses should
be taken off every morning, be wiped dry, and replaced, and in dull
weather may be kept off a few hours at atime. As soon as the
cuttings have rooted, pot them off in sandy peat and plunge them in
a brisk heat till they have filled the pot with roots, then shift to a

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 53

size larger, using sandy peat with one-fourth part of loam added.
The next shift will be into their blooming pots, when great care
must be taken to afford plenty of drainage, but placing a layer of
moss over the cracks to prevent the fine earth running down among
them. Over-potting is most injurious, and it is only by a regular
course of progressional potting, using at each stage pots only one
size larger than the last, that a satisfactory bloom can be obtained.
The best time to pot is immediately after they have done flowering,

RONDELETIA SPECIOSA.

but if needful they may be shifted six weeks before flowering, but
never on any account later. When coming into bloom, they require
plenty of water both overhead and at the roots, and the temperature
should not be lower than 70°. During summer, the temperature
may range from 65° to 90°; during winter from 50° to 60°. They
are usually trained on wire palloons, and if carefully done the
blossoms may be displayed very effectually, but sufficient support
may be given by means of stakes or wirework, of a height of eighteen
inches, when the bunches may be arranged to fall over in a free
and natural way,
February.

54. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

THE RANUNCULUS.

9/0 R the culture of the Ranunculus let the ground, what-

i) ever its texture, be well manured, and thoroughly dug
and pulverized. The best time for planting is the last
week in February; the surface should be entirely

removed to the depth of about two inches, not more,
md betes raked level, the roots are placed on it, and the surface
mould returned. Some recommend the month of October for
planting; this we object to, except in the case of requiring an
early bloom for flower-garden purposes, when it is best to plant only
the hardy turban varieties ; with the others there is considerable
danger of their receiving injury from frost and excessive wet,
and consequently, it is preferable to defer it to the season first
mentioned. When the blooms are advancing, it is no unusual thing
for the weather to set in dry; when this happens, the ranunculuses
must have’ abundance of water given them, and if every other
application be diluted liquid manure, it will give them additional
vigour. A slight shade is necessary to preserve the flowers, and
every available means should be resorted to at this time to keep the
plants in vigour, as they are not only supporting the flowers, but the
new roots are just arriving at perfection, and therefore should have
every encouragement. A top-dressing of half-rotten leaves, or
partially-decomposed manure will be beneficial, and the paths may
be filled up with old tan; in short, every means likely to keep the
earth moist should have attention. Very soon after the blooming
season, the leaves will begin to decay, a sign that the roots are fit
to be taken up; a great deal depends on this being done at exactly
the right time, for if taken up before they are ripe, a loss of vigour
is necessarily felt, and the same happens if they are allowed to
stand even for a few days beyond the proper time. The fit state
is easily known by the leaves parting from the roots with a slight
pull ; when this can be done, let them be at once removed, and after
cleansing them from the soil, spread them thinly in a shaded place
to dry, turning them frequently, and at last give them one or two
hours’ exposure to the sun to finish them completely, and make
them fit for storing away for the winter.

THE USES OF THE GARDEN FRAME.

s==eyN treating of the uses of the garden frame, we shall

3 endeavour to show, first, the many advantages to be
derived from its application to a hot-bed, being what is
usually termed a hot-frame; and, secondly, its applica-
—————~ tion asa hybernatory or cold- -frame.

Ié is in the light of a hot-frame that this useful appliance is
generally regarded by the amateur gardener; but few are aware of
the many great results to be derived from a judicious management of

a a ee

pies:

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 55

it even in this respect. We shall therefore show how the best use
can be made of it, and how something more than “a few braces of
cucumbers”’ can be turned out of this comparatively “small extent
of glass.”

Towards the middle of February procure of stable manure a
sufficient quantity to form a bed requisite for a three-light frame
such as we described in the January number: enough for this
purpose will be from two to three good one-horse cartloads. That
which is best for the purpose is such as has been rather more thana
week from the stable; and if it can be procured from a place
where the horses have been highly fed, it will be found much better
for the purpose, being far more retentive of heat than that which is
taken from horses that are poorly fed. When the dung has been
obtained, it should be conveyed to the place where the bed is to be
erected; and here we would remark that is of the greatest importance
that this should be in gome sheltered situation, with a good exposure
to the south, and so protected on all sides, as to be secure from the
influence of high winds.

The first operation is to have the dung purified, or, as gardeners
generally term it, “sweetened.” The object of this is to dispossess
it of those rank and strong gases with which in its green state it is
charged, and which would be so injurious to vegetable life. It is
therefore necessary that it should be thoroughly and effectually
fermented before it can be applied to the use of a hotbed. The way
in which this is done is, to throw it all up together inaconical heap,
and allow it to remain in this position for about a week, at the
expiration of which it will steam considerably, and a rather strong
heat will be generated ; care, however, must be had that the heat at
this stage of the work is not so great as to burn the material, which
is readily discovered by observing if the interior becomes whitened
and dry. When it has lain in this state for about a week, the whole
mass must be forked over, and made up into a cone similar to that in
which it was originally formed ; but proper attention must be paid
during this movement of the mass, to see that that part of it which
formed the exterior shall on this occasion form the interior, and vice
versa, and also that all lumps be well separated, and the whole
thrown loosely up together; this is what is called the first turning.
In this state it should remain for another week, during which period
also the heat will have become more regular and steady, and the
dung will have Jost a considerable portion of its noxious gases. It
will be necessary to give it a second,turning similar to the first,
taking care on this occasion likewise that the exterior be thrown
inside, and the middle brought to the outside. During these turnings,
it should be well watered to prevent burning, and also for the
purpose of assisting in purifying the mass. This should be attended
to every time it is turned over: and if so, it will tend very materially
to prolong the duration of heat in the bed. Many persons consider
two turnings sufficient; but we would advise a third or even a
fourth, as the more the materials are properly fermented, the more
satisfactory will the results be; and in all cases it should be turned
and watered until the straw assumes a dark brown colour.

February,

56 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Before proceeding to erect the hotbed, measure off the area which
s intended to be occupied; this should be thirteen feet long by

seven feet wide. These dimensions are greater than are usually
recommended, but as our object is to show “‘ how to make the most
of it,” the reasons for exceeding the ordinary size will be explained
hereafter. The ground on which the bed is to be erected should be
perfectly dry, and so situated, or of such a nature, as that water
cannot remain on it. If, however, the situation must necessarily be
wet, the base should be elevated six or eight inches, by wheeling soil
or rubbish to the part. The operation of erecting the bed is begun
by driving down four stakes, one at each corner of the parallelogram,
which we have indicated above; these should stand about three feet
out of the ground, and will give the boundaries of the bed. Let
the foundation be laid with faggots or any rough materials, and upon
these lay the longest and rankest of the dung; then begin to throw
up the mass of dung which has been prepared, not in large quantities
at a time, but by shaking it out lightly with a fork, distributing the
long and short equally over the bed, and then beating it down with
the fork only; but it must on no account be trodden down. If
during the building of the bed the dung should be discovered to
have had too much heat in the cone, and to have assumed a whitened
and mouldy appearance, it should be freely watered with tepid water,
by means of a watering-pot with a rose toit. The height to which
the bed is to be raised is three feet six inches in the front and four
feet at the back, and as soon as it has acquired the requisite height,
it should be combed all round with the fork, for the purpose of
removing all loose straws, and rendering it more finished in its
appearance. It is now ready to receive the frame, which should be
lifted to its place, and where it should remain for four or five days,
during which period the centre of the bed should be frequently
forked over; but it must again be removed, to ascertain any
unevenness that may have taken place from the fermenting mass
having subsided, and on this occasion also, the sides of the bed
should be raised from six to eight inches higher than the middle, to
allow for the weight of the frame bearing it down. In about a week
the surface of the bed should be covered, about six inches deep, with
tan in a rather dry state, when such can be obtained, as this will be
found of advantage in keeping down and regulating the rank heat
which is likely to rise; if, however, the tan cannot readily be
obtained, it is not indispensably requisite. The whole surface of the
bed must now be covered, three inches deep, with fine soil, composed
of one-half sandy loam and the other half leaf-mould; or, if that
cannot be procured, sandy peat will answer as well. Under each
light there should be a mound or hillock, from eight to ten inches
high, and about a foot wide, on which to “ridge out” the cucumber
or melon plants. The hotbed is now ready for any purpose to which
the operator may think proper to apply it.

Having therefore given ample instructions as to the most improved
methods of raising a hotbed, we shall next consider how it can be
best employed, and how the greatest amount of benefit may be
derived from it. The most general of all purposes to which it is

CN a ee

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 57

applied by the amateur horticulturist, is the foreing of the cucumber,
and as that is in all probability the subject which he holds of the
first importance, we shall in our next article communicate the
necessary instructions by which any one may attain to this degree of

horticultural perfection.
(Lo be continued.)

STRAWBERRY FORCING IN COMMON FRAMES.

==9130U'T the first of March, collect a quantity of fermenting

B| leaves and dung, and with these form a bed of about two
feet in thickness, upon which a garden frame is to be
placed. If the frame is deep enough, it is as well to

‘ put this heating material into it; but if otherwise, place
the frame on the prepared bed. In either case it is desirable to
choose a warm situation for the bed, and to have the frame set at a
sharp angle or pitch facing the south. Into this bed, when properly
sweetened, the pots are to be plunged to the rim, keeping them about
nine inches from the glass. The fermenting material must not exceed
a miJk-warm heat. The chink to admit a little air by night, and still
more by day, must not be forgotten. Dy about the middle of April
the plants will be in bloom, and during that period, should the
weather be mild, the lights should be tilted alternately at front and
back to cause a circulation. On fine days they will even be better
drawn quite off. After the fruit is set, increase the heat by admit-
ting a less volume of fresh air; and when the ripening process is
going on, treat them with more air, as when in bloom. The general
treatment may be summed up thus :—The plants are kept in an airy
situation when in blossom, and ‘in a warm and moist situation, even
to 100 degrees, when the fruit is swelling and colouring; they are
again subjected or removed to a cooler, yet mild atmosphere, and, if
possible, to where a soft warm air will play among the foliage when
ripe and ripening.

The soil most suitable consists of three-fourths of turfy loam of
a soft unctuous texture, not gritty, but capable of adhesion, yet not
marly; one-fourth of decayed night-soil, at least three years old, and
reduced to mould; these are mixed with a little sand and leaf-mould,
sufficient to keep the whole open, for the free passage of air and water.
Another excellent compost consists of heavy loam from old melon-
beds, taking care, however, not to use the soil which formed the
surface of the bed, as very frequently this contains too many of the
progeny of the red-spider. To this loam add one-fourth of rotted
cow-dung or any decomposed manure, and sufficient sand to keep
the soil from getting sodden.

As a general rule, plants should not be shifted until the roots are
well spread over the sides of the pots without getting matted. The
plants should be shifted at once from the small three or four-inch pots
in which they are laid into six-inch or fruiting pots. A nice point
in’ shifting is to see that the soil put round the plant being potted
is of the same convistency or firmness as the ball of the plant itself, so

February.

58 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Ld
that when the newly: potted plant is watered, the water will diffuse
itself equally through every part. Avoid deep potting. The neck
of the plant should be kept about level with the rim of the pot.

See that the pots are thoroughly clean before using, and take
care that each pot is well drained, the strawberry being very im-
patient of wet, and liable to get out of health if imperfectly drained.
The following is a good method :—Lay first over the hole of the pot
one crock, or potsherd, or shell large enough to cover it, and
with the hollow side down; around this place others of smaller
dimensions in the same position, but with one edge resting upon the
first crock, thus securing a considerable openness in the drainage, and
making it difficult for it to get choked up. Next place a handful
of still smaller crocks, and over the whole a layer of turf, torn to
pieces by the hand, not cut by a spade, and also a dusting of soot.
The turf is to prevent the soil mixing with the drainage, and it also
affords food for the plants. The soot is used to check the ingress of
worms, and it also acts as a manure, though not lasting. Pot
firmly, particularly at the last shift. It is partly an object to get as
much nourishment in as small a compass as possible, but firm potting
can be overdone.

In dry warm weather the plants should be syringed every night
and morning, excepting when in bloom and when the fruit is
ripening. In the early period the plants will require occasional
watering, while in the sunny and long days a good soaking of water
is required every day. It is a rule, never to let a leaf flag, nor have
the soil saturated.

Clear liquid manure should be given twice a week, from the
time the fruit is set till it begins to change colour. This manure is
usually made from soot and sheep-dung; but that from the horse,
cow, or pigeon, or guano, either mixed or separate, will do as well.
In all cases the liquid manure must be used so weak as just to
colour the water. Rain or soft water should always be used, and
should be of the same temperature as the frame.

ASPARAGUS.

<9] RIGINALLY an indigenous weed of our sea-shores, this

| by cultivation has become one of the most delicate and
most esteemed vegetables we possess ; and notwithstand-
ing the list of names used by some growers, there is but
; one kind, and the only variations in it are merely those
arising from situation.

The plants are obtained from seed, which should be gathered
when the haulm is cut down in autumn, and preserved till the
following March, when it should be sown in drills on apiece of light
sandy soil, at about a foot and a half from each other. At the end of
the following summer the plants may be thinned out of the rows
till they stand six inches apart, and thus may remain till they are
wanted for the beds. Three-year-old plants are perhaps the best for

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 59

final planting, though some recommend them to be but two years.
The former are the strongest, and therefore will bear cutting soonest.
It is not advisable to have them older, or they may refuse the removal.
The best time to make the beds is September, and the planting done
in October; but presuming circumstances have prevented autumn
planting, the operation must be performed in February or March.
The beds should be made on a piece of dry rich and light earth,
with a heavy coat of dung trenched in, and the ground marked off
into beds of the required size. Narrow beds are preferable, because
the sun penetrates them more effectually, and the buds are con-
sequently earlier. We would never plant more than three rows in
each bed, and, therefore, they need not be more than three feet wide,
which will leave the plants nine inches from each other, and the
same distance from the outsides. Unless the ground is naturally
wet and springy, itis not necessary to elevate the beds at the planting,
but is preferable to make them on the level, merely throwing about
three inches of the soil from the alleys over the plants when they
are in their places. The alleys should be a foot and a half
wide, and at the corners of the beds stout stakes may be driven in,
that at the future dressings it may be easy to tell where the outsides
should be. The beds will only require to be kept free from weeds
until the following autumn, when a good dressing of manure should
be given them, first forking up the surface of the bed, then laying on
the dung, and covering it with soil from the alleys; and this should
be repeated annually, and may be called the winter dressing. In
spring the beds should be carefully forked over, so as to loosen all
the soil without injuring the crowns of the plants, and the soil raked
down into the alleys till the plants are about an inch below the
surface: this requires to be done just before the plants begin to
grow—if done sooner they may be injured by frost, and if left till
a later period some will get broken by the rake. Asparagus should
not be cut till the third season after planting, nor should the cutting
be continued too long, or, as a matter of course, the roots are greatly
weakened, and the produce of the following year will be inferior.
At the autumn dressing, after the plants have attained a size and
strength sufficient to become useful, salt may be used with the
manure to great advantage, laying a moderately thin coat of it along
with the dung over the whole of the bed, and covering in the usual
way. In establishments of any pretensions Asparagus forms a
considerable item among the forced productions. Tor this purpose it
is usual to take old roots from the beds in the autumn, and at
intervals, proportionate to the required supply, hotbeds of moderate
strength are made, and when the heat becomes steady at 55°, the bed
is covered with light earth and the roots placed thereon ; an erroneous
practice then follows of earthing up the shoots as they grow, in
order, it is said, to make them look white and tender. It is altogether
a mistake to value Asparagus for its blanched stems, and whether
grown in the ordinary bed out-of-doors, or at an earlier season as a
forced vegetable, as much length and substance should be got above
ground as possible, for it is only the green portion that can be eaten,
the blanched part being totally useless. We would advise, instead
February.

60 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

of earthing up the stems, to throw off the lights, as much as
the weather will permit, to induce a sturdy thickened growth,
and thus by the admission of plenty of air prevent the blanching
process.

When Asparagus is required in any quantity at an early season, a
much better method of forcing will be found in the following course.
The ordinary beds in the garden should be reduced in width to about
two feet and a half, or as narrow as the roots of the plants will
allow, and the sides of the beds be cased up with four-inch pigeon-
holed brickwork ; on the top of the beds a light framework of wood
is fixed in the manner of a ridge roof, to the middle of which canvas
frames are hung, so as to protect the young shoots from cold and
wet ; glazed frames would be preferable and glass best of all. The
alleys, which are now two feet wide, are filled with hot dung, the
warmth from which, striking through the beds, starts the plants into
an active growth; and in consequence of their being thoroughly
established, having an abundance of healthy roots uninjured by
removal, they break with a vigour unknown to such as are taken up
to force in frames. The advantages of this method are self-evident,
and a comparison between it and the common mode will make them
so strongly apparent as to need no arguing. By the usual course
the plants are mutilated in their roots, and then suddenly placed in
a comparatively strong heat ; and when they have borne this torturing,
and yielded the weakly produce consequent on such unnatural treat-
ment, are cast away as refuse. While, on the other hand, Asparagus
forced in the bed has all its roots in exactly the condition to make
the greatest return, and afterwards has only to be gradually inured
to the open air at the approach of summer, when its stems will grow
up and recruit the plants to the full as much as though it had not
been subject to more than the ordinary cutting, and prepare them
for a similar course in the next season, thus affording a superior
produce without any waste and at an earlier and long continued
period. Of course it is necessary through the winter to protect the
beds with mats or litter in severe weather, and to turn and renew the
heating material as occasion requires, so that a degree of heat may be
imparted to the bed equal to about 56° Fahrenheit, and the summer
management of such beds will be precisely that of any common one ;
the heat of the dung in the alleys will be preserved and economized
if wooden shutters are made to fit closely over it, which a wooden
plate, running the length of the bed on the top of the brickwork,
will afford a ready means of fixing, and will also keep the path clean
and neat, and facilitate the cutting, and general management of the
beds. Six weeks is generally consumed in starting the beds,
reckoning from the time when the dung is first wheeled into the
alleys till the beds are fit to cut, supposing the forcing to commence
in November, and they will continue to furnish a supply for nearly
three months.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 6l

BEETROOT.

a HIS delicious vegetable is very little known excepting as
a garnish, and to give a colour to pickled cabbage, and
then only in a raw state. It ought to be admitted to
every table, for a more wholesome, nutritious, and deli-
; cate esculent is not to be found. It is thas managed :—
Let it be washed and brushed, not scraped as a carrot is prepared.
The head, that is the shert stalks which have borne the leaves, also
the small end and side rootlets, are all to be left on during the time
of boiling, care being taken not to wound the skin till it is done,
because the fine, rich colour will escape, and leave the root pale and
unsightly. The time they take to boil will depend on the size ;
from three quarters of an hour to an hour and a half.

When it is ready, let it be peeled and trimmed, and sent to table.
All that may remain after dinner should be cut into slices abouta
quarter of an inch in thickness, these are to be laid neatly in vege-
table dishes, and vinegar is to be poured over the whole. By the
next day at dinner-time, or even the same night, it will be ready ;
and if eaten either at supper alone, with pepper, salt, oil, and
vinegar, or as an adjunct to cold or even hot meat, it will be found
an admirable addition to both meals.

It becomes a very mild kind of pickle, and is exceedingly salutary
if eaten with salted meat. In this state it will keep for a fortnight.
This garden beetroot is not the same from which sugar is made : that
is the white beet; it grows, and much resembles in appearance
mangel wurzel.

2a
t 3

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR FEBRUARY.

FLOWER GARDEN.

LL alterations and improvements should be attended to at once, and
this is the best season for making box and other edgings. Fork up
and manure the beds. Plant ranunculuses and anemones. Herba-

sj] ceous plants may be divided and transplanted. ‘Top-dress auriculas,

pansies, carnations, and roses to strengthen the bloom. About the
middle of the month, if the weather is open, you may commence pruning some of
the hardy kinds of roses—the Moss, the Provence, China, and others that flower
in June and July. The Perpetuals are better left till March and April. Roses
on poles or against buildings may be undone and thinned out, and where the
poles are decaying new ones should be supplied. Look to the standards—clean

the stems, and where any stout branches have been cut away, cover the tops with a

little grafting-wax, that insects may not deposit their eggs in the pith. All plants

under glass should have as much air as the weather will permit. Sow hardy
annuals in the borders, and a few in frames to be transplanted for early bloom.

Auriculas commence their spring growth this month, and should be moved into

a southern aspect ; and two or three mats should be thrown over the frames at

night if frost is expected. ‘This is the best time to remove offsets, as they root

more freely than later in the season. ‘The safest plan for their removal is to
break them off the old plant with care, and avoid using the knife as much as
possible. Calceolarias should now be shifted, and heating materials prepared for
starting dahlias. Should numbers be a consideration, commence at ouce. Tulips
will now require more care; continue protection nightly and against storms of

February.

62 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

hail, After the late amount of wet, it will benefit pinks to move the soil between
them. Give carnations and picoteesas much air as possible, and if not already
cleaned of decaying foliage, let it be at once attended to.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

The weather has been so unfavourable for ground work, that we fear much
remains to be done in carrying out manure dressing, etc. If the weather should
set in frosty, manure may be wheeled to the most convenient spot for dressing
those parts which will soon become vacant. Fork the ground between the crops
of cabbage, and all other crops that are beginning to move ; and as soon as the
state of the ground will permit, dig, trench, and prepare for the various crops to
come. Prepare pea-sticks, also sticks that will be required for all other purposes.
New beds of asparagus may be made, and seed sown ior new stock. Force
rhubarb, seakale, and asparagus. Should the weather be fine and dry, a little of
nearly every kitchen crop may be sown during the month ; some will be lost,
but others will succeed and give early gatherings. Peas, broad-beans, parsnips,
beet, onions, horn carrot, spinach, and cabbage may be sown; and if some slight
protection can be given, cauliflower, radish, small salad, and lettuce. Plant
garlic, shallots, chives, onions for seed, and bulbs of the tree-onion. Plant early
kinds of potato under a south wall; they will, if they succeed, come into use in
May. Make new plantations of horseradish ; let the sets be about four inches
long; cut off the green crown, and plant so that the top of the set may be
twelve inches below the surface. Sow celery in pots or boxes in a slight
hot-bed for a forward crop. Plant out cabbages for a second crop, and sow seed
for July cutting. In sowing peas, let the rows be eighteen or twenty inches apart ;
they will succeed better than if sown closer. The spaces between them may be
planted with other vegetables, viz., rows of spinach, rows of lettuces, etc., so that
no room is lost by allowing the peas full space. Continue to cover seakale as it
is required. If covered with dung eighteen inches thick, you may calculate on a
crop for use in five or six weeks.

FRUIT GARDEN.

Where strawberry beds were not made in the autumn, they may be made
early this month ; they should be planted at once in rich firm ground. Bush
fruits may still be planted and pruned, and all pruning of fruit-trees generally
should be attended to; but do not attempt pruning in frosty weather. Grafting
should be performed as the weather permits ; but if scions are obtained before
they can be used, thrust them into the ground in bunches with a tally to each, and
they will keep a month if necessary ; and usually take better if so kept a week
or ten days before being put on the stocks. If the weather is favourable, apricots
may be pruned and nailed towards the middle of the month, and coverings for the
protection of the blossom should be provided in time, whether it be netting or the
more preferable canvas curtains. Figs that have been protected should be un-
covered towards the end of the month,?and pruned if necessary, Examine
cherries and plums, and clear out all cankered wounds ; and if of any depth, fill
the holes with cow-dung and clay well mixed together. Raspberries, currants,
and gooseberries should now be cut and pruned, and vacancies filled up. Re-
member in planting to plant firmly, and put stakes to all things likely to be
shaken by the March winds. All trees affected last year with American blight
should now be gone over with a brush dipped in strong brine.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

The plants will now be commencing their spring growth, and an abundant
supply of air must be given provided the weather is favourable ; but cold draughts
and frosts must be guarded against, as during this month most greenhouse plants
are more susceptible of cold than at any other time of the year. All plants
requiring it should have a shift, and water given regularly to such as are making
free growth, taking care that it is of the same temperature as the house.
Camellias coming into flower will be much benefited by being syringed twice
or thrice a week. Those done blooming should be placed in temperature of 65°,
with a moist atmosphere, and partly shaded to promote the growth of new wood.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 63

Commence the general work of spring propagation by striking cuttings of petu-
nias, geraniums, verbenas, etc., for bedding out. Strong cuttings of geraniums
that were struck round the sides of pots in autumn, may be got into small pots,
and shifted on as fast as their new roots touch the sides. Lose no time in
forwarding everything for the different operations to come. Provide an abundant
supply of the various soils required, that all may be ready, and in a fit condition
for immediate use when wanted. Look closely after insects, especially green-fly
and red-spider, and remove plants affected to some convenient place, and fumi-
gate with sulphur and tobacco, as necessary. Average temperature this month,
45° at night, 50° to 60° by day.
STOVE.

The temperature this month should range from 50° to 60° by fire-heat, subject
to a rise from the power of the sun. Give air with care daily, but avoid cold
draughts near growing plants. Attend to the atmosphere cf the house; keep it
healthy and somewhat humid, using water sparingly till you find the plants are
growing freely, when a more liberal supply will be necessary. Prune and repot
such plants as may require it. Remove a portion of the old soil from Alleman-
dras, Clerodendrons, Stephanotis, Dipladenias, and others of similar habit, and
give a dressing of fresh soil, composed of good turfy loam and peat, adding a little
leaf-mould, broken charcoal, and silver-sand. Gesneras, Achimenes, and Gloxinias
may be started into growth, using the same sort of compost as above, with the
addition of a little well-decomposed horse manure.

PITS AND FRAMES,

Look well after mildew, and dress with sulphur as soon as it appears. Young
plants must be carefully protected from frost, but at the same time should be kept
free from excess of damp. If the weather is not frosty, the lights may be wholly
withdrawn for some hours in the daytime. Clean and top-dress the plants, and
shift into t:e greenhouse such as want a start. Remove all dead leaves, and keep
the shelves or plunging material moderately dry. Water with caution, but take
care that no plant perishes for the want of it. Geraniums will require very little.
Tn fact, all tender plants that have been wintered in cold frames must have very
little water at present; they may be growing in consequence of the mildness of
the weather, yet, as frost may visit us, much moisture will be injurious, and
losses may occur. Ferns and calceolarias may have water freely if well drained.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Exotic Frerns.—Alpha.—Repot these when just about to commence their new
seasonal growth. The soil must depend upon the species, but as arnle turfy peat
two parts, and sandy loam one part, will grow stove ferns well. Some like rotted
wood, and they are all partial to leaf-mould.

Wireworm anv American Buicut.—A correspondent writes :—Some time ago
these disgusting little animals infested my seakale to such an extent that all my
finest roots were eaten through and snapped off. What was to be done? No one
could tell me. Well, it struck me it was worth while to try 2 remedy which once
saved my celery from being disturbed by a grub which had fixed on its roots, and
that was a good steeping of soapsuds; and an admirable remedy it was, acting two
ways—killing the grub and benefiting as a manure. I therefore tried it on the
seakale, and found it most effectual, completely clearing the plant of the wireworm,
and making it grow and flourish. I have now followed out this plan for years, and
have a barrel fixed on wheels, into which the laundry-maids pour the suds, and the
gardener takes them into the garden, and applies them where wanted. The slugs
too attack a variety of things, but the suds are effectual in destroying all these
enemies, and, as I have already observed, is useful as a manure. You may apply
suds also with a paint-brush to your apple trees when infested with American blight,
though for this purpose a lather of soft-soap is better.

Fruit Trees on Watts.—J. P.—Everything in the way of soil and situation
may be for the best, but this is of no avail if the trees are infested with insects. No

February.

“

-

*

64 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

trees suffer more from their attacks than the peach and nectarine against old walls

to dress the trees with any composition is of very little service, while there are
myriads of insects safely sheltered in the nail-holes and crevices of the wall. Loosen
the trees from the wall, and let the wall be washed with a mixture of cement, fresh
lime, soot, and sulphur, mixed with soapsuds to the consistence of thick paint, and
laid on with a brush so as to fill the nail-holes and crevices, and consequently
destroy all insects that may be harboured there. The proportions of the mixture
may be two parts Portland cement, one part fresh burnt lime, two parts soot, and
one-half part sulphur, with sufficient soapsuds to make it of the proper consistency.

Tank 1N Propagatine Hovuse.—H. 7.—You are quite right in conjecturing
that to carry a pipe through the tank might result in leakage. It can be done, of
course, but there is no need to incur the risk. Let the pipe dip and rise again; the
interruption to the circulation will be too trifling to take notice of, especially if the
Pipe rises a little after the dip, which perhaps you can manage. The ventilation of
the propagating house must be in part determined by the position of the Pipes. If
these are near the ground, have ventilators close to them, for the air to be quickly
warmed as it enters, but top ventilation will do with careful management. In any
case a propagating house requires but little air, but it must have a little, and in the
gentlest way possible.

W. B., Woolwich.—We thank you for your kind offer, but are unable to
accept it.

Lycoropiums AND Frerys.—C. ¥. H.—If you cannot obtain peat, use as a
substitute, light sandy loam, with one-fourth well-decomposed leaf-mould, some
sand, and a small portion of chopped moss. Put plenty of drainage in the pots,
and pot lightly.

Oxon.—We cannot answer your query. If properly answered it would
amount to an advertisement.

Primuta.—A. B.—From your description we cannot judge whether the
plant was a primula or not, but large specimens of primula may be produced by
nipping out the flower-buds as soon as they are sufficiently advanced. Do not
attempt to keep the plants a second season, as they invariably rot off just above
the soil, and the flowers are always smal] in size and poor in colour, compared
with young plants. Perhaps your plant resembled the primulas referred to on
page 96 of last year’s volume.

Pruyine Fruir Trezs.—R. 7’. K.—As stated in the lecture, we are not
prepared to lay down a rule that a fruit tree should never be pruned in any
way whatever, but we do say that pruning is a delicate business, and is generally
done too much. See page 86 of last year’s volume. The subject is too extensive
for us to devote space to it here, but it will be treated on in Mr. Hibberd’s new
book, Tur Amarrvur’s Kitcuen Gaxpzn, which will appear shortly. Thanks
for your references concerning “ Lilies of the Field.”

Frozen Puants.—Woodville,—The best method to recover plants touched
with frost, is to thaw them as slowly as possible in the dark. Light and moisture
at such a time are ruin to plants of delicate constitution, and if they recover at
all it is only by thawing them gradually in some place only one or two degrees
warmer than freezing point.

Lime ss A Manvrn.—Junior.—Lime will be a capital dressing on your
heavy loam, which has been untilled for years, especially to prepare it for potatoes.
Use one bushel to every three perches, a

Purry.—G. H. Layton—Greenhouse putty should be made of whiting and
linseed oil, well worked and left in a lump to “sweat” for eight or nine days
before using it. No other ingredient is required. Whitelead will cause it to
harden quickly, but should never be used for that very reason, for if an accident
happens, the putty made as above may be cut with a knife for many years after-
wards, and a square put in without difficulty. Sashes should be primed and
painted before being glazed, and after glazing should not be painted for two or
three months.

GLoxin1As.— Polly.— Gloxinias should be started at once ; the heat should be
gradual at first. They ought to do well in the moist heat of a cucumber frame.

Propagatine Case.—A,. F, W.—A description of a propagating case shal]
appear in the March number.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 65

CRATZGUS PRUNIFOLIA VARIEGATA.

=9 (©) the hawthorn the gardener is indebted for some of the
7 © neatest ornaments, its judicious employment effecting a
finish not otherwise obtainable; its neat foliage, and
profuse and early habit of flowering, render it ex-
a tremely pleasing in spring, and its bright and various-
coloured berries render it equally interesting in autumn and winter.
The thorn in age is one of the most grotesque trees we have; the
rigid contortions of its stem and branches are bold and striking, and
as single specimens or in scattered groups upon an extensive lawn
or park, nothing is more effective. C. oxycantha, the common haw-
thorn, is an invaluable hedge plant, and as such is extensively used ;
its varieties, the double red and white flowering thorns, are very
beautiful, and as short standards in the shrubbery are very desirable,
as also is the yellow-berried variety, which in autumn is particularly
conspicuous. The subject of ourillustration, C. prunifolia variegata,
is perfectly hardy, and its beautiful foliage makes it a great addition
to our ornamental foliage plants. Any ordinary soil will suit it, a
good loam being preferable for it to a soil highly manured, as the
beautiful variegation of the foliage is likely to be affected by too rich
a soil. Propagation may be effected by means of seed and grafting.
All but the double-flowering kinds of thorn produce seed in abun-
dance, which should be collected in autumn, and buried in damp
sand till the following February, when it may be sown in beds of
light earth. Some of the seeds will germinate the same season, and
some not until the year following. The young plants should be
transplanted when two years old, and at four years are best for final
planting. It may also be propagated by grafting on the common
hawthorn, and March is the best month for the operation.

WINDOW GARDENING.
BY JOHN BR. MOLLISON.

(Continued from page 42.)
SOIL AND DRAINAGE.

aeemeeery TAT we must now consider is the suitable kinds of soil
(| required, and the proper drainave for a pot before the

i plant is put init. A very accommodating mixture suit-
: 4§| able for nearly all kinds of plants in pots is composed of
a su! one part of turfy loam, one part of leaf mould, and barely
one part of silver-sand, with one half part of dried cow-dung, rubbed
down fine, added. The cow-dung gives a robust healthy consti-
tution to soft-wooded plants, such as geraniums, fuchsias, cinerarias,
cealceolarias, and many others. The manure should be left out, how-

March. .

66 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

ever, in potting ferns, mosses, the cactus tribe, and all peat-loving
plants in general, which should have one part of nice fibry peat
added instead. For quick-growing soft-wooded plants a pinch or
two of ground bones may be added with advantage. Any nursery-
man will supply you with as much mixed soil for a few pence as
would fil! a dozen pots, or if you have a gardener friend he will see
you put right. When ordering soil fur potting from a nurseryman,
state the kind of plants you intend potting, and he will give you
soil aceordingly. When potting peat-loving plants, such as heaths,
ro turfy loam is required, but peat earth, leaf-mould, and a liberal
supply of silver-sand. The cactus tribe are always benefited by a
quantity of small-broken brick. being added.

You should never use common garden soil in potting plants, for
it is always too finely pulverized, and greatly deficient in the natural
food required by a healthy pot-plant. By being potted in such soil,
the ball of the plant by frequent watering becomes a close sodden
mass, through which the roots are very unwilling to penetrate ;
when this takes place the roots begin to decay, and the plant falls
into a state of premature decline. The kind of soil you require is
an open fibry compost through which the air can penetrate, and the
water pass freely away, enabling the roots to extract the essential
gases so necessary to the life of the plant. Turfy loam or peat earth,
according to the class of plants you intend to pot, should therefore
be the principal part of your compost. Turfy loam is the turf cut
from gocd old pasture to the depth of four or five inches, selected as
fibry as you can get it, and laid up for six months or so in a heap
torot. Peat earth is the turf cut from a selected part of heathy
common, having plenty of fibry matter, with a sprinkling of sharp
silver-sand running through it, and laid up also to rot before using.
When you prepare your turf for potting, chop it up small with a
chopper or spade, but never sift it, for the turfy matter gradually
decomposing in the pot affords the most natural food required for
the health and well-being of your plants. Leaf-mould is formed
from the leaves of autumn gathered together, and stored away in a
heap to rot. They require to be turned over in the heap several
times during the year to hasten their. decay. They are fit for use
after having lain one year or more. Before using leaf-mould pass it
through a sieve to remove ali stones, sticks, and other rubbish
gathered with the leaves. Silver-sand is the best sand to use, but
when not obtainable, river or pit sand, if pretty sharp, will do very
well instead. You must never use sea-sand because of the salt it
contains, which would very likely kill your plants. In making up
your compost, carefully keep out all worms and pieces of wood.
Pieces of wood and beach mast often cause a white fungus to
germinate among the roots, throwing the plant into an unhealthy
State.

The soil being now ready, we will turn our attention to one of
the most important things to be considered in potting plants—that
is, free drainage; this is absolutely necessary for their health and
well-being. If the drainage is bad, and the crock-hole gets choked
up, the surplus water does not run off, but lodges in the ball, which

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 67

soon gets soured and sodden, rotting the roots and throwing the
poor plant into an unhealthy state, and then it leads a miserable
life till its owner gets tired of it and throws it away, or allows it to
die a wretched death of itself. Many a plant is destroyed through
neglecting this apparently simple thing, which would have been a
credit to its owner had it been properly drained. ‘lo prevent you
falling into this easy mistake, I will try .o tell you how to give your
plants. proper drainage.

For ordinary greenhouse plants, in six or seven-inch pots, place
one large crock—that is, broken, pot—the concave side undermost
over the crock-hole in the bottom; put neatly over that again three
or four smaller pieces; then a quantity of small broken crock,

Ly Be
7 07,104 7, ee
LG i

a, b, c are three layers of crocks or potsherds, the largest at the
bottom, the smallest at the top.

_ covering all with a little moss or the roughest of your compost, to
_ prevent the soil from being washed down into the drainage. For
_ smaller, three or four-inch pots, one crock and a little moss 18
PBufficient. Larger pots will require more drainage, while for ferns
and cacti nearly one-third of the pot should be drainage. An oyster-
sy is a capital thing for the main-drainage crock. This is what

“may be called proper drainage. ‘Too little is bad, while too much
is needless, as it only takes up room in a pot which should be
—ozeupied with food for the roots.
Drainage will get choked up sometimes. One great cause of
this is earth-worms, which must be hunted for as soon as you per-
eeive traces of them. You will soon know if a worm is present in
the soil by its casts upon the surface. If you have a suspicion that
there is a worm present, turn out the ball of the plant and search
for it. The proper way to do this is to take the neck of the plant
between the fore and widdle fingers of the left hand, placing the
bottom of the pot in the right, then turn it over and give the rim of
the pot a rap or two on the table, and the ball will Joosen freely.

Mareb.

68 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Take the pot gently off with the right hand, taking care not to
disturb the drainage, and you will see at once by the appearance of
the ball if a worm is there, as if so the runs or channels will be
traceable all round, and most likely you will find the rascal lying
lengthways in one of them. It is sometimes difficult to get the
worm out, for it disappears from view if not taken firm hold of
quickly. In replacing the pot on the ball do not disturb the drainage.
A smart bump or two on the table will settle the plant into its old
position.

To water with soap-suds is another way of catching them, and
also water that a few pieces of lime have been slaked in. This
makes them rise to the surface, and then they are easily caught.

Worms are a great nuisance in a flower-pot, for they not only
feed on the strength of the soil, but they also break numbers of
small fibrous roots, and make the ball loose and broken; all which
evils very soon tell on the health of the poor plant. In order to
prevent this, worms should be carefully looked for before the soil is
used; but even after that they may appear, for very small ones and
eggs will escape notice.

In giving drainage to window-boxes you must proceed much in
the same way as for pots, covering each hole with a large crock, and
an inch or more of broken tile or crocks over it, the whole being
covered with a little sphagnum moss to keep the drainage clean.

There are many different kinds of manures and fertilizers used
for pot plants. The most easily come at sometimes are a few sheep
droppings or dry cow-dung ; but the best for mixing with the soil is
bone-meal, or bones ground down, mixed with a very small quantity
of lime. For top-dressing or mixing in the water a thimbleful of
guano is very good. But I think you will find “ Standen’s
Gardener and Amateur’s Friend” preferable to any other fertilizer.
Tt is sold by all seedsmen and nurserymen in canisters, with full
directions how to apply it. Liquid ammonia is an excellent fertilizer,
ten drops to a quart of water being sufficient. It is very easily
applied and no dirt attending it. A very safe liquid manure is made
with sheep-droppings dissolved in water, not too strong, just sufficient
to give the water a dark brown appearance. Tobacco-water is also
a good manure, and so is very weak glue-water. Manures applied
to the soil should be well incorporated with the mass by frequent
turning. Liquid manure should be applied as often as twice a week,
or once a week at any rate.

We will now proceed to consider the very important operations
of potting and watering. Watering, especially, is the very life and
mainstay of a plant. ‘lo know when and how to water is one, if not
the greatest, secret of good plant cultivation. I hope to make you
understand this before I have done. One important consideration
in potting is to have your soil in a proper state, neither too wet nor
yet too dry—just a medium state between. If too wet, the soil bakes
hard together and the roots have no free action; if nearly dust dry,
you cannot have the ball of the proper firmness all through, and
watering at first is very difficult.

You should have the pots clean, inside and out, before you begin

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 69

to pot. If the pot has been in use before, the remains of its former
occupant may not suit the taste of the new one. It is a general
saying with gardeners, “ One plant’s food is another plant’s poison.”
The roots of a plant always seek the outside of the ball, forming a
dense network all round the inside of the pot; any deleterious
matter would thus be sure to tell on the health of the plant, which
will not be the case if the pot is washed before using.

After giving the pot what you consider proper drainage, put in a
little soil, then take the plant by the neck with your hand, let the
roots hang loosely in the pot, keep the neck of the plant fair in the
centre, and with the other band heap up the soil loosely in the pot.
Bump it down smartly several times, pressing home the soil with
the thumbs at the same time. This insures the ball of the plant
being of the same firmness throughout. In shifting an established
plant into a larger pot, proceed in the same way, keeping the plant
in the centre and the surface of the ball a little below the level of
the pot, taking care that all round the sides is properly filled in, no
vacancies being left; a moderate ramming down with a stick will
insure this being done. Always leave room for watering; and with
a settling bump or two to the pot, the potting is completed.

After potting, water with a fine rose, if you have one, if not, pour
the water on gently, but do not by any means give too much at first.
Just give enough to settle the soil, and let it rest for some hours
before you give any more. Giving too much, or, as I may say,
soaking the ball at first, does the plant harm, as it makes the ball
like a puddle. A little at first settles the soil, and when you water
again, the water percolates freely through the ball and drains away
at once.

In shifting a plant into a larger sized pot, the proper rule is
to select a pot in which the one you are to shift from can stand
easily. A rooted cutting should only have a three or four-inch pot
at first, and be shifted into a larger when the pot is full of roots.
I would not recommend you to grow plants in any larger size than
an eight-inch pot. Six or seven inch is the most convenient size
for window plants. If plants such as fuchsias or geraniums have
outgrown the eight-inch size, it is best to cut them back and reduce
the ball so as to allow room for fresh soil in the same pot. Cape
geraniums—those with the large partly-coloured flowers—should
always be cut back after flowering to the second eye on each branch,
and potted back into a smaller pot, from which they can be shifted
into the larger size again in the early spring after they have made
some growth. ;

Window plants should always stand in flats to keep the window
dry. The water which settles down into the flats after watering
should always be thrown out, as it is injurious to the plants to let it
remain, tending to rot the roots by keeping the ball too moist and
preventing the action of drainage. The proper time and way to
water plants is very little understood by some people. Through
excess of kindness they make a point of watering their plants at
stated times without considering whether it is required or not, and
eften the poor plants are killed through this excess of attention

March.

TO THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Let me tell you that too frequent watering is most injurious. To
avoid this evil it is necessary to have a rule to guide you. Well,
then, never water plants unless they really require it; you will soon
learn to know by experience when they do want watering. A good
rule to know the proper time by is when the surface of the ball
looks dryish. But an unfailing guide is to rap the side of the pot
with your knuckles : if it gives out a ringing sound, the plant is dry,
and you should water immediately ; but if the soundis dull and solid,
then no watering is required. To learn the distinction between the
two sounds, fill two pots with soil, one dry and the other damp ;
water the damp one, and you will learn at once, by rapping them,
the difference in the sound which they give out.

The roots of plants have a very limited range in flower-pots, so
particular attention should be paid that they do not get too dry;
and when you do water, give sufficient to soak the ball thcroughly,
and then withhold it till required again. A little water on the
surface is almost useless. In winter plants need watering very
seldom, as they naturally sink into a state of rest during that season.
In the summer season they will require water very often—every day,
in fact, if the weather is warm. The best time to water in the
summer is the evening, for during the night the plants get refreshed

and enjoy the benefit of the watering before the sun rises on them . |

again. As watering is the very life of the plant you should now and
then put a little guano into the water, but be very careful not to
give too much, as it may burn the roots; a thimbleful to a quart of
water is quite sufficient, and twice a week often enough during the
season. A very safe and cool liquid manure may be made by sheep-
droppings dissolved in water ; just enough to give it a dark appearance
—not muddy. This isa safe and capital liquid manure for plants.
Liquid manure should not be given oftener than twice a week.

The extremities of the fibrous roots act as so many mouths,
extracting all the food contained in the water; the water at the
same time converting the nourishing matters contained in the soil
into a fit state for absorption by the many little mouths into the
body of the plant, passing into and creating beautiful foliage and
blossom in endless variety to delight our eyes. And so on goes
Nature—the mother of change—in her ceaseless round of absorption
and creation, filling the contemplative mind with wonder and awe at
the mighty power present in its hidden workings.

In filling window-boxes with soil after the drzinage is in, the box
should be heaped up at once, and the whole shaken down and pressed
together, so that the soil may be of the same firmness through-
out, care being taken to press it well into the corners. Hvery
morning and evening your plants should be sprinkled overhead to
keep dust off them and induce a robust, healthy vigour in their
growth.

Rain water is the best for watering all kinds of plants. It is
Nature’s own providing, and contains far more nourishment than
hard water. Always use rain water if you can get it; if not, puta
little bit of sodainto the hard water, and let it stand in the sun some
time to soften. You should never water your plants with water

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 71

below the temperature of your room. To give plants colder water
than the air they live in chills their roots and checks their action,
which is a thing you must guard against. Therefore if the water is
coldish when you wish to use it, add a little boiling water to take
the chill off; sixty-five or seventy degrees is the proper temperature
for watering with. The surface of the ball, every now and then,
should be pricked over with a pointed stick to allow the water to
percolate freely through the whole ball, for when the surface is hard
the water mostly rans down between the pot and the ball, and the
‘heart of the ball is often left dry when you think the plant has been
properly watered. The plant by that state of matters leads a life of
semi-starvation ; besides, when the surface of the ball is caked, the
air does not get free passage to the roots, telling greatly against
their healthy action.

Now, dear readers, here we have arrived at an advanced stage of
our window gardening. We now have our plants potted, watered,
and placed in their positions, where we expect to enjoy all the beauty
and grace of the floral display we have been labouring for; hour by
hour and day by day they grow and bloom, yielding an amount of
pleasure, interest, and affection which we never imagined window
flowers to have the power of arousing, till we took their cultivation
under our care. Now we feel it to be really a labour of love when
we spend a few spare minutes attending to their wants.

(Lo be continued.)

DIELYTRA SPECTABILIS.

=> EW cf our readers who are acquainted with this plant
4fy| will, we imagine, be disposed to differ from us, if we
venture to pronounce it not only the handsomest of its
order—the Fumeworts—but even of all spring-flowering
herbaceous plants. One species, D. formosa, is an old
inhabitant of our gardens; but although a pretty, graceful plant,
it is altogether eclipsed by the elegant D. spectabilis. Adapted
equally for cultivation in the open border, for the window, or for
forcing in early spring, it possesses a threefold claim upon the lover
of flowers; and there can be no doubt that it will soon gain as high
a place in the estimation of English gardeners, as it has long enjoyed
among the Mandarins of its native provinces. In suitable soil, the
plart attains the height of eighteen inches, the stems bearing both
leaves and flowers; and by this circumstance, as well as by its large
size, it iz distinguished from all the other species at present known,
which have radical leaves only.

The handsome spreading foliage is biternate, with the leaflets
toothed, or cut into ovate segments. The flowers, each nearly one
and a half inch long, and one inch in breadth, are borne in racemes,
which are both terminal and axillary; but the terminal racemes of
an established plant will frequently consist of ten or fifteen blossoms ;
the axillary flowers are less numerous. The sepals, two in number,
as in all the plants of the order, falling off at a very early stage of

March.

72 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

their growth, will be found only on the immature buds at the
extremity of the raceme.

Whether seen before expansion, when the swollen flowers present
a singularly heart-shaped form, or after the lips of the two outer
petals have become reflexed, we know of but few plants so strikingly
elegant, and withal so unusual in their appearance.

Cuxtrvation.— W hen grown in the open borders, it will be advis-
able to plant it in soil only moderately retentive ; for, although there
can be no doubt that it is quite hardy, it will be prudent to guard
against the evils resulting from too great a degree of moisture in the
soil. In sandy loam it would be perfectly safe, but the plant would
be less robust in its habit, and produce fewer flowers.

We are by no means friendly to the indiscriminate use of sup-
ports in the flower-garden ; but the stems of the Fumeworts being
somewhat brittle and succulent, it will be desirable to secure the
principal stalk of the plant to a slight rod, which, if not too long and
obtrusive, can be employed without in any degree detracting from its
graceful mode of growth.

When cultivated in wet soils, much risk may be obviated by pro-
tecting the roots in winter with some impervious covering: in the
absence of anything more suitable, an ordinary pot may be employed
for this purpose.

When grown as a window plant, it produces its flowers a month
earlier than when exposed to the rude changes of an English spring.
In cultivating it with this view, the plant, after flowering, should be
allowed to remain outdoors during the summer and autumn until the
stems have died down and the fleshy roots become dormant, when, at
the approach of winter, the pot may be removed to the window of a
cool room, the soil being kept in a slightly moistened condition.
While dormant, and during the first stages of its growth, it may be
placed in a fire-warmed apartment, though we do not recommend
such a course; but when the plant has made some progress, and the
leaves are fully expanded, the dry atmosphere of the heated room
would be prejudicial to its health, and the pores of its delicate foliage
become choked with dust; if kept at rather a low temperature, its
flowers will continue in perfection for a considerable period.

For a strong plant, a pot of not less than six or eight inches
diameter is desirable, and the soil may be a rich loam, such as
would be produced by the gradual decay of turf from an old pas-
ture; or, in the absence of this, any good garden soil, mixing it
when deficient in vegetable matter with a little peat or leaf-mould,
and when too sandy with a portion of good loam; for we have not
to fear the effects of the frost, as in the open border.

The directions we have given for its growth in pots, apply only to
those cases in which no other accommodation is available than that
afforded by a window; but where there is the convenience of a cold
frame—an auxiliary we should be glad to find in every garden even of
the smallest extent—the plant will, as a matter of course, be allowed
to winter there, and need only be removed to the window when the
flowers are partially developed.

The plant may be increased by careful division of the roots in

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 73

early spring, or by cuttings taken off at a joint, and stuck in white
sand under a hand-glass. From their succulent nature, some care is
necessary to prevent the cuttings from damping off, and to avoid
this the glass must be wiped every day, and removed at the earliest
period after they have emitted roots.

The plant will occasionally produce seeds, which may be sown as
soon as ripe ; in which case, it will be advisable to protect the young
plants during the first winter, or the sowing may be deferred until
the following spring, when the plants would, if raised early in the
year, acquire sufficient strength to bear exposure in the open air in
the ensuing winter.

The genus Dielytra (Gr. Dis, two, and elytron, a pouch or purse)
is so named, in allusion to the inflation of the two outer petals at
their base. Four other species are known in addition to that now
figured—D. formosa, previously referred to; cucullaria; eximia, a
handsome species still rather rare; and canadensis—all natives of
North America.

Few gardens are without some species of Fumaria or Corydalis,

two genera closely allied to that to which our subject belongs; and
it may, therefore, not be altogether uninterestiag if we notice the
principal points of difference between them and the present genus.
Both differ from Dielytra in having but one petal spurred; and the
three genera are further distinguished from each other by the seed
vessel; this in Fumaria is a one-seeded indehiscent nut, and in
Corydalis and Dielytra, a many-seeded pod opening by two valves,
which in Corydalis is more compressed than in the last-mentioned
genus.
Our plant appears to have been known to Linneus under the
name of Fumaria spectabilis, but it is only since its reintroduction
into England in 1846, from the North of China, by the London
Horticultural Society, through the medium of their collector, Mr.
Fortune, that it has come into general cultivation in this country.

THE CULTIVATION OF ALPINES.

E term “Alpine,” taken in its widest sense, as applied
to a class of plants, implies not only those small inter-
esting objects which are found in elevated situations,
but all the diminutive perennial plants found in any
- = gituation whatever, not being actually aquatic. This
tribe of plants has of recent years been very much neglected, owing,
I apprehend, to their habits in general, and the materials most con-

nial to their growth, not being properly understood by gardeners:
indeed there are but few persons who seem disposed to make a
sufficient enquiry into their habits or character, to enable them to
grow them successfully. It is a very general, though certainly a
most mistaken notion, that because many of them grow on the
summit of mountains, and in other very exposed situations, they are
capable of enduring an intense degree of cold, and are therefore

March,

‘ie

v4 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

left unprotected during the winter; but, from this cause, many of
them perish—a conclusion which might easily be arrived at, were we
to take into consideration our very variable climate, and the conse-
quent fluctuation of heat and cold, humidity and moisture, to which
these plants are subjected in this country. By a careful examina-
tion into the cireumstances in which they are naturally placed, it
will be found that, so far from their being exposed to any sudden
transition of temperature, or to the action of intense cold, they are,
during the winter season, or the greater part of it, enveloped in
snow, which is impervious to severe frosts, and forms a protecting
screen equal, if not superior, to any the art of man can apply, at
least where there is any bulk of it, because it is then maintained at
a very trifling degree below freezing point, its surface merely being
affected by cold or heat. The plants, whilst in this state, exist in
comparative inaction, but in a uniform state as regards heat and
moisture—so that, whatever change takes place, it is so gradual,
that little or no injury can take place. It cannot therefore seem
strange at the want of success which is, for the most part, realized
in their cultivation. I will now briefly state the manner in which I
have grown them, and which has been attended with considerable
success. About the beginning of August they are shifted; those
intended for specimens are put into pots four inches deep by six
across, and those for stock in pots three inches across.

I am principally guided as to what sort of soil I put them in, by
judging in what situation they naturally grow: for instance, those
that are found in very exposed piaces I put in a mixture of loam,
peat, and sand, thoroughly incorporated with fine broken potsherds;
whilst the more delicate sorts, and those which grow in moist, damp
situations, are potted in sandy peat, in some instances with a very
small addition of loam, and where pure leaf-mould can be had, a
small portion is beneficial in both mixtures. After being potted,
they are put in some shady situation, or into cradles, over which
hoops are placed—so that they can be exposed, shaded, or protected,
at pleasure.

On the approach of winter they are plunged, to the rim, in coal
ashes, or some other coarse porous material, and protected from
severe frosts by suitable coverings. In this state they require very
little water during the winter months, and when given, it is very
sparingly. On the arrival of spring they are unplunged; if this is
not done they are apt to root out of the pot, and when ‘removed,
receive a severe check. As the season advances they are shaded
from the mid-day sun, and well sprinkled, night and morning, with
water—gradually diminishing this, on the approach of winter. The
plans generally adopted for their propagation are by seed, which
should be sown as soon as ripe; and by division of the plant, which
can be done at the potting season.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

“tT
or

USES OF THE GARDEN FRAME.
(Continued from page 57.)
FORCING THE CUCUMBER.

JHE first step towards the cultivation of the cucumber is
the raising of the seedling plants; but as some of our
readers are not likely to practise this operation on a
very extensive scale, we would recommend them to pro-
cure plants from the nearest nurseryman, for it some-
times, and indeed frequently, happens that there are many accidents
and disappointments take place before the seedlings can be brought
to the advanced state of being fit to ‘‘ridge out.” It will therefore
save much trouble if the plants can be obtained from some source
without incurring the trouble and anxiety of raising them. When
they are obtained in this way, the cultivators should see that they
have been properly “ stopped,” which means, that as soon as the
plants have acquired two well-developed, rough leaves, the leading
shoot must be pinched off, while it is just issuing from the axil of
the second rough leaf, the object of which is to cause the plant
to throw out lateral shoots; for the cucumber, being a climbing
plant, would shoot away in one long, straggling stem if this pre-
caution were not taken. If the plants are brought from any distance,
and the weather should happen to be cold, great care must be taken
that they do not get chilled, and thereby checked in their growth.
They must therefore be placed in a close box, which should be
wrapped in a flannel covering, and so covered that there is no possi-
bility of the cold air getting at the plant.

It may, however, happen that some of our readers reside in places
far removed from any opportunity of procuring plants ready pre-
pared ; in such eases, it will be necessary to raise them from seed.
The first step then to be taken is to procure some sound and healthy
seeds, not less than three years old, if possible, for, within reason,
the older they are the better, as the plants are then more productive
of fruit, and less so of Jeaves and vine. Having obtained the seeds,
throw them into a basinful of water, and those that are sound will
sink to the bottom, while those that are not likely to germinate will
float on the surface. The seeds being chosen, let them be sown in a
large flower-pot or seed-pan, filled with a compost of sandy loam
and vegetable mould, and let them be covered with half-an-inch thick
of soil. Now this pot may be placed on the side or end of the hot-
‘bed, on the outside of the frame, having a stratum of ashes under
it to prevent the steam from rising, and the whole covered with a
hand-glass. In the course of three or four days after the seeds are
sown, the plants will begin to appear through the soil, and now the
care of the gardener begins. During the middle of the day there
should be an admission of fresh air, by tilting the hand-glass a little
on one side, and if at this period the weather should prove frosty, a
mat or some other covering must be laid over the opening, In giving
water tothe young plants, care must be had not to water them over-
head, as this is very apt to cause them to damp off, but it should be

March,

76 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

allowed to fall on the surface of the soil only, and to be of sufficient
quantity as to penetrate to the roots. It is absolutely necessary also
that the water should be of the same temperature as the interior of
the hand-glass, and for this end a potful should be placed in the bed
over-night, so as to be ready for use the following day; and after
each watering, the hand-glass should be kept close down for the
space of half-an-hour. When the plants have almost divested them-
selves of their seminal envelope, they should be “ pricked out”’ into
pots about four or five inches in diameter at the top; but here again
care must also be had that these pots, and the soil with which they
are to be filled, should be placed in the frame over-night, in the same
way as the water is directed to be done, otherwise, the plants being
very tender, if repotted into cold soil they are very likely to be
chilled and checked in their growth. In “ pricking them out,” they
should be put three in a pot, in a triangular position, or, as the
country people call it, rook-toe-wise. As soon as they have got the
two rough leaves, they must be “ stopped,” as indicated above; and
after having thrown out lateral shoots, they will be ready for “ ridging
out.” Now this sowing of the seeds must be begun simultaneously
with the first superposition of the frame on the bed, and by the time
the bed, that is, the interior of the frame, is sufficiently sweetened
and properly earthed, the plants will be ready to be received in their
permanent positions.

For the purpose of properly ridging out the plants, they must
be turned out of the pots, without disturbing the solid ball of roots,
and to do this requires some degree of skill on the part of the un-
initiated practitioner. The way this is performed is by the operator
placing his right hand flat on the top of the pot, with his fingers so
disposed that the plants will be placed between them. The pot
must then be inverted, with the mouth downwards, and by slightly
tapping its edge on the frame, the plants will fall into the hand with
their roots undisturbed, and enveloped in a complete ball of earth.
Previous to this, however, a hole should be made in the centre of
each hillock, of sufficient size and depth to receive the balls of the
plants ; in these holes the plants are to be placed, and then the earth
drawn all round and over the balls, close up to the neck of the plants.
This done, they should be slightly watered with tepid water, as
before described, and the lights be kept close for an hour or two;
after which they may again be opened a little at the back, to allow
the escape of the rising steam. ‘The plants will now begin to branch
and grow freely; and as the side-shoots extend themselves, they
should be trained regularly, or at equal distances from each other,
over the whole bed. If the plants are well managed and healthy,
they will, in the course of ten or twelve days after being planted
out, produce flowers; and whenever there is the appearance of a
fruit being set, the extremity of the shoot should be immediately
picked off, one joint above where the fruit is set: this gardeners
call “ stopping.” As the plants extend themselves, the shoots should
be pegged down with small hooked sticks, to keep them in their
proper places. The chief attention required now will be a judicious
supply of water and fresh air. Of the former two or three appli-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. T7

cations during a week will be sufficient, and of the latter there must
be a constant and free admission daily, even during frost, provided
the atmosphere be calm and clear; but when this is the case, the
aperture should generally be covered witha mat. The way of giving
air is by tilting the lights from half-an-inch to two inches high at the
back, which must be regulated by the heat which is contained in the
bed. During night the lights must always be covered with mats,
and if the heat is strong and the weather should be mild, they may
be left tilted about half-an-inch. Whenever the bed shows symptoms
of a decrease in the temperature, it must be supplied with linings,
and this is done by applying hot dung, fifteen to eighteen inches
wide and six or eight inches higher than the bed, to allow for settling,
all round the bed ; this will increase the heat to its original strength,
and whenever it is becoming exhausted these old linings must be
removed, and fresh ones applied. ‘The temperature of the cucumber
frame should never be below 70° or above 95°.

(To be continued.)

ON THE CULTURE OF THE CAMEMLIA.

AHE soil best adapted to the growth of Camellias is a
mixture of peat, earth, and loam in nearly equal pro-
portions; when the loam is peculiarly light and sandy,
a less quantity of peat is requisite.

The earth should be well mixed, and passed through
a coarse sieve, reserving the detached portions of peat and loam that
will not pass the sieve, to fill the bottom of the pots, thereby
securing a free drainage—a circumstance indispensable to the
success of the plants. The proper season for the general shifting is
when the young growth has hardened, and the blossom-buds for
next year can be detected at the extremity of the shoots. After
shifting all those that require it, they may be placed in the open air,
or retained in the greenhouse, according to the season they are
wanted to flower. If kept in the greenhouse, as much air as possible
should be admitted, and occasionally sprinkling the foliage will
improve the appearance, as well as be beneficial to the health of
the plants.

At all times attention must be paid to watering them properly,
the roots being apt to become matted in the pots, so as to render
the ball of earth impervious to moisture; hence it is necessary to
see that the ball of earth is moistened by the water poured upon it,
instead of the web of fibres only. This renders an examination of
the roots, and reducing or pruning them, at least once a year, a
measure almost indispensable. At the respected periods of growth
and flowering, the plants will require plentiful watering; during the
latter, if not regularly supplied, the bloom-buds will infallibly fall
off, instead of expanding into flower; at other times a regular
moderate supply is essential. ‘Lhe effect of constantly watering may

March.

78 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

be presumed to diminish or destroy the fertility of the small quan-
tity of earth allotted to each plant; therefore when the annual
repotting occurs, carefully take away as much of the former ball of
earth as can be done without injuring or cutting the roots. The
Camellia may be considered as a hardy greenhouse plant, requiring
only a slight protection in severe weather, like the myrtle; and if
the plants are kept just above the freezing-point, they will succeed
much better than when grown in a higher temperature.

At the time they are making their growth, an increase of heat
will be advantageous. The usual methods of propagation are by
inarching or grafting and budding on the single red Camellia,
cuttings of which are found to strike root more readily than of the
double varieties. The cuttings are taken in July and August, or as
soon as the young shoots are sufficiently ripe at the base. They are
carefully prepared by being cut smoothly over with a sharp knife at
a joint, and divested of one or two leaves at the bottom, and then
planted firmly about two inches deep in pots filled with the Camellia
compost before described, and the upper half with fine white sand.
They are then well watered, and the plants plunged in a tan-bed
which gives out a gentle warmth, and kept closely shaded for three
or four months, by which time short fibres, or a callus from which
they afterwards diverge, are produced. When sufficiently rooted to
bear removal, they are potted singly in smali pots, the sand being
then carefully removed ; the pots should be well drained, and filled
with the Camellia compost, with the addition of a little white sand.
They are afterwards to be sprinkled with water, and placed in a
close frame or pit until they begin to root afresh, and by degrees
exposed to the air. The succeeding season they may be potted in
the same soil as the other Camellias and similarly treated, and many
of the plants will then have attained sufficient size and strength for
inarching or budding, and all of them by the following season.

The best time for inarching is early in the spring, Just before the
plants begin to grow; and for budding, as soon as the new wood is
sufficiently ripened, but it may be done at almost any season of
the year.

Tur Cororapo Potato Brretiz.—In order to prevent the introduction of
the Colorado potato beetle amongst potatoes imported from the United States or
Canada, instructions have been issued to the collectors of customg, at the various
ports of the United Kingdom that custom-house officers are to look out for the
beetle on board vessels, wharves, quays, sheds, or packages landed from vessels,
and instantly destroy it. To aid them in identifying the beetle a lithographed
sketch and description of it have been forwarded. The colour of the insect is
yellow, with black spots on the fore part, and ten black stripes, five on each of
the wing covers. It is somewhat like a large ladybird, but is rather longer in
shape, and is also striped, a peculiarity which is absent in all species of ladybirds.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 79

PROPAGATING CASE.

sx» CCORDING to our promise to a correspondent last
# month, we now give a design of a propagating case
which has been found to answer admirably. The ficure
represents the case in section. A, is a square wooden

ai box lined with zinc; it is twenty inches square and one
foot high. B, is a zinc frame, perforated with small holes.} ,C, artin
- copper pan for water. D,a lamp with four burners, colza oil

‘
4

PH otek me Met ot & Si]

PROPAGATING CASE,

being preferred to any other. E,a diaphragm of zinc to confine the
heat to the water, the space within D, where the flame of the lamp
‘plays being filled with heated air causes the boiler C to be heated
‘over the whole of its under surface. fF, is a funnel for filling the
boiler. G, a zinc frame fitted with glass, the whole of which can be
lifted off at pleasure. The sides of the box are perforated with holes
to admit air for the combustion of the
lamp, as shown at H. The lamp is
pushed into the centre of the space
below by means of the grooves I, and
when the case is at work it has the
appearance shown in the following
small outline engraving, where it is seen
that the side of the lamp is closed
with a door, which should be of glass,
in order that the operator may readily become aware whether or not
the lamp is burning properly.
March,

80 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

THE MULTIPLICATION OF PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS.
(Extracted from “ The 4mateur’s Flower Garden.”*)

imme Y far the greater proportion of plants that are multiplied
by cuttings require artificial heat. | Nevertheless,
cuttings of many tender plants may be struck in the
open ground, or in pots and in frames, without heat,
during summer, and in every case the mode of procedure
is nearly the same. Very much of what we have to say will be
applicable to summer propagation without artificial heat, though our
business is more directly with the propagation of plants in spring by
means of the heat a a tank or a hot-bed, because that system must
be resorted to with many bedding plants,
and requires more care than propagating
in the open ground during summer. We
must suppose the heat to be sufficient and
constant. If from fermenting material,
there should be a large body of it in a
nicely-tempered state. There is nothing
so good as a tank, for the operator has thus
complete command over his work, and can
enjoy the comfort of a warm house while
attending to his duties. As a rule, a
bottom-heat of 60° to 70° will suffice for
all kinds of bedding plants that are struck
from cuttings. A temperature of 80° to
S0° may be used by persons who have
had much experience, but 70° should be
the maximum for beginners.
Plants to be propagated from in spring
CUTTING OF FUcHsIA. should be in a free-growing state, because
the best cuttings are those of shoots newly
formed, and the worst those from shoots of last year. If therefore
the plants are not freely growing, the propagator must wait for
them; and to promote free growth, the temperature of the house
should be kept at from 60° to 70°, with a moderate amount of
atmospheric moisture, and as much light as possible, so that the
young shoots will be of a healthy green, and with short joints.
Suppose we look over a lot of fuchsias that have been some time in
a warm house, we shall find them full of little stubby side-shoots all
ready to hand, without demanding any particular skill to remove
them. Select one of these plump shoots, of an inch or an inch and
a half long, press the thumb against it, and it will snap away “ witha
heel ’—that is, with a thickened base, the separation taking place at
the point where it issues out of the old wood. When you have removed
it, it will probably have such an appearance as in the subjoined figure.
All that this requires for its preparation is to remove the bud which

* “The Amateur’s Flower Garden.” By Shirley Hibberd. Price 6s.
Groombridge and Sons, London.

Z

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 81

has just started near the base of the cutting, so as to leave a suffi-
cient length of clear stem to insert the cutting in sand firmly.
When so inserted, and kept moist, warm, and shaded, roots will soon
_ be formed at the base ; and as soon as the roots have begun to run
in search of nourishment, the top of the shoot will begin to grow,
which is the sign for potting off. But suppose we have a chrysan-
themum instead of a fuchsia. This will have a mass of tender shoots
rising from the root, and there is no need to take any of these off
with a heel. Witha knife,
a pair of scissors, or the
thumb-nail, remove a small
shoot of not more than
three or four inches in
length—two inches will be
sufficient. This will pro-
bably have some such
aspect as in the figure.
All the preparation this
requires is the removal of
the lower leaf, to make a
sufficient length of clear
stem for inserting it in
silver-sand. Or suppose
we have instead a hard-
wooded plant of robust
growth, and which is
known to be easily rooted,
then we may venture to
take a still larger cutting.
_ The figure on p. 82 is a
side-shoot of Veronica
_ Lindleyana; it consists of
- four joints, is young, the CUTTING OF CHRYSANTHEMUM.
wood not yet hardened,
and needs no preparation at all, because there is a proper length of
stem for its insertion. In the case of plants having large fleshy
leaves, it may sometimes be needful to crop off half of every leaf
except those near the top bud; but, as a rule, as many leaves should
be allowed to remain as possible, because the more leaves that can
be kept alive while the cutting is making roots, the quicker will it
become a plant. No definite rule can be given on this head to guide
the inexperienced. It all depends upon how many leaves can be
kept alive. If the cuttings are to enjoy a brisk heat, say 70°, with
ee of atmospheric moisture, then nearly all the leaves may be
left entire, and especially if the cuttings are in a close propagating
frame, or under bell-glasses. But if they are likely to be exposed to
draughts, if they are placed in pots or pans in an ordinary green-
house, and, therefore, subjected to evaporation, the leaves must be
-reduced in number, and all the larger ones must be cut half away.
Another matter of importance in making cuttings is to determine
whether they are to be rooted from a joint or not. Most cultivators
March, 6

82 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

prefer to cut the shoot quite close under a joint, so as to obtain
roots from that joint. But there is no occasion to cut to a joint;
apy plant ordinarily propagated for the garden, will root as quickly
from the “‘internode”—that is, the portion of stem intermediate
between two joints—as from the joints themselves. This is of great
importance when cuttings are scarce: asa shoot will often furnish
half-a-dozen cuttings, if taking them at a joint is of no consequence ;
and only one or two, perhaps, if taking them at a joint is imperative.

CUTTING OF VERONICA.

The size of the cuttings is a matter of great importance. Asa
rule, the smaller they are the better. Still, if very soft, many may —
damp off unless very skilfully handled, so the amateur must secure
them moderately firm. Three or four joints will generally suffice of
most things, or say nice plump shoots of from one to two inches
long. If young side-shoots are scarce, longer shoots may be cut up
in lengths of three joints; and if it is a question of raising the
largest possible number of plants from the fewest cuttings, then one

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 83

joint and its accompanying leaf will suffice. Suppose we have a
shoot of a verbena placed in our hands to make the most of it; we
shall first cut it into as many lengths as there are joints, leaving
each leaf untouched, and to every joint as much stem as can be got
by cutting just over instead of just wnder the joints. Then witha
sharp knife we split each of these joints in half, so as to have one
bud and leaf to each split portion, and from every one of these we
expect a good plant.

The most convenient way of disposing of the cuttings is to dibble
them into shallow pans filled with wet silver-sand, as fast as they
are prepared. The best way for those who may have to leave the
cuttings in the pans for any time after they have formed roots, is to
prepare the pans with crocks for drainage, and over the crocks to
spread an inch of chopped moss or peat torn up into small shreds, or
cocoa-nut fibre dust, and then fill up to the brim with clean silver-
sand. The sand should be quite wet when the cuttings are inserted ;
and when they have been regularly dibbled im with the aid of a bit
of stick, or with the fingers only, it should be placed where there is
a bottom-heat of 60° to 70°. A temperature of 80° is allowable
when time is an object, but at 60° better plants may be grown ; in
fact, there is generally too much heat used. From the time of
putting the cuttings in heat till they begin to grow, the temperature
must be steady, and there must be regular supplies of water. But
water given carelessly will surely entail losses. Probably the sand
will retain sufficient moisture for eight or ten days, without needing
to be wetted beyond what reaches it in the process of dewing the
leaves. To dew the leaves neatly and timely is one of the most
important matters. For the amateur, to whom a few minutes is no
object, the best way is to dip a hard brush in water, then hold the
brush beside the cuttings, and draw the hand briskly over it. This
causes a fine spray to be deposited on the leaves, to prevent flagging ;
but if the water is given from the rose of a watering-pot, the
cuttings, if small, may be washed out of their places, or may be
made too wet.

ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE RASPBERRY.

@e=3() ME of the best varieties of this delicious fruit, that is,

#4 possessing quality and productiveness, are to be found
among the older kinds. The red and yellow Antwerp
are still cultivated to a considerable extent, as also a
variety called the double bearing, which produces fruit
in the autumn as well as the summer, but the Fastol or Fibly
is the best and most productive of all at present known, the flavour
is surpassed by none, in size of fruit it excels ; it has also the quali-
fication of giving a second crop in the autumn, therefore where this
variety is grown, no other need be encouraged, except for mere fancy
of change of colour for the table; then the white or yellow may be

called in.
March.

84. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

A few years since there were a long contest as to who or what
district had a just claim to the merit of introducing this valuable
acquisition to the fruit garden, and it is yet a query whether the
present name, or names, it bears is correct ; as it is not important
to the consumer, I will not dispute it here, but there are persons who
feel great interest in acquiring the history of all fruits, etc., imme-
diately under their own care, and by those it may be mooted at some
future time, my object at present being that of merely giving my
practice on the cultivation of this desirable fruit, to commence which
I will begin with taking suckers from the old plants to form new
plantations. In the first place, it is necessary the stock from which
suckers are to be taken should be of healthy and vigorous growth,
for if they have been long standing in the same situation, a decline
in vigour is likely to take place, and, as the young stuff naturally
imbibes the defect, care should be taken to avoid falling in error,
which may be followed by disappointment. Suckers may be planted
from October to about the middle of February, providetl it be done
when the ground is not frozen, take them from the old plants by a
slight pull, they do not require much exertion; the ground intended
for their reception should be dug rather deep, be well manured, and
ready to receive the plants. Strong suckers taken with a ball of
earth to them may be planted three in a heap, each heap four feet
apart in the rows; and if more than one row is planted, the opposite
should be at six feet distance. The openings between the rows
will not be lost; crops of various kinds can be produced in the spaces
in the spring and summer months.

The best mode of pruning to insure a good supply of canes for
the following season, which is a consideration well worth notice, is
to prune strong canes to three feet, a second two feet, and a third
within two or three inches of the surface of the soil ; by such manage-
ment a nice little crop may be taken the first year, and plenty of
strong canes left fora main crop. As soon as the canes begin’ to
shoot in the spring, they should be carefully thinned, for if an over-
stock is allowed to continue they will draw too much nourishment
from the old canes, and thus weaken and reduce the quality of the
fruit ; about the middle of May this must be seen to, four or five
being left to each stool, will be all sufficient. Mulch is of great
service during the fruiting time, and a liberal supply should always
be given, the effect will soon be obvious by the superior healthy
appearance of the foliage. As soon as the fruit is gathered the old
bearing rod may be cut away, and the young canes be brought a
little closer together.

As soon as the leaves have fallen pruning may begin, leaving
about four canes of different heights, say about four feet for the ~
highest, nine inches lower for the second, and follow this principle a
out with the remainder. A top-dressing should now be given, and —
the canes be neatly tied, leaving them moderately open, so that the —
sun may act alike on each. A few may be planted against a south ©
wall for an early crop, where they will come very fine.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. . 85

FEEDING BEES.
i would remind those of our readers who keep bees, that

the season approaches when these useful insects should
be attended to. Like all other live stock, they pay best
when best fed. During the depth of winter it 1s un-
necessary to feed them; an occasional mild day may
entice them abroad, and our own plan being always to thwart nature
as little as possible, we allow the exit to remain open for them to take
advantage of, a boon which it is evident they may enjoy without
risk. If the previous weather have been severe, their food within
the hive will not be exhausted, and they will refuse any that may
have been prepared fer them, and even placed close to their hives.
They appear, indeed, to be roused from their torpidity merely to
sport in a sunny gleam, for they buzz continually about their homes,
are never seen at a distance from them, nor are they found wearied
and dying, as in early spring; but as soon as their brief and doubt-
less necessary exposure to the open air is over, they retire to their
hives, and quietly settle to another season of sleep or torpor. But
as the spring advances, and their stored provisions become lessened

in consequence of the bees being more frequently called into activity

and requiring food, they ought to be supplied with nourishment
every day on which they may venture abroad, until they find flowers
sufficienttfor their subsistence. It is said, but we know not if the
assertion may be relied on, that the earliest flowers of spring yield
only the substance of which the wax is made. The best food which
we know of, excepting honey, and which we have always found to
succeed, is thus made :—

A quarter of a pint of water, a quarter of a pint of beer (ale),
one pound of moist sugar, and a very little salt, ¢.¢., about
half a teaspoonful (bees are fond of salt); boil all together till

it becomes a syrup. A small quantity of this is to be poured into
a large dinner-plate, which is to be placed near the hives, with a few

slender twigs put across it, on which the bees may rest while they
eat, to prevent their wings from becoming clogged. Some sticks of
elder, about half a foot in length, with the pith extracted, excepting
an inch at each end, should also be filled with the mixture, and
placed on each stand.

CAPE BULBS.

=) LTHOUGH the number of half-hardy Irids of this class,
#| capable of successful cultivation in the open border,
is very considerable, they are, with the exception of the
Ixias and a few others, so rarely seen in gardens of only

= moderate size, that it is difficult to resist the conviction,
that to a large class of amateurs the treasures of this beautiful
tribe are comparatively unknown.

March,

86 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

As the season for planting most of them is arrived, a few hints
on the best species and their treatment may prove useful.

They are usually grown in beds; and this arrangement affords
great facilities for protecting them in severe weather, the majority
being too tender to endure full exposure during frost. There is little
or no danger, however, to be apprehended when the bulbs are not
planted till February or March; and in that case, the question of
beds or clumps may be left to the taste and convenience of the
amateur.

The question of soil is more important; it may, indeed be
termed the chief point on which their successful cultivation hinges.
They will not do well in poor, sandy soils, which afford them too
little nourishment, and stunt their growth; neither will they succeed
in the strong, tenacious loams so peculiar to many districts ; and
even peat, in which they are so often grown, is less desirable than a
compost in which it forms but one ingredient. By far the best
results are obtained in a mixture of white sand, good fibrous loam,
and turfy peat, in about equal proportions. In such a compost, the
whole of the Cape Irids will flourish, whether in the open borders
or in pots. The ingredients should be well chopped together, and
mingled with the hands, but not sifted, as this would remove the
fibrous portion, the presence of which is essential to the porosity of
the whole. When the peat and white sand cannot be procured, a
mixture of decayed leaf-mould and sandy loam may be used as a
substitute ; but leaf-mould is so generally infested with insects, that
it cannot be recommended for this purpose. Any nurseryman will
supply a sufficient quantity of all three ingredients for a small sum.

When the bulbs are grown in clumps in a mixed border, the soil
should be removed to a depth of from twelve to sixteen inches.
At the bottom of the cavity thus formed, three or four inches of
broken sherds must be placed as drainage, and the remaining space
may then be filled with compost of peat, loam, and sand. The
larger bulbs should be planted from four to six inches, and the
smaller ones about three inches deep. Single bulbs, especially of the
smaller species, produce so little effect, that they should always be
planted in patches of at least three bulbs of each kind. In severe
weather, and also in very heavy rains, it will be advisable to cover
each patch over, even before the leaves appear, with an empty pot.

When grown in a bed, the entire surface may easily be covered
with furze, and in the case of bulbs planted in spring, this will afford
them all the protection they are likely to require.

As they progress in spring, the only further attention they will
need will be an occasional watering in dry weather; and the little
trouble entailed in the preparation of a proper compost, will be
amply rewarded by the greater vigour of the plants, and the superior
character of the flowers.

But that none may be deterred from the culture of these interest-
ing plants, we would add, that in almost any good garden soil, of not
too heavy and moist a nature, they will succeed, and even in the case
of soils of the most adverse character, a single barrowful of the peat
and loam would suffice for ten or twelve good clumps of bulbs.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 87

After flowering, water should be withheld, unless seeds are
required, in order that the bulbs may be ripened early. This will, in
general, be accomplished soon after the foliage is completely withered,
but their removal from the ground is a matter to be left entirely to
the taste of the cultivator. If allowed to remain, they will vegetate
earlier than those removed and preserved in a dry state, and in mild
seasons they will flower earlier the following spring; but on the
other hand, they will require more attention during the winter to
protect them from frost. When sufficient protection can be afforded
them—and this is comparatively easy in the case of those planted in
elumps—we think that there is some advantage in allowing them to
remain undisturbed for two or three years at least, by which time
most of them will have increased so much by offsets, as to require
division. If they are kept out of the ground during winter, the
smallest offsets frequently wither and perish.

We have not room for a list of the best species in each genus,
but Gladioli, Watsonias, and Antholyzas are the tallest; most of
the others comparatively dwarf.

CULTURE OF THE TREE CARNATION.

a=W plants are more improved of late years, both in habit

4 of growth, variety and richness of colours, than Tree
Carvations, and they amply repay the attention that has
been bestowed on them, for they are not only beautiful

jj but very fragrant, and with little care they may be had
in flower at almost any season; in fact, if a sufficient quantity of
plants is prepared, a succession of bloom may be obtained from them
the whole year round. I trust therefore, that we shall shortly see
them very extensively cultivated. They are easily propagated by
cuttings, which should be made of half-ripe wood, like the show
varieties, cutting them close off below ajoint and removing the lower
leaves. March or April will be found the best months for putting
in a stock for winter blooming, as they will make excellent plants
during summer and autumn. Although they strike readily nearly all
the year round if placed in a slight bottom-heat, the most healthy of
the old plants should be selected and placed in a warm temperature
to excite growth prior to the cuttings being taken off. By following
this plan they will be found to strike more freely. The pots should
be thoroughly drained for their reception, and a portion of rough
siftings or moss placed over the crocks. The compost should consist
of one-half light sandy soil and one-half leaf-mould and sand, run
through a fine sieve and well mixed together. With this the pots
should be filled to within about half an inch of the top, the remainder
being made up with sharp sand pressed firmly and slightly watered
before the cuttings are inserted.

If placed ina slight bottom-heat they will not require any bell-
glasses to cover them, for if only slightly shaded during sunny days
they will very speedily take root. All decaying matter should

be removed the moment it is perceived, as it creates damp.
March,

88 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. —

As soon as they have become sufficiently rooted, pot them into
four-inch pots, still keeping them in a warm atmosphere, and stop
them in order to form them into compact bushes.

As soon as they have again filled the pots with roots, give them
another liberal shift into seven-inch pots, still keeping them in a
warm atmosphere, and using the syringe freely until they have got
quite established; when they should be gradually hardened off, and
finally placed in a cold frame, where they may remain during the
summer months.

Except potting, stopping the shoots, which should only be done
when the wood is in a half-ripe state, neatly tying the shoots as they
progress, watering when required, frequently overhead, and occasion-
ally stirring the surface-soil, nothing will be needed during the
summer and autumn. I have, however, found green-fly troublesome
at times, but if the watering-pot is freauently used overhead, but
little need be feared either from them or red spider; if they happen
to be attacked by mildew, apply sulphur as soon as it is perceived.
When cold damp weather sets in, remove them to the greenhouse or
conservatory, where they will come into bloom in succession during
the whole of the dull winter months. After they have done flowering,
select the most healthy cuttings—the old plants should be cut down
for another year or thrown away. The stopping should always be
regulated by the time when they are wanted to be in blossom—for
instance, for early winter flowering the plants should not be stopped
after July, and so on; if the plants are well ripened by autumn, they
may, by a little additional heat, be had in flower whenever they are
required. The soil best suited for their culture is maiden loam,
leaf-mould, rotten cow-dung, and silver-sand, to which may be added
a portion of mortar rubbish, in order to keep the soil porous;

manure-water, with occasional watering of soot-water, will be found

beneficial during the growing and blooming season.

FORMATION AND ARRANGING OF A HERBARIUM.

= HE object in forming a herbarium is not merely to pre-
fy) serve dried plants, but to have them so arranged as they
may be easily known and determined. In the first
place, it will be necessary to provide a quantity of grey
paper, and nearly as much of white, of the same size
and pretty strong, without which the specimens would rot in the
grey paper, the plants or the flowers would lose their colour, by which
they are most usually known, and which is most pleasant to behold
in the collection.

A press must also be prepared, and a very simple and
powerful press may be made by any amateur in carpentry,
according to the design here submitted, which has the advantage
of not requiring screws, or any of the nicer fittings which an
amateur might not be able to produce. It consists of a stout
board of beech A, to which is fixed a framework B. Between these
is a travelling platen or top board ¢, on the upper side of which are

THE FLORAI WORLD AND GARDEN GUID#. 89

fixed two inclined planes pp. The lever F travels on the inclined
planes when impelled by the handle u, and can be prevented from
slipping back by means of pegs inserted in the top edge of the
planes pp. The platen c is kept close to the collar when not under
pressure, by means of two pieces of elastic web. You will require
some kind of box or collecting case on your rambles, and the

<I
a
ith :

ve y 4
; Rp, : | Yy/

ty

following figure represents a folding case which we have used for
many years. It is well adapted to be carried at one’s back in the
way of a knapsack, and it may be expanded to such a size, both
back and front, as to accommodate the spoils of a really great day
in collecting. It is the proper thing for any one who goes out
botanizing in earnest, for if furnished with blotting-paper, the plants
can be laid out’properly in the first instance, and the drying pro-
cess commences at the instant of their being gathered. The one
from which our engraving is copied is seventeen inches long by nine
inches broad, and will expand to eleven inches.

When these preparations are made, the following rules may be
observed in order to prepare the specimens, so as to preserve and
know them again. The precise time to gather the specimens is when
they are in full flower, or rather when some of the flowers are fallen
to give place to the fruit. It is at the time when all the parts of
fructification are visible that endeavours must be made to gather and
dry the plants. Small plants may be taken whole with their roots,
which must be so brushed that no earth remains.

If the earth be wet, it must either be dried in order to be
brushed, or else washed off. In this case it should be well wiped
and dried before it is put in the papers, without which it would
infallibly rot, and injure those near to it. The root need not be

reserved unless the plant be small, as the Salia herbacea, or unless
it have some remarkable singularities.

Nature, which has done so much for elegance and ornament in
the form and colour of plants in whatever strikes our sight, has
destined the roots entirely to useful. functions, being concealed

March.

90 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

within the earth. To have given them an agreeable structure would
have been to hide a light under a measure. Trees and all great
plants can only be had by small specimens, but then the specimens
should be well chosen, and such as contain all the constituent parts
of the genus and species necessary to know and determine the plant

from whence it is taken. It is not sufficient that all the parts of
the fructification are distinguishable, though these would be enough
to distinguish the genus; the characters of the foliage and ramifi-
cation must be sufficiently visible to determine the species of the
said genus, which are nearly alike in flower and fruit. If the
branches be too thick, they may be made thinner by cutting them
nicely with a sharp knife underneath, as much as may be without
cutting and mutilating the leaves. ;

When the leaves and flowers do not come out at the same time,
or grow too far distant from each other, take a little branch in
flower and another in leaf, and place them close together in the
herbarium. You thus have before you different parts of the same
plant sufficient to give a complete knowledge of it. As to plants
where leaves only are to be found, the flower being past or not yet
come, you must patiently wait till they show themselves in order to

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 91

be fully acquainted with them, a plant being no more certainly
known by its foliage than a man is by his clothes. Such is the
choice to be made of what we gather, and we must choose our time
when to gather. Plants gathered in the morning or evening, when
the dew is on them, or in the daytime, when it is wet, will not keep.
We must choose a dry season, and the driest and hottest time of the
day ; and if the least moisture be found on them, recollect they will
certainly not keep.

When they are gathered and brought home, preparations must
be made as soon as possible to arrange them in your papers. For
this purpose lay down one sheet of grey paper, and upon this half
a sheet of white; then place upon it the plant, taking great care
that all the leaves and flowers are well opened, and laid out in their
natural situation. If it be a little withered, without being too much
so, it will generally spread out better with the fingers and thumb;
but there are some that are rebellious, and that start up on one side
whilst being arranged on the other. To prevent this inconvenience,
place leads on those parts which you have put in order whilst you
are arranging the rest, so that when you have done your specimen
it will be almost covered with these pieces, which keep it in its
proper situation. Next place another half-sheet of white paper upon
the plant, pressing it with the hand to keep the plant in its position,
bringing the left hand that presses gradually forward, and at the
same time taking away the leads with the right. Then put another
sheet of grey paper upon the second white paper, pressing it all the
while lest it lose its position. Upon the grey paper place another of
white, and upon this another plant arranged and covered like the
former till you have placed the whole harvest, which ought not to
be too large at once, lest your task be too laborious ; and take care
that your papers do not contract too much humidity during the
drying, which would infallibly spoil the specimens unless you hasten
to change the papers, which must be done from time to time till
they are perfectly dry. Your pile of plants and papers thus arranged
must be put in the press, without which the specimens will not be
flat and even. Some are for pressing them more, others less ; but
experience will teach what is proper, as well as how often the papers
are to be changed, without taking unnecessary pains.

Lastly, when the plants are quite dry, put them into sheets of
grey paper, without white ones between, for which there is no
occasion, and thus is commenced a herbarium, which will continually
increase if there be assiduity on your part, and at length contain a
vegetable history of the country.

Specimens of Ericas, Brunias, and such like delicate-leaved
plants, are very apt to lose their leaves in drying, and very often
after they are dried. The remedy in this case is to dip the specimen
overhead into scalding water, and then to dry them, but not before
a fire, proceeding as above.

Specimens of all plants, excepting succulents, may be dried in a
few hours, by placing them between hot sand-bags in a moderately-
heated oven. Specimens of all succulent and other mucilaginous
plants are very difficult to dry on the above methods, owing to the

March,

92 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

abundance of sap contained in the stem and leaves; but this may
be remedied by observing the following mode, by which we have
dried a great quantity of this sort:—Provide some coarse brown
paper for the purpose, and after arranging the specimen for drying,
cover it with five or six layers of the same sort of paper; then with
a well-heated iron proceed to iron the covering paper, till all the
moisture is drawn out of the specimen. Sometimes the papers will
require changing and the iron reheated before the drying is
finished.

It now only remains to speak on the arrangement of the speci-
mens, after they are dried, in the Hortus Siccus, which we shall do
as briefly as possible. The herbarium should bea thick volume of
the folio size, composed of cartridge paper, well supplied at the
back with guards, so that when the volume is filled with specimens
the front may not be wider than the back, which would be the case
without them. There should also be four clasps on the outside
edges, two on the front and one on each end, with different links to
keep the volume close while filling and when full. The arranging
them in any particular manner must be left to the person’s taste.
Some arrange them in alphabetical order, some by the natural
system, some one way, and some another. We have arranged ours
by the Linnwan classification.

If arranged in any of these ways, all the species of one genus
must be kept together, and the arrangement should not be com-
menced till a sufficient quantity is collected; but if promiscuously,
they may be fastened down as soon as dried. When the arrange-
ment is fixed on and a sufficient number on hand, proceed to fasten
them down with narrow slips of dark-green paper wherever they
may require it, and the descriptions should be written in the
following manner :-—

No. 67.
Capparis Zeylanica,
Stove evergreen shrub,
Ceylon, 1819. White.

Take care always to keep the collection very close and a little
pressed, without which the specimens, however dry they may be,
will attract the humidity of the air, and again get out of form. It
must also be kept in the driest part of the house, and rather on
the first than the ground-floor.

AMARYLLIS.—It is better to retain ‘them in the pots, and by turning the
latter on their sides, the bulbs may be dried quite as effectually as shaking
the roots out of the soil. As soon as the bulbs show signs of returning action,
they should be repotted into a rich, loamy soil, made perfectly open and pervious
to air and moisture by the addition of sand, and then plunged into a moderate
bottom-heat, when the flowers will soon become apparent ; when fully expanded
the plants may be removed to a cooler place to preserve their beauty, but when
the flowers are past, the plants should be taken back to the stove, and encouraged
to grow by every possible means, because it is on the vigour of the current year’s
leayes and their secretions that the bloom for the succeeding years depends.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 23

REVIVING PLANTS.

BY A CORRESPONDENT.

SHEN the leaves of piants have become dry, their buds
1 faded, their bark and roots hard and nearly dry, if not

yy absolutely dead, they may be revived by the following

48, means :—Dissolve camphor to saturation in alcohol,
=~ adding the former until it remains solid at the bottom
of the latter; a sufficient quantity of rain or river water is then to
have the alcoholic solution added to it, in the proportion of four
drops to one ounce of water. As the camphor comes in contact
with the water it will form a thin solid film, which is to be well
beaten up; the camphor will be found to float on the surface for a
short time in small flocculi, but will ultimately combine with the
water and disappear.

Plants which have been removed from the earth, and suffered
from a long journey or otherwise, should be plunged into the eam-
phorated water, so that they may be entirely covered; in two or
perhaps three hours the contracted leaves will expand; the young,
faded, and dependent shoots will erect themselves, and the dried
bark will become smooth and full. That being effected, the plant is
to be placed in good earth, copiously watered with rain or river-
water, and protected from the powerful action of the sun, until
the roots have taken good hold of the ground. When large plants
or trees are to be revived, their roots are to be plunged into the
camphorated water for three hours, the trunk and even the head of
the tree being frequently wetted with the same water, so as to retain
them in a perfectly moistened state; but it is always best, if
possible, to immerse the whole of the plant. Shoots, sprigs, slips,
and roots are to be treated in the same manner.

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR MARCH.

FLOWER GARDEN.

=a\N Y alterations not yet completed must be finished at once. All climb-
4; ing and creeping plants should be attended to, properly fixed, and
new stakes supplied where required. Plant herbaceous plants, and
sow seeds of annuals and perennials. Examine rose trees, and make
the stakes safe, and tread firm any that are loose at the roots. The
ground between tulips and pansies should be carefully hoed, and the main branches
of the pansies should be pegged down and covered with a mixture of fine earth.
and manure to promote roots. Should the beds and borders require to be dug,
they must be very carefully treated to prevent injury to any pants that are push-
ing through. If Dahlias are not already started, no time should be lost. Pinks,
Carnations, and Picotees should have the surface of the ground will stirred, and
& top-dressing, as it is a great protection against the easterly winds so prevalent
during March. Calceolarias should have a shift into large pots, allowing plenty of
drainage, and giving the plants a gentle watering with a fine rose, keeping them
close for about a week and shading from the mid-day sun, ‘The already rooted
stock of soft-wooded plants should be potted off, and be placed in a heat of about
55°, so that they may become well established before hardening off. Cuttings
March,

94 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

may be taken from the early plants in many cases to their advantage, as it may
tend to keep them bushy. Balsams for bedding out may be sown in heat, but
they will not require such high culture as those intended for bloom in pots, as
sturdy plants only are required. A top-dressing of half-rotten cow-dung will be
beneficial to Liliums, and do not expose the pots to the hot sun.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

This is a busy month in the kitchen garden, and great exertion will be
necessary to do the necessary work, and it will not do to let things get in arrear.
Sow asparagus in drills in high rich soil and make up new beds if required. Ash-
leaved kidney potatoes may be planted under a full south wall about the middle of
the month. Plant various kinds of peas for succession crops and protect those
that are up with dry ashes. Plant broad beans at the beginning of the month.
Sow Horn carrots on a warm border. Sow various kinds of cabbage during the
month, and transplant autumn-sown cabbages and cauliflowers. Sow broccoli for
autumn use and also lettuces of various kinds. Sow onions for the principal crop
about the middle of the month, giving the ground a good dressing of well decom-
posed manure before sowing. Celery plants sown last month should be pricked
out into frames as soon as they are fit, keeping them close until they are
established, then gradually expose them to the full benefit of the atmosphere.
Sow another box or two at the beginning of the month, and for the general crop
about the end of the moath. Raise capsicums and tomatoes in a slight heat, and
prick them out as soon as they touch each other so that they may be strong to
turn out at the proper time. Make new plantations of thyme, sage, mint, and
other perennial herbs. Sow radishes and small salads once a week for succession
crops. Sow spinach between the rows of peas, and a few early Dutch turnips may
be sown ; they will be found serviceable if they should not run. Fresh beds of
rhubarb should be made to ensure a good stock for early forcing as well as
summer use. Protect mushroom beds from frost, and make new ones in some
sheltered situation for a summer and winter supply. Cucumbers and vegetable
marrows to be sown in frames, and when up be careful not to check the plants by
using cold water, and close the frames early in the afternoon, Sea-kale roots may
be planted in a well-trenched, rich deep soil.

FRUIT GARDEN.

Protesting material for wall fruits should be provided at once, if not already
done, but let the trees have all the sunshine possible, as that is beneficial—it is the
frost that does the mischief. Should any pruning or nailing have been neglected,
see to it at once. Grafting may be commenced, and be careful to clay and moss
the insertions securely as a protection against the cold drying winds. Such trees
as are affected with the American bug should be washed over with lime water.
It should be applied to every part of the tree while hot, taking care that the
mixture is well stirred before using it. Make a final pruning of apples, plums, and
cherries, and endeavour to complete the pruning in the first week, and the red and
white currants during the second; in pruning them, thin out the branches, and
keep the middle open, that the san and air may act on the fruit, which will im-
prove the size and flavour. Raspberries should be attended to, by cutting out the
dead canes and thirning those of last year where too numerous, and shortening
those left for fruiting. Should new plantations of raspberries be required, they
may be made with the young shoots of last year’s growth. Strawberry plants ia
pots now taken in willripen fruit in May. Place them near the glass and give
water to them when required, taking care the plants do not get dry.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

Plants in the greenhouse are now in active growth and will require more than
usual care. Look out for green-fly and other enemies, which if not now kept in
check may doirreparable mischief See that there is water in the house, to warm
and soften for next day’s use. ‘l'ake care in watering that you do not give a chill,
and watering and ventilation must be regulated by the weather. Fuchsias,
acacias, and other plants that are growing freely, may be syringed. The propaga-

THH FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 95

tion of plants should now be commenced, either by buds, cuttings, layers, or
division of plants. Carefully examine all the plants, as many will require repot-
ting. Dahlias at work will require to be potted. Hydrangeas may be increased
by cuttings, which should be the tops of any shoots that have very plump leading
bulbs about one inch below the bud of each cutting. They should be inserted
each in a small pot, and placed in a moist heat, when they will soon strike, and
with proper management form one fine head, each strikingly beautiful. Camellias
done blooming should be immediately repotted, for if allowed to push the least
before this is done, the operation frequently kills the tender shoots. Bedding
plants should be kept warm and have little air. When the bright weather comes
they may be more freely ventilated, to harden the wood and check their growth.
Geraniums that have been kept in pits, windows, and cool houses, in a rather dry
State, now require pruning and a little water.

STOVE.

As the sun now will be having some effect, the temperature may be in-
creased to about 60? at night, to 70° or 75° during the day. Every opportunity
should be taken to give air in abundance, but take care of cold draughts. An
increase of water must be given as the plants increase in growth, but do not supply
it toexcess. To those plants making rapid growth some stimulus may be given in
the shape of liquid manure, but take care that it is not too strong. The atmo-
sphere of the house should be kept humid, by syringing the plants and sprinkling
the paths with tepid water. Look well after insects, and destroy them upon their
first appearance.

PITS AND FRAMES,

Auriculas will now be growing, and should have frequent supplies of water
and abundance of air when there is no frost. All secondary trusses should be
removed, and the pips in the trusses left should be thinned to eight in number,
taking care to remove those that are ill placed. Melons will require consider-
able attention to set the blooms, and to train the vines and check superabundant
growth. Cucumbers must also be regulated very carefully, giving but little
water during dull weather, and the laterals stopped above the second joint. Thin
the crop in time if fine fruit are required, but where produce is more important
than size and beauty, they may be allowed to bear all that set, and they will be
sooner over for succession plants. A brisker heat may now be encouraged be
the use of fresh linings ; but with the increase of heat vermin will abound if not
looked well after, and fumigation immediately effected.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Pyrvus Japroxica.—W. J. Clapham.—This is increased by layers. It may
also be worked on thorn stocks. ‘The layers are put down in September in the
usual way, and are allowed to remain till the September following, when they are
taken off and planted in nursery rows until strong enough to be removed to the
places they are intended to decorate. It will grow in any good loamy soil or
clay, and makes a very beautiful bush or standard. But the best situation for
it is a dwarf wall.

T. Wood, Hssex.—You will find the information you seek in Mr, Hibberd’s
book, “ The Amateur’s Greenhouse,” price 6s. ; any bookseller will procure it
for you.

Roszs.—M. Meredith.—Your roses have been attacked by mining caterpillars.
It is impossible to do anything now to prevent an attack in the forthcoming
season. But by constant watching you may be able to arrest the progress of the
enemy when he next makes his appearance, and there is no other way but to
catch and kill, isa may

Onance Trexs.—H. Gough.—You may repot the orange trees now, using
strong turfy loam with about a fourth part of fat manure. ‘Lhe orange requires
liberal cultivation, and there is not the least occasion for grafting trees raised

March,

96 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

ea seed, as they are sure to fruit when old enough, if they are treated
iberally.

Whhasots Losing Lraves.—G. W., Sunderland—We presume that your
azaleas are of the hardy kinds; and if so, there is nothing unusual in their
shedding their leaves in the autumn, as they are deciduous plants.

Stues.—J. W. Hedon.—We can only advise you to be vigilant in trapping,
and if you persevere you may get rid of every slug in one season. Put little
heaps of brewers’ grains about near their haunts, and examine these every
morning and destroy every one you find. Or lay cabbage-leaves under tiles, and
every morning take them up and make away with the spoil.

GREENHOUSE ConsTruCcTION.—S. F., Stafford.—We think you will find all
the information you require in Mr. Hibberd’s book, “The Amateur’s Green-
house.” We think the diagrams and descriptior in the book are so plain that
any one at all used to tools would have no difficulty in constructing one himeelf.
We do not know of any objection to Belgian glass for the purpose you name.

Avucusas.—C, H. # —Y-ur post-card reached us after the February number
was printed. We should not advise transplanting now, as possibly chilling east
winds and frost succeeding to the considerable period of wet that we have had,
may affect the plants before they become established in their new site.

Asparaaus.—ZH, R., Brixton.—We ourselves prefer to raise our own asparagus
plants rather than trust to bought ones, but as you have veglected to sow seed,
it appears to us that you are compelled to trust to the nurserymen, but of these
we do not think it fair to recommend one more than another. We will bear
your suggestion as to ferns in mind, but must wait for an opportunity.

PasstFtora.—B. §.—Thin out the young wood, and lay in the last year’s
wood where there is room.

Avricuras.—J. H., Leeds —The growers know how to pack the plants in
pots, so as to reach you safely, without being disturbed in the present state.
Auricula seed does not require forcing, it will come better by slow natural treat-
ment; keep the surface moist, the seed will not harm by frost.

CENTAUREA CANDIDIssima.—S. M. M.—The small shoots from the bottom
of the plant will readily strike in sand under a bell-glass, but there are generally
a number of suckers which are perhaps better. Should your plant not be fur-
nished with these, encourage it to make side-shoots by nipping the top out, and
set it in as warm a place as you can, and you will soon have a crop of cuttings
that will make nice plants by bedding-out time. Plants from seed come true
with very slight variation, but the normal type will be more uniformly preserved
by means of cuttings.

Banxs14s,— Polly.—Your aspect is not at all suited to banksias ; they require
even in the best climates a south wall.

Fucustas nor Broomryne.—Amateur.—Look to the drainage of the pots.
Fuchsias often refuse to open when the pots are badly drained. Perhaps the
soil is too poor, or do they suffer from drought ? ;

SHapy Borprer.—Pupil.—There are many good things that may be grown in
your shady border. All the members of the genera Aconitum, Delphinium, and
Helianthus will thrive in it. I: the soil is good, the common Christmas rose will
do well. Hollyhocks will do, but you must not have expensive kinds. Papaver
bracteatum and armeniacum will be quite at home there, and all the Phloxes are
available if the situation is airy. Plant plenty of polyanthuses and primroses.
Double daisies will do if taken up and replanted every September. A fine display
may be made in autumn by turning out a number of fuchsias. Lastly, British
Stra will enjoy the shade, and you may, if you like, appropriate the whole border
to them.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 97

WINDOW GARDENING.
BY JOHN 8B. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 71.)

FILLING WINDOW BOXES.

HN planting window boxes you can have a wonderful
variety in plants and general arrangement, and there is
great scope for a display of neatness and taste. The
box itself may be scalloped, beaded, carved, or plain;

painted, varnished, and decorated in any style; made of
wood, slate, tile, or virgin cork, or other materials. And as every
season comes round you can have your window box striking the
yearly quarters as true as any calendar, as one season’s flowers die
out and another come in, keeping up the interest all the year round,
and forming a. never-failing source of pleasure.

In this chapter I propose to fill an imaginary dozen or so of
boxes to give you an idea how it may be done.

I will take them as they bloom in their seasons, from the early
tulips and snowdrops of spring to the chrysanthemum and variegated
shrubs and holly berries of winter.

Box 1.—Early Duc-van-Thol tulips, and two or three roots of
Golden Feather in the centre. Snowdrops, yellow, white, and blue
erocus round the outside.

Bow 2.—Karly Duc-van-Thol tulips, early hyacinths, arabis and
aubrietia inside; with mixed crocuses outside and clamp of double
snowdrops at each end.

Box 3.—Late tulips, hyacinths, and crocuses, double and single
primroses and polyanthus inside; sweet violets and hepaticas round
the outside.

Box 4.—Dwarf wallflower, Brompton stocks, polyanthus and
narcissus inside. Red and white daisies, blue and yellow pansies
round the outside.

Bow 5.—Dwarf wallflower, Brompton stocks, and lily of the
valley. Red and white daisies and blue pansies round the outside.

Box 6.—Variegated and scarlet geraniums, brown and yellow
ealceolarias ; with blue and white violas and pansies and echeverias
round. Sow sweet peas at each end to train up.

Box 7.—Geraniums and pelargoniums, with little patches of
annuals between, such as candytuft, nemophila, clarkia, and migno-
nette; with blue lobelia, sedums, and echeverias round. Canary
creeper, nasturtium, and sweet peas, to train up the window.

Box 8.—Scarlet and white geraniums, brown and yellow calceo-
larias alternately; blue and white lobelia round; with canary
i and nasturtium at each end.

o« 9.—Geraniums, calceolarias, and fuchsias, with musk plant
and lobelia round; a few Virginian stocks between; and scarlet-
runners to train up at each end.

Box 10.—Scarlet geraniums, with lobelia; blue and yellow violas

ve

April.

98 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

and white pansies round; canary creeper trained as an arch over
from end to end. Scarlet nasturtiums trained up the window.

Box 11.— Geraniums, heliotropes, calceolarias, and fuchsias ;
mignonette, musk, lobelia, and echeverias round; sweet peas and
convolvulus trained up the window.

Box 12.—Stocks, asters, and geraniums ; with lobelia and migno-
nette round.

Box 13.—Stocks, asters, chrysanthemums and mignonette ; with
echeverias and blue and yellow violas round.

Bow 14.—Green and variegated twigs of shrubs, such as ivy,
hollies with berries, aucuba, laurels, box, etc., with cut chrysan-
themums in vials of water intermixed, to be renewed as they fade
during winter.

T have thus filled a few imaginary window boxes arranged accord-
ing to the flowering season Gigercn class of plants. The examples I
have given will help you in your selection of plants, and give you an
idea how to arrange them tastefully and to the best advantage. Of
course, circumstances must rule your selection of plants to a great
extent. Every one cannot afford to keep up such a selection of
plants as I have enumerated. Still itis wonderful what you could
purchase for a few shillings in Covent Garden Market, during the
season. And by replacing faded and out-blown flowers with fresh
plants now and then, and adding fresh soil occasionally, one box can
hold all or nearly all the passing seasons display. Directly your
autumn flowers are out of bloom you should retill your box with
fresh soil, and plant your spring flowering bulbs, such as tulips,
hyacinths, crocuses, snowdrops, etc. October and the first half of

November is the best time for planting them, and two inches below

the surface is the proper depth. Mice are very fond of these bulbs, so
you must take care that they do not get at them. The best way to
do. tihs is to cover the box with something. Bulbs spring best in
the dark, so you should keep the box in a closet or anywhere from
the light till they have sprung up about an inch or so, After plant-
ing give them a moderately good watering.

You can have very pretty flower-boxes by filling then entirely
with annuals, such as red and white candytuft, clarkia, nemophila,
larkspur, musk, mignonette, Virginian stocks, and many others,
They make a gorgeous display of bloom for a few weeks. Migno-
nette especially is a favourite with every one, for its delicate little
flowers and exquisite fragrance—really “a little darling,” true to its
name. A box of annuals should be sown about the end of February,
in small patches or lines, as you may wish them arranged. Flower
seeds vary much in size, from the big scarlet runner to the very
small clarkia, and you must cover them accordingly. Scarlet runners,
nasturtiums, and sweet peas may be covered half-an-inch; clarkia
and mignonette hardly covered. When the seedlings are up you
will have to thin them out as they grow ; thin them out well, leaving
only four or five plants in each patch. If left too thick you will
have poor bloom and a wilderness of weak plants ; while if properly
thinned, you will have nice strong plants and a fine display of
flowers. Annual boxes soon get weedy looking, and to make them

——

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7 ee eee es

ee ee

——oTe ee a

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 99

last as long as possible ir flower requires a good deal of attention in
picking out fading plants and dead flowers.

As the spring advances and risk from frost becomes less, your
window boxes will begin to receive their summer occupants ; then
what a wonderful display you may have. The gay golden canary
creeper, nasturtiums, scarlet runners, etc., will convert your windows
into a veritable garden bower, while your boxes blaze like a jewelled
coronet. Creeping plants can be trained all round the window by
having small twine led round for them to cling to. A few small
nails in the crevices of the stones ard the twine twisted round them
will do this. Your boxes will require regular attention with water
in the summer time, but you should not water your box overhead, as
watering thus spoils the bloom. When the plants are dirty you
will have to sponge the dust off leaf by leaf. Take care to have all
dead leaves and blooms cleaned away and nothing left to cause any
unsightliness. Thin and prune to keep the plants from over-
crowding too much. What beautiful specimens of window boxes
one sees in unexpected places sometimes. I happened on several
occasions to be in a smal] manufacturing town some time ago, and
nothing gave me so much pleasure as a box of flowers in one of the
windows of a large factory ; it was so tastefully arranged and so gay
that I could not but admire it. As far as I recollect now it was a
green painted box filled with scarlet and white geraniums and
yellow calceolarias mixed, bordered with musk plant and lobelias.
‘What gave the crowning effect, however, was an arch thrown over
from end to end of the box and a canary creeper wreathed round it.
I used to think it like some gigantic golden crown sparkling with
gems. Whoever arranged it had good taste.

Now, supposing you have got your window box in beautiful
array, and the graceful creepers twining bower-like around the
window, what would be prettier than a neat wire basket hanging
from the centre, with a creeper twining round the wire-work, and
hanging down in little festoons of flower and foliage; a bright
scarlet geranium, and a plant or two of blue lobelia filling it up
within? Such a window would create quite a sensation in the
neighbourhood. A strong hook for the basket to hang from, driven
in above the lintel, would hold it up. To prevent the wind from
blowing it against the window, it need not hang far down, or, better
still, a wire may be stretched across from side to side of the window
to fasten the basket to, and hold it steady. And to go a little
farther still—if you live in a cottage, or on the ground flat of a
house—why should you not have a tasteful little rockery built up
to your window-sill, so that your window-box may act as the crown-
ing point of it? Thus you could have ferns, mosses, rock and
Alpine plants growing in conjunction with your window display,
the whole forming a combination of flower and foliage that would
be the admiration of every one who had the pleasure of seeing
it, and reflecting at the same time no small amount of credit on
yourself.

You will find the window boxes always one of the richest treats
in London. Some of the houses at the West Hnd are veritable

April-

100 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

gardens, every window being full of lovely flowers. There you can
study the tasteful arranging of a window box in the highest style of

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SEDUM SIEBOLDI,.

the art. No lover of flowers can pass through such streets without
being pleased and delighted, or leave them without bringing away a
serviceable hint stored up for future use.

ON THE GENERAL CARE OF PLANTS AND THE WINDOW GREENHOUSE.

Let us consider, now, dear readers, what we can do to keep our
window plants clean and healthy. We all know that dirt and un-
tidiness with us is much against our bodily health, and often the
origin of disease. It is the same with plants. Unless we can keep
our plants free from dirt and insects, and allow them plenty of fresh
air and sunshine, we cannot hope to be very successful in growing
good specimens. In the course of our daily duties, dust, less or
more, settles on our window plants, till by-and-by they get quite
grim and grey. You will understand how hurtful this is when I tell
you that the leaves of a plant are its lungs. The leaves and stalks
of a plant are perforated with innumerable small pores in much the
same way as the human skin. Through those small pores they
inhale the fresh air so necessary to their existence, and exhale the
oxygen so necessary to our life; and through them they absorb

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 101

moisture from the air around them, and give out the excess of
moisture to the air again. You would hardly believe what a great
amount of moisture a plant gives out in a day: some plants giving
out more than their own weight. You will understand, then, how
necessary it is to keep your plants clean, so that the pores in their
foliage may not be stopped up and impeded in their action. Wash
your plants, therefore, every now and then, and whenever there is a
warm shower during summer, turn them outside, and let them have
the benefit of it. They delight in a summer shower. It does one’s
heart good to see how thankfully they bathe in the welcome rain-
drops, coming back when the shower is over with their faces perfectly
shining.

When you wash your plants, use tepid water, with a little soap
dissolved in it, and a bit of sponge or flannel. The operation
requires to be gently done, especially with ferns. Keep the stalk
of the leaf between your fingers, and the leaf lying on the palm of
your hand, washing outwards to the point. Don’t rub the leaf, but
just draw the sponge gently over it leaf by leaf. Water overhead
with a rose, after you have finished, to wash off any soap or dirt left.
Do not water overhead if the plant is in bloom, but just contrive to
water the foliage only. Always choose a dull day, or the morning
or evening, to wash your plants. A warm sun is so apt to blister
the foliage, if dripping wet when the sun shines on them.

Light and air are absolutely necessary for the health and well-
being of your plants. You may as well expect a prisoner, shut up
in a cell, to grow fat and rosy, as expect a plant to thrive in a dark
corner, where it never gets the warm sunshine or breathes the free
air of heaven. As soon as daylight comes in, place your plants as
close to the window as you can manage without crushing them.
Expose them freely to the light, shading only when the sun is very
warm. Geraniums, for instance, never need any shade. Cinerarias,
calceolarias, and some other soft-wooded plants, require shading from
avery warm sun. Ferns and mosses again always succeed best if
so placed that the sun never reaches them, but still near enough to
the light. A window that the sun does not shine on suits them to
anicety. When plants are kept at a distance from the light, they
get weak and sickly, throwing out lean, unhealthy branches, and
turning their leaves all one way, as if supplicating the approach of
the light they cannot do without. And if at the same time they are
denied a breath of fresh air, they lead a wretched existence, and
ultimately die of sheer neglect. I do not believe any of my readers
would allow their pretty plants to come to such an untimely end.
No, no; give the poor plants what is so necessary to their existence
—plenty of light and air, sunshine, and shower. Keep them clean
and tidy, and they will show their gratitude in many ways; and
never forget to turn your plants round every two or three days, or
else they will be sure to grow one-sided. Give them plenty of air,
by opening the window every day when not too cold. Open the
window from the top, never from the bottom, which causes a cold
draught. They do not like a cold draught any more than we do
ourselves. On fine days, during a warm shower, place them outside.

April.

102 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

It will do them great good, and give them robust constitutions, and
enable them to stand any extremes they may be exposed to; just as
when we ourselves take plenty of open-air exercise, we are not so
liable to catch colds in windy and cold weather as those who keep
indoors afraid for a breath of air to blow upon them.

In the management of the miniature greenhouse we constructed
in a former chapter, airing is one of the principal things connected
with it. Do not be afraid of giving it air during fine weather—
during the summer especially. Before the morning sun is much on
it, you should give it a sprinkling with water at about 65 or 70
degrees of heat, all round the inside and over the plants, with a
small syringe or fine rose. This refreshes the plants and raises a
soft moist atmosphere in which they delight. This you will clearly
understand if you have noticed how refreshed everything in nature
looks after a summer shower, and how robustly everything grows in
showery summer weather. As I told you before, the leaves and
stalks of plants have innumerable little pores all over their surface,
through which they inhale moisture from the air around. Now this
damping of your little greenhouse is like giving the plants a pleasant
draught which they drink up greedily. Of course this is summer
treatment; during spring and autumn it is seldom necessary, as the
days are so much cooler.

About half an hour or more after syringing, open the top airing
an inch or sv; an hour after that, open it half up, and by ten or
eleven o’clock you will be able to lift it up full, and if the day is
very sunny draw down your blind then. At midday open the front
airing for two hours or so. Front airing, however, need not be
given in dull days, and never during spring or autumn, but when
the sun is very hot. The front airing should be taken off about
two o'clock, or as soon as the full glare of the sun is past. When
the sun is slanting from the west draw up the blind and reduce the
top airing half; then, a little before sunset, shut it off, except half
an inch to allow the exit of steam which will arise, for you have now
to water your plants if they are dry, and then syringe again as you
did in the morning. The half inch of air may be taken off at bed-
time. During very warm summer weather, it is better left on all
night to keep the plants cool. This is the proper treatment to give
your little greenhouse. I wish you to consider what I have said
about it earnestly. I have told you in as plain words as I can, and
I hope you will follow the directions I have given. Read them over
often till you have a clear idea what to do, and there is no fear of
your being unsuccessful in its management. You wiil notice I have
not said anything about winter treatment for your greenhouse.
This is hardly necessary, for, unless you can heat it, the plants must
be all brought inside the window at the approach of winter. Here
I will tell you a very simple contrivance by which you can have your
plants in your greenhouse for a considerable part of winter, when no
severe frost is in the air. If the night is frosty or cold, fill a stone
jar—what is commonly called a greybeard will do—full of hot water,
and place it inside your greenhouse after sunset. Have another hot
one to replace the cold one at bed-time. This warms the greenhouse

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 103

nicely, and keeps out a moderately keen frost, if at the same time
you have a bit of old carpet or such like material to put on the roof
outside. This is a very simple way of heating by hot water; and, in
fact, you would benefit your plants a good deal by doing this on any
very cold night during the fall of the season and the early spring.
If you wrap the greybeard in two or three folds of flannel or any
old woollen stuff the heat will be economized and last some time
longer.

Thad intended to say a few words this month about insects and
their prevention and cure, but must defer them until next.

(To be continued.)

CULTURE OF THE CALCEOLARIA.

SHE culture of the Calceolaria is a very simple matter, and
those who wish to begin at the beginning, and obtain
early blooms should commence by procuring seed, and
sowing it in the last week in August in a mixture com-
posed of equal proportions of light sandy loam, well
decomposed leaf-mould, and silver sand; mix it well together, and
have ready some six-inch pots, well drained with potsherds, say about
three inches deep. Upon the top of the crocks place a little layer of
moss, which will prevent the mould running through amongst the
potsherds. Now take a sieve with a mesh a quarter of an inch
wide, sift your mould through this, and put all the coarse that is
retained in the sieve into your seed-pots upon the layers of moss,
and fill up your pots to within one inch of the top, upon this place
the fine mould that has run through your sieve, filling the pots to
within a quarter of an inch of the tops; this is to allow sufficient
room for watering, as frequently, by filling the pot too full, the first
application of water washes all the seed over the side of the pot,
which is consequently lost. When the pot is thus filled, press the
soil to an even surface; this done, sow your seed regularly all over
the pot. The next thing to be done is to cover the seeds, which is the
most essential thing to be attended to. For this purpose you should
have a very fine hair sieve, and put into it a very small portion of
your sifted mould, which lightly shake over the seed until you have
barely covered it. It is better for the seed to lay upon the top of
the mould than be covered too deep, for that is the cause of so many
seeds failing to vegetate ; when the seed is finished sowing, the pots
should be removed to a dry airy shelf, and be constantly supplied
with water, never by any chance allowing the top of the mould to
become dry; for this purpose a very fine rose water-pot should be
used, and the water made a little tepid, either by setting some in a
sunny situation in the house, or by adding a little quantity of warm
water to the cold. By attending carefully to the watering, the seed
will soon begin to germinate, and in seven or eight weeks the plants
will bein a proper state to prick out. For this purpose use the
April

104 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDI.

same kind of compost that the seed was sown in, and the same sized
pots. Prick out in each pot from thirty to forty plants, and return
them to their former quarters, where they may continue to have the
full benefit of sunlight and air. When the plants have grown to a
size that they begin to touch each other, they should be potted off
into small sixty-size pots, using the same compost as before, and
placing the plants on a shelf near the glass; as they progress in
growth, they must be shifted into larger pots, adding to the compost
a small portion more of loam, and if at hand, a little well-decomposed
cow-dung, this will invigorate them amazingly, and the loam will
make the compost more holding. As the season advances, and they
increase in size, they must be again shifted into larger pots in which
they will bloom. When in bloom, they should be kept shaded from
the hot rays of the sun, as they will bear but little at this season,
their leaves being so very large and fleshy that the sun soon affects
them and proves injurious. One thing must more especially be
attended to; in all stages of their growth be sure to look minutely
after greenfly, as there is no plant so subject to its attacks as the
Calceolaria, and if allowed their full range, the pest will be sure
to injure the plants, even if it does not kill them, Never allow
these pests to establish themselves, but fumigate upon their first
appearance, which is generally upon the under side of the leaves.
When the plants have done blooming is the time that the plants
require the greatest care, and instead of setting them in any corner
or out-of-the-way place, when they are no longer attractive, as is
generally the case, to be attacked by all manner of insects or exposed
to heavy rains or the scorching effects of the full sun, they should be
treated in the following manner. Cut out all the blooming shoots,
and clear away all decayed leaves, then prepare a box in some shady
situation, raise the box upon pots or bricks, and put some cinder-
ashes at the bottom to keep the worms from troubling them; upon
the ashes put your plants, and by raising the box as before stated,
air will circulate freely beneath, among both pots and plants; the
lights should also be lifted a little, which will inerease the circulation
and keep the plants healthy and vigorous. When they have made
some growth, get a little heavy compost such as you have prepared
for the purpose, and tcp-dress them with it; this will increase their
vigour and cause them to strike root freely into the fresh soil; but
when this is perceptible, do not be tempted to take cuttings or part
the roots, but allow them to remain in quietude until the last week
in September or the first in October, when you may safely venture
to propagate them. At this season, when the sun has lost some of
its power, and the nights are more humid, you will find the cuttings
strike root in a few days. On parting the plants, remove all the old
mould, prune the roots, and put them into small pots, sinking them
rather deep in the pot, and place them in a close, cold frame. When
the sun is bright, shade for a few days. If more plants are required
than you can make by parting the roots, take off cuttings; use the
same compost with a little more sand added than before, place the
cuttings singly in pots, either sixties or thumbs, according to the
size of the cuttings, and place them in a cold frame; keep it close for

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 105
several days, and shade when the sun is powerful. Look closely
after them, and remove all decayed leaves ; by attending to this you

will keep your cuttings from damping (or what is more generally
known by the term fogging off), and in about a month you will find
the greater part of them sufficiently rooted to require shifting into
larger pots. By following the same instructions as previously given,
and treating your plants when striking root precisely the same as
your seedlings the season preceding, you will meet with success that
will be gratifying as well as satisfactory and pleasing to yourself,
and you will not meet with the annoyance and disappointment year
after year that so many lovers of these beautiful flowers complain of.
The chief cause of failure in growing Calceolarias is the generally
improper treatment they are subjected to after the blooming season ;
after nearly exhausting themselves by the profusion of bloom, instead
of being neglected, they should be diligently attended to; and if put
away in any out-of-the-way corner, exposed to the sun’s rays and
heavy rains, allowing them to become infested at the same time with
insects, only failure must be expected. It should be remembered
that the Calceolarias will not bear to be disturbed during the summer
months, even if they are in the most perfect health; if you disturb
their roots during this season, you will probably lose them all, so do
not be impatient with your plants, but allow the hot season to pass
away before disturbing them. ‘Their summer treatment is not
attended with any great trouble, it being merely necessary to keep
them clean and quiet from the month of July to the end of September
when you can recommence to propagate.

.

SUMMER CLIMBERS.

AUTIFUL as are many of the half-hardy exotics em-
ployed as summer ornaments of the open garden, they
yield the palm to the more luxuriant class of plants
popularly known as summer climbers, without a due
proportion of which, no garden, however perfect in
other respects may be its arrangement, can be said to be complete.
By the feminine elegance of their growth, they lend an air of
freedom, which is sought for in vain in plants of a more restricted
habit ; and impart a charm to localities and objects the most formal
in their character. In no one point do the resources of modern
gardeners present a more striking contrast to those of the florists of
the past generation, than in the case of climbing plants; for, whilst
they were restricted to one or two annual species, the number of
these now available is, happily, so much increased, not only by recent
introduction, but also by the now ascertained hardiness of plants
hitherto regarded as too tender for the open air, that selections may
be made suitable to gardens of any extent. Dividing this class of
plants, for convenience of treatment, into two groups,—the annuals
and the perennials—we will notice, first, the most robust individuals
composing it—the perennials.
April,

=

106 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

At the top of the list we must, undoubtedly, place the Mande-
villa suaveolens, a Bolivian plant of comparatively recent importation,
with large white fragrant blossoms, similar in form to those of the
common periwinkle, Vinca major ; both plants belonging to the same
natural order, the Dogbanes.

The Mandevillais generally treated as a tender plant, being some-
times grown in a warm greenhouse or conservatory, but not unfre-
quently in the stove. When cultivated in the border of a good
greenhouse, its blossoms are earlier and more copiously produced
than in the open air; but with the average temperature of our
summers, in good loam, enriched with rotten manure, and a warm
situation, it succeeds well out-of-doors in the summer months. A
good display of flowers cannot be expected unless the plant be two
or three seasons old; and in order to insure its safe removal in the
autumn, the pot, which should be very large, may be plunged into
the border, the bottom being first broken out, to allow the roots to
extend themselves freely. Its branches grow to a considerable
length in a single season, but in autumn they may, if necessary, be
pruned back to within three or four feet of soil. It requires to be
kept from frost in winter, and may be propagated by seeds, or
cuttings of the root. On an arched trellis, this noble plant forms a
striking object when in flower.

Fully equal to it, however, is the Tacsonia manicata, a plant ,

allied to the passion-flowers, with blossoms of the richest scarlet,
which, in established specimens, are freely produced. Like the
Mandevilla, the Tacsonias are classed as greenhouse climbers ; but
old and well-ripened plants would probably bear our average
winters with a little protection, which, in the case of such splendid
plants, is well deserved. The Tacsonias require a peat soil, but will
scarcely need so much space for their roots as the Mandevilla, and
may have their pots plunged into the border, or turned out if the
pot is small.

T. pinnatistipula and T'. mollissima are commoner plants than the
1’. manicata, but somewhat inferior in beauty; they are, however,
well deserving of cultivation. The 7’. mollissima is the most prolific
of flowers. They are all increased by cuttings under a glass; the 7.
pinnatistipula does better grafted upon the 7. mollissima than upon
its own roots.

Far less rare, but scarcely less worthy of attention, is the old
and popular Hecremocarpus scaber (the Calampelis scapho of modern
authors). This is too well known to need more than a passing
notice; it may, however, be worth while remarking that it is so
hardy as to require but a covering of dry litter, fern leaves, or coal
ashes over its roots ; and plants raised from seed early in the spring
will flower the first season, though less freely than subsequently.
We have seen specimens of this plant twenty feet Ligh.

Another interesting and favourite climber ef rapid growth is the
Cobeea scandens, with pinuated leaves, terminated by a tendril and
large bell-shaped flowers, which are first green, and ultimately
change to purple. It may be raised from seed, which is not, how-
ever, often ripened in the open air, but may always be obtained

ee ee ee

THE FLORAL WORLD AND, GARDEN GUIDE. 107

at any of the seed shops. If plants are bought at the nurseries,
those one year old at least should be procured ; though, if the seed-
lings are raised early in the season, they will flower the first
summer.

Cobeea stipularis has yellow blossoms. Both species require more
protection than the Eecremocarpus, but will sometimes survive a
moderate winter.

Next on the list stand the Lophospermums, of most restricted
growth, but abundant flowers. There are several varieties, though
we have not yet seen any improvement on the old ZL. scandens,
which has dark rose-coloured blossoms, greatly resembling those of
the Foxglove. The Rhodochiton volubile, sometimes termed Lopho-
spermum rhodochiton, with pendulous flowers of a very dark purple,
also well merits a place upon a west wall, where it will suffer less
from the red spider, to which it is rather subject, than in southerly
aspects. Both these plants and their varieties are easily propagated by
cuttings in summer, as well as by seeds. They are, however, too
succulent to bear exposure throughout the year.

The beautiful Mawrandya barelayana, with rich violet blossoms,
is considerably hardier than the Lophospermums. We have known
it to remain fresh and green throughout the winter, upon a dry sub-
soil, though it must be admitted that, in general, it will not survive
unless matted up. The rose-coloured varieties of this plant pro-
duce a good effect grown in contrast with it. All are propagated
by seeds or cuttings. In height they rarely exceed four or five

eet.

The old Sollya heterophylla, and the more recently introduced
S. linearis, are both very pretty evergreen half-hardy climbers. In
the south of England and south of Ireland, the S. hetercphylla is
sufficiently hardy to bear exposure against a wall, with a slight pro-
tection in very severe winters.

The Sollya heterophylla reaches the height of five or six feet;
8. linearis about four or five feet. Both have bright blue flowers,
those of the latter species being much the largest. Propagated both
by seeds and cuttings.

To the foregoing, we may add the Solanum jasminoides, an ever-

reen of rapid growth, with pink flowers very freely produced. It

is usually treated as a greenhouse plant, but appears to be quite
Hardy on a wall. At Kew, several plants have been exposed in
winter, with scarcely any protection. And we think that if the
stems were well matted up, and the roots carefully screened from
excess of moisture in autumn, that it would pass unscathed through
our moderate winters, in the midland and eastern counties.

Among the convolvulus tribe are several very showy, almost
hardy plants, the most generally useful of which is, perhaps, the
Oalystegia pubescens, remarkable for producing the only double
flowers of the order. We find this plant to be quite hardy in ordi-
nary winters. It dies down annually, and succeeds best in a good
rich loam, in which its growth is very luxuriant. The flowers are
large, and compensate for every imperfection of form by their great
abundance.

April.

108 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Tn the allied genus Convolvulus, we have some very interesting
species. (C. bryonefolius, C. chinensis, C. hirsutus, OC. emarginatus,
and C. italicus are the most desirable, and are as hardy as the Calystegia.
Like that, these are herbaceous perennials, the stem dying down
every season. The popular annual known as the Major Convol-
vulus, though it is in fact a Pharbitis, is too familiar to need any
extended notice ; but one of the perennial species of the same genus
claims a few words, the Pharbitis learii, the most splendid plant of
the whole order, though too tender to bear a prolonged exposure to
the open air. It will, however, succeed in warm situations along a
south wall in the summer months, where, if its growth is less luxu-
riant than in the greenhouse or stove, it nevertheless forms an
exceedingly attractive object. It is readily increased by layers of the
bottom shoots.

The genus Tropeolum brings us to the annual climbers, of which
the pretty J. canariense, or canary flower, is perhaps the most
popular, though it contains many perennial species. One of the
most interesting of these, the 7. speciosum, succeeds best against a
north wall. Two other species, the 7. pentaph, yllum (the Chymo-
carpus pentaphyllus of some authors) and 7. tuberosum, are some-
times recommended, though less remarkable than some others of the
family. All the Tropzolums deserve a trial in the open border, even
the most tender of them.

Of the Annual climbers, we have but space to remark that the
most desirable—in addition to the Tropxolums and Convolvulus,
already referred to—are the Thunbergias, of which there are several
species and varieties; the Scypanthus elegans, belonging to the
Loasa family, but without their stinging properties, the Loasa awran-
tiaca, and the different annual species of Zathyrus, or sweet pea, all
of which, with the exception of the last, require to be raised on a
hot-bed, and subsequently turned into the border in May.

We have by no means exhausted the list either of annual or
perennial climbers, but want of space compels us to terminate our
observations, only remarking, in conclusion, that however beautiful
this class of plants may be when well grown and carefully trained,
none are more unsightly when neglected.

CROTON DISRAELI.

= HIS fine Croton claims especial attention at the hands of
44] cultivators, for it is alike remarkable for its distinctive-

plants. The leaves are trilobate in form, the middle
lobe being greatly elongated with a broader expansion towards the
extremity, the two lateral lobes are comparatively short, of unequal

ness and highly ornamental appearance, and most ©
desirable for the choicest collection of fine foliage —

es er

tal Rc sil eh nee

size and length, and expanding from the midrib at about one-third —

of its length from the base. The colouring of the foliage is

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN

GUIDE.

109

CROTON DISRAELI,

110 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE,

exceedingly rich and varied, for the leaves are marked and blotched
with deep yellow, rich orange, and brilliant red, and in combination
with the bright green ground of the young leaves, and the deep
bronzy green of those fully matured, produce a most striking effect.
The plant is robust, yet compact in habit, and the leafage is ample,
and small examples are well suited for the decoration of the dinner

table, whilst large specimens are well suited for figuring in competi- —
tive groups. It was introduced by Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons,

Royal Exotic Nursery, King’s Road, Chelsea.

THE USES OF THE GARDEN FRAME.
RAISING VEGETABLE AND FLOWER SEEDS.

S69 N our last number we treated of forcing the cucumber,
and while the cucumber is growing, advantage of the
space may be taken to raise a number of vegetable and

course of a few days, will furnish an early salad, and of which a suc-

cession may be kept up during the spring. Of the plants which we ~
would raise in a hot-bed, we would particularize the capsicum, —

tomato or love apple, and the vegetable marrow.

The Capsicwm.—The pods of the capsicum are highly valued by —
some as an ingredient in hot pickle. They are used green, and are —

generally fit for this purpose about the end of August, or beginning
of September. The seed should be sown about the end of March,
the quantity of seed being regulated by the extent of the cultivation
which is intended to be carried out. It should be sown in pots, and
covered about a quarter of an inch deep with soil. When the plants

have grown, and acquired about six leaves, they should be pricked ©
off into pans, where they should remain until they have acquired —
some strength, and then they may again be transplanted in rows on —
the outside of the bed. About the end of May, or beginning of —

June, they may be planted out in a warm border, and protected for

some time by hand-glasses. When they are transplanted to the

situations they are intended to occupy, they should be two feet

asunder, and well shaded from the sun until they have taken
firm hold of the ground, after which they may be left to them-—

selves.
Tomato or Love Apple.—This is a plant, the fruit of which is not

duly appreciated by the middle classes of the population of this

country, otherwise it would be more generally cultivated than it is. —

Whether for soups, sauce, or pickles, there is, perhaps, no vegetable
to surpass or even to equal it. We could here furnish a recipe or
two instructing how best to use them, but as that is out of our pro-
vince, we must refer the reader to Mrs. Rundall, or some other lady,
whose skill in these matters is more becoming them than us. What

flower seeds, the plants of which will be found useful ©
== for planting out in the open ground. Besides these, —
there may be pans sown with mustard and cress, which, in the

= .
> by

Cte

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 111

we profess to do, is to teach the way to produce them. The seed
should be sown in pots any time in March, and kept in the hot-bed.
They should be covered from a quarter to half an inch deep with
soil. When the plants are up, and have attained two or three
inches high, they may be pricked out either in rows on the outside
border of the bed, or in small pots, putting only one plant in a pot.
As they gain strength and increase in size, let them be shifted into
larger pots; and, by the latter end of May, they will be ready to be
transplanted to their final destination, which snould be in a sheltered
situation, with good exposure to the sun. Some should also be
planted against a wall, or trained to a trellis; and when they have
made a free growth, they should be carefully trained to whatever
object they may be in contact. When they have shown a requisite
quantity of fruit, the shoots should be pinched off, so as to throw
all the vigour into the fruit, which will now swell and increase to a
desirable size. It must be borne in mind in cultivating this plant
in this climate, that the first-formed fruit only will be brought to
maturity, and to allow the plant to go on setting an additional quan-
tity, which will never ripen, is only to exhaust its strength, and
thereby injure that which it has already produced. The fruit will
ripen in succession during September till the early part of October.

Vegetable Marrow.—This, also, is a very excellent vegetable,
which is not so extensively cultivated as it might be; and as there is
nothing peculiar or difficult in the management, there is no garden,
however small, which need be without it. The seeds should be
sown in a pot about the first or second week in April, and treated
much in the same way as we have directed for cucumbers. When
they have shed the seed envelope, pot them off into small pots,
putting one plant into each pot, and keep them in the frame until
they have made a free growth. ‘hey must then be “ stopped,” and

about the last week in May plant them out in a favourable situation,

with a considerable mass of well-rotted dung at the roots. When it
is practicable, the best situation is on an old hot-bed. If well fed,
they will grow luxuriantly, and as the vine becomes strong, it should
be pegged down at intervals, when it will take root, and contribute
much towards the strength of the plant. This is a most useful
culinary plant. The fruit is ready for use when not larger than a
goose’s egg, and they ought never to be allowed to grow too large.
There are several other varieties of vegetables which, though not,
properly speaking, belonging to the hot-bed department, are never-

_ theless, when wanted early, raised in this way: these are broccoli,

cauliflower, and celery. When, as is sometimes the case, these are
wanted carly, they are sown in pans, and pricked out, when large
enough, either on a hot-bed hooped over and covered with a mat, or
in some very warm and sheltered situation, and protected with the
lights of a frame which is not in use. After remaining for some
time in this situation, and having gained strength, they are planted
out where they are to remain, when the weather is favourable for
such a purpose.

Besides the vegetables which we have mentioned as desirable to
raise in the hot-bed frame, there are also some of the tender annuals,

April.

112 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

which should not be lost sight of, and which will, during the summer
and autumn months, contribute very much towards the ornament
and pleasure not only of the garden, but also of the sitting-room
and balcony. Of these, we may mention balsams, browallias, cocks-
combs, ice plant, marvel of Peru, sensitive plant, and thunbergias.
The ice plant and sensitive plant are more curious than ornamental;
but, like birds of the finest song, which have but unattractive
plumage, these very interesting plants, though they have no floral
beauties to display, will be found to contribute no small amount of
pleasure and gratification.

Balsams.—There is not, perhaps, a more gorgeous flower grown
than the balsam, and the great perfection to which they have of late
years been brought, both as regards the variety of their colours and
the immense size of their flowers, has made them even of more
general cultivation than heretofore. There are two modes of grow-
ing the balsam: the one when it is desired to have a bushy, shrubby-
looking, little tree, and the other when one straight rod or spike of
bloom is preferred. But, first of all, let us turn our attention to
raising the plants; and this should be done from the middle of
March till the beginning of April. The seed should be sown in a
pot containing fine, light, sandy loam, with a good proportion of
vegetable mould. The pot should then be plunged in the bed of
the frame, and in the course of six or eight days the plants will
appear above the surface; and when they have attained the height
of about three inches pot them off into small pots, and again plunge
them into the hot-bed. The soil on this occasion should have a
little well-decomposed stable-dung mixed with it; and place them
near the back of the frame, so that they may get as much air as pos-
sible by the apertures when the lights are cpen. As the roots fill
the pot, the plants must be regularly shifted, care being taken never
to allow them to become “ pot-bound.”’ Jn this way they must be
continued, adding a greater portion of rotten dung at every shift,
until they are in eight or twelve-inch pots ; and during the whole of
this progress they must have abundance of water. To have them
of the fine bushy habit spoken of above, they must now have plenty
of room, and be regularly supplied with waterings of manure-water ;
they will then acquire a great size both in height and breadth. But
if the other mode is desired—viz., to have simply a tall spike studded
with bloom, the plants must be stunted a little in their growth when
they are in four or five-inch pots; and, when they show flower,
select those only which exhibit the most excellent properties either
as regards colour or size. Let them be kept close together, and
without much air, they will then be drawn up, and instead of branch-
ing at the side, will present a mass of finely-developed flowers.
About the end of May, or beginning of June, the plants may be
introduced into the open border, having previously opened holes to
receive them—about two or three feet apart from each other—and
into these holes supply a pretty liberal quantity of well-rotted
manure. In such a situation the balsam will bloom freely during
the whole of the summer and autumn months, and will only be ter-
minated by the frost of October.

a

OP Ee eee)

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 113

Cockscombs.—As there is little difference between the treatment
of the balsam and cockscomb, the instructions previously given
will be quite applicable in this case. It is not necessary, however,
to grow the cockscomb in such large pots as the balsam.

Ice Plant.—Al\though there is nothing in the floral character of
this interesting little plant to recommend it in the flower garden,
still there is something about the peculiar crystalline, or rather
glacial appearance which it exhibits, to make it attractive. The
seeds should be sown in a pot, and very slightly covered with finely-
sifted vegetable mould ; and when the plants have made three or four
leaves, they ought then to be potted off into what are called small
sixty pots, and kept in the frame till the roots have almost filled the
pots. Ifit is intended to have large spreading plants, they may be
re-potted into pots two sizes larger, and gradually hardened off till
they are planted out in June. The best situation for displaying
this beautiful little plant is on rockwork, and planted in rather poor
soil.

Ipomeas.—These are very ornamental and elegant annuals, pro-
ducing, throughout a great part of the summer and autumn, a
profusion of the most elegant flowers. When trained to a trellis or
on sticks, they form an admirable screen. Of these the I. coccinea
and Burridgii are the finest. They require to be sown in pots three
inches and a half wide at the top, and filled with light sandy loam,
peat, and leaf-mould, to which should be added a liberal supply of
silver sand, in sufficient quantity so as to render the whole quite
porous, and to allow the water to percolate freely. When the plants
have fully developed their seed-leaves, they should be carefully raised
with a stick from the seed-pot and transplanted into the same sized
pots, filled with similar soil as the others. In a short time they will
begin to throw up a long twining shoot, which should be supported
by placing a stick in each pot, to which the plants may entwine.
After they have filled the pots with roots, they may then be planted
out in the situations they are intended to occupy.

Sensitive Plant.—This is, strictly speaking, a tender plant, and
will not endure exposure even during our warm summer in an open
border ; it will therefore require to be kept constantly in the frame.
It is, perhaps, one of the most interesting plants known, from
possessing the singular property of folding up its leaves on receiving
the slightest touch; and, if roughly handled, the whole plant will
become as if paralysed. ‘The leaf-stalk appears as if attached to the
plant by a joint, and when touched it falls down, and presents all
the appearance as if endowed with something more than vegetable
life. The seed should be sown in five-inch pots, containing a soil
composed of light sandy loam, vegetable mould, peat, and a good
proportion of silver sand. Let them be watered sparingly, at least
only sufficiently to enable the seeds to germinate. When they have
made two or three leaves, let them be transplanted into small pots
containing a similar soil, but the pots must be well drained; when
they have filled these pots, let them be removed into those which
are six inches wide at the top, and this will be their last shift.
To render the plants bushy, they should from time to time have

April, 8

114 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

their extremities pinched off, and this will add much to their
appearance.

Thunbergia alata.—The popular name of this pretty annual
among gardeners is Black-eyed Susan. It is not, strictly speaking,
an annual, but as it succeeds well when treated as such, and as it is
a most desirable addition to the flower garden, we have deemed
it advisable to introduce it here. There are many plants which are
treated in this country as annvals, which are in reality perennial in
their native soil. Even the sweet mignonette, if kept during the
winter in a greenhouse, will preserve a shrubby habit of growth,
and may, by proper care and treatment, be made to last for several
years. So in this respect we may admit the Thunbergia alata among
the number of our tender annuals. This plant requires rather more
attention than those which we have already mentioned. The seeds
should be sown in pots filled with soil composed of one-half leaf-
mould, and the other half sand; at the bottom of the pots there
must be ample provision for drainage, for the soil requires to be
kept constantly moist; it must not, however, be either saturated
with water, or ever allowed to become dry, for in each case the
plants are almost sure to die off. When the plants are large enough,
they should be moved into larger pots, and, after they have gained
strength, planted out in May. If it is intended to treat this as a
climber, it must be trained to a stick or on a trellis; but ifa bushy
habit of growth is desired, this can be obtained by pinching off the
extremities of the shoots and preventing their development. It may
also be pegged down and made to trail over the surface of the ground
in the same way as verbenas and petunias are sometimes treated.

Tropeolum canariense or peregrinum.—This is a most desirable
and one of the most beautiful climbing annuals which has been
introduced to the English flower garden, and the great care with
which it is cultivated renders it a favourite with all who are fond of
a garden. The soil in which it delights most is a fine sandy loam,
vegetable, or what is generally called leaf-mould, and plenty of silver
sand. The seeds are to be sown in a flower-pot or seed-pan, and
covered about half an inch with finely-sifted leaf-mould and sand.
They should then be placed in the frame and watered rather
sparingly at first; but when the plants begin to show themselves,
the allowance of water may be increase a little, and a more liberal
supply given when the plants are fully started in their growth; the
pots, however, must be well drained. When the plants have shed
the seed envelope, and fully developed the cotyledons or seminal
leaves, they should be transplanted singly into small sixty pots
filled with soil similar to what is recommended above. They will
soon begin to push and fill the pot with roots, and when this is the
case, they must be re-potted into what are called forty-eight-sized
pots. When they have attained about six or eight inches in length,
they begin to show a disposition to entwine themselves to some
support; they must then be severally furnished with a single stake,
to which they may either be tied or allowed to attach themselves.
As they gain strength and push out a long straggling shoot, they
must be gradually hardened off, and in the end of May or beginning

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 115

of June, planted out in the situation which they are intended to
occupy. The soil in which they are planted out should be made
very rich, with a rather large proportion of well-rotted dung, sandy
loam, and silver sand. If there is not a trellis to train them to,
they must be sticked in the same way as peas are done, and they
will very soon cover the space which has been appropriated to them,
and form a complete mass of beautiful yellow flowers. It will be
found very advantageous to water them with liquid manure, or place
well-rotted dung on the surface of the ground, and allow it to be
washed in. This will make the plant strong, both in growth and
bloom. Those of our readers who were resident at the west-end
of London, or who were in the habit of walking in Hyde Park
some years ago, must have observed the success with which the
gatekeeper on the south side of the park cultivated this beautiful
plant. We were often much struck with the neatness with which
the keeper at the lodge near the Kensington turnpike trained his
plants all round the sides and ends of his little lodge, and the taste
he displayed in the arcade formed of Tropzolum leading to the door
of his dwelling. This isa plant which will well repay any one for
cultivating. Even those who may be induced to do so for a pecuniary
remuneration will find it productive also in that respect, the seed
always being in demand by the London seedsmen. The gatekeeper
of Hyde Park already alluded to, we have known to receive as much
as five guineas for one year’s produce of the plants grown upon his
trellises. It is very commonly called the Canary Plant, and is with
some as great a pet as the little songster after which it is named is
with his admirers.

Although there are many other tender annuals which we could
have introduced as capable of being raised in the frame, still it is
not within the province of this essay to treat at large upon these
matters. To do justice to such a subject would occupy more space
than we can afford. Our object in introducing those we have, is
simply to guide the horticulturist to the most profitable way of
using his frame, leaving him to extend the practice which we have
here recommended.

Our attention has hitherto been engaged with what has been
going on in the interior of the frame, and how best we could occupy
the space before the cucumber attains its full growth. We shall now
look outwards for a little, and see what use can be made of that part
which occupies the external margin of the bed. It will be remem-
bered that in laying out the bed, we recommended that it should be
eighteen inches wider on all sides than the frame. In general, there
is no use whatever made of this margin, but we have always found
as much advantage derived from it as there is from the inside.
About the middle of March cover the surface of the margin of the
bed with finely-sifted soil, composed of sandy loam, vegetable mould,
and a little rotten dung, to the depth of about four inches, Let thig
be done on the south side of the bed, and it will be found an excellent
situation for raising all the half-hardy annuals; this will answer all
the purpose required, and save the expense and trouble of raising
another bed for the purpose, as is generally recommended by writers

April.

116 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

on this subject. The length of the bed being thirteen feet, by
deducting six inches at each end, twelve feet clear will be left avail-
able for this purpose. The seeds should be sown in drills three
inches apart ; this will give forty-eight drills of upwards of a foot in
length, and the quantity of seeds which can be raised on this space
will be more than sufficient for the supply of any suburban flower
garden. Ifa few choice varieties are selected to be grown, then two
or three rows can be devoted to one sort. The annuals which we
would recommend for this purpose are as follows :—

Argemone mexicana, grandiflora, and ochroleuca; China Asters
of the best German selected varieties; Brachycome iberidifolia ;
Clintonia elegans and pulchella; Collinsia bicolor and grandiflora ;
EKutoca multiflora, viscida, and Wrangleana; Hibiscus Africanus
major; African and French Marigolds of the most choice varieties ;
Phlox Drummondi; Chinese Pink; Schizanthus pinnatus, Grahami,
and retusus; Ten-week, Brompton, and Queen Stocks of the finest
selected German varieties; Viscaria oculata and Zinnia elegans,
with its finest varieties. These are a few half-hardy annuals, which
may be sown in this position. They may all be sown about the last
week in March or first of April, but not too thickly. When they
have grown so much as to begin to crowd each other, they must be
pricked out into rows all round the east, north, and west sides,
which should first be also covered in the same way with soil as we
directed for the south side; after remaining there till they have
acquired some degree of strength, they may be removed to the places
they are intended to occupy in the flower garden. ;

Having now concluded our remarks on the employment of the
garden frame in forcing, we will in the next number turn our atten-
tion to the next most important use to which it is applicable,
namely, for propagation,

(To be continued.)

PLANTS IN OUR DWELLINGS—ARE THEY
BENEFICIAL OR NOT?

BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.

\K' have here a very important question to consider, that
! is, whether it is beneficial, wholesome, or otherwise, to
have flowers in our dwellings? I have heard it said by
people who pretended to know, that you should not
have flowers in your house at all, as it is greatly against
the health of the inmates, because the noxious gases they give out
have a baneful effect on the air, especially if they are in the sleeping
apartments. I hope to be able to show you that such an idea is to
a yreat extent chimerical.

All plants absorb through their leaves carbonic acid gas from the
air around them. Now this carbonic acid gas is composed of carbon
and oxygen. During the hours of daylight the plant retains the
varbon and releases the oxygen—giving it out to the air again.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 117

Now with us and all animal life this order of things is reversed, for
we retain the oxygen and give out the carbon. Therefore, during
the hours of daylight the oxygen without which we could not live is
given out by the plants, while they retain the carbon which affords
them nourishment, while it would kill us if we breathed it. During
the day, however, dead leaves and diseased parts of plants and also
the flowers give out a small portion of carbon, but it has no effect
on the air if the plants are kept free of dead leaves and decaying
parts; the great amount of leafage on a plant will absorb far more
carbon than the blossoms can give out. Thus you see plants ina
room during daylight are really a benefit instead of being otherwise,
since they purify the air by absorbing and removing carbon, which
is injurious to our health, giving out at the same time oxygen, which
is a necessity of our life. So much cannot be said for them after
daylight departs; then the order of things is reversed, for during
the hours of darkness the plants absorb and retain oxygen and
release and give out carbon to the air; this of necessity would be
injurious to our health if there were no remedy or counteracting
influence to nullify the bad effects. You can receive no harm from
the carbon if you leave your bedroom window a little open during
the night to cause a circulation of fresh air; the least bit will do.
You should do this in any case during summer, for it is very bene-
ficial to the health of the sleepers. Or if you place the plants on
the floor the evil will be remedied to a great extent, for the carbon
which is half as heavy as common air, will fall to the floor. But
when we know that “ we breathe out but a small quantity of carbon
during the hours of sleep as compared with the quantity exhaled
during the day,” and that ‘‘ the quantity of carbon given out by the
plants at the same time is not large,” the presence of plants in your
bedroom at night can scarcely have any bad effect. I hope you
understand this clearly. Itis a rather confusing statement of the
case, but it proves that there need be no fears of any evil effects
arising from haying plants in your rooms, either day or night. But
there is one exception to the rule; it is known that the blossoms of
plants give out more carbon than any other part, therefore hand or
table bouquets should not stand in your room during the hours of
sleep. Of course you can avoid this by having them put somewhere
else till morning.

There is another question of very great importance regarding
having flowers in your room after daylight, that is, is it natural and
healthy for the plants themselves? When night comes on and
brings its season of rest to us, we never consider that our poor
plants incline for rest too. All plants in the open air go to sleep, so
to speak, when the hours of darkness set in. The air becomes
several degrees colder, soothing their strained energies, and hushing
them into their natural rest, which enables them to meet with
renewed vigour the rays of burning sunshine when day returns.
Now when night comes on we draw down the blinds, shut our doors
and windows, stir up the fire and crowd around the cheerful hearth
all unconscious that by keeping out the cold and raising the tempe-
rature of the room several degrees we are keeping the poor plants

April,

“18 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

in a state of unhealthy excitement, keeping them feverishly awake
when they should be at rest. Thus like ourselves when we get no
rest during the day and no sleep during night, they grow weak and
sickly, losing the fresh robust appearance they wore when we first
made their acquaintance. Try, if possible, therefore, to give your
plants cool dark quarters during the night, for on this greatly
depends your success asa window gardener. Window gardening at
best is plant growing under difficulties ; the more therefore you can
assimilate their existence to the life of the same plants in their
natural homes the more successful you will be.

Gas has a most poisonous effect on plants in a room. In fact, no
plant can live or thrive in a room where gas is burned. Then it is
a necessity to remove them from the room during night, and place
them where they will not breathe the poisonous gas. A passage or
lobby is a very suitable place till morning, provided there is no
danger of frost in the winter.

Plants growing in a room require a good deal of shifting about.
You should never allow yourself to consider this a trouble. The
poor plants have life within them, and they appreciate in their own
dumb way all attentive kindnesses bestowed on them; a lover of
flowers will understand this plainly, who sees in his plants so many
little beings depending upon him or her for their very existence.
Be careful and kind to your plants and they will do their very best
to please and reward you.

ANNUALS ADAPTED FOR BEDDING.

5 pee following list of hardy summer and autumn flowering
annuals is offered for the convenience of those whose
time and limited means prevent their attention to the
| general class of half-hardy and tender plants for effect,
~ ef masse, 11 flower gardens. The descriptions are in-
tended to convey an idea of their average height, colour, and habit.
A simple mode of managing these seeds is either to sow in drills, or
otherwise broadcast over the entire bed, or border, and cover the
seeds slightly with finely-sifted old tan, or friable loamy soil.

Brancuine Larxsrur.—An ornamental late summer flowering
annual, two to three feet high, of erect branching habit, with
numerous racemes of variously shaded brilliant blue-coloured
blossoms. Admirably adapted for grouping in shrubberies and
plantations.

CLADANTHUS ARABICUS.—A neat compact plant, from nine to
twelve inches high, of a divaricately branching habit, with dark green,
narrow-lobed leaves, richly contrasted with bright golden yellow, close-
petalled, chrysanthemum-like flower, about one and a-quarter inch
wide.

Care Martcorp.—A dwarf compact annual, from nine to twelve
inches high, bearing a profusion of snow-white single chrysanthemum-

ee a

—; --- ase

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 119

like close-lobed blossoms, one and a halfinch to two. inches in
diameter.

Currsantuemum Trrco.or.—A neat, branching, fleshy-stemmed
plant, from twelve to sixteen inches high, with narrowly divided
leaves, and a profusion of large, beautiful, clear white blossoms, two
inches wide, ornamented with a yellow band towards the base, and
picturesquely diversified by a rich olive-brown centre.

CLARKIA ELEGANS ALBA.— An erect and compact branching
annual from twelve to sixteen inches high, with comparatively small.
foliage, and dense masses of elegantly lobed snow-white flowers, one
and a quarter inch wide.

CoLLINSIA HETBROPHYLLA.—An elegant dwarf compact species, of
neat habit, with massive clustered racemes of white and purple
flowers.

CaLLICHROA PLATYGLOssA.—A slender stemmed annual, twelve
inches high, with neat linear leaves, and conspicuously bright yellow,
close petalled, chrysanthemum-like flowers, one and a half inch wide.

CHRYSANTHEMUM CENTROsPERMUM.—A late summer and autumn-
flowering species, two and a half to three and a half feet high, of
erect branching habit, deeply toothed or lobed leaves, and numerous
golden-yellow marigold-like blossoms, well adapted for effect in
large borders.

ConvOLVULUS MINOR ANTROPURPURBUS.—-A decumbent spreading
plant, attaining from nine to twelve inches high, and ornamented
with a profusion of large and conspicuously rich purple-blue ex-
panded funnel-shaped blossoms, two inches wide.

CrnocLossum LINIFoLIuM.—A remarkable compact plant, of erect
dense growth, with grey or glaucous-white leaves, and studded
towards the upper part with a profusion of snow-white circular,
ribbed, salver-shaped blossoms.

Erysimum Prrorrskranum.—A neat erect plant, reaching from
twelve to sixteen inches high, with small, wallflower-like leaves, and
numerous terminal open racemes of brilliant orange coloured
blossoms.

Evcuwarip1uM GRANDIFLORUM.—A very neat compact, branching
plant, twelve inches high, with small ovate leaves, and numerous
rose-coloured, Clarkia-like blossoms, one inch in diameter.

Evroca viscipa.—A compact growing annual, of branching
habit, rising from twelve to sixteen inches high, with notched heart-
shaped blossoms, of a rich ultramarine blue tint.

Escuscuoutz1a orocea.—A highly ornamental annual (or
biennial) plant, from twelve to sixteen inches high, with narrow
lobed glaucous leaves, and a profosion of large and brilliant orange-
yellow poppy-like flowers, three and a-half inches in diameter.

Evouarrp1uMm conciynum.—An erect cenothera-like plant, nine
to twelve inches high, of neat habit, with small dark green leaves,
and laden with deeply-lobed, bright rosy coloured clarkia-like flowers.

Evroca Wraneerrana.—A low-growing species with decumbent
stems, rising en masse, six to nine inches high, and covered with a
profusion of bluish salver-shaped flowers in clusters;

Gopntr Linpieyana.—aA late summer-flowering annual, eighteen

April.

120 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

inches to two feet high, of neat habit, upright growth, medium sized
foliage, and highly picturesque, and beautiful pale rosy-lilac, open
cup-shaped blossoms, blending into a crimson centre.

GoDETIA BIFRONS.—An ornamental erect growing plant, of neat
habit, eighteen inches to two feet high, with medium sized leaves,
and terminal racemes of large conspicuous rosy lilac, cup or salver-
shaped flowers, two inches wide, picturesquely marked with bright
pee Sie 2 cloud-like spots in the centre of the flower lobes or
petals,

GoDETIA RUBICUNDA.—An ornamental species, eighteen inches
to two feet high, of neat, erect, branching habit, with medium sized
leaves, and long terminal spikes of numerous large close-petalled,
light pink, cup-shaped or salver-like blossoms, deepening into a
conspicuous light crimson centre.

Gitia NIvALIs.—A neat dwarf, slender annual, of branching
habits, attaining from twelve to sixteen inches high, with light
foliage, and numerous branching clusters of clear creamy white
blossoms.

HELIOPHILA ARABOIDES.—A prostrate spreading plant, with
diverging shoots or stems, which are elegantly studded over with
numerous close-petalled rich blue, compact salver-shaped blossoms,
half an inch wide.

HELICHRYSUM BRACTEATUM.—A neat, erect, branching, late-
flowering plant, two to three feet high, with dark green willow-
shaped leaves, and numerous terminal, conspicuous clusters of
golden yellow “ everlasting flowers.”

HELICHRYSUM MACRANTHUM.—Similar in habit to the preced-
ing species, with green willow-shaped leaves, and terminal upper
clusters of clear white “ everlasting flowers,’ elegantly suffused
with rose or pink. This interesting plant, as well as the preceding,
withstands the influence of the autumnal frosts.

Hiziscus arricanus.—An upright, branching plant, growing
from nine to eighteen inches high, with deeply-lobed or divided
leaves, and remarkably large, close petalled, bright, sulphur-coloured
hollyhock-like flowers, four to six inches wide, beautifully orna-
mented with a rich and conspicuous dark velvet band towards the
centre.

IBERIS UMBELLATA RUBRA (Crimson Candytuft).— An erect
growing variety, twelve inches high, with narrow lance-shaped
leaves, and numerous terminal flattish umbels of rich reddish purple
and crimson flowers.

IpeRis coronarta and I. umBeLLaTA atBa (White Candytuft).
—Rising twelve inches high, equally neat and compact in habit,
with similar foliage, and profuse terminal branching stems, forming
a dense mass of snow-white flower heads.

KAULFUSSIA AMELLOIDES.—A dwarf species of neat habit, grow-
ing from six to nine inches high, with narrow, strap-shaped leaves,
and numerous bright, blue-petalled, daisy-like flowers.

LasTHENIA CALIFORNICA—A compact plant, rising about twelve
inches high, with narrow bright green leaves, and a profusion of
conspicuous golden-yellow chrysanthemum-like flowers, three-
quarters of an inch wide.

———— a

2 ae

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 121

LEPTOSIPHON DENSIFLORUS and L. anDROSACEUS.—Both remark-
ably neat dwarf species, with narrow, dark green, needle or larch-
like leaves, and furnished with numerous terminal clusters of
variously shaded pale rosy, pink, and white-lobed, salver-shaped
flowers, in July and August.

Lupinus nanus.—An extremely pretty species, with small hand-
shaped leaves, and numerous long terminal erect spikes of elegant
blue and white pea-shaped flowers.

Lurinvus CruicksHanku.—An extremely beautiful late summer
and autumn-flowering species, two to three feet high, of neat erect
branching growth, with smooth finger-lobed leaves and terminal

’ spikes or racemes of richly blended blue, white, and yellow pea-

shaped flowers.

Matore cGranpiFtora.—A_ highly-ornamental annual, two to
three feet high, with obtusely-lobed mallow-like leaves, and nume-
rous remarkably large, and beautiful rich crimson salver-shaped
flowers, four to six inches wide.

NEMOPHILA INSIGNIS GRANDIFLORA.—A very beautiful trailing
variety, with comparatively light foliage, and studded over with
thousands of bright azure-blue, salver-shaped flowers, three-quarters
of an inch broad.

New Goipren CurysANtHEMUM.—<An erect compact branching
annual, from twelve to sixteen inches high, with deeply-divided
dark green leaves, and numerous clear golden-yellow marigold-like
flowers, each one and a-half to two inches wide, beautifully con-
trasted in colour by a rich olive-brown circle towards the centre.

SANVITALIA PROCUMBENS.—A neat compact growing plant, rising
from four to six inches high, with small, oval, dark-green leaves,
and numerous orange-rayed Rudbeckia-like flowers, three-fourths of
an inch wide, richly diversified with a black centre.

SILENE RUBELLA.—A neat plant, twelve inches high, with broad
ovate glossy leaves, and numerous terminal clusters of loose pur-
plish rose-coloured blossoms.

Sweer Sunray.—An upright growing plant, eighteen inches to
two feet high, producing many conspicuously-ornamental, large,
clear white, thistle-like flowers.

Tana@rer Pea (LatHyrus Tinairanus).—A very elegant twining
annual plant, three to four feet high, with medium-sized foliage, and
numerous clusters of remarkably rich violet-crimson blossoms.

YeELttow Hawkweep.—A somewhat loose growing and slender
branched plant, twelve to sixteen inches high, ornamented with a
profusion of very neat pale yellow, or brimstone-coloured marigold-
like blossoms, about one and a-half inch wide, which are singularly
diversified with a double interior row of smaller orange-yellow
petals, the whole being relieved by the contrasted effect of a large
and remarkably beautiful rich dark-brown centre.

April.

122 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE..

TRUFFLES.

=== TE truffle is a vegetable entirely destitute of roots. It
i, is a rounded subterraneous body, absorbing nourish-
ment upon every part of its surface; and its reproduc-
tion is dependent upon bodies generated within its
substance. The truffle is composed of globular vesicles,
destined for the reproduction of the vegetable, and short and barren
filaments, called by M. Turpin, figelwles. The whole forms a sub-
stance at first white, but which becomes brown by age, with the
exception of particular white veins. This change of colour is depen-
dent upon the presence of the reproductive bodies or truffenelles.
Each globular vesicle is fitted to give birth, in its internal surface,
to a multitude of these truffenelles ; but there are only a few of
them which perfect the young vegetable. These dilate considerably,
and produce internally other smaller vesicles, of which two, three,
or four, increase in size, become brown, are beset with small points
on their interior surface, and fill the interior of the large vesicles.
The small masses thus formed are the truffenelles, and become
truffles after the death of their parent. Thus the brown parts of
the truffle are those which contain truffenelles, and the interposing
white veins are the parts which are destitute of truffenelles. The
parent truffle having accomplished its growth, and the formation of
the reproductive bodies within, gradually dissolves and supplies
that aliment to the young vegetables which is proper for them.—
Revue Encye.

THE HOLLYHOCK.

=O grow the Hollyhock in the garden border is a simple
business enough, but to do it well the soil should be
deep and rich and damp, the situation open, and the
climate gentle. It will grow well, however, on poor
dry soils, if aided with a good preparation in the first
instance, and plentiful supplies of good manure afterwards. Sewage
in a very weak state suits it admirably. Partial shade it bears well,
but in a deep shade it scarcely thrives. When standing on a damp
soil, and especially in a cold locality, a severe winter is death to it,
but under moderately favourable circumstances the plant is quite
hardy, and, if allowed to stand for a few years, acquires a buxom
character, with its large cluster of spikes, far to be preferred to the
single spikes from young plants which content the florist. In
making a plantation, secure pot plants of named varieties, the best
of which are cheap enough for the humblest amateur. Plant in
March or April, at three feet apart every way, arranging the plants,
if possible, in accordance with their respective heights and colours.
In a kindly season they will flower well if planted as late as May.
They should be staked at the time of planting, or soon after, and be

ate Se ee ee ee D

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 128

kept carefully and loosely tied as they advance, for, if neglected, one
small storm may tear the plantation to pieces. To propagate the
named sorts, take cuttings from the base of the plants in August,
and pot them, and, if possible, promote quick rooting by placing
them on a gentle bottom-heat. They must be repotted into separate
pots, at least five inches in diameter, in October, and placed in a
cold frame or greenhouse for the winter. Good seed will produce
good plants, and therefore a stock may be got quickly by the most
trifling cost. If the seed is sown in February in a gentle heat, and
grown on with careful regard to the fact that the plant is hardy and
cannot well endure a strong heat, the seedlings may be planted out
in May, and will bloom well the same season. Those who cannot
manage them in this way had better sow seed in July ; and as soon
as the plants are large enough to handle, plant them out in a bed of
sandy svil, in a frame where they may remain until the time arrives
for planting out in the foilowing spring.

THE CULTIVATION OF LOBELIA.

7 SHE best method to obtain a good stock of Lobelia, is to

447 raise the plants from cuttings, selecting for the purpose
the best varieties obtainable. In the first place, plant
out a few of the selected sorts, at the end of May, in
— Some out of the way place and let them grow and
flower as they like. About the middle of July cut them down
pretty close to the ground, and they will soon after bristle with new
tender shoots. These must not be allowed to flower, but as soon as
they have attained a length of about two inches, take them off and
dibble them into a bed of sandy soil, in a frame or under hand lights or
propagating boxes, keeping them shaded and sprinkled until they
have made roots. If they run up quickly to flower, nip out the
flower-buds to keep them stocky and strong. Take them up early
and pot carefully, keeping them near the glass all the winter, never
allowing them to flower. In February these will supply cuttings in
great quantity, and any one who can strike a cutting may make a
good plant of every one of them. ‘To raise Lobelia from seed is a
still simpler matter, and if the seed has been carefully saved, the
plants will be tolerably uniform in character, and will be good
enough for large gardens, where a few spurious plants in a mass will
not be noticed; but seedlings are not to be depended on for highly
finished work. Sow the seed in pans or boxes of fine rich sandy
soil, covering it with a mere dust of peat or finely sifted leaf-mould.
The seed need not be sown until March, as the plants grow rapidly
when they have made a start. Lobelias should not be planted outin
flower, or with the flower-buds visible. It is best to cut the tops off
the plants a week before planting, which will promote a bushy
growth, and prepare them to throw out roots vigorously when
planted: If planted in flower, they may be expected soon after to
go out of flower and remain blank for a month. If treated as here
advised, they will be blank for about a fortnight at first, and will

April.

124 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

then flower freely for the remainder of the season: None of the old
varieties, such as speciosa and gracilis, are now worth growing,
because better can be had. The very dwarf sorts, such as the pumila
section, are exquisitely beautiful, forming dense cushions solid with
bloom of the most pure and brilliant colours. The most useful of
them—Grandiflora, deep blue; Azurea, light blue ; and Annie, lilac.
The following are also first-rate for various purposes in the parterre,
and also making charming pot-plants:—Indigo Blue, intense deep
indigo blue ; Spectabilis, deep cobalt blue; Zrentham Blue, clear blue,
white eye; and Mauve Queen, rosy lilac.

THE GERMAN ASTER—ITS CULTURE FOR EXHIBITION.

= HE great cause of failure often arises from the seed being
fi sown too early, so that the plants begin to flower in the
long days imperfectly, and by September they are too
far spent to produce tine blooms in their proper season.

o The best time for sowing is some time between the
26th of April and the 14th of May. The seed should be sown ina
cold frame under glass, in drills six inches apart, and not too thick
in the drills, say the first week in May; the plants come up in a few
days, when they must have plenty of air; and as soon as they are
about an inch high, take the glass quite off for two or three days,
and then prick them out on a slight hot-bed three or four inches
apart; here they will take root ina day or two without shade or
glass. Before the plants begin to run up in the stem, plant them
out where they are to stand for blooming, in well-manured soil,
being careful to remove them with as much mould attached to the
roots as possible ; let the rows be one foot apart and the plants ten
inches or a foot apart in the rows. If the weather is dry, they must
be watered, until they take root ; afterwards keep clean from weeds,
stir between the plants, and about the first week in August, top-
dress with rotten dung from an old liot-bed (the ore on which the
young plants were pricked out will be in good state if well beaten
up), and give a good soaking of water over all if the soil is dry.
The plants will now require to be tied to small stakes, and as soon
as it can be seen which buds are likely to make good blooms, thin
them out, leaving only three or four to a plant. It will be necessary
to protect such blooms intended for exhibition from wet, or friction
from the wind.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 125

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR APRIL.

FLOWER GARDEN.

%)ARDY annuals and perennials may be sown early in the month, and
the more tender kind at the end, but it will be better to defer the
sowing of very small seed of choice kinds until the beginning of May,
as heavy rain may wash them down into the soil, and they may be
lost. Perennials may be planted out, and old stools of phlox, chry-
santhemum, sweet william, etc., may be divided. Dahlia-roots may also be
planted, but if the shoots appear before the night-frosts are over, they must be
protected by flower-pots inverted over them, and the holes stopped with pieces of
tile. Box edging should be clipped and ivy cut in and trimmed, and fresh planta-
tions made of last year’s roots. Cuttings of ivy may also be taken and planted
in a sandy border, only partially exposed to the sun. The cuttings should be
short-jointed, and the lower leaves removed. Bulbs of Tigrida pavonia may be
planted in the open bed; plant them about two inches deep, and choose a warm
and sheltered situation. A light netting, or some other similar protection, will
be found useful for tulip-beds, and if the foliage gets frozen, water them with
cold water before the sun gets on them. The pruning of roses must all be
finished early in the month, and recently planted trees should have a good
watering. Self-sown annuals that have stood the winter should be thinned, and
where desirable, some may be transplanted. Gravel-walks should be turned and
rolled, but dry weather should be chosen for this work. Grass-plots should be
dressed, and new turf laid down where necessary. In laying down fresh turf, be
careful to lay it as soon after it is cut as possible. To keep lawns in good order,
it will be necessary to mow twice in the month, and it should be performed on a
dewy morning or in moist weather.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

Should the work of last month have been delayed, successional sowings may
be made of all leading kitchen crops; seeds got in early will not be much behind
those sown last month. Beet should be sown in the second week, in ground
deeply dug but not manured. The main crop of celery should be sown on a
rich, warm border, the surface to be made light and fine; sow thin and merely
dust the seed over. Sow also onions, lettuce, radish, small salad, sea-kale, and
asparagus ; the last two in drills, one foot apart and one inch deep for asparagus,
and two inches for sea-kale. Potatoes not yet planted should be got in without
delay, and towards the end of the month scarlet-ranners and French beans may
be sown. The runners should have a warm dry position if sown before the first
of May, but subsequent to that date, they may be sown in almost any soil or
situation without risk, but like most other things, they yield the best crops on
ground well dug and manured. The main crop of carrots should be got in
towards the end of the month, and there is still time for a crop of parsnips if none
haye yet been sown. In the beginning of the month, make ridges for melons
and cucumbers to be grown under hand-glasses. Sow thyme, summer sayoy,
and all other herbs, or if the weather is moist put in slips, and if possible plant
them in a rather dry sandy border, as they will root quicker. Plant broad beans
for a late crop, and continue to sow peas to succeed those already sown. After a
shower of rain draw the earth up to the stems of cauliflowers, cabbages, and arti-
chokes which were planted last month, but be careful the earth does not fall
into the hearts of the plants. Those who purpose raising seedling rhubarb plants
should sow about the middle of the month in shallow drills about eighteen inches
apart, dropping the seed in patches, six inches from each other. Slugs, snails,
and other insects, tempted out by showers of rain must be destroyed.

FRUIT GARDEN,

Should the weather be dry, ull kinds of fruit trees will be benefited by syringing
occasionally, but syringing should in no case take place until the blossoms have
dropped ofl’; it may then in dry weather prevent the crop dropping in its infant

April.

126 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

state. Should you discover the least appearance of green-fly upon peach and
nectarine trees, syringe at once with tobacco-water, and if they should be affected
with mildew, sprinkle them with lime-water, and dust them over with sulphur.
Peach and nectarine trees against open walls should also be carefully pruned by
cutting off all shoota where there is no fruit at the base, except a leading one, and
the latest upon a last year’s shoot. Apricots, if affected with caterpillars or other
insects, must also be syringed with tobacco-water. Cherry trees are subject to
attacks of the black insect; should this be observed, syringe with tobacco as ‘for
peach or nectarines. Peach walls should be covered with netting during the
prevalence of cold winds. Nail in any trees that have been left loose, to keep
them back; be careful how you handle the branches, or fruit spurs or pushing
buds may be broken off. Use as few shrede as possible, and those as narrow as
you dare cut them, having regard to the necessary strength. All pruning ought
to have been finished long ago; but should any trees have been neglected, and
are in a dense state, thin them out and rub a little clay paint over the parts to
encourage the closing of the bark over them.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

The heat in all plant-houses may now be increased where quick growth or the
speedy production of bloom is wanted. Re-pot hard-wooded plants that have
flowered, pot firm and give only small shifts. Give abundance of water to
genistas, epacrises, acacias, hoveaz, chorozemas, and other plants in flower, and
as much air as the state of the weather will permit. Soft wooded plants for
specimen ‘flowering should be got into blooming-pots. Examine the earth in all
pots to be sure that it is in the proper state of moisture, and should any of them
be in too dry a condition, perforate the soil down to the bottom with some
smooth instrument, that will not tear or break the fibres of the roots, and water
freely with tepid water, especially those in active growth. Should bedding stock
be still in request, cnttings may be struck in a brisk heat, even as high as ninety
degrees; they will bear a much higher temperature now than they would a
month ago.

STOVE.

Be prepared to give the necessary shade to orchids and stove-ferns on bright
sunny days, shift into roomy pots all plants of quick growth, and shade for a
week or ten days afterwards, and keep them only moderately moist until they
make fresh roots. Increase the amount of humidity generally in the atmosphere
by sprinkling the walls and floor, but be careful not to overdrench any plants that
have not yet got into full seasonable growth.

PITS AND FRAMES

See that the cucumber beds are not too moist or mildew may appear. Add
fresh linings and fork up the beds if neceseary, give air cautiously, stop and train
carefully, and use tobacco at the first appearance of fly. Ridge-cucumbers to be
kept as hardy as possible, but they must not be checked. Give them a shift
should they require it, and frequently sprinkle over the leaves. Fruiting cucum-
bers must have shade during mid-day hours now, but keep the lights tilted to
give air. Water round the sides of the frames to keep the atmosphere moist.
Strawberries ripening to have less moisture and plenty of light; temperature not
lower than 55 degrees by night, nor higher than 70 degrees by day. Remove
runners from plants coming into fruit; but the runners from plants that have
fruited may be allowed to grow, as they will. make early plants for forcing next
year. Vegetable marrows sown now will produce almost as early as those sown
a fortnight or a month ago. It is best to get the plants on singly in pots, as
they are shorter and stronger when turned out, than if grown several in a pot
and allowed to sprawl about and spindle away their strength

ee

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 127

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Arum.—wWN. J. T., Hornsey.—Arums are propagated by offsets, of which many
are commonly produced. They should have a liberal supply of water. The
finest of the stove kinds ars—campanulatum, hederaceum, orixense, sagittifolium,
and trilobatum. fi

Lore WatEer.—Novice.—Pat any quantity of lime into a tub of water, or
other vessel. You need not fear making it too strong, as water will only hold a
certain quantity in solution. Stir after mixing once or twice, and let it stand
until clear before using. 1t will not prove injurious to the foliage of plants.

VinEs in Hovsks WITH otHer PLants.—Harry.—lt is by no means un-
common for vines to be successfully fruited in houses containing a general collec-
tion of plants, but it requires care and management. Your method of pruning
will do, and the vines ought to give you a satisfactory crop this season. Carry a
rod up each rafter, let them break at about fifty degrees, and syringe every day,
taking care to keep the floor of the house as dry as possible, and to give air fre-
guently, to prevent injury by damp to other things. If the roots are in the house
they will be sufficiently active to maintain the progress above; but if out of doors
they ought to be mulched over with litter, and protected from heavy cold rains
by thatched hurdles; though, if the border is warm and well drained, a mulch-
ing with dung and leaves may be sufficient. Give as much moisture in the air by
syringing as is consistent with the health of the other plants, which will now bear
a moderate increase of heat and moisture without injury if they have plenty of
light. Increase the heat gradually to sixty-five degrees, as the vines come into
bloom ; and to set them well, discontinue syringing, aud keep the house close
and warm till the berries are formed. This is the time when the general collec-
tion of plants is likely to suffer, and the chief source of any difficulty that may
occur in fruiting vines with other plants. As soon as the berries are set, the
syringe may be used again, to swell the berries and to keep down pests.

Cametiias.—J. Clarke.—Your straggling plants should be cut back at once,
and, if you are right at the root, you will get new growth to make better-shaped
plants of them. A good plan to furnish the lower sten is to graft or inarch
the same or other sorts upon them, after which they should be kept warm and
moist.

CycLamMEn.— Rosa —We fear your plants are not potted in the proper soil.
If you have only used common garden soi], you must not expect bloom. They
ought to be in a mixture of peat, leaf-mould, chopped turf, and sand ; to be kept
rather dry after flowering, have a shift into larger pots before being housed for
the winter, and have plenty of water after the leaves are full grown until they
have done flowering.

Tre vor Zinc Laets, etc. —Subscriber.—The best material for attaching
zinc labels is soft metallic wire, which you can obtain of any respectable iron-
monger.

WALTONIAN CaszE, ETC.—Vita.—Your two-light frame will be the best of all
places to receive the newly-struck cuttings, etc., from the case. Take care that
the little things are not burnt up by the sunshine. The most suitable material
for your flue will be common bricks, well laid with hot lime and the usual pro-
portion of sand. The bricks should be soaked in water before being laid, and the
mortar used quite fresh.

Passion Frower.— Woodville.—You have not managed your passion-flower
right. It should be cut back very close every year in April, until it has been
planted five years. At the last close pruning, cutting it to one-third its height
will be sufficient. You had better cut close away the old shoots, and shorten the
new ones to half their length ; then train right and left along the top of the front
glass, and next year cut them back to five feet from the former pruning, and so
carry the rods along the main lines intended for them, by degrees, and cut back
the shoots from them to two eyes every year afterwards, and always prune in
April.

P Devurzia GRACILIS.—Curshalton.—Grow in a mixture of turf and loam equal
parts, and one-half part very rotten dung. They are sure to bloom well if the

April.

128 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

wood is well-ripened in the autumn, and that is best accomplished by with-
holding water and letting them have plenty of sun.

Roszs.—D, W. C.—It is certainly too late to plant standards in the ordinary
way, but, if extra care is taken, they may be planted any time this month, but the
earlier the better. If you plant now let them be hard pruned, and kept liberally
watered all the summer.

Mossrs In A Fresnery.—Isabella Bruce.—Sandy peat, fragments of sand-
stone and limestone, rotten wood and broken bricks, are the materials on which
mosses are most likely to flourish. The place should be shady, and should be
watered with artificial showers all the summer. A rockery so treated will pro-
duce its own crop of mosses in time; the places where they show themselves
should not be disturbed. Sphagnum is a moss that abounds in most boggy places,
and generally grows in spots where it is covered with about two inches of water
all the winter, in sappy unsafe ground. It is a grey moss, of coarse texture, very
distinct in character, and when bitten between the teeth yields a bitter taste.

Hotty.—Rocklands.—Y our variegated holly should be pruned at once, but it
will require great care. You should not have allowed if to go unpruned for so
long, and it would not have become so open and naked. ‘Take a view of the tree,
so as to have in your mind exactly the sort of form you would wish it to grow
to. First cut in every branch that extends beyond the general circumference,
using a small sharp saw and a good knife. In cutting back the rambling
branches, take them off, if possible, above a fork. By leaving two short snaggs
of about an inch beyond the fork, you will get three breaks at least. In places
where there are large openings between the branches, cut them back on each
side about half their length, and let every cut be just above a cut or fork, as the
holly has always dormant buds at the base of a fork. The hard wood must be
cut with a fine saw, and smoothed over with a sharp knife. After pruning,
syringe the tree frequently during dry weather, not morning and evening only,
but ay time whenever you can spare five minutes; but do not water the root
at all.

Corton Prant.—Amateur.—The best cotton plant for ornamental purposes
is Gossypium hirsutum, a biennial shrub which grows like a currant-bush and
flowers profusely. Having raised the plants in a hot-bed, pot them singly in
small pots in light rich soil, and re-place in the hot-bed. When they have filled
the pots with roots, shift to thirty-two size pots, and plunge in heat again, keep-
ing them at an average of sixty-five degrees—say, sixty degrees by night and
seventy degrees by day. In June place them in a sunny greenhouse, and at the
end of July shift to twenty-four or eighteen size pots, using equal parts of loam,
rotten dung, and sharp sand. Winter them in the coolest part of the stove, and
keep rather dry. While growing they require abundance of water.

Onion Grus.—A correspondent writes as follows:—For many years past I
have been sadly tormented by the onion grub, In some seasons they have
destroyed my whole crop, but the two last seasons I have been quite free from -
them by using the following mixture :—To a barrowful of dry sawdust mix two
quarts of coal tar; mix them thoroughly, so that the sawdust may be quite
blackened by the ccal tar, and have the appearance of soot. In the beginning
of May I sow the above quantity over four beds, 30 feet long by 3% feet broad.
It is not at all injurious to the young onions. I suppose it is the smell of the
coal tar that banishes the onion fly, as I have had fine healthy crops since using
the above precaution.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 129

POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA.

poses HIS elegant stove plant, which flowers with large heads of
fh} bracts of the most brilliant crimson at the end of the
shoots, ranging from four to twelve inches in diameter,
is so easy of cultivation, that it should be grown by all
who have the command of stove heat. It is cultivated
largely by nurserymen for the London markets, and the method
adopted by them for its cultivation is sufficiently simple as to be
readily understood by any amateur. It is invaluable for decorative
purposes, its elegant crowns of crimson bracts, mixed with ferns,
palms, and other foliage plants, being wonderfully effective, showing
well under artificial light ; and as it flowers at a time when bloom is
scarce, it renders assistance in the filling of vases and epergnes at a
time of year when such methods of decoration are in request.

A stock of Poinsettias may easily be obtained, as from one nicely
established plant several may be obtained, by striking cuttings in
March or April, for which purpose the old plant should be started
into growth at the end of February or the beginning of March, by
being placed in a warm corner of the stove and moderately watered,
when the new growth will soon appear. Cuttings of the new shoots
of three or four joints are the best: these must be put in pans filled
with sand, and placed ina heat of about 70°. A hot-bed prepared for
cucumbers wili answer very well, keeping them rather drier than
enttings in heat are generally kept, but do not let them flag, as they
must receive no check from the first. When rooted, place them on
the tank or in the hot-bed again.

A succession of cuttings may also be made in May, July, and
August. The summer temperature should be 65° to 90°. For
plants with single stems the cuttings should be gradually shifted on
until they are put into six-inch pots, or if large specimens are
required four or tive cuttings may be placed at once into three-inch
pots and then gradually repotted as more root space is required until
they are in eight-inch pots. They should be shifted immediately the
pots are filled with roots, until they receive their final shift, as
becoming pot-bound in the earlier stages of their growth is most
injurious to them. To grow them well they should be in a moist
atmosphere and receive plenty of moisture at the roots. Dryness at
the roots will almost invariably be followed by the falling of a large
portion of the foliage. They do not require shade, and will bear a
high temperature without injury, but abundauce of air must be
allowed them when exposed to the brilliant summer sunshine, or the
leaves may be scorched. It is not advisable to strike the cuttings too
early, as the young plants are apt to be drawn up and become leggy ;
but if struck too late, they may not bloom as early as required, which
is asually about Christmas. A good compost for the cultivation of
Poinsettias may be prepared by mixing weil together equal parts of
turfy loam, leat-mould, fibrous peat, and silver sand, and the simplest
plan of cultivation is to allow the plants to grow to their full height
and flower as they please.

May. 9

130 HE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

CULTIVATION OF THE EPACRIs.

SHE close resemblance and near botanical relationship of
the Epacrids to the Ericas, afford the key to their
successful treatment. They are so far hardy that a close
damp stove would soon be the death of all the species
committed to it, and so far tender that exposure to
burning sun or frost would be equally fatal. Moderate and gentle
forcing they bear with patience, but they require at all times plenty
of light and air, and must be guarded against stagnant moisture, and
all sudden changes of temperature. In a greenhouse badly managed,
the epacrises will be among the first plants to perish, but with
thoughtful and constant atiention they make a good return, and are
exquisitely beautiful in their flowering season, and at other times
neat and interesting shrubs. All the species and their varieties thrive
in good peat alone, and require no other soil, with the exception of
E. microphylla, E. exserta, and E. andromede-flora, which do better in
a compost consisting of one-third mellow hazelly loam, and the
remainder sandy peat. As they all flower early in the year, and
continue in bloom from January to July, it is necessary to give them
every needful attention during the winter, as the flowering wood is
then in process of advancement from a state of comparative rest to
the development of blossoms, and any undue degree of cold or damp
will render the flower buds abortive. The winter temperature should
never exceed 50°, nor be lower than 40°, in order to keep the plants
as nearly dormant as possible without injuring the flowering wood.
As the season of flowering approaches, there will be no need of the
aid of artificial heat to the extent of forcing, but a temperature of
60° to 70° is allowable, then plenty of air can be given, and the
plants must then have plenty of water, and be scarcely at all shaded.
‘As soon as flowering is over, cut back the plants moderately, and
keep them rather close till new growth begins, which will follow close
upon the pruning. They may now be treated in precisely the same
way as camellias and azaleas when making their new wood, and as
soon as the new shoots are an inch long, turn them out of their pots,
remove a portion of the old soil without injuring the principal roots,
and repot in the same pots or one size larger. After this operation
shut them up for about ten days, and then give them plenty of air,
and in about fifteen or twenty days after repotting place them out of
doors in turf pits to finish their growth and ripen the wood for next
season’s bloom. If turned out without repotting, they frequently
die or become unhealthy and unsightly, and if not properly prepared
for turning out as we here advise, some similar disaster may occur,
for the delicate roots of these plants are quite unfitted to bear any
extremes, and it is for that reason we recommend turf pits, which
are more uniformly moist and equable in temperature than any other
kind of receptacle for plants in summer time out-of-doors. In any
case the pots must be plunged to the rim ; earth or ashes may suffice
for plunging, but there is nothing to equal cocoa-nut fibre refuse
for this purpose, as we have proved by experience. It is such a perfect
non-conductor, that a mass of it is not soon affected by alternations

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 131

of temperature, and ii is always uniformly moist without being over
wet, unless the bed is made up on a surface of undrained clay, which,
of course, is not to be taken into the reckoning when we are
addressing sensible gardeners. Never let them get dust dry, never
make them excessively wet, never let them be exposed to a burning

gun, but treat them as nearly as possible as hardy plants, and let them
enjoy all the summer sunshine and fresh breezes as you would the
hardiest alpines, and house them for the winter early in the month
of October.

Cuttings strike very slowly but surely, as with proper treatment
not one in fifty need be lust. Cuttings, if made short, and of the
extreme ends of half-ripe branches, will strike at any season, but the
only safe season for beginners is the spring. The points of shoots
should be removed for the purpose, and should be only an inch or an
inch and a-half long. These cuttings, divested of their lowest leaves,
are to be potted in pure silver sand. Cover the cuttings with bell-
glasses, and place the pans in a cold pit, which is preferable to
placing them on bottom-heat. When they have struck root, which
may be known by the fresh growth of the points of the cuttings, pot
in small pots, using sandy peat and placing them in a frame or pit,
and as soon as they have again begun to grow, again remove them to
the greenhouse, and there treat them as we have above directed for
old plants.

It is of the utmost importence that the pots containing epacrises
should be well drained, aud in potting extra care must be taken to
pack the crocks so that there will be no fear of the soil washing down
and stopping the drainage, for a water-logged condition will soon
prove fatal to them. The soil should never be sifted, but broken
with the hand to the size of walnuts, and with all the dust and grit
added in filling in. In case of compulsory neglect in regard to
potting, they may be shifted when taken into the greenhouse for the
winter, but it is greatly preferable to repot them before turning out
insummer. Take care in pottiag to merely loosen the roots wita
the hand so as to remove a little of the old soil without distressing
the roots, but never cut the roots with a knife except in some
extreme cuse, and then cautiously.

GARDENING IN AUSTRALIA.
THE MELBOURNE BOTANIC GARDENS.

pa. W. k. GUILFYOYLE, the energetic manager of the
' Melbourne Botauis Gardens, has sent us his third
Annual Report, from which we make the following
interesting extracts :-—
_ “ One of the principal features in my original design
Was the creation throughout the Gardens of spacious lawns, in some
cases occupying places where formal and narrow walks existed; thus
giving to suitable places a park-like appearance, and affording a
right and elastic turf, over which the visitors could roam at
May.

132 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

pleasure. In accordance with this plan, about 3500 yards of walks
have been obliterated ; while 2600 yards of curvilinear walks have
been made in the Botanic Gardens. While the introduction of
broad lawns give infinite beauty to the Jandscape, it also renders
easy the task of keeping the area so treated in good order. The
new lawns which have been formed in the Botanic Gardens are kept |
in thorough order by a one-horse machine, attended by one man; —
and the work is efficiently done in this manner, whereas a garden
cut up with innumerable straight paths, with narrow borders and
mean edgings, requires continual attention, andafar greater amount
of labour. To obviate this as far as possible, I have adopted the
system of broad grass edgings, which maintain a regular, smooth
appearance at a minimum cost of labour. The high opinions I
expressed in my two previous annual reports respecting the Buffalo
grass as being a splendid grass for lawus, has been practically
demonstrated in these Gardens. It is also a very valuable grass for
resisting the encroachment of sand on the coast, besides possessing
other admirable qualities.

“Trees numbering 682, aud averaging in height from 7 to 35
feet, were removed to the new lawns from the thickets bordering
the old paths, and only five of the number died—an acacia, two
Pittosporums, a Pinus insignis, and a Grevillea robusta—all of which
are plentifully represented in the Gardens. The trees thus removed
are doing well, and successfully withstood the two months’ exces-
sively hot weather at the close of the summer.

“A lawn of several acres in extent, planted with Buffalo grass,
has been formed on a space sloping down to the Botanic Gardens
lake. It includes portions formerly occupied by the emu pens and
monkey cages, and a part divided into segments by eight walks,
three of which were parallel a few yards from each other. The
Palms, Cycads, Bamboos, Pampas grass, Arundo, Yuccas, Agaves,
Cordylines, Draceeuas, &c., which have also been planted singly and
in groups on tnis lawn, give a general tropical effect, creating a
variety of striking views from different points of observation. Two
large specimens of Jubza spectabilis (a hardy palm of great beauty )
were brought from the grounds of the late Hon. M. O’Grady, and
planted on this lawn. Top-dressing was found necessary during the
summer on account of the hard, clayey nature of the soil, especially
in those places where the former pathways led down to the iake, and
across the spot where the fern gully now exists. A rustic summer-
house with thatched roof kas been erected near the rockery. The
wood of which this house is built was obtained from the wattle scrub
on the Yarra bank. It presents a neat and appropriate appearance,
and will be supplied with water for drinking purposes—a matter
which requires attention throughout the Gardens, before the sum-
mer sets in. At the bridge crossing the lagoon a tap and ladle have
been temporarily placed, supplied with drinking water, by a syphon
from one of the tanks of rain water at the Director’s house.

“ Of course, in lawn making it is always advisable to tirst of all
thoroughly drain the place. If the lawn is an extensive one, and
trenching is considered too expensive, the ground should be sub-soil

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 133

ploughed, harrowed, levelled, raked, and thickly sown with the
mixed lawn grasses usually sold by the nurserymen here, a little
clover being added ; and in the spring the spade should be stuck in
at regular distances, and rooted pieces of the Buffalo and Doub
asses (Stenotaphrum glabrum and Cynodon dactylon) planted.
hese after a short time will meet, giving, with the English grasses,
both a summer and a winter lawn. In summer the Buffulo and
Doub grasses are sure to be green. If the soil is naturally poor,
top-dressing after the first year with street sweepings, mixed with a
sandy soil or friable loam, will be found of value in increasing the
strength of the sward. The correctness of this theory I have practi-
cally demonstrated, as may be seen in the Gardens at the present
time. One lawn only was formed entirely of Buffalo grass ; but to
neutralize its rather brown tint during severe frosts, I had it top-
dressed, and scattered over it a slight sowing of the English mixture
of lawn grass seeds.

“‘T may here point out that a place laid out in the form which I
am giving to the Botanic Gardens will be easily kept in order after
a year or two. Grasslawns can be mown bya machine. The three
large lawns lately made in the Gardens, as I have previously stated,
can be attended to and kept in order by the labour of one man and
a horse ; and they could go over a much greater space in a week ;
whereas numerous borders of flowers, with walks occupying the same
space, would necessitate a vast amount of labour and expense. Nor
can anything in the way of extensive gardening be more beautiful
than a succession of verdant lawns, broken by graceful groups of

_ diversified foliage and effectively arranged floral bloom. Hven the
highest and most important feature in a Botanic Garden—the
collection and scientific arrangement of plants—can be advan-
tageously carried out in this manner, thus combining the useful with
the ornamental, and gratifying the taste of lovers of the picturesque
and beautiful, while facilitating the researches of the botanical student.

“The white gravel formerly in use for paths in the Botanical
Gardens was objectionable, not only from its glare, but from the
fact of its remaining disintegrated and absorbing much water during
wet weather, thus becoming sloppy and heavy. With the view of
remedying this defect, I endeavoured to discover a gravel bed in the
Gardens which might be utilized in forming the new paths; and
alter three attempts in sinking holes for this purpose, fortunately
discovered a bed of fine orange-coloured gravel, which has been
freely used in constructing the new walks in the Gardens. This
gravel, after a time, becomes as hard as cement, and makes a firm,
dry footway, while its colour harmonizes most agreeably with the
surrounding vegetation.

“The lake in the Botanical Gardens has been kept thoroughly
clear of weeds by the [T-shaped machine, armed with scythe-blades,
which I designed, and which was described in my last annual report.
The clear sheet of water now takes its proper place as one of the
salient points in the landscape; and when the remodelling of the
Gardens is complete, will prove a most important and attractive
feature in the views to be obtained from various points. During the

May-

134 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

‘intensely hot weather, when the lake was nearly dry, advantage was
taken of the opportunity to obtain a large quantity of manure from
it, for general use in the Gardens. The bottom of this lake contains
a deposit of rich manure, decayed vegetation having been continually
conveyed into it, down the slopes, which are drained by it; and it
woula be very advisable, on a fitting occasion, to deepen the lake,
when enough soil of arich description would be obtained to | eighten
the low ground at its head. Rhododendrons, Magnolias, Azaleas,
etc., would look well on the islands which stud this lake; and it is
my intention to plant a few there this season.

“The swans and wild fowl are doing well. Of the cygnets
hatched last year, two only remain, one having been shot by some
evil-disposed person. The swans caused much trouble during the
summer season, by going over the bank into the Yarra, travelling
miles up the river; now, however, that the iron boundary fence of
the Gardens has been erected along the bank of the Yarra, the
swans are shut in, while the Gardens are protected from the rough
characters who usually infested them, especially on Sundays, coming
up the river in boats and idling about on the bank.

“The sloping bank to the lake where the experimental Garden
now exists, and at present clothed from end to end with Willows,
Fraxinus, Ulmus, Aloes, Ricinus, Cypress, Pinus, ete., ete., has
straight paths running down to the Jake. This part of the grounds
could be transformed into a most picturesque spot, and various
orders arranged in groups. The Amaryllide have been grouped
near the band-stand, on the Palm-house lawn; near this the
Liliacee will be arranged a little lower down, and nearer again to
the lake the Iridacew. ‘The Liliacew, Cordylines, Dracenas, and
Yuceas, will be beautiful objects with Ripogonums, and other climb-
ing plants of the tribe, planted at theirstems. They ould tower far
above the Aloes, Phormium (or New Zealand flax), Ruscus, Arthro-
podium, Astelia, Dianella, Ornithogalum, and Hyacinth, ete., and
altogether form an interesting collection for the student of botany.

‘The proper drainage, and reticulation of the water supply from
the Yarra, is a most important matter, not only with respect to
Government house grounds, but the Botanic Gardens also, The
poor character of the soil in many places necessitates it. The banks
of the new reservoir in the Botanic Gardens (which has been
estimated to be capable of supplying 350,000 gallons twice a day)
have been planted with Buffalo grass. ‘This reservoir will be of
very great service; it will be kept filled by en engine of great power
substituted for the 6 U.P. one at present in use. In seasous of
drought its value will beimmense. The engine will draw the supply
from the Yarra, the water of which is, however, only fit for garden-
ing purposes, there being no supply of Yan Yean in the place, the
latter having been cut off before I took office. The residents in the
Gardens occasionally contrive to secure a little rain water from their
houses; but when that fails, they are forced to use the polluted
water from the Yarra. In such extensive Gardens, the resort of
thousands, especially during the summer season, there should be an ~
abundant supply of drinking water for visitors; and I trust that —

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 135,

some provision will be made before the summer sets in to supply
this great want, as also to provide drinking fountains throughout
the grounds. A few rustic seats round large trees on the lawns and
elsewhere, have been provided during the past year under my
directions, and these should be materially added to. The overflow
from the new reservoir can be utilized in supplying small lakes below
it. This portion of the Gardens when completed will prove a very
striking spot. The contract for a portion of the new Conservatory
has been commenced. The old one is in such a dilapidated con-
dition, that it would not be a surprising matter to find it blown
down some windy night.

“ In the triangular piece formed by the entrance from Anderson
Street, a natural system of plants will be commenced at once. With
respect to the entrances to the Gardens generally, it would be a great
improvement to remove the present unsightly gardeners’ residences
scattered throughout the grounds, and substitute lodges at the
various entrances.

“The Fern Gully in the Botanic Gardens is now one of the
great attractions in the grounds, and it has quite fulfilled the
expectations I expressed concerning it in my first report. ‘The large
ferns have flourished, and row spread their cool green fronds over
the small species growing beneath their shade. ‘The aspect of the
place is quite a natural one, as it should be; and while the shelter
trees transplanted there afford the requisite shade, it has been freely
planted with stag-horn and elk-horn ferns, which give increased
beauty and appropriateness to the spot. A number of tall tree
ferns trom Mount Macedon have been planted here, and are growing
vigorously.

“The number of visitors to the Gardens during the past year
has been exceedingly great. The “Southern District’’ brass band
performs every alternate Saturday in the grounds, in fine weather.
It is gratifying to find that the Gardens are so extensively visited
by the public, and that the lawns and other improvements made are
generally appreciated.

“ During the past season a good display of flowers was kept up
throughout the Botanic Gardens until the drought set in, Iam
most anxious to form a good Rosery in these Gardens. Though
there are some magnificent collections of the ‘‘ Queen of Flowers”
around Melbourne, I have not seen a Rosery on a thoroughly grand
scale in the colonies; and the Melbourne Gardens should certainly
not be deficient of this beautiful feature. I have already secured a
superb collection of Camellias, which are doing exceedingly well. I
have also a fine collection of Azaleas, but Rhododendrons and Roses
are very deficient. The former will be required, amongst other
things, for planting on the islands in the lake, while the necessity
for a Rosery is at once apparent, Properly formed, such a feature
in the Gardens would be one of surpassing interest, and would
alone afford immense gratification to the public during the season
when these beautiful flowers are in bloom, while the contrast of
colour by effective grouping would create magnificently harmonious
and pleasing nature-pictures.”’

May,

GUIDE,

GARDEN

THE FLORAL WORLD AND

136

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 137

CROTON APPENDICULATUS.
S=—e_gROTON APPENDICULATUS is remarkable for the

peculiar formation of its leaves and elegance of outline,
and is desirable for its interesting appearance and the
contrast it affords when arranged with those of bold

habit, and having richly-coloured foliage. The form
is of neat growth, and the leaves, which are of the deepest green,
are narrow, and in the case of well-developed examples depend in
the most graceful manner possible. It is a charming plant for the
dinner-table and drawing-room, and will not fail to secure a fair share
of appreciation. It was introduced to this country by Messrs.
J. Veitch and Sons.

WINDOW GARDENING.
BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.

(Continued from page 103.)
INSECTS : THEIR PREVENTION AND CURE.

HE insect which most generally attacks plants is a kind of
i; aphis, commonly called the greenfly. It becomes quite
a plague on plants if allowed to increase, which it does
at a most astonishing rate. If left to themselves they
would soon bring your plants to a most disreputable
condition, ultimately killing them outright. They are always worst
on soft-wooded plants, such as calceolarias, cinerarias, pelargoniums,
etc. A healthy robust growing plant is not so liable to be attacked
asasickly one. A sickly plant is their great delight. They feed on
the underside of the leaves like a flock cf miniature sheep, and cluster
around the tender shoots and flower-buds with the most persistent
greediness, causing the leaves to curl up and turn yellow, and the
tender shoots and flower-buds to grow deformed and crooked, arrest-
ing their growth and expansion. Thus you see greenfly is an enemy
you must give no quarter to. Hunt them down and destroy them
whenever they make their appearance. Do not kill them on the
leaf if you can help it. With a little brush or a feather you will be
able to sweep them off into your hand, or anywhere where you can
destroy them.

Tobacco smoke is the surest and best thing to killthem. If you
have a window greenhouse you can easily manage this by shutting it
close after sundown and filling it with tobacco smoke. All plants in
bloom that have no fly on them should first be removed, not to let the
smoke damage their bloom. For the operation you will need a tin
canister with several holes punched through the bottom, a handful of
tobacco paper, and a red hot cinder. You will always be able to get
an old canister. Tobacco paper you can purchase at one shilling and
sixpence per pound, from any nursery man or seedsman. Half a

May,

138 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

pound will do for several applications. Tease out the paper and put
a small handful above the red cinder in the canister, and place it
inside the greenhouse on the edges of two small pots to cause a
draught, and sbut it up close. When the house is quite full so that
you can hardly see the plants, take out the canister quickly and keep
the greenhouse shut for nearly half an hour; then open it and let
out the smoke, and the deed is done. After the smoke is all out, take
the plants to the door and give them a good syringing to remove the
dead and dying insects. ‘ake care not to overdo it in smoking
plants, as you might burn them; better do it moderately and repeat
it than overdo it once.

If you have only one or two plants infested, the best plan is to
have a large paper bag big enough to cover the plant entirely and
close enough down so that a handful or two of soil may be put round
the bottom to keep it close; this with one of the corners torn off
makes an excellent smoking apparatus, and you need only to puff the
smoke from your pipe in at the corner till the bag is full. Keep the
corner shut with ycur fingers, or pin it close for some time, and then
let the smoke escape by the corner.

Two other insects, a small red spider and a longish grey insect
called thrip, are very bad on plants. Treating them the same way
with tobacco smoke, and washing the plants well, will exterminate
them quickly. They are as great a plague as greenfly when allowed
to increase.

There are three other insects which may trouble you sometimes,
called brown-scale, white-scale, and mealy-bug. It is just a chance if
ever you are troubled with them. Brown and white-scale stick close
to the stems, giving them a spotted appearance. Mealy-bug looks
like a small patch of down sticking in the axil of the leaves; it isa
small yellowish grey insect, much like a bug in shape with a soft
white downy substance wrapped round it. Hard-wooded plants only
are infested with scale. Mealy-bug attacks hard and soft wooded
a alike. A sponge and soap-and-water is the best cure for
them.

You may likely be troubled with slugs. They crawl over the
plants leaving their slimy paths, and nibbling at the leaves and tender
shoots, often causing great destruction. If you find their traces about
your plants hunt for them with a candle at night among the leaves
and pots; you are sure to get them then if they are there, as they
come out during night to feed. fer

I hope you will understand how to manage your plants now if
infested with insects. But remember, plants, when kept clean and
in good health, are scarcely ever troubled with insect pests.

PROPAGATING AND TRAINING OF PLANTS.

To have some knowledge of the training and propagating of
plants is very necessary. A few simple rules are all that you require,
as taste and circumstances must guide you a great deal in this matter.
Plants of a slender growth suchas fuchsias, pelargoniums, petunias,
ete., should be staked with neat wooden stakes painted green. When

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 139

staking, keep the stakes bebind the plant or branches to keep them
out of sight a little. A pot of annuals, such as mignonette, may have
four small stakes round the pot at equal distances, and small twine
looped round them to keep the plants up. Primulas or Chinese
primroses, having slender necks, should have three little pins round
their necks to keep them steady. Calceolarias will require every
flowering branch staked to make handsome specimens, but four stakes
the same as recommended for mignonette will do. Hyacinths and
tulips are better staked with wire than wooden stakes, as it does not
look so clumsy for such beautiful flowers.

Plants of a trailing habit, such as clematis, petunias, tropzeolums,
ivy-leaved geraniums, and many others, always look best trained
over wire globes or trellis-work, as represented by the figures below.
Ivy-leaved geraniums especially make a beautiful window-screen when
grown in a box in your window and trained over an ornamental wire

WIRE PLANT TRAINERS.

trellis fixed firmly to the box. Try this, and you will find what a
pretty window screen it makes.

To keep your plants in shape, if a strong shoot threatens to spoil
the outline of your specimen, pinch the point off and it will throw
out side-shvots to keep the proper shape. Young plants of geraniums,
fuchsias, etc., that you want to branch out and make bushy specimens,
must have their leading shoots treated in the same way.

You can make very nice flower stakes ont of common laths, but
I think it would be far better to purchase them from a seedsman
ready made. You can get them from ninepence to three shillings
per 100, according to lengths of from one foot to three anda half feet.
A bundle of 100 would last you for years, and they are always at
hand when required.

Staking plants should be done neatly, and room enough left in
tying for the stems to swell. If it is a quick-growing plant, leave the

May,

140 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

stake considerably longer than the shoot to tie it up as it grows. A
fuchsia, for instance, always looks best if trained as one leading
shoot, with only one stake in the middle of the pot. Any weak or
lengthy side-shoots can be looped to the stake. This rule holds good
for most plants if you wish your plant to be pyramidalin shape. The
secret of neat effective staking, is to stake your plants properly with
as few stakes as you can, not to have your pot full of unsightly
stakes with little foliage to hide them. Supposing you have a plant
with a good many shoots or branches, in staking that plant contrive
if you can to have the tallest shoot in the centre and the smaller ones
outside, and all equally round, so that it may be as well balanced on
all sides as you possibly can make it.

The propagation of flowering plants is a very simple thing. A
cutting when properly made and inserted in the soil only requires you
to have a little patience till it roots, and to be left alone in the soil
till then; not pulled up now and then to see if it is rooted, as many
will do. The same may be said regarding your seeds after they are

DOUBLE FLOWER-POT FOR STRIKING CUTTINGS.

sown; let them alone in peace ; they will be showing their little heads
above ground by and by; they do not like being disturbed till then.
To enable you to raise your own plants I will say a few words on
propagation. It is but reasonable to think you will have a greater
pride in a plant that you have raised yourself from a cutting or a
seed than one you may purchase ready to your hand. Plants are
propagated from cuttings, seeds, and division. Geraniums and
fuchsias, for instance, are very easily raised from cuttings in this way.
Select a strong healthy shoot, cut away the lower leaves, then with a
very sharp knife cut it cleanly through, beneath an eye or joint, and
insert it with a dibber in the cutting pot, about an inch and a half
deep. Calceolarias are easily raised by taking off side-shoots by a
joint, cutting off the lower pair of leaves, and inserting the slips up

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 141

to the first joint. In taking cuttings it is a rule either to slip them
off at a joint with the joint or heel on, or, taking a part of a branch
or shoot and cutting it clean across below aneyeor bud. The reason
for this is that a cutting roots far quicker and surer at a joint, or
beneath an eye, than it would do at any other part of the stem. The
sap or life-blood of a plant rises between the bark and the wood.
When a cutting is taken off, the sore part of the wound inflicted
must of course be where the flow of the life current has been
stopped ; so it is naturally there where it heals up first and the root
appears. A cutting when it shows signs of rooting, calices or heals
up round the inside of the bark, much in the same way as you will
see a tree heal over where a branch has been cut off. Directly after
ealicing has taken place the little rootlets make their appearance as
little round knobs, which soon Jengthen out searching for food to
sustain the returning energies of the cutting, which is now entitled
to the dignified name of a plant.

Cinerarias, musk plants, forget-me-nots, primroses, and other
plants that throw out leaves or shoots direct from the crown of the
root, can be easily propagated by division; that is, cutting them up
into parts and potting the parts separately. Mosses or selaginellas
are propagated by inserting several ends or pieces over the surface of
the pot or pan that you intend for a specimen plant. Ferns in most
varieties are propagated by division, those with creeping stems or
rhizomes by simply cutting off a part and potting it; and others that
form a crown by cutting clean through the ball and crown and
separating it. When inserting a cutting make a hole with a dibber
and fill up the hole round the cutting with sand, which will prevent
them much from damping away at the stem.

Annuals, such as stocks, asters, mignonette, candytuft, ete., are all
raised from seed. All flowers that spring, grow, flower, and die all
in one season, are called annuals; biennials live and flower for two
seasons or more. You have therefore to raise new plants of annuals
every year, and can always have a change from one kind to another.
And besides, they are very interesting, as you have the whole dura-
tion of their existence under your notice, from the germinating of the
seed till they flower out and die. Their life is short indeed, but how
lovely they are when in the height of their beauty.

A great many people err in sowing their seed too deep, and are
therefore disappointed in the result. Too-deep sown seeds are
smothered. Never sow them much deeper than an eighth of an inch.
Seeds vary much in size, and the depth of sowing must vary accord-
ingly. Scarlet runners, nasturtiums, and sweet peas may be sown a
quarter of an inch deep; stocks, asters, mignonette, candytuft, etc.,
just covered and no more. Very small seeds, such as calceolarias
and Jobelias, should be sown on a fine smooth sandy surface, not
covered, kept damp, and have a bit of glass placed over the pot to
keep the cold draughty air off. Always shade your seed pots or pans
from the suu, for it would soon dry them up, and destroy the germi-
nating power of seeds; a piece of brown paper tacked down over
them till they are up will do very well. When you are going to fill
a pot to sow seed in, give it good drainage and shake the soil down

May.

142 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

level in the pot; then sow your seeds on the surface, and with a flat
piece of wood gently press the seed and soil level, then scatter some
finely sifted soil loosely over it. Water with a fine rose, taking great
care not to wash the seeds up or disturb them. Never let the seed
pots get dry, and after the seeds are up take good care to wet the
seedlings as little as you cap as long as they are in their seed leaves ;
in case they damp away, contrive to water round the edge of the pot
or box and in open spaces through. You can easily give all your
different kinds of seeds their proper depth in your window-box, and
shade them till they are up.

You will find it a delightful and interesting pastime, raising your
own plants eitber from cuttings or seeds, and you will have a far
ereater interest in them, knowing them thus from their very infancy.
T explained in a former paper how to treat your seedlings after they
are up to ensure a good display. Your cuttings, as soon us they are
nicely rooted, should be potted with good potting soil into five or six
inch pots, where they will grow very quickly into nice little specimen
plants.

THE ORANGE TREE.

ammeS the season is now advancing, it may be interesting to
: some of your readers to know that this is the best time
of the year to shift orange trees, they having been
pruned in some three weeks or a month back, also
. having received a good soaking in tepid water. The
soil I use is two parts of the top spit of a good rich loam, which has
Jain ina heap for six or twelve months, and turned once or twice
in the winter season—one part leaf-mould, a little rotten cow-dung,
with a sufficient quantity of silver-sand and road grit to keep the
soil open and porous, being well broken with the spade, but not
shifted, unless rubbed through a coarse sieve. Let the pots or boxes
be well drained, placing a little moss over the drainage to prevent
the soil mixing with it. In shifting the trees let the soil be pretty
firmly pressed about the roots, not using the soil too dry or too
wet. I am no advocate to sluice the water into the new-potted
trees as soon as the potting is completed, but let them get moderately
dry, and then give them a good soaking. They ought to be placed
in a temperature of between 50° and 60° until they have made their
growth, which will be by the end of May; then let them have more
air, as no more fire-heat will be required after this time, giving a
good soaking of water as they may require it, occasionally with
weak liquid manure, and syringing them every fine evening. I do not
prefer placing the trees out-of-doors, unless it is in a very favour-
able or sheltered situation, screened from the mid-day sun, until the
latter end of August, which then ripens the wood, and the rains
which wash the foliage benefits the trees much. Take them into
the house again the last week in September, and give them very
little water until the latter end of March.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 143

THE CULTIVATION OF THE ACHIMENES.

AHERE are few plants more beautiful, or that will better
reward the cultivator for an extra attention, than the
different species and varieties of Achimenes, [ have
had fine specimens of the grandiflora in bloom for six
weeks, and they look as if tney would continue to bloom
in fine condition for as much longer. The longiflora, though not so
fine with me as I have seen with other cultivators, has also been
beautifully in flower, whilst hirsuta and pedunculata—the latter in
its bloom little inferior to picta—are just showing their flower-buds,
One advantage which picta possesses over the other is, that it will
grow and flower more freely in the winter months when placed in a
stove temperature, but then, all the others will flourish for a longer
period in a greenhouse temperature. One of their great recommen.
dations to amateurs of limited means, and to persons who, like
myself, are required to make a great floral display in summer and
autumn, with but limited means for keeping up a stock during the
winter, is, that during the cold months of the year, as soon as done
flowering, they require no attention more than keeping the roots
dry and free from frost. My plan with them, as well as Gloxinias,
and several of the Gesneras, is merely to lay the pots on their
broadsides, and pile them up in brick fashion in any snug corner
below a stage. The Achimenes will stand a greater degree of cold
with impunity than the Gloxinias will do, unless the roots of the
latter are very dry, when they are apt to become so much shrivelled
as to impair their future luxuriance. To preserve them safely neither
of them should be exposed to a lower temperature than 35°, and if
40° is made the minimum, so much the better. The roots will keep
better in the pots in which they were previously growing, than if
taken out and put away in drawers, ete. The soil I use is equal
parts of turfy loam and turfy peat, with an addition of about one.
sixth part of silver-sand, rotten dung, and lumps of charcoal, in
equal proportions, using more charcoal if the soil is not lumpy and
foll of fibre. Iisa matter of little consequence whether they are
grown in pans or pots, for though the roots are inclined to run
shallow, I have found them at the bottom of the largest pots.
Whether pots or shallow pans are used, there should be no deficiency
of drainage. To keep up @ euccession of bloom as long as possible,
Succession tubers should be excited in February, April, and the
end of June, or any time between these periods. If excited later
they will be of small service to the amateur who has got nothing but
his greenhouse, frame, or pit. There will be no difficulty in exciting
any of them, except the first lot, and that difficulty will not exist
with the amateur if he has a pit heated by any means except dung,
for his early melons and cucumbers. For accomplishing that object
the scaly tubers should be taken out of the pots, and placed, with a
little earth about them, into small shallow pans, and at once trans-
ferred to a situation commanding a temperature of 60° or 70°, with
abundance of atmospheric moisture. ‘his can be ag easily effected
May.

144 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

in a dung-bed frame as anywhere else, with this difference, that
after the plants have sprung, and after they are potted and commence
growing, the frame must have a little air night and day, and in bright
weather the plants would require shading, or the action of the sun on
the leaves of the young plants, when covered with the dense vapour
arising from the dung-beds, will mark them with brown blotches,
which will mar their beauty, however well they may grow afterwards.
In moving the plants from the pans in which they were excited
(which should be done when the plants are an inch or two high),
they may be transferred into small pots, to be again shifted, or they
may be put into their flowering pots at once, which is the method I
prefer. In doing so, some cultivators place the requisite number
of tubers at regular distances over the pot; but in general, and
especially with such sorts as pedunculata, grandiflora, hirsuta, etc.,
I prefer bringing all the growing ends of the tubers to the centre
of the pot, and placing the other ends in a line to the circumference,
like the spokes of a wheel, so that the specimen may resemble a
single plant, and not a pot full of svakes. The same plan may be
adopted whether one, three, five, seven, or more tubers are employed.
When thus potted they must be again placed in heat, and hardened
off by degrees to the temperature of the greenhouse. All of them
are grateful for a little shade, the leaves being more healthy, and the
flowers brighter and hanging longer. A late vinery, where little or
no heat is given, or a greenhouse with either vine or creepers up the
rafters, is just the place for them. In a glass case, which could be
shaded, but where uo fire-heat could be applied, I have seen them
beautifully in bloom until very cold weather set in during November.
Altogether they require no more, if as much, labour to grow as
balsams that are fit to be seen; while, without detracting from the
beauty of the latter, the Achimenes cannot be charged with the
constant litter that the drooping of the flowers of balsams occasions.
If fly makes any appearance on the leaves, smoke with tobacco,
moderately and frequently rather than much at a time, and syringe
the following evening with clear soot water. The fly which attacks
some of them is bad to get rid of, and to kill them in one dose would
probably be an overdose for the healthy vitality of the plants.

HEAT OF PLANTS.

sgeery FH} are aware that warm-blocded animals have the power of
keeping up a certain temperature within them, which
varies at certain stages of their growth, and perhaps
periodically. This result is obtained by respiration—
=~ the oxygen of the atmosphere uniting with the carbon
of their blood, and producing a species of combustion. The more
fresh air we breathe, the greater the heat of our bodies, so long as we
take proper food to afford the carbon. A similar, though less under-
stood, phenomenon seems to take place in the respiration of plants.

Heat is always disengaged when gaseous products are liberated ;

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 145

and as vegetables respire, however slowly, a certain degree of heat
must be produced during that process. In germination, heat is
sensibly evolved; a piece of ice placed on «a growing leaf-bud dis-
solves, when it would remain unchanged in the open air; and
experiment has proved that the surface of growing plants is three or
four degrees higher than the surrounding medium.

Again, the internal temperature of a large trunk is always higher
than the surrounding atmosphere; and though young shoots are
sometimes frozen through, the general structure of the wood and
bark is such as to conduct heat so slowly, that the internal warmth is
never reduced beyond what seems necessary to vitality. During
germination this heat is most perceptible; and though it be rapidly
dissipated by the extent of surface exposed to the air, 100° have been
noted during matting, and 87° in the flower of a geranium when the
atmosphere was only at 81°.

THE USES OF THE GARDEN FRAME.
(Continued from page 116.)

THE GARDEN FRAME AS A PROPAGATING BED.

==" OT the least important application of the garden frame,
ah} 6 for the purposes of utility and decoration, is that of
forming a bed in which to propagate a stock of plants
for bedding out in the flower borders at the commence-
ment of the ensuing summer. Apart from the pleasing
results which are obtained from a propagating bed, there is a great
deal that is interesting and instructive in the process of propagation
itself; it is one of the most wonderful provisions of the Creator that
there should be so many various means of increasing and distributing
the greater part of plants, which, unlike the animal creation, are
destitute of locomotion and consequently have less power in them-
selves of extending their species. It is therefore in this mode of
using the garden frame that the amateur horticulturist will in all pro-
bability derive the greatest amount of gratification.

By about the beginning of July the cucumbers will furnish a
good supply of fruit, which at this seayon will have become sc
common, that it will not be necessary to continue to occupy the
frame with them. The balsams, cockscombs, tomatoes, and all the
other tender plants of which we have already treated, will now be
planted out in the open ground; the annuals which occupied the
exterior of the bed will also have been removed to their several per-
manent situations, and, above all, the heat in the bed will in all
probability be exhausted ; so far as concerns the old bed, therefore, it
will be of little use for the object we have in view; the frame must
therefore be removed from the old bed, and so far as regards the
cucumbers that are left, the natural temperature of the season will
be sufficient to bring them to maturity. There must then be a new
bed formed, and as we have given instructions on this subject

May. 10

146 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

already, we refer our readers for information on this point to the first
section of the second division of this essay, where ample instructions
are given how to raise a hotbed. It will not be necessary, however,
to have one of such a height for propagation as was used for forcing ;
for besides the lesser. amount of heat required for the former, the
season will also contribute considerably in this respect, indeed a
gentle bottom-heat is all that is requisite. Having prepared the dung
as before, erect a bed, say about three feet in height, and treat it in
every respect as was recommended in the first instance, lift on the
frame, and the bed is ready for use. It will not be necessary on this
occasion to make the bed so much larger than the frame, as at this
season the exterior margin will not be in such requisition as it was in
the spring; the whole dimensions of the bed must not therefore be
above ten or twelve inches wider than the frame all round.

Before proceeding to treat of the different plants which are in-
tended to be propagated, we shall devote our attention for a little to
the subject of propagation generally, and more especially to the way
of making cuttings. The first object to be gained is to procure a
number of clean flower-pots, five inches wide at the top; another
matter of importance is to procure some fine, sandy, turfy loam,
sandy peat, and leaf-mould, and also half a bushel of fine, sharp,
gritty, silver sand. The compost which will be found suitable for the
generality of plants will be one-third of the loam, a third of the peat,
and a third of leaf-mould, and the whole made sufficiently open and
porous with a due proportion of the silver sand. These should be
placed upon a bench and well incorporated; the loam and peat
chopped up with all the turf together in one mass. Procure also a
quantity of potsherds, of which the gardener has generally more than
he requires ; place one large piece over the hole in the pot, and fill
up with them to about an inch in thickness; then place a layer of
moss about another inch in thickness, over which fill the pot with
the compost to within about one inch of the surface, to which
fill up with the silver sand. Let the pots be now watered with a pot
having a very fine rose, for the purpose of consolidating the sand;
the pots will then be ready for the cuttings.

We shall now turn our attention to the mode of making the cut-
tings ; but as this varies according to the plant that it is intended to
propagate, we shall confine our remarks for the present to cuttings
generally, leaving any peculiarities to be treated of when we notice
the plants themselves. The best and the only wood for making
cuttings is the extremities of the growing shoots. ‘I'hese when taken
trom the plant should have at least four joints to them; but if the
shoot is long and tender, it may be taken off of such a length as to
supply in some cases two or even three cuttings. We shall suppose,
however, for the sake of illustration, that the extremity of a shoot
with four joints has been selected for the purpose of making a
cutting; the first thing to be done is to remove the two lower leaves,
‘which are situated at the lowest joint (in some plants there is but
one leaf), leaving only about the sixteenth part of an inch of the leaf-
stalk remaining. Then cut off the tip just under the topmost joint,
there will then be only three joints left, the lowest and the two

SaaS ee oe” eee

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 147

upper ones, on the latter of which the leaves must be allowed to
remain. We have sometimes seen propagators who were very fond
of mutilating the leaves which are preserved on the cutting, by
shortening them to one-half their length, but for what object or upon
what physiological principle we could never yet divine; suffice it to
Say it is a most barbarous practice, and is most injurious to the
success of the operation. The cutting being thus prepared, the
operator should provide himself with a small dibber, which is gene-
rally made of a piece of common wood, varying from the thickness
of an ordinary black-lead pencil to that of the forefinger, according
to the thickness of the cuttings which are being planted. All small
euttings should not be planted deeper than half an inch, for the
shallower they are planted, and the nearer to the edge of the pot they
are, the sooner will they take root. The number of cuttings to be
put in a pot must be regulated by the habit and strength of the
plant. When the cuttings are planted they should be well watered
and covered with a bell-glass or any old erystal covering, such as
broken decanters, disabled tumblers, or other such outcasts from the
china closet : such is the general management of cuttings. But we
shall now make a few observations on the various plants which the

amateur gardener is likely to have under his management; we shall

not, however, launch out in too wide a field, for this is a subject to
which there exists no bounds. The operations, however, of our readers
being as limited as their space, and in many instances their time also,
we shall only consider here such plants as are requisite for bedding
out, and furnishing the flower borders during the summer and
autumn months. We shall suppose, then, that the flower borders

_ are this season all well furnished with fine, healthy, free-growing

plants of the following : Heliotropes, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Scarlet
Geraniums, Verbenas, Cinerarias, etc. etc., and that it is intended
to raise a young stock to preserve for bedding out next season, to
present to a friend, to furnish amusement, or for all three purposes.

The Heliotrope.—This is what is popularly termed Cherry-pie,
and, whether as a greenhouse plant or for bedding, isa universal
fayourite. When grown in good soil which is well charged with
rotten dung, it makes a very free and luxuriant growth, supplying
during the whole of the summer and autumn a profusion of its gay
and odoriferous blossoms. In the month of August choose the ter-
minal shoots of some of the most luxuriant plants, and prepare the
cuttings as we have directed above, that is, by cutting close under a
joint. Let them be planted in the pot and placed in the frame, but
it will not be necessary to cover them with a bell-glass. In the
course of two or three weeks, the cuttings will not only have rooted,
but made considerable shoots; they must then be potted off into
single pots, filled with a compost of loam, sandy peat, and well-
decomposed stable manure; for this purpose a part of the old dung

bed on which the frame was formerly placed will be found of great

utility. As the plants fill these pots with roots they must be shifted
on into a size larger, in which they may remain during the winter ;
when they have got this last shift they must be gradually hardened

_off, to prepare them to endure the vicissitudes of the ensuing winter.

May,

148 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

In the spring following, the plants which have survived the winter
should be turned out of the pots, the balls cleared of worms, and
repotted into fresh soil; they should also be shortened in, so as to
make them bushy. In the month of May or Juue they may be
planted out in the flower beds, and as they increase in size they may
be pegged down in a horizontal position on the surface of the soil,
in the same way as Verbenas generally are.

Fuchsias.—The same instructions that are given for the Heliotrope
are also applicable to the Fuchsia ; but the best shoots of which to
make cuttings are those which issue from the main stem, and which
are of a short stubby character. These may be taken off either with
a heel or cut close off with a sharp knife. The cuttings should be
planted in a light sandy soil, and after being about a fortnight in the
frame they will be sufficiently rooted to be replanted into single pots ;
when they have filled the pots they must be moved into those of a
size larger. But the best season for propagating the Fuchsia is in
the spring, when it is desired to grow handsome plants in pots, for
the drawing-room or balcony. ‘The mode of procedure is as follows :
when the bed is first formed, let some of the old plants which have
been taken from the borders in the previous autumn be placed inside
the frame; in the course of a little while they will begin to throw
out young shoots, many of which in the first instance will be long
and weak; the shortest and stoutest must therefore be chosen and
made into cuttings, which should then be planted in a cutting-pot in
the usual way. When the cuttings are rooted they should be
replanted singly into small pots, filled with a compost of turfy loam,
leaf-mould, sand, and a little charcoal, and return them again to the
frame. They will now begin to grow very rapidly, and the great
object to be attended to is, to see that they receive no check, but are
kept in a constant state of growth. For this end they must not be
allowed to become pot-bound, as gardeners call it, that is, the roots
must not entirely fili the pot; but whenever they have nearly filled
it, the plant must be removed into one a size larger. As the plants
increase in size, and after they have received two or three shifts, the
soil into which they are removed should have the addition of some
very old and well-fermented cow-dung mixed with it. This will en-
courage them in a free growth, and they will soon become large and
handsome plants, the size being regulated by the size of the pots into
which they are finally planted: such is the mode of spring raising.
But the plants so obtained are not so good for planting out in the
open air as those are which are propagated in the autumn; as they
are, from being so quickly grown, so much more brittle and tender.

Pelargoniums.—The best time to propagate Pelargoniums is just
after or about the time they finish blooming, which will be towards
the end of July and beginning of August. The shoots which
should be selected for this purpose are those which have not pro-
duced a flower, and which are the short, lateral productions of
the stronger stems. When they are separated from the stock plant,
they should either be slipped off with heels to them, or cut clean
off ata joint with a sharp knife. To prepare them for potting, the
two or three lower leaves must be removed by cutting them off close

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 149

at their base ; the cuttings should then be allowed to remain for some
time in a dry, airy situation, so that the wound may be slightly dried,
and after this is done, they may be inserted in the cutting-pots. The
soil with which the pots must be filled should be of a fine sandy loam,
with a little mixture of leaf-mould. The size of the pots should not
exceed five inches, and indeed many propagators prefer inserting only
one cutting in a pot; but as there will necessarily be failures, perhaps
the better way is to use the five-inch size. In inserting the cuttings,
they should be set all round the edge of the pots, which should now
be plunged into the soil of the bed. In the course of three weeks
or less they will have thrown out roots; this can be ascertained by
taking hold of a leaf and gently pulling it; if it retains a firm hold
of the soil, it may reasonably be supposed that they have taken root,
but if not, they will come up readily. When it has been ascertained
that they have acquired a good supply of roots, they may be trans-
planted singly into what are called small sixty-pots, using the same
soil as we have recommended for the cuttings. Let these pots be
again returned to the frame, so that the plants may go on forming a
growth of shoots ; and after they have filled these pots they must be
removed into others of a size larger. After receiving this second
shift, they must be gradually hardened off by placing them in a
situation where they will get abundance of air, and this will be all
the treatment they will require before the following spring. About
the month of March the plants must be turned out of the pots in
which they have been kept during the winter, and all the old soil
shaken from the roots. The roots must be slightly reduced in bulk,
and the plants repotted into fresh, clean pots, with soil of the same
deseription as already mentioned, to which may be added a little
rotten dung. The plants must be kept in the frame until they have
made a growth, and all danger of late frosts is gone, when they may
be planted out in the flower borders.

Scarlet Geraniums.—The same instructions which have been
given for the propagation and management of the Pelargoniums are
also applicable to the Scarlet Geranivms, except that, before planting
the cuttings, they should be kept for a day or two on a shelf in an
airy place, and allowed to become considerably dry. In keeping
Scarlet Geraniums during the winter, they must receive a very
small supply of water, indeed scarcely any at all, and kept in a dry
cellar where they will be securely protected from frost, and not
receive too much light : in other respects they may be treated in the
same way as other Pelargoniums.

China and Tea-Scented Roses.—It is not only the China and Tea-
Scented Roses which may be propagated in the garden frame, but
also the Bourbon, Noisette, and Boursault varieties. The shoots
which are adapted for making cuttings are those of the current
year’s growth, and they should not be too oid or very firmly set ;
those which are rather tender, and only just beginning to set at the
base, are the best. The cuttings should be stripped off with a heel
to them, and then smoothed with a sharp knife. The soil with
which the pots should be filled must be well-decomposed leaf-mould,
and the cuttings inserted all round the side of the pot, and so

May.

150; THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

placed that the leaves with which they are furnished will not come
in contact with each other. After being slightly watered, they
should be placed in the frame on the surface of the soil at first, and
after a week, when they have somewhat callused over, the pots
should be plunged almost the whole of their depth in the bed.
When the cuttings have taken root they must be repotted into
single pots, as has already been directed for other plants. The soil
used on this occasion should be fine sandy loam and leaf-mould, with
a considerable portion of rotten dung. When the plants are well
established in the pots, they must be hardened off, and prepared for
undergoing their wintering treatment in the cold frame.

Verbenas.—We are almost doubtful whether to treat of the
Verbena in this division of our subject or not, for it is a plant
which may be propagated so readily without the aid either of
a frame or hotbed, simply by pegging down the shoots in the open
border, and roots will be emitted at almost any joint. As culti-
vators are not very fond of disturbing the order of their flower
beds, so long as they can have flowers in them, we cannot expect '
that they will remove any of the plants before the frost has set’ in
upon them. To make sure, therefore, of a stock for planting out
in May or June following, there should be a goodly quantity of
cuttings put in about the end of July or beginning of August. The
same instructions that have been given for other soft-wooded
plants will be equally applicable to them; and as our space is
becoming rather limited, we must say as much as we can in few
words. As regards Cinerarias, Chrysanthemums, Petunias, Hydran-
geas, and other plants, which are generally termed “ bedding plants,”
they may all be managed in the same way; we shall, therefore,
not enlarge upon this subject. It may be as well, however,
before leaving it altogether, to remark that great attention must
be paid, during the process of propagation, to see that the cut-
tings are well shaded, for if exposed, even for a short time, to the
influence of a summer sun, it is ten chances to one if a whole frame-
ful of cuttings is not eutirely ruined.

(To be continued.)

THE PAMPAS GRASS.

= HERE is scarcely a garden of any pretensions that is not
by this time adorned with the magnificent Gyneriwm
argenteum, or Pampas Grass. Unlike many other newly-
introduced exoties, this has had no ordeal of adverse
= Opinions to endure in establishing its claims to general
admiration. The only point about which there was any uncertaimty
was as to its hardiness, and that point is settled to the satisfaction
of the inhabitants of the most northerly districts of our island, for
it endures the extremest severity of the British winter, and to some
extent is indifferent as to the aspect in which it is grown. At the
Crystal Palace it forms a striking feature for the fronts of shrub-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 151

beries ; at Kew it towers up on the margin of the lake, a true queen
of the greensward; and in private gardens everywhere it has its
place—in the rockery, the rootery, aud beside the fisk-pond.

Like some of our commonest English grasses it will grow any-
where, no matter what the nature of the soil or climate, but there
will be a vast difference in the respective luxuriance and beauty of
plants grown under circumstances congenial to the habit of the
species, and those grown under difficulties. In a dry, barren sand
it will throw up its elegant tufts of green, but never attain to its
proper stately dimensions, and in a hot aspect the colour of the
foliage will be injured during the latter portions of the summer
season. To grow it well it requires a deep, moist loam, heavily
enriched with rotten manure and leaf-mould, and, during its season
of vigorous growth—from the end of May to the end of September
—it should be frequently supplied with weak liquid manure. Its
proper home is beside the rapid and frequently-swollen streams of
the South American Pampas, where it forms dense jungles, through
which it is impossible to pass, except by cutting a way through,
owing to the serrated character of the margins of its wavy leaves.

The best season to turn out small plants from pots is from April
to the end of May. A hole, three feet deep and four feet wide,
should be made. Into this should be thrown a mixture of rotten
dung, leaf-mould, and fat loam, in about equal proportions, till the
hole is filled up to within eighteen inches of the surface. It should
then be filled up with loam and leaf-mould only, and the plant should
be turned out in the centre, and firmly made up with the soil. A
few good waterings will cause the roots to strike out into the com-
post, and after that the plant will prosper with no other attention
than occasional supplies of moisture. The soil in which it is planted
will probably sink in the course of a few weeks, when it should be
liberally mulched with short dung only half-rotten, the foliage of
the plant being gathered up and tied toa stake when the dung is
laid down, in order that none of the leaves may be covered. ‘The
soil around the plant should on no account be elevated above the
surrounding surface; on the contrary, it should be below that sur-
face, as in the case of an American bed, in order to retain as much
as possible the heavy summer rains. Established plants may be
taken up and replanted with perfect safety any time from December
to April. We have transplauted large specimens during winter for
three seasons past, and never lost one, though very severe frosts
followed the transplanting. If the plants were cut over close to the
ground at the time of such transplanting, they would probably
perish ; therefore let the old foliage remain. It will wither and form
a protecting screen to the crown of the plant, and may be cut away
carefully as soon as the new spring growth appears. As the seeds
of this plant are now offered through the ordinary trade channels,
we advise those who wish to plant in any quantity among their
shrubberies and collections of ferns and grasses, to raise a stock
from seed. It may be sown in any of the ordinary fine composts
used for spring seeds, and is best started with a gentle bottom-heat,
the plants to be kept under glass in a cool house till large enough to

May

152 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

be potted singly in thumb-pots, and then into sixties, after which
they should be removed to a cold frame, have plenty of air, and be
shaded from mid-day sun. Contrary to general expectation the

) AN
\

\

GYNERIUM ARGENTEUM, OR PAMPAS GBASS.

Pampas Grass has a very noble appearance in the centre of a lawn,
or, indeed, anywhere standing clear of other objects on a surface of
turf. Flower-gardens laid out on turf would in most cases derive

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 155

additional interest by the use of the Pampas grass for centre and
corner pieces, and in divisional lines where a tuft-like mass would
have the effect of connecting several sets of colour into one whole.
We could give measurements of many fine specimens that have
come under our own observation during the last three years. We
saw one plant last autumn which had a circumference of twenty-six
feet, and twenty spikes of bloom twenty feet high. The bloom-
spikes rarely exceed twelve feet, but in rich soils, on the margins of
lakes and in the partial shade of trees, they rise higher, and the
bloom is much more luxuriant. We have seen as many as fifty
spikes of bloom on a plant so circumstanced. Where it is intended
to plant in very conspicuous positions, it is well to endeavour to
get female plants, as they have a much more noble appearance than
the males when in bloom. The noble specimen figured in illus-
tration of this article isin the nursery of Messrs, Sutton, of Reading,
and the representation is from a photograph taken when the plant
was in the highest perfection and loaded with nearly forty of its
silvery plumes. Messrs. Sutton have a large stock of seed.

CULTIVATION OF THE FANCY PELARGONIUM.

= —= HE fancy pelargonium is one of the most useful subjects

463A for culture in ordinary greenhouses, and it is moreover
a general favourite. Its profusion of bloom, long con-
tinuance, short sturdy habit, and many delightful tints
of colour, render it popular with all lovers of flowers,
and insure its cultivation, to an extent commensurate with the glass
accommodation in all good gardens. As it is now coming into
bloom, collectors of varieties, who can avail themselves of the oppor-
tunity, will do right to visit the principal exhibitions, where may be
seen the results of skill and care, that have combined to rear and pre:
serve, and bring to perfection as specimen plants, some of Nature’s
most beautiful objects. At the exhibitions, the amateur grower may
obtain hints for improving a collection, by noting new varieties, and
judging of the style of cultivation most suitable for each particular
kind, and for the particular structure in which the plants are to be
bloomed. To give a universally correct style for a specimen is some-
what difficult, as it wholly depends upon what it is intended for; we
see pyramids trained so regularly as to terminate at top in a single
central bloom, which, if for a low position in the conservatory, show
their blooms admirably, but we do not set much value upon them for
general purposes. Others are grown to a perfect circumference with
a medium rise in the centre, suitable for a low stage or a flat table:
This is a very showy and effective style, and one we much admire.
Some have the back trained perpendicularly, and the front shoots
brought below the rim of the pot, so as to form a pyramid or half-
circle. These are most suitable for a Jean-to stage, as they show a
large front. In forming, or first training for a specimen, bear in mind
that as the twig is bent so will the tree be inclined, hence the
May.

154 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN ‘GUIDE.

necessity of deciding early upon the description of plant required.

Plants grown as bushes and in larger pots than thirty-twos, soon

require considerable thinning, or they will become weak. The time
of propagation depends on whether the plants are bloomed early or

late; for the main stock, July may be taken as the average time.

Supposing the plant to have done blooming, and the wood to be well
ripened, from full exposure to the sun, and from three or four days’

dryness at the root, they are then fit tor cutting down. Upon the
way they are cut depends the form of the plant the ensuing season,
the object being to have an unifcrm plant without much twisting,
and upon an established bottom, large or small. After cutting down,
place the plants in a open place, shading fora few days, until the ends
of the shoots that have been cut are dried over. Water but mode-
rately until there is a sign of fresh growth, then give a slight syring-
ing overhead and shut up early with the sun, so as to cause
evaporation, which will much assist them in making fresh growth.
After the first start, they are to be grown as slow as possible through
the autumn and winter months. ‘I'he next operation, after cutting
down, is to select cuttings of the strongest and the best ripened
wood, in lengths of two joints, with a straight cut at the bottom, a
little below the lower joint, and a slanting cut of a half-inch above
the top joint; place them in the mould round the sides of the cutting-
pot, midway between the two joints. The mould should be a com-
post consisting of loam three-fourths, leaf-mould, or peat, one-fourth,
with a medium addition of saud. Give them a gentle bottom-heat,
and shade lightly for two or three weeks, by which time they will
have struck, and should then be taken to a cool house, and gradually
hardened off so as to bear full exposure to the sun and air. They
should then be potted off as soon as possible before the roots get too
long; indeed, it is thought by some that if they are merely callused
over, they are fit for potting off. I, however, like to see a few
fibres, but not too long, the one excess being as bad as the other.
After potting off, keep them rather close for three or four days, and
shade from hot sun, then give a full circulation of air at all oppor-
tunities, avoiding easterly winds. Attend to potting on until you
reach the sized pot intended for blooming; gradual shifts from one
size pot to another are to be recommended as preferable to large
shifts. If intended to bloom the plants in forty-eiglit size pots,
they should have three changes from the cutting-put, and the

crown, or centre bud, should be taken out in the second shift; but if
the growth be then not far enough advanced, it should be removed
as soon as possible after the last potting, keeping the plants rather
dry for a few days until fresh breaks appear, otherwise .weakness
may be expected. If intended to bloom in large sixties, no stop is
required, and if properly grown side breaks will appear at the same
time that the crown truss is forming, thus supplying a succession of
bloom. For specimens, commence with small plants of free growth,
allow them to attain the height of nine joints, with two joints for a
single stem, nob merely for the appearance but to diminish liability
to canker, which may be feared if the breaks are allowed to rest.
upon the surface soil; also by constant pottings the plants are

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 155)

liable to get some portion of the bottom breaks below the surface of
the soil, particularly such as are known amongst growers as of a
“miffy” habit, that is, of a delicate constitution and high breed, which
require great care to be taken as to their watering and drainage.
Suppose then that we have a plant in a forty-eight size pot, eight or
nine joints high, ready for its first stop, take the crown clean out,
midway between the two joints, keep the plant dry for three or four
days, unless the season of the year should be hot and cause it to
flag, then a slight watering overhead would aid the action of the
sap in the foliage. The first breaks will soon make their appearance,
provided the root action be all right; after the first breaks have
attained the length of six or seven joints, they should have their first
stop whatever mode of training may be adopted. The training
usually followed is pegging the shoots out; I prefer tying a piece of
bast round the pot, close underneath the rim, and bracing the shoots
down to it, which is a neat and ready system. When the breaks
have attained the length of six or seven joints they may be stopped
again and tied out. The exact time of stopping must depend upon
the quickness of growth in young plants, but avoid stopping after
March if possible, and at farthest not later than the middle of
April, otherwise there is not sufficient time for ripening the wood,
a matter of the greatest importance tv insure good quality of bloom.

SHRUBBY VERONICAS.

==a THRE are various ways of growing shrubby Veronicas.

4 ‘They are sometimes planted against dwarf walls, and
in sheltered places do not greatly suffer from the frosts
of winter. The writer remembers in a garden in
-— Hampshire a dividing fence formed of V. Andersoni,
which presented a remarkable and most beautiful appearance at all
seasons, and especially when in flower. For ordinary decorative
purposes pot specimens have the best effect when formed into regular
pyramids with an even distribution of furniture from top to bottom.
A good specimen should measure four feet in height from the rim of
the pot, and four feet through at the base, tapering thence regularly
to the summit. When grown for plunging out-of-doors to form
autumn groups, a columnar style of training will be the best, or say
an outline approximating to a Lombardy poplar, as this allows of
placing the plants close together, and a better effect is produced
than by plunging specimens broad at the base.

To grow fine specimens, the soil should be good turfy loam,
enriched with a third part of decomposed hot-bed manure, and with
an admixtnre of broken crocks or bricks to keep the soil open. The
young plant should be trained perfectly straight, so as to secure a
strong leader, from which in subsequent growth a regular disposition
of side branches will proceed. From April to August the plants
are to be shifted to larger and larger pots as they require them ;
they ought never to be thoroughly pot-bound until they have attained

May.

156 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

their full size, and are wanted to flower finely; but, on the other
hand, each shift should be slight, as over-potting at any stage is
nearly as bad as allowing them to become pot-bound. After the
middle of August there should be no more repotting, but in the
month of April all the specimens should be turned out of their
pots, the balls reduced, and much of the old soil be removed, and
repotted again either into the same or into pots one size larger. As
in the spring they do not evince much activity of growth, they may
be pruned back when repotted. This should be done ina way to
cause aregular disposition of shoots according to the form required,
and as they break freely from old shoots and from the stem, ugly
specimens may be pruned very severely, and if kept shaded and
frequently syringed, with only a little water at the root, will soon
throw out abundance of shoots, which the cultivator can keep or
remove as may be needful. At the beginning of June all fast-
growing plants which it is desired to form into compact specimens
should be stopped; that is, the points of the shoots should be
pinched out; this will cause them to produce side-shoots, and
there will be ample time for these side-shoots to be fally matured
before the close of the season.

The following varieties are the best in cultivatiou—Andersoni,
grows freely, and flowers abundantly ; the variegated-leaved variety
of Andersoni is extremely beautiful and more tender than the green-
leaved kind; Anne de Beaujen, bright rose and white; Devoniana
cerulea multiflora, dark violet and white; Gloire de Loraine, blue
and white, beautiful habit; Inmneratrice Hugénie, amaranth ; Mam-
moth, violet and white; Multifiora, dark violet and white; Rubra
elegantissima, violet purple ; Rubra splendida, rich crimson.

CULTIVATION OF THE PANSY.

pea AVING been a grower many years, and a successful
ps exhibitor, I think that without presumption I may give
some of the results of my experience for the benefit of
those who may require it, Before going further, I would
have the novice in the culture of the pansy to understind
that a person may be a very successful grower, and yet be very
unsuccessiul as a competitor. The plants may be ever so well grown,
but it requires one who thoroughly understands the properties of the
flower to make up a stand for competition ; there is also a great
knack in laying down a bloom; it must be kept in mind that they
stand very little handling, and that only of the most gentle descrip-
tion. The beginner should therefore direct his attention to both the
culture and the markings or properties of the flowers. ;

To grow pansies in the open border, a piece of ground should be
selected well sheltered from high winds, but at the same time quite —
open to the sun and air. If a crop of potatoes has just been taken
off, so much the better; if the ground has been manured for the

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 157

previous crop, it will require nothing but digging; if not, a little
rotted turf or very old stable manure should be added. The pansies
should be planted in rows, about one foot apart, and from eight to
ten inches apart in the rows. The end of September or beginning of
October is the proper time for planting to bloom in May or June;
for the autumn exhibitions, they will require to be planted in April
or May, or even later, according to the climate or exposure. Just
before beginning to bloom, a top-dressing of leaf-mould or very old
manure will be beneficial ; liquid manure, especially if the least too
strong, is apt to cause the colours to run, and the blooms to come
flabby and rough-edged.

Cuttings should be struck whenever they can be got. Side-
shoots strike freely all the summer months, in a border on the north
side of a wall or hedge, using plenty of sharp sand. When not
required for exhibition, the plants should be cut over, and in a few
weeks there will be an abundance of offsets, some of which will be
nicely rooted plants; those that are not rooted will strike much
faster than cuttings taken trom the branches, and form much more
healthy plants.

The flower-buds ought to be taken off as fast as they appear, until
within about three weeks before the day of exhibition. Fora few
days before the blooms are required they should be shaded with thin
cotton or other light fabric, being careful not to place the shading
too near the plants, or the colours will be bleached; indeed, they
should be shaded as little as possible, and then only from bright sun-
shine or rain. ‘Keep a sharp look out for green-fly. It is perhaps
safer, however, to use precautionary measures. Make a strong
infusion of tobacco, and with a piece of rag or sponge run a little of
it into the heart of each shoot. Repeat frequently, or until the
vermin disappear.

For exhibition purposes it is advisable to grow a number of
plants in pots; they can be much more easily protected from
weather and vermin, and generally speaking tne blooms are finer in
quality. There are some varieties it is of no use attempting to grow
in pots, as their colours almost invariably run. The plants should
be put into thumb-pots about the beginning of October, and
plunged in sand in a cold frame; the sashes should not be used

nless during severe weather. Take the first opportunity after the
middle of January of shifting to eight or nine-inch pots. Soil,
decayed turf and leaf-mould in equal parts, with a little sand; it
ought to be mixed in the beginning of winter, and thrown into a
sharp ridge, in order that it may get all the frost going. Plunge
the pots about half their depth in a frame amongst sand or sifted
coal-ashes. Never put on the ashes, except during hard frost or
drenching rains, until the last week before the exhibition, and not
even then unless the weather is wet aud variable; the sashes not to
be nearer to the plants than two feet, and allowing a free circulation
of air all round the sides.

Pansies in beds are easily protected from snails by putting pieces
of board on edge all round the beds, and occasionally give the
boards a touch ulong the outside with coal-tar; the frames can be

May.

158 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN -GUIDE.

protected in the same way. There is no way of preventing the

ravages of the wire-worm, or julus, but by hand-picking; it causes

considerable trouble, but it is the only way to get rid of them.
BD.

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR MAY.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

=a HRYSANTHEMUMS not wanted for exhibition may be struck this
<3]| month, as May cuttings make very good plants. Strike the young
%| tops in a shady border, under hand-lights, and give them liberal cul-
ture as soon as they have got roots, when plant them out in good soil,
enriched with rotten manure. Plant out dahlias the first or second
week, and protect on frosty nights by inverting bell-glasees over them. Should
you be unable to give them this protection, you must wait till the third week, and
then plant. Dahlia roots may be got in as early as convenient, and had better be
cut to one eye, as if they are allowed more than one stem, they grow rank and
bushy, and rarely flower well. Take cuttings from hardy border plants, and
especially from those which have double flowers, or are in any way difficult to
raise from seed, such as dielytras, double feverfew, &c. &c. Take auriculas out of
the stage, and place them on a hard bed of gravel, or coal ashes, to enjoy air and
rain ; do not eut off the flower-stems till they are quite withered. Plant out
annuals from seed pans, and get out the hardiest of the bedding stock towards the end
of the month. Keep lawns and walks very trim, by means of scythe, roller, and shears.
Tender annuals euch as asters, zinnias, etc., may now be sown in the open ground.
This is a good time to sow hardy and half-hardy perennials of all kinds, to get strong
plants for winter, either to remain out or to have the protection of a frame or to
take up and pot for early blooming in the greenhouse. Chinese primula should be
sown now for the next spring. Carnations and picottees should be staked without
delay, and then shoots thinned. Part and plant polyanthuses and primroses that
have done blooming, and give them a shady aspect. Should it be intended to have
fresh gravel, it would be advisable to defer it until the beds are filled, when the
whole garden acquiring its full summer gaiety, a coating of fresh gravel then will
add much to its fresh and bright appearance.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

Sow, in heat, melons and cucumbers, for succession, or take cuttings from
strong planta, for planting out on ridges at the end of the month, or early in June.
‘Transplant from seed beds, as fast as the young plants get at all thick, use
the hoe wherever weeds appear, so as to keep them down before they have time to
flower. Choose showery weather, if possible, for transplanting, or else give shade
for a few days, and gentle waterings. Plant out capsicums and tomatoes, under
the hottest wall you have, and to promote their rooting put a spadeful of hot dung
a foot or eighteen inches deep under each, and cover with bell-glasses till they get
hold of the new soil. See that cucumbers have sufficient bottom-heat, and give
fresh linings if necessary; a little dry litter, mixed with the dung, will tend to
prolong the fermentation. ‘Trenches should now be made for celery, and six inches
of rotten dung forked into the bottom of each. A dull or showery day should be
chosen to put out the plants, and plenty of water given during dry weather. Put
sticks to rows of peas as soon as they require it and well bank up those that
are forward. Thin parsnips and carrots to eight inches apart. Fiat-hoe
potatoes, and draw but little earth to their stems; the old method of moulding
‘them up has proved to be no benefit at all—rather an injury, as the heat of the sun
cannot have too ready an access to the roots. Sow beans and peas for succession,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 159

savoy for late crop ; cabbage, broccoli, ‘kale, beetroot, French and runner beans,
lettuces, spinach, and turnips for a late supply.

FRUIT GARDEN.

Give plenty of water to strawberries in dry weather and occasionally a pretty
strong dose of liquid manure. As the fruit sets on wall trees, thin it, so as to
throw the strength into those left to ripen. Syringe both wall trees and standards
that are at all affected with vermin. Netting is an admirable protection for trees
against the late spring frosts that often do so much injury. The netting should be
kept dry when out of use, when it will last for years; every fruit grower should
have a sufficient quantity of it. Should any of the fruit trees be newly planted,
they should be mulched with grass mowings. Bush-pears are greatly benefited by
being kept moist round the stock and over the surface roots. Al) foreright shoots
on peaches and nectarines should be removed unless they show fruit at the base,
when they should be stopped. All young shoots of grape vines bearing fruit
should be stopped one eye beyond the bunch. ‘lhe side-shoots of pears should be
stopped by pinching them off when a few inches long; this is a better method
than letting them runto eighteen inches or more and then cutting them back ;
the principle is equally applicable to wall, or espalier grown trees.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

Strike fuchsias, geraniums, verbenas and petunias, for blooming in pots in the
autumn, give them liberal culture, and stop trequently, to induce compact bushy
growth. Cut down cinerarias that have done blooming and plant out the stvols,
to furnish a supply of offsets. Cut in pelargoniums that have flowered, and strike
the best of the cuttings. Calceolarias now coming into bloom will require to be
smoked pretty often, owing to the fondness of the aphis for their tender shoots.
Give them liquid manure once a week and not over strong, and let them have a
shady part of the house, and the pots plunged in moas to keep the roots cool.
Camellias done blooming should be kept warm and moist, to induce a quick growth
of new wood, and those that have madetheir young shoots should have air by
degrees, preparatory to putting them out in a shady place for the summer. Stop
all hard-wooded plants not required to bloom at present, and give shade when
necessary.

STOVE.

Pines require a little shading in bright weather, and should have a heat of 75°
at night, and 85° to 90° by day. Many plants here will require a shift. Use the
syringe freely and give plenty of air. Vines that have their roots in inside borders,
should be liberally supplied with water and the shoots should be tied in in good
time. Vines in pots will require frequent supplies of liquid manure, and the
stopping of laterals must be attended to, to regulate the growth. Red spider
must be kept in check by the use of sulphur, and one of the best methods of using
it is to paint the pipes with a mixture of sulphur, lime, soot and water.

PITS AND FRAMES.

The bedding plants to be kept growing till of sufficient size for hardening off,
and fresh cuttings put in of those sorts of which the stock is deficient. Those
that are in a fit state for turning out, to be carefully hardened first, but avoid any
severe and sudden check. Place them in cold-pits first and shade from the mid-
day sun, and cover up at night. By degrees let them have full exposure, and be
Jett uncovered night and day before turning out. Cucumbers will require plenty
of air and a brisk bottom-heat. Re-line the beds where necessary. rain and
thin the shoots.

May.

160 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Dania Courrines.—J. S., Croydon.—Your non-success arises probably from
want of more bottom-heat. Test it by a thermometer, it should be from 85?
to 90°.

Pinxs.—J. Barnes.—Use liquid manure thrice a fortnight; it will soon
improve their condition.

TuHunserGias.—Z. D., Lbury.—These may be raised without a hot-bed if you
have a greevhouse, but it would be better to wait till June unless you can place
the pan containing the seed on the top of a boiler or on a flue to give thema
start. Where the means are limited, it is as well to defer sowing seed of tender
things until the season is a little advanced; after midsummer the ground is a
natural hot-bed, and by shutting a frame close in the full blaze of the sun, many
xeeds that ordinarily require artificial heat may be started without it.

Meton Curtrure.—4mateur.—Your pit will do well if you make up a dung
bed inside, and ventilate and water frequently till perfectly sweet; then form
hollows two feet deep and fill them with brickbats, with a turf, grass side down-
wards, on the top level with the surface of the bed; then make small hillocks on
the grass sods to turn the plants out on, and keep up the heat as fast as it declines
by means of linings, and as the heat must be brisk, give plenty of water round the
sides to prevent burning, and maintain the heat just under 90°. Add more soil as
the plants require it, and turn and change the linings frequently ; a few drain
pipes laid in to the interior of the bed from the linings will assist in diffusing the
heat. ‘The seedling plants should be stopped by pinching out the centre as soon
as the rough leaves appear and be got strong before planting out. Two plants are
sufficient for each light, and the runners must be trained regularly. Give plenty
of water while fruit is swelling, but keep rather dry as soon as ripening commences.
They require the fullest sunlight they can have. You ought to have sown six
weeks earlier to have had them strong in pots for planting, so had better not be in
tco great a haste to get the pit ready.

Ericas Done BLoomine.—B. J., Loughton—KEricas done blooming should be
repotted if they require it; if not, remove the surface soil and dress them with
fresh peat, full of grit and fibre, and put them in a cold frame setting each pot on
an inverted pot. All pots must be well drained, and the plants have air night and
day all through the season. Shade them from the fierce midday sun.

Vines NEwLY PurcHasep.—J. Chater, Highgate.—Your vine three feet in
length, the thickness of a cedar pencil, with a dozen buds on it will not do, Cut
it down to the plumpest bud, about six buds from the base, and rub away the
three lowest buds. You will thus have perhaps three buds and a leader. Let
the leader start strong with the buds ieft below it, till these side shoots are three
inches long. ‘Then pinch them back and in a fortnight remove them. Altogether
you will thus get a straight strong rod to train along the trench. Next season cut
back the leader to twelve buds from the base and then the side shoots are to be
allowed to push until they show their branches, and then be stopped one bud
beyond the bunch, and all laterals must be stopped two buds from the base of the
shoots they come from. Every year you must leave on each spur a bud for fruit
and a bud for wood, the wood bud to be the one next the base of the spur, and
fruit bud to be the fourth or fifth from it; the intermediate buds to be removed.

GERANIUMS AND HypranG@ras.—Your rich soil and moist air ought to suit
hydrangeas, so we fear your system must be wrong. That geraniums grow rank
in it is quite likely, and that may be corrected by plunging instead of turning out ;
but take care that under every pot plunged there is a large piece of hollow crock
or tile, to prevent worms getting up into the roots and to keep the drainage safe.
But it would be better if you would make your geranium beds of the poorest soil
you have and raise them above the surface to make them drier. A mixture of old
mortar and brick rubbish would help to correct the richness of the soil for the
searlets, but it would 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.

|

i yA
heey

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 161

RAMONDIA PYRENAICA.

wae HIS beautiful Alpine, which is found growing in the

4¥, Piedmontese Alps, and on the rocks of the Pyrenees, is
the only species of its genus, which was formerly called
Verbascum Miconi. The flower-stems, which spring
from the dense dark green leaves, bear each from one
to six flowers, of a pinkish-lilac colour. The plant, which is a
perennial, commences to bloom about the beginning of May, and a
succession of bloom is usually maintained for a considerable time.
Its dwarf habit of growth renders it very suitable for the front rows
of flower borders; the soil in which it best thrives is moist peat,
mixed with sandy loam. The method of propagation is either by
seed or division of the roots.

DAHLIA CULTURE.

eee A VING got the first lot of plants with names and colours,
i f4| arrange them so that no two colours of the same class
come together. Put violet next yellow, purple next
orange, and white to relieve any colour as to the con-
~ trast for which you may be in doubt. The arrangement
of dahlias is of more importance than the arrangement of any
class of flowers, because of their boldness of colour, and the extent
to which those colours may be heightened by proper contrasts. The
border or bed for dahlias should be of good hazelly loam, abundantly
manured, and should be prepared long before the plants are put out,
in just the same way as directed for hollyhocks. Before planting,
which should be done when the ground is moderately dry, tread the
earth firm, then press the pot down into the place where the plant
is to be, and if you can make a place to receive the plant without
using a trowel, all the better; if not, take out a little earth with a
trowel and plunge the pot to the rim, and bed it in firmly. Then take
the pot out of the hole, into which it has thus been made to fit, turn
it upside-down and the edge a slight tap on the barrow, and the ball
will come out clean, and may be turned over into the hole without
damaging a single fibre. This is the best way of turning every kind
of plant out of a pot, but is particularly to be recommended in
planting dahlias, because of the tenderness of their roots when
oung.
Whatever the kind of soil in which dablias are planted, it must
be well manured—a good spadeful of rotten dung to every plant, and
another spadeful on the surface to keep the roots moist. I use none
but iron stakes for dahlias, hoilyhocks, etc. ; they are neater, cleaner,
and last for ever, if their feet are brushed over with melted pitch,
and the remainder of the rods painted. If wood stakes are used
they should be of oak, and it is best to place three to each plant, and
June, 11

162 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

tie out the branches to them so as to form a round bush with a good
head, and the flowers regularly displayed all over it. Plenty of
water must be given all through the summer, and in rainy weather
it will strengthen the blooms to give a little liquid manure. Only
one stem should be allowed to a plant, and any ill-placed side-shoots
or rank superfluous growths should be cut clean away to the base.
Plants that bloom too profusely should be thinned of their buds to
get finer blooms ; this is a very necessary practice where dahlias are
to be cut for show, or where the highest perfections of a choice sort
are to be fully brought out. The dahlia is a robust grower, and
rarely fails to reward the painstaking cultivator. It is not much
given to green-fly or thrips, but earwigs devastate its foliage and
bloom-buds to a terrible extent, if allowed to gain the ascendency.
These vermin, however, may be trapped with the greatest ease, for
they feed at night, and on the return of daylight take shelter in any
neighbouring crevice. Hence a flower-pot stuffed full of hay or
moss and mounted on a stake, is a very effectual trap; but better
still, cut beanstalks into six-inch lengths and thrust them into the
middle of the plants over night, and early in the morning take them
out and blow the earwigs into a pot of salt and water. Crab-shells,
lobster-claws, and other ill-looking devices, are used in cottage
gardens ; but they spoil the beauty of the garden, and it would almost
be better to let the earwigs eat up the dahlias root and branch then
trap them with such deformities. There is an excellent implement
known as “ Edwards’ Earwig Trap,” made by Edwards, of Paul’s
Square, Birmingham, which every dahlia-grower should use in pre-
ference to the rude traps which so disfigure a garden.

As soon as dahlias die down in autumn—and the first frost will
turn them black and bring their glory to an end—cut them clean
over to the ground, and lift the roots carefully with a fork. Take
them up without bruising the fleshy tubers, and at once attach tallies
to them, to prevent mistakes at next season’s planting, and lay them
in some spare dry corner with a little earth over them for a few days.
Then shake off the mould and Jay the roots in shallow baskets, and
store away anywhere out of reach of frost or damp. The least touch
of frost will kill them, and damp, for any length of time, will cause
them to turn mouldy and rot. An attic is an excellent store-room.
The dahlia is of precisely the same constitution as a potato; every
eye on the tuber will make a plant, and tubers cut so as to leave one
eye to each piece may be planted at the end of April or early in
May, and will throw up a stem and make a good plant. But the
usual way is to get them forward in heat, so as, by having plenty of
roots and a stem already formed before they are planted out, to get
them earlier in bloom. Hard-eyed sorts never bloom well in
London.— Town Garden, 2nd edition.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 163

TRITOMA UVARIA.
mame IE “Torch Lily,” or the “Red-hot Poker Plant,” as

CX ERA Tritoma uvaria is frequently designated, is unquestion-
Es ably one of the most valuable hardy plants for producing
a grand
ap display
of colour during the
autumn yet known
to science. It is of
robust habit, not
particular as to soil
and situation, and it
can be multiplied at
discretion by simply
lifting the large stools
and cutting them up
into a certain num-
ber of pieces. The
best effect is pro-
duced by planting
fair-sized clumps at
intervals along the
front of shrubbery
borders, and then
allowing them to
remain undisturbed
until they attain a
large size. The Tri-
toma, in common
with many other
hardy subjects of ro-
bust growth, makes
the most satisfactory
progress, when occu-
pyivg a position in
deep rich soil, there-
fore it should be
planted in borders
quite free from the
roots of large trees,
and receive a dress-
ing of manure annu-
ally, or once in two
years. Partly decayed
manure is the best,
and in applying it, a
spread it round the TRITOMA UVARIA.
plants to a depth of about four i ; F
Rhee feces ae ae four inches, and to a distance of eighteen
June,

164 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

CULTURE OF THE BALSAM.
BY. B. Ww. P.

eae \ CEPT in a few first-rate private establishments, it is
# rarely we see respectable specimens of the balsam,
14 though it is one of the most popular and showy annuals
NG 4 we possess. Even among nurserymen there are very

a7 few who grow really fine balsams, and as to amateur
gardeners, not one in a thousand knows what the plant may be
made to do when liberally treated. It is such a gay, free-flowering
thing, that even a shabby lot of balsams has a cheerful appearance,
whether in pots or planted out in the borders; and as they come of
all colours, and siugle, semi-double, and double, there is no end to
their variety. Now, having for many years enjoyed the pleasure of
raising fine balsams, with stems as thick as one’s arm, three feet
high, and with heads of five or six feet in circumference, and every
shoot loaded with huge double flowers of the most dazzling celours.
I should like to be the means of setting a few readers of the Frorar
Wortp about balsam growing in earnest. We will first go into the
commonplace part of the culture, for the information of those who
simply want a show of border flowers.

It is most important to secure good seed, and, unless a good
price be paid for it, it is not worth the trouble of growing. First-
class balsams, being very double, produce scarcely any seed; hence,
high price must be an accompaniment of high quality ; and, after all,
the mere cost of seed is so trifling, considering what splendid results
may be obtained by having it really good, that the question scarcely
need be raised. Still, at this season of the year, immense quantities
of the worst descriptions of seed are sold in cheap packets; one
half the seed in every such packet being dead, and the other half
possessing a life net much higher than that of the merest weed. [|
defy any man to sell seed, worth the trouble of sowing, at five
shillings for a hundred packets; better half-a-dozen good things for
the same money, than a lot of rubbish, fit only to feed the sparrows.
This applies more to balsams and stocks than anys other flowers,
because the poorer they are the more seed they produce, and, when
they become thoroughly double, they give little or none at all.

Now, then, take your good seed, and sow a pinch in a seed pan,
using very sandy loam for the purpose. If you can give it a
little heat to start it, good ; but if not, place it in a warm corner of
a room, and keep it just damp until it begins to sprout; and then
let it have light and moderate moisture till the little seedlings are
large enough to handle, and by that time the weather will be suffi-
ciently advanced for them to go to the borders. If they are all to be
planted out, set them in threes, triangle fashion, six inches apart
each way, and at Jeast two feet from patch to patch. In planting,
put a good spadeful of rotten dung under each patch, mixing it well
with the soil; and when they are planted, spread another spadeful of
dung on the surface, so as to mulch them and keep the roots moist.
If the weather is cold, cover them every night with inverted flower-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 165

pots, stopping the holes in the pots with an oyster-shell or bit of
tile ; and if dry sunny days follow the planting, let the pots remain
over them all day for four days, and by that time they may be taken
off every morning and put on at night, till the weather is mild
enough to leave them altogether exposed. If a portion of the seed-
lings were pricked off into small pots, with rich loam and leaf-mould,
and kept in a greenhouse or cold pit till they filled the pots with
roots. they would produce a finer lot for the best positions.

Now, to make these border balsams worth the place you have
given them, you must give them plenty of water from the very
moment they begin to make growth. In dry weather, water them
once a-day till they are six inches high; then water them twice
a-day; and as they come towards blooming, give it them three
times a-day; and from the first they should have liquid manure
once a-week, then twice a-week, and at last, when they are setting
for bloom, every other day, no matter if the weather be wet or dry;
in fact, during rainy weather, the liquid manure may be a little
stronger than at other times, and diluted house-slops is the very
best stimulant they can have.

There is another point of equal importance that must be attended
to in good time, and that is stopping. One reason why so many
people have poor balsams is, because they allow them to grow and
flower as they like, and the drier they are kept the sooner they
flower ; so that if left to themselves, they run up six inches, then
produce a few miserable blossoms on the stem, and their career is
at an end; but, by compelling growth instead of bloom, you may
get them to almost any size you like; and the larger and stronger
you have the plants, the more grand will be their show of bloom
when they are finally allowed to display themselves. Therefore,
when your little plants have half-a-dozen leaves, nip out the centre
of each. They will then throw half-a-dozen side-branches; when
these are a little advanced, nip them in the same manner, and con-
tinue stopping as fast as there are sufficient joints of the new growth
to afford a basis for a fresh development of side-shoots. All this
while give plenty of water, and increase the strength of the liquid
manure; and if you never took much note of balsams before, you
will be astonished to see the stems increase to the thickness of a
stout walking-stick, and with splendid heads and bright healthy
foliage. You must determine for yourself whether you will have
them larger or not, for now they will, in spite of stopping, begin to
produce flower buds. Ifthese are allowed to swell, they will make
very little more growth; but if every one be picked off, they will
break again another crop of side-shoots, and make still finer heads ;
and if you want them in bloom by a certain time, you only need give
them a fortnight in hot weather, or three weeks later in the season;
and, by discontinuing stoppings and disbuddiugs, you will have them
in bloom by that time—not a few miserable flowers on the central
stem, but loaded to the extremity of every shvot, and one mass of
colour all over. While they last they are superb indeed, but they
do not last long ; and unless you purpose taking seed from the best,
they should be rooted up and got rid of as soon as they are past

June,

166 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

their prime; and their places may be filled up with another later lot
turned out of pots, or with late stocks, or something that will keep
up the gaiety of the border till the frosts come.

You will easily judge, from the above directions, that, under pot
culture, the balsam may be brought to a grand perfection. It is
tender, it likes warmth, revels in moisture both at the root and in
the air, and it must have a generous soil if fine plants and double
flowers are required. Now, here’s a field for any amateur who
desires to win distinction as an exhibitor, and especially in the
neighbourhood of London, for in and about the metropolis there is
no flower so badly shown; indeed, we know not where, except
in the midland counties, where amateur growers know what balsams
should be, we may safely count upon seeing good balsams at summer
exhibitions. It is all a question of growth, there are no secrets ; keep
them growing, stop, disbud, give them moist warm air and liquid
manure in plenty, and give them not one check either by neglect in
watering or letting them get pot-bound, and you are sure of grand
specimens, provided you begin with seed worth the pains you pur-
pose to bestow upon it.

To have a succession of fine plants, sow the first lot in a hot-bed
in March, and sow again in April, May, and June; and as each lot
comes on, you may select the forwardest, and allow them to bloom
early, and prolong the others for the production of grand specimens.
If the plants of each sowing were divided into two portions, one lot
to be allowed to bloom three months after sowing, and the remainder
to be grown on for another month or six weeks, you would have a
splendid succession of both border and specimen plants, the size ot
the plants and time of blooming being so completely under control.

The soil for pot specimens should be two-thirds loam from rotted
turves, and one-third well-rotted dung, or one-third hazelly loam
that has been ridged up all the winter, one-third leaf-mould, and one-
third powdery dung. As fast as the plants come from the seed-pans,
prick them into the smallest pots; when they fill these with roots,
and before they get pot-bound, shift to sixties, then again to forty-
eights, then into thirty-twos for blooming. They should have green-
house culture till they come to the last shift, and may then be put
out on a bed of coal ashes on an east or west border, so as to have
morning or evening sun, but be sheltered from the fierce mid-day
heat. The compost at the last potting should be very rich; well-
rotted cow-dung, with a little sand added to the loam, will, with
plenty of water and liquid manure, help them to set their buds well
and bloom strong. At every potting they should be stopped all over,
and if they show bloom-buds before they are as large as you want
them, take off every one, or allow one only to open to prove the sort ;
and if of good substance, well doubled, and a desirable colour, take it
off immediately after it has opened, to prevent it setting for seed.
Search the plant well, that there are no other buds left, and grow on
again for a month, and then Jet them bloom in their own way. The
blossoms ought to be as large and waxy as double camellias, and the
plants perfect trees on stout stems, and without a single gap any-
where in the filling out of the side-branches.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE 167

PROPAGATING PIT FOR AMATEURS.
BY MR. H. HOWLETT, OF WHITWELL.

HE accompanying plans represent a suitable pit for
} amateurs, who delight in having a few choice things of
their own raising. Let them not think, on looking at
this somewhat prolix plan, that a great expenditure and
a vast amount of skill are necessary to realize what is here
represented ; for that is not the case, as I hope presently to show.
The plans have been designed in such detail in order to simplify the
labour of the builder ; and it is estimated that the whole cost should
not exceed £20, and, when carried out, would form a complete mauliwm
in parvo for the gardening amateur; and, as the amount of the vari-
our materials is given, it is hoped that from such data little trouble
will be experienced in ascertaining on the spot the exact cost of
the erection ; for as prices differ according to the distance the mate-
rials have to be carted, etc., a list of prices given here would not be
found to answer for every locality. Fig. 1 represents the ground-
plan and section of warm-pit, in the back of which is a path, /, a bed
for tan or leaves, a, in which roses, lilacs, azaleas, rhododendrons, as
well as a supply of hyacinths, narcissus, etc., may be forced during
the dull months of winter; and in summer, achimenes, gloxinias, and
many of our glorious stove-plants may be had, as well as a few pots
of nice strawberries on shelf b. The roof is a fixture, and ventilation
is secured by three openings back and front, each eighteen inches by
nine inches ¢, over which slide boards in a groove, and which are
connected together by means of a stout wire, running from one to
the other, with a handle at the end, so that all may be opened or shut
at once by merely pulling or pushing the handle. The ends of this
part may be either all brickwork, or the front wall returned; and
above that may be glass, according to the taste of the builder. The
latter would be the best-looking plan, but would cost a trifle more
than brickwork. Atmospheric heat is obtained from two 4-inch hot-
water pipes d, the flow rising at g, and the return descending to
boiler at 7, and flue formed with 9-inch drain-pipes. I would here
remark that wherever an elbow occurs in this kind of flue, it is well
to use a few bricks, covering with a pavement, the removal of which
at any time will enable a flue-brush to be got in for cleansing the
flue. It is also to be remembered that a flue always acts best when
the furnace is sunk considerably lower than the line the flue traverses,
otherwise the air stagnates in it, and causes the smoke to rush out
at the furnace door.

For the heating of these a very small boiler will do, and which
may now be had second-hand of the great London hothouse builders
for a trifle, as they are removing numbers of them to make way for
the “one-boiler system;” thirty-six feet of four-inch pipe, two
elbows, one syphon, and a supply-cistern, nine inches square, for
fixing at h, will be required for Fig. 1; also, two diminishing T
pieces, one stop-valve J, one two-inch syphon, and eighteen feet of
two-inch pipe, for Fig. 2; a furnace-front and bars may also be

June.

168 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

bought second-hand, and observe to put in small soot-doors opposite
the principal flues for convenience of cleaning from soot, and these,
though their cost would be trifling when new, might be had second-
hand.

For the building must be provided 4000 red bricks, 250 white
bricks for floors, 10 feet of coping-bricks, one chaldron, or 36 bushels,
of lime, and three loads of sand, and 20 feet of 9-inch drain-pipe for
flue and chimney.

FIG TL

SECTION

0
SE AENE Wool ee es eos

Fifty-four feet of wall-plate, 43 inches by 3 inches, for the various
roofs to rest upon; and if the ends of the pit, Fig. 1, be oniy bricked
up as high as the front-wall, and the rest part glass, about 14 feet
more will be required ; also, for the jambs and lintels for two doors,
34 feet of the same scantling, making about 102 feet.

For the roof of Fig. 1, 180 feet will be required ; and about 40
feet of 3 by 45-inch scantling to lay into the walls as bond-timber.
For the pitch of the roof and ventilators about 32 feet of 1 by 9-inch
board for shelves b, uw, and ventilators, c, five iron brackets, ditto a
few feet of spline for ventilators, and $-inch iron rod for the same ;

a ladder o for stoke-hole, one door and threshold for potting shed, -

Fig. 3; also one door, partly glass, and threshold for Fig. 1, two
stakes and two pieces of rough board for potting-bench m; 70 feet
of seantling, 23 by 3 inches for spars to roof of Fig. 3; a few feet of
pantile lath for ditto, and 100 pantiles; three well-glazed 2-inch
lights for Fig. 2, which can be bought ready-made and seasoned of
any of the hothouse builders, these being the only parts, except the
door for Fig. 1, that requires a first-rate joiner to execute; 100 feet
box of glass of the exact size required can also be had of the London
houses, and which would leave plenty in hand for repairs. Aunti-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 169

corrosion paint, the best for out-door work, with directions for using,
can also be bought with the glass, as well as a stone of putty, or the
latter can be made by any labourer, but is better if made some time
before using. A window of some kind, which will serve for lighting
Figs. 3 and 4, must be provided.

WEEE

TLL:

GROUND PLAN.

Having enumerated the principal materials that will be required,
it remains to make a few remarks only; namely, that in constructing
the back wall remember to turn an arch where the boiler is to be
fixed, to prevent the necessity of weakening the structure by cutting
away ; also to see that at least one of the hot-water pipes has a
saddle cast upon it, for supplying moisture to the atmosphere ; f,p, q,
and the dotted lines Fig. 4, indicate the position of the boiler, furnace,
and ash-pit under the building. This plan, if properly carried out,
would secure both a useful and durable structure.

SPECIMEN MUSK PLANTS.

| PLANT which is so universal a favourite, I am surprised
more pains are not taken to make it more attractive
in form, instead of its being allowed to run straggling
and weakly, as we mostly see it. It is capable, with

~ agsistance, of doing more than many people may imagine.
With a view to induce improvement in its growth, I would suggest
that prizes be offered at our exhibitions—say, for three best pots.
I am not an exhibitor now, but if you will kiadly allow m2 a

June,

170 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

little space, I will, for the guidance of others, give a hint or two,
which are easily carried out, and will repay those who adopt a plan
I tried some time since as an experiment.

The roots of musk, like those of mint, run under the surface
of the soil, which, by continued watering, loses the nourishment so
essential to the plant.

Cuttings, well grown, make much better plants than those
obtained by division of the roots.

My method is to take a vigorous young cutting, well rooted,
plant it in about four inches of a rich compost at the bottom of
a half-peck flower-pot, placed in the warmest part of the greenhouse,
where it will grow rapidly, pinch out the leader, and as it grows
I frequently add more soil, until the pot is filled to within an inch
of the top; by this time the pot is well filled with roots which have
struck out from all parts of the plant thus buried, hence it grows
more vigorously than when it has only a few roots running under
the surface. I place a number of neatly-cut sticks about two inches
apart all round the edge of the pot, draw and tie them together at
the top, thus forming a cone about eighteen inches high above the
rim. I then take some fine matting, pass it round each stick, com-
mencing at the bottom, and as the plant grows, continue to place
these bands round to keep the foliage inside. As the flowers make
their appearance, I take them off until the trellis is nearly filled,
which will not be long, for the plant may be almost seen to grow.
I then let it bloom at will. A frequent turn of the pot will prevent
drawing to one side.

I now let the shoots which come through the trellis fall down
round the pot, which will soon be almost invisible; the whole then
presents a most beautiful pillar of about two feet in height, covered
with flowers of a larger size than commonly seen on musk, and not a
stick of its support to be seen; by this time it requires a little
assistance with clear manure water, not too strong. I should also
say that frequent syringings with chilled water is of great and
almost essential service.

I once sent six of them to a flower-show, and they were the
admiration of every one there; many inquired if it was not a
different variety from the common musk. This may not be a new
plan, but I have not seen musk grown thus by any one, and would
advise lovers of this favourite of mine, where practicable, to try the
effect. R

Srorrep Rose Lraves.—Captain Bonner.—The microscope reveals a dense
growth of fungus on your rose leaves, and the rapid spread of it proves that
circumstances are favourable to fungi, probably a damp atmosphere when it first
began and woody rubbish in the compost not quite rotted. Roses are particularly
liable to attacks of fungi, both on the leaves and at the root, and one fruitful
cause is the presence in the soil of chips of wood, dead stick, and other ligneous
matter not thoroughly decomposed. Among these bits of half-rotted wood
fungous threads are developed, which appear like gossamer films, and as soon as
these threads extend to the roots of the tree they sooner or later kill it. We can
only suppose that you potted your plants in compost containing fragments of
wood of some kind or other, swept up with the leaves or mixed with the manure.

9 Oh ee,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. nt7(1!

WINDOW GARDENING.

BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 142.)

SELECT FLOWERING PLANTS SUITABLE FOR WINDOW
GARDENING.

wae have now arrived at a very advanced stage of our

i, operations. We understand how to grow our window

: flowers to the best advantage. I will now select a few

AGAes ©of the most suitable plants for taking under your care ;

-—— and for the sake of those who have the ambition to
grow some of the rarer kinds of plants, I will make my selection
pretty extensive. The acknowledged leaders of window plants are
the universal geraniums and fuchsias. Their beauty and easy
management cause them to be general favourites, and I will begin
with them.

Scented-leaved Pelargoniums. — Lady Plymouth (variegated),
Pheasant’s Foot, Fair Emily, Fair Helen.

Large-flowering Pelargoniwms.—Bonnie Charlie, Charles Turner,
Rifleman, Queen Victoria,

Fancy Pelargoniwms. — Bella, Miss-in-her-Teens, Duchess of
Somerset.

Golden Tricolor Geraniums.—Mrs. Pollock, Lady Cullum, Sir
Robert Napier.

Silver Tricolor Geraniwms.—Prince Silverwings, Lass 0’ Gowrie,
Fascination.

Bronze Geraniums.— Her Majesty, Prince of Wales, Reine
Victoria.

Ivy-leaved Geraniums.—L’ Elegant, Duke of Edinburgh, Fairy
Bells, Alba grandiflora.

Double Geraniums.— Casa Grey, Scintellant, Maria Lemoine,
Aline Sisley.

Zonal Geraniwms.—Red : Vesuvius, Corsair, Anna Pfitzer, Wel-
lington. White: Madame Vaucher, The Bride. Pink: Amaranth,
Blue Bell, Delight, Beauty. Variegated : Madame Rendatler, Gloire
de Corbeny, Seraph, Amelina Grussea.

Fuchsias.—Single red: Black Prince, Wave of Life, Weeping
Beauty. Single white: Lustre, Rose of Castile, Starlight, Eglan-
tissima. Double red: Marksman, Avalanche, Harry Williams, Sir
C. Coutts Lindsay. Double white: Mrs. H. Cannel, Carry Symes,
Smith’s Avalanche, Princess of Wales. Various: Alba, Coccina,
Crown Jewels, Sunray, Gracilis.

Cinerarias.—Splendid flowers when in full bloom. The great
difficulty for a window gardener is to grow them well. It is best to
purchase them full-grown, with the flower-buds at the bursting.
Keep them properly watered.

Calceolarias.—The same may be said of these as to rearing them.

June,

172 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

They are gorgeous flowers for a window. Purchase young plants
ready for potting, or raise your plants from cuttings.

Primulas.—The Primula Chinensis, or Chinese primrose, is a
beautiful window plant, flowering during the winter months when
we have little else in bloom. They are difficult to raise from seed
unless you have acommand of heat. You can purchase seedlings
ready for potting at a moderate price. There are several varieties,
red and white, single and double; and of late years ajrace of beauti-
ful named varieties have come into great favour. Several of the
hardy primulas are well deserving pot-room in your window, notably
Primula cortuosides and varieties, and Primula Japonica and
varieties.

Petunias are a lovely class of plants, suitable for windows. They
ean be raised from seeds or cuttings, and are of easy cultivation.
Treat them the same as fuchsias. The following are a few of the
best named varieties :—Double: Eliza Matheu, Garibaldi, La Neige,
Don Quixote, Elegant, Singularity. Single: Attraction, Butterfly,
Hyening Star, Hebe, Keepsake, Unique.

Calla Ethiopica, or Lily of the Nile, is a splendid window plant,
having large handsome green foliage, and large trumpet-like creamy
white flowers. It is a general favourite.

Hydrangea Hortensis is a noble window plant and a general
favourite, bearing large trusses of flower, which last a long time.
There are several varieties. The variegated one is very pretty.

Begonias are a very extensive class of plants, and all of great
beauty. Several varieties are very easily grown, such, for instance,
as the one commonly called the Bleeding Heart.

Astilbe Spirea Japonica.—This is a very graceful plant when in
foliage and flower. It casts its foliage when flowered out, and is a
spring- flowering plant.

Coleus.—Here we have a truly gorgeous class of plants, the
foliage having all the brightest tints of yellow, red, crimson, and
purple. ‘They are tender plants, but do well in a window if kept
from cold draughts and well watered. They can be obtained at
moderate prices after May.

Lobelias—Biue and White.—Lovely little flowers, among the
universal favourites. They are easily raised from seed or cuttings,
and plants are very cheap. t

Statice—A pretty pot plant, with everlasting flowers, suitable
for window cultivation. There are several varieties.

Savifraga.—There are a great many varieties in this class. The
one conimonly called Aaron’s Beard is a splendid window plant for
hanging basket work, and a general favourite.

Heliotrope, or Cherry Pie, is a highly-scented flower, and a
favourite with many. It makes a nice pot plant treated the same as
fuchsias, and is very cheap.

Lemon Verbena.—This is another highly fragrant plant, one of
the universal favourites, and of easy cultivation in a window,

French Lavender.—This is also a very fragrant plant, with small,
prettily-cut leaves, and of easy growth from cuttings.

Myrtle.—A very pretty greenhouse evergreen shrub, suitable for

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 173

window cultivation. The small-leaved variety is the best for win-
dows, being dwarf.

Orange.—Sow a few seeds of orange in a pot, and you will soon
have some nice little plants.

Cuphea Platycentra—This is an old-fashioned bedding and
greenhouse plant, much like a miniature fuchsia, with small yellow-
reddish flowers. A very pretty plant fora window. Treat it the
same as fuchsias.

Musk.—Every one knows this flower. It is a universal favourite
for its strong musky fragrance. It is very common, and easily
grown.

Myosotis, or Forget-me-not, makes a lovely pot plant. There are
several varieties of blue and white, easily raised from seed.

Mimulus.—This is another very pretty flower. Its large, open
blossoms are beautifully spotted and striped. It is easily raised
from seed or cuttings, and makes a good window plant.

Mignonette.—The great favourite of everyone; of a delicate
fragrance and easy cultivation. Everybody’s flower.

Stocks—A grand class of summer annuals and perennials, first-
class for window-boxes, and easily raised from seed.

Asters.—A companion to the stocks, requiring the same treat-
ment, and easily raised from seed. Plants are very cheap, and
you are surer of your stocks and asters by purchasing plants than
sowing seed.

Pansies and Violus.—Universal favourites; a very varied class
of plants, and splendid for window-boxes. They are easily raised
from seed or cuttings. Plants are very cheap.

Arabis.—Green and variegated; are very good window-box
plants for spring flowering, and they rank witk Wallflower and
Gilliflowers for spring display.

Here we will close this article, and in our next we will select a
few of the best bulbous roots and plants, and plants suitable for
small rockeries. It is difficult to select from so many plants of
suitable habits, and there are many that would grow well in win-
dows I might mention. Most of the above list will do equally
well in pots or boxes. Annuals of suitable kinds abound in great
variety—Scarlet Runners, Nasturtiums, Tropxolums, etc., for train-
ing round your windows ; Candytuft, Nemophila, Virginian Stock,
Indian Pinks, etc., too numerous to mention, for your window-
boxes. Seed packets of annuals are very moderate in price.

Soranum Carsicastrum.—P. WM. S.—This must be treated as an annual.
When the fruit shrivels throw it away and keep up a succession of plants from
seed, The ordinary mixture used for calceolarias will suit it admirably. Sow in

dung-heat, and grow the plants fast in full sunshine, and give plenty of air and
water during the summer,

June.

i74 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

PLANTS FOR AN ARCHED TRELLIS.

293, N a recent inspection of an interesting garden in our
§| neighbourhood, we were much struck with the admir-
able effect produced by a judicious employment of climb-
ing plants trained arch-wise over the paths and parterres,
= = and inwardly resolved to call the attention of our
readers, at the earliest moment, to the advantages and charms of
such an arrangement.

We must, however, state at the outset that it is only in gardens
of some size that this mode of training can be adopted to any extent,
for as the object in view is the augmentation of the general effect,
and not the concealment of the dwarf plants, it follows that the end
will hardly be obtained if the arches are too numerous, or too
obstructively disposed. The smallest garden will, however, offer
space enough for the introduction of a few climbers trained in this
form. Most of our climbing plants unfortunately lose their leaves
in winter, and the trellises then present a naked appearance; we
think, however, that it would be quite practicable to cover a few of
them with ivy, which could be kept closely clipped, and would be
speedily concealed in summer by the rapid growth of many of the
herbaceous climbers.

Among the plants more especially adapted to this purpose we
may name, first, the Periploca grea, which, although deciduous and
producing flowers of an inconspicuous character, is remarkable for
the luxuriance of its handsome foliage, and it is of very rapid
growth. It is perfectly hardy, and increased with facility by cutting.

The Aristolochia sipho is an equally useful plant, with highly
curious flowers of considerable size, but they are not generally pro-
duced freely ; its fine leaves, however, give it a value which is un-
affected by this circumstance. This too is quite hardy, and succeeds
in almost any soil.

The Hecremocarpus scaber, is a well-known herbaceous climber,
producing an abundance of tubular orange flowers throughout the
summer and autumn. It is very suitable either for training ona
single rod, or for covering a series of arches. It is quite hardy in
light dry soil, but in wet soil needs a little protection.

Several of the blue-flowering Clematis afford a pretty contrast to
the tint of the preceding. That we would particularly recommend
is the C. Hendersonii; but the varieties of the C. viticella and the
C. crispa are almost as good.

The Ampelopsis quinguefolia, although so common, ought not on
this account to be overlooked, for there is much character in its foliage
and habit, and the bright red tint it assumes in autumn is a sufficient
compensation for its insignificant flowers. The honeysuckles will
afford several most interesting plants, and none are more desirable
than the common Lonicera caprifolium, and its Italian variety, LZ. sem-
perflorens, which blooms for a longer period. The delivious fragrance
of both is well known. The evergreen species, L. sempervirens, is
scentless, and on this account is less grown. The trumpet-flower,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 175

Tecoma radicans, and the allied Bignonia capreolata, are both showy,
hardy, ligneous climbers, nearly evergreen, producing when well
established a profusion of flowers, especially the latter species ; it is,
however, not quite so hardy as the Tecoma, but only suffers in severe
winters.

But the most truly ornamental plant of this class is, without
doubt, the Wistaria (Glycine) sinensis of which we have already
spoken in high praise.

In no situation is it more effective than when trained over an arch,
ata height of seven or eight feet from the ground; and the new
white variety of this splendid plant is equally beautiful. The Lardi-
zabala biternata will,no doubt, be eventually available for this pur-
pose, though at present it is too rare, and the plants too small, for
us to affirm that it will prove sufficiently hardy. And lastly, we
have the numerous varieties of the Ayrshire and Hvergreen Climb-
ing Roses. These charming plants are indispensable in every garden,
and are among the cheapest of all the hardy climbers. Of the
Ayrshire Roses, which are deciduous, the Ayrshire Queen, dark
purple crimson ; Dundee Rambler, white, edged with pink; Queen
of the Belgians, creamy white; Ruga, pale flesh, large double
flowers, are four good varieties. Of the Evergreen section, the well
known Felicité Perpetuelle, with creamy white flowers; Leopoldina
d’Orleans, white, shaded with rose; and Princess Marie, rose pink,
may be regarded as among the best. The Multiflora roses, Grevilleii,
and Laura Davoust, may also be added, and many others which our
space will not permit us to name; and to these, the Hop, the Cobea
scandens, the Calystegia pubescens, and the different species of climb-
ing annuals, such as the Canary Flower and Major Convolvulus, can
be appended when a considerable number is required. With regard
to the arrangement of an avenue of climbers, we would suggest that
those which are chiefly remarkable for their foliage should alternate
with the species possessing conspicuous flowers.

The mode of training is too simple to need any detailed explana-
tion. In the case of a single arch, nothing more is necessary than a
stout iron rod, of sufficient length that, when fixed, the top of the
arch will be from seven to eight feet from the ground ; the two ex-
tremities of the rod being each secured to a square block of wood,
partially buried in the ground, and charred outside to prevent decay.
A series of these arches can be easily converted into an arcade by
attaching horizontal rods, or a network of wire; and in whatever
way they are combined, a coating of paint will be desirable on the
score of preservation. Not only may every part be thus converted
into a “hanging garden,” but even the beds may have occasionally
their attractions enhanced by a union of the perpendicular with
the ordinary style of gardening.

June.

176 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

JUNE WORK IN THE ROSE GARDEN.

a= HE possibility of planting roses in any week of the whole
ai, year having been proved, we may now remind our readers
that this is as good a season as any for furnishing a
rosarium, though it is not usually so regarded or
—__— described. There are many blights that affect the rose,
but the greatest of all is the nursery system of propagation. How
many of the roses planted last autumn are now poor scrubby things,
like worn-out mops, or puny imitations of dwarf bushes that refuse to
grow, and when their flowers appear it is with some twist of the bud
that indicates constitutional weakness. Nevertheless, for plants
carefully worked on young lusty briars or Manettis, and duly pinched
in when forming their first shoots, the autumn is the best time for
planting, because all winter the roots are at work, and a good summer
bloom is the proper result. But suppose a man with a passion for
roses has just made up his mind which of the new ones he will add
to his collection, or suppose a new garden where it has been
tremendous hard work for months past to get things in order, and
the season ordinarily used for planting has been lost, it is not too late
now to plant roses in either case, and we will venture to say that
under certain circumstances it is the best season of the whole year.
There is one thing certain about roses planted in April and May
from nursery pots, and that is, that a good many always perish, though
there are few writers who have the courage to acknowledge it.
People order in so many of such and such roses. The plants arrive
in due course, and very shortly afterwards they are turned out to
take all chances of weatber. They were perhaps worked on Manettis
during winter from forced plants and forced stocks, and to meet the
demand in spring were sent out before the junction of the two barks
had been fully effected, and being tender through having been
“pushed,” they are quite unfit to endure the assaults of the weather
in cold ground, and with occasional morning frosts; and, par con-
sequence, some of them die, some stand still a few weeks and then
grow with vigour, and some linger between life and death, and are
never worth the room they occupy. The Manetti is a good stock, but
it is made the worst by the system of forcing to which it is subject
in the nursery mode of propagating. The roses are manufactured to
sell, and about nine-tenths of them are very different to plants worked
in summer-time, on stocks in the open ground. When these die we
may blame the possessor ; when death happens to the pot plants sent
direct from an atmosphere of 70°, and warranted fit for immediate
planting out, we must blame the system by which they are manu-
factured and the strength driven out of the plant by stove treatment.
“ But there are no others to be got,” so says the rose amateur,
who burns to complete his lists of selected varieties, and to whom the
“new roses” are as important as the new fashion in bonnets to
a blushing belle. Unfortunately that is almost true; the new roses
are hurried into size for sale, and when sent out there is something of
a plant to look at, and very often much more to look at than the

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. hid

price would lead one to expect. There the purchaser must take his
share of blame. The trade cannot get up new roses on their own
roots at the price which competition fixes, and the hunger for cheap
things causes amateurs to prefer plants at three to five shillings each,
one-third of which are scarcely worth having, rather than pay a
shilling or so more and have plants fit for any purpose, with the
vigour of their own life in them. With old roses the only excuse for
working them on Manettis in a forcing temperature is to produce
them wholesale at a cheap rate; and without opening again the
question long since settled, we have only to say on this subject that
when roses are advertised it should be stated what their roots consist
of, and before people order them they should inquire what roots are
obtainable, and as a rule give the preference, and an extra price, for
roses on their own bottoms.

Stocky plants in 60 or 54 size pots are to be had all the year
round, and this is as good a season as any in the year to plant them
out for beds of dwarfs, whether on their own roots or Manettis. If
they have been pushed during the early months of the year, the
ground is now warm enough for them to take to it at once, without
any long process of hardening ; and the conditions essential to success
are to obtain plants that have filled their pots with roots, or that (if
worked) are healed at the junction, to plant them in well-manured
soil, eighteen inches or two feet apart, according as they are moderate
or robust growers, and to give them plenty of water during dry
weather all the season.

You remember well the disastrous season of 1860, when it rained,
rained, rained, as if the world had been doomed to suffer another
deluge for its sins. The first bloom of roses that year was magnifi-
cent. The rain just suited them; it is evident that the frequent
recommendation to give roses plenty of water, especially overhead, is
no figment of the imagination. Now the work of the season among
roses consists first in giving them abundance of water. The drier and
hotter the weather, the more are they infested with fly. The more
rain, or the more artificial rain from hydropult or engine, the less will
they be troubled with this horrible pest, and if sent through the heads
of standards with some force, every aphis will be hurled to limbo,
and the bloom buds will plump up by absorption, and give richer and
larger blooms. We have advised hand-picking for the grub, and
never was it more needed than this season. Now the enemy that
awaits them is the fly, and though water is not poison to it, plenty
of water and plenty of aphis rarely go together ; one must give way ;
and it is the rose-grower’s business to see that the fly is kept down
by a process which enhances the beauty of both foliage and flowers.

The blooms are opening well and early this season, and we fully
expect that the rose shows which are fixed for the earliest dates will
have better contributions than those that come later. When the
first bloom is nearly over, prune in slightly, and mulch with either
rotten dung or wood-ashes and guano, a bushel of the first to a peck
of the last, and a peck of the mixture to be spread in a circle of three
feet in diameter round the stem of each tree; half the quantity will
suffice to spread around dwarfs: but half-rotted dung is best where

June, 12

178 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

appearances are not of much consequence, as it is so retentive of
moisture and keeps the roots cool.

Those who plant now must not touch standards, unless they can
be got in pots. We have frequently turned standards out of pots in
the height of summer, and found that frequently syringing for a
fortnight afterwards was all they needed to help them to take hold of
the ground. Dwarfs in 60, 54, or 48 pots, the pots full of roots, will
turn out without damage to a fibre, and if the ground is mellow and
well manured they will give a fine bloom in the autumn; but with
this object in view it would be well to take off all bloom buds when
planting. The best bed of roses we ever had was planted on the 3rd
of June; it consisted of Jules Margottin, in three inner circles, and
General Jacqueminots outside, all on their own roots; they were
not allowed to bloom till August, and then continued in bloom until
their buds were frozen before they could open, and the next season
made tremendous growth. Anybody can tell if a rose is on its own
root or worked, for the scar of a worked rose remains a long time at
the collar. This scar should be planted below the surface, in order
that the rose may form roots of its own, and a slight notch in the
bark with a sharp knife just above the work will hasten the process.
We are not inclined to quarrel with Manettis, Briers, Boursaults, or
any other stock; we have always had fine plants of all kinds as the
result of giving each the requisite management. But own roots are
best for ninety-nine out of every hundred varieties we possess, and
all we insist on is that nurserymen should state in their lists
what the roots consist of, and that purchasers should know when
ordering roses what sort of roots they are to expect. S. H.

THE MIMULUS AND ITS CULTURE.

= HE well-known monkey-flower is entitled to much more

{| attention than is usually bestowed upon it by amateur
florists, both as a useful decorative plant, and as a
good subject for exhibition. It has been declining in
popularity of late years, owing, probably, to the
increased attention paid to what are called “‘ bedding plants,” which
absorb so much of the money and time of the present race of
gardeners. But it has a sufficient number of admirers to entitle it
to be called a garden favourite, and is highly prized by nurserymen
who grow for market, as, from its rapidity of growth and profusion
of bloom, it makes a good return for outlay. The name is said to be
from ‘‘Mimo,” an ape, bestowed upon it because of the ringent
or gaping mouth of the flower. The merest novice in botany will at
once discover that the Mimulus belongs to the natural order
Scrophulariacee, or Figworts, in which are grouped the pentstemon,
ealceolaria, antirrhinum, and other flowers similarly constructed.
There are many useful species, and a few good varieties, which it

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 179

will be desirable to enumerate, and in naming them we will add a
few words on culture.

Harpy Spxcies.—W. rivularis is the best of these. It makes a
brilliant display of golden yellow flowers during June and J uly.
Once planted on damp loam, it will spread to a larger patch every
year, and acquire a most important character in the decoration of
the garden. At the foot of a rockery or in the common border, it is
quite at home. As it dies down in autumn, the ground where it is
planted should not be disturbed.

Glabratus, yellow ; guttatus, striped ; ringens, blue; and propin-
quans, yellow, are all useful for the border and damp parts of rockeries.
M. moschatus, the “musk mimulus,” is very hardy as an annual,
usually appearing plentifully in places where it was planted out the
previous year from seif-sown seeds. But in mild winters the roots
also survive and throw up shoots in spring. The best way to grow
musk is as aframe plant. The soil should be light and rich, and
the pots in which the piants have grown should be put aside, so as
to be safe from frost, aud kept moist till next spring. Then as soon
as they begin to sprout, divide them and pot separate small pieces
in fresh soil, in small pots, and place on a gentle bottom-heat, or in
a warm corner of the greenhouse. They will scon fill the pots with
roots, and must never be shifted. By liberal culture musk may be
grown to a height of three or four feet, and be one mass of bloom
the whole season. It may be trained upright by means of a few
light stakes put round the pot, and connected with strands of bass
all round, or if planted in a basket, may be allowed to hang down in
festoons. The great secret of growing fine specimens is to use arich
soil, shade moderately, and give abundance of water.

Cunrore OF GREENHOUSE Srecigs anp Varreties.—They may
all be treated as annuals if sown early in a moderate hot-bed, and as
soon as up pricked out in rich jight soil, and grown on in good
greenhouse temperature. or a good bloom the same season,
the latest time for sowing is the last week in February. As soon as
the seedlings have made a good start after being potted singly
in thumbs, give them rather more water than would be safe to the
generality of plants in so young a state, and shift on as fast as they
fill the pots with roots. When they are in 48 size pots, place
a saucer under each, and let that saucer be always full of water.
They will drink it up, and thirst for more, and grow with great
luxuriance and make fine flowers. They will need shading when in
bloom, and plenty of air, in fact, they may be treated nearly the
same as herbaceous calceolarias from first to last, but must have
more water. As the stems are very soft, and the flowers heavy,
they must be neatly staked before they get untidy. As it is
advisable to render the supports as nearly as possible invisible,
neat painted sticks should be used. We have been accustomed to
use lengths of No. 1 iron wire, painted a light green, for this purpose,
and found them preferable to wood. When the plants are in bloom,
any of superior excellence should be marked with tallies to propagate
from. During August and September, take cuttings of three joints
each, place half-a-dozen of these round a 48 pot in a compost of

June,

180 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

half leaf-mould and half loam, with an addition of silver sand, sufficient
to render the mixture light and friable. Plunge these pots in a
gentle heat and keep close till rooted, which will be in about
fifteen days, then pot singly in 60 size pots, and in these pots winter
them. When grown in quantity they are usually wintered in the
cutting pots, and havea shift at the end of February or early in
March, into 32 size pots well drained and filled with a mixture of
leaf-mould, turfy loam, and rotten dung equal parts. At the end of
April or early in May these may be again shifted in pots of 12 size,
in which to bloom. They will require abundance of water, and may
have saucers to keep the roots constantly in action. Any required
extra fine for exhibition, should have liquid manure once a week, but
without this help the plants will flower finely if grown as otherwise
directed. Of course the cultivator may shift on seedlings to the same
size pots as plants from cuttings, but generally it is best to flower
seedlings in 48 size, and grow into specimens only selected varieties
known to be worth extra culture.

PROPERTIES AND Hypripizinc.—The attention of the cultivator
should be chiefly directed to the form of the flower; in habit and
colour it can scarcely be improved. Flowers that collapse are not
worth growing, however fine their colours, except it be to furnish
pollen for hybridizing flowers of good shape. The broader the seg-
ments, and the smoother the edges, the higher will the flower rank
in the eye of the florist, and deservedly so. In selecting varieties
to propagate from cuttings, or to produce seed, give the preference
to those that exhibit an expanded flat surface, with small spaces
between the petals. As regards colours, these should be bright and
decided ; the markings sharp, on clear grounds; yellow is the most
common hue, and white the most rare. In every endeavour to
improve the mimulus the hybridizer should select for the seedling
flowers those that have thick, broad petals, and that most nearly
approach a circular outline ; and for pollen, flowers that are the most
brilliantly and regularly coloured. If the pollen flower is also well
formed, there is the greater chance of a pod of seed worth saving.

GREENHOUSE SPECIES AND VaRrieties.—WM. cardinals is the parent
of the best show varieties we possess. The original species grows
to a height of two feet, and produces fine scarlet flowers. Seedlings
vary to all the shades of rose, ruby, maroon, pink, and crimson ;
and if crossed with roseus, Smithii, and variegatus, some very showy
strains may be secured. Cardinalis is a native of California, and
was introduced in 1835. M. rosews has small flowers of regular
shape, with yellow throat and bright rose petals; it is one of the
most beautiful in cultivation. Mr. Douglas sent seeds of this to
England from North California in 1831, and it was first flowered in
the gardens of the Horticultural Society. This is strictly a peren-
nial, and is not so easily cultivated as most others of the genus.
The best method of treatment is to keep it constantly in the frame
or greenhouse, potted in turfy loam three parts, sandy peat one
part, and leaf-mould one part, and the pot always in a pan of water,
except during cold winter weather. It is easily increased by cut-
tings, and occasionally ripens seeds. J. variegatus is a native of

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 181

Chili, introduced by the Messrs. Loddiges. This is described in
some works as white and rose, but this is not correct. The throat
is a pale canary, and the segments of the flower are deeply tipped
with rosy purple, the remaining parts being a rich gold yellow.
This species seeds freely, and is not at all difficult to cultivate. M.
glutinosus is now a rare plant. It is the most shrubby of all, and
well worth recovering for crossing with good varieties of weak habit.
Smithii is a fine hybrid, raised some years ago by Mr. George Smith
from rivularis as the male parent, and variegatus as the female. The
flower is large, the ground colour orange yellow, at the tip of each
petal is a large brownish, crimson blotch, and there are small spots
of the same around the throat.

Twelve Finest Exhibition Varieties (Downie, Laird, and Lang).—
Alexander Haig, light lemon, dark maroon margin; Danecroft
Beauty, white with crimson blotches ; Distinctus, lemon, deep crim-
son margin; Grand Sultan, pure white throat, black margin ; Lydia,
bright yellow and crimson; Magniflora, white and cherry; Mrs.
Dickson, yellow, crimson blotches; Mrs. E. Lockart, white and
maroon ; Raphael, pure gold margin and deep claret ; Spotted Gem,
gold and maroon; Sultan, yellow and purple; Symmetry, straw,
spotted with cherry red.

Muiutus ror Beppinc.—All the hybrids are adapted for bedding,
and, as a matter of course, the dwarfest are most easily managed.
On hot, dry soils they are useless; the foliage loses its proper
colour, and the plants are eaten up with red spider; but on a cool,
moist loam, and in damp places, where many kinds of bedders would
be unhappy, the mimulus is quite at home. When any selected
hybrids are grown for bedding, they may be kept in their cutting
pots till May, and then be turned out and sheltered from the sun,
and kept well watered till rooted ; generally the colours come much
finer out of doors than under glass; this is especially the case with
rivularis, which is a charming plant for a mass, but unfortunately
fugacious. Good beds may be made of seedling plants from Feb-
ruary sowings, but there will be no uniformity of colouring. Flori-
bundus, parviflorus, and moschatus make better clumps when grown
in moist and shady beds of peat, but the last named should be used
rather for its odour than its colour; for however profusely it may
flower, it is by no means effective in a mass. It is otherwise with
M. cupreus, which is one of the finest bedding plants we possess.
It is perfectly hardy, and can be grown from either seed or cuttings,
and requires precisely the same treatment as Lobelia speciosa. It
grows four to six inches high, and produces a perfect blaze of fiery
flowers. A damp, shady bed suits it best.

June.

182 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

ON THE CULTURE OF AQUATIC PLANTS.

aSeg THE aquatic plants of the Eastern hemisphere, from their
elegance and beauty, rank as objects of no mean interest
in the catalogue of vegetable forms. Some of them are
allied by their similarity of structure to the Algm, as

: Zostera and Aponogeton, in the natural order Fluviales,
which may be mistaken for subjects in that inferior class of vegetable
organization ; while, on the other hand, the noble tribe of Nymph
stands unrivalled for the beauty of the several species of which it is
composed. The beautiful blue of Byblis linifolia, the rich tinted
brown of Vallisneria spiralis, the delicate pink of Nelumbium spe-
ciosum, and the highly fragrant perfume of Aponogeton distachyon,
have each and all a deep and peculiar interest among other objects
which occupy the wide domain of Nature.

The different species of aquatic plants belong to no particular
order of the vegetable system, but are dispersed through the prin-
cipal divisions of the natural arrangement. They are indigenous to
most parts of the known world; but the British species form very
conspicuous and interesting plants to deck the hardy aquarium.

Many of the species which are most difficult of culture are natives
of the tropics, and require a congenial atmosphere (varying from
55° to 70° artificial heat, and up to 90° solar heat) to disclose their
flowers. As they require intense light, they should be placed near to
the glass. Where cisterns are used, a waste pipe is requisite to take
off the water when becoming injurious to growth.

Srove anD Exotic Srecres.

Limnocnaris Humeotprit belongs to the natural order Comme-
line ; its name is derived from limne, mud, charis, grace. It thrives
in retentive loamy soil, and produces an abundance of its bright
yellow three-petalled flowers, it planted in a cistern or tank where a
good heat is maintained. Introduced from Buenos Ayres in 1831.

NELUMBIUM SPECIOSUM, from nelumbos, its name in Ceylon, belongs
to the natural order Nymphacex. The delicate colour of its bright
pink flowers make it a desirable object. It requires to be kept dry
after the blooming season, and again excited about the beginning of
February. The fruit of N. speciosum is supposed to be the Egyp-
tian bean of Pythagoras. It grows in great luxuriance in the ditches,
in all the hotter countries of the East‘; and requires intense heat to
expand its flowers.

Bysiis LINtFOLIA, named from Byblis, daughter of Miletus, ranks
in the natural order Droseracee. It is a pretty though minute
plant, with blossoms of a beautiful blue, which are produced freely
when planted in a good loamy soil; but it succeeds best when
placed in a shallow cistern in the stove. Native of New Holland,
introduced in 1800.

DersMANTHUS NATANS, a native of China, is a beautiful and inte-
resting aquatic, producing its singular white flowers in abundance, if

—_—~T eee

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 183

planted in a retentive soil, in a cistern where there is constant heat ;
while its foliage being dark green, and sensitive to the touch, forms
a happy contrast with the flowers. It belongs to the natural order
Leguminose, introduced from China in 1800.

PapyRus ANTIQUORUM, derived from the Syrian babeer, whence the
Egyptian word papyrus, paper. It belongs to the natural order
Cyperacee. It succeeds well if planted in a loamy soil, in a cistern
ot good depth, and produces its apetalous flowers in great luxuriance.
It is from this plant the Egyptians made their paper, which was
obtained from the pellicle between the flesh and bark of the thickest
part of the stem, pressed and dried. Introduced from Egypt in 1803.
[This will probably suit for planting out in the garden during the
summer. |

NyMpHHA CHRULEA, a yery ornamental plant, decking the aqua-
riums of our stoves with its bright azure blue flowers, which it
produces in abundance, if planted in a loamy soil with a gentle heat,
and kept constantly immersed in water. It succeeds also nearly as
well in a pond in a warm situation ; but if the season be cold during
the time of the expansion of its flowers, they seldom or never expand
so well as in a warm close atmosphere. This beautiful plant derives
its name from Nymphe, a water-nymph habitation, and belongs to
the natural order Nympheacexe. Native of Egypt, introduced in
1792.

VALLISNERIA SPIRALIS, named in honour of Antonio Vallisneri, an
Italian botanist. This curious and remarkable water plant grows
with great loxuriance, if potted in light turfy loam, and placed in
deep water in a warm atmosphere; but succeeds nearly as well ina
conservatory or greenhouse. It requires to be kept cool and dry
during winter, and removed to the stove in February, which causes
it to produce its richly-tinted brown flowers in greater luxuriance
than if kept in heat during the winter. It belongs to the natural
order Hydrocharacez, and is indigenous to the South of Europe.

PonTeDERIA CRAssIPES.—This is an elegant plant, from its singu-
larly formed, thick petioles, bright green, smooth, cordate foliage,
and spikes of lovely blue flowers. It seems almost to despise the
material in which most other varieties of aquatic plants rejoice, and
floats about, regardless of any fixed station in the element to which
it is naturally consigned, but succeeds well if potted in rich loamy
soil, and placed in shallow water in a stove. It is named in honour
of Julius Pontedera, a professor of botany at Padua, and belongs to
the natural order of Pontederacee. Introduced from Guiana in
1825.

Exopra Guianpysis, from Elodes, a marsh, which is its natural
situation. 1t produces its white and conspicuous flowers about the
beginning of August, in a light loamy soil, where heat is kept up.
Introduced from Guiana in 1820. It belongs to the natural order
Fluviales.

PARKERIA PTEROIDES, named in honour of C. 8. Parker, who first
discovered this fern-like plant in Hssequibo. Its flowers are dark
brown, in a short whorl; and although they are minute, yet its
serrated pinnate leaves render it somewhat interesting. Jt succeeds

June,

184, THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

well in loam and peat, with the roots only immersed in water. It
belongs to the natural order Polypodiacez.

HyproLea spinosa.—This minute plant represents the order
Hydrolacee ; and its flowers vie with the intense blue of the
empyrean. The stem and foliage are decked with numerous spines,
as a protection to the charming buds which raise their graceful form
above them. It grows most luxuriously in a loamy soil, in shallow
water, and placed in a stove where heat is maintained. Its name is
derived from hydor, water, elaia, oil. Introduced from South America
in 1791.

Vicroria Recina.—This is the most popular aquatic, and most
majestic in appearance : it flowers in January in its native country,
Guiana. It was discovered by Sir R. H. Schomburgk, in 1837; he
describes it as “‘a vegetable wonder.”” Its immense leaves are from
six to seven feet in diameter, salver-shaped, with a broadrim of a light
green above and vivid crimson below. Its flowers, resting upon the
water, are in character with the leaves, consisting of many hundred
petals passing in alternate tints from pure white to rose and pink,
about fifteen inches across. The leaf on its surface is bright green,
in form orbiculate ; the stem of the flower is an inch thick near the
calyx, and is studded with sharp elastic prickles, about three-quarters
of an inch in length; the calyx is four-leaved, each leaf upwards of
seven inches in length, and three in breadth; they are thick and
white inside, reddish brown and prickly outside ; the diameter of the
calyx is twelve or thirteen inches. The magnificent flower, when
fully developed, resting upon the calyx, completely covers it with its
hundred petals; when it first opens it is white, with pink in the
centre, which spreads over the whole flower as it advances in age ;
it is generally pink on the second day after its expansion: as an
enhancement of its remarkable beauty, it is also sweet-scented.

Harpy AnD Bririsu SPEcrEs.

The aquatic plants which are cultivated in British aquariums
possess considerable and peculiar attractions. The purple of Butomus
umbellatus gives an imposing effect to British ponds, while the
elegant form of Hottonia palustris, the “naiad of the stream,”
enlivens many a month with its rosy flowers peeping from among
the sedge, and the dead leaves of grasses by which it is environed.
Menyanthes trifoliata again decks the margin of our English ditches
with its interesting and lovely flowers, while the Richardia AXthio-
pica, or Calla Aithiopica, from the remarkable purity of its wax-like
flowers, fixed on their long elastic stems, wave in graceful motion by
the summer’s evening zephyr reflected in the mirrored surface of the
water.

The situation best adapted for hardy aquatics is found to be in
accordance with the height attained by them ; and according to this
feature, so must the depth of water be regulated in which they are
to be immerged: thus the Richardia Aithiopica, Nympheza alba, and
Nuphar lutea, require a depth of from one to two feet, while the
Caitha palustris, Hydrocharis morsus rane, Sagittaria sagittifolia,
Acorus calamus, Butomus umbellatus, Zanichellia palustris, etc.,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 185

should be planted from six to twelve inches from the surface of the
water ; Hottonia palustris, Menyanthes trifoliata, and Aponogeton
distachyon, should be potted, and the pot fixed so as to be half
immersed in the water. After the blooming season of the Apono-
geton is over, and the leaves look yellow, they may be taken up and
dried, and again excited in the following March. Stratiotes aloides,
which is one of the most curious indigenous aquatics, should also be
kept with half the pot under water.

As some arrangement is requisite for plants of this description,
it is desirable that ledges should be made in ponds or tanks where
these plants are to be grown for them to be placed upon, according
to their height, and also for the biending of their colours: the low-
growing varieties, being generally the more tender, should for this
reason, as well as to preserve a more systematic appearance, be
placed at the margin, while those of larger growth and greater alti-
tude should be planted towards the centre. The situation for
Nymphea alba and Nuphar lutea should be either in ponds or fast
currents; the two, planted together at the edge of a waterfall, will
blend their noble flowers in rich luxuriance amidst the surging foam
of the surrounding water. Most of the other species prefer a shady
situation, and are to be found in Nature’s untrodden wilds,

‘‘Far from the busy haunts of man ;”
shedding their florets of varied hues in gay profusion, as if emanating
from the lucid bosom of the water from which they partially derive
their sustenance, and diffusing a pleasing lustre over the margin of
the willow-shaded pond.

RHUBARB WINE, OR BRITISH CHAMPAGNE.

OVIDE a fermenting tub that will hold from fifteen to
twenty gallons, or larger if required. It should have a
guard or rim on the inside, similar to that used for
brewing beer, in order to keep back the husks of the
= fruit, and a tap near the bottom.

Take fifty pounds of rhubarb, and thirty-seven pounds of fine
moist sugar. In the tub bruise the rhubarb; when done, add four
gallons of water; let the whole be well stirred together; cover the
tub with a cloth or blanket, and let the pulp stand for twenty-four
hours ; then draw off the liquor through the tap into another tub or
pan ; add one or two more gallons of water to the pulp, let it be well
stirred, then allowed to remain an hour or two to settle, and then
draw off; mix the two liquors together, and in it dissolve the sugar.

Let the tub be made clean, and return the liquor to it, cover it
with a blanket, and place it in a room, the temperature of which is
not below 60 degrees of Fahrenheit’s thermometer; here it is to
remain for twenty-four, forty-eight, or more hours, until there is an
appearance of fermentation having begun, when it should be drawn
off into a ten-gallon cask, as fine as possible, which cask must be

June,

186 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

filled up to the bung-hole with water, if there is not liquor enough ;
~ let it lean to one side a little, that it may discharge itself; if there
is any liquor left in the tub not quite fine, pass it through flannel,
and fill up with thet instead of water. As the fermentation proceeds,
and the liquor diminishes, it must be filled daily, to encourage the
fermentation, for ten or twelve days, it then becomes more moderate,
when the bung should be put in, and a gimlet-hole made at the side
of it, fitted with a spile; this spile should be taken out every two
or three days, according to the state of the fermentation, for eight or
ten days, to allow some of the carbonic acid gas to escape. When
this state is passed, the cask may be kept full by pouring a little
liquor in at the vent-hole once a week or ten days, for three or four
weeks. This operation is performed at long intervals, of a month or
more, till the end of December, when, on a fine frosty day, it should
be drawn off from the lees as fine as possible; the turbid or muddy
part passed through flannei. Make the cask clean, return the liquor
to it, with one drachm of pure isinglass dissolved in a little water;
stir the whole together, and put the bung in firmly. Choose a clear
dry day in March for bottling. They should be champagne bottles—
common wine bottles are not strong enough—secure the corks in a
proper manner with wire, etc. The liquor is generally made up to
two or three pints over the ten gallons, which is bottled for the pur-
pose of filling the cask as it is wanted.

To make a dry wine like sherry, the cask must be kept constantly
filled up to the bung-hole, daily, or every other day, as long as any
fermentation is perceptible by applying the ear to the bung-hole;
the bung may then be put in lightly for a time, before finally fixing
it; it may be racked off on a fine day in December, and fined with
isinglass as previously directed, and bottled in March.

THE CAMELLIA.
BY AN OLD GARDENER.

w=agiOW that the bloom of Camellia is over, is a suitable time
for some notes on its history and culture, as well as of
its various uses as a conservatory, greenhouse, and
window flower, and also of its adaptation to suitable
: situations in the open air. There are not many species
of Camellia, and we are mainly dependent on the varieties of C.
Japonica for the hundreds of variously coloured flowers that deco-
rate our houses during winter and spring. Japonica, too, is the
oldest, having been introduced to this country, in 1739, from its
native country, Japan. ‘The Thea, from which the Chinese manu-
facture the tea of commerce, is strictly a Camellia, and the botanical
distinctions by which it is separated from Camellia are too slight, in
our opinion, to warrant the division. It is commonly believed that
Thea viridis, often catalogued as Camellia viridis, is the only plant
used by the Chinese in the manufacture of tea; but T. Bohea and

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 187

T. Assamensis also furnish leaves of a character suited for the same
domestic purpose. The Theas, however, are far less ornamental
than the true Camellias; they are all white-flowered, nearly hardy,
and flourish well in a cool house, where they require as much air
and very nearly the same treatinent as Ericas. Specimens of the
tea-shrub have been known to survive the winter out of doors near
London, and, as we shall show in the course of this paper, the
Camellia may also be grown in the open air, and, with some few
precautions, used as a shrubbery and border plant. The species of
Camellia known in our collections are Japonica euryoides, Kisii,
maliflora (apple-flowered), oleifera, from which a valuable culinary
oil is obtained, reticulata, and Sasanqua. Next to Japonica, Sa-
sanqua is the most ornamental, and some of its varieties—as, for
instance, plena alba (double white), plena rubra (double red), and
semi-plena (semi-double)—are worth a place in any general collec-
tion ; but Japonica leaves them all behind in foliage, habit, and the
splendour of its flowers; and it is no wonder that its varieties have
been multiplied by hundreds by careful hybridizing and the acci-
dents, of horticultural practice.

Genera Treatment.—The majority of cultivators prefer to pur-
chase plants of the varieties that enjoy the highest popularity, and
but few concern themselves in propagation either by seed or other-
wise. We shall, however, offer some specific instructions on all the
various modes of increasing stock, and raising new varieties, but here
confine ourselves to such generalities as bear more or less on the
management of the Camellia in every season of the year. The plants
are now out of bloom, and are pushing their new growth ; this new
growth will supply the bloom-buds for next season, and the task of
the cultivator is to promote that growth, and get it well ripened
before the season closes. An excess of light is altogether inimical
to the prosperity of Camellias; hence we see them do well in the
old-fashioned dark houses, against which we are apt to level our
abuse when comparing them with the structures of the present
day. The buds begin to push, indeed, before the bloom is fairly out,
and often under disadvantageous. circumstances, for the plants may
be used to decorate apartments where the air is far too dry for them.
In such cases the foliage should be sprinkled morning and evening,
and the roots kept well supplied with water slightly tepid, so as to
prevent exhaustion till they can be got back into their proper
growing quarters. The future well-doing of the plants depends en-
tirely on the maintenance of a strictly seasonal action ; they will not
break and bloom at any season, like geraniums and other soft-wooded
plants, but must have their time of quick growth, and a long season
of comparative rest. Therefore they cannot be too soon encouraged
to grow after having bloomed; and a moist atmosphere, and a tem-
perature averaging 65° by day and 55° by night, with plenty of air,
and shade from sunshine, are essential to success. In such a tem-
perature, and with free ventilation, the Camellia will make rapid
and healthy growth if frequently syringed and kept very moist at the
root. Drought at this season is ruin to it; if the floor and walls
are deluged with water, so as to keep the atmosphere saturated with

Jare.

188 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

moisture, the growth will be more luxuriant and healthy. As soon
as the foliage is well expanded, and the bloom-buds begin to show
at the points of the shoots, give more air and less water; and at the
end of June, or early in July, turn them out under a north wall on
to a bed of coal-ashes, to ripen the wood. A moderate amount of
sun will be good for them from this time to the end of the season,
but it should not reach them after eleven in the morning, or before
four in the afternoon. If the pots are half plunged, they will require
less attention in watering, but will still be benefited by an occasional
syringing to keep the foliage clean and healthy, and must still be
kept moderately moist at the root.

Reporrine.—This is usually performed at the time they are
turned out to ripen the seasonal growth. As a rule, Camellias do
not like to be disturbed at the root, and when well potted in the
first instance, may remain in the same pots for several years in suc-
cession if regularly refreshed with top-dressings. Plants that are
not doing well should be repotted, in order to excite fresh root
action, and the increase in the size of the plants will also render
increased root room necessary. As we do not expect to shift them
frequently, as we do soft-wooded plants, and as excess of pot-room is
an injury, the potting should be performed with care. The Camellia
likes a deep, rich soil, and if potted with the abundance of drainage
material generally used for Ericas and Epacrises, will never thrive.
Young plants, indeed, soon get poor if their roots ramble among

otsherds, which are the delight of most heaths: and the drainage
should be made sure, with as few crocks as possible. The chief
points to be observed in potting Camellias are, to use the compost
very rough and lumpy; to pot them as firm as possible; to give
them very small shifts, for unless they quickly fill the pots with
roots, the soil will get sour and water-logged, and it will be impos-
sible for the plants to prosper; and never to shift at all unless you
are sure they require it. Choose new pots of one size larger than
those the plants are to be removed from. Soak them in water
a few hours, and meanwhile prepare some clean crocks and nodules
of charcoal of the size of hazel nuts. Put over the hole in the pota
good-sized concave piece of tile, or if the pots are large use the
smallest sized unglazed flower-pot saucers inverted, as a foundation.
Over this strew a few crocks, then a layer of charcoal, and then
some lumps of very fibrous peat, or tough turf that has been stacked
some time. Turn out the plants without breaking the balls, and
examine them well to see if the roots are healthy. Beyond removing
the old ¢rocks, you will seldom find it necessary to disturb the root
in any way ; but if the ball is hard, and become impervious to water,
slightly loosen it round the sides with a sharp stick, and remove
some of the old soil by lowering the ball into a pail of water, and
moving it up and down gently till some of it has fallen out. Having
got them into the new pots, ram the compost in all round as hard as
you can with a thin wooden rammer, but be careful in doing so not
to bruise the roots. By this firm system of potting an immense
quantity of soil can be got into the pots for the roots to feed upon,
and two or three years may elapse before the plants will want shifting

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 189

again. They can never thrive if potted loosely, or if the stuff they
are potted in is in a very fine condition. If the new soil does not
take water kindly, stand every one, as soon as potted, in a pail of
water full enough to run over the brim of the pot; after soaking in
this way for an hour, the ball will be moistened quite through, and
will afterwards take the water whenever it is given. Twice a year
we treat all our potted Camellias to such a soaking as this: first
when they are housed for the winter, when, having been kept rather
dry to harden the wood, the water does not readily pass through the
ball; and again as soon as the buds begin to colour for blooming ;
and having found the practice beneficial, we recommend its adoption
as a regular feature in seasonal management. It is not at all neces-
sary, however, to defer the repotting until the summer growth is
completed. If shifted immediately the bloom is over, the warmth
given to encourage growth above will also help to fill the pots with
new roots, and the strength of the next bloom will be increased. I
certainly prefer, as the result of experience, spring to summer shifts ;
there is a better balance of action induced between the foliage and
the root fibres, and the buds get swelled without exhaustion of the
wood, which must take place when the whole of the growth has to
be completed in the old soil.

Sorn.—The Camellia will grow in good hazelly loam, in peat, and
in leaf-mould, with no other ingredient in either case than plenty of
silver-sand; but none of these are sufficient of themselves. The best
staple material is old turf from a fat loam, well chopped up and
stacked for some months to rot. If inclining to clay all the better,
and for large plants the lumps ought to be not smaller than walnuts.
A mixture of turfy peat and silver-sand, made rather fine, will run
in between these lumps, and make a firm material for the roots to
work into. Some growers use peat alone, but it is too poor, and
needs a little old cow-dung mixed with it. If such fat turf as is advised
above cannot be got in the district, I always leave half an inch of
spare space on the surface fora mulch of old powdery dung, and
when the plants are swelling for bloom, or are put into heat for
forcing, I always rake some of this off, and top-dress again with
similar powdery stuff of rather a stronger texture, which is pressed
firm on the surface. Thoroughly rotten wood is also a good material
to mix with turf and peat, as you will find upon turning a plant out
some time after that the new roots have run into the wood, before
they have fairly taken hold of the turf, and as it is a material
retentive of moisture, it suits the Camellia admirably; but if uct
thoroughly rotten, so as to crumble between the finger and thumb,
it will not do. For seedlings and young stocks, good bog mould
freshly dug, and broken rough with the turf adhering, is best, but it
should be well mixed with silver-sand, and drainage secured by filling
the pot one-third full of the most turfy portions. One hollow crock
is plenty to use in potting young plants if the lowest layer of soil is
of this open and turfy nature. At the next shift, bog should be
again the chief of the staple, with a little fat lumpy turf added; and
at the next shift, the mixture recommended above for old plants.

June,

190 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

CULTIVATION OF THE CINERARIA.

BY J. H.

THIS gay and interesting spring flower is fast becoming a

a favourite at the principal spring shows, and is to be
Aa found in every well-kept greenhouse and conservatory,
iZ4 and it well deserves a place in any collection. The
atiention of Jate given to its cultivation has been produc-
tive of remarkable results; the well-furnished, regularly grown, and
gay plant of to-day is a totally different thing to the meagre, staring
plant of the past, and of this great advance we owe much to
Mr. Turner, of Slough, who grows them to a considerable extent.
I may refer also to Mr. Smith, of Dulwich, who, during the last few
years, has made a great stride in richness and purity of colour,
although the plants may be delicate in habit. As the leading kinds
have been several times successfully exhibited, the work of
selection to improve the stock should have immediate attention.
A few of the most desirable seedlings are Mrs. Livingstone,
Mrs. Dix, Wonderful, Perfection, Purpurea, Editor, Mars, and
Sultan. Although the three first-named are all in one way of
colour, yet each has its own particular qualities. If they can
be got in large 6U-size pots, or 48’s, so much the better, as they
generally throw up stronger for stock than those grown in larger
pots. Let me give a few hints on culture, for the information
of the inexperienced. Suppose a purchase to have been made in
60’s, or 48-size pots, the flower and stem ready to decay, pot on
into one size larger, and place them behind a south wall, upon a bed
of coal ashes, or upon slabs or slates, as a preventive to worms and
slugs; they will soon begin to start into growth if the extremes of
damp and dryness be avoided, for an excess in either will speak for
itself in the cultivation of the plant. When the grass (as itis called)
becomes two or three joints long, it is fit for striking. They should
be taken off a little below ground, to secure the fibrous joint
which is found below the surface, and placed round the edges of a
pot, in a compost of halfloam, quarter leaf-mould, quarter decomposed
manure, and sufficient sand to take the water through. Pot them
into a cold and shady handlight until struck, which, if in a healthy
conditicn, will be in about three weeks. Then harden them off
gradually, and pot off into 60-size pots, still keeping in the shade.

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR JUNE.
THE FLOWER GARDEN,

HOULD all the annuals not yet be planted, plant at once, choosing
Si, showery weather; but should the weather be dry, plant in the
"Ra i} evening. Give support to such as need it. The more tender sorts
tase4}) may now be turned out into the borders, and if hot sunny weather

follows, they will need a little shading during the middle of the day.
Until established, they will require watering once a day, at least, if the weather is
dry. Finish transplanting perennials and biennials sown in spring. Tie up the

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 19]

weak branches on roses, and preserve a neatness in appearance by picking off
dead blossoms. Clear the trees of green-fly by frequent syringing, stir the
surface of the soil occasionally, aud give liquid manure rather liberally. Secure
the flower-stems of carnations and picottees from high winds by safely tying
them to the blooming stakes, and keep the plants free from dead foliage and
insects. Stir the soil about hollyhocks, and give a little liquid manure. Seedling
hollyhocks, when hardened off, should be planted above two feet apart. There
will now be little risk in planting out to the fullest extent, and all tender annuals,
China asters, zinnias, stock, marigolds, petunias, ageratums, lobelias, verbenas,
geraniums, etc., may be put at once in their places.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

Peas may be sown for successional crops, but should be soaked in water for
six or eight hours previously, to forward them. The principal crop of endive
should be sown, and that already up, planted out. Plant out all varieties of
lettuce that are fit, give water if necessary, and sow more for succession. Onions
intended to stand for keeping should be thinned out to three or four inches,
according as they may promise for size. Carrots and parsnips must also be
thinned out, if intended for winter store—the former to about six inches, the latter
ten inches apart. Plant celery in trenches ; if the weather ig dry, well soak the
trenches before planting. Thin out beet-root to about a foot apart. Radishes
may be sown once a fortnight. Prick out cabbages sown last month, and sow a
little more for autumn and winter greens. Prick out sufficient savoys for your
winter crop, eighteen or twenty inches apart, and should the weather be dry,
do not spare the water. Sow stone turnips twice during the month, and hoe out
as soon as fit.

FEUIT GARDEN.

Towards the end of the month, peaches and nectarines will require pruning.
All foreright shoots should be rubbed off, leaving a good supply of young wood
for bearing next year. ‘hin wall frait. Look over the apricots ; thin them out
where in clusters, leaving room for swelling, and towards the end of the month
peaches and nectarines will require the same treatment. Peach-houses started in
December will now be getting ripe ; as soon as they begin to change colour, keep
the house dry and give plenty of air, to improve the flavour of the fruit. Stop
and lay in all shoots of cherries that require it, before covering the trees with
netting. Should the black-fly attack the trees, dip the ends of the branches into
tobacco-water. Apples and pears must have proper attention; if too thickly set
with fruit, reduce the number. Stop and nail in all shoots of vines that require it.
An occasional syringing in the evening will be of great service. Strawberries
must have plenty of water, avd straw, or clean grass must be laid down to keep
the fruit clean.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY,

Calceolarias, being so subject to green-fly, must be frequently manured, and if
necessary fumigated or syringed. Select a few of the best varieties of cinerarias
for seeding; a# soon as the seed is ripe sow it in a cold frame or cool part cf the
house, keeping the soil moist, that they may not perish when germinating. Give
the young plants plenty of air, and prick them out when large enough into stove
pans. Hor making stock for next season, the plants may be turned out into the
border, where they will throw offsets freely. A good supply of liquid manure
may be given to fuchsias ; protect them from the midday sun, and those that have
not already had their final shift should be immediately attended to, Pelargoniums
require great attention this month. Every plant should be examined, that each
may be properly supplied with moisture. Do not let them get dry, but they
must not be saturated. Mauure water may be given as the plants are growing
freely. Tuke cuttings of the scarce and yaluab!e sorta, that you may insure strong
healthy stock for next season.

June,

192 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

STOVE.

See that the plants are free from dirt or dead foliage; all should now be clean,
and of healthy appearance. Strong and vigorous-growing plants may be watered
with weak liquid manure rather freely. Carefully look for thrip and red spider,
as they increase rapidly, and should be destroyed upon their first appearance. If
a single plant only be affected, remove it from the rest, and cleanse it thoroughly
before returning it to its old quarters. ‘his will save unnecessary fumigation,
give a plentiful supply of moisture. If by syringe, use but little force for fear of
injury, but the greenfly must be kept under by some means.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

SEEDLING RuvBARB.—C. K. B.—You should select those plants that do not
freely run to seed, as the most useful. Rhubarb that runs to seed as soon as it
makes its appearance in spring is worthless. You may sow for several years, and
not surpass the varieties already in cultivation. The objects to be obtained by
sowing are superiority of flavour, productiveness, and earliness.

CinzERanias.—4. B. C_—The seedlings, though both pretty, are not first-rate.

AZALEAS.— Beginnerv.—You will find little difficulty in the propagation of
Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and Oleanders if you proceed as follows. When the
plants are full of young shoots about half ripe, slip them off, trim away the lower
leaves, and dibble them round the sides of five-inch pots, half filled with peat, and
the remainder to within an inch of the pot with pure silver sand. They should
be kept close in a frame until rooted, and then potted off singly in peat and after-
wards grown in a mixture of peat and loam. Next autumn, the Rhododendrons
may be layered by making an incision half through on the under side of the
branch selected, and pegging it down firm in the soil, and roots will be emitted
from the tongue made by the incision. Azaleas root quickly, if young grass-like
shoots are dibbled thickly into silver sand, with sandy peat below it for the roots
to work into; they do best in a temperature of 56° to 60°, and must be shaded
and covered with bell-glasses till rooted. The Oleander will root quickly if ripe
shoots are inserted in phials of water and kept warm, and may then be potted in
a mixture of leaf-mould, peat, loam, and a little cow-dung. Rhododendrons seed
freely.

Beooox AFTER Porators.—Subscriber.—You ought to manure liberally to
take a crop of brocoli after potatoes; and if the ground is liberally manured, it
will be in good heart for potatoes again, which always do best where manure was
used for a previous crop, and not at the time of planting. Broken bones, soot,
green refuse, and anything that will rot, may be turned to account; and do not
forget to give the brocoli the benefit of all liquid refuse that can be got from the
- house. Many people commit to the sewers what is due to the land, and expend
money in the purchase of manures, which are not half so valuable as that which
costs nothing, and which is wasted without a thought of its value.

Liquiy ManuRE FoR RosEs.—T. Jones.—House sewage is certainly a good
manure for roses, and it is usually sufficiently diluted as obtained. It may be
used once a-week from this time until the end of August, after which we think it
best not to stimulate them. Use it a little stronger for a fortnight as soon as the
first blooms are over. Guano, 10 lbs. ; soot, 6 quarts; water, 100 gallons, makes
a capital mixture for roses.

Roszs 1n Pors.—K. Z,—A frame, ten feet by six feet, with three lights, is
just the thing to get up and keep a nice stock of pot roses, including teas, because
you can give them as much air, sun, shower, shade, and shelter as you like, by
means of mats, removal of lights, etc. They must be plunged, and you wiil find
coal ashes or sand, or sifted gravel the best. Make your roses from eyes, as
described by Mr. Hibberd in his work, “The Amateur’s Rose Book,” and you
will have better stock than you can buy.

o

VARIEGATED PELARCONIUMS.

1. —Miss Burdett Contts. Peter Grieve. 3.—Howarth Ashton. 1, Aurora borealis.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 193

VARIEGATED PELARGONIUMS.

= HE “tricolor-leaved Geraniums,’ of which three out of
the four varieties figured are examples, are of com-
paratively recent introduction to our gardens; and they
afford the most conclusive and startling evidence obtain-
able of the power of art to alter the course of nature.

The first decisive step towards the establishment of variegated
Pelargoniums was taken in 1848, when Mr. Kinghorn raised from
Lee’s Variegated Geranium the well-known Flower of the Day.
About 1850 the same raiser obtained Attraction and Countess of
Warwick, both of them true silver tricolors (though not then so
regarded), and forerunners of the now famous Italia Unita.

Ambition was aroused, and many cross-breeders entered the
field ; amongst these, especial mention must be made of Mr. Haliey,
raiser of Burning Bush, a small-growing, silvery-leaved variety. In
1853, Mr. Peter Grieve, the most successful cultivator of this
branch of horticulture, and the raiser of Mrs. Pollock, began to
experiment.

By crossing Flower of the Day with the pollen of Tom Thumb,
he raised a fine variegated variety (now discarded), called Culford
Beauty. Ayain he obtained Rainbow, a true silver tricolor. Pur-
suing his course in this enchanting enterprise, he succeeded in
raising, by systematic cross-breeding, the varieties known as Empress
of the French, Emperor of the French, and others. In 1855, he
began to consider the possibility of obtaining new varieties with
golden variegation; and, accordingly, he applied the pollen of the
fine old bedding geranium, Golden Chain, to the blossoms of Cottage
Maid, and obtained Golden Tom Thumb and Golden Cerise Unique.
The next year blooms of the Emperor of the French were fertilized
with pollen of Golden Tom Thumb, and one of the results was Gold
Pheasant.

In the two following years, that is in 1857-58, the pollen of
Gold Pheasant was applied to the blooms of Emperor of the French,
and the result was those two most celebrated of all the golden tri-
colors, Mrs. Pollock and Sunset. Subsequently, Mr. Grieve has
raised Lucy Grieve, Mrs. Benyon, Lady Cullum, Victoria Regina,
and a host of others equally celebrated.

Here our story must end; those who would know more of the
subject will find abundant information in the little “‘ History of
Variegated Zonal Pelargoniums,” written by Mr. Grieve, and pub-
lished by Messrs. Blackwood.

We have selected for the plate a group of varieties which may be
regarded as representing the highest standard yet obtained in the
two classes of gold and silver tricolors, with the addition of one
representing the new reticulated-leaved class, the name of which
Aurora borealis, appropriately typifies its peculiar style of colouring
—lurid red, in lines, and suffusing the margin of an otherwise
bright green leaf. Peter Grieve is a golden tricolor, most perfect
in form and tinting, satisfying more nearly than any other the

July, 13

194 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE,

requirements of the critical florist. Howarth Ashton and Miss Bur-
dett Coutts are amongst the most beautiful and vigorous-habited of
their respective classes.—Hvtracted from Mr. Hibberd’s “ New and
Rare Beautiful-Leaved Plants.”

BEDDING PLANTS WITH GOLD AND SILVER LEAVES.

HOUGH the majority of these plants are used as edgings
to beds, in order to subdue and tone down and har-
monize strong colours, there are many eminently
adapted for forming masses, especially where large
breadths of neutral tints are required in the centres

and connecting points of geometric patterns. The subjects now to

be dealt with may be grouped in two distinct classes, namely, plants
with “variegated” leaves, which have originated from species with
green leaves, and plants which are naturally woolly, silvery, or snowy
in appearance, without being “ variegated.” The distinction is of
much importance, and we will cite two cases to illustrate it. The
variegated periwinkle is a plant we suppose to be known to every-
body. If that is not known to all who read this, then let a varie-
gated-leaved geranium serve for the purpose. If in either of these
cases the leaf is examined, it will be seen that its beauty consists in
the combination of a mottling, or band, or lines of cream or amber,
upon a green ground, or the centre of the leaf is green and the
margin white. In any case there is a certain proportion of green in
the leaf, which may not be perceptible when the plants are in large
masses, because of the superior attractiveness of the white ; never-
theless it is there, and the example is one of strict variegation, the
result of a sport from a variety wholly green and without variegation
at all. Take, on the other hand, a plant of Cineraria maritima,
otherwise called the ‘‘ Powdered Beau” and “Dusty Bob;” or if
you do not know that, take Cerastium tomentosum; or, better
known still, take the Rose Campion of the borders. In each of
these cases the leaves have none of the ordinary green hue common
to vegetation ; the Cineraria maritima is covered with a grey dust,
as if flour had been sprinkled upon it; the leaves of the Cerastium
are covered with grey hairs, and have a woolly appearance when
viewed under a lens, and glisten like silver when placed beside blue
lobelia in full bloom; the leaves of the Campion are also woolly ;
and in all these three cases the silvery appearance is natural to the
plant, not the consequence of a sport, and, strictly speaking, they
are not variegated. Now, this distinction is of importance as 4
matter of art and as a matter of culture. In the first consideration,
the effect of plants with leaves naturally silvered is generally more
decisive. But on that point differences of opinion as well as of fact
may arise; for though Lady Plymouth, Dandy, Flower of the Day,
and Alma geraniums are strictly variegated plants, and have a certain
proportion of green in their composition, nothing can surpass them
for beauty when used appropriately in combination with other plants.

a

wie ast

THE FLORAL WGRkRLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 199

Still the radical distinction remains that these have originated out of
varieties that were not variegated, whereas the other class are what
they are by virtue of their original constitution, and have been
silvery, woolly, dusty, etc., etc., from the beginning of the world.

As a matter of culture, the distinction is of immense importance.
Plants that are naturally of a silvery or golden hue cannot be altered
in their character, though they may be spoiled or killed by bad
management ; whereas true variegated plants may be changed to
their original green colour, and the variegation destroyed by im-
proper management. This is a matter that practical gardeners—
though they know all about it—do not always bear in mind as they
should, and hence in one garden the same variety of variegated plant
will be seen in greater perfection than in another. With plants
naturally of a silvery hue, all that is necessary is to provide them
with a soil suited to their constitution; with variegated plants the
soil should generally be a trifle poorer than for the green-leaved types
of the variegated varieties. We have proved by experiment that
Dandy, one of the loveliest of the minimum variegated geraniums,
becomes as green as grass when planted out in a soil heavily
manured, and that the same plants, removed into a poor soil, re-
covered their variegation, and had the same beautiful effect as
originally. Look at any border containing a row of the common
variegated mint, and it will be a great chance if you do not see
amongst the plants many strong shoots wholly green, the plant re-
verting back to its original condition through being well fed in a
rich soil. So with the pretty variegated Arabis; one of the best of
plants for a close edging of yellowish-grey, it will every year pro-
duce a few green shoots; and if those are not removed, they soon
take the whole strength of the reots to themselves, and, overpower-
ing the variegated shoots, in course of time restore the plant to the
condition of the common green-leaved Arabis of the borders.

The lesson is obvious, that variegated plants should not be too
well fed; and yet it is possible to grow them vigorously without
danger. Pure yellow loam with plenty of turf in it is a most
nourishing staple for any plant that likes loam, and most variegated
plants will thrive in it, and grow toa good size, if specimens are
required without a change of character. Buta third part of half-
rotten dung mixed with the loam would spoil the beauty of at least
one half the best variegated plants we possess, and frequent doses of
strong manure water would do the same thing without the dung.
Peat, sand, and chalk are all favourable to the preservation of the
silvery and golden hues of variegated plants; and beds and borders
in which they are to be planted should be liberally dressed with
those materials in preference to stimulating manures ; and if they
are not obtainable, sifted sweepings of gravel walks, with pounded
bricks and oyster-shells, are equally useful, as they afford a certain
amount of nourishment without stimulating. Take Farfugium
grande, and grow it as you would a cauliflower, and instead of the
leaves being boldly mottled and blotched with gold and amber, they
will be almost wholly green. Leave the plant alone till it has con-
sumed the gross food given to it, and is beginning to starve, and

July,

196 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

once more its leaves acquire their proper beauty ; and if amply sup-
plied with water during the growing season, will acquire their proper
size as well as their proper colouring. Mr. Salter, of Hammersmith,
who is the greatest collector of plants with variegated foliage, hears
frequently from his customers that the plants they have had of him
lost their variegation, and are not better than hedge weeds; but the
growers are at fault through giving these choice subjects too much
food. If they would pot them in turfy loam and peat, with an ad-
mixture of about a fourth part chalk or broken bricks, they would
secure vigour without sacrificing character; but setting a high value
on the exquisitely-marked varieties they have obtained, they go a
step too far in the use of stimulating manures.

LEAVES NATURALLY OF A SILVERY HUE.

Antennaria margaritacea, a hardy herbaceous everlasting, common
in cottage gardens, grows two to three feet high, forming large
masses of silvery foliage, and in July produces unattractive yellow
blossoms. This is a capital ribbon plant, and if propagated any
time from March to May, or taken up and divided in April, may be
kept to a close line by nipping out the points of the shoots.

Centaurea candidissima, the whitest-leaved plant we have, requires
protection in the greenhouse during winter. Is propagated by off-
sets, in the same way as daisies and auriculas. It will take some
time to get up a stock of this for extensive use; but it is well worth
the waiting for, as there is nothing more striking for a brilliant
white line or margin, and single plants are useful for tree stumps,
borders, and rockeries ; and it is an attractive pot plant for the
conservatory. Some fine plants of this superb species lived
through the winter in a bed out of doors, at Mr. Salter's nursery,
Hammersmith.

Cineraria maritima.—A beautiful shrub for rockeries; old plants
make fine centres to beds of scarlet or crimson. Cuttings will strike
without heat at any season of the year, but are a long time forming
roots. It likes a dry chalky soil, and, though quite hardy, should
be taken up for the winter, unless the position is dry and sheltered ;
damp is death to it. To use this as a bedder, let it flower, save the
seed, and sow in February; it is then admirable for a first or second
row, kept to the required height by nipping.

Cerastium tomentosum and Biebersteinii—The first has been
extensively used for some years past, and is best known about
London as forming the silvery edgings to beds of blue lobelia and
scarlet geranium at the Crystal Palace. They are both quite hardy,
and thrive in any soil or situation, and if left in the ground over
winter, produce beautiful masses of white flowers early in spring
time. But for strictly bedding purposes it should be propagated
from cuttings at the end of March or early in April, as a vigorous
growth is not required. When planted out in May, place the plants
four inches apart, and as they grow nip out the points all through
the season, which will keep it regular and dense in growth. Of the
two, C. tomentosum is the best.

Artemisia glacialis and argentea.—These silvery-leaved worm-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 197

woods are of excellent habit and quite hardy. They require poor
sandy soil and a dry position.

Santolina rosmarinifolium—A very beautiful glaucous-leaved
plant, of easy cultivation, quite hardy, and delighting in chalk and
sand. Every student of colour-effects should have it, with a view to
its extensive use when occasions arise requiring a silvery plant of a
decidedly shrubby character easily kept and prepagated.

Stachys lanata.—A hardy woolly-leaved plant, which will be
useful to those who want a plant of the habit of Centaurea candi-
dissima, but have not the convenience for keeping stock over winter.
It spreads laterally in tufts, forming dense masses of grey foliage
never more than six inches high, requiring no nipping down. Most
easily propagated by division.

Achillea clavenne is a neat silvery-leaved plant, weli adapted for
edgings. If its flowers were kept pinched back, it would be very
uniform and neat, but the flowers are by no means objectionable,
except in highly-coloured and very formal parterres.

A, Egyptiaca produces fine yellow flowers, and is very distinct
in its grey leafage.

Festuca glauca.—A most beautiful glaucous-leaved grass, which
will grow finely in any rather dry position. It does not make so
good an edging as it promises to when seen in separate tufts, but,
in some form or other, it ought to be found in every garden.

Sedum glaucum.—This is a close-growing species, which forms a
perfectly close surface of neat glaucous growth. It will be invalu-
able for hot dry soils, where bedding-plants of many kinds do not
thrive well. It is also a gem for rockwork.

Variegated mint, which we suppose everybody knows well enough.
Nevertheless it is often strangely confounded with variegated balm,
variegated arabis, and variegated dead-nettle. The balm and the
dead-nettle are of no use for bedding, but make nice clumps on
shady rockeries ; whereas the mint, which may be identified as easily
by its odour as any other way, will grow in any soil or situation,
and, when used in masses, is one of the best plants of this class that
we possess. There are various ways of turning it to account. Asa
front row to Purple Nosegay Geranium, or Rubens Geranium, or
Trentham Rose Geranium, it is best used alone; but asa front row
to Perilla Nankinensis it has a superb effect, if intermixed with Lord
Raglan Verbena. It scarcely matters how late this mint is propa-
gated, so that it has just formed roots at the time of putting out.
When it is required to run up six to nine inches, the plants should
be strong, in 60-size pots, from cuttings taken early in spring; but,
if required very short and close, April is quite early enough to strike
it. We have made bright solid edgings by putting in cuttings in
May, while geraniums were hardening in pits, and, when rooted,
planting them without any intermediate process of potting. They
take hold of the ground in a few days, and, being a free grower, it
soon requires nipping down, which makes it dense and bushy. We
would make a hundred feet out of half a dozen plants in 48-size pots
the first week in May, and have them on the ground in a passable
state by the middle of June, by which time the geraniums and

July,

198 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

verbenas would be showing good trusses. But the best time gene-
rally to propagate it is March, when choice should be made of shoots
not entirely white or nearly green, but fully variegated, and with
enough green in them to insure vigorous health. Wherever a green
shoot appears, it should be cut away to the root, or it will soon war
against the variegated shoots by its superior vigour. Once get
possession of this useful plant, and it need never be lost, and to
keep it true needs only ordinary watchfulness. It is a charming
contrast to blue, purple, or scarlet. There is a golden-leaved variety
equally beautiful, but of less value for bedding, because the same
colour can be so much better obtained from flowers. It is, however,
worth having, and is very effective as a ribbon plant. Two plants
of the mint and one of blue lobelia, alternating in a row, make a
soft bluish-grey, which sets off scarlet to perfection.

Arabis alpina variegata.—Let us call things by their right names,
and, as one step towards it, give up the practice of naming this
“ Alyssum variegata.’”’ There is this difference between them:
Arabis is, in all its forms, an herbaceous trailing plant; Alyssum is
a miniature shrub. This variegated arabis grows in close, dense
tufts, spreading laterally, the leaves mottled with yellowish-white,
the flowers white, and plentifully produced in April and May. It is
hardy wherever the scil is dry, but is apt to perish in winter in damp
situations. We always pot up the whole stock in October, and
winter them in frames. If a very close line of clear yellowish-grey
is required, this is the best plant in existence for the purpose. It
may be propagated at any time, either by putting cuttings into sand
in seed-pans from May to August, and again with the aid of a little
heat in February or March, or may be increased by division every
autumn when the plants are taken up, or in April when they are
planted. Like the variegated mint, it is a poor man’s bedder, and
is truly beautiful when well done. In arich soil, it has the same
tendency as the mint to throw up green shoots, which should be
removed as soon as they are perceptible.

Alyssum dentatum variegatum.—This is a miniature shrub, with
narrow silvery leaves and white flowers, easily propagated from
cuttings in spring and autumn, and is very white and attractive as
an edging to any brilliantly-coloured bed. It is rather tender, rarely
lives through the winter out of doors, does not like damp or a fat
soil, is most at home on sand and in an elevated position. Never-
theless, as a bedder, taken up for the winter, and kept in pots well
drained and filled with poor soil, it will thrive almost anywhere when
planted out. Some years ago, the most dazzling beds ever thought
of were to be seen at the Crystal Palace on the Rose Mount. They
consisted of Variegated Alyssum and Flower of the Day Geranium,
mixed ; the worst of it is, the mixture is so bright that the eye can-
not bear it while the sun shines. It would be still more like fixed
lightning by using Alma Geranium, the trusses of which are of a
more decided scarlet.

Scrophularia nodosa variegata.—This is a novelty of the highest
merit. It is quite hardy, grows well in any ordinary good svil; the
leaves match those of geraniums for size, and are densely edged with

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 199

white. It appears to stand extremes of weather as well as any plant
in our garden, and looks almost as well in winter as in summer.
For amateurs, whose conveniences and means are limited, this is a
most valuable acquisition. -In appearance it is like a miniature copy
of the variegated Hydrangea.

Thymus vulgaris variegatus, Thymus serpyllum variegatus.—The
first is a fast-growing and very pretty variegated shrub, which may
occasionally be found useful to mix with low-growing plants of
strong colours to soften down the glare. It is not showy in a mass,
and on the two or three occasions when we have used it as an edging
it was not very effective. Yet it is worth having, and we can
imagine a bed of some low-growing and gay annuals, such as Venus’s
Looking-glass, or Silene armeria, would be greatly improved by the
interspersion of this thyme amongst the plants.

Vinca major elegantissima, V. major reticulata, V. minor argentea,
V. minor eurea.—Here are four variegated periwinkles, all exquisitely
beautiful and well adapted for amateurs who cannot keep a large
stock of variegated geraniums all winter. They grow to perfection
in the shade, and no matter what rubbish the soil consists of. All
four should be in every garden, to clothe banks and shady borders;
and when required for use on a large scale, that which suits best in
habit and colour should be propagated by cuttings in spring. The
first and last-named are the showiest; there is nothing in the way
of variegated plants to surpass them.

Agathea celestis variegata.—This has been puffed into notoriety
to such an extent, that people who have not seen it may very well
imagine it to be the greatest wonder of the nineteenth century.
Now there is nothing wonderful about it, and, so far as variegation
is concerned, we have many plants of the same habit and tint that
far surpass it in general excellence. We have it planted out now
sufficiently near variegated arabis to show that the latter is the
brighter of the two, and that the tone of grey is much the same, as
there is just enough yellow in the leaf to give to a mass of it the
effect of a pale wash of buff colour. We are not condemning it; its
merits are many ; it grows close and neat, and flowers freely ; and
se the flowers are blue, that must be thought of in using it as an

ging.

Bellis perennis, the variety generally distributed in the trade,
called “aucubifolia,” is one of the prettiest bedding plants in exist-
ence. The leaves are of a rich gold yellow, netted with green veins,
and the flowers crimson, double, and plentifully produced. Whoever
is in need of something new for a front line, or for filling narrow
beds on a terrace, should obtain this pretty daisy, and propagate it
from offsets all the summer long, and keep the whole stock in pots
through the winter. It is quite hardy, but too delicate a plant to
be left to fight the battle with the weather. Those who know it,
and would like to use it in quantity at once, can obtain a supply of
any of the leading nurseries at six shillings per dozen. For its
intrinsic merit it is worth five times that price, and was bought up
as fast as it could be propagated, a few years ago, at five shillings

each.
July.

200 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

IRIS IBERICA.

AutHouaH Iris iberica is not so showy as some of the more robust
growing irids, it is not wanting in attractiveness, and the flowers
certzinly pos-
SESS much Lae
beauty. The
foliage is
dwarf and
grassy,and the
flowers attain,
in proportion
to the stature
of the plant,
an immense
size, for they
ofttimes will
measure from
six to seven
inches in
height and
four inches in
breadth. The
upper seg-
ments of the
flowers are
white, with
deep blue o-
culate spots,
the lower seg-
ments heavily
veined with
indigo or black
upon a ground
that varies
from brown to
buff, and with
deep o-
culate
spots of
black.
There
are seve-
ral va-
rieties in
cultiva-
tion, dif-
fering m
eon gsid- IRIS IBERICA.
erably in colour, and there is certainly no Iris save I. reticulata that
an amateur should be so anxious to possess. ;

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 201

THE PROPAGATION OF ROSES BY BUDDING.

HE stocks for budding upon should be procured at the
fall of the leaf, if the earth into which they are to be
transplanted be not wet; if it be, their transplantation
should be deferred until the spring. A very dry place,
however, should not be selected for them, for in that
ease it will be found that when the budding season arrives, the bark
does not remain in a fit state for the operation much longer than a
week, and consequently the chances of success are lessened every
day after that period. Great attention should be paid in selection of
stocks; all starved, bark-bound, diseased, or otherwise unhealthy
specimens should either be rejected altogether, or cut down to form
dwarf standards. Attention should be also carefully directed
towards ascertaining whether the stock has been in any way seriously
injured while being taken out of the ground, and if such is the case
it must be rejected altogether, for sooner or later disappointment
would ensue the very first time they might be subjected to any
extraordinary agency—such, for instance, as extremes of heat or
cold, of drought or moisture, so soon would they perish. How often
have I seen beautiful and valuable trees, not only of roses, but of
laburnums and many others, die, defective transplantation being the
primary cause, although they bad lived in apparent health for ten or
twenty or more years.

If the stocks to be budded have been in the situation in which
they may be growing for more than one year, it would be advisable
either to take them up in the spring and transplant them, or to cut
some of the roots off with a spade. Buds always succeed best when
inserted on transplanted stocks.

Budding should commence as soon as the flower-buds of the
dog-rose in the hedges begin to open their calices. The varieties
of the Gallica, Hybrid China, and Provence families should, if pos-
sible, be always budded at this season; for in that case they will
shoot and make fine heads before the winter sets in, and will bloom
well the following spring, neither of which will be the case if they
be delayed till the autumn. Budding may, however, be successfully
performed until the frost commences, provided that stocks can be
found at that time; but, except in particular cases, I should prefer
waiting until next spring, as they would be but a week or two for-
warder—that is, if they be not killed by the frost, which would be
very probable. In the selection of shoots to choose the buds from,
those which are very strong should not be chosen, nor those that are
very weak. Sometimes there will be a necessity for budding from
weak shoots; in that case a larger portion of bark should be taken
off with the buds to be inserted, than with a bud from a strong
shoot, which latter will require only a portion as small as can be
taken. The buds should be inserted as close to the main stem as
they possibly can be; they will then be more firm in the stock, will
shoot stronger, and will be less liable to meet with accidents than
they would be were they inserted higher at a greater distance along

July.

202 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

the shoot; indeed, nothing can be more objectionable, more un-
natural in its appearance, or more unworkmanlike, than to see buds
inserted two or three inches from the main stem. Sometimes it
may be wished to insert two buds on a stock which has but one
shoot, in order to have “a greater chance of one growing,” or to
“form a larger head in a shorter space of time.” Generally they
are then inserted one above another, and, if they both grow, the
object of getting a larger head is defeated by the top bud robbing
the other of all its nourishment. If the top one only should happen
to grow, the scar where the other was inserted often produces a dis-
ease ; or, if the bottom one only should grow, then good-bye to the
larger head. It is preferable to insert them side by side, and
tolerably close to each other. If the buds be short, and inserted
closely and firmly to the main stem, the ligature need not be carried
round the shoot more than twice, and thus a great saving of time is
effected.

I have no fault to find with bass matting for the tying in of the
bud, excepting from its liability to break while being used. To
avoid this, I prefer using coarse worsted, such as is used for oil
lamps, by using which the tying is performed more expeditiously.
After the buds are inserted, the shoots on which they are placed
should be cut in about one-third of their length; if the bark
“runned hard” (in which case it would be hardly worth while to
bud at all), one-half. After the inserted bud has begun to swell,
the shoot should be cut to within an eye or two of the place of
insertion ; this will give the bud encouragement to form a good head
before the winter. If the bud be inserted late in the autumn, the
shoot should not be cut back. If buds be procured, and it is not
found possible to bud them that day, they should not be put into
water to be preserved, but in a tin box (a botanical box ought to be
an essential in every tool-house). They will then keep for a fort
night or more, and if they be put into water for a few hours before
they are wanted, say three hours, they will succeed as well as though
they were inserted immediately they were cut off. I do believe that
the failures in budding are as often attributable to the long immer-
sion of the buds in water as to all other unfavourable circumstances
united. In sending buds on a long jonrney, they should be sent in
a tin box without any moss or other et cetera around them; if I had
not that convenience, I would prefer packing them in dry moss. I
recollect once receiving a parcel of rose-shoots for budding from
Paris. They were evidently first moistened or sprinkled with water,
and afterwards folded in what I guessed to be seakale leaves, and
then the whole was wrapped in a piece of canvas. It was placed
under the protection of a gentleman just then leaving France for
England, but who by some circumstance was afterwards detained
some days longer than he expected. The roses at length arrived
with him, having been between a week and a fortnight on their
journey, and on being opened the whole was found to be a mass of
rottenness ; the very names on the parehment were illegible. About
a dozen buds grew, with a loss, probably, of hundreds. If these
shoots had been packed in dry moss, they might have remained

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 203

longer than they were on their journey, and yet have arrived safe.
In the above remarks I hope it will be understood that I disclaim all
intention of passing anything off as new or peculiarly my own;
indeed, the knowledge of the universality of the practices there
recommended caused me for some time to doubt the propriety of
sending them for publication; and it was only the recollection of the
fact that there was no operation in the art of gardening so perfect
as not to admit (to use an expression of the Editor’s, in a late
number) of “line upon line” being written, that it is impossible for
a writer to prevent a reader from including under the same word
more ideas than he himself intended, and that in the most unim-
portant fact a logical or grammatical error, or misconstruction of a
sentence, may often be the means of causing the most important
ideas to arise in the minds of others, and thus indirectly bringing to
light new facts which directly might have long remained hidden.

WINDOW GARDENING.

BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 173.)
BULBOUS-ROOTED AND ROCK PLANTS.

aa9S I said in a former paper, a-small rockery under your
#} window in connection with your window-box could be
so arranged that rockery, window-box, and creepers
would appear to form one harmonious whole. Sucha
"window in the height of the season would have a beau-
tiful effect, and be the admiration of every passer-by. Clinkers
from a furnace make a nice rockery. A few white pebbles and shells
heighten the effect. Raise a mound of soil and build your materials
over it as naturally as you can, leaving crevices in which to plant
your roots and flowers. I will select afew of the most suitable
plants for a rockery.

Aubrietia.—A lovely little rock plant of many varieties, with
green and variegated foliage. Grows in a dense tuft or mass.

Cerastium tomentosum.—A silvery foliaged mouse-ear chickweed ;
flowers white.

Arabis.—A hardy class of spring flowering plants suitable for
rock-work, of various kinds, green and variegated ; flowers white.

Echeveria.—This is an excellent class of plants for rock-work.
B. pumila, L. glauca, EB. secunda, BE. secunda glauca, and H. secunda
metallica are the best for our purpose.

Armeria, or thrift, the well-kuown sea daisy ; very pretty rock
plant ; flowers red and white, double.

Sempervivum.—Similar to the above. S. Californicum, S. arach-
noideum, and S. montanum are the most suitable. No rockery is
complete without Hcheverias and Sempervivums.

July,

204 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Glechoma, or Ground Ivy.—A pretty trailing rock plant with
delicate pink flowers. The golden and silvery variegated varieties
are very pretty for a rockery.

Sedum.—An indispensable class of plants for rock-work. S. acre,
S. acre aurewm, S. Hispanicuw, and 8. glaucumare the best. They are
easy to grow and cheap, and look lovely on a rockery.

Heartsease and Violas—Well-known flowers for the open border,
and do very well for rockeries where there is room.

ECHEVERIA SECUNDA GLAUCA.

Hepatica.—A lovely spring-flowering class of plants; looks pretty
in arockery. Small ivy-like foliage; flowers white, red, and blue,
double and single.

Antennaria tomentosa.—A perfect little gem; no higher than
moss on a stone or tree, and nearly like snow for whiteness.

Stellaria graminea aurea.—A beautiful golden chickweed, suitable
for rock-work, its yellow foliage forming a good contrast to other
plants.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 205

Vinca, or Periwinkle——The minor gold and silver variegated
varieties are excellent rock plants ; flowers blue and white.

Saxifraga.—A splendid class of plants for rock-work. The
common London Pride is weli known. One of the best is S. longi-
folia vera.

Ivy-leaved geraniums, lobelias, dwarf nasturtiums, and several
other plants do well in a rockery, provided they do not crowd the
others. eras are excellent rock plants. I will note those suitable

SEMPERVIVUM ARACHNOIDES.

for the purpose in the papers treating on ferns, and will select a
few of the most suitable bulbous-rooted plants for window gardening
before I close this article. i
Hyacinths are particularly adapted for cultivation in pots, glasses,

and jardinets. The proper oil for them is composed of two parts

_ turfy loam well decayed, one part dry cow-dung well rubbed down,
one part leaf-mould, and one part silver sand. This soil suits tulips
also, and snowdrops, crocuses, etc., with a little less manure. When

July.

206 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE,

potting your bulbs give good drainage, and place the bulbs on the
surface, pressing them down into the soil till nearly covered. Cro-
cuses and snowdrops should be about an inch under the surface.
Hyacinths in glasses require rain water, and the glass should be
filled till just touching the bottom of the bulb. Renew the water
now and then as it gets impure, and keep adding more as the roots
drink it up. October is the best time to fill your glasses and pots.
Keep them in a cool dark place—a closet would do—till they have

SEDUM SPECTABILE.

grown an inch or so. After this bring them out to the light, and
let them have as much fresh air as possible. Keep them from frost,
but as cool as you can above it. Trost destroys the bloom. The
double varieties are not so good for pots or glasses as the single.
Among the best are the following :—

Red.—d. Bouquet Royal, s. Amy, s. Baron Rothschild, s. Prima
Donna, d. Princess Royal, s. Von Schiller.

Blue.—s. Grand Vedetie, d. Rembrandt, s. Celestina, s. Grand
Lilas, d. Prince of Saxe-Weimar, s. Shakespeare, s. General
Lauriston.

Lilac and Mauve.—s. Adelina Patti, s. Haydn, s. L’ Unique.

White.—s. Grand Vedette, s. Blanchard, d. La Virginite, s. La
Vestale, d. Prince of Waterloo, s. Queen Victoria, s. Seraphire.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 207

¥ellow.—d. Heroine, s. Overwimoar, s. King of Holland.

s. stands for single; d. for double flowers.

You can purchase much cheaper Hyacinths for your window box
than those I have enumerated ; the same of the Tulips.

Tulips are magnificent spring-flowering bulbs very suitable for
pots and window boxes. The following are the best for the purpose.
Plant at the same time as you plant your Hyacinths; the double
Tulips are best. Equal parts of turfy mould, leaf-mould, and sand
form the proper soil. Double Duc Van Thol and single Duc Van
Thol, s. Ardennus, s. Queen Victoria, s. Duchess de Parma, s. Pax
Alba, d. La Candeur, d. Duke of York, d. Rex Rubrorum, d. Purple
Crown, d. Yellow Rose, d. Tournesol, d. Tournesol Yellow.

Crocus.—This and the Snowdrop are the first heralds of spring.
Nothing is so suitable for window gardening as the lovely Crocus.
In boxes and pots they should be planted pretty close. The best
are the following, in different shades of white, blue, yellow, and
purple ; soil same as for Tulips :—Albion, Charles Dickens, Florence
Nightingale, Prince Albert, Mont Blane, Sir Walter Scott, Lila-
cinus superba, Othello, Barr’s new Golden Yellow, Yellow Dutch,
Yellow Scotch.

Snowdrop, the Harbinger of Spring —Beautiful in pots and boxes.
Treat them the same as the crocus. There are both singie and double
bulbs.

Muscaria, or the Grape Hyacinth, are charming subjects for pots
or boxes to mix with Hyacinths and Tulips. The same treatment
as for Crocus or Snowdrops. The best are M. botryoides ceruleum,
album, and pallidum, M. racemosum and A. racepalleus.

Amaryllis.—Here we have a magnificent class of plants for pot
culture. Pot them in six or seven inch pots with good drainage, in
equal parts of loam, leaf-mould, and silver sand, with one half part
peat. The secret of flowering them is to leave them undisturbed in
the same pot for years, giving them little water when at rest, and
plenty of water when actively growing. The best for pots in win-
dows are the following :— ;

A, atamasca, the Atamascan Lily.

A. candida, “the flower of the west wind.”’

A. lutea, “the lily of the field,’ supposed to be the lily of
Scripture.

A. vallota purpurea, the Scarboro’ lily. This last-named is the
best for windows, and is of the highest order of merit. Its large
scarlet blossoms are unequalled for beauty and effectiveness.

Liliuwi.—This is the queen of window plants, and easily culti-
vated. Nothing can surpass well-bloomed plants of the following
varieties :—

L. speciosum album, L. speciosum rubrum, L. speciosum rosewm.

But by far the grandest of all the Lily tribe, and well meriting
the name of “‘ Queen of the Lilies,” is Lilium avratum, the flowers
when expanded being six or eight inches across, sometimes nearly a
foot; colour creamy white, with gold bands and reddish spots. The
best soil for them is the same as for Amaryllis.

Oonvalaria majalis, or Lily of the Valley, is a splendid pot sub-

July.

208 THR FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

ject or to mix with other bulbs in the window box. Plant four or five
tubers together in a clump, and three of the clumps ina pot. They
are favourites with every one.

Cyclamen, a charming tuberous-rooted plant for winter and
spring blooming, of easy cultivation, having pretty variegated
foliage. The best soil for them is composed of equal parts of loam,
leaf-mould, and silver sand. The best for pots are Cyclamen Perst-
cum. Plant the tubers in the pots fully half below the surface, and
never let them get dry. Water them overhead.

Ranwnculus.—V ery pretty root for window boxes. Plant in your
window box in January, an inch under the surface.

Anemone.—A companion to the Ranunculus. They are both
exceedingly cheap, and very lovely when in flower.

There are many other bulbous and tuberous rooted plants suit-
able for window gardening, too numerous to mention here, however.
The above list contains the general favourites, and can be procured
from any nurseryman. Bulbous-rooted plants all require plenty
of water while growing, and are all lovely to behold in a window,
and repay you tenfold for your trouble when they spread their
charming flowers and fill your room with their delicate fragrance.
One of the great causes of their being such general favourites
is that they are in their glory when there is very little else in
flower.

(To be continued.)

ON THE CULTURE OF PINKS FROM PIPINGS.

of Pinks, Picotees, Carnations, etc., when taken off for
the purpose of rooting, and increasing the number of
plants. It is not an uncommon practice with the
uninitiated to tear out the side-shoots from the main
stem, regardless of the injury they incur for the old plant, which
more frequently dies than not; but it is not always that such a mode
of treatment is of consequence, as the old plant may not be required
any longer, having produced a sufficient supply. N otwithstanding,
it is far better, in a general way, to cut them off, and leave a few
joints to break again, for should there be a failure with the first
course of pipings, you will find a fine stock plant ready to furnish
you with a second supply of cuttings, which will be in time for
rooting and planting out; if not, the old plant may prove the means
of securing the particular variety. It therefore appears plain enough
that the latter system of propagating is the most economical and
important, more particularly so when you have valuable collections
under your care.

Tar Preme Bepv.—Pinks strike roots as freely under a north
wall as they do on the south side of the garden, and much of the
trouble in shading is sayed. When in the former position, one of

Fea pa” term pipings is given by the florists to the side-shoots

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 209

the principal points to be observed is the proper preparation of the
piping bed. Prepare a sufficient quantity of spit dung to form a
layer of eight to twelve inches deep; should it be inclined to dry-
ness, let it be well wetted. When in proper condition, beat it
firmly together to the depth given above, and bring it to an even
surface.

Upon this the soil for the pipings to root in is to be placed.
Equal portions of leaf-mould and sand are excellent for the purpose.
It should be sifted rather fine; but if such soil is not at hand, supply
some sweet sandy soil in its place, giving preference to leaf-mould or
decayed vegetable mould, if it can be conveniently procured. A
layer of three inches, pressed rather firm, will be quite sufficient ; let
it be watered, that it may lie close. The cuttings are prepared as
follows :—Having cut them from the plants, strip off the lower leaves
to about the third joint from the top of the cuttings; then with a
sharp knife cut off the lower part close under the knot or joint
selected, and when a sufficient number is prepared to fill a glass,
throw them into water for a few minutes to stiffen, and when ready,
press them into the soil prepared, to the depth of three-quarters of
an inch. Givea slight sprinkle of water to settle the soil round
the stems, and when dry cover them with the glass; let the latter
be quite clean before using. They are not long taking root,
generally about three weeks, varying a little with some sorts.

It is an old custom, when preparing the pipings, to cut off the
top of the foliage ; this is an unnecessary mutilation, for the plants
thrive better when the tops are left on. Very little experience
will prove this.

PROPERTIES AND CULTURE OF THE PETUNIA.

== OR a long time after its first introduction the petunia was

iE Niay|¢ looked upon as almost worthless; indeed, it has been
eva compared to a “mean weed’’—a comparison not much

to be wondered at, looking ba¢k some years at the
flimsy appearance of the flower and the wretched foliage
of the best varieties that were produced. At the present time there
are to be found amongst novelties, where florists’ properties are a
Secondary consideration, as many beautiful petunias as of any other
class of decorative plants, their tints and markings being exquisite.
But the want of substance and general deficiencies of form make
them unsightly to the florist eye; but skill and cultivation must
and will get over such difficulties. Indeed, when we look’ back to
the old Magnifica, and at the present Phaeton, or to the old Snow-
flake, and the present Fascination, what a contrast—the former ones
starry, and apparently half-dead, laying and lapping over and about
for want of substance ; the latter standing erect, with a convolvulus-
like appearance, forming a perfect and symmetrical trumpet-like cup.
Let us, then, abandon the word “ weedy,” and look to florists’
July, 14

Fae

210 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

points. The geranium has become a florists’ flower. Why not the
petunia? It is not less beautiful in its varied and vivid colours,
and much longer continuance of bloom. To constitute a good
petunia the characters should be as follows :—The flower should be
as near a circular form as possible, merely showing five slight in-
dentations on the outer edge, and which should lap over each other,
making up the circumference, also indicating the size of petal.
Secondly, the centre line or rib in each petal, which commences at
the base of the tube at each division of the calyx, should be of suffi-
cient substance to hold each petal in its proper form, also tapering
from the base of the tube to a point at the petal edge; otherwise, if
not of sufficient strength, and too much indentation between each
petal, the flower will have a flimsy appearance, as is the case with by
far the greater number. On the other hand, too heavy a line is
often observed, and this is nothing less than coarseness. Thirdly,

the very beautiful pencilling and marking in the tube, the greater
portion of which are on the upper part, should end abruptly, so to
speak, that is, not to intrude on the surface of the flower, whether
selfs, or flowers with white sulphur, dark violet, or purple tubes;
otherwise than this is coarseness. Fourthly and lastly, the habit
should be dwarf and free, what might be called a soft grower; if, on
the contrary, hard wooded, they are very difficult to keep through
the winter and to propagate. JI am quite certain it is capable of
being brought to a dwarf, shrubby, and compact habit, having my-
self, at the present season, seedlings of from six to eight inches high
literally covered with bloom. These being cross-bred, I shall term
Hybrid Dwarf Bedders—a style of growth so much wanted for —
bedding purposes as well as for pot culture, being alike desirable
either for the conservatory or for beds and borders. :

Free flowering scarcely need be added. I rarely ever saw one

’

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE 211

that was not free, if in a healthy growth at all, though I have bred
them for several years, my attention being first directed to them in
1846, and I have been a breeder of petunias more or less ever since,
according to conveniences. Indeed, so confident have I been of
the strain of flowers I should have, from my own hybridizing, that
in 1857 I ventured to plant a bed in a conspicuous position wholly
ef seedlings. Although they differed in shape of bloom, they were
all purples. And were I but a cottager, and nothing but my window
for the raising of seeds, I should have a batch of seedling petunias ;
for the scent, though peculiar in many, is very sweet in others, and
for bloom there is a succession from June until frost puts an end to
it. But for those who have not convenience or practice in breeding

named varieties of course are best; and as the newest flowers are
easily to be obtained, and are moderate in price, and are easily pro-
pagated, there is no excuse for not having a sufficient supply of the
very best. But then it is said by some there is not a suflicient
mass of bloom, at one time, to make it a bedding favourite. Is this
the fault of the plant? I unhesitatingly answer, No. What, then,
is it P—what makes them in a wet season run so much to growth,
or in a dry season die off by exhaustion ?

. Take a set of plants, and plant them in a light compost, say, for
instance, in a border that has been enriched with decayed manure or
4 quantity of leaf-mould, supply plenty of water, and if the plants
are trained perpendicularly, they will soon be the same height as
yourself. Again, if dry weather, the foliage will become small and

July,

212 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

secant. A deficiency of flowers, then, must be the result in both
cases. What, then, will such experience teach us? Why, that the
majority of the failures are owing to light soils. If they are planted
in a good-holding loam, in wet seasons they cannot work too fast
with their minute fibres; thus causing a sturdy growth, and, after
three or four fine days, a mass of bloom. If, on the contrary, a dry
season, the holding quality of the loam supplies their small fibres
with sufficient nourishment, so as to cause plenty of growth, also an
abundance of bloom.

Such, then, are the results of practical observation and the ex-
perience of several years. For pot-culture, compost of three-fourths
good holding loam, and one-fourth of leaf-mould, with a good
sprinkling of silver-sand, and cool treatment, they grow fine, and
are sure to repay for extra care and labour to the ardent admirer of
nature and its flowers.

THE HOLLYHOCK.

gaiAN we dispense with the hollyhock? The rose is a more
, general favourite, and in its varied states of standard,
climber, and bush, a more available plant; the dahlia is
still the ‘ queen of autumn ;” but for the old nooks and

= corners in small gardens, and for planting in masses
for distant effect in large gardens, there is no flower so suitable as
the hollyhock. As to the height to which it grows, this cannot be
fairly urged to its disadvantage ; there are positions in almost every
garden for which this feature renders it peculiarly adaptable. The
best of our “bedding plants” are of lowly growth; we must look
down upon them to appreciate their beauty. But we cannot always
be looking down, be the prospect ever so charming. And there is a

new feature of beauty in that garden where, on raising the bent head —

and downeast eye, we meet with spikes of hollyhocks breaking the
flatness of the general surface by streaks or lines of rich and varied
colours rising high among the leafy trees. In many beautiful gar-
dens that we have visited, we have been more than disconcerted by

the abrupt transition from “ bedding plants” to trees, moderated as _

this has sometimes been by raised baskets and pillars of summer
climbers. Beautiful as are these latter, they are not sufficiently
massive. ‘The hollyhock, and, as far, as we know, the hollyhock
alone, effectively fills the vacuity. We know that it has been the
fashion with some to decry this plant, calling it coarse, formal, and
weedy. Admitting that there is some truth in this, may we be per-
mitted to ask, is it not also bold, striking, and effective, and are not
these elements worth combining, at some sacrifice, with the rich, the
bright, the beautiful ?

Thus far of its value in garden scenery. But it has lately come
to he considered as a florists’ flower. The busy brain and hand of
the cultivator have been engaged in its improvement; and those

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 213

who remember the hollyhock of twenty years ago cannot fail to mark
how complete has been the success. Not only has it become even
more useful and effective for garden decoration, but it has received
a degree of elegance and symmetry from the hands of the cultivator
that has fitted it to take a position in company with the most distin-
guished of Flora’s subjects.

The hollyhock flowers naturally in August, but by a little
management the bloom may be prolonged, and continue from July
to November. Old plants that have bloomed the year before will
bloom the second year in July and August. Cuttings taken and
rooted, or seed sown out of doors the previous summer, will bloom
in August and September. Seed sown in pans as soon as ripe, and
wintered under glass, will bloom in October of the following year.
By using these three sorts of plants, a succession of flowers may be
kept up. If an early bloom only is required, old plants must be
planted; if a late bloom, young plants and seedlings.

In planting for effect, we would always recommend planting
three or more of the same sort close together in a group, choosing
the clearest and most distinct colours, and those which produce the
densest and broadest spikes. When growing for exhibition, the form
of the flower is of course the primary point for consideration, and
here it is usual to plant in lines three or four feet apart, that the
culture of the plants may be more carefully and more conveniently
attended to. There are some sorts which are alike suitable for
exhibition and garden decoration, but both objects can scarcely be
attained conjointly. But as to culture, the hollyhock is not particular
in regard to soil, it will grow and flourish almost everywhere. The
finest spikes we have yet seen were grown ona strong moist loam
that had been deep trenched, richly manured, watered in dry
weather, and well cultivated by frequent and deep hoeing. —

Cuttings of hollyhock, single eyes, taken in July and August,
and placed round pots in a cold frame, will root in a month, and
may be placed in single pots and stored in a cold frame through the
Winter, repotting into larger pots in February, and planting out in
April. Seed should be saved from the best formed, the smoothest,
and most double varieties only, and to insure a fair crop of seed it is
necessary to pull the flowers from their stalks, so soon as the former
begin to decay.

There are two seasons at which the seed may be sown—first, in
July, in the open ground, the seedlings to be transplanted or not,
according to the convenience of the cultivator; and, secondly, in
October, in pans, to be potted into single pots in November, and kept
under glass till planted out in April. If the seedlings sown ia the
open ground are to be transplanted before flowering, October is the
best time, and next to that April.

In planting out, whether from the ground or pots, a showery
day should be chosen, and after planting the stems should be sur-
rounded with a little stable manure. If the weather or soil be dry,
water copiously till the flowering declines. The hollyhock, with its
large surface of leaves and great perspiratory powers, consumes a
great quantity of water, especially at that period of its growth, in

July,

214 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

June and July, when the leaves sorapidly increase in size. So soon
as the spikes rise from the crown of the plants, stakes should be
driven in at least two feet deep, and allowed to remain the same
height above the ground, which is sufficient to hold any spike, and
will not interfere with the flowers. One, two, or three spikes may
be left to each plant, remembering, however, that the fewer the
spikes the larger will be both spikes and flowers. Sometimes the
flowers are so thick on the spike as to interfere with the expansion
of the guard petals. In such cases thin out the flower buds when
about the size of a nut. Tie up with strong bast from time to time
as the spikes rise. Top the spikes at any given height; in sheltered
situations they may be allowed to rise to nine feet ; but where much
exposed to wind, seven feet should be the maximum. Shading is
necessary, if growing for exhibition, especially with the delicate
coloured varieties, which quickly soil if exposed to sun, wind, and
rain. Fortunately this soiling is not sufficiently great to interfere
with the effect of the spike in the garden, and as shading is trouble-
some and unsightly, it may well be dispensed with except where
growing for exhibition. 2
Some few years ago the hollyhock suffered great depreciation
from being attacked by a disease which baffled the skill of our best
cultivators. Thousands of plants, both young, unbloomed seedlings,
and named sorts, suddenly decayed, often just as the first flowers
were expanding, when it was impossible to refill their places. This,
we believe, was attributable to the unwholesome plan, too generally
adopted, of forcing the plant, causing it to grow out of season, and
in a close unnatural atmosphere, in order to obtain a more rapid and
extensive increase by root-grafting. If we have rightly studied the
vegetable kingdom, there are few plants that will bear this strain
put upon them without suffering a diminution of vital power, not
always quickly recovered, but often conveyed downwards to the
offspring, alike through cuttings and seeds. Certain it is, that by
the discontinuance of this practice the disease gradually disappeared,
as far as we know, and is now almost extinct. W. P.

JULY WORK IN THE ROSE GARDEN.

—sseaeyEFORE any of the early blooms are past go over the

| whole stock, catalogue in hand, and see it the tallies
are right, and determine the characters of new varieties
as better or worse than old ones in the same class of
form and colour. Budding on briers out of doors is
the great business of the month. During dull, rainy, close weather
neglect everything else to get as many buds in as possible. The
manner in which the several varieties bloom will afford better
lessons on culture, and especially on pruning, than all the books
that ever were written. Gather all the fading flowers daily, place
the petals in open baskets in a shady place to dry, and let the ladies

JHE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 215

have them for their perfume jars. If you desire seed of any variety,
allow a few of the first blooms to expand, remove all the rest, give
the tree no water, and leave the rest to nature and to fate. If you
impregnate with selected pollen, tie the impregnated flower in a
light muslin bag. To induce any particular variety to seed, keep
it on poor diet and give it very little water, the blooms will then
come comparatively single, and will furnish or receive pollen, as
may be desired. If the flower intended to rece‘ve the pollen is not
open at the same time as the father flower, the pollen may be taken
off with a dry camel’s-hair pencil, and be preserved between silver
paper till required.

In the rose-house give air night and day, deluge the place with
water, train in all this season’s growth; do not shade, except for
special reasons, as when yellow roses are just opening, then a little
shade is good. Assist the Teas with some good fertilizer on the
surface to help them in the autumn bloom, There is nothing so
good as half rotten dung, but as it is unsightly, a mixture of guano
and wood ashes is to be preferred, and it should be carefully
pricked in.

USES OF THE ROSE.

: +i. JOSE WATER is distilled from the petals of pale roses, in

ti preference to deep red ones, mixed with a small quantity
of water; and in France those of the musk rose is
preferred when they can be obtained. This product of
the rose was known to the Greeks in the time of Homer,
and to Avicenna among the Arabs, a.p. 980. It is more or less in
use, in every civilized country, for the toilet, and on occasions of
festivals and religious ceremonies. Vinegar of Roses is made by
simply infusing dried rose petals in the best distilled vinegar. It is
used on the continent for curing headaches produced by the vapours
of charcoal, or the heat of the sun. For this purpose, cloths or linen
rags, moistened with the vinegar, are applied to the head, and left
there till they are dried by evaporation.

Spirit of Roses is produced by distilling rose petals with a small
quantity of spirits of wine. This produces a very fragrant spirit,
which, when mixed with sugar, makes the liqueur known in France
by the name of I’huile de rose: it also forms the ground-work of
the liqueur called parfait amour.

_ Conserve of Roses is prepared by bruising in a mortar the petals
with their weight in sugar, till the whole forms a homogeneous mass.
In the earlier ages, according to Rosembourg, in his “‘ History of the
Rose” (published in 1631), the rose was a specific against every
disease. It was much in use in the time of Gerard, and is still
employed in the composition of electuaries and many other medicines.

Attar of Roses.—Vssence, attar, otto, or, as it is sometimes called,
butter of Roses, is the most celebrated of all the different preparations
from this flower, and forms an object of commerce on the coast of

July,

216 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Barbary, in Syria, in Persia, in India, and in various parts of the
east. In England it is usually called otto of roses, a corruption of
the word “attar,” which, in Arabic, signifies perfume. This essence
has the consistence of butter, and only becomes liquid in the warmest
weather: it is preserved in small flasks, and is so powerful, that
touching it with the point of a pin wil] bring away enough to scent
a pockethandkerchief for two or three days. The essence is still
precured almost in the same manner by which it was first discovered
by the mother-in-law of the great Mogul, in the year 1612, viz.,
by collecting the drops of oil, which float on the surface of vessels
filled with rose water, when exposed to a strong heat, and then con-
gealing it by cold. Honey of Roses is made by beating up fresh rose
leaves with a small quantity of boiling water; and after filtering the
mass, boiling the pure liquid with honey. This was formerly much
in use for ulcers in the mouth, and for sore throats. Oil of Roses is
obtained by bruising fresh rose petals, mixing with them four times
their weight of olive oil, and leaving them in a sand heat for two
days. If the red Rose de Provins be used, the oil is said to imbibe
no odour; but if the petals of pale roses be employed, it becomes
perfumed. The oil is chiefly used for the hair, and is generally sold
in perfumer’s shops, both in France and England, under the name of
Phuile antique de rose.

THE CULTURE OF THE GENUS KALOSANTHES.

SVR OME of the species of this genus are amongst the most’
showy and fragrant of summer-flowering plants, and
they deserve to be more generally cultivated than they
have hitherto been. The magnificent specimens annu-
ally produced at the great Metropolitan exhibitions in
July indicate the capabilities of the genus; and good plants are
frequently produced far from the scene of these meetings. I doubt,
however, whether any genus equally deserving attention is so com-
monly neglected or mismanaged as this. With a little care the
flowers remain in perfection for some six or eight weeks, and the
plants will be found exceedingly useful in the show-house, to take
the place of the azalea, when the beauty of the latter is over.
Young plants intended for specimens should be dwarf and bushy,
with strong, well-ripened wood; those that may have been wintered
in a soft, half-growing state, should be rejected, as it is difficult to
get them to break freely, or grow vigorously. Place them early in
March in a mild growing temperature of about 45° at night to 60°
with sunshine. The shoots must be stopped, or cut back, as may
be necessary to insure a compact bushy growth, and young branches
will be produced much more freely, if two or three pairs of leaves
are removed from the points of the shoots; and this should always
accompany stopping.

‘ If the roots are abundant and active, shift into pots two sizes
larger than those the plants are in; but first see that the soil is

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 217

properly moist, and be careful to have the mould to be used in the
same condition.

Nothing is more likely to cause failure than neglect of this. The
side-shoots should be tied out, keeping them near the surface of the
soil. Keep the atmosphere rather close and moist, and water care-
fully, till the roots start into the fresh soil. When the plants are
broken and fairly started, the temperature may be increased to about
55° degrees at night, and from 65° to 70° with sunshine. This
high temperature must not, however, be maintained without a free
circulation of air; for the Kolosanthes, like most Cape plants, very
much dislikes a stagnant atmosphere, and it requires all the light
which can possibly be afforded it, therefore admit air freely, and
keep the plants near the glass.

In May, or as early as warm weather sets in, they may be re-
moved to a cold frame, where with a little care they can be kept
sufficiently warm, and where the conditions most conducive to
vigorous growth will be readily supplied.

Air should be freely admitted whenever the state of the external
temperature will permit ; although a stagnant, humid atmosphere is
injurious, with a circulation of air it cannot be kept too moist; if
they stand on a bed of coal ashes, this should be watered on the
mornings of bright days, and the plants sprinkled over-head towards
evening, leaving a little air on during the night, and a thin shade
should be thrown over the glass during the forenoons of bright
days, but use this sparingly. A liberal supply of water will be
necessary whilst the plants are in active growth, but to give no
more than is requisite to keep the soil in a healthy, moist state,
and when the pots are moderately well-filled with roots, manure
water in a clear weak state may be used with advantage two or
three times a week.

The treatment of the plants after midsummer must be regulated
by the size of specimens desired. To produce large flowering plants
it will be necessary to grow them two seasons, and in this case they
should be stopped and potted as early in June as they may have filled
their pots with roots. Have an eye to the formation of compact
dwarf specimens, and stop and cut back as freely as may be necessary
to secure this, for they break freely, and there is no danger of
injuring them by stopping or cutting back. If plants to produce
about a dozen heads of bloom each are all that is wanted, with good
management this may be secured by one season’s growth; but if
large specimens are desired, it will be necessary to grow them two
seasons. Plants intended to flower the following spring should
receive a rather large shift at the beginning of the season, and must
neither be stopped nor potted after the middle of May. It may be
advisable to inform beginners at once that it is easier to produce
large handsome specimens of Kalosanthes than to have well-flowered
plants; and unless the wood is thoroughly ripened previous to
winter, it will be useless to expect a fine display of blossom.

The necessary maturation of the wood can be effected only by
subjecting the plants to full exposure to air and sunshine, and keep-
ing the soil in a rather dry state. This change of treatment must

July.

218 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

be introduced very gradually; but if a fair amount of flower is ex-
pected, the plants should be inured to it by the middle or, at the
latest, end of August. Those that were repotted may be treated less
hard during autumn, but care must be used to get the wood of these
well ripened before winter. If they can be placed near the glass in
a house where grapes are preserved during winter, they will be suited
perfectly ; and as they require very little water at the root, they
will be less injurious there than most plants. The best situation for
the flowering plants during spring is the front shelf in the green-
house. They should be kept freely exposed to air and sun; and after
the appearance of the flowers the atmosphere can hardly be kept too
dry. A moist stimulating atmosphere promotes growth, and the
effect of this would be an unsightly lengthening of the stems, an
occurrence by far too common. When the flowers assume their
proper colours, remove them where they can be kept dry, cool, and
shaded from the sun.

Plants intended for large specimens should be stopped and potted
in March, and treated as already recommended for specimens in-
tended to flower the following spring. I prefer keeping up a supply
of young plants, and with the exception of any plant that may be full
of young wood near the base, I throw all to the rubbish heap imme-
diately after they have done flowering.

Propagation is easily effected. I generally select firm young
shoots with several branches, and plant them in four-inch pots in
sandy peat, placing them in a close pit, and carefully shading them
till rooted, which will be in about a month. As regards soil, this
should be light, but rich ; half turfy sand loam and half fibry peat,
with a liberal allowance of sharp silver sand and small potsherds,
broken bones, or charcoal, will be found a suitable compost. Strong
tenacious loam had better be avoided, or at least used very sparingly.
. The peat and loam should be broken up into pieces about the size of
a nut, and intimately mixed with sand, etc., previous to use.

Secure perfect drainage by placing an inch or two of potsherds in
the bottom of the pots, and so arrange them as to prevent the soil
being washed down amongst them.

ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS IN WAX.

——= SE HE following articles should be laid on the table before
HSA ROSA «the operation commences :—A pen-knife, a pair of
= scissors, a piece of wire about three inches long, pointed
| atone end, and having a round knob of sealing-wax at
: the other, three or four smooth and slender rods of
wood, a few sheets of wax of different colours, some wire of different
sizes, covered with green tissue paper, for stems, and some very
thin tin or brass to cut up into patterns. Some green wax should
also be at hand in a melted state.
A flower must be chosen, for the first attempt, whose parts are
very simple and easily imitated—the common primrose, for instance,

re

——- “2

a ee a

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN. GUIDE. 219

whose petals, or flower-leaves, are five in number, having in the
centre five stamens, and being supported by a green calyx, or flower-
cup. Take the blossom carefully to pieces, without injuring any of
its parts; make the petals and calyx perfectly smooth by flattening
them between the leaves of a book, or by placing them under a warm
flat iron, and then cut out patterns of the calyx and one of the petals
of the tin. The patterns must correspond with the originals, for
the least inaccuracy here would spoil the work. The tin patterns
must next be laid upon the wax, in the direction of the length of the
sheets, and the five petals and the calyx cut from them.

Take one of the pieces of wire, being careful that it shall resemble
in size the stalk of the primrose; dip it in green melted wax, ana
when cool, fix on the top, by the pressure of the thumb and finger,
fine thread-like strips of dark yellow wax, to represent the stamens.
These being firmly fixed, fasten on one of the petals in the same
manner—by pressure—then a third, fourth, and fifth, putting them
regularly round, and bending them outwards. This done, put the
calyx in the palm of the hand for a short time, that it may become
pliant ; then form it to its natural shape round one of the little rods,
and thus prepare it to be slipped on at the lower end of the stalk of
the flower. When it is properly placed, press it tightly against the
stem, and the whole will firmly adhere together ; a few touches of
dark yellow will be required near the centre of the petals; they may
be given in oil-colours, or in water-colours mixed with ox-gall.

The root-leaves are generally made of cambric, and may be pur-
chased with the wax, or at the artificial flower-makers; being after-
wards dipped in a little warm wax to improve their appearance.
Several other flowers are made with nearly the same facility, such as
the snowdrop, the violet, the heartsease, the hyacinth, the pink, etc.
When the petals are hollow, as in the tulip, crocus, or ranunculus,
the wax is warmed in the hand till it is quite pliable, and the central
part is gently rolled with the sealing-wax end of the pin. This
expands the wax, and forms it, in the hollow of the hand, to the
required shape. Sometimes the petals are wrinkled and rough, as in
the gum-cistus, the red poppy, ete., and in order to imitate this
appearance, the wax is well rolled, so as to make it thin and warm,
and then crumpled up by the hand, If this is cleverly done, the
wax petal, on being opened, will very nearly and beautifully
resemble the peculiar appearance of the part it is intended to repre-
sent. Flowers, whose tints are delicately blended with each other,
can only be imitated by forming the petals of white wax, and then
tinting them with powder-colours, put on with a short-haired brush.

In this way, all striped or variegated flowers may be represented.
The best way of making a convolvulus, is to pour some plaster of
Paris carefully into a natural flower, and thus get an exact mould on
which to form the waxen copy. <A piece of wax is then cut out, the
size and shape of the flower (which has been cut open and flattened),
and formed carefully round the mould, uniting the edges very care-
fally at a part of the blossom where the join will be hidden by one
of the coloured rays, which adorn the inside of that lovely flower.
It is necessary to be very careful in putting the number of stamens

July. ‘

220 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

and pistils correct; a botanist will detect an error of this kind
immediately, and the character of the flower is destroyed. The ends
may be dipped in gum-water, and afterwards in powder of the
requisite colour.

FERTILIZATION OF FRUITS IN HOUSES AND PITS.

=F and damp weather sets in at the time the trees are in
blossom. I some time back threw out a hint respecting the artificial
“setting ” of fruits in orchard-houses, and doubt not that those who
acted upon it have now an abundant “set.” Let them beware now
that they do not fall into the opposite error of overcropping the
trees, merely becanse it seems a pity to destroy the young fruit.
But the season being now at Land for the blossoming of the grape,
my object in this paper is more especially to direct the attention of
our readers to the desirableness of assisting the setting of this fruit
also—especially the Muscat section, which Ido not consider are to be
relied on for a fair and even crop without it; ‘and I know that it is the
secret by which some cultivators are enabled to show that noble
variety the Cannon Hall Muscat in perfection, whilst others do not
get half-a-dozen full-swelled berries in a bunch. My plan is
extremely simple; it merely consists in drawing the bunches very
lightly through my hand twice a day for a few days, whilst the bunch
is flowering, and afterwards give the stem a smart rap with the
knuckles, to bring off the capsule from the stamens, and set the
pollen free. The time for performing this operation may be known
by gently shaking the vine, when the capsules that hold the stamens
prisoners will begin to fall. If the weather is dry and hot at this
period, they will be found to part from the bunch freely; but if
gloomy and damp, it will be well to give the maximum amount of
fire-heat allowable, and also to withhold some of the moisture usually
thrown on the floors, ete.

That cucumbers and melons require the aid of the cultivator to
assist their setting, by placing the male or “ false ” blossom (divested
of its corolla) within the fruit blossom, is, I presume, known to all.
Yet, that it is not sufficiently persevered in, especially early in the
season, I know to be a fact; for as it can always be seen when the
pollen is exactly fit for effecting its important office, it oftentimes
happens that the first attempt proves abortive, and is only known, when
too late to remedy, by the embryo fruit turning yeliow, and dropping
away. Therefore, it is safe practice to apply a second or third male
blossom at intervals of a few hours to each fruit blossom that is
wished should “ stand ;’’ and this applies with greater force to melons,
for unless a crop is set at once, one or two fruits taking the lead will
prevent all the rest from swelling: and for this reason none should
be “set” until a sufficient number of fruits show themselves for a
crop in nearly the same stage of growth.

j.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 921

EVILS OF INDISCRIMINATELY WATERING PLANTS IN
POTS, IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING SHIFTED.

===a() insert cuttings of plants, particularly those of a soft,
ai woody, or succulent nature, into moist material, before
the wounds made in preparing them are healed over,
is often attended with fatal consequences, from the
moisture finding its way into the pores of the plant,
thereby causing putrefaction and decay. The woody parts of plants
being more consolidated and less porous than their roots, are alto-
gether less calculated to imbibe an undue portion of moisture, yet
we find that even these do so to a most injurious extent ; therefore,
we may reasonably conclude that roots mutilated and placed in the
same circumstances would have a greater chance, from their peculiar
organization, to suffer from such a cause—nor can there remain a
doubt that they do so. This points out as most injudicious the
practice of turning plants out of their pots, reducing their balls, as
the case may be, thereby lacerating every fibre, and placing every
rootlet in a worse position than a cutting, and then finishing the
operation by giving a good drenching of water, which, as we have
already seen, must make dire havoc among the previously reduced
channels by which the plant receives its food. Such is, in a great
measure, the cause of delicate plants suffering so much from shifting
of the check they receive, unless the operation be carefully per-
formed, and consequent loss of time in recovering from its effects.
Still, this is an every-day practice, that has descended to us hallowed
by the custom of ages, and sanctioned by the highest authorities.
Who ever heard of directions for shifting or potting plants, that did
not end thus —“ Give the whole a good watering to settle the mould
in the pots, and the operation is completed”? After shifting or
transplanting plants in hot weather, when a dry atmosphere causes,
by excessive evaporation, an unusual drain upon the roots the neces-
sity of a supply will soon become apparent ; and administering it under
such circumstances is less injurious than under any other, from the
activity maintained in every part of the plant, rendering stagnation
an unlikely occurrence. But even then, when practicable, it is
better to confine them in a close moist atmosphere, which, with
water overhead and shade, will enable them to exist through the
medium of the leaves until growing has commenced, and the roots
are in a condition to receive, without injury, the necessary supply.

It is, however, when there is a deficiency of heat, vegetation
languid, and a corresponding danger from excess of moisture, that
such precaution is most required, and the contrary practice most
hurtful. Among seedlings of tender sorts, the mortality from such
maltreatment is truly great; and when the impossibility of trans-
planting such without, in some shape, hurting their few and almost
unformed spongioles, scarcely more consolidated than the fluid in
which they are thoughtlessly immersed, is considered, their certain
destruction is not to be wondered at.

July.

222 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

The advantages these derive from the treatment described, led
me first to examine more closely what I deem a matter of much
importance.

Before quitting the subject I may add that the injury inflicted
by such treatment is not confined to plants alone—the soil, also, is
oftentimes irreparably injured. It has been placed between the
sides of the pot and the root-bound ball containing the plant, where,
being in a comparatively loose state, it receives the whole of the
water that is considered sufficient to moisten the whole mass; as,
where there is so little resistance, it is as effectually repelled by the
hard, and much more by a dry ball, as by the sides of the pot.
This reduces what has been added to the condition of a puddle, and
in this state it stands a good chance of being baked as hard asa
brick. At all events, it has been totally unfitted to afford that
nourishment to the plant it otherwise would have done. Such
consequences may be avoided by applying moisture gradually, but
if some time is allowed to elapse there is not so much fear, even
from the usual soaking, as the old and new material must, in the
interim, have become equally dry—a state, let it be remembered
indispensable to the thorough incorporation of such material.

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR JULY.

THE FLOWER GARDEN,

a ea NOTHER lot of chrysanthemums should be struck this month, under
) 2

| hand-glasses, to make dwarf plants for the window and greenhouse in
; ui autumn. The pompones are the best for this purpose, and they may

4) be stopped till the middle of August, to keep them dwarf and busby.
Train out dahlias neatly, but do not cut them severely, for the loss of
foliage only weakens the plant. Put in cuttings of scarlet geraniums in the full
sun, either in a sandy border, or in pots half filled with crocks, to be potted singly
as soon as rooted. Get strong plants of chrysanthemums into their places in the
borders, so that the heavy rains this month may establish them. Layer pinks,
carnations, and picotees, and put pipings of the same into a gentle bottom-heat.
Another lot of annuals may be sown early in the month, to keep up the gaiety of
the borders to the end of the season.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

r and last lot of scarlet runners, and French kidney beans, to bear
till ehacn mua off ; they will be very useful, as the early rows begin to fail.
Hoe between all growing crops, and especially between potatoes. Sow succes-
sional lots of lettuce, turnip radish, salads, round spinach, peas, and eae
Plant the main crop of celery in well-manured trenches. Plant also, from see
beds, cabbages of all kinds, broccoli, savoys, borecole, ete., etc., choosing, if pos-
eible, showery weather, to reduce the labour ofwatering. Top runners, and keep
them well staked, but very tall sticks are not at all necessary, as they are only the
more liable to be blown over by gusts of wind.

FRUIT GARDEN.

i Jee 2 cut off, and the plants
Runners of strawberries, struck in pots, may now be cu :
shifted into a size larger, or turned out into beds. Beds made now have the best

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 223

chance of becoming strong before winter, to bear abundantly next year. Continue
to bud stone fruit trees, for orchard and pot culture. Thin out weak spray on all
bush fruits, and foreright shoots on wall fruits. Maiden trees intended to be
trained should be stopped, to make them break into side shoots, as a whole
season’s growth is thus saved. Rub off useless shoots on vines. ‘Thin all fruit of
which fine berries are required, either for exhibition or dessert.

GREENHOUSE AND STOVE.

The last lot of pelargoniums will be turned out this month, after being cut
down, and must be kept rather dry till they begin to break, and then be syringed
frequently. Shift all greenhouse plants required to bloom late, and stop any that
are rather too forward, Cinerarias for winter bloom should have good culture
now. Camellias may be repotted any time this month, but must have very small
shifts, As pines colour, keep them rather dry; pines shy of fruiting may be
induced to fruit by having water withheld from them, so as to check them for
awhile, and then be well soaked, and kept warm and moist, and they will be
pretty sure to fruit freely. In vineries, give plenty of liquid manure to plants
swelling their fruit, and be careful to keep the bunches shaded with a few leaves,
by tying the laterals over where necessary.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Par Trers.—J. R. T.—Your trees have no doubt sent their roots down
into an ungenial soil, and are touched with premature decay. When you cut
in the roots, you should also have mulched the surface round the stems with
rotten dung to induce a growth of surface fibres. We should advise you to cut
close in a selected number of branches this season to get breaks next spring; this
would produce a new set to be regularly laid in, and next year we should cut in
another lot, and so renew the whole of the wood in the course of time; but if the
trees were ours we should plant new ones, and plant them on platforms made by
taking out the soil, so as to form a circle of six feet diameter and three feet deep.
A layer of brick-bats, stones, chalk, cinders, or any other kind of paving material
is then to be thrown in a foot deep and rammed hard, and the whole filled with
good loam, without manure. This should be done early, to allow the earth to
settle well before planting. Perhaps something might be done with your present
trees, towards promoting the formation of fruit buds for next season, by nipping
out at once the point of every side shoot, and of course cleaning away all super-
abundant growth. This advice, however, is given in ignorance of the aspect in
which the trees are planted, the nature of the soil and climate, and the position of
trees in respect to each other.

GREENHOUSE PLants 1n AurumN.—JZinnia.—The best plants to make your
greenhouse gay, during the next few months, would be Scarlet Salvias, double
Petunias, Senecios, Crassulas, Abronias, Gesnerias, Statica Halfordii, Brugmansias,
Erica pulchella, Asters, Balzams, Clintonia pulchella, and any showy annuals
sown in June. Later in the season Pompone Chrysanthemums will come in, and
make the stages very gay.

Agave AmeEricana.—Subscriber.—All the Aloes require a soil composed of
rich loam, a little old dry choppy dung, leaf-mould, and a good admixture of
broken crocks, lumpy charcoal, and brick rubbish. The pots should be well
drained with large crocks at the bottom, then a layer of smaller ones, and then
some of the roughest of thesoil. They are propagated by suckers, which may be
taken off now if of moderate size, and stuck in sandy peat and loam with bottom
heat. ‘They like sun, and during summer plenty of water ; in winter very little,
or none at all. Broken leaves may be cut off close with a sharp knife, but the
less the plants are cut or injured, the better. Do not shift to larger pots unless
the pots are already full of roots; but if they really require more room, shift at
once without breaking the ball, and give plenty of water and shade for a week.

July.

224: THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

When growing, an occasional sponging of the leaves with tepid soft water will do
them good, but they must not be exposed to the sun while the foliage is wet.

PROPAGATION OF CLEMATIS.—S. Jones.—The best way to propagate Clematis
is to select a vigorous shoot and lay it down. Let it spring up again, and then
nick with a sharp knife the back of every joint, and peg each joint into a pot
filled with a good potting compost, and plunge each pot to the rim. Every joint
will thus make a plant, and every plant will be better than those from layers
made in the ordinary way.

Tirrany Hovses.—P. W. Bagshot.—The larger you make your tiffany
house, the more secure will it be against frost. Roses, Azaleas, Camellias, 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 greenhouse
plants during winter. You should build the house in a substantial way, in order
that it may be proof against storms, and it will be best to use stcutest tiffany.

Hyaorntus.—Constant Reader.—Your hyacinths have done growing now, and
you can do nothing but store them away till the end of September, and then
plant them out in rich sandy soil six inches deep, and in the spring cut away the
bloom spike as soon as it can be removed without injuring the leaves. The next
autumn you may have them potted for flowering.

Prantine Fountains.—C. E. C., Moreton.—For the vicinity of a fountain
nothing can be better than Pampas grass, Elymus glauca, ‘ritoma uvaria,
Hydranges, Fuchsias, Lysimachia thyrsiflora, inothera Fraseri, Calla Ethiopica,
Osmunda regalis, Athyrium filix femina, Arundo donax, and other such plants
of graceful habit and fond of moisture. You cannot have anything grand to
flower in winter, but you can plant the bank with Winter Aconite, Christmas
Rose, and Primroses. In a sunny, dry position, one or two Lauristinas would be
useful for winter bloom.

Cinerarta Manrivima anp Crerastium.—Z. W. H., Farringdon.—Cineraria
maritima is a hardy plant, and on elevated positions, where the soil is chalky, it
will survive the winter. But in gardens it is generally taken up and potted, with
liberal drainage, and may be wintered in a frame or pit. It may be propagated
either by seeds or cuttings. The cuttings do not root quickly, but hardly one
would fail if put in three-parts sand and kept moderately moist. It can be propa-
gated at all seasons without bottom heat, but April is the best time for novices.
Cerastium tomentosum may remain out all winter, and be taken up in the spring
and divided. If wanted in quantities, the young tops may be struck either with
or without the help of heat.

RANUNCULUSES IN WINTER.—R. H.—In Holland, in order to have Ranun-
culuses in bloom in winter, the bulbs are planted in July or later, up to Novem-
ber, in frames or cool dung-beds. Should the weather prove bad in the
autumn, lights are put on the frames, and removed whenever the external
temperature of the air will allow.

‘Verbpenas.—P. P. 7.—Your verbenas wanted bottom heat to give them a
start after potting, It is common enough for people who work without the aid
of artificial heat to lose all their plants in spring, through repotting them. In
future, if you succeed so well in keeping your plants through the winter, leave
them alone until quite the end of April or the beginning of May; indeed, you
might have left yours until the time to plant them out.

Lines OF THE VALLEY.—A Perplexed Subscriber.—It is probable that your
lilies of the valley are starved, through being kept so long in the pot without a
change of soil. They should have a shift into a larger pot in September, or better
still, shake them out completely, and repot them in rich turfy loam. To force
them into early bloom, place them on a hot-bed in February, and when they have
done blooming, keep them in a warm place until their leaves are thoroughly ripe
and then put them out in a sheltered place, where there is no danger of the foliage
being torn by the wind.

Aprir TREES.—C. W. H.—Your apple trees are wrong at the root. You do
not say what age they are, or in what soil they are growing. You can do but
little for them now ; but it would afford some help, if some of the surface soil w
removed, and replaced by a mixture of half fresh loam and rotten dung we
chopped over; lay the mixture down, and tread firm. In autumn they must be
lifted and root-pruned.

COUPERII

BISCUS

u |
rn

THE FLORAL WCRLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 225

HIBISCUS COOPERII.

parts of the Australian colonies, where it was first
discovered by Sir Daniel Cooper, Bart., of Wool!labra,
near Sydney. The plant is rather delicate, but when
= properly treated it grows freely, and is extremely beau-
tiful. It has been described as a greenhouse plant, but to grow it
well it requires careful stove cultivation. The young stems are of a
deep red colour, also the footstalks of the leaves and the stipules
that accompany them. The leaves are lanceolate or elongate-ovate,
wedge-shaped at the base, pointed at the apex, and irregularly bluntly
toothed. They vary considerably in colours but the prevailing tints
are carmine-red, with patches of creamy white in the outer parts of
the blade, with more or less of light and dark green, dappled in the
line of the midrib; and numerous as are the plants with highly-
coloured leaves, there are few that equal this in the abundance and
richness of its tones of red; and when it flowers, the flowers are not
surpassed in splendour by any other species of this noble family.
The petals of the flowers are of an intense scarlet colour, but the
base of each is blush, which breaks into the scarlet in delicate veins,
the centre of the flower being blackish crimson. All the stove
species of Hibiscus do well in a soil consisting wholly of tough
fibrous peat, or the most mellow fibrous loam that can be obtained.»
H. Cooperi may be quickly struck with a good heat; but care must
be taken not to make the cuttings too wet, or they will perish.

THE CULTIVATION OF CACTI.

MIE majority of the genera are sun-loving subjects, and,
f} as a consequence, the first thing to be taken into con-
sideration is, to get your house sc situated as to insure
the greatest amount of direct light; the best aspect
will be due south; a lean-to house is the best, with
good clear glass, to which the plants must be as near as possible.
The genera Epiphyllum and Rhipsalis are exceptions to this rule,
and prefer a little shade in the summer, as they mostly grow in the
forests; but in any house there are always some parts more in the
shade than others. The plants are not damaged by the sun, but
will grow more luxuriantly in the shade. It is not easy to get the
house too hot for Cacti in the summer, but they will thrive well in a
temperature of 60° to 80° with sun, and in winter the majority will
bear a minimum of 40° with dry air; though the genera Rhipsalis
and Epiphyllum must be kept at 55° to 65°, or they will protest by
looking very yellow. Most of these plants being natives of those
parts of America lying south of the equator, they, as a consequence,
get their warmest season when we get our coldest, which gives them
a tendency to grow during our winter, and a predilection for rotting
August, 15

226 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

if not kept perfectly dry. As above stated, the whole of these
plants being American, they should not be repotted in early spring,
as is the common practice—which practice seems to have originated
from the fact of most plants starting into growth on or about that
time. I have often thought, that if amateurs and gardeners were to
think more on this subject, they would at once see the folly of sup-
posing that all countries had their spring at the same time as we
have in England; it matters little with most persons if the plants
come from east, west, north, or south, they must be potted in our
spring; and as the plants will not grow out of their season, the soil
gets stale, and when the roots do begin to grow they find the con-
dition unfavourable, and the result is stunted growth, and sometimes
death; not through a wrong compost, but unseasonable potting.
The potting of Cacti should be left until June or July, when they
will be on the point of starting into growth. The best compost is
loam, with silver sand and broken bricks; the quantity of sand must
he regulated by the stiffness or otherwise of the loam; the object
being to make the whole sufficiently porous for the water to pass
through freely. As a rule, one gallon of sand to three bushels of
loam and one bushel of finely-broken bricks will suit for the genera
Opuntia, Echinocactus, Echinopsis, Cereus, and Mammilaria; for
Epiphyllum and Rhipsalis, a mixture of rough peat and loam, with
a little sand and rough crocks, is the best. Such as R. cassytha,
funalis, saglionis, and mesembryanthoides may be grown on pieces of
fern stems in baskets or pots suspended the same as orchids, and
very interesting objects they make ; Cereus flabelliformis and leptopes
succeed best suspended in a pot, with the ordinary soil; C. grandi-
florus, Macdonaldiei, and the other night-flowering species, grow
best planted in the back border of a stove, with a tolerable amount
of moisture in the air; it is not necessary to give them much soil,
as they get most of their nourishment from their aérial roots. When
the plants are to be potted, the whole of the small fibres of the roots
should be cut off. This is a very particular point in the cultivation
of this class of plants, as it enables you to get the plants into small
pots; and if left on, they decay, and so do more harm than good, by
making the soil impure. Amateurs, as a rule, are very shy of cutting
the roots from their plants; but a good cultivator of Cacti has not
the least hesitation about the subject ; and it is probable that they
lose most of their fibrous roots during the dry season, in their native
habitat. The soil should be made quite firm in the pot, and well
drained, taking care to put enough rough pieces of soil on the
drainage to prevent the soil from getting amongst it, and so defeat
the object for which it is placed there. Manure should be specially
avoided, as it will cause the soil to get charged with impurities, with
the least excess of water, which impurities the plants will take up,
and though they may look green and healthy, may some day be
found quite dead. Some persons recommend manure, but, after sad
experience, I say away with it. I also know persons who grow
their plants in nearly all manure, but they are grown for sale, and
their profit consists in the death of the same. Others, again, recom-
mend lime rubbish being mixed with the soil—which practice has

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 227

originated from the fact of oxalate of lime being found to constitute
a great portion of the substance of these plants; but lime rubbish
from the debris of old buildings is very different from that found in
the natural soil of the plants, and the effect on the roots is to cause
them to become stunted, and what horticulturists call clubbed ;
therefore my advice is, if you want your plants to grow well, don’t
use lime rubbish.

When the plants have been potted, they should be kept without
water until they show signs of growth; never mind if they don’t
ask for it until two or three months after potting; don’t give it to
them until they do, for they always contain enough moisture to
enable them to start, and until that start is made the roots have not
begun to grow. When the plants have started into growth they
may be watered about once a week, for the first month; after that,
twice, with a good syringing every other evening before shutting the
house. This treatment may be continued until the end of August,
when the syringe must be laid aside; after September the watering
must not be oftener than once in fourteen days; from October to
March the genera Mammillaria, Echinocactus, Cereus, and most of
the Opuntias must be kept quite dry. As the Phyllocacti flower in
the early spring, they must get water about once a month during
the winter. Epiphyllum and Rhipsalis may be moderately dry, but
they will not endure so much drought as their more succulent allies.
It is not necessary to pot the plants every season, as they like to be
pot-bound: some do well in the same pot for five or six years.
Should any plant be found to have lost its roots, or show signs of
decay, the infected part should be cut clean out at once, and the plant
turned up to the full power of the sun till it begins to show fresh
roots, when it may be repotted, and watered with care. This rule
of turning the plants up to the sun should be especially attended to
with newly-imported plants, as they require all superfluous moisture
cleared from them ; their roots should be cut off, as when dead they
act like string, conducting moisture to the plants. To the neglect
of cutting off the dead roots I attribute the many failures to grow
the Turk’s Cap cactus (Melocatus communis), although this species
evidently does not increase in size after forming the cap or flowering
point, yet it may be kept alive some years.

Moves or Proracatton.—The genera Rhipsalis, Phyliocactus,
Cereus, and Opuntia are easily increased by cuttings, which should
be taken off in May, and laid in the sun until rooted, when they
should be potted and watered carefully ; though Khipsalis and
Phyllocactus may be potted at once, and kept dry about fourteen
days, when they will be rooted, and may be watered. Hchinocactus
and Mammillaria must be increased by offsets. Hchinocactus re-
quires the top to be cut off, which must be exposed to the sun until
rooted; the old plant will throw out young ones, which may be
taken off the next season. As a rule, the Echinocactus is slow in
throwing offsets, and care must be taken not to let the plant get
any water until it shows signs of doing so. Patience is a virtue in
great demand in the propagation of this section of the order. The
slender-growing species are often grafted on stronger and faster

August. :

228 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

growers, though care must be taken not to select for a stock one as
celebrated for vigour as the scion is for want of it, or your labour will
be in vain. Asa stock for the smaller-growing Echinocacti, Cereus
tortuosus, or colubrinus, are the best; for the larger, C. peruvianus and
gemmatus. In grafting, care must be taken to cut the two ends
rather convex than concave, as they are apt to shrink a little, which
would cause a separation, and so spoil the graft; the scion must be
tied firmly to the stock, taking care that the edges meet, or at least
one of them. The best plan to insure against accidents is to put
three sticks into the pot, and tie them together above the plant,
thus causing a continual pressure from above. In grafting Opuntia
clavrioides, you may cut a cuneiform notch in the stock, and cut the
scion to fit tightly ; keep them firm with a stick on each side, and a
thorn run through the graft. Some of the smaller species of Cereus,
as O. tuberosa, may be made pointed, with a corresponding hole in
the stock—in all cases taking care not to disturb the plant when
once grafted. When the operation is finished, the plant must be
put into a close frame, or the shadiest part of the house, until it is
out of danger. Epiphyllums are generally grafted, but not neces-
sarily. The common stock used is Pereskia grandifolia and Blea,
but Cereus speciossimus and triangularis make very good stocks,
these plants being stouter, and more in proportion to the scion,
though Pereskia stocks are more to be depended upon than Cereus.
Cuttings of Pereskias intended for stocks should be putin in spring,
selecting the young straight shoots of the previous season, about six
inches long, or according to fancy. About September is the best
season for grafting Epiphyllums. The scion should consist of one
or two joints; cut the outer bark off about one inch on each side of
the scion, split the stock about the same length, put the scion in,
and tie or pin it with a thorn, according to which stock you use;
the plants must then be put into a close frame, and laid on their
sides until united, which they will do in about six weeks, when they
may be stood upright, and gradually hardened off. Most of the
species may be raised from szed, which should be sown as soon as
collected, if possible, and put into a temperature of 60°. The young
plants grow very slowly at first. When potted off they should be
placed near the light. It is best to let them remain in the seed-pot
until the following season, as they are very apt to damp if they are
potted off too soon. Seed collected abroad should be left in the
pulp, which, being its natural protector, prevents the air acting on
it, and drying it up. Packed in a small tin box, it may be sent any
distance without losing its vitality. The best flowering varieties are-
Cereus speciossinus, and its varieties, as C. Ackermanni, Jenkinsont,
splendens, and others; these are the forms most commonly grown in
cottage windews. The genera Phyllocactus and Cereus produce
many fine-flowering varieties.

Hypripization.—This may be performed by any person, as the
stamen and pistils are so very distinct, and the pollen produced in
abundance—which may be preserved for some time, if kept in a —
bottle hermetically sealed. I have not met with any successful
attempt to cross Mammillaria with Hchinocactus, or Opuntia with.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 229
Cereus, though I know of no cause why they may not be, as the
differences in the flowers are not differences of structure, but merely
degrees of development; such as a greater or lesser number of
stamens and petals, or in the absence in some, and length in others,
of the tubes of the corolla, excepting that it may be that the pollen
tubes might be too strong for the distance they have to grow from
the apex of the stigma, or vice versa.

The chief points to be observed in the foregoing directions are,
the light, time, and mode of potting, taking special care not to be
afraid to cut off the roots. The watering—which should be given
with a rose on the pot—when given, let it be enough to thoroughly
soak the soil. It is best to hold the pot as high as you can, so that
the water may fall on all parts of the plant, which serves the double
purpose of washing and watering at the same time. Be sure to give
them a good drying in the winter, upon which depends the success
in flowering them the next season.

Some few species, as Opuntia vulgaris, and Rafinesquiana, and
Echinopsis Eyriesii, are hardy in the south of England ; and I have
no doubt that many species of Opuntia and Hchinopsis would do
very well in cold frames in winter, and the open air in summer. For
an amateur, the Cacti are the best class of plants to cultivate, as they
offer the greatest scope for number of species, and require so little
attention. In a house 20 feet by 12, from 400 to 500 species
may be grown; in the summer the house can be left night and day
with air ; and if the owner had no person he could trust, he might
lock the house and leave them a week at a time without fear of
harm. In the winter, if he should be obliged to leave home, the
only thing would be to get the heat looked after, and his pets would
welcome him home with as fresh an appearance as when he left.

SEMPERVIVUM ARBOREUM.

“Tyree Houseleek,” is one of the finest of the succulents
of free growth for the greenhouse of the amateur culti-
vator, and for the window. It is readily multiplied,
and it is so remarkably free in growth, that the pro-
duction of a specimen with a fully-developed head is, comparatively
speaking, a very easy task. The side-shoots taken off an inch or so
from the main stem, and inserted in small pots filled with light sandy
soil, will, if placed in a sunny position in the greenhouse, soon strike
and become established. To encourage a vigorous growth, repotting
annually, or every second year, will be necessary; but as over-
potting is most injurious, pots one size larger than those previously
occupied must be employed at each shift. A thorough drainage 1s
essential, and a compost consisting of turfy loam, small crocks, and

=e IS Sempervivum, which is perhaps better known as the
|

sand is the most suitable. There is a fine variety, with deep bronzy-

purple leaves, and one with variegated leaves, and these are known
August,

230 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

as Sempervicum arboreum purpureum and S, arboreum variegatum,
respectively, A moderately stout stake must be put to each plant,

SEMPERVIYUM ARBOREUM.

to hold it upright and prevent the weight of the head snapping the © ‘
stem ; but no other training is required. if

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 231

RIPENING OF FRUIT,

SRUITS designed to be kept for a considerable time
4) should be gathered with great care, some days before
the ripening process commences. The process of
ripening on the tree, which is the natural one, seems
~ to act upon the fruit for the benefit of the seed, as it
tends to the formation of woody fibre and farina. When the fruit
is removed from the tree at the very commencement of ripening,
and placed in a still atmosphere, the natural process seems to be
counteracted, and sugar and juice are elaborated, instead of fibre
and farina. Thus, pears which become mealy and rot at the core,
when left on the tree to ripen, become succulent and delicate-
flavoured when ripened in the house. Fruit-houses should be cool,
with non-conducting walls, or with exterior and interior walls, or a
room within a room. Thus the external atmosphere, which either
starts the saccharine fermentation, or conveys the agents which
produce it, can be admitted or excluded at pleasure. It is possible,
however, to preserve the atmosphere at so low a degree or for so
long a time, as to destroy the vitality, and therefore all power even
to resume the ripening process. This is especially the case with
some varieties of the pear. Experience proves that, for the common
varieties of the apple and pear, about forty degrees of Fahrenheit is
the temperature best suited to hold this process in equilibrium.
Different varieties of fruit require different degrees of moisture and
heat, according to the firmness of the skin, the texture of the flesh,
and the natural activity of the juices. Thus some varieties of the
pear will ripen at a low temperature, and in a comparatively dry
atmosphere, while others are improved by a warm and humid air,

THE FORMATION OF A GREENHOUSE FERNERY.

==379) N the formation of a greenhouse fernery it is not enough
| to gratify a particular taste, which, by the way, may
i | happen to be a bad taste; it is essential to provide for
4 bs the plants, so that there shall be no struggle with diffi-
om culties afterwards to keep them alive. If the work is well
done, the ferns will grow and fill their owner with delight, and nothing
short of the most luxuriant growth possible should satisfy the culti-
vator. We occasionally obtain a peep into ferneries that are
founded on a delusion. We see fantastic pyramids and arches
studded with myriads of sharp projections in the fashion of stalac-
tites, the colouring of the whole a repulsive tone of bright yellowish
grey, the material being furnace clinkers artistically coloured, with
not a crumb of soil for the ferns to root in except what can be
thrust into wretched little “ pockets” of the capacity of a tea-cup
each. There may be in the house a few good ferns in pots on the
August.

232 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

floor or surrounding a fountain in the centre, and a few more very
bad ones in pots thrust into unhappy chinks in the fanciful rockery ;
but the affair at best is only a costly extension of the idea on which
a peep-show at a country fair is founded. The sham stalactites are
the attraction, if there be any attraction, and the deluded folks who
declare it ‘ beautiful,” declare also by that utterance that they
have not the least idea of what a fernery should be, or what ferns
require. A fernery is for ferns, and must be so ordered that ferns
will thrive in it. One good tuft of maidenhair or marine asplenium,
beaded with moisture and glistening with health, is to be preferred
to all the painted clinkers and childish frippery that was ever seen
in a house of this kind, no matter what it may have cost, or how
much weariness and solicitude may have been entailed upon the
owner to secure its construction. We must have first of all a mass
of soil, that the ferns may have abundant root-room, not simply to
live, but to grow and increase. For the rockery there is nothing
better than brick or stone, because of the retention of moisture by
these materials and tie liking of ferns to root next to their surfaces,
and even into their substance. Circumstances may prohibit the
selection of the material known to be the best, and we must then
be content with the next best. Hard vitreous substances, impene-
trable by moisture, are unfit for rockeries for ferns under glass, yet
they may be used if nothing better can be obtained, provided always
there is a large body of soil and abundant openings amongst the
facings for the searching roots of ferns to push their way for nourish-
ment.

In towns, the most convenient and suitable stuff for rockeries
is the waste of the brick-kiln. The large masses of brick that come
from the base of the kiln, and which are commonly known as
“burrs,” are as good for the purpose as can be desired; their
crannies and crevices suit the rooting habits of the plants, and they
are suitable also in colour, and after a time a slow decay of their
surface takes place, the result being that troops of mosses come of
their own accord, and dot the structure with patches of emerald.
Stone is better still, if in rough blocks, and sandstone especially, if
it can be had, will favour the well-doing of every inmate of the
house. We have seen roots piled up and planted, and they answered
well; but they decay too fast, and are apt to become suddenly
clothed with a myriad kinds of objectionable fungi, which are difficult
to eradicate. The best staple soil for the purpose is good peat; but
as in many districts this is a costly material, it is necessary to eke it
out. Our rockery was built by a bricklayer who thoroughly under-
stood the requirements of the case. We made a bed of loam for the
foundation, and upon this the peat was piled or thrust in as the
work proceeded, and when the bricklayer had finished his work, we
found plenty of large and small pockets opening into the solid bank
behind ; in these the plants were placed, and filled in with a good
mixture of peat and sharp sand.

Drainage is of more importance with reference to the comfort of
the cultivator than the well-doing of the ferns. It must be under-
stood, however, that the accumulation of staguant water at the base

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 233

of the rockery is an evil to be guarded against, to say nothing of a
possible sloppy state of the paths or pavement, if the house is unpro-
vided with drainage. Let it suffice that this point has been men-
tioned, for in practice it is of Jess consequence than in theory. If
the fern-house stands on a tolerably dry soil, and the cultivator acts
judiciously in the management of it, there will never be such an
accumulation of water as will be objectionable or inconvenient.

In the selection of ferns, the matter for first consideration is
their relative hardiness. If the house is heated, there is a wider
range for selection than otherwise, but in a house wholly unaided
by artificial heat an immense number of the most beautiful kinds
may be grown to perfection. If the question were pressed for a
decisive answer, whether, speaking in a genera! way, a fern-house
should or should not be heated, we should pronounce it highly
desirable to heat it to ordinary greenhouse temperature, both be-
cause in that case it might suit, ceteris paribus, for full nine-tenths
of all the ferns known, and because also it would be enjoyed in all
weathers, and would be almost as bright on New Year’s Day as at
midsummer. Charcoal stoves and hot-water bottles and candles are
available to repel frost where there is no proper heating apparatus ;
but these are troublesome and very apt to fail at the moment when
they are most wanted. Therefore our advice to all is, be content
with the proper range of your opportunities; plant such ferns as
the house will accommodate without necessitating a strain upon
your attention at any time, for when a hobby swells out like a night-
mare into a gigantic vexation or anxiety, it ceases to amuse, and
increases instead of relieving the cares of life.

At this point the whole subject of fern-culture opens before us,
and it is therefore time to stop. It must suffice to say here that
sufficient room should be allowed in planting for the plants to extend
themselves and attain perfect development; that they should be
planted firm and filled in with a good mixture of peat and sand, and
in many cases it will be necessary to build them in, to secure to
plants of peculiarly noble aspect commanding positions. The
after-attention consists chiefly in watering, which must be attended
to with regularity, copious supplies being given in summer, but
very little in winter, and during frost none at all, unless the house
is heated, in which case the supplies must be continued in modera- |
tion. Ventilation will be necessary, but ferns need less air than
most other plants, and especial care must be taken to avoid exposing
them to cold draughts in spring, and to the exhaustive sultry breezes
of high summer. At such times keep the house close, and promote
humidity by sprinkling the floor with water.

August,

234 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

INVADERS, VISITORS, AND SETTLERS IN OUR
GARDENS, °

7UR gardens are sometimes invaded by a wild species of
quadruped which comes into them at times, seeking, as
do most wild beasts, that which it may devour—scram-
bling in the first instance over our walls, or making its.
way through holes in our palings, or gaps in our hedges,
in its search after food. It is of course not a lion, or tiger, nor even
a lynx or fox; but however it may differ from all these creatures in
its outward appearance, it has really much that is like them in the
structure of its body, for all quadrupeds are like each other in the
form and arrangement of the bones which compose their skeletons;
just as in the construction of houses there is much that is alike in
the beams and rafters, however in their external appearance they
may differ from each other. In the skeletons of all quadrupeds is
found the backbone, or spine, composed of many separate vertebre,
or small bones fitted into each other, so as to make the whole
flexible, with the skull at the end, which contains the brain.
Branching out from the backbone, or spine, are the ribs, which
bend round and protect some of the most tender internal parts
of the body; while in the bones of the four legs, there is much
alike in every quadruped, both in their form and arrangement, as
well as in the muscles which move them in life. It is therefore
in size that the invader whom we are going to describe differs most
from any other quadrupeds that roam wild about the forests and
deserts ; and in this respect the difference is very great. In the
skeleton of the elephant, for instance, which is the largest of all
quadrupeds, we know that it is composed of thick, heavy, solid
bones, almost as hard and strong as if made of iron or stone, while
the whole skeleton is perhaps two and a half yards in length; and
in the case of the animal which sometimes invades our gardens, the
bones of which it is composed are as fine and delicate as if carved in
ivory, and the whole being but about two and a half inches long, it:
could easily lie in the palm of our hand—for the creature of which
we are speaking is but a mouse, the very smallest of all quadrupeds.

Two or three different kinds of mice come to us at times from
the fields, and if they find that they can supply themselves with
food enough among our vegetables, and such seeds and fruits as are
to be found lying under our trees, and especially if we happen to
grow Indian corn, or have some bushes of hazel-nuts and filberts—
if only such delicious provender as this is to be reckoned on which
can be stored up, they will become settlers with us, and make their
nests in some sheltered nook beneath the root of a tree, or under a.
tuft of grass, or in some cranny in a wall, and lining it carefully
with moss and dead leaves and hay, will there live and bring forth,
and rear their young. As they have usually as many as six or seven
young ones at a time, and two or three families in a year, it will -
make all the difference to us and our gardener when such invaders —
become settlers.

The mouse which most often lives in our gardens is the wood-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 235

mouse, or as it is sometimes called, the “ Long-tailed Field Mouse ”
—a pretty, gentle, timid creature after all, with large, bright eyes,
and broader and rounder ears than those of the house mouse, and
with a tail nearly as long as its head and body. Like the squirrel,
it lays up stores of food for the winter—seeds, nuts, and grain, ete.
It probably sleeps a good deal during the very cold weather, and
yet may be seen venturing forth even when the snow is upon the
ground to forage for food if its store is becoming exhausted, and
rather than starve will burrow down to our crocus and snowdrop
bulbs and nibble them away. Since it feeds principally on vegetable
food, it lives on good terms with the other inhabitants of our gardens,
and has only to fear being caught by some stray cat or owl who is
on the look out for mice and moles. It is curious to think of the
quiet snug life which our little mice settlers may lead all the winter,
feeding and sleeping alternately in their warm nests; and yet cases
may arrive when, perhaps, the winter being longer than usual, and
their storehouse becoming exhausted, and nothing to be had in the
garden that will suit them, they will make their way out beyond its
boundaries again, and get into some neighbouring wood or planta-
tion, where beech-nuts and acorns are still to be found in the dead
leaves at the foot of trees. A near relation of the wood-mouse is a
somewhat still smaller animal, and is likely only to pay us very
short visits. It is called the harvest mouse, and living principally
on grain, constructs for itself a nest amidst the stalks of corn, like
around bag hung among them, formed of leaves and grass woven
together. The entrance into this curious nest is contrived so as to
close as with a spring after the owner bas entered it, or when he
leaves it, filled with his young ones or with his store of food. This
mouse is able to catch hold of objects, such as a twig or stalk of
corn, with the end of his tail, like an opossum, so as to swing him-
self from one twig or stalk to another. Mice have such large
families, and increase their numbers so fast that a naturalist who
wanted to ascertain how fast they would multiply, put a pair of
harvest mice into a large box, together with a quantity of grain,
and on opening the box three or four months afterwards found that
there were one hundred and twenty mice in it.

The mole is another quadruped which is sure to invade our
gardens, or pay them occasional visits, though we do not often meet
with him above ground. In a neighbouring field we may perhaps
see the little billocks of earth which moles bring to the surface after
burrowing out the subterranean passages which they form, and even
in our own gardens such traces of them are to be found when they
make their way under our walls and fences, in search of earth-worms,
which form their principal article of food. From time to time we
do, however, get a sight of moles, and though we may fancy them
at first to be ugly and shapeless creatures, it is worth our while to
examine them well, that we may learn how curiously their form is
suited to their manner of life. First of all, the long shapeless body
is covered with a most smooth and vyelvet-like fur, which will turn
any way, so that while groping about underground it enables the
creature to slip easily through the passages it burrows out, either

August,

236 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

backwards or forwards. The head is joined on to the body without
any neck, and has a long flexible snout, which penetrates the earth
like a ploughshare, while its short fore-legs have broad paws like fat
hands turned outwards, with five fingers and sharp pointed nails,
just fitted for first helping to rake away the earth, and then to
throw it back on each side as the creature ploughs its way along.
Since the mole spends its life in the dark, its eyes are very minute,
and perhaps enable it to see with a very little amount of light,
while its ears are scarcely visible at all.

Though the mole travels so much underground, and does not
require shelter like most other animals, it has still a home of its
own. In the centre of one of the largest hillocks, or mole-hills, will
be found its nest, and nothing can be more curiously or artfully
constructed than these abodes. They are formed like little fortresses,
composed of two round galleries, one above another, communicating
with each other by five upright passages, while other “runs,” or
tunnels, branch out from the lower gallery in every direction, and
extend over a considerable space. In the centre of the fortress is
the principal apartment, in which the creature dwells, and from
which, if attacked, he can make his escape by any of his secret
passages. He is not obliged to be always burrowing his way through
the earth in search of food when such a system of tunnels has been
executed by him, but can use it as a sort of hunting-ground around
his fortress; and we may fancy the proprietor of such a territory
running about his underground passages in search of worms, and
living rather at ease when once he has formed his abode, and dug
his tunnels that communicate with it. He has only to be careful
not to show himself above ground too often, if an owl happens to
dwell in his neighbourhood, and to beware of the traps of the mole-
catcher, who knows so well all his ways and habits. When the
creature has to bring forth and rear its young, it forms a different
sort of nest in one of its raised hillocks, carefully constructed with
drains, so as to carry off moisture, and which nest is supplied with
plenty of leaves and warm materials for bedding. Moles do us very
little harm in our gardens, since they do not cat vegetables, and do
eat many animals of which we might otherwise have too many. The

underground passages they make seem also to break up the soil, and . _

help to drain it. Earth-worms are said to be so afraid of moles,
who prey on them so constantly, that no sooner do they feel any
shaking of the ground about them, like the approach of their enemy,
than they wriggle up to the surface of the earth; and it is a still
more curious fact that those birds who also make worms their food
seem aware of this, so that thrushes and lapwings will be seen
knocking the earth with their bills, and stamping with their feet
round the holes of worms, in order to bring them up, when, of
course, the poor worm becomes the prey of the bird, instead of the
imaginary mole. Sometimes the soft velvety skins of moles are —
used to make gloves, and pouches, and purses, and we have even
heard of a gentleman wearing a waistcoat made of mole-skins.

(To be continued.)

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 2

(e)s)
a |

THE HYDRANGEA.

ZHLERE are several distinct species of Hydrangea in culti-
vation, but the best is H. horéensis, which produces pink
flowers when grown in rich loam, and blue flowers when
grown ineither peat or loam in which there is a decided
~ trace of the salt of iron. It is one of the best plants
for the conservatory or entrance court, and looks well amongst
groups of pot plants near a summer-house or fountain. The shortest
and surest way of insuring large heads of flowers with the least
possible trouble, is to procure, during the month of May, cuttings
from the lower part of the stems of strong plants, and young shoots
with four or five joints; not more than five joints are preferable to
those with three. Remove the two lowest leaves from the cuttings,
and pot them singly in thumb-pots, in a mixture of leaf-mould and
peat, with a very little sand. They must then be placed on a moist
bottom-heat of not more than 60°, either over a propagating tank
or a frame over adung-bed. They will require to be kept mode-
rately moist, and will bear to be closely confined until they form
roots. Air should be given moderately after the lapse of a week,
and thenceforward increase the supply, so that by the time the pots
are filled with roots the plants will be hard and thrifty. When pro-
pagated on a large scale, the cuttings may be dibbled into wet sand
placed over a tank or dung-bed; but it is better to pot them
singly at first, as it is a decided gain in the end. When the thumb-
pots are filled with roots, shift to 60-size pots, using a compost
of peat, leaf-mould, and loam from rotted turf, equal parts of each ;
keep them in the greenhouse or warm pit, water frequently overhead
and at the root; give plenty of air, and keep the plants near the
glass. When these pots are full of roots, shift into six-inch pots,
the compost to be strong turfy loam, full of fibre; turfy peat, rotten
manure, and leaf-mould, equal parts; no sand. For drainage of
these pots use only one large oyster-shell, placed over the hole in
the pot hollow side downwards. The plants should be shifted into
these pots without breaking the balls of earth formed in the 60’s,
and at once placed on a bed of coal ashes, or a hard pavement in a
shady place out-of-doors, or plunged to the rim in a bed of cocoa-
nut refuse. They should have abundance of water, and by the end
of October should have attained a considerable size, and have ripened

lenty of hard flowering wood for the next season. The plants should
+ housed at the end of October. A cold pit suffices for their protec.
tion ; they should have a little water occasionally, and be kept clean,
a3 they lose their leaves. In severe weather a little care should be
taken to prevent their being severely frosted. From this point the
cultivator may proceed either to force a few at a time or allow them
to bloom naturally as the season advances. The first thing to do is
to cut them back to about six eyes from the bottom of each well-
placed ripe shoot, removing any weak inside shoots that might
crowd the head without improving the plant. Next give them a
shift to pots seven and a half inches in diameter, with the same soil

August.

692

238 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

as the last, and with a mulch of rotten manure an inch thick on the
top. Ordinary greenhouse temperature will set them going very
early in the spring, and the blooms will show immediately. Provide
some neat green stakes, slender, but strong, eighteen inches in
length, and tie every shoot, as soon as the bloom is visible, loosely
to a stake, as when the flowers are fully expanded their weight,
when wet with a shower, will sometimes cause them to fall over and
break the stems. All they need after this is abundance of water.
They can scarcely have too much at the root, or be too much
sprinkled overhead. When the roots begin to run upon the surface,
assist them with liquid manure, rather strong, once a week, and by
this time the blossoms will be expanding and colouring, and after
acquiring their proper character, will continue in perfection a longer
period than any other plant in our gardens. These plants are not
to be shifted again until next spring; then they are to be cut back
to about eight buds from the base, and shifted into ten-inch pots,
and they will make enormous specimens. The next year they may
be shifted into fifteen-inch pots; and after that it is not advisable
to increase their bulk any further. A few cuttings, to furnish small
useful plants, should be put in every year, in April or May; or, if
there be no convenience to strike by bottom-heat, they may be
rooted under bell-glasses without heat in June; but it is best to
strike them not later than the first week in May to insure the
formation of ripe wood for blooming the following year. For ordi-
nary purposes the most useful are yearling plants, which, when
they have bloomed once, are to be destroyed. To force them is a
mere matter of temperature, and they take a moist heat from
Christmas onwards as kindly as any greenhouse plant we know of.

WINDOW GARDENING.
BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 208.)

FERNS FOR WINDOW GARDENERS.

pose) WINDOW gardener can hardly say his selection of plants
Hs} is complete without an addition of choice ferns and
mosses, either in pots or in a Wardian case, or under a
bell-glass; and they are always a necessity for a choice
rockery. Their feathery growth, graceful habit, and
easy cultivation render them general favourites, worthy of your
attention, and pleasing ornaments in a Stair-landing window, or a
window where flowering plants do not succeed for want of sun-
light.

case, in such a position, or in the favoured precincts of your sitting-

room, is a very pleasant pastime; and more so when, as in the

Warrington case, you have a fernery and aquarium combined.

To grow a few select ferns and mosses, in a closed or Wardian _

-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 293

The common wild British Ferns and their varieties being the
most adaptable and easiest obtained, will be the ferns we will take
principally under our notice, although to be sure there are several
greenhouse ferns admirably suited for the same purpose. I will
specify them in another paper.

The natural haunt of the fern tribe is in the leafy solitudes of the
forest, on the free open breadth of heath and common, among the
rocks by the sound of falling waters and crystal streams, and in the
fields, hedgerows, and shady lanes of the healthy open country.
There the merry skylark cleaves the air with fluttering wings, pour-
ing forth his flood of melody, and the woods and copses echo with
the thrush and blackbird’s notes, while the golden sunshine fills the
air with the hum of insect life. When the long happy summer days
come round, and every thing is gay, then is the time for taking a
holiday and going fern-hunting in the country ; and to enable you to
know at once the best ferns to gather for your purpose, I will select
the most suitable, and describe their several distinctive characteristics
as plainly as I possibly can. In the country you will discover plenty
of ferns nearly everywhere you go; the most common being the male
fern, Lastrea Filiz-mas, the triangular buckler fern, Lastrea emula, the
mountain buckler fern, Lastrea montana, and the lady-fern, Athyrium
Filiz-femina. But these have such astrong robust habit of growth that
they are unsuitabie for window cultivation, unless during the first year
or two of their existence. The dwarf-growing kinds are the most suit-
able for the confined space in your window or miniature greenhouse.
However, the larger-growing ferns may suit those of my readers who
have a rockery, or small conservatory, so for their sake I will enter
them in our list. When collecting ferns in the lanes and heathy
commons, take care to lift them with good roots, and wrap them up
from the warm airand sunshine. When you get them home stand
their roots over night in water to freshen them up before you pot them.

Give them always good drainage, and soil composed of equal
parts of peat-earth, loam, leaf-mould, and silver sand, with a tew

small lumps of sand or broken brick amongst the soil, which helps to
keep it open, giving the water a better chance of percolating freely
away, and thus giving the soil less chance of becoming sodden or
sour. After potting, stand them in the shade for two days or so
till they recover their wonted freshness. We will notice the most
suitable ferns first ; the large-growing kinds we will notice briefly
afterwards.

Aspleniwm viride, or green spleenwort, is an elegant little ever-

een tufted fern, the fronds varying from two to eight inches in
ength, supported on short dark-coloured stems or stipes, the rachis
or midrib entirely green throughout. The pinne, or divisions of
the frond, are very small, and ranged nearly opposite to each other,
attached to the rachis by little stalks of their own. The pinnw being
distant from each other, and gradually lessening towards the point,
give the fronds a narrow, elegant appearance.

It is a pretty little fern for pot culture or the shady moist partg
of rockwork. It requires good drainage and protection from the
hot summer sun.

August,

240 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Asplenium trichomanes, or the common maidenhair spleenwort,
is very like A. viride, and often mistaken for it. It is easily dis-
tinguished from A. viride, however, by the fronds having purplish-
black stipes or stems and rachis instead of green; the pinne of the
fronds being of a deeper green, rounder in form, and placed with
greater regularity along the rachis or midrib. It is evergreen, the
fronds reaching nearly one foot in length when found in damp,
favourable situations, but generally from three to six inches. It is
very common, growing on old walls, bridges, rocks and ruins.

It is very easily grown when once established, making itself at
home in either pot or rockwork. The upper or drier parts of rock-
work suit it best.

Asplenium marinum, or sea spleenwort, is a very thinly-located
fern, found only on the south-western coasts of Great Britain and
the Channel Islands. It is too tender to stand exposure in the open
air any further north. It is a maritime fern, evergreen, of tutted
growth. The fronds are generally from six to ten inches long, of a
leathery texture, supported by rather short dark brown stipes or stems.
The pinne, or divisions of the fronds, are placed alternately on each
side of the rachis, and are either scalloped or cut round the margin,
the whole frond having a lanceolate or lance-shaped appearance, and
darkish-green coloured.

They make handsome specimens when grown in a moist, warm
atmosphere, such as in a Wardian case ina warm room. They also
do well in pots in a window, if the room is warm, and plenty of
moisture given overhead, and protection from the sun’s warm rays.

Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, or the black maidenhair spleenwort,
is an evergreen fern, met with in most parts of the country. It is
of tufted growth, the fronds ranging from two inches to a foot in
length, according as it is situated on walls, grassy banks, or shady
hedgerows. The fronds are supported by shining purplish-dark
stipes or stems. The pinne are divided and subdivided, the lower
pair always being larger than the upper, giving a triangular shape
to the frond, which is of a dark green, and leathery in texture. It
in a very pretty and serviceable fern, making itself quite at home in.
the shady parts of rockwork, and is easily grown in pots. The
variety acutum is a rare and rather tender fern, but_makes a beauti-
ful pot plant, nearly triangular in the form of the fronds, and much
more robust and graceful in outline.

Allosorus crispus, the mountain parsley fern, or rock brakes, is a
well-known, pretty little fern, of an elegant parsley-looking habit of
growth. It is a general favourite. The fronds, which vary from —
two to six inches in height, are of a delicate light green, and a little
triangular in shape, supported on slender smooth green stipes about
the length of the frond. Its fronds appear in spring and die down
in autumn, and are of two kinds, barren and seed-bearing, both
much divided—the barren fronds having wedge-shaped segments,
and the fertile fronds having oblong roundish segments, which are
the highest of the two, causing a noticeable distinction betweenthem. —
It is an excellent pot fern, and very suitable for rockwork. '

Adiantum capillus veneris, or the common maidenhair fern. This —

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 241

is the only species of the true maidenhair fern belonging to Great
Britain, and is very rare. It is a pretty, graceful evergreen fern,
with delicate, rather drooping fronds from six inches to a foot in
height. The stipes and rachis of the fronds are black and shining ;
the fronds themselves of an irregular ovate form, much divided,
rising from a short creeping stem clothed with small black scales. The
entire plant has a delicate feathery appearance, from the much divided
state of the fronds. The ultimate pinnz or leaflets are small, roundish,
or wedge-shaped, of a thin, delicate texture,and pretty pea-green colour.

This is a lovely fern for the miniature greenhouse or a Wardian
case, and a favourite with every one. It requires shelter, being too
tender to stand outside or exposed.

Blechnum spicant, or common hard fern, is a very common one,
occurring in almost all situations, very plentiful on heaths and com-
mons, but flourishing best in damp woods. It well deserves the
name of common hard fern, being of a hard, rigid texture. It is
one of the prettiest and most distinct of wild ferns, having, like the
preceding, both barren and fertile fronds. The fertile fronds rise
straight from the centre, varying from six inches to two feet in
length, supported on thinly-scaled dark brown stipes, towering
rigidly above the barren fronds, which cluster around them with a
drooping, rigid gracefulness, supported by short dark-coloured
stipes. The fronds are narrow and lance-shaped, the barren ones
being broader and about half the length of the fertile ones, and both
divided to the midrib, having a comb-like appearance. The entire
plant has a peculiar graceful foliage.

It is a very suitable fern for rockwork, growing freely without
much trouble, and does very well in pots.

Ceterach officinarum, or scaly spleenwort, is a very pretty
diminutive fern found ia the crevives of old walls, growing in tufts.
The fronds are from two inches to six inches in length, and are of a
deep green on the surface, and covered with a profusion of brown
rust-coloured scales on the under side, contrasting prettily with the
deep green of the upper side, especially when the under side of the
young fronds are exposed to view. The fronds are lanceolate in form,
and divided into blunt roundish lobes. It is very difficult to establish
this fern when under cultivation. It should be potted high, and kept
rather dry and cool.

Cystopteris fragilis, or the brittle bladder fern, is a very graceful
fern, of a tufted spreading habit of growth, not evergreen, the frond
appearing in spring and dying down in autumn. It tends to form
itself into several small crowns from which the fronds rise, varying
from six inches to a foot in length, supported by very brittie stipes or
stems of a shining greenish colour. ‘hey are lance-shaped and
much divided; the divisions, placed separately in pairs along the
rachis or midrib, are of a lanceolate pointed form, much divided,
serrated, and lobed round the margins. The entire plant is of a
graceful habit and a pleasing green colour.

It is a common fern in some districts, preferring moist rocky
situations, and is quite a gem for pot culture or rockwork, and of
very easy management.

August, 16

942, THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

The variety Dickieana is a lovely little fern of a much dwarfer
habit than the usual form of the species, varying only from three to
six inches in height, and lanceolate in form. The pinnz or divisions
are lanceolate and so close and deflexed that they overlap each other..
It is a very pretty little fern, constant under cultivation, and of a
pleasing dark green colour.

There is another variety, dentata, midway between the two fore-
going kinds, its fronds averaging from six to eight inches in height. It
is a very desirable variety.

Cystopteris regia, or Alpine bladder fern, is another pretty little
fern of an elegant tufted diminutive growth. Its fronds appear in
spring and die down in autumn, and are from four to eight inches
in height, of a bright green colour, supported on short smooth stipes,
scaly at the base, and rising from a crown. They are lanceolate, and
divided ; the divisions, nearly opposite each other, are much divided
and subdivided, giving the entire fern a very elegant appearance. It
is rather tender in constitution.

This fern is quite a gem for pots or a sheltered rockery.

Polypodium vulgare, or common polypody, is a very common fern,
growing almost everywhere over old walls, ditch banks, and trunks
of trees. No dweller in the country can miss seeing it by the way-
side. It isan evergreen fern witha creeping stem about as thick as
a pencil, thickly covered with brownish pointed scales. It creeps
along by means of this stem, throwing up from the upper side its
deeply cut lance-shaped fronds, about six or eight inches in length, ~
of a darkish green colour and rigid habit.

It is an excellent fern for rockwork and does very well in pots.

The Welsh polpody, or Polypodiwm Cambricum, is a remarkable
variety of the above, having the lobes of the fronds broader and
irregularly lobed a second time into sharply toothed lobes.

It isa pretty fern either for pots or rockeries.

Polypodium phegopteris, or beach fern, differs considerably in —
habit and form from the last. It is not evergreen, the fronds appear-
ing in spring and dying away in autumn. It has a slender creeping
stem, slightly scaly, from which the fronds are thrown up, supported
by very long fleshy brittle stipes. The fronds are from six inches
toa foot in height, triangular in form, rather hairy, and ofa delicately
pale green colour, divided, the lower divisions opposite and lanceo-
late in form, and deeply lobed or divided again. The lowest pair of —
pinne are much smaller than the pair above, and reflex backwards in —
a peculiar manner, which is a very distinct feature of this species.

It is a good fern for a Wardian case or for pot culture, requiring _
plenty of water and good drainage. a

Polypodium dryopteris, or oak fern, is a lovely little slender pea-—

green fern, appearing in spring and dying down in autumn. It hasa
slender creeping stem from which the fronds rise, supported on brittle —
dark coloured stipes, much longer than the fronds, which vary fom
four to eight inches in height, and are triangular in shape, each frond —
being divided into three nearly equal parts, each part triangular
divided and subdivided. No other polypody has the fronds so equally —
divided. It often forms into dense tufts and is quite a gem. .

met

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 24:3

A first-rate fern for a Wardian case or for pot culture, and does
well on the shady parts of rockwork, and a general favourite.

Scolopendrium vulgare, or the hart’s tongue fern, is very common
on old walls, hedge-banks, rocks and river-sides. It is an evergreen
fern of tufted growth, the fronds being simple or undivided, of a
beautiful bright green colour, and stout leathery texture, varying
from six inches to a foot in length, supported on rough scaly brown
stipes or stems, The fronds are slightly waved at the margin, strap-
shaped, forming a circular drooping tuft, elegant of outline, contrast-
ing very distinctly with the usual feathery appearance of ferns, and
is a general favourite.

In shady moist situations it forms beautifulspecimens. Itis one
of the very best ferns for open rockwork, and makes a beautiful pot
plant for the window.

Some of the varieties of this fern are very beautiful and curious.
Crispum has the margins of the fronds greatly developed, giving them
a rich wavy crispedappearance. There are numerous other varieties,
such as polyschides, multifidum, laceratum, and +ramo-marginatum, all
worthy your attention and very suitable.

Trichomanes radicans, or Kuropean bristle fern, is a very lovely
and elegant little plant of a delicate half transparent texture, found
only upon dripping rocks in the immediate neighbourhood of water-
falls. It has a scaly wirelike creeping stem, nearly black in colour,
from which the fronds rise supported by dark-looking stripes, having
a thin pellucid texture or continuation of the leafy parts embracing
them continued along the rachis or midrib. The fronds are three or
four times divided, and cut again into small-lobed segments of a
delicately thin semi-membranous texture.

It is only found in Ireland, where it creeps and grows most
luxuriantly among the rocks where constant moisture is maintained.
In cultivation the same moist atmosphere must be kept up. It can
only be grown therefore by being kept close in a Wardian case, or
under a bell-glass, and often watered overhead. It shrivels up if it
gets dry or exposed to the sun. Its transparent loveliness has made
ita great favourite with cultivators.

Woodsea ilvensis, or Alpine woodsia, is a tufted diminutive species,
and very rare; found in the crevices of moistened rocks in high
Mountainous regions. Its fronds, which appear in the spring and die
down in autumn, rise from a crown, and are longish and narrow,
divided into several lobed divisions or pinne, placed alternately along
the midrib. This is an excellent little fern for a case, and does well
along with filmy ferns.

Asplenium vruta-muraria, or the wall rue, is a very diminutive
tufted-growing fern, found abundantly, in some localities, on old
walls and bridges. It has hard wiry roots that insinuate themselves
into the crevices of masonry, and are difficult toremove. The fronds
rise in a tuft from the root, and are dark green and hard, very hke
the leaves of the garden rue in shape. It is a nice little fern for
small rockwork in fern cases, and is very easily cultivated. It is also
very suitable for outdoor rockwork when once established. It is an
evergreen fern,

August,

442 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

THE ENEMIES AND FRIENDS OF THE ROSE.

sa,

yos=—=S HE “ consuming canker” that secretly hollows out the
1 }4h), plump red buds, and leaves it as a shell to wither on
the tree, may be regarded as the leader of a host of
@ gi harpies that wage war against the welfare of the rose.
7 ~ The amateur will soon become familiar with them all,
and happy will he be if they disturb not his rest, nor press upon
him the cruel suggestion that rose growing is accompanied with
greater plague than profit. The “grub,” the “fly,” the “mildew ”
are the captains of the army of enemies, and they lead a formidable
host that have for allies the east wind, the summer drought, the
winter frost, and the blundering human hand that will do wrong,
and generally errs most gravely by attempting too much. In
respect of the principal insect enemies of the rose, a golden rule
may be offered for the comfort of the anxious amateur. Ignore them!
Do full justice to the trees in respect of soil, planting, watering,
ete., etc., and you will be but rarely troubled by these plagues,
for they seek out first the starving roses ; they want the trees that
have been badly used; they swarm to the garden of the sluggard,
where the “thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher;”’ and,
generally speaking, are to be regarded as proofs that the trees are
not thriving, and need some amendment at the root.

ApHis, OR GREEN-Fty, is the most frequent and destructive
enemy of the rose. Although to prevent this plague is too often a
sheer impossibility, it is nevertheless true, that trees in full vigour
of growth with abundant healthy leafage, are not so soon or so
destructively attacked as those that are insufficiently nourished, or
have sustained some serious check. It cannot be doubted, that
many of the destructive visitations of ‘fly and grub” on roses,
“ American blight” on apple-trees, and “ black-fly’’ on the young
shoots of plum and cherry, are prepared for by the frosts that usually
come in the middle of May, when the sap is flowing freely, and
development of leaf and wood is in full activity. The sudden
check occasioned by unseasonable cold corrupts the juices, and
renders them more palatable to the insects than the juices of an
unchecked healthy tree would be, while, concurrently with the
destruction that rapidly ensues on the settlement and multiplication
of the insects, the growth of the tree is arrested, and it cannot
quickly outgrow the destruction as a healthy tree will do, if we
remove some portion of its leaves, or even cut off a considerable
number of its branches. Therefore, we may properly begin to
advise, that to prevent the spread of aphis, the trees should be by
every possible means encouraged to grow vigorously. Late pruning
and shelter afford protection from the May frosts that are the pre-
cursors of “ blight”’ in the rose garden and the orchard, and liberal
manuring and watering will carry the trees through many a trial
with little harm, when, by the proper advance of the season, they
are capable of appropriating considerable supplies of sustenance.
There is considerable injury done to roses by endeavours to forestall

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 245

their proper season. We may force the growth by various means ;
but a sharp frost on the 20th of May (or thereabouts), may be
expected four years in ten, and when it occurs, all the previous new
growth of the outdoor roses is destroyed, and the plants are also
very seriously injured in general health. Hence, it is not prudent,
as a rule, to begin to give water copiously and regularly, until the
dangerous date is past ; but from the 20th of May to the 20th of
July, water should be given without stint, to insure a fine bloom
and a free growth, and make the fly afraid to touch them. On
soils of a particularly dry nature, the rose beds should be somewhat
below the level, and enclosed, if possible, by broad margins of turf
cut from clay land, so as to prevent hasty. departure of water, and
economize every drop of the rainfall.

But the green-fly will sometimes come in spite of these pre-
ventives. Now, good rosarian, take your choice of a thousand
remedies that you can obtain, like patent medicines, at 133d. per
box or 2s. 9d. per bottle, or at a price per hogshead or ton, by
inquiring of the manufacturers. It is with pleasure we confess that
we have tried all the plant-cleansing preparations that haye been
advertised during the past thirty years, and found them equal to
the professions of their promoters. Therefore, the novice who buys
a preparation described as an infallible destroyer of green-fly on
roses, is likely enough to secure all he wants, and may at least give
it a fair trial without trembling for the result. Having, in the’
capacity of advisers, to make choice amongst them, particular
attention is now directed to three distinct preparations. Fowler's
Insecticide, the Aphis Wash of the City Soap Company, and Pooley’s
Tobacco Powder, are the cheapest, safest, most potent, most cleanly,
and most convenient, of the many preparations we have fairly tried
for the eradication of fly from roses. As to the mode of applying
them, the best advice we can give is to follow the printed directions;
but when you are tuld to dilute the preparations with water, take
care to use soft water as hot as the hand will bear. This mode of
procedure we have determined to be the best by repeated experi-
ments, and many careful observations. The tobacco powder is the
most simple remedy of all. It must be dredged on from a pepper-
box or flour-dredger, covered with coarse muslin, when the trees
are wet with dew, or when they have been wetted for the purpose
with the garden engine. In any case of waging war against fly, the
operator must bear in mind that they usually locate themselves on
the tenderest part of the young shoots, and the undersides of the
young leaves. On such parts apply the remedy with engine, syringe,
or dredger ; and as the preparation used costs money, catch as much
of the waste as you can, and where the shoots are pliable and
manageable, draw them down and dip them in your can of hot
mixture, keeping them in it a few seconds, and the waste will be
reduced to a minimum.

The immense value of pure water as an insecticide remains to be
remarked upon. At present, very few cultivators believe in it; but
the day will come when reason will prevail, and the preparations of
the shops will be less sought after than the water engine and the

August.

246 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

pump. The regular and vigorous employment of the water engine
amongst roses, will render lodgment of fly next to impossible. If
the plague is confined to a few plants or a few shoots, the hand
syringe may be sufficient to discharge a killing shower, and scatter
the enemy to the devouring elements. But a terrific periodical
drenching, aimed as much as possible at the undersides of the leaves,
is the finest of all cures for a plague of aphis, because, while it sends
the fly to Jericho, or some other Ultima Thule, it refreshes the
trees, heightens their vigour, and cleanses their breathing cuticles
of the injurious deposits of the vermin, for it must be remembered
that while the fly sucks the vital juices of the plant, it spreads a
gummy exudation on the tender parts it banquets on, and thus
while bleeding suffocates, and is therefore more than a vampire.

In the choice of water, hot water is better than cold, and if any
doubt as to what we mean by the term “hot,” say 150° Fahr., which
is as hot as the hand can bear without pain. As hot water is better
than cold, so soft water is better than hard, and diluted sewage best
of all. Sewage is, in fact, a grand vermin killer, and if largely
diluted, does no harm to the most delicate green leaf, while every
drop that trickles to the roots, affords nourishment to strengthen
the tree against its insect plagues.

The best house-made preparations that we can advise upon are
two in number. We shall give first place, because of its com-
plexity, to a decoction of quassia chips. To every gallon of water
required, measure out five ounces of quassia chips, and put the chips
into the cold water. An hour afterwards, add to every gallon five
ounces of soft soap, previously dissolved and well beaten up in a
little hot water. Apply with a soft brush, taking care to brush
upwards, and half an hour afterwards wash off the mixture and the
dead vermin with hot water by means of a syringe. We have tried
this preparation on several occasions, and obtained the most con-
flicting results; on one occasion it was almost useless, on the next
it was a “perfect cure.” The difference, doubtless, is to be found
in the difference of quality of the quassia chips. At all events,
there are two kinds in the market—the Surinam, which is the pro-
duce of Quasia amara, and the Jamaica, obtained from Picrena
excelsa. he strongest bitter and most destructive to the lower
forms of animal life, is the last named. All the gardening books
recommend the employment of hot water in preparing infusions of
quassia, and they are all wrong, for heat dissipates its killing
properties, and extracts the pure bitter only.

Now, we come toa cheaper remedy, which you will be puzzled
with at first, but heartily believe in at last, if you are earnest in
your business. A solution of mud—call it de l’eau trouble, or mud-
water—as thick or as thin as you can conveniently use (not in a
syringe, certainly, unless you can afford to buy a new syringe at
every operation, but) to apply with some sort of mop or big brush
to the undersides of the leaves, and those parts of the young stems
on which the fly bas, to use the gardener’s language, “ got a good
holt.” You need not wash it off unless it is convenient and agree-
able to do so, for by contraction or expansion, as subsequent

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. © 247

weather may determine, the muck will soon disappear, but you can
do no harm by washing it off in the course of a few hours after the
application. Pardon our prolixity, for the sake of the weaker
brethren, when we say that it is as easy to suffocate as to poison
aphis, and mud will effectuate the first as easily as tobacco will the
second, and of the two mud is the cheapest !

But have we nothing to say about the potency of tobacco smoke?
Ah, it is a fine subject! When roses under glass are much troubled
with fly, smoke is a grand settler. But although the books say that
by making a canvas or blanket tent to cover a rose tree, you may
easily employ fumigation out of doors, we say that to do so is waste
of labour, and tobacco, and tent, and time, for however perfect your
means of imprisoning the smoke, the absorptive powers of the
atmosphere will beat you; and why, because you love roses, should you
be required to pay a guinea for every green-fly you can kill by means
of tobacco smoke out of doors? Dear friends, give it up. In the
rose-house you may fumigate with tobacco, and save your roses; but
in the open ground there is only one thing likely to happen by
adopting the smoke process, and that is, that you will waste the
tobacco, and contribute, most unjustly to yourself, to the aggregate
of our extravagant national revenue. Water and mud cost nothing ;
try these cheap and handy remedies first, and when they fail take
‘something stronger. ‘

On the subject of fumigating the rose-house, we must be sufli-
ciently specific to put the inexperienced amateur in the right way.
The best fumigator is one with a revolving fan or a revolving cage,
containing the tobacco, by means of which the smoke is blown out
in a rapid, dense, killing cloud; but an effectual instrument may be
extemporized by knocking a hole in the side of a large flower-pot,
and then, having put some hot cinders and damp tobacco into it, the
nozzle of a bellows is placed against the hole, and ignition promoted
by gentle puffing. Mr. Gidney, of Hast Dereham, Norfolk, some
years ago brought out an excellent fumigator, consisting of a tin
cylinder and a spirit lamp, the latter being employed to keep the
tobacco burning, and the fumes being allowed to spread without
help or interference until lamp and tobacco ceased to burn through
exhaustion of materials. In any case, as already remarked, the
strongest shag tobacco is the best possible material for fumigating.
In respect of burning it, the best way is to insure a good brisk
ignition to begin with, but to take care Jhat the tobacco does not
break out into a flame, for that is at once wasteful of the;tobacco
and destructive to the plants. The usual time for fumigating is the
evening, and preparatory to the operation the plants should be dry,
and wet mats should be laid over the ventilators, and wherever else
there may be crevices through which the smoke might escape.
Early the next morning the syringe should be used freely, both to
zefresh the plants and cleanse from the dead vermin. In the course
of a few days the operation should be repeated, for it rarely happens
that one smoking is enough to settle a serious attack of fly.

Amongst the many patent fumigators, we give the preference to
Drechsler’s as the most effective in operation, and the most service-

Aagast,

248 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

able in make and material. It consists of a large iron cylinder,
fixed upon four legs, with a large spout for the egress of the smoke.
The inside is fitted up with a stout wire basket to hold the fumi-
gating material, and is made to revolve for the purpose of creating
a current of air by means of bevel gear set in motion from the
handle outside. In the bottom of the cylinder there is a large
opening to admit air, and also
to allow the ashes to escape ;
therefore any clogging by
means of the ashes is impos-
' sible. In setting it to work,
‘ twist a piece of dry brown
paper, and, after it is lighted,
place it in the cage, and then
fill with the tobacco or what-
ever else may be used. The
material, put immediately over
the burning paper, should be
rather dry, to insure its ig-
niting quickly; but the re-
maining portion must be used
rather moister than with the
flower-pot and bellows.

The handle should be
turned gently during the time
the cage is being filled, and
when a sufficient quantity of
material is put in close the
lid, and by continuing to turn the handle steadily, dense volumes of
cool smoke will be emitted, which will fill a large house in a few
minutes. It is not necessary to go inside the house at all, as a half
brick can be removed from the wall, and the end of the spout in-
serted in the opening. The occupants of the houses will be fumigated
quite as effectually as they would be if the operator and machine
were inside, an advantage which cannot be over-estimated, as being
in a house filled with tobacco smoke for a quarter of an hour or
more is certainly one of the most disagreeable experiences connected
with the management of the garden.

Tobacco water is sometimes to be preferred, especially if only a
few amongst many trees are infested with green-fly. To prepare it
procure the strongest shag tobacco, and pour boiling water on it at
the rate of one gallon of water to two ounces of tobacco. When
cold and clear, apply with the syringe or dip the shoots into it.

MinpeEw is, without question, an evidence of debility, but it may
be the accident of the season, and not the fault of the cultivator.
This plague usually follows close upon a time of drought or of ex-
cessively hot days, tollowed by excessively cold nights, with a clear
east wind and a sky wonderfully blue. The plant is debilitated by
sudden, and extreme, and oft-repeated changes of temperature, and
mildew is the result. Here again, whatever restores the vigour
of the plant makes an end of the mildew; but, as a matter of fact,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 249

when mildew has really obtained what gardeners call ‘a firm holt,”
it continues to the end of the season as a chronic disease. The
“aphis wash” is the best of nostrums for this affection, for it is
highly charged with sulphur, and appears to nourish as well as
cleanse the trees. We have recommended it to be used with hot
water to eradicate fly ; now we shall advise that it be used with hot
water and clay, or liquid mud, to prove a destroyer of mildew. Dry
flour of sulphur dusted, as recommended for the application of
tobacco powder, is at once the simplest, and, as a rule, the surest
remedy, provided it is applied with care, to cover all the affected
parts of leaves and bark while they are meist, and will hold the
powder. Strange to say, dry dust, very dry dust, very fine dust,
but dust alone, pure et simple, is a grand medicine for mildew if
powdered on freely when the affected parts are damp, and in the
interest of the operator (who may not desire to sneeze his head off),
it should be applied on the windward side of the trees. An impor-
tant matter for rosarians who are much troubled with mildew is to
eradicate the sorts on which it makes its first appearance, for these
serve as nurseries to propagate the vile fungus for the destruction
of the rose garden. Generally speaking, Geant des Batailles will be
found the first and greatest offender, and after him, perhaps, Lord
Clyde and Lord Raglan. Burn these root and branch. Better fifty
eee and no plagues of Egypt, than five thousand and a broken
eart !

Grup is a collective term. It comprises “leaf rollers,” “leaf
miners,” “canker,” the “worm i’ the bud,” the “saw fly,” the
“ Bedeguar” or cynips, the “ leaf cutter,” and a host of other com-
paratively high-class insect depredators. If we could give direc-
tions for preventing or eradicating every one of these plagues we
should be delighted, but in truth we can only, in a most general
way, recommend hand-picking and leaf-pinching.

As a matter of fact, these enemies of the rose rarely commit any
serious mischief, and when they eat to the core only a few amongst
many buds, they really do good by effecting a judicious thinning,
which the amateur might not have the courage to perform. Be not
troubled about them, dear friend, but encourage the flycatchers and
other small birds, for they are active, hungry people, and have the
most direct interest possible in keeping down the visible insects that
rayage your rose garden. A shower of hot sewage now and then,
and a dusting with tobacco powder, will render the roses unpalatable
to these marauders, and by diligently hunting with the aid of a sharp
eye and a quick hand, you will surely manage to mock these vaga-
bonds, whose aim it is to rob you of your roses and your peace.

The little friends of the rose are by no means few in number, and
should have brief mention here. The common sparrow is one of the
most active and assiduous, for if left alone sparrows will banquet
on green-fly, and pick, pick, pick for leaf-rollers and nibblers, and
excavators of all sorts. If you find your roses are becoming dread-
fully clothed with aphis, and you really have no time to pult or
poison them, you may adopt an efficacious method of enlisting the
Sparrows in your service. Two or three times a day, sprinkle a

August.

250 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

handful of grain or bread crumbs amongst the roses. The sparrows
will soon appreciate your bounty, and having cleared the ground,
will next proceed to clear the trees, taking the best care possible to
repay your kindness. To render this plan a perfect success, you
should keep the sparrows always on the look out, and never supplied
very bountifully ; so, as far as possible, institute frequent sprinklings
of infinitesimal bounties.

Make yourself acquainted with the larve of the ladybird, or
coccinella, for these are greedy devourers of aphis, and touch no
vegetable food whatever. The larve of the syrphide, again, are
indefatigable destroyers of the same pest. Still more destructive to
aphis than either of the foregoing are the larve of the lace-winged fly,
chrysopa perla, a sort of ephemera, with golden eyes and green
wings. This fly lays its eggs in a manner which causes them to
appear like minute fungi, for every ege is on a transparent stalk,
the latter being a kind of gluten deposited with the egg, and drawn
out by the parent to elevate the egg out of the reach of danger.
These stalked eggs may often be seen like microscopic fans fixed on
the edges of rose leaves, and on the youngest shoots of the lilac.
The ichneumon fly, Opnion luteum, is another friend of the rosarian,
for its larvee feed on caterpillars, and the more of them we can find
amongst the roses the better.

THE FORMATION OF A HORTUS SICCUS.

fie save individual replies te the many communications

SEs from our readers, asking for further information as to
i the forming of an herbarium, we now make some
general observations which we trust will prove satis-
factory to our inquiring friends.

First, as to the size of the specimens. Each should have at least
two open blossoms, and a few buds; the quantity of foliage must
be regulated by the babit of the plant. In some cases it is
necessary to exhibit the radical leaves, and even the root. This
should always be done in creeping plants, as the buck-bean (Men-
yanthes trifoliata), and in some others, as Campanula rotundifolia,
which has received its specific name from the form of its radical
leaves. Coloured blotting-paper must be used to dry the plants in,
as the acid employed to bleach the white injures the colour of the
flowers.

Take your specimen, and having laid it in its natural form upon
the blotting-paper, proceed to lay out the parts, beginning at the
top of the plant. Penny pieces or halfpence are the most convenient
assistants in this operation, as they occupy so little room. Lay
some of the leaves with the upper side te the view, some so as to
show the under side, and the same as to the flowers. Be careful
not to destroy the character of the plant, when laying it out, by
distorting the stalks; although neatly placed, the origiza! manner

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 251

of growth may be preserved. Upon the specimens lay two leaves of
blotting-paper, and upon them a plate of zine, which should be
slightly warmed. Our plates of zine are the size of a quarter of a
sheet of blotting-paper, and cost threepence each. Zine is prefer-
able to tin, as being thicker and cheaper. Proceed in this manner
with as many specimens as your sheets of zinc will aliow; then,
placing a sheet of the metal under the pile, load it with weights, or
apply any other pressure that may be convenient ; the common
screw press used for table linen is very effectual. Let the plants
remain thus for a fortnight or three weeks, at the end of which time
most of them will be sufficiently dried and pressed. Bog and water
plants require even a longer time.

Next, as to the size of the paper upon which the specimens are
to be fastened. The very large paper gives room for splendid speci-
mens, but, unless they be crowded together, it is rather extravagant ;
and upon the whole we prefer the foolscap size—it is easy, even with
the grasses, so to arrange the specimens as to exhibit each part to
advantage. We have classed our plants according to the Linnzan
system, adding the Jussieuan order to the name of each plant; we
would therefore recommend that the name and number of the
Linngan class be written on the head of each page. Having care-
fully taken your plants out of the blotting-paper, lay each upon the
page where it is to remain, and with a little gum fasten the tips of
the leaves, the end of the stalk or roots, and such parts of the flowers
as may require it, to the paper. We strongly recommend gum
tragacanth for this operation ; it is more expensive than gum acacia,
but it is neater, stronger, and less troublesome to prepare. Care
must be taken not to dissolve too much at one time, as, when not
occasionally warmed, it becomes mouldy. It should never be boiled,
but dissolved gradually in an earthen or a glass jar.

Having gummed the specimens to the paper, it remains to aflix
the names, which ought to be done thus, upon a slip of paper to be
placed across the lower part of the stalk :—

Parnassiz palustris.
Grass of Parnassus.
Order 4. Linn.

Nat. Ord. Hypericinee.
Where gathered.

Day of the month.

Thus the habitat and the time of the year at which the plant flowers
are easily remembered or referred to.

It is necessary to dry the blotting-paper thoroughly after it has
been used, both in the air and by the fire; if the least dampness
remains in it, the next specimens for which it is used will become
mouldy. The zine also should be wiped and well dried, and if the
same can be done about once in a week while the plants are drying,
without disturbing their arrangement, the process will be expedited.
Of course the plants must be placed upon the writing-paper, on
one side of the leaf only. We assure most of our young readers
who are inclined to follow our example in forming a Hortus Siccus of

August.

252 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

English plants, that they will find it an extremely interes ting
amusement, and however limited may be their opportunities of
gathering specimens, it is well worth while to make the attempt.
Young persons are always prone to form collections, and surely
flowers are more instructive and more interesting than the baubles
which generally fill a young lady’s cabinet.

A DRENCHING BOARD FOR CLEANSING PLANTS.

eee) N using tobacco liquor, Gishurst compound, and other,
vermin killers, there is usually a great waste, and, what
is perhaps worse than waste, the stuff gets into the soil,
and perhaps does as much harm to the plant at the root
as the cleansing may have done good overhead. Dipping
the plant head downwards cannot always be practised, and it is a
slow process; the syringe often splashes the stuff where it is not
wanted, and in any case is wasteful. We were lately shown a con-
trivance in wood, invented by a gentleman who has found Gishurst

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compound an effectual vermin killer, and it struck us that a figure
of it would enable any of our readers either to construct it, or to
get it constructed at avery small cost. As may be seen by the
figure, it is merely a sloping board of half-inch deal, broader at the:
top than bottom, with sides five inches high, turned at the front so
as to catch the rim of a pot laid on the slope, the front being open
for the flow of the waste into a pail. The board is mounted on legs,
and the dimensions are given in the cut. “By placing a pail under
the front, and laying the plant on its side, the foliage may be syringed.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 253

without one drop of liquor getting to the roots, and what the pail
contains may be used again and again. It might also be useful in
tying out specimen plants, where considerable lateral growth may
require regulating underneath, the pot being laid on its side, resting
against what we may call the lips of the top frame, with the head of
the plant entirely free. The cost of the one sketched was only
seven shillings, and was made by a carpenter, but we think the
sketch and description here given will enable any amateur with at
all a practical turn to manufacture his own.

THE VERBENA.

=3HE Verbena has been steadily declining in popularity
| during many years past, in consequence of the dis-
figurement of gardens by its frequent failures, and in few
instances does it prove equal to the demands and expec-
=a tations of the cultivator. Yet there is no bedding plant
that more perfectly answers the requirements of the garden colourist.
Tts trailing habit, forming a close carpet of vegetation, its well
sustained umbels of prilliantly-coloured flowers glittering above the
suitable ground-work of dark green leaves, and the continuousness of
its intensity of colour, are qualities that should insure it a place in
any select list of first-class bedding plants. In exceptionally hot
seasons, verbenas unhappily situated shrink away to dust ere the
season is half gone, but as a rule failures with the verbena result from
bad cultivation, and especially from the careless system of planting
bedders in badly prepared soil, without any special preparation for
them. The verbena will only thrive in a satisfactory manner in a
good deep holding loam, put alight soil may be made to suit the
plant, provided a liberal dressing of manure is dug in during the
winter, and a fair average season follows, with alternations of showers
‘and sunshine; but with the best preparation success cannot be de-
pended on, ina peculiarly hot and dry season, on light sandy soils. It
is therefore advisable to adopt a very liberal system of cultivation,
and as we do not often experience a tropical summer, success under
such a system may fairly be expected, although the plants may have
a lighter soil than they would prefer. In the case of a hot soil, a
mulch—that is, a surfacing of half-rotten manure, put on at the time
of planting—will do wonders, and as to its appearance, the plants will
so soon spread over it and hide it, that it is practically of no con-
sequence. Ina droughty summer a few heavy soakings with soft
water will also act beneficially; but it is best to avoid watering if
there is a prospect of rain before the plants begin to suffer, and, in
any case, frequent surface dribblings do more harm than good. It is
not a matter of great importance to plant verbenas in the full sun,
but a heavily shaded position will not suit them. A free current of
air, and a few hours of sunshine per diem they must have, but they

August,

254: THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

cannot so well endure continuous roasting as geraniums and petunias,
which really rejoice in sunshine. A very common cause of failure is
the practice of putting out plants that have been starving in small
pots several months previous to the planting season. It isa grievous
mistake to propagate the stock for bedding early in the season, al-
though it is generally supposed that early propagation is necessary
to secure strong healthy plants by planting time. When strack
early, and necessarily kept starving in pots for several months, the
constitution becomes impaired so much that they are unable to resist,
with any degree of success, the attacks of red spider, thrips and
mildew, three most formidable enemies they have to contend with.
The month of April is quite early enough for striking verbenas in-
tended for bedding purposes. The tops of the healthy shoots should
be taken off at the early part of the month, struck in a brisk bottom-
heat, and potted into store pots, and carefully hardened off; these
planted out as early in May as the weather will permit will grow
away freely, and the beds in which they are planted will soon become
a blaze of colour. The compost in which they are potted should be
rich and nourishing, and for that reason nothing suits them better
than a mixture of good turfy loam and decayed hot-bed manure
mixed together at the rate of two parts of the former to one of the
latter, with a sprinkling of sand to keep the compost open.

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR AUGUST.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

GOOD stock of bedding plants should be secured at once ; of geraniums
and fuchsias, ripe hard shoots make the best plants, both for winter
keeping and next season’s blooming. Strike verbenas and petunias
from the points of young shoots; calceolarias should not be struck
till next month. Herbaceous plants may also be strack in quantities,

to keep over winter in frames, such as pansies, dielytras, double walls, double

canterbury bells, double feverfew, and hollyhocks. Sow hardy perennials and
biennials for next season’s blooming, if not done before, but by this time the
plants ought to be fit for planting out, in which case, plant them where they are
to remain, to get thoroughly strong. Keep dahlias well fastened, and put stakes
tochrysanthemums before their heads get heavy, as a protection against storms.
Pompones may still be struck for blooming in pots. Plant out pinks and car-
nations, in nursery beds, in well-manured loam, Bud roses as the season permits,
choosing dull moist weather, when the bark rises freely. Give plenty of water to
chrysanthemums, with occasional doses of strong liquid manure. Roses budded
last month will probably want the ties loosened, and the best way is to cut the
ties at the back, and let the swelling of the bark loosen the bass in its own way.

Give plenty of air to auriculas, and repot such as need it in a size larger; but

frequent shifts are not desirable.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

Sow the main crop of winter spinach; thin out the rows of parsley, so as to
get rid of every plant not well curled; sow saladings, succession lettuce, turnip

THE FLORAL WORLD: AND GARDEN GUIDE. 255

radish, cabbage, and turnips. arth up the earliest rows of celery; earth up
leeks, hoe between potatoes to give air to the roots, plant out broccoli, and every
kind of winter greens as fast a3 you get vacant spaces. Sow cauliflower the third
week, to keep over winter in frames. The main crop of cabbage for spring use
should be sown between the 12th and 20th, Remove decayed leaves from
cucumbers and gourds, to prevent the growth of moulds and fungi about them in
damp weather, and take cuttings, or sow seed, for cucumbers to fruit during
winter.

FRUIT GARDEN.

Where fruit is wanted to be kept hanging, throw a net over the bushes, to
keep off the birds, and give a little shade. Put wasp traps about vines and
peaches, or stick a few lumps of loaf sugar among the branches, and as long as
there is any sugar left they will not touch a single fruit. Nail in all good shoots

on wall trees, that they may have the heat of the wall to ripen them. Make
beds of strawberries, if not yet done.

GREENHOUSE AND STOVE.

Pelargoniums that have broken freely, should be repotted in as small pots as
their roots, after trimming, can be got into. Young stock should be well hardened
as soon as possible. Keep cinerarias and primulas growing freely, and make a
last sowing of the latter. Sow now, for decorating the house early in the spring,
Clarkia, nemophila, erysimum, nothera, collinsia, veronica syriaca, mignonette,
etc. Give plenty of air to stove plants, and get a good stock of young pines for-
ward. Vines that have ripened their fruit should be well cleared, and have

thorough ventilation. Whatever painting or repairing is required should be
attended to forthwith.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Hetiorrorrs.—C. H.—The Heliotrope must be wintered under glass. It is
the most tender of all the bedding plants, and will not bear the slightest frost.
It may be propagated by cuttings of the young tops in the same way as verbenas.
The cuttings are best struck under glasses in a mixture of peat and silver-sand,
and should always be kept in a moderately growing state.

Dwazr Fruir-trees.—Z. B., Devon.—Procure nursery plants of the sorts
you want during the autumn; the pears on quince stock, the apples on the
paradise. They should have been worked just above the collar, and not have
been disbudded on the main stem. When planted, trim them with a pruning-
knife to a regular shape, cutting long shoots back to an outside bud, and entirely
clearing away all the ill-placed ones. Next season, as they make their growth,
pinch them back—that is as fast as new shoots require a length of a foot or four-
teen inches—nip out the point, repeating this occasionally until August; after
which pinch no more, but let the wood ripen. The knife ought never to touch
them after the firat pruning from the nursery, and they should be taken up, and
carefully but not severely root-pruned every year. With good soil, good sorts,
and good aspect, this plan is sure to prove successful.

Worms 1n Pots.—Zhomas Hill.—The best way to prevent is to treat the
potting stuff previous to planting to a good dose of boiling water. Have the pots
ready filled a day before they are used, and water the soil in them well with
boiling water. Scald also as much as you will require for filling in. Next day it
will be none too moist to work with, and there will not be a living creature in it.
A dose of boiling water round the woodwork of the bin will clear away woodlice.
It is not advisable to destroy the earthworms in the stuff heaped up in the open

August,

256 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

air, they will do more good than harm, as long as it lays together. Earthworms
should never be ruthlessly destroyed ; they are appointed by nature to ventilate
the subsoil, by boring in it channels for the admission cf air. |

STRAWBERRY Prantations.—J. P., Torquay.—We have known strawberry-
plants at ten years old to bear well and grow luxuriantly, but it is the exception.
As a rule, strawberry plantations should be renewed every three years, and the
best time is as soon as good-rooted runners can be got—that is, during July and
August. The ground should be trenched deeply, and a liberal dressing of manure
well chopped over and dug in with it.

Katmta Guauca.—Pensioner.—Kalmia glauca should have a west aspect, a
peat soil, the roots to be screened from the soil by its own foliage, or the foliage
of other plants of the same constitution, and to have abundance of water overhead
while making its spring growth. Without this care it seldom flowers, and with
every care it will not flower in some districts.

Herpaceots Prants.—J. B. Dorking.—You should sow at once, there is no
time to lose. The last week in July is the best time of the whole year for sowing
seed of herbaceous plants.

Weierttas.—, §. C.—Leave them alone, give them no attention whatever,
except to remove dead wood, and you will have abundance of bloom. Weigelias
always flower profusely when old.

Litizs.— Beta.—All border lilies that have done blooming should be taken
up, the offsets removed, and the large roots for flowering next year be planted
again directly where they are to bloom, and with a shovelful of rotten dung or
some sound fresh compost added for every clump. Plant the offsets also at once
in the reserve ground. This is the proper way to manage all border lilies. Choice
liliums in pots to have abundance of water until done blooming; after that, the
supply of water to be diminished, but not hastily; and as soon as the foliage shows
signs of decay lay the pots on their sides on a sunny shelf in a greenhouse, to
make sure of ripening the bulbs. Let them remain in the pots a month, then
shake them out and repot them.

Earty Annvats.— Beginner.—If you want a show of annuals early in summer,
you must sow them in the previous autumn. During the latter half of August
or the first half of September, is the best season to get them strong enough to
stand the winter; if sown earlier, they get too forward, and are apt to suffer from
frost. An open situation, sheltered from the north, is to be preferred, and the
ground should be as hard as flint. On this hard surface lay down a shallow bed
of poor sandy soil, and on that sow the sorts in rows pretty close together, each
marked with a good-sized tally. In gardens that are very dry or insufficiently
drained, the plants will have a better chance, if the bed is made to slope south-
ward. This will carry off excess of moisture, and the plants will start better in
spring. ‘They are to be transplanted singly into the beds and borders as desired,
as early in March as the weather will permit. The soil in which they are to
bloom should be rich and well worked ; and as every one of the plants will grow
to twice the size ordinarily attained by the same sort when grown in spring, they
must be planted at double the ordinary distance apart. To make sure, it would
be as well to sow at least one pan of each of the same sort as those sown on the
border, these to be kept in a pit or frame, and dealt with in the same manner for
blooming. Some ofthe improved forms of hardy annuals are equal to anything
we possess for brilliancy of colour and effect in masses.

CaLcronaRias.—New Subscriber.—Nothing is easier to propagate than bed-
ding Calceolarias, and the middle of September is quite soon enough fer the
purpose, as they root freely either in pots or ina cold frame, if kept free from
insects, damp and frost, though some weeks must elapse before they are properly
rooted.

—_—"

\s

ANEMONE STELLATA (HORTENSIS)

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 257

ANEMONE STELLATA.

=== HIS very beautiful species of Anemone was introduced

into this country from the south of Europe, in 1597,
and is very suitable for beds in the early spring,
for the mixed border, or in planting in warm, sunny,
——s ~=ewell-drained spots on rockwork. The usual time for
planting the anemone is September or October; but by planting
every month, a succession may be obtained throughout the year.
The anemone grows best in a mixture of deep rich loam and sand,
and is readily increased by division of the tuberous roots, or by
seed. The generic name is derived from anemos, the wind, because
the greater part of the species grow wild in elevated places much
exposed to the wind.

THE MAKING AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE
LAWN.

= () insure the luxury of a “velvet lawn” is, to speak
7 ©6generally, a most easy matter, and, though it may be
comparatively costly in the first instance, it will prove
in the end one of the best of investments of gold in

~ gardening. The soft, elastic turf of a chalky down will
kindly inform the traveller that a lawn may be laid on chalk; and
the closely-bitten grassy herbage of a sandy common will in like
manner suggest that gravel and sand may be clothed for the pro-
duction of a living carpet that will last for ever. It is, however, on
a deep loam or a clay that has been well tilled that the best example
of grass turf is to be looked for, and on such land we should prefer
to operate, were it required of us to present the best possible example
of making and keeping a garden lawn.

In the formation of a lawn, all levels must be carefully deter-
mined, and the ground thoroughly weil prepared, that there may be
no waste of labour in alterations afterwards. In the case of laying
fresh turf on the site of an exhausted plot, from which bad turf has
been removed, a heavy dressing of good manure should be dug in,
for grass needs nourishment in common with all other plants. The
last act of preparation consists in spreading over the level ground
about an inch depth of tine earth, which is to be distributed evenly,
and every stone removed by means of the rake. Then we approach
an important question—which is best, turf or seeds? In any and
every case turf is to be preferred, for upon the instant of its being
laid and rolled, the lawn is formed, and there is an end of the
matter. Two considerations give interest to this question—the cost
of turf is necessarily far in excess of the cost of seeds, and it may
happen that turf is not to be obtained within reasonable carting
distance. Supposing the amateur to have a choice of means and

September, 17

258 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUID:.

materials, our advice would be in favour of the purchase of the best
turf possible, for any extent of ground under one acre; but when
we get beyond an acre, with every increase of extent, the argument
in favour of seeds increases in force, for the cutting and carting of
turf is a somewhat costly business. In selecting turf for a garden,
give the preference to that which is of close texture, containing a fair
sprinkling of clover intermixed with the finer grasses. We have
formed many lawns from meadow turf, which in the first instance
appeared far too coarse, and they have in the course of three years
acquired a beautiful texture, fit for the foot of a princess in a fairy
tale. Grass turf may be laid at any time during favourable weather,
but the autumn is to be preferred, because of the long season of
growth the newly-laid turf will have to aid in its establishment before
being tried by the summer sun. If laid early in the spring, grass
usually passes through the first summer safely, but is of necessity
exposed to the risk of being roasted; in the event of a hot dry
summer, the risk is greater in the case of turf laid late, than of turf
laid early. When the work is deferred until the season of spring
showers is past, it will be advisable to spread over the turf a coat of
good manure, and keep it regularly and liberally watered until
showers occur.

In selecting seeds, the character of the soil must be taken into
consideration, for a mixture that would suit a clay or loam would
not equally well suit a sand, gravel, or chalk soil. The seedsmen
who make a “speciality” of grass seeds will for any given case
supply a better mixture than any one unskilled in the matter could
obtain, even if acting on the advice of a botanist or gardener. As,
however, prescriptions are occasionally required by seedsmen who
have not had extensive experience, we shall append to this chapter
a few for mixtures adapted to particular kinds of soils. The best
time in the year to sow seeds is the month of August. If the work
cannot then be completed, the sowing may be continued through
September and October, but not later, and may be resumed in
February and March. Grass seeds may be sown, indeed, on any day
in the year, provided the weather is favourable for the operation,
and the ground in a fit state; but the month of August is the best
time to insure a good plant before winter, and a long period of
growth before the summer heat returns.

There is yet a third mode of forming a lawn, now rarely prac-
tised, but in days when grass seeds were comparatively unknown,
frequently resorted to. It is termed “inoculating,” and consists in
planting pieces of grass turf at regular distances over the plot. In
districts where good turf is obtainable only in small quantities,
this method may be recommended, for if the turves are torn
into small pieces, and planted at a foot apart in September or
February, they will extend rapidly, and form a pretty good sward
the first season.

In the after management, the principal operations consist of
rolling, mowing, and weeding. Grass seeds must be constantly
weeded, until the turf thickens sufficiently to kill out the weeds,
and newly-laid turf must be kept clear of thistles, docks, and other

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 259

rank weeds, by spudding them out, or by a simpler process, which
we have long practised with the most agreeable results, that of
depositing in the heart of the plant a small quantity of phospho-
guano, which kills it at once, and promotes the growth of clover in
its stead. If this operation is carelessly performed, and the guano
thrown about wastefully, the immediate result is a dotting of the
lawn with unsightly brown patches, which, however, soon disappear
after the occurrence of rainy weather.

Many as are the kinds of mowing-machines, they may all be
classed under two heads—those that cut and carry, and those that
cut and scatter. A carrying-machine may be made to scatter by
removing the box, but not so well as the machine that is intended
for scattering, as in each case the cutter is formed expressly for the
work it is intended to perform. If the question be asked, which is
the best form of machine? our reply is that they are of equal value,
and the intending purchaser must be guided by a consideration of
circumstances. In the excessively hot and dry summers of 1868
and 1870, we constantly employed the ‘“ Archimedean,” which
scatters the grass, and our lawns were as green through all the
burning drought as in the cooler days of spring. In the moist sum-
mer of 1871, it would have been necessary to sweep up the grass,
had the scattering-machine been employed on our strong land, and
therefore we kept our trusty ‘‘ Shanks” at work, cutting and carry-
ing, and had to mow twice a week through the whole of June and
July to keep the grass down. Nevertheless, in that same moist
summer we saw the ‘‘ Archimedean” employed on a tract of chalk
land, which is peculiarly exposed to the influence of the sun, and the
result was a fresh green turf where in the height of summer nothing
better than a dusty door-mat had ever been seen before. When the
grass is cut by cutters adapted for the scattering system, it falls on
the ground in a form more resembling dust than fibres, and acts as
a “mulch,” both to nourish the growth and arrest evaporation from
the soil; hence the importance of the scattering system on chalk
and sand, and other hungry stuff, and on any soil in such a hot
season as that of 1870.

In the keeping of an old lawn it is of the utmost importance
to remember that grasses and clovers require for their well-doing
a highly-nourishing soil. Now it matters not how good the soil
may be in the first instance, if we cut and carry, we labour con-
stantly to impoverish the top-crust. In every barrowful of grass
removed, there will be a certain quantity of alkalies, phosphates,
and other constituents of vegetation, abstracted from the soil. To
be always taking off and putting nothing on, must result in the
starvation of the grass; and we shall find that as the grasses and
clovers disappear through the exhaustion of the soil, daisies, plan-
tains, knotgrass, self-heal, and other weeds, will take their place.
The simple remedy for this state of things is manuring, and the
best mode of manuring is to scatter over the turf a succession of
thin dressings of guano and fine mould mixed together. This should
be done in autumn and spring, at times when there is not much
traflic on the grass, and there is a likelihood of rain to follow. If

September,

260 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

appearances are of no consequence in the later autumn or early
spring months, a good coat of half-rotten manure may be spread
over the turf, but this proceeding cannot be recommended for
general adoption. In place of guano, nitrate of soda or nitrate of
potash may be employed, being first mixed with fine earth or sand,
and then scattered at the rate of one pound of nitrate to every
square yard. The employment of an alkali will promote the growth
of grass, but not of clover, which requires the use of phosphatea.
A cheap and most serviceable dressing for old lawns may be occa-
sionally obtained in districts where building works are in progress.
The rubbish should be screened, to separate from it the dust of old
mortar, plaster, and broken brick to the size of walnuts at the
utmost. This may be spread thinly two or three times in autumn
and spring, and will greatly benefit the texture and density of the
turf.

It cannot be said that in British gardens grass is generally well
managed and properly understood, for the lawn is the last place on
which either manure or water is generously bestowed. We may
ofttimes see the flower-beds deluged with water that they do not
need, while the grass is fast parching into a hideous condition of
sterility. If we could persuade the industrious folks to spread the
water, by means of a hose, over the grass two or three times a week
during summer, and give the geraniums none at all, the result would
be a brighter blaze of flowers in a rich setting of delightfully fresh
verdure, instead of, perhaps, geraniums growing like cabbages, and
scarcely flowering at all, and the grass becoming as thin and black
as if a flame had passed over it.

Two contingencies are to be especially guarded against in the
management of grass turf—the machine must be set so as to cut fair,
and it must be kept in the best order by constant cleaning and
oiling. If set so as to cut very close, it will eccasionally pare off
the surface soil, and with it the roots of the grasses ; many a good
lawn has been ruined by the foolish practice of making the machine
cut as close as possible, under the absurd impression that one cut is
better than two. The more cuts the better, provided always that
the machine is properly set, and in the best working order. Another
mode of making a present effect at the expense of the lawn consists
in continually cutting a fresh edge with the edging iron. A gardener
who cuts into the turf on the edge of the lawn to make a finish,
oucht to be compelled to eat all that he removes. If the practice is
persisted in, the grass is reduced in breadth, and the walk is
widened, and in time there is formed a deep gutter and a sharp ugly
ridge. If properly finished at the edge with the shears, the width
of the walk will not vary an inch in fifty years. One of the first
things we look after in the work of a new man is his management
of the edges of lawns, and we are always careful to explain our
views upon the subject in good time to prevent a mischief which
cannot be easily remedied. The man who persists, after warning
and explanation, in chop, chop, chopping at the edge, as if it were
necessary to construct a gutter of mud on each side of a walk,
deserves to hear an opinion of his procedure that will make him

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 961
tingle from head to foot with shame. The jobbing gardener is a
master of this chop-down-gutter-forming business, and will always
be ready to advise the employment of gravel to fill up the trench
that should never have been made.

HYBRIDIZING.

regret the multiplication of seminal varieties of cult:-
SC\ i vated plants, that to the art of the hybridizer our
'.44 &% gardens are indebted for some of their most striking
= features. In support of this opinion, we need only cite
the dahlia, the pansy, and the hollyhock, which in their primitive
condition would hardly be tolerated by cultivators of the humblest
aims, but which, from the immense improvement which has resulted
in their form, size, and colouring, are now justly considered necessary
in gardeus of the smallest extent. And even in the case of those
plants which come forth from the hand of nature arrayed in charms
which it were profanity to impeach, much has been done in intro-
ducing a greater variety of tints, in improving the habit of growth,
and in combining in one plant the perfections of many.

We have no doubt that a few hints on the process by which these
results are attained, will be interesting to some of our readers at the
present season; and we offer them the more readily, that the operation
is of the simplest character, and may be performed by any intelligent
person, and upon almost every description of plant. Ifa blossom of
any plant—one of the lily tribe for example—be examined, we observe
(in this instance) at the bottom of the flower a green triangular
body, surmounted by a column one or two inches long, and termi-
nated by an enlargement which, at a certain period after the expan-
sion of the flower, will be found covered with a clammy secretion.
These central organs are the germen, or immature seed vessel, with
its style and stigma. Around them will be found six stamens, also

ising from the bottom of the flower, each consisting of a filament,
or stalk, and an anther, or case, borne at the summit, containing a
coloured substance (the pollen), destined to the fertilization of the
ovules or young seeds contained in the germen. When the flower
first opens, the anthers will be found plump and smooth; but in
a short period they will be observed to split longitudinally, and
become mealy in their appearance, from the escape of the pollen. These
pollen-grains, when brought into contact with the neighbouring
stigma, protrude a number of extremely minute tubes, termed pollen-
tubes, varying in size from iv'v0 to sv'sv of an inch in diameter, and
including within them a portion of the contents of the pollen-grain,
which consists of a semi-fluid matter termed the fovilla. These
tubes, which appear to be formed from the inner membrane of the
pollen grain, are believed to penetrate the loose tissue of the stigma,
and to pass down the style to the ovary, where they exert their
fertilizing influence on the young ovules.

September.

262 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

The purpose of this paper being, however, entirely practical, we
purposely avoid all further reference to the different theories pro-
mulgated on the manner in which impregnation is effected; it is
sufficient to show that, unless the pollen reaches the stigma, no
perfect seeds will be ripened—an assertion easily verified by cutting
out the anthers of the lily, or any other flower, as soon as it expands,
when the seed-vessel will be found to wither away ; and if, in some
few cases, it does become considerably developed, it will either yield
no seed, or only such as have no productive power. If, however,
after the stamens are removed, others from a flower of the same, or
of another species, are dusted on the stigma, the seed-vessels will
swell, and eventually ripen its seeds, exactly as in the case of those
blossoms from which their proper stamens had not been artificially
removed. In this consists the whole art and mystery of cross-breed-
ing. But simple as the actual conveyance of the pollen of one species
to the stigma of another may be, certain precautions are necessary
to success, and if we desire to contro] the result, certain laws must
be complied with; but which, to speak frankly, we attach less
importance to, as the results are often of the most contrary character,
One or two of these laws are, however, so natural, that they cannot
give rise to the smallest doubt.

1. No plants which do not belong to the same natural order, can
by any possibility be made to intermingle. The absurd stories
related of the origin of Willmore’s double pelargonium (Surprise),
which was said to be a mule between a geranium and a hollyhock,
and of some other hybrids, need no refutation.

2. No plants which do not form part of the same genus can be
united by cross-breeding. This law may at first sight appear to
admit of many exceptions ; but it is highly probable that, in many
instances in which a reputed union has taken place between plants
of two distinct genera, a further examination would prove that two
genera had been improperly separated, and did in reality constitute
but one. Should, however, the statement with regard to the recently
originated Cheiranthus Marshallii, which is said to be the offspring
of the Cheiranthus ochroleucus, crossed by the pollen of Erysimum
Perofskianum, prove true, this law would have to be relinquishe
for of the wide distinction between these two genera, there is no
doubt whatever.

3. Even among species belonging to the same genus, it is only
those of similar structure which will yield hybrids. Thus the goose-
berry and currant, though both belonging to the genus Ribes, have
never been made to unite. It has been supposed that union can only
take place between these species in which the pollen grains are of the
same size; and should this supposition be confirmed, a preliminary
microscopic examination of the two varieties of pollen would enable
us to judge of the probability of obtaining hybrids between any two
species.

Where no natural hindrance exists to the union, the following
precautions are all that are necessary to success.

1. The anthers or pollen bags of the plant which we desire to
impregnate artificially, should be removed immediately on the expan-

®.

-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 263

sion of the flower; or, if when this takes place, they are already
burst, it will be necessary to open the flower prematurely, for it
is essential to success that the anthers should be cut out before their
pollen is ripe. In some of the Campanulas the anthers burst
previously to the opening of the flower, and also in some of the
Cytisus family, and probably in many others.

2. When the anthers have been thus extracted, the stigma of
the flower must be carefully preserved from accid-ntal impregnation
by insects or other means, until it is in a fit state for the reception
of the pollen of the species with which we desire to hybridize it.
This end is best attained by tying a piece of fine muslin over the
branch on which the blossom is situated.

It is usually easy to perceive the proper moment for the appli-
cation of the pollen, for the stigma, in most instances, exudes a
viscid fluid; and in those plants in which it is divided into lobes at
its extremity, as in the fuchsia, geranium, clarkia, and many
others, these lobes, which on the first expansion of the flower are
commonly indistinguishable, diverge and spread themselves towards
the aathers. In some plants, especially in such as have fugacious
blossoms, the stigma is fit for the reception of the pollen as soon as
the flower has opened ; in others, not until a few hours after expan-
sion; and in the lilies, neither the pollen nor stigmas are fit for the
operation of hybridizing until after an interval of one or two days
from the opening of the flower.

3. The operations should be performed only in dry weather ; for
when moistened, the pollen-grains are ruptured and lose their
fecundating power. This explains the injurious influence of heavy
rains upon many crops when in flower, as well as upon fruit-
trees. In many plants the flowers close in wet weather, appa-
rently with the intention of preserving the pollen and stigma from
injury.

4. The actual operation of hybridizing consists simply in remov-
ing the anther, or, if necessary, the entire flower from the plant
with which we desire to cross another species, and in applying the
anther in a dry, mealy condition to the stigma, by bringing them
into contact. Some hybridizers collect the pollen with a small
camel’s-hair pencil; but, whenever it is possible, we advise the
anthers themselves to be applied, without any intermediary. As
the pollen of most plants is coloured, its presence upon the stigmatic
surface will be easily detected. The quantity of pollen necessary
for the fertilization of the ovules of any plant varies exceedingly in
different species; it is better, however, to use too large than too
small a quantity. Asa general rule, it may be advisable to apply
to the stigma of one species the whole of the anthers of the male
flower. When practicable, the anthers should not only be rubbed
upon the stigma, but also be inserted in the centre of the flower,
where the arms of the stigma will often suffice to retain them.
The pollen of some plants may be preserved for a considerable
period, especially if kept dry, but in practice it is advisable to apply
it as soon as ripe; though where two species, which it is desired to
cross, are not simultaneously in bloom, the experiment may be tried

September.

®
264 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

of preserving the anthers between two pieces of glass until the
expansion of the flowers of the other species.

The stigma of most plants are sufficiently apparent to render any
special instructions unnecessary, except in the instance of one or two
plants. The stigma of the iris is sometimes quite a puzzle to the
inexperienced florist ; but it is, in reality, as easily seen as in any
other plant. If the petal-like body, usually of a vaulted form, which
covers over the anther, be slightly raised by its bifid lid, a thin
membranous ridge will be observed immediately below the lip, at
the point where it is, when shut, in contact with the true petal
beneath it. The whole of this membranous edging may perhaps
act as an absorbing surface for the pollen, which will generally be
found upon it after the opening of the anther; but the central
portion between the bifid lip is no doubt the true stigma. After
the application of the pollen, the stigma either withers, or loses its
viscidity, changes which may be deferred for some days by preserving
them from contact with the anthers. This weli-known fact may be
made available for the prolongation of the blossoming period of
most plants; for after fecundation, not only the stigma, but also the
entire flower, rapidly decays.

It is generally supposed that in hybrid plants, the flowers and
organs of reproduction partake of the characters of the female parent,
while the foliage and habit resemble those of the pollen-bearing plant.
This is, however, by no means an established law, for the plants
raised from the same pod of seed, will often contain individuals,
some of which resemble the male plant, whilst others inherit the
leading features of the pistilliferous plant. Hybrid plants usually
ripen seed, but their offspring seldom cont*xue fertile beyond the
second or third generation, though to this rule there are many
exceptions. They may, however, be fertilized by the pollen of one
of the parents.

The choice of subjects for hybridization is obviously a matter for
the exercise of individual taste. Much has been done by the florist
in improving some of our cultivated plants, but an immense harvest
remains to be gathered amongst our hardy bulbs, shrubs, and
perennials; and every amateur florist may be assured that it is fully
within his power to originate, in each of these sections, new varieties
which would yield him both fame, pleasure, and profit. To each of
our readers as may be induced to try their hand at this interesting
art, we earnestly recommend that a record of each experiment and
its results should be kept.

%
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 265

MOVABLE PLANT-HOUSE.

wewY the law of this country, the amateur’s plant-
3, houses, from the moment of their fixture in the soil,
PF) become the property of the freeholder ; and although
g Bx2943| very few houses indeed, unless expressly built for the
=e purpose, are worth removing, yet the amateur generally
teels regret, on changing his abode, that he cannot take his green-
house with him ; and this article is intended to assist those who are
desirous of constructing a house that is capable of being taken
down, removed, and re-erected, without injury.

The diagram of the elevation shows a detached building set
upon a raised platform of earth, to give it a greater apparent
elevation, with a gravel walk surrounding it, and two steps placed
in the grass slope, by which to ascend the platform. The house is
composed of parts that, when taken to pieces, may be easily packed
up conveniently for carriage, and is thus constructed. First, a

J S EEEEEEEEAMAATIAPj
LY 4 ww WR

REMOVABLE GRtENHOUSE,

ground sill, which may be of teak, if the expense is not an object,
seven inches wide by four inches in thickness, the four sides of
which are held together at the angles by means of irons screwed on
with square-headed screws (Fig. 9a). No pegs or nails are to be
driven into any of the mortise tenons, but in every part use in lieu
thereof, either the screws Fig. 9a or Fig. 9d. The studs are
mortised into the sill, and have a substance of four and a half inches
by four inches; and these again are mortised into the rafter-plate
(see section, Fig. 11). Between these studs (see section, Vig. 10)
the sashes (}) are set up, and to keep them steadily in their places,
splines (e) are braded on to the studs. These sashes may be exactly
like those used in house building, without, of course, the accompani-
ment of boxes and weights. Upon the front of the stud a
half-circular moulding (c) may be braded to give a degree of lightness
Beptember,

266 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

to the appearance. Alsoto the same end, as well as to throw off
water, let the sill be bevelled at d. Above the sashes are to be hung
on pivots small lights for ventilation. These may be opened and
kept so by means of a small iron having holes in it, to drop on

GROUND PLAN OF REMOVABLE GREENHOUSE.

to a pin fixed in the lower sash (Figs. 11—5). This iron must also
have a joint so as to hang down when the ventilator is shut.. The
rafter plate and gutter are formed out of one piece, seven inches by
four inches, and the gutter must be lined with zine or thin lead, to
prevent the water injuring the wood. A small lead pipe will convey

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 267

the water down the inside angle of the building into a drain or
tank ; the rafters are five inches by three anda half inches, and have
a beading braded on to their under side, and a capping on the top,
for the double purpose of keeping the roof lights in their place and
the water from getting into the house; but in addition to the
capping, the lights must have screws (Fig. 9 6), commonly known
as bed-screws, put through the top and bottom into the ridge-tree
and rafter plate. The rafters and studs must likewise be secured

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by these screws, asat Figs. 11—4. In the section, Figs. 1, 2, and 3
show the door stud, the angle stud, and one of the side studs, which
are all of one size, the difference consisting only in the putting on
of splines and mouldings. The end gable lights may be fixed in
their places by means of splines, in the same manner as the side
sashes. Inthe same section, Fig. 8 represents light iron rods
suspended from the rafters, as bearers of light shelves, for the
accommodation of bedding plants, or other small things which require
a situation near the glass. Referring to the ground plan (9,9, 9, 9)
are boxes placed in the angles, in which may be planted climbers,

September.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

268

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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 269

to train over the roof or sides of the building. Fig. 7, stage,
which must be strong enough to bear the plants, but may be made
in a so that it can be removed without having to be knocked
to pieces. It will be necessary, in order to protect the building
from flop and the liability to settle down, to place it upon some
firm and solid matter let into the ground, as brick piers or wood
blocks. A platform of bricks laid on the surface, gives a firm and
lasting foundation, provided the subsoil has not been recently
disturbed.

The heating of a movable house must also be managed by a
movable apparatus, which will be some kind of stove, and which
must have a pan on the top to hold water; and as artificial heat in
such a house as this will only be required in winter, the stove
might, for that period, occupy a place near one of the doors, and
the smoke-tube be carried through the glass at the top of the
house. Should a building of this kind be required for vines, the
side lights should be reduced to one half the height, and these to
open, as here shown, for ventilation; the roof lights would then be
longer, and a much steeper roof obtained. A small aperture or two
at the ridge, capable of being closed by a wood slide, would, with
the side lights hung as recommended, effect a perfect ventilation.
The walk would, in such a house, be down the centre, and the vines
might be planted in boxes, having large openings in their bottoms
to allow the roots to escape into a border made up inside the house
for that purpose. The planting them in boxes would enable them
to bear removal at almost any season.

AUTUMNAL SHIFTING OF PLANTS IN POTS.
maggas X CEPT those of very slow growth, all plants which have
(@ stood in pots during the summer months, will, by this
time, have become partly root-bound, by filling the pot
with their roots; and unless they are looked after in

a time, will put on a sickly appearance, their leaves
growing yellow, the young branches shooting weakly, and the flower-
buds, if any, shrivelling and falling off without expanding. The
remedy for all these evils is repotting in fresh earth, which ought
to be done, if possible, before the middle of September, for room-
plants, or those which cannot be protected during winter except in
a cold frame or a greenhouse. Where artificial heat is at command,
the season is less important. If the shifting be delayed later for
most sorts of room plants, they will not have time before the setting
in of cold weather to establish their roots in the fresh earth.

These remarks apply more particularly to geraniums, fuchsias,
hydrangeas, and calceolarias, Some sorts, such as myrtles, oleanders,
creeping cereus, American aloe, and other succulent plants, wi!l
not require shifting oftener than once in two or three years, and
then the spring is perhaps the best time. But though large-growing
plants or shrubs, such as orange-trees, after being “stationed in the

September,

270 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

fullest-sized pots, tubs, or boxes, do very well for several years
without shifting, they should from time to time, both in spring and
autumn, have the surface earth loosened, as well as the portion
nearest the pot or box all round, as deep as it can easily be reached,
removing the loosened old soil, filling up the deficiency with fresh
earth, and giving a moderate watering to settle the roots.

When there is want of space for arranging pots during the winter
so as to admit abundance of light, which is indispensable to the
health of the plants. it will economize room to put as many plants
into two or three large pots (say thirty-two, or even twenty-fours or
sixteens) as can conveniently be done; and with this view, small
plants of geraniums and the like may be procured from cuttings
struck late in summer or early in autumn.

When small plants from cuttings have not been forwarded, the
large plants may be cut down to small dimensions, and the roots
proportionately reduced.

In the spring shifting, each of these stored plants may be placed
in a separate pot and kept protected in-doors, at least during the
night, till the end of May or beginning of June, when the plants
may be turned out into the borders to bloom. Another method,
which we have seen successfully practised by the late lamented Mr.
Sweet, when there is scanty space for protecting plants in pots
during the winter, is, at the autumnal shifting, to plunge them in
the borders, taking care to have several inches thick of sharp sand
or forge ashes below or around the pots plunged, to prevent their
being too much wetted by the winter rains. Over the plants in
cold or frosty weather, and always at night, place an empty pot,
covering the hole with an oyster-shell or a bit of tile. In this way
Mr. Sweet could preserve in health many half-hardy plants through
the winter, better, as he told us, than in-doors. Of course the
empty pots used to cover the flowers will require careful attention
to place and replace them, but not more trouble than is usually taken
with room plants. In the management of shifting, it is for the
most part to remove the plants from smaller to larger pots, with the
balls of earth about the roots, either altogether or at least some of
the old earth on the outside of the bulb, trimming away only the
radical fibres which are matted and dry, but taking care not to
disturb the principal roct near the centre.

In this way a great portion of the excrementitious matter which
the smaller radicles have thrown out into the exterior soil will be
got rid of, which, if not removed at interva's, acts as a poison to the
plant—a recent discovery of great importance to be attended to in
every species of plant cultivation. In the meanwhile, the principal
roots remaining undisturbed, the growth will not be much checked
by the shiftings, more particularly as the heat of the weather being
now on the decline, and the days becoming shorter, there is less
stimulus to rapid growth and exhaustion of vigour by sunlight
and heat.

In some instances, when individual plants or shrubs in pots
discover, by the decay of their top shoots, that they are in a
declining state, the cause may probably exist in either the main

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 271

root, or in the old balls, saturated with the excrementitious matter
just alluded to.

In such cases it may be proper, on shifting them, to shake the
earth in the ball entirely away, or even to wash it off in water of not
too cold a temperature, in order to examine the roots, and to trim
and dress them as the case may require. These must, of course, be
replanted in fresh earth.

When larger pots are required for shifting the plants, these
ought to be provided of suitable sizes, according to the sorts of
plants, and the whole placed ready, together with the necessary
quantity of potting compost, containing due proportions of sand,
loam, or peat, and some well-rotted dung.

The chief danger to plants in pots during winter, is having
the roots chilled with too much moisture, and, therefore, more
sand may be used in the compost than for the spring shifting. For
a similar reason, the pots should have a very efficient draining, not
only by placing an oyster-shell ora bit of tile over the hole, but
also by an inch depth or so, or even more, according to the size of
the pot, of broken potsherds or cinders, about the size of hazel-nuts.
This drainage both prevents the earth in the pot from ever re-
maining too wet, and likewise, by allowing the water to run freely
off, washes away the excrementitious matter which the plants are
constantly discharging in a similar way to the excrementitious
discharges of animals.

Particular sorts of plants, indeed, owing to the deterioration of
the earth by the discharges just mentioned, as well as by the exhaus-
tion of nutritive matter, require shifting, more for the advantage of
having fresh earth, than for the want of new or larger pots; and as
in this case some of the same pots may be still of an eligible size to
repot them in, these pots should be well cleaned from all adhering
parts of the old deteriorated earth, and be replenished with fresh
composts, when the plants are repotted. When the pots intended
for the reception of the plants are prepared, by making the drainage,
as already directed, let the fresh compost be filled in from two to
four inches deep, according to the size of the pots, and let the plants
be set in them with their balls of earth, or their trimmed roots, as
the case may be. Fresh compost must then be added all round and
above, so that it may stand at least an inch, if not more, above the
surface of the old ball, or the crown of the root, when the ball has
been reduced. A moderate watering must then be given to settle
the earth and refresh the roots. When the ball has not been
reduced, or at least only on the outer surface, it may be proper,
previously to the watering, to loosen it all round, by means of a thin
piece of stick, or a two-pronged table-fork, to guard against injuring
the roots, which might be occasioned by using a knife for this
purpose, as is sometimes done.

If the leaves of the plants be dusty or foul, water should be
thrown over them from a watering-pot, with a very fine rose, or
what is preferable, they should be exposed to a good shower of rain
if it be not very heavy, to clean them ; for nothing is more injurious
to the healthy growth of plants, than extraneous matter adhering

September.

272 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

to the leaves and obstructing the pores. This indeed affects in a
similar manner the health of plants, as mucus accumulated in the
lungs affects the health of animals ; the necessary changes of the sap
into pulp, as of venous into arterial blood, being prevented without
a due exposure of the same in the leaves or in the lungs to the
influence of the air. Accordingly, when the shifted plants have been
accidentally exposed to too heavy rain, which will cause the earth to
spurt about and soil the lower leaves, these should be carefully
cleaned by watering with a fine rose, or by gentle brushing with a
clean painter’s brush dipped in water.

In setting the pots which have had plants shifted into them, they
should be placed for two or three weeks in a shaded spot, at least,
in bright weather, for otherwise the sun’s light will be apt to cause
them to droop, till they have struck fresh root. Care must also be
taken to give them repeated waterings, particularly when the weather
is dry.

It is a common, but a very bad practice, to set the shifted plants
on the garden borders or the walks; for not only the nights are
now becoming cold and the ground is therefore rendered chilly, but
worms and slugs get below the pots, the latter sallymg out at night
from their lurking places do no little damage, besides often deposit-
ing the eggs to be hatched in the ensuing spring, within the holes
of the pots under the oyster shell. The best thing for placing the
pots upon after shifting is, a bed of sifted coal ashes, two or three
inches deep, which will both keep off the slugs and worms, and
prevent the chilliness of the ground from affecting the plants.
When there is not convenience nor time to make a bed of ashes for
this purpose, a deal board will answer pretty well. Flower-stands
with shelves elevated above the ground would answer, except for the
circumstance of their exposing the plants to a greater degree of cold,
at least when there is any wind stirring.

When shifted plants are placed, during the day, on the outer
window-sill, and taken in at night, they only require great attention
to watering, from the greater dryness of their position.

Next month we shall give directions for planting bulbs, and for
growing them in water glasses.

THE CULTIVATION OF THE STRAWBERRY.

¥HERE is not one subject connected with horticulture
' which appears to merit the attention of every country
reader, more than the culture of the strawberry. The
fruit is so beautiful, so salubrious, so grateful to the
palate—to say nothing of the elegance and charming
scent of the blossoms which precede it—that we cannot refrain from
offering the experimental remarks which follow, to the notice of our
friends.

We will refer to acknowledged authorities, because we desire to

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 273

attract attention to two methods of culture; but the substance of
our paper shall be strictly experimental and practical.

September is the season which is most suitable to the preparation
of beds and rows of plants; the season is mild, the ground is usually
moist, the sun retains a sufficiency of active power, and the runner-
plants are firmly rooted, aud can be removed with safety. It is now
too late to direct the preparation of these plants ; but in fact nature
does the work for us, unless, indeed, every runner shall have been
extirpated as it protruded. Presuming, then, that they who possess
strawberry-beds and favourite fruit have a stock of young plants,
we shall only say that at this season numbers are to be seen which
occupy as much space as would be covered by a full-sized saucer,
have four to six strong and healthy leaves which surround, and, at
their origin closely embrace, a bold, prominent, central bud, which
appears firm to the touch. Such are the plants which are fit for the
work we contemplate, and they usually are found at the ends of the
string which proceeds immediately from the parent stock. In order
to insure fertility, persons ought to know whether that stock is
fruitful or not; for it is quite certain that the largest and most
beautiful plants are too often quite barren; and these are peculiarly
productive of runners, whereas few secondaries, comparatively, pro-
ceed from these plants which furnish the best fruit.

Presuming that these preliminary remarks are duly appreciated,
we will dwell on them no longer.

There are three varieties which, if a good garden once possess—
true to their kind—will effect all that the most luxurious can desire ;
they are indeed “redolent of sweets.”

1. Keen’s Seedling, for abundant early supply. 2. The Old Pine,
for very superior flavour, rather later. 3. The Elton, 7.e., “Knight's
Elton,” late, large, beautiful to the eye, and when perfectly ripe, of
very full, peculiarly grateful flavour, tending to acid. But the -
season and time of bearing of all may be modified by planting each
in south, east, and north aspects; and by so doing, if the season be
early, warm, moderately showery, yet generally fine, a good supply
can be obtained from the first week of June to that of August.

Prepare the ground three weeks before it is wanted, trench two
feet deep, manure with rather recent stable dung to the bottom, but
not very profusely ; a good turfy loam, free and velvety, is above all
things desirable. No bad earth should be brought to the top; it will
be safer, as Keen observes, to simply dig the lower spit to add the
fresh dung upon that, and to keep the good upper soil at top,
effectually digging and pulverizing it.

The plants and land being ready, we will first allude to the
method adopted by the Rev. T. Garnier, and thus described in the
Transactions of the Horticultural Society. It implies the annual
renewal of all the beds, but he begins his operations earlier than
experience would permit us to recommend.

“ Early in August, or as soon as the gatherings are over, I destroy
all my beds, and proceed immediately to trench, form, and manure
them in the manner before directed, to receive the plants for the
crop of the ensuing year, taking care to select for that purpose the

September. 18

274 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

strongest and best-rooted runners from the old, rejected plants. If
at this season the weather should be particularly hot, and the surface
of the ground much parched, I defer the operations of preparing my
beds and planting them till the ground is moistened by rain. Such
is the simple mode of treatment which I have adopted for three
successive years, and I have invariably obtained upon the same
spot a great produce of beautiful fruit, superior to that of every
garden in the neighbourhood. Depth of soil I have found absolutely
necessary for the growth and production of fine strawberries; and
where this is not to be obtained, it is useless, in my opinion, to
plant many of the best varieties. It is not generally known, but I
have ascertained the fact, that, most strawberries generate roots,
and strike them into the ground nearly two feet in the course of one
season. The Pine and Roseberry succeed better than any other in
stiff and shallow soils, but they should always be in an open situa-
tion, and not, as is too commonly the practice, in shady and neglected
parts of the garden.”

By associating the instructions conveyed in the foregoing quota-
tion with the preliminary remarks, the reader will be fully qualified
to prepare annual beds; and it is quite certain that yearling plants
can produce perfect fruit. We will now allude to the triennial course.

The ground is prepared and manured, and the plants provided as
in the former case; it may also be understood that the planting can
be conducted in the form of single border-rows, or in plots, at dis-
cretion. If in the former, the row should have an open space of at
least one foot, or eighteen inches, of clear ground on each side of it ;
and the plants should be set by the trowel one foot asunder, securing
the roots firmly in the soil, the fibres being expanded so as to be
covered by earth in every part. If beds be adopted, the same
distances are to be maintained, but the rows must be two feet
asunder, with alleys of approach by the sides laid with coal-ashes.
Water must be freely given from the rose of a water-pot in the
evenings, till the plants stand firm and erect under the full sun.
After which the ground should be flat-hoed, to bring the earth close
around the base of each root, and obliterate the smallest weed.

In this system every blossom shown in the following spring is
pinched off, not one plant being suffered to bear fruit; therefore it
will be proper to leave a few old beds to bear while the plan is in
progress. The runners, as they appear, are cut away, and weeds
regularly destroyed. Throw a little fresh loam and reduced manure,
mixed in equal proportions, along the rows on each side, to enrich
the ground, while it protects the plants during winter; and in
March, take off the dead leaves and fork the spaces.

This is to be the practice of each year. Suffer all the plants to
bear in the spring, and the crops will be in perfection; cut off
runners and observe other directions. In the third year the crop
will be very fine; but now the end of the course is come, and the
plants are to be rooted up. Therefore, to perpetuate the succession,
new beds or rows must be begun every yeur, so that there shall
always be a set of plants advancing through one or other of the
stages. To provide new plants, a sufliciency of the finest runners

THE FLURAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 275

of the third year’s plants, must be allowed to fix themselves in the
ground of the intervening spaces, keeping them apart from the old
plants to benefit by full exposure to air and sun.

Every operation of the garden demands patience and assiduity ;
but we know of no method of strawberry-culture which implies less
labour than the one we have described.

Every operation must, however, be foreseen, and timely per-
formed; otherwise, litter and crowding will occur, and produce
mischief.

It only remains to add that the same ground may be replanted
during several courses, provided two or three inches of fresh rich
loam be thrown about the rows every winter.

WINDOW GARDENING.
BY JOHN BR. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 243.)

HARDY FERNS.—CONTINUED.

HE article on Window Gardening, in our last number,
contained nearly all the dwarfer-growing hardy ferns
suitable for our purpose. So now we will briefly notice
the larger-growing species. They are all very hand-
" some, and being the most common, they are generally

the easiest to get. The male fern, lady fern, and mountain buckler

fern especially, you will find in great abundance all over the country.

In moist woods they attain great luxuriance, adding greatly to the

charms of the sylvan shades, with their graceful feathery plumes.

Lastrea Filic-mas.—The male fern, or common buckler fern, is a
very robust. tufted growing species. The fronds, which are produced
from a crown, rise from one to two feet in height, supported on
densely-scaled brownish stipes, and are broadly lanceolate in shape,
divided, the divisions in pairs along the rachis or midrib, and very
regularly deeply lobed or cut. It is of easy cultivation.

Cristata is a notable variety of the species, of a curious, hand-
some habit, having the points of the divisions and fronds fringed
and tasselled.

Lastrea oreopteris, or mountain buckler fern, is much like the
preceding species. The fronds rise to the height of from one to
three feet, in a circu'ar fashion, from a crown. It occurs abundantly
in woods and heathy commons. It has one great peculiarity, being
very fragrant if bruised or drawn through the hand, and is of easy
cultivation.

Lastrea emula, or hay-scented buckler fern, is an elegant, mode-
rately-sized plant, of a tufted circular habit of growth, the fronds
rising from a crown. They are divided and subdivided, the lobes
round the margins of the divisions recurve inwardly, giving the
entire frond a peculiar crisped appearance. The fronds are triangular

September,

276: THE FLORAL WORLD ANT GARDEN GUIDE.

in shape, and the entire plant has an elegant drooping habit, and is
evergreen. Its moderate size makes it a good pot plant. It is found
in Ireland and the western parts of England.

Athyrium Filiz-femina, or lady fern, is the most handsome
and graceful of all British wild ferns. No one among them can
equal its exquisite beauty of outline. It is of a tufted habit of
growth, the fronds rising in circular fashion from a crown, aid
varying from one to four feet in height, according to situation,
appearing in April or May, and dying down with the first frost of
autumn. They are broadly lanceolate in shape, and divided; the
divisions also lanceolate, subdivided, and more or less lobed round
the margins, which are sherply toothed, giving the entire plant an
exquisite gracefulness of outline.

It is a splendid plant for a pot when a large specimen is required,
and is the easiest of all the British wild ferns to cultivate, requiring
plenty of room and moisture.

Among the many varieties of the lady fern, multifidum, crispum,
and Frizelli@ are among the best.

Polystichum angulare, or the soft prickly shield fern, is a very
common fern in some localities. It is a very strong-growing species
of the shield ferns. Tbe fronds, which rise in a tufted circular
manner from a crown, vary from two to four feet in height, are
lanceolate in form, and divided, and supported by shaggy, chaffy,
brownish scaled stipes. The divisions are also lanceolated and
divided into neat prickly toothed, shield-shaped pinne or leaflets,
darkish green in colour. This fern is nearly evergreen, the fronds
remaining green through a moderate winter till the young fresh
ones appear in spring.

As a large specimen for pot or rockwork, it is a very desirable
fern, of very easy cultivation.

Oristatum is a curious and beautiful variety, the points of the
fronds and divisions being tasselled and crested much like the crested
male fern.

Polystichum aculeatum, or common prickly shield fern, is very
like the preceding, only it has a more rigid habit; the pinne or
leaflets are smaller, of a dark shining green, and of a harsh rigid
texture. It is much commoner than P. angulare, being met with
almost everywhere, and is also nearly evergreen, remaining green
through moderate winters in moist situations. It is very easily
cultivated, and makes a good pot plant when large specimens are
required. It does well in rockwork.

GREENHOUSE FERNS AND MOSSES FOR WINDOW GARDENING.

Our list of suitable ferns for window gardening would not be
complete without a few of the hardier greenhouse species and
varieties. Those of our readers who have a miniature greenhouse
can grow many of the hardy greenhouse ferns very well if care be
taken to keep them properly watered and shaded from the sun’s
warm rays. Ferns, as a rule, do not love the suushine, thriving
best in moist, shady places. This should be borne in mind by my
readers. ‘Try, therefore, to supply your ferns with the necessary

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 277

shade and moisture, and there is no fear of your being unsuccessful.
The most preferable way of growing them, especially the dwarf
tender species, is in a Wardian case. But very good specimens can
be got up in a pot in the window, if a miniature greenhouse or
Wardian case is out of your reach.

It will be quite unnecessary to enter into details regarding the
distinctive marks and habits of the few greenhouse ferns I shall
select. I shall merely draw up a short list of the varieties con-
sidered suitable for your purpose, from which you can select at
pleasure. They can all be procured from any respectable nursery-
man at moderate prices.

Adiantum cuneatum and Adiantum formosum are two favourite
maidenkair ferns found in all greenhouse collections ; also A.
pedatum.

Asplenium attenuatum and Asplenium bulbiferum are two ex-
cellent greenhouse spleenworts, A. bulbiferum especially being a
handsome plant found in all collections. A. flabelliforme is also
excellent.

Platycarium alicorne, the curious elk’s-horn fern, has the true
appearance of ap elk’s horn.

Davallia canariensis, or the hare’s-foot fern; the creeping stems
of this curious fern are very massive and hairy-looking, having just
the appearance of a hare’s foot. D. alpina and D. elegans are very
good.

Pteris serrulata, a graceful favourite greenhouse fern. P. s. varie-
gata is.a variegated form of the above.

Pteris serrulata cristata, is a erested variety of the above, and
quite a gem.

Pteris cretica albo-lineata is a beautiful variegated fern, and an
excellent variety for pot culture.

Pteris tremula is a strong-growing triangular fronded fern, rather
like the common bracken, though finer in form. A capital plant for
pot culture from its readiness to grow. Also P. ternifolium. __

The Mosses or Selaginellas of the greenhouse are beautiful
subjects for window gardening. The common greenhouse moss,
Selaginella denticulata, especially, might grow in several patches
among the gravel or sand on the floor of your miniature greenhouse,
and would add an extra charm to the general effect. A little bit in
the flower or fern pots if not allowed to spread over the surface, to
exclude the air, looks very interesting, and a pot or pan filled with
it, or the variegated variety, looks very neat and pretty, and makes
a tasteful centre for a table when grown into a dense mass. ‘lo
propagate the selaginellas, or mosses, you only require to take a few
points of the plant, and insert them over the surface of the pot.
They take root easily but require to be kept damp, and shaded from
too strong light and sunshine.

There are a good many of them that would suit window gar-
deners, but besides the two I have mentioned, S. denticulata and S.
denticulata variegata, there are only three others I will recommend.
Selaginella cesia, or the blue-shaded moss, which looks beautiful
suspended in a pot, having a trailing habit ; Selaginella stolonifera, a

September.

278 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

very pretty pot plant; and Selaginella Willdenovii, which sums up
the whole list. There is no doubt but you will be able to make a
very suitable selection of ferns and mosses from the list I have drawn
up, and with proper attention to watering and shading, I am sure
you will be successful. The cultivation of ferns has a peculiar
charm for some people, and there is much to be said in their favour,
for there are always the charms of grace and beauty to delight the
eye in their presence before us.
(To be continued.)

INVADERS, VISITORS, AND SETTLERS IN OUR
GARDENS.

(Continued from page 236.)

=F will now describe what may be thought, perbaps, to be
the very ugliest of all the dwellers in our gardens, and
yet it is one who has much in its life that is very curious.
It bas, in fact, a sort of double life, being at first an
inhabitant of some pond in the neighbourhood of the
garden where it is found, in form very like a fish, and feeding on
water plants, and afterwards becoming a land animal, and requiring
for its support flies, slugs, small beetles, and worms. We know him
best when, as a frog, he sits under the shelter of some large cabbage
or rhubarb leaf, or among the strawberry plants in our gardens,
careful not to expose himself to the heat or light of the sun, for he
likes shade and dampness as much as a snail; in fact, his life
depends on keeping his skin moist, and he would die were he to
be exposed to the heat of the sun, so as to have his skin dried up.
There he sits, grave and ugly; his prominent eyes on the look out

for any living creature on the wing that may come near, and with his
great mouth ready to open like a trap, and his long tongue prepared
to dart out to capture the prey ! y

The frog, though it has four legs, is not classed with quadrupeds,
but with reptiles. It is said to be amphibious, which means having
“both lives ”—one on land and the other in water. In early spring
the eggs of the frog may be seen in large clusters in ponds, like
transparent beads, with a black dot in the middle, and in April the
creature we call a tadpole is hatched from them. At first it is like
a tiny fish with gills outside its head, but these soon disappear, and
nothing is to be seen but a round body, like a head and stomach in
one, and a long tail (Fig. 1). It feeds on the plants which grow

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 279

in the water, and especially on the green duckweed which covers
the surface of ponds. It has little hooks on its jaws, to enable it to
bite the leaves, with a sort of tube or sucker on its lower lip, by
which it hangs to floating plants. When the tadpole is about six
weeks old, a pair of legs begin to make their appearance near
the tail, and by and by another pair come out near the head
(Fig. 2), the tail disappears, and the animal is then a young
frog. It makes its way out of the pond and begins to live on flies
and other living creatures; many other changes having come about
in its body, which enables it to breathe air and digest a different
kind of food. Asa great many young frogs leave their native ponds
at the same time, and make their way to fields and gardens, the
ground will seem alive with them sometimes, and people have
been known to fancy that a shower of frogs had fallen, but it has
only been the migration of thousands of them, obeying a natural
impulse, and turning their backs on the place of their birth,
begin to exercise for the first time their power of leaping and
crawling. Frogs have wonderfully strong muscles provided for the
movements of their legs, since they have so many different motions
to perform with them—swimming, walking, and leaping. Even
after a frog has its four legs,
if is a great swimmer, and
its feet are webbed with skin
between the toes, like those
of a duck, for after spending
the greater part of the year
on land, it returns to its pond
again, late in autumn, and
when winter sets in, buries
itself in the mud at the bot-
tom, and remains there in
a torpid state until spring
returns. The power of a frog’s muscle is shown most in its leaping
and hopping, since it can jump into the air as high as twenty times
its own height, and at a single leap go the distance of fifty times
its own length. ‘lhe bones and muscles of a frog’s hind legs are
said to be very like those of a man, but we cannot very well fancy a
man being able to perform such a feat in the way of jumping or
leaping. The tongue of a frog, which it uses for catching its prey,
is very long and narrow, and is placed in its mouth quite differently
to that of most animals, hence it is fastened within the front of the
lower jaw, with the end lying towards the throat—just the reverse
way to that in which our own tongues lie in our mouths. It is
also covered with a sticky kind of liquid, to which the flies, as they
are caught, adhere, and not being able to escape, are drawn into
the frog’s large mouth and sent down the throat. Watch as we
may, however, it is almost impossible to see the tongue of a frog as
he is fly-catching, so rapid is its motion.

Frogs grow very slowly and live very long. They are nearly
related to toads, who pass through the same changes in their lives,
and are amphibious, or “ both-lived.” A toad can be known by the

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280 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

small bumps on its skin, and by its crawling instead of leap
There have been plenty of people, who though they might not,
perhaps, have found beauty in them, yet liked to make pets of
frogs and toads. We have known a family, who hada large pet
frog, called ‘‘ Jacob,” who was supposed to be fond of music.
When on summer evenings the drawing-room windows were lett
open, and playing and singing likely to be going on, a “ flop ” would
be heard on the floor, and it would be found that Jacob had come
in to listen to the music; and the greatest care was taken that no
one trod on him or set the legs of a chair on him, while some kind
of supper would be found to suit him before he took his leave.
Late in the autumn he and his fellow frogs will have returned to
their native ponds, where they spend the winter in the mud at the
bottom, and in the following spring have a concert of their own,
since frogs at that time of the year send forth their curious croaking,
the chorus often beginning in the twilight and continuing far into
the night. In America there is a species of frog, whose croaking is
not only louder, but also more musical than that of our frogs, so
that, as in England we go out sometimes after dark to listen to the
nightingales, people there will go out to hear a frog concert.

(To be continued.)

ON GATHERING AND STORING APPLES.

aan Every apple that is bruised, before it is stored, is essen-
tially injured. It would be well, too, if judgment were exercised in
the time that is most suitable for gathering apples of various sorts.
Unlike other produce, this fruit is taken from the trees at one
period of the season, without any regard to the state of ripeness of
the different fruits.

We have found that the fall of the leaf is a good criterion of the
right time to gather; experience has taught us, and it is the best
guide, though we confess that accident led us to trust first to
experience. Some years since, having harvested our crop of apples
at the usual time, we found upon a tree in the orchard a peck or
two hanging after a severe fit of frost and snow, which lasted far
into December. We saw that they looked well, but concluded they
must be frosted, and could not be worth tasting, much less gather-
ing ; however, for the curiosity of the thing, we plucked and ate,
and apples so delicious off that tree we never tasted. While the

bulk of the crop which had been stored six weeks had become |

yellow, mealy, and wrinkled, these were green, full, rich, juicy, and
with all that freshness of flavour which only a newly-gathered apple
possesses. We resolved to leave our crops much longer in future,
and have never deviated from the practice since.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 281

It is considered a good plan to gather pears before they are ripe,
but experience has taught us that an error may be committed by
attending to this opinion. The produce of some young trees, raised
by the late President of the Horticultural Society, were left during
the last autumn, until all the leaves had fallen from the boughs, and
were then stored. They were in fine condition at the end of January.
There are many methods of keeping apples, and very various, which,
we suppose, proves that one is not to be preferred to another.
Certain it is that we ourselves have made trial of every one, and
much trouble and pains have been taken in order to ascertain the
best. As very frequently happens, the simplest plan is found to be
the most available-—namely, to exercise care in gathering; that
is indispensable, to insure them from being bruised. They should
be laid on a clean barn floor in heaps for a few days, then packed in
barrels, chests, etc., being put in one by one; thus enabling the
person employed to select all that may be in the slightest degree
bruised or otherwise damaged or defective ; all such should be put
aside, and placed in a hamper, ete., to be first used. The main store
ought to be now covered over with a wooden cover, and be placed
in a cool place ; aud on the approach of frost they should be removed
to a safe situation.

Ouce in the course of the season it is requisite to look them over ;
but not more frequently. We have, in former years, taken infinite
pains with our stock of winter fruit, but the results have never
been commensurate with the trouble.

So much care is requisite to prevent bruising, that the less it is
handled the better. Almost every material in which apples are
packed will communicate an unpleasant flavour—straw, however
clean ; sand, however dry, however fresh ; hay, however sweet—and
for this obvious reason, if no other—tbese adjuncts themselves alter
by time, and decay. Hence we give the preference to simple, care-
ful packing, and always find the plan superior to any other.

THE PREPARATION OF SOILS AND COMPOSTS.

= YAINCE the use of manure in a liquid state has become so
zy very fashionable among both professional and amateur
# cultivators, it is doubtful whether too little attention
has not been paid to the use of proper soils and com-
posts ; for though manure, in the liquid state, is a con-
venient and excellent aid, it is quite certain that a properly prepared
compost, as containing ali the ingredients which a plant can require
from the soil, is the best to be used. According to old rules, or,
indeed, to practices of the present time, composts consist of various
ingredients mixed together in the prepared or decomposed state, as
mellow loam, leaf-mould, rotten dung, ete.

These, though good and healthy, except in special cases, are not
calculated to induce luxuriant growth; for the manure of old hot-

September.

bo

82 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

beds, the kind generally used is not rich, neither is the soil from
old commons, which is generally preferred. Now, in the growth of
plants, more especially for the purposes of exhibition, it is customary
to limit the size of the pots for certain kinds of plants, and,hence
those who aim at high cultivation have to seek in rich corapost what
the plants, under other circumstances, would find in a quantity of
soil; in fact, they endeavour to concentrate, in a given space, the
fertility of a larger volume of material.

Without entering into the rationale of the subject, it is well-
known that annual and soft-wooded plants require more manure
than shrubs and trees, and hence, to get the greatest quantity of
nourishment into the smallest space, without, at the same time
making the soil or compost unhealthy, is a secret worth knowing.

Although much has been written in favour of guano, superphos-
phate of lime, and other manures, we never use them. In the stable,
the cow-shed, and sheep-walk, all that is required for horticultural
purposes may be found, and hence no risk need be run of this being
too strong, or that too weak. If it were given as a problem, ‘* What
is the best compost to prepare for the general cultivation of soft-
wooded plants?” the following would be our answer :—Procure
from a suitable place two cart-loads of rich loam with the turf on,
and as free from oxide of iron as possible ; then get from the nearest
stable, where the horses are highly fed, a large cart-load of dung,
selecting that which has been thoroughly soaked with urine—for it
must be recollected the urine carries off the soluble salts of the food
of the animal, and the excreta the mineral, and hence it is very
important that both should be had. When you have got the loam
and manure home, place each in a separate heap, three or four yards
apart, shaking the manure out, and mixing it together just the same
as you would to prepare it for a hot-bed, only do not allow it to
heat too violently ; to prevent which it will be necessary to shake it
out every three or four days; in a fortnight it will be fit for use ;
then commence, as you would to form a hot-bed, by marking out the
ground, say six feet long and four feet wide, and upon this place a
layer of the hot dung nine inches deep, and then a layer of loam,
and so proceed, reserving a good layer of loam for the top, until all
is used. In forming the bed, beat the manure firmly as you proceed,
but leave the loam loose, and square the work up properly at the
last. Then place over the heap loose litter to the thickness of
twelve or eighteen inches, and cover the whole with mats closely
pegged down; the object being to excite fermentation, and to pre-
vent the escape of the ammonia and other essential gases.

The heat may remain in this state for a fortnight or three weeks,
or until the heat begins to decline, then turn it over, taking care
to throw the side into the middle, and to mix the loam and dung
thoroughly throughout. The covering must be again put on as
before, and remain on until fermentation has almost ceased. Here,
then, we have a compost as rich as the manure it is formed of; but
it is so strong that great caution must be exercised in its use, or
injury will be the result. To prepare it, however, lay it out in thin
ridges, fork it over once a week to expose it to the ameliorating

a

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 283

influence of the weather, but protect it from drenching rains, which
would soon wash all the nutriment away. After being exposed for
a few weeks to the full air, the outsides of the ridges will be fit for
use; but if.it could be exposed for twelve months before using, it
wouid be all the better. Except for very strong-growing plants,
this soil is too strong for general purposes, and hence—more
especially, when used in a fresh state—a portion, say one-third, of
fresh loam should be mixed with it.

The above is a compvst which we can recommend for soft-wooded
plants of all kinds, and in it, when properly prepared, plants may be
grown stronger and more healthy in three-inch pots than they are
generally seen in pots of double the size. Nurserymen would do
well to pay more attention to this subject, as they frequently put
their patrons to the expense of carriage of large pots when the
smaller ones would do. This, or soil similarly constituted, forms
the staple in which the magnificent pelargoniums, fuchsias, calceo-
larias, roses, etc., seen at the London exhibitions, are grown, and its
strength accounts for the wondrous growth attained in such small
pots.

The spring is the best time to prepare such compost, keeping it
turned weekly throughout the summer; but a good stock should
always be kept, so that it may be properly sweetened before using.

THE CANNA TRIBE AS BEDDING-PLANTS.

HE culture of this tribe of plants for bedding-purposes is
at once so simple, and attended with so little trouble,
as to deserve the attention of every one who has space
to spare for them. Their appearance, in suitable situ-

= ations, is magnificent in the extreme; and planted in
beds on a lawn, they impart an exotic character which no other
plant that I know of can be employed to produce. Last season [
succeeded in producing a very fine effect by planting six plants of
Canna gigantea, at two yards apart, through a large bed of scarlet
geraniums, which, from being situated on level ground, and in a
conspicuous situation from several points, required something to
break the monotony of the bed in that particular place. This
arrangement was much admired, and not without reason—for the
splendid foliage and bright flowers, waving gracetully about with
every gust of wind, imparted an effect at once lively and unique.
Our plan is to take up the plants when the frost has cut them down
in the autumn, and to pot them in eight-inch pots, and place them
under the stage of a greenhouse, or the back part of a conservatory,
keeping them nearly dry until the first week in February, when
they are placed in an early vinery, und watered freeiy until they
have made a tolerable growth. We then begin to inure them
gradually to a lower temperature by transferring them to the green-
house, then to cold pits, and finally to the open air; and in the last

September.

28 t THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

week in May, or the first in June, we piant them in beds previously
trenched and enriched with good strong decomposed manure. We
give them abundance of water when they are planted, and after-
wards treat them occasionally to a copious soaking of liquid manure.
For the outsides of the beds we use Canna coccinea, which grows
two feet ; the next range is O. patens, from three to four feet ; and
in the centre C. gigantea, four to six feet.

THE PRESERVATION OF POTATOES.

2 HE methods ordinarily employed for the preservation of
potatoes, though good in themselves, are often inef-
ficiently carried out, owing to the absence of an intelli-
49) Sent appreciation of their intended mode of action, and
= so it happens that their success or non-success is fre-
quently a mere matter of chance, when a moment’s thought would
have insured a favourable result. In storing potatoes, either for
seed or for culinary purposes, the main object in view is to prevent
their germination, so that it may not be necessary to pick out the
budding eyes, a process which invariably induces a rapid deteriora-
tion in quality and strength. The ordinary plan of storing them in
cellars is at once good and bad: good, because the atmosphere of
such places is usually somewhat damp, so that the tubers do not
so soon lose by evaporation the water that is naturally present in
them ; bad, because the cellars are, fur the most part, kept con-
stantly closed, so that occasionally the temperature rises considerably
and induces the very evil we wish to avoid, namely, the sprouting
out of the buds. To prevent this, the store-place should be whole-
some, dry, and freely ventilated. In extremely cold weather the
temperature must be raised by artificial means, but an excess of
warmth is to be carefully guarded against ; it is sufficient to keep
the temperature just above freezing-point, the arrival ef which may
be proved, in the absence of a thermometer, by the appearance of
ice on a shallow pan of water purposely kept in the store-place.
These measures suflice in the case of potatoes intended for planting
out; but where they are required for domestic consumption, the
further precaution must be taken of shielding them from the action
of light. If this be not done, the tubers are apt to turn green, a
change which is nothing to their detriment for seeding purposes, but
which is attended by chemical alterations that give them a bitter
taste, and quite spoils them for domestic use. By attention to
these points, old potatoes may be preserved in good palatable con-

gion up to the middle of June, or sometimes to the middle of
uly.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 285

THE POLYANTHUS.

DEEP, rich, moist loam, and a partially shaded position,
are conditions favourable to this charming flower. The
heat of summer tries it much, unless it enjoys some
amount of shade and regular supplies of water. Asa
border plant it is of the easiest growth imaginable. It

may be planted at any time, if the plants are in pots; but if taken

RSQ |)! /

Al a SS

ANN

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x

up from the open ground, the best time is immediately after the
fierce heat of summer has begun to decline, and before autumnal
frosts set in. To obtain a stock of named sorts, divide and replant
in August. To raise seedling plants, sow in summer, as soon as
ripe, or early in March; and in either case grow the plants in a

September.

286 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

frame until large enough to plant out. Self-sown seedlings occur
abundantly in the border where plants bave flowered, and may be
planted out in September or October. It is an important matter,
in managing the seed-pans, not to allow the soil to become dry, for
that is fatal to the germination of the seed. The varieties most
prized are those with laced borders, the ground colour being dark
crimson, maroon, or black, and the lacing consisting of regular
marginal bands of various shades of yellow or orange. The named
varieties grown in pots for exhibition are of this class. The “ giant ”
polyanthuses are the most showy for the border and the parterre,
being of all colours, and in many cases most beautiful. The follow-
ing distinct varieties are particularly desirable :—Double Yellow,
Hose-in-Hose, Double White, and Golden Plover.

THE CHRYSANTHEMUM.

S HIS fine autumn plant is now an object of some solicitude
f, on the part of the villa gardener. The chrysanthemum
fittingly closes the list of what may be termed leading
flowers, and that the weather may remain mild enough
to allow of the plants blooming in all the fulness and
perfection of their beauty, is an ardent desire on the part of all villa
gardeners. If the chrysanthemums are growing against the wall—
and they should occupy a south or west wall for the sake of getting
all the sunshine they can—it is an easy matter to give the plants
some protection by night. A neighbour of ours, who loves the
chrysanthemum dearly, and yet by reason of the absence of glass is
obliged to grow his plants in the open ground, has made a perma-
nent plantation of them against a six-feet back wall. In front of
the wall is a border some three feet in width, and at this season of
the year this is made a pleasant chrysanthemum garden. The plants
against the wall, being treated liberally, make a vigorous growth,
and the shoots are kept fastened to lenyths of galvanized iron wire
running the length of the wall, just as they are set up for training
fruit-trees. As the cultivator does a little in the way of exhibiting,
it is obvious that, to have clean tlowers, there must be protection
from rain, etc., as well as from frost. For this purpose he has a
movable wooden framework, in the form of a slight sloping roof,
raised a foot from the wall at the back, but so constructed as to rest
upon the wall, and in the front to uprights placed in the ground. It
is about thirty feet in length, and of homely construction; and it
ean be placed in position or removed with but little labour and
difficulty. The top is covered with a thin oiled canvas, which gives
plenty of light, and effectually prevents any rain from falling on the
flowers. Air can be given at pleasure, if needed, at the top of the
wall along the back. The front is open to all the sunny influences
that can be obtained; and, in case of heavy frost or cold winds, a
dovering of tiffany can be placed along the front.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 287

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR SEPTEMBER.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

% LL border plants of questionable hardiness, or that are of high value,
should be taken up and potted, to keep over winter in frames, where
they are more safe from the attacks of slugs and snails, and from
liability to suffer by damp. Pot off rooted layers of carnations and
Picotees, and rooted offsets of auriculas, to get them strong before
winter. Continue to propagate bedding plants, and get struck cuttings into
small pots for the winter. Calceolarias should be struck in quantities, in shallow
pans, in a compost of Jeaf-mould, peat, and sand, and to be kept in the pans till
early spring. Get tender plants under glass in good time, but give plenty of
air. Sow hardy annuals on firm ground, to stand the winter, for early bloom
next season. Gather seeds of all kinds,as soon as ripe. Plant the first crop of
hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils, which b'oom stronger and earlier if grown as soon
as the bulbs are obtained.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

Continue to plant out winter greens; many of the smallest plants left in
seed-beds will now be strong, and will be useful early in spring, when the main
crops are exhausted. Thin winter spinach to three inches apart, to be thinned
again to six inches; but it is better to thin twice, in case of gaps occurring
through attacks of wire-worm. Winter spinach may still be sown, but it is
getting late for it. Prick out cauliflowers, either in a bed, made so as to be
covered with a frame, or into patches, to be covered with hand-lights. They
should be four inches apart. Continue to sow saladings, and the last succession
of lettuce, choosing for the purpose the hardiest sorts. Take up potatoes as soon
as the haulm decays; take up carrots and beet-root as wanted, but the main
crops, for storing, may remain in the ground till next month. Parsnips may be
left in the ground all winter, or taken up and stored, if the plot is wanted for
winter greens. Onions should be drawn, and laid in the sun to harden, Any
that are thick in the necks should be broken over close to the ground, and left
awhile to induce them to ripen their bulbs.

FRUIT GARDEN.

Gather very carefully all fruit sufficiently ripe for storing. Put the bruised
and damaged aside for immediate use, and store only those that are without
bruises or damage of vermin. Gather in dry weather, and during sunshine.

GREENHOUSE AND STOVE.

Put into the most sunny spots all hard-wooded plants that require to be well
ripened before housing, and if heavy rains set in, cover them with a spare light.
Get cinerarias and primulas for early blooming into the house, but give plenty
of light and air, to induce a robust habit in the stock. Pines must be kept
growing vigorously, by means of a humid atmosphere and plenty of manure-
water. Remove the shading from the pits. In vineries, shade the fruit intended
to hang any length of time. Vines fruited early will now be disposed to break ;
do not hurry them, but when they start of their own accord, which they will do
after a regular course of early forcing, encourage them with a temperature of
about 55° to 60° bottom-heat ; for pines in growth, 84°.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Harpy Prrenyiats.—W. ¥., Ossington.—It is almost too late now to raise
perennials for next year to have them strong; but hollyhocks, wall-flowers, sweet-
williams, antirrhinums, phloxes, silenes, arabis, alyssum, aquilegias, perennial
poppies, perennial asters, aubrietias, daisies, perennial valerian, campanulas,
centaurea, cistus, delphinium, dianthus, eschscholtzias, hardy gaillardias, perennial

September,

288 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

lupins, forget-me-nots, pentstemons, potentillas, saxifrages, veronicas, and violas,
may still be sown, and will have the best chance if in pots and kept in frames all
the winter. If sown in the open ground, a dry slope would be the best place,
and some seed should be saved to be sown early next spring, and the majority
will bloom the same season.

Rosrs.—C. Brown.—To turn roses out of a greenhouse into such a bed as you
describe would be a very likely way of losing them altogether. They should be
wintered in a brick pit or well-protected frame. A preservative bed is only
adapted for things that are nearly hardy, or at least to keep tender things in till
the turn of the year. It is, in fact, a mere contrivance, to be resorted to in a case
of difficulty, when the stock of potted plants exceeds the accommodation under
regular glasx structures.

Motcu For Rosrs.—lgnoramus.—Any manurial matters that are of a solvent
nature, and not unsightly wheu laid on the surface, will answer the purpose.
Two or three inches of fresh pig’s dung, or short stable manure only ha'f-rotted,
are the dressings generally most accessible, and nothing can be better. It is of
little use to mulch roses with well-rotted manure, because it is only what washes
down by the rain that feeds the roots, and the stuff should be tolerably fresh and
strong, to convert every shower into liquid manure in passing through it to the
roots. It should be remembered that mulching not only feeds by manuring the
roots, but also keeps the soil moist—an object sometimes of much importance,
especially in dry seasons. The best time for mulching roses is either in the depth
of winter or early in the spring.

Crocuses.—E. W. P.—Crocuses may be lifted when in flower in order to get
them into harmonious arrangements, or to remove any of the wrong colour that
may have got mixed with the clumps. ‘he best bloom is obtained by taking up
and planting every year. They should be planted four inches deep, and one inch
and a half apart. Where the planter has the convenience, they may be planted
in clunips in a reserve ground, lifted in clumps when in bloom, lifted again when
the bloom is over, and the bulbs ripened in the reserve ground. This applies
either to old clumps, which would be improved by it, or new ones, which would
1ot be harmed. Of course they must be lifted with care, so as to avoid injury
to the roots ; rough handling would be very injurious.

BeRBeRIs JAPponica.—Winnie.—Berberis Japonica will grow in company
with auy of our hardy evergreen shrubs. It would be a handsome thing any-
where, even in a poor soil and an exposed situation, because quite hardy and not
over particular as to soil. But as its great leaves are apt to be injured by storms,
and as those leaves grow to double the dimensions in a rich sandy moist soil to
what they attain in a poor soil, we should advise for it, shelter, shade, and a pre-
pared cumpost. ‘Turf from a sandy road-side, chopped up with rotten dung, will
grow to perfection.

AsparaGus —Constant Reader.—It is an expenditure of force to allow the
flower-steme of asparagus to ripen their seed. We always snap the flower-stems
through near the root, and leave them till they perish, and then cut them clean
away.

Woop-1icr.—C. H.—Cut a few windfall apples, put the slices under flower-
pots in the frames and pits, and every morning lift them up and kill the vermin.
Slices of boiled potatoes will do, or little heaps of brewer’s grains.

Ross Fenos.—Z. #. P.—You had best have common China, of at least three

years old, and plant them in November next; on your rockery they would do
better than avy hybrid perpetual; otherwise, Jules Margottin or Charles Duval
would be grander and of rapid growth.
- Cwatxk Sorn.—Beginner.—By all means avoid American and heath plants,
which detest chalk. It takes time to create a surface soil on such a bottom, but
it may be done; and the way to do it is to economize every scrap of material,
animal and vegetable, that will rot into mould.

ExposeD FLowrr-pots.— UM. C. S.—We should advise you to protect the pots
by inserting them in larger ones, filling the interstices with moss. This method
has beeu tried, and found very effectual. One pot placed within another in this
way has been exposed to the blazing sun, and the moisture of the inner pot has
very successfulfy withstood the heat.

NN

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 289

SYMPHYANDRA PENDULA.

(=SE HE pendulous Symphyandra is a native of Mount Cau-

i j casus, and was introduced into this country in 1824.
It grows about a foot high, and has ornamental white
or cream-coloured flowers. It prefers a cool, shady
situation, as it will not bear being fully exposed to the
sun; the north side of rockwork being a very suitable place. It
may be increased either by seed or by dividing the roots in the
spring. The genus Symphyandra may be recognized by the flowers
having five stamens, the filaments of which are dilated at the base,
fringed with hair and free, the antlers adhering so as to form a long
cylindrical tube. The species are herbaceous perennials, with
alternate leaves. The generic name is from symphis, to grow
together, and amer, an antler, in allusion to the combined antlers.

PLANTING BULBS FOR EXHIBITION.

SHE soil for nearly every hardy bulb should be one half
40 thoroughly decomposed cow-dung, and half light soil
of almost any kind, or, if the dung from an old melon
or cucumber-frame be used instead of cow-dung, put

= only one-third part, or two parts of light soil. If the
soil which is at hand be stiff and not light, mix clean sand with it
till it is made light, and then use two parts of the mixture to one
of the dung; or, if it be cow-dung, to an equal quantity. The
compost should be thoroughly mixed, and sifted through a coarse
sieve, that would let a small marble pass the wires. Take the pots
that are five inches across the mouth for the early tulips, and those
six inches across, or even more, for the hyacinths. Having first put
a bit of crock over the hole, fill these pots two-thirds of the way up
with the compost; press the hyacinths or tulips very gently into
this surface, enough only to make them stand even while you fill
them up with the soil; and let it be noticed that, if pressed at all
hard into the mouid, the fibres will not easily enter; but press the
bulb upwards, and hyacinths frequently throw themselves nearly
out of the pot. But if the soil be soft, and the fibres can enter it
freely, the surface of the mould will not be disturbed, although the
bulb is but jnst covered an inch. When bulbs are potted, it is
usual to cover them with something. Six inches thickness of old
tan or sawdust is commonly used, the pots being first plunged to
the rim. We, however, do not attach so much importance to this
part of the operation as some do, principally because, having gene-
rally bloomed large collections without taking that trouble, and
found them much better than most other people’s, we have of late
years omitted that troublesome job. We have put ours in the
dark—that is, under the front table of the potting-shed, or under

October. 19°

290 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

the stage of a greenhouse, not even being particular as to the
darkness, and yet not suffering any inconvenience, so far as we could
judge. The principal object is to keep the plant from being excited
to grow above, until the roots have formed. We have not convinced
ourselves of the benefit of darkness in protecting the upper growth ;
nor does burying them prevent it, because we have seen the shoots
two or three inches long when taken up from their tan or sawdust
bed. All we care about is putting them out of our way in a cool
place for a time; and whether dark or light does not trouble us.
According to the time you wish them to be in bloom, so you remove
them to a warmer berth. One season, we plunged our pots into the
ground in an open bed, and had as fine a bloom as ever, with only
the precaution of keeping the sun off, that they might not be urged
into flower till we required them. When they once begin to grow,
they require a liberal supply of water; and as we approach the
showing time, we may hasten them, if necessary, by the remoyal to
the greenhouse or stove; and as the early tulips ought to be in
perfection at the same time, we must regulate by putting the most
backward into a little warmth. The object is strength and dwarfi-
ness, which can be best secured by light and air; consequently,
those grown in the open air will| be the finest and least drawn.
If grown under glass, the nearer they are kept to the glass the
better, and a frame or pit is far better than a greenhouse. Narcissus
requires the same care and treatment, and the same soil, Although
there may be some difference in the season of bloom of these
things, when all are allowed their own way, we can, by sheltering
the forwardest, or even warming the most backward, easily bring
them all in together. Those who intend, therefore, to compete with
bulbs, should buy early, and of a respectable house—avoid auctions,
above all modes of buying. We know that when the respectable
London orders are made up, the refuse bulbs are bought up by
jobbers, who make up for the London auctions; and the finest-
looking roots, that any novice would admire, may be, and often are,
unsound. We are, therefore, never safe without buying of respect-
able dealers.

With regard to the proper sorts, the dealer will be the best
judge, and, more or less, we must trust to his honour. Let him
know the colours you want, and the season you wish them to bloom—
for some hyacinths and tulips are nearly a month earlier than others
—pay him the price, and you may calculate on a successful issue.
Go to a sale, and it is a chance if you have a bloom at all; but it is a
certainty that you have not a good one. When the flowers begin
t>) show their colours, shelter them from the mid-day sun, but do not
exclude light; the most flimsy shade will do to prevent burning.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 291

POMPONE CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

eS the rose is the admitted queen of summer, and the
| dahlia the autumn king, so may the chrysanthemum be
ranked as the king of winter; for, coming into bloom
just at the season when the autumn monarch succumbs
to the terrors of the ice king, it may be said to be the
floral connecting link between the old and the new year—like an
oasis in the desert, or a star to cheer the florist when all around is
drear and dark. Unlike most other plants, the chrysanthemum
seems to delight in smoke-pent cities ; for, within a stone’s-throw of
Fleet Street, in the Temple Gardens, abutting upon the Middlesex
side of the river Thames, may be seen, every autumn, a display of
this flower, which for effect rivals the American nurseries of Bag-
shot, or the grand display of these plants at Chiswick and the
Regent’s Park. Our attention was first directed to these gardens
one thick November morning, when the fog being of true London
character, we landed at Paul’s Wharf, and wended our way west-
ward through Thames Street, Whitefriars, and the Temple, where,
through the aid of a sudden gleam of sunshine, we descried, amid
the yellow mist,a grand display of this splendid flower. At the
first sight we thought they must have been transplanted from some
suburban nursery or garden, but a closer inspection satisfied us that
they were veritable productions of the place. In Lincoln’s Inn
Fields, also, the chrysanthemum flourishes, and would do so more
fully if more attention were devoted to its management ; and in most
of the squares a few straggling plants may be seen, amply testifying
that, if properly managed, they would make London gay even when
the country is cheerless; for they are less likely to be injured by
frost in London than in the suburbs.

With these facts before us, it is im the nature of things that
chrysanthemums should be rising in public favour; and the gor-
geous specimens which have been produced, not only of plants, but
of cut flowers also, at the Stoke Newington and South London, at
the Horns Tavern, Kennington, and cther exhibitions, prove that
the chrysanthemum, as a florists’ flower, will become as popular as
the rose, the dahlia, and the hollyhock.

Amoug the novelties lately brought into notice are the varieties
which belong to the class of pompones, or small varieties, which
have originated from the Chusan Daisy (a variety introduced by
Mr. Fortune from China) and the ordinary kinds. These varieties
are specially remarkable to the hybridizer, as having taken on, in
crossing, the varied colours of the large kinds, without increasing in
size ; for though some of these are larger than the Chusan Daisy,
the majority scarcely exceed it in size; and some of them are even
smaller. In form, also, several of the varieties are nearly perfect,
while one of them, called La Nain Bébé, when the flowers are fresh,
has the scent of violets! The plants in habit are mostly compact
and shrubby, but some of them are a little inclined to become tall.
Most of the varieties flower very freely, and therefore are likely to

October,

292 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

become very useful plants for bedding out in the flower garden
for a winter’s display ; hence we shall address ourselves to their
treatment for that purpose, in the present notice, and leave the sub-
ject of their cultivation for exhibition till a more suitable time.
Premising, then, that you have supplied yourself with a stock of
plants of each of the varieties, which you are desirous of getting a
quantity of for flower garden purposes, place them at once in a warm
greenhouse or pit, at a temperature of 45° to 55°, and as fast as
they produce cuttings of sufficient length, take them off, and strike
them in the propagating pit or a close frame. Continue that prac-
tice until you have a sufficient number of each kind, and pot the
cuttings off as they get well rooted; but bring them up hardy, and
keep them as dwarf as possible. The young plants, after they are
established in small pots, may be protected under temporary frames
until they are planted out in June. Having provided a sufficient
number of plants, the next step will be to prepare the ground; and
this should be rather strong and well enriched, so that the plants
may be taken up with good balls. Now, if large specimens are
wanted, averaging say eighteen inches in height, and the same in
diameter, the plants must be put out in rows three feet apart, the
plants standing two feet apart in the rows; but if smaller plants
will suffice, then you may take the cuttings in June, and after root-
ing them in a close frame, plant them out direct from the cutting
pots, taking advantage of dull, showery weather, and just sticking
them in with a dibble, as you would a lot of cabbage plants. These
young plants will not require so much room ; and henee, if they stand
eighteen inches apart each way, that will be sufficient. As soon as
they are established, and begin to grow freely, go over them not
later than the middle of July, and stop each plant by cutting the
head off within a few inches of the ground: this will cause them to
branch, and to become dwarf and very compact plants. If the larger
plants are put out, they will require the same treatment as to
cutting back, or they may be allowed to grow on, and have the
points of the shoots layered the first week in August, by which
means they will form very dwarf and compact plants for potting.
One thing, however, must not be forgotten, and that is, that these
small varieties must never be stopped later than July, or the pro-
bability is that they will not flower. Through the summer and
autumn, the only care the plants will require will be to keep the
ground clear from weeds, and deeply hoed occasionally ; to water
the plants in dry weather, giving them, when necessary, a thorough
soaking, and to protect them, by timely tying and staking, from
being broken by the wind. Towards the end of August, if the plants
continue to grow strongly, go along each row on one side, and with
a spade cut the roots to within three or four inches of the stem;
then, in about a fortnight, go along the other side, and cut the roots
in the same way; and, if necessary, a third or fourth time. This
will check the growth of the plants, and, by ripening the wood,
induce and promote the blooming principle. Chrysanthemums, to
bloom them properly, should not be planted upon a cold soil, as the
buds are found to come blind, hard-eyed, and otherwise deformed :

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 293

therefore in cold situations it will be found advisable to grow the
plants upon a south border, or to remove them to other situations
at the end of September. They will not receive much check if they
are shaded afterwards, and receive a good drenching or two of water.
Now, the time for removing the plants to the flower-garden
must, of course, depend upon circumstances; but the sooner they
are in the beds in which they are to bloom, after the end of Sep-
tember, the better. Before moving them, take care to give the beds
in which they are to bloom a good dunging; and if fresh, so as to
ferment a little after the plants are planted, it will be more beneficial
to them. After planting, give a good soaking of water, and, if
necessary, shade the plants in the middle of the day. So far we
have said nothing about protection; but, should the weather prove
severe, a little protection will be necessary. We should, therefore,
recommend a few neat iron or hazel hoops to be thrown over the
beds, over which mats or waterproof covering could be placed at
night. So managed, we have no doubt the plants would bloom
splendidly, and the beds be gay until the close of the year.

WATER SCENERY.

== HE Romans delighted in their fish-ponds not so much as
afi ornaments as preserves for epicurean delicacies. The
lampreys were their water-gads, which, as in the case of
Hortensius, they alternately petted and adored, and to
“ae whom they now and then sacrificed a human victim,
not to appease the anger of the deities, but to satisfy their appetites,
and improve them for the table. Our English fish-ponds and
aquaria bring suggestions of a more domesticating character, in
unison with our national feeling and Jove of rural elegance. Water
is the life and soul of a garden, whether on the ground-plot of a
suburban cottage, or the embellished lawn of an extensive villa. It
can be rendered appropriate to any style of gardening, and is equally
adaptable to the classic refinement of Italian terraces and gay par-
terres, as to the shrubby umbrage of a rustic wilderness.

We will venture to say that water is rarely used to such an
extent as it might be, and should be, in English gardens. Fre-
quently the abundant supplies of water on an estate are looked upon
as a calamity ; the owner frets himself to find outlets, the legislature
comes to the rescue with a drainage act; and oftentimes when the
drainage has been effectually diverted away from the place, it is dis-
covered that it might have been put to better use than to swell the
woodland rivulets and add to the volume of a stream which con-
tributes to the wealth of lands miles away by means of many such
contributions, We call to mind a property we were engaged to lay
out not many years since, and where we were permitted to indulge
our taste freely in forming a beautiful scene. While scheming to
carry water away from the land, and carrying out great drainage

October.

294 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

works for that purpose, the engineers were at work on the highest
part of the ground boring an artesian well. Every one to his trade,
the landscapist must drain, drain, the engineer must bore, bore; one
is getting rid of the very element the other seeks, and the proprietor
who pays for the work simply occupies the position of a means of
separation between agents who ought to work together, and accord-
ing to one plan, from the first. It is true that land needing drain-
age must be drained; it is true that water stagnating in the soil is
like so much poison; but having once persuaded that water to move
in channels provided for it, having guided it into small pipes, and
thence into large mains, and thence into lakes, ponds, and outlets,
ought we to dismiss it at the boundary, lose it for ever, while the
domestics are perhaps crying out against the scanty water supply,
and the proprietor contemplates sinking another well in hopes of
the second being less intermittent than the first? Generally speak-
ing, the economy of country houses in respect of water may be
likened to the act of a farmer who should pay fifty shillings a quarter
for imported wheat, and, at the same time, give the produce of his
own farm to the fowls of the air, and yet, after all, should persevere
in growing wheat, that he might continue to waste it in the same
manner.

It is said that all possible ranks of industry are filled up, which
is equivalent to saying that human invention is exhausted. Having
made this quite superficial remark on the paradoxical management of
water on landed properties, it must be further remarked that there
is ample room and verge enough for any thoroughly competent and
ingenious person to make a fortune by the establishment in country
houses of economical water works. In many private houses small gas
works are in operation, but there are many substitutes for gas, and
there is no substitute for water. When you have a great supply of
water by surface drainage, the only question of its conversion to
tank water for domestic purposes is one of pure mechanism, and a
mere beginner in engineering could devise plans for the appropria-
tion of every drop at such a comparatively low rate of cost as should,
in many instanees, render well-sinking and boring most ridiculous.

Let us suppose a property to be completely drained, it is a
mechanical matter to collect the water somewhere; a mechanical
matter to take it from thence by means of the hydraulic ram to any
other higher level if there is anywhere near a moderate fall, whether
natural or artificial, Even the water used to afford mechanical
power to the ram need not be wasted; and, having got a ram to
work, the water may as well be carried to the top of a house or the
top of a hill or tower, as to any level midway between such ex-
tremes. The next business is to make this water subservient to
utility and ornament at one and the same time. The quantity which
can be kept flowing, and the volume of the reserve, on which the
works will have to rely during a long drought, must to some extent
determine the nature of the ornamental purpose to which the water
may be applied; it may sometimes furnish a cascade, and send sil-
very spray through a rocky glen clothed with myriads of mosses and
ferns, or furnish a little spring or fountain to splash over a stone

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 295

into a nook full of freshness, and thence flow to the lake again, or to
fill the tanks which supply the garden.

And, me before, I saw a little well
That had his course, as I could well behold,
Under a hill, with quick streamis and cold.

The gravel goldn; the water pure as glass,
The bankis round the well environing,
And soft as velyet was the younge grass
That thereupon hastily came springing.
The suit of trees, abouten compassing,
Their shadow cast closing the well around,
And all the herbis growing on the ground.

It must never be forgotten that the disposal of water-scenes de-
mands the exercise of great taste and judgment. Water of itself is
always beautiful, but its association with objects of interest enhances
its beauty, and supplies also the justification of usefulness. Where
the space and circumstances admit, water should always be enriched
by plantations; clumps of trees, rustic buildings, rockeries, and belts
of shrub are appropriate accessories; but they must be adapted in
style to other surroundings, and the general character of the place ;
and there is a certain point at which to stop in the work of embel-
lishment, or the whole uiiair may be overdone. Architectural foun-
tains and the accessories of terrace water-works may be complicated
and elaborate, but whenever water is allowed to expand to show its
gleaming surface beside green turf and trees there must be breadth ;
the eye must be free to range in some one direction over lawns or
other open spaces, in order to render the thickening of sylvan scenes
and the confusion of busb and brake the more agreeable where the
water is conducted away from the dressed grounds and made sub-
servient to true rusticity. What a charm would be imparted to
many a garden where a still pool, “mantled o’er with green,” re-
proaches the proprietor with neglect, by the introduction of a clump
of trees and a garden-house, or by the appropriation of one bank to
a bee-shed looking south, and a summer retreat in the rear, facing
in the opposite direction, where the bees would neither harm nor
alarm anybody. Picturesque objects in the vicinity of the water
double themselves on its surface, and the shadows and reflections are
alone sufficient compensation for the cost of the work when the
arranging and grouping have been managed with taste.

Water may be introduced in any part of a garden or wilderness ;
but the way in which it is done must be determined by the nature
of the locality. Suppose the possessor of a garden wishes for water
at the summit of a hill, then if he would have a pond or a lake, the
chances are in favour of the affair becoming a source of merriment
to critics of landscape. But a bubbling fountain would be very ap-
propriate to the top of a hill; and not long since we sat beside a
erystal spring on the brow of a heathy eminence at Oakshott, in
Surrey, and counted the species of plants the water had coaxed there.
Natural springs frequently emerge on high grounds, and in a grand
garden the charm of a fountain on the side or summit of a hill may

October.

296 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

be made quite appropriate, even if the water supply for it has to be
secured by artificial appliances, such as the working of a ram at some
distance off, and the conveyance of water to the spot by pipes under
ground. Once get the water up there, provide a stone receptacle for
it, and lead away all overflow in the form of a rivulet, and nature
will soon plant the margins of the fountain and the rill with curious
wild flowers, and the birds of the district will make the spot a
favourite haunt for bathing, drinking, courting, and of course for
morning and evening concerts. The fountain on the hill at Oak-
shott flows over a rough oak cistern, fixed there by the villagers to
preserve a depth of water for dipping. It is almost hemmed in on
three sides with tangied vegetation, most of it lovely and rare, and
the shallow rivulet it makes in its course down the hill is completely
matted with sundew, lichen, lycopodium, scutellaria, bog pimpernel,
and other of the choicest vegetation of heathy bogs. If it could be
transferred with all its accessories to some great garden, it would be
considered one of its choicest features, and perhaps attract more
visitors than it might be convenient to admit gratuitously. One
who would have water at the top of a favourite mound must be con-
tent with a rustic fountain, and indulge fancy to any extent to make
it grotesque, picturesque, or severely simple.

Tn the main walk water is equally admissible, but then we must
have an architectural fountain or basin. The style of the house, the
terrace, and the grounds must determine the style of the fountain.
If the house is a very plain edifice, and the grounds would need to
be described as “neat” rather than ‘‘grand,” we should prefer a plain
stone moulding, a few graceful curves, and trust more for effect to
the sparkle of the water and the grace of the accompanying vegeta-
tion than to sculpture or fanciful rockeries. A fountain in a main
path, within view of the drawing-room windows, or readily acces-
sible from the house by a short walk, should certainly present itself
to the eye in a very distinct form, and should constitute a feature in
the scene. If so small as to be invisible until the visitor almost
tumbled into it, and so mean in character as to have no more dig-
nity than belongs to an accidental detail, every person of cultivated
taste would condemn it as an absurdity. If too grand for the place
it would be equally absurd; in fact, if it cannot be well done, as
circumstances require, it should not be done at all, for paltry water-
works are more obnoxious than paltry earthworks, and betray more
quickly whether lack of means or lack of taste is to be accredited
with the failure.

(To be continued.)

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 297

WINDOW GARDENING.
BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 278.)
PLANT-GROWING IN WARDIAN CASES.

SHE Wardian case is one of the great inventions of
(; modern times, called forth by our increasing love
for flowering plants and ferns, and a very good illus-
tration in itself of the height of perfection to which we
have arrived in the art of plant-growing, With their
aid we can now have a selection of our favourite plants as our daily
companions in our rooms, always beside us to be admired and made
much of, and the objects of our daily care and attention. Situated
thus they become, by-and-by, part and parcel of our very exis-
tence, associated with the love of our friends and companions, and
ranking among the necessary requirements of our homes. We hail
with pleasure the appearance of a fresh bud, and the unfurling of
each tiny, tender leaf. Day by day, and week by week, we mark
with patient hope the rate of progress every shoot is making, till at
last, oh, joy of joys, the flower-bud appears, and ere long displays
to our delighted eyes the long hidden charms of rich and gorgeous
hues and fairy forms of which we often dreamed. Thus, they
weave around the heart a host of tender associations, ever dear to
the memory because of the loved ones who may have passed away,
or parted from us for awhile, leaving us the remembrance of the
busy hands and loving voices that made life so pleasant for us in
the past, in helping to tend the pretty flowers now left asa sole
remembrance of their once happy presence. Every plant in our
home will have its own history, its own pleasant associations.
Every bud, leaf, and frond will be dear to us, having watched them
forming one by one, and expanding in the light.

The most successful and interesting way for amateur cultivators
to grow ferns is by means of the Wardian case. In it they can
either be grown in pots or planted out on rockwork. The moist
atmosphere and protection they enjoy when grown under glass is the
nearest assimilation to their natural requirements to which we can
attain. Under a case, if proper care and attention be bestowed on
them, they develop their natural graces to a greater extent than
when growing in their wild state. Many other plants can be grown
in conjunction with them, giving an interesting variety to the
general arrangement.

Iremember once being sent to rearrange a Wardian case for a
lady. Some fresh ferns were to be added, and others shifted into
larger pots ; but what took my attention more than anything was a
luxuriant plant of Stephanotis floribunda, the very pictnre of health,
covering the entire roof of the case in many twining folds. The
ferns and mosses underneath it seemed to enjoy the shade provided
for them by their robust neighbour. I was told the Stephanotis had

October.

298 TdE PLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

never once flowered, although it had been in the case for some years.
Doubtless the confined space had prevented it setting flower-buds,
but it was a beautiful plant, even without flower. é

Of the many plants that can be grown with advantage in
conjunction with ferns, the Tradescantia zebrina is among the very
best. It has a low creeping growth, with smallish oval-pointed
leaves, which clothe the stem in pairs, each leaf being prettily silver-
grey, green, and brown striped, and having small pinkish flowers at
their axils. It cannot fail to be a favourite with all who grow it.
The Caila Ethiopica, with its large handsome green leaves and white
trumpet-shaped flowers, makes a grand centre-piece ; and the smaller
growing Caladiums, with their gorgeously coloured leaves, give a
charming diversity to the whole arrangement. The feathery palm-
like foliage of the Bambusa looks very pretty, rising rigidly among
the ferns, which they seem to rival in gracefulness. The pretty
silver variegated stove grass, Panicum variegatum, is another little
gem ; a little bit planted out in the rockwork soon grows away. A
plant of the variegated coltsfoot grass, Dactylis glomerata, is a nice
companion for it. The ivy-leaved Geraniums, green and variegated,
and Lobelias, and several other plants, all thrive under the same
treatment given to ferns and mosses, and help to make up a truly
grand case of plants.

All the wild British ferns described in a former paper do well
in a Wardian case in your room. The most desirable greenhouse
ferns to grow in conjunction with them besides the ones previously
described, are the following. The figures following their names
do not represent their full natural development, but rather the
length they generally attain when under cultivation in a closed
glazed case. They are nearly all evergreen.

Acrophorus hispidus . . . . 6 to 12 inches.
Adiantum cuneatum Crg vee
5 reniforme wo) gee SON Bi
Asplenium flabellifolium . . .12,,18 ,,
Blechnum occidentale . 32 Cerio ye
Campyloneuron repens . . . 5,, 10 ,,
Cyatopteris bulbifera . . . .10,, 12 _,,
Davalliaparvula. . . . . . By Mey
Lomaria Germanii . . . . . Qld come
5 eubbng thdent., bee tiku hy tes 064, ALS tae
Lygodium japonicum (climbing)
Platycerium alicorne 4 Tere

Wooddsia obtusa.

The proper position for a Wardian case is where the sun cannot
reach it, a few minutes’ strong sunshine being enough to sbrivel up
‘the tender fronds of the ferns. They should always be kept cool
and moist, during the summer especially. This can be done by
shading them if the light is strong, and giving them a vapoury
“sprinkling now and then during the day, and leaving the top of the
case loose, so that a gentle circulation of air may be kept up,
allowing just a little more ventilation during night hours in summer

Bacar de S-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 299

time to keep the plants cool. Never have the case altogether
closed ; always make provision for a gentle circulation of fresh air.
A fern should never be allowed to suffer for want of water, but
during the winter months, when all plants are comparatively at
rest, less moisture and watering will do. As a rule, ferns can
hardly be overdone with moisture at the roots all through the
growing season, as long as no stagnant water is allowed to lodge
about them. You should always make sure, therefore, that the
drainage is ample, and in good working order.

The soil most suitable for the rockwork inside the case is the
same as recommended for pots; that is, roughly broken peat earth
and silver sand in equal parts, with a small proportion of sandy
loam added, If you go to any nurseryman he will give you the
proper soil you require, if you tell him for what purpose you want
it. It is better to do this than to mix up your own compost, and
you are sure of getting good soil ready for work at once. When
arranging your rockery, make up a heap of this soil and place your
burrs, or rocks, in a natural easy style over it. There will be no
difficulty in planting your ferns and mosses afterwards; you can just
displace a stone to allow of that being done, and replace it again.
In this you will have an opportunity of displaying your good taste
‘and skill as a plant-grower. The neater the arrangement, the more
credit will accrue to you, and remember that you should never give
your ferns manure water, as I recommended for flowering plants ;
they do not care for it.

The Wardian case can either be placed on a stand or table in
your room, on stair landings or in halls and vestibules, or fitted up
in a window recess in connection with the lower sash of the window,
and treated much in the same way as the miniature greenhouse.
There are a great number of lovely plants, not hardy enough to
grow in the miniature greenhouse, which can be grown to perfec-
tion ina Wardian case, inside your room, where they will have the
benefit of the warmth kept up for your own comfort; and one of
the great points in favour of a glazed case, is that your plants enjoy
@ nice moist atmosphere, in the arid temperature of a room, and are
completely protected from the poisonous effects of gas, which would
quickly destroy them if not enclosed.

A truly grand case of flowering and foliage plants alone can be
made up out of the following list. They are all of easy manage-
ment, and require a soil to grow in composed of nearly equal parts
of peat earth, leaf-mould, and turfy loam, with a good proportion of
silyer sand added: Allamanda grandiflora, A. Schotit, Achimenes of
sorts, Glowinias of sorts, Gesnerias of sorts, Gesneria Oxoniensis,
Hoya bella, Kalosanthes of gorts, Caladiums of sorts, and Begonias
of sorts.

Of serviceable hardy orchids we have Oypripedium barbatum,
C. insigne, C. venustum, Dendrobium nobile, Oncidium barbatum,
0, flexuosum, Trrichopilia coccinea, Lycaste Skinnert.

And for climbers we have the lovely Kennedyas of sorts, and
Stephanotis floribunda, and 8. profusa, a very free-blooming variety
for pots. The Hoya bella also makes a lovely climber. A yery nice

October. ;

300 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

way to raise palms is to sow several stones of the dried dates of
shops in a pot inside your plant case. They soon grow and make
nice specimen palms in the course of time.

A selection from the above list, with the addition of a geranium
or two, a fuchsia, and a pot of lobelia would be a very. good
arrangement. A case of this kind for flowering and foliage plants
requires plenty of air throughout the day, and to be kept nearly
close at night, to protect the plants from gas. Airing must always
be given from the top of the case, which should be moveable to allow
you to lift it up an inch or so at a time. Pot plants, in a case,
require plenty of water during the summer season, when they are
growing, but during the winter months they should be allowed less,
as all plants are then in a passive or resting state, unless when
forced unnaturally into growth, by means of heat. The inmates
of your plant case should have a sprinkling overhead in the morn-
ing before the sun shines on them, with tepid water, and the same
in the evening when closing the top.

Of course, as plants grow they will tend to get crowded in the
case, and then you should either prune some of your specimens, or
take one or two of the hardier sorts out to give room to the rest. It
never does to crowd plants either in a case or miniature greenhouse,
or when standing in pots in the window. A few plants well-grown
are better than a crowded mass of sickly ones.

The bottom of your plant case can be laid with soil and gravel,
and Selaginella denticulata and other mosses planted over it, which
you can arrange in such a way that the flower-pots may be partly
hidden. Some of the Echeverias, Sempervivums, Sedums, ete., could
also be brought in with advantage ; and two or three select ferns, if
you wished them, included, would complete the arrangement. The
climbers I have noted should be run up the sides and trained along
the roof with copper wire ; trained in this style they do not interfere
much with the plants below, and afford, at the same time, a grateful
shade. They will require a good deal of pruning and training as
they grow, to keep them from getting too dense. Order and cleanli-
ness are two most essential things for the health and well-being of
the plants. They should be watered periodically, and all decaying
flowers and foliage removed, and the glass and pots kept quite free
of the green vegetation so liable to take place in such structures.

This and the following papers aspire to the higher style of
window gardening and floral decoration. I have no doubt that
many of my readers will not be able to follow out the suggestions I
am giving; still at the same time they may pick up useful hints
which they may turn to advantage. It is quite easy if you have the
necessary materials to construct a Wardian case for yourself, at
considerably less outlay than you would have to make in purchasing
the elegant ones sold by the dealers. A neat zinc bottom in the
form of a box of the size you wish your case to be, with narrow
strips of zinc led up from the corners, and soldered together double,
with binders from corner to corner in the same way, and the glass
put in between the double strips, and joined closely with putty,
would make a very good Wardian case. The glass should be very ©

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 301

thick, and the top fastened with two hinges. The zinc should be
painted neatly. ;

Those of my readers who are able to follow out the suggestions
I give in this and the following papers, if they have not given much
thought to plant-growing in their rooms before, will soon be as
enthusiastic as the keenest old veteran in the art. There is an

absorbing interest in this lovely and innocent pursuit that captivates
the hearts of young and old.

(To be continued.)

‘A SELECTION OF FRUIT TREES FOR GENERAL
PURPOSES.

a7 N making the following selection, we have had in view

4| the diversity of circumstances under which cultivators
are placed, as to soil, climate, and pecuniary means, and
have entered such varieties only, as have been well
proved, in districts differing considerably from each
other, and which may be obtained of most dealers, at moderate
prices. In regard to fruits and vegetables, almost every district has
its favourite sort, and these, in many cases, do not prosper equally
elsewhere ; and among the very best of those which may be termed
generally useful, some are more influenced by soil and climate than
others, and in some districts will fail altogether. In stocking a
garden, it is not only well to refer to lists of noted sorts, but also
to take note of those which do well in the locality ; and in all cases
it would be well to secure the latter, before adding from any general
list, because the only safe guide, as to whether this or that variety
will succeed, is to try it. Thus, roses are understood to require a
fat loam ; but no one can say to a certainty, whether the loam of a
garden, however suitable it may appear, will grow roses until they
have been tried there. In the same way, almost every district has
its own particular sort of potato, which experience or custom has
sanctioned as most suitable; and of two sorts of equal merit, one
will succeed on a soil, where the other would fail altogether.
Therefore, we say, take soil and climate into consideration in making
your selections, especially of plants that are intended for the open
ground. Plants for pot culture are more under our control, and are
therefore less influenced by local circumstances. The following
varieties of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, are those which combine
the highest qualities with a considerable power of adaptiveness, and
for that reason we describe them as the best in every sense, and the
most likely to answer under the various influences of soil, climate,
etc., that their cultivation may be influenced by in various parts of
the kingdom. ‘Those to which a * is attached, are recommended for
proved excellence. The letters k and d attached to the names of
fruits, imply for kitchen or dessert : —

October.

302 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE..

APPLES.

Alfriston, k, large and heavy ; Ashmead’s kernel, d; Beachamwell

seedling, d, delicious flavour; Beaufin, Norfolk, k, for drying; Bed-
fordshire foundling, k; Codlin, Dutch, k; Codlin, Manks, k, first-
rate; Codlin, Keswick, k, good bearer, very early ; Court of Wick, d,
serviceable ; Court-pendu Plat, d, excellent bearer, blooms very late ;

French crab, k, may be kept two years ; Dumelow’s seedling, k, acid, °

juicy, excellent ; Early Harvest, d, rich flavour; Golden Harvey, dk,
exceedingly rich, and very serviceable ; Hawthornden, k, best early
bearer; Hawthornden, k, new, keeps longer than preceding, Lead-
ington, Monstrous, k, extra size; Lord Suffield* (Turner) ; Margaret
(Joanneting), d, early; Nonesuch, round winter k; Nonpareil, old,
d, deserves a wall; Nonpareil Pitmaston, d, excellent, brisk, and
rich ; Northern Greening, k, keeps well ; Pearmain, Adam’s, d, first-
rate; Pearmain Herefordshire, k d; Pearmain, Mannington’s, d,
brisk, rich, and sugary, first-rate ; Pippin, Blenheim, k d, first-rate ;
Pippin, golden, d, requires a wall, but repays all trouble; Pippin,
gooseberry, k, peculiar flavour; Pippin, Kerry, d, good bearer ;
King of the Pippins, k, very handsome; Pippin, Ribston, k d, best
for any small collection, but apt to canker; Pippin, Sturmer, k d,
brisk flavour, very late; Pomme Royal, k d, a fine sort, good size;
Stamford Pippin,* d (Wood and Ingram) ; Prince Albert * (Lane),
k d, excellent for the kitchen ; Quatford; Aromatic, d, very rich and
aromatic ; Queen Caroline, a showy sort; Reinette du Canada, k d,
best dessert, large fruit; Reinette, golden, d; Reinette Van Mon’s,
d, aromatic; Russet, Boston, d; Russet, Brownlees’ Seedling, k,
beautiful colour; Russet, Royal, k; Russet, Syke House, d;
Waltham Abbey seedling, k ; Winter Colman, k; Yorkshire Green-
ing, k; esteemed for kitchen use.

CHERRIES.

Belle d’Orleans, d, very early, good forcer; Bigarreau, d, large:
and handsome; Bigarreau Gros Czuret, d, very large ; Black Eagle,
d, rich colour and fruit; Black Heart, Buttner’s, d, bears well;
Black Heart, Werder’s Early, d, very early ; Downton, d, very rich
fruit ; Elton, d, first-rate ; Florence, d, later than Bigarreau; Late
Duke, d, very late as standard; May Duke, d, best early, forces
well; Morello, k, best forcer for richness and bearing, does well on
a north wall.

APRICOTS.

Breda, for preserving, bears well as a standard; Kaisha, a very
sweet luscious fruit ; Moorpark, best for general cultivation ; Royal,
ripens before the Moorpark ; Shipley, ten days earlier than Moorpark.

CURRANTS.

Black, Naples, best black ; Red, common, very fine ; Red, Dutch,
long bunches; Red Grape, Myatt’s, large berries; White, Dutch,
large bunches and berries; White, Holland’s, best white grown.

|

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 303

GRAPES.

Open air.—Black July, early, black; Buckland’s Sweetwater *
(Ivery) ; Chasselas Musqué, or St. Alban’s, white ; Hsperione, first-
rate, purple; Frontignan, black ; Hamburgh, black ; Muscadine
(royal), white ; Pitmaston, Cluster, white ; Sweetwater, white.

Vinery.—Barbarossa,* black, larger and finer than black Ham-
burgh ; Black Prince, black; Frontignan, white; Saint Peter’s, black;
Tokay, Charlesworth, white.

Hothouse.—Constantia, purple; Bushby’s Golden Hamburgh,*
yellowish, a first-rate new grape, partaking of the Hamburgh flavour,
with yellow berries ; Mill Hill Hamburgh, black; West St. Peters’,
black ; Muscat of Alexandria, white; Muscat, Cannon Hall, white.

GOOSEBERRIES.

White—Large Early White, very early; Lively Green, good
bearer, nearly white; White Hagle, large; Whitesmith, excellent
flavour.

Yellow.—Briton, first-rate ; Golden Drop, very early ; Leader.

Green.—Green Gage, beautiful flavour; Green Orleans; Green-
wood, good bearer; Large Late Green, extremely fine variety ;
Warrington, best late.

Red.—British Queen; Champagne, unequalled richness; Glory
of Oldport; Jackson’s red, for preserving; Jolly Printer, good
bearer; Lancaster Hero, large; Red Frame, good bearer; Rough
Red, late, best for preserving ; Waterloo, a showy sort ; Wonderful,
excellent for dessert.

NEOTARINES.

Elruge, forces well, end of August; Imperatrice, excellent for
forcing; Murray, good flavour, end of August; Newington, prized
when shrivelling, middle of September ; Newington Harly, excellent
flavoured, beginning of September; Pitmaston, orange, best yellow-
fleshed, end of August ; Stanwick, requires warmth, end of August ;
Tawny (Hunt’s) very early, middle and end of August; Violet Hative,
best for forcing, end of Aagust.

PEACHES.

Admirable, late, for forcing, September ; Admirable (Walberton),
forces well, middle of September; Bellegarde, succeeds Royal
George, beginning and middle of September; Catherine, best Cling-
stone, beginning of October; Early Anne, early, beginning, and
middle of August; Mignonne Grosse, first-rate for forcing, end of
August and beginning of September; Noblesse, best for general
‘purposes, end of August; Pucelle de Malines, very hardy, end of
September; Royal Charlotte, forces well, beginning of September ;
Royal George, first-rate for forcing, end of August; Salway *
(Turner), aromatic and juicy, beginning of November; Shanghae,
the largest grown, middle of September.

PEARS.
Aston Town, d, bears well as a standard; Bellissime d’Hiver, k,
good stewer; Bergamotte (Gansell’s), d, rich flavour; Bergamotte,
October,

304 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Esperen’s, d, hardy ; Beurré d’ Amanlis, d, large and melting ; Beurré
d’Aremberg, d, hardy as astandard; Beurré d’Audusson, perfumed
fruit ; Beurré Bose, d, half melting, requires a wall; Brown Beurré,
d, bears abundantly; Beurré de Capiaumont, d, fine melting;
Beurré de Mons, d, crisp flavour; Beurré Diel, d, large melting ;
Easter Beurré, d, a valuable spring pear ; Beurré Rancé, d, melting,
and beautiful; Beurré Van Mons, d, melting, very rich ; Bon Cretien
d’Auch, d, rich, but rather gritty, without heat; Bon Cretien Fon-
dante, d, cool, refreshing juice; Bon Cretien Musqué, slightly per-
fumed; Bon Cretien (William’s), d, requires a warm situation ;
Chaumontel, d, buttery, splendid as Pyramid ; Colmar, d, requires a
wall ; Crassane, d, requires a warm wall; Crassane Althorp, d, good
as a standard; Doyenne Gray, d, hardy autumnal; Van Mons, d,
melting; Duchesse d’Angouléme, d, large and melting; Dunmore,
d, good as a standard ; Eliza* (Matthews), large melting, valuable
in the smallest collection ; Forelle, d, melting, speckled like a trout;
Franchipane, k, first-rate for stewing ; Glout Morceau, d, very late,
requires a wall; Incomparable (Hacon’s), d, melting; Inconnue
Van Mons, d, melting; Jargonelle, d, very juicy, early; Josephine
de Malines, d, aromatic flavour; Louise Bonne of Jersey, d, hand-
some; Marie Louise, d, best on a wall, very buttery; Ne Plus
Meuris, d, best, late; Passe Colmar, d, melting, great bearer; Saint
Denis, d, melting; Seckel, d, good bearer; Swan’s Egg, d, good
bearer; Thompson, d, very rich; Uvedale St. Germane, k, largest
stewing; Vicar of Winkfield, d, very large; Winter Nelis, d, very
melting, deserving a wall.
PLUMS,

Ashridge, black, k, first-rate bearer; Coe’s Golden Drop, dk,
excellent as standard; Coe’s Late Red, d; Damson, common, k;
Damson Prune, k, first-rate preserve ; Drap d’Or, d, equal to Green
Gage, and earlier; Early Favourite, d, best early; Goliath, k ;
Green Gage, d k, well-known; Imperatrice, blue, d k, requires a
wall; Jefferson,* d, better as standard than Green Gage; Magnum
Bonum, red, k; Mirabelle, k d; Orleans, k d; Orleans, Prince of
Wales, dk, finer than old Orleans; Reine Claude Violet, d, bears
freely as standard; Standard of Zngland,* d, new, prolific; Victoria
(Denyer’s), d, bears as well as standard ; Washington, d, large, good
as standard; Winesour, k, for preserving ; Woulstan, black gage,*
d, new and distinct.

RASPBERRIES.

Antwerp, white; Antwerp, yellow; Antwerp, red, unequalled ;
Beehive, large ; Double Bearing (River’s) ; Fastolt, first-rate ; Prince
of Wales * (Cutbush) ; Victoria, in bearing until November.

STRAWBERRIES.
""€ Black Prince (Cuthill’s), early, forces well; British Queen
(Myatt’s), best for general purposes, large; Elton Pine, late;
Fertilized Hautbois, late; Goliah (Kitley’s), forces well; Keen’s
Seedling, forces well; Prince Albert; Princess Alice Maud, large ;
Sir Harry,* very fine.

Cr

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 30

THE CINERARIA.

aes) HE variation of colours and profusion of bloom borne by
i| these generous plants, truss following truss for a long
series of time, render it particularly desirable as an
ornamental plant. The cultivation is by no means
~ ifficult. About the beginning of May, or there-
abouts, allowing a few days for the variation of season, I take
the offsets and plant them in a prepared compost of leaf-mould,
loam, peat, and sand, equal parts of each, providing also a good
drainage of crocks, or small brick rubbish. When potted, I place
them in a frame with a gentle bottom-heat. Offsets are always to
be preferred while they can be had; when not the case, take cut-
tings, which will root well in sand, and as soon as fit, pot them in
the compost spoken of above, and endeavour to get them established as
soon as possible; when this is accomplished, I gradually expose
them to the atmosphere, till fit to remove into a cold frame, allow-
ing them to enjoy the sun till about nine o’clock in the morning,
when they may have a sprinkling overhead, and the lights be drawn
on, aud be shaded with mats, leaving air at back and front. About
four or five o’clock in the after part of the day, give them another
syringing overhead, and close the frame for about an hour, when
they may be uncovered, and, if favourable weather, the light may be
left off all night. When the roots fill the pots, they should be re-
potted, adding to the compost named above alittle well-decomposed
cow or horse manure. The plants require daily attention as regards
watering, and now and then, while growing freely, may have a little
liquid manure of moderate strength, but avoid wetting the foliage.
As they advance in growth they will sometimes require stopping
back; but when the shoots are of sufficient length, they should be
tied out to small neat sticks, so that the middle of the plants may
receive light and air. As autumn comes on, watering over the
foliage should be discontinued; but carefully attend to keeping the
soil at a proper state of moisture, to secure the plant in health.
The plant should be continued in a cool frame, and as close up to
the glass as can be conveniently done without coming in contact
with it. During the daytime, indulge them with as much air as you
can do with safety; guarding against excess of wet, or sudden
storms, likely to do mischief; cover up at night, giving a little air
at the back of the lights. As the season advances, and the trusses
begin to swell with buds, they should be removed to the greenhouse,
allowing as much light and air as the situation will afford. For
early flowering, a few may be placed in the stove. The pest, the
green-fly, about this time, attucks them wholesale, and must be well
guarded against; fumigation with tobacco should be applied the
moment they are discovered. Under careful treatment, these plants
will continue to furnish innumerable trusses of bloom, trom October
tillthe end of April. Summer offsets, or cuttings, that is, if taken
in July or August, and treated after the manner recommended, wilt
flower in May and June; thus may the blooming period of this
beautiful flower be extended for at least seven or eight months out
of the twelve.
October,

20

306 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN .GULDE.

BOUQUETS.

=e OME years ago, when the pretty girls of Gravesend
4| prepared a bouquet for the Princess Royal, they made
the very mistake that was fatal to its aceeptanee by the
royal bride—it was too big, and the Princess was obliged
; to band it to an attendant to carry for her. Royal per-
sonages have purse-bearers, and, in the East, pipe-bearers; and,
unless public taste undergoes a change for the better, a bouquet-
bearer must be added to the number of satellites that revolve around
a throne. Two or three flowers, nicely arranged, are preferable to
the grandest bunch of “all sorts” ever culled from a garden; indeed,
there is scarcely anything in the region of taste so utterly tasteless
as a huge bunch of flowers. Just try the effect of two or three
flowers and a few fronds of fern, compared with a posy as big as a
drum-head cabbage, and you will see at once that it is a sheer waste
of beautiful flowers to make them up into monster nosegays. Let
me instance one method of using cut flowers as decorations in-doors.
Get a lot of white phials, five or six inches high and an inch and a
half in diameter. Fill them three parts full of water, and then go
over your roses, and cut as many of the best blooms you have as
there are bott!es for them. Put them into the phials singly, ana the
effect will be charming. Take them all out again, and tie them in a
bunch, and you will see that indiscriminate bunching is a wasteful
and a distasteful way of using cut flowers. For a large ornamental
vase, a fine bouquet is, of course, an appropriate thing, if made up
with judgment and with due regard to the effect of colours in con-
trast. An edging of ferns or ribbon-grass adds very much to its
beauty and completeness. One of my summer pleasures is to cut
one of each of my best flowers every week, to furnish a lot of phials
such as I have just described. They are arranged in two rows, one
above the other, over the tray-board in the hall, where there are two
narrow mahogany shelves to receive them. The phials are tallied
with the names of the roses that are to be placed in them, by cutting
the name out of a eatalogue and putting it on neatly. As the roses
will be sueeeeded by dahlias, labels for these are pasted on the
opposite side; so that, for the dahlias, the same phials do when
turned round. The labels are varnished, so that they do not wash
off when they get splashed with water; and they are, of course,
pasted on so as to range in a regular row when the phials stand
close together. A little nitre put in the water keeps the flowers
good for a week. Another good method of keeping flowers is in’ glass
dishes filled with silver sand. The stems are cut short and stuck in
firmly, and the whole kept damp, and with a glass shade over it. In
spring, a few dishes of violets are charming parlour ornaments, and,
whenever the glass is lifted off, they fill the room with their delicious
perfume. A good flower ornament may be made with a pyramid of
sand, wetted and pressed firm, and stuck all over with flowers with
short stems; but a better way of making a pyramid is to get
Stead’s bouquet-stand, which is pierced with holes, and with two

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 307

metal surfaces close together, which draw the water up by capillary
attraction, and keep them fresh for a great length of time. For
this, flat flowers, such as geraniums, pansies, petunias, chrysan-
themums, ete., which can be cut singly and arranged in colours, are
best. Globular flowers, such as roses, are quite unfit for it.

In contrasting the colours of flowers, it should be remembered
that green is a relief to almost any colour, and most especially to
scarlet ; yellow sets off violet, but has rather a vulgar look when
brought into too close a proximity to red. Blue is the best contrast
to orange, but blue and yellow are in bad taste; white relieves all
colours except pale pink or lavender; and strong colours of any
kind destroy the beauty of weaker ones, however charming the
latter may be in themselves; hence it is better to tone down glaring
colours with white or green than with pale neutral tints. A few
examples of bouquets will, perhaps, be useful as a guide to those
who wish to excel in the art of using cut flowers to advantage; and,
first, for a bouquet fit for a large vase—centre cluster of white
asters; next circle of blue violets or blue lobelias; next circle of
crimson pelargoniums; next circle of white asters; then circle of
red gladioli; next circle of green sprigs of common heath; next
circle of purple asters; next circle of white asters ; outside dahlias of
sorts, or, still better, of one colour, say Lord Bath or Captain
Ingram. Another—a sprig of white erica, surrounded with com-
mon heath; next ring of red gladioli; next white asters; next blue
iris or agapanthus; next crimson verbenas; next white asters;
outside blush roses. Bouquets of this sort were exhibited at Ver-
sailles, some years ago, by M. Louviot, and were much admired for
their beautiful arrangement of colours. Do not forget how much
ferns may be employed to give grace of form and lovely hues of
green to bouquets, especially maidenhairs, harts-tongues, and poly-
podies. A white camellia, with two sprigs of mignonette and two
fronds of maidenhair, make a chaste posy, worthy the hand of a
blushing bride.

JARDINIERES AND BASKETS.

=m A RDINIERE is the fashionable name for a flower-basket,
41, but it should be applied only to architectural beds and
fancy porte-flewrs, not to the old-fashioned rustic boxes
which look so pretty on lawns. My best Jardiniere is

~ one of Ransome’s, made of the patent imperishable
silicious stone. It forms a very beautiful object on gravel, as a
centre bed surrounded with flower-boxes of ths same material. The
flower-boxes are filled with soil and planted ; but the Jardinet we
keep furnished with potting-plants. With rustic baskets it is best
to turn the plants out, but Jardinieres that are to occupy prominent
places should be furnished with potted plants only, because, if a
swarm of caterpillars should appear, or if the plants should get
shabby, it is an easy matter to renew them. My Jardinet is kept

Octcbe .

308 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

bright and showy in all seasons. It stands on a circle of loam, to
keep a moist bottom ; over this isa layer of sand six inches deep,
and on the sand the pots are placed, and hidden with moss or sand.
Thus, as soon as the geraniums get poor, they are lifted out, and the
bed filled with pompone chrysanthemums in pots. When they are
past their best, potted evergreens take their place for the winter.
In spring, potted bulbs are used as a succession ; hyacinths, in four
colours, make a very gay show; the hyacinths are succeeded by
autumn-sown annuals in pots, or large patches of Awbrietia purpurea
and Alyssum savatile, two of the gayest of hardy spring flowers.
These last are succeeded by select bedders, and thus the round of
the year is completed. I make some good jardinieres of the shallow
baskets in which nurserymen send plants; mine mostly measure
three feet across, and nine inches deep. In furnishing them, we first
put in a layer of moss, then arrange a lot of potted plants on the
moss, and with the greenest of the moss, cover the surface, so as to
hide the pots entirely. For surplus stock, that would otherwise be
standing in pits, or on beds of coal-ashes, these baskets come in
well. Potted ferns, variegated plants, geraniums, etc., are all useful
if tastefully disposed of. Some of my baskets, filled with hardy ferns
in pots, with the hare’s-foot and a few other greenhouse potted ferns
amongst them, made very beautiful objects. I had a large stock of
that wretched geranium, Tom Thumb’s Bride, which made a capital
pair of baskets on the lawn. On gala days, we cut a lot of ivy, and
twine round the rims of the baskets, and this keeps its colour for
two or three weeks, and gives them a nice finish. I even use newly
struck cuttings, if short of flowering plants ; it is better to turn them
to account in this way, than to let them grow unseen in the nursery.
A circle of young hydrangeas or camellias makes a very pretty
edging to a basket of ferns; the variegated mint, Cerasiiwm tomen-
tosum, and variegated Alyssum, make capital edgings, and if you have
no stock of pot plants, you have only to take cuttings, pot them in —
sixties, shade them a week, and then furnish your baskets. They
root quickly, and produce an effect from the first. The old-fashioned
rustic baskets are best planted in the ordinary way, a bottom of large
crocks, then a layer of moss, and then filled up with a potting com-
post, and the plants bedded out in it. For all baskets, vases, ete.,
that are to be elevated to a level with the eye, use plants of a pen-
dant and graceful habit, but for baskets, that are to be below the eye,
geraniums and other bushy plants are the best. Fuchsias never
show to such advantage, as when lifted up from the ground level,
and seen on a level with the eye. Potted plants plunged in moss
should be removed somewhat early in autumn, because they are apt
to root into the moss, not only through the bottom of the pot, but
over the surface ; and as these roots will be destroyed when they are
taken out, they cannot have time to recover, before being put into
winter quarters. Slugs and snails are apt to harbour under the bas-
kets and among the moss; an occasional hunt will therefore be
necessary, and the baskets should be lifted up and the bottoms ex-
amined. Jardinieres of this kind, therefore, may either be good
traps, or a positive nuisance, at the discretion of the proprietor. In

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 309

a garden that is well kept, the best places should be kept gay with
baskets all the year round, and the best way of managing it is to
have a duplicate set, either of the same, or different patterns. Thus,
in September and October the duplicates may be planted with bulbs,
and put aside. The summer baskets will keep gay till near the
middle of November—mine do. They can then be removed, and
their places occupied with those containing the bulbs. But to make
these sightly, take the knife and shears, and clip a lot of stems of
ivy, variegated shrubs of suitable habit, and dibble these in, and they
will keep fresh till the bulbs rise through the surface, and give the
eye something to rest upon. Small-leaved, hard-wooded plants are
the best, and especially variegated sorts.

Plants for Baskets —Some seasons ago I tried the Senecio mikane
sent out by Mr. Thompson, of Ipswich, and found it a most useful
foliage plant, to form wreaths and ringlets of fresh ivy-like foliage,
but whoever trusts to it for flowers will be disappointed. It is of
rapid growth, and most elegant in its foliation. The variegated ivies,
especially Cullisii, arborea variegata, Vesta, and a few others, are of
great service for similar purposes. The variegated and the large-
flowered Periwinkle are also good and well known. Verbenas and
abronias train down very prettily, and if used with ivy-leaved gera-
niums, make very gay baskets. Last summer I planted one of the
erimson-flowered ivy-leaved geraniums in the centre of an octagon
rustic basket, measuring three feet across, and it soon covered the
whole surface, and crept over the edge, and formed a luxuriant fringe
of branches, a foot and eighteen inches long. If the planter has a
genuine taste and knewledge of his plants, scarcely anything comes
amiss in baskets. I generally plant them with whatever bedders are
left, after the borders and beds are filled, and if we run short even
make it up with cuttings, striking them in their places at once, and
as the baskets must be shaded for a week after planting, the cuttings
have a good chance to make a start, and if the compost is good, and

proper attention given, cuttings of verbenas, petunias, and geraniums
soon get strength, and bloom before the middle of July. For stone
vases, scarlet geraniums are very effective, as visitors to the Crystal
Palace well know. A good edging for the geranium is Mangle’s
Rodanthe ; Perilla nankinensis is a good colour for the purpose, but
rather too erect in habit, but none of the white-leaved foliage plants
look well, except in bark or wicker baskets. The yellow moneywort,
the variegated ground-ivy, dead nettle, and variegated strawberry
are lovely things to creep over and hang down. For a row of stone
vases, fuchsias, and agapanthus, one in a vase, and placed alternate,
has a charming effect. Indeed, the agapanthus is the best vase plant
we have, and blue and white, or slate and stone-colour are the
chastest and most delicate of all contrasts, in gardening, to set off
searlet well, so that where grouped with geraniums, in connection
with stone work, the blue agap thus is most valuable. I must con-
fess that I prefer mixtures in bark baskets, in preference to regular
arrangements of colours, but if glowing colours are preferred, ‘Tom
Thumbs for the centre, and calceolarias next, with purple verbenas
round the edge, are charming. To hang down in festoons, lopho-
October.

3l0:. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

spermums, and maurandyas are useful, and so is the pretty, but little-.
cared-for Linaria cymbalaria, a common, hardy, ivy-leaved snap-
dragon, which grows on old walls almost everywhere. Mr. Salter
has a variegated variety, which I have not seen, but believe to be
very pretty. Most of the tropeolums are good for the same purpose,
and especially the old canariensis, if mixed with a few sprigs of dark-
leaved ivy ; but beware of this old-fashioned canary climber, wher-
ever you use it; it gets naked in the legs, and should be carried
across or round a basket before being allowed to drop over, then its
eighteen inches of naked stem will not be visible. Fuchsias of droop-
ing habit make good centres. Banks’s Glory is a beauty standing
alone in a fancy pot or vase, but mixed with geraniums and calceo-
larias, fuchsias are sure to suffer from the strong masses of colour to
which their delicate outlines are exposed. For single specimens,
yuccas are charming, especially Recurva, filamentosa, and Filamentosa
variegata, The common sayin, junipers, and Picea Canadensis are
pretty conifers that look well in baskets ; and the summer baskets
may be planted with them when cleared out in autumn to keep their
places until those containing bulbs are in flower. People fond of
decorating should grow plenty of hardy flowering and evergreen
shrubs in pots, to be shifted about and used'as required for furnishing.
Azalea amena, which has the habit and beauty of a myrtle, is one of
the best ; Berberis darwinii is another beauty, most valuable in win-
ter. Arborvitas, phyllyreas, box, laurels and rhododendrons are
others that should be grown in quantity, and when not wanted for
decoration, be plunged in a bed of coal-ashes and have all the atten-
tion that potted plants require.

INVADERS, VISITORS, AND SETTLERS IN OUR
GARDENS.

(Continued from page 280.)

==] should be neglecting to notice a large portion of the

| living creatures which are to be found in our gardens,
were we not to tell something about the curious and
beautiful beetles, some of which are settlers, and some
only visitors to us, but of which many species may be
met with even in the course of a single summer’s day. It would,
however, take the whole of our space were we to describe even the
appearance of many of them, so greatly do they vary in shape, form,
colour, and size, though in their habits and mode of life there is so
great a difference. pia

Beetles belong to the class:of insects to which is given the name

of Coleoptera, a word which means wing-sheathed, owing to their
having, besides the wings used for flight, another pair of hard,
opaque outer wings or wing-cases, which cover the former from
sight, except when the insect is flying. The pair of light gauzy
wings are folded up when the beetle is at rest, and the thick sheaths:

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. Sh

close together over the body like valves, fitting so exactly that
they often seem like one piece, and we are apt to forget the very
beautiful and delicate transparent wings which are folded up under
their hard shiny coats, ready to be expanded and bear them up inte
the air.
As we look at a beetle at rest, we can easily perceive that there
is not the narrow part between the chest and the stomach which we
see in many insects, but that the head and chest are joined imme-
diately on to the rest of the body.

All beetles have but two eyes, but these are what are called
compound eyes, and are made up of many small eye-lets, which no
doubt supply them with very acute sight. As their food is very
varied, their mouths are fitted for several ways of getting at it, and
in. different kinds of beetles are suited for cutting. gnawing, tearing,
or chewing; but never for suckiug or for lapping, like those of the
fly and bee. And they need all these different little instruments for
feeding themselves, since some prey on the flesh of dead animals,
some on rotten wood, some on wood that is fresh and growing, some
on the roots of grasses and plants, some on grain, and some on
leaves ; while the most dainty of all would seem to be those who
feed on the petals of flowers. Beetles pass through the same changes
and transformations as other insects. At first the form is like that
of a grub or larva, like a short thick worm, its body very soft, but
with a horny head, something like what it afterwards has as a per-
feet beetle. In'‘this state it prepares for the change into a pupa or
chrysalis, by contriving some kind of defence around it. Some have
been hatched from eggs previously laid in the earth, and when about
to undergo the change, they hollow out the earth around them so as
to form a little cave. Others make a sort of cocoon, by joining
together particles of earth with web or sticky matter. Those which
live in wood have no need of cocoon, but change into pupe in the
hollow they have made while feeding on the fibre of the wood;
while some, which feed on plants, hang themselves in round silken
cocoons from the leaves or stalks of it.

We have no English beetles which are to be compared in splen-
dour with the Diamond beetle, which is found in tropical countries,
whose wing-cases, when seen in the microscope, see studded with
brilliant gems; yet many of our gardi: beetles are very beautiful in
form and colour in their delicate antenne and legs, and in the hues of
their wing-cases. We find in the centre of our rcses the beautiful
rose-beetle, with its body of a bright emerald green burnished with
gold, and who seems as if conscious of the becoming contrast of
the glowing pink or crimson of its cradle to the hue of its own body.
The first state of life of the insect is very different to the nature of
its favourite food, since the grub is found in decayed wood and ant-
hills. Perhaps no beetle is more unlike the rose-beetle than the
great brown cockchafer, which we sometimes encounter in our
gardens in the evening, when it will strike against us as it flies, as
if its sight were imperfect ; from which circumstance is supposed
to come the saying, “As blind as a beetle.” When the female
cockchafer wants to lay her eggs, she digs a hole in the ground

October,

312 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

about six inches deep, and there leaves them, and by and by comes
from them a white or greyish-coloured grub, which feeds on the
roots of plants for years. It then goes still deeper into the earth,
and changes into a pupa or chrysalis, and at last makes its way out
of its subterranean abode a perfect cockchafer.

Another. species of beetle, with which we are all so well
acquainted, is the little lady-bird, or cow-bird, as it is called in some
counties of England. There are several kinds which frequent our
gardens. One with two black spots on its round and scarlet wing-
cases; another with five spots; while some are black spotted or
blotched with red. It is a useful insect in gardens, because it feeds
on the aphides, or plant-lice, which destroy so many vegetables.
The largest of all our English beetles is the stag-beetle, which very
rarely pays us a visit, but who has such stag-like horns standing out
from the front of its head,
that we are sure to know its
name. The burying-beetle
=> is, perhaps, the most curious
of its race in its habits. It
not only lives on the flesh of
dead animals, but after it has
feasted on them, the female
lays her eggs in the same
body, in order that the grubs
which come from them may
have the flesh of the creature

epost (eel a Ls ing eet Bp also for their food. To secure

this the beetles bury the dead

body of the bird or mole which they have found, before they begin

their feast. First they dig around it a sort of trench, and then

gradually hollowing out the earth beneath if, pull the body down.

While the little sextons are invisible, the body may be seen gra-
dually sinking down into its grave.

Very nearly related to beetles is the earwig, which has also its
two sets of wings, with the gauzy pair folded up like fans under the
sheath-wings. The grub and chrysalis of the earwig is very like
the perfect insect, only without wings and wing-cases. It has very
strong horny mandibles or jaws, and we know well the curious pair
of pincers it carries about at the end of his body, as if for defence.
If we want to find a number of earwigs, we must look for them in
some moist place, such as under a large stone or some decayed straw,
‘and yet, while it will live on animal food, it will eat the leaves and
petals of flowers.

Any injury, however, which earwigs do in a garden is made
amends for by their eating in their turn many mischievous insects.
It has been a very mistaken notion that earwigs were apt to get
into people’s ears, and the notion has perhaps originated from the
name of the creature, and not the name from the practice of so
doing. The word earwig comes, in fact, from ear, and the Saxon
word weiga, a worm. In German it is called Ohrwurm; and both
names have probably come from the shape of its beautiful gauzy

on en?

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 313

wings, which are just the form of the human ear. Perhaps, too, the
notion has also been preserved, from the habit which these little
creatures have of creeping into holes during the day-time to hide
from the light; at all events, they seem to be always suspected of
doing harm which never happens, and do not deserve to have gained
such a bad reputation, since they show great affection for their
offspring, and take the most tender care of them, the female earwig
sitting on her eggs to hatch them, and then gathering the grubs
under her body to protect them, just as a hen does her chickens.

(To be continued.)

ON THE CULTURE OF THE HYACINTH.

= ETE hyacinth belongs to the sixth class of Linneus, and
natural order Asphodelea. Some of the species which
formerly belonged to it are now assigned to other .
genera; and though eight or nine still belong to it, al-
most the whole interest of the genus is concentrated in
the oriental species—H. orientalis. This has long been one of the
most esteemed of florists’ flowers ; and it now comprises a vast mul-
titude of very beautiful varieties. It is originally from the Levant,
but has been brought to its present improved state in the Low
Countries. Double hyacinths are now the most highly prized,
though formerly these were as little sought after as double tulips
are now; the beauty of the flower being then regarded as consisting
in the regularity of the shape and disposition of the blossoms, and
the richness of the colour. It derives its name from the annals of
mythology. Hyacinthus is said to have been the son of Amyclas
and Diomede; he was greatly beloved by Apollo and Zephyrus, to
the former of whom his education was entrusted. Zephyrus, jealous
of the affection evinced by Hyacinthus for Apollo, and incensed at
the coldness and indifference manifested towards himself, determined
upon revenge. As Apollo once played at quoits with his pupil,
Zephyrus blew the quoit upon the head of Hyacinthus, who was
killed with the blow. Apollo was so disconsolate at the death of
his favourite, that he changed his blood into the beautiful flower
which bears his name, and placed his body among the constellations.
Sexzcrions or Butss.—As an important element of success, an
early selection of bulbs is recommended. This, in most cases, will
ensure to the purchaser larger quantities from which to choose, and
jimer bulbs may be obtained. They will also be found in much better
condition than later in the season; for they are not unfrequently
bruised by the incautious handling of persons whom the seedsmen,
perhaps, finds it difficult to restrain. Should any delay occur in
procuring them, they will have started into growth; for the hyacinth
“Iknoweth its times and seasons,” and when nature bids its starry
clusters appear it immediately puts forth its roots, seeking for
nourishment, and uses every effort to mature its parts. If the food
it seeks be withheld, it will draw from sources within itself the
October.

\

314 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

nourishment with which nature has supplied it; but, like many
other unassisted efforts it fails to mature its parts, and perfection is
not attained. Let, therefore, the bulbs be chcsen before they begin to
grow. Some will select those which have started, feeling assured of
their being alive from the growth already made; but, if a good,
sound, heavy bulb, of average size and free from bruises, be obtained,
the result need not be feared: TFirst-rate varieties are now so
numerous, that it would be almost hopeless to attempt to frame a
select list. As a proof of this, it may be mentioned that more than
2,000 sorts are in cultivation at the present day. Let an intelligent
seedsman guide your choice, due regard being had to those which
have proved themselves favourites in seasons past.

Breinyine to Grow tHe Buiss.—The best time for starting
them into growth is the middle of October, but a much later period
will ensure fine blooms.

Wuart sort or Botrrrs to CxHoosr.—The following remarks
appear in McIntosh’s “ Flower Garden’’: “As roots shun the light
with as much instinctive care as stems and leaves court it, the sort
ot bottles best suited for growing hyacinths in water are those of
the darkest colours, such as blue and green. Black or opaque would
be preferable.”

Mawacement or Butes.—Having filled the bottles with clean
rain water, introduce the bulbs; but do not let’ them touch the
water by half an inch. Place them in a dark closet or cellar, in
order that the roots may grow jirst, for reasons before alluded to.
The flower starts from the heart of the bulb so soon asit can escape
from the leaves which enclose it, when it requires and must have
nourishment. If it has but few and short roots, the flower will be
poor and dwarfy in consequence. When the roots are of sufficient
length—say four or five inches—remove the bottles to a situation
where the bulbs will have light, but not too bright at first, and in a
week or so place them near the glass in a greenhouse, or in a sitting-
room window.

Tn each case be careful to avoid too great a change of tempera-
ture, which should be but little higher than that of the place from
whence you remove the bottle. Let the plants have air on all con-
venient occasions, or they will grow tall, pale, and weakly.

A variety of methods for giving vigour to the plants, and bright-
ening the colours of the flowers, have been resorted to—such, for
example, as adding to the water a few lumps of charcoal, a little
nitrate of soda, or a small portion of saltpetre; but the following has
been found to answer well: dissolve half an ounce of guano with s0
much chloride of lime as would equal the size of a large pea, in a
quart of rain water. Let this mixture stand for a day or two to
become clear. Pour about two teaspoonfuls into the bottle twice a
week, after the flower appears well out of the bulb.

Cuanerne tux Warer.—It has been ascertained that the
hyacinth discharges an excrementitious matter from its roots. Such
being the case, the water becomes poisonous, and requires: changing
every two or three weeks. Let the fresh supply be of the same tem-
perature as that in which the bulb has been growing, for remember

4 tgs al

ee

THE FLORAL WGRLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 315

the heat of the room or greenhouse has taken off the “ chill.” The
flowers will receive a check if you do not attend to this, Such
plants as appear to grow too rapidly should be removed to a little
cooler situation—say from the sitting-room to the parlour, or any
such place, according to convenience. On the other hand, such as
appear too stunted should be removed for a short time to a little
warmer situation—on a chimney-piece, for instance, in the sitting-
room; but not for too long a period, or they will be weak and
pale, as before stated. Observation is the best guide in all these
matters.

APppbIcation OF THE Support.—The support may be fixed in
the bottle previous to placing the bulb in it, or when the flower has
grown six or seven inches high. Place the lower, or springing
circle, round the stem and leaves; then raise the bulb a little from
the bottle and pass the wire over it; fix the spring in its place by
compressing it with your forefinger and thumb; then place your
right hand round the back of the upright rod ; with your finger and
thumb spring open the sliding wire sufficiently to admit the flower
stem, at the sane time holding the whole of the leaves in the left
hand ; raise the sliding wire as high as the flower will admit, and
place one by one the leaves within it, first having decided where the
rod should be placed, that the leaves may be arranged uniformly.
Open the small wire and place it immediately under the flower;
then close it again; raise or lower the wire encircling the leaves
according to taste.

When the plants receive the light from one side only, turn them
round often, or the flowers will incline towards it.

Keep the bottles filled with water, observing the temperature, as
before directed.

Tf the hyacinths are grown in pots; on the open ground, select
the finest flowers, and remove them in bottles. Im doing this turn
them out of the pots, and place them in a tub of water, not too cold,
for a few minutes ; the soil may then be easily removed, without in-
jury to the flowers. Wash the roots clean, and place them, as before
directed, in the bottles. The improved appearance will well repay
the trouble.

TREATMENT AFTER FLownrine.— Many bulbs are rendered
utterly worthiess by careless treatment after they have done bloom-
ing; whereas, fine blooms, if not equal to the first season, may be
re\ied upon, if treated in the following manner :—

The moment the flowers begin to decay, remove them from the
glasses, and plant them in good rich compost, consisting of three parts
of good decayed turf, and one each of well rotted cow-dung and sand.*
Let the flowers and leaves die off before taking up the bulbs; and do
not on any account cut them off when green, as this greatly im-
poverishes the bulb.

* This is the plan pursued by the Dutch growers, who in making their com-
post, prefer the softer leaves of elm, lime and birch, and reject those of oak,
chestnut, walnut, beech, plane, &c., which do not decay so quickly.

October.

316 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

THE ART OF BREWING.

sae HE preparation of beer is one of the most important
Hf, processes of domestic economy, and, if conducted upon
scientific principles, is productive of a beverage which,
moderately used, is, perhaps, as salubrious to the
generality of persons, as anything can be that possesses
intoxicating qualities. We shall not hamper our subject with
technicalities or difficulties, but simply define brewing as the art of
extracting a saccharine and mucilaginous fluid from the malt of
barley, and of combining it with the bitter principle of the hop only ;
and by fermentation, reducing these combined principles to a fluid,
holding the flavouring extractive matters of the two substances
employed, in union with a greater or less proportion of an alcoholic
spirit, according to the bulk and quality of the malt employed.

Beers are said to be prepared from various other saccharine
substances, and to be rendered properly bitter by other matters
than the hop. We reject all such assertions as vague, and tending
to produce disgust and disappointment. It is readily admitted
that fluids, possessing vinous or alcoholic properties, may be pre-
pared from the matters alluded to; but having tested the products
of some of them, and heard the opinions of other persons oa the
subject, we are induced, after the experience of above thirty years,
wherein we have practised and overlooked the art of brewing, to say
that good English beer and ale can be procured from the best
malt and hops only, and from no other substances whatsoever.

Brewing, to be successfully practised, must be more or less
understood in its principles; that is the science of the art, and
it is described in a very excellent work upon general subjects which
we have seen, as comprehending “‘a knowledge of the properties of
the substances employed, and the principles of fermentation, together
with a constant attention to the temperature and specific gravity
of the wort,” so as to secure “an uniformly suvcessful production
of good beer, combining, as it ought to do, the requisites of clear-
ness, soundness, and of that full measure of strength and flavour
which can be derived from the materials employed. Without this
knowledge as a guide, the success of the process will be, at the best,
but uncertain, because changes in the temperature of the air, varia-
tions of the weather,or atmospheric pressure, may render modifications
necessary, of which no judgment can be formed by positive rule.”

The admission contained in the last line of the quotation com-
prises the pith and marrow of the whole; for, while it is added
that the knowledge of the principles required is most desirable,
it is placed beyond all doubt, by experience, that brewing .and its
results are mysterious processes, more or less removed from the art
and power of man. :

Those mighty electrical mutatious which govern the direction
and operations of wind, and induce the formation and dispersion
of atmospheric vapours and masses of clouds, constitute the primum
mobile of the process of fermentation—a process upon which the
quality and maturity of the liquor produced wholly depends. A

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 317

brewer can ascertain the quality of his malt and hops, apportion the
quantities, add or diminish heat, and supply the barm or ferment;
but there he must stop, for unless the natural agents come to his
assistance, he is more or less embarrassed.

Brewing, particularly that of private families, where but small
batches (gyles, as they are termed), are required—must be subject
to mutations, and he is fortunate who, out of three barrels brewed
at one time, and in the same vessels, shall have two turn out of a
precisely similar quality.

We mention these circumstances, that any one who commences
brewing may not feel disheartened if he be not uniformly successful.
And while upon the subject of atmospheric influence (and to avoid
recurring to it), we shall say that October and February are the
two best seasons of the year. The former premises a duly abated
heat—that is, a temperature of about fifty or fifty-five degrees, as
the medium, and it secures the mellowing influence of the whole
winter, wherein the slow, progressive fermentation in the barrel is
perfected without serious interruption. February is a moist month,
generally ; and, whenever rain approaches or falls, with the wind
at the south-west, and rather lively, (the frequent concomitant
of the month), fermentation is always most energetic.

Hence, though the winter be passed, February is propitious,
and speedily effects those processes which perfect the beer. The
cold, dry, north-easterly winds of March supervene, and protract
the final mellowing of the beer, whereas, if the brewing be deferred
till March, the weather, in ordinary cases, is inimical to the first
great fermentation; and the secondary fermentation in the barrel is
carried on too rapidly by the atmospheric influences of April, and
the sudden accessions of heat. The result is, a hard and acescent
fluid, very remote in its qualities from the mild, bland ale of October.
The people of Staffordshire, and the adjoining north-west countrie
where some of the best beers in the kingdom are brewed, used to
observe that March brewings were always beerish, by which term
they meant to express the hard flavour which ale of a great age
acquires, after having lost its sweetness.

Having thus far noticed the first principles of the art, we must
regret that our limits do not permit us to describe minutely the
apparatus to be used. We therefore recommend that the reader
who is anxious to trace every step of the process, should peruse the
Treatise on Brewing, of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge. Sixpence must be well laid out if but a valuable hint
concerning the construction of the copper, furnace, mash-tubs,
coolers, casks, funnels, sieves, etc,, be obtained.

All these must be possessed by every one who means to brew
even ten gallons of beer, and they would take ten pages to do them
ample justice. However, there is one species of vessel which we
deem it a duty to dwell upon, and this we shall allude to, after we
have said a few words upon malt and malting, and hops.

To avoid prolixity, we presume, however, that our readers are
possessed of a copper capable of boiling fourteen gallons; of three
cooling vessels, at the least, each of which will contain seven

October.

e . THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE,

gallons when the liquor in them shall not exceed five inches in
depth; of another tub or cask large enough to receive the cooled
worts (ale and beer); and casks of six gallons each. We.do not
mention a larger size, because, if the brewing be small, they imply
a limited consumption, and nothing injures beer so much as long
exposure to frequent admissions of air. Four or five six-gallons of
mild ale, and six gallons of table-beer are intended to be brewed,
and these quantities we will select as the basis of our directions.

Malt, to be good, ought to be crisp, tender, and full of flavour
throughout; if, with these properties, the grain be plump, and
sweet to the taste, from point to point, it is excellent.

Hops are a staple product of Kent, Surrey, and Worcestershire.
For porter-brewing, the intense bitter of the Kené is, it appears,
peculiarly suitable. Surrey, or Farnham hops, are of a clear,
bright, greenish yellow, and full of fragrance—they are excellent ;
but the Worcester hops are the best for the domestic brewer—
mild, and full of exquisite flavour, they suit the delicate quality of
table ale; and the specimens of that brewed in Worcestershire,
Shropshire, and Staffordshire, prove the assertion to be correct.
Hops ought to abound in “ condition ’’—that is, in a yellow powder
about the seeds, which yields a sticky feeling or clamminess to the
hands when the hops are rubbed smartly. The malt being chosen,
the brewer should decide upon the quality of the ale he intends to
make, also that of the table-beer. It should always be remembered
that beer, however weak, is superior in quality if it contains ail the
properties of the malt, and be, therefore, brewed expressly. It is,
however, a point of economy to prepare a small quantity of beer
from the grains after the ale-wort has run oif; but the weak wort
so obtained cannot be supposed to be so good as if the same
quantity were made from a given measure of malt, none of the
strength and fine flavour of which had been extracted by a previous
washing for ale. Another consideration of moment is this—that if
one bushel of malt yield, to a certain quantity of water, a wort of
any required strength, five or sia bushels will yield to a corresponding
quantity of water a wort of greater comparative strength ; because,
the greater the bulk of the materials employed, the more certain
and profitable will be the results, in consequence of the equability
and steadiness of the heat employed.

The saccharine matter and mucilage of malt are yielded only to
water at.a certaintemperature. A thermometer, therefore, must be
employed. The heat mentioned by most writers is comprised
between 170° and 1802 of the instrument. Now, we are willing to
admit that if malt be imperfectly prepared, and, therefore, partake
of the quality of barley toa certain extent, a heat exceeding 180°
will render the mass pasty (or “set” the malt) ; it will also do the
same if the malt be highly dried and brown, as that for porter; but
if the process of malting Lave been perfected, and the article
chosen be either that termed pale, or “amber’’ malt (which two
sorts are alone proper for ale brewing), boiling water may be used
for the mashing. Of this we have had ample and most satisfactory
proof. The best ale we ever saw or tasted—and that not once or

:

‘319

= F

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.
twice, but during a period of eight or nine years—was brewed in
Staffordshire, by a near relative, the celebrated Mr. Wedgwood, of
Ktruria. The malt was purchased at Newcastle-under-Line, the
hops were those of Worcestershire ; three quarters of a pound of the
latter were always allowed to every bushel of the former; and the
brewing we witnessed—MS. notes of which are now before us—
was upon the scale of six bushels of malt to four pounds and a half
# hops, to yield forty-four gallons of ale, and perhaps twelve gallons
of beer.

(To be continued.)

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR OCTOBER.

THE FLOWER GARDEN,

@y\HE that chrysanthemums are securely staked; train out the plants in
pots, and make them neat and tidy for blooming, and give plenty of
water and liqnid manure. Where required to take the place of
bedding plants, get them into their places without delay, and lift care-
fully with good balls. Plant hyacinths, tulips, crocuses, scillas, crown
imperials, liliums, gladioli, narcissi, jonquils, daffodils, and snow-drops. Part
and plant out perennials in the borders, get auriculas and carnations under glass
for the winter, but give plenty of air. This is a good time to plant American
shrubs of all kinds. Remove decaying leaves ; keep walks and lawns tidy.

RITCHEN GARDEN.

Make a general clearance of the ground wherever there are vacant spaces, and
ridge up all plots not to be planted on during winter. Get a waste corner clear
for heaping up manures and composts, where they can be turned over during
frosts, and, if convenient, empty the muck-pit, and cover the rotted stuff with a
layer of soil to throw off rain; the whole to be turned two or three times before
using it in spring. Plant out the August sown cabbage ; leave the weakest in
the seed-bed for future planting. Plant out lettuce ina warm situation ; take up
potatoes, carrots, beets, and parsnips; earth up celery. Use the fork, spade,
and hoe as much as possible to keep all plots clean, and destroy the large crops
of weeds that the autumn rains will bring up. Lay cabbages and broccolis that
are forward with their heads to the north; fork over asparagus beds, and mulch
the crowns with rotten dung. Get cauliflower plants under hand-glasses, and pot
a few to keep in frames.

FRUIT GARDEN,

New plantation of gooseberries, currants, and raspberry bushes, may be made
towards the end of the month. Get the ground ready for fruit-trees that are to
be planted next month, Jet it be well drained and deeply trenched, but, unless
the soil is poor and exhausted, use no manure whatever ; pure loam is preferable
to an enriched soil, for all trees intended to bear early and live long.

GREENHOUSE AND STOVE.

Fire-heat must be cautiously used in the greenhouse, so as not to push
things too fast. Remove the shading, give plenty of air, aud whenever green-fly
or thrips appear, resort to effectual methods at once, and much future annoyance
will be saved. Plants that are to bloom during the winter should have the best
place as to warmth ; andif fires become necessary, let them be got up brisk, so
as to dry the house, and allow at the same time of a current of air. Reduce the
heat among pines, so as to keep them growing slowly. Bo careful not to push
pines into too rapid a growth, Keep the air very dry where grapes are hanging.
Bottom-heat for pines, 85°.

a THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

BEppin@ Puants in Winter.—Z. D., Hackney—You need not quite
despair if you have no better place than a shed to winter geraniums, fuchsias,
etc. Severe weather will kill such things, but while the frosts last the plants
may be buried in darkness for a fortnight at a time by means of mats, or even a
temporary thatch of straw or turf, to be removed at the first break of the weather.
The drenching rains of October and November ruin tender plants exposed to it
more than a slight frost, and indeed render them unable to bear a little freezing.
If got under cover before the heavy rains set in, protection from severe and
long-continued frosts is all that is necessary. Try and arrange so that some light
enters the shed, and should you not be able to afford one of the new portable
greenhouse paraflin lamps, see that the shed shuts up close, and try a large stone
bottle holding from four to six gallons, painted outside with lamp black and size,
and fill it every night and morning with boiling water during frosty weather.
Should we not have a very severe winter, we think it might suftice, especially if
assisted with a few mats on the outside of the shed.

AMARYLLIS.—Rose, Croydon.—The amaryllis requires good greenhouse treat-
ment ; and we suspect that why you have failed in obtaining bloom is that
you have not fed them well enough while growing A good mixture for the
amaryllis may be made of turfy loam, old manure, and a liberal mixture of sand.
Give them good greenhouse temperature ; and after they have made their growth
keep them dry and warm for eight or ten weeks, and do not repot them until
they begin to grow again.

SHRUBS UNDER TrErs.—Ignoramus.—The common tree-box, Aucuba japonica,
comm~n ever-green Euonymus, common privet, phillyrea, ivy, and periwinkle,
are some of the best for such a situation. The following also might sueceed—
Taxus canadensis, Taxus adpressa; common holly, variegated holly, American
Arbor- ita, Ligustrum japonicum, Ligustram lucidum sempervirens, Skimmia
japonica, hybrid rhododendrons, Berberis japonicum, B. fasvicularis hybrida,
B. aquifolium, and variegated box. The rhododendrons would require some

eat.
, AGAPANTHUS UMBELLATUS.—H.S., Hove.—This should now he shaken out
and repotted in mellow, sandy loam, and be set aside in a warm corner out-of-
doors, and be moderately watered until there is reasonable fear of frost, and then
it should be transferred to the cold pit for the winter. After the middle of
April it may be set out-of-doors in a sheltered place, and during May, June, and
July should be treated as a half aquatic, and stand always in a pan of water.
' Many amateurs spoil this plant by giving insufficient water. The more open air
it has, without being touched by frost, the better.

Scatz.—W. C. K.— When ecale gains the ascendency in the stove, it is almost
impossible to eradicate it. With hard-wooded plants the first thing to be done
is to brush the stems and branches with a hard brush. Another step in the
process will be to brush the stems of all plants likely to bear the application with
spirits of turpentine, which muat be brushed into all the crevices of the bark
where the scale insect usually broods over its eggs. Plants of delicate structure,
such as ferns, which cannot be brushed, must be shut up close in a box, with a
vessel of boiling water, over which is placed a saucer full of turpentine. The
heat will cause the vapour of the turpentine to rise amongst the plants, and the
scale will be destroyed. These remedies are to be repeated ; however effectual
or otherwise they may prove at first, as one operation should never be trusted in
for the eradication of vermin. ‘There is another plun, and that is the use of sweet
oil, which is very effective, but it makes the plants look very miserable for a
time, and every leaf it touches will perish. But it does no harm to the bark of
trees and shrubs, and we once saw a very fine collection of succulents treated with
oil throughout, which cleansed them of scale completely, and the plants the next
season made a very vigorous growth, though immediately after the application of
the oil they had a very sorry appearance. It may be as well to add, that insects
breathe through apertures in various parts of the body, and oil closes these, and
causes their death by suffocation. No insect will survive being thoroughly covered
with oil.

al

*

ORCHIS FOLIOSA

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 321

ORCHIS FOLIOSA.

sae flowers of most of the orchids are remarkable for

their grotesque forms, some resembling the heads and
bodies of animals, as the Bee Orchis, the Fly Orchis,
ete. The species Orchis foliosa is a native of woods
and copses in Madeira, and was introduced into this
country in 1829. It is a species peculiar to the island of Madeira,
where it is found in the rocky banks of Ribeiro Frio, amongst grass
and bushes of Spartiwm candicans, at an elevation upon the hills of
three thousand feet, and where it sometimes grows to a considerable
size, the Rey. R. T. Lowe (formerly for twenty years British chaplain
in Madeira) having gathered one native specimen which measured
two feet seven inches in height. The plant is very much like one of
our native species (O. latifolia) from which, however, it differs in
being larger in all its parts, in having a distinctly three-lobed flat
lip, instead of a lozenge-shaped convex one, a shorter and more
slender spur, and a taller stem. In this country the plant produces
its fine spikes of purple flowers, sometimes three inches broad, in
May ; and it succeeds extremely well, either in well-drained pots or
a turf pit, in a soil composed of the turfy portions of heath mould
with a mixture of moss and sand, or in one of rich moist peat, loam,
andsand. Orchids are generally propagated by their bulbs or tubers,
as few of the species produce seed with any certainty. The bulbs
or tubers of most of the species are of a peculiar structure and
economy. An orchis, on being taken out of the ground, is found
with two solid masses, ovate or fasciculated (arranged in bundles or
parcels) at the base of the stem, above which proceed the thick
fleshy fibres which nourish the plant. One of these bulbs or tubers
is destined to be the successor of the other, and is plump and vigor-
ous, whilst the other, or decaying one, is always wrinkled and
withered. From the withered one has proceeded the existing stem,
and the plump one is an offset from the centre of which the stem of
the succeeding year is destined to proceed. By this means the
actual situation of the plant is changed about half-an-inch every
year ; and, as the offset is always produced from the side opposite
to the withered bulb or tuber, the plant travels always in one direc-
tion at that rate, and in a dozen years will have marched six inches
from where it formerly stood.

CHOROZEMA.

HIS is one of the most beautiful and interesting of the

New Holland genera, and the great part of the species

are well worth cultivating. The following short account

of the method of growing and flowering them is from

actual practice. First, as to propagation. This is

generally done by cuttings in spring, say the middle of April, and
November. 21

322 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

when young shoots have made wood. About an inch long, the
shoots intended for cuttings should be taken off with a sharp knife,
and with a small portion of the old wood attached, or what is gene-
rally termed a heel ; I take off as few leaves as possible.

The cuttings are inserted in pots half filled with potsherds ; over
these I place a little moss, to prevent the soil getting into the
drainage. I then fill the pots to within an inch and a half of the
rim with a mixture of peat and sand, taking care to use Reigate
sand, then fill it up with pure sand, and water with a fine-rose pot.
The cuttings are inserted about half-an-inch apart, leaving room for
a bell-glass to cover them. I water them slightly with a fine rose,
to settle the sand about them, and then plunge in a slight bottom-
heat; the glasses are wiped every morning at least, or twice a day if
they are damp, watering when it is required with a very fine-rose pot,
taking care to keep the sun off them, for if this is not attended to
the former labour is in vain. They will strike in a very short time,
and when well rooted into the peat they are potted off into thumb
pots, and shifted as often as they require it. The soil I prefer
for potting them in is two parts good turfy peat, one part decom-
posed cow-dung, and one of sand and charcoal (clean river sand I
prefer, if I can get it) ; these are well mixed together, but not sifted,
as I have a dislike to sifted soil for all pot plants—I use it as rough
as possible, for if the soil is open and porous the plants will thrive
better, growing strong and healthy; if, on the other hand, it is close,
they will never be scen in a healthy condition.

The flowering season of the Chorozema is from March to the end
of May. I prefer shifting them as soon as they are out of flower.
I give them large shifts, and plenty of drainage, using oyster shells
and charcoal for the purpose, and putting a little moss over the
charcoal.

When the potting is finished, I give the plants a good watering,
to soak the soil well through. I give the large-leaved specimens
plenty of weak manure water through the summer months. Great
care is requisite in the autumn and winter as regards watering, as
the plants are then in a state of repose, and if it is not judiciously
done the roots will rot, and the plants become sickly and die. The
plants should never be exposed in the open air, but kept in a house
or pit in the summer, shaded when the sun is powerful, as that is
injurious to the young shoots and foliage. The species belonging to
this genus are not very numerous, but all very beautiful, and well
worthy the greatest care that can be given to them. I will enumerate
a few which Iknow and can recommend ;—Chorozema Lawrenceiana, a
beautiful species when well grown, but seldom in good condition,
a hybrid of Mrs. Lawrence’s, of Ealing Park; C. variwm, a very
pretty species, the plant is a very robust grower, native of New
Holland, introduced in 1836; C. var. ilictfolium, this is aiso a pretty
species, nearly allied to the old cordate, the colour of the flower is
scarlet but small, native of New Holland, introduced in 1803;
CO. Dicksonii, this is a stiff-growing little species, forming a beautiful
plant and very distinct, colour scarlet and yellow, introduced 1836 ;
C. ovata, a lovely species when well grown, it makes a fine show

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 323

plant, being bushy, with large scarlet flowers, native of New Hol-
land, introduced in 1830; C. Henchmanii, one of the most beautiful
of the whole genus, when in bloom it is a mass of scarlet flowers if
well grown, but it is one of the most difficult plants in cultivation,
a native of New Holland, introduced in 1825; C. spartioides, this is
a splendid climbing species, the flowers are large and yellow, it is a
scarce plant, and very difficult to cultivate, but it is well worth a
trial, a native of New Holland, introduced in 1836; C. flava, this is
a lovely species, but difficult to cultivate as a handsome specimen,
but is well worth the greatest care, the flowers are yellow, as a free
bloomer ; C. angustifolia,a slender grower, but very distinct, and
deserves a place in every collection. These are the species I am
best acquainted with, and I can recommend them to the attention
of the cultivator.

ERICA HLEGANTISSIMA.

=2| DWARF shrub of close habit; the stems well covered

ig) with squarrosely spreading, rather pale green, linear,
obtuse leaves. It produces its flowers in clusters of
four up the lateral shoots, and the flowers are large and
showy. The inflated base of the tube is contracted
gradually upwards, and is of a deep purplish crimson; the white,
triangular teeth spread horizontally from the throat. The leaves
and sepals are ciliated with rather distant glandular hairs. It is said
to be a hybrid between Erica hiemalis and H#. Hartnelli (crinita,
Loddige’s Bot. Cab. 4432), the latter of which is supposed to be a
hybrid belonging to the Ampullaceous group of the section Ewryloma
(Don). As a winter bloomer, it is a valuable variety, and it blooms
freely. The generic name Erica, altered by Pliny from the eretke
of Theophrastus, is derived from the Greek eretko, to break in pieces,
on account (as some say) of the brittleness of their branches, or
(according to others) from the supposed virtues of some of the
species in breaking the stone in the bladder.

This very pretty addition to our stock of winter-blooming heaths
must be placed among the hard-wooded section, and is, like some of
its companions, of rather slow growth. Having originated in part
from ZF. hiemalis, a remarkably free-growing plant, in some measure
it takes after that species, and grows freely; but it is a very dis-
tinct and desirable variety.

Heaths delight in turfy peat soil, liberally intermixed with white
sand potsherds, or pieces of charcoal, broken small. Ifthe plants are
healthy and well rooted, give them a liberal shift, that is, from a
three-inch to a six-inch pot, taking especial care to drain the pot
properly; but if the plants are badly rooted, a smaller shift will
suffice, until you get them into free growth. Water carefully, with
soft water, especially after the plants are fresh potted; but, at the
same time, recollect that more heaths are destroyed by the want of
water than by receiving too much. Heaths are propagated by cut-
tings, formed of the tender tips of the young shoots, about an inch

November.

824 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

in length; these are carefully prepared to avoid bruising any part
of the stem, and are inserted in cutting pots prepared with a surface
of firmly pressed, pure, and moistened white sand ; after watering,
to settle the sand close about them, and allowing the moisture to
subside, they are covered with bell-glasses, the edges of which are
pressed a little into the surface of the sand, so as to completely
exclude ‘the air. They are then placed in a propagating house, or
in a spent hot-bed. The glasses should be wiped inside, if much
dampness accumulates. When they begin to root, which will
appear from the starting of the shoots, they must have a little air
daily, to harden them, previously to removing the bell-glasses
eutirely.

THE CULTURE OF LILIUM LANCIFOLIUM.

neumtaeia TTF} present is a suitable time to commence preparations
i aR for growing the varieties of Lilium lancifoliwm as orna=
mental pot plants, either for exhibition or for decorating
the conservatory. This class of Liliums is decidedly

the best for pot culture, not only on account of their
beauty and fragrance, but also from their habit of flowering late in
the summer. ‘They are, moreover, easily managed, and are, there-
fore, very suitable plants for amateur cultivators. Good, strong,
healthy bulbs, which have now become cheap, should be purchased
at once, and may be potted into the following compost :—Three
parts peat, each chopped very closely, and one part of good loam;
a good quantity of sand should be intermixed—the ciean, gritty
sand which builders use will do, but white sand is better. To pro-
duce a good display, two or three bulbs may be planted together in
a pot; six or eight stems forma gocd plant, and may be produced
by planting two or three of the double crown bulbs which are often
to be selected from among strong roots, and are more suitable for
pot culture than a number of single-eyed bulbs. No. 6 pots
(thirteen inches diameter) will do very well for two or three such
bulbs, which will furnish five, six, or more stems. The plants do
best on the one-shift system; the bulbs should, consequently, be
planted at once in the pots they are to flower in, taking care that
they are well drained. On the two or three inches of broken pot-
sherds, place some of the roughest of the soil, to keep the finer from
mixing with and choking the drainage; fill up the pots to within
three inches of the top, and then place the bulb or bulbs on the
surface of the soil, covering about one inch of soil over them. Do
not water them after potting, but place them in a cold frame or pit ;
oz beneath the greenhouse stage, if care is taken that they do not
get wet from the drippings of the piants above them. When they
commence growing, if under the greenhouse stage, remove them
mto a frame or pit ; and wherever they are placed, let them, under
favourable circumstances, have plenty of air, so as to keep them
stecky. Give thes a good watering im this stage of their growth,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 325

cand then let them remain without water for some considerable time;
they do not yet require frequent waterings.

Keep a watchful eye on them as they advance, that they do not
get infested with the green-fly, to which they are liable; and if any
of these troublesome insects appear, take the plants out of the frame
or pit, and give them, singly, a good syringing with tobacco-water,
holding the syringe over the central bud, that the tobacco-water may
penetrate among the bases of the young leaves, where they are apt
to suffer most from the attacks of the aphides. About two hours
afterwards they must be syringed again with clean water, to wash
the stain of the tobacco-water off them.

By the latter end of March, or early in April, if the season is a
favourable one, they will begin to grow vigorously ; they will then
require a greater quantity of water, and may be watered overhead,
or syringed every genial or mild morning. They must now also
have an abundant supply of fresh air. If they are in a frame, it
will be a good plan to raise it from the ground by putting a brick
under each corner, by which they will get plenty of bottom air ;
but the frame must be let down again if the weather should turn out
frosty, or a cutting north-east wind should prevail, as is sometimes
the case. About the latter end of May they will require turfing up;
that is, a square box of fibrous peat should be built up above the
pot rim, and pegged together so as to inclose the base of the stems.
This must be filled up with the same kind of compost as that in
which they were potted, only made finer and more sandy ; they will
root into this soil, which will assist them very much. The plants
must be tied up to the form required, and put into the greenhouse,
if the frame is not deep enough to hold them; they should be raised
up near to the glass, that they may not draw, which they are very
apt to do when growing freely. Continue the syringing every
morning when circumstances are favourable, as they are particularly
fond of a shower bath.

After they become pot-bound, which will be the case some time
in June, water regularly with soot-water, which gives them a very
healthy dark green colour. This soot-water is made by putting
three pecks of soot to eighteen gallons of water, which will be quite
strong enough; stir it well up together, and after it has settled skim
-off the top, and it is then fit for use. Continue watering with this
soot-water until they show signs of flowering. When the flower-
buds appear, they may either be kept back or hastened; the latter
by placing them into the stove, for they do not draw up after they
have reached this stage of their development, and will bear a very
high temperature if freely watered and syringed. Where there is,
say, a dozen plants, it is advisable to push on some of them in the
stove, and to keep the others in a cool, shady place, so as to make a
succession. After they have done flowering, turn them out of doors
and expose them fully to the sun, that they may ripen well. In
case of heavy rains, the pots should be turned on their sides, so as
to keep the bulbs somewhat dry, and, to the same end, diminish the
watering gradually, until they become quite dry. Then cut off the
stems, and store the pots away in some dry place out of doors until

November,

826 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

next season. In the following February they may be turned out of
the pots, the finest bulbs selected for pot cultivation, and the rest
planted out in a prepared reserve bed of soil in the garden. The
ey this bed should be about eighteen inches deep and rather
sandy.

Some of these bulbs, after a year’s growth, will be strong
enough to transplant for flowering into a bed in the flower garden,
when they will prove, for late flowering, one of the most attractive
of groups. The soil of the bed should be prepared for them after
proper drainage is secured. A similar compost to that recommended
for pot culture may be used, and plenty of rough material should be
mixed through the mass. The bulbs should be taken up every season,
for the purpose of removing the offsets, when they may be planted
again, and the stock be put into the nursery beds until they become

flowering bulbs. By following these rules, a sufficient quantity of

flowering bulbs may be obtained in three years to have a bed of each
sort. The best time for planting is the end of February or early in
March ; but it must be before the bulbs show signs of growth: In
arranging a mixed bed, the strongest bulbs of the varieties specioswm
and punctatum should occupy the centre; then the strongest of the
variety album ; next the second size speciosum and punctatum ; and
then the smaller bulbs of albwm, which is the dwarfest grower.

WATER SCENERY.

(Continued from page 296.)

}

paTte waterworks may be introduced in rustic scenes

: very appropriately, but to dispose rustic forms and pro-
= \}| portions with propriety and effect demands quite as
4 ASS much taste and judgment as the plan of a grand archi-

se tectural fountain. Ifa supply of water can be obtained
for a portion of the ground appropriated to ferns, rockeries, and
green recesses, it can be made much of, both for the greater display
of the sparkling stream and for assisting such of the plants as
require it, by leading it about in the form of a rivulet down a suc-
cession of cascades, terminating in a rocky pool at the outlet, and
this rocky pool may be made bewitchingly beautiful by planting it
with burr-reeds, flowering rushes, lady ferns, osmundas, arundos, and
other elegant aquatics. Happily, for the possessors of villa gardens,
there is no need to call in an architect or engineer for advice on any
waterworks of moderate pretensions, for the fitting of a fountain,
according to the laws of hydrostatics, is a matter within the capacity
of any respectable plumber, and the ornamental work may be ob--
tained in imperishable stoue, in any and every style, from the most
severely classical to the most grotesquely rustic, and sheets of
patterns may be obtained through the post by asking for them, and
supplying a stamp to frank them through.

‘
-
’

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 327

It may be well here to say, that fora fountain there must be a
reserve of water at a higher level than the fountain itself. In
towns this is easily accomplished by constructing a cistern in some
elevated part of the residence, and securing a supply to it from the
ordinary water-pipes. Then from the cistern there must be another
service to the fountain. If the house is far removed from the foun-
tain, it will be better to place the cistern on the summit of a tower,
shed, summer-house, or other structure, as the longer the supply-
pipe the more will the play of the fountain be lessened by friction ;
for though water will always rise in a pipe to the level of the point
of departure, it requires time to do so, and friction reduces the
rapidity of the flow, and hence the force with which a fountain will
play cannot be determined solely by the difference of altitude
between the jet and the cistern. If the supply-pipe is one hundred
yards in length, the height of the fountain will be reduced one foot
below what it would attain if the supply were close beside it. Sup-
pose that, according to the respective levels of the jet and the cistern,
a fountain ought to rise ten feet, we have only to remove the cistern
to a distance of one thousand yards to nullify the whole effect of
the descending force of the column of water, and, consequently,
destroy the jet altogether. To determine the adjutage is easy
enough by experiment with a leaden nozzle, which can be pressed
- or opened to the dimensions found to suit the circumstances, and
this course is absolutely necessary where the engineer has no ready
means of ascertaining the power of the head. As a rule, the
adjutage, or opening of the pipe, should be one-fourth the size of the
pipe itself, but every fountain should be supplied with a series of
adjutages to produce different forms of jets, as the force of the head
may vary, or as the caprice of the possessor may determine.

To increase the force of a fountain it may be placed at a com-
paratively low level, yet the lower the level the less is its dignity,
and it is generally much better to adapt the head to the level than
the level to the head, for a fountain constructed with taste is too
expensive and important an affair to be placed anywhere but in a
conspicuous position—that is, if it is to form any part of the garden
scenery. Once set the stream flowing, and it may be turned to
many uses after it has splashed and glistened in the form of feathers,
baskets, parabolas, and true-lover’s knots; the outflow may be
arrested at points where water is required for strictly horticultural
purposes, to save that everlasting fetch-and-carry which is the bane
of many an otherwise good garden, and after that the wilder parts
of the ground may have the benefit of a rill where water-cresses
would grow and the robins would wash themselves.

There is only one position proper for a pond in a garden, and
that is somewhat remote from the house, and on the lowest level of
the place, where it will naturally receive much of the rainfall. A
pond is a miniature lake; it must be in the natural style, no matter
what its size or shape, and hence costly architectural accessories are
not needed. In choosing a site for the pond, give preference, if
possible, to a position where two or more walks meet at the junction
of the dressed grounds with the wildest portions of the scenery. In

November,

328 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

marking out the boundary, throw the greatest extent right and left
of the principal approach to it or the principal view of it. Suppose,
for instance, that the walks lead from the terrace or dressed lawn
through a belt of evergreens towards the wilderness, at some point
in this progress the pond will appear in the scene; and on the side
next this approach it should be so extended as to show the greatest
possible extent ; and the whole of the planting of a nature to obstruct
the view should be on the margin most remote from this first and
principal view.

B

Fig. 1. Fig. 2.

Suppose our principal view is from a (Fig. 1), which we will
consider to be the site of an elevated part of the lawn, to which we
resort for a view of the country. If the pond extends its greatest
diameter from 8 to ©, the eye has the fullest range of its boundaries
—none of its extent is lost. But suppose the longest diameter
happens to be as in Fig. 2, then, however spacious the extent of
water, it is foreshortened to the eye, and appears smaller than it
really is. But to destroy the severe formality of right angles, the
general direction of the foreshore may be oblique to the line of
vision, without loss of space, provided the obliquity is not at a low
angle, and the form of the whole isirregular. This may be illustrated
by a sketch from a pond made by us, a few years since, in a garden
in a very pretty western suburb. Instead of a circle or a square, we
bent the pond round upon itself, so that the whole extent cannot be
viewed from any one point. The margin next the principal view
was left quite open, so as allow the whole of the surface of the water
to impress its character on the scene. The planting on the open
side was arranged so as to partly obstruct the view of the distant
village, which now appears as if set in a frame-work of leafiness.

It is needful that a few practical remarks should be made in
reference to the earth-work of a pond. When the site, size, and
shape of the pond have been determined, a dead level must be
marked on stakes placed at a few points of the boundary, and to this
level all work must be regulated, no matter what the intended depth,
or what the variations of that depth in different parts of the same
pond. We can illustrate the necessity for making a dead level by a
case that lately came under our observation. A landscape-gardener
marked out a place for a pond in a very pretty place he was engaged
in planting and decorating, and the superintendent of the works, a
man well experienced in every branch of horticultural industry,
trusted to guess-work instead of using a spirit-level in taking out
the stuff for the pond. The result was, that when the first heavy
rainfall came the pond filled, and was about one inch deep at one
end and five feet at the other. It had to be emptied, the outfall

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 329

pipe raised, the bottom lowered, and the whole of the banks lowered
from nothing at the deep end to five feet at the shallow end, which
you may be sure was a much severer task than first lowering it pro-
perly would have been. Suppose the workman makes an excavation,
if he is working to a dead level, and the result is the line 4B. Now

Cc

D
$n I AAD ar hha ee ad atin ei
A

let the water into the pond, and the result is the line cp. Under
some circumstances it would appear as if the water in this case lay
all aslant. This necessity for a dead level is a separate affair alto-
gether from the scenery of the banks; for the banks may rise into
knolls, steeps, mounds, or what else, with the greatest propriety,
and, in fact, it adds very much to the beauty of a sheet of water if
it is enclosed on one side by shelving banks and rising grounds ; but
these may all be considered in the first instance in relation to the
dead level, which the water will always present, and the excavation
for a pond must be conducted with a view to that dead level from
beginning to end.

Another matter calling for remark is, as to supply and waste.
if placed in the lower part of the grounds at the time the drainage
is effected, all the drains can be made to converge to one main,
which will convey the water to the pond. The outflow should be on
the opposite side, to convey the water to a lower level. The level of
the water will be determined by the position of 0, the outfall, and

s—
Ww —o

this will be determined by the highest point to which the supply, s,
can be carried, and this highest point must of necessity be the lowest
in the whole set of drains in communication with s. The larger the
pond the greater must be the difference between the level of the
supply, s, and the outfall, o. Ifthese approximate too closely to a
dead level, then the flow will be so sluggish that the water will soon
get foul. There is always one resource available for remedying
defects of level or supply, and that is, to raise or depress the outfall,
so as to quicken or slacken the flow of water towards it, and to
secure the possibility of altering the outfall at any time there should
be a quick fall from the outlet to the drains, brooks, and ditches
that are to receive the waste.

(To be continued.)

November.

330 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

WINTERING HALF-HARDY PLANTS.

een ANY persons fill up the spaces in gardens or shrubberies

4 #3| left purposely blank, or become so by the failure of
seeds, with geraniums, calceolarias, pelargoniums, ver-
benas, and other plants which thrive well in the open air
in all parts of the kingdom during summer, but will not
survive the winter except in the West of England. Many others
would adopt the same course, were it not that these plants, even
when of inferior quality, are dear to purchase, the good sorts being
far too expensive.

Most of the plants available for this purpose are easy of propa-
gation by cuttings of offsets, but the difficulty is to preserve them
over the winter, when no greenhouse or conservatory exists; for
keeping plants of any sort in rooms is unhealthy, besides that they
harbour dirt, and the practice is attended with inconvenience in
other respects.

For small gardens the pot culture insures a succession of plants
in flower through spring, summer, and autumn; those that become
exhausted being successively removed to make place for others.
But, as small gardens are generally attached to small houses, which
have no conservatories with stove-heat, the inconvenience of winter
keeping the plants deters numbers from adopting this course.

We are indebted to our very excellent contemporary, The Gar-
deners’ Chronicle, for the following instructions for winter storing
plants, which completely obviates the difficulty so generally com-
plained of on this point. By the exercise of a little ingenuity,
under the advice here given, sufficient stock may be preserved to
insure a succession of those beautiful flowers denominated half-
hardy. We are the more induced to borrow our contemporary’s
remarks because we have received several inquiries on this head,
and that instructions derived from such authority will command
more respect than any that we have the ability to produce :—

“Two principal conditions are required in the construction of a
winter house—first, dryness ; and second, exclusion of frost. If these
are fulfilled, other circumstances are comparatively unimportant ;
if they are neglected, plans the best constructed otherwise are
entirely valueless.

“The most perfect of all structures is a glazed brick pit, with
the walls built hollow, and the sashes protected by a movable
covering of thatch, or asphalte, or matting. The two former are
the best, because they are the driest ; the first is the best of all,
because it is the warmest. But such a structure will be worse than
the rudest substitute if it is not so completely elevated from the
surrounding ground as to be free from the damp that during winter
will necessarily rise upwards into it. The bottom in the inside
should be at least a foot or eighteen inches above the ground level,
or, if circumstances should render this impossible, a well-drained
dry-ditch cut round it will answer the same purpose. It ought,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 331

moreover, to face the north. If it faces the south, the air within is
apt to become heated by the sun, and thus the plants are stimulated
into temporary growth at unpropitious seasons.

‘“‘ The necessity for a winter-house being dry seems to arise out
of the nature of vegetation, which being entirely passive cannot
resist the influence of the surrounding media. If the air or soil is
damp, plants exposed to them must absorb that moisture ; but, from
the lowness of the temperature of a winter-house, their powers of
digestion and assimilation are torpid, and, therefore, the water they
receive, instead of becoming impregnated with their system, stag-
nates in their cells and cavities, where it becomes putrid; and as
soon as this takes place, the evil extends with rapidity, causing both
branches and stems to become rotten, for decay in plants is always
contagious, and will spread through all the parts with which it is
in contact until the renovated forces of vegetation restore the equi-
librium of chemical constituents, and thus arrest contagion.

“Tf the sides of such a pit are not hoilow, it will be necessary to
guard them by an external covering or lining ; and even if they are
hollow, it may be necessary to do so in very severe winters. It is
essential that the material to be thus employed should not be liable
to fermentation, and should be as dry as possible. Stable litter,
grass mowings, tan, decayed leaves, are all bad materials. Dry
straw, fern stems, or boughs of fir-trees, are good materials, and so
is a mound of earth, a foot or eighteen inches thick, sloped so as to
throw off rain. If fermenting materials are employed, they are sure
to raise the temperature of the pit, and thus to raise the powers of
vegetation, which it is essential to guard against.

“The plants which are to be preserved in such a pit should be
taken ont of the ground and potted in the dry weather of October,*
and they should be exposed for a day or two to the sun before they
are finally arranged within it; that is in order to render them as
dry as practicable before they are housed.

“ Supposing all the above-mentioned precautions to be taken, it
will only be necessary to open the sashes in dry weather for the
purpose of dissipating any further moisture that may collect; light
should, however, be admitted, where it can be done without exposing
the plants to frost or rain; but if they are quite torpid, as they
ought to be, they may remain shut up for weeks together.

“Such being the best kind of hybernatory, it will not be difticult
for a gardener to devise substitutes for it. He who has no glazed
pit with hollow walls, may easily make a winter-house with very
rude materials. The walls may be made of earth, provided they are
thick enough, and the roof may be of thatched hurdles, or, what is
better, of oiled linen stretched on a wooden frame and guarded by
thatch ; or the walls may be formed by two rows of hurdles, having
the interval between them stuffed with dry straw or fern. In such
buildings pelargoniums, verbenas, and all such half-hardy plants
required for the decoration of borders may be safely stowed away ;
and even Alpine plants, which are in a growing state during the

* The early part of this month will do, or any time before frost.

November,

332 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

winter, might probably be so preserved. It would, however, be
better to keep them apart, because they might suffer from too much
dryness.

“Let us not, however, be misunderstood in the sense in which
we use the word dryness. We do not mean that the soil of plants
in a hybernatory is to be as dry as dust, or like that of a sunny
hedge in the dog-days. We mean that it is not to be wet, or even
damp enough to engender mosses and green scum, or by its evapo-
ration to render the walls perceptibly moist. If the soil is dried up,
it will kill the plants enclosed in it; but no person can be a gar-
dener who will not now understand what we mean ; nor is the over-
drying the earth likely to occur when plants are exposed to the
ordinary atmosphere, even if enclosed in such pits as we have
described; for the soil, though originally too dry, will gradually
absorb the moisture of the atmosphere that acts upon it. Perhaps
it would be even possible to winter half-hardy plants by packing
them in a chest kept in a dry and frost-proof chamber, arranging
them layer upon layer, resting on crossbars so as not to touch each
other. If this was attempted, it would, however, be necessary that
no packing should be introduced between the pots, for it would
become mouldy, and that would destroy the plants. Nor could the
chest be preserved in a kitchen corner, as has been suggested, for
that would be too warm. The chamber to hold them should be
frost-proof, and no more. We cannot, however, recommend this
expedient, because, although plants might thus live through the
winter, they would probably perish on the approach of spring. At
that season, and long before the frosts are gone, it would be neces-
sary to expose them to light, and to give them water upon which to
feed, and frames of some sort would be required for that purpose.
Now if there is a frame of any sort in the gardener’s possession, he
may just as well fill it with plants during winter in the way pointed
out, as leave it empty and pack up his plants in boxes. Oiled linen
would do very well for sashes.

“As space is often a great object in a garden, where there is
seldom much room allotted to hybernatories, we may as well add
that, instead of taking up half-hardy plants, and attempting to pre-
serve them, it is better to leave them in the borders to their fate,
and to propagate pans full of cuttings of such things early enough
to be well rooted by theend of September. Cuttings thus prepared
may be inserted in their frames, and in this way thousands of plants
will only occupy the space of fifties.”’ ;

By the help of the above directions any person may contrive to
make a hybernatory of a size and of materials suited to cireum-
stances, and thus, without the necessity for stove-heat, preserve
sufficient varieties to fill up his borders in the summer with plants
of the choicest description. In small gardens the plants—particu-
larly calceolarias, ete.—should always be retained in the pots, and
plunged; this is the hest practice, even for extensive shrubberies,
for if the roots are allowed to ramble they do not flower so freely,

but run to wood and foliage, and will seldom survive repotting in
the winter.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 339

ROOT-PRUNING.

=e} is one of the most common of all things, to find trees of
a hv! every kind unproductive of flowers, although in a state
~#| of robust health; this excites surprise. But a rank
foliage and coarse shoots are not better’evidence that a
-— tree is in health, than a red face and corpulence in a
man; in both cases it shows that the individual eats and drinks too
much, and should commence an all-excellent remedy in both cases. In

lants there is no mode of obstructing the tendency in luxuriance
but by crippling the roots; for with the atmosphere and its action
on the vegetable system we cannot deal in the open air.

It does not inuch matter at what period of the winter this opera-
tion is performed, so that it takes place before the fall of the leaf,
and the swelling of the buds in spring; but itis better to perform
it before the end of November.

The roots should be cut through all round, and undermined in
proportion to the size of the head. A tree between eight and ten
feet high, may be cut to within three and a half or four feet of the
trunk ; but care should be taken not to approach much nearer ;
because, although the tree is not likely to be killed by the operation,
yet it may be so much stunted as to bear a too scanty foliage in the
succeeding season. But even if this is done, the tree will recover
by the following year.

No one who has neglected to observe the effect of this practice
can form an adequate idea of its importance if steadily persevered in
by removing it whenever the trees are becoming coarse wooded.
Dr. Lindley accounts for the effects by the following theorum :—
“ Tf the roots of a plant are large and numerous, the head must be
so too, for this plain reason, that the amount of fluid food received
by a plant is in proportion to the size and extent of its roots, and
that food must be expended in the formation of branches. There
ean be no interference with such a law as this. Suppose one tree
absorbs 20lbs. of fluid food, or sap, and the other 40lbs. by the
roots, all other circumstances being equal, it is evident that the one
will have twice as much organizable matter as the other; and as
such matter cannot be returned back into the soil, but is irresistibly
driven upwards by the force of vegetation, it can only be expended
in the organization of leaves and branches; consequently the leaves
and branches will be twice as large, or twice as numerous, in the
one case as in the other. Of course, the reverse of this is equally
true.”

By this reasoning, the correctness of which cannot be doubted,
it appears that we have at all times the option of limiting the
growth of a tree to any size desired; and it is by carrying root-
pruning to a great extent, that the Chinese produce the dwarf trees
which excite so much astonishment in Europe. But the process
may be adopted with advantage in many other cases besides fruit
trees, in creepers, for instance, which it is desired to confine within
a certain compass.

November,

334 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

WINDOW GARDENING.

BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 301.)
FILMY FERNS IN CASES AND UNDER BELL-GLASSES.

sas TIS is a class of ferns well deserving a chapter all to
themselves ; their delicate membranous texture and
love of shade and moisture requiring a mode of cultiva-
tion altogether different from the other kind of ferns.
—~ Their fronds when held up between the eye and the
light appear so delicately transparent that their simple internal
structure is revealed to the naked eye more clearly than in any
other kind. They cannot be cultivated in rooms unless in a close,
well-made case. The Warrington case I consider the most prefer-
able. It differs from the Wardian case in having the lower part
filled with water, combining a fern case and aquarium in one.
The presence of water in the lower part causes a steady moist
atmosphere which filmy ferns naturally delight in. It is
only in a case of this description that they feel at home. In
their natural haunts they love to creep among the dripping rocks
near a waterfall, where shade and constant moisture is kept up; so
unless you can contrive to keep up the same conditions of atmo-
sphere, there is little chance of your being successful in their culti-
vation. They are so thin and delicate, that a few minutes’ sunshine
or dry air causes them to shrivel up and die. Still a fair amount of
light must be allowed as long as the sun does not reach them.

I do not think there is anything in connection with window
gardening of such absorbing interest as the cultivation of these
beautiful ferns, and any one may well be proud if successful in
growing them as they should be grown, for they are extremely beau-
tiful and interesting.

A Warrington case being partly an aquarium, it is necessary to
raise above the water small rocks and islets of burrs or artificial
stone, having hollow crevices filled with soil in which the plants
may grow. Other suitable rests may rise from the bottom on which
to stand pots and earthenware baskets. Pots and baskets hanging
from the roof and earthenware baskets at the sides complete the
internal arrangement. But here let me impress upon you the abso-
lute necessity of haying ample drainage at the roots of your plants,
and always in good working order, to allow the water to percolate
freely away through the soil, for though filmy ferns require moisture
as a necessity of their lives, they cannot endure the evils of stagna-
tion. In fact, if the drainage at the roots is ample and good
they cannot suffer from excess of moisture. A dry atmosphere is
their death warrant; there is nothing that will hurt them sooner.
Used to the damp, dark crevices of rocks, where the sun never

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 335

shines and the drought of summer is never felt, they perish at once
in a dry atmosphere; and even if relieved in time to prevent their
death, they are robbed of their beauty for an entire season, their
beautiful membranous fronds shrivelling up as before the breath of
a furnace. Sunshine is nearly as disastrous in effect as drought, a
few minutes of a warm sun being sufficient to scorch them up.

In hot dry weather they should have several vapoury sprinklings
of tepid water during the day. In cloudy weather, when the circula-
tion of air is less active, one or two sprinklings will be sufficient.
Syringing should never be attempted in their case ; a light vapoury
sprinkling or dewing is the proper thing, and a small watering-pot
with a very fine rose will do it nicely.

The same soil as recommended for ferns in the previous paper
suits the filmy ferns well, but lumps of sandstone should be added,
as they love to cling with their roots around the stones. Some of
them prefer clinging moss-like to open porous blocks of sand-
stone, or lumps of charcoal, to growing in prepared soil. In potting
them in pots or planting them in earthenware baskets, never neglect
to give them plenty of drainage. One large crock over the drainage
hole and a handful above it, with some sand knobs added, and a .
largish lump of sandstone in the centre for the roots to cling to, will
be sufficient. It is avery good plan to cover the drainage with a
little moss before putting in the soil, which will prevent the water
from washing the soil down into the drainage and choking it up.

Under bell-glasses the filmy ferns thrive very wellif the same .
attention be paid to them as when in the fern case, for it acts on
the same principle. A large earthenware pan is the proper thing
to choose, with a bell-glass to suit. The ferns should be planted
out in the same soil as thatrecommend-
ed for case ferns, with several largish
lumps of open sandstone for them to
cling to, and to aid the drainage, which
must be ample and properly put in.
Before putting the soil into either pots
or pans examine it well, in case small
worms or other vermin may be lodging
in it. They cause much mischief if
allowed to remain.

Cases and bell-glasses require very
little ventilation. A small hole in the
knob of the bell-glass is sufficinet;
while for the case, if the top glass is
put loosely in, the small quantity of
air admitted through the crevices will
cause quite sufficient circulation.
_ Never give any air by the bottom of
the case or bell-glass, for air given that
way causes chilling draughts ; always
give air by the top when you do give it. Air need only be admitted
once a month, and watering may be done at the same time, which is
often enough. All you require to do is to take off the top of the

November. :

336 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

case, and during the time you are watering and wiping with a cloth
the inside of the case all round, sufficient air will have been admitted.
The water you use must be soft and of about 70 degrees of heat. A
very good way to water pots and pans with ferns is to immerse the
bottom in water for two or three seconds, and the water will then
ascend by capillary attraction through the entire ball of the plant,
and a more decided watering will thus have been secured. Some
advocate keeping filmy ferns entirely closed, but that idea is erro-
neous, especially in the management of the Warrington case. A
gentle circulation of air must always be provided for them, especially
when the temperature is low, owing to the great amount of moisture
in the atmosphere caused by the presence of water.

As the Warrington case is the very best structure for growing
the British and foreign filmy ferns, a choice list will enable my
readers to select the best for their purpose. The Hymenophyllums,
Trichomanes, and Todeas are the special favourites. Some of the
New Zealand and American kinds are very lovely, though they are
seldom seen in the hands of amateur cultivators, although the same
treatment required for the commoner kinds, such as Hymenophyllum
Tunbridgense and Trichomanes vradicans, will suit them very well.
Of the Hymenophyllums we have—

Hymenophylium Tunbridgense, choice British species found in the
neighbourhood of Tunbridge Wells; hence its name. It has a
matted tufty creeping growth, the fronds being from one to six inches

. long and of a dull brownish green.

Hymenophyllum unilateral, another British species, of a dense
tufted growth, the fronds averaging from two to four inches in height,
and brownish green in colour. These are the only wild British:
filmy ferns, and are always found together.

fA. caudiculatum, with large light green fronds.

H., chiloense, an exquisitely beautiful, small, densely tufted species, .
with yellowish-green fronds. ;

H. flexuosum ; this species is as like a Selaginella as a fern; it has
lovely crisped wavy fronds.

H. pulcherimum, a New Zealand species of a large and strikingly
handsome appearance; the fronds are elegantly divided ana of a
yellowish-green colour.

HINTS ON CULTIVATING HEART’S-HASE.

"HE beds for the spring crops are not made early in this.
month, it will be too late, and better to postpone the
matter until spring. The plants can, in the meantime, |
be kept in pots; and the intended ground, if well

; trenched, will have the benefit of the winter’s frost.
If the season continue mild, however, the plants may be placed in
their beds any time before the middle of October; for it must be.
borne in mind, that they can now be bought of growers stronger and.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 337

cheaper than in the spring, when the demand is general. By all
means select plants of first-rate character, if you indulge the in-
tention of producing new varieties; without this precaution you
will only be toiling in the rear of others, and fortunate if you effect
what they have accomplished three or four years ago. We have
before stated that neither cold nor frost will injure pansy plants ;
even the strikings which have not rooted, when left in the pots, will
survive the hardest frost if kept dry and sheltered from the cutting
easterly winds. The pansy is injured by wind at any season, but in
spring or winter it would he fatal; and when it occurs from a cold
quarter, some shelter should be afforded, either in the form of
screens, litter, or pots. Those who desire to produce new varieties,
having procured a sufficient number of plants of approved shape,
diversity as to colours, and good character for shrubby growth, may
class them according to fancy, and if no inferior plant is admitted
into the bed, every seedling that appears (and the best seeds are
often shed) may be preserved and pricked out as soon as it attains
four leaves. Or if the old plants are ieft to ripen, they can be eut
down about Midsummer, a plentiful crop of seed harvested, leaving
still sufficient to cover the ground, and then, by removing the
original plants, you will have a bed of seedlings, after thinning out
in spots where they are too thick; and this is the plan that many
growers pursued, being attended with little trouble, and producing
blooms the same year. We do not advise the use of manures in
the raw state. We have tried every sort, we believe, natural and
artificial, and experience proves that nothing surpasses leaf-mould,
well rotted, and mixed with a little garden loam and cow-dung, then
laid in a heap, turned over repeatedly, and sereened and riddled
before being laid on. A thin covering of this occasionally, when
the earth is stirred, will freshen the plants amazingly; but a good
airy situation is essential to surpassing excellence in the culture of
this or any other flower.

Cuttings taken from a mildewed or otherwise diseased plant,
will seldom strike roots, therefore it is a waste of time to attempt
to propagate under such circumstances. We are not aware that
any writer has given instructions for eradicating mildew—a great
omission on the part of those who have published on the subject ; for
the pansy is particularly liable to that disease, and it is so contagious
as to spread over a whole ground in a short time. We have an
impression that the use of raw dung induces the mildew, and also
the rot of the stem, and our application of bone-dust proved most
detrimental. Sulphur powdered liberally over the plant, is the only
cure we know of.

Cuttings may still be taken from vigorous plants that have a
superabundance of foliage. .They are best from the side, and those
that have not borne blossoms should be preferred. At this late
season they should undoubtedly be placed in pots, taking care to
press the earth firmly about the bottom of the stem, leaving no
void, or it will rot. The pots may be placed in a sheltered spot,
and in very cold weather oither covered over or removed to a frame

or out-house, giving them plenty of air at all times; they will root
November, 22

338 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

early in the spring, or before, if the weather is open, and make good
plants in the summer. Offsets may still be taken and placed in the
pesition they are intended to bloom, particularly if they have strong
roots; but, as we have repeatedly stated, they will not make such
fine plants, or produce such choice blossoms, as strikings.

THE FUCHSIA FROM SEED.

3HE object of most persons who cultivate plants of this
! kind from seeds, being a desire to obtain some new
variety of superior quality, more than that of increasing
the number, the greatest care should be observed in
selecting seeds from the best varieties as the surest
means of success. J*orm is one of the principal properties to be
studied ; if in the light class, choose those that are of the purest
white in the tube, and sepals stout, broad, and well reflexed, so
that the corolla, of whatever shade of colour it may be, is fully in
view, and well expanded. As the above properties are not at all
times to be found in one variety, assistance may be obtained from a
second or third kind, possessing in a greater degree that property
which may be deficient in the first selection. For instance, suppose
a flower to possess a remarkable fine tube and sepals, but is deficient
in the corolla, then select one that has a fine corolla, and from the
latter take the pollen, and apply it to the stigma of that which has -
the first-named two properties most perfect. When the seed is ripe
the berries should be gathered, break them between your fingers,
and wash out the puip; this done, spread the seed out thinly on
paper till dry, when it may be put away till the proper time of sow-
ing, which is in the beginning or middle of March. Sow in pots or
boxes, and as soon as they are an inch high, transplant them into
small pots, shifting them into larger as often as they may require
till they flower; but it may be observed the plants will flower in
sixty size pots, and where room is an object, they may be allowed
to remain until they show flower, and any that promise well be then
shifted and encouraged by more root room and good soil, which
should be composed of loam of a mellow quality for one half, and
equal portions of well-rotted horse-manure and leaf-mould forming
the other half; if the loam be too strong, add a little silver sand to
reduce it. The whole should be well mixed together before using.
Having remarked on the light class of fuchsias only, let it be under-
stood that the same practice will apply to the dark kinds ; which of the
two is to claim the palm, Iam ata loss to decide. Both beautiful,
both admirable, I can only say with the poet, ‘‘ Happy should I be
with either, were the other dear charmer away.”

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 339

THE MICROSCOPE AND THE FLOWER GARDEN.

4 HE flower garden is but too often valued merely as an
(j) ornamental adjunct to our dwellings ; sometimes for the
more obvious beauties of its individual treasures which
may delight the eye by the elegance of their ferms, the
brilliancy of their varied hues, or enchant the senses by
their delicious odours, or, it may be, for the healthful exercise
afforded by the different manual operations connected with garden-
ing; but in how few instances are the inhabitants of the parterre
regarded as so many sources of the highest moral and intellectual
gratification. Few persons are nowadays ignorant of the important
aid which the science of natural history has derived from the micro-
scope, and we desire, in the following brief and simple outline, to
point out how this instrument may be made available in the flower
garden, as a means of mental culture and of amassing a store of facts
of the most interesting character. The too general disregard of
this valuable auxiliary of modern science, seems chiefly attributable
to the generally received opinion that the microscope is not only an
expensive instrument, but that it demands much time, attention, and
nice manipulation. And if the compound microscope be employed,
these are certainly conditions which must be fulfilled; there is, how-
ever, but little necessity, except in very minute investigations, to
make use of the high magnifying powers with which we are thus
. furnished.

For all ordinary purposes, the well-known Stanhope lens, which
is one of the cheapest and most powerful single microscopes that has
yet been proposed, is sufficient, and it is to this simple instrument
that reference wili alone be made in the course of our observations.

Perhaps, before directing our attention to the more showy occu-
pants of the flower garden, we may be allowed to digress for a
moment, to examine a plant belonging to a very humble division of the
vegetable kingdom, viz., the Hepatic, or liverworts, this plant being
termed by botanists the Marchantia polymorpha. It grows abun-
dantly on damp rocks and walls, presenting the appearance of a
firm green-lobed crust or expansion, studded with little conical eleva-
tions, at the apex of each of which is an oval orifice, communicating
with a very curious breathing pore or stoma, the letter being formed
of five cellular rings, overlaying each other.

But the parts of the plant to which we would more particularly
direct the attention of the microscopic observer, are the little urns
er receptacles which arise from different points of its surface, and
the edges or brims of which are fringed with a row of transparent,
delicate teeth. These urns contain a number of minute, flat, and
almost circular bodies, which, viewed by the Stanhope lens, are very
beautiful objects. They are regarded by botanists as buds of
gemme, which, to use the language of Dr. Carpenter, “ separate
spontaneously from the parent structure, and develope themselves
into new beings; and as, when mature, they are liable to be washed
out by rain, and to be carried to different parts of the neighbouring

November,

340 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDIIN GUIDE.

surface, and as they grow rapidly whilst supplied with moisture, the
rapid extension of the plant, under such circumstances, is readily
accounted for.”

This plant is not, however, propagated solely by these disk-like
buds; it being, in common with the whole class of Cryptogamia, or
flowerless plants, to which it belongs, multiplied also by minute
seeds, or, properly speaking, spores, contained in cases arranged
radially, or like the spokes of a wheel around a central body, termed
the pelta, or shield, which is mounted on a long stalk. The curious
structures which are thus displayed by one of the most common of
the liverworts, and which, as we have intimated, may be easily
studied with the aid of any good single microscope, are well calcu-
lated to impress the mind with the philosophical truth embodied in
the seeming paradox of a French writer, “that if the Author of
Nature is great in great things, he is exceedingly great in little
ones.”

We would gladly linger among the Cryptogamic plants, and
point out, amongst other marvels, the minute and wonderful ana-
tomy of the reproductive organs of the fern-tribe, particularly of
that division of the class termed by botanists, annulate, and of which
the common Polypody (Polypodium vulgaris) may be taken as an
illustration. If we examine a leaf or frond of this plant, we sbalb
find that its back is studded with a number of round, green or
brown prominent spots, which are named by botanists, sori.

Each of these sori is composed of a vast number of minute cap-
sules or thecs, which arise from the surface of the leaf, by very

short and slender footstalks, each capsule being filled with spores, °

and furnished with an elastic ring or annulus, the office of which is,
by rupturing the capsule when it arrives at maturity, to scatter the
spores or seed-like grains in every direction. And it is an interest-
ing experiment to place a few of these, when nearly ripe, upon a
sheet of paper, exposed to the direct rays of the sun; and, as they
become dry, to watch them with the microscope, ejecting on alb
sides their innumerable germs. We cannot but admire this beauti-
ful application of a mechanical law to eifect the dispersion of the
sporules ; indeed, if such a provision had not been made, it is far
from improbable that many of the species would have long since
been extinct ; seeing that, if in an artificial propagation of ferns, by
sowing the spores, the latter be allowed to fall too thickly on any
spot, the young plants to which they give birth soon interfere with.
each other’s growth, or, in the language of gardeners, “ fog,” so
that under these circumstances but few arrive at maturity. How
simply then, and yet how wisely, has Nature guarded against such a.
contingency !

If from this digression we now turn to that division of the:
vegetable kingdom to the ilustration of which our paper is more
especially devoted, viz., the flowering plants, we shall find proofs.
equally interesting with those already adduced, of the most admir-
able contrivance and design.

Professing then to write only for those unacquainted with
botanical science, and the use of the microscope, we will select for,

——

_—

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 341

examination a plant belonging to the well-defined natural order or
tribe, the Composite, or compound flowers, of which the French
marigold (Tagetes patula) may be taken as a common and instruc-
tive example. It will be observed that within the dark green cup
which forms the exterior whorl (involucrwm) of the flower-head,
there are several florets having a broad yellow strap-shaped expan-
sion striped with brown, then constituting what are called the ray
of the flower-head. The little tube in which each terminates, en-
closes a slender forked body, the style, which is well seen with the
microscope, as are also the minute hairs (calyx) that encircle the
base of the tube. But the parts of the flower-head more particu-
larly to be noticed, are the florets which are within the ray, and
which are termed collectively the disk. Upon removing one of
these florets, we observe the two beautiful stigmas, or terminations
of a central column or style, this style being enclosed in a little
cylinder, which our microscope shows to be formed of five oblong
bodies or anthers, united together by their edges, and which contain
the fertilizing granules called pollen. The style arises from the
summit of an oblong capsule termed the ovary, in which, upon open-
ing it, we find a single ovule or young seed, and crowning the
rele are a few serrated hairs or scales resembling those of the ray
orets.

In many of the plants of the same order this appendage or
pappus is an extremely beautiful microscopie object. ‘That of the
dandelion is well known, and in the pretty Catananche cerulea it
will be found equally interesting. In the genus Valeriana, the
hairs composing the pappus are at first rolled inwards, but as the
seed ripens they expand and assist in wafting the fruit. The
common annual Kuulfussia amelloides nas the pappus of the ray
florets so divided as to present the appearance of a fringe. The
anthers of many planis are highly attractive, both from the varia-
tions of their forms, and the different modes in which they open to
allow the pollen to escape. In the Oleander the anther terminates
at its apex ina long feathery prolongation, and is divided at its
base into two lobes, which diverge so as to present an arrow-like
appearance. In Gaultheria procumbens, a North American shrub,
each of the pointed anther lobes is divided into two horns, the entire
anther thus having a four-forked aspect. Hrythrea aggregata, a
pretty little plant of the Gentian family, presents us with a curious
example of the twisted anther; in Commelina celestis, the three
barren stamens have a highly singular form, differing greatly from
the fertile ones; and in Rhowia, a North American genus of melasto-
maceous plants, one or two species of which are sometimes found in
English gardens, the anthers are bent in a very unusual manner,
-and have a small spur at their base.

In the genus T'upa, formerly included in Lobelia, the anthers are
densely hairy, and the filaments of a considerable number of plants,
among which we may mention Salpiglossis and Brythrolana con-
spicua, the scarlet Mexican thistle, are also more or less pubescent,
and present a beautiful appearance when viewed through the Stan-
nope lens. In the majority of cases the pollen is discharged by

November.

342 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

longitudinal openings, but in the Heath order, to which belong the
azaleas, rhododendrons, and ericas of gardens, the anthers open by
pores, generally situated at the apex.

In the barberry, each lobe opens by the valve, which rolls up:
from the base to the apex, while in some of the laurel tribe there
are two, each separating valves for each anther lobe, or four in all.
If frem the anthers themselves we pass to their contents, we shall
find ourselves transported to a fairyland peopled with objects of
the most elegant and interesting forms; and although the pollen
dust of some flowers is extremely minute, and requiresa high power
for examination, yet, with a gcod Stanhope lens, we shall be able to
advance a considerable distance into this enchanted region.

Among the more remarkable forms assumed by the pollen grains
we may mention those of the passicn- flower, ipomcea, sunflower, and
chickory. In the first-named plant the grains are nearly globular,
covered with an elegant network, and opening for several opercula,.
or lids, to allow the protrusion of the pollen tubes. In the sun-
flower, the grains are also spherical, but are studded with pine like
processes ; and in the chickory, the granules are polyhedral, having
as many as fourteen facets. In the phlox, the figure is triangular,
each angle being terminated by a bail, and in nearly every plant,
something remarkable will delight the eye of the beholder.

The central column or style and stigma of most plants will
amply repay the trouble of microscopic examination. What a
beautiful object it presents, for instance, in the well-known peri-
winkle, in the violet tribe, and in the common aster! In the last
named plant, the style is terminated by two processes or horns,
covered with hairs, the stigma itself being on the inner side of the
fork, where it may be easily seen by the aid of the lens. The aste-
roid section of the composite flowers, and indeed most of the plants
of the order, are remarkable for their long style, which projects far
above the anthers, and were it not for the collecting hairs, as they
are termed by botanists, by which its branches are crowned, and
which, during their development, carry up the pollen, and retain it
until the stigma is fit for its reception, it 1s difficult to imagine how
the young ovules could be fertilized. But in nature, every emer-
gency is provided for.

The nectary or honey-pore, situated at the base of the petal of
some plants, is a curious organ, which may be viewed to advantage
in the common fritillary, in the allied genus Cyclobothra, and also
in the beautiful Nemophilas, where the nectary assumes the form of a
fringed scale.

The hairs of plants equally claim observation, some being forked,
others toothed or branched, and a few are beaded, of which those at
the base of the stamens of the common spiderwort (Tvadescantia).
are an interesting example.

Although apparently very humble organs, hairs perform a most:
important office in the vegetable economy; the absorption of fluid
by the leaves being, in a great degree, effected by their agency ; and
they are further supposed to act as so many conducting points, upom
the electricity of the surrounding atmosphere.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 343

Few objects are more beautiful than the delicate spiral threads,
which are easily seen in the foot-stalks of most leaves by gently
breaking them across, and then carefully, and, to a slight extent,
separating the parts. The leaves of the pelargonium, strawberry,
vine, and asparagus, furnish interesting examples of this curious
structure.

‘ The spiral fibres are not always confined to the leaves and stem,
being sometimes found investing the seed, as in the genera Salvia
and Collomia. To view them with the microscope, it 1s only neces-
sary, to cut off a small piece of the outer coat of the seed, and to
place this in a drop of water on a bit of glass, when it will imme-
diately throw out vast numbers of these curious bodies in every
direction.

In concluding these brief and desultory microscopic illustrations,
designed only, we are anxious to observe, for the uninitiated reader,
we may be permitted to remind him that, in the vegetable as in the
animal kingdom, every structure, however minute or humble it may
appear, constitutes a link in the great chain of creation,

“All being parts of one stupendous whole,”

and that, in the formation and sustension of the minutest vegetable
atoms, the beneficence and power of the Great Creator are as fully
displayed, as in the wisdom that guides the planetary spheres.

INVADERS, VISITORS, AND SETTLERS IN OUR
GARDENS.

(Continued from page 313.)

7 MONG the different invaders of our gardens, there are
Hz) none, perhaps, whom we are so unwilling to have there
as settlers, as those near relations of bees—the wasps.
During the spring and early summer, we perhaps forget

; all about them, just at the very time when they are so
busy themselves in constructing their dwelling-places, and when too
they are really serviceable to us, as we shall presently see ; and it is
only when they seem to appear on the scene as the natural enemies
of the human race, that we begin to notice and dread the robbing and
plundering propensities, and the fierce vindictiveness of our garden
rifle-corps in its gaudy uniform of black and yellow.

Like the earwig, we after all give the wasp more credit for mis-
chief than he deserves. He carries, it is true, a most formidable
weapon—a sharp-pointed stiletto, which can be sent deep into our
flesh, and a bag of poison, of which a single drop poured into the
wound, can cause us hours, and even days, of pain and inconvenience.
But has the wasp really any bloodthirsty designs towards us, or any
natural desire to use his deadly weapons against us? Far from it.
A wasp, in fact, only attacks and wounds usin self-defence. He has
a natural desire, it is quite true, for the sweet juices of plums and
nectarines, and other luscious fruits, and once having taken posses-

November,

344 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

sion of the ripest he can find, if we should happen to want that
particular plum or nectarine, and disturb him in his feast, knocking
him roughly, perhaps, as we detach it from the branch—he treats us
as marauders and invaders of his rights, and stings us. He comes
in at our open windows, attracted perhaps by the scent of sugar on
our tables, and if we attempt to do battle with him as he flies about
in search of the sugar-basin, he will again sting us in self-defence.
Let us on such occasions remind ourselves that during the former
part of his life, before fruit was ripe or windows left open, the wasp
was feeding on just the kind of matter that we are glad to get rid of,
and that before his taste for sweets has come to him he has been
performing the office of scavenger, and feasting on putrid and im-
pure animal substances of all kinds; and should we like to exchange
the feeling of enmity too often nourished against him for one of
wonder and admiration at his powers and clever works, let us find
out all we can of his curious life and ways.

Like bees and ants, the wasps we are sure to find in our gardens,
live in communities, and have among them males, females, and
neuters or working wasps. Their nests, too, which contain something
like the combs of the bee-hives, are found in banks and hollew trees,
and such situations as are selected by wild bees for theirnests. The
cells of wasps prepared for the reception of the eggs, from which the
larvee or grubs are hatched, and in which they are carefully fed by
nursing wasps, and where they undergo the transtormation into
pupe before becoming perfect wasps—these small cradles for their
future population are formed, not of wax like the cells of bees, nor
of any substance at all resembling it, but of a sort of paper made of
fine sawdust. Just of such a substance as we manufacture of paper
and call papier-mache, or mashed paper, are formed the comb of wasps.
Instead of collecting materials from
flowers and digesting it into wax, as does
the bee, the wasp rasps off fine fibres of
wood from any paling, dead tree, or gate-
post that he can get at, and mixing it
with some gummy liquid, which his own
body supplies, makes a pulp, which he
spreads out into thin sheets of paper,
and first lining the walls of the round

wards with the same material forms the
cells, which like storeys of numerous
small apartments, fill up the nest.
; The lakour undergone by wasps in
iD ot Mes ee preparing their nests is even more won-
RGipt Shey ers derful than what is performed by bees
within the hives which we prepare for them, and it seems to com-
bine the mining and excavating power of the ant with the building
talent of the bee, since the first operation towards the foundation of
a wasp colony, is the hollowing out of a long horizontal tunnel in
some bank, with a large oval cave at the end, sufficiently capacious
to be fitted up afterwards with layers of the tiny cradles wanted for

LV

nest with many layers of these, after-

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 345

the future population. The long tunnel and the large cave have
both to be hollowed out with infinite labour by the gradual
removal of the soil in the form of minute pellets carried in the
wasp’s jaws or mandibles, and which the cautious little work-
people are careful to carry away to some distance from the mouth of
the tunnel, so as to prevent the situation of the secret passage being
detected, through an accumulation of earth near its entrance. Then
paper-making begins, and more wonderful industry and perseverance
in kneading and plastering, and when the walls of the large cave are
lined and tapestried with many layers of paper, there comes into
operation lastly the same constructing skill as that of the bee, in
forming the tiny six-sided cells, crowded together so as to take up
as little spece and material as possible; only that as each storey of
cells is placed across the nest horizontally and is separate from each
other storey, and not joined end to end, as in the combs of bees, the
cells are flat at the bottom, and there is no occasion for the three
sided pyramid at the end of each, which is seen in the cell of the bee.
The’ storeys in the wasps’ nest are, in fact, placed one above another,
as in our own dwelling, only that a space is left between each storey,
in order that the worker wasps may get to the young broods
in the cells—for the combs of wasps are never used for the
stering up honey in, as those of bees. A most curious con-
trivance is adopted by the wasps, in order to secure the sepa-
ration of the different storeys and the firmness of the whole
nest. A little upright pillar of solid wasp-paper mortar is placed
between each layer of cells, just as a human architect places pillars
to support ceilings or roofs over large apartments or buildings.
When the cells are filled with grubs, the attention of
the wasp nurses to the young is equal to that of bees,
but it does not appear that any substance like the bee-
bread of kneaded pollen is formed for their food, but
| that the wasp brings home to the brood such food as she
ie feeds on herself—probably after it has uudergone some
OF ; : (eye

Comn, with Change in her stomach, and it may be that her avidity
supporting for sweet juices may arise from her desire to carry it
pillar, from home for the young of her community. And when the
Nest of Wasp. cold of late autumn has crept on, and the latest of

juicy pears has been gathered, and windows never left
open, the life and labours of the wasp end together, the colony is
reduced down to a few males and females, and a few workers, who
contrive to survive the frosts of winter, to begin again in the spring
the construction of a new paper city, and are too busy over their
work to notice in the blossoms of our fruit trees the preparation for
their autumn feasts. Shall we not after all bid them welcome toa
share of the dainties for which Nature has given them a relish as well
as ourselves ?

In the form of the wasp with its slender waist, is seen very
plainly the separation between the thorax or chest, and the abdomen
or stomach, which forms one of the distinguishing marks of an insect,
while in their lives, each individual passes through the three changes,
which is peculiar to every other insect—first, the grub or larva;

November,

346 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

then, the chrysalis or pupa; and lastly, the perfect insect, such as
the butterfly, ant, bee and beetle, in which last form the creatures
never grow.

(Zo be continued.)

BREWING.
(Continued from page 319.)

#21 shall now proceed to furnish a detail of the process,

if) assuming that the quantities be brought down to those
already mentioned ; viz., twelve gallons of ale and six
gallons of table beer.

rie 1. The Matz is to be ground either by a cutting or
crushing mill; that, in the Staffordshire process, was bruised by
falling between two steel rollers, so set that each grain was flattened
and cracked, so as somewhat to resemble the famed Embden groats.
If malt be rendered very fine and dusty, the wort is liberated with
some difficulty: each grain, however, must be cut or crushed, other-
wise it will not be acted upon by the water.

2. The Quantivy or THE Matt we calculate at one bushel and a
half; that of the hops at one pound and three quarters. The ale
will be strong, and therefore is intended to be kept six months before
it is tapped ; hence it should be well flavoured with hops, and no more
of that article will be required for the beer, as we shall show, the
one pound and three quarters suflicing for both ale and beer. If it
be objected that we place our standard too high, and state quantities
which will prepare an ale of intoxicating strength, we answer that
we profess to brew a perfect liquor, one that will work well, fine
itself to wine-brightness, keep any reasonable time in a good cellar,
and never turn off hard. If ale be brewed of a strength short of
that which secures these important points, a loss of full one-third
may be calculated on in an average of three years; whereas a good
ale is safe, always valuable, and may be reduced to any desired standard
of strength by adding table-beer toit at the time it is drunk. He who
possesses no self-control ought not to brew. It is very bad economy
to prepare a weak liquor that will become sour, acrid, and insalubrious
in two or three months; we have seen barrel after barrel thrown
away by those who have brewed parsimoniously. Moreover, we shall
add a receipt to make table beer by itself, and therefore any one may
adapt his quantities to his particular views.

3. Masnine.—The word implies the extraction of all the soluble
parts of the malt by hotwater. It is usually performed ina deep and
wide tub, with a hole at one side, an inch or two above the bottom,
into which a large cock is fitted. The internal orifice is guarded
either by a wad of straw, twigs, or a mash basket, to prevent the
passing of the grains; but all these are very inadequate substitutes
for the false bottom which is now used. This is made of wood pierced
full of small holes, and is dropped into the tub, from the bottom of
which it is distant about an inch and a half, being supported by a hoop,

Oe

ras

tac

my

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 847

or by small cross-pieces of wood. This loose bottom shculd be kept
firmly in its place by a second hoop nailed above it. It serves to
filtrate the wort, which passes thus strained through a plug-hole or
tap placed between the two bottoms. A still greater improvement
comprises the false bottom, and to that a wooden pipe is adapted,
down which the hot water is poured, and thus rises upwards through
the malt. If the plain mash-tub, or that with a simple false bottom,
be used, the ground malt must be kept ready by its side, and the
copper (which, for our quantities, should contain eighteen gallons)
ought to be filled with water and brought to a boil. <Any sweet
water will do; but the experience of many years proves that the
soft fluid of a pond, with a rill running throughit, is the best. Pour
about six gallons of the boiling water into the tub, then add malt,
while an assistant stirs constantly, till the whole be a thick mass ;
then add a pail of boiling water, then more malt, and so on, alter-
nately, till only one peck of dry malt remain. The water used ought
to be about thirteen gallons. Upon this mash sprinkle the remaining
quantity of dry malt all over its surface, then cover the tub with a
flannel cloth, or sacks, and let it stand two hours. Ifthe false bot-
tom, with the improved spout, be employed, let the malt (except the
reserved peck) be put dry into the vessel; then pour twelve or four-
teen gallons of water at 175° down the spout, and sufier it to rise
gradually into the body of the malt; stir the upper part till it
become completely wet, and lay on the dry malt, and cover with a
cloth as before directed. While this process proceeds, fill, and brinz
the copper to a boil again, and about a quarter of an hour betore the
lapse of the two hours, draw off a little of the wort into a bowl ; re-
turn this and repeat the drawing till no grains follow, and the wort
be clear. Then draw the wort from the mash-tub, at first slowly, and
afterwards in a bolder stream, as it is of consequence that it should
he clear.

Malt absorbs and retains about three gallons of water to every
bushel, therefore the wort obtained will be from seven to nine
gallons. When the whole is nearly drained off, close the tap, and
pour on so much boiling water as will make up eighteen gallons
with the wort already obtained. Let this second mash remain an
hour, and partially fill and again heat the copper, unless nine
gallons remain in it. It will be always advantageous to have two
furnaces, one for the wort and the other for water; where there are
two, the first wort ought to be put into it with a due proportion
of the hops, and brought to a boil, as by this means much time
will be saved.

The hops should be rubbed up between the hands, and placed in
a small cooler, where it will be advisable to digest them, during the
period of the first mash, in as much boiling water as will cover
them ; by so doing, the quantity of water they absorb will be spared
to the sweet-wort, and no loss of heat will be occasioned. Most
persons, however, do not mash the hops.

4. Masmna ror Tasty Brrr.—lIf there be two coppers, the
boiling will proceed while the grains undergo the third mashing,
which will consist of nine gallons of water, at about i160 degrees,

November,

348 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

added after the second wort of the ale has been drawn off; this
mash may stand for one hour, when it will yield rather more than
the water put on, and the grains will now be found exhausted. To
give a little colour and strength to the beer, one pound of good
treacle may be put to the wort, and it may then remain in its cooler
till the boiling of the ale be concluded. Where there are two
coppers, the beer may be finished off nearly as soon as the ale.

5. Borrine.—If there be a surplus boiler, the first strong wort
should be put into it, with half the hops, mashed or unmashed, and
two or three ounces of common salt, and bring the wort slowly to
the boiling point, so that, if possible, the second wort—which in
quantity ought to equal that of the water put in the tub—may be
drawn off, and be in the copper with the first,in order that the
whole may boil together. Great caution will be required to keep
down the head of hops, which, with the froth, rises suddenly if the
fire be brisk. A person should stand by the copper, with a mash- oar
or a broad stick, to break down the rising head, and let the hot liquor
throw its first waves over it, for waves they are. The head will then
be carried under, and be put into brisk action; thus a logs may be
prevented, and the hops will be dispersed throughout every part of
the boiling fluid. Rapid and brisk boiling is beneficial, and this
ought to be continued for one hour at the least; within that time a
substance termed vegetable albumen, which was mixed with the wort
and rendered it turbid, will be coagulated by heat, and partly, per-
haps, by an astringent principle in the hops, and float in small
masses throughout the thin clear wort. A bowlful of the liquor,
taken up now and then, will exhibit this “ breaking;” and the boiling
should be continued for half-an-hour after it has been effected. It
may be right to mention, that some writers recommend that the
wort be boiled one hour previous to the addition of any hops, and
half-an-hour longer with them; this, say they, tends to secure the
full effect of the boiling process, but does not permit the loss of so
great a portion of the fine aroma of thehops. We have not seen the
plan in practice, but mean to try it immediately.

The bcer may boil one hour with one half of the hops of the ale,
which may readily be obtained by straining off some of the boiling
wort through a sieve placed over the copper. This implies that there are
two boilers, and that it is an object to save time; if there be but
one, the beer must be kept aside till the ale be removed. The hops
of the ale are amply sufficient for the beer; if half be added, as
above recommended, the beer may be boiled for an hour with that
quantity, and strained through the other half, by which means it
will carry through all the strong wort that the hops retained.

6. Srramine.—This is best effected through hair sieves, though
wicker ones will do very well. Pass the ale wort into coolers, so
that each may not contain more than one-third of the ale wort, for
now the great heat should be thrown off as quickly as possible. Let
the coolers be placed in the air, or where a current may pass over
them if the weather be rainy. If the processes of mashing and
boiling have been carefully condneted, there will be about eighteen
gallons of raw wort, which, by rapid boiling, straining, and wort

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 349

retained in the hops, will be reduced to little more than fourteen
gallons. The beer, by boiling, will be brought to eight gallons, but
then it will lose nothing in the sieve, as it will carry down all the
absorbed ale wort, and the hops may be pressed forcibly, which they
should not be, ia the first instance, after the ale.

7. FermMentation.—The commencement of this all-important
process is commonly, and we think ignorantly, termed pitching.

We have said that the temperature most propitious to the work
is in October, or when it may be about fifty to fifty-five degrees. The
first cooler of wort ought to be ready six or seven o’clock p.m,
cooled to eighty degrees. It is an error to suppose that a good
quantity of really fine yeast or balm injures beer; the least hint of
it, ef foul, will spoil many gallons, but one pint of the thickest balm
that can be obtained will be of service to the quantity now under
notice. Let then one pint be thoroughly mixed and beaten up with
two gallons of wort at eighty degrees ; carry this to the cellar, and
then place the coolers, side by side, near the vessel containing the
working wort. This we recommend to be an eighteen-gallon upright
cask, without its head; it is narrow at bottom, and thus allows the
wort to be deep in it and retain its heat; cover the cask with a
piece of flannel, and place its loose head upon that. Thus there
will be a cask with two gallons of wort and one pint of balm in it,
one cooler with three gallons, and two others with nearly five gallons
of wort in each. If the cellar be well constructed, it will maintain
a pretty equable temperature and be at about fifty-five degrees. By
ten at night the working in the tub will be fully established, and
then, three gallons of wort at seventy should be poured into it and
stirred; cover it again, and leave it for the night. arly on the
following morning add tke contents of one cooler, after having tried
the working wort with the thermometer. Ifthe heat range between
seventy and seventy-five degrees, put in five gallons, at about sixty-
eight degrees, heating a quart or more of the raw wort, and pouring
it into the cooler till the liquor in it be raised to the required degree.

Stir the working liquor, and leave it for six hours; then try the
working heat again, and if it be above or at seventy-five, add three
gallons at sixty-five degrees ; again cover it, and in four hours add
the remaining cool wort, reserving about two quarts for a peculiar
purpose.

We have thus detailed the gradual additions of wort, at given
heats, as we noticed them on a large scale ; and we may add that we
nave practised the method we recommend with most gratifying
success. It varies from, and is counter to, the ordinary mode of
setting an entire batch to work at once; a process which in small
gyles frequently fails: ours always succeeds, simply because the
yeast has power over each addition, and brings it speedily to a fer-
menting state. It is not unlikely that, after the last addition, the
working heat will be found at seventy-seven or seventy-eight degrees;
in that case, we advise the immediate tunning of the ale. We
presume that the two six-gallon casks be quite clean, sweet, and dry.
Place them on their stands, and put into each one half of the
reserved wort, mixed with two table-spoonfuls of flour, and one of

November.

350 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

salt; take off some of the frothy yeast, and pour the liquor into the
barrels till the froth begins to flow over; then desist for a time, and
when the froth has somewhat subsided, add more liquor: thus, by
degrees, the barrels may be filled to the bung-holes, and being placed
a little on one side the yeast will flow down and may be caught by
vessels placed under the stands. In three or four days the working
will subside, the yeast becomes thick, and ceases to flow over; then
a little of the ale, reserved in a stone bottle or jug, may be poured
into the barrels, and in a few days the bung-holes may be covered
with brown paper, well coated with thick yeast. The fermentation
will now proceed slowly, and in the course of a fortnight each barrel
may be safely bunged down, and the bungs secured with a mass of
moistened binding sand.

We have known ale of the above strength to be clear in three
mouths, perfectly bright in six months, and so rich and mellow, as to
admit of no comparison with any ordinary beer whether purchased
or brewed at home.

The table beer may be set to work precisely as the ale; but
instead of dividing the remaining wort in coolers, the whole may
be heated to seventy degrees as soon as the fermentation in the
small parcel shall be strong. A barrel being then ready, a handful
of flour, mixed with a quart of wort, may be put into it; upon that
the working wort is to be poured, and then the bulk of the wort, at
seventy degrees, till the barrel be full. Fermentation, and an over-
flow of yeast will soon take place, and these will subside in three or
four days; and then, the bung-hole being closed, the beer will
frequently be fit for the table in ten days or a fortnight.

A good table beer can be prepared by an independent process
closely resembling that for the ale, by using malt and hops in the
proportions of one bushel and a quarter of the former, to three
quarters of a pound of the latter.

Mash as directed for ale, and work the worts by gradual additions,
never lower than seventy degrees. Keep the working tun covered,
and on the evening of the third day skim off the head of yeast, mix
a tea-cupful of flour and a table-spoonful of salt with a bowl of the
beer, divide it among the barrels; tun the remainder upon it, and
finish the process in the manner above described. Such beer will be
mellow in a month.

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR NOVEMBER.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

ae LANT bulbs of all kinds, the large ones six inches deep, and small bulbs

| four inches deep. ‘Take a little pains first to arrange them as to
colours. Take up dahlia and Marvel of Feru roots as soon as frost
has touched their foliage, dry them carefully, out of reach of heat,
and store safe from frost. Begin at once whatever alterations and
improvements are to be made, so as to nave the whole season before you for
completing. Air hardy plants in pits well, but be on your guard against sudden
frosts, which are sometimes very severe for a few nights in succession.

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 351

KITCHEN GARDEN.

There is little to do this month, beyond ridging up vacant plots, and hoeing
between the plants. All decayed leayes should be removed, or they soon become
covered with moulds, and do much mischief. A good hunt for vermin should be
made under cld wood at the bottoma of palings and hedges. Paths should be
turned, and protective materials got ready, and kept under cover for use whenever
wanted. Peas and beans for the first crop next season, may be sown on well-
drained ground, but where snails abound, they are likely to be entirely eaten.up
before the new year ; still, as seeds cost but little, those inclined to speculate may
try them, in the hope of getting a dish a week or ten days earlier than from the
dirst spring sowing.

FRUIT GARDEN.

November is a busy month among fruit trees. Pruning should be com-
menced at once. Old apple trees infested with vermin should be well scrubbed
with a hard brush dipped in warm brine, and all the holes stopped up with a
paste made of clay, sulphur, soot, and cow-dung, the whole process to be repeated
at the end of February, when any clay stoppings loosened by frost may be
repaired. Plant at once all bush and tree fruits—delays are dangerous, and if
got in while the ground is warm, they make root speedily, and get established by
spring. Stake all newly-planted trees, or the winter storms may loosen them
from their positions. Put in cuttings of gooseberry and currant trees, Prune
vines and wall-fruit trees.

GREENHOUSE AND STOVE,

In stocking the house, give as much room as possible to everything ; keep
the house as cool as possible so as to be safe from frost. Plants to be forced for
early bloom should be got into the greenhouse first, and remain there a fortnight
before going to the stove. Roses, Siberian lilacs, deutzias, camellias, azaleas,
double-flowering peaches, etc., are very useful for winter and early spring
decoration, and should be brought on in batches to keep up a succession, but

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

CaMELt1as.— Subscriber.—Camellias will even show colour and stand still at
this time of the year. If they are out of doors, take care that the frost does not
nip them. Give very little water to the roots, but syringe the foliage occasionally.

Grapes SuriveLLep.—B. W., Eltham.—tt is very probable that while you
were away your house was shut up, and the vine denied fresh air and moisture ;
or it may be that the roots have got into a cold, wet soil, but you must be the
best judge cf that.

Foner mw Fern CasE.—Alpha—tThere is probably some half-rotten wood
in the soil, which, if you can get at easily, might be removed, but we should not
advise you to disturb the roots of the ferns at this season. It would be preferable
to remove the fungi daily, as they appear. The supply will soon be exhausted,
aud you will be ria of the plague.

Comrosts.—Novice.—It is not usual in preparing composts to measure the
different ingredients with minute accuracy. An inexperienced hand can do no
harm by using a measure, but it is unnecessary, as if there ig a spoonful more
of one ingredient the plant will never find it out. The measures given, therefore,
are general guides, except in very particular cases, when it is the duty of the writer
to warn the grower to measure out the ingredients exactly,

GreEennovse Hxeatine.— C.D., Baling.—The best method for your house is
by using a twenty-four-inch saddle boiler, and connecting four-inch iron pipes
with it to circulate quite round the house; and as there is plenty of room to sink
the furnace, we advise it being sunk sufficiently to allow the pipes being inserted in

November,

352 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

a groove, and covered with an iron grating even with the floor of the house.
Connect two pipes with the flow from the boiler, by means of a syphon bend,
carried past the door into the garden, along the front, round by the door leading
from the drawing-room, and then along the back into the boiler by means of
a syphon bend connected with the return pipe.

RHoDODENDRONS.—C. Nash.—Small plants of Rhododendrons to be planted
in massez, should have about a six-inch space between the circumference of their
leaves. ‘his space they will cover in the next year’s growth; and the sun will
thus be screened from their roots, and they will flourish.

GUN-BABREL Buppine.—Job.—In this method of budding, the incision is
made on the stem instead of on the branch of the stock ; and the stem, being
stouter, will take a larger shield, and hence, buds for this sort of work must be cut
from plump shoots. The incision should be made in the form of T. This is no
cross cut below.

Lares Grraniums.—J, B. Parsons,—We should advise you to pot your
large geranium in as small a pot as its roots will go into, and keep it indoors at
a window. If you have not window space, it might be saved by putting a piece
of canvas round the roots, removing all the leaves, and then slinging it up in
some dry place. Or it might be kept in a pot out of doors all the winter in a
sheltered place, except during heavy rains and frost, and at such times it would
not perish if put in a cellar for a week orso at a time.

Lozrtia FuL@ens.—Captain C.—If your plants are in the open ground, take
them up and pot them in good compost, with plenty of drainage. Keep them in
a pit or greenhouse all the winter. They must never go quite dry, as they are
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.

CrurmBine Rosxs.— 8. Parker.—All climbing rozes should be cut down close
in February, so as to obtain a new and strong growth from the stove every year,.
for the first three years after planting. They will throw up stronger and plumper
shoots every time. After the third year the growth need only be regulated by
cutting out their weak spray, and occasionally removing an entire rod to make
room for a new one. Lay on plenty of manure at pruning time, and fork a little
in about the roots.

Rocue#a Fatcata.—J. W., Brentwood.—Rochea falcata requires a warm green-
house. Soil, broken bricks, sandy peat, and dung, equal parts; plenty of water,
and the full sun, ail the summer, and not a drop of water all the winter.

Manure FoR OLp Garpren.—K. Z.—Lime is an excellent reviver for old
garden soils. It kills vermin destroys sour humus, and supplies the salts that
are most deficient, and will do something to eradicate clubs. Tifty bushels per
acre may be used on an old garden loam of the ordinary staple ; or, if clay, not
less than seventy bushels per acre. It cannot be used too fresh from the kiln,
and should be dug in rough the first time without breaking, and but a small
quantity should be spread at a time, as it quickly slackens, and then loses much
of its power in exerting an influence on the soil. After the ground has been laid
up some weeks, it should be occasionally turned, and in spring, before planting
commences, have another dressing of twenty-five bushels of salt per acre. At the
second digging, the lumps of lime will be found to be soft and friable, and will
mis then with the soil more freely than at first.

Oxp Grraniums.—C. Webb.—Take them up. If you cannot pot them, plant
them in boxes, using poor gritty soil or sand, and place them anywhere in the
light and safe from frost, and give only as much water as will keep them alive.
They may be planted in a frame, provided there isa dry bottom. If the position
is damp, you may lose them all.

Fern Conpecrine.—J. Turner— The Fern Garden,” by Mr. Shirley Hib-
berd, will suit you. Itsellsat 3s. 6d., and any bookseller will procure it for you.

OBIECTIONABLE Vinw.—C. B. L.—We should advise you to block out the view
by planting under the trees, privet, Taxus, canadensis, red logwood, and common
green holly. In front, if there is anything like an open space, plant aucubas,
variegated hollies, common juniper, and Chinese privet, which will bear partial
shade well, but are not so well adapted for being completely shaded as those just
mentioned.

pi!

sa an Oe

DISCOLOR

DIOSCOREA

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 355

DIOSCOREA DISCOLOR.

= HIS interesting herbaceous stove climbing perennial is a
if, native of South America, and was introduced into this
country about 1820. It has handsome leaves, variously
coloured with several shades of green, with a pale
~ glaucous stripe on each side of the midrib; the under-
side of a purplish crimson. The plant is tuberous rooted, bearing
inconspicuous green flowers. In summer the foliage is very hand-
some, and it is well worthy of cultivation wherever there is a stove.
The plant delights in plenty of room, and a light rich sandy com-
post of fibry loam, sandy peat, and leaf-mould, with plenty of river
or silver sand mixed throughout the whole. It displays its many-
hued foliage to great advantage, if trained round a balloon-shaped
trellis. It should be repotted just as the tubers begin to send forth
their young shoots in the spring, and if it placed on a tan-bed for a
short time before being repotted, the shoots will then grow rapidly,
and make a good display of fine foliage during the ensuing summer.
It requires plenty of water during the growing season, but the
quantity must be gradually reduced as the shoots decay in the
autumn, and during the winter the soil should be kept moderately
dry. Itis easy of propagation by division of the tubers, at the time
of potting in the spring.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF ICE-HOUSES.

= H1E use of ice for cooling liquors and freezing creams in
® the summer months, is much increasing in this and
other countries. It is considered one of the greatest
luxuries ; and so necessary has it become in families of
the first rank, that neither the confectioner nor butler
can serve up their respective contributions to an entertainment
without the assistance of ice. The difficulty of keeping ice through
the summer, has given rise to various inventions for that purpose.
The whole art consists in packing it closely together, and defending
it from the action of the atmosphere.

Ice-houses for a middling establishment are, in general, about
twelve feet wide, and sixteen feet deep ; and in form, that of an egg,
the narrowest end downwards.

The wall should be fourteen-inch work, and have an exterior coat
of well-rammed clay all round, as well as over the top. At the
bottom there is a well, two feet in diameter, to receive the drainage
from the ice; and from the bottom of this, a brickwork drain, of
small bore, is laid to a lower distance, to draw off the water from the
well. This drain is soundly built with cement, and has a water trap
in some parts of it, to prevent air ascending to the ice. Di

The north side of a hill near the house is the most eligible
situation for such a building, because this is as much as possible out

December, 23

354 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

of the sun’s heat; and being sunk at a sufficient height above the
base, allows of perfect drainage. An arched passage issues from
under the crown of the arch of the house to the open air, both this
and the house being covered with four or five feet of earth, and
usually planted with evergreen shrubs. This passage has an outer
door on hinges, and two inner doors, one about the middle of the
passage, and the other close to the body of ice, when the house is full.

These latter are not on hinges, but composed of narrow parts
which drop in a groove in the posts on each side. This construction
is necessary to save the labour of removing all the straw in the pas-
sage every time the house is entered.

Ice-houses may be formed on the surface of the ground, when
there is no convenient bank to sink into; and if they be sufficiently
air-tight will preserve ice as well as if sunk in the ground. They
may be built in the shape of a dome, either of stone or brickwork ;
a passage and door opens to the northward; the whole is then
covered thickly with earth, and planted, or very thickly thatched,
with straw or reeds.

Or, if a large cone of snow or pounded ice be got together in
winter, and covered with a good coat of any kind of dry litter, and
afterwards well thatched to prevent rain sinking into it, it will keep
for eight or ten months.

Fiuuine tHE Icz-Hovusr.—This is usually performed in one day,
if possible ; and the first favourable opportunity is seized, that is,
when plenty of ice may be had for the purpose. It is broken on the
pools, and drawn out with iron hooks or rakes, and carted to the ice-
house. The latter is prepared to receive it by laying a foundation of
straw over the grating of the well, and by setting a rank of half
trusses of wheat straw round the wall, as the ice keeps much _ better,
surrounded with a lining of straw, than if it lies close to the wall.
There is, or should be to every ice-house, a paved platform walled
round in frout of the door; into this the ice is first thrown, and
broken into small pieces by heavy clubs or beaters. As broken, it is
thrown into the passage with shovels, and from thence into the house,
where two men with rammers level and tread it together as firmly as
possible. When as much is got in as to be nearly as high as the
first rank of straw, another rank is put round, and then more ice,
and so on, till the house is full, and there is no longer headroom for
the men to work. The space over the ice is next filled compactly
with trusses of straw, as well as the passage outwards to the outer
door, which finishes the work. Itis to be observed, that when an
ice-house is to be filled, the quicker it is done the better. A good
many hands are required, because the more it is pounded the firmer
it congeals in the house, and the better it keeps. Some advise salt
to be added to the body of ice to assist congelation ; nothing can be
more absurd, as it has a directly contrary effect.

Water is also advised to be used in packing the ice; but this also
is unnecessary, except only when a house is filled with snow in adry
powdery state, a little water may be added to make it knead. Snow
is a good substitute when ice cannot be had; for this after being
housed soon becomes a body of ice. However well constructed the

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 355

house may be, there is alwaysa gradual dissolution going on from the
time the ice is put in, till it is entirely wasted; and therefore, when
ice 18 wanted the door should be closed again as quickly as possible.
Ice is used in domestic economy for several other purposes besides
those above stated, for preserving rich soups, fish, and game ; an ice-
bin in a cellar is also a most useful appendage.

THE PERPETUAL FLOWER GARDEN.

“a HERE has been enough said about the shortcomings

fj of the prevailing system of embellishing gardens, and
we may turn from the negative to the positive, in hope
of some advantage to our readers. We propose, then,
to unfold to them a plan for the perfect abolition of
tameness and sameness, for making an end of monotony and weari-
someness, for the termination of the floral see-saw, the feast and
fast system, by which we make sure of flowers during June, July,
and August, and of a beggarly account of empty beds during the
remaining months of the year. We are to propound the arcanum
—the secret, the mystery—which is to be no mystery by the time
we have done with it; and it is all to be made go plain and pleasant,
that from this time forth garden grumblers are to cease from off the
earth, disappointments are to be known no more, and the reign of
concord and flowery bliss is to set in with such severity as to over-
come all obstacles. You are now expecting something new, yet
Solomon has averred that there is nothing new under the sun. So
beware !

The arcanum to be expounded is the plunging system. It
cannot be our invention, because plunging in some sort of way was
done before we were born. But we claim to have discovered and
developed the full possibilities of the system, and profess to know
more about it than any practitioners of gardening in all the world.
The object of the plunging system is to keep up a rich display of
flowers or leaves on the same spot the whole year round, and this is
accomplished by growing suitable plants in pots, and plunging them
where required when they are at their very best.

The plunging system is nothing unless there are at least four
changes in the year—say in April to put out hyacinths and tulips,
and in May or June to put out geraniums, calceolarias, and mix-
tures ; in October for chrysanthemums, and in December for ever-
greens. But there may be twelve, twenty-four, or even fifty-two
changes, if it is the taste of the proprietor to encourage change, and he
has the means of keeping the wheel turning at that rate. What one
may do on a small scale another may do on a large scale; and
wherever the plunging system is fairly tried, it will be found to sur-
pass in splendour, certainty, and variety, every other system that
can be thought of to compete with it.

Let us endeavour to give an idea of the system as actually prac-
tised. There is a centre circular bed enclosed in a beautiful jardi-

December.

356 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

net of Ransome’s imperishable stone, and there are three borders,
all of them faced with a handsome moulded curb, also in Ransome’s
stone. Two of the borders are planted with trees and shrubs, the
principal border of the three being as richly furnished as possible
with Aucubas, Hollies, Yews, Berberis, Box, Japan Privet, and
other first-class evergreens. During winter this piantation is still
further enriched by plunging amongst the permanent shrubs pot-
plants of Cupressus Lawsoniana, pyramid ivies, Irish yews, and
other characteristic plants, all of which are removed in spring to
better quarters to promote their growth for the season, as the scene
of the plunging is very much overshadowed by large trees. The

front lines of these borders, and the circular stone bed, consists of

cocoanut-fibre refuse two to three feet deep. It is in these front

A WINTER GROUP ON THE PLUNGING SYSTEM.

lines that the plunging, par excellence, is carried out in the most
complete manner, and a display of colour produced at all seasons of
the year, the effect of which is greatly heightened by the depth of
green and richness of variegated foliage of the background.

Two remarks are proper at this point. In the first place, well-
grown pot-plants, plunged in cocoanut-fibre, have a much brighter,
a much more artistic and finished appearance, than plants of the
same kinds equally well-grown in the open ground. The beautiful,
clear, reddish-brown colour of the fibre refuse, by contrast, brings
out every tint of green with peculiar brightness, and affords relief
to every kind of flower. There is a peculiar charm about a well-
furnished plnnge bed if the material consists of cocoanut-fibre or

x

a2 eae

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE, 357

clean tan; it is owing to the colour of the material, which sets off
and brightens every scrap of vegetation, to which it serves as a
groundwork. An amateur who has a passion for floriculture, and
is compelled to reside near a town, and must put up with a small
garden, may have full gratification of his taste by following the
plunging system, and may soon have better collections of plants
than the majority of people possessing large gardens, and making
pretensions to large practice. Moreover, the system is admirably
adapted to produce splendid effects by means of the cheapest plants,
and a very large proportion of the subjects grown ought to be
hardy, and adapted to bear some amount of rough treatment.

Now let us suppose some one of our readers anxious to carry
into effect these proposals; with him or her the question will pro-
bably be, “ How am I to begin?” ‘We will endeavour to answer
the question in such a way as to suit a majority of cases. The first
thing to be done is to select the site for the operations, and here a
word of advice may be useful to this effect—feel your way carefully,
begin with one border or so, and extend the system as you become
accustomed to it, and equal to its demands, for it will swallow up
many more plants than you have been accustomed to provide for the
same space when planting out was followed.

If we had to advise in particular cases, we should frequently turf
over many of the existing flower-beds, and reduce the area for
display to very circumscribed limits ; for in many small gardens the
multiplicity of flower-beds is puerile, and makes one think of a
doll’s garden, or a farthing kaleidoscope. Of course we get into
difficulties at this point; people are not prepared to give up their
flower-beds, and do not quite see the way clearly to do anything
with them but as they have been accustomed to do. If there are
groups of beds, and the desire is to improve the garden and reduce
the extent of bedding, and make a first start in plunging, it will
probably not be difficult to mark off certain of the beds to be
planted with evergreen and flowering shrubs, with some good hardy
herbaceous plants in front of them, and reserve the remainder for
experiments in plunging. Let us illustrate this suggestion by a
rough-and-ready example. Suppose a group of beds, as in the

aes 2 3

8 9 10

NES Re Lee 2 ecb eae aE

annexed diagram. We have here ten beds, and we desire to reduce
their number without making them one-sided. We have but to
strike out, say, 2, 4, 7, 9, and we have six remaining.

Or we may strike out 5 and 6, or 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10. ;

Now, suppose that we cannot attempt to manage six beds by
plunging, as shown in the second diagram, why not plant 5 and 6
with groups of hollies, or, if equally convenient (as it may be in a
peat district), with hardy rhododendrons and azaleas, or with pampas

December,

358 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

grasses and tritomas, and a few other such striking and graceful
plants, reserving the four outside beds forthe flowers. This diagram
does not illustrate anybody’s garden, but is intended to explain how
easily the way to reform may be found by those who have reforming
tendencies.

Plunging in common earth, that is to say, in the soil of the place,

1 3

8 10.

is possible, but not desirable. So we may use sawdust, or old ian,
or even moss, or coal ashes. But there is nothing half so good as
the cocoa-nut fibre refuse; it is always clean and moist, never wet,
never dry, pleasing to look at (as before remarked upon), harbours
no vermin, and a lady careful of her hands may work at plunging
pots in it, and scarcely find one stain upon her fingers when the
work is done. The next best thing is tan; the next best, moss.
Plunging in mould is allowable, but not advisable; but coal ashes
are simply filthy, and to adopt them in the “ plunging system,” that
is, as an element in a decorative system, is heresy. Wih cocoa-nut
and tan there is no need at all to make provision for the drainage of
the pots, but in plunging in common mould or coal ashes, it is
necessary to place a brick, or an empty inverted pot, under every
pot containing a plant, to prevent the plant becoming water-logged,
and also to keep out worms.

The question now is about the formation of the plunge-beds.
In places where stone or wooden edgings are already in use, there is
not much difficulty. You decide what is to be the width of the
plunge border, and to that width the earth is to be dug out. Ifthe
border is narrow (say three feet), a depth of eighteen inches will be
enough, because very large pots will not be used. But if wide (say
six feet), it may be cut toa sloping bottom twelve inches deep at
the extreme front to three feet deep at the extreme rear, which will
allow of the largest pots or tubs with specimen conifers for the back
row in winter time. In some places good plunging will be done
with small pots, and in other places good plunging will be done with
large pots; aud again some practitioners will indulge largely in
winter trees, and some will only care for summer flowers, etc., ete.

Where beds are cut in grass, itis an easy matter to take out the
earth and put in suitable plunging material ; where there is a grass
verge to a border, there can be no difficulty in cutting sharp to it;
but in case of a box or thrift edging, the cutting must be done with
care, or the edging may be killed. Put down the line three inches
from the live edging, and cut down sloping, so as to spare the roots.
If flooring boards, or any rough planking, can be afforded, line the
bed with timber, back and front, as shown in the diagram, where we
suppose the front to be clipped box, or in any case a bold and sub-
stantial stone edging; next within that, as a lining, a plank on

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 359

edge ; then a given breadth of cocoa-nut fibre refuse for plunging;
next a plank on edge as before ; and then, beyond that, the undis-
gn soil of the garden, with a background of evergreens, etc.,
ete.

When all this is done, there must be established a regular
system of cultivation to keep the beds supplied. If this cannot be
accomplished, better no plunging at all. However, one or two
borders may be tried at first, and the system of growing will be
found to be more simple than appears; and, in fact, its chief charac-

a Ad
& Plunge- = Soil
AY ay Planted.

Hdging.

teristic is that it is a system ; every separate batch of plants mus\ be
prepared to come on in its proper time, with no excessive glut to
bewilder the cultivator, and never a deficiency of good things to
make a cheerful display on any day in the whoie round of the
year.

The principal subjects for plunging are, for early spring,
aconites, snowdrops, crocuses, hyacinths, and tulips; for late spring,
wallfiowers, yellow alyssum, white iberis, rosy aubrietia, sparkling
dielytra, bold and handsome crown imperials. For early summer,
stocks, roses (brought on in pits or by slow forcing), yellow cytisus,
deutzias flowered in cold pits, rhododendrons, and a few of the more
showy annuals grown in frames. For succession, geraniums, cal-
ceolarias, and all the rest of the summer flowers. For September,
Sedum fabarium; for October, British ferns, then all fresh and
bright, with any odds and ends of colour to light them up. For
November, pyramid and bush chrysanthemums; for December,
ivies, conifers, and berry-bearing shrubs, and so on to the spring
bulbs again. In selecting subjects, and in the cultivation of the
plants, it must bealways remembered that spreading concave-headed
plants are of less value than comparatively narrow, and in the case
of zonal geraniums, “long-legged” plants, because of the rather
close packing required to produce a rich effect. Thus, the pyramid
chrysanthemum is far to be preferred to the dwarf, close-trained,
convex plant that would suit the parlour window. ‘The tall, spare
habit and fresh appearance of well-grown seedling geraniums render
them invaluable for plunging.

December.

360 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

WATER SCENERY.
(Continued from page 329.)

HHEREVER a natural stream flows through the grounds
with something of a pace, a pond or lake may be ob-
tained by the simple process of making a suitable
excavation, and checking the flow of the water by a
= dam formed of stone or brick. First divert the stream
if the pond is to oceupy a position in its natural course, if not, let
the stream flow in its wonted channel until the new channel is ready
for it. Then make the excavation, and have it well puddled if the
ground is of a nature to require it ; generally speaking, puddling is
unnecessary, for though the water may filter away for some time,

RUSTIC BOAT-HOUSE.

the deposits of one season will usually suffice to render the bottom
comparatively impervious, and the water will then keep to its proper
level. One of the finest pieces of ornamental water in the country,
the great lake at Sherborne Castle, affords a good example of this
simple method of treatment, for it is nothing more than a natural
stream dammed back; the work of one of the greatest landscapists
this country has ever produced.

To obtain picturesque effects in connection with water scenes,
is one of the easiest things in all the range of garden embellishment.
The water is always our friend; its gleaming silvery surface when
the sun shines, and its deep indigo, or sea-green colour under a dull
sky, and with a breeze troubling its surface, render it so pleasingly
contrastive to all possible surrounding objects, that we may almost
declare it difficult to spoil a water scene. But of course there are
limits to our choice of accessories, there is a good and a bad taste in

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 361

these matters, as in all else, and appropriateness must be studied.
Here are two suggestive sketches ot the most simplenature. One is
a copy of Cotton’s Fishing-box near Hartington-on-the-Dove, which

RUSTIC FISHING-HOUSE.

we adopted in the embellishment of an island ona good fishing stream
in the grounds of an employer; the other is a boathouse, which has
no merit of design, but is placed in just the right spot to render it
appropriate and picturesque.

According to our rule of considering small things equally with
great, we will now describe a well-kept suburban garden of small
extent, the hobby of a respected friend; the length is little more
than one hundred and fifty feet, the breadth forty. From the
drawing-room and study windows we look down on the out-houses
auxiliary to the kitchen. These are covered with ivy and clematis
of many years’ growth, and boil over at all corners with huge tangled
masses of glossy foliage and interlaced branches. On the right
hand, starting from beneath the roof of clematis, runs a close mass of
evergreens, which forms a border winding by a bold curve to a series
of flower-borders and parterres. On the left, the garden-wall is
covered with old jasmines, almonds, pyrus, clematis, montana, ivy,
and creeper-vine. The border under this wall consists of a few small
evergreens, many of them rhododendrons, and before these stands a

December

362 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

row of dwarf roses, with shrubby perennials between them. In the
centre runs an oblong parterre, studded with bright flowering peren-
nials in large groups of contrasting colours. The path runs on each
side of this centre-bed, bounded on the right by the border of ever-
greens, on the left by the roses and perennials. Where the paths
meet at the further end of the central bed stands the fountain, the
path encircling it, and then passing on down both sides of the garden,
where the shrubs thicken and at Jast terminate in trees, with woody
country scenery beyond the garden as a background. We describe
details not because they are uncommon, but because the fountain is
the key-note to the whole, when placed and arranged as this is, and
the result is a complete picture.

The stone basin is about ten feet in diameter; around it is a
ring of rockwork, or, to speak more correctly, dark stones, studded
with the choicest collection of British plants ever got together in so
small a space; a mass of dark green juniper forming a rich clump of
overhanging verdure, that serves to break the formality of the circle,
and adds, by contrast, to the beauty of the brighter foliage, and gay
mingling of colours in the succulent and trailing plants with which
the remainder of the ring is thickly studded. A light wire fence
surrounds this beautiful garland, and beyond this is a broad circle of
the greenest sward, adorned with a fine group of utandard roses, each
of a distinct and bold tint, the heads of all being trained out fountain-
fashion. In the centre a bold jet plays: it is supplied by a cistern,
elevated and hidden by trees. This scene from the windows of the
house has a charming aspect, and every one of the many fine clusters
of colour in the surrounding borders derives additional glory from the
vivid green of the zone of turf, and the sparkling freshness of the
water, with its groups of lilies, cape pond-weed, and trumpet-lily,
and its stock of lively gold-fishes.

A garden of the smallest dimensions afftrds facilities for the
introduction of water scenery of this kind. A basin of artificial
stone is to be preferred where the dimensions are small, and the

formal arrangements of the flower-beds such as to render a rustic
pond out of keeping with the scene. Such a tank must not be
enclosed by shrubs or a profusion of vegetation, but must offer
its white-rim in contrast with a smooth turf, sloping gently up to-.
wards a hillock, out of which the basin rises with its circle unbroken,

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 363

or only broken in one or two places by an elegant trailing plant or
piece of appropriate statuary. In such cases the surrounding
borders should be formally laid out with gay flowers, the box, or
still better, stone edgings kept in the neatest trim, the standard
roses on the turf few but fine, and anything in the nature of a
shrubbery or sylvan retreat, placed sufficiently far away as not to
break the formality and brightness which should surround the
basin. The fountain may be of a classical design, a mere jet on the
surface of the water not having sufficient dignity, while the orna-
ments of the walks and grass-plots should be elegant vases crowded
with gay plants, and light iron chairs, rather than rustic baskets and
mossy seats.

In the formation of a small pond for the cultivation of aquatic
plants, the following process may be adopted with advantage :—A
concave hollow must be dug of the necessary dimensions, sloping
steadily from the outer rim to a depth of not less than four feet in

DESIGN FOR RUSTIC FOUNTAIN.

the middle. Over the bottom must be placed a layer of puddled
clay, of the thickness of from six to twelve inches; above the clay
a layer of rich sandy loam, or well-tempered soil from the bottom of
a pond, must be arranged in circular terraces, like the seats in an
amphitheatre, so as to form a series of shelves of various depths,
from the margin to near the centre. On these shelves may be
planted the aquatics which are intended to be grown in the water.
The advantage of a descent by a series of steps, instead of a regular
slope, is that you may place pots with plants at various depths, so
as to submerge each sufficiently, which you could not do on a slope;
the pots being of course removable at any time, for renewal of

December.

364 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

plants, or during severe weather. This form of bottom also affords
the best possible facilities for repairing or altering the arrangements
of the plants; they are readily accessible, and exotic aquatics, grown
in pots, may be immersed during summer at the several depths
which they require, and removed back to the house during the
severity of winter.

As no one would desire to fill a pond with pot plants, the bed of
loam overlying the puddling affords abundant root-room for strong-
growing plants. In the cut is shown a water-lily in a basket; this
being the readiest mode of introducing this queen of the waters, for
it is fixed in the first instance where required, and in time the

DESIGN FOR CLASSIC FOUNTAIN.

basket crumbles away, and the roots spread, and the plant obtains
a fixity of tenure.

Stone is unquestionably the material for fountains, but its cost
precludes any extensive use of it, and the best substitutes claim a
moment’s consideration. There are several kinds of artificial stone
in use for garden embellishments; and these being well adapted to
the purpose have done very much towards the revival of classic taste
in gardening, by placing within the reach of many who could not
aspire to the luxurious marble and porphyry of the old princely
fountains, a material in every way suitable by its durability and
cheapness, even when wrought to forms of high art, and its perfect

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 365

resemblance to stone. The best designs have been sought and well
worked out, for fountains, statues, vases, and groups of objects of
various kinds, and these form valuable accessories to an ornamental
garden. Iron is not only more capable of assuming graceful outlines
when fused into well-designed moulds, but it bears exposure to the
weather for any number of years without deterioration, if painted
once in two or three years; it is not liable to chip, as most real, and
some few artificial stones are, and generally the cost is lower than
artificial stone of any kind. Nevertheless, iron is not stone, and
must ever depend for its capability of imitation on paint, which pre-
cludes the possibility of weather stains, and that mellowing of colour
which stone acquires by long exposure to the atmosphere.

The annexed design for a fountain, consisting of a group of
Tritons supported by dolphins, in a basin of the old French school,
might very well be worked out in artificial stone. It should be pro-
duced on a somewhat largo scale, to tell with effect in the scene,
and is, of course, only adapted to the terrace of an Italian garden, or
to form a centre to a series of brightly-coloured parterres or grass-
plots, broken by flowers. In a rustic scene it would be inappropriate.
The artist has carried the outer jets too high; if they had but half
the height given them in the engraving, the summits of the several
jets would form a pyramid, and give much more grace to the coup
d’cil than it has at present.

PRIMULA SINENSIS.

ROM the popularity of this flower, it is needless my
4 ! attempting a word in its praise, but I must ke excused
expressing my admiration of beauties I have not seen
noticed by any professional writer. It is the extreme
= delicacy and softness of colouring peculiar to the flower,
the tints varying, with but few exceptions, in each individual plant,
as produced from seed, also the forms of the blossoms are worthy of
particular attention, differing as these do, equally with the various
tints, keep up alively interest at the first opening of every new flower.
It is to those who, like myself, feel pleasure in the enltivation of the
Primula sinensis, and who are not in the possession of a superior
mode of growing their favourite plant, that I venture to offer my
mite of information; and, if considered by you worthy a place in
your valuable magazine, venture to suppose that it may prove
acceptable to a portion of your readers. The compost is an important
object, but there are also other matters connected with it to which
proper attention must be paid, and it is by their combination that
superior cultivation is obtained. Fibrous loam of a sandy quality
(if of a retentive nature, add sufficient silver sand to reduce
it to a proper state), and peat, equal parts of each, and one-fifth part
of well-decomposed cow manure ; to the above add a little pounded
charcoal.
Devember,

366 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

Drainage.—I wake a point of allowing a good drainage, com-
posed of small brick rubbish from the kiln, about the size of a
hazel nut, or thereabouts. To pots called by the potters forty-eights,
measuring from five inches to five and a quarter across the top (for
there is a variation in the size at different potteries), I put one inch
in depth of the above drainage, and to the next size larger, called
thirty-twos, I increase half-an-inch, and decrease in proportion when
smaller pots are used for young plants, In the absence of small
brick rubbish, old garden-pots broken up small may be used,
but I give the preference at all times to the former, if it can be
procured without inconvenience.

Seed.—I generally sow the seeds in the month of April, in pans
or boxes, placing them in a cold frame till up; as soon as in rough
leaf they may be pricked out into small pots singly, and when they
have filled the Jatter with roots, shift them into the next size,
following the plan up till they reach a full sized plant in what are
called twenty-fours ; in this they will finish blooming, and furnish
a most desirable plant for the conservatory, greenhouse, or drawing-
room.

ON THE NECESSITY OF TRENCHING, OR DEEP
CULTIVATION.

=s9S drainage is the first step towards the permanent im-
Be} provement of the soil, the trenching or deepening of it
may be considered the second, and, in fact, an operation
of indispensable utility to its fertility. By deepening
=~" and loosening the soil, we enable the superfluous water

to pass more freely into the drains, and thereby render them more
efficient in performing the important duties for which they had been
intended. By loosening the soil we render it more porous, and
thereby enable it, by capillary attraction, to retain a quantity of
moisture within its pores sufficient for vegetation in the driest season
of the year, and at the time to carry off most efficiently the super-
fluous water in a wet, bad season. By deepening the soil we cause a
happy mixture of the earths, we renew our exhausted surface-soil,
and admit the free accession of the great natural agents—heat, light,
air, and water. These are matters, with the beneficial effects of
which every practical gardener has been intimately acquainted for
the last four centuries; and upon this operation alone he depends to
keep his garden in the highest state of fertility. The gardener is
not afraid to bring up the subsoil and expose it to the winter’s frost,
for practical experience teaches him better—that on the deepening
of the soil depends his successful cultivation more than on the
enriching properties of manures. He is fully aware that ground
deeply cultivated, without manure, will produce better crops than
shallow ground, though assisted and enriched by the best and most
stimulating. By deep cultivation the plants can penetrate to a
greater depth, in search of food, into the soil; and dry weather has

——

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 367

no effect upon them, their roots being far removed from the parching
influence of a burning sun. By deep cultivation, rain, instead of
being injurious, has a most salutary effect upon the soil, by bringing
it to the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, and by com-
municating to it in its course into the drains the several gases it
had absorbed in its passage through the air, the most important of
which are carbonic acid and ammonia, the true food of plants. By
means of deep cultivation we shall be enabled, after a little time, to
turn down our exhausted surface-soil, and replace it by a subsoil,
which will far excel it in point of fertility; and, finally, we shall
cause that beautiful admixture of the principal earths on which the
fertility aud productive properties of all soils solely depend. The
reader should not consider these as wild theories, but as the result
of the writer’s own practical experience and observation for the last
twenty-five years; and he must say that these are only some of the
very many important changes and advantages arising out of, and to
be derived from deep cultivation.

We next come to the proper time to trench or deepen the land,
which should be done as early in the autumn or winter as possible,
that it may be well pulverized, by being exposed to the winter’s
frost, and laid open to the influence of the atmosphere upon the
many injurious and poisonous ingredients contained in the subsoil
—such as the salts of iron, copper, lead, etc., ete. To assist in the
total neutralization of these poisonous salts, I would strongly recom-
mend the application of quicklime at the time of trenching, as, by
taking the place of the metallic oxides, it will form salts of lime, all
of which have, without exception, the most beneficial effects upon
the soil. Should the subsoil be treated in this way, there is no
danger in bringing to the surface any portion even of the worst
description; but of the properties of lime I shall spesk more fully
in its own place, when treating of manures.

Many plans may be laid down for the trenching of ground, but
I consider the following as a very efficient and good one :—With a
line mark off a bed three feet wide, ou one side of the field to be
trenched, for the first trench, by nicking along it with the spade.
Pare from this bed all kinds of weeds and grass, and remove them
in on the surface of the field to be trenched; then take the line to
the opposite side of the field, and lay off a similar bed, which should
be treated exactly in the same manner as the first. Then return to
‘the first bed and remove the earth two spadings deep, which should
be carried in a wheelbarrow or hand-cart and laid upon the bed at
the other side, in order to fill up the last trench, which shall remain
unfilled at the closing of this operation. Now commence and mark
off your next bed of three feet alongside this open trench; pare off
the weeds, ete., into the bottom of it; then commence and dig your
first: spading, which should be thrown into the bottom of this trench ;
after which dig a second spading, and place it over the first, in the
form of ridge or drill, that as much of the surface as possible may
be exposed to the action of frost, air, ete. ; and thus continue until
the whole is completed. Should you have plenty of manure, this
will be the best time to dig it in, placing it between the two spits,

December,

368 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

in order to prepare the ground for the following crop, which in
every case should be a green one, being the only crop that succeeds
well on a ground trenched the first year. If manure be scarce, it is
better to reserve it until such time as you are preparing the ground
for the immediate reception of the crop, at which time it should be
placed at the bottom of the drill—as plants require food immediately
at their roots, and not in contact with the stem. All ground in-
tended for green crops should be prepared in the foregoing manner
—that is, either previously trenched or deeply dug. It may be
well to remark here, that ground not long since trenched, in its pre-
paration for a green crop, may only be deeply dug, which operation
is conducted exactly in the same manner as trenching, except that
instead of turning up a second spading, we merely shovel the loose
earth after the first in the form of a drill over the first spit, and
then dig over the bottom of the trench, so as to leave the subsoil
loose, for reasons already stated.

By attending to the suggestions here given, the greater and
decidedly the most laborious portion of work will have been executed
before the approach of spring, and at a season of the year when there
is generally spare time. I think I may conclude this article by
laying down the following maxim: that as soon as one crop has
been removed, you should immediately set to work and prepare the
ground for the reception of that which is to follow, by no means
alee the land to lie idle, producing weeds to reproduce them-
selves.

SKELETON LEAVES.

pees T,A NTS as well as animals are organized bodies, and, like
\% them, their parts may be dissected and decomposed by
art, thereby unveiling to us their peculiarities of struc-
ture and habit, and enabling us more correctly to classify
and arrange them.

Among the various helps towards acquiring a knowledge of the
anatomy of plants, one of the principal is the art of reducing to
skeletons, leaves, fruit, and roots; that is, of freeing them of their
tender and pulpy substance in such a manner as to allow us to sur-
vey alone the internal harder vessels in their entire connection.
This has been done by various ways of decomposition, and now we
purpose to give the history of the art. The first person who con-
ceived the idea of employing decomposition for the purpose of making
leaf skeletons was a professor of anatomy at Naples named Severin,
who, in a book which he published in 1645, gave the figure, with a
description, of a leaf of the Ficus opuntia reduced to a skeleton. Of
the particular process employed to prepare this leaf, the figure of
which was very coarse and indistinct, he gives no account, saying
only that the soft substance was so dissolved that the vessels or

ie EF OD

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 360

nerves alone remained, and that he had been equally successful with
a leaf of the palm-tree. The process he confided to Bartholice alone,
under promise of secresy, and the invention excited no attention.
About seventy years after, the Dutch anatomist, Ruysch, was led
from the dissection of animals to that of plants, and for this purpose
tried a method which he had employed with success in the former
case—namely, by covering the leaves and fruit with insects,
er ate up the soft and pulpy parts, leaving those which were
ard.

This method, however, was imperfect, never producing a com-
plete skeleton ; and he therefore endeavoured to execute the task
with his own fingers, after he had separated the soft parts from the
hard by decomposition. In this he succeeded so perfectly, that all
who saw his skeletons of leaves or fruit were astonished at the
fineness of the work, and wished to imitate them. At first Ruysch
endeavoured to keep his process a secret, and evaded giving direct
answers to the questions of the curious; but after several other
persons had endeavoured by various means to produce the same
effect, but unsuccessfully, he, in 1723, published the whole method
of preparing his leaf skeletons ; and it has been conjectured that he
gained his information at first from an account of the experiments of
the Italian anatomist first mentioned. When the method of pro-
ducing these skeletons became publicly known, they were soon pre-
pared by others, some of whom made observations contrary to tliose
of Ruysch. Among these, Du Hamel, in 1727, described and illus-
trated with elegant engravings the interior construction of a pear;
and ten years afterwards Seligmance, an engraver, published figures
of several leaf skeletons, which he had taken, not by drawing, but
by impressions from the leaves themselves, taken with red ink. Selig-
mance died before he had completed more than thirty of his plates.
The process has of late years been brought to perfection; it is useful
to the botanist, and pleasing to the unscientific observer. Much may
be learned from it even by merely a cursory inspection; but the
real study of botany has of late years become so general, that we
hope that a description of the method used to procure these elegant
preparations may induce some of our young readers to make a trial
of it.

Choose the leaves of trees or plants which are somewhat sub-
stantial and tough, and have woody fibres, such as the leaves of
orange, laurel, apricot, apple, oak, etc. ; but avoid such leaves as
have none of the woody fibres which are to be separated and pre-
served by this method; such are the leaves of the vine, lime-tree,
and some others. These are to be put into an earthen or glass
vessel, and a large quantity of rain-water to be poured over them ;
after this, they are to be left to the open air and to the heat of the
sun, without covering the vessel. When the water evaporates so as
to leave the leaves dry, more must be added in its place ; the leaves
will by this means putrefy, but they require a different time for
this; some will be finished in a month, others will require two
months, or longer, according to the toughness of their pa-
renchyma.

December, 24

370 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

When they have been in a state of putrefaction for some time,
the two membranes will begin to separate, and the green part of the
leaf to become fluid; then the operation of clearing is to be per-
formed.

The leaf is to be put in a flat white earthen plate, and covered
with clear water; and being gently squeezed with the finger, the
membranes will begin to open, and the green substance will come
out of the edges. The membranes must be carefully taken off with
the finger, and great caution must be used in separating them near
the middle rib. "When once there is an opening towards this sepa-
ration, the whole membraue always follows easily. When both
membranes are taken off the skeleton is finished, and it is to be
eee clean with water, and then dried between the leaves of a

ook.

Fruits are divested of their pulp and made into skeletons in a
different manner. Take, for instance, a fine large pear, which is
soft, and not tough ; let it be neatly pared without squeezing it, and
without injuring either the crown or the stalk; put it in a pot of
rain-water, covered, set it over the fire, and let it boil gently till
perfectly soft, then take it out and lay it in a dish filled with cold
water ; then holding it by the stalk with one hand, rub off as much
of the pulp as you can with the finger and thumb, beginning at the
stalk, and rubbing it regularly towards the crown.

The fibres are most tender towards the extremities, and there-
fore to be treated with great care there.

When the pulp has thus been cleared pretty well off, the point
of a fine penknife may be of use to pick away the pulp sticking to
the core. In order to see how the operation advances, the soiled
water must be thrown away from time to time, and clean poured on
in its place. When the pulp is in this manner perfectly separated,
the clean skeleton is to be preserved in spirits of wine. This method
may be pursued with the bark of trees, which afford interesting
views of their constituent fibres.

These simple preparations not only form elegant ornaments, but
they are extremely useful to the student in botany, more interesting
and more readily comprehended than drawings of the anatomy of
plants. Attempts have been made to inject coloured liquids into
the delicate and minute vessels of vegetables, and we believe it has
partially sueceeded. The present season of the year is propitious
for making leaf skeletons, and we recommend our young readers to
follow our directions.

o2
“ST
—

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

WINDOW GARDENING.

BY JOHN R. MOLLISON.
(Continued from page 336.)
FILMY FERNS IN CASES AND UNDER BELL-GLASSES.

=a 1 RST on our list is H. fuciforme, a native of the isiand of
Juan Fernandez, of Robinson Crusoe celebrity. It has
beautiful pale bluish-green fronds, and is considered the
finest ef the genus.

Or the Trichomanes, the only British species is
Trichomanes radicans, which we noticed in a former paper. Both
it and its variety, 7. Andrewsit, are excellent ferns for the Warrington
case. Among others we have 1’. scandens, a grand climbing fern,
excellent for covering a piece of rockwork. It has large elegant yel-
Jowish-green fronds.

T. reniforme, a very distinct species of great beauty, with large
kidney-shaped entire fronds.

T. venoswm, an extremely beautiful fern for a case.

But the loveliest of all ferns, the beauties of which surpass the
power of pen or pencil to portray, is the Zodea superba. Nothing
can surpass the extreme beauty and sumptuous appearance of this
fern. No fern-grower should be without it. I consider it as the
highest point of honour in fern cultivation to have the credit of
possessing a well-grown plant of this queen of ferns in a case.
Next to it stands Todea hymenophylloides, commonly known
as Zodea pellucida, a New Zealand filmy fern of great beauty, and
nearly hardy enough to stand outside during a very mild winter. It
is a recognized favourite with all fern-growers, and very distinct from
any other kind of fern.

Todea barbarea is also a very desirable fern, free-crowing and of
easy culture.

Todcas are not creeping ferns like the Hymenophyllum and Tri-
chomanes ; they are really tree ferns, and require more soil to grow
in, of an open peaty nature, to allow them to develop their luxu-
riantly beautiful fronds.

Along with the filmy ferns several other species of ferns, that love
shade and moisture, may be grown with advantage, such as the
Adiantum capillus-veneris for instance ; also some of the Selaginellas,
such as S. denticulata, S. helvetica, and S. Martensii, may be grown
as a variety to the general arrangement, but do not let the mosses
get unruly; keep them within bounds, so that they may not choke
or interfere with the ferns.

The Australian Pitcher-plant (Cephalotus follicularis), the Side-
saddle plants (Sarracenia), the Fly-trap plants, and many other
curious plants, may be grown with advantage along with the filmy
ferns,

Deeember,

372 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

The cultivation of filmy ferns may be summed up in a few words.
Give them plenty of moisture; keep them nearly close, allowing the
air to circulate only through the open crevices at the top of the case,
which must be loosely put on; give them plenty of drainage, and
never allow the nearest approach to stagnation to take place; keep
them from sunlight, and give them the benefit of a little shade when
the light is strong; and give water and admit air periodically as they
require it. You can always admire their exquisitely delicate and
transparent forms of growth without the necessity of handling
them. They cannot stand handling, but they will stand any
amount of admiration through the glass walls of their humid little
dwelling.

POT PLANTS FOR WINDOWS AND THE LA’ »LLING OF
SPECIMENS.

I am well aware that a great many people have not the oppor-

* tunity or the means to possess a miniature greenhouse or Wardian

case, but that need not prevent them from indulging in their love for

pot-plants as long asthey have awindow. Many asplendid specimen

plant may be seen in the cottagers’ windows rivalling in health and
beauty the favoured inmates of the greenhouse.

In places such as London and other large cities, where window-
gardening has become so fashionable, a great variety of plants are
grown, but in country towns and villages few seem to rise above the
ambition of a scarlet geranium or fuchsia. It is a great pity this
should be when there is so great a variety of plants as easily grown
and quite as cheap. The red China rose, for instance, makes a grand
window plant, when in bloom, and just as good, if not better, is the
green and variegated Hydrangea hortensis, with its immense head of
bloom, which lasts for months. Gems of the first water for pot
culture are the hybrid Begonias. Begonia Dregsi is dwarf and com-
pact with green foliage and a profusion of snow-white flowers ;
B. Sandersonti and B. insignis are the best pink flowering kinds;
B. lucida and B. manicata the best with rose-coloured flowers.
Then there are the Myrtle, and Calla Ethiopica, or Lily of the Nile,
and in fact all the plants and spring-flowering bulbs recommended
for the miniature greenhouse.

I will also add several very desirable greenhouse plants, purposely
kept out of the list, owing to the great height they soon reach, making
them scarcely fit for the miniature greenhouse or plant case. First
we have the Acacia armata, or prickly Acacia, an excellent pot-
plant for windows; then the Abutilon striatum and A. Thomsonii,
and the white-flowering variety, Bircle de Neige; they have heart-
shaped foliage and lovely bell-shaped flowers. 4. striatum has varie-
gated foliage. The Deutzia gracilis is a pretty pot-plant with drooping
white flowers. Cytisus racemosus has a profusion of yellow pea-shaped
flowers, and much like it in flower but larger in foliage is the Coronilla
glauea. Very good for window culture are some of the dwarfer-
growing Chrysanthemums ; they flower in autumn, and should be

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 373

grown outside, plunged in a border up to the rim of the pot till the
flowers begin to open; then taken inside and placed in the window
to flower. They require abundance of water always. After flower-
ing they should be cut down and shaken out of their pots and the
roots separated ; you can then select as many nice little pieces as you
may require to pot again for next year; keep them indoors till
spring is advanced, and then plunge them in a border as before.
Clematis Jackmanii and other varieties of hardy clematis make ex-
cellent window climbers grown in pots or tubs, and trained as they
grow round the window. They can be grown either inside or out-
side, though outside is preferable. They require to be cut down every
year and fresh soil given. They have a splendid appearance when in
flower around a window. vies are grand window climbing plants.
The Golden variegated Ivy especially is quite a gem for the purpose.
The Scarlet honeysuckle and the Virginian ereeper are also very good
window climbers.

Rustic brackets may be designed and placed on the walls of the
window recess to hold flowering plants. The most suitable plants
for them are the Sasifraga sarmentosa, or Aaron’s beard, and 8.
Fortunii, the blue and white Lobelias, Ivy-leaved Geraniums, Musk
plant, Creeping Jenny, Tradescantia zebrina, and any other hanging
plant that would droop over and hide the pot.

I can fancy how beautiful a window of this description would be
with several nice pot plants on the sill; a Clematis Jackmanii bloom-
ing gaily overhead, other climbers up the sides, and a hanging basket
both within and without the window well furnished with hanging
plants, and pots of blue Lobelia or Musk on the side brackets, all
combining to form a beautiful and harmonious picture which would
be a pleasure to every beholder. This can all be done with very
little expense; it only requires taste and patience to work it out.
The expense and trouble are nothing to the pleasure you will
experience.

There is one little thing in plant growing which you should
always be particular about, that is, the correct labelling of your
plants. Although you should have their names correctly in your
memory, it is always the proper thing to have them legibly written
on a label and stuck in the side of the pot, immediately between the
pot and ball. A piece of lath or white deal not above three-fourths
of an inch in width, cut into a neat shape, and six inches long,
pointed at the end for insertion, with the sides smoothed to write
upon, makes a capital label. Before writing on it give it a very thin
coat of white paint; this makes the pencilled name stand out clear,
and prevents it from being obliterated. The name should always be
written down the label in a plain round hand, and in two lines it the
name be lengthy. Of course wooden labels will soon decay at the
inserted ends and have to be renewed; to avoid this an imperishable
label can be made of zinc, cut into the same shape. This you may
write upon with ink. There is an indelible ink that never fades sold
by the seedsmen for this purpose; you can also purchase from them
Yeate’s No. 15, or Erfurt potting label made of zine, just the label

December,

374 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

you require, for two shillings per 100. There are several other styles
of Yeate’s suspending and potting labels to choose from. And you
can purchase the common wooden pot-labels at sixpence per 100,
neater made, I dare say, than you could make them yourself, and
the trifling outlay would save you the trouble of making them.

A very neat way of labelling plants is by means of small zine or
wooden labels, with only a number written on them, corresponding
with the number entered in a little book, giving the botanical name
of the species and variety, with the commoner name it may be known
by, and the day and date when the specimen first came under your
care, and any other little details connected with it you may wish
to remember. A little historical book of this description is most
interesting, both to yourself and your friends. Under the heading
of this or that fern, for instance, you may have reminiscences noted
down of some past holiday spent in some of the lovely spots among
the hills, valleys, woods, and streams of the glorious open country ;
a holiday that has left the mind full of happy incidents that will
crop up in your sleeping and waking dreams for ever after.

The rarer kinds of wild ferns are generally found in secluded
and sometimes almost inaccessible localities. There the rambling
tourist often commits wanton destruction, unthinkingly pulling up
the rare and beautiful little ferns in handfuls to please a passing
whim, or to have remembrances of his visit to the locality. Ten
to one the poor ferns perish, their spoilers having no idea how to
take care of them. If they are still fresh when they reach home
they put them into a pot, in any sort of way, where they die the
slow death of starvation and bad treatment, and then are thrown out
as useless. I would advise such people to let the poor ferns grow in
their own quarters. It is useless to pull them up unless they know
how to treat them well, and are willing to do it. A few fronds pre-
served and dried would suit their purpose just as well, and leaye the
locality no poorer in its rare possession. Skilled fern cultivators will
know how to gather a rooted specimen without unduly destroying
more than they take away.

INVADERS, VISITORS, AND SETTLERS IN OUR
GARDENS.

(Continued from page 347.)

==) ND now let us fancy ourselves taking a walk round some
garden with those who have been our readers, and let
us pass in review some of the living creatures of whose
lives and works we have endeavoured to give a history.

~ Ifour walk be in the early morning, while grass and
leaves are still damp with dew, we shall be very likely to meet with
the “Slow One” of our first paper, going home, perhaps, after his
breakfast on juicy leaves of some kind, and we know that he will
soon be shut up in his shell, and stuck fast against the smooth sur-

Boo Eat) eae

tH DEX:

Achillea clavennz, 197

Achillea Egyptiaca, 197

Achimenes, culture of the, 143
Agapanthus umbellatus, 320
Agathea celestis variegata, 199
Agave Americana, 223

Alpines, cultivation of, 73

Alyssum dentatum yariegatum, 198
Amaryllis, 92, 320

Anemone, cultivation of the, 47
Anemone stellata, 257

Annuals for the flower garden, 116, 118
Annual shifting of plants in pots, 269
Antennaria margaritacea, 196
Apples, gathering and storing, 280
April, Garden Guide for, 125
Aquatic plants, culture of, 182
Arabis alpina vuariegata, 197

Arched trellis, plants for, 174

Art of brewing, 316, 346

Artemisia glacialis and argentea, 196
Artificial flowers in wax, 218
Arums, 127

Asparagus, 58, 288

Asphalte walks, home-made, 7
Asters, cultivation of, 124

August, Garden Guide for, 254
Australia, gardening in, 131

' Azaleas, 192

Balsam, culture of the, 164

Balsams, to raise, 112

Baskets for windows, 5

Bedding plants in winter, 320

Bedding plants with gold and silver
leaves, 194

Bees, feeding, 85

Beetroot, 61

Bellis perennis, 199

Berberis japonica, 288

Border, plants for a, 96

Bouquets, 306

Brewing, the art of, 316, 346
Broccoli after potatoes, 192
Broccoli cultivation, 378

Budding, gun-barrel, 352

Bulbs, Cape, 85

Bulbs for exhibition, 289

Bulbs in rooms, management of, 13
Bulbous-rooted plants, 203
Burying beetle, 312

Cacti, cultivation of, 225

Calampelis, 106

Calceolaria, culture of the, 103, 256

Callichroa, 119

Calystegia pubescens, 107

Camellia, culture of, 77, 127, 186, 351

Cannas as bedding plants, 283

Cape bulbs, 85

Capsicums, to raise, 110

Carnation, the tree, 87

Centaurea candidissima, 96, 196

Cerastium tomentosum and Bieber-
steinii, 196

Chalk soil, 288

Chorozema, 321

Chryanthemum, cultivation of, 286, 291

Chrysanthemums, annual, 119, 121

Chrysanthemum cuttings, 81

Cineraria, cultivation of the, 9,190,
305

Cineraria maritima, 196, 224

Cladanthus, 118

Clarkia, 119

Classic fountain, design for, 364

Cleansing plants, drenching board for,
252

Clematis, propagation of, 224

Climbers, summer, 105

Climbing roses, 352

Cobwas, 106

iv INDEX.

Cockscombs, 113

Collinsia, 119

Colorado beetle, 78

Construction of ice-houses, 353
Convolvulus tribe, the, 108, 119
Coral, artificial, for rockwork, 11
Cotton plants, 128

Crategus prunifolia, 65

Crotons, 108, 137

Crocuses, 288

Cucumber, forcing the, 75
Cuttings, propagation from, 80
Cyclamen, culture of the, 29, 127
Cynoglossum, 119

Dahlia, cultivation of the, 45

Dahlia culture, 161

December, Garden Guide for, 376

Deep cultivation, necessity of, 366

Design for classic fountain, 364

Deutzia gracilis, 127

Dielytra spectabilis, 71

Dioscorea discolor, 353

Drenching board for cleansing plants,
252

Dwarf fruit trees, 255

arly annuals, 256

Eccremocarpus, 106

Echeveria secunda glauca, 204
Entoca, 119

Enemies and friends of the rose, 245
Epacris, cultivation of the, 130
Erica elegantissima, 323

Ericas in rooms, management of, 12
Erysimum, 119

Escholtzia, 119

Eucharidium, 119

Exposed flower-pots, 288

February, Garden Guide for, 61

Ferns for window gardeners, 238

Ferns in cases and under bell-glosses,
371

Ferns, propagation of, 22

Festuca glauca, 197

Fig-tree, 377

Filmy ferns in cases and under bell-
glasses, 334, 371

Fountain, design for rustic, 363

Frames and pits, protection for, 16

Frozen plants, treatment of, 64

Fruit, fertilization of in houses and
pits, 220

Fruit, ripening of, 231

Fruit trees, selection of, for general
purposes, 301

Fruit trees on walls, 63

Fuchsia, cultivation of the, 42, 80, 96,
148

Fuchsia from seed, 338

Fumaria densiflora, 33
Fungi in fern cases, 351

Garden frame, the construction of the,
14

Garden frame, the uses of the, 54, 75,
110, 145

Gathering and storing apples, 28C

Geraniums, to raise, 149

German asters, cultivation of, 124

Gilia, 120

Gladioli, notes on, 24

Gloxinia, cultivation of the, 19

Godetia, 119

Gooseberry trees, 378

Grapes, shrivelled, 351, 378

Greenhouse for the window, 36

Greenhouse fernery, formation of, 23]

Greenhouse ferns and mosses, 276

Greenhouse heating, 351

Greenhouse plants in autumn, 223

Greenhouse, removable, 265

Greenhouses, small, 378

Gun-barrel budding, 352

Gynerium argenteum, 152

Half-hardy plants, wintering of, 330

Hardy ferns, 275

Hardy perennials, 287

Hawkweed, yellow, 121

Heart’s-ease, hints on cultivation of,
336

Heat of plants, 144

Helichrysum, 120

Heliophila, 120

Heliotrope, to raise, 147

Heliotrope, wintering of the, 255

Herbarium, to form, 88

Hibiscus, 120

Hibiscus Cooperii, 225

Holly, pruning the, 128

Hollyhock, culture of the, 122, 212

Hortus siccus, formation of a, 250

Hyacinth, culture of the, 313

Hybridizing, 261

Hydrangea, cultivation of the, 237

Tberis, 120

Ice-houses, 353

Ice plants, 113

Insects : their prevention and cure, 137

Invaders, visitors, and settlers in our
gardens, 234, 278, 310, 343, 374

Ipomeeas, 113

Iris iberica, 200

January, Garden Guide for, 30
Jardinieres and baskets, 307
Jasmine pomade, 26

June, Garden Guide for, 190
June work in the rose garden, 176
July, Garden Guide for, 222

INDEX. Vv

Kalmia glauca, 256

Kalosanthes, culture of, 216
Kaulfussia, 120

Labelling specimen plants, 372
Large geraniums, 352

Larkspur, 118

Lasthenia, 121

Lawns, making and management of, 257
Leptosiphon, 121

Lilies, 256

Lilies of the vailey, 224

Lilium lancifolium, culture of, 324
Lime from gas-works, 377
Lime-water, 127

Liquid manure for roses, 192
Lobelia, cultivation of, 123
Lobelia fulgens, 352
Lophospermums, 107

Lupins, 121

Malope, 121

Mandevillas, 106

Manure for old gardens, 352
March, Garden Guide for, 93
Marigolds, 118

Maurandya barclayana, 107
May, Garden Guide for, 158
Melon, cultivation of the, 17
Melon culture, 160
Microscope and the flower garden, 339
Mimulus and its culture, 178
Mint, variegated, 197

Mosses in a fernery, 128
Moveable plant-house, 265
Mulch for roses, 288
Musk-plants, 169

Nemophila, 121
November, Garden Guide for, 350

October, Garden Guide for, 319
Old geraniums, 352

Onion grubs, 128

Onion, the Tree-, 20
Orange-trees, 95, 142

Orchis foliosa, 321 y

Pansy, cultivation of the, 156
Peonies, 377

Passion-flowers, 127

Pampas grass, 150

Peach and nectarine trees, 377
Pelargoniums, to raise, 148, 153
Perpetual flower garden, 355
Petunia, properties and culture of, 209
Pinks from pipings, 208

Pits and frames, protection for, 16
Planting bulbs for exhibition, 289
Planting fountains, 224

Plants for an arched trellis, 174
Plants for baskets, 309
Plant-growing in Wardian vases, 297

Plants inj dwellings—are they bene-
ficial P 116

Plants in pots, annual shifting of, 272

Plants in rooms, management of, 11,

Plant trainers, 139

Plunging system, 356

Polyanthus, cultivation of, 285

Pompone chrysanthemums, 291

Poinsettia pulcherrima, 129

Porch, to cover a, 32

Potatoes, preservation of, 284:

Pot plants for windows, 372

Pots for window gardens, 2

Poultry feeding, 23

Pit for amateurs, 167

Preparation of soils and composts, 281

Propagating bed, 145

Propagating case, to construct a, 79

Propagating from cuttings, 80

Propagating pit for amateurs, 167

Protection for pits and frames, 16

Preservation of potatoes, 284

Primula sinensis, 365

Pruning the vine, 21

Putty to make, 64

Pyrus japonica, 95

Ramondia pyrenaica, 161

Ranunculus culture, 54

Raspberry, cultivation of the, 83

Reviving plants, 93

Rhododendrons, 352

Rhododendrong, soil for, 32

Rhubarb wine, or British champagne,
185

Rochea falcata, 352

Rockwork, construction of, 11

Rock plants, 203

Rondeletia, 52

Root-pruning, 333

Rose, the enemies and friends of the,
245

Rose fence, 288

Rose garden, June work in the, 176

Rose, the uses of the, 215

Rose garden, July work in, 214

Rose leaves, spotted, 170

Roses, 288

Roses, propagation of, 149

Roses, propagation by budding, 201

Roses in pots, 192

Rustic boat-house, 360

Rustic fishing-house, 361

Rustic fountain, 363

Santolina rosmarinifolium, 197
Sanvitalia, 121

Scale, treatment of, 320
Scrophularia nodosa variegata, 198
Sea-kale, to force, 44

Sedum glaucum, 197

Sedum sieboldi, 100

vi INDEX.

Sedum spectabile, 206

Seedling rhubarb, 192

Select flowering plants for windows, 171

Selection of fruit trees for general
purposes, 301

Sempervivum arachnoides, 205

Sempervivum arboreum, 229

Sensitive plants, 113

September, Garden Guide for, 287

Shrnbs, low-growing, 32

Shrubs under trees, 320

Silene, 121 -

Skeleton leaves, 368

Slugs, to trap, 96

Small greenhouses, 378

Soils and composts, preparation of, 281

Solanum capsicastrum, 173

Solanum jasminoides, 107

Solanum pseudocapsicum, 10

Sollya heterophylla, 107

Specimen musk plants, 169

Spotted rose leaves, 170

Stachys lanata, 197

Strawberry, cultivation of the, 272

Strawberry plantations, 256

Strawberry forcing in common frames,

57
Sweet Sultan, 121
Symphyandra pendula, 289

Tacsonias, 106

Tangier Pea, 121

Thunbergias, 114, 160

Thymus serpyllum variegatus, 199
Thymus vulgaris variegatus, 199
‘Tiffany houses, 224

Tomatoes, to raise, 110

Tree-onion, 20

Trenching and deep cultivation, 366

Tricolor-leaved geraniums, 193
Tritoma uvaria, 163, 378
Tropolums, 108, 114
Truffles, 122

Tuberose, 378

Variegated mint, 197

Variegated pelargoniums, 193

Vegetable marrows, 111

Verbena, culture of the, 253

Verbenas, to raise, 150

Veronica cuttings, 82

Veronicas, shrubby, 155

Vinca major elegantissima and reticu-
lata, 199

Vinca minor argentea and aurea, 199

Vine, general management of the, 48

Vine pruning, 21

Vines in houses, management of, 127

Vines in pots, 14

Wardian cases, 297

Wasps’ nest, 344

Water scenery, 291, 326, 360
Watering plants in pots, 221
Wax flowers, 218

| Weigelias, 256
Window-boxes, 33

Window-boxes, a succession of flowers
for, 97

Window gardening, 1, 33, 65, 97, 137,
171, 208, 238, 275, 297, 334, 371

Window gardens, soil and drainsge

for, 65
Window greenhouses, 36

_ Wintering half-hardy plants, 330
| Wireworn, to destroy, 63

| Wood-lice, 288

| Worms in pots, 255

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 375

face of some stone or tree bark, quietly digesting his food, while he
makes a little addition to the size of his shell. We may see, too,
many “ Spinners and Weavers,” seated in the midst of their delicate,
glistening webs, waiting for flies, or if the owners of the webs be
not there, we know that they are in nooks close at hand, most care-
fully concealed, but from out of which they can easily run down to
seize on their prey ; and we may notice how cleverly the weavers of
the great wheel-shaped nets have contrived to moor them with long
lines of web to some distant objects, and may calculate how many
times their own length are some of those lines which they have
ejected from their tiny spinnerets. We pass on, and may contrive
to see the Three-lived Ones in each of their states: as caterpillars,
feeding on the leaves of plants and vegetables ; or hanging to boughs
or ledges of palings, in their pupa, or chrysalis state ; or meet them
in their most perfect form, as lovely butterflies, fluttering about
among flowers, or just resting on them long enough to send down
their long drinking tubes into their nectaries. As we tread the
gravel paths, we are sure to notice some doings of the “ Underground
Workers,”—some piles of earth thrown up while they have been
excavating a cave-city, or we may see a long procession of them
crossing a path, some going one way, and some another, an impor-
tant business no doubt ; very busy and very fussy, and yet stopping
occasionally to touch feelers and have a talk ; or we may see where
a number of them are making their way up the stem of some
standard rose-tree, in order to “milk their cattle;” that is to say,
take from the green aphides on the rose-buds and stalks the sweet
honey-dew. We see here and there and everywhere that flowers and
blossoms are to be found, the “Busy Ones” collecting honey and
pollen, dipping their flexible tongues now into this flower-cup and
now into that, and burying themselves in others so deeply that they
come out white, or red, or yellow, with pollen, which is to be
kneaded at home into bee-bread. During all the time of our walk
we hear the cheerful trills, and twitters, and sweet notes of count-
less birds, and see them busy in their search after food, while we
know that most of them have snug little nests in the trees and
shrubs, and amid the ivy on walls about us, filled with young fledg
lings whom they never forget to provide for. As we pass a straw-
berry bed, we may chance to see some frog waiting, with his large
mouth and long tongue, ready for trapping flies ; or may chance to
come upon a mole, who may have ventured up from his burrows
underground. Even when we walk about our gardens in winter
time, when all seems so still and quiet, we may remind ourselves of
how much life there is still around us, or provision for future life.
Ants down in their subterranean cities, taking their long winter
sleep. Bees also dormant in their hives. Little mice snug and
dozing in their warm nests; while in every nook and cranny of
tree-trunks and branches, and in chinks of palings and walls, are
eggs and pups of all manner of insects, waiting only for the warmth
of spring to bring them into life. :

And as we are reminded of all the creatures whose history, or
even a portion of it, we have read, and whose ways we haye been ied

December,

376 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

to observe, we cannot but reflect with wonder on the abundance of
life, and the endless variety in the forms and modes of life to be
observed even in the creatures who are to be found within the com-
pass of a garden. We have seen, too, how their bodies and all their
powers are most wonderfully suited for the support and preservation
of their lives. We have learnt that not only can each creature pro-
vide for itself, but has the inborn knowledge aud impulse which we
call instinct, prompting it to take most tender care of its young, or
leadinz it to provide for its offspring beforehand, whom it will never
see or know. We have seen how curious and marvellously skilful
are some of the works of these small creatures for all these purposes
—the web of the spider, the cell of the bee, the cocoon of the cater-
pillar, and the nest of the bird; and we know with what fidelity and
unwearying patience and industry they employ all the capacities and
powers given to them by nature; all which cannot fail to imspire
us, not merely with love for them, but lead us to feel something
like respect for these, our little fellow-creatures, who, like ourselves,
have received so many tokens of the loving-kindness and tender
mercy of Him “ who made and loveth all.”

THE GARDEN GUIDE FOR DECEMBER.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

RET ERE is little to do, beyond keeping everything as tidy as possible.

Alfa) Bulbs ought to be all planted by this time, but if any remain out of
the ground, get them in without delay. Take up tea roses, and lay
them in by the heels in a shed, out of reach of frost. Cut down
fuchsias that are to remain out all the winter, and cover their roots
with litter or coal-ashes. Pansies, pinks, and other choice things in open beds,
should have a little light litter sprinkled over them in frosty weather, or be pro-
tected with canvas on hoops. Tulips protect in the same way. Look over
auriculas and other plants in frames, and take off dead leaves, and keep the plants
moderately dry, and as freely ventilated as the weather will permit.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

As alterations and improvements proceed, let not the important work of
draining be forgotten. * Plantations of rhubarb, seakale, asparagus, and horse-
radish, may now be made. A lot of roots of the common dandelion, packed
together in leaf-mould, and put into gentle heat, and the daylight wholly
excluded, will furnish a delicate salad in five or six weeks. TPascall’s seakale pots
are best for the purpose. Get together everything available for manure, and
keep each kind of manure as separate as possible ; and, as far as possible, keep
dung and all soluble matters under cover, for they lose much of their properties
by the action of rain. Though there is little, apparently, that calls for exertion
in the kitchen garden, the lover of tidiness and order will find plenty of occupa-
tion in getting sticks and stakes tied up in bundles, and ready for use; turf, and
weeds, and other litter to the muck-pit; manures turned, and composts pre-
pared ; pots washed and sorted over, and crocks sifted into sizes for the potting
bench.

FRUIT GARDEN,

Hurry on the planting, so that the stock shall not be suffered to perish by

Pa

THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 377

that killing process, known as “laying in by the heels.” Dig round old fruit
trees, and lay down a layer of old dung, six inches thick, in a ring, three feet
round the stem of each. Root-prune any trees that grow too luxuriantly to bear
well. Give protection to any tender fruit trees, and lay boards in a slope over
vine borders, to shelter them from excessive cold rains. Unnail from the walls
the younger shoots of tender wall trees, to prevent premature breaking. Straw-
berry beds may be made this month, and is preferable to leaving it till February.

GREENHOUSE AND STOVE.

Continue to force shrubs, hyacinths, and the hardier kinds of early bloom-
ing greenhouse stock. During foggy weather, a little fire-heat will be useful
during the day, even if the temperature is not very low, for it allows a little ven-
tilation, and a change of air is essential to the keeping of the plants in health.
Plants to be forced should be put in the greenhouse before they are placed in the
stove, for too sudden a heat is sure to exhaust them and cause many flower-buds
to break into leaves. Remember that after frost we always have damp, and this
will do much mischief unless a brisk fire be made up and air given to dissipate it.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Fia-Trere.—J. McD.—We should advise you to remove all the largest of the
fruit, and leave only on the tree those that are no larger than peas. If these get
through the winter they may furnish a fair quantity of ripe figs next season.
Should we have a severe winter, the largest fruit will be the first to suffer, and
the longer they remain on, the more they exhaust the tree. and interfere with the
production of the first crop next year ; so remove them at once, Protection
during sharp winds without frost can be given by a breadth of Haythorn’s hexagon
netting, and Russian mats added during frost, the whole removed during mild
weather.

Rosrts Newrty Bupprp:—Passiflora.—Trim in all wild growth moderately,
but do not cut in any closer the shoots that are budded. In March, cut back
every budded shoot to one wild bud above the inserted bud, and let that wild bud
grow till the inserted bud has started well, when it may be removed close over
the newly-formed shoot of the rose. The wild bud left is called the ‘‘ sap-bud,”
and its duty is to draw the sap to the inserted bud, and thus assist it to get its
own living.

Pxontes.—Clara.—Herbaceous Ponies should be planted so that the plump
buds, which are to give leaves and bloom next season, are an inch below the
surface, This will give the tubers a depth of six to nine inches. Be careful not
to injure these buds in taking up, for the next crop of blossoms is wrapped up
inside them.

Ferns at Rest.—C. C., Chelsea.—Ferns under glass should be occasionally
watered in winter, though at rest. Your tank being shaded is all the better for
fish. Perhaps a few fancy varieties of Carex would do best to grow init. Try
Arundo donax variegata in apot plunged all the summer.

Lim rrom Gas-Works.—Subscriber.—Refuse lime from gas-works is exceed-
ingly fertilizing, and may be used to any kitchen-garden crops.

Pracn anp Neorartne Trees Farrine.—F. W., Carshalton.—Your trees
are probably suffering from stagnant moisture in the soil; make a drain at the
distance of six feet from the wall, two feet in depth, lay a row of drain pipes or
tiles at the bottom, over them nine or twelve inches of brickbats, or any coarse
rubble, and make sure of an outlet for any water that may accumulate in the
drain. Then begin at one end of the border, take up all the trees carefully with-
out exception, cut off all diseased and rotten roots, and lay the trees in some safe
place while the border undergoes renovation. When the trees are all up, lay an
inch or two of good stiff loam all over the border, from the wall to the drain ;
then begin at one end, and turn over the soil fifteen inches deep, incorporating
the new and old soil well together, and lay it in three sharp ridges, so that as

December.

>

ii:
378 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE.

much surface as possible may be exposed to the action of the atmosphere; let it
lay a fortnight in this position, when give the whole another turn over, still pre-
serving the ridge fashion. After having laid another fortnight, if the weather is
open and genial, the border may be levelled down and the trees again inserted in
their proper places, taking care in replanting that the roots are only just covered.
If the above plan is carried out, we do not anticipate that the trees will suffer in
future from excessive moisture.

GoosEBEERY TREES.—Stonehenge.—Gooseberry trees may be removed at any
age if done with care and early in the season. To renovate the trees cut out a
few of the leading branches to the base, and at the same time manure the roots
liberally. The better plan would be to cut back severely one season and trans-
plant the next. In the meantime it would be as well to cut a trench half round
every tree at fifteen inches from the stem and two feet deep, and fill.in with new
rich soi]. This will cause the formation of new roots on one side of all the trees,
and will be a great help the next season in the moving. Another important step
with a view to the future, is to put in a lot of cuttings, so as to get up a stock of
young trees, and allow of the destruction of the old ones, if they refuse to be
renewed.

TuBEROSE.—Polly.—Pot the bulbs as soon as obtained, giving them a rich
sandy soil of the same quality and consistence as is used for hyacinths. When
potted they should be set aside in a warm place for a fortnight, and then he
placed on a flue, tank, dung-bed, or elsewhere, and have a bottom-heat of at least
60°. They do not generally succeed well in the stove, because it is the bulb
rather than the top that needs warmth. Give plenty of water, and the flowers
will appear in due time. As soon as they are sufficiently advanced to be attractive,
take them to the drawing-room; and when the bloom is over, throw the bulbs
away, as there is no certain way of obtaining flowers of the tuberose but by
procuring fresh bulbs every year.

Broccouis.—R&. S., Chester.—To secure a constant succession of broccolis, sow
every three weeks from the middle of March to the middle of July. The first
sowing should be Snow’s and Purple Sprouting, to come in the next spring.
The second sowing to be Brimstone, Elletson’s, Purple Cape, and Granger’s.
The third sowing to be Granger’s, Snow’s, Conning’s, and Tamworth. LHarly
in May sow Walcheren, Granger’s, and Barking, End of May sow Walcheren
and Purple Cape. June and July sowings to be Walcheren only.

Graprs SHRIVELLING.—Polly.—The fault of your grapes is that at a certain
stage their growth is arrested. We have no hesitation in tracing the cause to the
roots of the vines, and the remedy will be found in the renewal of the roots. It
is highly probable that the vines are in a damp cold border, and that in con-
sequence the roots are not able to keep pace with the demands upon them by the
leaves of the vine; and thus the supply of sap being insufficient, it is impossible
for the fruit to swell to proper dimensions.

Smartt GrEENHOUSES.—H. M., Upper Norwood.—Small greenhouses require
more skilful management than large ones. ‘They get too hot when the sun shines,
and too cold during frost ; if well ventilated, they are often draughty ; and close
and suffocating, if not well ventilated. Houses of less than thirty feet in length
by twelve feet wide demand more than ordinary care. Your little house of nine
feet by seven, with no sun on it after the middle of the day, is really not fit
for pelargoniums, fuchsias, and other first-rate greenhouse plants, but it would
answer admirably for a small collection of ferns. It might be made very pretty
by throwing up within it some banks of good peat, and facing them with burre,
and then planting ferns in it.

TRiTOMA UVARIA.—Captain W.—This is perfectly hardy, and requires the
simplest culture. It likes a deep rich soil, and is propagated by seed and
division of the plant, which generally produces abundance of offsets. These
offsets, if taken off after the plant has done blooming, potted in well enriched
loam, and placed in a cold pit or cool greenhouse, and shifted on as they require
till the end of April, will make fine blooming plants next year.

11.0 MAR 1072

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